Maximus Health & Fitness is expected to open within the next couple of weeks in the former Woolworth building on East Main Street. Pictured is the 25,000-square-foot main exercise room. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)

On Monday afternoon, Phil Durinick, co-owner of Maximus Health & Fitness on East Main Street, chatted amiably with a woman standing near the gym’s rear entrance as she marveled at the space inside.

She had been walking downtown when she noticed the construction taking place there and wanted to stop in to check it out, she said. In response, Mr. Durinick pointed to the nearby counter where Long Island’s first oxygen bar will soon serve flavored oxygen to the fitness center’s customers. 

Mr. Durinick, who also works in the swimming pool industry, said she wasn’t the first person to ask about Maximus, which is slated to open in about two weeks. And he hopes she isn’t the last.

It’s no wonder the fitness center is drawing so much attention: Woolworth went out of business in 1997, and the long-vacant building that will soon house Maximus Health & Fitness was purchased for about $4 million in 2006 by Apollo Real Estate Advisors, a Manhattan-based investment group. When Apollo’s proposed $500 million revitalization for almost all of downtown later fell apart, Sag Harbor resident Michael Butler purchased the property last year.

The former Woolworth building has been the subject of countless downtown revitalization plans over the years. Everything from a movie theater, to a supermarket, to a culinary school have been floated as possible solutions to the long-vacant building, and all have failed to materialize.

But after decades of inaction, Maximus Health & Fitness is set to finally break that streak.

It took a lot of work, Mr. Durinick said. The building’s interior needed new ceilings, floors, lights, plumbing and electrical work. The metal beams supporting the now-empty second floor were encased with wooden molding to mask their appearance.

“Whatever you see in here is new,” he said. “It’s a neat look.”

The result of seven months of construction is much more than a gym, Mr. Durinick said. The space includes three tanning rooms, a space for aerobic exercise, a sauna in the men’s and women’s locker rooms, a child care area, and an electric fireplace near a warm-up area.

“It gives you a little bit of ambiance,” he said.

Maximus Health & Fitness owners Frank Distefano (from left) and Phil Durinck look on as personal trainer Greg Trent tries out one of the new LifeCycle GX spin bikes. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)

Near the main entrance, the owners have built an all-natural smoothie bar. They’re still waiting on the permits to get it up and running.

There’s even a barbershop next to the spinning room.

The new 25,000-square-foot center is two-and-a-half times larger than the gym’s old space on Route 58 and has 55 treadmills, 30 elliptical machines, three wave machines and dozens of stationary bikes. Workers are moving equipment each day to finish up construction.

“We’re working in here 24/7,” Mr. Durinick said. To emphasize that point, he noted that an employee who had worked through the night was napping in the office.

A Patchogue native, Mr. Durinick has seen what happens when a downtown area turns around.

“I can see it happening here,” he said. “We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t believe it could happen.”

The gym is just the beginning for the old Woolworth building.

“We’re going to be starting the major residential work over the next few months,” said Mr. Butler, the managing partner of the company renovating the site. The building will feature 19 apartment units on the 15,000-square-foot second floor.

The interior of the building has already had new electrical wiring, plumbing, water lines and sprinklers installed.

Work on nearby Goldberg’s Famous Bagels is also expected to be completed by the middle of the month he said, and 3,000 square feet of commercial space is still available for lease. Scaffolding around the outside of the building was taken down this week and laborers will begin decorating the fascia that runs along the front of the building. The fascia itself should be finished in another week or two.

Mr. Butler said workers have taken care to incorporate details from the Woolworth’s building’s history, like using the original metalwork around the front doors.

“This is a historic building, so we’re trying to make it look like it was in the 1950s,” he said.

psquire@timesreview.com

McGann-Mercy graduate Saśa Vann set a school record in the 400-meter dash for Buffalo State. (Credit: Buffalo State Athletics)

Saśa Vann, a former Bishop McGann-Mercy Diocesan High School athlete, claimed a pair of conference titles as Buffalo State rallied to finish second in the eight-team State University of New York Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend in Geneseo. 

Vann sprinted to victory in the 400-meter dash with a winning time of 57.66 seconds. In the preliminaries, she set school and track records and posted the 11th-fastest time in NCAA Division III this season at 56.89 seconds.

Vann also joined Nia Holmes, Tara Murphy and Jazlyn Porter to win the title in the 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:55.17. Vann also placed eighth in the 200-meter dash (26.02).

Vann was to be recognized this week as Buffalo State’s Female First-Year Athlete of the Year.

Vann has done well off the track as well. The sophomore sprinter was one of 21 athletes in the conference selected as a recipient of a SUNY Chancellor’s Scholar-Athlete Award. The award was created in 2003-04 to recognize students who have combined academic excellence and outstanding athletic achievement at SUNY schools. One recipient from each sport who has earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.3 for at least three semesters and is an All-Conference caliber athlete is chosen annually within the SUNYAC. A student-athlete can only win the award once per sport.

Vann, a hospitality and tourism major, has maintained a 3.84 cumulative GPA through her first two years at Buffalo State. In less than two complete seasons with the Bengals’ track and field programs, she has already helped set six school records, and as a freshman, earned second team All-SUNYAC honors as the runner up in the 400-meter dash and the 4×400 relay. This past indoor season, she elevated her stature, winning a pair of SUNYAC championships in the 400 and the 4×400 relay. She also captured her first All-America certificate as a member of the 4×400 relay team that placed fifth at the NCAA Division III Championships.

