Here is the Suffolk Times Service Directory for July 21, 2016. If you are interested in placing an ad, please call Karen, 631-354-8029 or email kcullen@timesreview.com.

Suffolk Times Service Directory: July 21, 2016

Here are the classifieds for July 21, 2016. If you are interested in placing an ad, please call Karen, 631-354-8029 or email kcullen@timesreview.com.

Times Review classifieds: July 21, 2016

Congratulations to Jordan and Nicolle Bogden, both of whom were recently promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard. Orient is very proud of its home-grown kids on this career milestone.

Here’s another impressive milestone: OPU alumna Katharine Frost, a recent cum laude graduate of Bucknell and winner of the Oliphant Prize in biochemistry, will soon continue her studies as part of Stony Brook School of Medicine’s Class of 2020. Of course, her parents, Margaret Minichini and Tim Frost, are beyond proud. Congratulations to all.

George and Linda Hossenlopp’s children and grandchildren were in Orient last weekend and a family lobster bake was held Monday to celebrate the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary. Scott Hossenlopp (aka “Scooter”) and family traveled from Bradenton, Fla.; Leslie Webb and family came from Mt. Kisco, N.Y.; and Kristin Stemhagen and family arrived from Richmond, Va. The six grandkids organized a “Newlywed Game” with lots of questions for George and Linda. WTG, Hossenlopps, and wishes for many more loving years.

On the last night of a vacation in Barcelona, Susan Magrino, husband James Dunning and their family went for dinner at Los Pescadores restaurant, a last-minute pick. Just as they sat down, fellow Orienteer Louis Yoh approached with the greeting, “Hello, stranger.” He was on holiday there with his wife, Samantha Kirby, and their children. Susan and James very much appreciated the bottle of wine they sent over. The Dunnings are now happily tucked back home on the Sound. Aren’t small-world stories a blast?

Tickets are on sale for the OHS Summer Benefit on Saturday, Aug. 6, which is being billed as at the Summer Soiree. The event is set for Poquatuck Park, with music is by the Cornichons and the usual spectacular auction. Get your tickets at oysterpondshistoricalsociety.org.

OHS sends a special thank-you to Orient Country Store proprietor Miriam Foster, who baked and donated dozens of old-fashioned molasses and sugar cookies for its children’s program, which hosted students from the Oysterponds summer program. The topic was the Olympics and a great and yummy time was had by all.

Many summer elves will be at work at the Congregational church sorting through thousands of items donated for the church fair on Saturday, July 30, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Others will be baking pies and tarts under the tutelage of Carol Tuthill, who has taken on this yeoman’s task for more than five years. As the community knows from experience, these once-a-year culinary creations are worth the trip. There will also be hot dogs and more for immediate consumption. Chairperson Joe Papa is still accepting donations and will be happy to pick them up if you call him at 631-323-2537.

This past Sunday, two new memorial stones were dedicated in the prayer garden at the Congregational church. One was for recently deceased Orienteer Susanne Bondarchuk and was made possible by the generosity of church member Ruth Foster. The other was for Les Hegeman, who donated his body to science and therefore was not interred. Now he can be remembered in these peaceful surroundings.

East Marion sends thoughts, prayers and a collective hug to Ginny Schoen and sons Travis and Brian on the passing of husband/father Luke. It has been a long journey and he is finally at rest. Godspeed, Luke; you have been an example for all. 

Due to a temporary stricter deadline it will be imperative that you get your news to me by Sunday night. Items for the next column, which appears Aug. 4, must reach me by July 31. Thanks in advance for your help.

How sad it is that we’re beginning to accept that the American flag may be permanently at half mast. What is happening to us? Please join me in praying for our country and our fellow man. Let’s all start the journey by loving our neighbor. See you in two weeks.

Contact Oysterponds columnist Carol Gillooly at medinnov@aol.com or 323-3899

Michael Fouchet Jr. wants to be the very best, like no one ever was — at least when it comes to Pokémon. And when it comes to the popular media franchise’s long-running Pokémon Trading Card Game, the 25-year-old Southold native may be on to something.

A former Southold High School salutatorian now working as a math teacher in New Jersey, Mr. Fouchet has become a well-known player in the competitive Pokémon card scene, recently earning his way back to the World Championships next month in San Francisco.

“Like most people in the 20-to-28 age bracket, I enjoyed Pokémon as a kid,” Mr. Fouchet explained. “When all of my friends kind of moved on from the fad, I was so engrossed by the actual strategy and the actual game behind it, I kept going with it.”

It wasn’t just Mr. Fouchet who fell in love with the game. His younger brothers played, too. Soon, Pokémon was part of their family, said Mr. Fouchet’s mother, Judi.

“Pokémon became our family activity and it was decided by our children,” she said. “Parents would say, ‘You’re taking your kids to play Pokémon?’ I say, ‘You take your kids to play soccer!’”

The Pokémon Trading Card Game uses cards featuring different Pokémon, collectible friendly creatures that each have unique elemental powers. The competitive game, Mr. Fouchet said, uses a more complex form of rock-paper-scissors that causes some cards to be more or less effective against others.

“Imagine chess and you still have to use eight different types of pieces,” he said. “But you don’t just get the eight normal pieces. You have 100 different pieces and they all do different things. And you have to choose eight pieces for your chessboard.”

[Related story: Pokémon Go craze hits the North Fork]

Mr. Fouchet said much of the game happens outside the table itself, as players use “mind games” and psychological tricks to psych out their opponents and predict what kinds of cards they’ll choose to play.

The game also releases a new batch of cards every few months, meaning players need to constantly reform new decks to take with them to tournaments in order to be effective.

“The thing that really entices me about the game,” Mr. Fouchet said, “is at some point there is a skill cap or a level really good players reach and they get comfortable. But every three months, the game totally changes.”

Mr. Fouchet likes to play a “control-oriented” style, coming up with new combinations of cards to beat popular decks by disrupting and forcing his opponents’ moves. He finished 39th overall out of 1,100 players at the national Pokémon tournament, earning his way to Worlds later this summer.

