After announcing in November that David Gamberg would continue as the shared superintendent of both Southold and Greenport school districts after his initial contract ends this June, a three-year contract was approved by the Greenport Board of Education on Tuesday and the Southold Board of Education the following night.

The contract comes with a salary increase each year — an additional $4,000 during the 2016-2017 school year, a $4,100 raise in 2017-2018  year, and a $4,200 increase during the 2018-2019 school year. Currently, Mr. Gamberg’s base salary is $239,280, he said.

“I’m personally grateful that the board at Greenport was confident enough to want to extend [my contract] by three more years,” he said. “While it certainly has its challenges, I enjoy what I do and I love what I do. I consider myself very fortunate to do what I do — to spend time in the company of children and to be in a community like Greenport.”

Both districts have agreed to split Mr. Gamberg’s salary in half, a move that will continue to save them “upwards of $100,000″ each, he said, adding that this totals to about $500,000 per district since he began the shared position two years ago.

He said the savings aren’t designated for anything specific, but will continue to help support staffing and programs within both districts.

Paulette Ofrias, Southold Board of Education president, credited these financial savings as one of the major benefits that comes with having Mr. Gamberg serve as shared superintendent. She added that the sharing of knowledge and other positions between the schools that has occurred over the past two years is another positive.

“He’s brought things to Southold that Greenport does, and I’m sure vice versa, that you learn from,” she said. “I think other districts could learn from the example that we’re setting.”

Dan Creedon, Greenport Board of Education president, was not immediately available for comment.

In the new contract, as well as in the previous one, Mr. Gamberg will remain a Southold employee and the district will bill Greenport twice a year. Should the boards decided to end the shared services agreement before the contract comes to a close, Mr. Gamberg will continue to work at Southold. Additionally, he wouldn’t be able to work at Greenport for two years.

Additionally, Mr. Gamberg’s benefits will be under Southold’s plans. He is responsible for paying for 15 percent of his healthcare and 10 percent of his dental plans. The remaining 85 and 90 percent will be split between the two districts.

He will also be reimbursed over $1,000 for gas he uses to drive to and from each school during the 2016-2017 school year. Ms. Ofrias said she commends Mr. Gamberg for being able to be physically present in both schools, sometimes visiting each school multiple times a day.

“I think he does an outstanding job for Southold,” she said. “I’m assuming Greenport must feel the same way or they wouldn’t want to continue.”

nsmith@timesreview.com

Photo Caption: Superintendent David Gamberg. (Credit: File Photo)

I have lived in Cutchogue so long I am now a grandmother. I am also an American historian who has taught for many years.

I live in a small neighborhood that has been a residential community for some 50 years but has recently changed. I also recently read the letter to your paper about people’s “constitutional” right to rent their homes as frequently as they please. So I ask: Do other residents have any rights to protect themselves from this practice and both the advertisement of their homes on the Internet as well as strangers roaming their neighborhoods?

I think the answer, presently and historically, is yes.

When the Declaration of Independence was written by a small group of men, they claimed they were protecting the rights of the majority of Americans living in the British colonies. Tories, those who opposed this, had no “grandfathered” rights to retain their British citizenship! When the Constitution was formulated, the “people” was defined as the rational (“and male property owning”) members of the nation. (Try reading Adams, Jefferson and Madison.)

As a teacher and longtime student of early American political philosophy, it amazes me how vague interpretations of our founding documents are literally thrown around without much study. One of the basics of the Constitution is the idea that it could be changed for the benefit of all. Women once could not vote, and let us not forget that slavery was once legal! The beauty of our system is that situations are reviewed and we move forward to protect the expanding concept of citizenship as well as the population at large.

I would also note that these patriotic renters should remember a famous cry of the revolution was “no taxation without representation.” There are serious doubts that many renters do not report their “earnings” from their businesses, so they are practicing “representation without taxation.” Southold Town needs a registration policy.

It is good to “look before you leap” and I would advocate “learn before you speak.”

– Cutchogue

Image: Greenport vacation homes advertised earlier this year on airbnb.com.

Listings prepared for Times/Review Newspapers by Suffolk Research Service, dated Feb. 26-March 4, 2016.

AQUEBOGUE (11931)
• Toumazou, T to A & K Farms LLC, p/o 558 West Lane (600-45-1-13.4), (V), $370,000
• Toumazou, T to A & K Farms LLC, p/o 558 West Lane (600-45-1-13.5), (V), $275,000
• Deegan, Hart, et al to Hatzinikolaou, Peter, 44 Jackson Rd (600-111-4-35), (R), $225,000

CUTCHOGUE (11935)
• Jantzen, D & LB Prprty to Sullivan, Michael, 975 Little Neck Rd (1000-97-8-3), (R), $395,000
• Barker, W & J to 1560 Vanston Road LLC, 1560 Vanston Rd (1000-111-4-10), (R), $475,000
• Strang, G & B to Killeen, Jennifer, 2370 Wunneweta Rd (1000-111-7-17), (R), $782,500

