The Times of Smithtown - December 24, 2020

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December 24, 2020

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A Holiday Story: Park the Christmas Puppy

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The St. James Fire Department, left, and the Nesconset Fire Department, right, both helped Santa travel through local streets so he could say hello to residents. Left photo by Steven Zaitz; right photo by Katie Santiago

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DECEMBER 24, 2020 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A3

Town

Smithtown School Libraries Change Shape for COVID

BY JULIANNE MOSHER JULIANNE@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM School libraries are looking a little different nowadays.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Smithtown Central School District had to revamp its library protocols, said Vincenza Graham, director of world languages, ESL & library media services. Like many districts across Long Island, new initiatives have changed how students take out books, read and learn.

“Pandemic or not, libraries are used to constant change,” Catherine Masrour, a librarian at High School West, said. “For years, libraries have been evolving as a result of the rise in access to digital information and the constant and everchanging world of technological innovations.”

Masrour said that as librarians, they are constantly looking at their students’ needs, trying to provide them with the best resources to be successful — including in a virtual world.

“I felt so proud last week when one of my students contacted me to share the news of her college acceptance,” she said. “She thanked me for helping her with her college essay last spring via several Google Meets, and then again, this fall just before she submitted her final application. Hearing the excitement in this student’s voice gave me one more reason to say that I love what I am doing.”

Smithtown elementary schools began virtual programs and fully remote options to students and had to revamp book circulation to keep the library safe for students and staff.

“This system has required the students

to truly look beyond the cover of a story, and many have shared that they wouldn’t have taken out some of the books they truly enjoyed if they hadn’t utilized this system,” said Ellie Eichenlaub, a librarian at Dogwood Elementary School and Smithtown West High School.

“While this school year has brought some unique challenges, it is nice to reflect on some of the good that it has brought to our students.”

And when staff was back at school in September, Michelle Robinson, a librarian at Tackan Elementary School, said her students wanted to pick up right where they left off in March.

“My fourth-graders were asking if we were going to continue working with author Robin Newman as we did in third grade, and my fifthgraders were asking if we were going to work on our Summer Olympics sport research project that we began at the end of February of fourth grade,” she said. “It made me realize how much they had missed our library as well.”

Keely Schuppert, a librarian at St. James Elementary School, said librarians at her level are in a unique situation of being able to watch their students grow as readers each year from kindergarten through fifth grade.

“It’s the greatest feeling to be able to provide a student with a book they’ve really been wanting to read,” she said. “With masks being a necessity, we have all become very skilled at reading our students’ eyes. It’s the beautiful glimmer in a child’s eyes that reminds me why I love what I do each and every day.”

Middle schoolers have been able to take out e-books through a new digital platform and are gaining access to print resources by placing

Students study in the Smithtown West High School library. Photo from Smithtown Central School District

holds on books via the library catalog, according to director Graham.

“After our revamped library orientation for sixth-graders, one student asked if we had any manga [Japanese publications],” said Sheila Tobin Cavooris, a librarian at Great Hollow Middle School. “She was so excited when I showed her our graphic format collection, and her enthusiasm was echoed by a number of other students who shared her interest.”

Accompsett Middle School librarian Donna DeLuca said that while sixth-grade orientation was a bit challenging this year, she wanted to keep things as close to normal as possible.

“At AMS, we had our usual scavenger hunt throughout the library to learn about the different

sections and resources available,” she said. “In each section, students recorded themselves talking about what they learned. Even though we followed mask, social distancing and ‘no touch’ guidelines, students were so happy to be up and about and not sitting in front of a screen.”

The human touch is still all important. “When I run after-hours office hours through Google Meet, sometimes from 8 to 9 at night, the kids are appreciative to see a friendly face, happy to be able to ask questions and relieved to know the library safety net is still there,” Smithtown High School East librarian Jean Marie Kliphuis said. “I’ve always told them that our job is to support their work, and whether we are digital or in person, that hasn’t changed.”

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PAGE A4 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 24, 2020

Town

Smithtown Children’s Foundation Provides Relief for Struggling Families

BY LEAH CHIAPPINO LCHIAPPINO@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM For over a decade, Smithtown Children’s Foundation has been providing emotional and financial support for struggling families residing in the Smithtown school district. In the wake of COVID-19, the need from the community has only grown stronger, and the foundation has had to cancel the five major fundraisers that sustain its operations, such as its annual golf outing, casino night, holiday breakfast and dinner dance.

“We have so many families who need us and so little opportunity to fundraise,” said Krissy Lonetto, executive board member The foundation was originally founded in 2008 to assist the family of Kaylee Ann Rivers, a local kindergarten student with neuroblastoma. Though she passed away, her legacy inspired the foundation to continue to assist as many local families as possible.

SCF pays medical and utility bills, and purchases medical equipment that is not covered by insurance for families facing a crisis.

The foundation arranges delivery of meals for local families facing hardship, whether they are facing a catastrophe such as a house fire or are falling on hard times after losing a job.

The foundation also funds a classroom project each year and works with social workers from the school district to provide school supplies, Thanksgiving gift cards and holiday presents.

Each family that receives assistance is vetted through application forms, referred to the foundation by social workers or nominated by a loved one.

“People are struggling but are too proud to say it,” said executive director Christine Fitzgerald. “They say they are OK, and in reality they’re not.”

Even with the increased demand in need during the pandemic, the foundation has not turned away families that need assistance.

However, there is concern the situation could come to that, due to the drop in fundraising.

“We will probably make a single percentage of the funds that we raised last year,” said advisory board member and local food writer Nancy Vallarella. “The need is so great, and it is very frustrating. We’re just not hitting what we need to hit, and I understand that every foundation is going through the same thing. It’s just very difficult.”

Though the foundation has sustained operations mostly through private donations and reserve funds, they have had to get creative in order to try and fundraise what they can, according to Fitzgerald, who is also a founding member of the foundation.

At the beginning of the pandemic, they hosted a restaurant bingo fundraiser, in

Winners and sponsors from SCF’s 2019 Wellness Challenge, above, pose for a photo. Below, Nesconset resident Jennifer Draney and Smithtown Children’s Foundation volunteer Laura Cook load a car to deliver fresh vegetables. Photos from Smithtown Children Foundation

which participants made a $15 donation, and in exchange received bingo cards filled with local restaurants. When donors ordered from the restaurants and showed proof, they marked the space. Those that won “Bingo!” each received a gift card to one of the participating restaurants, benefiting both the restaurants and the foundation.

