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TBR News Media

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Beaches and rivers are signature settings of a fun Long Island summer and one of its most attractive features. Water is always within a 40-minute drive, tempting overheated residents with a swim. 

Plunging into the crashing waves and relazing in the cool, refreshing water is wonderfully restorative, but includes some dangers we can’t ignore. The ocean and the Long Island Sound are not pools–there isn’t a shallow floor to stand on when we tire or side walls to cling to for a break. 

Last week, tragedy struck our community after a man drowned in the Nissequogue River by the Kings Park Bluff. Unable to combat the converging waters and powerful waves, the swimmer tired and was overtaken. 

When tides become too strong, Smith Point Chief of Lifeguards Kevin Kolar urges us to lie on our backs and swim parallel to the shore. This strategy is essential in both a river or the ocean. The challenge, however, is staying calm during the adrenaline rush of fear after we realize we are further than we intended. 

“When [swimmers] are panicked and see themselves moving away from shore, they want to go from point A to B. They don’t want to waste their energy going around,” he said, adding that resisting the urge to try to push ahead and swim against the tide pulling you out is like stepping into a punch. Instincuntually, we want to return to safety as soon as possible. 

Many swimmers think we can swim in and through the ripe tide if we use enough power. This will just tire us out. Ripe tides take the form of a mushroom cloud–the current is drawn from the shore in a narrow stem before billowing out for about 30 yards. Lying on our back and gently swimming toward the shore at an angle is key to preventing exhaustion. We should not assume a vertical position, which will cause us to sink “like a needle through skin”, as Kolar said. Floating horizontally will prevent us from expending energy simply trying to stay above water. 

We need to know our capabilities. Even experienced swimmers are no match for a relentless current. Enjoy the beaches. Have fun in the water, but be prepared, look out for potential rip currents which can be identified by an area with fewer breaking waves or a visible line of seaweed leading outwards. Keep an eye out for others in distress, and swim safely this summer. 

METRO photo

This Memorial Day the staff at TBR News Media remembers and pays tribute to our brave fallen heroes. The office is closed today but will reopen tomorrow at 10 a.m.

Interesting facts related to Memorial Day:

Memorial Day is celebrated annually on the last Monday of May across the United States. The proximity of Memorial Day to the summer solstice has led many to view the weekend preceding the holiday as the unofficial kickoff to summer. However, Memorial Day is about more than backyard barbecues and weekend getaways. Memorial Day honors service members who died while serving in the United States military.

Though Memorial Day traces its origins to the years following the American Civil War in the mid-nineteenth century, it did not become an official federal holiday until 1971. That’s one of just many interesting facts about Memorial Day that are worth noting as the United States prepares to commemorate the sacrifices of military personnel who died in service of the country.

• Memorial Day began as something of a grass roots movement. According to History.com, by the late 1860s individuals in towns across the war-ravaged United States began holding springtime tributes to soldiers who lost their lives during the American Civil War.

• Among the more notable postwar commemorations was one organized by former slaves in Charleston, South Carolina. That commemoration occurred less than a month after the Confederate forces surrendered in 1865. Despite that, History.com notes that in 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the birthplace of Memorial Day.

• Postwar commemorations also were organized by northern veterans of the Civil War. General John A. Logan, who led an organization of Union veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance in May 1868. General Logan referred to the holiday as Declaration Day and chose May 30 because it was not the anniversary of any specific battle and therefore unlikely to be viewed by some as controversial.

• Early commemorations of Decoration Day, which gradually came to be known as Memorial Day, initially honored only those soldiers who died during the American Civil War. However, that changed over time as American servicemen fought in various wars, including both World Wars, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, and other conflicts.

• The red poppy has become a symbol of Memorial Day. That red poppy can be traced to a poem by Canadian John McCrae, who served as a Lieutenant Colonel in World War I. “In Flanders Field” notes the red poppies that grew in fields where countless soldiers had been buried in modern-day Belgium. The poem was published in 1915, three years before the war ended. Sadly, McCrae himself was a casualty of the war, succumbing to pneumonia in France in 1918 while still in the service.

