Mike Kilano, a United States Marine veteran, veteran advocate and crisis coordinator for Paws of War, will participate in the 22 PAC PTSD Awareness Challenge Aug. 30. This event aims to raise awareness for PTSD and veteran suicides, and to bring together over 20 veteran-related nonprofits.
Kilano, a North Babylon resident, will kayak 22 miles with others across Long Island Sound, starting in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and ending in Port Jefferson.
Kayaks will leave Bridgeport at 10:30 a.m. and are due to arrive in Port Jeff at 5:30 p.m. There will be a reception party, open to the public, at the Village Center with free food, drinks and a band from 4 to 8 p.m.
For Kilano, the challenge is a way to support his fellow servicemen and women. It symbolizes the 22 veterans who tragically take their lives each day.
Kilano understands the profound impact of combat-derived PTSD. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1999 to 2003 and was deployed to the Middle East shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, participating in Operation Enduring Freedom.
His service left him with deep scars. After just three months of deployment, Kilano began to notice how the sights, sounds and experiences of war were affecting his mental health.
Upon returning home, his struggles intensified. “I couldn’t sleep, tried to go to school, couldn’t focus … my anger took control, I got into some pretty reckless behaviors,” he said. “My isolation was so bad for two or three years, and I had a family. So you can imagine my kids and my wife having secondary PTSD because their father — her husband — had all these issues we didn’t even know about.”
Helped by Paws of War
Veteran Mike Kilano demonstrates kayak skills at Steers Beach, in Northport, in advance of the 22 PAC challenge. Courtesy of Paws of War
After nearly 20 years, Kilano was diagnosed with combat-related PTSD and began receiving services through the VA. He has slowly found ways to manage his PTSD, greatly aided by his service dog, Nova, who was paired with him through Paws of War. Nova is not only a fully trained service dog but also a beloved family member.
Paws of War, located in Nesconset, trains and places shelter dogs to serve and provide independence to U.S. military veterans who suffer from the emotional effects of war.
Inspired by Paws of War, Nova and the positive changes in his life, Kilano now works full time with the organization, helping other veterans navigate their struggles. “For a lot of veterans, their animals are their lifeline. If I can make them aware of the help of a service dog, I feel like I’m making a difference,” he said.
“As tough as things get, I know there’s a community of veterans like me,” he added. “If I can be that voice or that encouragement to my brothers or sisters, then it makes my mission away from the mission in combat worthwhile. I can sleep better because I’m helping someone out.”
Kilano is excited about participating in the 22 PAC challenge. “I love kayaking,” he said. The activity provides him with an outlet and forces him to slow down and focus: “As I start training, I’m out in the open water, I’m able to breathe, no one’s around. You’re able to focus on your breathing, your muscles. You have to get that energy out. You can’t have much negative energy when you’re in the middle of the ocean.”
Mike Kilano. Courtesy Paws of War
In preparation for the challenge, Kilano conducted kayak training at Steers Beach, Northport, Aug. 16 and spoke about his experiences with PTSD and the support he has received. “As a veteran advocate, I think it’s important to showcase groups like 22 PAC and what they’re about so that others get encouraged,” he said.
Kilano plans to continue his advocacy beyond the 22 PAC challenge. Readers interested in donating to the fundraiser and learning more about Paws of War can visit the websites 22pac.org and pawsofwar.org.
It was on a rising tide in mid-afternoon, on an 82-degree late summer day, that I slipped into the opening of the kayak, placed my feet on the rudder controls and pushed off the gently sloping bank in the southern reaches of Stony Brook Harbor, not too far from the famous Hercules Pavilion positioned along the harbor’s edge.
Stony Brook Harbor. Photo by John Turner
Even in shallow, foot-deep water I was easily able to ply the kayak along the shoreline. The first view that drew my attention were nine bright white, long-necked wading birds. Egrets they were, both the larger American Egret and the more diminutive Snowy Egret feeding in the shallow water of the creek that spills from the Stony Brook Grist Mill. Their likely targets were small, two-inch long baitfish, schools of which I would repeatedly see in the hours ahead as I explored the harbor.