EAST MARION (11939)
• Tsakos, P to Philippou, Harry & Irene, 2200 Rocky Point Rd (1000-31-2-6.2), (V), $175,000

FISHERS ISLAND (06390)
• Spurdle, C to Phillips, Scott, 8032 Clay Point Rd (1000-3-1-6), (R), $3,000,000

FLANDERS (11901)
• Tomaino, S to Long Island Rentals LLC, 19 Wood Road Trail (900-143-2-34), (R), $140,000
• Tomaino, S by Tr to Long Island Rentals LLC, 21 Reeves Bay Trail (900-143-3-27), (R), $140,000
• Tomaino, S by Tr to Long Island Rentals LLC, 25 The Dam Trail (900-143-3-34), (R), $140,000

GREENPORT (11944)
• McFerran, D & E to Halaczinsky, Thomas, 600 Main St (1000-34-3-1), (R), $633,750
• Meli, FR to 21 Beach Street Ltd, 21 Beach St (1001-3-3-7.3), (R), $1,100,000
• 135 Third LLC to 131 Third St Greenport Inc, 313 Third St (1001-6-2-23.2), (C), $750,000

MATTITUCK (11952)
• Belford, R to Zoumas, Ioannis, 505 Saltaire Way (1000-100-1-18), (V), $180,000
• Niedoroda, K by Executor to Haack, Wolfgang, 700 Deep Hole Dr (1000-115-12-10), (V), $256,000

NEW SUFFOLK (11956)
• Hartung, W & A to Connolly, Matthew, 150 Bunny Ln (1000-117-6-26.6), (R), $352,000

ORIENT (11957)
• Silverstone, D to Zarnett, Andrew, 20615 & 20600 Route 25 (1000-17-3-10), (R), $787,000

RIVERHEAD (11901)
• Germano, T & C to O’Neill, John, 3601 Amen Corner (600-64.2-1-49), (R), $315,000
• Dream Land Bldrs & Adot to Radtke, Rachel, 62 Gateway East Dr (600-65-4-15.6), (R), $345,000
• Stoneleigh Woods RH to Carey, Lillain, Stoneleigh Dr, Unit 3304 (600-82.5-3-8), (R), $426,700
• Atkinson, G by Executor to RP Property Holdings LLC, 852 Roanoke Ave (600-107-2-37), (R), $125,000
• Osborne Associates to Emanon Riverhead Corp, 917-91 W Main St (600-124-4-9), (C), $525,000
• East Main Street Vntrs to Emanon 1888 Corp, 863 W Main St (600-124-4-10), (V), $100,000
• Burton, P by Referee to Wilmington Savings Fund, Society, 125 Union Ave (600-129-2-35), (R), $202,000

SHELTER ISLAND (11964)
• Labrozzi, M to Olinkiewicz, James, 54 Country Club Dr (700-1-2-19), (V), $500,000
• Staudenraus, J & M to Langbein, Christian, 12 Behringer Ln (700-14-1-56), (R), $550,000
• Blados & Blados Uhnak to Green, Jason, 2 Dickerson Dr (700-18-3-15), (R), $450,000

SOUTHOLD (11971)
• Dunne, S to Levas, Charles, 2555 Youngs Ave, Unit 15B (1000-63.1-1-22), (C), $372,500
• Jennings, D by Executor to Yates, Richard, 3340 Oaklawn Ave (1000-70-5-54.1), (R), $995,000
• Retained Realty to Kalabouka, John, 475 Rambler Rd (1000-88-5-32), (R), $301,500

WADING RIVER (11792)
• Watral, J to Vardanian, Tigran & Mikael, 23 Cedar St (600-25-3-1), (R), $1,550,000
• US Bank National Assoc to Cajigas, Carmelo, 120 21st St (600-53-2-35), (R), $147,900
• Birchwood at Wading to Ratto, John, 107 Canterbury Dr (600-115-1-10.75), (R), $510,000

(Key: Tax map numbers = District-Section-Block-Lot; (A) = agriculture; (R) = residential; (V) = vacant property; (C) = commercial; (R&E) = recreation & entertainment; (CS) = community services; (I) = industrial; (PS) = public service; (P) = park land; as determined from assessed values in the current tax rolls.)

Between evolving dress codes and a shift to electronic record keeping, Cathy Sepko, R.N., has adapted to considerable change during her 40-year career in nursing at Eastern Long Island Hospital.

Something that hasn’t altered over the decades is her preferred style of shoe: white SAS oxford tie-ups.

“I realized it was time to retire when I went to get those shoes last year and realized they don’t make them anymore,” the 60-year-old Cutchogue resident joked during a recent interview.

Ms. Sepko, who oversees patients and staff as charge nurse on the medical/surgical floor at ELIH, has the distinction of being the hospital’s longest tenured nurse. The Mattituck native’s relationship with the facility began when she started volunteering as a candy striper at age 15.

