The wooden posts erected Sunday along New Suffolk Waterfront’s property cuts off some land on which visitors to the hamlet’s business district normally park to shop or eat. Now, if cars were to park in rows alongside one another, they’d be encroaching on First Street. (Credit: Cyndi Murray)

Weeks after the New Suffolk Waterfront Fund’s controversial plan to operate a commercial restaurant on its First Street property was approved by the Southold Town Planning Board, the nonprofit learned this week it will have to submit a revised site plan.

That’s because, on Sunday, the waterfront fund erected wooden posts marking the line of its First Street property in New Suffolk, directly across the street from Legends Restaurant. 

Those posts were quickly noticed by residents and visitors because they prevent drivers from being able to park alongside other cars. In order not to encroach on the street, drivers must now park in a line, bumper-to-bumper, and parallel park, thereby reducing the number of spaces.

The row of wooden posts aren’t depicted in the site plan the Planning Board approved Nov. 17.

“These posts are not in compliance with the approved site plan,” reads a letter signed by Planning Board chairman Donald Wilcenski that is dated Dec. 2. “Changes to the approved site plan require written Planning Board approval. Requests for revision to the approved site plan must be made in writing to the Planning Board for their review.”

The letter asks waterfront fund president Pat McIntyre to schedule an appointment with town planners to address the issue.

“It is going to create a big parking problem and we will get involved,” said Joe Polashock, vice president of the New Suffolk Civic Association.

He said the move is just another example of the waterfront fund’s unwillingness to include the public in discussions about the project.

“We have tried and tried and tried and my forehead is bruised enough,” he said. “We’re getting tired, but we are not going to give up.”

Ms. McIntyre said this week that the group marked off the property line as part of the construction process.

“We have liability issues there,” Ms. McIntyre said. “We don’t need people having accidents on our private property.”

She said the waterfront fund is in talks with the Planning Board and hopes to work with the town to resolve any issues created by the poles.

“It will be resolved soon,” she pledged.

Mr. Polashock said civic association members would discuss the matter during a meeting after the holiday season.

The site plan approved last month calls for the Galley Ho building — which has been vacant more than a decade — to be relocated farther from the shoreline and expanded by 47 square feet. The up-to-66-seat eatery would be situated roughly 75 feet from the water’s edge.

Concerns over parking in the area, which serves as the tiny hamlet’s business district, have been raised time and again by residents and Planning Board officials since the waterfront fund’s project was first publicly discussed in May.

During numerous public hearings on the application, some residents claimed its scope would have a negative impact on the environment and cause parking issues.

They also accused the waterfront fund of a lack of transparency during the site plan application process.

Legends’ owners Diane and Dennis Harkoff, who have spoken out against the project, declined to comment for this story. Another critic, Summer Girl owner Kim Petrie, deferred comment to the civic association.

After the Nov. 17 Planning Board meeting, at which NSWF’s site plan was unanimously approved, Mr. Wilcenski said he hoped the group would work with the town and its neighbors to help alleviate parking issues in the hamlet, though that would likely require additional use of waterfront fund land.

Before approving the application, Mr. Wilcenski told the waterfront fund members in attendance that helping on parking would be “for the good of the New Suffolk community.”

“We have every expectation to help,” replied Barbara Schnitzler, a former waterfront fund chairwoman.

On Monday, before the Planning Board’s letter was mailed, Mr. Wilcenski said the board had received phone calls from residents upset about the poles.

“This is something we’re going to talk to them about,” he said. He declined further comment, saying he preferred to first discuss the matter with the waterfront fund.

cmurray@timesreview.com

Phil Mannino at O’Mally’s in August 2013. (Credit: Northforker.com, file)

Thirteen years ago, Phil Mannino and his family came to the North Fork. They were looking for something different than the restaurants they owned on the bustling South Fork in Bridgehampton and elsewhere.

“I got a pretty good taste of the North Fork and the taste I got, I liked,” he said last month, just days after that long meal finally ended with the Manninos handing over control of O’Mally’s in Southold to new ownership.

For Mr. Mannino, who took the trip from Bridgehampton across the ferry to Southold six days a week while running the restaurant, the commute just became too much.

“It’s just been great. It’s really been a great experience,” he said. “The place is wonderful, I love it … If it wasn’t so far I’d still be there.”

O’Mally’s was one of 21 restaurants Mr. Mannino has run since he first got started in the restaurant business as a bartender in his brother’s bar in Bridgehampton 50 years ago.

Mr. Mannino stepped in at O’Mally’s in 2001. He said the family tried to keep it a friendly environment for locals, even going so far as to hire a magician to perform at the restaurant on Saturdays.

“Every day was a great memory,” he said.

The restaurant was sold last month to Jimmy and Kelly Kokotas, a couple that has run restaurants in Brooklyn.

Steve Pablatos, who’s taken over as manager, said the new ownership is keeping all the traditions at O’Mally’s.

“We’re going to continue everything he had, plus we’re going to update the menu with some new stuff,” he said. “Pastas and fish dishes, also some scallops. We’re planning to open up for lunch too.”

Mr. Pablatos said it was important for the new owners to connect with the locals on the North Fork.

“We’re trying to do the best for the people in the community here,” he said. Mr. Kokotas is planning to come back to New York after spending some time in Florida, Mr. Pablatos said. He couldn’t be reached for comment.

Mr. Mannino said he’s sure the restaurant is in good hands. With O’Mally’s off his plate, Mr. Mannino said he’s planning to rest for a while. But he’s sure he’ll be back in the restaurant business again soon, ready to begin the next phase of his career.

“It’ll be time for the second half to start,” he said.

psquire@timesreview.com

Sannino Bella Vita’s tasting barn on Peconic Lane in Peconic. (Credit: Vera Chinese)

Sannino Bella Vita wines, once rarely available outside the operation’s Peconic Lane tasting room, can now be found on the shelves of local liquor stores and on the wine lists at North Fork restaurants.

Read more on northforker.com.

