The Times of Huntington-Northport - December 26, 2019

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Vol. 16, No. 38

December 26, 2019

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2019 Honorees Mobile Stroke Unit

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Townwide Fund

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Gardiner Foundation

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Nissequogue River Park Foundation Kenneth Bossert 1Life Youth Coalition

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Guardianship Corp

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Costal Stewards

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Kent Animal Shelter

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PAGE A2 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • DECEMBER 26, 2019

Stony Brook Medicine Team Saves Lives with Mobile Stroke Units in Suffolk

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

In June, Diana Squitieri of Holbrook wasn’t making sense. Her son Joe noticed that she was also stumbling while her face was drooping.

When he brought her to his car to take her to the hospital, she became so disoriented that he asked his wife, Erin, to call 911. That decision, and the new vehicle that arrived, may have saved her life.

A Stony Brook University Hospital mobile stroke unit, which went into service two months before Squitieri’s symptoms developed, immediately started assessing her symptoms.

Each of the two units is a mobile stroke emergency room, which allows Stony Brook

doctors to determine whether the patient has a blocked vessel or bleeding in the brain.

If the process of getting to the hospital and determining her condition had taken any longer, Joe Squitieri is convinced he “could have been burying her.”

For bringing these two stroke units to Suffolk County, the TBR News Media is pleased to recognize the team of medical professionals at Stony Brook Medicine who provide life-saving care for stroke victims.

Suffolk County is “one of only a few places in the entire United States to have these units,” said Dr. David Fiorella, the co-director of the Stony Brook Cerebrovascular Center.

Stony Brook hopes to add a third unit within the next year.

Through the end of September, the two units had received 550 calls. Of those, about half of the patients had a stroke. Some received anticlotting drugs while in transit to the hospital, while an evaluation of others en route alerted surgeons to the need for rapid intervention.

Every minute during a stroke could endanger as many as two million brain cells, Fiorella said.

That means cutting down on the time to receive medicine or to have surgery potentially saves millions of brain cells, which can improve the quality and quantity of a person’s life.

Squitieri is one of 23 people transported in the stroke unit who had an emergency surgical

procedure to remove the clot.

Numerous people contributed to bringing these mobile units to Stony Brook, including Eric Niegelberg, the associate director of Operations for Emergency Services and Internal Medicine; Michael Guido, the co-director of the Stroke Center; Eileen Conlon, the RN coordinator of the stroke unit; and Carol Gomes, the interim CEO of Stony Brook Hospital.

Niegelberg appreciated Fiorella’s efforts.

“It was only through [Fiorella’s] leadership and perseverance that we were able to launch this program,” Niegelberg said in an email.

Fiorella spent considerable time meeting with county legislators, EMS committees and EMS agencies to rally support for this program.

Fiorella appreciated the joint effort that made this lifesaving service possible. He was grateful that Gomes “saw the value” of this service. “Without her dedication, this would never have happened.”

Gomes believes the stroke units provide “an extraordinary medical service” while improving the quality of life for the community, she wrote in an email.

The mobile stroke units, which have four specialized personnel on board, are equipped with technology that allows Stony Brook neurologists to examine and diagnose each patient.

The outcomes for patients are better because of the earlier delivery of care, Fiorella said.

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From left above, Stony Brook Medicine’s Dr. David Fiorella and Eric Niegelberg are part of the team that brought the mobile stroke units to Suffolk County. Left, Diana Squitieri, second from left, required the unit back in June. Above photo from Stony Brook Medicine; left photo from the Squitieri family.

Hospital stays are also shorter, lowering the cost of care.

Squitieri and her son Joe are thankful that the mobile stroke unit arrived at her home when it did.

Diana Squitieri recalled being scared during her stroke and said the crew took “wonderful care of me.”

Joe Squitieri called the stroke unit a “godsend.”

DECEMBER 26, 2019 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • PAGE A3

Huntington Community Embraces Charitable Causes

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

They put their money where their heart is. The dedicated volunteers at The Townwide Fund of Huntington contribute to charities that provide everything from meals to visiting nurses to guide dogs. Founded in 1961, Townwide Fund, which was originally called Huntington Township Charities Inc., has donated over $12 million to charities with the hope of ensuring that the town meets the needs of its residents.

Times Beacon Record News Media is pleased to name the members of Townwide Fund as its People of the Year.

Executives from several area charities appreciated the ongoing financial support from Townwide Fund.

“The need is greater and the funding gets less,” said Susan Shiloni, the executive director of Literacy Suffolk, which has received financial backing from Townwide Fund since 2001. “We are so grateful for these other sources of revenue like the Townwide Fund that help us out. I don’t know where we would be” without places like the fund, which provided $3,000 this year.

Literacy Suffolk helps build literacy among adults. Townwide Fund’s contribution supports training for one-on-one tutoring.

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Guide Dog Foundation honored Townwide Fund last year, naming a puppy “Charity” as a special tribute to the group. Photo from Guide Dog Foundation

Guide Dog Foundation, meanwhile, has received financial assistance from Townwide Fund for over 20 years that adds up to about $60,000. In the past three years, the fund has helped with new puppy vests and equipment and supplies for the nursery. This year, it also helped buy a portable ultrasound scanner for

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“With this vital piece of equipment, we can scan a mother dog after she has given birth to ensure everything has gone well,” Theresa Manzolillo explained in an email. “We don’t have to bring her to a vet, which reduces any potential health risks to the puppies and helps keep the mom’s stress level low.”

For Island Harvest Food Bank, Townwide Fund has stepped up with $15,500 in the last four years, which helped provide about 31,000 meals.

“The Townwide Fund of Huntington enables us to provide residents who may be struggling with hunger and food insecurity with supplemental food support and essential services to help guide them from uncertainty to stability,” Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest, wrote in an email.

One of the longest standing organizations supported by the fund, Visiting Nurse Service of New York has been receiving contributions from the fund's inception, in 1961. Prior to the creation of Medicare, the fund helped support a wide range of expenses. In recent years, the fund helps support services Medicare and insurance don’t cover, like acupuncture, which helps with pain control and symptom management, said Linda Taylor.

The fund is “very community oriented” and “supports the people who live here,”

Taylor said.

David Altman, a founding partner of the law firm of Brown & Altman, became the president of the fund this year.

The money the fund provides is “really affecting our community to make a better life,” said Vita Scaturrro, who is on the board of the fund and is also the co-chair of the grants committee. “The grants we give have a return.”

Scaturro said the grants committee reviews all the applications, writes up its recommendations and then presents them to the board. Grants need to be submitted by the end of July.

Townwide has several fundraising events.

