Congressman Lee Zeldin came out blasting Saturday night against a four-year extension of the Federal Aviation Administration’s current New York North Shore Helicopter Route, which he called “unresponsive bureaucracy at its best.” 

Mr. Zeldin (R-Shirley) and other local public officials and residents had been calling on the FAA to either adopt a South Shore route or force helicopter pilots to fly as far east as Plum Island before making their way to the South Fork, the destination of most helicopter traffic over Long Island. Advocates have argued for years that noise from helicopters crossing over land in Southold and Riverhead towns as they approach airports on the South Fork has disrupted the quality of life for residents on the North Fork.

“The FAA’s announcement that they will be extending the North Shore route for four years is an unacceptable example of incompetence and arrogance on the part of faceless, unelected and unaccountable federal bureaucrats,” Mr. Zeldin said in a statement late Saturday night.

The extension of the current route will be published in the Federal Register Monday, according to the agency’s website.

Earlier Saturday Mr. Zeldin appeared before Southold Voice to discuss the helicopter noise issue. At the meeting, he called for a South Shore route.

After apparently later learning about the decision, he called for FAA administrator Michael Huerta to “immediately reconsider the decision.”

“If he is unwilling to respond to Congress, or to the concerns of the people whom we were elected to represent, then he should resign or be replaced,” the second-year Congressman said.

Mr. Zeldin also called for Democratic U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to join him in fighting the FAA’s decision.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said he’s “not surprised” by the extension.

“I know that Rep. Zeldin has been opposing the extension, but without the support of the New York delegation, it was bound to be a long-shot,” Mr. Russell said. “This is especially true when it was our U.S. Senator [Schumer] who created the ill-conceived route to begin with.”

An FAA spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday morning.

Caption: Congressman Lee Zeldin speaks to reporters and concerned members of the public at a press conference on helicopter noise at Southold Town Hall in March 2015. (Credit: Vera Chinese)

gparpan@timesreview.com

“Epilepsy is what you have, not what you are,” reads a flier advertising monthly meetings of a Riverhead support group for people with the neurological condition. “Epilepsy is part of your life. It is not your whole life.”

Confronting stigmas and promoting an inclusive environment in which their illness can be discussed freely is key for members of the independent group, which meets the second Monday of each month from 7 to 8 p.m. in Peconic Bay Medical Center’s resource room, just off the main lobby.

“I think people are afraid of epilepsy in general,” said the group’s head organizer, a 51-year-old Riverhead resident who asked to be identified only by his first name, John. “They don’t realize how many different types there are.”

Founded in 2012, the support group is open to all people who suffer from the chronic disorder, which is characterized by unpredictable and recurrent seizures. Patients’ families and friends are also welcome.

“A lot of it is just friends catching up on what’s new,” John said of a typical gathering of the group’s five regular members. “It could be, ‘How have your seizures been?’ Or if someone has a medication change, we talk about that.”

Around three million Americans suffer from the disorder, according to the national Epilepsy Foundation. Notably, the term “epilepsy” isn’t indicative of the cause or severity of a person’s condition. Instead, the foundation states on its website, it’s a term ascribed to people who have had “one or more seizures that were not caused by some known and reversible medical condition like alcohol withdrawal or extremely low blood sugar.”

In 2003, when John began experiencing persistent déjà vu — an intense, neurological sensation of re-experiencing something that has already happened — the idea that he might have epilepsy didn’t cross his mind.

“I generally wouldn’t lose awareness or anything,” he said. “When I first noticed, it was happening a few times a day. I thought, ‘Maybe it’s a panic attack or anxiety.’ ”

John made an appointment with a psychiatrist, who prescribed anti-anxiety medication. But his feelings of déjà vu were only heightened. In 2005, he was diagnosed with epilepsy after visiting the emergency room when he began experiencing the phenomenon twice an hour. The finding came as a surprise.

“I think the perception is that epilepsy is dropping to the floor and shaking around like you might see in a movie,” John said. “That’s a classic stereotype.”