Memorial Day honors service personnel who lost their lives while serving in the U.S. military. The holiday’s inspiration and lengthy history merits consideration as the nation prepares to commemorate countless soldiers’ sacrifices once more.

 

File photo by Raymond Janis

Learning from Europe

All across Europe, countries have recently been plagued by electrical power blackouts due to unstable sources of renewable energy, primarily from solar arrays and windmills.

The most extensive blackout was experienced in the Iberian Peninsula, including Spain and Portugal, as well as portions of Southern France. The determination of the exact cause of the problem is quite complex, partly attributable to the interaction of the various energy supplies, which include wind, solar, nuclear, natural gas and hydroelectric sources. Many experts are concerned about the problem of inertia, which is provided by systems with large rotating mechanical assemblies, or flywheels, such as conventional electromechanical generators, but is not found in typical renewable systems, employing solar, wind or lithium-ion battery sources. High levels of inertia tend to keep the AC voltage frequency, which is nominally 50 Hz in Europe (60 Hz in the United States), at a relatively constant value, thereby providing a high degree of stability to the electrical grid system. With large proportions of renewable energy sources, the system inertia is significantly reduced, leading to pronounced instabilities and eventual system failure.

As a result of this and other blackout problems, notably in Germany, most European countries are beginning to reevaluate their current energy policies, which have had goals of achieving 100% reliance on renewable energy sources. Denmark, for example, outlawed nuclear power in 1985 but is now considering a reversal of this policy.

Here in the United States, [in] the home of beautiful Suffolk County, we are at the tip of the energy iceberg. In 1973, we got off to a great start with the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant. Unfortunately, we had a governor whose shortcomings included a pronounced lack of foresight and who made sure that the Shoreham reactor was decommissioned and never put into service. Hopefully, here in 2025, we will be able to learn from the mistakes of others. We should honestly consider the pros and cons of each type of system and choose the one that is the best overall.

George Altemose

Setauket

Do more for Medicaid

In a recent letter to the editor [“Thank you,” May 15, 2025], a reader thanked Rep. Nick LaLota [R, NY1] for signing on to a letter in support of Medicaid. Unfortunately, Mr. LaLota’s voting record on this issue tells a different story. Mr. LaLota voted for a budget proposal that cuts Medicaid by hundreds of billions of dollars. Mr. LaLota claims that he’s interested in rooting out “waste, fraud, and abuse” and that these cuts will not harm those who rely on Medicaid. However, a recent report from the Fiscal Policy Institute refutes this claim. FPI notes that a cut is a cut, and that these cuts will disproportionately impact older adults and disabled people.  

Mr. LaLota has suggested mandating work requirements for Medicaid, claiming that this will root out “fraud and abuse.” However, the proposed work requirements suggested by Mr. LaLota and the GOP have been proven to be expensive to administer, kick sick people off Medicaid and ultimately do not save a great deal of money. The people kicked off Medicaid will likely not find other coverage and ultimately wind up uninsured, which will result in our communities being less healthy.  

Mr. LaLota is claiming there is “waste” in Medicaid, while in fact Medicaid is one of the most efficient ways to deliver health care. According to Medicaid Matters New York, over 148,000 constituents in the first congressional district are covered by Medicaid and Child Health Plus. Within that population served by these programs, 29% are children under the age of 19, 18% are seniors over the age of 65 and 13,000 are people with disabilities. Mr. LaLota’s vote to cut Medicaid will hit these vulnerable constituents the hardest. 

If these cuts are enacted, the first congressional district will lose over $1.3 billion in Medicaid funds. How can Mr. LaLota justify taking health care away from his most vulnerable constituents to finance tax cuts for billionaires and corporations? We need Mr. LaLota to commit, not just in his words, but in his votes, to prioritize the well-being of his constituents who rely on Medicaid over tax breaks for the wealthy. 

