Greg Blass
Greg has spent his life in public service since he enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a teenager. He is a former Suffolk County Family Court judge, six-term Suffolk County legislator and commissioner of Social Services. Now retired, Greg is active in volunteer work and is a board member of several charities. He lives in Jamesport.
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Greg Blass
Why later school-day start times are healthier for kids
Letting children and teens get more morning shut-eye has a host of benefits, as studies link sleep-deprivation to academic issues, ADHD, future substance abuse and other ills.
Greg Blass
When politics trumps common sense
A town hall saga that has all the clumsy intrigue, confused play-acting, crude politics, and shameful pettiness of a cheap novel.
Greg Blass
Consider the avocado: a case study in the value of a second look
This exceptional berry provides a lesson about human nature — how we are so sure to judge something, or some place, or someone, thinking with a smug self-assurance that we know all we need to know in our all-too-often dismissive ways.
Greg Blass
In Suffolk, hidden taxes help fund runaway government spending
Suffolk County government's already fat fees keep climbing — along with county debt — allowing politicians to fund runaway spending and make the (false) claim they're not raising taxes.
Greg Blass
Our pets rule, influencing lifestyle and housing choices across generations
Pet ownership is on the rise, with millennials more likely to have pets than any other demographic — and making pet-centered lifestyle, renting and home-buying choices.
Greg Blass
The real Columbus: There’s hard evidence that the modern recast of the great explorer is a myth
Christopher Columbus has become a controversial figure, with a modern narrative casting him as a greedy, murderous brute. A thought-provoking and compelling reappraisal of Columbus and his legacy shows that there's plenty of hard evidence to the contrary.
Greg Blass
Riverhead could see valuable benefits as regional solar energy center — but only if the town plays smart
Riverhead Town should reap big benefits from being the Long Island 'capital' of solar power production — the way other communities have — but it will happen only if the town plays its cards right.
Greg Blass
Why we should read to our kids
The more we learn about what's best for our kids, the more we see how reading to them is at the top of the list.
Greg Blass
How shellfish farming expansion in Suffolk’s waters hit the rocks
If Suffolk County and the private sector can get their act together, however, the farming of shellfish in our bay waters could add big cash to our local economy and strengthen the ecosystem as well.
Greg Blass
L.I. needs tough water consumption limits, a regional conservation plan and access to the Pine Barrens aquifer
Long Island urgently needs to get serious about water conservation, with tough regulations limiting consumption and a regional plan to tap into the water resources of the Pine Barrens. Column by Greg Blass