In the summer, the foundation launched a farm-to-trunk initiative in which they partnered with Red Fox Organic and Sujecki farms, to sell produce to be picked up curbside at the Watermill.

“We were really grasping at straws to try and provide a service to the community and support local farmers,” Vallarella said. “We did not make a lot of money, but it kept us in touch with the community.”

She added that people would come from week to week, and then make personal donations or have their businesses donate.

Other events went virtual, like a recent online basket auction, and an online gift registry using the website Elfster, in which donors could directly purchase a gift from the wish list of a local child in need, which totaled around 50 families.

“There is literally nothing that those families want that we don’t find a way to get for them,” Lonetto said. “We’re almost like Make-A-Wish.”

She is a teacher at Accompsett Elementary School who joined the group after it helped her launch the annual Mike’s Hike run/family walk in honor of fellow teacher, Mike Denaro, who died suddenly in 2011. She said that the number of families whose information the foundation received from social workers

to receive holiday gifts is normally around 15-20, and this year totaled around 25-30.

At Thanksgiving, the number of families who received gift cards to purchase a meal increased from around 15 to 40.

Over the years, the foundation has developed different chapters to expand its reach, and most are in honor of local children who have passed away. Tristin’s Wish, which was started for Tristin Hart, a local toddler who passed away from a bacterial infection, funds holiday presents. The Silent Night chapter, launched on behalf of Dylan Beach, gifts presents to patients at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. The Smi1es 4 S3an

chapter was launched in honor of Smithtown West student Sean Cook, who passed away from cancer with the goal of assisting other families who have a child with cancer.

Anthony’s Hope was started in honor of Anthony Raso, a Smithtown student who committed suicide after a long battle with depression, in order to raise awareness for suicide, mental illness and opioid addiction in teenagers and young adults.

The foundation has expanded into a Hauppauge chapter which is headed by board member and local insurance agent Jennifer O’Brien, and is devoted to assisting families residing in the Hauppauge school district.

DECEMBER 24, 2020 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A5

Town

Suffolk County Police Department 4th Precinct Hosts Task Force

BY KIMBERLY BROWN DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM Concerned Suffolk County residents were able to voice their opinions on new reforms they believe the police department should enact at a virtual Suffolk County Police Reform & Reinvention Task Force public listening session for the 4th Precinct last month. The task force is used to address the needs of the community and any racial bias happening within the department.

Multiple speakers began their speeches by calling attention to the absence of Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini (D) and County Executive Steve Bellone (D). A member of the Suffolk County Democratic Socialists of America expressed his frustrations concerning the nonattendance of the two key public servants in the county government.

“If they were truly committed to the process, they would take the time to be here,” the DSA member said. “Their continued absence is a slap in the face to everyone who is taking their time to speak tonight, and who

has spoken in past meetings.”

Many attended the meeting with the goal of sharing ideas for accountability measures that should be enacted in the police department. A member of the LI United to Transform Policing and Community Safety discussed her thoughts on the issue in hopes to achieve a change in their process.

The passage of a right-to-know act was one recommendation a member discussed.

This would require officers to distribute a card with their information printed on it when pulling over any resident.

“Oftentimes when stopped by police, the public gets little to no information about who is stopping you, and sometimes they’re not even told why,” the LI United member said.

“Having officers hand out a card with their name, badge number and reason for the stop will provide a new level of transparency.”

Other speakers think the police department has not showcased a racial bias against communities of color, and feel the department has been disrespected as a whole by various Suffolk residents.

“We need to talk about how to have a

Smithtown Celebrates Snow Day

BY RITA J. EGAN TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart has taken part in various task force meetings with the public.

File photo

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Daniel Zaitz, who just turned four, gets a hold of a block of snow in his St. James neighborhood Dec. 17.

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Smithtown Central School District students and parents were excited when school Superintendent Mark Secaur sent an email and voicemail to parents Dec. 16 that said school would be closed Thursday, Dec. 17 for a snow day.

A snowstorm that began late afternoon the day before dumped around 6 inches of snow on the North Shore.

Secaur had some advice for families in his Dec. 16 email.

“It is my hope that you and your family will enjoy an unexpeceted day of rest and/or fun outdoor activities,” he wrote. “Put away your devices, make some hot chocolate, read a book, build a snowman ... whatever brings you joy.”

Members on the Facebook page Smithtown Moms posted the superintendent’s message and called it “heartfelt” “personal” and “lovely.”

Many mothers said that having a snow day would bring a sense of normalcy to an abnormal year.

Students were able to return to their studies Friday.

culture change, where parents teach children the cops are not the enemy, the cops are there to help you,” a speaker said. “Show them respect, they have a very difficult job because they don’t know if the call they go on is going to be their last.”

However, another Suffolk County resident disagreed with this statement, saying it is an entitled position to believe that concern over a job is equivalent to or supersedes the value of Black lives. He articulated those police officers have the choice to quit their job if they don’t want to be held accountable for any mishaps.

“There is no such thing as a blue life,” he said. “It is a job. They can quit and go home.

I can’t quit being Black, nor do I want to.”

The task force continued to hold its virtual meetings until Dec. 21. Community members said they felt the reform discussions were helpful. For more details, visit the task force website at suffolkcountyny.gov/policereform.

Editor’s note: Many speakers did not say their name before speaking during the Zoom meeting.

PAGE A6 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 24, 2020

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PAGE A8 â&#x20AC;˘ TIMES OF SMITHTOWN â&#x20AC;˘ DECEMBER 24, 2020

December 24, 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ CLASSIFIEDS â&#x20AC;˘ PAGE C3

E M PL OY M E N T / C A R E E R S Help Wanted

Help Wanted

$18.50 NYC, $16 L.I. & up to $13.50 Upstate NY! If you need care from your relative, friend or neighbor and you have Medicaid, they may be eligible to start taking care of you as a personal assistant under NYS Medicaid CDPA Program. No Certificates needed. Phone: 347-713-3553

Š108618

Part-Time/Full-Time Laboratory Aide for private medical laboratory in Riverhead to work with biopsies and chemicals and has knowledge of computers.

needed to perform janitorial duties in a building or facility.

Applicant must have 2-5 years cleaning experience.

Must be available Mon.-Fri. for 3-6 hrs/day.

Pay rate is $16-$19/hr.