Shoshana Hershkowitz

South Setauket 

In response to “Questioning ‘Elder Parole’ for cop killers” from May 8 

As community members, and as people who believe in redemption, we respectfully disagree with the previous letter writer. The Elder Parole bill is a common-sense response to the senseless rise in older adults behind bars identified as a fiscal crisis by the state comptroller. Even as the prison population declined significantly in recent years, the number of older adults behind bars has increased because of extreme sentences and a parole system that prioritizes vengeance above public safety. Rather than spending a fortune to keep people who have completely transformed in a cell as they grow old, get sick and languish, we believe deeply in giving them a chance to be considered for release when they can still work and help support their families. 

We understand these issues are deeply emotional for people on all sides, and rightly so, but facts are facts: older adults, including those serving time for violent crimes from long ago, have the lowest recidivism rates, with some age groups almost never returning to prison with new convictions. At the same time, the costs of incarceration skyrocket with age.

None of this is to say the bill would release people simply because of their age. Age isn’t even a consideration in the parole laws. But older adults would get the opportunity to make their case and be considered on a case-by-case basis, and we would urge that they be considered fairly based on who they are today, what they have done to change, whether they pose a real risk. 

This bill is backed by many of the state’s civil rights groups along with crime victim advocates and anti-gun violence experts because allowing people to earn their pathways to release promotes community safety — and because many victims themselves are sadly criminalized. Moreover, the enormous cost savings could be better spent on mental health care, education, support for victims and more.

People can and do change and giving them a bigger reason to do so can only help. We encourage our state legislature to pass the bill this year.

Deborah Little, Setauket

Jacqueline Gosdigian, Stony Brook

Ronni Schultz, Port Jefferson Station

An uplifting response to my Memorial Day note

 Just before Memorial Day, I sent an email to an old friend of mine, “Thank you for your service.”  

The day after graduating from high school, Kevin began working as a “runner” on Wall Street.  A short time later he was drafted and sent to fight in Vietnam.  

A terrific all-around athlete he spent about a year over there, with much of his time serving as the “point” on patrols.   After a week’s leave in Hong Kong, Kev came back to learn the grim news that the fellow who’d been working “point” in his place had been killed.

Sadly, like so many other vets who returned during that time, my buddy was treated poorly.  He like thousands of his fellow servicemen and women, weren’t shown the proper appreciation for their sacrifices.  Nonetheless, he finished his service by being part of the solemn, often heartbreaking, “Folded Flag Ceremony.”

Kevin’s response to my note was, a humbling, uplifting, “Thank you.  I served proudly for this great country.”  

 Jim Soviero

East Setauket

When we feel achy, nauseous and dizzy, we know something is wrong. We might visit the doctor, take cold medicine or cancel plans in order to get some rest.We quickly equate the corporeal symptoms with a physical ailment and treat the illness appropriately. A cut requires a bandage, a broken bone needs a cast. 

When we are mentally struggling, the problem is more difficult to diagnose. Our stubborn minds, too smart for their own good, may equivocate and minimize the pain, convincing ourselves that in the absence of physical symptoms, pain should not exist. We are busy–kids need rides to school, deadlines loom and work piles up. There isn’t time for a quiet moment to check in with our emotions.

It may seem inconvenient, or even embarrassing for us to admit that our mental state is suffering, but we can’t outrun, outwork or suppress something as vital as mental health. We shouldn’t accept it as a weakness or as an unavoidable dispositional quality. Help awaits to alleviate our discomfort or suffering. 

Prolonged distress or anxiety has physical consequences, such as high blood pressure, weight fluctuation, heart disease and sleep issues. We shouldn’t ignore our minds. 

Mental illness doesn’t discriminate by age, gender or class. Stigmas surrounding asking for help differ by demographic, with men less likely to reach for help when they are struggling. Prescribing to stereotypes and gender roles contributes to the idea that men shouldn’t ask for help, or are failing in their masculinity if they do. Less than half of men suffering from depression or anxiety actually seek help. 

It may seem like we are alone–that there must be something wrong with us for feeling anxious or depressed or paranoid. This is untrue. The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 8 adults suffer from mental disorders each year. 

