Justine A. Casey of Mattituck and Riverhead died Dec. 10 at Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport. She was 90. 

She was born Feb. 26, 1924, in Aquebogue to Justina (Ruskowski) and Frank Doroski. Ms. Casey worked for New York Telephone in Riverhead as a chief operator and was assistant manager for Riverhead Off-Track Betting.

Predeceased by her husband, Joseph in 2010, Ms. Casey is survived by her daughter, Justine Swotkewicz; her siblings, Walter and Conrad Doroski, Helen Strebel, and Irene Zlatniski, all of Aquebogue, Bertha Wilcenski and Hedwig Kozak, both of Riverhead, and Albina Sujecki of Calverton; three grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

The family will receive visitors Friday, Dec. 12, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at McLaughin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead. A funeral service will be held Saturday, Dec. 13, at 9:30 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church in Riverhead. Interment will take place at the church cemetery.

The East Marion Firehouse decorated for the holiday (Credit: courtesy photo)

The East Marion Fire Department will be starting up its heavy rescue engine Saturday, looking to spread a little bit of holiday cheer around town.

Santa — more affectionately known as Chief Frank Thorp III — will be riding around town in somewhat of a peculiar sleigh, giving gifts to about 150 children.

His tour will start at the Main Road firehouse about 11:30 a.m., where he will lift off — with the help of a few elves — for his drive around town, visiting the homes of department members and giving children a chance to meet Santa.

The department purchased gender specific gifts, all from Goldsmith’s Toys and Electronics in Greenport, said fire volunteer Greg Morris.

“We hope this will brighten up everyone’s day,” he said.

Preparations being made for Saturday’s event. (Credit: courtesy photo)

First Baptist Church of Cutchogue hopes to finish work on its new building in 2015. (Credit: Cyndi Murray)

While many religious groups across the U.S. and the North Fork are faced with declining membership, forcing some to shut their doors altogether, the First Baptist Church of Cutchogue is delighted to have the opposite of that problem.

After nearly a century in its historic church building located on a small parcel of land on Sound Avenue, the congregation is reigniting plans to move into a new, larger building.

The church had previously ran out of money to finish the new building’s construction.

Pastor Cornelius Fulford said Thursday that 2015 will mark the year work is completed on the new church. Construction had begun in April 2001.

The 9,600-square foot church building is located on a four-acre parcel that’s about one mile west from the current church. It is needed to better accommodate its church attendees, as well as other community organizations looking to use the space for meetings, the pastor said.

“In 2015, we are going to work hard to get into this church,” he said. “God let us know it might take a little time, but we complete the vision that God gave us.”

Founded in 1924, the First Baptist Church of Cutchogue is one of the oldest black sanctuaries on eastern Long Island. Initially, services were held in the little schoolhouse on Oregon Road until membership outgrew the building. The congregation then constructed its current location in November 1928.

Today, the church has more than 100 members and it needs to be moved again, Rev. Fulford said.

Since purchasing the property, the church has been raising funds for construction. Over the years, the church has ran out of money to continue building.

So far, the church has raised more than $1 million for the project, allowing the church to buy the property and start building. But the church still needs roughly $700,000 more to finish the inside of the building. Some financing is in place to start some of the work in the coming year.

Items on the to-do list include: installing plumbing, an electrical system, parking lot, landscaping and construction of the alter, Rev. Fulford said.

The problem with the current location simply comes down to space, Rev. Fulford said. The pastor’s study is small and shared with the treasurer and deacons. The computer, file cabinets, desk and a copier have to be stored in the basement. The bathroom is also in the basement and is difficult for the elderly to reach.

Once complete, the new church will have offices, a space to perform baptisms, restrooms on the main floor and room for other groups, such as addiction groups, to hold meetings — all features the existing church lacks.

“When it comes to the ministry, it is about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and also to be a place for rehabilitation for those dependent on alcohol or drugs in the community,” he said. “We just don’t have the facility to help those people now. We do the best we can with what we have, but we need to reach out to those lost souls and show them there is hope.

“That is what we are all about.”