Supervisor Scott Russell addressed the North Fork Chamber of Commerce during its meeting Friday. (Credit: Cyndi Murray)

Addressing members of the business community Friday, Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said the town is keeping commerce in mind as it crafts new policy.

Mr. Russell pitched ideas while also requesting input on legislation from the business community during the North Fork Chamber of Commerce’s breakfast meeting at Six Three One in Southold.

“I am getting a healthy dose [of opinions] for the residential community and I need input from the business community,” Mr. Russell said.

Chamber members were happy to oblige, voicing their stance on short-term rentals and a proposed ban on plastic bags in town.

Here are the highlights:

Short-term rentals

Regulating short-term rentals is a top priority for the town in 2015, Mr. Russell said.

Frustrated residents have been coming out in droves to voice opposition to websites such as Airbnb and HomeAway that allow homeowners to lease their properties for a brief as one night. Residents complain the homes have become hotel-like operations that are disrupting otherwise quiet neighborhoods.

On the flip side, however, more people means more business for local proprietors, business owners argued Friday. They also said homeowners renting rooms should be held to the same standards as a bed and breakfast. For example, they said, it is unfair for a bonafide hospitality business to be burdened with the county’s hotels and motels tax, while homeowners that rent rooms are not required to pay a similar fee.

“It is good for the local businesses to have the increased traffic but we do need to keep it on the same playing field as what the B&Bs go through,” said Joe Corso of Peconic Retreat.

While Mr. Russell said the town could not affect the county’s taxing, Legislature Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue) told the audience he has been working with county lawmakers to amend the tax when it is up for renewal next year.

On the local level, North Fork Chamber of Commerce president Tom Scalia said the group would begin drafting and later present its official position on regulating short-term rentals to the Town Board.

Plastic bag bans

Mr. Russell told chamber members the town would not impose a ban on the use of plastic retail bags. At least, not until the rest of the region adopts a similar policy.

Mr. Russell said the cost of paper bags is almost seven times the cost of single-use plastic bags, and it was too much to ask of small businesses.

“I have a hard time layering those cost on local businesses that are already trying hard to compete with the purchasing power of the western giants in Riverhead,” he said. “We are hoping for a regional approach. That would put all business on the same playing field.”

His remarks come nearly five months after residents overwhelmingly favored a ban during a forum hosted by the town. The town’s decision to put the brakes on the law, however, was well received by chamber members Friday.

“Your approach is nice,” said Robert Scott, owner of Robert’s Jewelers. “I don’t want to have to do it if the town next to me isn’t doing it.” 

Opening up more areas to business 

The town is currently drafting legislation that would allow businesses to open in areas where zoning has traditionally prevented it, specifically church properties.

As an increasing number of church buildings are being put on the market in Southold Town, the board is aiming to craft a law that would allow commercial businesses to purchase and operate in those buildings.

The law would allow potential buyers to apply for special exceptions in the code that allow town-approved adaptive reuses for such buildings. Some suggested reuses include turning the buildings into apartment units, B&Bs and indoor farmers markets.

Additionally, the Town Board is drafting another code change to expand the town’s designated agricultural zone. This would pave the way for companies like Celestial Shrimp, which would currently only be allowed in the town’s marine district. Owners Todd and Tess Gordon are hoping to construct a freshwater shrimp farm, where up to 300 to 400 pounds of shrimp could be harvested weekly. However they would needs the board’s approval to build the farm outside the marine zone.

“When the code was written it didn’t anticipate these business models,” Mr. Russell said. “If there are issues there that are not in the code, bring them to us because we need to update the code with these new business models and incorporate them somehow.”

cmurray@timesreview.com

You wouldn’t want to see your teenage nephew’s life derailed.

You’ve watched him grow up. You know how smart a kid he is and that he’s got a ton of potential; he’s just run into some trouble at home lately. An arrest now for, say, buying a case of beer with a fake ID — technically a felony — could ruin his chances of getting into college.

Now imagine you’re a cop, and that kid behind the wheel of the car you just stopped reminds you of your nephew — or son, or younger cousin.

Maybe you try to do right by him.

I’ve benefited several times from the “nephew” effect, as I’ve long called it. Many of my friends have, too. We were often together when police would stop us back in the 1990s, whether it was for using a fake ID or some other stupid thing teenagers do.

There was a time we got pulled over, still underage, in a remote area upstate (don’t ask) and were questioned by two officers who found bottles of booze in our trunk. They scared us a bit, sure, but we weren’t arrested. We weren’t even ticketed.

In fact — though maybe this might not have been the best call — they let us keep the booze.

I’ve often thought about these times in my youth and how fortunate I was. At some point, I realized I probably would have been arrested — I might even have a criminal record today — if I were black. It appears I’m not alone in my thoughts.

After Wednesday’s non-grand jury indictment in the killing of Eric Garner at the hands of NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo, a profound conversation started to occur in the social media world, specifically on Twitter. The site erupted with people using the hashtag #crimingwhilewhite to highlight posts about their own personal experience as white people committing crimes, and how their experiences with the cops differed from those of so many black people in the United States.

Here are some examples:

When I was 21 I got a DUI. I stayed up all night at the local police station… playing poker with the cops. #CrimingWhileWhite #America

— El Oshcuro (@DaveOshry) December 5, 2014

The only time I have ever been stopped and searched by police was when I was accompanied by a black friend #CrimingWhileWhite

— Pierre de Vos (@pierredevos) December 4, 2014

Friend & I jaywalking across an intersection w/ case of beer when we were underage. Cop at the light laughed & drove on #CrimingWhileWhite

— Natalie Brenner (@NatalieBrenner1) December 5, 2014

I also chimed in on Twitter, calling the leniency showed toward white people the “you remind me of my nephew” effect.

It’s just easier to understand and sympathize with someone who looks like you and your family members — maybe even yourself as a young man. I think it’s fair to say most white cops didn’t have many black teenagers at their family parties or barbecues growing up, so their experiences with them might be mostly negative.