It is time to prioritize mental health instead of pushing it to the side. If something is off with friends or loved ones–they aren’t as enthusiastic about their hobbies, aren’t eating as much or are eating more than normal, or are isolating themselves– make sure they know you are there to support them and get them any help they may need. If you feel your mental health slipping, lean on those around you or call the Suffolk County’s Mental Health Helpline at 631-471-7242.  

Sometimes, just opening up and talking about what you are feeling can ease the pain. Other times, contacting a professional could be what work best.

File photo by Raymond Janis

Thank you

Many have witnessed the ongoing conversations and press surrounding the congressional budget and the potential changes to the programs so many people depend on. I would like to send a quick thank you to Congressman Nick LaLota [R-NY1] for signing the letter to House leadership on April 14 affirming his commitment to Medicaid.

Long Island members of Congress sent a letter to congressional leaders stating, “we would like to reiterate our strong support for this program that ensures our constituents have reliable health care. Balancing the federal budget must not come at the expense of those who depend on these benefits for their health and economic security.”

“Our constituents are asking for changes to the health care system that will strengthen the health care workforce, offer low-income, working-class families expanded opportunities to save for medical expenses, support rural and underserved communities and help new mothers.”

As a local volunteer advocate for the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, I look forward to seeing these necessary programs remain intact so many of our friends and family can receive these benefits they so desperately need.

Christina Russo

Cora

Praise for Hal Sheprow

Port Jeff lost a remarkable man and I lost a friend of over 50 years, Mayor Hal Sheprow.

We served together on the planning board some 35 years ago, sometimes disagreeing. After each meeting, we and Walt Berndt would bend elbows at the Elks and bond.

Hal’s contributions cannot be overstated. To purchase the country club and make it affordable for village residents made the bond we paid a bargain. Hal never took enough credit for it. !t was visionary!

Unfortunately, I found out about his funeral too late. My very best to his wonderful wife, Peg, and his kids.

Fred Levine

Jefferson’s Ferry

WRITE TO US … AND KEEP IT LOCAL  

We welcome your letters, especially those responding to our local coverage, replying to other letter writers’ comments and speaking mainly to local themes. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style, good taste and uncivil language. They will also be published on our website. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include an address and phone number for confirmation. Email letters to: [email protected] or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

 

The Smithtown Library's Main Branch reopened the first floor on May 5. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

For eight months, the Smithtown library’s Main Branch on North Country Road was closed. Readers were able to visit other branches, but the library is more than just a place to exchange books. 

The library is certainly a hub of ideas and information, full of fiction, nonfiction and history. It is also an essential resource for those who need to use a computer but don’t have one, or would like access to free wifi. One of the few places where economic class doesn’t play a role, the library provides a haven with no spending expectations. You can learn how to play mahjong or fold a piece of paper into an intricate origami figure. Gardening clubs and sewing clubs meet regularly. Offering a podcast and community room, the library provided the setting for numerous friendly conversations. 

Walking through the doors again on May 5, patrons are greeted by friendly staff. In the entrance corridor, a television plays recordings from the destructive rains of August 19 and a sped-up recording of the subsequent work. In one recording, water pushes furniture and shelves around like toys. Books float away and out of the recording. In another, the murky brown water slowly fills the hall until suddenly, the pressure pushes out the wall. In a picture, books lay in piles across the floor–any reader would cringe at the sight. The library is back though, and will return fully in coming months, with the bottom and second floors open and services and programs once again available. However, the status of libraries is precarious as the administration looks to cut funding.

When the Smithtown building closed, many card-holders travelled to other branches. When the federal government began eliminating grants to libraries, we imagined what we would do without an accessible library.   

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is not guaranteed. While libraries will still exist without the small federal agency, which only employed around 70 people and from the perspective of the federal government is unnecessary, they may not receive grants for programming or internships. Recently, a judge blocked a move to place its employees on temporary leave, giving the institute a reprieve. However, the agency is still at risk of getting washed out; it is possible resources and programs will get carried away by the swift stream of government efficiency. 