The parish has yet to determine what it will do with the historic building, although the pastor said he has spoken to the historical society about preservation.

There is also no exact date set for the opening of the new church, since much of that is dependent on raising funds.

cmurray@timesreview.com

Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. chef Brian Russell, co-owner Rich Vandenburgh and brewer’s assistant Asa Davis prepare kegs of Flat Iron Ale, a colloboration between GHB and 212 Brewing. Co., for distribution. (Credit: Vera Chinese)

The rise of the craft beer industry in the past few years has been well documented by the national media.

In fact, The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Budweiser is shifting its marketing strategy to combat the proliferation of microbreweries — and even smaller nanobreweries — and enhance its appeal to a younger audience as loyal Bud fans age and a new generation of beer lovers gravitates toward specialty brews.

On the North Fork, perhaps more than anywhere else on Long Island, the rise of the industry persists.

Read more on northforker.com.

Robert C. Casey of Southold died Dec. 11, 2014, at Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport. He was 92 years old. 

Mr. Casey, know to all as “Bob” was born in Brooklyn Nov. 13, 1922, to John and Lucienne (Didier) Casey. He was raised in Brooklyn and Rockville Centre.

Family members said it was as much an act of duty and service to his family as to his country that he immediately enlisted for the World War II in 1942. His mother, Lucienne, from Tourcoing in France, had come to the U.S. as a World War I war bride, so Mr. Casey still had a grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins living in France under the control of the Nazis. He served in the Army Air Force as a glider pilot and made landings in Normandy during the D-Day invasion, in Holland and over the Rhine into Germany. Mr. Casey was awarded the Air Medal with two clusters and a battlefield promotion to First Lieutenant.

After the war Mr. Casey worked briefly at Brown Brothers Harriman and National Cash Register.  He then joined the 3M Company where he spent 39 years as a sales representative in New York City.

Family members said Mr. Casey loved to recount his stories of his time overseas during the war. He attended the annual Glider Pilot Association reunions held in different U.S. locations every year. He also attended the 35^th, 40^th, 50^th  and 60^th D-Day anniversaries in Normandy where he was honored for his service. Years earlier he had begun a pen-pal relationship with a young Frenchman, Philippe Esvelin, whose interest in the war had led him to contact Mr. Casey when he took his address from the guest register at the American Cemetery in Normandy. Mr. Esvelin wrote his first book about the D-Day gliders in 2001 with a preface written by Bob.

Before moving to Southold in 1988, Mr. Casey and his family lived in Garden City where he was active in St. Joseph’s Church, Little League, girls softball, Boy Scouts and Knights of Columbus. He served two terms as Grand Knight of the Garden City Council.

In Southold, Mr. Casey was an active supporter of Eastern Long Island Hospital. He served on the board of trustees for six years and, as a member of the Community Development committee helped plan various fund-raising events. He belonged to the parish of St Patrick R.C. Church in Southold and also the local American Legion and Knights of Columbus chapters.

Family members said Mr. Casey loved golf, boating, fishing and was a hobbyist, making furniture, birdhouses, collecting stamps and coins.  He also enjoyed gardening, photography and poker. Family members also said he was always gregarious and social and loved meeting new people.

Mr. Casey is survived by Betty, his wife of 62 years, as well as his four children, Jane Pedrioli of London, Cathleen of New York City and Orient Point, Mary of Newburyport, Mass. and William of Brightwaters. Also surviving are seven grandchildren; brothers Daniel and James Casey; and sisters Frances Yuengling and Jacqueline Bormann. Mr. Casey was predeceased by sisters Evelynne Kapples and Mary Jane Wass, and his brother John.

The family will receive visitors Sunday,  Dec. 13, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue. A funeral Mass will be offered Monday, Dec. 15, at 10 a.m.  at St. Patrick R.C. Church in Southold.    Interment with military honors will follow at Calverton National Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Southold Town Senior Services, P. O. Box 85, Mattituck, NY  11952.

Mattituck’s Katie Hoeg, pictured against Southold Monday, scored eight points in the league opening win against Southampton Thursday night. (Credit: Garret Meade)

TUCKERS 46, MARINERS 15

The tide can shift quickly at a small school, where one player can lift a program, or one graduating class can leave a void that takes several seasons to fill.

