FILE PHOTO | The state capitol in Albany.

State lawmakers have a big challenge ahead of them. And politically, it may not be pretty, because it will involve taking on the same unions that often help them get elected. The unions have the money, power and influence to destroy political leaders. And the pols really don’t want to mess with them. But this time they’re going to have to.

And all to fix a mess of Albany’s own making.

State senators and assemblymen were all smiles last year on the day New York State enacted a 2 percent year-to-year tax levy cap, proclaiming that New York’s historically high property taxes would finally be held in check thanks to this landmark legislation.

That was the easy thing to do and, as is often true of taking the path of least resistance, it just led to bigger headaches down the road. The harder thing to do, had lawmakers truly wanted to curb government spending, would have been to get public school teacher and administrator salaries, as well as the massive, five- and six-figure payouts many of them receive upon retiring, back into the realm of what’s normal for middle-income earners. Something is out of whack when the salaries of police and teachers set the income standard in middle-class neighborhoods.

Indeed, compensation packages for all government workers in New York State — sick day accumulations and payouts, incentive packages, medical benefits, overtime gimmicks, step and salary increases — should all be re-examined — if not for current employees, which could lead to lawsuits that might overturn the efforts, then for new hires. At least then there will be some light at the end of the tunnel.

Lawmakers should never even have considered passing this 2 percent tax increase cap without an accompanying public worker compensation overhaul. The legislation is fundamentally flawed, because when teacher salaries and health and other benefits rise yearly at a rate several times greater than 2 percent, that means districts without hefty reserves have one true option to stay under the cap: lay off faculty members. Every single year. Where does it end? Over the years our school districts will be forced to operate using only state aid and the tiniest amount of local taxpayer money.

It’s clear a fix is needed. Our representatives in Albany had better roll up their sleeves and address the unintended consequences while there’s still a chance to do so.

• Police said Anthony Secaida, 19, of Cutchogue was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle after he was stopped for a traffic violation at 7 p.m. Friday at the corner of Route 48 and Ackerly Pond Road in Southold. Police said Mr. Secaida had five Ziploc bags of marijuana in his car and was driving with a suspended license.

• Colin Vinski, 22, of Southold was charged with driving while intoxicated, speeding and driving with an obstructed view after he was stopped for traffic violations while driving west on Route 48 just before 10 p.m. Feb. 4. He was taken to headquarters and held for a morning arraignment, according to reports.

• Brian Shelby, 45, of Southold was arrested at 11:26 a.m. Feb. 5 on Front Street in Greenport on a warrant for driving with a suspended registration, Southold Town Police reported.

• The windshield and driver’s side window of a delivery truck parked in the Greenport School parking lot were found broken just after 5 p.m. Jan. 29. Police said they had likely been broken with a piece of blacktop from the parking lot, which was found in the truck’s cab.

• A resident of Main Bayview Road, Southold, reported Feb. 5 that between Jan. 23 and Jan. 27, someone stole a five-foot-long metal bench from his yard.

Those who are named in police reports have not been convicted of any crime or violation. The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | Workman Tommy Bernheart makes repairs to the Commander at the Greenport Yacht and Shipbuilding Company on Monday.

What port could offer the all-but-vanished skills and facilities to care for a 95-year-old wooden boat that was pressed into military service in World War I but still regularly motors up and down the Hudson River?

Greenport, of course.

The odd-looking vessel sitting on a cradle above the marine railway at Greenport Yacht & Shipbuilding is called Commander. Built as a ferry in North Carolina in 1917, it now carries warm-weather sightseers out of West Haverstraw, N.Y. She’s a seasonal visitor, arriving with the cold.

“The age she is and being all wood, we have to be very vigilant,” said owner Kathi Krom of Hudson Highlands Cruises and Tours. When cruising season ends, Commander steams out to Greenport to be hauled out for a Coast Guard inspection, have any rotten wood replaced and receive a fresh coat of bottom paint.

“We’re not the oldest boat out there, but she is the oldest commissioned naval boat out there still sailing,” said Ms. Krom.

Commander’s initial service as a ferry between Rockaway and Brooklyn proved short-lived. The Navy leased the boat in January 1918, bringing it to the Brooklyn Naval Yard, where it outfitted submarine chasers and the barrage balloons protecting the Rockaway Air Station.

It was returned to its owners in 1919 and for the next six decades sailed as an excursion boat for the Rockaway Boat Line. Ms. Krom purchased it in 1982.

Built of yellow oak and pine, Commander weighs 70 tons, making it too heavy to be hauled out by straps, the method used in most marinas and shipyards. Ms. Krom said Greenport Yacht is one of only two yards in the region capable of bringing the vessel ashore.

The other is in Brooklyn.

“It’s not a museum piece,” she said. “She’s a basic boat; one engine, a single screw. Steering is by chain.”

At 60 feet long and 32 feet wide, “it’s almost like a saucer going down the river,” said Ms. Krom. “You really have to know your business.”

Commander is listed on both the New York and National Register of Historic Places.

“Some days I think I’m crazy,” Ms. Krom added. “It’s definitely a labor of love, but I’d like to see her make it to 100.”

tkelly@timesreview.com

BETH YOUNG PHOTO | Assmeblyman Dan Losquadro was joined at Southold Town Hall Wednesday by a host of North Fork officials opposed to East End redistricting.