In the meantime though, the wonderful librarians and administrators at the Smithtown library are ensuring that residents have access to the wealth of knowledge inside.

File photo by Raymond Janis

Common sense approach

As the former chairman of the Huntington Town Zoning Board of Appeals, I worked tirelessly to balance the interests of residents, landowners and prospective applicants.

New York State Zoning Law requires that neighbors and other residents’ interests be represented in hearing applicant requests. The burden of consideration by the applicant, under the law, covers at least five explicit considerations for area variances requests: an undesirable change, feasible alternatives, substantiality, adverse effects and self-created hardship. As a board we emphasized careful review of potential undesirable changes to neighborhoods, always lending a sensitive ear to the neighbors.

You may have met me at your door during some of these applications, as I would often take the time to walk a neighborhood impacted and speak to residents instead of putting the burden on them to show up at a ZBA meeting.

Residents shouldn’t have to leave their house during a cold winter night, wait hours to speak at a public hearing to fight to defend their zoning and quality of life every time a development application comes up. That is a strict responsibility of the board; residents should not be on the defensive.

Our Town Board and the individuals they appoint have a duty and responsibility to represent us, not simply facilitate development.

The need for the Zoning Board and Planning Board’s independence in this Town is paramount if we are to restore trust in the Town’s zoning process.

Land-use rules and laws protect our most precious investment, our homes. Good zoning and land-use guidance is the most important responsibility of Town government, it is what knits our communities and neighborhoods together. Applications for exemptions from prevailing laws deserve careful review, but that review should never be at the disadvantage of neighbors and residents.

Now, more than ever, we need this balanced common sense approach.

John Posilico

Former Chairman of the Huntington Town Zoning Board of Appeals 

Questioning ‘Elder Parole’ for cop killers

It’s common for politicians to send out “constituent surveys.”  Ostensibly, the goal is to get feedback from local voters on specific issues. But it would be a rare survey indeed, that did not frame certain questions in ways aimed at getting politically desired responses.

Newly elected Assembly member Rebecca Kassay pretty much followed that template with her May mailer.

A couple of seemingly “feel good” proposals were the Second Look Act, and Elder Parole. Maybe state polls are looking to save some dollars on a staggering state budget that’s twice the size of Florida and Texas combined?  Money aside, the goal is to give judges and parole boards the power to reconsider early release for “elderly individuals” so long as the felons have “demonstrated growth and rehabilitation.”  

Here are two important unknowns.   What would be the specific criteria for the above mentioned, and how it might be applied to those who’ve murdered law enforcement officers?  This is especially critical because the PBA has cited 43 cop killers released by our NYS Parole Board in just the last 8 years, 

As of this writing,waiting on the sidelines to possibly become lucky number 44, is David McClary. On Feb. 26, 1988, he snuck up behind rookie NYPD Officer Edward Byrne, and shot him five times in the head.  The 22-year-old was guarding a witness waiting to testify against a notorious drug lord.  

Edward’s brother Ken spoke to ABC News.  “Referencing the murder he said, “’It was a horrible scene, we were in shock. It was just beyond devastation.…’ “This is always a difficult process because every two years with the parole board we have to reive everything.” It’s that family’s eighth time.  

Who has had the most sway in picking and managing the group tasked with deciding which felons will be freed?  That would be former governor Andrew Cuomo, and his Democrat heir, Kathy Hochul (D). This board is a direct reflection of their views on policing and made up of a majority of fellow Dems.  

One of the members would be Tana Agostini, who was appointed by Cuomo in 2017. She married convicted killer Thomas O’Sullivan while he was still in prison. Tana used her influence as a staffer of the state Assembly committee overseeing prisons in 2013 to advocate for the parole of O’Sullivan. His stint in prison included an escape and biting off part of an inmate’s nose. It’s hard to see much “growth and rehabilitation” there. 