8U X]cTaTbcTS R^]cPRc <a 1PaVT Pc cQPaVT#(/V\PX[ R^\

Call 631-591-1086 or email pathrecruiter@gmail.com

Decks DECKS ONLY BUILDERS & DESIGNERS Of Outdoor Living By Northern Construction of LI. Decks, Patios/Hardscapes, Pergolas, Outdoor Kitchens and Lighting.

Since 1995. Lic/Ins. 3rd Party Financing Available.

105 Broadway, Greenlawn.

631-651-8478. www.DecksOnly.com

MR SEWERMAN CESSPOOL SERVICE All types of cesspool servicing, all work guaranteed, family owned and operated since 1985, 631-924-7502.

Licensed and Insured.

Clean-Ups LET STEVE DO IT Clean-ups, yards, basements, whole house, painting, tree work, local moving and anything else. Totally overwhelmed?

Call Steve @ 631-745-2598, leave message.

Electricians

BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG

small space

Š105751

BIG

RESULTS

BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG

SOUNDVIEW ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING Prompt* Reliable* Professional.

Residential/Commercial, Free Estimates. Ins/Lic#57478-ME. Owner Operator, 631-828-4675 See our Display Ad in the Home Services Directory

St. James-Village Head of the Harbor Tuesday & Thursday 9 am - 2 pm Evening Court Session 3rd Thurs/month Responsibilities will include maintenance of records and general clerical duties as Court Clerk. Qualifications include excellent verbal and written communication skills and exceptional customer service. Ability to type +35 WPM and general computer knowledge is required. Strong organizational skills with attention to detail are essential; must be able to prioritize and multitask.

Vehicle and Traffic Court experience preferred but will train.

Email rĂŠsumĂŠs & salary requirements to vhohhr@gmail.com

Š108517

EXECUTIVE CHEF

Suffolk County established caterer (35+ years) with clients from Montauk to Manhattan.

Immediate opening for culinary professional with minimum 6 years off-premises catering experience. Will be responsible for maintaining menu & brand identity, ensure food is prepared properly, aesthetically pleasing, and manage kitchen operations and staff (under 10). Collaborate with management on inventory, budget, and food presentation. New American cuisine. Plant-based, Latin & Asian a plus.

Responsibilities include: Purchase food & supplies from vendors approved by the company; monitor & track inventory (minimize waste, ensure quality & freshness); develop menus & create new dishes seasonally; hire, train & supervise kitchen personnel; stay current on industry trends; identify new culinary techniques & presentations; assist kitchen staff with food prep; strong knowledge of food handling health code regulations; provide direction & supervision to kitchen staff.

Weekly hours vary from 40-60 hours to include Saturday & some Sunday events. Compensation negotiable.

Call 631-334-3263 â&#x20AC;˘ juliannabudd23@gmail.com

Š107889

YOUR AD COULD BE HERE! Call 631.751.7663 or 631.331.1154

SERV ICES Cesspool Services

WANTED â&#x20AC;&#x201C; P/T COURT CLERK

Š102894

Š108616

OLD FIELD CLUB TENNIS PROFESSIONAL. Looking for an enthusiastic individual w/min 2 yrs. exp, USPTA Certification, coaching exp./college play.

Must be available 5/1/21 to 9/30/21. See Display Ad for more Info.

WA N T E D

?C 2;40=4A

Š108621

PUBLISHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S EMPLOYMENT NOTICE: All employment advertising in this newspaper is subject to section 296 of the human rights law which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, disability, marital status, sex, age or arrest conviction record or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Title 29, U.S. Code Chap 630, excludes the Federal Govâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. from the age discrimination provisions. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for employment which is in violation of the law. Our readers are informed that employment offerings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis.

PT CLEANER to perform janitorial duties. 2-5 years experience needed. Mon-Fri 3-6 hrs daily. Contact Mr. Barge at tbarge49@gmail.com. See Display Ad for more information.

WANTED P/T COURT CLERK Tuesday & Thursday 9:00am-2:00pm St James-Village of Head of the Harbor.

Send resume & salary requirements to vhohhr@gmail.com See our display ad for more information.

WANTED PT/FT LABORATORY AIDE private medical laboratory in Riverhead.

To work with biopsies and chemicals and has knowledge with computers. Call 631-591-1086 or email: pathrecruiter@gmail.com

7KH 2OG )LHOG &OXE +HDG 7HQQLV 3UR

We are seeking an enthusiastic individual with a passion for the sport who has demonstrated the ability to promote the game of tennis, develop and participate in tennis programs and knows how to plan events for adults and juniors. This Head Pro position will be responsible for supervising adult and junior tournaments, providing lessons, managing court reservations, enforcing club rules and regulations, and supervising special tennis functions.

Qualifications: Minimum 2 years experience as a tennis pro or in a similar role.

Certification as a Professional by U.S. Professional Tennis Association required.

College tennis playing or coaching experience is a plus.

Must be available May 1, 2021 through September 2021.

How to apply: Please email your cover letter and resume to Kelly Mason at kamason19@aol.com  Relocation Costs and Housing Assistance Not Provided

Place your ad today Call 631.751.7663 or 631.331.1154

Place your ad today Call 631.751.7663 or 631.331.1154 Fences SMITHPOINT FENCE. DEER PROBLEM? WE CAN HELP! Wood, PVC, Chain Link, Stockade. Free estimates.

Now offering 12 month interest free financing.

Commercial/Residential.

70 Jayne Blvd., PJS. Lic.37690-H/Ins. 631-743-9797 www.smithpointfence.com.

Floor Services/Sales FINE SANDING & REFINISHING Wood Floor Installations Craig Aliperti, Wood Floors LLC. All work done by owner.

28 years experience.

Lic.#47595-H/Insured.

631-875-5856

Furniture/Restoration/ Repairs REFINISHING & RESTORATION Antiques restored, repairing recane, reupholstery, touch-ups kitchen, front doors, 40 yrs exp, SAVE$$$, free estimates.

Vincent Alfano 631-707-1228

Gutters/Leaders GREG TRINKLE PAINTING & GUTTER CLEANING Powerwashing, window washing, staining. Neat, reliable, 25 years experience. Free Estimates. Lic/Ins.#31398-H. 631-331-0976

TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 631.751.7744

101871

Heating/Cooling HEATING SPECIALIST FOR ALL HEATING SERVICES Installations and repairs for Boilers, Oil tanks and Hot Water Heaters. 10 years of excellent experience. See Display Ad for more info. Call 631-704-0218

Home Improvement ALL PHASES OF HOME IMPROVEMENT From attic to your basement, RCJ Construction www.rcjconstruction.com commercial/residential, lic/ins 631-580-4518.