Mr. Fouchet became fascinated by the game when he was just 8 years old. He and his younger brothers played constantly and bonded over the card game, Ms. Fouchet said. When he was in seventh grade, Mr. Fouchet started playing in smaller local tournaments and did well.

By the time he was 13, he had already been declared the winner of the Rhode Island State Championship. His parents were always supportive — especially after his winnings included a $300 prize and free trip to Florida

“My parents were like, ‘He’s winning money and free trips out of it, so why not?’ ” Mr. Fouchet said.

The family drove and flew to events across the country, including regional tournaments in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Ohio, according to Ms. Fouchet.

One of those trips stands out, Mr. Fouchet said: the 2005 World Championships. It was the last major trip the family took together, he said.

The Fouchets traveled to San Diego when Mr. Fouchet was still in high school to attend the Pokémon invitational event. Four of the five tickets were paid for by Pokémon organizers as part of his and his brother’s invitation, Mr. Fouchet said.

By then, Mr. Fouchet’s father, Michael Sr., was battling liver cancer. Ms. Fouchet said her husband’s illness was well-known among the tight-knit Pokémon community. To accommodate the family, the event’s organizers gave them extra stays in a hotel during — and even after — the tournament.

At the tournament itself, Mr. Fouchet went into the final rounds ranked top overall. But in a heartbreaking twist, he was knocked out by a string of bad luck. Ms. Fouchet said her son took a moment to compose himself, then came back to cheer on his friends.

The family spent an extra week on vacation in San Diego, she said.

Pokémon taught her children resiliency, Ms. Fouchet said. They would use that strength just a year later, when their father died. Their San Diego Pokémon vacation is a happy memory the family shares, Mr. Fouchet said.

“That’s always something that I’ll appreciate,” he said.

Today, Mr. Fouchet uses his Pokémon knowledge to write for online magazines dedicated to card games when he isn’t teaching math at Doane Academy in Burlington, N.J.

Mr. Fouchet’s classroom is adorned with Pokémon memorabilia, he said, and all his students know about his hobby. He’s even taught a few of them how to play.

Mr. Fouchet said the new mobile app Pokémon Go — which combines real-world locations with the creature-catching fad — has become a hit. Even though he’s not “super hyped” about the game itself, Mr. Fouchet was grateful for the chance to discuss his hobby with others once again.

“If I get to talk about Pokémon more on a daily basis, it’s a good thing,” he said.

Back on the North Fork, hundreds of miles away from his current residence in New Jersey, a small memorial to Mr. Fouchet’s father rests in Southold, not far from his family’s home. Without their knowledge, that memorial was included in the latest Pokémon game as a special location players can visit to team up and play.

psquire@timesreview.com

Photo: Michael Fouchet Jr. competes in the Pennsylvania State Pokémon Championship this past March. A competitive Pokémon card player, Mr. Fouchet will participate in the World Championships in August. (Credit: Doug Morisoli, courtesy)

The urban environment of New York City would seem an unlikely beginning for a man who has spent so much of his life sailing. But Joe Sullivan Jr., born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx, has roots in eastern Long Island going back to the early 1940s when his father took him fishing in Greenport.

The first time Sullivan was taken out sailing as a youngster, the wind was blowing hard and he didn’t really care for the experience. He gave it another try, however, when he was 16, “and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.”

A lifetime of sailing has earned Sullivan, 79, the former coach of Fordham University’s coed and women’s sailing teams, the Intercollegiate Sailing Association’s Lifetime Services Award last month. Sullivan, who splits his time between living in Southold and New York City, was recognized with the honor at the ICSA National Championships in San Diego.

“Oh wow,” Sullivan replied when asked for his reaction. He said he was “truly humbled because I hadn’t thought about it. I wasn’t expecting it. It’s always nice to be recognized for the work that one does.”

This is the second time Sullivan has been recognized by the College Sailing Hall of Fame. He was awarded the ICSA Hall of Fame Outstanding Service – Volunteer Award in 2004-05.

Sullivan, who sailed for Fordham himself (Class of 1958), helped resurrect the Fordham sailing team in 2000 after a 27-year hiatus and stayed to serve as volunteer head coach for 12 years and director of sailing for four more years.

Sullivan guided Fordham’s women’s team to the 2011 ICSA national championship and its coed team to within six points of qualifying for the nationals. Since then, Fordham’s coed team has been ranked as high as No. 1 in the country and No. 6 among all varsity and club teams nationally. Since 2011, Fordham has qualified for national championships seven times; three times each for the coed and women’s championships and once for the Team Race Championship.

Today the program’s home port is at Morris Yacht & Beach Club on City Island, where it has a fleet of 24 sailboats and two powerboats.

Sullivan also took an active roll in the Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association, bringing his corporate and entrepreneurial business experience to several committees.

Sullivan founded the Peconic Bay Broadcasting Corporation, which was the licensee of radio station WBAZ-FM, which he owned and operated for 12 years before selling it in 1997.

A devoted sailor himself, Sullivan joined the Fordham team as a freshman in 1955. “I fell in love with it, and I immersed myself in the sport,” he said.

Sullivan became and remains a member of the Southold Yacht Club, which he joined in 1969. “The racing bug bit me and I’ve been racing ever since,” he said. He has been racing on the national Sunfish circuit for over 30 years.

Sullivan said he enjoys the sport as much as ever, racing in Southold on Saturday afternoons and Monday nights.

“Sailing out on Southold Bay … can be so peaceful and so enjoyable,” he said. “You feel close to God and nature.”

Although he is retired, sailing keeps Sullivan busy. He will race in the New York State Downstate Regional Championship at the Bay Shore Yacht Club this weekend. On Aug. 13, he will participate, for the 44th time, in the World’s Longest Sunfish Race, Around Shelter Island, NY.