Police lead Colegedo Mokus (left) and Nigel Ortiz into court Friday morning. (Credit: Cyndi Murray)

Two men facing felony drug charges following an East End Drug Task Force raid in Mattituck remain in custody after failing to post bail following their Friday morning arraignment. 

Southold Town Justice William Price set bail for Colegedo Mokus, 18, of Mattituck, at $1,000 cash and $2,500 cash for co-defendant Nigel Ortiz, 21, of Selden. Both men pleaded not guilty.

The duo were arrested at a Riley Avenue home after Southold Town police and the East End Drug Task Force executed a search warrant shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday, officials said.

The East End Drug Task Force — a multi-jurisdictional investigative unit that includes detectives from several departments and agencies on town, county and state levels — initiated a three month investigation after it received complaints from neighboring residents about drug deals taking place at the home, police said.

More than 8 ounces of marijuana, scales and money were recovered at the scene during the search, officials said.

The Suffolk County Police Emergency Services Unit and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit also assisted during the search, police said.

Both men are charged with third-degree criminal possession of marijuana, a felony, officials said.

Mr. Mokus, a graduate of Greenport High School, was arrested once before on drug possession charges after he was caught with marijuana and a scale during a traffic stop in Peconic last June. However, he was never convicted in that case, his lawyer told Justice Price during the arraignment.

Mr. Ortiz has no criminal record, his lawyer said.

The pair remain behind bars at Southold Town Police Headquarters and are due back in court May 14.

cmurray@timesreview.com

Senior administrative assistant Linda Cooper talks about her 30 years working for the Town of Southold. (Credit: Cyndi Murray)

One of Town Hall’s most familiar faces is hanging up her hat after 30 years working in the Town Clerk’s Office.

On Tuesday, the Town Board accepted the resignation of senior administrative assistant Linda Cooper.

“I wish Linda all the best in her retirement, but Southold Town is losing one of its best, most stellar employees,” Supervisor Scott Russell said after reading the resolution.

The soon-to-be-retired Southold resident first began working for the town in 1984 at the age of 32. A transplant from Cleveland, Ohio, Ms. Copper said it was a “culture shock” when she moved to Orient with her husband, but later grew to love the town.

“When you grow up in a city like Cleveland you have public transportation and stores and when we moved to Orient it was like there was nothing,” she said. “I didn’t have a driver’s license either so it was like ‘how do I leave?’ ”

On Friday we caught up with a cheery Ms. Cooper to find out more about her time as town employee and her feelings on punching out for the last time on June 11.

Q. What is a typical day like in the Town Clerk’s office?

A. “Typical days are never typical. There is always something. We come in and immediately the phone calls start. It is a fast day at our office because it is just busy all the time. Even if you don’t see someone at the counter there is a lot going on. Our most enjoyable time is working with the public. I think one of the things I like best was having a problem be presented and working with people to come up with a solution. Sometimes it is difficult. Sometimes it makes us laugh.”

Q. Are there tips residents should know to make working with the Clerk’s Office easier? A. “One of the things that makes us laugh the most, but also frustrates us the most is when people tell us they don’t need to show their vehicle registration to get a beach permit. Or when they say ‘I went through this process last year.’ I’m sorry, but you have to do it again this year. We want to help, but we have to keep it legal.”

 Q. Do you have a favorite memory about the job?

A. “It was getting to meet people. A woman walked up to me once and said ‘You’re Linda Cooper, right? Do you remember me? I was one of your beach attendants.’ And it was a girl I did remember and then she brought over her two children. That made me feel really old.”

Q. What are your plans for retirement?

A. “Well I retire on a Wednesday so the first thing I’ll do Thursday is wake up without an alarm clock. After that there are no major, major plans. We will eventually move out of the area because we have no family here. Our daughter and her family live in southern Maryland so we’re looking at the Virginia area.

cmurray@timesreview.com

McGann-Mercy catcher Ali Hulse had both of Mercy’s hits Friday against Center Moriches. (Credit: Bill Landon)

RED DEVILS 14, MONARCHS 1 (5 Innings)

When the McGann-Mercy softball team gathered early in the season inside the gym, the field outside still unplayable in early March, coach Frank Baker spoke of the team’s goals for the upcoming season.

“I looked up at the batters and said, ‘Girls, our job is to at least get into the playoffs,’ ” Baker said. 

Two months later, the Monarchs will indeed be a part of the Class B playoffs, which are slated to begin May 20. To get there, the Monarchs needed a miraculous come-from-behind victory over Mattituck Monday. Trailing by five runs going into the bottom of the seventh, the Monarchs exploded for a six-run inning to win a walk-off, 10-9.

The win gave the Monarchs their ninth League V win, clinching at least a .500 record.

Provided the Monarchs’ final two opponents, the win over Mattituck was essential.

On Friday, the league-leading Center Moriches Red Devils — a team with not one, but two stud pitchers — came to Riverhead on Mercy’s Senior Day. Predictably, the Red Devils took care of business with an efficient 14-1 win that ended after five innings from the mercy rule.

The Red Devils improved to 17-2 overall and 16-1 in league.

Still, there were plenty of smiles to go around for the Monarchs. The team’s four seniors — Jackie Zaweski, Natalie Massiah, Katie Nolan and Brittany Folkes — were honored before the game and presented flowers.

The Monarchs scored their lone run in the fourth inning when Folkes hit a fielder’s choice to shortstop, brining home Claire Sullivan from third. Sullivan and Micaela Zebroski led off the inning with walks.

“We played better against them than we did last time,” Baker said.

Center Moriches pitcher Erin Creen earned the win. She gave up two hits, both to leadoff hitter Ali Hulse. Creen struck out six.