Consider two years ago, Southampton boasted one of the best teams on Long Island, and not just for small schools. The Mariners played teams like Long Island Lutheran in non-league that season, which ended with a trip to the state semifinals. 

The Mariners are still in a rebuild mode as they enter the 2014-15 season. And it made for an easy night for the Mattituck girls in their league opener Thursday at Mattituck High School.

The Tuckers’ starting five raced out to a 14-0 lead and Mattituck never looked back in a 46-15 victory, the third straight win for the Tuckers.

“It goes to show, things go full circle,” Mattituck coach Steve Van Dood said of Southampton’s rise and fall. “It’s amazing.”

The Tuckers know what it’s like to see their fortunes change. Their top returning player from a year ago, Tiana Baker, transferred to St. Anthony’s High School. At a small school like Mattituck, losing one player can be a tough blow. But so far through five games, the Tuckers have shown they still plan to contend for a league title and possibly return to the Class B county finals, where they lost a year ago to Hampton Bays.

The blowout against Southampton afforded Van Dood the opportunity to rotate in all his players. The game got continually more sluggish as it progressed. By the time the final horn sounded, the few fans left in attendance almost needed a reminder to applaud.

The Tuckers did what they needed to at the start, using their pressure defense to force turnovers and create easy baskets. Southampton had four turnovers before getting a field goal attempt.

And when the Tuckers ran their offense, a constant mix of screens and cuts, they capitalized with points in the paint.

“We said, let’s run the offense all the way through and hopefully we can get to the point where we’re getting some easy looks off screens,” Van Dood said. “I think we got some assists off that and it worked good for us.”

The Tuckers got a balanced attack on offense, led by eight apiece from Liz Dwyer and Katie Hoeg. Nine different players scored. Courtney Murphy and Hannah Fitzgerald both scored six.

After the first quarter, Van Dood went mostly to the bench players, usually leaving either Dwyer or Hoeg in to help keep things running smoothly.

“They help the others get better,” Van Dood said. “I thought that’s nice to see. They’re kind of more mentors, where they’re looking to make girls better, looking for girls off passes instead of thinking about scoring.”

Mattituck led 18-2 after the first quarter and 31-6 by halftime. The Tuckers shot just under 50 percent from the field (14-30) in the first half.

Both of Mattituck’s losses this season have come against tough opponents in non-league, Lindenhurst and Amityville. The Tuckers will get two more tests next week with non-league games against Sayville and Islip. They’ll get one more league game in, against Wyandanch, before the holiday break.

joew@timesreview.com

Police Chief Martin Flatley speaks at Thursday’s information meeting on gangs. (Credit: Paul Squire)

More cops, more outreach, more communication and more school programs to target at-risk youth.

Those were the main steps to combat the influence of street gangs that Southold Town police, elected leaders and school administrators touted at an informational meeting held Thursday night — about two months after a gang shooting left three injured in Southold.

Police Chief Martin Flatley moderated the roughly 90-minute meeting and detailed some initiatives the police department had taken in response to the Oct. 14 shooting on Sound Harbor Road.

Chief Flatley said eight newly-hired police officers will patrol the town and an additional officer will be assigned to Greenport Village. One of those officers is from Ecuador and speaks Spanish fluently. Chief Flatley said he believes that officer can help build stronger ties with minorities in town.

“We definitely plan on using him as a liaison to the Spanish-speaking community down in Greenport,” Chief Flatley said.

He added he has continued to meet with East End police chiefs to discuss how to tackle gang activity. Those discussions have led to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office adding another investigator to the East End Drugs Task Force, Chief Flatley said. That new member will gather more intelligence on possible gang drug dealing operations in the area, he said.

Chief Flatley also said his department plans to meet with local community groups.

Greenport Mayor David Nyce said he believes the police department’s response to the shooting was quick and appropriate. He also praised the police and schools for thinking of ways to prevent future gangs.