They host the Charity Gala, St. Patrick’s Run, Classic Golf Outing, Comedy Night and Thanksgiving Day Run. The fund also collects donations through a year-end annual appeal, Corporate Sponsorship Program, Coin Box Program and online Round Up Program.

Scaturro is pleased with the way the funds benefit people who live in the area.

“I’ve been involved with different notfor-profit organizations,” said Scaturro, who has lived in Huntington for 36 years. The money from Townwide Fund “is given for the right purpose.”

People interested in learning more about the fund can visit the website, at www.townwidefund.

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PAGE A4 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • DECEMBER 26, 2019

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How a King’s Grant is Today Preserving Long Island’s History DONNA DEEDY DONNA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Since 1639, the Gardiner family and their descendants have owned a 5-square-mile island in the Atlantic Ocean nestled between Long Island’s North Fork and South Fork.

The property, known as Gardiner’s Island, was obtained from King Charles I of England as part of a royal grant. Today, that legacy is benefiting all of Long Island, thanks to Robert David Lion Gardiner, the island’s 16th Lord of the Manor, who died in 2004.

In 1987, Gardiner established the Robert D.L. Gardiner Foundation to support the study of American history. Each year, the foundation awards $5 million in grants to Long Island and New York nonprofits focused on preserving history. Look around at preserved pieces of history all across Long Island and in New York City, and you will likely find the foundation often behind the scenes offering support.

The foundation helped reinvigorate the Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site in West Hills, for instance, in preparation for this year’s 200th birthday year celebration.

And as the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City prepared for its 50th anniversary of the Apollo mission this past July, Gardiner helped fund programs and space travel exhibits. It’s considered a substantial addition to the museum and Long Island’s contribution to the space program.

The 107-year old Huntington Lighthouse was preserved and restored with a $145,000 matching grant from the foundation. The Whaling Museum & Education Center at Cold Spring Harbor has the foundation to thank for its climate-controlled storage rooms for its collections.

Big or small, the foundation has been a wonderful resource for nonprofits. Since the foundation aims to preserve Long Island heritage and encourages collaboration, it is possible to find many success stories.

In Setauket, some may have noticed the sagging 1887 carriage shed at the Caroline Church has been replaced. The foundation over the last few years has helped fund its stabilization and replacement.

St. James is currently undergoing a revitalization, and the foundation helped fund the Celebrate St. James organization in staging a musical comedy about the entertainment history of the community.

This month, the foundation awarded its 2019 grants. Recipients include the Order of the Ancient and Honorable Huntington Militia which presented Dec. 14 a demonstration at Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay of handmade colonial crafts and trades. The presentation included a free exhibition with artisans who showed how to do silver and black smithing, weaving, horn and leather work and basket weaving.

Harriet Gerard Clark, executive director of Raynham Hall Museum, is one of many people

The Gardiner foundation awards the Order of the Ancient and Honorable Huntington Militia a grant to collaborate with the Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay to present demonstrations on colonial crafts and trades. Photo from Raynham Hall l Museum

from organizations that recognize the distinct value of Gardiner.

“I would say that the Gardiner foundation is profoundly changing the way we understand history on Long Island, not only by providing very much needed brick-and-mortar funding, but also by proactively encouraging and incentivizing new ways of networking and collaborating among institutions concerned with historic scholarship, so that we Long Islanders can gain a truer understanding of our own identity,” she said.

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization, which owns historic properties in Stony Brook and Setauket, has also benefited from the Gardiner’s work. The foundation most recently sponsored a live historically-themed play entitled “Courageous Women of the Revolutionary War.” The production highlights the previously unsung female heroes of George Washington’s spy ring.

The Gardiner foundation is comprised of a five-member board, plus an executive director.

Kathryn Curran bears that title and deserves special recognition.

WMHO president, Gloria Rocchio, is very grateful to the foundation and recognizes Curran’s unique qualities.

“Kathryn is a terrific lady,” Rocchio said.

“She is very creative and brings people together.”

One of the conditions of WMHO’s grant was to talk to other historical societies.

“We are making new connections because of that effort,” Rocchio added. “That was all because of Kathy.”

The Smithtown, Northport, Port Jefferson, Miller Place-Mount Sinai and many other Long Island historical societies have grown or become better established because of the

Gardiner foundation.

The organization also announced this month that it will fund a Long Island Radio & Television Historical Society documentary that will explore the development of wireless technology on Long Island, featuring the Telefunken wireless station in West Sayville and an international spy ring in the lead-up to World War I. The project also highlights the work of Nikola Tesla of Shoreham and Guglielmo Marconi of Babylon.

The foundation seeks to support 501(c)(3) organizations that demonstrate strong and organized internal capacity, effectiveness, financial and human resources as well as the intellectual capacity to successfully manage the project.

Newly formed historical entities are welcomed to apply for a grant.

At a time when historical preservationists report a decline in financial resources, the foundation’s support becomes more and more noteworthy.

For high school students interested in studying history, the foundation also offers a generous undergraduate scholarship worth $40,000.

The Gardiner’s grant portfolio and scholarship information can be viewed on its website at www.rdlgfoundation.org, which gives an in-depth overview of its preservation efforts.

Thanks to the Gardiner Foundation, a new interactive software display highlights the First Order Fresnel Lens Building that is alongside the Fire Island Lighthouse. The display consists of three touch screen monitors explaining and visualizing how the Fresnel Lens functions. The display also includes a set of movable lenses that can be turned and positioned to bend and focus the lens light. The display will also provide an interactive digital model of the gear train that drives the Fresnel lens producing the signatory flash. Photo from Gardiner Foundation website

PAGE A6 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • DECEMBER 26, 2019

Foundation Enhances Life for North Shore Communities

BY DAVID LUCES DLUCES@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Nissequogue River State Park, located on the grounds of the former Kings Park Psychiatric Center, has been a popular destination for area residents who enjoy hiking, jogging, birdwatching and the marina.

In 2008, the community formed the Nissequogue River State Park Foundation. Its mission: to enhance and beautify the park for present and future generations.

Since New York State began incrementally transferring the hospital’s grounds to the park’s office first in 2000 and then again in 2006, the foundation has worked tirelessly to make important improvements to the 521-arce site.

John McQuaid joined the organization as a volunteer seven years ago and in 2013 became its chairman. He said the non-for-profit has contributed remarkable improvements to the park, like removing buildings, forming youth groups and getting a master plan approved in Albany.

“I’m proud of the work the board has been able to accomplish,” he said. “It’s been hard work, but we’ve been successful on a lot of things.”