Racism, conscious or unconscious, doesn’t end with policing. I know this firsthand from watching hours upon hours of arraignment proceedings in courtrooms throughout the region, mostly when I was a writer with the Daily News.

In Suffolk County Criminal Court especially, the racism on display became a sort of sad, running joke among the reporters as we observed black suspects getting treated differently than white ones.

And the differences were stark.

“Speak up!” the scared black teenagers were told by judges.

The white kids were often spoken to like wayward, well, nephews.

For example, “I really hope I don’t have to see you again here, Charles.”

In my experience, everyday white privilege has much more to do with human nature — and the occasional PBA card — than with money or powerful connections, though I don’t doubt the latter plays a huge role in higher profile cases. But here’s the thing: the type of common sense approach to policing that I experienced as a youth was not just better for me; it’s better for all of society. So long as no one’s getting hurt, keeping as many people as possible out of the criminal justice system is an overall benefit. Whether you share my opinions or not, I’d like to think I’m a productive member of society today. Same for my friends. My one buddy is a police sergeant. Another is a dedicated youth hockey coach. Two others each found success in the financial world.

Many young black kids don’t get the same breaks early in life that white kids do (or worse) and there’s no doubt a few arrests as a young person can run interference with living productive, fulfilling lives as adults. Black or white, once you’re arrested or convicted of a crime it’s hard to get any leniency during a traffic stop thereafter.

From slavery to terrorism to Jim Crow to discrimination in banking and real estate, inequitable policing remains today as a very effective form of repression, even if it’s not on purpose. The ability of white people and the rest of the country to start recognizing this problem now will only make for a better, safer society moving forward. As Neal Taflinger wrote on Twitter as @NealTaflinger on Thursday:

“#CrimingWhileWhite is like introducing yourself at AA. Self awareness is a huge hurdle, but it’s just the first step.”

Michael White is the editor of The Suffolk Times and Riverhead News-Review. He can be reached at 631-298-3200, or email him at mwhite@timesereview.com. Follow @mikewhite31

Greenport’s Matt Drinkwater looks for someone to pass to while being guarded by Bridgehampton’s Matt Hostetter. (Credit: Garret Meade)

KILLERS BEES 59, PORTERS 33

The early start to the Suffolk County League VIII boys basketball season places a premium on a quick start. Perhaps more than ever, it’s important for teams to bolt quickly out of the starting blocks.

The Greenport Porters tripped at the starting line.

Both the Porters and their rival, Bridgehampton, will play five league games before the new year. The first of those came Friday night when Bridgehampton christened the new season by gaining a measure of revenge on the Porters, beating them soundly, 59-33. Call it a little payback for the Porters defeating Bridgehampton in a Suffolk Class D semifinal in February.

A D.J. played blaring music in a corner of Greenport High School’s Dude Manwaring Gymnasium, lending a festive atmosphere to the occasion. The top two scorers in Greenport history, Ryan Creighton and former Porters coach Al Edwards, were on hand to watch the proceedings.

But the Killer Bees crashed Greenport’s party. With not a single senior on the roster, Bridgehampton is a team on the rise. It has three talented juniors: Tylik Furman (21 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals), Josh Lamison (11 points, 21 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 block) and Charles Manning (20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists, 2 blocks), a transfer from Riverhead.

Not surprisingly for a first game, there was ugly play on both sides. Both coaches, Carl Johnson of Bridgehampton and Ev Corwin of Greenport, lamented the sloppy play. The game was marred by 47 turnovers, almost evenly divided.

The shooting was off, with both teams barely making over 30 percent of their field-goal attempts. Combined, the teams shot 2 of 22 from 3-point territory.

Bridgehampton had a size advantage, and the Killer Bees made good use of it. They outrebounded the Porters by 43-20, giving up only 7 offensive rebounds.

The Porters continually seemed to be in foul trouble. They were whistled for 29 fouls and sent Bridgehampton to the foul line 44 times.

That’s not a recipe for victory, either.

The Porters’ difficulty scoring was a concern for Corwin. Angel Colon led the Porters with 11 points. The team’s next highest scorer was Tim Stevens with 6.

A 3-pointer by Manning left Bridgehampton with a 27-20 lead by halftime. But it was in the second half when the Killer Bees really stung. Lamison scored 14 points and Manning netted 10 during a paralyzing 25-1 run that gave Bridgehampton a 56-26 advantage with 4 minutes left in the game.

bliepa@timesreview.com

• The eighth annual ‘10×10=100’ art show and sale to benefit North Fork Environmental Council opened Friday, Dec. 5, with a preview at The South Street Gallery in Greenport. The show features works on 10-inch-square boards that are sold for $100 each, with proceeds split among the gallery, the artist and NFEC.

The sale will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. Each customer will be given a number upon arrival and sales will take place in numerical order. 

Call 477-0021 or visit thesouthstreetgallery.com.

• An exhibit of photography by Jackie Stevens of Northport opened this week at the Riverhead Town Hall gallery. The show is a collaboration between Riverhead Town and East End Arts.

Ms. Stevens’s work depicts abandoned buildings. According to a press release, “She feels connected to these sites as their history and mystery behind them are uncovered or rediscovered.”

• A painting by Riverhead artist Rani Carson is featured in “Chess • Adjustable Objects” at Medialia … Rack and Hamper Gallery in New York. The annual group show is one of several exhibits now on view there. A reception is set for 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6.

• Old Town Arts and Crafts Guild in Cutchogue will host a holiday sale and open house this weekend. The event will include original artworks and handcrafted gifts by local artisans. Hours: Saturday, Dec. 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 7, noon to 5 p.m.

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.

