Greenport Village Board Trustee Dave Murray has decided to run for re-election in March, The Suffolk Times confirmed Monday.

Mr. Murray, who was first elected in 2011, said he’s seeking a second four-year term because he wants to continue to improve the village’s quality of life with projects like park and marina improvements.

“I feel like I’ve worked really well with this board,” Mr. Murray said after Monday’s work session. “The village is running really well and we’ve got a great team here. I’d like to still be a part of it.”

In addition to Mr. Murray’s seat, Trustee George Hubbard and Mayor David Nyce’s terms are up.

Mr. Nyce has said he doesn’t plan to run for re-election. Mr. Hubbard, who also serves as deputy mayor, has confirmed he’s vying for the mayor’s seat.

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.

No one has submitted petitions to run for office as of Monday, village clerk Sylvia Pirillo said.

The election is scheduled for March 18.

jnuzzo@timesreview.com

Bail remained set at $250 for John Costello following Tuesday’s court appearance. (Credit: Carrie Miller)

The 71-year-old Greenport man accused of being drunk behind the wheel before swerving into oncoming traffic and striking another car, killing its passenger on Dec. 6 had a blood alcohol level over twice the legal limit, an assistant district attorney said in Southold Town Justice Court Tuesday. 

A lawyer for John Costello, a longtime dockbuilder in Greenport who owns Costello Marine, told Town Justice Rudolph Bruer that Mr. Costello had been drinking before the accident on Main Road in Greenport. But, the lawyer, William Keahon, said Mr. Costello “only had two beers over a 90-minute period.”

Mr. Costello was driving a 2008 Chevy pickup truck eastbound on Main Road shortly before 7 p.m. on Saturday Dec. 5 when he crossed into the westbound lane and hit an oncoming 2006 Honda driven by 22-year-old Oseas Ramirez, according to the police accident report.

Bartalone Miguel, 32, and also of Peconic, was riding in the passenger seat and was taken to Eastern Long Island Hospital, where he later died of his injuries.

On Tuesday, Mr. Keahon, a well-known Suffolk County attorney who has offices in Hauppauge, said Mr. Costello was not at fault in the two-car crash, indicating it was the driver who had crossed a double-yellow line.

“My client is not at fault,” Mr. Keahon told the judge, also noting that Mr. Ramirez was allegedly driving without a license at the time of the accident.

In an interview last week describing the crash, Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley said Mr. Ramirez had swerved to his left, across the roadway, in an attempt to avoid Mr. Costello’s oncoming truck, which had cross the roadway.

“That’s why they hit on the passenger side and not the driver’s side,” Chief Flatley said.

Judge Bruer kept bail for Mr. Costello at $250, despite a plea from the ADA, Elizabeth Miller, to increase it to $100,000.

She said that the defendant has the financial means to flee.

“We are facing a misdemeanor charge,” Mr. Keahon said.

He also told the judge that if Mr. Costello is convicted as a first-time offender, he should get a reduced charge of driving while impaired and be sentenced to community service. Mr. Keahon also spoke to his client’s character, stating his involvement as a former Village Board member who has also constructed more than 87 units of affordable housing for local residents’ struggling financially.

“He has done nothing but donate time to the community,” Mr. Keahon said.

Judge Bruer said during the proceeding that he considers Mr. Costello “a good friend,” of nearly 40 years.

“There is no doubt in my mind that he will continue to return to court,” he said.

The judge also said there is a “good possibility” that he will recuse himself from any further involvement in the case.

Ms. Miller said that Mr. Costello’s blood alcohol content at the time of the crash was 0.17 — just more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.

Mr. Keahon said Mr. Costello had been drinking at Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. in Peconic and was en route to his Greenport home at the time of the crash.

He also said Mr. Costello broke his neck in the crash. Mr. Costello appeared at Tuesday’s arraignment using a walker.

Mr. Miguel was a married father of one son who had worked for the past six years at Pelligrini Winery & Vineyard in Cutchogue.