BLUSTAR CONSTRUCTION The North Shoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Most Trusted Renovation Experts.

631-751-0751 We love small jobs too!

Suffolk Lic. #48714-H, Ins. See Our Display Ad

Home Improvement LAMPS FIXED, $65.

In Home Service!! Handy Howard. My cell 646-996-7628 THE SIDING SPECIALISTSWINTER SALE GOING ON NOW siding, trim work, windows, repairs, gutters, leaders, capping V&P Siding & Window Corp 631-321-4005 Lic/Ins Lic# 27369-HI

Lawn & Landscaping SWAN COVE LANDSCAPING Lawn Maintenance, Clean-ups, Shrub/Tree Pruning, Removals. Landscape Design/Installation, Ponds/Waterfalls, Stone Walls. Firewood. Free estimates. Lic/Ins.631-689-8089

DECEMBER 24, 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ TIMES OF SMITHTOWN â&#x20AC;˘ PAGE A9

PAGE C4 â&#x20AC;˘ CLASSIFIEDS â&#x20AC;˘ December 24, 2020

SERV ICES

Landscape Materials SCREENED TOP SOIL Mulch, compost, decorative and driveway stone, concrete pavers, sand/block/portland.

Fertilizer and seed.

JOS. M. TROFFA MATERIALS CORP. 631-928-4665, www.troffa.com

Miscellaneous DISH TV $59.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. 1-888-609-9405 GET DIRECTV! ONLY $35/month! 155 Channels & 1000s of Shows/Movies on Demand. (w/SELECT All Included Package). PLUS Stream on Up to FIVE Screens Simultaneously at No Additional Cost. Call DIRECTV, 1-888-534-6918

Painting/Spackling/ Wallpaper ALL PRO PAINTING INTERIOR/EXTERIOR Power Washing, Staining, Wallpaper Removal. Free estimates. Lic/Ins #19604HI 631-696-8150. Nick BOBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PAINTING SERVICE 25 Years Experience.

Interior/Exterior Painting, Spackling, Staining, Wallpaper Removal, Staining and Deck Restoration Power Washing.

Free Estimates. Lic/Ins. #17981.

631-744-8859 COUNTY-WIDE PAINTING INTERIOR/EXTERIOR Painting/Staining. Quality workmanship. Living and Serving Three Village Area for over 30 years. Lic#37153-H. 631-751-8280

Power Washing

Painting/Spackling/ Wallpaper LaROTONDA PAINTING & DESIGN Interior/exterior, sheetrock repairs, taping/spackling, wallpaper removal, Faux, decorative finishings. Free estimates.

Lic.#53278-H/Ins. Ross LaRotonda 631-689-5998 WORTH PAINTING â&#x20AC;&#x153;PAINTING WITH PRIDEâ&#x20AC;?

Interiors/exteriors. Staining & deck restoration, power-washing, wallpaper removal, sheetrocktape/spackling, carpentry/trimwork. Lead paint certified. References. Free estimates. Lic./Ins. SINCE 1989 Ryan Southworth. See Display Ad. 631-331-5556

EXTERIOR CLEANING SPECIALISTS Roof cleaning, pressure washing/softwashing, deck restorations, gutter maintenance.

Squeaky Clean Property Solutions 631-387-2156 www.SqueakyCleanli.com POWERWASHING PETE Sanitize your home professionally- house, deck, fence, roof, driveway, pavers and outdoor furniture. $50 off any job! Free Estimates. Call 631-240-3313.

Powerwashpete.com. See Display Ad for more Info.

Tree Work

CLASSIFIED DEADLINE

is Tuesday at noon.

If you want to advertise, do it soon!

631.751.7663 or 631.331.1154

RANDALL BROTHERS TREE SERVICE Planting, pruning, removals, stump grinding. Free Estimates.

Fully insured.

LIC# 50701-H. 631-862-9291

PROF E S SION A L & B U SI N E S S Place Your Ad in the

FREE

Single size â&#x20AC;˘ $228/4 weeks Double size â&#x20AC;˘ $296/4 weeks Ask about our 13 & 26 week special rates

ALWAYS BUYING â&#x20AC;˘ Glassware â&#x20AC;˘ Military Items â&#x20AC;˘ China â&#x20AC;˘ Anything Old or Unusual

â&#x20AC;˘ Old Mirrors â&#x20AC;˘ Lamps â&#x20AC;˘ Clocks â&#x20AC;˘ Watches â&#x20AC;˘ Furniture

(631) 751.7663 or (631) 331.1154

LICENSED & BONDED

Call 631-633-9108

Š108135

ARBOR-VISTA TREE CARE A COMPLETE TREE CARE SERVICE devoted to the care of trees. Maintenance pruning, water-view work, sun-trimming, elevating, pool areas, storm thinning, large tree removal, stump grinding. Wood chips.

Lic#18902HI. Free estimates.

631-246-5377 SUNBURST TREE EXPERTS Since 1974, our history of customer satisfaction is second to none. Pruning/removals/planting, plant health care. Insect/ Disease Management. ASK ABOUT GYPSY MOTH AND TICK SPRAYS Bonded employees. Lic/Ins. #8864HI 631-744-1577 YOUR AD COULD BE HERE! CALL 631.331.1154

Place your ad today Call 631.751.7663 or 631.331.1154 PAGE P

Blues Man Piano Tuning Brad Merila Certified Piano Technician 6 Barnwell Lane, Stony Brook

631.681.9723

bluesmanpianotuning@gmail.com bluesmanpianotuning.com Š108286

FROM HUNTINGTON TO WADING RIVER

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS Place your Display Ad in one of our Service Directories for 26 weeks & get 4 weeks FREE Bonus!

Appear in all 6 of our papers for 1 price!

Receive a Free 20 word line ad under our service column listings!

Check out our Internet site: tbrnewsmedia.com & find your ads!

Call Our Classifieds Advertising Department â&#x20AC;˘ 631â&#x20AC;&#x201C;331â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1154 or 631â&#x20AC;&#x201C;751â&#x20AC;&#x201C;7663

Š102082

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Professional Services Directory

Buy 4 weeks and get the 5th week

Tree Work

Š105748

SETAUKET LANDSCAPE DESIGN Stone Driveways/Walkways, Walls/Stairs/Patios/Masonry, Brickwork/Repairs Land Clearing/Drainage,Grading/ Excavating. Plantings/Mulch, Rain Gardens.

