Bethpage-Tribune_1987-07-23

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Old Bethpage Plainview
VOL. 32 NO. 12 July 23,1987 to July 29,1987 20 cents per copy
$20,000 AnthCocaine Grant For Special Project Seniofi ^0Hon4^
Nassau County Executive Thomas S. Gulotta
and Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph
Colby announced today the awarding of $20,000
in a special anti-cocaine grant for the Plainedge
Union Free School District for a two-year dem­onstration
project.
"The best way to prevent abuse of cocaine, as
well as alcohol and other drugs, is to educate our
school-age children and to provide intervention
services for them while their problems still are
small," Mr. Gulotta said.
The grant, under contract to the County's
Department of Drug and Alcohol Addiction,
provides $20,000 a year for a two year period,
retroactive to January 1, 1987, and running
through December 31, 1988.
This special demonstration project which
focuses on prevention and education, is for
innovative new initiatives, a new component to
the currently operating program, or for funding
of a cocaine/crack speciaUst in this existing pro­gram.
Applications were offered to all of Nassau's
school districts, school-based programs, and
community-based substance abuse programs.
The County's goals in providing this 20,000 in a
special grant, according to Mr. Gulotta, is: (I) to
respond to the current cocaine/crack epidemic,,
and the ongoing problem of substance abuse,
among school-age children; (2) to encourage
schools and their local substance abuse treatment
program to cooperate more closely.
Just When You Thought It Was Safe
To Go Into The Water...
Numerous reports of con­tacts
with several forms of
marine life have been
received in the last few days
from swimmers at some
south shore bays and ocean
beaches, accordmg to Dr.
John J. Dowling, Commis­sioner
of the Nassau County
Department ot Health.
With the cooperation of
both victims and lifguards,
livmg specimens have been
acquired and identified by
the Department's marine
biologist. Dr. Anita R.
Freudenthal.
A VA" to 1" long isopod,
Idotea baltica, similar to a
sow bug, is the organism
responsible for dozens of
complaints affecting
"hundreds of worried bath­ers.
They told of "leeches",
"bugs", or "worms" clinging
and biting, often one to a
Bus Roadeo Winner
Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority
mechanic Franklin Noe of Bethpage (left) is con­gratulated
by MSBA General Manager L.A.
Kimball (right) for finishing second in MSBA's
1987 Bus Rodeo, a competitive event held to
promote safe driving and proficient maintenance
diagnostic skills.
dozen inside bathing suits
and on exposed parts of the
body. The flattened body of
the organism ranges from a
pale background to dark
green with dark brown
polka dots. There are tiny
jaws which may produce a
nipping feeling, and small
claws on their ajppendages
for clinging onto a floating
piece of algae or eel grass.
The isopods often occur in
"swarms" and may acciden­tally
get their claws caught
in the weave of a bathing suit
or to the hairs on a person.
There is no toxin or poison
and no need to destroy the
creature. They are impor­tant
links in the food chain
in the marine environment
and will be eaten by larger
organisms, such as fish.
These animals normally
occur in our waters, but this
appears to be a time of
exceptional abundance.
A mild itchy rash, which
some victims claims accom­panies
the presence of the
isopods, may be caused not
by the isopods, but by the
1" to 2" plant-like fronds of
another commoi marine
animals. Hydroids, related
to jellyfish, do not swim free
in the water, but live att­ached
to the long leaves of
eel grass. A person swim­ming
through a floating
mass of eel grass may cause
the sensitive stinging cells on
the hydroid tentacles to
trigger, injecting a toxin into
the point of contact.
Another marine orga­nism,
not usually found in
our waters, has been sighted,
but only at some ocean
beaches from Westhampton
Beach, Mastic Beach and
Fire Island, to Atlantic
Beach. The purple-blue Por­tuguese
man-of-war jelly­fish,
Pysalia physalis, has
the potential to be quite
dangerous, especially to
people with an allergic
history.
Becausethegas-filled 8" to
10" long "sail" causes this
sea creature to float upon
the ocean surface, it is. easy
losee. However, it is not so
easy to avoid, because the
tentacles, which can posses
'/2 to 1 milUon microscopic
stinging cells, often trail 20'
to 100' behind and below the
body. Accidental contact
will cause the potent toxin to
be injected into the victim
causing a burning, stinging,
red, painful, itchy rash.
Recovery is usually within
hours or days. Allergic indi­viduals
are cautioned to
check with their physician
because they may also expe­rience
a whole range of other
more severe symptoms
including chills, fever, vom­iting,
headaches, faintness
and malaise, but collapse
and death are reported to be
relatively rare.
it is important when stung
to leave the water imme­diately
and neutralize tj;je
toxin by flushing w;ith alco­hol
Never use freshwater
until after the toxin has been
neutralized, as this will
(Continued on Page 8)
An honorary Reception was held for 200 Direc­tors
and Presidents of Senior Citizen Clubs
throughout Nassau County at the N.C. Museum
of Fine Arts in Roslyn. Certificates of Merit were
presented to the Directors and Presidents for their
outstanding community service. Among those in
attendance were: Commissioner Adelaide Attard,
N.C. Department of Senior Citizen Affairs; Betty
Budd, Director of the Bethpage Senior Citizens;
and John Corso, President of the Bethpage
Senior Citizens.
Nassau County Executive Thomas S. Gulotta
attended the Dedication of the "Sacred Torah
Scroll" to the Manetto Hill Jewish Center in
Plainview. Others in attendance are: Rabbi
Aaron Litchter; Boris M. Chartan of Plainview;
and Rabbi Morris Bernstein of Manetto Hill Jew­ish
Center.