“It was very rewarding,” Ms. Sepko said of the experience, which entailed feeding patients and delivering water. “People stayed in the hospital a lot longer back then, so you tended to develop a relationship with your patients a bit more. Today they’re in and out anywhere between two and five days.”

At age 17, while still at Mattituck High School, ELIH hired Ms. Sepko as a nursing assistant. The position exposed her to the stark realities of a career in the field, such as emptying bedpans and watching patients die.

“I basically knew what I was getting into before I applied to nursing school,” she said.

Following high school, Ms. Sepko attended the now-closed Pilgrim Psychiatric Center School of Nursing in Brentwood. She became a licensed practical nurse in her junior year of college and earned a diploma in nursing degree in 1977.

The ensuing years were a whirlwind for Ms. Sepko. She worked in ELIH’s intensive care unit, often finishing shifts at midnight only to return six hours later. As the facility’s youngest nurse, she was often assigned the unenviable task of traveling via ambulance to New York City hospitals with patients who needed specialized care.

“I used to work every weekend, every vacation and all summer,” Ms. Sepko recalled with a laugh. “I was young. You could do that back then.”

At the start of her career, Ms. Sepko said, nurses weren’t permitted to wear pants. They also had to don cumbersome white caps.

“They got in the way of IV pulls and wires,” she said. “I remember putting a catheter in somebody and I leaned over and the cap plopped right off.”

Fortunately, the dress code at ELIH had relaxed by the early 1980s. Gradually, the hospital also switched to electronic record keeping, a move Ms. Sepko credits for reducing communication errors between doctors and nurses.

“Everything is now at your fingertips,” she said. “You push a little button and you find what you want.”

These days, Ms. Sepko spends her shifts reviewing charts and orders and “playing diplomat.”

“It’s a multi-hat position, I guess,” she said.

When she isn’t working, Ms. Sepko enjoys gardening; caring for her dog, Barney, and cat, Spirit; going antiquing; and spending time in the Poconos.

“As someone who has been single, nursing actually has been very good to me,” Ms. Sepko said. “I bought myself a house. I can take care of myself. I’m self-reliant.”

Just don’t discontinue her favorite line of shoes.

Have a health column idea for Rachel Young? Email her at ryoung@timesreview.com.

Photo: Cathy Sepko, R.N., of Cutchogue with a patient at Eastern Long Island Hospital. (Credit: Eastern Long Island Hospital, courtesy photo)

Robert Fox’s letter (“Blame the rodents,” April 14) concerning the report of Southold’s tick working group is very useful. It reveals major reasons why it has been so difficult to make progress on our deer-related problems, including the present risk of contracting dangerous tick-borne diseases in our town.

As the letter bears little relationship to what is actually said in the report, it seems obvious that Mr. Fox did not carefully read or understand the latter. It also seeks to perpetuate the myth that simple, workable solutions are being overlooked.

My committee actually made clear that the white-footed mouse is a major reservoir host for the organism causing Lyme disease, while the deer function as the principal reproductive host for the black-legged ticks that transmit the disease. This distinction is critically important. By providing an abundant source of blood for the adult, reproductive stage of both black-legged and lone star ticks, deer have fueled an explosion in tick populations and tick-borne diseases. Even if the mice could be eliminated (which is inconceivable), this would not solve the disease problem. Other mammals also serve as hosts for many of these diseases. In the case of human ehrlichiosis, (a serious tick-borne disease present in our area), deer are thought to be the main reservoir host, and white-footed mice play no essential role in its maintenance or transmission.

Placing Permethrin-treated cotton balls in yards for use as nesting material will detick some mice, but cannot provide a complete solution. This is moderately expensive, not every property owner will not use the strategy, and all mammals that carry the diseases will not use the cotton balls. For example, shrews are reservoir-competent hosts for the Lyme disease organism, abundant in many parts of our town, and less likely to use the cotton balls. As discussed in our report, we are now dealing with multiple tick-transmitted diseases carried by a variety of wild animal hosts.

The story about the supposed efficacy of guinea fowl as tick predators is another myth. These birds are likely to have great difficulty spotting infective tick nymphs (which are tiny), as noted by the authors of the original report. Furthermore, a number of authorities subsequently observed that there is no good evidence that guinea fowl consume sufficient ticks to impact overall tick abundance. Finally, one scientist even raised the possibility that introducing large numbers of an exotic species (i.e. guinea fowl) into the environment may create new disease problems, because the birds themselves can carry large numbers of ticks.

Mr. Fox is correct that it is challenging to reduce deer densities sufficiently to diminish the frequency of tick-borne diseases but, as documented in our report, this has nevertheless been accomplished. While the successes have been rare, the full range of options for humanely reducing excessive deer populations simply are not being used. We should not be making excuses and dithering, when much more productive approaches are being used in adjacent states and upstate New York. The price we pay is that many of us now become very sick or chronically disabled, and some even die, after contracting tick-borne diseases.

