Marcos Perivolaris brought in Mattituck’s first run on a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

PANTHERS 3, TUCKERS 2

Something strange and unusual happened to the Mattituck High School baseball team on Tuesday. It lost.

After winning their first 15 games this season, the Tuckers suffered their first loss in almost a year, 3-2, to Babylon. The pursuit of perfection is over, but a league championship is close at hand. Should the Tuckers defeat Bishop McGann-Mercy on Wednesday, they will clinch at least a share of the Suffolk County League VIII title. It would be their fifth league championship in 18 years. They have four games remaining in the regular season.

The defending league champion Tuckers could have clinched the title outright on Tuesday, if not for a stubborn Babylon team that put the sole blemish on Mattituck’s sparkling record.

Babylon (12-4, 12-4), trailing by 1-0, came back by scoring all three of its runs in the top of the seventh inning. Babylon’s Nos. 7, 8 and 9 hitters led things off that inning and came up big for the Panthers.

Hunter Chicharre battled back from 1-2 count to earn a walk on a 3-2 pitch. He stole second base before Anthony Vano walked on a wild pitch, leaving both runners in scoring position. Shaun Kaminski then put down a well-executed bunt, scoring Chicharre, who was running on the pitch, with the tying run. Later, Kenneth Gordon delivered a sacrifice fly and Sean Flynn brought in the third run on a groundout.

The Tuckers started the bottom half of the inning off promisingly with their first two batters reaching base, Christian Figurniak on a sharp single and Mike Onufrak being hit by a pitch. After they were both sacrificed over a base, Figurniak was thrown out trying to score on a passed ball, with catcher Brandon Bierle tossing the ball to the pitcher, Zack Carmody, covering home plate.

That only made what happened next bittersweet for the Tuckers. Joe Tardif lined a single to center field that scored one run and might have brought in two had another runner been on base. Tardif advanced to second on a steal, but Carmody (5-1) struck out Marcos Perivolaris on a full count to end it.

The Tuckers had taken a 1-0 lead on Perivolaris’ sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Babylon had a base-running adventure of its own go wrong for it in the sixth. Cole Middleton walked and stole second before Flynn hit a grounder to the shortstop, Perivolaris. Perivolaris threw to third baseman Will Gildersleeve, who tracked Flynn down for the out. Carmody then rapped a hit-and-run single, putting two runners on base. But Tardif (4-1) escaped the jam unscathed with a strikeout and a groundout.

It was a game of missed opportunities. With runners in scoring position, Babylon hit 2 for 8 and Mattituck went 1 for 6.

The Tuckers squandered an opportunity in the third after loading the bases on successive two-out walks by Tardif, Perivolaris and Chris Dwyer. But Carmody induced a groundout to keep the Tuckers off the scoreboard.

Carmody, a right-hander in his fifth varsity season, turned in quite an outing, holding Mattituck, an offensive juggernaut, to five hits. He walked four and struck out three in his complete-game effort.

The setting was in place for a Mattituck title-clinching victory. The weather was beautiful, with the temperature in the 80s and Mattituck’s sun-splashed field looked as green as ever. But second-place Babylon played the spoiler, keeping its slim title chances alive by putting a mark in Mattituck’s loss column.

Mattituck’s previous loss also came to Panthers, the Rye Neck Panthers in a Class B Southeast Region final last June.

Three of Mattituck’s wins this season have been by one run, and one of them was against Babylon.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Southold highway department crews patching potholes on Main Street in Greenport in February 2014, when there wasn’t as much work to do. (Credit: Cyndi Murray, file)

Elected leaders from across Suffolk are demanding more state funding to help repair roads severely damaged during a cold and snowy winter.

The East End Supervisors and Mayor Association — which includes the supervisors of Southold, Riverhead and Shelter Island and the mayor of Greenport — has penned a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo requesting a one-time jump in CHIPS funding, which is federal money that is distributed by the state Department of Transportation to local government for maintenance of local roads and bridges.

Shelter Island supervisor and chairman of the East End Supervisors and Mayors Association, Jim Dougherty, said the organization is requesting the state double the amount it normally gives to each town in order to fix road infrastructure — specifically potholes that have made travel dangerous.

“Our roads took a brutal beating this winter and now is the time for the state to provide increased financial support, which we know you have available, to help us maintain our infrastructure, a fundamental function for our local government,” Mr. Dougherty wrote in a May 4 letter to the governor.

Mr. Dougherty said Tuesday that Shelter Island road crews had only just begun the process of fixing the roadways, adding that the town hasn’t spent much on repairs as of yet this year.

He estimated that if the town chose to preform patchwork it would cost roughly $100,000. If it chose to repave the roads, it would cost “multiples of that,” he said.

“That is not going to be realistic unless we get financial assistance,” Mr. Dougherty said. “[Last year] we paid peanuts compared to that.”

It is a similar situation in Southold Town where Supervisor Scott Russell said it would be difficult to repair all the roads without the additional CHIPS money.

“We have a decent amount [of money budgeted] to get the ball rolling, but something tells me it’s not going to be enough,” Mr. Russell said Monday.

Southold Town is expecting to receive roughly $420,000 in CHIPS this year. But, Mr. Russell said it needs the requested $840,000 in aid to fix the damage caused by the extreme weather.

So far, the town has paid out roughly $450,000 toward such repairs. And on Tuesday, the Town Board approved a resolution to transfer another $142,000 in CHIPS money left over from last year’s budget to fund this year’s roadwork.

East Enders aren’t the only ones feeling the pain of potholes.