While John said epilepsy hasn’t altered his day-to-day life dramatically, he decided to attend a support group meeting a few years ago after reading an item about it in this newspaper. The group was founded by Charlie Peterson, a local man who died last year from causes unrelated to epilepsy.

“He started the group because there were no other groups that far east,” John said.

In the four years since it was established, the group’s participants have bonded over their shared experiences and struggles, formed friendships and provided advice.

And there’s always room for more members.

“You can sit there and say nothing,” John said. “You can just listen. You can get up and leave. We won’t be offended.”

For more information about the epilepsy support group or to recommend a speaker, contact John by calling 631-488-0928 or emailing jonluc711@gmail.com.

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

Brian Fox and Kelly Kraebel.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Kraebel of Laurel are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Kelly to Brian, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joel Fox of Oceanside.

A summer 2017 wedding is planned.

Kait’s Angels held its second annual poker run fundraiser Sunday afternoon, beginning and ending at Breeze Hill Farm in Peconic. 

This year’s event drew 77 participants, all of whom visited a half-dozen checkpoints on the North Fork to draw a playing card sealed in an envelope. At the end of the run the person with the best hand was declared the winner.

Dozens of local businesses donated prizes for a raffle and participants enjoyed a party at the end of the run.

Proceeds from the event benefit Kait’s Angels, a non-profit group formed in memory of Kaitlyn Doorhy who died in August, 2014.

Photos by Katharine Schroeder

Bob Furlong Day was doubly sweet for the North Fork Ospreys.

After Furlong, who shares the general managership of the Riverhead Tomcats with Patti White and is battling leukemia, was honored in a pregame ceremony Sunday, the Ospreys took over things from there. In sweeping a doubleheader from the Tomcats, 8-1 and 12-1, the Ospreys leaped from third place to second and put a crimp in the Tomcats’ playoff prospects.

Three of the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League’s four playoff slots are filled by the Westhampton Aviators (26-13-1), the Ospreys (24-16) and the Montauk Mustangs (23-15). With their losses Sunday, the fourth-place Tomcats (18-21-1) need to win their final two regular-season games — both at home against the Shelter Island Bucks on Monday and the Aviators on Tuesday — in order to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2012.

The Ospreys are headed to the postseason for the eighth straight year. The playoffs will start Friday.

Prior to Sunday’s doubleheader at Veterans Memorial Park in Calverton, the guest of honor, Furlong, was surprised when he arrived at the field with his wife Shirley to find that the day had been set aside in his honor. The ceremony for Furlong, who has been with the Tomcats since the club’s inception in 2009, drew league officials, former Tomcats manager Randy Caden and Riverhead Town Councilwoman Jodi Giglio, among others. HCBL president Henry Bramwell announced that the award for the league’s player of the year will be named the Bob Furlong Award. Tomcats manager Alex Nikolic presented Furlong with a team jersey, signed by the players.

Then Furlong threw out the first pitch, and the Ospreys went to work.

The Ospreys, prepping for the playoffs, received playoff-type pitching from both of their starters Sunday. In the opener, Anthony Catinella (3-1) allowed one run and eight hits over six innings. The righthander registered eight strikeouts and walked one batter intentionally. During one stretch bridging the first and second innings, he had six strikeouts in seven at-bats as the Ospreys handed Frank Valentino (5-1) his first loss of the season. Valentino struck out nine, but was charged with five runs in 5 1/3 innings.

In the second game, Kevin Ross (3-2) went six innings, conceding a run, six hits and no walks. He struck out seven.

Both pitchers received plenty of offensive support as the Ospreys totaled 24 hits on the day.

In the first game, the Ospreys struck for eight unanswered runs, including seven in the sixth when the first four batters reached base. Tom Archer picked up an RBI the hard way, being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to snap a 1-1 tie. A sacrifice fly by Nick Bellafronto and a lined RBI single by Sean Buckhout extended the lead to 4-1. Richie Palacios doubled in two runs and two more scored on an error.

Asher Lee-Tyson had four singles in as many at-bats for the Tomcats. The first of those helped the Tomcats load the bases in the first, which Tim DeGraw led off by knocking a double. DeGraw later scored on a passed ball.