Steve Antos, 631-689-6082 setauketlandscape.com Serving Three Villages

Masonry CARL BONGIORNO LANDSCAPE/MASON CONTRACTOR All phases Masonry Work:Stone Walls, Patios, Poolscapes. All phases of Landscaping Design.

Theme Gardens. Residential & Commercial. Lic/Ins. 631-928-2110

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Lawn & Landscaping

Place your ad today Call 631.751.7663 or 631.331.1154

PAGE A10 â&#x20AC;˘ TIMES OF SMITHTOWN â&#x20AC;˘ DECEMBER 24, 2020

December 24, 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ CLASSIFIEDS â&#x20AC;˘ PAGE C5

AUTOMOTI V E SERV ICES 8QK\]ZM AW]Z )]\W ;WTL

Place your ad today Call 631.751.7663 or 631.331.1154 PAGE C

723 &$6+ 3$,'

JUNK CARS BOUGHT

All Trucks, Cars & Vans

Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Domestic/Foreign Š107669

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CA$H FOR ALL CAR$ & CA$H FOR JUNK CAR$ WANTED

CALL US LAST WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL BEAT ANY PRICE

No Keys No Title No Problem

FREE Pickup Habla EspaĂąol

7,0(6 %($&21 5(&25' 1HZVSDSHUV Â&#x2021; 5RXWH $ 6HWDXNHW 1< $OO UHDGHU DGV DUH OLVWHG RQ WKH LQWHUQHW )RU FDU VKRZ HYHQW DGYHUWLVLQJ FDOO RU 7KLV SURPRWLRQ DSSOLHV IRU SUH RZQHG DQG XVHG FDUV RQO\

Lic. # 7112911/Ins.

(631) 445-1848

USED AUTO PARTS

LICENSED â&#x20AC;˘ BONDED INSURED

631.500.1015

Š107058

HOME SERV ICES

Place your ad today Call 631.751.7663 or 631.331.1154 PAGE F

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Give Your Furniture A Facelift for the Holiday

Š108607

E4 . $"E j >C;EC@=ED;B> *°"° Â&#x153;Ă? ÂŁxÂŁ] ->Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x152; >Â&#x201C;iĂ&#x192;] 9

631.707.1228

343 So. Country Rd., Brookhaven

Š107193

The Village TIMES HERALD â&#x20AC;˘ Stony Brook â&#x20AC;˘ Strongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Neck â&#x20AC;˘ Setauket â&#x20AC;˘ Old Field â&#x20AC;˘ Poquott

The Port TIMES RECORD â&#x20AC;˘ Port Jefferson â&#x20AC;˘ Port Jefferson Sta. â&#x20AC;˘ Harbor Hills â&#x20AC;˘ Belle Terre

The TIMES of Smithtown â&#x20AC;˘ Smithtown â&#x20AC;˘ Hauppauge â&#x20AC;˘ Commack â&#x20AC;˘ E. Fort Salonga â&#x20AC;˘ San Remo

â&#x20AC;˘ Kings Park â&#x20AC;˘ St. James â&#x20AC;˘ Nissequogue â&#x20AC;˘ Head of the Harbor

tbrnewsmedia.com

PICK-UP & DELIVERY

â&#x20AC;˘ Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing â&#x20AC;˘ Upholstery â&#x20AC;˘ Table Pads â&#x20AC;˘ Water & Fire Damage Restoration â&#x20AC;˘ Insurance Estimates Licensed/Insured

11733 â&#x20AC;˘ Phone# 631.331.1154 or 631.751.7663 The TIMES of Middle Country â&#x20AC;˘ Selden â&#x20AC;˘ Centereach â&#x20AC;˘ Lake Grove

The TIMES of Huntington, Northport & East Northport â&#x20AC;˘ Cold Spring Harbor â&#x20AC;˘ Lloyd Harbor â&#x20AC;˘ Lloyd Neck â&#x20AC;˘ Halesite â&#x20AC;˘ Huntington Bay â&#x20AC;˘ Greenlawn

â&#x20AC;˘ Centerport â&#x20AC;˘ Asharoken â&#x20AC;˘ Eaton's Neck â&#x20AC;˘ Fort Salonga -West

101468Š

TIMES BEACON RECORD NEWS MEDIA â&#x20AC;˘ 185 Rte. 25A, Setauket, N.Y. â&#x20AC;˘ Miller Place â&#x20AC;˘ Baiting Hollow â&#x20AC;˘ Sound Beach â&#x20AC;˘ Mt. Sinai â&#x20AC;˘ Rocky Point â&#x20AC;˘ Shoreham â&#x20AC;˘ Wading River

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Complete Woodworking & Finishing Shop 40 Years Experience

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The Village BEACON RECORD

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Š107537

Highest prices paid for fixable vehicles.

Also buy motorcycles and muscle cars.

DECEMBER 24, 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ TIMES OF SMITHTOWN â&#x20AC;˘ PAGE A11

PAGE C6 â&#x20AC;˘ CLASSIFIEDS â&#x20AC;˘ December 24, 2020

HOME SERV ICES

Place your ad today Call 631.751.7663 or 631.331.1154 PAGE A

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DEER PROBLEM? WE CAN HELP.

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Specializing in all phases of fencing: Wood â&#x20AC;˘ PVC â&#x20AC;˘ Chain Link â&#x20AC;˘ Stockade

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New Location

70 Jayne Blvd., Port Jeff Station (631) 743-9797

Licensed/Insured

â&#x20AC;˘ Free In-House 3D Design â&#x20AC;˘ Financing Available

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â?&#x2020;

(3rd party)

Š107742

FREE ESTIMATES COMMERCIAL/ RESIDENTIAL

Š105004

OVER 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE

BUILDERS & DESIGNERS OF OUTDOOR LIVING

BY NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION OF LI INC.

105 Broadway Greenlawn 631.651.8478 www.DecksOnly.com

-YLL ,Z[PTH[LZ

6725< á 6725< á 6725< VT IW RU OHVV

Now offering 12 month interest-free financing

DECKS ONLYÂŽ

Š107337

Custom Built â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Decks â&#x20AC;˘ Patios/Hardscapes Pergolas â&#x20AC;˘ Outdoor Kitchens â&#x20AC;˘ Lighting

Winter is Here!

Here!