After his death, Mr. Miquel was described by a fellow employee as kindhearted and hardworking.

Mr. Costello entered a not guilty plea and is due back in court Jan. 30.

Shielded by Mr. Keahon and family members, Mr. Costello avoided reporters as he walked out of the courtroom, ignoring request for comment.

Mr. Keahon also declined to speak to the press on behalf of his client.

cmurray@timesreview.com

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 1:50 p.m.

Former East Marion resident Richard A. “Dick” Cowan, Sr. passed away Nov. 1, 2014, at Westchester Medical Center in Mt. Kisco. He had been a resident of Mahopac, N.Y. for many years. 

Dick was born March 26, 1937, in Hackensack, N.J. to Frank B. Cowan Jr. and Margaret Rouse Cowan. He grew up in East Marion, was a 1954 Graduate of Greenport High School and graduated from Syracuse University in 1960. He was a teacher for over 30 years in Patchogue, Central Islip and Chappaqua.

He is survived by his wife Mary Ellis of Mahopac; his sons Richard A. (Joanne) Cowan Jr. of Cassadaga, N.Y., and Dr. Robert B. (Lela Nargi) Cowan of Brooklyn; his daughter, Janet E. (Mark Haber) Cowan of San Francisco, Calif.; his stepchildren Ross D. (Bebhinn) Alvordof of Brewster, N.Y., William M. Fleming of London, England, and Katherine E. Fleming of Brooklyn; his sister Alice M. (Taylor) of Greenport; his nephew, Steven T. (Tamee) Jester of Mattituck and seven grandchildren.

Wakes were held in Pleasantville on Nov. 5-6. Cremation was private.

This is a paid notice. 

Former longtime Riverhead and Mattituck resident Ann Melosh died Nov. 20 in Goodyear, Ariz. She was 92. 

Ms. Melosh was born Feb. 14, 1922, in Brooklyn to Vingenza and Anthony Greco. She attended Fashion Institute of Design High School in Brooklyn. She married Arthur Melosh in 1970.

For 53 years, she owned Beiers Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant in Floral Park, where she received a “Confectioner of the Year” award.

Ms. Melosh was a member of the St. John’s University Ladies Auxiliary, the Italian-American Club, and was a former Columbiette with Cutchogue Knights of Columbus.

Family members said she enjoyed playing bocce, cards, baking and gardening.

Predeceased by her husband in 2004, Ms. Melosh is survived by her children, Phyllis Kovach, Philip Ferrara and Vivian Harris; seven grandchildren; and five grandchildren.

A service will take place Saturday, Dec. 20, at 11 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church in Riverhead, Father Larry Duncklee officiating.

Memorial donations may be made to Jake and Samantha Lazazzaro, samandjake.org.

While signs urging residents not to include plastic bags with recyclables are clearly visible at the Southold Town Transfer Station on Cox Lane, residents who use private carters might not be getting this important message. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

You’ve probably done it.

Cans, bottles and paper are starting to pile up on the counter, so you stick the items in a plastic bag you received at a grocery store. You then take the bag and dump it, along with all your recyclables, in a garbage bin.

But that’s creating an issue in Southold Town — even in this new era of single-stream recycling.

“Plastic [bags] create a problem for the system,” said Southold Town’s solid waste coordinator Jim Bunchuck, referring to the machine that sorts recyclables from local residents after the items are transferred to Green Stream Recycling in Brookhaven. “The [parts] that sort the materials get jammed up with too many bags … the [employees picking bags off the line] can’t get to them all. It’s sort of like Lucy and Ethel picking the candy.”

LINK: WHAT ELSE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE?

Mr. Bunchuck said that while there are multiple signs at the town’s transfer station on Cox Lane in Cutchogue urging residents not to dump plastic shopping bags along with their recyclables, the problem still exists with waste picked up by private carters. A major reason people dump the bags, he said, is that the text on them states that they are recyclable, but he said they can only be recycled with other bags using a different machine.