Improvements began back in 2006, when the state demolished a number of buildings, tunnels, roadways, walkways and removed hazardous materials thanks to funding secured by Sen. John

and 5K Sunset Run. “We are very proud of the work they’ve done, they are really passionate about our mission and promoting this ‘diamond in the rough’ to the community,” the chairman said.

The group has also been backed by Charlie Reichert, owner of five IGA supermarkets in Northport, who sponsors all the foundation’s events. Reichert said Top and above: Residents of all ages participate in the annual regatta and barbecue, one of several events that the group coordinates with the help of the the park has the potential to be the foundation’s student board. Photo from Nissequogue River Foundation Central Park of Long Island. Over the years, the business owner has Flanagan (R-East Northport). The objective given his time and resources to the foundation. now is figuring out what to do with the other In 2018 alone, he donated $1 million to the NYS existing buildings on the old hospital grounds.

There have been discussions about repurposing Department of Parks to help complete renovation some land for sports fields, a concert area and a of the park’s administrative offices.

Mike Rosato, former chairman and current community center.

Three years ago, the foundation created a board member, said Reichert’s contributions student board and began working with local over the years have been instrumental to the organization. high school students.

“He has been the anchor of the foundation, “It has been terrific on a lot of levels; it has we’ve been able to accomplish so much and given them a voice on the [foundation] board and real-life experience they can use in the make a lot of progress on the park,” he said.

Rosato lauded McQuaid for his efforts to get future,” McQuaid said.

The members of the student board are tasked the younger generation involved.

“It is great to be able to get young people with helping to fundraise, promote and run a involved in the foundation and that care about number of events for the foundation including the Regatta on the River, the annual Turkey Trot the park in general,” he said.

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Rosato also praised the group’s efforts into bringing the community together for its event. “[On average] 2,000 people have attended the annual Turkey Trot, it has become a family tradition,” he said.

While the foundation has made strides throughout the years, McQuaid stressed the need for a master plan for further development of the park.

In June, New York State lawmakers passed a bill sponsored by Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport) and Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) that would require state park officials to begin a master plan for the park.

The foundation is still waiting for Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) signature on the bill.

The introduction of a master plan would include input from residents, state agencies and other stakeholders. It would also include assessing park resources, outlining future goals/cost of development and allowing the demolishing of a number of dilapidated buildings on the grounds.

“The master plan is for the next phase and the future of the park,” McQuaid said.

In the meantime, the chairman is encouraged by the progress the foundation has helped steward at this point.

“The foundation is a vehicle for the community, it is not just one individual, it takes a group effort to get things done,” McQuaid said.

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DECEMBER 26, 2019 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • PAGE A7

PAGE A8 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • DECEMBER 26, 2019

Elwood Responds After Bossert Leads with Trust and Respect

BY DAVID LUCES DLUCES@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM The 5-square-mile hamlet of Elwood is known as a tight-knit community with a strong sense of heritage and pride. So, when Kenneth Bossert joined the Elwood school district, four years ago, to take over as superintendent, he wanted to bring that sense of closeness to the district community as well.

In those four years he has done just that, and so much more.

“He has such a dynamic personality, he has made a lasting impact in the community,” Heather Mammolito, district board of education member and Elwood resident said.

Mammolito said before Bossert took over, the district was in a weird place, with a lot of administrative turnover.

“The goal was to bring someone that could rein everyone back in, and that’s what we did,” she said. “I haven’t seen a greater sense of pride in the district community in a while.”

The board member said Bossert’s presence at the district has already paid dividends.

Last year, Elwood-John H. Glenn High School was designated as a National Blue Ribbon school, which was a huge honor and designation for the district. His other accomplishments include the creation of the Elwood school district Wall of Fame, which honors people who have made a mark on the community before the homecoming football game. He’s opened board of education subcommittee meetings to the public. Under his leadership the district has seen significant increase of reading and writing scores. He also hosts roundtable talks with John Glenn seniors.

“I feel like he has really started a domino effect ... he knows how to work with people, it is infectious,” Mammolito said. “It starts from the top, it has been a culture shift.”

She said Bossert makes sure every staff member feels accepted and welcomed and is very approachable.

“He is really present, he goes above and beyond. He makes it a point to get out of his office and visit every building in the district, every classroom,” Mammolito said.

In April, Bossert was elected to the Executive Committee of New York State Council of School Superintendents. He has also been past president of the Suffolk County School Superintendent’s Association and a member of the Suffolk Superintendent’s Legislative Committee. Over the years, Bossert has worked in the Middle Country, Longwood, Eastport-South Manor, Three Village and Port Jefferson school districts.

Ronald Masera, superintendent of Center Moriches School District, has known Bossert for more than 20 years. They were both in the same Stony Brook University educational leadership program.

“Very early on you could tell he was one of those individuals that had that presence and

Clockwise from top: Elwood celebrates members of its community during homecoming festivities. Bossert stands with the plaques commemorating inspiring alumni. Bossert engages seniors at a roundtable discussion. He meets monthly with the student body to brainstorm and get input. Photos from Heather Mammolito

insight,” he said. “He has always been an engaged and committed person.”

After completing the program, the duo went on to work as assistant principals in the Longwood school district.

“He just hasn’t been a colleague of mine but a friend as well over the years; this job can be a little isolating with a network of people you trust,” he said. “He’s one of the first people I reach out to if I have an issue or question and we text back and forth.”

Lars Clemensen, superintendent of schools at Hampton Bays, had similar sentiments to say of Bossert.

“He is my top go-to person to reach out whenever I have a question,” the superintendent said.

He said Bossert is a studentfirst and community-oriented administrator.

“He really looks at the big picture and tries to do the best he can for the public,” Clemensen said.

“It is not surprising to hear of he’s been able to build at Elwood.”

The Hampton Bays superintendent said as they both became parents over the years they become close friends and is proud of the work Bossert’s been able to accomplish.

“He has that gene, whenever he walks into a room he is seen as a leader,” Clemensen said. “When you are a superintendent you are the face of the school ... he has done great work and the community is proud.”

DECEMBER 26, 2019 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • PAGE A9

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PAGE A10 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • DECEMBER 26, 2019

Communities Focus on Opioid Prevention and Recovery

The Faces of Addiction Recovery

BY DONNA DEEDY DONNA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

With community support the 1LIFE youth coalition hosts an annual event called The Color Run. More than 800 people participated this year. Photo by Mary Silberstein

Prevention Program Sparks Interest in Emphasizing Community Wellness

BY DONNA DEEDY DONNA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM In 2006, at the age of 21, two young adults in Northport died of an opioid overdose. To honor these lives and help prevent other overdoses and addictions, the Northport community created the Drug and Alcohol Task Force. The program today has evolved into a very exciting part of the community. TBR News Media would like to recognize the efforts of all those involved in their community’s drug prevention efforts.