Times/Review is live this morning from the State Assembly redistricting hearing at the William H. Rogers Legislative Building of the Suffolk County Legislature in Hauppauge. Follow along on our live blog below:

JOHN GRIFFIN FILE PHOTO | Marc Alessi is one of four former Assembly members we reached out to this week for their thoughts on the current redistricting plan.

Four former members of the state Assembly who at one time represented the North Fork have added their voices to those opposing a redistricting proposal that would — once again — unite the North and South forks into a single seat.

Assemblyman Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor) would become Southold and Shelter Island’s new representative if a redistricting proposal released Jan. 26 by a state legislative committee takes effect. Riverhead would be part of the new 2nd Assembly District and incumbent Republican Dan Losquadro would be the incumbent.

The once-a-decade redistricting, which is to be in place by this November’s election, would change the boundaries of the 1st and 2nd Assembly Districts. The new district boundaries were suggested by the state Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment.

The last time the five East End Towns (Southold, Shelter Island, Riverhead, Southampton and East Hampton) were represented in the same district was when John Behan, a Montauk Republican, was in office.

Mr. Behan won an Assembly seat in 1979. About three years later, the North and South forks were split into separate districts. At that time, Southold native Joseph Sawicki was elected to the newly created 1st District seat to represent the North Fork.

Mr. Behan continued to serve the South Fork as 2nd District representative. Mr. Thiele, who worked for Mr. Behan at that time, took over his Assembly seat in 1995.

In an interview this week, Mr. Behan said the only positive aspect of the redistricting plan is that Long Island would gain another seat in the Assembly. But overall, he’s against lumping the two forks together. Before his district was split, he said, some of his constituents had to take two ferries to visit him at his East Hampton office.

“To me, it’s like going backward to 1979,” he said.

Pat Acampora, the former Republican assemblywoman who represented the 1st District from 1993 until 2005, agrees that combining the two forks is “a bad idea.” Removing Riverhead from the East End district, she added, is “insulting.”

“We have a lot of older seniors and they are usually the ones that are coming to talk to you,” she said. “Why would we make our constituents cross two bodies of water to visit their representative?”

Marc Alessi, a Democrat who represented the 1st Assembly District from 2005 until he lost his seat to Mr. Losquadro in the 2010 election, said he also disagreed with splitting Riverhead Town from the East End.

“The North Fork is one community and Riverhead Town is a part of it,” he said. “Having two representatives for one community can get confusing.”

Mr. Sawicki, a Republican who represented the North Fork for 11 years before leaving the state Assembly in 1993, said he also disagreed with separating Riverhead Town from Southold Town and lumping it together with its western neighbor, Brookhaven Town.

“Taking Riverhead out of the mix is the real sin of this plan,” he said. “They should always be together … You can’t just cut the North Fork in half.”

Ideally, Mr. Sawicki said, he believes the five East End towns should become one district because they have the same concerns about most state matters, including farming, fishing and transportation.

“If we drew an Assembly district as a Peconic County, it would really give the East End its identity,” he said.

The redistricting process occurs every 10 years to coincide with updated population data. Based on figures from the 2010 census, each Assembly district should include about 129,089 residents. Mr. Thiele’s district is currently 13,744 residents over the average.

The new district would have a population of 128,929 residents, 160 fewer than the average.

Until they were split in 1982, the two forks had been in the same district for over 200 years.

A public hearing on the proposed redistricting will be held Thursday, Feb. 9, at 11 a.m. in the auditorium of Suffolk’s William H. Rogers Legislature Building in Hauppauge.

The state Legislature votes on the final district lines, which then go to the governor for approval.

jennifer@timesreview.com

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO |

North Fork Potato Chips won a federal grant last week and is now planning to expand its marketing reach, company officials said Thursday.

Carol Sidor, who owns the 170-acre Sidor Farm in Mattituck with her husband, Martin, said she’s “very pleased and excited” about winning a $49,990 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and hopes the additional funding will help her family business increase its sales.

“Getting the big contracts is a hard job,” Ms. Sidor said. “I’m sure this will be a big help. We wouldn’t be able to do it otherwise.”

Candice Celestin, spokeswoman for USDA Rural Development, said the Value-Added Producer Grant Program is designed to help companies expand their businesses to a wider audience.

Out of the 298 companies that won nationwide, 21 are based in New York. The state received about $1.9 million from the grant program, she said.

Ms. Sidor said the federal funding will go toward updating North Fork Potato Chips’ website and brochures. The company has also started working with Northport-based marketing firm Slightly Mad Communications to help boost sales.

One of the consultant’s suggestions that Ms. Sidor said she’s looking into is sending samples to hotels located throughout the state in order to secure new contracts.

Now that North Fork Potato Chips has received additional funding for marketing, Ms. Sidor said she believes it will also help her company achieve its long-term goal: purchasing a chip plant.

The chip plant would have an educational component for children to learn about how potato chips are made, as well as the history of the Long Island potato, she said.

“We’ll now be able to market without a worry,” Ms. Sidor said. “In the meantime, it allows us to expand into something that, perhaps, we don’t even know about yet.”

jennifer@timesreview.com

FIRST SETTLERS 62, CRUSADERS 22

Southold coach Amanda Barrilo could not have gotten a better send-off from her girls basketball team on Thursday.

