The undefeated record is no more.

Southold, which had been the last unbeaten high school baseball team in Suffolk County, now has a mark against it in the “L” column. The First Settlers finally suffered a loss on Thursday, and it took a tremendous effort by Mattituck in a tremendous game to make it happen.

The anticipated matchup between the top two teams in League VIII lived up to expectations. It was Southold, the defending Southeast Region Class C champion, against Mattituck, the defending state Class B champion. They didn’t disappoint.

After falling into a 5-0 hole and bouncing back to force extra innings, Southold saw its 15-game win streak snapped when Victor Proferes’ walk-off hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning brought Mattituck a 6-5 triumph.

Joe Tardif led off by drawing a walk before relief pitcher Dylan Clausen retired the next two batters. First base was left open when Tardif stole second base, prompting an intentional walk to Jon Dwyer. Then Proferes stepped into the batter’s box with a chance to be a hero. He drove a ball that diving right fielder Doug Fiedler couldn’t reach, scoring Tardif and putting an end to a drama that lasted nearly three hours at Mattituck High School.

Proferes (3 for 3, two runs batted in) had the rare trifecta of a blown save, a win in relief and the winning hit, all in the same game.

Mattituck (13-2, 11-2) was two outs away from winning the game in seven innings. Noah Mina was on a first base after leading off the seventh with a hit. Greg Gehring struck a potential game-ending, double-play ball that shot under shortstop Matt Heffernan’s glove, leaving two runners on base. Clausen was intentionally walked to load the bases and a groundout by Shane Zimmer evened the score at 5-5.

The weather was nasty, with a light mist falling at the start of the game and the temperature around 50 degrees. A cold wind blew across toward right field.

But the First Settlers (15-1, 15-1) must have felt a chill by their early struggles. Mattituck’s Bryce Grathwohl, Dwyer and Proferes each singled in a run for a 3-0 lead in a long first inning.

Mattituck tacked on a fourth run in the third. Proferes banged a grounder into left field for a hit, advanced to second on a fielder’s choice, stole third base and scored on a wild pitch.

The lead was extended to 5-0 in the fifth. Successive walks by Grathwohl, Dwyer and Proferes were followed by James McDonald’s sacrifice fly.

But Southold showed it was not going to go down easily. The First Settlers finally got to Mattituck’s starting pitcher, Tardif, in the sixth, when they put up four runs — one on a groundout by Zimmer, two on a triple by Fiedler and one on an Adam Baldwin single.

Both teams sent their aces to the mound for the only regular-season contest between the neighboring North Fork teams.

Pat McFarland worked four innings for Southold, giving up six hits and a walk with six strikeouts before two lefthanders, Fiedler and Clausen, picked things up from there.

Tardif lasted six innings, allowing seven hits, a walk and striking out seven. He threw 113 pitches before moving to center field. In addition, the senior had three hits and stole three bases.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Mattituck’s Joe Tardif dives back safely to first base while Southold’s Adam Baldwin receives the ball on a pickoff attempt. (Credit: Garret Meade)

Toni Esposito just might want to thank her Southold/Greenport teammates for avoiding the mercy rule being invoked and extending their high school softball game to seven innings on Thursday.

If the Clippers hadn’t, the junior center fielder would not have clubbed her first home run that cleared the fence in their 12-4 Suffolk County League VII loss. Esposito’s other homer this season was that of the inside-the-park variety.

Under the mercy rule, if a team is leading by 12 or more runs after five innings, the game is awarded to that side.

Babylon (15-2, 15-2) was trying to make Southold (5-11, 5-11) its 13th mercy victim of the season, but the Clippers fought to avoid it as they did earlier this season in a 10-2 loss on April 5. Southampton also played a full seven innings against Babylon in a 12-3 defeat on March 23. The Clippers also became only the third team to have scored four or more runs against the defending Long Island Class B champions this year.

The Panthers had a run in, a runner at first and an 11-1 lead in the top of the fifth, but pitcher Ashley Hilary induced pinch hitter Amy Baldwin to ground out to third to end the inning. Hilary did not give up a run in the sixth and seventh innings.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Clippers broke through with three runs. Hannah Sutton led off with a triple and scored on a groundout by Sam Baldwin. Baldwin then came around on Esposito’s drive over the fence to dead center.

Esposito wasn’t the only player to drill a homer to center.

Babylon right fielder Grace Malley’s three-run blast highlighted a five-run first inning. Malley went 3 for 5 with six runs batted in. Molly Cummings was 3 for 4, with two doubles, three runs and one RBI.

The Panthers added a run in the third, five in the fourth and another in the fifth. The Clippers scored their first run on four errors in the fourth.

Photo caption: Southold/Greenport third baseman Hannah Sutton runs down a bunt before throwing the runner out. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

You’ll have to forgive the brevity of my column this week. While I was away on spring vacation and you folks were experiencing thunderstorms and power outages, one of them did a number on my computer.

While Jim thinks it’s fixable, it won’t be before this column has to be submitted and all of my column info is stored in documents on my computer.

Discover your inner Picasso while enjoying wine and light refreshments and listening to live music. Learn how to paint spring flowers on a set of stemless wineglasses. No experience is necessary. Where is all this happening? At San Simeon by the Sound in Greenport on Friday, May 6, from 7 to -9:30 p.m. There will also be a 50/50 raffle and chinese auction. The cost is $40 per person in advance; $45 per person at the door. Two stemless wineglasses are included in the price. The event is first-come, first-served and seating is limited! Call 631-477-8402 to register.

If you’re marking your May calendar, be sure to mark the 17th as the day to vote on the school budget. Voting takes place in the school’s big gym from 2 to 8 p.m. Also please, once again, take note that the junior/senior high school concert slated for May 18 has been moved to June 2. Curtain time is the same: 7 p.m.