Within a couple of minutes I had plied across a deeper channel running alongside Youngs Island and moments later alongside one of the many marsh islands found within the harbor.
For the next four hours I explored the many gifts Stony Brook Harbor had to offer — red beard sponges, several species of floating seaweeds, fiddler crabs scuttling across sand flats, baby horseshoe crab molts, the aforementioned baitfish and their pursuers — baby bluefish known as snappers, snapping the placid tension of the water surface — countless shells, and, of course, the birds: Double-crested Cormorants (many, comically, with their wings outstretched, drying in the sun); more long-necked and long-legged wading birds; a small plover pulling on a long red worm; the plaintive, three part call of Greater Yellowlegs; the ubiquitous gulls; and an adult Bald Eagle, dominating the sky over the southern edge of the harbor.
Like tiny sailboats, many bird feathers floated over the placid surface of the water during the visit, a tell-tale sign that late summer is a time for many birds to molt by replacing older worn out feathers with new ones.
That small plover was not a Piping Plover but its darker colored cousin — the Semipalmated Plover, so named because its feet are partially webbed. A handsome bird the color of chocolate on the top of its head and back, a bright white belly, breast, and throat offset by a black chest band and line through the eye, and an orange bill and yellow-orange legs, the Semipalmated Plover breeds in the far north; this bird probably flew south from Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Northern Quebec, but perhaps even further north in its breeding range above the Arctic Circle, to make its way to Stony Brook Harbor on its much longer journey to the Caribbean or South America.
The same is true for the Greater Yellowlegs, a slightly larger shorebird with a salt-and-pepper plumage with, you guessed it! — bright yellow legs. The plover was feeding in a sand/mud flat and the three yellowlegs in very shallow water adjacent to the flat. Suddenly, the yellowlegs exploded into the air, winging away rapidly, apparently due to some danger they could (but I could not) perceive. Their emphatic calls rung out over the water, harkening to more desolate and windy places.
This little shorebird vignette in the harbor illustrates and underscores the value it and countless other coastal embayments on the East Coast play as critical way stations for migrating shorebirds that stitch together the Northern and Southernhemispheres. These are like the highway rest stops we use while traveling, providing opportunities for these long distance migrants to feed and rest.
Ribbed mussels along the harbor. Photo by John Turner
As I turned south into the more open waters at the southern end of the harbor I slid by a long muddy embankment, the leading edge of a salt marsh, when two objects caught my eye — many clumps of Ribbed Mussels and dozens of Cordgrass or Spartina plants in full bloom.
Ribbed mussels are less well-known and appreciated than the edible Blue Mussel since, unlike the latter species, they are not harvested for food. Nevertheless, they are very important to the healthy functioning of tidal wetlands. So named because of the numerous parallel ribbed lines that run the length of its shell, this species grows in bunches in the mud, often tangled in the roots of Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), with which they have a “mutualistic” or mutually beneficial relationship.The mussels benefit from anchoring their shells, through the use of byssal threads, to the roots of Spartina and also benefit from the density of the plant shoots that makes it harder for predators, like crabs, to gain access.
The plant benefits by the waste products excreted from the mussel as it is high in nitrogen which acts as a plant fertilizer. The material also helps to build the marsh — filtering tiny organic particles out of the water column and depositing it on the marsh. Because of these important services the Ribbed mussel is referred to as an “ecosystem engineer.”
Cordgrass in bloom along Stony Brook Harbor. Photo by John Turner
Cordgrass is the most recognizable plant of the marsh. It dominates the view of much of the harbor and along the lower elevations of the tidal marsh, with its sister species Salt Hay (Spartina patens), occurring in the higher portions. These are two of only a small number of plants that can tolerate the presence of salt and its desiccating qualities; they do this by extruding the salt from pores in the surface of the frond; take a close-up view and you can often see the salt crystals sparkling along the stems of the plant.