Sullivan was unable to attend the awards ceremony in San Diego, so he asked team captains Madeleine Sims, Johanna Monro and Alecsander Tayler to represent him and relay a message. Part of it read: “I could not have worked with a finer group of young adults than the sailors on the Fordham team. No retiree could ask for a better situation than I had. I was blessed with the job and am humbled by this award. To be honored for doing what I love is simply icing on the cake.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Joe Sullivan, a member of the Southold Yacht Club and a former Fordham University sailor and coach, has received college sailing’s Lifetime Service Award. (Credit: courtesy photo)

Patricia “Pat” Kiernan, who for more than a decade helped to raise millions of dollars for Eastern Long Island Hospital as a leader of fundraising and outreach efforts, died Tuesday after a long battle with cancer, family members said.

She was 63.

Ms. Kiernan was well known and beloved as a “sparkplug” among hospital staff and community leaders, pushing to send a message that ELIH was a partner in the community, hospital leaders said.

“It’s hard to put into words what she’s done for the institution,” said Paul O’Connor, CEO of ELIH. “She was a relentlessly hard worker, probably to a fault. She was extremely dedicated and loyal.”

Ms. Kiernan joined the hospital in February 2001 and quickly energized the hospital’s community outreach. She also had a leading role expanding the hospital’s foundation fundraising efforts.

The hospital normally runs an operating deficit, Mr. Connor explained, so the medical center relies on outside donations and fundraising to keep a profit and continue improvements.

Ms. Kiernan also played a key role in the hospital’s 2005 emergency room expansion, which was paid for in part through a fundraising campaign.

Thanks to Ms. Kiernan, the amount of donations pulled in by hospital fundraising efforts like the annual golf outing and gala have nearly doubled, Mr. Connor said. In total, Ms. Kiernan’s work drew an estimated $25 million in donations for the hospital.

Eileen Solomon, the current director of community relations for ELIH, worked under Ms. Kiernan for 14 years.

Ms. Solomon called her a “role model” who encouraged others to do their best. Ms. Solomon recalled the hospital’s 100 year anniversary celebration, when Ms. Kiernan — sweating in the 110 degree heat — rushed around to make the event a success and never complained.

“You were excited to be there with her,” she said. “She was always in the moment.” Ms. Solomon praised Ms. Kiernan’s dedication to staying in touch with local community groups.

Ms. Kiernen met her husband, Jack Larsen, 14 years ago doing just that.

In an interview Wednesday, Mr. Larsen said the two became acquainted at a Greenport Chamber of Commerce meeting at Peconic Landing where Ms. Kiernan was representing the hospital.

Close mutual friends “knew we were both single so they pointed us in the right direction,” he said.

“I loved her energy. She had sparkle and a lot of life in her,” he said. The couple traveled a lot, he said, sailing around the Chesapeake Bay and the Bahamas in a catamaran. They were engaged one year after they met, after Mr. Larsen proposed in a restaurant high over Paris as the sun set behind the Eiffel Tower.

“As our one friend said, she was beautiful on the inside and the outside,” he said. “She was always ready for dancing or a party, just getting people together.” Though they didn’t marry at first, Ms. Keirnan became close with Mr. Larsen’s children from a previous marriage, treating them as her own.

Then, two years ago, Ms. Kiernan became ill. Mr. Larsen said cancer had spread in her body, and was caught too late to completely eradicate. Still, even while undergoing surgeries and cancer treatments, Ms. Kiernan still worked at the hospital. After she retired last year, Ms. Kiernan stayed on to help train her successor.

But her health took a turn for the worse this year, Mr. Larsen said. Last week, just days before she passed, Ms. Kiernan and Mr. Larsen were finally wed at her bedside by Town Clerk Elizabeth Neville.

“It was personal between Patty and I,” Mr. Larsen said. “That’s how we wanted it to end.” On Tuesday, Ms. Kiernan died in hospice, surrounded by her family.

“I feel a huge amount of sadness and a huge amount of relief,” he said. “It’s been two years that we’ve done this.”

Since her death, Mr. Larsen said something about their relationship has become perfectly clear.

“It was the best 14 years of my life,” he said. “Since she’s gone and passed, I realized I had not been lonely for the past 14 years.”

Visitation for Ms. Kiernan will be held tomorrow, Friday, July 22, from 7 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, July 23, from 10 a.m. to noon at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport.

As part of her final wishes, Ms. Kiernan’s family has asked any memorial donations be made to East End Hospice. And, of course, her family ask that donations can also be made to Eastern Long Island Hospital.

psquire@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Patricia Kiernan and her then-finance, Jack Larsen, pose at one of Eastern Long Island Hospital’s Summer Galas at the Corso residence in this undated photo. (Credit: Eastern Long Island Hospital, courtesy)

Living in a small town has so many benefits. Being able to watch kids grow up and then walk down the aisle as husband and wife is just one of the many highlights.

Love filled the church as Scott Worth stood at the front of Our Lady of Good Counsel with best man Chris Baglivi waiting for the stunning Erin Boznyak to enter the church with her dad. The groomsmen were in gray tuxedos and the bridesmaids were dressed in lilac, each one looking more beautiful than the next. It was obvious how much in love this happy couple is when they attempted to end the ceremony just a little sooner than expected. As the crowd said “Amen” to Father Joe’s blessing, Scott and Erin exited the church as husband and wife. May God bless your marriage and may your days be filled with love and joy.

Speaking of love and marriage, during a boat ride on the bay June 11, Steven Bialeski  popped the question to Krystal Harris, who enthusiastically accepted. Congratulations! Let the planning begin!

Birthday wishes go out this week to Kyle Steele, Chelsea Chalone, Katie Bladykas, Maureen Deegan, Ann Bialeski, Sherry Steele, Dick Harned, Lee Carlson, Kevin Maida (who turns 3 years old), Karen Diffley and Tyler Cande.

Niki Benedetto, a 2010 graduate of Mattituck High School, has accepted a full-time position as a senior digital designer at Segal Savad, located in New York City’s West Village. Best of luck!

Amelia (Mia) Jealous-Dank, a Mattituck-Cutchogue School District alumna, has been appointed to the Amityville Planning Board. She holds two architecture degrees and a master’s in public administration from the University of North Carolina. She is president of ATJD Architecture and Planning in Amityville, which specializes in commercial architecture and exterior renovations.

Attention MHS Class of 2017: Senior portraits will be taken Aug. 25 and 26. You’ll receive information about appointment times from the photography company. If you have any questions, call the school at 631-298-8460, ext. 3223.

