United Riverhead Terminal in Northville plans to convert two of the existing petroleum tanks on its property to gasoline storage tanks. (Credit: Tim Gannon)

The United Riverhead Terminal is located in the hamlet of Northville on a bluff overlooking Long Island Sound. Nearby are a Riverhead Town beach, farm fields, vineyards, the newly acquired county park at the preserve and the long-established residential community of Northville Beach, which pre-dates the terminal. In the 1950s, many of those residents or their families — mine included — vehemently opposed allowing the terminal. It reputedly got through in a shady deal involving some greedy politicians. There was no zoning plan back then, but now there is — and it is apparently being mendaciously ignored as the terminal is smack in the middle of a residential zone. United Riverhead Terminal, Inc. seeks to expand its sleepy, nonconforming operation as a home heating oil depot into an active gasoline and ethanol storage, mixing and distribution center.

Its billionaire owner, John Catsimatidis, whose oceanfront home in East Quogue enjoys an unsullied view and ambience, seems to have no interest in protecting the environment of the North Fork. Aside from the troubling issue of the mixing and storage of the volatile fuels ethanol and gasoline so close to a residential community, all Suffolk County residents should be concerned about the planned distribution of this gasoline.

United Riverhead Terminal, Inc. provided the town with a hastily prepared traffic study replete with errors and omissions. Even they concede the roads adjacent to the terminal are unsuitable due to the nature of the turns that must be made by these immense gasoline tanker trucks, which weigh 80,000 pounds and carry as much as 9,000 gallons of flammable gasoline. But beyond Northville, there is a greater issue of concern for all residents of the East End: The proponents have no idea how to get these trucks safely through the Town of Riverhead. On the fly, apparently playing a reality game of Chutes and Ladders, they toss out West Lane, Northville Turnpike, Edwards Avenue and maybe even right through the very busy Route 58 corridor.

The original suggestion that this proposal was motivated by a public clamor for gasoline after Superstorm Sandy has been revealed to be a subterfuge. The gas shortage problems post-Sandy were not due to a lack of gasoline, but rather a lack of electricity to pump the gasoline. Generators have proven to be the answer. This expansion of the United Riverhead Terminal is not about public service; it is about Mr. Catsimatidis’ bid to become the Gasoline Gatsby of Long Island and beyond. Note his recent acquisition of Hess. We wish him well, but not at the expense of the Town of Riverhead, the County of Suffolk and our precious resource, the North Fork.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation, the state entity charged with protecting the environment, without any significant environmental review, seems to have agreed to look the other way. And on Oct. 7 — based solely on materials provided, not surprisingly, by the applicant, United Riverhead Terminal, Inc. — the Riverhead Town Board unanimously resolved that this project needed no environmental impact study. Really? Anyone who has dealt with the town on a site plan change knows it is never that easy, nor should it be. We urge the Town Board to prioritize the protection of what makes Riverhead and the North Fork so desirable to residents and visitors. Protect our environment! Preserve our way of life! This project is wrong for Riverhead.

Kathleen McGraw and Thomas Hughes are both retired. Ms. McGraw was an administrative law judge for Social Security. Mr. Hughes, formerly a morning anchor on All News radio in Atlanta, is now a writer. Ms. McGraw owns a home on Sound Shore Road that previously belonged to her mother.

The 180-foot Bounty in an undated photo. (Courtesy photo)

A Maine insurance company has filed a federal lawsuit against the owners of the sailing ship Bounty, claiming they misrepresented the “unseaworthy” condition of the vessel and recklessly chose to sail it into the path of Hurricane Sandy, where it ultimately sank off the coast of North Carolina, killing two people. 

The insurance company is seeking $5.1 million from HMS Bounty Organization LLC and Robert Hansen, the amount the insurance company claims to have paid out to cover the loss of the ship, as well as legal expenses related to lawsuits filed by one victim’s family.

The Bounty had made numerous appearances at Greenport’s Tall Ships Festival and listed the village as its home port.

• See also: A captain ‘reckless’ at the helm

In legal papers filed last Thursday, Acadia Insurance Company claims the insurance contract the HMS Bounty Organization had signed for the ship should be voided by a district court judge because the group had not disclosed the extent of rot that was plaguing the vessel’s hull.

“Bounty’s hull lacked watertight integrity and leaked constantly,” the lawsuit claims, noting the insurance company found 19 “deficiencies” it requested the organization fix to improve the ship.

Acadia claims Bounty’s owners didn’t make those repairs because they didn’t want to spend the money.

The owners also didn’t tell their insurance company the boat was in violation of “federal statutes and [U.S. Coast Guard] regulations” — a ruling they were appealing at the time of the insurance policy renewal, according to the lawsuit.

The suit goes on to claim that before Bounty sank, the ship was in dry-dock yet the owners “deliberately delayed” having the ship inspected by the insurance company in order to hide its “true condition, particularly the rotted frames and hull planks.”

Acadia claims it was never told about the rot in the ship’s hull, of which only 35 percent had been repaired at the time of the boat’s sinking.

Attorneys have not yet been listed for HMS Bounty Organization or Mr. Hansen.

Neither the group — which shut down its website following the sinking on Oct. 29, 2012 — nor Mr. Hansen could be reached for comment.