HIGH HONOR ROLL

Grade 12: Leah Baxendale, Mary Bertschi, Rachel Burns, Michael Cosmadelis, Ryan DiGregorio, Jack Dunne, Jasmine Fell, Jonna Franke, Rebecca Guarriello, Natalie Hocker, Jennifer Jaklevic, Jessica Jerome, Shayne Johnson, Kaitlyn Kettenbeil, Alexandra Lasot, Alexis Leonard, Callahan Long, Matthew McCarthy, Jennifer Membreno Umana, Thomas Messana, Grace O’Donnell, Sarah Perry, Sophie Pickerell, Alexander Poliwoda, Emily Pressler, Gregory Quist, Julia Saccamano, Jessica Saporita, Claudia Steinmuller, William Tondo, Chrysovalantou Tsoumpelis, Cara Vaccariello, Megan VanBourgondien, Juliane VanGorden, Nicholas VanMater, Liam Walker, Morgan Walter, Winter Wilcenski. 

Grade 11: Gina Anasagasti, Theresa Connolly, Jacqueline Davey, Katherine Hunstein, Noah Mina, Bryan Patchell, Lily Saeli, Julia Schade, Andrew Seifert, Aidan Walker.

Grade 10: Emma Alvarez, Maria Amador, Adam Baldwin, Garrison Bennett, Karen Campos, Nicole Christman, Raquel Escobar, Miguel Gomez, Stephen Hocker, Owen Klipstein, Robert Kruszeski, Jake McCarthy, Patrick McFarland, Jamie Molnar, Mark Moran, Sean Okula, Quinn Osmer, Meg Pickerell, Charles Poliwoda, Alessandra Ramirez, Joseph Saporita, Kyle Skrezec, Jheimy Uguna, Edwin Ward IV.

Grade 9: Brooke Averette, Katie Baumann, William Burns, Alexandra Cardi, Stefanny Cartagena, Bridgett Comiskey, Mario Contreras, Rebecca Dickerson, Jacob Dominy, Zachary Grathwohl, Ashley Hilary, Katherine Jarvis, Kathryn Jernick, Michael Krause, Ann Lincoln, William “Liam” Mullen, Kai Obinata, Jared Palumbo, Justin Tobin.

Grade 8: Sabrina Basel, Jonathan Baumann, Bryanna Bay, Ally Boyle, Maxwell Cichanowicz, Eric Connolly, Patrick Connolly, Tyler DeFrese, Amanda Dickerson, Samantha Dunne, Robert Elliston, Jaedon Glasstein, Joseph Hayes, Van Karsten, Max Kruszeski, Marie Mullen, Jake Okula, Emiliann Palermo, Emily Russell, Olivia Saccamano, Dante Tramontana, Michael Wineberger.

Grade 7: Walter “Cole” Brigham IV, Jane Burns, Jacquelyn Constantine, Jack Cosmadelis, Matthew Crean, William Dickerson, Nicholas Eckhardt, Elizabeth Jernick, Felecia Kayel, Kathryn Kilcommons, Olivia Lynch, Jessica Mele, Simon Mraz, Ella Neese, Maximilian Pasko, Elizabeth Quinones, Angelina Ramirez, Anna Yao Reilly, Steven Russell, Stephen Schill, Joseph Silvestro, Kaitlin Tobin, Rhian Tramontana, Julia Vicinanza, Nicholas Vicinanza, Emma Whittington-Quarty.

HONOR ROLL

Grade 12: Steven Amato, Christopher Buono, Jasmine Clasing, Abigail Conway, Zachary Ellis, Michaela Manno, Ajsia Martocchia, William McAllister, Katherine Mejia-Hernandez, Ida Mollica, Sean Moran, Willow Sutton, Molly Zimmerman.

Grade 11: Samuel Basel, Raeann Berry, William Bucci, Kathryn Comiskey, Julia Daddona, Michael Dolan, Peter Fouchet, Kimiko Fujita, Julia Girzadas, Vivienne Glasser, Maya Jackowski, Juliette Liegey, Margaret Naleski, Dominick Panetta, Leah Passanant, Jennifer Pressler, Liam Simmons, Ethan Sisson, Cora Small, Aidan Toy, Albert “Aidan” Vandenburgh.

Grade 10: Jessie Bakanic, Samantha Baldwin, Charlie Bonilla, Grace Bruer, Abagail Cacovic, Fransisco Campos-Chavez, Carlos Campos-Chavez, Mathew Cardi, Michael Christman, Joshua Clasing, Dylan Clausen, Evelyn Cummings, Kylee DeFrese, Christopher DeSimone, Douglas Fiedler, Evelin Garcia Palencia, Delaney Hughes, Angelica Klavas, Anthony Klavas, Julia Mele, Daniella Menjivar, Althea Mignone, Nicolas Orientale, Emily Perry, Daisy Rymer, Alexander Seifert, Connor Vaccariello, Willow Wilcenski.

Grade 9: Jose Agustin Gomez, Charlotte Allen, Harry Antonucci, Alexandra Apadula, Hayley Brigham, Ryan Burns, Matthew Civiok, Sean Conway, John Gensler, Alexander Kandora, Jack Koslosky, Julia Kujawski, Lucie Showalter, Kathryn Stahl, Hannah Sutton, Victoria Tondo.

Grade 8: Gabriella Drumm, Peter Franke, Anakin Mignone, Katherine Patchell, Devin Quinones, Casie Vaccariello.

Grade 7: Victoria Apadula, Amanda Bardsley, Justin Eckhardt, Elizabeth Garcia Palencia, Nicholas Grathwohl, James Hoyt, Kate Jones, John Judge, Kenneth Latham, Julia Mejsak, Emily Newman, Andrea Palencia Villavicencio, Tyler Woodhull.

Credit: Flickr/Keith Cooper

A surplus. A windfall. A pot of gold.

Call it what you want, but have you heard there’s an extra $5 billion available in next year’s New York State budget?

Seriously. 

The state has cashed in on several financial settlements, and just last week, as first reported by Newsday, leaders with the Long Island Association — which bills itself as “the leading business organization in the Long Island region” — as well as the Long Island Regional Planning Council, sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo asking for $1 billion as Long Island’s fair share.

“The Long Island Billion,” they called it.