In 2017, after being awarded a Drug-Free Community grant, the Northport/East Northport Drug and Alcohol Task Force created a youth coalition, called 1LIFE, and hired social worker Catherine Juliano to develop the curriculum.

“Everything we do focuses on health, wellness, kindness and connection,” Juliano said.

The idea is to empower teenagers and build their leadership skills so they can identify issues impacting the community. Once the group zeros in on a concern, they strategize and implement an action plan.

“The kids are very smart,” said Juliano, a 2007 graduate of Northport High School. “If you only say: ‘Don’t do drugs,’ people will be turned off.”

She meets once a week with a core group of 25 kids and together they talk about issues that

impact their peers. In 2018, the coalition sponsored a mental health awareness day. This year it became a mental health awareness week, which was comprised of a series of speakers. They sponsored an after-school retreat to teach coping skills that included using music, yoga and meditation to reduce or eliminate stress. More than 250 students attended.

“It should be all year,” Juliano said. “We show students that teenagers struggle, and mental health is real. The idea is to promote self-care health and wellness.”

The program also informs students about the school’s resource center, which includes free counseling services with access to a drug and alcohol counselor. Reducing stigma, creating a culture that sees addiction as a disease, is part of their mission. The program helps students identify feelings and teaches how to reduce stress in themselves and recognize the qualities in others.

“We want to let people know that it’s OK to ask for help,” Juliano said.

Town Councilman Mark Cuthbertson (D) said the program is making a difference.

“Since 2006, the task force has made a big impact in our town,” he said. “Working together with students, parents and educators, they have successfully engaged the community to reduce the use of drugs.”

1Life Prevents Continued on A11

For many Long Island families whose members are struggling with an opioid addiction, recovery can seem like an endless financially and emotionally draining cycle of rehabs and relapses. Increasingly, though, people who have miraculously overcome their own narcotic dependencies are openly sharing their stories to deliver a welcomed message of hope and a promise of freedom.

Their testimonies are among society’s most effective tools to beat this epidemic. As one reformed narcotic user put it, “If you could see inside my head you would see the light bulb.

It finally hit me: I needed to listen to other recovered people and rely on their guidance.”

We would like to recognize a few of the many people in our circulation area who have overcome their addiction, their sponsors and the families and organizations that have supported everyone’s efforts as People of the Year.

Some reformed narcotic users were teenagers struggling with anxiety who started drinking alcohol or experimenting with drugs at a time when powerful opioids were abundantly dispensed, hooking many young children. Others sought relief from chronic physical pain often caused by injuries and accidents. Each circumstance is unique. So is their recovery story. Success, though, has a common denominator: It is often spiritual in nature. The virtues of faith, hope and charity play a role.

Chase Bernstein lost his father one year ago. He now works as a behavioral health technician and is one year sober. His entire recovery and his quality of life, he said, rest on his spiritual frame of mind. If he doesn’t pray in the morning, it impacts his whole day.

“Yes, IT IS POSSIBLE to recover, and it is SO WORTH IT,” he said. “I am a member of an anonymous 12-step fellowship and owe my life to the program. If it wasn’t for the steps, my sponsor, the meetings and helping other people even when I’m not getting paid, I would be dead, in the hospital, in jail, or … and I think this would be the worst of any of them: still actively using.”

Bernstein finds sobriety thrilling.

“My life isn’t boring or bland, it is fulfilling and exciting, another misconception I had about sobriety,” he said. “I’ve started working at a job I love, I have friends, my family relationships have never been better, and I’ve even been able to experience the trials and tribulations of dating, while in recovery as a young person.”

Another reformed narcotic user, Sarah

Smith, was addicted to opioids and alcohol as a young teenager. Today, eight years sober, she works full time as a treatment specialist. Helping others has given her life deeper meaning.

“I don’t know if I would have stayed sober, if I wouldn’t have had this sense of purpose,” she said.

In high school, Smith was an all-county champion softball catcher. Two years ago, she had the idea to form a softball team comprised of people recovering from narcotics use. She pulled a team together, with the help of Will Astacio, who worked at the time as a peer-to-peer mentor for veterans combating depression, anxiety and substance abuse issues. People were so enthusiastic they managed to form two different teams.

With Smith as captain, the team, called THRIVE , won the 2019 county title.

“If it wasn’t for Sarah, they wouldn’t have won the championship,” Astacio said. “She’s great at bringing people together.”

Sarah also regularly advises elected officials who want to know what they can do to help address the epidemic. Her recommendations in a nutshell: more access to effective treatment, more emphasis on continuity of care, removal of insurance obstacles and offering more jobs and better pay to mental health professionals. In regard to legalizing marijuana, her advice is a firm NO. Medical schools are also relying on reformed narcotic users to inform their curriculum.

This past summer Stony Brook University’s medical school invited several recovered narcotic users to act as teachers. One eloquent speaker, who wants to remain anonymous so we’ll call her Claire, shared her story with first-year medical students. The session was impactful, according to Dr. Lisa Strano-Paul, the assistant dean of the medical school. She expects the instruction to stick with the medical students their whole life. Claire also found the experience rewarding.

Recovery, she said, is miraculous.

She doesn’t consider herself a religious person but said that the power of prayer somehow opens you up. She came to terms with her own spirituality by appreciating the awe of nature.

Recognizing your own self-centeredness also prompts you to change, she said. It’s a key part of the 12-step program.

Bernstein has also found this to be important, “There’s a popular line from a Biggie Smalls song that goes something like ‘check yourself before you wreck yourself.’ I think about that line all the time. I know it sounds corny that an Faces of Recovery Continued on A11

DECEMBER 26, 2019 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • PAGE A11

1LIFE Prevents Continued from A10

Developing healthy relationships is also part of the curriculum.

Every year for the last three years, the group has pulled together a community fundraiser called The Color Run. Students dress in light-colored clothing and traverse a trail, where they encounter event sponsors, typically community groups, who ultimately splash them with colored cornstarch in spray bottles. Last year, more than 700 people participated in The Color Run. “It’s such a great thing,” said Juliano. “Kids find it thrilling; elementary kids are running around and want to be sprayed.”

The money they raise is used to support the coalition’s activities.

They are currently planning a workshop for fifth-graders on how to use technology in a safe way.

Juliano and her co-chair, Anthony Ferrandino, also implemented a popular Family Feud night, morphing the Too Cool for Drugs curriculum into a trivia game show with two tables of fifth-graders. A high school student dresses up like Steve Harvey to MC the event.

1LIFE also partners with the local library and Suffolk County police to coordinate a medication take-back, which gets unused pills out of the home for safe disposal.