In western Suffolk County, state Assemblyman Andrew Raia (R, I, C-East Northport) also wrote a letter to Mr. Cuomo requesting a one-time doubling of CHIPS funds, an estimated $17.5 million in all, be disturbed to all ten Suffolk County towns.

In the April 28 letter, Mr. Raia called the funding an “important infrastructure and public safety need.”

“The towns that reside in Suffolk County have all exceeded their municipality budgets allotted for snow removal and have been faced with the troubling ultimatum of choosing how to priorities their road repairs with insufficient funds,” Mr. Raia stated.

The timeline on when, or if, the governor will responded to requests is unclear. A call to his office was not returned.

cmurray@timesreview.com

Shawn K. McAvoy, 31 of Mattituck. (Credit: Riverhead Police Department)

A suspected robber was nabbed when he allegedly used a credit card at a downtown Riverhead store shortly after he stole it from a car parked in the municipal parking lot north of East Main Street, Riverhead police said.

Riverhead officers said they received a report of a man smashing a vehicle’s window, reaching inside of it and then fleeing on foot westbound across the parking lot around 3:35 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

Witnesses provided patrol officers with a physical description of the male subject and the owner of the vehicle told police that a wallet inside the car was taken, police said.

Not long after, a credit card from that wallet was allegedly used at Simple Mobile Solutions on Griffing Avenue.

Police said they were then able to locate the male suspect they identified as Shawn K. McAvoy, 31, of Mattituck, nearby on Railroad Avenue.

Mr. McAvoy was arrested and charged with 3^rd degree criminal mischief, 4^th degree grand larceny and 3^rd degree identity theft.

Mr. McAvoy has a history of recent arrests, including stealing items from a CVS in August 2014, according to a previous report.

The Fire Fighter boat as it appeared in 2013. (Credit: File photo)

The decommissioned FDNY fireboat serving as a floating museum in Greenport Harbor has been awarded an $80,000 National Maritime Heritage Grant, the museum’s president announced Tuesday.

But the grant requires donations to match the federal funds.

“We’re only half way there but it’s a step in the right direction,” said the museum’s president, Charlie Ritchie. “It’s a one-for-one match.”

Mr. Ritchie said the group will be raising money through various efforts, and also hopes to be apply state grant money to help reach that $80,000 goal.

Once all the money is raised, the $160,000 would be enough to complete necessary work to the ship’s hull.

A restored hull “will allow the vessel to move, get underway, take passengers out on the water, and be more viable as an attraction,” he said. “As of this point, our insurance is limiting us to just exercising the boat out on the water but not taking passengers out.”

The Fireboat Fire Fighter, a National Historic Landmark, is the most highly decorated fireboat in the world, museum officials say.

The decommissioned 76-year-old vessel, the longest serving FDNY fireboat in history, is open for tours on weekends from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is berthed adjacent to the Shelter Island ferry dock in Greenport.

Volunteers are also welcome at the vessel at any time and have been working to restore the boat above the hull.

“After many a boat was retired, she continued to serve, fighting over 50 pier and ship fires, including the World Trade Center on Sept. 11,” Mr. Ritchie said in a statement issued to the press about the grant. “Now she gets a new lease on life in her golden years, a chance to share her decks with the rest of the country, and to show why she truly is ‘America’s Fireboat.’

“This is a tribute to her crewmates, her architect William Francis Gibbs, and to a truly unique time in American shipbuilding.”

mwhite@timesreview.com

The Mattituck boys tennis team finished in a tie for a share of the League VII title with a 9-3 record. The Tuckers appeared to have the title outright after a match against Westhampton last Thursday.

But the match took an unexpected turn.

The individual division tournament begins this weekend at William Floyd High School.

The New Suffolk school board met last week to adopt the 2015-16 budget. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo)

The New Suffolk school board has adopted a $1.09 million 2015-16 budget proposal that would carry an estimated increase of $12,250, or 1.58 percent, over this year’s tax levy.

The school board unanimously approved the proposed budget, which includes a reduction in spending of nearly $44,000, at a special meeting last Thursday.

School board president Tony Dill has said most of the decrease in spending resulted from the board’s recent elimination of Martha Kennelly’s teaching position, effective June 30.

Once Ms. Kennelly returned to the district in September, after about 10 years at the Mid East Suffolk Teacher Center in Ridge, New Suffolk stopped receiving state reimbursement for her salary. That, district officials have said, caused a decline in revenue that helped contribute to a looming $160,000 deficit. Mr. Dill said that scenario, which the district wasn’t prepared for, put it in a difficult situation and forced board members to take action to avoid a 21 percent hike in the tax levy.

Ms. Kennelly, who has been working since her return on drafting Common Core-aligned curriculum for New Suffolk, is fighting to keep her job and has informed the district that she will appeal its decision with the state commissioner of education.

Last Thursday, Ms. Kennelly, a tenured 21-year veteran who has said her salary last year was $115,000, questioned the school board about why it lumped all teacher salaries together in the budget proposal instead of listing each individual teacher’s salary.

She described the omission as a “disservice to the community.”

Mr. Dill said it wasn’t uncommon for the district to change the way the budget is presented to voters, as well as state officials, and said the recent format change was made at the request of the teachers.

Ms. Kennelly also questioned why the draft minutes for the March 17 special school board meeting omitted certain statements.

In particular, she said, those minutes do not include a statement she made about meeting she had in the summer of 2013 with Mr. Dill and Holly Plymale, who was then the district’s head teacher. At that meeting, Ms. Kennelly says, she told Mr. Dill and Ms. Plymale of her intention to return if there was an opening in the district.

