Here are some of today’s top stories across the North Fork. To stay on top of local news, follow The Suffolk Times on Facebook.

Mattituck’s Dan Fedun has a step on Hampton Bays’ Shane Courtenay while attempting a layup. (Credit: Garret Meade)

The Mattituck High School boys basketball team didn’t lose a lot from last season in terms of numbers, but in terms of a player, the Tuckers lost a lot. A heck of a lot.

Sure, the Tuckers graduated only two players, but one of them was Gene Allen, and what a player he was. Allen was a two-time All-Conference forward who averaged 15 points and 13 rebounds per game last season, leading the team in both categories. For his high school career, he showed remarkable balance, finishing with 660 points and 662 rebounds.

So, how do you replace a player like that?

“It’s a good question,” said senior Will Gildersleeve.

The Tuckers have begun taking some early steps toward trying to answer that question. It will not be easy filling the void Allen left.

“I’ve been thinking about it a lot,” Gildersleeve said. “I think we’re definitely just as fast. A lot of people have to step up.”

He continued: “Really, scoring-wise, we can score. We’re going to miss him on the rebounds. That’s the main thing I’m worrying about, rebounding. Scoring-wise, we’ll be alright.”

Aside from Allen and Tyler Reeve, the Tuckers will return the bulk of their team, which still has talent and speed to work with, and perhaps an enhanced role for their big man, Josh Conklin, who didn’t see much playing time last season. What the team needs is some tinkering to come up with a different formula for winning.

Tom Ascher, an assistant coach for Mattituck’s summer league team who helped the Tuckers win a Long Island championship in 2011, knows a thing or two about winning. When asked for his thoughts about life after Allen, Ascher said: “You got to use a lot of different players to really fill that. Back when we won the Long Island championship, we didn’t have one person that rebounded a ton. Everyone just ended up rebounding.”

More team rebounding and fast breaks down the court can help. “You don’t have to have just one person throwing the ball down the court — and you don’t need a dunk, either,” said Ascher.

Mattituck’s rebounding wasn’t what it might have liked Tuesday night in a Town of Brookhaven Summer League game involving two 0-4 teams. It was Hampton Bays that made it into the win column with a 41-39 victory at Eastport/South Manor High School. The Baymen beat the Tuckers on the boards, 32-20, and by 13-4 on the offensive end.

Despite seeing its coach, Pete Meehan, ejected 4 minutes 24 seconds into the game after a pair of quick technical fouls, Hampton Bays led most of the way and held on as the Tuckers whittled away at the lead down the stretch.

A pair of baskets by Hampton Bays’ Antonio Kull around a creative layup by Mattituck’s Jon Dwyer made the score 41-37 Baymen.

The Tuckers cut the margin to 2 points on a bucket by Jay Reeve. After Kull missed a free throw, Mattituck’s Parker Tuthill chucked a last-second attempt from beyond the half-court line, missing the mark as time expired.

“It would have been nice if that went in,” said Mattituck senior Chris Dwyer, Jon’s older brother.

Matt Rinaldi paced Hampton Bays with 13 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 1 steal. Tyler Carbone grabbed 11 rebounds.

Jon Dwyer was the top Mattituck scorer with 8 points.

The Tuckers know not to make too much out of the summer league. It’s seen as a good opportunity for younger players to adjust to the speed of the varsity game and for players to sharpen their skills, but not much more than that. For instance, the Dwyer brothers, Gildersleeve and Tuthill were the only Tuckers on the floor Tuesday who played for the school team last season.

“There’s a lot of people missing, so it’s hard to judge,” said Gildersleeve.

The real time for judgment will come in the winter when the school season heats up. By then the Tuckers will need to come up with a solution to playing without Allen.

What is Ascher’s best advice?

“You just got to hustle, rebound,” he said. “I’m sure the chemistry’s there and if not, it’s going to come back. Keep moving. It’s not about the individual, it’s about the team.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Listings prepared for Times/Review Newspapers by Suffolk Research Service, dated May 6-12, 2014. 