If you’re having summer guests and wish to share some of your adventures, feel free to contact me. My deadline is now Sunday evening, so the sooner the better!

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

When Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a $50 million “I Love NY” advertising campaign in June, the goal was to promote tourism and “attract visitors this summer to explore our state’s natural beauty, rich history and world-class recreational activities.”

Much to the chagrin of East End residents, a result of that campaign was on display this month in the form of “I Love NY” signs that were installed in Orient and Montauk. In both communities, the reaction from locals was swift, harsh and predictably overblown.

Orient Association president Robert Hanlon and Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell both described the four signs near Cross Sound Ferry on Route 25, a state road, as having no purpose. The blue signs, which read “Welcome to New York,” advertise the ILoveNY.com website and mobile app. Mr. Russell noted that they made no mention of specific destinations in Southold Town. However, the mobile app directs users to a number of pertinent destinations, including Laurel Lake Vineyards, Catapano Dairy Farm, South Jamesport Beach and Browder’s Birds. The app can actually be a handy tool for anyone exploring a region of New York, including the North Fork. It’s understandable the state would try to promote the app, which in turn promotes local businesses.

Politicians were surprisingly quick to react when word spread of the cold reception the signs had received from locals. State Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) pushed to have all of them removed shortly after they popped up. Of course, politicians never seem to mind when roads are clogged with political signs in the months preceding an election.

Where the state ultimately went wrong was failing to consult local officials before installing the signs. It’s no shock that locals would oppose signs promoting tourism, so before wasting money to have them made, installed and ultimately removed, the state could have outlined its plan first and then received feedback. Perhaps the signs could have been altered to better appease locals.

Orient’s largest remaining sign is now expected to be replaced by a smaller one. That should alleviate, to some degree, Mr. Russell’s concern that it “restricts the view of a publicly held preserve.”

In reality, the view is simply a line of trees and shrubbery.

When a smaller version is in place, drivers will perhaps focus on other signs located along that brief stretch of roadway, such as the ones about L.I. Wine Country, Rotary, travel information, various traffic indicators and a sign marking the entrance to a park.

If you’re going to use one word to describe the work done at Island’s End Woodcraft, Greenport’s new custom-made home furnishing, repair and vintage furniture store, it’s best to avoid “repurposing.”

Rachel Mysliborski, who recently opened the Sterlington Commons shop with her husband, Mark, prefers the term “upcycling.”

“It’s finding a piece like the bottom of a table and adding a butcher block to it,” Ms. Mysliborski said. “It’s a term we’ve been using for a couple of years, kind of like bringing it up to its potential.”

The Mysliborskis began upcycling in Connecticut. Originally from Long Island — Mark is a Greenport native and Rachel is from Manhasset — the two met when they were just 14 years old. After they married, they moved to Connecticut, where Mr. Mysliborski ran a successful plumbing business for 20 years. After Ms. Mysliborski’s mother passed away, they decided to return to Long Island and set up their furniture shop in Greenport.

Island’s End Woodcraft is a combination of vintage finds brought back from New England, upcycled pieces and original furniture pieces built by Mr. Mysliborski. His wife runs the store and handles clients’ orders, which are brought to life in the couple’s East Marion barn.

“I bring the ideas, we work on the vision and he makes it a reality,” she said. “Mark’s in the middle of making a walnut-top dining room table, he does farm tables, anything and everything you can think of.”

A lot of their original pieces are made from local wood, old pallets and antique items.

“We try to sell everything 100 percent USA made, but that’s almost impossible,” Ms. Mysliborski said. “I’d say we’re about 80 to 90 percent; for example, the candles are all American poured, but sometimes they have accessories that come with them that aren’t American.”

Island’s End Woodcraft also supports local artisans and craftspeople by selling their handmade gifts and jewelry in the store. Mr. Mysliborski also plans to offer woodworking classes in the near future.

A wooden pallet, upcycled as a wall wine and glass holder. (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)

Another important aspect of the business is Island’s End Woodcraft’s ability to repair and restore one-of-a-kind furniture, as well as create custom orders. The shop is currently working with a Shelter Island restaurant to create original wooden serving platters made from local materials.

“Bring in a picture and we will replicate it,” Ms. Mysliborski said. “A lot of people will bring something in not realizing it’s made out of an exotic wood, which is expensive. We’ll give you options, like a less expensive wood, but you still get the look you want.”

To the Mysliborskis, the sky’s the limit when it comes to what they can build or create — and they can’t wait to work with clients on building furniture.

“We want people to understand that you don’t have to go to a department or furniture store and spend $8,000 on a dining room table that was factory-made or came from China,” Ms. Mysliborski said. “Why not pay a little less and have it exactly the way you want it?”

msinghroy@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Mark and Rachel Mysliborski, owners of Island’s End Woodcraft in Greenport. (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)

The racial strife of recent weeks in the U.S. has reverberated in Suffolk County.

“I’m really pleased with the turnout,” said Vanessa Vascez-Corleone, an organizer of a demonstration in Riverhead. “It’s more than I expected it to be and it’s truly a multiracial crowd. This is all about standing together as one, standing up to say this killing has got to stop. We have to stop the racism in the justice system. We need to stand up in Riverhead and in every community across the country.”

Coming together — an antidote to hate.

Hillary Clinton put it well, on the day of the Riverhead protest, in an interview on NBC News: “Everyone understands that we have some very deep divides, and if we don’t start addressing them — and that’s a matter of urgency — I believe we’ll find ourselves in an even worse downward spiral. I believe we need a national conversation, and we need to start showing respect toward one another, seeing each other, walking in each other’s shoes.”

I’ve found that to be key, teaching for nearly 40 years as a professor at SUNY College at Old Westbury.

SUNY Old Westbury draws most of its students from Long Island, with plenty from the East End, and also from New York City. Old Westbury was established as an innovative, indeed experimental, SUNY campus on a former 604-acre estate. A critical event occurred with the arrival of John Maguire as the college’s president in 1970.