Cordgrass is wind pollinated and not surprisingly, therefore, their interesting one-sided flowers aren’t showy nor do they exude nectar in an effort to lure pollinating insects. The winds care not for such things. Still, they are beautiful and arresting as the hundreds of flowers on each stalk move in the slightest breeze.
Unfortunately, a storm cloud has appeared over the harbor that would likely compromise its beauty and ecological quality. This “cloud” is in the form of two large docks proposed on properties located in the harbor’s shallow southern end in the Village of Nissequogue.
Despite the fact there are two commercial marinas in the northern reaches of the harbor at which a boat can be stored or the fact each property owner currently has access to launch kayaks or canoes from the shore, these residents are seeking approval to install monstrously long docks that would jut well out into the water. One is more than two hundred feet long.
The proposed site for one of the docks. Photo by John Turner
Installing the dock pilings would be disruptive to the harbor bottom, cause turbidity and sedimentation problems, affecting wetland dependent wildlife such as diamondback terrapins (I saw a dozen terrapins floating and swimming in the southern portion of the bay on the kayak visit and fifteen from a vantage point onshore at Cordwood Park about a month earlier).
Turbidity problems and disruption to the harbor bottom by “prop scouring” will occur each and every time boats are run out on low tide. Further, the docks will make it more difficult for you and I to walk along the shoreline as is our legal right “to pass and repass” along the shoreline as guaranteed by the Public Trust Doctrine and did I mention the ugliness and visual blight caused by the docks at a site landscape painters find inspiration?
Perhaps of greater concern is the precedence that approval of these two docks could establish. If these are approved, what’s to stop the harbor’s “death-by-a-thousand-cuts” as several dozen other property owners ringing the harbor, through time, request the same?
And is it reasonable to assume that, as the years roll by, these owners clamor for the very shallow southern reaches of the harbor to be dredged to ease navigation and better accommodate their boats?Yes, it is.
For the sake of this most special and unique place the request for these mega docks must be denied. The public interest in, and use of, Stony Brook Harbor and recognition of the significant ecological value of the harbor dictate against approval and must prevail. Will public officials heed the call?
A resident of Setauket, John 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
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‘Beween Stony Brook Harbor Tides’
If you wish to learn more about the human and natural history of Stony Brook Harbor, I encourage you to read “Between Stony Brook Harbor Tides — The Natural History of a Long Island Pocket Bay” authored by Larry Swanson and Malcolm Bowman, two professors who taught at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. The book provides an overview of the natural conditions that shape the harbor, the human imprint on the harbor, and the many species of wildlife that call it home. It is a most worthwhile read.
Nova took her first kayak trip with pet parents Elyse and Javier Benavides of Coram on April 12, spending the day visiting different spots in beautiful Stony Brook Harbor.
The Boater’s Maritime Festival returned to Port Jefferson on Saturday and Sunday, bringing boats of all shapes and sizes as well as fun harborside activities for kids.
