First guest will be Olympic champion Sanya Richards-Ross
Setauket Presbyterian Church, 5 Caroline Ave., Setauket will inaugurate their Faithful Conversations series on Friday, September 27 at 7 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall with Sanya Richards-Ross, a decorated Track and Field Olympic champion, NBC Sports Analyst, TV star, entrepreneur, wife, and mother.
Long-ranked the world’s best 400m runner, Richards-Ross has been a force of nature since the beginning of her sports career. She became the first American woman in 28 years, and only the 2nd in history, to be crowned Olympic Champion over 400m at the 2012 Games in London. Richards-Ross is one of the most decorated female athletes in Track and Field history with 4 gold medals and 1 bronze, and remains the fastest American woman to ever run the 400m. Twice the IAAF Athlete of the Year, and Track & Field News’ Athlete of the Decade, Sanya’s legacy in the sport of track and field is undeniable.
On and off the track, Richards-Ross has partnered as a brand ambassador and motivational speaker with popular brands such as Nike, Coca-Cola, BMW, Citibank, Liberty Mutual, BP, iFit and others. She wears many hats and answers to many titles: Olympic Champion, Author, Entrepreneur, TV Personality and Wife, but her most prized title, Mother, is the one that inspired the creation of MommiNation, a virtual community and resource that supports black mothers in meaningful ways all over the world.
Richards-Ross has also continued to take on inspiring television opportunities. In 2019, Sanya was tapped by Will Packer and Monique Chenault to become one of the first women of color to host an entertainment news magazine show called Central Ave. She’s been a Real Housewife of Atlanta and is a prominent voice as a color commentator for NBC during the Olympics.
Richards-Ross now resides in Atlanta with her husband, two-time Superbowl Champion, Aaron Ross and their two sons Aaron and Asani.
The Faithful Conversations series, moderated by SPC’s Pastor Dr. Johanna McCune Wagner, is free and open to the public, and all are welcome to attend but registration is required.
Visit setauketpresbyterian.org/speaker-series to learn more and register or click here. For more information, call 631-941-4271.
As summer melds into autumn, the changes in temperature and daylight length are hardly, if at all, noticeable to us. But not so with the trees of Long Island’s forests. They are attuned to incremental changes in environmental conditions and have begun to prepare for the impending winter although it is still several months away.
The first and most conspicuous sign of this preparation is the color change in the countless leaves adorning the almost countless trees. During the summer leaves are filled with chlorophyll pigment necessary for plants to photosynthesize. As summer wears on, trees begin to break down chlorophyll pigments, reabsorbing the vital nitrogen and as a result other pigments are revealed. The color of the leaf depends on which pigments appear — anthocyanin produces red colored leaves, xanthophyll creates yellow, and carotene results in orange and gold. A fall season with cool nights and warm sunny days produces the most intense colors.
There are a dozen or so tree species along the North Shore providing the riot of color a that a spectacular autumn burst can bring. Two wetland trees are especially colorful, indeed brilliant — red maple and black tupelo. Their leaves turn an intense orange-red, so colorful it appears if they are illuminated from an internal light source.Tupelo starts turning early — beginning in mid-August.
Add to this the butter yellow of the hickories, the lemon-yellow of sassafras, the bright red of scarlet oak (easy to understand how it got its name when you see it in autumn splendor), the similarly colored red oak, the solid tan of beech, the duller orange of black oak, and the solid gold of black birch, and it’s clear that Long Island’s forests can paint an eye-pleasing show!
Fortunately, there are many parks and preserves along the county’s North Shore where you can see leaf change. Caleb Smith State Park Preserve in Smithtown can be a go-to locale given the amount of red maple and tupelo growing in and along the park’s numerous wetlands. The same goes for the adjacent Blydenburgh County Park. Cordwood Landing County Park in Miller Place, a gem situated on the shore of Long Island Sound, produces a nice palette of color that includes two rarer orange-leaved trees — Hornbeam and Hop Hornbeam.
A walk along the Long Island Greenbelt Trail in Arthur Kunz County Park on the west side of the Nissequogue River, accessed from Landing Avenue in Smithtown, can be good for leaf peeping with an added bonus of beautiful views of the river and its marshland, the grasses of which turn an attractive russet color in the fall.
