February 2019 Setalker

HOA Board News and Information

The winter months are quiet at Setauket Meadows so there is little to report. Let's hope for very little snow this season. Stay healthy and stay warm for the remainder of the winter season. 
Social Committee Update
​by Ellen Silverman

Hi, Neighbors!

We can all look forward to the spring, when we will offer a variety of Social Committee Activities for you to enjoy.  Information about events will be sent to you as soon as dates are officially in place.  
Please watch for emails and, of course, your e-Setalker for the most current scoop.
Recipe of The Month 
by Pat Dawson

HAMBURGER SOUP
 
Ingredients:
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 cup fresh green beans, cut into ¼ to ½ inch pieces
  • ½ cup celery, sliced
  • 1 (14 ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 cups low-sodium, fat-free beef broth
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
 
Directions:
  1. In a large soup pot, cook the ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until the beef is browned, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the potatoes, carrots, green beans and celery. Stir and cook for 7-8 minutes until slightly softened.**
  3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, salt and pepper.
  4. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 35-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add more broth if needed.
  5. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serves 6.
**NOTE: you can use frozen green beans, carrots and/or potatoes. Add when broth comes to a boil and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.
Computer Tip of The Month
by Ray Dawson

For Apple device users.
Last month I wrote about how to transfer the data and settings from your old computer to your new computer. Since this has been completed successfully you now have a decision to make. What do I do with my old computer? You have several choices. You can destroy the hard drive, or wipe clean the hard drive. Destroying the hard drive means you will have to disassemble the computer to get at the hard drive, remove it and physically destroy it. 
If you would like to sell or give away or old computer you will want to remove of the data, sign out of all of your accounts, erase your hard drive and reinstall MAC OSX, the operating system. Sounds simple, right?
Rather than writing all of the words to accomplish this task I thought it would be a better idea to let an expert walk you through it via a You Tube video which you can pause and start at your own pace.
Click on the video here

​2/3      Lawrence Kick
2/4      Lee Stein 
2/5      Ann Stein 
2/6      John McFerran 
2/7      Bill Negra 
2/10    Clare Pi 
2/10    Joan  Pompei 
2/10    Emily Lester 
2/14    Doranne Metz
2/14    Lucille Weber
2/20    Barbara Frawley 
2/21    Collette Goralski 
2/22    Frank Silverman 
2/25    Robert Snicklemark
2/26    Pat Hickey 
2/26    Harriet Kirshner
2/27    Christine Muffly
2/27    Joyce Needham
​2/19    Richard & Andrea Kozlowsky 
 
Speaking of Sports
by Joe Polizzi

Spending winter months of January, February and March up north can be challenging. What does a retired happily married couple do? I play indoor sports, be careful don’t let your mind wander too far, like pickleball maybe shoot pool and even participate in some friendly card games. Bowling is another possibility but with ongoing back issues I worry about making a moderate situation worse and then I am always saving myself for golf. Alice frequents our workout room and plays Mah Jong. We travel locally to friendly food and beverage establishments to rate their “Happy Hour”. You know quality and quantity of food and drink. We never overindulge but do it to be social and get out of the house. Actually we are a pretty good resource for information regarding neighborhood eateries. Yet just recently I put in a full day of work. It was Sunday, January 20th. I got up and did my normal Sunday routine. Coffee, breakfast and read the sports sections of Newsday and The Times. This helped prepare me for my workday. At 3:15 I sat in my leather recliner and settled in for the next seven hours of tedious and enjoyable football watching. Wow was it exciting watching young athletes run up and down the field at high speeds with subtle agility to avoid another quick moving player. These guys are good, pinpoint accurate passing, runners with more moves than Exlax and ferocious tackling. Even in my hay day I couldn’t come close to their talent and that’s why they’re getting the big bucks. The first game went to overtime with the Los Angeles Rams winning. This was followed by a short dinner break of meatloaf, potatoes and salad. Alice understands the rigors of my Sunday job and therefore keeps me well nourished. Oh at commercial breaks and halftime I flip over to PGA golf and catch a few shots of the weekly tournament. Phil Michelson was in contention, so I had some honest interest. He lost by one stroke. Back to the second football game for another three and a half hours of athletic splendor. This game also went to overtime and was won by the New England Patriots. Now I am thoroughly exhausted, like I played in each game. I go downstairs, sneak a late snack and join Alice. Although blurry eyed I ask “What’s on TV?”. Politely she tells me what’s on and together we quietly watch “Shark Tank”. In a matter of minutes I’m sound asleep after my hard day at the job but dreaming of enjoying my work day in another two weeks when I watch Super Bowl LIII. That’s 53 years of Super Bowls and I bet many residents have seen everyone. I know I have. What an accomplishment or is it longevity and persistence. This year I pick the Rams to beat the New England Patriots. You see, being a NY Yankee fan no way can I root for a team that comes from the Boston Red Sox area. So February is here, March and springtime are around the corner for everyone to get out and enjoy outdoor activities. As always stay healthy and hitt’em straight...Joe Polizzi

Real Estate News
by Phyllis Colby

As we make our way through the winter season, utility companies want customers to be reminded about common utility scams. According to Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS), a growing number of gas, electricity, water and communications consumers are getting calls and visits from imposters out to steal personal and financial data. 

A common utility con involves a caller posing as a utility billing representative claiming that you have an overdue bill, and in order to avoid an immediate shut-off, you must provide a credit card number or prepaid debit card. 

Sadly, scammers are meeting with great success using this tactic. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the median loss for a utility scam victim is $500. 

Here are a few reminders to keep yourself and your data protected: 
  • All UUAS-affiliated utility employees carry photo identification.
  • Field workers generally wear clothing with the company logo and drive company vehicles. When in doubt, do not allow them in - and if they persist, call 911.
  • UUAS utility representatives never demand instant payment in person or over the phone.
  • Utility representatives from UUAS companies do not require the use of prepaid debit cards (such as Green Dot MoneyPak, MyVanilla or Reloadit).
  • UUAS reps will never request customers meet them at a payment center, such as a department or grocery store, to make a payment.
The Utilities United Against Scams website provides more information on how to protect personal information and avoid becoming a victim of utility scams.
Chuckle of The Month
by Pat Dawson

​HOSPITAL regulations require a wheelchair for patients being discharged.  However, while working as a student nurse, I found one elderly gentleman already dressed and sitting on the bed with a suitcase at his feet, who insisted he didn’t need my help to leave the hospital. After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly let me wheel him to the elevator.  On the way down I asked him if his wife was meeting him.
‘I don’t know’, he said. ‘She’s still upstairs in the bathroom changing out of her hospital gown.’

Glass Recycling
Submitted by Bill and Mary Negra

We recently were told that we no longer need to put glass out on recycling days, but rather place them in the regular trash. If anyone wants to recycle glass there are bins at the Rose Carracappa Center on Route 25A in Mt. Sinai on the north side near intersection of CR 83.
Food stores still accept bottles from brands they carry.