The Ospreys drew even in the fifth. Dan Schock delivered a leadoff double to the left-centerfield gap. Archer then singled and an error on the play allowed Schock to scoot home, tying it at 1-1.

Nikolic’s day ended early. The manager, who was served a warning from an umpire for expressing his displeasure at a pickoff call in the sixth, was ejected the following inning. It came after Ospreys rightfielder Max Smith made a splendid sliding catch on a fly ball hit by Gavin Garay. Smith then fired the ball in and DeGraw was thrown out at third base for a double play. Nikolic had words and was tossed.

An example of what kind of a game it was for the Tomcats: They churned out three hits each in the sixth and seventh, yet came away scoreless each inning.

Another oddity was seen in the seventh when the Tomcats recorded all three outs by throwing out runners trying to steal, including a double-steal attempt by Bellafronto and Archer, who were thrown out at second and home plate on the same play.

The Ospreys took a 2-0 lead in the third inning of the second game when Rodrigo Duluc singled in a run and Dylan Resk scored on an errant throw.

That was the first of five straight innings in which the Ospreys scored, including three runs each in the fourth, fifth and sixth.

Palacios led the way with three hits, the third being an RBI single that placed him third on the league’s all-time, single-season hits list with 58.

The bottom five batters in the order — Hunter Smith (three RBIs), Archer. Hayden Rappoport, Dylan Resk and Duluc — had two hits each.

With a sacrifice fly in the sixth, the Ospreys’ Max Smith took the league lead in RBIs with 44.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Tomcats general manager Bob Furlong and his wife, Shirley, during the pregame ceremony in his honor. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

Recently released financial disclosure reports for 2015 show that both state Senator Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) and Assemblyman Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor) have resigned from positions at Twomey, Latham Shea, Kelley, Dubin and Quartararo, the prominent Riverhead law firm where both previously worked.

In separate interviews, Mr. LaValle and Mr. Thiele gave the same reason for leaving the firm and said their respective decisions had nothing to do with the controversy surrounding outside income following the 2015 arrests of former Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver and former state Senate majority leader Dean Skelos.

“It had nothing to do with anything other than the fact that the person who brought me into the law office was Tom Twomey, who passed away,” Mr. LaValle said. “That was the whole reason. I had been there about 12 years.”

Mr. Twomey, who founded the law firm, died in November 2014 at the age of 68. He was widely credited with leading farmland preservation efforts in New York State and with scuttling efforts to build two nuclear power plants in Jamesport.

“My decision to leave had more to do with the death of Tom Twomey,” reiterated Mr. Thiele, who joined the firm in July 2013 and left in January 2015. “We were both there because Tom had brought us in; that was our link to the firm.”

Disclosure reports are required of all elected officials in New York State and are filed around May of the following year before being made public July 1. The 2015 reports — which provide a range of income received from various sources — are the most recent available.

Both Mr. LaValle and Mr. Thiele earn base salaries of $79,500 per year from their state legislative positions. Mr. LaValle, 77, receives an additional $25,000 as chairman of the Senate Majority Conference as well as a $98,000 retirement pension not listed in his report. (State law allows employees who started before 1995 to collect a full pension when they turn 65, even if they are still in office and continue to collect their full salaries.)

Mr. LaValle said he resigned from Twomey Latham last April. The disclosure forms indicate that he made between $50,000 and $75,000 from the firm in 2015. The previous year he earned between $75,000 and $100,000 from the firm, according to the disclosure reports.

His duties there included real estate law, municipal law, wills and elder law, Mr. LaValle said.

In addition to his salary, Mr. Thiele, 62, made between $20,000 and $30,000 in 2015 as a private counsel; between $1,000 and $5,000 working for Twomey Latham and between $50,000 and $75,000 as Sag Harbor Village attorney, a position he stepped down from in April 2016.

“With Sag Harbor, that was more of a matter that was working literally 70 to 80 hours per week, which was not all that much fun,” Mr. Thiele said. He added that he recently got married and is hoping to practice law on a smaller scale and spend more time with his wife.