Makamah County Nature Preserve in Fort Salonga is similar — colorful woodland scenes with peeks out to the adjacent marshland. A less well-known county park, fine for leaf peeping, is Rassapeague County Park located in the Village of Nissequogue along Long Beach Road.
A little further afield, the 100,000 acre Pine Barrens Preserve of central and eastern Suffolk County offers many places to view the leaf change and is especially beautiful in certain areas as the bright red and orange of the red maples and black tupelos blend with the tans, browns and burgundy of various oaks. Adding to the palette here are the medium green colors of Pitch Pine and in some places the darker greens of Atlantic White Cedar.
Good places in the Pine Barrens to see the leaf change are the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, Cranberry Bog County Nature Preserve accessed by County Route 63 in Riverhead, and The Nature Conservancy’s Calverton Pond Preserve in Manorville.
A resident of Setauket, author John L. Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.
This article originally appeared in TBR News Media’s Harvest Times supplement on Sept. 12.
Minghao Qiu presenting at the American Geophysical Union Conference in San Francisco last year.
Photo courtesy of M. Qiu
By Daniel Dunaief
When Minghao Qiu woke up in Beijing on Jan. 12, 2013during his freshman year in college, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing or, more appropriately, not seeing. The worst air pollution day in the history of the city mostly blocked out the sun, making it appear to be closer to 8 p.m. than a typical morning.
Minghao Qiu
While Qiu’s life path includes numerous contributing factors, that unusual day altered by air pollution had a significant influence on his career.
An Assistant Professor at Stony Brook University, Qiu straddles two departments that encapsulate his scientific and public policy interests. A recent hire who started this fall, Qiu will divide his time equally between the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and the Renaissance School of Medicine’s Program in Public Health.
Qiu studies fundamental questions in atmospheric sciences as they influence human health.
He is part of several new hires who could contribute to the climate solutions center that Stony Brook is building on Governors Island and who could provide research that informs future policy decisions.
Noelle Eckley Selin, who was Qiu’s PhD advisor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is Professor in the Institute for Data, Systems and Society and the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, suggested Qiu is a valuable scientific, policy and educational asset.
“Stony Brook is doing a lot to address climate in a serious way with great research,” Selin said. Qiu joining the institution “could really help out the university’s broader climate efforts and make them more impactful.”
Selin appreciated how Qiu was eager to dive deeper into questions, wanting to ensure that conclusions were valid and asking how to use data to test various ideas.
As a mentor, Qiu has proven inspirational.
“A lot of my current students will go and talk to him and come back to me and say, ‘[Qiu] had five excellent ideas on my project,’” Selin said. “That’s characteristic of how he works. He’s really generous with his time and is always thinking about how to look at problems.”
Policy focus
Using causal inference, machine learning, atmospheric chemistry modeling, and remote sensing, Qiu focuses on environmental and energy policies with a global focus on issues involving air pollution, climate change and energy transitions.
Qiu would like to address how climate change is influencing the air people breathe. Increasing heat waves and droughts cause people to use more energy, often through air conditioning. The energy for the electricity to power temperature controls comes from natural gas, coal, or fossil fuels, which creates a feedback loop that further increases pollution and greenhouse gases.
“Our work tries to quantify this,” Qiu said.
He also analyzes the impact of climate change on wildfires, which affects air quality.
In a research paper published last year, Qiu joined several other scientists to analyze the impact of wildfires on air quality.
The study, published in the journal Nature, found that since at least 2016, wildfire smoke eroded about a quarter of previous decades-long efforts to reduce the concentration of particulates above 2.5 microgram in several states.
Wildfire-driven increases in ambient particulates are unregulated under air pollution laws.
The authors showed that the contribution of wildfires to regional and national air quality trends is likely to grow amid a warming climate.
In his research, Qiu seeks to understand how to use energy and climate policy to address air pollution and greenhouse gases.
“Renewable energy and climate policy in general provides potential benefits,” Qiu said.
He uses publicly available data in his models.
New York pivot
While wildfires have been, and likely will continue to be, an area of focus for his work, Qiu plans to shift his focus to the kind of pollution that is typically more prevalent in New York.
In large urban cities, pollution often comes from a concentration of traffic, as people commute to and from work and drive to the city for entertainment and cultural events.
“We are going to pivot a little bit, especially to factors that are more relevant” to the Empire State, he said.
While climate change is a broad category that affects patterns across the world, air pollution and its impacts are more regional.