He had an unusual history. I interviewed him on video as part of a recent oral history done about the college. Mr. Maguire told of coming from a family in Alabama representative of the segregationist South. His grandfather was lieutenant governor of Alabama. “You could not imagine a more conservative, racist man,” he said.

As a sophomore at Washington and Lee University in Virginia, he saw a sign posted about a conference in Pennsylvania for prospective ministers. It was a chance to go to the North, where he had never been.

When he got to the Crozer Theological Seminary, he was advised that he would room with a Crozer student “from Atlanta, Georgia … You’ll like him … He’s already been named the president of the student body.”

His roommate was Martin Luther King Jr.

And that began, he said, “A a glorious friendship,” a “transformative element no doubt, in my life … We became wonderful, fast friends.” For life.

Mr. Maguire became deeply involved in the civil rights movement, was a Freedom Rider, received a Ph.D. at Yale, became a professor and a provost at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and then came to head SUNY Old Westbury.

He and the faculty developed a plan to thoroughly mix people, based originally on the figures 30-30-30-10. There would be 30 percent white, 30 percent African-American, 30 percent Latino and 10 percent Asian-American, Native American and foreign students. The vision was, explained Mr. Maguire, that “no one would feel left out, but it wasn’t so big that one group ruled the other.” The students “came together” and began “to say, ‘he’s not so bad, she’s not so bad,’ and sure enough friendships developed, and it was remarkable.”

It still is. Although the 30-30-30-10 figures aren’t used any longer, Old Westbury — its student body, faculty and administration — is extraordinarily diverse. That’s a central part of the educational experience at the college.

Last year U.S. News & World Report named it the number four college in ethnic diversity among liberal arts colleges in the U.S. It is, the publication said, “one of the top colleges where students are most likely to encounter undergraduates from different racial or ethnic groups.”

Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, the college’s president since 1999, commenting on this, said: “Old Westbury is rightfully celebrated as a college community that brings people of all races, creeds, and socioeconomic backgrounds together. Being designated among the top diverse campuses in the country reinforces that Old West-bury is at the forefront of cultivating intercultural understanding and global citizenship in its students.”

In a few weeks the new semester will begin and again I’ll marvel watching the students coming together and developing understandings and friendships. Many will not have known those of other races due to a region and nation that is not well-integrated. Studies have found Long Island to be among the most segregated areas in the country. Because of housing patterns, many of its high schools are virtually all white and then there are several virtually all black.

As Cardinal Timothy Dolan said as he spoke at St. Patrick’s Cathedral of the events of the last few weeks: “We are all one family.” Vital to bring the family together are experiences of being with others who are different. That truly works.

The author is a veteran journalist and professor and a member of the Press Club of Long Island’s Journalism Hall of Fame. His Suffolk Closeup column is syndicated in newspapers across the county.

There will be no makeup date for this year’s Cardboard Boat Race in downtown Riverhead, according to Councilman Jim Wooten, who is a Town Board liaison on the event.

“It looks like it’s going to be cancelled this year,” Mr. Wooten said Friday. He said the volunteers who ran the race in past years are unavailable for any of the proposed makeup dates, including some in September.

Mr. Wooten said the town will likely be issuing an official press release soon canceling the race for this year.

“It’s a shame,” he said. “It’s such a fun event. But a lot of this was beyond our control.”

The popular event had been scheduled for June 26, but the Town Board postponed it because of low tide combined with a high number of bunker fish in the river, which led to fears that there could be another large fish kill in the river.

Last year, when there was a massive fish kill in the Peconic, the race was rescheduled from late June to late August, after the Suffolk County Health Department issued a warning about swimming in water with dead fish.

Riverhead Town, Southampton Town and New York State this year combined to hire crews of fishermen to haul out hundreds of thousands of bunker to prevent another fish kill, since the large number of fish in the river are believed to deplete oxygen levels, leading to the die-off.

The fishing crews have since stopped hauling bunker, which they sold as bait, but the bunker, also known as menhaden, are still here.

While the Cardboard Boat Race and the FOLD Festival were cancelled this year in Riverhead, Mr. Wooten said the town still has the Friday Night Concert Series and the new Alive on 25 event to take their place.

He said the town will plan the boat race again next year. The event has been held annually since 2010.

Photo caption: Sailors aboard the “Thresher” sink into Peconic River in 2012. (Credit: Gianna Volpe, file)

tgannon@timesreview.com

Bunker in Peconic River last week. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)

Congratulations to the following students.

Grade 12: Valentina Acero, Andrew Aurichio, Anthony Catalan Hernandez, Dora Cortave, Ryan Costello, Marina DeLuca, Mercedes Edwards, Mark Guliaiev, Liam Lieblein, Maxwell Mastrangelo, Aidan Pollock, Paige Pope, Carly Short, Thomas Spackman, Richard Torres Galicia, Rosemary Volinski, Isabel Wachtel, Brendan Walker, Nicholas Wallace.

Grade 11: Ellen Cecaida, Adriana Chandler, Remi Droskoski, Toni Esposito, Sarah Gogan, Ginger Hughes, Tashan Lawrence, Jared Leon, Rosa Lopez, Madeline Malinowski, Vivian Mantzopoulos, Maia Mazzaferro, Angelina Pagano, Jennifer Palencia, Riley Peterson, Eduardo Sanchez, Keegan Syron, Madison Tabor, Kathleen Tuthill, Emelys Villareal, Alexandra Zurek.

Grade 10: Elizabeth Clark, Emelia Jacobi, Jenna Loper, Madison Manwaring, Samuel Mastrangelo, Emma McCabe, Kathleen McCabe, Zoe Medina, Nellie Spackman, Lena Wolf.

Grade 9: Jorlan Alvarez, Jillian Golden, Garrick Hughes, Jacob Kahn, Xavier Kahn, Elizabeth Malinowski, Saed Puac, James Stulsky, Nereida Toribio, Miguel Torres, Thomas Tsaveras, Brittany Walker, John Wright.

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

Grade 7: Kevin Azama, Courtney Cocheo, Shane Costello, Aidan Crowley, Taylor Dinizio, Erin Fauteux, Thomas Haley, 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, Adan Sandre Torres, Ava Torres, Kelly Torres Rodriguez, Christina Tsaveras.