Councilwoman Jill Doherty suggested at Tuesday’s Town Board work session that the town include a flier in bills sent to residents to help educate them on the issue. Councilman Bill Ruland said the town should run a public service announcement on Channel 22.

Mr. Bunchuck said Green Stream does offer public tours of its facilities and that he has encouraged the more than two dozen local residents who have inquired about the process to reach out to the company. Mr. Ruland and Councilman Bob Ghosio said they intend to visit the plant in the near future.

The rest of Mr. Bunchuck’s report on single-stream recycling — which allows for paper, plastic and cans to be processed together, along with other items — contained good news, as he shared statistics regarding the three-month old program. Recycling is up 26 percent in Southold Town over the same period last year since the program was launched in September.

He said the town has recorded a net savings of more than $9,200 due to single-stream recycling.

“That’s about what we projected,” Mr. Bunchuck said. “We anticipated about $25,000 per year, so we’re doing even better than that.”

Southold was the second Suffolk County town to switch to single-stream recycling after Brookhaven first did it earlier this year. Huntington will launch its own single-stream recycling program next month and Islip is expected to follow soon after.

gparpan@timesreview.com

Longtime Greenport resident Dorothy I. Gillman died at her home Dec.15. She was 87. 

Ms. Gillman was born June 16, 1927, in Flushing to Benjamin F. and Dorothy (Hirschmann) Lowe and attended high school in Forest Hills. She married George W. Gillman Jr. Sept. 12, 1953, Flushing.

For over 30 years, Ms. Gillman worked as a bank teller at various locations.

Ms. Gillman was an active member of a quilting group at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Greenport. Family members said she enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, sailing, baking and traveling.

She is survived by her husband George W. Gillman Jr. of Greenport; her children, Susan Kurlowicz of Bethpage, Carol Bekas of Bay Shore, George L. Gillman of Valley Stream, Grace Iadanza of Islip Terrace; her brother, Robert Lowe of Seaford; 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

The family will receive visitors Thursday, Dec. 18, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport. A funeral service will take place Friday, Dec. 19, at 11 a.m. at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Greenport. Cremation will be private.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Greenport.

Reg Tuthill addressed the town Planning Board on Monday night. (Credit: Paul Squire)

A never-before-used section of Southold Town code may finally be applied as a tool to address concerns about a local family’s proposal to subdivide land near Orient Village, it was revealed Monday in Town Hall.

The town Planning Board held a public hearing on the Tuthill family’s plan to build a conjoined conservation subdivision using four parcels.

If that subdivision were granted, the Tuthills would be able to create five building lots instead of four on property south of Latham’s farm stand on Main Road. Four lots is the maximum that would be allowed if the family sought a conservation subdivision and open development area on that parcel alone.

But town planning director Heather Lanza said the board has considered another possibility, based on a specific provision of town code, that was suggested by an audience member during the last public hearing on the proposal.

That part of the code would allow the Tuthills to shuffle building lots among the four parcels, potentially creating fewer lots near the scenic farmland. The Town Board would have to sign off on such a swap if the Planning Board approved it.

“The rationale behind it is to give the Planning Board flexibility in subdivision design,” Ms. Lanza told the audience at Monday’s public hearing, though she said the code provision offers no guidance on how it can or should be used.

Ms. Lanza cautioned that the final design of the subdivision may not require the town to invoke that section of code.

“This application is in the beginning of the process,” she said. “There will be much upcoming discussion on plot location.”

Reg Tuthill, a spokesperson for the family, said the properties have been properly surveyed. And, he said, the family plans to speak with the Orient Fire Department to hear views from its members.

The family is also working on a scenic view study, Mr. Tuthill said. The public hearing will remain open for comment until that study is finished.

Many residents who spoke Monday said they were concerned about the size of the potential homes.

Bill Ryall of Orient, a member of the Orient Association speaking on his own behalf, said zoning on the parcel known as South Dyer, near the farm stand, allows for homes of up to 20,000 square feet.

“We noticed in doing the zoning analysis that the two-acre zoning — or actually, any of the zoning — allows for very large houses,” he said.