It also does environmental cleanups at known hidden drinking areas, documents paraphernalia that is found and shares the data with the adult task force. The aim is figuring out ways to prevent kids from going back to that spot.

Ultimately, they are teaching children to make healthy choices: Instead of drugs, let’s do something else.

Faces of Recovery Continued from A10

old rap lyric helps me in my recovery, but it does! If I leave my motives unchecked, I start to make selfish and careless decisions without regard for the people in my life.”

This type of mindfulness is also used in cognitive behavioral therapy. Often called CBT, it also incorporates being honest, goal setting, establishing incremental steps toward reaching a goal, rewarding or celebrating successes and verbalizing happiness.

Patricia Tsui practices nonpharmacological approaches to pain at Stony Brook University Hospital’s pain center and has helped Long Islanders overcome addiction after they were prescribed narcotics for chronic pain.

Artemis Shepard and Nick Giulintano are among her patients. Shepard suffered with three herniated discs and couldn’t get out of bed. Giulintano worked as a construction laborer for 30 years. He was seriously injured in a four-car collision driving at 60 mph. He was given bags of medicine, he said, including opioids that he took “like tic tacs.”

“You get used to taking medication and the induced-high,” Shepard said. “But it changes you.”

She lost friendships and developed kidney disease, she said, from the medication. Their quality of life without narcotics, they both agree, is far more satisfying.

Giulintano now has a spinal implant, which has helped with the chronic pain. In group talk sessions at the pain center, they ultimately found alternate ways to cope to overcome their addiction.

Talking with the group at the pain center was an important part of their healing.

“I know, I’m not the only one,” Giulintano said. “And I’m always happy helping other people.”

This tribute is for them and for all the other unnamed people who shared their recovery story with our newspaper and all the people hoping for recovery. Help is a phone call away.

The 24/7 hot line is 631-979-1700.

Victoria Espinoza Above: Fifth-grade students at all five elementary schools in the Northport-East Northport School District participate in a trivia game show that incorporates the Too Cool for Drugs Curriculum. Below: The THRIVE softball team, sponsored by the THRIVE Community and Outreach Center in Hauppauge, wins the 2019 county softball championship title. Sara Smith helped formed the team originally comprised of reformed narcotics users. Today the team includes member of the general population.

Photo from Sarah Smith

PAGE A12 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • DECEMBER 26, 2019

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Above: Long Island Cares, also known as the Harry Chapin Food Bank, feeds the hungry and will now supply carbon-free energy at discounted rates to households suffering hardships. Photo by Donna Deedy Below: The Harry Chapin Food Bank hosted more than 80 volunteers and distributed over 10,000 meals on Thanksgiving Day. CEO Paule Pachter was joined by U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, state Assemblyman Michael Montesano, volunteers, board members and staff who packed 22 holiday food pallets to help feed Long Islanders in need. Photo from LI Cares

Island’s First Food Bank Initiates Community Solar Energy

BY DONNA DEEDY DONNA@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM On Long Island, 89,030 children go hungry.

Who’s counting?

Long Island Cares. Founded in 1980 by the late Grammy Award winning musician and activist Harry Chapin, the organization was Long Island’s first food bank. The nonprofit group provides nutritional aid to more than 580 community-based member-based agencies to distribute more than six million pounds of food each year. The food bank’s accomplishments are extraordinary. But in 2019, the charitable organization also stands out for expanding its services to address an array of causes.

LI Cares installed solar panels on the roof of its 35,000-square-foot Hauppauge warehouse to become the first community solar project in the Hauppauge Industrial Park.

The energy it generates will be passed along to discount the electric bills for around 40 households suffering hardship. The system is set to activate in time for the new year.

“The LI Cares solar project is significant in so many ways,” said SUNation Solar System’s co-founder and CEO Scott Maskin. “While it’s not the first community solar project on Long Island, it is the first one in the Hauppauge Industrial Park, now known as The Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge.”

Sandy Chapin, wife of the late Harry, who co-wrote with him the gold record song “Cat’s in the Cradle,” serves as chairperson of the

group’s board.

Paule Pachter has served for the last 11 years as the group CEO and said that the organization addresses the humanitarian need of veterans, immigrants, seniors and others struggling with economic and social challenges.

SUNation Solar Systems installed the solar project and Maskin compliments the organization for its leadership.

“Paule Pachter is a leader by nature and was the first to engage in the Hauppauge Industrial [Association] power project which aims at transforming the park into a 100 percent renewable park by 2040,” he said. “More importantly is that the power generated from the LI Cares roof will be strategically directed to those most vulnerable and those with food insecurity. As Paule always says, ‘It takes more than food to feed the hungry.’”

For the 50 or more families that will be receiving discounted energy to their homes, their savings of $0.05 per kilowatt hour will go toward meeting their other needs, Pachter said.

This project is designed to provide benefits for 25 years or more, according to Maskin.

“This is a project that would not have come together without the laser focus and direction of Paule, his amazing board of directors, the efforts of LIPA, PSEG and the HIA-LI,” Maskin added. “We at SUNation are humbled to play our role with LI Cares. While we design and install so many projects on Long Island, this one is truly special.”

PAGE A14 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • DECEMBER 26, 2019

Watching over Society’s Most Vulnerable

Guardianship Corp and RSVP volunteers include members of Stony Brook University’s nursing program, interns and compassionate individuals from Long Island’s senior population. Photo by Robert Heppenheimer

BY LAURA JOHANSON DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM Guardianship Corp is a pilot program created to serve as a safety net for impoverished, incapacitated adults who are wards of the court.

There is no hard data on the number of people in Suffolk who need the not-for-profit’s services, but most authorities agree the number is rising due to the aging population. Consequently, more help and additional funding has been sorely needed.

Thankfully, Guardianship Corp’s model of operation “has accomplished what the court system could not,” said Pegi Orsino, executive director of RSVP Suffolk. Her organization recruits and places senior volunteers with the people in need of assistance. “It’s a costeffective solution that’s making a difference,” she added.

Richard Horowitz is a New York State Court of Claims judge and acting justice of Suffolk County Supreme Court who has also helped launch the new program.

“Judge Horowitz asked RSVP to meet with him in early 2018 to discuss the difficulties in guardianship,” Orsino said. “I brought along one of our board members, Bob Heppenheimer, who had hands on experience with the population the judge was concerned

with.” Orsino said. Heppenheimer is a recently retired owner and operator of two local nursing homes and has years of experience as an advocate for seniors and others in longterm nursing care.

Horowitz explained that New York State does not have a guardianship system in place for disabled adults with no family support and who cannot afford to hire their own attorney.