HONOR ROLL

Grade 12: Susan Bunchuck, Ahmet Gorgulu, Rosa Hernandez, Stephanie King, Tyler Kruszeski, Bryan Machado, Benjamin Modica, Michelle Palencia, Yaquelyn Pineda Rivas, Elijah Smith, Daisy Torres, Maleik Yoskovich.

Grade 11: Jared Grilli, Angel Hernandez, Rachael Hughes, Dominique Kart, Tucker King, Natalia Leon Merino, Caitlyn Macomber, Yesenia Mancia Menjivar, Evan Maroney, Charis Stoner, Jonathan Webster.

Grade 10: Rosa Chapeton, Carlos Chapeton Masin, Joseline Colon, Blayr Corazzini, Casper Loveless, Tabina Sherwani, Kristian Nikolov, Cinthia Gonzalez, Madison Hilton, Alexis Hubbard, Hanna Land, Anna Maria Llukaci, Sean McCabe, Jalaiah Primm, Scott Rock, Grace Syron, Matthew Tuthill.

Grade 9: Jose Arias Roldan, Julesiah Atkins, Emelyn Azurdia, Liz Cabrera Caicedo, Reese Costello, Brayan Duran Aquino, Cem Harvey, Cristian Lopez Giron, Jacob Mazzaferro, Johnathan Montgomery Medina, Shuasmel Montoya, James Morrison, Joseph Owens, Guadalupe Perez, Anyelina Ramirez, Lourdes Reyes Gutierrez, Zachary Riggins, Bryan Rosales Bachez, Colin Rossetti, Frank Ruiz, Marisol Solis, Charles Staples, Joseph Wysocki.

Grade 8: Sevastian Alvarado, Autumn Behrle, Malachi Boisseau, Jammye Calderon Orellana, Selena Cano, Ava Cosby, William Donahue, Marilu Galicia, Mary Kaffaga, Christopher Kuczynski, Demetrios Mantzopoulos, Jose Monzon Perez, Roxana Rodas, Marissa Swiskey.

Grade 7: Mythcel Aguilar, Saira Bachez Gomez, Cesar Chapeton Masin, Robert Corwin, Tiarra Edwards, Raymond Hayes, Steven Merino, Alan Morales, Melvin Ortiz, Miguel Perez, Breanna Shelby, Ayda Terry, Kevin Ventura Santos.

About two years ago, I wrote a column entitled “Is Riverhead a Cracker Barrel kind of town?”

At the time, I was lamenting both the closing of the former Riverhead Project restaurant and an informal poll we had done among readers that determined Cracker Barrel was one of the five businesses they’d most like to see come to town. 

Ultimately, the piece was about what I saw as the missing link to downtown revitalization here: diverse entertainment.

“If Riverhead is to see a true revitalization … downtown Riverhead needs to be fun. Sure, it needs events for families and restaurants that can be supported by those types of events, but it also needs a nightlife,” I wrote. “It needs housing and events for young adults. It needs to become a dining destination with even more restaurants.

“Patchogue comes alive after 5. Riverhead falls asleep.”

That narrative has shifted in the two years since and perhaps never more than this past week when the first Alive on 25 was held, giving the Riverhead Business Improvement District its best event yet. If you weren’t there but are familiar with Alive After Five, the best way to explain it is if everyone at the popular Patchogue event got on a giant boat — think the Noah’s Ark replica being built in Kentucky — and sailed east to Riverhead, where they docked on the riverfront and then spilled into the streets.

• See photos from the first Alive on 25

Ray Pickersgill, past president of the BID Management Association, said it was like a “giant block party.” While I understand the sentiment, that might even be selling this event a little short. When I think back on the one block party we had on my street growing up, all I remember is spending the whole day watching everyone’s dad slowly get drunk and waiting for the guy up the block to officially declare his pig fully roasted. The first Alive on 25 was much more fun than that day.

The BID deserves to be commended for consistently coming up with outside-the-box events to attract people downtown. The Cardboard Boat Race — when not impeded by schools of dead bunker — is a fantastic day on the riverfront. Events like Santacon and March of the Leprechauns have also helped to boost business at local bars. The Poe Festival around Halloween is also a good time.

Alive on 25 takes what works about some of these other events and adds even more food and music to the mix.

Even if I tried, I couldn’t have counted all the genuine hugs I saw people exchange last Thursday, truly happy to unexpectedly bump into someone they knew. The event also transcended age, providing one of those rare times outside of a wedding when you might see a little girl dancing next to a teenage boy and someone else’s grandma. One of my fellow editors also pointed out how great it was to see such a racially and ethnically diverse crowd, particularly in light of recent national events.

This eclectic mix of people and tastes is actually very Riverhead. This is a place where people grow up on farm properties and in waterfront houses — Polish Town and The Greens. It’s a community with more African-American and Hispanic residents than the national average. It’s a town with a raceway and an aquarium, a water park and a major shopping mall.

In other words, there are many different types of people living here and plenty of reasons for many more visitors to come. Alive on 25 seemed to bring everyone together, concentrated in one large space to enjoy so much of what makes Riverhead — and in particular its downtown — a special place.

If I had to nitpick, I’d say the beer gardens were a tad restrictive. Assuming you’re drinking casually and talking among friends, even someone who drinks just a beer or two is going to be stuck in one place and not circulating for a good amount of time. That said, I do think it made things easier on the security, EMT and police — all of whom were very present at last week’s debut — and is therefore worth keeping in place. (Patchogue also now limits drinking to restricted areas.)

Another suggestion would be to get the downtown restaurants cooking and serving food from booths in the streets. My family ate off one of the food trucks last Thursday, but then felt bad about not supporting a business that calls Riverhead home. A few years back, we attended Taste of Mystic in Connecticut and remember a system where people bought tickets worth $1 each and then walked around to different booths, dropping off a handful of tickets for a taste. With this approach people are spending a little bit of money with everyone and trying more than one thing.