“The biggest impact of air pollution happens locally” particularly in terms of health effects, Qiu said.
From Beijing to MIT
Born and raised in Beijing, Qiu began connecting how climate or energy policy influences air pollution at MIT.
“When I started my PhD, there was not much real world data analysis” that linked how much renewable energy helps air quality, Qiu said. “We have historical data to do that, but it’s a lot more complex.”
After he graduated from MIT, Qiu moved to Stanford, where he shifted his focus to climate change.
“There, I got to collaborate more directly with people in the public health domain,” he said, as he focused on wildfires.
Personal choices
Despite studying air pollution and climate change, Qiu does not have HEPA filters in every room and, by his own admission, does not live a particularly green life. He does not have an electric car, although he plans to get one when he needs a new vehicle. He urges people not to sacrifice the living standards to which they are accustomed, which can include eating their preferred foods and traveling to distant points in the world.
Qiu believes there are choices individuals can make to help, but that the kind of decisions necessary to improve the outlook for climate change come from centralized government policy or large enterprises.
“I have great respect for people who change their personal behavior” but he recognizes that “this is not for everyone.”
A resident of Hicksville, Qiu lives with his wife Mingyu Song, who is a software engineer. The couple met when they were in high school.
When he’s not working on climate models, he enjoys playing basketball and, at just under six feet tall, typically plays shooting guard.
As for his research, Qiu does “rigorous scientific research” that draws from historical data.
“I feel a sense of urgency that we would like to get the answers to many of the scientific evidence as quickly as possible to communicate to policy makers,” he said.
He wants his research to be impactful and to help policy makers take “appropriate measures.”
The Jazz Loft, located along the charming Stony Brook waterfront and nearby historic village, presents the 9th annual Harbor Jazz Festival from Sept. 18 to 21. The four celebratory days of Jazz will featureinternationally-known acts, including vocalist Pete Caldera and the Sinatra Project Sextet; the Ray Anderson Group; Akiko Tsuruga Organ Quartet; Carlos Jimenez Mambo Dulcet; Bill Crow Trio and Mala Waldron Quartet along with a parade with the Equity Brass band through Stony Brook Village.
“The year’s 9th Annual Harbor Jazz Festival line-up promises to deliver an extraordinary experience and unique opportunity to hear performances from some of the finest Jazz artists in the world,” said Tom Manuel, founder and president of The Jazz Loft.“Many of the acts booked for this year’s festival perform at some of New York’s top venues and clubs. It’s amazing for our Long Island community that this years’ festival brings them all right here in our own backyard.”
Much of the festival will take place outdoors on two stages overlooking Stony Brook Harbor, as well inside The Jazz Loft at 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook.
This year’s outdoor concerts on September 21 will take place throughout the day on two stages: one on the Jazz Loft’s front lawn, and the second location across the street on the Stony Brook Village Green. All concerts on Saturday are free to the public. Just bring a lawn chair or blanket. Shows for Sept. 18 through Sept. 20 are ticketed events.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
The Jazz Loft
Sept. 18at 7 p.m. — Opening reception & jam session with the Keenan Zach Trio. All tickets are $10.
Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. — The Bad Little Big Band, featuring guest artist trumpeter Joe Magnarelli. Tickets are $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students, $15 children ages 5 and up.
Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. — The Sinatra Project with vocalist Pete Caldera backed by The Sinatra Sextet. Tickets are $40.
Sept. 21 from noon to 8 p.m.
Village Green Stage
Traditional Jazz Parade with Equity Brass Band at noon; Ray Anderson Group at 1 p.m.; Akiko Tsuruga Organ Quartetat 4 p.m.; and Carlos Jimenez Mambo Dulcet at 7 p.m. Free.
Jazz Loft Lawn Stage
Bill Crow Trio at 3 p.m.; Mala Waldron Quartet at 6 p.m. Free.
In the case of rain, all events will be held inside The Jazz Loft.
For more information, call 631-751-1895 or visit www.thejazzloft.org.
This article originally appeared in TBR News Media’s Harvest Times supplement on Sept. 12.