Mercy junior Victoria Pace started in the circle for the Monarchs and took the loss.

Alexa Andersen and Tori Fahie both had 3 RBIs apiece for Center Moriches. Erin Copozzi was 3-for-4.

Mercy (9-8) gets right back at it Saturday with a road game at Babylon (13-3) to close out the regular season.

joew@timesreview.com

A failed pickoff attempt eludes Mattituck first baseman Ian Nish with Port Jefferson/Knox’s Vinny Romita on base. (Credit: Garret Meade)

TUCKERS 7, ROYALS 2

The Mattituck High School baseball team’s greatest regular season during coach Steve DeCaro’s 12-year run has ended. Now the Tuckers will take their impressive 18-2 record into the postseason, which they hope will be just as great.

When the playoff brackets are released by Section XI, it is expected that the League VIII champion Tuckers and Center Moriches will be paired against each other in a best-of-three series for the Suffolk County Class B championship. The games will be played on May 19, 21 and, if necessary, 22.

Center Moriches (12-6, 12-5), the League VIII runner-up, is responsible for one of Mattituck’s losses, although the Tuckers (17-1 in league play) took the other two games in their regular-season series with the Red Devils. Smithtown Christian is the only other team to have gained a win at Mattituck’s expense.

The Tuckers capped their regular season in style on Friday, with their sixth straight win, a 7-2 defeat of visiting Port Jefferson/Knox. James Nish drove in one run with a single and two more with a double. His speedy teammate, Joe Tardif, stole three bases in the first three innings to raise his school-record season total to 33; he has been thrown out only once this season.

Marcos Perivolaris raised his season record to 6-0 with a complete-game performance. The right-handed pitcher struck out five, did not allow a walk and hit a batter.

Perivolaris took a four-hit shutout into the seventh inning before Port Jefferson/Knox (7-11, 7-11) produced three hits in four at-bats: a double by Mike Laffy, a run-scoring single by Patrick Hughes and a single by Tyler D’Accordo.

On an overcast, breezy day, the Mattituck-Cutchogue school district’s retiring superintendent, James McKenna, threw out the first pitch — or, rather, he bounced it. Then the Tuckers went to work.

All seven of Mattituck’s hits came in the two innings in which they scored. Four hits in the third — including run-scoring singles by Tardif, Ian Nish and his twin brother James Nish — helped the Tuckers to a 3-0 lead. The following inning the Tuckers tacked on four more runs for a 7-0 lead. Perivolaris and Chris Dwyer both socked singles to bring in runs, and James Nish clubbed a double that was good for two runs.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Deer cull opponents — an unlikely combination of hunters and animal advocates — have called the federally run hunt inhumane and a threat to hunters’ rights. Others say deer are a threat to human life and property. (Credit: file photo)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that thousands of pounds of venison were donated to food pantries during the controversial deer cull that concluded last month.

But opponents of the federal sharpshooting program said that figure is misleading and have threatened to take further legal action if plans for another cull on the East End crop up next year. 

A USDA spokeswoman said the agency was still working on compiling the final figures — including the total number of deer taken — in the cull, which ended in mid-April, but estimated the total amount of venison donated to food pantries exceeded 4,000 pounds.

That number was verified by Island Harvest spokesperson Don Miller, who said the nonprofit received close to 4,500 pounds of venison from deer taken in the cull.

He added said the last shipment came in around April 14.

“If you do the math, it is not even 100 deer that they butchered,” said Mike Tessitore of Hunters for Deer, a group that lobbied against the cull. “The farm bureau acted like they were doing a service to the community, saying they were providing food for the needy, but in all actuality they probably shot like 400 deer with this program and only a quarter of them got processed for food. It was a total failure.”

The federal sharpshooting program has been the source of much debate ever since it was proposed last year by Long Island Farm Bureau. The cull itself began in late March. Farmers have said they’ve struggled with damage from a growing deer population; homeowners and motorists have also expressed concern.

Opponents of the plan — an unlikely combination of hunters and animal advocates — have called it inhumane and a threat to hunters’ rights.

Should an East End cull be proposed again next year, Mr. Tessitore said his group would file further legal action to prevent it.

“They are not going to get away with it this easy next time,” he said.

Long Island Farm Bureau had originally pitched the cull plan to all East End municipalities, asking each town or village to chip in $25,000 to match its own contribution, which it received as part of a state grant to thin the herd. Only Southold Town and East Hampton Town and Village expressed interest.

Officials of both East Hampton entities voted to go ahead with the cull, but dropped out in early February amid threats of legal action by Hunters for Deer, the Animal Welfare Institute and the Wildlife Preservation Coalition of Eastern Long Island.

A few weeks later, Southold Town also voted to participate and allocated the $25,000, at which point the same groups tried unsuccessfully to obtain an injunction preventing the cull from proceeding.

The three organizations later filed litigation against the Department of Environmental Conservation, a case that prompted a state judge to halt the issuance of any further cull-related permits.

The cull eventually took place on private properties in Riverhead and both private and town-owned land in Southold, federal officials said. Riverhead Town sources said sharpshooting also took place on state land, including Wildwood State Park and Hallock State Park Preserve.

The USDA spokeswoman said she expects to it to “take some time” before the final cull report is completed.