“These problems didn’t happen overnight,” he said. “They’re not going to be solved overnight.”

The schools will also play a role in the anti-gang efforts, said David Gamberg, who serves as superintendent for both Greenport and Southold school districts.

Mr. Gamberg said he has reached out to Riverhead School District administrators to learn about their Council for Unity program, which encourages students to make good decisions in and out of school.

The Greenport School District is also creating a pilot program in grades 7-8 called Gang Resistance Education and Training, or GREAT, a Department of Justice initiative to prevent students from joining gangs early, Mr. Gamberg said.

Those steps are the beginning of a larger effort to establish relations between the police department and the Hispanic community, many of whom come from a culture in which police are corrupt and aren’t trusted, police officials said Thursday.

About 100 people attended the meeting at the Peconic Community Center, including school board members and Greenport Village trustees. The informational forum featured a presentation on street gangs and how to recognize them by Sgt. Steven Lundquist, an investigator with the Gang Intelligence Unit of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office.

Sgt. Lundquist said the main gangs on the North Fork are the Bloods, MS-13 and the 18th Street gang. Though fewer gang members claim to live on the North Fork compared to areas in western Suffolk County or Nassau County, Sgt. Lundquist said gang members are “transient,” and may come to the North Fork to tour the area, set up criminal enterprises or lay low and avoid police.

The meeting itself was civil, with some residents focusing on the issue of graffiti, gang related or otherwise. Police said all graffiti should be reported to police.

Others asked what more could be done to stop gangs from spreading throughout the town. In response to a comment from the audience that Greenport schools should hire employees who speak Spanish, Mr. Gamberg said the district has several and plans to take select students to a leadership conference so “they can be part of the solution.”

Not all audience members were satisfied with the responses from police and school officials.

One resident, Dorothy Catapano, said she lives down the street from where the shooting occurred. She asked what kind of suspicious activity she should be looking for on her farm’s property.

Police Chief Flatley said residents should report anything suspicious to police, but Ms. Catapano later said she was still unsure of what “suspicious” meant.

” ‘See something, say something,’ ” she said to reporters after the meeting. “But what am I looking for?”

During a question-and-answer session in the meeting, Chief Flatley was asked where the Guardian Angels, a private community watch group, fit into the official plans for action. 

“They’re not under my control,” Chief Flatley said, adding that he feel the hiring of the new eight police officers adequately addresses patrolling needs. However, he said he hopes the group would share any information they receive about gang activity with police.

The organization’s founder and CEO, Curtis Sliwa, said the organization will make weekly patrols around the area.

Benjamin Garcia, a Guardian Angels patrol director, told reporters that “everyone has their own opinion” and said his group will continue to patrol the area.

He then spoke with Ms. Catapano and offered her a flier, suggesting that the Guardian Angels could patrol near her property or that she could start a Southold chapter.

psquire@timesreview.com

When the school year comes to a close for 2014 with winter break, Greenport High School will suffer a tremendous loss. Interim secondary principal Robert Feeney, who has served since September, will be leaving us. There aren’t enough adjectives in the dictionary to describe this incredible man. We all want to chain him to his desk so he can’t leave (I believe someone even went so far as to try and close the school’s safe when he was inside!) but all good things must come to an end. Mr. Feeney, I know I speak for everyone at the high school when I say thank you for four fantastic, memorable months. You are the best. 

Athletic director Jim Caliendo asked me to get the word out that he’s declaring Tuesday, Jan. 6, as “Purple Out Day.” What does that mean? Your hometown Porters basketball teams will host the Southold Settlers that evening (JV at 4:30; varsity at 6:15) and he’d like everyone who attends to wear purple. I like that idea!

Congratulations to senior Willie Riggins III, who has been named Greenport Rotary’s Student of the Month for December. Way to go, Willie.

If you’ve got a little extra time on your hands tomorrow (Dec. 12), stop by the conference room at ELIH between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and check out the hospital auxiliary’s sale of fun fashion accessories.

Belated anniversary wishes to Alice and Taylor Jester, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Nov. 28.