AQUEBOGUE (11931)
• Dilworth Sr, D & T to OPL Nursery LLC, Union Ave & lot 1.007 (600-66-4-1.4), (V), $650,000

CALVERTON (11933)
• Venti Family Trust to Prost, Frank, 3 Black Pine St (600-81.1-1-25), (R), $500,000

CUTCHOGUE (11935)
• Clarke, L & C to Roseto, Joseph, 720 Silver Colt Rd (1000-95-4-18.35), (R), $445,000
• Marcin, C to Greenwood, Brad, 7065 Skunk Ln (1000-104-4-32), (R), $415,000

FISHERS ISLAND (06390)
• Hakki, M to Bauer 1998 Personal Trust, Gregory, Chocomount Dr (1000-4-5-10), (R), $735,000

FLANDERS (11901)
• Tooker, A & Minnick, L to McGann, Gregory, 55 Oak Ave (900-144-1-105.1), (R), $241,000
• County of Suffolk to Gazza, Joseph, 213 Maple Ave (900-145-3-37), (V), $1,000

GREENPORT (11944)
• Picchioni, V to 47 Washington Ave Corp, 47 Washington Ave (1001-2-1-7), (R), $249,000

RIVERHEAD (11901)
• Dornick, R & F to MNH Sub I, LLC, 9 Fox Trail Ct (600-21-2-15.20), (R), $375,000

SHELTER ISLAND (11964)
• Schmitt, T & N to Kowalski, Anthony, 6 Hay Beach Rd (700-1-2-9), (R), $781,875
• Salerno, D to Groom, Clint, 11 S Midway Rd (700-19-1-41), (R), $590,000
• H.O.C. Investments to Hogan Revocable Trust, Richard, 1 Apple Orchard Ln (700-26-1-1.6), (V), $2,750,000

SOUTHOLD (11971)
• Passante & Freudenthal to Brodsky, James, 255 Founders Path (1000-64-2-32), (R), $470,000
• Gallagher, D to El-Sherif, Nabil, 1800 Park Way (1000-70-10-61.1), (V), $200,000
• Gallagher, K & D to El-Sherif, Nabil, 40 Beachwood Ln (1000-70-10-62.1), (R), $925,000
• Coane, R & J to Hinderling, Loretta, 1195 Smith Dr N (1000-76-2-2.4), (V), $295,000
• Taggart, J to Wabasso Holding LLC, 815 Wabasso St (1000-78-3-29), (V), $125,000
• McKenna, J & E to Vogel, Paul, 1160 Paradise Shore Rd (1000-80-1-25), (R), $320,000

(Key: Tax map numbers = District-Section-Block-Lot; (A) = agriculture; (R) = residential; (V) = vacant property; (C) = commercial; (R&E) = recreation & entertainment; (CS) = community services; (I) = industrial; (PS) = public service; (P) = park land; as determined from assessed values in the current tax rolls.)

The front of the plane’s fuselage was falling off as the plane was returned to land last Monday. (Credit: Paul Squire)

An initial federal investigation has revealed the home-built plane that crashed in Long Island Sound last week went down last Sunday night, roughly 14 hours before it was first discovered floating off Mattituck.

The cause of the fatal crash that killed 41-year-old pilot Zubair Khan has not yet been determined, investigators said.

The preliminary report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board Tuesday found that Mr. Khan took off in his experimental single-engine aircraft from Brookhaven Callabro Airport about 6:55 p.m. last Sunday.

The plane turned north from the airport and climbed to about 8,500 feet as it flew over the shoreline, according to the report. About 7:04 p.m., radar spotted the plane making a hard left turn and descending to about 5,800 feet.

About a minute later, according to the report, the plane was picked up on radar just 1,100 feet above sea level. That was the last sign of the craft on radar, the report found.

Investigators found that the plane left in good conditions for visual flying and did not file a flight plan.