Dr. John Rasweiler is a Cutchogue resident and retired medical school professor. He serves on Southold Town’s deer management committee, tick working group and the Suffolk County tick control advisory committee and is also a North Fork Deer Management Alliance board member.

Gayle and Michael Savage of Southold and P.A.T. and Bridg Hunt of Shelter Island Heights have announced the engagement of their children, Kristen Savage and Martin Hunt.

The couple is planning a September wedding on Shelter Island.

A bill aiming to stop the federal government’s proposed sale of Plum Island to the highest bidder is expected to be approved by the House of Representatives’ Homeland Security Committee on Thursday, opening the door for an eventual vote by the entire House, according to East End Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley).

“Plum Island is treasured by our local community,” said Mr. Zeldin, who outlined the new plan in a press conference Sunday in Riverhead. “It feels like you’re literally thousands of miles away from home when you visit. The scenery, the coastline, the wildlife right here off the coast of Long Island, is a treasure that must be protected.”

About 90 percent of the island, which has been home to a federal research lab since 1954, is undeveloped, he said, and offers “a diverse wildlife and ecosystem that is a critical habitat for migratory birds, marine mammals and rare plants.”

“We have a responsibility to protect the biodiversity found on Plum Island, including acres of shoreline and wetlands that are home to threatened species of birds, sea turtles and seals,” said Ashley Hunt-Martorano, the director of marketing and events for a non-profit group called Citizens Climate Lobby, who spoke at Sunday’s press conference.

Mr. Zeldin had proposed a bill last year to block the sale of the 840-acre property just east of  Orient Point, but that bill was never put up for a vote.

The bill will now be revised to call for the federal Government Accountability Office, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, to come up with a comprehensive plan for the future of the island.

The federal government announced in 2005 that it would shut down the Plum Island Animal Disease Center and build a new research lab in Kansas, which was expected to open in 2022.

Plum Island, owned by the federal government since 1899, would then be sold.

Mr. Zeldin says the 2008 federal law that mandates the property be sold is “flawed” and was passed without consulting with federal agencies or with local officials and communities.

The revised bill, he said, has strong bipartisan support from Long Island and Connecticut delegates in the House and the U.S. Senate.

In an attempt to prevent private development of Plum Island, Southold Town officials rezoned Plum Island in 2013 at the suggestion of then-Councilman Al Krupski, who is now a county legislator, Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said.

The supervisor said he didn’t think officials were serious about selling Plum Island at the time, but Mr. Krupski did and said the town needed to do something about it.

“And I thought, who would be crazy enough to want to buy Plum Island?” Mr. Russell recalled. “Well, it was about that time that I got a call Donald Trump’s representatives. He wanted to put a golf course and resort there. And then we knew we had to take some action.”

Mr. Zeldin is seeking to stop such proposals from being considered.

“During this (study) process, there can be no steps whatsoever taken in pursuit of sale of the island,” Mr. Zeldin said at Sunday’s press conference on Reeves Beach in Riverhead, surrounded by state, county and local officials from Southold and Riverhead towns. “This plan will include possible alternative uses for the island including a transfer of ownership to another federal agency or to the state or local government, a nonprofit organization or a combination thereof, for the purpose of education, research and conservation.”

Mr. Zeldin said he has been in discussions with the offices of U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as with Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal to come up with a version of the bill in the U.S. Senate.

Both Mr. Schumer and Mr. Blumenthal have recently made public statements in opposition to the sale of Plum Island.

The Department of Homeland Security, which owns Plum Island, has already started to study alternative uses for the land, Mr. Zeldin said.

Under the proposal up for a vote on Thursday, “If that study comes back and we like it, we will support it. If we don’t like it and we need a more thorough and extensive study, the (revised) law will be triggering a GAO study that will be much more extensive than what the Department of Homeland Security is doing right now,” he said.

The Animal Disease Center on Plum Island has conducted scientific research on a variety of infectious animal-borne diseases, including foot-and-mouth disease.

Plum Island also contains “cultural, historical, ecological, and natural resources of regional and national significance,” the bill states.

Last Tuesday, during the same meeting at which they officially adopted a long-term agricultural stewardship plan, Suffolk County legislators also gave another nod to the vital role farming plays in the county’s economy. They mandated that the Suffolk County Planning Commission include one member from the agricultural community at all times.

Sponsored by South Fork Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac), the legislation notes that “agriculture is an important interest in Suffolk County and its future liability depends, to some degree, on planning decisions made at the local and regional levels.”

Ms. Fleming, a first-term legislator, previously served on the Southampton Town Board and helped launch a fresh food project in Flanders during her tenure there. Explaining the importance of having an agricultural representative on the commission, she said, “From my perspective, we need to have folks on that commission who have a real hands-on understanding of these important economic anchors so we can not only hold onto these traditions, but move the economy forward in ways that are consistent with who we are as a people.”