Mr. Ryall said he didn’t think the Tuthills intend to build up to the zoning maximum, but said the board must account for what others might do in the future.

“We could cite that no one in their right mind would do something like that,” Mr. Ryall said, “but there’s lots of people who are not in their right mind who would do, just because they could do it.”

He added that housing prices may incentivize property buyers to build big.

Resident John Henry called the scenic area near the farm stand a “public treasure” that needs to be preserved.

Another Orient homeowner, Sherry Thomas, who was representing a handful of others from the Browns Hills neighborhood, said they were “united” in seeing a subdivision that would preserve the area near the village, even if it meant adding more lots near Browns Hills.

Planning Board chairman Donald Wilcenski said this round of public hearings was started early in the process and told residents that the proposal would be vetted and many more discussions would be had before any decision was reached.

“We are in the very beginning of our fact-finding,” he said.

psquire@timesreview.com

Carolyn J. Beardsley of Cutchogue died Dec. 15. She was 79. 

She was born July 17, 1935, in Schenectady to Leone (Mattoon) Clarence William Jones. She attended Barnard College.

She married Herbert H. Beardsley June 25, 1955, in Roslyn. Ms. Beardsley was a homemaker and member of Church of the Redeemer in Mattituck and Church of the Advent in Westbury.

Ms. Beardsley was predeceased by her husband, Herbert in 2013 and is survived by her children, Nancy of North Babylon, Ruth of Bethany, Conn., James of Bethesda, Md., Susan of Charleston, S.C.; and six grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, Dec. 20, at 11 a.m. at Church of the Redeemer in Mattituck. Cremation was private.

Arrangements were handled by Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue.

Memorial donations may be made to East End Hospice, eeh.org.

A memorial service for Norma Grzesik will be held Saturday, Dec. 20, at 11:30 a.m. at St. Agnes R.C. Church in Greenport.

Ms. Grzesik died Oct. 26 at her Greenport home at the age of 88.

Hudson Kaufer, 11, of Cutchogue lights a menorah Tuesday, the first night of Hanukkah. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

North Fork Reform Synagogue and Cutchogue New Suffolk Historical Council commemorated the start of Hanukkah Tuesday afternoon with a menorah lighting celebration at Cutchogue Village Green. 

The eight-day festival of lights began at sundown.

Howard Eilenberg led songs and offered a brief explanation of the holiday during the Cutchogue ceremony, which was followed by a reception at the synagogue.

The lighting took place at Cutchogue Village Green. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

Mercy’s Mia Behrens drives to the basket as teammate Julia Cintron-Leonardo blocks out a defender. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

An often heard phrase echoing throughout gymnasiums from basketball coaches is a plea to “value the basketball.”

In Tuesday’s non-league game between Bishop McGann-Mercy and Westhampton, all bets were off. The basketball traded hands between the two teams so frequently, it was like a game of hot potato. At times, the shot clock barely reset after a turnover before another turnover gave possession right back to the first team. 

It was a frenetic scene, but not one the Monarchs necessarily mind.

It’s an up-an-down, intense defensive pressure style the Monarchs play and turnovers are an expected byproduct. Still, Tuesday’s total proved too much to overcome.

In a game of huge swings, the Monarchs saw an 11-point third quarter lead evaporate into a 46-37 loss at McGann-Mercy High School.

By the time it was over, the teams had combined for 80 turnovers in a 32-minute game. The Monarchs won (or lost) that battle 43-37.

Before the game, Mercy coach Matt Brisson encouraged his players to turn the game into a track meet. The Hurricanes were willing lace up the cleats as well.

“We struggle in halfcourt offense, so we try to play pressure defense to help our offense with some fastbreaks,” said Westhampton coach Mike Polan.

The Hurricanes trailed 33-22 just past the midway point of the third quarter after a jumper from Mercy’s Emily St. Louis. It was all Westhampton after that. The Hurricanes went on an 18-0 run to go ahead 40-33. The Monarchs finally got back on the board with a free throw from Mia Behrens with 1:05 left, but they couldn’t get closer than five.