Crash victim Zubair Khan, seen here in an undated photo. (Credit: Khan family courtesy photo)

Mr. Khan’s family said last week that it was concerned the crash was not reported until Monday even though Mr. Khan had departed the airport the day before. His brother-in-law, Umar Niazi, questioned why a search and rescue effort wasn’t conducted Sunday evening.

“This all seems very strange,” Mr. Niazi wrote in an email.

A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said Brookhaven’s airport is “non-towered,” meaning there is no control tower coordinating flights.

It’s common for smaller planes to take off and land at these airports without notifying authorities, the spokesman said.

“As long as you can fly and see what’s ahead of you … those flights take place all the time,” he said. “There’s really no way of knowing how many of those aircraft are flying at any one time.”

NTSB investigators said Mr. Khan was fatally injured in the crash and was found inside the plane Monday morning, with a personal parachute pack deployed and still attached.

Mr. Khan’s home-built airplane, a twin-engine plane which was converted into a single-engine CoZy craft. (Credit: Khan family courtesy photo)

The plane suffered “substantial damage” to its fuselage and nose, the report states. Edges of the plane’s left wingtip and right canard were also damaged. The canopy was missing from the craft, and investigators found no sign of “tearing or shearing” of the bolts; however, the report notes that the bolts were missing from the craft.

NTSB investigator Shawn Etcher said the canopy was found three days after the crash floating about 39 miles northeast near Westerly, R.I.

Mr. Etcher said a mount for a video camera was found on the recovered canopy, but there was no sign of a camera on the recovered hatch.

On Monday, a boater discovered a video camera which may be related to the crash, he said.

“It is currently being prepared to be sent to our laboratory for examination and possible download to determine if it was part of the airplane,” Mr. Etcher said.

The victim’s brother-in-law had said Mr. Khan recorded “every moment of his flying” with a camera installed in the cockpit of his plane. Mr. Khan had posted videos of some of his initial flights on YouTube.

The full investigation into the cause of the accident is expected to take between three and 12 months to complete, Mr. Etcher said.

psquire@timesreview.com

Continuing to struggle with Southold Town’s lack of affordable housing, members of the Housing Advisory Commission have requested the Town Board’s help enacting strategies outlined in the town’s comprehensive plan.

“We need your leadership,” commission member Rona Smith told the Town Board during Tuesday morning’s work session. “It is paper and it sits on a shelf. Unless we do something, we are not going to reach our goals.”

Completed in April 2012, the housing chapter of the town’s 2020 master plan outlines shortfalls and offers suggestions to bolster the amount of affordable housing. Proposed fixes include everything from building new reasonably priced apartment units to changing zoning regulations to allow existing storefronts and private homes to create accessory apartments.

Although an attempt was made two years ago to build a new affordable housing complex in Southold Town, that proposal generated interest from just one developer, whose bid was not accepted.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the Housing Advisory Commission renewed the push to build more affordable housing units and recommended meeting with developers to discuss the feasibility of the plan before putting the project out to bid.

“I’m more than supportive of going out to bid again,” said Supervisor Scott Russell.

The commission also recommended the town offer an incentive to home and business owners to construct or repurpose areas of existing buildings by offering tax breaks on up to 50 percent of renovation costs. The incentive would be capped at $25,000 and distributed over five years, according to the commission’s plan.

The town already has parameters in place for private owners to build and rent affordable housing; however, Mr. Russell said that in order to offer tax breaks the town would need the go-ahead from the state. He suggested the commission reach out to state Senator Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) to discuss the plan further.

“I would love the idea [of a tax credit],” Mr. Russell said. “It might be something other towns could be looking into, too. I don’t think it is insurmountable, but it might take some time.”

Commission members said they will begin work on the project and continue to work with the board to implement the master plan.

cmurray@timesreview.com

Matthew William Chizever (Credit: Courtesy photo)

Aquebogue native Matthew William Chizever had auditioned for producers of the USA Network’s “Graceland” three or four times before the show runners found the perfect role for him: a villanous sex trafficker named Miles.

“I’ve been in and out of the room with the producers and they always said they really liked me, but they needed something to fit me,” Chizever said in a phone interview. “So this seedy dark human being is what they decided to give me.”