If you see any of the following folks during the next couple of weeks, be sure to wish them a happy birthday: Leslie Parker, Dantré Langhorne and Laura Riggins on Dec. 11; Shawn Cutts and Courtney Weber on the 12th; MaryAnn Dinizio on the 13th; Kyle Tuthill on the 14th; Nicole Wallace and Craig Richter on the 15th; Cassandra Kalin, Jeanine Bishop and Billy O’Brien on the 17th; Francine Biggs, Adan VanEtten, Brenda Jensen and my buddy Michael Petroski on the 18th; my cousin Brion Heaney and Laurie Citera on the 19th; Kim Cronin on the 20th; James Bondarchuk, Pastor Garret Johnson and Elizabeth Berg on the 21st; Mike Mazzaferro and Bryan Weingart on the 22nd; Jeannie Jimenez Claudia Berry and Della Watson on the 23rd and Maureen Gonzalez and Bruce Urban on the 24th.

Happy anniversary to RuthAnn and P. J. Corazzini, who will celebrate 24 years of marriage on Dec. 12.

This time next week our son, Jeff, will be an official graduate of the Touro College physician’s assistant program. To say that Jim and I are extremely proud of him would be the biggest understatement of the decade. Congratulations, Jeff!

There is an early deadline for my final column of the year, which I’ll be sending in early on the evening of Dec. 18. My next column won’t appear until Jan. 15, 2015. If you’ve got something you’d like to share with the community, now would be the time to pick up the phone and call me.

Contact Greenport columnist Joan Dinizio at Lucky1inNY@aol.com or 477-9411.

The speed limit posting and radar screen on Main Road outside Mattituck High School. (Credit: Paul Squire)

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and the county’s legislators made the right call in backing off a planned camera and ticket program that was to be implemented next year in school zones across Suffolk. They did so after witnessing the uproar and outrage among those who live, work or regularly visit neighboring Nassau County. 

There’s little doubt the program will be wound down in Nassau, too, lest the politicians there get booted out of office.

Suffolk’s elected leaders recognized this as well. Despite what lawmakers in both counties still doggedly insist, this was never, ever, a valid response to safety concerns. This was always nothing but a money grab. Few people were fooled.

A meticulously reported Newsday investigation published this week supports that fact. For anyone who observes, well, the news, the report’s findings did not come as a surprise. Even with Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano insisting that speeding in school zones is a huge problem and kids’ lives are at risk, the newspaper’s investigation found that, among other things, only one of the county’s 37 fatal crashes in 2012, (the year studied by an outside group) occurred in a school zone. And that was on a Sunday, and was not speed-related.

There’s a huge flaw with the school zone cameras, and even the red-light camera systems. Other than the overall “ick” of your local government monitoring you digitally and the financial hardships inflicted on many good working people who are already struggling, some of the violations issued run counter to how we’re all taught to drive. A police officer would never issue a ticket to someone for not coming to a full stop before making a right turn on red, or for encroaching on a white box at an intersection. Certainly, driving 30 to 34 mph in a 20 mph school zone would rarely merit a speeding ticket from a police officer. Those speeding tickets are, and should be, reserved for true law-breakers, people who do put other lives in jeopardy. That’s why we have police — incidentally the best trained and highly compensated officers in the country. The system already works for schools, where the speed limits are extremely low and cars are expected to go about 10 miles per hour over a speed limit, give or take. That’s what’s been deemed acceptable by practice. It’s also proven to be a safe speed, given the infrequency of fatal accidents outside schools.

What’s unacceptable is targeting law-abiding citizens. The biggest victims of the Nassau program are those who live near the cameras. Imagine hosting visitors for the holidays or a children’s birthday party and, along with having to spend time and money on gifts, your guests get an $80 ticket. Some goodie bag.

It’s hard to think of anything more stress-inducing than what they’re doing to people in Nassau.

It’s reassuring that our leaders here recognized this.

The hand-held breath test, which is expected to become available in February, can detect a presence of THC on the breath for up to two hours after use. (Credit: courtesy photo)

Six months after New York State lawmakers voted to legalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes — and as pot laws become more relaxed across the U.S. — the availability of a breath analysis test to help determine if drivers are under the influence is that much closer.