In February, a report by the National Transportation Safety Board found that the Bounty likely sank during Hurricane Sandy because of its captain’s “reckless decision” to sail into the path of the storm with an inexperienced crew. The federal report also concluded that Bounty’s owners “did nothing” to convince the ship’s captain to change course away from the harsh storm.

Of the 16 people aboard the sailing ship at the time of the sinking, three were seriously injured, one was killed and the captain went missing at sea. His body was never recovered.

Acadia is seeking to regain $4 million that was paid out under the ship’s hull insurance policy and another $100,000 that was paid out to compensate loss of earnings. Acadia had also paid out a $1 million advance to cover the Bounty’s legal fees in the suit involving a dead sailor’s family.

If the contract is voided by the courts, Acadia has vowed to return the ship owner’s insurance payments made in the year before the sinking.

Acadia’s attorney, Julia Moore of the New York City firm McLaughlin & Stern, declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying she prefers to have the court filings “speak for themselves.”

psquire@timesreview.com

Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa spoke for more than 90 minutes with members of the Greenport community Tuesday evening. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa met with a crowd of more than 40 local residents inside a classroom at St. Agnes R.C. Church in Greenport Tuesday.

During the more than 90-minute meeting he said his organization will again be patrolling the streets of Greenport. He also emphasized the importance of having a presence in the schools and deterring the youth from joining gangs.

You can listen to an audio recording of the meeting by clicking on the link below.

The first performance of ‘Godspell’ is scheduled for Friday at the Jamesport Meeting House. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

Riverhead Faculty and Community Theater will present the Stephen Schwartz musical “Godspell” for two weekends at the Jamesport Meeting House.

Performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Nov. 14, 15, 21 and 22, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16. The production is directed and choreographed by Anita Boyer and produced by Jan McKenna and Glenn Abramowitz.

The cast includes Mr. Abramowitz, Linda Aydinian, Heather Cusack, Julie Crowley, Manning Dandridge, Nancy DiGirolamo, Patti Hautsch, John Hudson, Peter Nolan, Fred Nydegger and Patrick O’Brien.

The musical, based on parables from the New Testament, was conceived by John-Michael Tebelak and first opened on Broadway in 1971. It features updated lyrics by Mr. Schwartz. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. To reserve, call 987-7209 or go to brownpapertickets.com/event/884564.

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A view of Mattituck Inlet (Credit: Carrie Miller, file)

While lawmakers have proposed legislation to deal with deteriorating water quality such as mandating the use of costly wastewater treatment systems, one East End legislator has an idea for how to go about paying for such initiatives.

Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor) has proposed using a portion of monies raised in the Community Preservation Fund, a law passed 16 years ago which taxes real estate transfers on the first East End towns.

Revenue from the CPF has been devoted strictly to open space purchases, protecting land from development in the towns.

But Mr. Thiele — the same lawmaker who sponsored the original CPF legislation — said it is time to use some of that money for water treatment systems and other clean water projects.

“The perception and hope was that if we preserved the land, that would also protect the water,” Mr. Thiele said. “That didn’t turn out to be true.”

His plan calls for both extending the CPF law’s time frame — originally planned to sunset in 2030 — for another 20 years, and dedicating about 10 percent of those monies to water quality efforts.

“Up to 10 percent is the number we are looking at now. This is a concept at the moment and we are still trying to reach a consensus,” he said. “Caps on how much gets spent is still going to be up to each local government. I think the program works well because there is a lot of local flexibility and we don’t want to get in the way of that.”

Also known as the “2-percent fund,” the CPF is financed by a 2-percent tax buyers pay on real estate deals, with a certain amount of the sale price exempted from the tax (either $150,000 or $250,000 depending on the town, and first-time homebuyers in all five towns beside Riverhead get exemptions) . Once collected, the tax then goes into each individual town’s CPF fund and is spent to buy and maintain open space parcels.

The law has brought in about $1 billion across the region since it was enacted, Mr. Thiele said.

“If we did nothing between now and 2030, we’ll have $1.2 billion more over the next 16 years for land acquisition,” Mr. Thiele said, noting his estimate is on the conservative side.

“Adding the 20 years, we’ll still have money for land acquisition,” Mr. Thiele said.

Mr. Thiele noted his plan is still in the drafting process, as he is reaching out to government, civic and business leaders, as well as environmental groups within the five towns for input.

Riverhead Town Supervisor Sean Walter called Mr. Thiele’s grand scheme “a great idea,” but noted that for Riverhead, using CPF funding is not really an option.

The town is currently paying debt service incurred after borrowing against anticipated CPF revenues to fund a number of open space purchases. The idea at the time was to purchase land before it was developed. However, home sales have not kept pace with what was expected at the time, leaving Riverhead in a place where it could be forced to pay CPF debt from its general fund in as soon as five years if sales don’t pick up.

Mr. Walter said he hopes Mr. Thiele’s legislation will include an option for the municipality to refinance its loans on CPF purchases through the state Environment Facilities Corporation, in hopes of getting that debt payments down over the course of the 20-year extension.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said he believes it would be “difficult to ask people to pay a tax when you have not identified specifically how that money is going to be spent.”

Bill Toedter, president of the North Fork Environmental Council said Mr. Thiele’s legislation could be beneficial so long as it is written appropriately.