In Barrilo’s final game as coach, the First Settlers recorded a 62-22 victory over visiting Smithtown Christian, clinching sole possession of first place in Suffolk County League VIII. It is the team’s first league title since 2005. Barrilo is leaving for a teaching job in North Carolina. Southold’s junior varsity coach, Katie Hennes, will take over the varsity reins.

The First Settlers (12-5, 11-0) grabbed a 15-2 lead after the first quarter as they forced Smithtown Christian (3-8, 2-8) into 15 turnovers in that period. Senior guard Lauren Ficurilli scored 6 of her game-high 16 points in the quarter. Nicole Busso added 12 points and Melissa Rogers and Abby Scharadin each contributed 11.

Southold will host Pierson in its regular-season finale on Tuesday.

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | An osprey delivers a twig to build up its nest at Cedar Beach in Southold on Tuesday morning.

A local environmental group is organizing a volunteer project to help the osprey population by installing new poles and repairing some existing ones before nesting season begins next month.

Kate Fullam of the Southold-based Group for the East End, the lead group organizing the nesting platform project, said most poles on the North Fork were put up by individuals, but few have been maintained. Her group’s goal is to repair or install a pole in each of the five East End towns.

“We’re in the process of developing a long-term monitoring program to evaluate existing poles and to figure out where new poles are needed,” she said. “Right now, we’re looking for volunteers with strong backs.”

Many poles are made from 25-foot black locust trees and placed in marshes, where the soft ground and high winds are common causes of poles leaning and becoming unstable.

Since the spring nesting season begins in mid-March, pole repairs are usually scheduled in February.

“If a pole is leaning, a nest could be at risk and fall off,” Ms. Fullam said. “We will usually dig out one side, push the pole back up straight and refill the hole for support.”

In addition to repairing nesting sites, Ms. Fullam said her group plans to install new poles. So far, one is planned to go up in Aquebogue near Reeves Creek and another is needed by Scallop Pond in Southampton.

Eastern Long Island, according to the Group for the East End, had been home to the world’s largest population of ospreys, often called fish hawks. But in the 1960s, DDT in pesticides made shells of osprey eggs thin and brittle, and numbers of the large fish-eaters declined sharply throughout the country. After DDT was banned in the early 1970s, the birds have been making a comeback.

For more information about the project or to volunteer, call (631) 765-6450, extension 208.

jennifer@timesreview.com

Southold Town will hold two public meetings later this month to discuss the proposed housing chapter of its new comprehensive plan.

The first meeting will take place Monday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. at the Peconic Community Center on Peconic Lane and the second on Saturday, March 3, at 10 a.m. at the Human Resource Center on Pacific Street in Mattituck.

The chapter addresses the shift in real estate trends in Southold toward the second-homeowner market and the need for housing for seniors and working people.

According to the report, “Median household income for the Town of Southold was $66,464 in 2009. By mortgage bankers’ rules of thumb, someone with an income of that amount could afford to pay no more than $200,000 for a home (or carry a mortgage no greater than that amount). So half the population of Southold — households earning less than the median $66,464 — would fall under that $200,000 ceiling, when in fact today’s median home value for the town is more than twice that ($440,000), and very few homes on the market sell for less than $300,000.”

One recommendation for addressing the housing crisis is the “adaptive reuse” of existing housing by encouraging accessory apartments and conversions of existing outbuildings. It also recommends using Community Development Block Grant funds to provide grants and loans to create accessory apartments and multi-family housing.

The chapter recommends establishing areas known as NORCs, or naturally occurring retirement communities. These are residential areas where large numbers of seniors already live that will become eligible for grants to provide social services nearby so those seniors can age in place.

The plan also recommends using funds raised when developers in inclusionary zoning areas decide to pay into an affordable housing fund, rather than build affordable housing as part of their development, and partnering with Habitat for Humanity to improve substandard housing and build new homes for households on the town’s affordable housing registry.

The plan also calls for educating existing homeowners having trouble meeting their mortgages about programs designed to help keep them in their homes.

The full text of the chapter is available online.

byoung@timesreview.com

GIANNA VOLPE PHOTO | Assemblyman Dan Losquadro (R-Shoreham) speaks against the proposed redistricting maps of the 1st and 2nd districts of Long Island at today's public hearing held in Hauppauge by The New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportion

Shelter Island’s first-term Assemblyman Dan Losquadro (R-Riverhead) on Thursday spoke against a state redistricting proposal that would shift his district to extend from Riverhead to the west and remove both Southold and Shelter Island from his constituency.

Shelter Island, Southold and the South Fork towns of Southampton and East Hampton would become a new First Assembly District, absorbing the current Second District that currently covers the South Fork and is represented by Fred W. Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor).

Speaking at a hearing on the redistricting plan, which was developed by a bi-partisan legislative panel to redistribute districts statewide to address population growth reported in the 2010 U.S. Census, Mr. Losquadro said Riverhead should not be cut off from the North Fork and the South Fork should not be lumped into the same district.

He said he worried that Southold residents would have to take two ferries or drive more than an hour around the forks to see their assemblyman. The redistricting plan “diminishes the voices of the Town of Southold,” he said.

Common Cause, a non-profit, non-partisan citizen-advocacy group, charged that some of the proposed new Assembly districts on Long Island had been gerrymandered in what its spokesperson called “a game of follow the Democratic voters.”