For all the turnovers in the first half, the Monarchs still managed to get points, mostly by shooting at an exceptional clip. Field goal attempts were few and far between, but when the Monarchs got a shot, they were remarkably accurate, connecting for 60 percent.

But in the second half, things quickly went south. The Monarchs got more field goal attempts, but couldn’t find a way to put the ball in. The Monarchs shot 3 of 27 (11 percent) from the field in the second half.

The fast-paced style of play for Mercy is buoyed by constant substitutions, often four or five players at a time. It added up to nine different players scoring for the Monarchs, led by seven apiece from Julia Cintron-Leonardo and Mary Reiter. St. Louis and Savannah Hauser both scored six points.

“His kids play hard,” Polan said, “and it made it difficult for us offensively. Their physical play took us right out of the game, especially in the first half.”

The Hurricanes had the early advantage when they went on a 13-0 run in the first quarter. The Monarchs answered with a 13-0 run of their own to take a 17-13 lead early in the second quarter.

But when the Hurricanes went on a run in the third quarter, the Monarchs had no answers. The Monarchs fell to 1-4 this season and they’re currently 0-1 in League VIII. Their league loss to Pierson Friday occurred in similar fashion. The Monarchs led that game 27-19 at halftime, but wound up scoring 11 points in the second half to fall 40-38. They scored only twice in the fourth quarter.

Learning how to close games will be the next step.

joew@timesreview.com

Councilman Jim Dinizio voted against a tree fund fee at Tuesday’s Town Board meeting. (Credit: Paul Squire)

Some builders will soon be able to pay Southold Town a fee rather than replace trees removed during construction.

Money collected from the fee is planned to go into the town’s tree committee “exclusively for the planting of new street trees and/or the replacement of damaged or removed trees on town property,” according to the new law approved at Tuesday’s Town Board meeting.

Theoretically, those trees would be placed in more appropriate areas of town determined by the tree committee.

The fee costs between $350 and $750 per tree and is based on the tree’s size. The fees would have to be paid prior to any subdivision or site plan approval by the Southold Town Planning Board, which supports the new law.

Under the new law, builders can request to pay the fee, but the decision of whether or not a developer qualifies is up to the Planning Board.

During a work session meeting Tuesday morning, Councilman Jim Dinizio said he opposes the new law because it gives additional power to the Planning Board. He said he would prefer a clear delineation of when the fee can be used instead of leaving the decision up to the Planning Board on a case-by-case basis.

“Either it is, or it isn’t,” he said at the work session. “And letting the Planning Board have somebody opt-out by writing a check to the tree committee? I have a problem with that.”

On Tuesday night, Mr. Dinizio cast the lone dissenting against the tree fund law. He said that while he believes the current Planning Board may not overuse the additional discretion, he’s worried that future boards could abuse the new rule.

“You don’t know one Planning Board to the next,” he said. “I think it just grants them too much discretion.”

The councilman had said nearly the same thing last week when he voted against a law that would give the Zoning Board of Appeals’ zoning variances an expiration date. Mr. Dinizio has argued that he believes the provision gave future zoning boards too much power.

Councilwoman Jill Doherty said the new tree fund law would effect current cases before the Planning Board, should applicants now seeking the board’s approval wish to pay the fine instead of replanting trees.

The law is expected to go into effect by next month once it receives state approval.

psquire@timesreview.com

The Southold Town Highway Department. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Southold Town Highway Superintendent Vincent Orlando added one last item to his Christmas list this week — and the Southold Town Board has obliged his request.

The board unanimously approved a late resolution Tuesday to purchase two light duty pickup trucks with snow plows for the highway department. About $34,000 of the more than $60,000 used to purchase the new trucks came from the sale of excess scrap metal from the highway department yard, but the approval did receive some push back from the board.