Birthday wishes go out to Mike Checklick, Gary Ostroski, Alexa Suess, Sandy Martocchia and Steve Burt on the 5th; Mike Claps, Fred Davis, Kim Douglass and Brett Stephenson on the 6th; my niece Maggie Dinizio, Mary Creedon, Barbara Van Brunt and Greg Dlhopolsky on the 7th; Alice Lewis Eckardt, Tommy Quillin, Jennifer Bond, Stu Rachlin, Sarah Gillooly and Mae Watson on the 8th; Ryan Burgos, Josh Kapell, Ryan Weingart, Rick Bouchard and Bob Deale on the 9th; Peggy Campbell on the 10th; Bill Schulz, Kristy Kameron, my dear, very loved cousin, Kathy Wallace, and Amanda Mazzaferro on the 11th; Carl Chute, Sue Anderson and Sandra Vultaggio on the 12th; Danielle Volinski, Mike Sepenoski, Hayley Baker, Jimmy Hulse, Debbie Allen and “Mope” McGinness on the 13th; Candice Manwaring, Christopher Fisher and Sue Pfluger on the 14th; Cliff Harris, Amber Breese-Smith, Ahkee Anderson and Michael Quillin Jr., on the 15th; Nicole Moore, Chloe Creighton, George Capon, Taylor Reed and Jack Martilotta III on the 16th; my mother-in-law, Marie Dinizio, and Terry Van Etten on the 17th; and Mary Charters, Natalie Hocker and Shalah Smith on the 18th.

Happy anniversary to Patty and Carlos DeJesus on the 14th; Tammie and Rick Berry, also on the 14th; and my sister-in-law and her husband, Cindy and Matt Tooker, on the 18th.

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

Of all the tit-for-tat debates the Greenport Village Board has been pulled into in recent years, this latest nonsensical brouhaha over the East End Seaport Museum not paying rent definitely takes the cake.

The fact that hardworking volunteers are now being forced to defend the museum and the foundation that operates it against a handful of misguided residents who appear hellbent on making something out of this non-issue is beyond comprehension.

Here’s a recap of the situation for those of you who haven’t been paying close attention:

The museum building is owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Suffolk County leases it from the MTA for nothing. Greenport Village then leases it from the county at not cost. The museum, in turn, has set up shop there for $1 per year. This arrangement has existed for more than 20 years without much being said about it. While a handful of people might want the museum to pay actual rent, we should note that their lives have not been greatly impacted by the fact that it does not.

Nevertheless, a pair of citizen watchdogs stood up at a recent village budget hearing to ask why the village doesn’t collect rent from the museum on the prime waterfront property — despite the fact that it doesn’t even own the land. And, one man noted with great concern, some of the folks who run the East End Seaport & Maritime Foundation don’t even live on one of the incorporated village’s 30 some-odd blocks.

Now that we’ve made it perfectly clear what the EESMF doesn’t do, let’s talk about some of the things it has accomplished in Greenport:

• The foundation works to preserve the village’s rich maritime heritage, something this newspaper wishes more organizations took the time to do.

• One way it does this is through the Maritime Festival, one of the best events held on the East End each year. It’s family-friendly fun and brings visitors to the village, where they spend a lot of money at local businesses.

• The EESMF also partners with organizations like Cornell Cooperative Extension, Peconic Bay Power Squadron and the Glory tour boat on educational programs for youths and adults, including a lecture series last year on important people, places and historic events in the community.

• It offers internships for students seeking college credit.

• The EESMF also helps maintain Bug Light, a treasure in our local waters, and offers tours of other local lighthouses.

Make no mistake about it, the East End Seaport Museum is not the Smithsonian. It’s a tiny operation overseen by a nonprofit that’s run by a band of dedicated volunteers who do what they can to preserve history and enhance the village experience.

This organization should be treated as a valued member of the Greenport community instead of as the band of carpetbagging and opportunistic squatters a vocal minority is making it out to be.

Photo: East End Seaport Museum in Greenport Village. (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy, file)

A Cutchogue man whose license had been suspended 13 times in the past was arrested last night and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, Southold Police said.

According to police, 23-year-old Zachary Branker was driving his 1992 Mazda on Peconic Bay Boulevard in Laurel around 10:45 p.m. for having a loud exhaust, according to police.

A computer check allegedly revealed that he had 13 suspensions on his license.

He was arrested on the misdemeanor charge, transported to police headquarters, processed and released on bail.

With money corrupting the democratic process becoming a major issue in the United States, Suffolk Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) has introduced a bill to limit campaign contributions from county contractors and public employee unions.

The latter would include police unions, which have become big players in Suffolk politics by providing large campaign contributions. Mr. Trotta, a member of the Suffolk County Police Department for 25 years, ties this to pay increases Suffolk police have received.

Shelter Island has retained its own police force but receives assistance from specialized county police units such as the homicide and arson squads, and the town pays substantially for that and toward county police headquarters functions.

Mr. Trotta’s measure is titled the Campaign Finance Reform Act. Mr. Trotta is blunt about the corrosive influence of dollars in Suffolk politics today. As to prospects for his bill, Mr. Trotta said, “I would hope that given the current climate of corruption, my colleagues will support it.” Asked about which governmental levels he is linking to corruption, he responded, “National, state and Suffolk County.”

Many Americans, indeed, see big money having a heavy hand in U.S. presidential races and manipulating the U.S. Congress, which has descended to record lows in public respect. In New York State, the number two and number three highest state officials, State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-New York) and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), are likely heading to jail after federal corruption convictions. That’s been the destination of a long line of state lawmakers in recent years.

Zephyr Teachout, a law school professor and author of the book “Corruption in America,” did extraordinarily well in a Democratic primary challenge last year to Governor Andrew Cuomo in which she focused on corruption in state government. She’s now running for Congress. And, for Suffolk, a federal probe into wrongdoing in the justice system is underway. This includes a grand jury investigation into Christopher McPartland, the top corruption prosecutor in the Suffolk District Attorney’s office, Mr. Trotta noted.

His bill opens by declaring that the “general public perceives that ‘special interests’ use campaign contributions to gain extraordinary access to, and favorable cooperation from, government officials.” The “general public believes that this ‘pay to play’ culture results in government contracts being awarded on the basis of connections and contributions rather than merit,” it goes on.

And, “Suffolk County residents also perceive that large monetary donations from the county’s public employees unions improperly influence the officials responsible for negotiating and ratifying collective bargaining agreements.”