“How can we take something that’s been successful and make it do more?” he said. “From our point of view, you hate to see funds drawn down from a successful program and used in other ways.”

He noted the “recent raids” by the county on the Drinking Water Protection Fund.

“That was a wonderful program that over the years has gotten watered down by the county taking salaries out of it and balancing the budget,” he said. “We have to be very protective and very cautious as to what those funds will be used for so we don’t run into those same problems.”

He said the idea “isn’t going to be an easy sell and it is not going to be an easy piece of legislation to craft. However it is needed.”

Any changes in the bill would require a voter referendum.

With Ambrose Clancy

Here is the Suffolk Times Service Directory for Nov. 13, 2014. If you are interested in placing an ad, please call Karen, 631-354-8029 or email kcullen@timesreview.com.

Suffolk Times Service Directory: Nov. 13, 2014

Here are the classifieds for Nov. 13, 2014. If you are interested in placing an ad, please call Karen, 631-354-8029 or email kcullen@timesreview.com.

Times Review classifieds: Nov. 13, 2014

The MHS Tuckers have had an awesome season! The boys’ soccer team and girls’ volleyball team will travel to Middletown and Glens Falls to compete in the state championship. Go! Go! Go, Tuckers! It was a beautiful autumn weekend for our Long Island champion MHS girls’ cross country team to compete at SUNY/Canton. The girls’ tennis team won its league championship and the golf team won the league qualifying county tournament, earning a position in the county championships in the spring. Congratulations, Tuckers, on a season well done!

The ‘white coat’ ceremony at Concordia University in Wisconsin is normally a moving moment. But it was even more so recently, when Doctor of Pharmacy candidate Jessica Surozenski, Class of 2018, was “coated” by a family member also in the profession — her mother, Ginny Surozenski. Jessica’s father, Jerry, must have been overflowing with pride! Congratulations and God bless!

Our Lady of Mercy Regional School invites you to its fall fashion show, “The Way You Look Tonight,” next Thursday, Nov. 20, 6 to 9 p.m. at The Vineyards in Aquebogue. Tickets are $50, which includes the show, with fashions from local boutiques such as Mint, plus dinner, music and an auction. There will be a cash bar. Reserve tickets at Bauer’s on Love Lane in Mattituck. For more information, call 734-5166.

Over 100 gorgeous baskets and great gift certificates will be featured at First Presbyterian Church of Southold’s chinese auction and bake sale this Saturday, Nov. 15. Viewing and bidding run from noon to 2 p.m. and the drawing is at 2:15. There will be free cider and cookies and fresh baked goods for sale, as well as frozen unbaked apple pies and frozen pecan and pumpkin pies for $15 each. Pies may be pre-ordered by calling Karen Danzer at 765-1530. Proceeds benefit youth mission trips and Mission to Heal, local and international.

Poetry for Peace encourages an appreciation of poetry and promotes peace and harmony in our world. Published poets Vivian Eyre, Billy Hands and LB Thompson judged all submissions and selected the following winners: Mila Kruk and Kate Oliver from Our Lady of Mercy, Michael Garrett and Ryan Palumbo from Cutchogue East Elementary School and Thomas Haley from Oysterponds. This event is co-sponsored by North Fork Reform Synagogue and Congregation Tifereth Israel.

The North Fork Christmas Show House and Holiday Emporium at Cutchogue Presbyterian Church kicks off Friday, Nov. 28, and runs Friday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Dec. 14. The church manse will be full of holiday splendor and filled with North Fork vendors to make this a one-stop holiday shopping experience! Admission is $10. Proceeds will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project and local families in need.

Meet physical therapist Maria Gerlich, co-owner of New York Physical Therapy, at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, at Mattituck-Laurel Library for a lecture on “Balance, Bones and Healthy Back: Preventing Falls, Fractures and Back Pain.” Learn how balance works; when, where and how falls occur; and how to prevent them. This program is sponsored by North Fork Reform Synagogue.

First Universalist Unitarian Church of Southold’s teen youth group members Sam Shaffrey, Vivienne Glasser, Gwyn Foley, Ethan Sisson, John Batuello, Thomas Spackman, Ashley Alexander and Connor Morrison have learned to better understand service and homelessness under the mentorship of Regan Batuello and Mark Sisson. The group volunteers with the UU Fellowship and Maureen’s Haven to provide breakfast for the homeless. Motivated by the knowledge that more and more people use our public bus system — often in bad weather — they also put their empathy to work by establishing Project Bus Stop, with the mission of persuading local businesses and governments to provide bus shelters along Main Road. They will demonstrate Nov. 28 on Main Road by Mattituck Plaza. If you’re driving by, I’m sure they’d love your support.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it brings an early deadline for my next column. Please get any information to me by Thursday, Nov 20.

Contact Cutchogue-New Suffolk columnist Barbara Sheryll at bsheryll@optonline.net or 734-5242.

To the editor:

Phyllis Lombardi was the cheerful writer of thoughtful, observant columns in this paper. 

Her kindness toward people and her appreciation for our local blessings were a reading treat.

Who could have guessed she contended with a long and painful illness but still brought cheer into the lives of others? What a splendid example she set.