This is the second time in his first year in office that Mr. Orlando has come to the Town Board looking to buy new trucks. In June, the town bonded $180,000 to purchase a heavy-duty vehicle capable of working as both a snow plow and a sander at the highway superintendent’s request. Mr. Orlando said that purchase was the first step in his plan to “rotate the fleet,” replacing older trucks that need costly repairs with newer ones. In October — at Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell’s request — he presented a four-year $250,000 capital plan to continue that process.

On Tuesday, Mr. Orlando told the Town Board the new proposal to purchase pickup trucks was being done independently of that plan.

Mr. Russell questioned that process, asking why the money wasn’t allocated in the 2015 budget.

“Well, this is revenue-generated,” Mr. Orlando responded. “This doesn’t cost the taxpayers anything. We generated this money ourselves through liquidation of steel and equipment.”

Councilman Bill Ruland said using the funds generated from the sale of scrap metal to pay for the two new trucks now gives the town “a leg up” on its plan to rotate the fleet.

“It is a one-shot revenue … but I think it’s best served giving you the latest model equipment for your [fleet],” he said.

Mr. Russell and Councilwoman Louisa Evans suggested Mr. Orlando expand on his four-year plan — which featured past inventory reports and a sort of narrative about the department’s needs, but no specific costs or anticipated dates of purchase — to include a spreadsheet outlining which items will be purchased each year and how much they will cost.

“That’s what we really need,” Mr. Russell said.

“Yeah, not just a typed thing,” Ms. Evans added. “A spreadsheet.”

Mr. Orlando said Tuesday’s resolution was submitted outside of his plan because the revenue had not previously been anticipated.

Mr. Russell said the use of one-shot revenue gives him some cause for concern.

“The ability of creating revenue is great, but I don’t think we should be in the mindset of ‘If I go sell some things I can go spend this money,’” he said. “I’ll agree to buying them, but it should have been in the 2015 budget.”

gparpan@timesreview.com

John and Margaret Skabry demand Tuesday night that the Southold Town Board not allow a shrimp farm to be built near their Peconic home. (Credit: Paul Squire)

For Margaret Skabry of Peconic, the Town Board’s decision on whether to allow a shrimp farm on the property next to hers should have already been made. The answer, she said, should have been “no.”

“Protect us,” she demanded. “Not someone else’s income.”

In a nearly hour-long discussion with the board Tuesday night that veered from passionate pleas to accusations of collusion, Ms. Skabry and her husband, John Skabry Sr., called for the board to keep shrimp farming away from residential areas.

Another neighbor spoke at Tuesday night’s meeting, briefly asking the board to keep the shrimp farm away from their neighborhood.

The topic came up at a recent board meeting after a Laurel couple pitched an aquaculture plant for Southold Town; a code committee meeting later discussed where the code could be changed to allow such a business.

“It could go in anybody’s backyard,” Ms. Skabry said during one lengthy exchange Tuesday night. “And I tell you, if I see it going up in my backyard, it better be going up in yours.”

But Tess Gordon, owner of the Celestial Shrimp, said the company had just presented before the board and said it was too early in the process to say what properties they might consider to build their facility.

“Right now we’re still working on getting everything going with the town,” Ms. Gordon told The Suffolk Times Wednesday. “Nothing’s really happened yet. I’m really just waiting for the next town code meeting.”

Board members also said the process of determining where to allow a shrimp farm had just begun, and that no decision had been reached yet.

“The process might be clumsy, but it works,” said Supervisor Scott Russell at Tuesday night’s meeting.

In response, Ms. Skabry cited decisions made by previous boards to allow tasting rooms at vineyards as proof that the current board was more concerned with businesses than residents.

“You know you’re going to sneak it in somehow,” she accused. “We’re going to be the prototype for the rest of the town.”

Mr. Skabry used his time before the board to show examples of other shrimp farms across the country. None, he said, were allowed in residential zoning.

He accused the town of “spot zoning” the land next to his property to allow the shrimp farm.

“It’s seems like this code change is tailor made for this property,” Mr. Skabry said, adding that the change gives the facility’s owners “just enough room to squeeze it in.” He said he would continue to do research to “keep this out of my backyard.”