It states that “elected officials must take appropriate steps to eliminate not only corruption but the appearance of corruption and thereby strengthen the public’s faith in political institutions … Limiting the amount of campaign contributions that contractors and public employee unions can make to county officials is a reform measure that will strengthen public confidence in the integrity of the political system and increase the likelihood that county contracts will, in fact, be awarded to the best qualified individuals and businesses.

If signed into law, it would restrict to $2,000 contributions to a candidate for a seat on the 18-member Suffolk Legislature from any “professional business entity” that received a contract that year from Suffolk County government. If that entity’s contracts totaled $25,000 or more during the year, it would also be limited to $2,000 in campaign contributions to any “candidate for county-wide elected office.”

The same limitation of $2,000 in contributions to candidates for the county Legislature and for county-wide office would apply to public employee unions. And these would include the now highly politically engaged Suffolk police unions.

Limiting “the contributions that contractors and public employee unions can make to elected county officials and candidates for county office,” says the measure, would “reduce special interest influence in the county’s contracting process.”

Mr. Trotta criticizes the extent of pay increases given in contracts with county police in recent years. “I don’t blame the police unions. I blame the politicians who approved these contracts,” he said. He is particularly critical of Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. The increased pay for county police — many now make with overtime more than $200,000 a year — is “not sustainable,” Mr. Trotta said. This is telling criticism from a man who began as a uniformed Suffolk cop, was promoted to detective and for his last decade in the department was assigned to federal task forces including the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force.

In a prepared statement as he introduced his bill, Mr. Trotta said: “With all the corruption we are seeing in the various levels of government, I believe that this measure is a step in the right direction toward curtailing the process of doing business as usual in Suffolk County.”

Top photo: Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta (R- Fort Salonga). (Credit: Facebook/Friends of Rob Trotta)

Karl Grossman’s syndicated “Suffolk Closeup” column is printed in the Shelter Island Reporter, a Times Review Media Group publication.

As a member of the Suffolk Regional Emergency Medical Services Council, longtime Southold firefighter Ed Boyd is tasked with selecting the group’s annual award recipients.

As part of his duties, he reads all the nominations and then selects a winner for the Suffolk County Basic Life Support Provider of the Year. But this year, Mr. Boyd didn’t realize he had been fooled. One of the nominations, submitted by Southold’s fire chiefs, had been hidden. It was for Mr. Boyd himself.

So when REMSCO announced last month that he was the winner, Mr. Boyd — an ex-Southold Town fire chief and 35-year volunteer firefighter— was stunned.

“I had absolutely no idea I had been nominated for it,” he said. “I was pleased because I have done this for a long time. There were a lot of people worthy of this, but it just so happened to be my year, my time.”

The award signifies another accolade for the 73-year-old, who attends more than 90 percent of emergency calls and is among his department’s most active members.

“The man is amazing,” said Southold Town Fire Chief Jim Rich. “He takes the time to teach himself well beyond what’s just a basic requirement of being an EMT.”

Mr. Boyd moved to the North Fork in 1975 after spending his early career as a federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, where he dealt with airplane highjackings.

“It was an interesting time,” he said, adding that he couldn’t go into further detail about the position since some of the methods then used to deal with highjackings are still used today.

Since then, Mr. Boyd has worked as a private attorney on the North Fork. He joined the local fire department almost immediately.

“It was something that had always interested me, the idea of being able to be part of the community, to help the community,” he said. “It was an appropriate thing to do when I had the opportunity.”

After more than three decades in fire service, Mr. Boyd is still going strong. He’s president of the North Fork Volunteer Rescue Squad Association, his second time in the top role. He has also pushed for the department to learn new techniques, like measuring blood sugar levels and methods to help patients who are having trouble breathing.

Chief Rich said Mr. Boyd is constantly learning and working to his maximum potential, something that provides a “big comfort” to the chiefs when they’re dealing with a stressful scene. Mr. Boyd is someone they can rely on.

“Ed has a compassion for his volunteer job that I have never seen in anyone before,” said Peggy Killian, assistant chief and head of the department’s medical teams. She called Mr. Boyd a role model for Southold’s EMTs.

Mr. Boyd was specifically honored for his role in a serious emergency rescue call last May, when a woman was struck by a truck while riding her bike in Southold. The victim was thrown into a metal street sign and a mailbox and suffered from serious blood loss, according to the fire chiefs.

Using special blood-clotting dressings, Mr. Boyd and the other EMTs on call were able to tend to the woman’s wounds and stabilize her enough to be airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital. She ultimately survived the ordeal, Ms. Killian said.

“Many times it’s just a matter of being there, being attentive to them, holding their hand, talking to them to ease their transition to the hospital,” Mr. Boyd said. “There are things that sometimes we don’t have any control over. We just have to do the best we can, deal the hand we’ve been dealt.”

Unfortunately, Mr. Boyd said, it’s the tragic emergency calls that stick out in his mind — the ones that go wrong despite the EMTs’ best efforts.

But Mr. Boyd takes comfort in knowing he’s been able to help his neighbors. Someday, he admitted, he’ll have to hang up his firefighting gear. But that day won’t come any time soon.

“The community relies upon the fire department. They may not know us individually, but they know us as a group,” he said. “And it’s my pleasure to be part of that response to be able to help the people who need it. That’s what keeps me going.”

psquire@timesreview.com

A proposal to restore the former Meson Ole property as a mixed-use development took a step forward Thursday night as the Greenport Village Planning Board agreed to review the application, despite board members spending a significant amount of time debating over whether the plan needed variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

The proposal got a boost from former Mayor Dave Kapell, who was at the meeting on another matter and got up to back the Meson Ole project, saying it was the type of project the Village Board envisioned during his tenure.

Builder James Olinkiewicz recently acquired the long-vacant former boarding house located on Third Street, which was built in 1845 as the Burr Hotel and was renamed the Sterlington Hotel in 1894. It was home to Meson Ole, a Mexican restaurant, beginning in 1980 until several years ago when it became vacant.

Mr. Olinkiewicz is planning to restore the three-story building and build two restaurants on the ground level and three apartments on both the second and third floors, totaling six apartments.