Without the services, these vulnerable individuals are at risk of not only getting lost in the system but may also be deprived of needed medical care. So, the courts have been forced to seek out attorneys willing to do the work pro bono. Horowitz explained that he personally handled more than 150 new applications for guardianship each year.

“And the need was growing,” Orsino said.

“Typically, when there is no fee, there are no takers. That is where Judge Horowitz was hoping RSVP could step in.”

Unfortunately, Orsino feared the burden was too great. “Guardianship is a huge responsibility … too much for a volunteer,” Orsino said. “I left the meeting feeling rather at a loss … but Bob was enthusiastic and had the idea of creating a not-for-profit that would serve as guardian, freeing volunteers of that responsibility and instead have them serve as care monitors,” she said. Essentially volunteers would be the

eyes and ears for the guardian, enabling the organization to take on many wards.

“I was wondering what to do next,” Heppenheimer said, referring to his retirement as owner of nursing facilities. “And God dropped on my lap an opportunity to contribute to the good of society,” he added.

Heppenheimer drafted a proposal and in the fall of 2018 received start-up funding through a New York State Senate initiative. “Both Nassau and Suffolk counties were given $250,000 each for fiscal year 2019 to manage and make decisions for vulnerable wards,” he said. With the start-up funds, Heppenheimer created the not-for-profit Guardianship Corp. He hired an administrator and recruited and trained selected senior volunteers from RSVP to become care monitors. More recently, Heppenheimer has also reached out to Stony Brook University’s nursing program and interns to become care monitors.

“We currently have guardianship for 40 wards. Our senior volunteers, who include retired nurses, social workers and caretakers, visit 20 of those most vulnerable at least two times a month and report on each visit,” he said. “Attorneys who serve as guardians are only required by the court to visit a ward once every three months,” he added.

“Bob is very hands on,” Orsino said.

“He makes visits to clients along with the

volunteers. Twice a month is huge … a lot can change in 90 days,” she added.

“Over the past year, Guardianship Corp has intervened when an estranged daughter began stealing from her mother, one of our wards. We also stepped in to make sure another ward got the proper cancer treatment for a condition that might have gone unnoticed,” she added. “And sadly, over the past year we have also made several funeral arrangements for individuals who might not have gotten a proper burial otherwise.”

“Our greatest threat going forward is funding,” Heppenheimer said. “Somehow, our cause has worked itself out of the budget cycle.

Our clients are elderly or disabled. Many are in nursing homes or institutionalized and do not vote. We serve a population that politicians are not forced to be accountable to.”

Horowitz endorses Heppenheimer’s efforts, “The creation of Guardianship Corp has filled a huge void and allowed the Court to appoint compassionate professionals, volunteers and students whose primary focus is the care, safety and comfort of incapacitated persons. The hope is that this pilot project will be made permanent, serve as a model for other communities and be adopted throughout the state.”

For more information or to volunteer contact Guardianship Corp at 631-650-2325.

DECEMBER 26, 2019 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • PAGE A15

Enviro Group Continues to Lead Way on Water Conservation

BY PEGGY SPELLMAN HOEY DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Coastal Steward Long Island volunteer Bill Negra, President Denis Mellett and Treasurer Mark Campo at Mount Sinai Harbor. File photo by Kyle Barr

single-plastic use in schools.

Giving the group a final plug, Bonner noted it is always looking for volunteers, and it’s a well-rounded organization with which anyone of any age can become involved.

“This is a nice way to be involved and you are really making a difference — beach cleaning

and water quality,” she said.

Carabetta noted the importance of a beach cleanup is that anyone can do it, but the organization does have other roles to fill.

“We are looking for volunteers, part-time educators to try to expand our reach in many ways,” she said.

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underwater cleanups, recruiting local divers to volunteer their services to remove debris such as garbage, mechanical parts, and household items like furniture that has ended up on the water’s bottom.

The addition of educational programs and underwater cleanups evolved from the group’s efforts to clean beaches after organizers realized something had to be done to address the trash coming in with the tide.

“There is no end to beach cleanups, but if we educate before it gets in the water, we keep it out of the water in the first place,” said Denis Mellett, a dive instructor who serves as the president of Coastal Steward LI. Ashly Carabetta, the organization’s executive director, said the group has also seen success with one of its newer programs, the Youth Ocean Conservation Summit, where youngsters get to listen to guest speakers, including scientists and educators such as aquanaut Fabien Cousteau, a documentary filmmaker and the grandson of Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

“It’s just a great opportunity for these kids to get to be surrounded by people in the field [of marine science] and talk amongst themselves,” she said.

Another part of the program includes a segment where participants break off into groups and develop a project for which they apply for grant money and then work over the next year to complete the project. The projects can be anything from creating Coastal Steward has hosted several underwater clean ups such as one a children’s book about water depicted here in Port Jefferson Harbor. Photo from Coastal Steward Long Island quality to devising a plan to limit

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Coastal Steward Long Island has a threepronged plan of attack in an unending, dirty battle — the one all environmentalists have been fighting — to keep local beaches and waters clean for years now. And it seems to be working.

What started out as loosely organized beach cleanups led by a local resident has spread to incorporate aquaculture conservation, restoring shellfish to Mount Sinai and Port Jefferson harbors, and marine education teaching youngsters about marine life and water quality.

Its education programs include harbor seining and marsh exploration, shellfish hatchery tours and plankton microbiology, in which students use microscopes to identify plankton.

Through its fundraising efforts, the group is also able to subsidize busing costs for schools that cannot fund field trips to the center.

The organization’s long-standing partnership with the Town of Brookhaven at its beach and marina complex on Long Island Sound in Mount Sinai allows for its educational programs to be run out of the Mount Sinai Marine Environmental Stewardship Center. In the complex’s maricultural center, the oyster seeds are grown for eventual release into the harbor.

Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) called the organization a good partner and a nice complement to the town and its work to restore water quality.

“They are all about water quality,” she said.

“Their message is the right one and their heart is in the right place.”

In addition to its beach-cleaning projects, about four years ago, the group began leading

PAGE A16 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • DECEMBER 26, 2019

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DECEMBER 26, 2019 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • PAGE A17

Kent Animal Shelter: A Safe Haven for Homeless Animals

BY MELISSA ARNOLD DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM In 1969, the Kent Animal Shelter opened its doors in Calverton to Long Island animals with nowhere to call home. From their first day of operation, Kent was a no-kill shelter, providing a safe space for healthy animals to find homes and treatable sick or injured animals a place to recover.

The private, nonprofit shelter was founded by a small group of humanitarians with a deep compassion for animals. The shelter was small and not well known outside the local community, and for several decades they struggled to avoid financial problems. The animal population was minimal and the staff didn’t have an executive director, either. In 1985, they hired Pamela Green for the job in a last-ditch effort to rejuvenate.