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A pirate show entertains kids during the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
10-year-old Rafael Bennett, from North Carolina, and 11-year-old Rocky Point resident Brendan Capodanno show off their pirate skills at the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
File photo by Bob Savage/TBR News Media
14-year-old Joshua Hammer, from Ridge, flies high on the Eurobungy at the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
Roller skaters get rolling during the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
Joe Rock and the Allstars play for the crowd at the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
A pirate show entertains kids during the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
Sailing instructors set up a boat during the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
Alden Mohacsi sings for the crowd at the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
Daniel Fardella of Plainview tosses at bean bag at the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
Someone paddle boards on the harbor during the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
Port Jefferson's Robbie Roscoe, 3, and Mount Sinai's Bradley Strong, 4, work on crafts at the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
A families watches the Eurobungy at the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
A sailing instructor takes a kid out on the water during the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
A girl poses on top of a boulder during the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
Young pirate Riley Greig, 7, of Smithtown, relaxes at the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
The Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson included a boat show on the harbor. Photo by Bob Savage
A pirate show entertains kids during the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
A pirate show entertains kids during the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
14-year-old Joshua Hammer, from Ridge, flies high on the Eurobungy at the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
Our Generation performs at the Port Jeff Brewing Company during the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
Pirates speak to a vendor at the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
The Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson gets the harbor buzzing with activity. Photo by Bob Savage
A kayaker takes a solo trip on the harbor during the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
Boats are everywhere during the Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson. Photo by Bob Savage
A pirate gives a young boy a high-five after a treasure hunt during Port Jefferson’s annual Boater’s Maritime Festival on June 7, 2015. Photo by Bob Savage
In celebration of its rich maritime heritage, the Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson in partnership with the New York Marine Trade Association, will present the 5th Annual Port Jefferson Boater’s Maritime Festival on June 11 and 12 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The festival will take place throughout the entire village and will specifically showcase Port Jefferson Harbor, one of the most popular deep-water harbors on Long Island. Boaters appreciate the prime location with easy access, deep draft local shops, restaurants and entertainment just a short walk from the marina docks.
This two-day festival will host the Port Jeff Boat Show with over 50 boats on display and dozens of fishing vendors at one of the island’s only outdoor shows. Sailing demonstrations will take place on the harbor as well as aregatta planned on Sunday afternoon. Maritime-related attractions, museums and organizations will be present along with free open demos of kayaks, inflatable boats and paddle boards.
New this year and kicking off the weekend is an outdoor Crossfit Throwdown sponsored by Crossfit Hidden Pond Park. Crossfit participants will gather for the Throwdown on the Sound scheduled for Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Jeanne Garant Harborfront Park.
Also debuting this year is Chick-Fil-A’s family-friendly addition to the event … the Eurobungy!Up to three participants can experience the thrill of bungee jumping in this ultimate interactive entertainment feature.
Returning this year is the Paddle Battle Long Island Port Jefferson Race on Saturday, June 11. The 2.5-mile recreational race includes kayak and stand-up paddle boards, each in separate categories. This fun-filled day of races helps raise money for not-for-profit organizations such as United Way of Long Island’s VetsBuild program, the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation and the East End Tourism Alliance. Registration will take place at the Village Center on East Broadway from 10 a.m. to noon.
Saturday night offers After Hours at the festival from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., featuring a Sunset Paddle, live music and food and beverage at the Harbor Bistro.
A paddleboard race takes off in Port Jefferson Harbor during the annual Boater’s Maritime Festival on June 6, 2015. Photo by Bob Savage
In addition to exhibitors from the Maritime Explorium, Riverhead Foundation and the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center, the festival will feature art and photo exhibits,craft vendors and live music.
Sailing demos (from noon to 5 p.m. on both days) and clam eating contest (on June 11 at 2 p.m.) are among the exciting and interactive events taking place at the Port Jefferson Boater’s Maritime Festival along with food and drink at the Harbor Bistro food court offered by local eateries, Fifth Season, C’est Cheese, Gourmet Burger Bistro, LI Pour House and Junior’s Spycoast.Pirate shows and treasure hunts will round out the entertainment for the entire family. Best of all, admission is free!
Annual Asharoken swim to benefit Alzheimer's disease research raises more than $6,000
By Talia Amorosano
On Tuesday morning, more than 20 kayakers and swimmers gathered for the 12th Annual Distant Memories Swim, an event created and organized by Bryan Proctor, a Harborfields physical education teacher, to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Participants traveled two nautical miles from Asharoken Beach in Northport to Knollwood Beach in Huntington and were cheered on by family members and supporters who waited and watched the event from shore. This year’s event has raised more than $6,000 for the Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center so far, and over the course of its existence, has raised over $100,000. Organizers hope that the money will eventually help researchers find a cure for this increasingly prevalent disease.