At the April 28 Planning Board work session and again at Thursday’s regular Planning Board meeting, board chairman Devin McMahon said there was no doubt that the housing above the retail use was a permitted use, but that there were questions about how it should be “classified.”

The village zoning code has a category called “multifamily dwelling” that allows up to six units per acre per lot, but also requires a 48,000-square-foot lot size, which the Meson Ole building doesn’t have.

Another section of the code allows accessory apartments above retail stores and businesses that existed as of July 1, 2002 under some conditions, including: apartments can’t be on the ground level, were not subject to site plan approval, need to be occupied year-round rather than seasonally, and must meet building and fire codes.

Mr. Olinkiewicz said the apartments fell under the “accessory apartments” section of the code and claimed the village has already approved similar projects.

Mr. McMahon wanted to send the issue to the ZBA to get an interpretation of the village code, which didn’t sit well with Mr. Olinkiewicz since he stabilized the building at the village’s request.

“[Now] I run into another brick wall,”Mr. Olinkiewicz said.

Mr. Kapell, who was mayor in 2002 when the accessory apartment section of the code was enacted, has come to his defense at Planning Board meetings and said a change to the code was made during a time when people were converting two-family houses into single-family homes and the village was concerned about losing housing stock.

Many of the village buildings were originally constructed so that business owners could live above their stores, Mr. Kapell said, adding he believed it made sense to allow apartments above stores.

“It’s a good way to provide housing,” the former mayor said, adding he owns a mixed-use building himself. “It’s a good way to bring people to live downtown, which is good for public safety and for vitality and it also increases revenue for the property owners so they can pay taxes and increased revenue in a commercial building raises its assessment.

“These are all issues that the board considered when we adopted that change in 2002 and I ask this board to respect it,” he continued. “You’re going to set a very dangerous precedent, in my mind, referring an issue of this consequence to the ZBA. If you have a question [about the zoning], pose it to the Village Board.”

Mr. Kapell said the first requirement the code makes for multifamily dwellings is that they have a minimum 48,000-square-foot lot.

“Not one lot in the business district meets that test,” he said. “It can’t possibly be applicable in the business district.”

Planning Board member Bradley Burns, who was on the Village Board with Mr. Kapell in 2002, said: “It’s inappropriate to send it to the ZBA.”

Planning Board member Peter Jauquet agreed.

“It’s clear in the 2002 amendment that apartments are allowed,” he said.

After Mr. Burns made a motion to accept the application as complete, it passed 4-0, which Mr. McMahon voted in support despite having some reservations. Planning Board member Pat Mundus was absent.

The project needs site plan approval and building permits before it can be completed. Mr. Olinkiewicz said he has started some of the work using the emergency repair permits the building’s previous owner had obtained, which were intended to correct safety issues.

tgannon@timesreview.com

Photos: (Top) A proposal for the former Meson Ole building includes two restaurants and six apartments. (Middle) Former Greenport Village Mayor Dave Kapell at Thursday’s Planning Board meeting. (Credit: Tim Gannon photos)

The Suffolk County Department of Health is advising residents to keep their pets — and, for those young’uns looking for a chilly swim — children out of Laurel Lake after a blue-green algal bloom was found at the lake recently by Stony Brook University professors.

According to the DOH, the algae — technically known as cyanobacteria — is naturally present in lakes and streams in low numbers. However they can become abundant, forming larger booms that “produce scums on the surface of the water or may cause the water to take on a paint-like appearance.”

The health department advises that contact with such water should be avoided and if contact is made, should be rinsed off with clean water immediately.

The presence of the bacteria isn’t exactly uncommon in the area; it’s been found at Lake Maratooka each of the past two summers. It has persisted at Wickapogue Pond in Southampton for years, according to the DOH.

For more information about the bloom, click here.

The agricultural landscape is one of the reasons most choose to live on the North Fork. Our local farm stands make it easier than ever to bring home and eat tasty, fresh, healthy produce. As you drive through the town, take notice. You can see the activity level increasing as our farm stands begin to show signs of life, and with some even opening for business, like Sang Lee Farms, Wickham’s and Farmer Mike. Farm to table — goodness never tasted so good!

‘Meet the Candidates Night’ will take place today, Thursday, May 5, at 7 p.m. at Mattituck High School. There are seven school board candidates for three open positions. The PTSA and Mattituck-Cutchogue PTA are hosting the forum. Stop by and meet the candidates.

Congratulations to Cadet Capt. Greg Sheryll and Cadet Lt. Bill Stuckart on being awarded the Area 4 Navy ROTC scholarship! The scholarship pays all tuition, books and fees, as well as giving a $250 monthly stipend to start. Way to go, cadets!

Help the MHS girls and boys soccer teams raise money for new uniforms this fall! Stop by the spring plant sale Saturday, May 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in front of Mattituck High School. Choose from beautiful, quality hanging baskets and flats from Van de Wetering Greenhouses.

New Suffolk happenings: The Out-Run Rett 5K will take place Saturday, May 7, in New Suffolk. Help support two of Southold Town’s youngest residents, who are unable to perform the simplest activities because of Rett Syndrome. To register, sponsor or donate, visit reverserett.org/run.

Stop by Old Town Arts and Crafts Guild’s 68th open house and art exhibit and sale this Saturday and Sunday, May 7 and 8.

All are welcome to the Douglas Moore Committee’s fifth annual Organ Concert at Cutchogue Presbyterian Church Saturday, May 14, at 3 p.m. A Juilliard organist will be featured on their beautiful Kilgen organ.

A New Suffolk tradition that’s fun for the whole family. Save the date: Saturday, May 28, from noon to 3 p.m. for the eighth annual Chowderfest. Rain date: May 30. Tickets are $25; kids under 12, free. A limited number of tickets will be sold. Advance tickets can be purchased until 5 p.m. Friday, May 27, online or by calling 631-566-0806.