Sylvia Eisenstadt Pafenyk, Southold

Brandon Boardman (at piano) and his teacher, Billy Johnson, perform at the Long Island Music Hall of Fame Gala on Oct. 23. Mr. Boardman, a Riverhead resident who has Asperger’s syndrome, received a standing ovation following the performance. (Credit: Long Island Music Hall of Fame photos)

You won’t see Brandon Boardman using sheet music when he plays piano. That’s because the 20-year-old Riverhead musician can bang out an entire tune — mistake-free — after hearing it just once.

Mr. Boardman, who has Asperger Syndrome, was one of just a handful of performers to receive a standing ovation during last month’s Long Island Music Hall of Fame Gala at The Paramount in Huntington. He received his after playing three versions of “Over the Rainbow.”

His mother, Patricia, knew how special the event was going to be. There would be a red carpet. He’d have to get his first tuxedo.

When asked during an interview last week about the source of his success, Mr. Boardman recited advice from his great-grandmother, Patricia L. Boardman, who helped raise him.

“Just be the best that you can be,” he said.

As for his latest performance, Mr. Boardman said he’s enjoying the spotlight.

“I was excited because I know that’s how it’s going to be when I’m famous,” he said.

Jim Faith, a founder of the nonprofit Long Island Music Hall of Fame, which provides support for young musicians and works to showcase the region’s talent and music history, said he invited Mr. Boardman to perform after learning of his talent from East End Arts executive director Pat Snyder.

“I listened to him and he was brilliant,” Mr. Faith said. “He was a pleasure to work with and very professional. We look forward to being involved with Brandon in the future.”

Mr. Boardman, who graduated from Riverhead High School in 2012, is the principal pianist and choir director at Goodwill AME Zion Church in Riverhead.

He currently studies music at Suffolk County Community College and learned he would play piano for the school’s Ammerman Jazz Ensemble the same day he tried out. He’s also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and is on the dean’s list.

Music runs in Mr. Boardman’s family. His grandfather, Ralph W. Boardman, was also a jazz musician, who played saxophone, keyboard, drums and piano. Mr. Boardman’s great-grandfather, Ralph O. Boardman, was a jazz musician in the U.S. Army and played with Nat King Cole at the Apollo.

In addition to Cole, Mr. Boardman said his other favorite musicians are Thelonious Monk and Chick Corea, mainly because he likes what he described as a sort of burst of music that occurs during their songs.

“I like all of the energy in their music,” Mr. Boardman said. “Especially in the runs that they do. It’s a very fast scale.” 

Albino Dejesus Medina is led into Southold Town Court Thursday morning. (Credit: Carrie Miller)

Southold Town police arrested a fifth person in connection with an Oct. 14 gang shooting in Southold. 

Albino Dejesus Medina, 20, of Bay Shore was charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal possession of a weapon, police said. Police said Mr. Medina is a member of the MS-13 street gang.

Mr. Medina was taken into custody with the assistance of U.S. Marshals, the NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Riverhead police. He was brought into Southold Town Court for arraignment Thursday morning. He requested a lawyer and the arraignment was pushed back to Friday.

At an arraignment for three of the original men arrested for the shooting last month, prosecutors had noted a fifth man was still being sought in the attack.

The first four men arrested were: Pedro Emilio Santamaria, 31 of Greenport; Jeremias Nathanael Recinos Torres, 19, of Aquebogue; Freddie Fernando Torres Campos, 16, of Southold and Walter Vasquez, 17, of Greenport, who all allegedly took part in an attack that left two men shot. They’ve all been indicted and arraigned on violent felony charges of assault and gang assault.

One of those men was shot multiple and also slashed with a machete. One of the alleged assailants, Mr. Vasquez, was also shot by friendly fire, police have said.

• See also: Gang activity continues to mover farther east, police say
• See also: Despite gun violence, no local shooting data available

Pastor Tom MacLeod of the newly formed North Fork United Methodist Church previously served as pastor at Sag Harbor United Methodist Church, where he also led efforts to sell the congregation’s old building to construct a new church. (Credit: Cyndi Murray)

The Cutchogue United Methodist Church building is for sale.

The historic Main Road structure, built in 1927, went on the market last week as part of an ongoing plan to consolidate Methodist congregations in Southold and Cutchogue and construct a new church elsewhere in Southold Town, Pastor Tom MacLeod said.

Related: Sacred spaces headed to market

In June, church officials closed Southold United Methodist Church and put it up for sale, citing declining membership and ever-increasing maintenance costs. In the months since, the Southold and Cutchogue congregations have been worshiping together in Cutchogue under the name North Fork United Methodist Church.

The Cutchogue church will remain open until a buyer is found.

“There has been a grief issue,” the Rev. MacLeod said. “These buildings mean a lot to many people and they have served the community for years. But more than that, there is a renewed sense of excitement. We are a bigger church now than we were before the merger. A lot of the older members want to move into a new building. They see the vision and are looking forward to moving toward it.”

Since the two Methodist congregations got together, there has been a steady uptick in membership and a renewed sense of commitment to the church among parishioners, the Rev. MacLeod said, pointing to a recent church dinner that raised more than $6,000 for local families in need.

Moreover, it was an “easy event,” he said, thanks to the helping hands of the congregation’s 60 regular members.

“We are stronger with more people,” the Rev. MacLeod said. “Almost everyone from Southold came to Cutchogue. With this bigger congregation, there is a great sense of community. That allows us to do more.”