Each of Suffolk County’s 10 towns is represented on the 15-member planning commission, which also has two village representatives — one for villages with more than 5,000 people and one for villages with fewer than 5,000 residents — and three at-large members. While the commission’s purview is limited to a degree, since towns control their own uses and site plan approval, local supermajorities are required at times to override a Planning Commission disapproval — though such instances are rare.

Riverhead’s current representative on the commission, Carl Gabrielsen, just happens to be a farmer. He said he was “thrilled” that someone else from his field would be on the commission after he leaves — whenever that happens to occur.

“I think it’s extremely important to have a farmer on there,” Mr. Gabrielsen said. “Agriculture is such a big part of the economy out here, and we have a pulse on what’s going on.”

Among New York State’s 62 counties, according to a 2012 Census of Agriculture conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Suffolk ranked third in total value of agricultural products sold. Nearly $240 million in product was sold that year. Suffolk had traditionally ranked first in the state, but a boom in the Greek yogurt industry has benefited upstate dairy farmers in recent years.

The amendment to the county charter doesn’t require that a farmer, per se, be on the board but rather calls for “an individual with a background or expertise in agriculture.” This could also, for example, be a retired farmer or someone involved with Cornell Cooperative Extension.

“We didn’t want to say, ‘active farmer’ because active farmers might not have time,” said North Fork Legislator Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue), who is a farmer himself.

Planning Commission members are also required by charter to represent a variety of fields and backgrounds. For example, one member must represent a labor organization, another must have a background in workforce housing and another must represent a civic or environmental organization. Ms. Fleming’s legislation also designated a specific spot on the commission for a “representative of the business community.” Previously, the county charter called for a “representative of the real estate and/or business community.”

“Our primary focus was on agriculture,” Ms. Fleming said. “But when we really drilled down into it, quite frankly small businesspeople are different from those in real estate. So everyone agreed businesspeople should be broken out.”

The broader plan is to ensure that the voices of farmers are not lost in a county that’s changed rapidly over the past half-century. The Planning Commission also helped shape the agricultural stewardship plan update that was adopted last week, which saw broad changes compared to the county’s approach to agriculture in the past. For example, it aims to connect schools with farms and for the first time and mentions the aquaculture industry as a priority.

In addition, with more industry at the western end of the county than in the five East End towns, other representatives on the Planning Commission said the voice of a farmer will represents another prominent industry in the county.

“We need to have a well-balanced group of people,” said Nicholas Planamento, Southold Town’s commission representative, who also serves as the commission member from the real estate industry. “It really makes sense to have someone who is part of the agriculture industry.”

The commission’s chair, lawyer Jennifer Casey of Huntington, said with a laugh: “You don’t want a bunch of developers, or lawyers like me.”

From time to time, farmer and North Fork Legislator Al Krupski will call attention to the image on the Suffolk County seal: an ox. The context surrounding his references typically have to do with highlighting agriculture’s importance in the county’s economy.

As one of just two legislators in the 18-member body who represent the East End, Mr. Krupski’s reminders about the role farming plays in day-to-day life here should not go unnoticed by his western Suffolk counterparts — whose constituents surely enjoy a lot of what the North Fork has to offer. Namely, it has historically been among the top agricultural producers in the state and, for many Long Islanders, that has meant a place to pick pumpkins or taste a glass of local wine.

Happily, when it comes to the importance of agriculture, legislators from the west often recognize and support efforts to maintain the industry and preserve what farmland is left — not only on the East End but elsewhere in Suffolk as well.

So it’s encouraging to see the County Legislature unanimously approve a measure that will make a representative of the agricultural community a permanent fixture on the Suffolk County Planning Commission. Though the commission still bows to local boards when it comes to local issues — a simple supermajority can override any rejection the county planning commission offers — its recommendations still carry plenty of weight. And its 15 members have insight, at least in terms of planning on a broader scale, that local boards sometimes need — and sometimes lack.

A representative from the ag field can likewise provide the occasional insight to some applications from western Suffolk. The county has demonstrated in the past that keeping the agricultural industry alive and well is among its top priorities and this move is the latest testament to that effort.

Photo: Reeve Farm in Aquebogue. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch, file)

The Mattituck school board has adopted a $40.3 million spending plan, which carries a 0.4 percent increase to next year’s tax levy.

That percentage is nearly $20,000 under the state-mandated tax levy cap of 0.46 percent increase for next school year, district business manager Michael Engelhardt said during Thursday’s school board meeting.

Mr. Engelhardt said each homeowner could see a $7 to $9 hike in their property taxes if the adopted budget is approved.

A full-time security position and storage facility was recently added after the district received additional state aid, Mr. Engelhardt said.

“With all those small changes, the tax rate and budget increase all remain roughly about the same,” Mr. Engelhardt said.