And the entire East End was nowhere to be seen in the letter, which named five projects in each county.

It was probably just an oversight, right? And, of course, the distribution of this huge chunk of money still has to be negotiated in Albany come budget season next spring. Most politicians — at least local ones — have yet to weigh in on the subject. And in the end, they’re the ones who will decide where the $5 billion goes.

Primarily these days, when you think of big-money projects in the area, Enterprise Park at Calverton comes to mind. And I was a little surprised not to see it on the list. Covering an area day-in and day-out as we do, this omission has to at least give some pause to the thought that EPCAL is a potentially big economic generator — or, at least, as big as we’re told it is.

But it’s not as if EPCAL is getting nothing from various levels of government. Nearly all the first phase of multi-million sewer work at the town-owned land in Calverton is being paid for by Suffolk County and New York State, thanks to grant funding of one kind or another.

But let’s be honest: EPCAL needs a lot more than sewers.

Anyway, with this “Long Island Billion” in mind, and probably in part because it’s fun to make lists of things we want this time of year, I figured this might be a good opportunity to make a wish list for our coverage area. The items are mostly infrastructure-based since the one-time funding source logically should go to one-time costs. And no, this list is not scientific. I have no cost estimates and have conducted zero feasibility or environmental studies. As with most wish lists, some items are silly and some are serious, and most probably won’t come true. But hey, it’s the holiday season. A guy can wish.

1. Road funding for EPCAL: This might require more firm plans on paper than the town currently has in order to get anything secured (actually, you can probably say the same for pretty much everything else on this list), but for all the talk about sewers, we haven’t heard much of anything about any other infrastructure costs at the former Grumman site. If leaders want to draw investors to the land, they might want to be able to show them more than some studies, a couple of runways and some privately developed roads. And actually, before they pave the roads, can we get some money for water, electric and fiber-optic utilities, too?

2. Renovation of the armory: Like one of those awkward gifts you got as a kid that you just never knew what to do with, the armory on Route 58 sits unused, empty and lonely. It’s kind of hard to blame the town, which can’t afford a multi-million dollar renovation to fix up the old white elephant at the moment. But why pay $13 million — one number that’s been thrown about — to renovate the armory into a new public safety complex in the future when the state has $5 billion now?

3. Light rail between Riverhead and Greenport: Discussed for the past decade, this project has never been a real priority because — again and as always — cost is an issue and real concerns exist over how many people might use it. Local business leaders have been using buses in recent years to shuttle people about, mostly from winery to winery, but the Long Island Rail Road east of Riverhead remains one obvious way to provide a spark to some of the downtown areas along the line. And as the brain drain continues and politicians search for some way to keep the area’s youth and draw them to downtown areas, implementing a light rail seems reasonable.

4. Plum Island: Come on, admit it — you’ve always been drawn to Plum Island. The mystique. The rumors. The creepiness. You want to see what it’s like over there. Well, maybe now the entire world can if the state buys it for us! Granted, with the new, restrictive zoning in place we wouldn’t be able to have much fun once we got there. But the same goes for Alcatraz. At the very least, we can be sure Donald Trump doesn’t buy it.

5. $258.02: That is $5 billion divided by New York State’s population (just under 20 million). In the long run, this makes absolutely zero sense considering how many things need work across the state, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that about 500 bucks for my wife and me sounds pretty nice right about now.

And considering we have a kid coming in March, can we make that check for $774, please?

6. A bridge to Connecticut: OK, this list has gone too far.

Joseph Pinciaro is the managing editor of the Riverhead News-Review and The Suffolk Times. He’s curious to hear what you’d like to see the area get in “The Long Island Billion” — should it receive anything — and urges you to write a Letter to the Editor or your state representative making your views known. You can reach him at jpinciaro@timesreview.com or 354-8024.

One of my favorite holiday tunes is the Andy Williams classic, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Thanks to the commercialism that has stepped all over the real reason for celebrating the holiday, this “wonderful time” seems to be getting longer and longer with decorations and holiday sales showing up long before Dec. 25. And now we have “Gray Thursday.” Give me a break. 

One thing that was longer this year was the golfing season. I have been playing golf for many moons and I cannot recall a year that had such an extended stretch of fantastic golfing weather. If you did not hit the links as much as you would have liked in 2014, you certainly cannot put the blame on Mother Nature.

So, what were the big golf stories of 2014?

Eldridge Woods — you may know him as Tiger — failed to win a major tournament. His quest to break Jack Nicklaus’ major tournament win record of 18 seems to be drifting away down the fairway.

In September, at Gleneagles Golf Course in Scotland, the United States Ryder Cup Team lost, yet again, to the team from Europe. The red, white and blue have won the event only twice out of the last nine competitions. People have asked me (like I know) what the reason for this may be. My take is that American golfers are spoiled. From the time they are young, most golf prodigies play on pristine courses under ideal conditions. Not so across the pond. Just ask anyone who has taken a golf vacation in the British Isles. The Europeans are used to playing on less than perfectly manicured courses and much of the time they must play in far from stellar weather conditions.

However newsworthy these stories may have been, the one that trumps all else on my list is that women were admitted for the first time as members into the most hallow of golf sanctuaries, The Royal & Ancient Golf Club at Saint Andrews in Scotland. Hey, it only took 260 years for the old crust to realize that it was time to welcome the ladies. A vast majority of the membership voted in favor of admitting female members. “This is a very important day in the history of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club,” said Peter Dawson, the club secretary.

Q&A TIME The Golf Gazette closes out 2014 with a Q&A thanks to the help of four of our local golfers.

Question No. 1: Will Tiger Woods win another major golf tournament?

Mary Lou Cahill of Mattituck: “He’s dinged up so I don’t think he’s mentally or physically up to it.”

Karen Danzer of Southold: “No. I don’t think he’s as focused as he used to be. He’s getting a little long in the tooth and there are a lot of good, young guys out there.”

Mike Gallagher of Peconic: “I think not. He isn’t the player he was 10 years ago, physically or mentally.”