The Southold church bulding is currently listed for $1.6 million. And while it has received some interest from potential buyers, no one has made an offer. The Cutchogue church is priced at $990,000. The parsonage building, across the street, is priced separately at $599,000.

“The building is in excellent condition and hopefully can continue to serve the community,” said agent Dougall Fraser of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty in Cutchogue. “There is a lot of potential for the building, whether it becomes a wine tasting room or a gallery for artists, perhaps even something like a restaurant.

“Or, some of these types of buildings have been turned into beautiful homes,” he continued. “There are a variety of options of people to sell to.”

The Rev. MacLeod and his congregation plan to use the proceeds from the eventual sales of both church properties to fund construction of a new church somewhere on Route 48 between the Riverhead Town line and Orient.

“When the Methodist Church was first founded, the idea was to build churches every three-and-a-half to five miles apart,” he said. “Those were the days of horse and buggies. Methodists represented 20 percent of the population then. It made the churches commutable and they were full of people. Today, Methodists make up 2.2 percent of the population and we can travel more than five miles to worship.”

The Rev. MacLeod, who began ministering in Cutchogue in July, previously served as pastor at Sag Harbor United Methodist Church, where he successfully led a similar overhaul.

To rescue that ailing congregation, he and other church leaders devised a plan to sell the aging Sag Harbor building, which would otherwise have required at least $1 million worth of repairs. Denis Suskind, a former Southampton Town councilman and onetime partner at Goldman Sachs, purchased the property in 2008 for nearly $3 million.

The sale generated enough money to build a new church and create a savings account for the Sag Harbor congregation’s future, the Rev. MacLeod said.

In April 2013, the former Sag Harbor church building changed hands again. Sloan Schaffer, an art collector and gallery owner with homes in Los Angeles and Florida, purchased the property intending to transform it into a single-family home for himself, according to a Sag Harbor Express article.

The Rev. MacLeod and other North Fork United Methodist Church leaders hope any buyers in Southold or Cutchogue will preserve the buildings as best they can while re-purposing them.

But they recognize that finding a buyer with those goals could be challenging.

“It is a tough market,” the Rev. MacLeod said. “Whoever bought the church would also have [to have] a big vision on how to re-purpose the building.“

Methodists are not the only North Fork denomination that has suffered from declining membership. Sacred Heart Church in Cutchogue was expected to be put on the market earlier this year after the Diocese of Rockville Centre found that repairs needed to bring the post-and-beam structure up to current safety standards would cost around $2 million.

Anticipating a need to protect historic churches while keeping them commercially viable, the Southold Town Board is preparing to unveil new legislation next week, Supervisor Scott Russell said Tuesday.

The draft legislation would allow buyers to apply for special exceptions in the code that allow new town-approved adaptive re-uses for church buildings.

cmurray@timesreview.com

“Before the harvest, when you walked the vineyard and saw the cluster count, you realized, ‘oh man, we’re going to be having a good year,” said Miguel Martin, Palmer Vineyards winemaker.

Mr. Martin isn’t the only one reporting huge grape yields this season, after a dry summer this year and fine growing conditions last season as well.

See how the North Fork’s 2014 grape season is shaping up on northforker.com.

Mattituck middle hitter Emilie Reimer led the Tuckers to a Long Island championship win over East Rockaway Sunday. (Credit: Garret Meade)

Emilie Reimer’s eyes lit up. The look on her face after she drives another volleyball to the floor and celebrates with her teammates is one of unrestrained joy. Reimer obviously loves what she does, and when someone plays like she does, what’s not to love?

Reimer is the best Mattituck High School volleyball player I have seen since I started covering the team in the mid-1990s.

Wait a minute, that would be shortchanging her. Reimer is possibly the best player I have seen from any of the six high schools in our coverage area. I would rank her up there with Amy Greene, the current Riverhead coach who was known as Amy Bullock when she spiked balls for the Blue Waves.

Reimer is an exceptional middle hitter. She can hit the ball with force, accuracy and consistency. She places shots all over the court, making her a nightmare to block. Her technique is spot on.

As Tuckers coach Frank Massa said, all one has to do is listen to the sound made by one of Reimer’s hits to know who struck the ball.

What may be most impressive of all has nothing to do with what Reimer does when she is on the front line. The senior’s hitting doesn’t stop when the rotation takes her to the back row. Carly Doorhy, the junior setter, has a knack for putting the ball up just where Reimer likes it, and then Reimer smashes it.

And then there is the other impressive thing about Reimer. As outstanding a hitter as she is, that is not all she does. She is a genuine all-around player, who can block, dig, pass, serve. You name it.

After Mattituck’s recent 25-21, 25-18, 25-20 victory over East Rockaway in the Long Island Class C regional final on Sunday, Massa marveled that Reimer “had five digs out there that I don’t think anybody else on the team gets to.”

What Reimer does best is finish points, something the Tuckers have struggled to do in years past. When it comes to the playoffs, finishing points becomes more important than ever. In the postseason, teams are less likely to make unforced errors, and points must be earned the John Houseman way.

It is true that volleyball is a team game, maybe even more so than any other team sport. The six players on the court are linked together, as if connected to the same rope. There is no place on the small court to hide a weak player. Each player’s performance has an affect on the play of her teammates.