Imagine the unrelenting heartache, revisited every 24 months by long “suffering NYPD families, who are sitting in front of an NYS Parole Board that has released an average of five cop killers yearly since 2017.  We can bet these kinds of “feel good” proposals feel anything but good to them.  Let’s remember and help protect slain, heroic police officers and their grieving loved ones, 

Hard “No” on survey query number 7.   

Jim Soviero

East Setauket

An aerial view of Stony Brook University

When 11 Stony Brook students’ visas were terminated early this month, a state of uncertainty descended on the school and community. Immigration and Customs Enforcement revoked the students’ records, destabilizing them when they should be learning and growing. Their largest concern, no longer exams and school work, was whether they would be able to stay in the country to finish their education.  Hundreds of international students across the country were notified by their schools that their visas were revoked, and many times without a public reason. 

The school extended resources to help, students and staff gathered in swaths to support the affected students, and local politicians like Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay (D-NY4) used their resources to help protect and prepare the students for what came next. 

While SEVIS records can be terminated on the basis that the student has a criminal record, the federal government has also revoked records of politically active students, reasoning that they interfered with foreign policy. The revocation of the records does not necessarily mean the next step is deportation; however, it is a step in that direction as the student no longer has the legal records to protect against removal proceedings.

Stony Brook University has over 3,000 international students bringing valuable skills and unique perspectives to the Stony Brook community. Their experiences and perspectives prove valuable to the classroom and the broader community; the breadth of cultures and backgrounds produce well-rounded, empathetic and curious professionals. 

Once it the government became more aggressive with visa terminations, some students across the U.S. began “self-deporting”, saying they no longer felt safe here. Thankfully, none of the 11 students who had their visas revoked left the country. With the support of the school and their classmates, they kept going to classes. They kept learning. 

The visas have been restored and imminent risk of deportation has been abated, but the uncertainty lingers. The federal government reversed itself while under pressure from lawsuits that argued due process was neglected. As ICE hone their criteria and protocols for visa termination, it is unclear whether these students will again be at risk. The school that admitted these students and the local politicians who represent people in the area remain ready to assist these international students as they become a part of the country’s ongoing experiment with democracy.

File photo by Raymond Janis

Problems for the Bess Task Force 

We now have a newly formed BESS Task Force, assembled for the purpose of evaluating the safety risks of proposed lithium-ion battery systems, apparently concentrating on thermal runaway. One issue that should be addressed by the Task Force is the effect of the discharge efficiency of the battery, which may lead to significant heating in the battery systems. One example is the system proposed by New Leaf Energy, which will provide 8.75 MW of power for 4 hours. Based on experience, a typical lithium-ion battery discharge efficiency is 10-15%. To be conservative, let us assume a discharge efficiency of 15%. Thus, if 8.75 MW is delivered to the external loads (or homes) for 4 hours, the internal power dissipated in the BESS is 1.54 MW. The BESS must have a cooling system capable of removing the heat generated by this power, to prevent the internal temperatures of the BESS cells from reaching temperatures capable of causing thermal runaway.

Although the occurrence of thermal runaway is clearly a cause for concern, it appears that the attention of the BESS Task Force will address only peaker applications, which will remain powered primarily by “fossil fuel” plants. But problems that are much more serious, and much more complex, will be encountered when we attempt to achieve an emissions-free economy, possibly by 2050. If we attempt to accomplish this by utilizing only solar arrays and windmills as our source of power, we will inevitably face the possibility of blackouts, subject to the available activity levels of the sun and wind. By drastic increases in the size and complexity of our solar arrays, windmills and BESS installations, the probability of a blackout can be decreased, but not eliminated entirely. Once the BESS Peaker Task Force has completed their analysis and issued their report, perhaps they can redirect their attention to this problem.  

George Altemose 

Setauket

WRITE TO US … AND KEEP IT LOCAL  

We welcome your letters, especially those responding to our local coverage, replying to other letter writers’ comments and speaking mainly to local themes. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style, good taste and uncivil language. They will also be published on our website. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include an address and phone number for confirmation. Email letters to: [email protected] or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733