Š90878

ADVERTISE YOUR SEASONAL SERVICES

Snowplowing â&#x20AC;˘ Firewood â&#x20AC;˘ Chimney Cleaning â&#x20AC;˘ Oil Burner Maintenance

Call our Classified Advertising Department

at 631.331.1154 â&#x20AC;˘ 631. 751-7663 SPECIAL RATES NOW AVAILABLE

â?&#x2020;

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PAGE A12 â&#x20AC;˘ TIMES OF SMITHTOWN â&#x20AC;˘ DECEMBER 24, 2020

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PAGE A14 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 24, 2020

Editorial

Making the Old New Again

If only every main road could be a downtown. The ones we know and love, the ones with walkable streets, sights to see, unique restaurants to eat at, a feeling that life is being lived there at every level.

Though of course anything is better than driving down the highway and passing by the umpteenth empty strip mall, with enough “for rent” signs to recreate a new mall entirely.

And it makes it that much more glaring when it seems every developer focuses on the new — of a new apartment complex or a new shopping mall or a new medical park — all ignoring the multitudes of empty complexes dotting the Long Island landscape. New development, especially that which plows ahead without concern for the neighborhood, next leads to issues of congestion and the impact on the environment. Meanwhile, local electeds are vying for shrinking pots of funds to buy up and preserve land that keeps the environmental vistas, as we have on the North Shore, viable and serene. There will never be enough money to buy up every stretch of forest or meadow or beach.

Reporting on North Shore Long Island sometimes feels like watching a hoard of starving animals vying for the smallest strip of meat, as discarded carcasses rot not 5 feet away.

That’s why the Town of Brookhaven’s plans for a so-called commercial redevelopment district zoning are so interesting, because it seems like one of the few real efforts we at TBR News Media have seen toward incentivizing rebuilding instead of new development. Though we also hope that such developer incentives can find ways around abuse, especially when too many developers are already incentivized to build with things like Industrial Development Agency tax deals.

Brookhaven’s proposed CRD special zoning, as proposed, will only be available to those property owners who can prove they are redesigning aging property with walkability, livability and commercial interests all in one.

Such applications for that special zoning will also be at the discretion of the Town Board.

If the idea pans out, it could mean a massive push toward revitalization in places such as Port Jefferson Station. If it does what it’s intended to do, other towns like Smithtown or Huntington, who are suffering their own ills of vacant stores and strip malls, could adopt something similar as well. It would be nice, for a change, to hear from a developer about redesigning an eyesore rather than the usual plan to pave paradise to put up a parking lot.

Though we also have to share our reservations. Developers are already well incentivized throughout Suffolk County to build anew, especially with a multitude of deals coming from IDAs at both the county and town level. In Port Jefferson, for example, every single new apartment complex in the past several years has been given a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes deal by the Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency. While IDA board members say such projects will contribute to the economy, these new developments hardly add any significant job numbers to the local economy once the building process is complete.

Brookhaven’s CRD zoning intends that developers will get more leeway on applications for rebuilding based on location or how many amenities there are — such as green space or places for social activity. The risk is that these same builders will find ways to take advantage of these deals while still getting IDA money. Such a new zoning will need even greater scrutiny on applications than is already happening at the town level. A bike rack here or there isn’t worth as much to a community as a new location’s property taxes.

Still, overall, we think this could be a great leap in the right direction. We hope both local developers and local government are up to the task of revitalizing the commercial areas too long neglected.

Caroline Busby, 4, waits patiently with her father Kelly for the St. James Fire Department Santa Parade Dec. 19. Volunteeers escorted Santa through St. James so he could say hello to local residents. (See front page for Santa.) Photo by Patricia Busby

Perspective

Keeping Christmas in the Time of COVID “But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time … time, we felt the love of our community. The signs, the cheering as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the crowds of neighbors and all that food. It energized the staff. It only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men didn’t altogether negate the fatigue, the anxiety or the sadness and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts at all those lives lost, but it helped, and we are so very grateful.

Now here we are again. We in health care, like most others freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were in our country, are tired. We see in the recent fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And release of the first vaccines some light at the therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap end of the tunnel. But we are still very much in of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it the tunnel and the danger is very real. An old has done me good, and will do me good; and I neighbor of mine, a good man, is in the hospital say, God bless it!” now, on a ventilator. Two weeks ago, despite — “A Christmas Carol,” Charles Dickens being over 90, he was on a ladder putting up As of this writing, more than 50 patients holiday lights. The vaccine came too late for afflicted with the novel coronavirus are in beds him as it will be too late for thousands of others. at Huntington Hospital and almost 1,000 across At this time of year, some families do things Northwell Health, some of them requiring to help the less fortunate, whether donating to a intensive care including ventilators. Despite clothing drive or working at a soup kitchen. This significant and rapid improvements in our care, season, it is literally within the power of every many of these people will die. citizen to save a life. Wear a mask in public.

Those who know Dickens’ story will Socially distance. As soon as it is available to you, Dr. Michael Grosso remember that the ghost of Jacob Marley came get the vaccine. But most especially, for now, avoid to haunt Scrooge to warn him. Of what? What gatherings in your homes. Because doing otherwise sin was it that forged the chain that Marley will cost some of your neighbors their lives. Yes, carried in death as a visible reminder of his spiritual failure in this kind of personal sacrifice actually helps us. But it is mostly about life? It was the sin of uncaring. Only in death did he come to remembering that we are interdependent — fellow passengers to the understand this truth: “Mankind was my business.” grave — and our words and deeds have effects on these brothers and During last spring’s pandemic surge, our nurses and doctors, sisters, for better or worse. This is an idea much older than Dickens and many other professionals put on their armor — their N95s and one we need to embrace right now. and face shields, their gowns and their gloves — and went into God bless us everyone. battle at personal risk every day. Some died for it. At the same Dr. Michael Grosso is the medical officer at Huntington Hospital.

The opinions of columnists and letter writers are their own. They do not speak for the newspaper.

Letters … We welcome your letters. They should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style and good taste. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include a phone number and address for confirmation. Email letters to rita@tbrnewsmedia.com or mail them to The Times of Smithtown, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733.

DECEMBER 24, 2020 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • PAGE A15

Opinion

Yoda, Jack Ryan and Jane Craig Drop By for a 2021 Chat

I

have brought three fictional characters in to discuss their thoughts for 2021. Please welcome Yoda from the “Star Wars” series, Jack Ryan from Tom Clancy books, and Jane Craig from the film “Broadcast News.” I will call you all by your first names. Well, except for you, Yoda.

TBR: After such a tumultuous 2020, I wanted to ask you what you all thought would likely happen next year.