This week’s events at Cutchogue New Suffolk Library: Cinco de Mayo Quesadilla Celebration for grades 5-8, May 5, 5:30-6:30 p.m.; “We’re Not What We Think” free guided meditation with Charmaine Henderson, May 7, 10 a.m.; Mother’s Day Cards and Cupcakes for grades 5-8, May 7, 1-2 p.m.; “Mother May I?” story time for ages 2-3, May 11, 10-10:30 a.m.; Book Chat and Chew for grades 3-6, “Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer,” May 12, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Registration requested for all programs. For more information or to register, call 631-734-6360.

Mothers: May all the love you gave to your children come back to you a hundredfold on this special day! Happy Mother’s Day!

Contact Cutchogue-New Suffolk columnist Barbara Sheryll at bsheryll@optonline.net or 734-5242.

It was an innocent question, I suppose, that I should have expected from someone in another country. Still, I was taken aback two weeks ago when I overheard the blackjack dealer at Casino de Montreal say the name Donald Trump. 

“What did she say about Trump?” I asked the friend seated next to me.

“She asked how we feel about him,” he said.

Believe it or not, I’d managed to get through this entire presidential primary season without being asked about my personal feelings about “The Donald,” who at this point is certainly the most likely Republican candidate in the November general election. Perhaps it’s good old American manners that have spared me that question. Or maybe I just ooze Cruz.

At first I found it a bit ironic that I had to leave the U.S. to have to answer that question, but the more the dealer spoke of Mr. Trump, the more I understood why she asked. She was not a big fan of his, and the spectacle the Republican presidential primary has become is great entertainment for our neighbors to the north. As much as it might embarrass many of us, it’s been great political theater — and in Canada, where the impact of who we elect is minimal, it seems some folks are enjoying the show.

This was my third trip to Montreal in seven years and the first with this particular group of friends. Throughout the weekend, we remarked how we were treated differently than in the past.

When we visited in 2009, we couldn’t believe how friendly everyone was and how much we interacted with people we encountered around the city. This time around, I can’t recall more than a handful of friendly interactions.

Our first morning there, we were seated at what I dubbed the “Ugly American” table for breakfast. It was adjacent to the drafty front door and there was a good 10-table buffer between us and all the locals in prime seating. After we asked to change tables the waitress said, “Sure, and I’ll get you English-language menus, too.”

At a steakhouse the next night, the maitre d’ actually stopped by our table to apologize for its poor location in the dining area.

Now before all you Trump supporters start calling me a dummy, I don’t want you to think I’m naive enough to believe subtle differences in the way we were treated directly relate to this year’s presidential election.

But it does seem somewhat logical that as we’ve even become tired ourselves of our increasingly loud, tabloid-style media and reality TV culture — the foundation Mr. Trump’s candidacy was built on — people in other countries might view us through a more critical lens.

When I got home, I decided to do some more research on how the presidential race is viewed in Canada. I found a BBC story covering this very topic.

“It’s such a remarkable reality-TV like experience, like watching a train wreck in slow motion,” Bob Plamondon, a consultant and author who has written about Canadian history, told the BBC in March. “It’s theatre of the absurd. It’s hard to imagine that a mature, developed democracy of the world’s most important and strongest nation has deteriorated to such nonsense.”

A poll also found that two-thirds of Canadians see the idea of a President Trump as bad for their country, the CBC reported in February.

On the flip side, Politifact noted a report that 17 percent of Twitter users who said they’d leave the U.S. if Trump won would head for Canada and 69 percent for Mexico, where Mr. Trump has proposed building a wall to keep illegal immigrants out. England, Australia, France, Jamaica, Ireland, Sweden and Brazil also made the list.

Maybe the Canadians who treated us rudely last week thought we were border jumpers fleeing a sinking ship for poutine and pints of Labatt. Perhaps it’s time they start building a wall and handing us the bill.

Photo Caption: Donald Trump at a Suffolk County Republican Committee event in Patchogue last month. (Credit: Michael White/greaterpatchogue.com)

The author is the executive editor of Times Review Media Group. He can be reached at gparpan@timesreview.com.

When she died at age 59 in 2010, Carol Pufahl left a legacy that included a love not only of reading and writing, but of teaching essential skills.

On last Friday, that legacy was put into action at Riverhead Free Library, where El Dia de los Niños (The Day of the Children), which takes place annually at libraries nationwide, received an added boost thanks in large part to the Carol Pufahl Literacy Foundation.

The nonprofit was founded in 2014 to honor the former teacher, who has family in the area and had a home in Southold. Last year, its members approached Riverhead Free Library hoping to help connect more local children with books — an idea central to the mission of both organizations.

El Dia de los Niños seemed like the perfect opportunity to collaborate.

Held every April 30, “El Dia,” as it’s known to those involved, is “a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds,” according to its website.

Riverhead Free Library has been participating for about the last 12 years, according to Laurie Harrison, the library’s head of youth and family services.

For the past two years, the Carol Pufahl Literacy Foundation has supported that effort by offering local children free books each month for the first five years of their lives. The foundation obtains the books through an arrangement with Imagination Library, a nonproft founded in the late 1990s by country music legend Dolly Parton to distribute free books to people in eastern Tennessee, where she grew up.

Parents can now register their children for the program through Riverhead Free Library and, so far, more than 80 local families have done so.

The idea of having the foundation work with Imagination Library came from Roberta Senzer, a mentor and close friend of Ms. Pufahl.

“I thought, ‘Wouldn’t this be a fitting tribute to memorialize the work Carol started and bring literature to the underserved and high-poverty populations?’” Ms. Senzer recalled.

Ms. Senzer had hired Ms. Pufahl at Harborfields School District. Ms. Pufahl later moved to the Central Islip School District, received an Educator of Excellence award from the National Council of Teachers of English in 2002 and worked with Lesley University to train future teachers.

To bring Imagination Library to Riverhead, the foundation has partnered with the Eastern Suffolk BOCES Literacy Zone, one 51 such zones across New York, which, according to the state Department of Education, “aim to close the achievement gap in urban and rural communities of concentrated poverty and high concentrations of families and individuals with limited literacy or English language proficiency.”

The Literacy Zone initiative also collaborates with Riverhead Free Library, the North Fork Spanish Apostolate, the Suffolk County Department of Social Services and local schools — including Riverhead Charter School — to provide services to children and their families.