Wolfie meets with football fans. Photo by Connor Rose
Wolfie poses with a football fan. Photo by Connor Rose
Todd Rose poses with Wolfie before the game. Photo by Connor Rose
Todd Rose hands out souvenirs before the game. Photo by Connor Rose
SBU Marching Band. Photo by Connor Rose
SBU Marching Band and cheerleader. Photo by Connor Rose
By Katherine Kelton
To kick off Stony Brook Seawolves home football season, the university held the first of its Dean’s Challenge, when three deans of different colleges “guest coach” a game for three games, for a total of nine schools competing. Each dean competes to bring in the most people from their respective unit for a trophy, book scholarship and bragging rights.
The Stony Brook Development Team launched the first inaugural Stony Brook Athletics Dean’s Challenge for the fall 2023 semester. The mission is to build partnerships and bridge the gap between academics on campus and athletics.
Each school was given an opportunity to rally fans for football games during the fall season. The School of Social Welfare had the greatest attendance and was named the winner, receiving the Dean’s Challenge Trophy and a $250 book scholarship courtesy of the Athletic Department.
The first game this season included guest-coach David Wrobel, the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He said, “We thought as a nice way to build community and get people out to the game, we would bring all kinds of food in addition to giving out tickets and college swag.”
CAS had the largest number of attendees and secured $500 for student programming.
Wrobel, who joined Stony Brook this fall after a previous tenure at the University of Oklahoma, explained his decision to come to Long Island. “The thing I love about this university is that it’s exactly what a public research university has to be,” he said. “It focuses on ensuring that kids from different backgrounds and financial circumstances have access to an incredible research-centric experience.”
Wrobel said of the football team, “I hope the football players do brilliantly, there’s a new coach [Billy Cosh] so that’s fantastic. The football players are also fantastic student-athletes.”
The other two deans who competed at Saturday’s game were Stacy Jaffee Gropack of the School of Health Professions and Peter Diplock of the School of Professional Development.
Aside from the healthy rivalries inside the university, other groups set up their tents, served food and played games. Their kids cartwheeled and threw footballs around. Stony Brook merchandise tents were scattered around as well.
Fans watched the football players in their tracksuits walk into the locker room. The marching band, cheerleaders and dance squad paraded around the perimeter of the tailgate area before performing in front of LaValle Stadium.
The light rain did not scare off tailgaters as many came prepared. Todd Rose, father of freshman player Ian Rose, said, “We’re from Connecticut. We were here for all the rainy games last year and it seems we are this year too.”
Todd Rose and his mother walked around handing out 3D printed badges and beaded necklaces that demonstrate team spirit. “We like to go to New Orleans and when you walk around they have all these beads and they have all the Major League sports teams and then they have your colleges,” he explained. “But, I never saw one for Stony Brook, so what I did was I took the picture and built it into my 3D printer, and designed it myself. I just give it to the parents of the players. So we know when a person is a parent of a player.”
Rose huddled under the tent with his wife, eldest son and mother alongside other football parents. James Amburn, father of Jacob Amburn, another freshman player, came from Berkshire County, Massachusetts, to watch the game. “I wasn’t too sure about Stony Brook at first,” he said. However, after they toured the school and the surrounding community SBU was a clear choice. “The atmosphere, the people are great, Port Jefferson is nice. Just a great experience,” he added.
The Seawolves beat Stonehill Skyhawks, 37-10, with an impressive two touchdowns in the first quarter. The next home game will be against Morgan State Bears Sept. 28 at 3:30 p.m.
A scene from the Three Village Historical Society's first annual Culper Spy 5k. Photo courtesy of TVHS
A scene from the Three Village Historical Society's first annual Culper Spy 5k. Photo courtesy of TVHS
A scene from the Three Village Historical Society's first annual Culper Spy 5k. Photo courtesy of TVHS
A scene from the Three Village Historical Society's first annual Culper Spy 5k. Photo courtesy of TVHS
A scene from the Three Village Historical Society's first annual Culper Spy 5k. Photo courtesy of TVHS
By Kimberly Phyfe
Three Village Historical Society launched its first annual Culper Spy 5K on Sunday, Sept. 8. It’s the first annual because there are already plans in the works to bring this wonderful community event back next year.
Margo Arceri of Tri-Spy Tours is the brainchild behind Culper Spy Day, which just celebrated its tenth year. As she stated in her welcome address, “It takes a village, sometimes three!” She remarked that “this community has truly embraced the Culper Spy Ring story that reaches all ages. I look forward to Culper Spy Weekend next September with the 5K becoming a huge part of the celebration of our rich history.”
The festivities began on the TVHS lawn with a stretch and warm up from Real Deal Fitness with bagels and coffee donated by David Prestia of Bagel Express.