After that, she said, the agency will recommend that the farm bureau make the report available to the public.

cmurray@timesreview.com

THIRD-QUARTER HONOR ROLL

Mattituck Junior-Senior High

HIGH HONOR ROLL 

Grade 12: Pamela Batist, Christine Bieber, Shailla Candelario, Helen Chen, Autumn Harris, Melissa Hickox, Desirae Hubbard, Ian Husak, Jaclyn Imbriano, Molly Kowalski, Nicole L’Hommedieu, Joseph Macaluso, Kyra Martin, Douglas Massey, Christian Montgomery, Erik Olsen, Jennifer Pautke, Mirsa Perez, Tyler Rochon, Michael Serrano, Lauren Waters, Rachel Winkler, Qiong You.

Grade 11: Lisa Angell, Nicole Considine, Harrison Forte, Robin Gromadzki, Walter Jacob, Madison Kent, Constantina Leodis, Greg Messinger, Courtney Murphy, Ian Nish, Nicholas Noormae, Oliver Orr, Daniel Parks, Pulith Peiris, Marcos Perivolaris, Sarah Pfennig, Colby Prokop, Heidy Quizhpi, Leah Santacroce, Alyssa Scartozzi, Gebriell Sierra, Christopher Sledjeski, Haley Unger.

Grade 10: John Batuello, Thomas Behr, Hayley Berry, Carly Doorhy, Jack Dufton, Emma Fasolino, Erin Feeney, Liam Finnegan, Hannah Fitzgerald, Gwyneth Foley, Yianni Giannaris, Jacquelin Gonzalez, Audrey Hoeg, Katherine Hoeg, Caroline Keil, Anna Kowalski, Julie Krudop, Trevor Larsen, Antonina Lentini, Dylan Marlborough, Meghan McKillop, Lika Osepashvili, Meghan Pawlik, Courtney Penny, Dawn Rochon, Miranda Sannino, Kimberly Scheer, Sophia Sluyters, William Stuckart, Joseph Tardif, Lucas Webb, Charles Zaloom.

Grade 9: Chance Anderson, Eshi Baldano, Joseph Bartolotto, Amy Berninger, Alex Bradley, Ty Bugdin, Alexander Burns, Charley Claudio, Sean Gambaiani, Demitria Genovese, Cheyenne Harris, Thomas Hoeg, Tina Imbriano, Luke Karlin, Miles Kelly, Joseph Kelly, Colleen Kelly, Brendan Kent, Colette Kodym, Amy Macaluso, Hayley Martin, Christopher Massey, Matthew Mauceri, Ryan McCaffery, James McDonald, Joseph Mele, Carter Montgomery, Karolina Morawski, McKenzi Murphy, Cassandra Nine, Nicholas Parks, Joshua Prager, Corinne Reda, Autumn Reichardt, Sascha Rosin, Tyler Seifert, Sarah Shannon, Ryan Shuford, Dale Stonemetz, Gage Suglia, Christopher Waggoner, Dylan Wilsberg, Mary Wilton, Amanda Young.

Grade 8: Talia Aiello, Alexandra Beebe, Alexander Bellavia, Brittany Benediktsson, Jack Bokina, Ashley Burns, Ashley Chew, James Clementi, David Conroy, Mackenzie Daly, Joy Davis, Jane DiGregorio, Elizabeth Dwyer, Kaitlyn Ficarra, Samantha Fine, Wade Foster, Rebecca Foster, Brianna Fox, Jaime Gaffga, Jacqueline Galdamez SantaMaria, Macie Grathwohl, Drew Hahn, Rebecca Hammerle, Sophie Jacobs, Leah Kerensky, Jack Kitz, Jacob Kupecki, Justin Lake, Taylor Larsen, Anthony Lopez, Chelsea Marlborough, Ethan Martin, Grace McKeon, Lucas Micheels, Mauricio Moran, Emily Mowdy, Jakob Olsen, Madison Osler, Sarah Park, Jillian Pedone, Alexandria Peters, Jennifer Rutkoski, Connor Smith, Paige Starzee, Joseph Stuckart, Alexandra Talbot, Martha Terry, Carly Unger, Julia Vasile-Cozzo, Carly Woods, Kathryn Zaloom.

Grade 7: Sarah Bihm, Charles Bordsen, Sophia Borzilleri, William Burns, Max Cantelmo, Tyler Cirincione, Dorothy Condon, Christian Demchak, Gabrielle Dwyer, Michelle Escalante, David Fasolino, Caleb Foley, Jillian Gaffga, Savvas Giannaris, Bryce Grathwohl, Gabriella Hassildine, Claudia Hoeg, Christopher Imbriano, Rachel Janis, Mason Kelly, Jonathan Lisowy, Kristen Lisowy, Antonio Marine, Sean McDonald, Catherine McGrath, Emily McKillop, Kacper Michalak, Cassidy Mullin, Alexander Nadel, Teagan Nine, Tyler Olsen, Tyler F. Olsen, Mikayla Osmer, Katherine Parks, Stephanie Perez, Ashley Perkins, Trevor Poole, Ethan Prager, Meghan Riley, Amber Rochon, Wylee Sanders, Francesco Sannino, Madison Schmidt, Ryan Seifert, Julie Seifert, Madelyn Shannon, Matthew Sledjeski, Mia Slovak, Madison Storm, Courtney Trzcinski, Lucas Tskhvediani, Gabrielle Wahlers.