The services come at a time when the number of students who don’t speak English proficiently is on the rise. The number of students in the Riverhead School District’s English Language Learner program has more than doubled since the 2009-10 school year, from 538 to 1290. ELL program participants now comprise 24 percent of the student population compared to 11 percent seven years ago.

Sharon Goeller, a teacher with Eastern Suffolk BOCES who led El Dia’s reading session at the library last Friday, said, “I feel this is going to give them a good head start on reading and speaking — for both the parent and the child.”

Rob Pufahl, Carol’s husband, helped fund the nonprofit to get it off the ground. He said, “She thought literacy was one of the most important things for children. It could help determine the rest of their lives.”

Captions: Riverhead Free Library children’s librarian Barbara Acard reads the bilingual book, “Siesta” Friday to a group of children as Elizabeth Pac, 19 months, of Riverhead moves in to get a closer look. Right: Francisca Franco of Hampton Bays (left) with her son Angel, 1, and Edith Franco of Riverhead with her son Cristian, 5 months, sign up for the “Dolly Parton Imagination Library” through Eastern Suffolk BOCES at Riverhead Free Library Friday afternoon. Credit: Barbaraellen Koch

A Mattituck man faces a felony charge after colliding with another vehicle while intoxicated in Westhampton Friday night, Southampton Town police said. 

Alvaro Uyu-Puluc, 23, was charged with first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, a felony, following the crash on Montauk Highway and Summit Boulevard at 8:38 p.m. He also faces a misdemeanor DWI charge and a traffic violation for following too closely, police said.

Mr. Uyu-Puluc was transported to Southampton Town police headquarters and held for a morning arraignment, police said.

No injuries were reported in the accident.

Peconic Landing held its annual 5K and May Mile race in Greenport Saturday morning. 

This year the race was renamed the Peconic Landing John May Mile & 5K Race in honor of John M. May, the longtime Peconic Landing board chairman and community advocate who died last August.

John May’s grandson Brian McDonnell of Burlington, VT came in first with a time of 16 minutes 34 seconds and Sara Leonard was the first female finisher in 22:10.9.

Top photo caption: James Sfayer of Brooklyn, Jessica Villareal, 13, and Jennifer Kravitz, 14, at the start of the 5K Saturday morning. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

See more photos below:

The May Mile benefits the Greenport Fire Department. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

Wayne Rock of East Marion runs the 5K. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

Brian McDonnell was the first-place finisher of the 5K. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

Sara Leonard, 22, crosses the finish line of the 5K. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

CORRECTION: The first female finisher was listed incorrectly on the official results. The winner was Sara Leonard.

Last summer, a homeowner in the Nassau Point section of Cutchogue did everything he could to protect himself from contracting a tick-borne illness. He sprayed his lawn with repellent three times and cleared his property of the brush and leaves so attractive to the bloodsucking arachnids. 

“He took every reasonable step,” said neighbor Dr. John Rasweiler, a retired medical school professor and member of Southold Town’s deer management committee and tick working group.

Despite the homeowner’s efforts, he was diagnosed in July 2015 with ehrlichiosis, a bacterial disease transmitted by ticks that causes flu-like symptoms. He ultimately spent three weeks in the hospital.

“This was a man who had seemingly done everything right,” Mr. Rasweiler said. “It’s really frightening.”

According to a newly released report by the Suffolk County Department of Health’s tick and vector-borne diseases task force, the homeowner’s story is demonstrative of a local trend. Between 2010 and 2014, the task force found, the incidence of tick-borne illnesses like ehrlichiosis, babesiosis and anaplasmosis rose each year. Meanwhile, the number of Lyme disease cases reported in that same time period peaked in 2011 but has since dropped off. Overall, the task force found, more cases of common tick-related illnesses were reported on the East End during 2010 and 2014 than anywhere else in Suffolk County.

“It really is a crisis,” said Mr. Rasweiler, who is also a member of the Suffolk County tick control advisory committee. “In my circle of friends and acquaintances, I know three people who are permanently or semi-permanently disabled by Lyme disease and two others who have recently gotten out of the hospital for babesiosis or ehrlichiosis.”

A total of 1,304 Lyme disease cases were reported in Suffolk County between 2010 and 2014, the task force found. Interestingly, 6,124 cases were reported between 1992 and 1996.

The Nassau Point homeowner who contracted ehrlichiosis is unfortunately in good company, with 331 cases reported throughout the county between 2010 and 2014. From 1992 to 1996, there were just two incidences.

The rate of babesiosis, a tick-borne illness caused by microscopic parasites that infect red blood cells, also climbed steadily between 2010 and 2014, with a total of 859 cases. Between 1992 and 1996, there were just 121.

While zero cases of anaplasmosis — another tick-borne disease caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilium — were reported between 1992 and 2009, a total of 152 were recorded between 2010 and 2014.

The overall rise in tick-related illnesses can speculatively be attributed to Suffolk County’s ever-increasing deer population and dense concentration of woodlands, Mr. Rasweiler said. This is particularly true on the East End. Unfortunately, the task force noted in its report, “The amount of information regarding tick-borne pathogens found in Suffolk County is limited and emphasizes the need to better understand this topic.”

While the report’s findings are sobering, Mr. Rasweiler said North Fork residents shouldn’t limit their enjoyment of the outdoors for fear of contracting a tick-borne illness. They should, however, be cautious.

“I’m not going to be defeated or surrender to the bloody ticks,” he said. “We live in such a beautiful area … To be in constant fear of these diseases is a horrible way to live.”

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

More than a dozen students in Mike Davies technology class at Greenport High School gathered Thursday morning at Mitchell Park to unveil their latest project — 20 wooden planter boxes that will be placed along Front and Main Streets in Greenport Village. 

This project is funded through the nearly $59,000 profit brought in from July’s Tall Ships Festival. About $10,000 is being used for this project, said Peter Clarke of Clarke’s Garden and Home, who is responsible for choosing and acquiring the plants to fill the boxes.

Mr. Clarke said the Village Board hoped to give back to the businesses that made the festival possible through their time and sponsorships, and saw the planter boxes as one of the best options.