Read more on northforker.com

High school track and field athletes will no longer be prohibited from wearing jewelry during competitions starting in the 2015 season, the National Federation of State High School Associations announced Monday. 

The NFHS Track and Field Rules Committee recommended the change during its June meeting in Indianapolis and it was subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

“The wearing of jewelry ordinarily presents little risk of injury to either the competitor or opponents,” Becky Oakes, the NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Track and Field Rules Committee, said in a press release. “Elimination of the rule allows officials to focus on meet administration directly related to actual competition. Coaches continue to have the obligation to see the competitors are properly equipped.”

Another rule change in baseball will allow for video monitoring or replay equipment for coaching purposes during games. Previously, video equipment was permitted but it could not be used during games for coaching purposes.

“With advancements in technology, it was extremely difficult for officials to determine if teams were using video replay during games,” Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee, said in a release. “The committee determined it was the right time to permit teams to use these technological aids if they so choose.”

joew@timesreview.com

Here are some of today’s top stories across the North Fork. To stay on top of local news, follow The Suffolk Times on Facebook.

Bishop McGann-Mercy Diocesan High School in Riverhead is offering a driver’s education course this summer.

The New York State approved program runs between July 28 and Aug. 19 — five days a week, three hours per day.

After successful completion of the course, students will receive an MV-285 certificate and be eligible to test for a senior license at age 17.

Students must be 16 years old and have a learner’s permit to register. Space is limited.

For more information, call (631) 727-5900, ext. 320.

Here are the classifieds for July 17, 2014. If you are interested in placing an ad, please call Karen, 631-354-8029 or email kcullen@timesreview.com.

Times Review classifieds: July 17, 2014

Here is the Suffolk Times Service Directory for July 17, 2014. If you are interested in placing an ad, please call Karen, 631-354-8029 or email kcullen@timesreview.com.

Suffolk Times Service Directory: July 17, 2014 by Timesreview

Donna Cirincione of Eastport, left, enjoys a sample from East End Foodies’ Jane Mandel, center, and Suzanne Klein, right. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

The Love Lane Street Fair is a highlight of summer and a chance to catch up with old friends and take a good look at the changing face of Love Lane. There was definite excitement brewing over the imminent arrival of Lombardi’s Market and the anticipated opening of Ammirati’s. The stellar reputations of these families has everyone talking. 

While at the fair, I ran into Carolyn and Jackie Boeckman; Tom and Nora Libretto; Cathy and Dana Hinderliter; Jackie Wilsberg and daughters Ashley and Chelsea outside their home away from home, Love Lane Sweet Shoppe; Teagan Nine and Jillian Gaffga wearing awesome cowboy hats; Hannah Prokop selling her delicious cupcakes; and so many more. Everyone was smiling and enjoying a perfect day.

Another true sign of summer is locals sharing their good news. Kareann Volinski contacted me to announce the birth of grandchild No. 7! Kristof Werner Neuhaus joined the family June 30, weighing in at a healthy 9 pounds, 7.5 oz and 20.5 inches long! He was welcomed by his parents, Rachel and Steve Neuhaus, and his big sisters, Emma and Charlotte.

Bev Wowak is also smiling from ear to ear with the news of her first grandchild, Blake Thomas Petit. I was lucky enough to be in the room when the first image of him arrived came on Bev’s phone. What a beautiful boy! He is the son of Valerie and Kevin Petit and was born July 3 (the day before Aunt Amy’s birthday) weighing 8 pounds, 13 ounces. The proud grandfathers are Tom Wowak of Laurel and Chuck Petit of Port Jefferson.

It always fascinates me when local graduates become world travelers. Brian King is currently doing his clinical studies toward his doctorate in physical therapy in South Africa and Michelle Palladini is planning to teach in Spain for a year. What an incredible experience for these MHS alums!

Recent college grad Cara Benedetto has relocated to Seattle, Wash., where she is employed at an equine facility.