Lastly, a more diverse selection of music could have been planned for the first event. Never before have I witnessed so many white men singing reggae-tinged music in one place. Perhaps the event would benefit from clearly defined areas where you know you’re getting classic rock here, country or R&B there, and just one stage playing Sublime covers.

Then again, if these little things are all I — someone who’s paid to have an opinion — have to complain about, then Alive on 25 is certainly off to a flying start.

It’s a great way to spend a Thursday night in downtown Riverhead, the perfect place to host such an event.

Photo Credit: Katharine Schroeder

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

Lifelong Greenport resident Eugene N. Mazzaferro died July 22. He was 91. 

The family will receive visitors Monday, July 25, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport. A 1:15 p.m. graveside service will follow at St. Agnes R. C. Cemetery in Greenport.

The family has suggested that memorial donations be made to Burton Potter American Legion Post 185, P.O. Box 125, Greenport, NY  11944.

A complete obituary will follow.

Patrick Joseph Kilcommons of Southold died at his home July 21. He was 77 years old and a retired conductor with LIRR.

The family will receive visitors Sunday, July 24, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold. The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday, July 25, at St. Patrick R.C. Church in Southold. Interment, with U.S. Army honors, will follow at the church cemetery.

Memorial donations to East End Hospice or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital would be appreciated.

A complete obituary will follow.

With temperatures expected to reach the 90s today, Southold Town has opened its cooling center at the Peconic Lane Community Center. 

The building will be open so the public can escape the heat between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday, according to a town police press release.

Temperatures are again expected to reach the 90s on Tuesday before cooling to the mid-to-low-90s by the middle of next week, according to weather.com.

The Peconic Lane Community Center is located at 970 Peconic Lane in Peconic. 

The commercial season for Atlantic bluefish in New York State could end prematurely following a pending decision from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

The potential closure would come about three months earlier than usual and have a negative economic impact on commercial fisheries throughout New York, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The decision, which could be made any day now, is based on data from the Marine Recreation Information Program, which is the program NOAA uses to record all of its recreational fishing data. Recent data shows a high number of bluefish were caught last year by recreational fishers.

The DEC, however, has argued in a letter sent to NOAA that it finds the data “troubling” and is urging officials to reevaluate the findings.

On Monday, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) also called on NOAA to take a second look, writing in a letter to the organization that “any decision on bluefish fishing season must be based on up-to-date science, period.”

Mr. Schumer’s request follows a letter sent to NOAA last Tuesday by DEC commissioner Basil Seggos, who expressed concern that a mid-season closure would be a “devastating blow to our commercial fisheries.”

On the North Fork, several business owners have also expressed worry about how such a closure might impact them. Charlie Manwaring of Southold Fish Market said he sells a considerable number of bluefish this time of year.

“I’m not very happy because it’s one less fish I can sell,” Mr. Manwaring said, adding that bluefish season sometimes extends until November.

NOAA sets a quota each year for East Coast states regarding how many fish can be caught. The quota is divided between commercial and recreational fisheries. For Atlantic bluefish, about 80 percent of the quota relates to recreational fishing. Data from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission shows that recent yearly averages for recreational bluefish fishing are around 13 million pounds.

DEC officials said recreational fisheries almost never hit the 80 percent quota. When commercial fishermen want to harvest more fish, they said, the government can transfer a percentage of the remaining recreational quota.

Commercial fisheries in the state, however, have already hit their quota for the season — and there may not be any leftover quota to transfer.

Bluefish at Southold Fish Market. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

This conclusion is based on NOAA’s finding that recreational fishermen hit their quota in 2015. If correct, the data would signify the first time in eight years such an event has occurred. The commercial bluefish season would end immediately.

Jim Gilmore, the DEC’s director of marine resources, said New York State reaches its commercial quota quickly each year. With the transferred quota from recreational fisheries, they’re able to harvest anywhere from 500,000 to one million pounds of bluefish annually. Without it, the state’s commercial fisheries are only able to harvest around 350,000 pounds.

“We essentially need that transfer to keep our fisheries going,” Mr. Gilmore said. He added that New York is one of the East Coast’s largest harvesters.

Commercial fisherman Kenny Clark, who is based in Greenport, expressed frustration in the quota system because he said he can only bring 1,000 pounds of bluefish each time he goes out even though he can catch between 5,000 and 10,000 pounds.

“Bluefish are one of the last types of fish that are here in abundance,” Mr. Clark said.

The regulations and quotas have forced commercial fishermen to give up because they can’t afford to stay in business he said. Where there used to be about 20 local fishermen, now that are only about five, he said.

“We’re regulated to death,” he said.

In Mr. Schumer’s letter to NOAA, he said it was essential to use all available data when making quota distribution decisions. The letter states the data from the 2015 recreational fishing season was based on a small sample size that is in stark contrast to New York State’s Vessel Trip Report data.

The senator added that a decision based on inaccurate and faulty data “could land a devastating blow to our already struggling fishermen, who deal with low quotas on many other fishery stocks.”

Bonnie Brady of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association said that while ending the bluefish season this early would have some impact on related East End businesses, it’s a major blow to commercial fishermen.

“The precedent it is setting is the more troubling issue,” Ms. Brady said. She explained that state fisheries already face many restrictions with other species, like fluke and blackfish, and aren’t eager to see bluefish added to the list.

Mr. Manwaring agreed that fishing regulations have become frustrating to contend with. He said that while rules are important, he feels recreational fishing should be more regulated than commercial fishing.

“The fishing industry is huge for us,” Mr. Manwaring said. “People come to the East End of Long Island to eat fresh seafood.”

He added that if things continue in this direction, local seafood stores will need to order more imported fish — something he doesn’t favor.

“We have the fish right in our own backyard,” he said. “And we can’t even fish for them or use them because of a regulation.”

Top photo caption: Chris Geehreng stocking bluefish at Southold Fish Market Monday morning. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

kmassa@timesreview.com

Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) has a seemingly simple fix for getting rid of helicopter and airplane noise on the North Fork: send the aircraft south.