Mr. Dill has said Ms. Kennelly didn’t contact the district about her decision until after the 2014-15 budget vote last May.

When asked for comment about Ms. Kennelly’s claims after last Thursday’s meeting, Mr. Dill refuted her statement and said the issue will be discussed at the next school board meeting, which is scheduled for May 12.

jnuzzo@timesreview.com

From left, Joe Tardif, Jon Dwyer and Will Gildersleeve with Optimus, a hockey gnome that has served as Mattituck’s good-luck charm this season. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

TUCKERS 19, MONARCHS 0

The reaction was reserved, to say the least. No dogpiles. No hooting and hollering. No players joyously jumping on top of each other.

There wasn’t much in the way of celebration by the Mattituck High School baseball team in the moments after it clinched at least a share of the Suffolk County League VIII championship on Wednesday evening.

After shortstop Marcos Perivolaris fielded a ground ball hit by Bishop McGann-Mercy’s Mike Capute and threw to first base for the final out, a fan yelled out: “Hey, good job guys. Way to go!”

The Tuckers themselves trotted off the field at Bishop McGann-Mercy Diocesan High School and shook hands with each other in a businesslike manner. And that was it. That was about as much celebrating as the Tuckers did. Not much in the way of jubilation.

One might surmise that the ho-hum reaction to the team’s second straight league title and fifth in 18 years could have had something to do with the inevitable feel to it. The Tuckers have done almost nothing but win this season. They were the overwhelming favorites against the Monarchs, who picked up their first win of the season the day before. And the game itself, a 19-0 blowout, was not exactly a cliff-hanger.

The truth may have more to do with the Tuckers having bigger goals to achieve down the road. A league crown is just one peg in their grand plans.

With one more win from their final three regular-season games, the Tuckers would claim the title outright.

It would have been hard to find two teams on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Tuckers are 16-1, overall and in league play, while the Monarchs are the exact opposite, 1-16, 1-16, having come off a 5-2 win over Southampton the day before.

The difference between the teams was evident from start to finish. The Tuckers churned out 18 hits, four of them coming off the bat of Marcos Perivolaris, who doubled twice, drove in three runs, stole two bases and walked. Mike Onufrak knocked in three runs.

Tuckers coach Steve DeCaro handed the ball to James Nish (5-0), and the senior pitcher responded with a strong outing. He walked five in five-plus innings, but allowed only two hits, striking out one. Victor Proferes closed out the shared shutout in which the Monarchs were held to three hits.

Nish also did well at the plate, picking up three hits with a run batted in. His twin brother, Ian Nish, scored five runs.

It was senior day for the Monarchs, who played their final home game. Before the first pitch their coach, Vinny Punzone, presided over a ceremony honoring the team’s six seniors: Scott Arturi, Jasper Bradley, Capute, Leo Ellis, Marco Pascale and Mike Shelton.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Here are the classifieds for May 7, 2015. If you are interested in placing an ad, please call Karen, 631-354-8029 or email kcullen@timesreview.com.

Suffolk Times Service Directory: May 7, 2015

Here are the classifieds for May 7, 2015 If you are interested in placing an ad, please call Karen, 631-354-8029 or email kcullen@timesreview.com.

Times Review classifieds: May 7, 2015

Happy spring! The sun is shining and it is warming up. I’ve read that local asparagus is in; can’t wait to buy some. Last week, in conversation, an elder shared that to celebrate May he remembers as a child walking around a pole holding onto colorful ribbons. This brought me back to the bright colors of the ribbons and fun I had dancing around the Maypole. May the days ahead be colorful, bright and joyful.

Wendy Reeve retired from Cutchogue New Suffolk Library March 28 after 33 years. A cherished member of the staff, Wendy worked in every department of the library and earned a Master of Library Science degree during her tenure. She welcomed patrons with a radiant smile and was the go-to person for technology help. She kept the “behind the scenes” departments working seamlessly and her enthusiasm for learning benefited everyone, making the library team stronger. She was a teacher, a mentor, a leader and true librarian at heart. At a farewell open house, she received an official commendation from the library board for her years of dedication and service. The community, staff and library board offer their thanks and wish Wendy the very best in her retirement.

Stop by the library this week to check out a book, sign up for one of the fun and educational programs and see the new handicapped-accessible entrance.

The Southold Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution invite you to a springtime luncheon Wednesday, May 20, at Soundview Restaurant. A reception begins at noon and the luncheon at 12:30 p.m. Learn about beekeeping from Chris Kelly of Promised Lands Apian Way and take a chance on beautiful raffle prizes. Tickets are $35 (includes gratuity); RSVP to Sharon Schmidt, 734-7219.

Mattituck’s Got Talent! You can see for yourself on Friday, May 8, at 7 p.m. in the Mattituck High School auditorium. Tickets will be available at the door.

Belated happy 2nd birthday to Dean Loreto, who cut his “Cars” characters cake with family last week.

Here’s to another group of talented young people. Congratulations to North Fork Academy of Dance dancers, who recently won solid gold, solid gold plus, platinum and platinum plus awards in overall competitions. Special mention goes to Morgan Walter, who was recognized for sportsmanship.

‘The Jewish Cardinal’ is a film about Jean Marie Listiger, a convert from Judaism to Catholicism who rose from priest to bishop, archbishop and then cardinal. This remarkable true story is filled with the politics of the time and showcases a fascinating man who made an impact on the world. The film, the last in North Fork Reform Synagogue’s cinematic series for this year, will be shown Saturday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m. in the community room at Cutchogue Presbyterian Church. Light refreshments will be served. The suggested donation is $5. All are welcome.