Greenport Mayor George Hubbard Jr. said that part of the profit was spent to fix the doors to the carousel at Mitchell Park. The remaining money will go toward projects to enhance the village, but no final decisions about those have been made yet, he added.

Front Street already has planter boxes  “still in perfect condition,” that were planted seven years ago, Mr.Clarke said, inspiring the idea of adding more throughout the village. The remaining 19 boxes will be placed at a later date, weather permitting.

“It’s something the kids made themselves, so they have a stake and ownership in them,” Mr. Hubbard said. “I think it’s a good thing that the kids built it themselves and they care about it.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story referred to Peter Clarke by the wrong name. We regret the error.

The inscription on the planter boxes. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

The first planter box, which was placed in Mitchell Park Thursday morning. The other 19 will be put out around Front and Main Streets at a later date. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

nsmith@timesreview.com

First photo caption: Mike Davies technology class at Greenport High School, along with members of the school administration and village board, stand with one of 20 planter boxes that will be placed throughout the village. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

Jamesport Meeting House is looking for spellers of all ages for its annual Community Spelling Bee at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 13. The contest will be conducted by Jeff Greenberger, a Latin teacher at Riverhead High School. 

Each competitor must recruit sponsors and provide a minimum of $50 in pledges. Event proceeds support the restoration fund for the historic building. A special award will be given to the speller that raises the most individual sponsorships.

Entrance forms are available at jamesportmeetinghouse.org or by emailing info@jamesportmeetinghouse.org. Information is available at a special spelling bee hotline, 631-722-0008.

The first charity spelling bee was held in 2014 at Jamesport Meeting House. Last year’s competition featured 29 participants. There’s no admission charge to watch the spelling bee.

To the editor:

So they are going to fly all the single-engine aircraft returning to the city right over my house — how lucky are my neighbors and I? 

Shoot, on a Sunday evening I can set up chairs on my deck and wave to the rich and famous, all passing within 1,500 feet or so. You might think they would opt for the shortcut across Georgica Pond, then a couple of miles offshore and down the coast, bothering no one.

I would guess the Fortune 500 crowd would have none of that. They like the convenience the helicopter traffic brings, but gives the noise pollution to the poor folks on the other side. Maybe a little like having and enjoying the wonderful things a dog brings to your life, but taking him to your neighbor’s lawn to crap.

I grant you the noise is not the worst problem in the world. They could build a ferry landing at the end of my road and I’d have to live with cars going by all day and night. I know, thankfully, our local authorities would never permit it. My neighbor could form a marching band and practice three times a week; I think I’m protected from that as well. Then why do we have to be subjected to a highway in the sky on the recommendation of a helicopter advocacy group acting on its own behalf and that of its clientele?

Good for them, lousy for us.

It’s been suggested we write and/or call our U.S. senators, Congressional representatives. I would submit that those helicopter passengers may be among the largest of campaign donors, not the kind of people Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand and Lee Zeldin would be apt to piss off.

When those above-mentioned politicians visit the Hamptons on their way to solicit and rub elbows with the Hamptons crowd, I imagine they’ll be flying over my house, too, and I can’t quite believe that any of them will give a rat’s a– about the route taken.

We don’t donate enough over here to matter.

Jack Gismondi, Peconic

Congratulations to the following students.

THIRD-QUARTER HONOR ROLL

Greenport Junior-Senior High

HIGH HONOR ROLL

Grade 12: Valentina Acero, Anthony Catalan Hernandez, Ryan Costello, Marina DeLuca, Mercedes Edwards, Rosa Hernandez, Liam Lieblein, Maxwell Mastrangelo, Yaquelyn Pineda Rivas, Aidan Pollock, Paige Pope, Carly Short, Thomas Spackman, Rosemary Volinski, Brendan Walker, Nicholas Wallace.

Grade 11: Ellen Cecaida, Adrianna Chandler, Remi Droskoski, Toni Esposito, Sarah Gogan, Joseph Henry, Ginger Hughes, Owen Klipstein, Jared Leon, Rosa Lopez, Madeline Malinowski, Vivian Mantzopoulos, Evan Maroney, Maia Mazzaferro, Angelina Pagano, Jennifer Palencia, Riley Peterson, Eduardo Sanchez, Keegan Syron, Kathleen Tuthill, Alexandra Zurek.

Grade 10: Katie Baumann, Haley Brigham, William Burns, Alexandra Cardi, Rosa Chapeton, Carlos Chapeton Masin, Elizabeth Clark, Shannon Colfer, Joseline Colon, Blayr Corazzini, Rebecca Dickerson, Cinthia Gonzalez, Madison Hilton, Kathryn Jernick, Kevin Lin, Jenna Loper, Casper Loveless, Madison Manwaring, Samuel Mastrangelo, Emma McCabe, Kathleen McCabe, Kai Obinata, Nellie Spackman, Matthew Tuthill, Lena Wolf.

Grade 9: Jorlan Alvarez, Jose Arias Roldan, Julesiah Atkins, Reese Costello, Jillian Golden, Cem Harvey, Garrick Hughes, Jacob Kahn, Xavier Kahn, Elizabeth Malinowski, Johnathan Montgomery Medina, Joseph Owens, Julian Swann, Nereida Toribio, Miguel Torres, Thomas Tsaveras, Brittany Walker.

Grade 8: Ahkee Anderson, Sailor Combs Pollock, McKenna Demarest, Kaylee Hansen, Isabelle Higgins, Emily Hughes, Christopher Kuczynski, Digby Loveless, Grace Malinowski, Joseph McInnis, Andrea Mena Ochoa, Mack Mezynieski, Daniela Moranchel Flores, Irene Papamichael, Jackson Rung Wile, Joshua Santacroce, Melody Silie, Bryan Soriano, Marissa Swiskey, Jessica Villareal, Sophia Wachtel, Drew Wolf.

Grade 7: Mythcel Aguilar, Kevin Azama, Courtney Cocheo, Shane Costello, Aidan Crowley, Erin Fauteux, Deniz Harvey, Eric Jensen, Kai Kaufman, Hunter Lieblein, Emily Loper, Ella Mazzaferro, Emily McInnis, Marley Medina, Samuel Owens, Michael Quillin, Liam Rue, Donovan Sanchez Diaz, Christina Tsaveras.