At Twomey Latham, Mr. Thiele’s practice areas were municipal and real estate law and land use and environmental services, according to the disclosure report.

tgannon@timesreview.com

Photo: (L-R) State Senator Ken LaValle and Assemblyman Fred Thiele. (Credit: Times Review, file)

A plan to extend Greenport Village sewers to the Sandy Beach area off Stirling Basin will have to wait at least a year. 

The Village Board informally decided at its work session Thursday night to issue a request for proposals next week seeking cost estimates for engineering designs on the proposed sewer expansion.

Sandy Beach, which has only cesspools, is located on the edge of the water, creating possible environmental problems, and on the edge of the village boundaries. About 27 homes in the village are not connected to the sewer system.

Village officials say Sandy Beach is the only part of the incorporated village not connected to the sewer system.

An engineering company that had done an earlier feasibility study on expanding the Greenport Sewer system — Dvirka and Bartilucci — gave two price estimates for the engineering costs of the expansion, according to village administrator Paul Pallas.

One estimate included expanding the sewer to include nearby roads like Manhanset Avenue, Champlin Place and some smaller side streets that are just outside the village boundary. The other included only Sandy Beach, which includes parts of Beach Road and Beach Street.

The first estimate was more than $400,000 and the later was about $260,000, Mr. Pallas said.

The engineers included the additional roads because they felt Sandy Beach alone might not score high enough on applications to receive state grant money for the project, he said. The project was only eligible for up to $30,000 from the state grant, and the cost of actually extending the sewer hookup to these areas was “several million dollars,” he said.

The deadline to apply for the grant is July 29.

“Even if we tried to get this application approved at our next meeting, we may not have enough time to get this together,” Mr. Pallas said.

Arthur Tasker, a Beach Road resident, expressed frustration over the process.

“This is 27 village property owners and residents who need sewer systems,” he said. “This issue first came up in April and now eight or nine days short of the deadline for submitting the application and we need a whole bunch of other stuff to make the application? There is some foot dragging going on with this project.”

Trustee Doug Roberts said the $400,000 estimate for engineering services seemed high. He suggested the village issue a request for proposals for companies to do the actual work of hooking up the properties to the sewer district based on the existing engineering drawings from D&B.

Mr. Pallas said there’s a lot more involved than that.

“It’s a very detailed permitting process,” he said.

The grant is a recurring one and will be available again next year.

“Let’s not rush into this and instead do it properly next year,” said Mayor George Hubbard Jr.

He suggested the board get estimates from other firms on what the engineering costs would be on the project.

The board eventually agreed to issue a request for proposals at its regular meeting Thursday, July 28 for engineering services on the sewer expansion. In the meantime, he said, the village could also look for other possible funding sources for the project.

One possibility that’s been discussed in the past is the Community Preservation Fund, which is funded by a voter-approved two-percent land transfer tax.

There will likely be a referendum on the ballot in all five East End towns this fall to extend the end date of that tax from 2030 to 2050, and to allow up to 20 percent of the revenue to be used on water improvement projects such as sewer plant upgrades.

Bill Swiskey, a former Greenport utilities director, said the village should forget about expanding its sewer district into unincorporated areas of the hamlet and concentrate on the village.

“We really such take care of the people at Sandy Beach,” he said. “I don’t care about the people in Southold Town.”

Mr. Swiskey said he thinks the $400,000 engineering estimate is too high and that if they issued a request for proposal for engineering services and got about nine responses, they could cut the price in half.

The village had a feasibility study completed in early 2015 on the prospect of extending its sewers to 60 homes west of the village boundaries on Sixth Street, and about 75 homes north of the village boundary, as well as about 40 homes near Sterling Basin, including the Sandy Beach area.

The study concluded that it would cost about $6 million to connect all of those homes, although officials are currently only talking about the latter area as far as the possible Sandy Beach hookup.

The village sewage treatment plant is currently only at about half its maximum capacity, officials say.

The board has taken no official motion to proceed with any of those plans.

tgannon@timesreview.com

Northforker.com presents our latest “Experience North Fork” Giveaway. We welcome back our partner, Diliberto Winery.