Kudos and congratulations to the cadets who participated in and supported the Area 4 Brain Brawl Championships hosted at Mattituck High School by our NJROTC Unit. Brain Brawl is a “Jeopardy”-style event where teams compete in two rounds and the overall high score wins. Special congratulations to overall first-place winner Team 1: Sam Basel, T.J. Behr, William Stuckert and Samantha Fine; and overall third-place winner Team 2: Will Tondo, Skyler Grathwohl, Emily Sidor and Joe Stuckert. For the second year in a row, Cadet Sam Basel was named Area 4 Brain Brawl champion. Cadet Skyler Grathwohl was runner-up.

Chances are you’ve seen local photographer, videographer and photojournalist Randee Daddona on the scene taking pictures. Congratulations, Randee, on winning your first Emmy for your video and feature photo essay about Scott Bollman’s North Fork Sea Salt.

‘I never knew how much love my heart could hold until someone called me Mommy.” — Heather Stillufsen. When I’m asked if I am my child’s friend, I answer I am their mother first and friend second. May we forever be in the hearts of our children, and our mothers here and in heaven be in ours. Happy Mother’s Day!

Bryan Sabatella of Aquebogue is the first North Fork resident to play for the Long Island Ducks. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

The last time Bryan Sabatella played baseball on Long Island with any regularity was in 2002. Then a 17-year-old senior at Shoreham-Wading River High School, he was a key player on a county championship-winning team. 

In the 13 years since, the young outfielder’s playing career has taken him many places. There were the three seasons he spent at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., followed by stints playing for the Seattle Mariners organization in Washington State and Wisconsin.

Measuring the distance between him and his family in at-bats, the young outfielder continued his decade-long professional career playing independent league baseball in Louisiana, Pennsylvania and New Jersey before finally realizing after one season in Kansas that it might be time to retire.

He had logged more than 4,100 plate appearances in his career and was just one line drive shy of reaching 1,100 hits, but had never advanced past Class A ball. After a decade of being paid modestly to play the game he loved, Sabatella thought it might finally be time to put his college degree to use and embark on the next chapter of his professional life.

Then he received a phone call from the one place where he’d never gotten a chance to play: home. 

Freelance photographer and videographer Randee Daddona with the Emmy award she received Saturday. (Credit: Vera Chinese)

The work of photojournalist Randee Daddona first landed on the cover of a New York City tabloid at the tender age of 13.

Then a student at Mark Twain Junior High School for the Gifted and Talented in Coney Island, Ms. Daddona (née Post) and her classmates were on a field trip in Brooklyn when they stumbled upon some breaking news: An unlicensed driver had just backed into a mounted police officer, pinning him and his horse between her bumper and a parked taxi. The troupe of aspiring photographers saw an opportunity in calamity.

“We were like, ‘Wow, here’s an assignment,’ ” Ms. Daddona recalled. “The Daily News was there. They were enthusiastic about us taking pictures.”

The police officer wasn’t seriously injured, but the story made page one of the April 27, 1976, edition of the newspaper and featured a quote from Randee Post.

“I told them, ‘Wow, I’ve never been under so much pressure before,’ ” Ms. Daddona, 52, said during a recent interview outside North Fork Roasting Co. in Southold. “I told them I was used to taking pictures of bums and homeless people.”

Nearly four decades later, Ms. Daddona, a regular contributor to Newsday who also shoots for Times Review Media Group and Edible East End, is still in the game and producing some of the region’s best photojournalism.

On Saturday, Ms. Daddona took home a New York Emmy in the best lifestyle feature category at the New York chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ annual awards ceremony at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. She was honored for a Newsday video she made about North Fork Sea Salt owners Scott and Kassata Bollman. The piece was shot in Cutchogue and she shares the award with Newsday assistant managing editor Arnold Miller and video editor Jeff Basinger.

GETTING HER START

Ms. Daddona admits her photojournalism career might never have materialized were it not for Sylvia Lederman-Hyland, her photography teacher at Mark Twain in the mid-1970s.

“When I picked up that first camera, she said, ‘This is what you are going to do,’ ” Ms. Daddona recalled. “She took me to galleries on her own time. If there is someone in your life who mentors you like that, say thank you.”

Ms. Daddona said she lost contact with Ms. Lederman-Hyland after she moved on from Mark Twain, but the pair reconnected when Ms. Daddona found her former teacher through social media in 2012. They set a date and met for a meal at Gargiulio’s Restaurant on Coney Island.

“I was so nervous, like I was going to meet a rock star,” Ms. Daddona recalled. “My heart just dropped when I saw her. I said, ‘I love every single day of work because of you.’ ”

Her teacher, who was then in her 80s and suffering from cancer, died two months later. Later that year, Ms. Daddona received a letter from Ms. Lederman-Hyland’s husband, John.

“He said, ‘I want you to know what you said to her meant everything,’ ” Ms. Daddona said.

It was a two-way street.

Her early relationship with Ms. Lederman-Hyland had helped build the then-teenager’s confidence, so when Ms. Daddona saw a movie being filmed in Coney Island in the late ’70s, she thought nothing of writing to the producers to ask if she could hang out on set. She picked up a copy of Variety to find out who to contact and sent a letter.

The producers had brought her behind the scenes for a day when someone mistook her for a crew member.

“They said, ‘Can you get a cup of coffee for the director [Stephen Verona]?’ ” she said. “I had never made a cup of coffee in my life. I was 15!”

Whatever she did that day, it impressed the crew. They were so taken with Ms. Daddona, they offered her a production assistant job and she went on to work on films like “The Chosen” and “The King of Comedy” — all before her 20th birthday. (And she has the IMDB credits to prove it.)