Common Cause presented an alternative redistricting plan. Among its features is a separate assembly district that would keep Riverhead, Shelter Island and the North Fork together and not include the South Fork.

JENNIFER GUSTAVSON PHOTO | New York State’s Secretary of State Cesar Perales presenting Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed state budget Thursday afternoon at the Suffolk County Community College’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Center in Riverhead.

Governor Andrew Cuomo plans to piggyback on last year’s success in closing a $10 billion budget deficit while holding the line on taxes by reducing estimated spending increases to state agencies and local municipalities, state officials said on Thursday.

New York Secretary of State Cesar Perales presented Mr. Cuomo’s proposed budget Thursday afternoon at the Suffolk County Community College Culinary Arts Center in Riverhead. The proposed $132.5 billion spending plan, called the “New NY Transformation Plan,” includes plans to close a $2 billion state budget deficit.

Mr. Perales said this will be accomplished by eliminating “automatic inflators,” spending increases the state has granted to state agencies and local municipalities over the past few years.

While state agencies have been receiving a 13 percent increase in spending, Mr. Perales said their budget will remain flat this year in order to create a savings of $1.3 billion. In addition, the usual 3.9 percent spending increase given to localities will be reduced to 2.6 percent next year. The two moves will combine to close the $2 billion budget gap, Mr. Perales said.

“We can’t spend any more money,” he said. “We have to learn to live within our budget.”

But, in some cases, the governor is proposing to spend more money in certain areas this year in order to help improve the state’s economy.

One piece to Mr. Cuomo’s spending plan is to invest $723 million on infrastructure projects. The state will be eligible for a $1.7 billion matching grant from the federal government and Mr. Cuomo also anticipates the state could receive $3 billion from private investors. Some of the infrastructure projects include improving over 100 bridges and 2,000 miles of roads.

“When we do this, we are creating jobs,” Mr. Perales said. “Think about when people in the construction business have more money in their pocket and spend it in our economy.”

A new tax revenue generating project the governor is proposing is the construction of a convention center and gambling casino at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. While the state won’t fund the project, Mr. Cuomo is looking to secure $2 billion from private investors to build it. Since casino gambling is currently illegal in the state, Mr. Cuomo is also drafting legislation that would allow the state to control and manage casino gambling.

“Right now, people are gambling everywhere and we don’t get very much money from it,” Mr. Perales said. “This will generate tax revenue for the people of our state.”

Another element in the proposed spending plan includes helping local municipalities deal with rising Medicaid costs.

“We want to limit the growth so local governments won’t have to pay any more money than they do now,” he said. “The governor has proposed taking up all of the increase in Medicaid, so, if local government is paying $10 million, then they know it’s going to stay at $10 million every year and the state will pick up the increase.”

Mr. Cuomo also plans to revamp the state pension system by establishing a new and “less generous” pension package called Tier VI, which would only affect new state employees.

This pension system, which resembles 401k retirement plans, involves workers contributing to their pensions and the government matching them.

In addition to restructuring the state pension system, Mr. Perales said the governor plans to reorganize the way state aid is given to schools.

“We are number one in spending per student in the country,” he said. “We’re 38th in the graduation rate … It’s not just money that determines if we’re going to have an effective school system.”

In order for the state to receive a $700 million federal “Race to the Top” grant it won in 2010, a teacher evaluation program must be implemented. Mr. Perales said if there is no evaluation system fully implement by school districts before Jan. 17, 2013, then the state won’t give those school districts aid.

First District Assemblyman Dan Losquadro, who attended the budget presentation, said he believes the governor has done a good job in crafting a spending plan that’s fair in tough fiscal times. Mr. Losquadro said he appreciated the budget planning process, which he said involved the legislative and executive branches of state government working together.

“Having been in Albany for just over a year now, I know first hand how much we’ve been able to accomplish as a Legislative body in partner with the governor,” he said. “This administration has truly accepted the reality of the economic situation the state faces. That is not an easy thing to do and these aren’t easy choices to make.”

jennifer@timesreview.com

The Town Board will hold two public hearings Tuesday night on code changes aimed at cleaning up eyesore properties.

Beginning at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14, the board will take comment on shortening the time applicants have to complete projects with approved site plans from three years to 18 months. After 18 months, applicants would need to return to the Planning Board to request an extension.

The suggested code changes include granting the Planning Board greater authority to request performance bonds from developers as insurance that projects will be completed, particularly in instances where the use of a property is being intensified or when a commercial project abuts residential land.

The changes come in response to building projects that received full town approvals but were never started or stopped midway through. They include the long-languishing, partially built Hudson City Savings Bank branch on Route 25 in Mattituck and the never pursued enclosed storage area for trucks at Satur Farms in Cutchogue, where neighbors say vehicles now idle all night long near their homes.

Town planners, who reviewed the code language during the Feb. 6 Planning Board meeting, said they favor the changes.

The town is also looking to prevent applicants from cutting down trees on their properties while their projects are under review.

The most recent case involves the owners of a site on New Suffolk Road in Cutchogue who have yet to receive permission to convert a garage into offices for a cleaning business but recently removed the large trees along the roadway.

“It makes it very clear: Don’t touch the trees,” said planning director Heather Lanza.