Mr. Russell assured the couple that the board was “listening” to their concerns.

“You’re looking at a board that took 14 months to pass a dog leash law,” he said.

But Mr. Russell did say the town can’t simply forbid the shrimp farming; state law requires the town to allow farming enterprises — including shrimp farming — somewhere in town. The board is now in the process of finding the best place, he said.

“The state is looking for [the town] to accommodate these businesses,” Mr. Russell said. The board seemed open to the idea raised by Mr. Skabry to allow the shrimp farming in industrially zoned areas in town, with some members saying they’d consider it.

Councilman Jim Dinizio said he wasn’t pleased that the shrimp facility owners went to the town board before filing any paperwork with the building department, saying the move circumvented “the process.” But that process, he continued, will go on.

“All we’re doing now is asking questions,” Mr. Dinizio said. “I don’t like the way they presented it any more than you do.”

Mr. Russell said there was a positive to take out of the dispute: the decision by the shrimp farmers to speak to the board got the Skabrys involved and raised valid points that the board will have to address.

psquire@timesreview.com

Frequent readers of our websites may have noticed a recent change.

We have decided to alter our online commenting policy to allow posts only from readers using a Facebook login, a move that will decrease the number of anonymous comments made on our sites. 

This is a strategic decision that our editorial board has discussed on and off over the past several years. On one side of the argument, we have always valued a reader’s option to conceal his or her identity when commenting below our news stories. We believe that allowing this made many readers feel freer to share their opinions, making our websites a destination for frequent, lengthy discussions of local news topics. The flip side of anonymity, however, is that it can lower the level of discourse by providing a safe haven for verbally abusive bullies who are less interested in healthy debate than in picking fights with other commenters. Accountability was low and it seems that approach may have scared many readers away from sharing their thoughts.

It is clear from feedback we have received from our readers that — fair or unfair — many of you associate our style of journalism with the comments being left on our sites.

We decided that it is no longer in the best interest of our brand to allow such a loose form of commenting. While we recognize that switching to a Facebook plugin will not rid our site completely of anonymous comments, it should help reduce their number and make it easier for us to monitor discussions. It will also purge our websites of current comments while bringing our policy closer to the standard we have always used for letters to the editor in print.

We hope this change improves the quality of the conversation on our websites, thus enhancing the overall reader experience. We will continue to look at the discussions and evaluate the need for additional changes to our commenting policy. Readers interested in leaving anonymous tips and feedback on our stories can do so by using the “send us a tip” link at the top of our home page or emailing executive editor Grant Parpan at gparpan@timesreview.com.

Thank you for your loyal readership.

Defense attorney William Keahon outside Southold Town Justice Court following Tuesday’s bail hearing. (Credit: Carrie Miller)

A Greenport resident who witnessed the fatal Dec. 5 crash that led to the arrest of local businessman John Costello is disputing a claim by Mr. Costello’s attorney that his client was not at fault. 

At a bail hearing Tuesday, William Keahon, a well-known Suffolk County criminal defense attorney with offices in Hauppauge, said it was the other driver, 22-year-old Oseas Ramirez, who had crossed a double-yellow line before the two cars collided on Route 25 in Greenport.

Mr. Costello maintained his lane of travel the entire time, the attorney told Judge Rudolph Bruer.

“My client is not at fault,” he said, noting that Mr. Ramirez was allegedly driving without a license at the time of the crash, which led to the death of Bartolone Miguel, 32, of Peconic.

In a telephone interview Wednesday, the witness, whose name was redacted from an accident report obtained from police last week but who confirmed to The Suffolk Times that he did in fact see the crash, called Mr. Keahon’s statement “insane.” The witness, who was known to The Suffolk Times prior to the crash, requested that his name not be published.

When asked by a reporter if he saw Mr. Costello, 71, leave his lane of travel, the witness said, “Stevie Wonder could have seen that. It was that obvious.”

In an interview last week, Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley said Mr. Ramirez had swerved to his left, across the roadway, in an attempt to avoid Mr. Costello’s oncoming truck, which had already crossed into the westbound lane.