A standout hitter alone is not enough. Without a good setter, a hitter is essentially an ornament. The hitter needs a good set. The setter needs a good pass. It’s all connected.

Having said that, where would the Tuckers be without Reimer? They would be a very different team, to be sure.

The Tuckers make full use of Reimer, and it’s a good thing for them that they do. She is the biggest reason why they will be heading up to Glens Falls for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Championships this weekend. It will be the Tuckers’ fourth appearance in the state semifinal pool in five years.

In Mattituck’s three playoff matches, Reimer has knocked down 75 of the team’s 84 kills, an astounding figure. For the record, she also has 7 blocks, 7 dinks, 3 assists, 2 service aces and is a perfect 38 of 38 from the service line.

Her move from outside hitter to middle hitter this season has been a success, one could say.

Reimer also deserves points for honesty. Asked after Sunday’s match at SUNY/Old Westbury what she thought before the season about Mattituck’s chances of returning to Glens Falls, she answered: “To be honest, I didn’t think we were going to do it. I doubted the team, I doubted myself, but I grew a lot, I feel.”

And so did the team, which now embarks on one last journey in the hope of cracking a barrier with Mattituck’s first win in a state semifinal. The Tuckers have a career 0-18 record in state semifinal games. As the cliché goes, from here on in, it’s all gravy.

“I’m so happy for the girls, the parents and the school,” Massa said. “Everybody gets to celebrate and play another week.”

Bob Liepa is the sports editor of the Suffolk Times. He can be reached at bliepa@timesreview.com.

Trish Brisotti signed on to accept an athletic scholarship from LIU Post. Joining her in the signing ceremony were, from left, Mattituck athletic director Gregg Wormuth, former Tuckers coach Julie Milliman, and Brisotti’s parents Kerry and David. (Credit: Garret Meade)

Before Trish Brisotti was even a full day old, she already owned her own lacrosse stick, a small plastic one that she still has.

“It was a tradition in my family that when you’re born, you’re presented with your first lacrosse stick,” Brisotti said. “It’s kind of weird.”

If Brisotti’s athletic future was mapped out way back then, one could assume that she really had no choice but to make LIU Post her college of choice. After all, as Brisotti pointed out, her great-great-grandfather, Albert Brisotti, was the first coach of LIU Post’s men’s lacrosse program.

But as far as her college selection being an open-and-shut matter, that wasn’t the case, said Brisotti. The Mattituck High School senior had also given consideration to Monmouth University (N.J.) and Hofstra University.

In the end, though, Brisotti’s choice makes a fitting addition to the family history. She chose LIU Post.

Laughing off the suggestion that she didn’t have much of a choice, Brisotti said: “No, I definitely had a choice. It was the right choice.”

With family, friends and school officials on hand, Brisotti put pen to paper, committing to accept an athletic scholarship from LIU Post on Thursday, the day after National Signing Day. Brisotti, wearing a green, long-sleeve LIU Post lacrosse shirt, received two rounds of applause from friends watching the ceremony at the Mattituck High School library.

Brisotti, a two-time all-division midfielder, had verbally committed to the NCAA Division II school last January. “I knew when I went for my visit that I wanted to go there,” she said. “I could really see myself at Post. I love the school, I love the girls. I love the coach. It’s just all around awesome.”

Brisotti would become the first Mattituck/Greenport/Southold player to play at the Division II level, according to school officials.

“I saw this happening in her future,” former Tuckers coach Julie Milliman said. “You kind of saw the raw talent and the athleticism, and if I had to pick a girl who I thought would be playing at the next level, it would be Trish.”

Milliman continued: “She’s the best. She’s one of those athletes that every coach wants to have on their team. At the end of the game, you want the ball on her stick, and you know that she’ll make something happen.”

Brisotti will be joining a strong LIU Post team. Last year the Pioneers went 18-2, losing to Adelphi University in an NCAA semifinal.

“I’m so thankful that I’m able to keep playing after high school, especially at a place like Post,” she said. “They have such a great program.”

Known for her speed, a good shot and relentlessness in pursuit of the ball, Brisotti was instrumental in the Tuckers’ rise to the first playoff game last season in the team’s five-year history. A loss to Shoreham-Wading River in a Suffolk County Class C Tournament outbracket game left the Tuckers with a 9-7 record and their first winning season.

Brisotti, who has played on the varsity team since she was a freshman, was a big part of the team’s improvement over the years, said Milliman.

“We used to be really, really bad, and you know she was in a wave of real lacrosse players that really took the Mattituck program somewhere,” said Milliman, adding: “She worked really hard for it. She’d stay after practice and she’d be shooting on the goal. I’d be leaving and she’d still be out there practicing on her own. … Every day she wanted to leave practice as a better player than she was the day before, and that was all on her. She took the initiative.”

Mattituck’s athletic director, Gregg Wormuth, who joined in the ceremony along with Brisotti’s parents, Kerry and David, said Brisotti has drive and speed that never fails. “She will be as fast as [the opposing team’s] fastest person or faster,” he said. “She’s self-motivated to do better and play harder than everybody else on that field.”

Brisotti said her enthusiasm for lacrosse, which she took up as a third grader, remains intact.

“I just love everything about the sport, and it’s just such a close community, the lacrosse community, so I just really cherish the friendships that I’ve gotten out of it from being on travel teams and things like that,” she said. “It’s always been a part of my life so I don’t really know anything different.”