The second public hearing concerns allowing the town to cite property owners for not maintaining their lawns, hedges and bushes; for keeping unregistered vehicles in open view on their property; for keeping garbage outdoors without putting it in garbage cans; for not cleaning up graffiti; and for having stagnant water or open wells, cesspools or cisterns.

The changes would allow the town to perform the necessary maintenance if the property owner refuses to comply. The town would then charge the cost as a lien on the property tax bill.

People who violate the new section of the code could also be fined up to $2,500, in addition to a fine of up to $5,000 for neglecting to comply with an order to clean up their property, a provision already in the code.

Property owners would be given 10 days to comply with cleanup orders.

The Town Board proposed the changes to the property maintenance code last month, after hearing extensive complaints from neighbors of bank-owned properties throughout town who had difficulty getting the banks’ maintenance companies to keep the properties from deteriorating.

byoung@timesreview.com

NEWS-REVIEW FILE PHOTO | Kent Animal Shelter is running a spay promotion this month.

Kent Animal Shelter is trying to “Beat the Heat” this spring with a new special rate for spaying cats as a way to reduce the number of homeless cats, the shelter announced.

All through February, cats can be spayed at the shelter’s clinic for $20. The program, sponsored by animal non-profit group PetSmart Charities, hopes to spay 240 animals before the peak of “kitten season,” when shelters see more kittens than usual due to cats going into heat.

“Many people don’t know that female cats can have as many as three litters a year, and kittens can breed as young as four months old,” said Pamela Green, Executive Director of Kent Animal Shelter. “It’s our goal to bring female cats in before they go into heat and become pregnant.”

The shelter said spaying and neutering is one of the most effective ways to reduce the homeless pet population, and is medically beneficial for kittens as young as eight to 10 weeks old, reducing the risk of reproductive cancers and infections.

The special rate is available to all residents of Long Island. Pet owners must mention the “Beat the Heat” promotion when they schedule their appointment. The promotion is based on availability.

Visit Kent’s website or call the shelter’s clinic at (631) 727-7797 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

psquire@timesreview.com

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | David Liebman and Lewis Porter perform at Raphael Vineyard in Peconic during a previous Long Island Winterfest event.

The weekend we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. The first performances in the 2012 Winterfest Jazz on the Vine concert series will be held this Saturday and Sunday at participating wineries and Hotel Indigo East End in Riverhead.

Performances include Papo Vazquez Pirates Troubadour at Peconic Bay Winery, Stephane Wrembel at Bedell Cellars, and the David Amram Quartet at Castello di Borghese. See a complete calendar of performances here.

There are 71 concerts set for this year, the most concerts in the series’ 5-year history.

Some 6,000 people flocked to the East End for last year’s concerts, and Winterfest organizers expect that number to grow this year. Tickets to all Winterfest concerts are $15 and include a glass of wine.

Pay attention to the backs of your tickets, where you’ll find a raffle stub for a chance to win a free night at an East End hotel with a gift basket of Long Island wines.

EVENTS

FRIDAY

Shinn Estate Vineyards, Mattituck. Palm readings with Joan Bernhardt in the tasting room, 5-8 p.m. $20; $5 for a glass of wine.

Peconic Bay Winery, Cutchogue. Game Night. Play games with your friends and get 2-for-1 glasses of wine.

Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center, Riverhead. ChocoVino. A chocolate and wine pairing five-course dinner. $150 per couple. Call aquarium to reserve. $250 per couple including overnight stay accomodations at Hyatt Place East End.

SATURDAY

Martha Clara Vineyards, Riverhead. Long Island Comedy Festival featuring host Paul Anthony, George Rini from the New York City comedy scene and Frankie Pace of HBO and SNL. $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Tickets available at marthaclaravineyards.com.

Comtesse Therese Bistro, Aquebogue. Red wine and dark chocolate pairing, 2-3 p.m. $40 per person. RSVP.

Diliberto Winery, Jamesport. Instructional Wine Class, every Saturday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with tastings and Neapolitan-style pizza lunch. $45 per person, RSVP.

Duckwalk Vineyards, Southold. Celebrate Valentine’s, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Complimentary fine chocolates with tasting or wine purchase.

Sherwood House Vineyards, Jamesport. Valentine’s ‘Fond of You’ Fondue Party. Chocolate fondue and 2004 Merlot for two. $30 per couple. 1-3 p.m. RSVP.

SUNDAY

Martha Clara Vineyards, Riverhead. Vines and Canines Vineyard Walk, Valentine’s Day Theme. Bring your dog down for a walk through the vineyards with winemaker Juan Micieli-Martinez and his dog, Satchmo. Donations of non-perishable dog and cat foods and lightly-used pet supplies will be accepted.

Martha Clara Vineyards, Riverhead. Wine Education Series: Wine and Chocolate with Chip n’ Dipped. Three 45-minute sessions starting at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. $25, $20 for wine club members. Tickets available at marthaclaravineyards.com.

Diliberto Winery, Jamesport. ‘Sunday Dinner with Grandma,’ every Sunday except Feb. 19, 1-3 p.m. The art of preparing a three-course Italian dinner with food demonstration and wine pairing. $29 per person. RSVP.

Laurel Lake Vineyards, Laurel. Wine and chocolate pairing class, 1-2 p.m. $30 per person. RSVP.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

Clovis Point, Valentine’s chocolate and wine pairings, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. $20 for flight and chocolates, $10 for wine club members.

FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

Peconic Bay Winery, Cutchogue. ‘Free Tasting February.’ Sample give selected Nautique and estate-grown wines at no charge between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily during February (except during special events).

Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard, Peconic. Wine and international chocolate tastings. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in February from 12-5 p.m. $15.

LIVE MUSIC

FRIDAY

Castello di Borghese, Cutchogue. 6-9 p.m. Cabaret and wine with Marguerite Volonts.

Jamesport Vineyards, Fireside Fridays, 5:30-9 p.m., Main Rd., Jamesport.

Wölffer Estate Vineyard, 5-8 p.m., Candlelight Fridays, Sagg Rd., Sagaponack.

Bedell Cellars, 1-5 p.m., Main Rd., Cutchogue.

Sherwood House Vineyards, 4-8 p.m. Live music with Paul Helbig. Main Road, Jamesport.

SATURDAY

Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards, Live music with the East End Trio. Valentine’s gift dessert and jewelry booths. 1:30-5:30 p.m., Main Rd., Peconic.

Palmer Vineyards, Live music with Todd ‘The Guitarman’ Grossman with flight tastings, new releases, chocolate truffles and New York cheese. 1-4 p.m., Main Road, Riverhead.

Martha Clara Vineyards, Live music with Mudpuppy, 2-5 p.m., Sound Ave., Riverhead.

Paumanok Vineyards, Live music: flute and guitar by Serenade Duo. 2-5 p.m., Main Rd., Aquebogue.

Sherwood House Vineyards, Live music with JONNI, 2-6 p.m. Main Rd., Jamesport.

Pindar Vineyards, Live music with Tommy Sullivan, 1-5 p.m. Main Rd., Peconic.

Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard, Live music with Shotgun, 2-6 p.m. Sound Ave., Baiting Hollow.

Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard, Live music with Bob Blatchley, 1-5 p.m. Peconic Ln., Peconic.

SUNDAY

Clovis Point, Jamesport. 1:30-4:30 p.m., Main Rd., Jamesport.

Peconic Bay Winery, Live music with Gene Casey, 1-5 p.m. Main Rd., Cutchogue.

Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard, Live music with Denice Given and Conrad Taylor, 2-6 p.m. Sound Ave., Baiting Hollow.

Martha Clara Vineyards, 2-5 p.m. Live music with Keith Maguire. Sound Ave., Riverhead.

Bedell Cellars, 2-5 p.m. Live music with King Scallop Ensemble (Jazz on the Half Shell).

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

Sherwood House Vineyards, 2-6 p.m., Fireside Fridays and glass specials, Main Rd., Jamesport.

Jamesport Vineyards, 1-5 p.m., Main Rd., Jamesport

Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard, 1-5 p.m., Peconic Lane, Peconic.

Martha Clara Vineyards, 2-5 p.m., Sound Ave., Riverhead.

Peconic Bay Winery, 1-5 p.m., Main Rd., Cutchogue.

Pugliese Vineyards, 2-6 p.m., Main Rd., Cutchogue.

WINEMAKERS WALKS

Sunday

Castello di Borghese, Winemaker’s Walk, 1 p.m. Guided tour of the winery and production facility and tasting, $20. Route 48, Cutchogue. Reservations, 734-5111,castellodiborghese.com.

Shinn Estate Vineyards, Vineyard Walk, 1:30 p.m., Barbara Shinn explains the vines’ growing cycle and the organic and biodynamic farming methods used to grow Shinn Estate wine. $12.50 includes wine tasting. Oregon Rd., Mattituck. Reservations 804-0367, shinnestatevineyards.com.

Saturday and Sunday

Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard, VIP Vine to Wine Tour: Tour of winery, mini viticulture and winemaking lesson and wine tasting. 1 p.m., $20. Peconic Ln., Peconic. Reservations, (631) 734-8282.

Wineries: If you’d like us to include your event, please e-mail Samantha Brix at sbrix@timesreview.com.

GARRET MEADE PHOTO | Mattituck's Shannon Dwyer, shooting while Wyandanch's Symphony Paschall tries to obstruct her view, scored a game-high 21 points as the Tuckers secured their fifth playoff berth in seven years.

TUCKERS 56, WARRIORS 41

The Mattituck girls basketball team secured its fifth playoff berth in seven years Friday night as Shannon Dwyer scored a game-high 21 points in a 56-41 defeat of Wyandanch.

After making only 2 of 16 free throws in the first half, Mattituck (8-9, 6-5 Suffolk County League VII) expanded its 26-18 halftime cushion in the second half when Dwyer scored 16 of her points. She also gathered 11 rebounds.

Alex Berkoski chipped in 10 points and 6 assists while Lauren Guja grabbed 12 rebounds to go with her 6 points in the Coaches vs. Cancer game at Mattituck High School.

The win came with a cost, though, for the Tuckers when their leading rebounder, Allie Wilcenski, hit the floor 1 minute 42 seconds into the game. After blocking two shots, Wilcenski apparently turned her left ankle, sustaining what Mattituck coach Steve Van Dood believes to be a mild sprain.

Van Dood is hopeful that with rest, Wilcenski will be able to play in Mattituck’s final regular-season game at home on Wednesday against Center Moriches. The Tuckers will have a playoff game on Feb. 18.