“Jerry Lewis signed my yearbook,” she said. “But I worked my butt off. I was the first on set and the last to leave.”

The cover of the April 27, 1976, edition of the Daily News featuring Randee Post and her journalism classmates.

FAMILY FIRST

Ms. Daddona then enrolled in Manhattan’s School of Visual Arts, where she earned a bachelor of fine arts. She married her high school sweetheart, Lenny Daddona, and the couple moved to Cedarhurst. Soon after, she gave birth to their son Matthew, the eldest of the Daddonas’ five children.

“I stepped back from the film industry and went into photos again,” Ms. Daddona said. She launched her own photography business, shooting family and children’s portraits, and worked for the Nassau Herald — sometimes with her kids in tow.

“We took our own paths with things, Randee and I. We never once had one of those jobs where you had a retirement package or health insurance,” said Mr. Daddona, who owns a landscaping and irrigation business. “We always had to put away what little we could.”

The pair tag-teamed responsibilities, with Mr. Daddona coaching youth sports and the available parent preparing dinner when necessary.

“We never could afford help, so everything was just us,” Mr. Daddona said.

If balancing raising Matthew, now 25, Kaitlin, 22, Julia, 17, and 13-year-old twins Olivia and Michael with a successful journalism career ever brought Ms. Daddona down, she doesn’t show it.

“It’s easy,” she said. “Life happened. There’s a lot of things to do, places to go, but you just do it.

“It went fast. I’ll tell you that.”

A BIG BREAK

The family moved to Southold about 10 years ago and Ms. Daddona soon met Eileen Duffy, who was then the editor at The Suffolk Times and is now the editor of Edible East End and Edible Long Island. The pair were shooting at a concert at Martha Clara Vineyards featuring local family musician Brady Rymer when Ms. Daddona offered to lend Ms. Duffy an expensive Canon lens.

“She was like, ‘Here, if you want to use it for a little while,’ ” Ms. Duffy recalled. “I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ She was so nice.”

Ms. Duffy began assigning stories to Ms. Daddona and a decade later, the photog is still capturing the North Fork’s artisanal food and beverage producers for Edible magazines.

“The thing about Randee is she never says no,” Ms. Duffy said. “She’s a lot of fun and it makes the subjects of her photos really comfortable, so you get a really human element.”

In 2009, Ms. Daddona got a call from Newsday and was soon offered an assignment. Three years later, an editor at the daily paper asked if she could shoot video.

“I said, ‘Yeah.’ I had a feel of how things were supposed to look. I watched a lot of videos on how to do things and I taught myself,” Ms. Daddona said. “And then they threw me on assignment.”

The inspiration for the sea salt story came when she was having lunch at The Cheese Emporium by Bruce and Son in Greenport. Ms. Daddona examined a bottle of salt on the table and asked chef Scott Bollman, whose family owns the establishment, where it came from.

“He said, ‘Well, I harvest it,’ ” Ms. Daddona said. “I’m looking at him and I said, ‘Wow, can I come with you?’ And he said, ‘Sure.’”

She pitched the story to Newsday and was given the green light.

“It was January. It was 22 degrees. He lent me his wife’s wet suit and we went out there,” Ms. Daddona said.

The pair paused to take in the predawn light over the Peconic Bay.

“I said, ‘Scott, we’re both working right now. Isn’t that incredible?’”

Mr. Bollman called the finished product a well-deserved win for the best photojournalist he knows.

“We had so much fun shooting this video,” he said in an email. “When you put two people together with a passion for their craft, you are undoubtedly going to create something of beauty.”

The two-minute video documents Mr. Bollman’s trek into the water — something she said he does even on the coldest days of the year — to retrieve buckets of the region’s most abundant natural resource. He transports the salt water to a commercial kitchen in Cutchogue, where it is slowly boiled down into salt.

“All of a sudden these beautiful crystals appear in front of you,” Ms. Daddona said.

Although the video features stunning visuals like Mr. Bollman backlit by the rising sun and underwater closeups of saltwater filling a bucket, Ms. Daddona said she attended Saturday’s awards ceremony with no expectation of winning. She would have been happy just to see a clip of her work in the ceremony’s introduction video.

There is only one word Ms. Daddona uses to describe hearing her name announced in a room full of New York media giants: surreal.

“I felt like [the stage] was 10 miles away. Like I needed MapQuest to get there,” she said. “The first thing I said was, ‘I’m speechless. I mean it. I didn’t bring a speech.’ ”

The award was one of five Emmys Newsday took home that night — a record for the news organization.

“I am so proud of our entire team who bring compelling stories to life every day. These awards are a great honor,” Debby Krenek, Newday’s editorial director and senior vice president for digital media, said in a Newsday.com story.

When asked how it feels to win such a prestigious award after so many years in the business, Ms. Daddona replied modestly.

“The video is beautiful because of its surroundings,” she said. “The story spoke for itself.

“It’s just me doing my job. It’s not about an award. It’s just me telling stories. And this gives me the drive to go out there and do more.”

vchinese@timesreview.com

Nine Suffolk County legislators recently rejected a proposal to move a series of committee meetings from Hauppauge to Riverhead. Ask them why and you’re likely to get nine different answers. One thing none of these lawmakers would tell you, however, is what appears to be the truth: They don’t want to drive out here.

The sharply divided map that accompanies this week’s coverage of the deadlocked 9-9 vote on Legislator Al Krupksi’s bill (see story here) makes that abundantly clear. The lawmakers even defeated the bill in a bipartisan manner, with three western Democrats joining the six Republicans, also all from western Suffolk, who opposed it. The idea for the county Legislature to hold a single round of committee meetings in Riverhead was designed to boost participation in local government among East Enders.