The school is also looking to purchase more automated external defibrillators, hire a part-time physical trainer, increase mental health initiatives, upgrade computer software, add security cameras and a visitor management system.

As for this year’s school board race, Superintendent Anne Smith announced Tuesday that a “Meet the Candidates” night has been scheduled for May 5 at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

Seven candidates are running for the three empty seats: incumbent William Gatz and newcomers Edward Hassildine, MaryLynn Hoeg, Brian Mealy, Tonya Kaiser-Witczak, Barbara Talbot and George Haase.

School board vice president described the race as “wonderful.”

“There were many years when we never had anybody — we’ve even had a write in candidate win because no one else was running,” he said, referring to the 2013 school board election.

This year’s budget and school board vote is scheduled for May 17.

nsmith@timesreview.com

Photo: Thursday’s Mattituck school board meeting. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

Joseph Anthony Cowan of Southold died April 20 at Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead. He was 64.

Funeral arrangements are in the care of DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Homes.

A complete obituary will follow.

The Suffolk County Legislature is set to host its first round of committee meetings on the East End in decades, according to Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski.

The meetings, which kick off next Monday, come nearly a year after Mr. Krupski first proposed moving some committee meetings to the East End to make it easier for residents on the North and South Fork to participate in local government.

“This is a great victory for residents of the East End,” said Mr. Krupski, who struck the deal in January with the help of South Fork legislator Bridget Fleming and the Legislature’s Presiding Officer, DuWayne Gregory.

“Previously, some of my constituents would have to travel for 90 minutes and up to 60 miles in one direction to speak for three minutes in the committee setting and it is ever more onerous for some South Fork residents,” he continued. “Holding meetings in Riverside will give constituents living on both the North and South Forks the opportunity for better access to the legislative process, a key factor in a functioning democracy.”

The legislative committee meetings will be held at the Maxine Postal Legislative Auditorium in the Evans K. Griffing Building at 300 Center Drive in Riverhead, just west of the Riverside traffic circle.

The full schedule is below:

Monday, May 2: 

• Environment, Planning & Agriculture – 10 a.m.

• Seniors & Consumer Protection – 12:30 p.m.

• Public Works, Transportation & Energy – 2 p.m.

Tuesday, May 3: 

• Veterans – 9:30 a.m.

• Budget & Finance – 10:30 a.m.

• Education & Human Services – 1 p.m.

Wednesday, May 4

• Government Operations, Personnel, Information Tech & Housing – 10 a.m.

• Parks & Recreation – 12:30 p.m.

• Economic Development – 2 p.m.

Thursday, May 5

• Public Safety – 9:30 a.m.

• Ways & Means – 12:30 p.m.

• Heath – 2 p.m.

More meetings meetings are scheduled to take place in Riverhead in late August.

psquire@timesreview.com

Photo Caption: Legislators Al Krupski and Bridget Fleming (Courtesy photo).

Dorothy Heller Broach of East Marion passed away peacefully Nov. 19, 2015, at her home. She was born Sept. 8, 1925.

Dorothy was an animal lover who rescued many dogs and cats. She also volunteered at Floyd Memorial Library in Greenport.

Predeceased by her husband, Harry, Dorothy is survived by her sons, David and Steven, and her granddaughter, Jennifer.

Arrangements were in the care of Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport.

The family sends their thanks to East End Hospice.

This is a paid notice. 

Mildred S. Bennett, a resident of Peconic Landing in Greenport, died April 22  in her home at the age of 103. Mrs. Bennett,  who had lived In Rockville Centre, for over 60 years, had a summer home on Shelter Island and moved from there to Nassau Point. She and her husband John D. Bennett moved to Peconic Landing in  2001.

Mildred, known to all as Millie, was much beloved by all who knew her. She was born in Brooklyn Aug. 19, 1912, and had three brothers and a sister, all who predeceased her. She was in the same third grade class as her future husband, John, who was elected Nassau County surrogate judge in 1952. They were married for over 67 years until Judge Bennett died in 2005.

Millie was very active in women’s clubs and volunteer work, was a member of St Mark’s United Methodist Church of Rockville Centre and attended Adelphi University in Garden City. She loved to entertain and was planning a bridge party the week that she died. Millie also loved to relate stories to her family of the Rockville Centre of her childhood with trolley cars traveling on what is now Sunrise Highway.

Millie’s sense of humor was endless. When she turned 100 and her friends asked her secret to a long life, she simply replied, “Don’t die.”

She is survived by her two children, James Davison Bennett and his wife Judy and Judith Bennett Moore and her husband Robert;  five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Arrangements were entrusted to Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue.

This is a paid notice. 

Trudy Jean Balducci, loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family April 23, 2016. She was 72.

Trudy was born Oct. 30, 1943, in Chicago to Marino and Georgina Fenili. In 1964, she graduated as a registered nurse from Silver Cross School of Nursing in Joliet, Ill. At the beginning of her 50 year nursing career, Trudy met and married the love of her life Arthur A. Balducci Oct. 23, 1965.