At a meeting set up by the nonprofit group Southold Voice in Peconic Saturday morning, Mr. Zeldin said he would ideally have the Federal Aviation Administration close the northern aircraft route that sends helicopters over the North Fork on their way to airports in East Hampton and Montauk.

Instead, Mr. Zeldin suggests the FAA designate the southern route along the south shore as the only route for air traffic — and enforce it.

“These aircraft are not landing on the North Fork,” Mr. Zeldin said, drawing applause from the dozens of residents in attendance. “Unless I’m completely missing something… why would anyone be traveling the North Fork at all?”

Air traffic noise remains a “critical” quality of life issue on the North Fork, said Southold Voice chair Marie Benninati. That showed in the concerns voiced by many in attendance, who said air traffic noise has become worse this year and asked what can be done to lessen the racket.

A main concern is the north route of aircraft traffic, which is a suggested path for aircraft to take that sends them near residential areas. Pilots are restricted in where they can fly and at what altitude, Mr. Zeldin said. But while some pilots follow the law and are quick to make changes if a complaint is filed, other companies and pilots flaunt the rules.

“A lot of these companies? I don’t think they care,” Mr. Zeldin said.

Mr. Zeldin said aircraft coming from New York City should fly south off the coast to limit disruption for local residents, and to keep aircraft out of North Fork skies.

“This seems to be a common sense solution,” Mr. Zeldin said.

The northern route now used by pilots is set to expire on Aug. 6. But it’s unclear if the suggested path will be abandoned, or whether it will be extended by the FAA. And Mr. Zeldin said FAA administrators have been ignoring his requests to speak. 

“As soon as we got adversarial with the FAA, they went silent,” he said. “The FAA are being silent with everyone.”

Mr. Zeldin blamed the U.S. Senate for canceling his leverage over the FAA by refusing to pass an appropriations bill. Mr. Zeldin said since no appropriations bills are being passed and funding is simply continued at the current rate, the FAA doesn’t fear pushback from members of congress holding the pursestrings.

Ideally, Mr. Zeldin said, local town governments should have the ability to regulate air traffic and aircraft noise within their borders. He also sharply criticized the FAA for getting involved in a lawsuit filed against East Hampton Town over its decision to limit aircraft noise.

“I believe very strongly in local control,” he said.

Mr. Zeldin, along with Southold Town Councilman Robert Ghosio, urged residents to file complaints about aircraft noise. Mr. Ghosio said a website that tracks planes can be used to submit complaints electronically.

Mr. Zeldin also called for more cooperation between his office and his counterparts in the Senate.

“Senator [Charles] Schumer has been a lot more engaged than Senator [Kirsten] Gillibrand,” he said. “I can’t even tell you if its on her radar.”

psquire@timesreview.com

A kitchen fire that broke out Saturday afternoon has closed the Southold Italian restaurant Caci North Fork — at least temporarily.

The fire began before 4 p.m. after grease and soot in a hood over the kitchen stove caught fire, according to a chef at the restaurant. The natural gas fueling the stoves was immediately cut and kitchen staff evacuated.

Southold, Cutchogue and Greenport firefighters were all called to the scene, and put out the fire, said assistant fire chief Peggy Killian.  According to Southold police at the scene, no one was injured in the fire.

Southold police closed Main Road in both directions as firefighters dealt with the fire and drank water to stay hydrated in the oppressive summer heat.

In the outdoor seating area behind the restaurant, staff and head chef Marco Pellegrini waited as firefighters cleaned up the scene. Mr. Pellegrini joked that something always seems to go wrong on Saturdays, the restaurant’s busiest day.

“If the dishwasher is broke, it’s a Saturday,” he said. “If the oven’s broke, it’s a Saturday.”

Mr. Pellegrini said the kitchen wasn’t badly damaged. While the restaurant will remain closed Saturday night, he was hopeful staff would be able to repair the damage to the kitchen hood and the chimney and have the restaurant back open soon.

Photo caption: Firefighters move fire hoses at the scene of a fire in the Caci North Fork kitchen in Southold Saturday afternoon. (Credit: Paul Squire)

A campaign nearly five years in the making at Mattituck Presbyterian Church is approaching its goal of raising funds to build a school and church in Haiti.

“One Hundred For Haiti — We Stand As One” was founded by members of the church’s Haiti Youth Team, which collaborated on the effort with Rotary clubs across the East End and as far away as Commack and Brentwood.

Youth congregants from Mattituck, Southold, Greenport, Riverhead and Hampton Bays are participating in the project and many have even traveled to Haiti to lay bricks and mortar for the building.

So far, $60,000 has been raised, but an additional $40,000 is needed to complete the job. If $20,000 is raised, an anonymous local donor has agreed to match the sum.

To help meet their goal, the church will host a cocktail event at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, at Brecknock Hall in Greenport.

“If we succeed, the church will become the center of the community in the village,” said Danielle Durkin, a Haiti Youth Team adviser. “The school would give the children of Betoti the opportunity to rise above the devastating poverty that currently commands their little lives.”

Phase one of the project was completed in April 2014, when volunteers built a small utility building for a reverse osmosis water filtration system and solar panels that provides 1,000 gallons of clean water per day to the village. Phase two, finished in January 2016, entailed laying the foundation for the school and church and beginning to construct walls.

Phase three, the final component, will consist of completing the walls, dividing the structure into classrooms and adding a roof. Rotary clubs will then contribute by purchasing blackboards, desks and furniture. 

The church’s Brecknock Hall fundraiser will feature live music, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets, available by contacting the church, are $50 in advance and $65 at the door. Pastor Agones Jean Jaques, who will run the school and church in Betoti once it’s completed, will be available to answer questions at the event.

Want to donate?

Visit the campaign’s website at http://www.mattpres.com/#/mission/one-hundred-for-haiti. For more information, contact Rory MacNish at 631-921-4555 or Laura McAllister at 631-593-8244.

Photo: Ken Robins of Cutchogue, left, helps youth group volunteer Alexandra Cardi, 15, of Southold High School lay a cornerstone for the new school and church building in Haiti. Alexandra was one of 11 youth volunteers to attend the mission trip helping to complete phase two of the three phase project. (Credit: Courtesy)