It’s a shame half the legislators felt their personal convenience is more important.

Mr. Krupski and his South Fork counterpart, Legislator Eric Schneiderman (I-Montauk) — who for 12 years now has been traveling to Hauppauge from his home in East Hampton Town, good for two hours each way, without complaint — said they were encouraged by the closeness of the vote and hope to push for more East End meetings in the future.

Republican minority leader Kevin McCaffrey of Lindenhurst spoke with Mr. Krupski after the vote and said they would try to come to a “workable solution,” such as holding select meetings on the East End that would be of particular interest to residents there. But many of these committee meetings often address multiple issues affecting individual communities from Amityville to Orient, as well as issues that affect all Suffolk residents. Trying to ascertain which would be more important to East Enders seems like it would be an unworkable endeavor. (And maybe that’s by design.)

But since everyone seems to be talking about the issue, perhaps committee meetings should rotate through a handful of locations in Suffolk, from its southern to northern shores, east and west.

This way, too, lawmakers will get to see the entirety of the land they’re trying to govern.

At the very least, the idea should be kicked around in a committee.

Now, where to hold that meeting?

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A Suffolk County Police helicopter lands at Cochran Park in Peconic Thursday. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)

A man trimming a tree in Peconic fell and suffered a back injury Thursday morning, according to the Southold Fire Department. 

Emergency responders called for a medevac and the man was airlifted to Stony Brook University Medical Center. Southold fire chief Peggy Killian said the man appeared to suffer a serious injury.

The man fell around 11:05 a.m. on Peconic Lane, Ms. Killian said. A helicopter landed a Cochran Park just a short distance away at 11:30 a.m. as the Southold Fire Department aided the victim.

Ms. Killian said she didn’t yet know what company the man — who spoke limited English — was working for at the time of the accident.

joew@timesreview.com

Southold’s Sean Moran (5), Pat McFarland (4) and Noah Mina (19) get an up-close view of the game action Thursday when the First Settlers won the League IX title outright. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

FIRST SETTLERS 5, ROYALS 1

League championships don’t come around every year. They are to be cherished and appreciated, especially for a team that just may be the comeback story of the year in Suffolk County high school baseball.

One year after struggling through a disappointing 4-11 season, Southold turned things around dramatically this year, winning its 10th league championship and first since 2005.

One day after assuring themselves of a share of the League IX title, the First Settlers gained sole ownership of the crown via a 5-1 win over Port Jefferson on Thursday in Southold.

After relief pitcher Dylan Clausen struck out Shawn Griffin for the final out, Southold coach Mike Carver, with his left fist clenched, said, “We did it.” Then he headed toward the field to join his players, who hugged each other before exchanging handshakes with the Royals.

With their eighth straight win, the First Settlers rose to 16-2, with two games left in their regular season.

Pat McFarland and Alex Poliwoda knocked in two runs each on doubles and Luke Hansen, supported by clean defense, brought his pitching record to 4-0.

The First Settlers charged out to a 4-0 lead by the third inning.

Shayne Johnson, who reached base on a throwing error in the first, made it 1-0 when he scored from first base on McFarland’s first double.

Most of Southold’s damage came in the third, though. Following singles by Hansen and Johnson, Poliwoda whacked a ground-rule double that bounced over the left-field fence. Moments later, a groundout by Sean Moran allowed McFarland to cross home plate, making the score 4-0.

Both teams put up a run in the fourth. After Port Jefferson loaded the bases on singles by Neil Alvarez and Shawn Griffin and a walk by Noah Davis, Corey Carnahan drew a walk for the Royals’ only run. In the bottom half of the inning, doubles by Liam Walker and McFarland brought in Southold’s final run.

After throwing his 111th pitch with two outs in the sixth, Hansen was pulled for Clausen. Hansen had allowed seven hits, walked five and struck out five. In the second, Hansen was struck on the inside of his right thigh by a hard-hit drive by Kris Cheslock. Hansen kept his composure, collected the ball and threw to first base for the out. He was checked out by Carver and remained in the game. After the game, Hansen said he was alright.

The First Settlers, who expect to receive the No. 1 seed in the Suffolk Class C Tournament, can say the same.

bliepa@timesreview.com

The Mad Hatters (from left) Sue Hanauer of Riverhead, Harold Gordon of Mattituck, Rita Cohen of Southold and Prue Brashich of Cutchogue during last week’s bi-monthly knitting session at Ms. Hanover’s kitchen table. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)

In 2003, Sue Hanauer was working on a project with fellow North Fork Reform Synagogue members when she developed the idea for Mad Hatters, which knits hats for local cancer patients.

“We were finishing a quilt cover for a wooden ark and were talking about what we wanted to do next,” said Ms. Hanauer, of Jamesport. “I had heard about a nationwide group that was doing caps for women and brought that to their attention. They liked the idea and the rest is history, as they say.”

In the 12 years since Mad Hatters was formed, Ms. Hanauer said, the group has delivered more than 2,700 seamless caps to Eastern Long Island Hematology and Oncology’s offices in Riverhead and Southampton for distribution to chemotherapy patients who have lost their hair.

“Sue brought the idea to us,” said Lynn Kay Winters, a practice administrator at ELIHO’s Riverhead office. “And we thought it was a wonderful idea. We provide funding for their yarn and then place them in little baskets in the waiting room, where people can just kind of shop on their own.”