Bennett Karnis of Shelter Island: “I hope so. As I well know, the body breaks down after years of playing sports, but I think he can do it if all the stars are aligned.”

Question No. 2: Next year, would your rather make a hole-in-one or shoot your best personal round?

Cahill: “A hole-in-one, no doubt about it. It involves luck and that’s what makes it fun.”

Danzer: “I would rather shoot my personal best round. A hole-in-one is a freak accident.”

Gallagher: “I would like to break 80 next year. If I move up to the gold tees does that count?”

Karnis: “A hole-in-one because I haven’t had one. I’ve won my club championship, but would like to get my name on the hole-in-one plaque in the clubhouse.”

Question No. 3: What was the highlight of your 2014 golf season?

Cahill: “My highlight every time I play golf is the socialization part. The lure of the game is certainly to become a better golfer, but being out there in a beautiful place with people you like on a sunny day is what it’s all about.”

Danzer: “When I broke 100 back in July.”

Gallagher: “It was when I holed out my shot from 140 yards with my 7-iron on the 13th hole at Island’s End.”

Karnis: “I have many old sports injuries and swinging a golf club is not the best thing for me. But to be out there playing golf with my buddies, smiling and laughing, yes, that’s my highlight this year, and every year.”

AN ACE AT SANDY POND Our final reported hole-in-one for the 2014 season, courtesy of Kenny Weinstein, the owner of Sandy Pond Golf Course in Riverhead, was made by Bruce Reisman on the fourth hole with a pitching wedge.

19TH HOLE Tom, Dick, Harry and Fred were a regular foursome and wanted to play golf on Christmas morning. Standing on the first tee, they discussed how they were able to get away from their wives on Christmas morning. Tom said he purchased a new HD plasma screen TV for his wife. Dick had bought his wife a new car. Harry gave his wife a cruise in the Caribbean. Fred piped up and said, “I asked my wife if she wanted me to stay in bed and snuggle or if I should go play golf. She told me not to forget my sweater.”

Peconic Gold oyster Friskafella, East End Mushroom Co. oyster mushroom and clam risotto and seared Peconic Bay scallops with spicy eggplant purée at The Frisky Oyster. (Credit: Vera Chinese photos)

Scallop ceviche, oysters Rockefeller and creamy New England clam chowder were just a few of the delectable dishes offered to the hundreds of people who descended on Greenport Village on Saturday, Dec. 6 to sample the briny bounty of our waters for the third annual Shellabration festival.

Despite the rain, a spot at the bar at restaurants like Scrimshaw and The Frisky Oyster was in high demand for the two-day festival, which raises money for CAST and the Southold Project in Aquaculture Training, a Cornell Cooperative Extension program that encourages locals to grow shellfish.

See the photos on northforker.com.

From left, Chris Dwyer, Will Gildersleeve and Joe Tardif with Mattituck’s newly won prize. The Tuckers are champions of the first Kendall Madison Tip-Off Classic. (Credit: Garret Meade)

KENDALL MADISON TIP-OFF CLASSIC | TUCKERS 67, WHALERS 59

It’s just two games into the high school boys basketball season, and Mattituck already has a title and a shiny new addition to its trophy case.

Chris Dwyer, Dan Fedun and Parker Tuthill scored 14 points each while Mattituck’s defense played tough in a 67-59 defeat of Pierson in the final of the first Kendall Madison Tip-Off Classic on Saturday night in East Hampton High School’s dark gym.

The Tuckers (2-0) pulled ahead when Will Gildersleeve, Fedun and Tuthill scored the last three baskets of the first half. They then led for the entire second half, except for a pair of short-lived 1-point Pierson leads. The Tuckers finished the third quarter strong with three straight baskets by Tuthill.

Pierson’s hopes faded a bit when Dwyer nailed a 3-point shot to give the Tuckers a double-digit lead for the first time at 59-49 in the fourth quarter. Shortly after that, one of Pierson’s starters. Robbie Evjen, fouled out with 3 minutes 15 seconds to go.

But the Whalers stayed close enough to make things interesting. A hoop by Benk Ushner and a wide open 3-pointer by Andrew James cut Mattituck’s lead to 61-56. A Fedun basket, two free throws by Gildersleeve and a pair of foul shots by James Nish over the final minute sealed the result.

During the awards ceremony, Bridgehampton coach Carl Johnson was given the honor of presenting the golden basketball-shaped trophy to Mattituck coach Paul Ellwood, who then passed it on to his captains before the team posed for photographs.

Despite scoring only 2 points in the final, Mattituck’s Joe Tardif was announced as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. The junior guard, who had 5 assists, received the award in recognition of his defense, hustle and ball distribution.

Dwyer and Tuthill were both named to the all-tournament team.

The fourth player to score in double figures for Mattituck was Gildersleeve with 10 points. He also hauled in a team-leading 9 rebounds.

Mattituck’s bench outscored Pierson’s reserves by 25-6.

Stephen Musnicki led four Pierson players in double figures with 15 points. James and Ushner added 11 each, and Sean Sloane had 10 points to go with 7 assists.

The Tuckers opened their season Friday with a 40-31 win over Westhampton Beach in the first round of the tournament. Nish scored 12 points and Tardif had 10 points and 7 rebounds. The Tuckers closed the game on a 14-5 run.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Looking for work, or know someone who is?

Times/Review classifieds offers local companies a place to advertise their job openings each week, and this week about 25 positions are available from a child care worker, to a medical assistant, to a laborer.

And for anyone interested in submitting a classified ad, email: classifieds@timesreview.com.

Check out the listings below:

AUTOBODY REPAIR TECH: Immediate opening for experienced repair/combo technician. Peconic. Call 631-765-5295.

BARBACK: P/T. No experience necessary, will train. Must be able to multi-task for fast-paced environ- ment. 631-734-5123.

CARPENTER: F/T, year round. 2- 3 years’ experience. Must have own tools/transportation. 631-298-1036.