HONOR ROLL

Grade 12: Andrew Aurichio, William Blasko, Dora Cortave, Ahmet Gorgulu, Mark Guliaiev, Stephanie King, Tyler Kruszeski, Benjamin Modica, Michelle Palencia, Bayron Rivas, Kyla Smiley, Elijah Smith, Jewel-Joy Stevens, Maleik Yoskovich.

Grade 11: Maleek Boisseau, Benjamin Bracken, Oscar Coc Tomas, Justin Commins, Jared Grilli, Angel Hernandez, Dominique Kart, Tashan Lawrence, Natalia Leon Merino, Caitlyn Macomber, Yesenia Mancia Menjivar, Kenia Santamaria, Samuel Strickland, Madison Tabor, Emelys Villareal, Jonathan Webster, Matthew Wysocki.

Grade 10: Veronica Chapeton Masin, Mario Contreras, Jacob Dominy, Peter Fouchet, Alexis Hubbard, Katherine Jarvis, Hanna Land, Semaj Lawrence, Anna Maria Llukaci, Jordan Marshall, Sean McCabe, Zoe Medina, Abby Perez, Scott Rock, Tabina Sherwani, Grace Syron.

Grade 9: Emelyn Azurdia, Brandon Clark, Jason Cruz Rodriguez, Grace Dinizio, Brayan Duran Aquino, Jose Flores Melgar, Aleyda Gregoria Miguel, David Jenkins, Cristian Lopez Giron, Sean McElroy, James Morrison, Alexander Ozolins, Saed Puac, Lourdes Reyes Gutierrez, Zachary Riggins, Bryan Rosales Bachez, Colin Rossetti, Frank Ruiz, James Stulsky, John Wright.

Grade 8: Autumn Behrle, Jammye Calderon Orellana, Ava Cosby, Marilu Galicia.

Grade 7: Cesar Chapeton Masin, Taylor Dinizio, Tiarra Edwards, Raymond Hayes, Steven Merino, Alan Morales, Melvin Ortiz, Adan Sandre Torres, Breanna Shelby, Ayda Terry, Ava Torres, Kelly Torres Rodriguez.

Listings prepared for Times/Review Newspapers by Suffolk Research Service, dated March 12-18, 2016.

BAITING HOLLOW (11933)
• Hamilton, S to BK 220 LLC, 3225 Sound Ave (600-12-2-2.1), (V), $375,000

CALVERTON (11933)
• Fannie Mae to H & Z Property Holdings, 188 Forge Rd (600-118-5-4), (R), $160,000

EAST MARION (11939)
• Wiederman, P to Barnes II, Tyrone, 580 Gus Drive (1000-38-7-10.15), (R), $628,000

FLANDERS (11901)
• Centore, S & C to Lascano, Luis, 70 & 64 Flanders Blvd (900-144-2-53), (R), $80,500
• Vega, S to Long Island Rentals LLC, 123 Oak Ave (900-145-1-39.2), (R), $170,000

GREENPORT (11944)
• Helinski, J by Executor to Ellison, Robert, 200 Madison St (1000-33-5-22), (R), $233,750
• Howard, J & M to Kolsby, Laurel, 419 Sixth Ave &1000-42-1-8 (1001-4-4-10), (R), $395,000

MATTITUCK (11952)
• Pollio, R Trust to Craft Master Hops LLC, 10765 CR 48 (1000-108-1-1.1), (V), $450,000

RIVERHEAD (11901)
• Beechwood Highlands to Probst, Craig, 49 Starflower Row (600-18-5-4), (R), $552,100
• Vigorito, R to 297 Pennys LLC, 297 Pennys Rd (600-19-1-7), (R), $375,000
• Stoneleigh Woods RH to Rocke, Manfred, 161 Stoneleigh Dr #3301 (600-82.5-3-5), (R), $426,700
• Stoneleigh Woods RH to Ferreri, Leonora, 161 Stoneleigh, #3302 (600-82.5-3-6), (R), $406,620
• Stoneleigh Woods RH to Lewin Family LLC, Stoneleigh Woods, #3501 (600-82.5-3-13), (R), $425,000
• Stoneleigh Woods RH to Terebetski, Joseph, 161 Stoneleigh Dr, #3504 (600-82.5-3-16), (R), $426,700
• Czulada, J & R to Collins, Carissa, 77 Sunrise Ave (600-111-2-31), (R), $330,000
• Moisa Jr, W & M to Andruszkiewicz, Dariusz, 804 Pulaski St (600-124-2-26), (R), $290,000

SHELTER ISLAND (11964)
• Zwicky, H & H to Weinstein, Darryn, 8 Southwick Ln (700-8-2-19), (R), $875,000
• Ryder, A to English, Arel, 6 Johnston Rd (700-8-2-50), (R), $325,000
• Free Breeze LLC to Haney, Brent, 70 Peconic Ave (700-25-1-4), (R), $3,250,000

SOUTHOLD (11971)
• Diaz, F & R to Antreasyan, Anahit, 570 Hickory Rd (1000-54-6-8), (R), $445,000
• Santora, J & J to 46950 CR 48 Southold LLC, 46950 CR 48 (1000-55-5-11), (C), $320,000
• Tillinghast,T by Executor to Peters, Jason, 57128 Route 25 (1000-63-4-5.2), (R), $475,000
• Gold, J by Executor to Pirreca, Joseph & Kim, 1100 Beachwood Ln (1000-70-10-60), (R), $940,000
• Cashwell, J & R to Cashwell, Michael, 2165 Reydon Dr (1000-80-2-24.1), (R), $700,000

WADING RIVER (11792)
• Svitra, P to Babich, Dean, 80 Creek Rd (600-29-1-15), (R), $585,000
• Lawrence, T by Admr to Daman, Christopher, 27 12th St (600-33-3-37.1), (R), $200,000
• Iacono, M to Bellafiore, Karen, 97 Farm Rd E (600-57-1-14.44), (R), $482,500

(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.)