Green, who went to college for preveterinary studies, grew up in a family that always encouraged compassion for animals. At home, they raised horses, chickens and ducks, among others. “It was always my intention to work with animals. They can’t speak for themselves so they need people to help them,” she said.

Under Green’s direction, Kent Animal Shelter has flourished. They now facilitate adoptions for nearly 700 dogs and cats every year, and are expecting to surpass that number by the end of 2019.

Included in the adoptions are a population of animals rescued from other places in the United States and even around the world.

“We have rescue partners around the country as well as internationally. Every 10 to 14 days, we do rescue transports from high-kill shelters in places that don’t place a lot of priority on adoption programs,” Green explained. “For many of the animals in those areas, there aren’t a lot of ways out of the shelter. We rescue them, bring them up here for medical care, vaccines and spaying or neutering, and then adopt them out.”

From left, Eileen Striese, Linda MacDonald and Pam Green. Photo by Heidi Sutton

Many of the rescues Kent performs are in the South, where animals can become victims of homelessness or injury following natural disasters like hurricanes or floods. Some rescue dogs are flown to the United States from other countries where dog meat is consumed. Around 25 animals are rescued per trip, the majority of which are dogs because of Long Island’s ongoing problem with cat overpopulation.

One of the shelter’s biggest draws is their spay and neuter program. Two veterinarians work four days a week to spay and neuter local pets. Approximately 3,500 animals are spayed or neutered each year, Green said.

“Spaying and neutering is so important because if it’s left unchecked, a huge number of animals will be left without homes. You see this in areas of the country where spay and neuter programs aren’t as much of a priority. It leads to overbreeding and overpopulation.”

It takes a lot of work to keep the busy shelter running, and a regular staff of 22 makes it happen, along with volunteers who walk dogs, play with cats, and work fundraisers.

Office manager Linda MacDonald has been involved with animal care and rescue in various capacities for more than 20 years.

These days, she keeps the business side of the shelter running smoothly while also helping to facilitate adoptions and surrenders.

“I love being a part of the work we do, which ultimately helps both people and animals,” MacDonald said. “I get to know the animals we have here very well, and it helps me to counsel customers on the right type of animal or breed for their lifestyle. We’re always looking to change and grow, whether it’s growing our

social media presence, expanding our kennels or working with a trainer to help our customers introduce a pet to their home. A positive experience when a pet goes home can affect how they behave the rest of their lives.”

Eileen Striese of Bellport visited Kent for the first time 15 years ago. She had lost a dog a few years before and was eager to bring home a new pet. Her husband suggested they try Kent, and not long after, they welcomed home a black and white shih tzu named Lily.

Years later, as Striese approached retirement, she began to think about what she might do next. “I always knew that I wanted to volunteer and give back in some way,” she explained. “I love animals, but I had never worked with them before. So I went to the shelter and asked how I could get involved.”

Soon, Striese was walking dogs and socializing with the animals at Kent. She was also one of the volunteers responsible for transporting dogs to a local Petco for adoption.

“They warned me that I might fall in love with one of them, and there was a white bichon poodle mix that would just fall asleep in my arms. The bond formed instantly,” she recalled.

“A few months later I brought him home. We renamed him Rocky.”

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine has a long-standing connection to the shelter that began when he adopted his first family dog in the 1970s. Since then, his family has gone on to raise two poodles who are now elderly.

“I thought that these two dogs were going to be the last for us, but sometimes life throws you a curveball,” Romaine said. “My wife was diagnosed with cancer, and she said to me at

the time, ‘If I make it through this, I want to get a dog.’”

In March 2018, the Romaines welcomed a white bichon poodle mix into their family.

Appropriately, they named him Lucky.

“They say you can judge a person by the way they treat animals — I’ve known Pam Green for a long time, and she’s a very special person who is so enthusiastic about her career,” he said. “The work Kent does for the community is incredible, and so important. It sets the shelter apart.”

Kent Animal Shelter’s funding is donorbased, and while most donations come from private donors, other funds come from foundations including the ASPCA and PetSmart.

The shelter also holds several fundraising events throughout the year, all of them focused on having fun. In the past, they’ve held comedy nights, psychic readings, dog walking events, and recently celebrated its golden anniversary with a dinner/dance fundraiser at Stonewalls Restaurant in Riverhead.

At the end of the day, it’s all about doing as much good as they can, said Green. The shelter is looking to update and expand its facilities in the future to reach even more animals in need.

“It’s very rewarding work, but it’s also difficult and sometimes disheartening. The reward is to see an animal taken out of a terrible situation and have its life saved. To see them go to a loving home makes it all worth the effort,” she said.

Kent Animal Shelter is located at 2259 River Rd, Calverton, and is open seven days a week. To learn more about the shelter or to find your perfect pet, visit www.kentanimalshelter. com or call 631-727-5731.

PAGE A18 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • DECEMBER 26, 2019

The Times of Northport & East Northport’s Men and Women of the Year • 2004–12 Man of the Year

John McKenna James Byler John Feal Pete Engelmann Herb McGrail Councilman Stuart Besen Don Strasser Fleming Hansen, Martin Stone Mario Buonpane, Jim Mahoney and Sonny Dolci

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005

Susan Berland Dorothy Walsh Tammie Topel Teri George Ann Stevens Anita Fleishman Elsa Posey Winter Brook Ryan Lynn Ruvolo

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004

Woman of the Year

Arts

Northport-East Northporrt Community Theater Richard Dolce Fred and Sue Richtberg Matthew Pierce Robert Krueger Doris Rowe Ward Hooper Kate Kelly Isabella Eredita Johnson

2004

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004

Business

The Cavagnaro Family Mary Sullivan Lisa Harris Artie Berke Charlie Reichert John W. Engeman Theater Tom Kehoe Caffe Portofino

Civics

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005

Ken Savin The Scherers Gloria Wertheimer Douglas Brueggemann Dr. Ray Mascolo Jim Ryan Kay Hutchins Sato

2011 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004

Tammy Walsh Lisa Flanagan Margaret Minardi Richard Nunziato Peter Falotico Charlotte Koons Ely Roll Students for 60,000 Dick Manning

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004

Local Lobstermen Adrienne Esposito Northport Farmers Market Jim Leonick Margo Myles

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008

Education

Environment

Eva Browne Asharoken Garden Club Rob Ingraham Ailene Rogers

2007 2006 2005 2004

Lorene Eriksen Little Shelter Cynthia Sourbeck David Quigley Bernie’s Pantry Northport-East Northport Library