Happy birthday this week to Laura Kelly, Christine Zaweski, Kyle Steel, Chelsea Chalone, Maureen Deegan, Ryan Collins, Ann Bialeski, Katie Bladykas, Sherry Steele, Dick Harned and Kaylyn O’Brien. And a very happy 50th to the best home run hitter I know — my brother, Bill Heintz!

Mattituck-Laurel Library invites the community to buy lunch from the North Fork Table’s Food Truck, which will be parked in front of the library every Thursday. Enjoy the beauty and comfort of the library’s picnic tables and outdoor seating while enjoying the delicious fare of the food truck!

My nephew and godson Jonathan Kent and his fiancée, Cherilynn Raffone, will be married this evening at the Estate at East Wind. May God bless Cherilynn and Jonathan as they exchange vows and begin their life together.

Congratulations to Joan Rombach Chisholm of Mattituck, an alumna of The College of New Rochelle, Class of 1959. In June, she received the college’s highest alumni award, the Angela Merici Medal, which is given to recognize exceptional alumni’s loyalty to the church and the college and distinctive achievement in their careers. Ms. Chisholm earned a degree in English, taught at the elementary school level and was later involved in religious education as an instructor at St. Joseph’s in Garden City and Sacred Heart in Cutchogue.

Contact Mattituck columnist Pat Arslanian at Pat5543782@aol.com or 298-8489.

Here are the classifieds for July 17, 2014. If you are interested in placing an ad, please call Karen, 631-354-8029 or email kcullen@timesreview.com.

Times Review classifieds: July 17, 2014

The Mattituck-Cutchogue School District has generated more than $5 million in surpluses and created an undue burden for taxpayers over the last three fiscal years, according to the findings of a state audit.

In January, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office released an audit of the district’s financial operations and fund balance use between July 1, 2012, and July 31, 2013. The report indicates that monies the district moved into reserves during that period were “excessive and were not used.”

“These ongoing budgeting practices resulted in taxpayers paying more than necessary to sustain district operations,” the report states. “Had district officials used more realistic budget estimates, they could have avoided the accumulation of excess fund balance and possibly reduced the tax levy.”

In a July 5 Newsday article, Mattituck was named as one of six school districts that built up millions in cash surpluses over multiple years, creating unnecessary hardship for taxpayers.

Mattituck district administrator Michael Engelhardt told The Suffolk Times this week that the district’s conservative budgeting has been necessary under the state-mandated 2 percent cap. He said recent surpluses are the result of several factors, namely, not running into unexpected expenses — like paying for equipment breaking down — and receiving an increase in revenue from eight out-of-district tuition students. The district received about $55,000 per student and $100,000 for each special education student.

The district also realized savings of nearly $250,000 when its health insurance contribution rate dropped from 8 percent to 2 percent.

“I’m delighted we under-spent,” Mr. Engelhardt said. “We’ve always been right in the middle of the pack with our budget and tax increases. It’s not like we were budgeting tremendous amounts and hoarding it.”

The audit claims the district didn’t need to allocate as much money as it did into its dedicated savings accounts, known as reserves, which are designed to pay for very specific items. It recommends the district develop a plan for the use of future surplus funds, which Mr. Engelhardt said is currently in the works.

Like most districts, Mattituck has had reserves for certain expenses, including employee benefits and retirement costs. In recent years, the school board approved two additional reserve funds for unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation.

Another type of savings account, called an appropriated fund balance, contains monies that can be applied only to offset the tax levy.

Voters approved a $39.6 million budget in May, which reflected an $817,590 spending increase and carried an estimated 1.8 percent increase to the tax levy. During the budget process that preceded the public vote, the school board decided to use an additional $225,000 from the district’s fund balance to further offset the tax levy, totaling $1 million.

Mr. Engelhardt said the school board has been cautious about subsidizing the budget with too much fund balance because it isn’t a stable revenue stream and taxes would eventually spike.

Surplus, he said, will be applied to the district’s debt, which was one of the comptroller’s recommendations. There are the $11.9 million bond from 2000, which is expected to be paid off in 2018, and capital improvement bonds totaling about $26 million from 2006 and 2008 that are scheduled to be paid off in 2030.