CASEWORKER: Professional lev- el social casework duties in providing services for children in the Resi- dential Treatment Center. Includes office and field work. Required MSW and valid NYS driver’s license. Spanish-speaking a plus. Re- lated experience preferred. Little Flower Children and Family Services in Wading River, NY. Send resume, wadingriver-jobs@lfchild.org or ap- ply online at littleflowerny.org or fax 631-929-6203. EOE.

CHILDCARE WORKERS: F/T and P/T positions available, including weekends. Needed to supervise the daily living activities and ensure safety of children in our Residential Treatment Center. Related experience preferred. Must have valid driver’s license. Little Flower Children and Family Services in Wading River, NY. Send resume to wadingriverjobs@lfchild.org or ap- ply online at littleflowerny.org, follow link for careers, fax 631-929- 6203. EOE.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: P/T, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Riverhead location. Computer skills a must. Email resume/salary requirements to ins11901@optonline.net

DAY HAB WORKERS: P/T, Monday-Friday, 8:15 a.m.-3 p.m. Needed to assist our developmentally disabled adults attending a day hab pro- gram. Valid NYS driver’s license is required. Related experience preferred. Little Flower Children and Family Services, Wading River. Send resume, wadingriver- jobs@lfchild.org or apply online at littleflowerny.org, follow link for careers, fax 631-929-6203. EOE.

DIRECT CARE WORKERS: P/T, weekends. Saturday/Sunday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. or 12 p.m.-8 p.m., and Friday-Sunday, 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Needed for developmentally disabled adults residing in an intermediate care facility. Valid NYS driver’s license re- quired. Related experience preferred. Little Flower Children and Family Services, Wading River, NY. Send resume to wadingriver-jobs@lfchild.org, or apply at little-flowerny.org, follow link for careers, fax to 631-929-6203. EOE.

DOCK BUILDING LABORER: Clean driver’s license a plus. Hard work, good pay. Call 631-477-6463 (evenings).

DRAFTSPERSON/CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISOR: P/T, F/T. Residential experience helpful. 631-734-7455.

DRIVER/WAREHOUSE: P/T. Locally. Clean driver’s license. Suffolk Designer Lighting, Southampton. Call Jef, 631-283-4800. (S)

HVAC HELPER: P/T, possibly F/ T. Experience preferred. Own tools and transportation. Call 631-734-6882.

Here are 10 Suffolk Times stories you might have missed over the past week. To make sure you stay on top of breaking North Fork news, follow @thesuffolktimes on Twitter.

Another dustup on the waterfront in New Suffolk — http://t.co/TODiVTOPSx pic.twitter.com/hevwv0W1kf

— Suffolk Times (@thesuffolktimes) December 5, 2014

Justice court director is \'looking forward to the challenge\' http://t.co/zBp1SfPwx2

— Suffolk Times (@thesuffolktimes) December 4, 2014

Toy store opens Monday at former BookHampton space in #Mattituck #NorthFork #Toys http://t.co/MXn9yaNau6

— Suffolk Times (@thesuffolktimes) December 1, 2014

Meet the new owners of #ShelterIsland's #Chequit Inn http://t.co/A9gYi7kBtF

— Suffolk Times (@thesuffolktimes) December 1, 2014

Park district results: Close races decided in Mattituck, Orient http://t.co/NnGh1ECTZ8

— Suffolk Times (@thesuffolktimes) December 3, 2014

Southold Town Planning Board discusses North Fork Shack plan http://t.co/PZxG8XTcHl

— Suffolk Times (@thesuffolktimes) December 2, 2014

Southold Town Board approves time limit for ZBA variances http://t.co/ukAiek7ddX

— Suffolk Times (@thesuffolktimes) December 3, 2014

#Mattituck Airbase removed from state DEC Superfund list http://t.co/INKeJyEh6N #environment

— Suffolk Times (@thesuffolktimes) December 3, 2014

International firm hired to take on helicopters — http://t.co/fHziepReTq

— Suffolk Times (@thesuffolktimes) December 4, 2014

Girls Basketball Preview: Tuckers must make up for lost offense; Clippers in rebuild mode — http://t.co/SGNL64Krng

— Suffolk Times (@thesuffolktimes) December 2, 2014

Lafayette quarterback George Hossenlopp (No. 11) was the most valuable player in his school’s 100th football game versus Lehigh in 1964. The game ended in a 6-6 tie. (Credit: Layfayette College)

In another day and age, George Hossenlopp and I might’ve been college football teammates. Instead, in this day and age, we ended up neighbors.

We’ve lived around the corner from one another for years, but it wasn’t until Nov. 20, when I read an article in The New York Times sports section, that I realized he was a genuine football hero. 

Our lives might have intersected some 50 years ago, when we both played on New Jersey state championship high school football teams, but he ended up going to Lafayette College in Easton, Penn., and I turned down an offer to attend Lafayette in order to attend the University of Pennsylvania, down the river in Philadelphia.

Our college football careers also took decidedly different courses. Mine ended in my junior year, when I switched over to rugby; his ended in stardom when, as starting quarterback in 1964, he was named the most valuable player of the 100th game between Lafayette and Lehigh, which ended in a 6-6 tie.

Fast-forward half a century to Nov. 22, 2014, and the 150th game between the two schools, when 71-year-old George Hossenlopp once again was the center of attention. Only this time the game wasn’t played before a few thousand fans in Easton, it was played before 48,000 fans at Yankee Stadium in New York City on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

“Hoss,” as he was known in college and still is referred to by family and old friends, was invited to participate in the coin toss ceremony before the game. Once he got on the field, in front of those 48,000 spectators, he was interviewed on the stadium’s Jumbotron video screen along with Joe Maddon (Lafayette ’76), recently named manager of Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs.

In case you’re wondering, Lehigh won the coin toss. But that’s about all the Mountain Hawks won that Saturday. The Lafayette Leopards prevailed, 28-7, and “the game wasn’t even that close,” according to Hoss.