Trudy lived on the North Fork for the past 19 years. She was co-owner of Ivy League Flowers & Gifts in Southold, along with her husband, Art and daughter, Ginger.

She is survived by her husband of  50 years Art; five children, Tim Balducci (Jill) of Decatur, Ill., Kevin Balducci (Peg) of Eureka, Ill., Randy Balducci (Stephanie) of Greenville, Ill., Ginger Tomaszewski (Jim) of Southold and Jeff Balducci (Tara) of Fort Myers, Fla.; 10 grandchildren, Kaileigh, Amanda, Jacob, Shane, Michaela, Abigail, Natalie, Maddie, Trent, Trista and seven great-grandchildren. Trudy is also survived by four siblings, Ron, Larry, Bill and Gina.

The family will receive visitors Thursday, April 28, from 4 to 8 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold, where religious services will be held at 7 p.m., officiated by the Rev. Rhonda Taylor, former Pastor of the Cutchogue United Methodist Church.

This is paid notice. 

Planning to head out of town at night? Then you should probably avoid the Long Island Expressway for the next few months.

The New York State Department of Transportation has announced that two of the three lanes in both directions will be closed between exits 68 and 69 starting Wednesday, April 27.

The lanes will remain closed Mondays through Fridays between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. until mid-summer, according to the DOT.

“These nightly closures are needed to perform preventive maintenance work on the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Bridge over the LIE as part of a … $10.8 million project to help ensure the longevity of Long Island’s aging bridges and maintain the safety of motorists,” the department said in a press release.

Drivers should plan to use alternate routes to avoid delays, officials said. These closures may be canceled or postponed due to inclement weather, the release states.

The player who had the greatest impact on the game wasn’t even there.

Southold/Greenport’s first-string pitcher, Ashley Hilary, was in Europe on a class trip along with a couple of teammates, catcher Rosemary Volinski and backup pitcher Hannah Sutton.

That proved to be a serious problem for the Clippers on Tuesday.

Aided by 17 walks and an assortment of wild pitches and passed balls, Mattituck coasted to a 17-4 Suffolk County League VII softball win on its home field. The game was stopped in the fifth inning because of the mercy rule.

A softball pitcher plays what may be the most dominant position in team sports. That was underscored as Southold was forced to rely on Toni Esposito and Elizabeth Clark to handle their pitching.

Esposito gave up five runs and four hits through the first three innings before her arm started bothering her and Clark relieved her. But Clark had control problems and didn’t record an out before Esposito was pulled back from her usual center-field position to pitch the remainder of the game. She struggled, too.

Mattituck (6-8, 6-8) put up 12 runs in the fourth to break open what had been a 5-4 lead in its favor. The Tuckers had only one hit that inning, but didn’t need more thanks to 13 walks in the frame.

Call it a lesson on the importance of pitching.

“It’s really the whole game,” said Southold first baseman Evelyn Cummings.

Mattituck coach Kim Gerstung knows full well. She can sympathize with what the Clippers went through.

“It’s everything,” she said of pitching, “and that’s the reason why we lost some of our games, because we didn’t have pitching.”

Despite the one-sided score, Mattituck was outhit, 8-5. One of those hits, though, was Alexis Burns’ first career home run and Mattituck’s first homer of the season. The freshman shortstop led off the third by crushing a ball over the center-field fence, much to the surprise of her coach and teammates. Burns is a good hitter, Gerstung explained, but not one known for power.

“They were surprised that I actually got it over the fence,” said Burns, who also walked three times and scored four runs.

So, when Burns crossed home plate, she wore a big smile on her face as she was greeted by happy teammates.

“I would have a big smile on my face, too, if it was me,” said Gerstung.

Jaime Gaffga had two hits (including a double) for Mattituck, with three runs scored, two stolen bases and a walk. Jaden Thompson stole three bases and Madison Osler knocked in two runs for the Tuckers. As a pitcher, Osler walked two batters and struck out two.

The loss aside, this has been one of Southold’s better seasons in recent years. The Clippers (5-9, 5-9), who went 1-15 last year, last reached the playoffs 19 years ago under Tom McGunnigle. Still, they have no margin for error, needing to win their remaining six games to gain entry into the playoffs. Further complicating matters, they will be without Hilary, Volinski and Sutton for the next two games.

Cummings said the Clippers would like to reach the playoffs to honor the memory of their late assistant coach, Phil Reed, who died this past winter. “We definitely want to do it for him,” she said.

The playoffs are a long shot for Mattituck, too. The Tuckers need to win five of their last six games in order to see the postseason.

This is a rebuilding season for Mattituck, which will lose only one key position to graduation this year when senior catcher Rachel Voegel moves on.