“We certainly have places to put additional funds to prepay debt,” he said. “The report that the comptroller did was coming in from a different angle. Not that it’s wrong and not that it’s off-base. They’re just looking at it a little different than us.”

Click on the tab below to read the complete report, which includes a response from Mattituck school board president Jerry Diffley.

jennifer@timesreview.com

(Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)

Southold seniors will get the gift of greens this summer thanks to a new partnership between the town and the nonprofit Community Action Southold Town.

The initiative, “Gert’s Greens,” was made possible through a $10,000 grant from Annenberg Foundation in California, which helps support nonprofits across the nation. It was developed with the help of CAST and aims to improve nutrition for residents who use the Senior Services Department’s existing meals program.

The program was created in memory of Gertrude Lenahan, a former meal recipient, and will enable the Human Resource Center to purchase produce for meals and home delivery. Seniors who participate in the town’s program will also be taken to farm stands and given “Gert’s Green Bucks” coupons to buy their own fruits and vegetables.

CAST will also allocate some funding to provide fresh produce for others in need, including families of the North Fork Parent-Child Home Program.

cmurray@timesreview.com

Sister Margaret Smyth of the North Fork Spanish Apostolate (center) with Estabon, 16, and Pedro, 14, and their mother Marta Tuesday afternoon. (Credit: Carrie Miller)

A misty Independence Day morning rekindled hope for a Riverhead family that was reunited for the first time in 11 years.

“I’m so happy,” said Marta, a Guatemalan immigrant who did not give her last name, in describing that morning. “Everything is different now.” 

Her two sons, Estabon, 16, and Pedro, 14, were alive and well after completing a dangerous trip from Guatemala to Riverhead — without the helping hands of their parents.

The boys are just two of the thousands of young immigrants known as “border children,” who have been arriving unaccompanied at Mexico’s border, having fled their violence-plagued homelands in Central America.

Though the family remains reunited for now, the journey isn’t over, as immigration policy will determine whether they may stay united or will see their family split once more.

Over the past month, Sister Margaret Smyth of the North Fork Spanish Apostolate, who acted as a translator for the family during interviews on Tuesday, said she has been helping dozens of immigrant families on the North Fork who hope to be reunited with their children. Her duties include helping families file their fingerprints with the U.S. government and complete the necessary immigration paperwork, which consists of 12 pages per child.

“This is traumatic for these children,” Sister Margaret said of the long passage from Central America to the U.S., adding that she has helped about a dozen families reunite with unaccompanied children — some as young as 2 years old — within the past month. “Every one of them has a different experience.”

The children who survive the journey across the border but are intercepted by immigration officials are sent to shelters and centers nationwide. Estabon and Pedro were first cared for in California.

The boys said it took about a month for them to reach the U.S. During their time in California, they were shuttled among three different shelters within 19 days before their paperwork was processed and they were flown east to connect with their parents.

They realize, however, their newfound togetherness may be only temporary.

During a press address on July 9 in Dallas, Texas, where many such children are being sheltered, President Barack Obama warned parents across Central America not to send their kids northward.

“While we intend to do the right thing by these children, their parents need to know that this is an incredibly dangerous situation and it is unlikely that their children will be able to stay,” Mr. Obama said. “And I’ve asked parents across Central America not to put their children in harm’s way in this fashion.” 

STEVE ROSSIN PHOTO | LIRR riders board an eastbound train out of Riverhead about 1:30 p.m. last week.

Long Island Rail Road unions and officials with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority have reportedly come to tentative terms amid contract negotiations, averting a strike.

Leaders with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers informed its members on its website that “A strike has been averted! A tentative agreement has been reached.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted that “we have settled a four-year dispute” between the MTA and LIRR.

“We have settled a four-year dispute” between @MTA and @LIRR to avert strike. Watch: http://t.co/vV7rQgdxWa #LIRR

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) July 17, 2014

The governor, with union leaders beside him, announced the deal at a press conference Thursday at 1:15 p.m.