As families gathered, 17 children participated in a fun run to Ridgeway Avenue and return. Back at the starting line on North Country Road, 309 racers got ready to run through the Old Setauket Historic District. The route headed north past the Setauket Neighborhood House where volunteers stationed a water stop, through Frank Melville Park, across Main Street by Patriots Rock, around Caroline Church and back to the historical society headquarters.
These sites were once farmlands, battlefields and home to Revolutionary War heroes which made the run “powerful and emotional — you really feel the deep sense of pride in our history when you’re out there,” one runner commented.
As head of the Three Village Dads Foundation, David Tracy posted that 3V Dads were “honored to be the finish line sponsor of the inaugural Culper Spy 5K hosted by the Three Village Historical Society. What a great turnout, beautiful day and awesome route. Looking forward to next year’s event!”
Mari Irizarry, director of TVHS said, “We are beyond thrilled by the incredible energy and overwhelming support we saw throughout the Three Village community for our inaugural 5K race. All proceeds from the run support The Dominick Crawford Barn Education and History Center.”
Irizarry added, “This event was made possible through the remarkable efforts of Sean Grossman, who approached us with this idea at just 14 years old. Sean, now 15, brought together a dedicated committee, secured the expertise of the Strong Island Running Club and led every meeting with maturity and focus. We are incredibly proud of Sean and his commitment to both our organization and the community.”
Strong Island Running Club had a giant finish line to welcome back and celebrate the racers, also capture their times and images. The most senior competitor, Rolf Sternglanz won a medal at 85 years old for completing the course in 44 minutes, 35 seconds.
The top-placed runners were:
Male
1. Blake Weaver 17:10
2. Felipe Garcia17:30
3. Lucas Sweeney 18:16
Female
6.Jane Radke 19:49
8.Anjali Narayan 20:32
10. Margaret Kennedy21:29
A full list of all placed runners and sponsors can be found at www.tvhs.org or click here.
Former state assemblyman, Steve Englebright (D-Setauket,) displaying a map of the Setauket area, as he addresses the crowd on Monday night. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo
By Toni-Elena Gallo
On Monday night, Sept. 9, the Three Village Civic Association held a community forum, to discuss future plans for the revitalization of East Setauket Pond Park.
Through the years, the park has become dilapidated, as overgrown vegetation and broken fencing have taken over the aesthetic of a park that is an instantly recognizable staple of the Three Village community.
“When I started working for the town, and found myself in the enviable position of taking the baton and being able to move this project along, the thing that really struck me was because, as [civic president] Charlie [Tramontana] said, this is a generational project that will have an impact on this community for 50, 100 or more years,” said Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook).
“So, I started a process to try to get as many voices as possible involved, so that we could really make this a project that is of the community, for the community. I’m going to be listening carefully, and taking notes [tonight],” he added.
Kornreich’s comments were followed by statements from Suffolk County legislator and former state assemblyman, Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), who discussed the historical and natural significance of Setauket Harbor, emphasizing its historical place in the development of our nation. Englebright continued by explaining how the first colonial settlers of this area founded on the ideals of freedom, tolerance and religious freedom.
The rest of the meeting was run by Farmingdale State College architectural professor, and board member, Joe Betz, who shared some tentative planning ideas for the space.
One key concern Betz expressed was creating a “sense of place,” which the park currently lacks. He feels that it is important to create a park which draws the eye, and does not get lost in the commotion of 25A. The park would encompass an area from the Brewster House to the war memorial, including the proposed relocation of the Roe Tavern. There would be views across Setauket Harbor.
Additionally, East Setauket Automotive’s lease will expire at the end of July 2025, which creates possibilities, Betz said. “That’s a big chunk of land, and it’s in the heart of, essentially, what this park center is. So, when that comes up, what do you do with this vacant building?” He suggested the impressive facade of the building could be retained, with the rest of the premises converted into a pavilion for parkgoers.
Betz continued his presentation with graphics he and his students had created, which show potential park designs. He discussed, possibly, crafting the pond farther back from 25A.
He envisions a larger field area and a bandstand for summer concerts, as well as the pavilion.
Betz, also, discussed designing infrastructure with a more European, “English landscape” look which is something he asked community members to consider.