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Bryan Proctor comes ashore after a long swim at Knollwood Beach in Huntington. Photo by Talia Amorosano
Bryan Proctor’s family members complete the event at Knollwood Beach in Huntington. Photo by Talia Amorosano
A swimmer emerges from the water at Knollwood Beach in Huntington. Photo by Talia Amorosano
The group of volunteers, organizers, and supporters gather at Knollwood Beach in Huntington. Photo by Talia Amorosano
Supporters wait near the water for swimmers and kayakers to return at Knollwood Beach in Huntington. Photo by Talia Amorosano
A kayaker makes it ashore at Knollwood Beach in Huntington. Photo by Talia Amorosano
First swimmers ashore, Andrea O’Brien and Jennifer Howard are interviewed by News 12 Long Island at Knollwood Beach in Huntington. Photo by Talia Amorosano
Swimmer Jennifer Howard is all smiles and the second person ashore at Knollwood Beach in Huntington. Photo by Talia Amorosano
Swimmer Andrea O’Brien has her name and time recorded at Knollwood Beach in Huntington. Photo by Talia Amorosano
Swimmer Andrea O’Brien is the first person ashore at Knollwood Beach in Huntington. Photo by Talia Amorosano
Swimmers and kayakers get together for a group picture prior to the event at Asharoken Beach in Northport. Photo by Talia Amorosano
A pirate gives a young boy a high-five after a treasure hunt during Port Jefferson's annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 7, 2015. Photo by Bob Savage
The annual Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson on June 7 has the harbor and the park full of fun. Photo by Bob Savage
Farmingville resident Arielle Ferchland, 7, admires a boa, handled by ranger Eric Powers, at Port Jefferson's annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 7. Photo by Bob Savage
A flyboarder takes off during Port Jefferson's annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 7. Photo by Bob Savage
The Stony Brook School sailing team gives a demonstration at the annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 7. Photo by Bob Savage
A young girl tries her hand at rowing during Port Jefferson's annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 6. Photo by Bob Savage
Things get slippery at the chamber of commerce's clam eating contest during the annual Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson on June 6. Photo by Bob Savage
The Brookhaven Town parking lot on Port Jefferson Harbor becomes an art gallery at the annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 7. Photo by Bob Savage
People have a paddleboard race in Port Jefferson Harbor during the annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 6. Photo by Bob Savage
The band Our Generation gets funky at Port Jefferson's annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 7. Photo by Bob Savage
Port Jefferson Harbor was full of all different kinds of watercraft at the annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 7. Photo by Bob Savage
Ranger Eric Powers holds a boa during the annual Boater's Maritime Festival in Port Jefferson on June 6. Photo by Bob Savage
A flyboarding demo makes a splash at Port Jefferson's annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 7. Photo by Bob Savage
People have a paddleboard race in Port Jefferson Harbor during the annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 6. Photo by Bob Savage
Pirates take children on a treasure hunt during Port Jefferson's annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 7. Photo by Bob Savage
Port Jefferson resident Belle Chen, 5, shows off her art skills at the annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 6. Photo by Bob Savage
Young boys paddleboard in Port Jefferson Harbor during the annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 7. Photo by Bob Savage
"Pirates" hold a gun demonstration during Port Jefferson's annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 6. Photo by Bob Savage
A paddleboard race takes off in Port Jefferson Harbor during the annual Boater's Maritime Festival on June 6, 2015. File photo by Bob Savage
Port Jefferson held its annual Boater’s Maritime Festival on June 6 and June 7, bringing pirates, art, animals and water sports to the village’s downtown area on a warm weekend. Residents and visitors learned how to row, stepped onto paddleboards, wiggled into kayaks, went on treasure hunts, stuffed their faces with clams, petted slippery snakes and more.