HONOR ROLL

Grade 12: Matthew Berezny, Elly Bergen, Laurel Bertolas, Rodrigo Calderon, Zev Carter, Nicholas Chylinski, Emily Ciamaricone, Kimberly Clanton, Meghan Daly, Clay Davis, Jed Donikyan, Tricia Dorfmeister, Michael Dufton, Shannon Dwyer, Kyle Freudenberg, Patrick Gillan, Mayra Gonzalez, Sydney Goy, Taylor Hart, Kayla Healy, Charles Hickox, Christopher Hicks, Adam Hicks, Eric Hughes, Robert Krudop, Hallie Kujawski, Roy Lebkuecher, Andrea Loper, Jessica Makucewicz, Mark McCaskie, Christopher Mehalakes, Robert Molchan, Nina Nickerson, John Nolan, Austin Pase, Geoffroy Penny, Daniel Peters, Ralph Pugliese, Nicholas Rabkevich, Tyler Reeve, Alaina Robins, Casey Rugnetta, Joseph Salice, Riley Savercool, Nicole Scartozzi, Kevin Schwartz, Dana Sciacchitano, Isabel Torgove, Olivia Vayer.

Grade 11: Oswaldo Aldaz, Courtney Benediktsson, Brianne Briggmann, Patricia Brisotti, Steven Brisotti, Matthew Carter, Andrew Cushman, Jacqueline Diaz, Christopher Dwyer, Olivia Finn, William Gildersleeve, Jennifer Gonzalez-Euceda, Abigail Graeb, Joshua Hassildine, Hunter Hedges, Kevin Hudson, Rony Javier, Lillianna Kiel, Benjaman Knowles, Emma Leaden, Christopher Mauceri, Christopher McGowan, Terrence McKinney, Georgia Neighley, James Nish, Michael O’Rourke, Alyssa Parks, Rebecca Piraino, Marisa Sannino, Cal Seifert, Caralee Stevens, Jamie Stonemetz, Cady Vitale, Matthew Wilton, Andrew Young, Andrew Yurchison, Nicole Zurawski.

Grade 10: Taylor Berkoski, Tyler Corrigan, Julie Dickerson, Alec Durkin, Jonathan Dwyer, Daniel Fedun, Sarah Fogarty, David Folk, Austin Gao, Emily Gatz, Sarah Goerler, Skyler Grathwohl, Christina Hatzinikolaou, Jeffrey Hauser, Zachary Holmes, Frank Imbriano, Tristin Ireland, Chloe Janis, Raven Janoski, John Makucewicz, Garrett Malave, Raymond Malo, Ryan Mowdy, Daniel Nugent, Kristina Olsen, Michael Onufrak, Artemis Pando, Randy Salvitti, Benjamin Savercool, Samuel Shaffery, Greg Sheryll, Brett Slack, Andrew Stakey, Cecilia Stevens.

Grade 9: Tiana Baker, Hawkins Barratt Heitmann, Thomas Beebe, Emily Berezny, Ryan Buchholz, Aidan Carter, Katherine Celic, Joseph Considine, Kimberly Corso, Caitlyn Deerkoski, Michael Goodale, Daniel Harkin, Angel Hernandez, James Hoeg, Samantha Husak, Grace Izzo, Sara Kaypak, Jenna Kujawski, Bianca LaColla, Kyle Makely, Liam McShane, Johanna Pedone, Grace Pellegrino, Lilian Perez, Melanie Pfennig, Hannah Prokop, Christopher Schwamborn, Emily Sidor, Julianna Sluyters, Julia Stapon, Katherine Stumpf.

Grade 8: Larysa Andreadis, Cassidy Bertolas, Luke Bokina, Liam Corbley, Alissa Dabrowski, Autumn DeRidder, Megan Dinizio, Sean Feeney, Brian Feeney, Daniel Folk, Ghana Haase, Shawn Howell, Stephen Masotti, Stephen Nyilas, Thomas Olsen, Dennis O’Rourke, Riley Peterson, Tucker Phillippe-Johansson, Peter Pugliese, Jason Scalia, Dominick Skrezec, Thomas Sullivan.

Grade 7: Liam Ackermann, Miranda Annunziata, Lauren Bihm, Kaitlyn Brisotti, Trinity Butler Kelly, Ryleigh Canberg, Heather Carita, Jake Catalano, Cassidy Deerkoski, Joseph DePinto, Annabel Donovan, Kaitlyn Driscoll, Anne Finnegan, Benjamin Golanec, Melina Harris, Charlie Hasel, Gregory Hauser, Riley Hoeg, James Jacobs, Malayna Kaminsky, Lucas Kosmynka, Kyle McFadden, Sierra McShane, Brian Molchan, Matteo Pellegrini, Mariano Perez, Aidan Reilly, Bayleigh Rienecker, Lily Russell, Matthew Schroeck, Kyle Schwartz, Thomas Silleck, Nikita Siracusano, Scarlet Soto, Jaden Thompson, Francesca Vasile-Cozzo, Adam Webb, Benjamin Webb, Caitlin Westermann, Lauren Zuhoski.

COMMENDED STUDENTS

Grade 12: Brad Tyler.

Grade 11: Joseph Cavanagh.

Grade 8: Nicolas Alfano, Jennifer Avila, Marilyn Ramirez.

Grade 7: Joseph DePinto, Chloe Babajanians, Bernard Hamilton, Brian Nicholson.

Taylor Larsen sings “I Have Nothing” at Friday’s Mattituck’s Got Talent show. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

The Mattituck Distributive Education Club of America (DECA) held its 7th annual “Mattituck’s Got Talent” show at the school auditorium Friday evening.

Sponsored by local businesses, the show will benefit the DECA Club, a national organization that promotes business and marketing skills among high school students.

(Paul Squire file photo)

No longer using an old bicycle? Or perhaps, your children outgrew their bikes? Trade it in for one more suitable.

The Southold Youth Bureau is sponsoring a bike swap May 17. Bring a gently used bike and either trade it for another or donate it to Community Action of Southold (CAST.)