Diliberto Winery is giving away two tickets to its summer Opera Under the Stars concert series. Along with the tickets, the winner will also receive a pizza for two and a complimentary glass of wine each. The night will feature performances by international and local performers alike, alongside vineyard owner and winemaker Salvatore Diliberto.

The concert runs from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 6.

Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Long Island Rail Road officials announced Monday year-round weekend train service between Penn Station and Greenport will be restored.

LIRR president Patrick Nowakowski said the restored services will be included in a financial plan that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board is scheduled to vote on Wednesday.

“It will be a small increase to the budget to add that service and it’s very well received by the representatives out there,” Mr. Nowakowski said.

In 2010, the LIRR ended weekend service on the North Fork during the winter months when the MTA eliminated it as part of systemwide cuts.

[Related: Officials call for improved mass transit on East End]

LIRR representatives met with East End officials over the weekend, which Mr. Nowakowski described as a “very productive meeting.”

In addition to restoring year-round weekend service, Mr. Nowakowski said the LIRR will work with East End officials and businesses to enhance current service, which includes two eastbound trains and three westbound trains between Greenport and Penn Station.

Assemblyman Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor), state Senator Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) and Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) stated in a July 18 letter to Mr. Nowakowski that additional train service is needed for North Fork residents and called for more communication between the LIRR and various stakeholders.

Mr. Nowakowski said Monday that the LIRR is “looking forward to continuing the discussion with our East End partners and we are optimistic that we can come up with additional enhancements to improve our service.”

kmassa@timesreview.com

Photo credit: Barbaraellen Koch

Sections of Sound Avenue will be closed Monday as Riverhead Town highway crews pave parts of the road, according to Highway Superintendent George “Gio” Woodson.

Road crews were out Monday morning working on Sound Avenue between Church Lane and Pier Avenue.

Workers will also pave Sound Avenue between County Route 105 and Doctors Path, as well as Elton Street from Northville Turnpike to Roanoke Avenue, Mr. Woodson said, adding all paving work is expected to be completed Monday.

Traffic will be detoured around the streets and drivers should plan to take alternate routes, he said.

“We’re detouring traffic for the safety of our workers,” he said. “I can’t have my guys working out there with the way people drive.”

psquire@timesreview.com

Photo: Google Map image of Sound Avenue

Listings prepared for Times/Review Newspapers by Suffolk Research Service, dated June 7-13, 2016.

AQUEBOGUE (11931)
• Aziz, A & K to Beck, Michael, 31 Foxglove Row (600-45-6-13), (R), $560,000

BAITING HOLLOW (11933)
• Bank of America N.A. to Pisacano, Stephen, 84 Baiting Hollow Ln (600-62-3-2.7), (R), $322,000
• Lawler, K & C to Mosciatti, David, 50 Donna Dr (600-79-5-49), (R), $379,996

CALVERTON (11933)
• Patel, G to Dolder, Kyle, 1259 W Main St (600-119-2-29), (R), $284,000

FLANDERS (11901)
• Morrison, R by Executors to Long Island Rentals LLC, 91 Priscilla Ave (900-143-1-18), (R), $60,000
• Harroun, A by Referee to HSBC Bank USA Nat, 1404 Flanders Rd (900-149-1-14), (R), $367,434
• Brown, J & E to Long Island Rentals LLC, 33 Birch Ct (900-181-7-40), (R), $210,000

GREENPORT (11944)
• Price Jr, W to Menchini, Gino, 100 Bay Rd (1000-43-5-10), (V), $775,000
• Singleton, E by Executor to Doroski, Benjamin, 845 Wiggins St (1000-48-1-19), (R), $110,000
• Brown, H & Wilcoxen, J to Zoumas, Ioannis, 1720 Bay Shore Rd (1000-53-4-30), (V), $200,000
• Solution East LLC to D’Amico, David, 228 Sixth St (1001-7-2-1), (R), $685,000

JAMESPORT (11947)
• McLarin, D & E to 799 Manor Lane LLC, 799 Manor Ln (600-22-1-1.4), (R), $900,000
• McLarin, D to 799 Manor Farm LLC, Manor Ln (600-22-1-1.11), (V), $428,000