2012 2011 2010 2008 2006 2005

Good Neighbor

Government

Donna Koch 2012 Carol Rocco 2011 Henry Tobin 2010 Doug Aloise 2009 Legislator Jon Cooper 2008 Mayor George Doll 2007 Sen. John Flanagan 2006 Jo-Ann Raia 2005 Rep. Steve Israel, Sen. Carl Marcellino and Assemblyman Andy Raia 2004

Health/Medicine

Northport VA 2010 Stephen Dewey 2009 Jay Walsh 2008 Dr. Boonsee Yu 2007 Wynne Schiffer and VNS Hospice House 2006 Chris Pendergast, David Deutsch and Northport H.S. Honor Society 2005 Karen Joy Miller 2004

Religion

Ecumenical Lay Council Food Pantry 2012 Huntington Interfaith Homeless Initiative 2011 St. Paul’s United Methodist Church 2010 Monsignor Peter Ryan 2008 SBU Medical Center Chaplaincy 2007 Samantha Tetro 2005

Science

Aidan Dwyer Kristin Colavito A Midwinter Night’s Dream Betsy Sutherland

2012 2011 2010 2006

Carol Rainson-Rose Joe Mannix and Steve Zacharevitz Rich Castellano Jack Fass Kip Lukralle Karen Acompora CSH High School Booster Club and Varsity Football Team Kathryn Martin Rich Boziwick

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

Effie Huber Sarah Connor Pat Bond Eve Van Dyk Lauren Paige Friends of the Farm East Northport Fire Department Laurie Diegel

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2005 2004

Sports

Volunteer

2006 2005 2004

The Times of Huntington’s Men and Women of the Year • 2007–12 Man of the Year

Scott Sammis James Byler John Feal Norman Soule Herb McGrail Councilman Stuart Besen

Woman of the Year

Susan Berland Pamela Setchell Dee Thompson Colleen West-Levy Jo-Ann Raia Anita Fleishman

Arts

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

Variations The Paramount Directors Cinema Arts Centre Erich Preis Joan Fretz Diana Cherryholmes

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

Book Revue Brad Rosen

2012 2011

Business

Huntington Chamber of Commerce Kevin Nathan/Appliance World The Tunneys John W. Engeman Theater

2010 2009 2008 2007

Carol Werblin Xavier Palacios and Ed Perez Rebecca Sanin Mark Cronin Gloria Wertheimer Douglas Brueggemann

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

Rob Gilmor Huntington High School Band Parents Association Arts in Education Committee Joseph Toles Dual Language Program Matthew Sclafani

2012

Civics

Education

Environment

Local Lobstermen Adrienne Esposito Frances Serra Whittelsey Michael Fairchild

2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2012 2011 2010 2009

Margo Myles Joy Squires

2008 2007

Tom Hogan Little Shelter Toby Kissam

2012 2011 2010

Good Neighbor Government

Joan Cergol Carol Rocco Legislator Steven Stern Doug Aloise Legislator Jon Cooper William Naughton

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

Alea Mills Gail Probst Dolan Family Health Center Stephen Dewey Jay Walsh Dr. Harold German

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

The Rev. Steve Donnelly Huntington Interfaith Homeless Initiative

2012

Health/Medicine

Religion

2011

Unitarian Universalists of Huntington Sister Clare O’Keefe Monsignor Peter Ryan Chaplaincy Program at SBUH

Science

2010 2009 2008 2007

LISEF Staff CSH Whaling Museum Bruce Stillman

2011 2010 2009

Steve Cacioppo Paul Culff Jack Fass Kip Lukralle Karen Acompora

2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

Sports

Volunteers

Huntington Community First Aid Squad Bea Hartigan Ilene Cooper Sondra Somin Yvette Stone

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008

DECEMBER 26, 2019 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • PAGE A19

Above, John Cronin of John’s Crazy Socks was honored in 2018; below left, Huntington resident Bob Bontempi, center, at an event hosted by Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce. He was honored in 2017. File photos

The Times of Huntington & Northports People of the Year • 2013–18 2013

Angels for Warriors Damon McMullen Karen J. Miller Kevin Thorbourne Huntington Arts Council Northport Arts Coalition Rabbi Jeffrey Clopper Reinwalds Bakery Walter Rabe Dr. William “Doc” Spencer

2014

Chris Algieri Huntington’s Senior Center Jim Kelly John D`Amico Nancy and Phil Weber Northport Fire Department Northport Historical Society

Ron Iannacone Vita Scaturro

2017

Andre Sorrentino Bob Bontempi Ginny Munger Kahn Jim Powers Kevin Gersh Marie Michele Destil Tracey Edwards Vanderbilt Museum Volunteers

2015

Charlie Reichert Cold Spring Harbor Lab Staff Debi Triola Gail Lamberta Heather Buggee, Splashes of Hope Huntington Hospital Staff Sherriff Vincent DeMarco

2016

2018

Greenlawn American Legion Post 1244 Cause Cafe COPE officers Darrin Parker Mikey Brannigan Northport Community Drug & Alcohol Task Force

John and Mark Cronin Pilar Moya Linda Beigel Schulman Bald Eagles of Centerport Errol Toulon Jr. Robert Misseri Heather Lynch Janet Godfrey Scott Posner

... and many more to come!

TIMES BEACON RECORD NEWS MEDIA We welcome letters, photographs, comments and story ideas.

Send your items to P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733 or email donna@tbrnewsmedia.com.

Times Beacon Record Newspapers are published every Thursday.

Subscription $49/year • 631-751-7744 www.tbrnewsmedia.com • Contents copyright 2019

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Leah S. Dunaief GENERAL MANAGER Johness Kuisel MANAGING EDITOR Kyle Barr EDITOR Donna Deedy

LEISURE EDITOR Heidi Sutton ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kathryn Mandracchia ART AND PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Beth Heller Mason

INTERNET STRATEGY DIRECTOR Rob Alfano CLASSIFIEDS DIRECTOR Ellen Segal BUSINESS MANAGER Sandi Gross

CREDIT MANAGER Diane Wattecamps CIRCULATION MANAGER Courtney Biondo

PAGE A20 • TIMES HUNTINGTON & NORTHPORTS • DECEMBER 26, 2019

Preview theVery Best in Care

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• Highly trained, compassionate team of caregivers • Activities and programming are customized to resident interests • Healthy, freshly prepared meals catered to individual needs • Minutes from shopping, dining, and entertainment • Conveniently close to medical centers and hospitals

© 2019 Sunrise Senior Living

H U N T I N G TON Contact us to schedule a tour: 888-801-6004 SunriseHuntington.com/Times 300 West Hills Road Huntington Station, NY 11746

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