D. None Yoda: Tough to say, the future is. If the of the above answers you don’t

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF like, the questions you must change.

Jack: Look, I’m not sure what we’re doing

here, but I think the vaccine offers real hope for change. Your world, such as it is, should be able to move in the right direction.

Jane: The trends at this point are horrific. You have enormous numbers of positive tests each day, hospitalizations are up and the number of dead continues to rise.

TBR: Yoda, you’re kind of off point and sound like a backwards fortune cookie. Jack, I appreciate the optimism and Jane, I think you’re focusing on the negatives.

Jane: We can’t preclude the possibility that the positive infections will continue to climb for months. While it’d be swell to have a big party to celebrate the vaccine and the return to whatever version of normal each of us has, it’s important that we protect ourselves and our families.

Jack: She’s right. Everyone doesn’t have the vaccine and everyone hasn’t taken it, which means we won’t reach herd immunity for a while. While this is killing the entertainment industry, among so many others, it’s necessary

for us to sit tight for a while. At the same time, we need to consider the possibility that other governments will become opportunistic about this messy transition at the White House. We need to protect ourselves and remain vigilant.

This is a dangerous time, in so many ways, and we need to analyze all kinds of traffic.

Yoda: Know something about vigilance, do I. Messy, this world has become. Goodness, hope and optimism, there remains. Effort to get there will it take.

TBR: Jane, this question, in particular, seems right up your alley. What do you think about the news business in 2021?

Jane: I’m not going to lie to you, it’s been a tough year for everyone, particularly in the news business. We are not the enemy. When we do our jobs well, people get to hear the truth. They can make informed decisions that affect their lives. Are there problems? Of course, but that doesn’t make the entire industry corrupt, any more than it would in any other business.

Yoda: Inside each of us, the enemy resides.

Confront it, we must.

Jack: I’ve dealt with journalists all the time.

They are a competitive group, I’ll give them that, but they are necessary to shine light, at the right time, on everything from the fight against the virus to the battle against corrupt governments.

TBR: Do you think we’ve learned any lessons from 2020?

Jack: It’s been a brutal year and so many people have lost so much. The numbers don’t tell the entire story. We can only live with what we know: we can protect ourselves and our family through policies that have nothing to do with politics. Careful analysis and science brought us the vaccines. We need to make informed decisions about using them.

Jane: Exactly my point, Jack. We can and should make informed decisions, which the media, at its best, can support.

Yoda: Mistakes, everyone makes. Opportunities to learn, we have. Family and those fortunate enough to share life with us, we must cherish.

COVID-19 and the Winter Solstice: Twin Turning Points

O

ne of my favorite days occurred this week. It is the winter solstice, usually considered to be Dec. 21 or 22. Why do I like that day, you might wonder? Some people think of it negatively as the shortest day of the year.

In New York, the night was 14 hours and 45 minutes, shorter than in Minnesota at 15 hours and 50 minutes but longer than Miami at 13 hours and 28 minutes. For me it marks the turning point of Between the seasons, when each subsequent you and me day then begins to

BY LEAH S. DUNAIEF have more light.

Darkness will be lifting over the next six months, gradually but definitively. And for COVID-19, the pandemic of the century, it

is a perfect metaphor. The vaccine is arriving at winter solstice with the promise that the disease, like the days, will lighten.

The vaccine is the match that will eventually banish the darkness. People all over the world, since the beginning of recorded history, have lit fires to ward off the night. It is not a coincidence that the birth of Jesus is celebrated at this time. Houses and trees are brightly decorated with all manner of lights. Hanukkah candles burn brightly at this same time, and in an 8-day sequence, as if prophesying the gradual lighting up of the days. Diwali is a five-day festival of Hindus, Sikhs and others, pushing back the night and celebrating the coming of more light.

So will the vaccine, perfectly timed, gradually vanquish the pandemic over the same next few months.

Just as a point of information, I looked up the meaning of winter solstice and found the definition as the time during the earth’s orbit around the sun at which the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator.

So the other part of the shortest day is the

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winter season that we have to get through with its long days before we can enjoy more brightness and warmth. And we will also have to endure more illness and death from the novel coronavirus before we can recapture the world as we have known it.

We will have to hold on, using our various strategies for survival, until what has been described as the unending “snow days” of lockdown yield to recovery.

Winter can be thought of as a time of intense cold, of scarcity, of starkness and even of death of the earth. But the earth has not died. It is merely resting, and all who live on it are forced to slow down until light and warmth bring growth. For us humans, it can be when we nest with our families, play games, watch movies, tell stories about our ancestors and fill the house with the smells of stick-tothe-rib cooking. Unfortunately, we have been doing just that, unwillingly, for the past 10 months. But the warmth and the light inside the home are especially welcome now that the wind is howling and the snow is sticking.

When we were in Alaska some years ago,

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Leah S. Dunaief GENERAL MANAGER Johness Kuisel MANAGING EDITOR Kyle Barr EDITOR Rita J. Egan

LEISURE EDITOR Heidi Sutton EDITORIAL Julianne Mosher ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kathleen Gobos

many of the residents we met said that winter was their favorite season, when members of the community come together indoors to socialize and look after each other as the elements rage in the darkness outdoors.

This winter, we will be coming together via zoom and the other miracles of modern technology. As the earth lies fallow, we can just rest. Or we can evaluate our lives and priorities, learn things that, like planted seeds, will flower in the warmth and light of the spring. We can certainly straighten out our closets and desk drawers, if we haven’t already. All the while, we can follow the guidelines of the scientists and physicians and keep ourselves safe for the spring.

This is my last column of the year. The next issue, of 12/31, will be entirely filled with stories about those heroic and tireless residents who kept life going in 2020 and richly deserve to be honored as People of the Year.

We here at TBR News Media wish you and your loved ones holidays that are happy and safe.

We look forward to rejoining you next year.

ART AND PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Beth Heller Mason INTERNET STRATEGY DIRECTOR Rob Alfano CLASSIFIEDS DIRECTOR Sheila Murray

BUSINESS MANAGER Sandi Gross CREDIT MANAGER Diane Wattecamps CIRCULATION MANAGER Courtney Biondo SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER Sheila Murray

PAGE A16 • TIMES OF SMITHTOWN • DECEMBER 24, 2020

County

As Cases Rise, Front Liners Share Their Stories With COVID From Helper to Patient, Then Back to Helper, Part 2 of 2

BY DANIEL DUNAEIF DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM Health care professionals often sympathize with their patients, offering support as they deal with painful and difficult symptoms. With COVID-19, some health care professionals in the local area also became patients themselves.