Asked how accepting a scholarship ranks among her lacrosse achievements, she answered, “Oh, this is the best, by far.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

The air is crisp, the afternoons are darker and all the stores are decked out for Christmas. It must be mid-November — tongue in cheek! As we enter the holiday season, remember that not everyone is feeling festive. Remember those in our community who have suffered a loss. For me, I send warm thoughts to Ronan Guyer’s family on Nov. 14, the second anniversary of his passing.

Birthdays abound this column! Tony Tondo and Adrienne Lintault blow out candles Nov. 14. Joe Pontino, Charlotte Allen and Kai Obinata (turning 14) and Danielle Henry (turning 11) celebrate Nov. 16. On Nov. 17, Isabelle Dimaio will burn 11 candles on the 17th and Chris Conrardy’s day is the 18th. Matt Garms turns 11 Nov. 19 and Tyler Woodhull has his 13th birthday on the 20th. Sarina Kraehling has her second birthday on Nov. 23 and Paul Kraehling’s birthday is the 24th.

Best wishes to Bernie Kettenbeil, recovering at home from major ankle. Looking forward to seeing her soon at ping-pong! From her team.

Don’t forget there are two school fundraisers this Saturday, Nov. 15. The 5K and Fun Run starts promptly at 9 a.m.! Visit the school’s website, southoldufsd.com, for registration forms and times and further information. Stick around after the 5K for the PTA’s “Jump Start the Holidays Gift Fair” from noon to 5 p.m. in the Southold High School gymnasium.

Do you still have leftover Halloween candy that’s haunting you? Donate it to benefit our troops and local food pantries. You can drop it off at Kolb Mechanical in Mattituck or JABS in Cutchogue. If you need further assistance, contact odennellbeth@rocketmail.com. The deadline is this Saturday, Nov. 15.

The Elementary Drama Club will be presenting its musical production of Disney’s “Aladdin Kids” on Friday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 22, at 3 p.m. in the district auditorium. Tickets are $5 at the door. If you’d like to help support the club by placing an advertisement or booster in the program, see any cast member or contact Kelli Baumann at kbaumann@southoldufsd.com.

The Southold High School robotics team will host a pancake breakfast fundraiser at the 631 Diner on Saturday, Nov. 22, from 7:30 to 11 a.m. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at the door or from a robotics team member. Come support this incredible team!

Each year, a young lady and a young man from each Suffolk County high school are chosen for the New York State Health, Physical Education, Recreation Zone Award, which is based on performance in physical education class, scholastic ability, leadership qualities and overall academic performance in all classes. The special students chosen this year by Southold’s school and physical education staff were Leah Baxendale and Tom Messana, who have exhibited excellence in every aspect of the school curriculum. Both will be honored with other recipients Dec. 3 at the Hyatt Regency in Hauppauge. Congratulations also go to Leah for being voted captain of her Lady Islander hockey team.

Congratulations to the October Students of the Month. For the high school, they are Willow Wilcenski, social studies; Lucas Johnson, business education; Gage Bennett, chorus; Glenn Malo, psychology; Heather Koscinch, physical education; and Kyra Panetta, NJROTC. In the middle school, they are Rhian Tramontana, English; Kaitlin Tobin, physical education; and Sean McHugh, chorus.

The deadline changes for my next column due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Content is due to me no later than Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 6 p.m. Have wonderful, memorable days.

Contact Southold columnist Tina Koslosky at SoutholdTina@aol.com or 631-765-2774.

Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa at Tuesday’s community meeting in Greenport. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

The Guardian Angels will not rid the North Fork of gangs. Nor will the Southold Town Police Department or any sort of law enforcement task force.

No elected official will ever put forward a magical piece of legislation that solves the problem, either. And while school administrators can discipline or expel any student they suspect is involved in gang activity, there will always be some element of it in our schools and on our streets. 

This is reality. It has been for some time.

Perhaps the most important part of Tuesday night’s community discussion with Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa in Greenport was the acknowledgement by many in the audience that we do have a gang problem on the North Fork. Is it South Central L.A.? No. But a recent shooting in a quiet neighborhood in town is an all-too-real indication of what lies beneath the surface in town. Unfortunately, too many people are still in denial about that.

While no one person or group will ever completely erase gangs, if representatives from all segments of the community band together, some proactive measures can have a positive effect.

That’s why it was disappointing to notice that several North Fork community leaders were not present at Tuesday’s meeting. The chief of police, the town supervisor, the mayor of Greenport and all four local school superintendents did not show. It was at least good to see several school board members and two elected Greenport officials in the audience. The town, however, was glaringly absent.

It’s not often that so many concerned residents representing different races, ethnicities and interests gather together for a constructive conversation. Setting aside Mr. Sliwa’s unique brand of publicity and politics — the man certainly rubs some people the wrong way — Tuesday’s meeting was the type of frank discussion about society’s flaws that we’re often reluctant to have.

Supervisor Scott Russell said he’s been discussing the gang issue daily with Police Chief Martin Flatley, who he said is coordinating his efforts with District Attorney Thomas Spota and other law enforcement agencies.

“I am quite confident that this approach will be most effective at addressing the issue of gang violence in Southold,” he said.