Researchers with a Canadian company called Cannabix Technologies Inc. say they have the technology for a THC detection test that’s similar to an alcohol breath test. And local law enforcement officials say such a device, once available, will be a welcome addition to an officer’s tool belt. Currently, officers who believe a driver is under the influence of the mind-altering drug have no option but to pursue blood testing to determine the presence of THC, so results are not immediate and often require a warrant.

“I think it would definitely be helpful as a roadside test, but just like with alcohol, you still need to bring someone back to headquarters and get results you can prosecute them on,” said Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley.

To justify taking a person back to headquarters, officers currently rely on field observations, such as seeing or smelling marijuana.

“If someone was smoking marijuana, usually it has such a strong odor that it is really pretty easy for officers to identify,” he said. “But any tool like that, that helps us to identify an impairment, is useful.”

Cannabix president Kal Malhi, a retired member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said development of the breath test began in April 2013, thanks in part to a number of police officers who invested in the idea.

“When medicinal use made it more readily available and recreational legalization made it more socially acceptable, we believed there needed to be a tool available to address driving or workplace needs,” Mr. Malhi said.

The test, which is administered in the same fashion as an alcohol breath test, can detect THC for up to two hours after marijuana use — no matter how it is ingested, as the lungs will eliminate THC over a two-hour period, he explained.

The current test cannot quantify the amount of the chemical, though the company said that is the next step in advancing the technology.

“While blood is accurate in getting the THC content, for police or a workplace to do a blood sample — it is a very invasive process,” Mr. Malhi said. “Police need the help of a medical professional and it is a lengthy process — and most emergency rooms are already busy.”

Mr. Malhi said the goal is to make the device available to police departments for around the same price as current alcohol breath tests, between $800 and $1,200.

He said Cannabix is currently waiting on a number of patents for the technology and expects prototypes to become available in February.

Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller said he was happy to hear a tool is in the works, adding that combining it with available breath analysis technology to test for both THC and alcohol at once would be even more efficient for officers in the field.

The 24-page Compassionate Care Act, signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in July, makes New York the 23rd state in the country to allow the sale of medical marijuana, which will be available only in edible and vaporized form. The legislation establishes a registry process and requires patient ID cards for those seeking to use marijuana. The state’s department of health now has 18 months to develop guidelines regulating dosage amounts.

Evan Nison, a co-founder and director of the New York Cannabis Alliance, said, “We certainly want to make sure that people who are driving too drunk, high or tired are not behind the wheel, and this is taking a step towards that.”

He said the THC detection technology will help “bring comfort to the general population and also make sure people who are impaired aren’t driving — and that those who do are held responsible.”

Mr. Nison said as long as the regulatory processes that come along with the technology are fair, the availability of a curbside test is a positive step toward the legalization of marijuana.

“A majority of New Yorkers, they support legalization but those numbers could go up even further if there is that comfort there,” he said.

cmiller@timesreview.com

The seats of trustees David Murray (left), George Hubbard Jr. and Mayor David Nyce (right) are up for grabs in the village’s 2015 election. (Credit: Cyndi Murray)

After eight years serving as a Greenport Village trustee, deputy mayor George Hubbard Jr. is vying for the mayor’s seat in 2015.

Mr. Hubbard said Friday he was “looking forward” to hopefully stepping in the role currently held by David Nyce, who said he won’t run again when his second term expires in the spring. Mr. Hubbard’s second term will also expire at that time.

Although Mr. Hubbard said he never thought of himself as a politician, his family inspired him to run for trustee and now for mayor, a position once held by his father, George Hubbard, who died in 2008. Since joining the board, Mr. Hubbard has carried on his father’s passion by serving as the Village Board’s liaison to the tree committee that oversees planting and replacement of diseased or dead trees.

“When I was a kid and I’d see my father up there I thought I’d never do that,” Mr. Hubbard said. “And when I ran for trustee I thought it would only be the one term. But, when you see things get done it is a good feeling. I enjoyed my time as trustee and now I am ready for the next step.”