Information on bike safety and maintenance as well as helmet fitting is also available.

The bike swap is from 10 a.m.to noon at the Southold Recreation Center.

Tara Wilson was the first place female with a time of 21:08. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

Peconic Landing held its 9th annual May Mile 5K race/walk on Saturday morning in Greenport.

The intergenerational event celebrates Older Americans Month and proceeds benefit the Greenport Fire Department.

With overwhelming support from local businesses, the race has raised more than $160,000 for the fire department since 2005.

Jack May was the top overall finisher in 18 minutes, 54 seconds. Tara Wilson was the top female finisher in 21:08.

This vehicle crashed into a fire hydrant, then a tree Saturday morning on Sound Avenue in Jamesport. (Credit: Jamesport Fire Department)

A single car accident in Jamesport Saturday morning sent one man to a local hospital, Jamesport Fire Officials said. 

The vehicle was traveling eastbound on Sound Avenue when it appeared to cross the westbound lane, struck a fire hydrant and then a tree head-on at about 7:18 a.m. east of Manor Lane, officials said.

Riverhead and Southold Police officers responded along with Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance members, who treated the man and transported him to a local hospital. Fire officials did not provide an update on the man’s condition.

The Riverhead Town Water Authority responded to the scene to assist with shutting down the leaking hydrant.

Mysterious brick oven-like objects found near Goldsmith Inlet in Peconic. (Courtesy photo)

A Suffolk Times reader sent in this photo of a mysterious oven-like structure located just east of Goldsmith Inlet in Peconic.

When notified by a reporter, employees of the Southold Historical Society took a ride down to the beach to check out the two matching brick structures.

Although they couldn’t confirm what the brick items are, they did dig up some clues.

• The structures are not from the former Goldsmith mill because they are on the wrong side of the water.

• The Sanford bricks used to create the structures were not made in our area until around 1900, so the structures are after that time.

• Maps from that time and do not indicate that there was a building there.However, the western most brick structure looks like a part of a well and the other structure pictured above of looks like an oven or furnace.

If you know, let us know. Send your responses to cmurray@timesreview.com or phone 298-3200, extension 245.

A view of Peonic Bay from Mattituck beach. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch, file)

County officials will be joining local farmers and environmentalists in Cutchogue Monday morning to urge the federal government to help fund projects aimed at restoring Long Island Sound and the Peconic Estuary.

County Executive Steve Bellone and Congressman Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) are calling on United States Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to designate both water bodies as a region of critical importance under the newly created federal program named the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).

The 2014 Farm Bill, signed by President Barack Obama in February, authorizes $1.3 billion in spending over five years to help farmers adopt conservation practices in regions of the country facing significant environmental challenges.

Naming Long Island Sound and the Peconic Estuary as one of eight national critical designation areas would help fund agricultural conservation efforts, habitat restoration efforts and the sustainable use of soil, water and other natural resources, according to Mr. Bellone’s office.

Members of the region’s most influential agricultural and environmental groups —including the Long Island Farm Bureau, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Long Island Wine Council, Peconic Estuary Program and Peconic Land Trust — are expected join the two politicians in the efforts at Wickham’s Farm in Cutchogue Monday at 11:30 a.m.

cmurray@timesreview.com

A juried group art show can be seen now through June 30 in Cutchogue New Suffolk Library’s upstairs gallery. Geoffrey Fleming, director of Southold Historical Society and co-author of “A Shared Aesthetic: Artists of Long Island’s North Fork,” is serving as juror.

Artists whose work was selected are Charlotte Droeger, Christine Dupuis, Bill Behrle, Diane Alec Smith, Gary Long, Karen Rich, Jacqueline Penney, Bob Kuhne, JoAnne Corretti, Joan Fabian, Saul Rosenstreich, Ann McCaughey, Marla Milne, Linda Nemeth and Adelaide Amend. 

A reception for the artists will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, May 16.

• Gallery Crossing in Peconic will reopen for the season on May 22 and will host new exhibits every two weeks through Nov. 11. Artists interested in exhibiting their work are invited to email info@gallerycrossing.com.

Owners John and Joanne Rosko of Southampton say in a press release the gallery’s goal is to “provide local artists with an affordable opportunity to have a sizable exhibit in a gallery environment while providing our customers with an ever-changing selection of quality artwork.”

• “North Fork Modernism,” a solo show of recent paintings by Colin Goldberg of Greenport, is on view through May 26 at South Street Gallery in Greenport.

Mr. Goldberg’s work combines traditional drawing and painting techniques with large-format digital printing and computer graphics. He says his work is “an exploration of dualities: East and West, traditional and digital, abstraction and figuration,” according to a press release.

A reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 24.

• Call for artists: Work is sought for East End Arts’ juried all-media show, ‘Composition,’ which will be exhibited June 20 to Aug. 1 at the Riverhead gallery. Guest juror is Eric Brown, artist and co-owner of Tibor de Nagy Gallery in New York.

Gallery director Jane Kirkwood invites artists to “enter a piece that shows your command of this most fundamental element of good art.”

Poetry entries will be accepted online only from May 27 to June 3. Visual art entries will be accepted between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday, June 12 and 13, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at the gallery.

Visit eastendarts.org for more information or call 727-0900.

To send arts news, email lsisson@timesreview.com, fax to 298-3287, or mail to Times/Review Newspapers, P.O. Box 1500, Mattituck, NY 11952. Copy deadline: Wednesday at 5 p.m. to appear the following week.

Credit: Cabinets Plus courtesy

In today’s world the kitchen is often the hub of the home. It’s no longer just a place for the chef to cook in solitary but also a center for casual dining and gathering informally with family and friends, often around a big center island.  