“That’s why they hit on the passenger side and not the driver’s side,” Chief Flatley said.

The witness, who said he was driving directly behind Mr. Ramirez, agreed that he was only reacting to Mr. Costello leaving his lane when he began to swerve.

“He was trying to avoid [Mr. Costello],” the witness said. “That’s how it was initiated.”

When first contacted by The Suffolk Times Dec. 10, the witness called the crash “really devastating.”

“A tire [from Mr. Ramirez’s car] went flying into the air,” he said. “I tried to help out as best I could. [Mr. Miguel] was pretty much in shock. He was just staring at me staring at him.”

The man said Mr. Costello exited his vehicle on his own and was holding his neck as he waited for police to arrive.

Assistant district attorney Elizabeth Miller said in court Tuesday that Mr. Costello’s blood alcohol content at the time of the crash was 0.17 — just over twice the legal limit of 0.08.

That reading was determined through a blood test administered at Eastern Long Island Hospital several hours after the crash, she said.

Ms. Miller, who said prosecutors expect to level more charges against Mr. Costello at a later date, asked that bail be increased to $100,000, but Judge Bruer, who referred to the suspect as a “good friend” of 40 years, opted to maintain bail at $250.

Mr. Costello entered a not guilty plea and is due back in court Jan. 30.

gparpan@timesreview.com

Here are the classifieds for Dec. 18, 2014. If you are interested in placing an ad, please call Karen, 631-354-8029 or email kcullen@timesreview.com.

Suffolk Times Service Directory: Dec. 18, 2014

Here are the classifieds for Dec. 18, 2014. If you are interested in placing an ad, please call Karen, 631-354-8029 or email kcullen@timesreview.com.

Times Review classifieds: Dec. 18, 2014

’Tis the season for friends and family to reconnect and catch up. Andrew Ennis has been studying abroad in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, since August and will return today, Dec. 18. He is currently studying political science and Mandarin Chinese at Norwich College in Vermont, where he also plays rugby. After Christmas break he heads back to Norwich until graduation. Andrew was initiated into the Alpha Zeta Alpha chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society, and looks forward to an internship in Washington, D.C., next year. Andrew’s family has decorated the house and eagerly awaits his homecoming! What a great Christmas gift!

Thanksgiving brought Robert Fruin home after graduating from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., with a bachelor’s degree in recording artistry. Robert’s parents, Suzanne and Michael Fruin, are very proud of him.

Those blowing out birthday candles this week include Geoff Schroeder, Monica Malcolmson, James Cook, Jay Strong, Christopher Cushman, Mary Grace Finora, Bella Cahill, Tim Spath, Juliet Biemiller, Joel Mercier, Stefanie Lasota and Ryan Lademann.

Mattituck High School students have been holding a calendar raffle to raise money for a trip to Spain in the spring. The winners of this week’s drawing are Lydia Burns, LuAnne Nappe, MHS vocational students, Pat Schultz, Jane Shannon, Susan Becker, Barbara Jean Smith, Lisa Rafael and James Doroski. Congratulations to all!

Holiday music puts everyone in the spirit of the season. So come on out and hear the talented young people of our high school perform their holiday concert this evening, Dec. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Everyone is the community is welcome.

The Mattituck PTSA will hold a brief planning meeting for its fashion show on Saturday, Jan. 10, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Mattituck-Laurel Library. Any member wishing to help out with this year’s event is welcome to attend.

The holiday publication schedule means I have an early deadline — tomorrow, Dec. 19, at 10 a.m. — for the final issue of 2014. That will be my last column until Jan. 22, so please send any information right away that needs to appear before that date.

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

A 25-year-old Greenport man was arrested for driving without a license Wednesday night, Southold Town police said.

Michael Webster was stopped on Third Street around 7 p.m. for driving without his headlights on and a DMV check found his license had been suspended, police said.

Mr. Webster was arrested on a misdemeanor charge and later released on bail.