“My team’s been doing great,” Gerstung said. “We lost some that we shouldn’t have, but they don’t put their heads down. They keep their heads up and they keep battling.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Sam Baldwin slides home safe for a Southold/Greenport run in the fourth inning while Mattituck catcher Jaime Gaffga looks for the ball. (Credit: Garret Meade)

Helen M. Smith of Southold died April 21, 2016 at San Simeon by the Sound in Greenport. She was 88. 

Born in Greenport, Sept. 2, 1927, to Frank and Eva Bartman Hudson, she attended Greenport High School. After her graduation in 1945, she went to Washington, D.C. and worked as a secretary to the chaplains at the Pentagon.

After World War II, she met Warren Smith and  they married in 1947. The couple made their home in Floral Park where Warren worked at the family insurance business, Harry Smith & Son. Helen and Warren moved to Southold in the late 1950s, and opened a local office of the insurance business. In later years, they were the proprietors of the Southold Liquor Store until their retirement.

Helen loved to golf and was the first woman on the Island’s End Golf Course board of directors. She was an avid reader, bridge and bingo player and did crossword puzzles daily. She was also a member of the Southold Red Hats.

Helen adored children and always had a few stuffed animals and Hot Wheels cars to give to children she ran into in town.

Predeceased by her husband and three siblings, Reginald, George and Evelyn Hudson, she is survived by her son, Glenn and grandson, Jesse,  of Colorado Springs, Colo. and her niece and caregiver, Susan Roache, of Mattituck. Several additional nieces and nephews also survive her.

Interment took place at First Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Southold, under the direction of DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Homes.

This is a paid notice. 

Fred Charles Yoerges

Fred Charles Yoerges of The Villages in Lady Lake, Fla., died April 21, 2016, surrounded by his family at The Villages Hospice House at age 82, after a year-long battle with lung cancer. 

Like his wife Dorothy, who passed away four months earlier, Fred was one of a kind. Born in the Bronx, NY, in 1933, Fred graduated from Concordia High School in White Plains and spent two years in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of corporal. Shortly thereafter, Fred married the love of his life, Dorothy Whiting Burns, and went to work at Masback Hardware Company, a major hardware distributor once located on Hudson Street in Manhattan.

During the early years of their marriage, Fred and Dot raised their first two children, Karenann and Roger, in eastern Nassau and western Suffolk counties and Fred rose through the ranks at Masback, becoming the company’s top salesman. The family eventually grew by two more children, Jennifer and Christopher, and settled in the rural hamlet of Mattituck on Long Island’s picturesque North Fork.

Fred was the life of every party, including the many that he and Dot hosted, the many more to which they were invited, and even a few that they somehow managed to attend without a formal invitation. He was loved by everyone. Fred’s gregarious nature and remarkable gift of gab led to an exceptionally wide circle of friends from all walks of life, and he made them all feel like they were part of the family. Fred was the center of attention without making any effort to be so. Somehow, the spotlight found him, no matter where he stood.

When Fred retired from the hardware business in his early fifties, he shifted gears and helped Dorothy run her successful fabric, window treatment, and upholstery business, By the Yard, on Mattituck’s fabled Love Lane. When he wasn’t in the store selling fabrics, patterns, or sewing machines, he was installing window coverings in many of eastern Long Island’s finest homes. To Fred, it didn’t matter whether he was selling hardware or herringbone; as long as he was surrounded by genuinely good people, he was in his element.

Above all, Fred thrived when he spent time with his four children, and he was intensely proud and supportive of each of them and their families. At the time of his death, Fred had eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, and he loved them all with the same gusto that he brought to all that he did.

Fred was, at bottom, a man who lived by a simple set of values, premised on the notion that we should treat others fairly and with compassion and that we should never take ourselves too seriously. Fred was a genuine role model, evidenced no more clearly than during the final years of his life, during which he quietly defined true love as he cared for his wife’s every need while she suffered from the ravages of dementia. Although he never sought the position, Fred was unquestionably the “Leader of the Band.” All who knew him would agree that our loss will be heaven’s gain, as we imagine him leading chorus upon chorus of his legendary arrangement of “Sweet Caroline” – “hands, touching hands, reaching out, touching me . . . touching you.” Rest in peace, Fred.

The family is planning to hold a memorial service followed by a gathering to celebrate the wonderful lives of both Fred and Dorothy Sunday, July 31, 2016, in Mattituck.

This is a paid notice. 

Doris M. Anrig died April 25 while residing at Westhampton Care Center. She was 93.

A devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she was a resident of Westhampton Beach and previously had lived in East Marion and Norwood, N.J.

She was predeceased by her husband, Robert, and their daughter, Patricia. She is survived by her son, Robert, of Westhampton, his daughters, Taryn, and Lauren Addis and her husband, Andrew, and their children, Fern and Dalton.

The family will receive visitors Friday, April 29, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Follett & Werner Funeral Home in Westhampton Beach, where a funeral service will take place at 12:45 p.m. Burial will follow at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Cutchogue.

This is a paid notice.