While nothing is set in stone, Betz implored the community to keep having conversations with local officials, as this will, ultimately, define the image of the Three Village community, and he hopes it will be enjoyed by the community, and tourists alike, for future generations.
To access Monday night’s presentation, which contains two different design approaches and detailed information on tentative plans for the park, please visit the link below.
Owners Frank Zheng and his wife Jackie Chen. Photo by Jenna Zaza
By Jenna Zaza
Frank Zheng and his wife Jackie Chen finally fulfilled their long-awaited dream of opening a family-owned Asian market when they strung the Grand Opening banner across the quaint storefront windows nearly two months ago.
Stony Asian Mart has reopened its doors as Zheng’s Asian Market to a bright, healthy future under new ownership. “We previously owned a Chinese restaurant for 14 years but we got tired of it, too much work,” Zheng said. “We were always thinking of opening a market and then we found this place and it was the perfect chance so — boom — we got it.”
Located across the street from the Long Island Rail Road Stony Brook station at 1087 North Country Road, the market is an ideal spot for Stony Brook University students and faculty as well as hospital staff, according to Zheng. The small store carries a diverse range of products from medicinal and cosmetics to beverages and frozen foods.
“There is no Asian market that is easy for students. We got food that is easy to cook, ones that you can microwave for 15 minutes. We are serving Stony Brook,” Chen said.
Their goal to service the Stony Brook demographic is clear in their pricing. Dry snacks prices such as the popular Korean choco pie typically stay under $10, and Chinese fruit cakes only around $4 and bags of PopCorners are $1. Frozen buns, shumai and dumplings are around $5.75 and a 5-pack of instant noodles, a college staple, averages $7. But quality is not compromised for quality, Chen assures.
“I order from the number one big [importer] for Asian food, the quality is good, and bigger companies have guaranteed return policies if there are any issues,” Chen said. “It’s good for me and good for my customers. I don’t ever worry.”
Zheng’s Asian Market currently offers a 10% discount for Stony Brook University students and faculty. It also offers delivery for orders within a 3-mile radius of the university’s campus exceeding $35 with no extra fee.
“There is all the stuff here you would find in Flushing and it’s cheaper,” said Sophia Shi, freshman political science major at Stony Brook University. “It’s also a hundred times cleaner than the stores in Flushing. I can see why a lot of people are liking the mart.”
After purchasing the building, the owners fixed up the mini-mart by repainting it. However, the rebuilding process doesn’t stop there. Zheng’s Asian Market is proving to be a refreshing and much-needed change, according to students.
“The old one was dark, like the lights weren’t on. I thought it was closed at first,” said John Choi, a junior majoring in biology. “I think [the new owners] made a lot of new improvements. The selection is pretty good too and I like the student discount.”
It’s not only the power couple who are behind this business but also their children who are helping promote the new improved market by posting on the Stony Brook Reddit and hanging flyers on campus, according to Chen.
“Stony Brook [University] is like a small city because there are a lot of people working there, and living there, hopefully more people know about us,” Zheng said. “We will check it out and see how it goes.”
In winter months, they plan to stock frozen meats and fish in hopes to appeal to hot-pot fanatics, Zheng said. They are also thinking of possibly extending their figurines and plushie stock depending on customer interest.
“When I come in here, I feel like I am back in my hometown,” said Susan Sun, a freshman psychology major. “The staff are so friendly and they should try to do more promotions. As long as people come to see it for the first time, they’ll keep coming back.”
For the new owners, service is one of their most important business pillars aside from price and quality. Zheng’s Asian Market aims to serve the Stony Brook residents’ food and high-quality service, welcoming them like family.
“We are not big money seekers, not a million-dollar business,” Zheng said. “We just want to pay the [bills] and have fun with the people. We’ll take care of the community.”
Jenna Zaza is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom.
World Trade Center worker. Photo courtesy Steven Spak
By Daniel Dunaief
Sean Clouston takes some time to reflect each year around this time.
Sean Clouston
A professor in the Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine in the Program in Public Health at Stony Brook University, Clouston studies the long term implications of the exposure and experiences of first responders after the attacks on the World Trade Center.
Clouston, who published research this summer that chronicled the higher rates of dementia among first responders in the years after the attack, spoke exclusively with the Times Beacon Record Newspapers about the work he does and the interactions he’s had with people who were in harm’s way in the days and weeks after the terrorist attacks.