If elected, Mr. Hubbard said a top priority will be seeing the second phase of the controversial electric plant upgrades go smoothly.

“We need to get that through,” Mr. Hubbard said. “We need the project clarified to the public and to get it done at the least expensive cost possible.”

Trustee Mary Bess Phillips, who has been rumored to run for the seat, voiced her support for Mr. Hubbard’s candidacy, adding that she will not be running for mayor.

“I think it is just fantastic he has stepped up to run for this position,” she said Friday. “He is a great team player and a great leader.”

Mr. Hubbard is the first to announce an official candidacy for the mayor’s seat. Local businessman Marc LaMaina, who owns Lucharitos on Main Street, expressed interest in running for mayor in June but then decided against it.

Trustee David Murray’s seat is also up for grabs in the March 18 election.

So far, one Greenport resident has announced a run for trustee. Doug Roberts of Sixth Street said he hopes to improve communication between village government and the public if he is elected.

Trustee David Murray could not be immediately reached for comment and has yet to publicly state whether he will run for a second four-year term.

cmurray@timesreview.com

Detective Sgt. John Sinning from the Southold Police Department speaks during Thursday’s gang forum in Peconic. (Credit: Paul Squire)

About 100 people attended Southold Town’s information session about gang activity on the North Fork Thursday night. But even if you couldn’t make it, you can still listen in.

Click below for a full recording of the forum, including statements by Police Chief Martin Flatley, Supervisor Scott Russell and Greenport Mayor David Nyce. The question-and-answer portion of the meeting was also recorded.

Southold Gang Forum:

Former longtime Cutchogue resident Frank Henry Brush, Sr. of Summerville, S.C., died Dec. 10, 2014. He was 82.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and are being handled by to DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Homes.

A complete obituary will follow.

Former Cutchogue Fire Department chief and toy coordinator Tom Shalvey looks on as Capital One Bank branch manager Diane Biondi (far left), assistant manager Anjiolo Gonazlez and relationship banker Trinity Fleischman load a sleigh with $500 worth of toys Friday morning. The gifts will be donated to local charities. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)

It looked like Santa Claus had paid an early visit to the Cutchogue Fire Department when local officials and Capital One Bank employees loaded an antique sleigh with more than $500 worth of toys Friday morning. 

The gifts, which will be distributed to Community Action Southold Town, Southold Presbyterian Church and the Butterfly Effect Project in Riverhead, were donated by the Mattituck and Cutchogue branches of Capital One Bank, said former fire chief and toy drive coordinator Tom Shalvey.

The third annual event was sponsored by Coster Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue, which provided the sleigh, he said. Other sponsors were Kolb Mechnical In Mattituck, the Mattituck Fire Department and the Michael Curtain 3256 Foundation.

In addition to its toy drive, the Cutchogue Fire Department will host its third annual “Stuff the Sleigh,” a 5K and kids’ fun run, on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. to noon. In addition to the $30 entry fee, participants are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy, which will be donated to CAST.  Children participating in the fun run are asked to bring two non-perishable food items, which will be donated to Southold Presbyterian Church’s food pantry, Mr. Shalvey said.

photo@timesreview.com

Greenport Mayor David Nyce. (Credit: Julie Lane, file)

Saying goodbye after eight years, Greenport Mayor David Nyce confirmed Friday he will not seek a third term when his expires this spring.

“I am proud of the work we have accomplished and now it is time to step aside,” he told the Suffolk Times.

Mr. Nyce threw his support behind longtime trustee and deputy mayor George Hubbard, who just announced his bid for mayor.

“I am thrilled he is running,” Mr. Nyce said. “I have worked with him for eight years. He is a calm and patient person and he knows the village well.”

Trustee Mary Bess Phillips also voiced her support Friday for Mr. Hubbard in the 2015 mayoral election.

• See also: George Hubbard announces plan to run for mayor

Since winning election for a second time in 2011, Mr. Nyce has strongly hinted that he wouldn’t seek reelection again, but never publicly announced he was officially stepping down. He now hopes to turn his attention to his carpentry business and his family, he said.