Mad Hatters’ eight members meet biweekly at Ms. Hanauer’s home in Maidstone Landing. There, they knit or crochet at her expansive dining room table, discussing everything from the latest books and movies to current events and personal struggles.

This sense of camaraderie has been very important to Harold Gordon of Mattituck, the group’s only male member.

Mr. Gordon said he was grieving his partner’s sudden death in 2003 when his good friend Ms. Hanauer invited him to join Mad Hatters, he said.

“I had learned to knit when I was a kid,” Mr. Gordon said. “Sue said, ‘Why don’t you come knit with us?’ So I did and it was just a fun thing to do. My mother had breast cancer, my sister has it and my nieces are candidates for it.”

Ms. Winters said patients at ELIHO, most of whom are women, express a range of emotions upon seeing the hats, which are frequently replenished and designed without seams so they’re comfortable enough to sleep in.

“It’s very painful for someone to lose their hair,” she said. “People are very touched. They can’t believe someone would spend time on these beautiful designs for someone they might not even know.”

Ms. Hanauer, who knits at least one hat a week, said she enjoys the giving process inherent to Mad Hatters’ mission but also finds joy in the group’s social aspect.

“Knitting brings people together,” she said.

The Mad Hatters have left their mark on the East End, Ms. Winters said.

“We’re such a small community that I suspect some of the Mad Hatters have been in the grocery store and seen their creations,” Ms. Winters said. “You know, patients are very grateful. There are plenty of options online but there’s nothing that beats yarn some local person with a lot of talent knitted.

I think that’s very special and patients pick up on that right away.”

ryoung@timesreview.com

Two deer grazing behind a Cutchogue home. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder, file)

A decades-old law in Southold Town could soon be eliminated to ease the process for residents to obtain deer hunting permits following a recommendation from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The proposed legislation before the Southold Town Board would eliminate a 1960s law that requires hunters to receive a special permit from the town clerk’s office in addition to a state-issued hunting permit.

The DEC recommended the change after revisions to state law loosened deer hunting restrictions in Suffolk County, said Jeff Standish, the Southold director of public works, at Tuesday’s Town Board meeting.

The DEC adopted regulations in December that expanded deer hunting opportunities in the county in order to increase recreational hunting and better manage the overgrown deer population in the region. The bow hunting and firearm seasons were both extended.

The DEC also eliminated the need for hunters to obtain a special permit from the town to hunt. But for that to happen, the DEC is now requesting all Suffolk County towns pass new legislation waving the town permit.

The local provision was designed to limit the number of hunters in each town. However, applicant rates and the number of permits issued have been well below the maximum allowable, according to the DEC.

Peter Scully, the DEC regional director, called the local legislation “cumbersome” and “inconsistent with hunting requirements” now that the DEC is seeking to bolster deer hunting in the county.

Southold Town is now considering passing the DEC recommendation in order to “reduce the regulatory burden,” according to the draft legislation.

Mr. Standish told the board that obtaining the $1 local permit is a lengthy process for both the hunter and the clerk’s office. It’s not a significant revenue source, he said.

“The permit really means nothing,” Mr. Standish said. “It takes up a lot of time in the clerk’s office and it is not necessary. The state doesn’t even look for it anymore.”

Hunters still need to obtain proper state hunting permits.

The DEC is requesting municipalities adopt the local law change by June 1 for it to take effect prior to hunting season.

To accommodate that schedule, Southold Town is holding a special public hearing on the proposed legislation at noon May 28 at Southold Town Hall.

Riverhead Town passed the local legislation Tuesday.

cmurray@timesreview.com

Southold High School’s Teeny Award nominees for 2014. This year, the school has earned more nominations.

Nominees for the 13th Annual Teeny Awards, which showcase the best in local high school theater, were announced this morning. Winners will be announced at a formal awards ceremony June 7 at Center Moriches High School where radio personality Walker Vreeland will serve as host. 

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Student tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. A red carpet event will be held at 1:30 p.m., followed by a 3 p.m. ceremony.

The nominees are listed alphabetically below:

MUSICAL

Supporting Male in a Musical

Matt Agryropoulis as Conrad Birdie in “Bye Bye Birdie” at Center Moriches

John Drinkwater as Mistrel in “Once Upon a Mattress” at Greenport

Matt Drinkwater as Sir Harry in “Once Upon a Mattress” at Greenport

Ramsey Pack as Seaweed in “Hairspray” at Longwood

Connor Vaccariello as Uncle Fester in “The Addams Family” at Southold

Supporting Female in a Musical

Chloe Dervin as Amber Von Tussle in “Hairspray” at Longwood

Olivia Garrison as Commissioner Doyle in “Annie Warbucks” at Shelter Island

Audrey Owen as Alice Beineke in “The Addams Family” at Pierson

Meg Pickerell as Alice Beineke in “The Addams Family” at Southold

Kaylea Scott as Motormouth Maybell in “Hairspray” at Longwood

Lead Male in a Musical

Sam deSoto as Link Larkin in “Hairspray” at Longwood

Denis Hartnett as Gomez Addams in “The Addams Family” at Pierson

Franklin Krzyzewski as Igor in “Young Frankenstein” at Hampton Bays

David Letteriello as Edna Turnblad in “Hairspray” at Longwood

Sean Mannix as King Arthur in “Spamalot” at Shoreham-Wading River

William Tondo as Gomez Addams in “The Addams Family” at Southold

Lead Female in a Musical

Rebecca Dwoskin as Wednesday Addams in “The Addams Family” at Pierson

Mackenzie Engeldrum as Inga in “Young Frankenstein” at Hampton Bays

Serina Kaasik as Annie in “Annie Warbucks” at Shelter Island

Allie Lasot as Wednesday Addams in “The Addams Family” at Southold

Katie Lemmen as Kim McAfee in “Bye Bye Birdie” at Center Moriches

Isabella Le Boeuf as Tracy Turnblad in “Hairspray” at Longwood

Marisa Tache as Rosie in “Bye Bye Birdie” at Center Moriches

PLAY

Supporting Female in a Play

Emily Clasen as Mrs. Webb in “Our Town” at Shoreham-Wading River

Raven Janoski as Penny Sycamore in “You Can’t Take it With You” at Mattituck

Grace Lukachinski as Petronella Van Daan in “The Diary of Anne Frank” and as Ethel in “Moon Over Buffalo” at McGann-Mercy