Each September 11th is a “quiet day,” Clouston said, as he takes time to remember those lostand reflect on those who are continuing to deal with the health consequences of being there.
Clouston recalls thinking about how the attacks shaped the way he thought about what he should be doing with his life.
In the work he’s done in monitoring the role of long-duration exposures at the World Trade Center on neurological health of responders to the events following the Sept. 11 attacks, Clouston has interacted with survivors, spouses, and families, receiving regular updates.
“It’s a pretty big part of my everyday social network,” Clouston said.
He’s heard numerous stories from a day in which the comfortable, clear air provided an incongruous backdrop for the mass murders. He has heard about people who were blown out of the buiding amid a combustible blast and about how difficult it is to put out a cesium fire.
“There were definitelly so many different stories that speak to me,” Clouston said.
As someone who studies the outcomes of severe or early life challenges, Clouston is aware of how the traumatic events of that day reoccur for so many people, as they reexperience the moments that sometimes haunt their dreams and that can continue to affect them physically and cognitively.
People generally consider post traumatic stress as a “fairly short condition” where someone has it “immediately after an event and it kind of goes away,” Clouston said.
For first responders, however, “that’s not true. They are dealing with it for years or decades after the traumatic event.”
Indeed, first responders not only feel the effects of the physical and emotional trauma, but the experience affects their body chemistry and “changes how their immune system reacts.”
Researchers can see how it “wears away at the body over the years and over the decades,’ Clouston added.
The study of post traumatic stress allows him to focus on and understand the link between the mind and the body.
How can people help?
Clouston suggested that people who want to help first responders need to start by recognizing the specific challenges each person may be facing.
“What you do depends a lot on who the person is and what they remember and what they’re struggling with,” said Clouston.
Sept. 11th each year can be a hard time, as people confront painful memories.
People can help others by “being available to listen,” he suggested. Try to understand “why it affects them and how.”
Therapists can help, as can doctor-prescribed medications.
First responders may feel angry, which people don’t always anticipate feeling.
In his research, Clouston focuses less on day-to-day changes and more on how their exposure and experience affects them in the longer term.
First responders can become physically weaker and slower, as they are less able to lift weights.
Cognitively, the effect of the experience has also been significant.
Earlier this year, Clouston published a paper in which he found an “enormous difference” between people with minimal exposure to dust and other particulates at the World Trade Center site compared to those who were more heavily exposed, he said.
“The incidence of dementia is building on prior work showing that the longer you were on site, the more likely responders were to have slowed down cognitive function in general,” he added.
Future questions
Clouston and his colleagues are hoping to understand what disease is affecting first responders. They are unsure whether it’s a form of dementia related to other conditions or whether it’s unique to this group and this exposure.
They are hoping to explore whether people who were on site have anything in their blood that is a measure of exposure, such as chemicals or metals.
First responders don’t all need care now, but one of the goals of the research is to make sure scientists and doctors are “on top of what is really happening” as they prepare to provide any necessary help in future years.
People develop diseases when three things occur: a noxious or toxic element or viral particle exists, they are exposed to it, and people are vulnerable to its effects.
Researchers are working to understand the level of exposure and different levels of vulnerability.
Clouston also highlighted the connection between the immune system and tau proteins, which can trigger dementia in Alzheimer’s and which can spread throughout the brain.
Researchers have been exploring how some immune systems might spread these proteins, while other immune systems trigger a slower spread and, potentially, fewer and less severe symptoms.
In theory, scientists could learn from the immune system that causes a slower spread, although “we’re years away from doing anything like that,” he said.
Alternatiely, researchers and pharmaceutical companies are working on ways to remove these proteins.
“You can fight fires in two ways,” he said.
Stony Brook has been considering “those ideas. To get there, we have to first understand excatly where are we and what is the problem,” he said. “That’s where we really are for the next couple of years.”
As for his interaction with first responders, Clouston has been inspired by the way the first responder community has rallied around people who are struggling with physical and cognitive challenges.
He recalled a firefighter who was struggling with age-related conditions.
“His fellow firefighters came together and built in some lifts and ramps to help him and his spouse get around the house and use the bathroom,” he said. “Moments like that are really touching.”
A resident of Setauket, author John L. Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.
He’s heard numerous stories from a day in which the comfortable, clear air provided an incongruous backdrop for the mass murders. He has heard about people who were blown out of the buiding amid a combustible blast and about how difficult it is to put out a cesium fire.
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