He hasn’t ruled out running for village office again in the future.

“I believe our system works best when more people are involved,” he said. “I have been there for eight years and it is time to step down. I may run for other positions in the future.”

Mr. Hubbard is the first to announce an official candidacy for the mayor’s seat.

Trustee David Murray’s seat is also up for grabs in the March 18 election.

So far, one Greenport resident has announced a run for trustee. Doug Roberts of Sixth Street said he hopes to improve communication between village government and the public if he is elected.

cmurray@timesreview.com

McGann-Mercy senior Reggie Archer received the 2014 Boden Award Dec. 5. He’s pictured with his mother (left), football coach Phil Lombardi and Denise Boden. (Courtesy photo)

A four-year varsity football player, Reggie Archer was honored Dec. 5 with the 2014 Boden Award, which is given annually to a Mercy football player. An all-county running back/defensive back, Archer helped lead the Monarchs into the playoffs twice during his tenure.  

The award is given to a player who has outstanding character, morals, academics and exemplifies the Mercy spirit.

Archer received a $1,000 scholarship along with a trophy. The award has been presented annually for more than 42 years and is presented in memory of Robert Boden.

Archer helped lead the Monarchs to a 4-4 regular season record this year and trip to the postseason, where they lost to John Glenn. Archer plays basketball as well now during the winter season.

• Paintings by local artist Pat Olstad are on view this month at The Lenz Winery in Peconic. Meet the artist at a reception set for 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13. 

• A piece by Cutchogue wood turner Harry Wicks has been selected for inclusion in the Long Island Museum’s inaugural members’ exhibition, “LIMarts: Here and Now.” The hollow form was created from a historic Greenport maple tree that came down in a storm several years ago.

Mr. Wicks’ work is also on display in the museum’s gift shop.

• Call for artists: East End Arts in Riverhead is seeking work for its nonjuried, all-media annual Members’ Show. The exhibit, whose theme is “Squares,” will be on view Jan. 23 to March 6.

Each artist may submit one piece of any genre or style, as long as it is square, with maximum dimensions of 14 inches, including frame; sculpture must include at least one square element. Artists may become EEA members at the time of submission.

Work will be accepted at the EEA gallery Friday and Saturday, Jan. 15 and 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 17, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For a prospectus, click here. Call 727-0900 or email gallery@eastendarts.org.

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.

To the editor:

Last week’s Angela DeVito Guest Spot deserves nothing less than a resounding fuhgettaboutit! 

I am a retired CPA who served two terms as an Oysterponds school board member, one as president. I was also very much involved when Ted Webb was board president in initiating control over a skyrocketing budget long before the state enacted a 2 percent tax cap. In fact, because of like-minded succeeding board members and an excellent current superintendent, the budget is even less now than it was then. Furthermore, I personally augmented the policy that all board members should have a personal copy of the current School Law Book, in which all of the consequences of consolidation, unintended or not, are fully explained in Section 26, School District Reorganization.

Since it’s the largest and has the most infrastructure, let’s assume the Riverhead district would become the newly centralized district and the others would be defunct. That would result in all sorts of benefits for those in Riverhead, but all sorts of catastrophic damage, financial and otherwise, to those living in the defunct districts from Mattituck-Cutchogue to Oysterponds. School taxes would dramatically increase, and in some cases double. On the contrary, Riverhead taxpayers would receive a considerable reduction in school taxes. All land, all school buildings, all athletic fields and all other physical assets of the defunct school districts would become the property of the North Fork School District. All debts of the former school district (Riverhead) would now be debts of the North Fork District and all its taxpayers. All board members would be elected “at large,” so it’s conceivable all could be Riverhead Town residents. Consequently, they could close schools and sell properties in the defunct school districts. Lastly, all current debt and other obligations (bonds) would still have to be paid solely by the taxpayers living in the defunct districts. For example, the taxpayers of Mattituck/Cutchogue would be liable for their about $30 million in outstanding bonds. The same would apply to the taxpayers of Southold and Greenport for their outstanding Bonds. So, again, fuhgettaboutit!

Walter Strohmeyer, Orient