Feliciano Lucuix and Gene Rogers, two patient care assistants at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center, shared their experiences with TBR News Media.

Feliciano Lucuix

Feliciano Lucuix, whose last name is pronounced like “lou quicks,” battled through COVID-19 in the first few weeks after the pandemic hit Long Island. A patient care assistant at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center, she was in a restroom in March with a COVID-19 patient who vomited on her. Days later, she said she had a high fever and struggled to breathe.

When her symptoms started, she had a 99.7-degree fever and pain throughout her body.

She lost her sense of smell and her fever climbed to 102.8. She took a COVID test, which would take three days to provide results.

Before her diagnosis, she reached a point where she couldn’t tolerate losing her appetite and having her throat “feel like sandpaper,” she said.

Lucuix, who never smoked and practices yoga twice a week and swims, drove herself to the hospital, where she remained for six days, from March 24 through March 30. During that time, her daughter and son couldn’t visit.

Her son called every day and spoke to the nurses. Lucuix said he didn’t believe her when she said she was okay. The son also spoke with the doctor, who said his mother’s condition was improving.

While she endured challenging symptoms and discomfort, she appreciated the help and attention she received.

“Everybody take care of me wonderful,” said Lucuix, who was born in Argentina to an Italian mother and a French father and speaks Spanish, Italian, English and some French.

Even after she left St. Catherine, she couldn’t return to work for 37 days, as she traversed the

St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center patient care assistants Feliciano Lucuix, left, and Gene Rogers, right, both contracted COVID-19 during the early stages of the pandemic. They hope their stories will help convince people of the need to slow the spread of the virus. Photos from St. Catherine hospital

slow road to recovery.

During Lucuix’s rehabilitation, her son, whose wife had his first child and Lucuix’s fourth grandchild, urged her to consider retiring.

Lucuix couldn’t wait to return to the COVID floor at St. Catherine. She has used her experience to offer patients on her floor empathy and support.

“I tell my patients, I take their hands, I say, ‘Listen, I was in there, too. I know what you’re feeling,’” she said. “I know you’re scared. I know you’re feeling you can die. If I can do it” then the patient can, too.

COVID-19 continued to affect her in other ways, even after her fever broke and she started to recover. Lucuix had headaches and started to lose her hair. She also had trouble sleeping, as viral nightmares interrupted her rest. Her doctor recommended that she speak with a therapist.

“I feel more comfortable every day,” she said.

Lucuix does what she can to protect herself, including taking vitamins, using personal protective equipment and washing her hands regularly.

Lucuix shares her experiences with her coworkers and her patients. She has also donated her antibody-filled plasma twice.

“I donated blood so other people can survive,” Lucuix said. “I’m proud to do that.”

Lucuix’s daughter, who works as a Patient Care Assistant, is following in her footsteps.

Her daughter has applied to nursing programs to study to become a registered nurse. Lucuix added that her granddaughter is also considering the same field.

They would “like her to follow” in their footsteps, Lucuix said.

Lucuix said she is prepared to help patients during the second wave, which started to hit the Long Island community amid the colder weather and as families and friends gather in smaller groups.

“I’m ready to fight again,” Lucuix said. “I want to be strong for my patients, strong for my family.”

Gene Rogers

A patient care assistant at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center, Gene Rogers started to feel ill March 23. He had a 101-degree temperature and was told to take a few days off, drink plenty of fluids, and take Motrin.

He locked himself in his room, in case he had COVID, preventing his wife Bethan WalkerRogers, their 16-year old son Phoenix and 10year old son Charlie and even his dogs from having any contact with him.

Two days later, he was so uncomfortable that he decided he needed to go to the hospital.

Walker-Rogers asked if he wanted her to drive him, but he said she should stay home and take care of their younger children. The Rogers also have an older child, Maya, who is 21.

As he drove, Rogers said he felt the car swerving when he passed a police officer.

“I was shocked he didn’t pull me over,” Rogers said.

When he arrived at St. Catherine, his temperature had spiked to 103.8.

Mary Jane Finnegan, Chief Nursing Officer at St. Catherine, offered Rogers reassurance.

“I don’t remember the whole thing about the ER that night,” Rogers said. “I remember

[Finnegan] coming over to me and saying, ‘We’re going to take good care of you.’”

Like Lucuix, Rogers had no appetite. He was also having trouble breathing. The nurses kept telling him to lay on his stomach.

He had an odd sensation in his feet and was achy. He was in the hospital for eight days.

Rogers felt that the entire staff lived up to Finnegan’s promise. When he had a fever of 104.1, the nurses put ice packs under his arms.

“I’m putting them at risk while they are taking care of me,” he thought to himself on the bed. “Everyone I see, I try to say, ‘Thank you.’”

Walker-Rogers works in the dietary department at St. Catherine. Even while he was in the hospital, she couldn’t visit. She did walk by and look in the window, but she wasn’t allowed in.

Rogers entered the hospital on March 26 and was discharged April 3.

Although he was eager to return to work, a low-grade fever and, eventually, double pneumonia, kept him out for seven weeks.

Yet again, he isolated from the family and his dogs, who were scratching at the door regularly to see him.

During the worst of his condition, Rogers lost 35 pounds, which, he said, he has since regained.

Rogers added he never considered leaving his profession or St. Catherine.

“The people here are like my second family,” said Rogers, who has been at St. Catherine for 35 years. “I see them more than I see my own family.”

Rogers’s mother, Janice Foote, who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, suggested that it might be time to retire or to do something else.

He said he had to return.

“I love my job,” Rogers said. “I enjoy what I do. I couldn’t wait to come back.”

When he started to work, Rogers said he was short of breath from running around.

Recalling the uncertainty and difficulty he and his family faced when he was sick, Rogers said his wife asked him what she’d do if anything happened to him. During the worst of his experience, Rogers said his oldest daughter Maya got so upset that she had to leave and take a walk.

As for how the experience affected him professionally, Rogers said, “you definitely look at it from a different perspective, being in someone else’s shoes.”

Rogers described himself as the type of person who is always asking if a patient needs something else.

“It look at it even more now, after being to that point” with his own illness, Rogers said.

Rogers’s daughter Maya, a junior at St. John’s University in Queens, is following in her parents’ footsteps. A biology major, she aspires to be a physician and is leaning towards emergency medicine.