The possibilities are endless when upgrading a kitchen — and even a few simple budget-friendly changes can refresh and modernize your design and add value to your home.

You can actually do a lot with a minimal budget. A typical minor kitchen remodel can include updating cabinet fronts and drawers, replacing the stove, countertops and flooring, installing a new sink and faucet and painting.

But one of the keys to a successful remodel is to set priorities: Do you want a full-blown or surface-level renovation? Either is fine, but make sure you know the pros and cons of each. And know your budget.

Cabinets are key

When it comes to renovating kitchens, the experts agree: A good set of cabinets is the key.

“You wouldn’t want to waste your money and put a stone top on a cabinet that was basically garbage,” said Gary Trapanotto, owner of Designer Kitchens East in Mattituck. “As long as you’re starting with a decent foundation in place, the cheapest option is to replace the countertops and appliances.”

All-wood construction cabinets are the sign of good quality; some cabinets are made from “flake board” or “fiber board,” which are made of scrap wood that’s glued together with resin to make a new board, Mr. Trapanotto said.

“It’s not as good as a plywood cabinet, but it also doesn’t have the price tag,” he said. Plywood cabinets are often 10 to 15 percent more expensive, but it’s a worthwhile investment.

“It’s substantial, but what you get is substantial,” he said.

Heading to a showroom, or going to home design websites to get a sense of the style you want for your renovated kitchen is a good first step. Most showrooms will have a “design team” that will walk customers through the different options available.

Start with the cabinets

Traditional American-style cabinets are called front framed or “face framed.” These cabinets have a frame around the front of the cabinet to which the door is attached, making the cabinets sturdier.

More European-style cabinets — called frameless — are becoming more common, however. These have doors that attach directly to the cabinet itself, providing a “little cleaner line,” said Louis Nardolillo of Cabinets Plus in Aquebogue.

Custom cabinets may appear to be pricier as well, but when you take into account having to pay for modifications on semi-custom or stock cabinets, the price evens out, Mr. Nardolillo said.

As the term implies, custom cabinets are designed to fit a particular kitchen, so few adjustments should need to be made.

“They start a little higher but they don’t charge as much for modifications,” he said. “It is actually a lot less.”

The next step is to look at the finish on cabinets.

“The cabinet is really only as good as the finish that’s put on it,” Mr. Trapanotto said. He suggests looking for custom cabinets that offer a warranty on the finish — generally a sign of a quality product.

As for the color, painting cabinets is current trend. An economical way to reface old wooden cabinets is to sand them down to the bare wood and apply polyurethane — or stain them an entirely different color. An economical update and freshening for cabinets can also be achieved simply by changing out the hardware.

Another inexpensive way to spice up the kitchen is to paint an island with an accent color that either complements or contrasts with the rest of the kitchen, Mr. Trapanotto said.  “It’s not so cookie-cutter-ish anymore,” he said. “It’s a way to create a nice high-end custom look without costing you any more.”

Customers are tending to steer away from glazes nowadays and seem to favor walnut wood tones.

“For the last 10 years it was cherry,” Mr. Nardolillo said. “This is just sort of starting a new cycle, a new trend.”

The aesthetics of countertops

Granite countertops are still popular and are resistant to heat, but quartz countertops are gaining in popularity because of their aesthetics, Mr. Nardolillo said.

“It is non-porous, so it’s very easy to keep clean,” he said. “It will look more like a stone countertop.”

Formica countertops, which are much better looking these days, are a cheaper alternative.

In the end, though, the decision on what kind of countertop to purchase is primarily about looks.

“Most of it is just aesthetics,” said Erik Scheibe, a partner at East End Tile, which does flooring and renovations. “It’s really just getting a feel for what your style is and what you want for your home.”

Flooring considerations

“Floating” floors are popular in flood-prone areas, since they are easier to repair or replace should they get soaked.

More exotic options, like glass or boxes of tile with slight variations in the color to get a “randomness” to the design are also in vogue, Mr. Scheibe said.

“You’re hearing people say they want a little ‘pop’ in it,” he said.

It takes time

The most important thing for anyone about to renovate a kitchen to understand is that the process takes time. A full kitchen renovation could take up to four months, Mr. Nardolillo said, and even the cabinets alone might take eight to 10 weeks.

“It’s a pretty all-encompassing process,” he said.

Five-year-old Claire McKenzie with her mother, Erica, at home in Laurel last month. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)

When asked to pose for a photo, many small children tense up and present a self-conscious, often goofy version of themselves. They tilt their heads, smile crookedly and hunch their shoulders. They might even stick out their tongues.

Smile nicely, their parents plead. 

Five-year-old Claire McKenzie, who was recently photographed by Times/Review with her mother, Erica, at their Laurel home, is different.

Claire, who began modeling professionally last year, appeared uncharacteristically savvy and poised as she lounged on a plush couch.

The Cutchogue East Elementary School kindergartner needed no instruction as she delivered a series of casual but confident smiles, her blond locks cascading to her waist.

She’s had practice: Claire’s first modeling job, for a Long Island pool toy company, took place last summer.

“She loved it,” Ms. McKenzie, vice president and sales manager at Andrew Stype Realty in Mattituck, said of her middle child. She has two other children, Andrew, 7, and Whitney, 1, with husband, Alex, who works for a Setauket hedge fund.

Encouraged by Claire’s positive reaction to the experience, Ms. McKenzie sent her daughter’s headshots to New York City modeling agencies. Claire signed with Generation Model Management in November.

“Since then, she’s been busy,” Ms. McKenzie said. 