Hampton Jitney owner Geoff Lynch had planned on offering increased bus ridership for LIRR users if a strike occurred.

MTA officials said last year an average of 121 people ride the rails between Greenport and Ronkonkoma on any given weekday.

Watch a live stream of Gov. Cuomo’s statement below:

Paul Stoutenburgh once wrote in his ‘Focus on Nature’ column that standing beneath the Great Arches of Utah made him feel ‘humble and proud of this great country of ours.’

For those who never visited the East End of Long Island half a century ago, imagine two arms of verdant rolling hills jutting into the Atlantic, embracing islands, inlets and marshes teeming with crabs, clams, fish and birds. At least that’s the East End local wildlife expert Paul Stoutenburgh described when he began writing his weekly newspaper column, “Focus on Nature,” for The Suffolk Times and Riverhead News-Review. 

The sugar sand beaches of the Hamptons and striped bass fishing at Montauk. The creeks and bays of the Peconics and the rocky shores of Long Island Sound. Paul wrote about it all, week in and week out. When he retired from writing the column three years back, I got talking to him and his wife, Barbara, about how “Focus on Nature” could live on. I had always been a Focus fan while living on the East Coast but had lost track after 20 years in California. The discussions with the Stoutenburghs upon Paul’s retirement got me reading again, columns from the 1960s and ’70s, as well as those I used to enjoy in the years I lived there. I came to realize just what an amazing resource they are.

• See also: The ‘Focus on Nature’ archives

For East End locals, “Focus on Nature” was like a weekly visit from a longtime friend, due in large part to Paul’s wonderful use of simple words and short sentences. At the same time, his chummy prose eases the reader into some pretty complex discussions of the East End’s uniquely rich marine and coastal environments. He spoke authoritatively on such subjects, not just because he studied them but because he lived them. He grew up spearing eels through creek ice in the winter and cooking lobsters in coffee cans while camping out on the beaches of Long Island Sound. He crabbed, clammed and fished for everything even remotely edible, chronicling it all along the way. We often wondered, jokingly, if Paul had a recipe for filet of pinecone, such was his immersion in and appreciation of all the wonders of the East End’s environs.

His older columns speak matter-of-factly of species of crabs and fish that have long since disappeared from East End waters, while some more recent columns talk of the reappearance of some of those species: like the fall and rise of the osprey due to the use and subsequent ban of the pesticide DDT. Taken in whole, the “Focus on Nature” archive is a heart-warming walk down memory lane and real-time study of nature’s response, over 50 very dynamic years, to the radically changing landscapes of the East End.

The more I read, the more I realized “Focus on Nature” was much more than a local weekly column. It was also a snapshot of the natural history of some of the East Coast’s most treasured ecosystems.

So I began the process of turning the hundreds of bound volumes of “Focus on Nature” columns that Barbara kept in the family basement into an electronic archive that could be searched online. I undertook construction of the “Focus on Nature” archive in large measure out of appreciation for Paul’s efforts to preserve Long Island’s East End, where I spent my youth.

Now that Paul has died, please take a moment to check out “Focus on Nature.” Read some of the archived articles and see why Paul dedicated his life to protecting the natural resources of the East End.

Maybe in doing so we will all be inspired do a little more to protect those resources, now that Paul is no longer here to do so himself.

See more photos from ‘Focus on Nature’ columns: 

The 12th annual Timothy J. Casey Memorial three on three basketball tournament will take place in the air conditioned Mattituck High School gym Saturday at 11 a.m. 

There are four divisions from high school to open, and the team fee is $60. Past winners included Ken Atkinson, assistant coach of the Atlanta Hawks, and Long Island 2,000-point stars scorers Rob Hodgson of William Floyd and Ryan Creighton of Greenport.

Players may register on the day of the tournament. For further information, call 298-5043.

Here are some of today’s top stories across the North Fork. To stay on top of local news, follow The Suffolk Times on Facebook.