BEACON RECORD The Village
Volume 31, No. 28
Buying/ S
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Ardolino.c om LongIslan dHomcountry Mount Sinai • Miller Place • Sound Beach • rocky Point • ShorehaM • Wading river • leiSure eConnecti on.com February 4, 2016 631-941-4 300
John Denver tribute at Theatre Three Also: Review of ‘The Revenant,’ BNL Science Bowl winners
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Bing! Groundhog sees spring Photo by alex Petroski
Holtsville Hal sees no sHadow: tuesday morning, just as he did last year, Brookhaven groundhog holtsville hal did not see his shadow,
predicting an early spring. above, holtsville hal is presented to his adoring fans. story and more photos on page a8.
Miller Place hosts presentation on Internet dangers Panthers wrestlers leave lasting impact Miller Place team adopts child with cancer as honorary captain
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By Alex Petroski
Retired NYPD detective Thomas Grimes made a twohour presentation to Miller Place school district administrators and parents at the high school on Tuesday night about the dangers of Internet use for children. Grimes’ presentation focused on the aspect of being vulnerable to predators online, but also the peer-to-peer cyber bullying that has resulted in far too many tragic situations. “Parents, we need to shut up and stop trying to blame somebody else for what our kids are doing to one and other,” Grimes said about the harm that is done on social media between people who aren’t even strangers. Through his program, NY Finest Speakers, he stressed the fact that cultivating a safe community is a responsibility that we all share. “What we need to do is take
responsibility and delegate that responsibility to our children as well,” he said. “It’s our responsibility as a community, as a family and as a school district.” Grimes told stories that were horrifying for the roughly 50 parents in attendance about what can happen if a child is interacting with a stranger on a social media site or application. Grimes did a presentation for North Country Road Middle School students on Tuesday, and for Miller Place High School students on Wednesday. “I told your kids today, if you’re in a conversation with somebody that gives you the creeps, trust your instincts,” Grimes said. “We have to empower our children to trust their instincts. We’re all born with instincts, we just need to learn to trust them.” Grimes called this generation of middle school and high
Photo by alex Petroski
nyPd detective and ny Finest Speakers’ thomas grimes, with Miller Place school board President Johanna testa and superintendent Marianne higuera, spoke to parents about the dangers of social media tuesday.
school students the first “naturalized generation” when it comes to growing up with Internet and social media use. District Superintendent Marianne Higuera expressed a similar sentiment after the presentation. “As adults, we live in a world of Facebook, and students are so
beyond Facebook,” Higuera said. “Fifteen years ago it was ‘Don’t put your child’s name on their jersey.’ Every time your child signs on to social media sites you’re putting their jersey name on these sites, so even if their screenshots show ‘Panthers,’ or NY FINeST continued on page a9