Southold cheerleaders perform during a basketball game this past winter. (Credit: Garret Meade)

It’s an activity in which strained tendons, split lips and the occasional concussion are expected — and your safety relies wholly on trusting your teammates to back you up and catch you when you fall.

It’s cheerleading — which last week was unanimously recognized as a sport by the New York State Board of Regents. To this I say, it’s about time.

Here’s why, based on my firsthand experience. 

While other sports revolve around throwing or catching a ball, cheerleading revolves around throwing and catching people — real live, twisting, kicking people — and making it look good in the process. Skeptics may think cheerleading isn’t tough or “game” enough compared to other sports, but it was the most physically demanding sport I ever participated in, field hockey and track included.

The strained tendon, split lip and concussion — I had them all. They were battle wounds in the sport I loved, in which I participated from age 5 through college. And I didn’t have an athletic trainer standing on the sidelines during practice overseeing a slip or fall. If anything, we hid any injury out of fear of having our beloved program cut by the district, which may not have wanted it there to begin with.

So were those injuries a result of my own negligence? Perhaps the carelessness of my teammates?

Or, were they just a reality of the sport?

I would argue some of the people who oversee high school programs aren’t trained to understand the risks of injury and teach participants how to avoid them — just as every football coach is trained to teach players “how to take a hit.”

According to a 2012 study conducted by the America Academy of Pediatrics, cheerleading has accounted for approximately 66 percent of all catastrophic injuries among female high school athletes over the past 25 years.

Not surprisingly, the study found that stunting accounted for about half of all cheerleading injuries, while sprains and strains were the most common types of injuries overall.

My experience as a high school cheerleader left me practicing stunts in hallways, on hardwoods floors and, when we were really lucky, on the wrestling team’s old floor mats, from which any provided comfort had been beaten out in the decade before.

And while my coach at the time did the best she could, the safety and techniques of stunting relied mainly on us — and the YouTube videos we watched and attempted to copy. Sounds safe, right?

Well, this is the reality at many small high schools with fledgling cheering programs. Hopefully, with the state Board of Regents decision, that reality will change.

And, hopefully, coaches will now be required to undergo the same safety training other sporting officials do.

Got a health question or column idea? Email Carrie Miller at cmiller@timesreview.com. Follow @carriemiller01

The Suffolk Theater on East Main Street. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch, file)

So I suppose this is a review. After all, it’s an assessment of an event and a place that are accustomed to being reviewed — a musical performance in a theater. The Suffolk Theater, to be precise.

The art deco gem on Riverhead’s East Main Street and I go way back to the 1980s and ’90’s, when I was a board member, and then president, of the East End Arts Council across the street from the theater. And those were the days when we first started talking about transforming the shuttered former movie theater into a performing arts center.

Yes, I know, mission not accomplished … for at least another two decades, long after Westhampton first started talking about, and in short order creating, a performing arts center of its own.

The convoluted on-again, off-again history of the Suffolk Theater over those two intervening decades is too voluminous to detail in this limited space, but the bottom line is that it’s back in business and, on Sunday evening, a few friends, the former Joan Giger Walker and I had an opportunity to check it out for the first time at a performance by singer Ani DiFranco.

With no disrespect intended toward Ms. DiFranco, she was not the star of the show. The star was the theater itself, which has been lovingly restored and transformed into a spectacular performance space. Every detail — from the floor to the ceiling and everything in between – has been meticulously preserved, restored and/or recreated. The acoustics are first rate and the seating is slyly flexible. On Sunday night, the first 20 rows or so offered standard theater seating, but beyond that and in the balcony there were cabaret-style circular tables and chairs. And with those front rows removed for other performances, that cabaret-style seating is available throughout the theater.

Other pluses include the friendly and helpful staff members, who really seem proud of the space they work in. And the bars — one on the main floor and another smaller one upstairs — would be right at home in an upscale Manhattan hotel.

I was not knocked out by the food component, which seemed more suited for a summer picnic than an upscale dinner theater, but it was moderately priced and served promptly and well in advance of Ms. DiFranco’s performance.

Ah, yes, Ms. DiFranco. I didn’t know much about her music before Sunday night but now I would consider myself a fan in waiting. Her show got off to a somewhat slow start but by its end the audience — particularly those loyal fans able to sing along with every song — were dancing in the aisles. And, again, with no disrespect intended toward the artist herself, my personal highlight was the performance by her brilliant drummer, Terence Higgins, who will be moving up to bigger things, I predict.

If there was a downside to my Suffolk Theater experience, it was the too-visible presence of the security staff. They were working the aisles (and, in some instances, blocking the view of audience members) as if they were patrolling a heavy metal or gangster rap concert — not a folk rock concert. In fact, if theater management is truly concerned about security, I suggest they provide more in the neighborhood surrounding the theater.

But let not that small blemish detract from what was an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable experience. The Suffolk Theater is back, ladies and gentlemen, and I enthusiastically suggest that you check it out for yourself at an upcoming performance. (My personal recommendations: the North Fork’s own Gene Casey and The Lone Sharks on Thursday, May 29; Ben E. King on Saturday, June 7; Georgia Satellites on Friday, June 13; The Lovin’ Spoonful on Thursday, July 3; comedienne Sandra Bernhard on Friday, July 18; Arlo Guthrie on Friday, July 25; Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes on Saturday, July 26; Gene Casey and The Lone Sharks again on Thursday, July 31; and Joan Osborne on Friday, Aug. 8.) For the complete summer 2014 schedule, go to suffolktheater.com.

tgustavson@timesreview.com