We’d agree with that statement, but having the town and school administrators present at Tuesday’s meeting to hear from concerned residents and update them on efforts being made would also have been an effective approach.

Our cover story this week states that town and village officials plan to meet with local law enforcement and school officials to discuss the gang problem. Afterward, they’re expected to meet privately with Mr. Sliwa. Perhaps that meeting can be opened to the public.

An opportunity to have all the players in the room was missed Tuesday. Let’s not make that mistake again.

Correction: In the print edition of this story, it incorrectly said certain officials had not been formally invited to the meeting.

The Hermione is scheduled to visit Greenport on July 6. (Credit: Hermione Voyage’s Facebook page)

The Hermione, a handmade replica of French general Marquis de Lafayette’s 18th century frigate, is expected to draw international attention at this summer’s Tall Ships event as it sails its maiden voyage from France to the United States.

And one of ship’s stops this Fourth of July weekend is Greenport.

The Hermione’s original voyage in 1780 represented the pivotal turning point during America’s fight for independence as Lafayette came to Gen. George Washington’s aid during the war with news of French support and troops, according the American Friends of the Hermione-Lafayette, a New York City nonprofit group organizing the Hermione’s tour this summer.

The Hermione is a “145-foot, 32-gun, three-masted frigate,” according to a New York Times article, and was created with “200-year-old methods of boat-building.”

“But the most serious problem by far has been the shortage of mature oak trees, with just the right natural bends in their trunks, needed to form the wishbone-shaped ribs and curved beams and planking of the boat,” the article states. “For authenticity, the builders decided to use only oak from trees in France, and have had to trek through forests as far away as the royal domains of Versailles and Fontainebleau.”

Greenport Business Improvement District president Peter Clarke said Thursday he anticipates the Hermione will make this year’s Tall Ship’s event bigger than the last one held in 2012, which was a two day event over Memorial Day weekend that drew 60,000 people to the village.

This year, Tall Ships will be four days over the Fourth of July weekend, from July 4-7. Hermione will be in Greenport on July 6.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled,” Mr. Clarke said about the Hermione’s visit during the BID’s meeting Thursday. “It gives a level of international exposure to Greenport, as well as an educational opportunity about something that is uniquely historic about the relationship between these two countries.”

Here is the order of Hermione’s visit: Yorktown, Va.; Washington, D.C.; Annapolis, Md.; Baltimore, Md.; Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.; Greenport, N.Y.; Boston, Mass.; and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The Greenport BID watched the following video to see how the Hermione was constructed.

The start of last year’s 5K in Southold. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder, file)

This Saturday you can do some running to stay in shape and help kids stay in shape, too.

The Southold Athletic Association is hosting its annual 5K & Fun Run, which has helped fund a number of health and wellness initiatives within the Southold School District over the past few years. 

Nearly 300 people crossed the finish line at last year’s event, helping to raise enough funding for a new elementary school playground, said Southold gym teacher Peter Salerno.

“I would like to thank all the community members that have participated and have sponsored us over the years. We raised over $40,000 over the past five years, and I don’t know that we would be able to get stuff like this without that support,” Mr. Salerno said. “This is stuff that is a little extraordinary and would be difficult to acquire without the [fundraiser].”

Money raised by past runs has also gone toward four 47-inch television screens, four Wii consoles and 16 remote controls to help keep kids active during recess in the winter months, he said. It has also enabled the school to purchase new climbing equipment.

Saturday’s run starts at Southold Elementary School at 9 a.m.

All runners and walkers must check-in between 7:30 and 8:45 a.m. at the elementary school gymnasium.

“I hope everyone can make it out,” Mr. Salerno said.

All participants are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for donation. To register and get more information visit southoldufsd.net.

cmiller@timesreview.com

Albino Dejesus Medina is led out of Southold Town Court Friday morning. (Credit: Carrie Miller)

The fifth suspect arrested following last month’s shooting — said by police to be gang-related — is being held on $250,000 cash bail, awaiting word of a grand jury incitement.

Albino Dejesus Medina, 20, of Bay Shore was charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal possession of a weapon, police said.

He had been taken into custody Thursday with the assistance of U.S. Marshals, the NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Riverhead police. He was brought into Southold Town Court for arraignment Thursday morning. He requested a lawyer and the arraignment was pushed back to this morning.

During his arraignment Friday morning, Mr. Medina’s attorney said at the time of the incident, Medina had been living on Third Street in Greenport as he had been working on a landscaping project in the area.

Police allege that Mr. Medina is a member of the MS-13 gang, which according to police, carried out a shooting against rival members of Mara 18, a rival gang, in the middle of October. In the wake of the shooting, Southold Police arrested three people the day after the shooting, and a fourth two days after that.

The first four men arrested were: Pedro Emilio Santamaria, 31 of Greenport; Jeremias Nathanael Recinos Torres, 19, of Aquebogue;Freddie Fernando Torres Campos, 16, of Southold and Walter Vasquez, 17, of Greenport, who all allegedly took part in an attack that left two men shot. They’ve all been indicted and arraigned on violent felony charges of assault and gang assault.

One of those men was shot multiple and also slashed with a machete. One of the alleged assailants, Mr. Vasquez, was also shot by friendly fire, police have said.

Mr. Medina is being held on $250,000 cash or $500,000 bond, and is expected back in court Monday.