When I sat down with him recently in his kitchen in Orient, I grilled him about both the past (his college years) and present (his retirement years).

After graduating in 1961 from Nutley High School in New Jersey, he chose Lafayette over the bigger schools that recruited him — including Auburn, Navy and Oklahoma — mostly because his older brother went to Lafayette and because the smaller school allowed him to play both football and baseball. In fact, as a catcher, he played in the Division I College World Series, when Lafayette was ranked 9th in the country.

But it was the 1964 football game versus Lehigh that he recalls most vividly.

He told The Other Times: “It was the game. The feeling is you can lose every game and beat Lehigh and have a successful season.”

The 1964 rivalry game was tied, 6-6, in the middle of the fourth quarter when Lafayette had a first down on Lehigh’s four-yard line. Hoss said he hadn’t thought about the game much until the Class of 1965’s 45th reunion four years ago.

“Quarterbacks called their own plays back then,” he said. “I should have thrown the ball. We ended up inches short. This past month, I’ve thought about it a lot, as you can imagine.”

These days, Hoss and his wife, Linda, divide their time between their homes in Orient and Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., where he’s traded in football and baseball for golf. They have three grown children and six grandchildren, several of whom they shared Thanksgiving dinner with at the Orient home of their daughter’s in-laws, Ted and Irene Webb.

But on the day we talked, the day before Thanksgiving, Hoss’s thoughts still were on that 150th anniversary game, not to mention the one 50 years before that.

“Going back, it was like time stood still,” he said. “It was very heartwarming to see people and to remember the fun we had at school, to share their lives again.”

tgustavson@timesreview.com

Santa and Mrs. Claus at Sunday’s Greenport Fire Department parade. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder photos)

The Greenport Fire Department held its annual Christmas parade on Sunday where a crowd of people lined Front Street as marchers made their way through the village.

Santa and Mrs. Claus rode along on a sleigh pulled by reindeer while holiday characters followed behind and gave treats to children. The Greenport High School band played Christmas music and fire trucks blared their sirens to the delight of onlookers.

Click on the tab below for more photos.

A list of events for this week at each of the local schools, as listed on school calendars.

MATTITUCK-CUTCHOGUE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Tuesday, Dec. 9

• 7:30 p.m. — Grade 4: Band & Holiday Chorus Concert, Cutchogue East Elementary School

Wednesday, Dec. 10

• 7:30 p.m. — Grades 5-6: Band & Holiday Chorus Concert, Cutchogue East Elementary School

Thursday, Dec. 11

• 7:30 p.m. — Board of Education meeting

SOUTHOLD SCHOOL DISTRICT

Tuesday, Dec. 9

• 7:30 p.m. — Junior high school winter concert

Friday, Dec. 12

• NJROTC annual inspection

Saturday, Dec. 13

• ACT exams

GREENPORT SCHOOL DISTRICT

Tuesday, Dec. 9

• 5 p.m. — Spaghetti dinner

• 7 p.m. — Junior-senior winter concert

Wednesday, Dec. 10

• 1 p.m. — Elementary winter concert preview

• 7 p.m. — Elementary winter concert

Friday, Dec. 12

• NJROTC annual inspection

• 5 p.m. — Fiesta Night to benefit The Wish Factory

Saturday, Dec. 13

• ACT exams

OYSTERPONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT

Monday, Dec. 8

• Report cards go home

Dec. 9-10

• Parent-teacher conferences

• 11:30 a.m. — Early dismissal

Tuesday, Dec. 9

• 7:30 p.m. — Board of Education meeting

NEW SUFFOLK SCHOOL DISTRICT

Tuesday, Dec. 9

• 7 p.m. — Board of Education meeting

OUR LADY OF MERCY REGIONAL SCHOOL

Monday, Dec. 8

• Feast of the Immaculate Conception

• School closed

Tuesday, Dec. 9

• Christmas concert practice

BISHOP MCGANN-MERCY HIGH SCHOOL

Monday, Dec. 8

• Feast of the Immaculate Conception

• School closed

Wednesday, Dec. 10

• Advent reconciliation service, mass and tree lighting

Thursday, Dec. 11

• Junior high Christmas concert

PECONIC COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Monday, Dec. 8

• 9 a.m. — Morning Gathering

Friday, Dec. 12

• Term ends

Kenneth A. Papish of Mattituck died Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014 at his home. He was 86. 

The family will receive visitors Wednesday, Dec. 10, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home on the Main Road in Mattituck. A funeral service will be held Thursday, Dec. 11, at 11 a.m. at the funeral home. Interment will take place at New Bethany Cemetery in Mattituck.

Memorial donations to the Mattituck Fire Department Rescue Squad would be appreciated.

A complete obituary will follow.

National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration satellite images show a nor’easter that is scheduled to hit the East End late Monday.

The North Fork should dodge any wintery weather from a nor’easter hurling up the coast late Monday, but the storm is still expected to pack high winds and heavy rain, weather experts say.

The National Weather Service will issue watches for coastal flooding, high winds and storms for the area starting Tuesday morning, said meteorologist David Stark.

“We’re going to be dealing with a developing nor’easter moving up the coast tonight,” Mr. Stark said.

A few scattered flurries Monday afternoon were the very edge of the weather system.

Light rain is predicted to begin tonight, Monday, and build in intensity through the overnight hours, he added. By morning and through Tuesday afternoon, the storm may bring “moderate to heavy” rains totaling up to three inches, according to the forecasts.

Beginning Monday night, winds could gust up to 50 miles per hour, Mr. Stark said. Local waters could see even heavier winds, potentially ”just under hurricane force,” he added.

By Tuesday night, the rain should begin to taper off, though the poor weather may linger, according to current forecasts.

“This system might be with us meandering through the New England coast through Thursday morning,” Mr. Stark said. “It’s just going to take some time to move out.”

As of Monday afternoon, the storm watch for local waters will run from 1 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, a high wind watch will run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the coastal flood watch will be in effect from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

psquire@timesreview.com