Wyandanch (3-14, 3-8) dropped its third straight loss despite 11 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 steals from Lorenza Birt. Jaliela Robinson and Brianna Lampkins added 9 points apiece, all of Lampkins’ points coming on 3-point shots.

bliepa@timesreview.com

BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | River and Roots community garden founders Amy Davidson (left) does some weeding as Laurie Nigro and her daughter Rita, 7, harvest some spinach for a dinner salad as tempertures climbed to the low 60's last week..

Have your plants begun to bud? Is the kale in your vegetable garden already ready to harvest?

This winter’s unusually warm weather has caused plants, fruits and vegetables to bloom and grow faster than normal. Some will be just fine, experts assure. But some might be in danger.

Flower roots that are deep underground will likely be protected from aboveground temperatures, said Tamson Weh, a turf and land management specialist at Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Suffolk County.

“People panic when they see their bulbs are up,” she said. “If we have a cold snap and the tips get nipped and turn a little yellow, not to worry. The bulbs will be just fine.”

Front lawns, however, may take a bit of a beating. Ms. Weh said warmer winters like this one tend to cause dollar spot, a disease that turns tiny pockets of grass a shade of brown. In addition to discoloration, dollar spotting causes front lawns to be blanketed in the mornings with a white layer reminiscent of a spider web.

BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | Rita Nigro, 7, pulled a bunch of carrots out of the garden bed last week.

Caroline Kiang, an extension educator in community horticulture at Cornell, said it’s probably too early to tell how plants will be affected by the season’s higher-than-average temperatures. Horticulturists can better predict how plants will fare when the end of winter nears, she said.

Her concern now, Ms. Kiang said, is for fruit crops. Flowers of fruits like apples and peaches that have already started to blossom could be killed if temperatures take a drastic dip.

“If the temperatures start to drop to normal temperatures for February here, those flowers might get killed and that would influence the yield of the fruit crops,” Ms. Kiang said, adding that vegetables don’t face much of a threat.

Laurie Nigro and Amy Davidson, founders of downtown Riverhead’s River and Roots Community Garden, were picking spinach, kale, posemary, thyme and parsley there last week under a sunny sky on a 62-degree day.

“The spinach should be dead, wilted and frozen,” Ms. Nigro said, kneeling over bountiful beds of the leafy greens. “But I’m going to pick some and bring it home tonight.”

Plants, fruits and vegetables alike could face challenges posed by the increased presence of pests who otherwise would be killed in the dead of winter. Pests likely to be most rampant are aphids, ticks and squash vine borers, she said, letting out a groan.

“Squash vine borers are the worst,” she said. “You think your plant’s growing and it’s fine and beautiful, and then, all of a sudden, it dies and you don’t know why. Then you see that the bug tore through the vine and killed it.”

To prevent catastrophes in case temperatures nosedive, Ms. Weh suggests residents give their gardens a quick sprinkle now, so they’ll have moisture. Otherwise, water already in the ground could freeze and be unable to reach plants.

She also said residents should seed bare areas of their lawns and be sure not to drive on the turf when the temperature is below freezing, as it could cause shearing.

Above all else, she said, gardeners shouldn’t adopt a false sense of security amid these sunny, February days. Gardeners shouldn’t, for example, be tempted to pull any protective mulch covers from their gardens. And they should be wary of pruning. Pruning can initiate new growth, which could easily die if it gets cold again.

“Chances are we’ll get another cold spell or two,” Ms. Weh said.

sbrix@timesreview.com

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | Master of Ceremonies and president of the North Fork Chamber of Commerce Andy Binkowski presents the award to Bridgehampton National Bank CEO Kevin O'Connor.

We sat down with Bridgehampton National Bank CEO, Kevin O’Connor, the bank’s chief retail banking officer, James Manseau, and chief lending officer, Kevin Santacroce, last week to talk about the state of the economy, the health of the bank and prospects for this coming year.

Q: 2011 was a good year for BNB. Why is that?

KO: We’re building infrastructure within the organization. There’s been a steady growth in deposits, loans and capital. We’re seeing 20 to 21 percent loan growth, a lot of commercial loans, loans in every category. There’s been a 50 percent increase in commercial real estate loans, 20 to 25 percent in residential, 15 to 20 percent in business financing, a lot of owner-occupied construction.

KS: We try to loan where there’s a lot of equity, where it’s less speculative. There are over 1,000 properties on the South Fork in foreclosure, mostly those spec houses in the $1 million to $5 million range. We’re involved in the Highlands subdivision by Northville Turnpike. We’re seeing a consistent sale of homes there. We’re also financing the Summerwind 48-unit housing complex in downtown Riverhead.

Q: How do the changes in banking regulations since the economic meltdown affect BNB?

KO: The soon-to-be promulgated Dodd/Frank regulations are expensive to deal with. We struggle with that. We have seven people in our compliance division. It’s a very senior area of our corporation.

KS: I would like to see more regulation in the mortgage business.

Q: How would you rate the financial health of the business community?

KO: People here weathered a difficult storm, but they’re better business people for it, and they have less competition than they ever did. I’m looking at peoples’ financial statements and they’re looking better.

KS: There’s more liquidity. People have eliminated inefficiencies. They understand their businesses better than ever. They’ve paid down their debt. Now will they expand? That’s the million dollar question.