Lena Wolf as Sister Drobney in “Don’t Drink the Water” at Southold/Greenport Drama

Supporting Male in a Play

Nicholas Auletti as Heavy 1/Mr./Mrs. McGarrigle in “The 39 Steps” at Westhampton Beach

James Blydenburgh as Heavy 2/Mr./Mrs. McGarrigle in “The 39 Steps” at Westhampton Beach

Denis Hartnett as Lady Bracknell in “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Pierson

James Mancuso as Mr. Webb in “Our Town” at Shoreham-Wading River

Oliver Orr as Kolenkhov in “You Can’t Take it With You” at Mattituck

Max Peterson as Crofter in “The 39 Steps” at Westhampton Beach

Lead Female in a Play

Rebecca Dwoskin as Cecily Cardew in “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Pierson

Olivia Geppel as Anne Frank in “The Diary of Anne Frank” at McGann-Mercy

Emily Hassid as Emily Webb in “Our Town” at Shoreham-Wading River

Colleen Kelly as Alice Sycamore in “You Can’t Take it With You” at Mattituck

Audrey Owen as Gwendolen Fairfax in “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Pierson

Lead Male in a Play

Max Crean as George in “Moon Over Buffalo” at McGann-Mercy

Paul Hartman as Algernon Moncrieff in “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Pierson

Shane Hennessy as John Worthington, J.P. in “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Pierson

Sean Mannix as Stage Manager in “Our Town” at Shoreham-Wading River

Ramsey Pack as Carroll Danes in “Bad Auditions by Bad Actors” at Longwood

ONE-ACT PLAY       

Outstanding Female in a One-Act Play

Emily Austopchuk as Tassie in “Tassie Suffers” at Ross School

Daniela Herman as Sarah in “Bed & Breakfast” at Ross School

Megan Kelly as The Nurse in “The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet” at Riverhead

Aria Saltini as Stage Manager in “The Audition” at Riverhead

Hannah Schneider as Elizabeth’s Mother in “The Audition” at Riverhead

Outstanding Male in a One-Act Play

Isaac Kulp as Romeo in “Seussification of Romeo and Juliet” at Riverhead

Ryan Mancini as Tybalt in “Seussification of Romeo and Juliet” at Riverhead

Samuel Mancini as Mercutio in “Seussification of Romeo and Juliet” at Riverhead

Miguel Monori as Barry in “Misfortune” at Ross School

Mael Oujaddou as Matthew in “Measuring Matthew” at Ross School

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY

Victoria Carroll, Brielle Borges, Ella Baldwin, Jessica Nicholson, Laura Schmitt for “Footloose” at Riverhead

Emma Galasso for her number in “Godspell” at Westhampton Beach

Paul Hartman for his number in “The Addams Family” at Pierson

Megan Murry, Nellie Spackman, Lena Wolf for “Once Upon a Mattress” at Greenport

PLAYBILL AND POSTER DESIGN

Sabrina Baum and Natalie Brooks for “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Pierson

Bridget Comisky and Lily Saeli for “The Addams Family” at Southold

Emily Gatz for “You Can’t Take it With You” at Mattituck

OUTSTANDING PERFORMERS

Outstanding Male in a Musical or Play

Nick Auletti for his roles in “Godspell” at Westhampton Beach

Trevor Cockeri-Patrick as Edmund in “Bad Auditions by Bad Actors” at Longwood

James Mancuso as Galahad in “Spamalot” at Shoreham-Wading River

Daniel Qua for his performance of “Prepare Ye” in “Godspell” at Westhampton Beach

Tyler Thompson as Eugene in “Grease” at East Hampton

Outstanding Female in a Musical or Play

Julie Ehm as Patty Simcox in “Grease” at East Hampton

Gwyn Foley as Essie in “You Can’t Take it With You” at Mattituck

Emma Leaden as the Grand Duchess Olga in “You Can’t Take It With You” at Mattituck

Alex Peterson as Dr. Victor von Frankenstein in “Young Frankenstein” at Hampton Bays

Isabel Simon as the Jester in “Once Upon a Mattress” at Greenport

Chryso Tsompelis as Grandma in “The Addams Family” at Southold

JUDGES’ CHOICE AWARD

This award is chosen by the judges in a vote. It is for a particular scene, musical number, dance number, ensemble effort, or group that the judges feel stands out enough to warrant the special recognition. This year, the recipient is The Ancestors from “The Addams Family” at Pierson High School.

Warning: Once you look at this Cutchogue home, others might pale in comparison.

Stunning architectural design abounds in this spacious, three story $1.9 million modern beach house.

The home, located on an acre of property atop a bluff in the prestigious Nassau Point neighborhood, offers the perfect blend of indoor/outdoor waterfront living.

Amenities include hardwood floors, five bedrooms, a master bedroom balcony and private beach rights.

See the complete listing at northforker.com.