JM: Some of the best loan decisions are “no.” People will thank us later for not letting them get in over their heads.

Q: How is the bank looking to expand?

KO: The North Fork’s a big part of what we do. We’re talking about a branch on Shelter Island.

KS: We’re not just going west. We have a brand new facility in East Hampton.

JM: Greenport had our largest growth in 2011. The branch manager, Emily Healy, knows everyone in town.

KO: We’re a product of our customers’ success.

KS: At bigger banks, there’s a disconnect with the decision makers. Comparing us to, say, HSBC, is like comparing your local hardware store to Home Depot.

byoung@timesreview.com

MICHAEL WHITE PHOTO | A string of arborvitae edged with wet snow Saturday.

The North Fork never looks prettier than when it’s covered in snow — even if less than an inch falls.

The Suffolk Times is asking readers to send us their snow pics. And quickly, before it’s too late. The National Weather Service is predicting the light, wet snowfall that’s persisted since early Saturday will taper off between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., and will be followed by a mix of rain and snow into the evening.

High temperatures are expected to reach 39 degrees.

Weather officials expected total “daytime snow accumulation” to keep to less than an inch.

Send photos to mwhite@timesreview.com

FLORIDA STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS PHOTO | Convicted Greenport killer Robert Waterhouse decided not to listen to testimony today in the court battle over his execution.

A former Greenport man scheduled to be executed in Florida next week lost a bid Wednesday for a stay of his execution and is now appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court, according to a report from The Associated Press.

Robert Waterhouse, 65, is scheduled to receive lethal injection at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Mr. Waterhouse has twice been convicted of murder, including the the February 1966 rape and slaying of Greenport resident Ella May Carter. While on lifetime parole after pleading guilty and serving just eight years in prison for Ms. Carter’s death, Mr. Waterhouse was convicted of killing 29-year-old Deborah Kammerer in St. Petersburg, Fla. in January 1980. He has spent the past three decades on death row, but last month Florida Governor Rick Scott ordered his execution for Feb. 15.

The Tampa Bay Times reported last month that Mr. Waterhouse’s attorney, Robert Norgard, raised two issues at a hearing that he  believed would prevent his client from getting the death penalty.

“One is that a witness has stepped forward with what he said is new information,” The Times wrote. “The other is that evidence in the case was destroyed after Waterhouse’s conviction.”

Similar arguments had been raised by Mr. Waterhouse’s attorneys in the past, also to no avail.

The Times reported Ms. Kammerer had been “raped, violated with a beer bottle and beaten so severely about the head it took police several days to identify her. A used tampon had also been shoved down her throat. Her killer dragged her to the beach alive and left her to drown in the morning surf … Mr. Waterhouse denied committing the murder, but told detectives he had tried to have sex with a woman the same night. He said he became frustrated because she had her menstrual period.”

In the local incident, Ms. Carter, a widow, was found beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled inside her home on Washington Avenue in Greenport. Her body was discovered by her nephew George Hubbard Sr.

Mr. Waterhouse, who was 19 years old at the time, had been living nearby with his aunt and uncle on Wilmarth Avenue.

The convicted killer was scheduled to be executed in 1985, but a judge ordered a stay four days before he was to be put to death, according to the Times. He has spent the past three decades on Death Row in Florida

Check suffolktimes.com Wednesday night for coverage from Florida.

gparpan@timesreview.com

JENNIFER GUSTAVSON PHOTO | A cash mob clasping $20 bills Saturday morning.

As snow lightly dusted downtown Riverhead Saturday morning, about 40 people — clasping $20 bills — gathered to start “mobbing” local stores, looking for Valentine’s Day deals while trying to add a boost to the local economy.

Riverhead’s first Cash Mob event, the brainchild of iloveriverhead.com founder Nancy Swett, was soon under way despite the messy weather.

Driven by social and traditional media, participants met about 11 a.m. in the riverfront parking lot, each carrying $20 or more in cash to spend on Main Street. Customers were free to spend their money however they liked, and were able to get special deals from some businesses.

Riverhead resident Jen Eager said before the event began that she was looking forward to scoring a good deal on home decor items.

“This is great,” Ms. Eager said about the cash mob event. “The snow doesn’t bother me. I love shopping for pretty things to decorate my home with.”

The event is designed to show people the value of downtown businesses, Ms. Swett said. Earlier this week she said she had gotten the idea after a successful cash mob brought about 100 people to Bellport Village recent. Within a week, she had prepared an event was prepared for Riverhead.

“The weather probably hurt, but I think people who couldn’t come downtown will still look to shop here this month for Valentine’s Day,” Ms. Swett said.

Shortly after meeting in the parking lot, the participants eparated into two groups. The group led by Ms. Swett first visited Pieceful Quilting.

Store owner Angie Veeck said that while her business wasn’t offering cash mob deals, mostly because her shop caters to a “niche market,” she said she had looked forward to meeting new customers.

“This is absolutely wonderful,” Ms. Veeck said as about 10 people entered the store. “I was hoping for this.”

Later, the cash mob headed over to the Riverhead Flower Shop, which was offering 10 percent off everything in the shop.

Store owner Peggy Kneski said that although she believed the weather hindered the event, she was still excited to be a participant.

“This is a great way to promote local business,” she said. “I’m definitely looking forward to the next one.”

jennifer@timesreview.com