MATTITUCK (11952)
• Vasilakos, V & C to Dixon, Timothy, 2755 Westview Dr (1000-107-8-7), (R), $457,500

RIVERHEAD (11901)
• Dream Land Builders to Hernandez, Lucio, 54 Gateway East Dr (600-65-4-15.5), (R), $325,000
• Trout Brook Lane LLC to Marroquin, Mauro, 25 Trout Brook Ln (600-112-2-25.3), (R), $344,500

SHELTER ISLAND (11964)
• Murray, P & Fleming, L to Charveriat, Christopher, 4 Duvall Ave (700-15-3-92), (R), $490,000
• West Neck Harbor House to Shaw, Finley, 56 S Menantic Rd (700-22-2-31), (R), $1,600,000

SOUTH JAMESPORT (11970)
• Clements, S & R to Turner, Robert, 89 Morningside Ave (600-89-1-16.2), (R), $681,000

SOUTHOLD (11971)
• RMB Realty LLC to North Fork United Methodist Church, 43960 CR 48 (1000-63-1-15), (V), $775,000
• Sinramm, J by Executor to Green, Kathleen, 1330 Clearview Ave (1000-70-9-55), (R), $400,000
• Small, B by Executor to Reardon, Gerard, 1180 Crittens Ln (1000-70-12-8), (R), $434,000
• Warner Jr & Koestline to Iannello Jr, Giuseppe, 270 Smith Dr S (1000-76-3-34.3), (R), $600,000
• Eiring, T by Executor to Calabrese, Giovanni, 9325 Main Bayview Rd (1000-88-3-20), (R), $130,000
• Friedman, J & J to Levelis, James, 830 Clearview Rd (1000-89-3-11.5), (R), $958,500

(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.)

Jerry Tuthill of Greenport died July 24. He was 69. 

Mr. Tuthill was the owner of Crabby Jerry’s in Greenport.

The family will receive visitors Wednesday, July 27, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport. A funeral Mass will take place at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 28, at St. Agnes R.C. Church in Greenport. Burial will take place at the church cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Southold Police Benevolent Association or Suffolk County Police Athletic League.

A complete obituary will follow.

Catherine Elizabeth Getches, born on May 3, 1922, in East Marion, passed away on July 23, 2016.

Viewing hours will be Thursday, July, 28, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, July 29, at the funeral home internment immediately following at St. Agnes R.C. Church Cemetery in Greenport.

Catherine or ‘Auntie’ as she was known to her family, graduated from Greenport High School in 1940.

She worked for Hazeltine in Mattituck and for the A&P in Greenport. After 28 years of employment with the New York Telephone Company in Riverhead, she retired in 1983. Still wanting to work, she became a childcare provider for the Connell family. Memories of daily walks pulling the children in their wagon while accompanied by their dog, gave her great joy in her final days.

Catherine moved to Southold and resided in Colonial Village for over 25 years. She loved her little apartment, the friends she made there and many hours listening to the Mets games with her radio perched on her lap. Though she often would not admit her allegiance when things weren’t going well for her team, she was a devout Mets fan her entire life. Days before her death she could still discuss the players and baseball politics in depth.

Catherine was preceded in death by her parents, Catherine and Joseph, her niece Michelle Getches, her brothers James and Joseph. She is survived by her nieces Marge Kirchner (Guy) and Mimi Edwards, and nephews Mark Getches (Christie) and Jim Getches (Eileen) and her great nieces and nephews who were so dear to her, Greg and Lauren, Lindsey, and Michael and Carolyn.

The family would like to thank her daily care givers and the Eastern Long Island Hospice for the compassionate and vital support they provided.

‘Auntie’ stayed close to home her entire life, she was a local gal from year one. She did travel to Northern Ireland in 1987. It was the adventure of her life. She was thrilled to meet and reunite with many relatives on her mother’s side.

Memorial contributions can be made to the East Marion or Southold Fire Department Rescue Squads.

In memory of ‘Auntie’, we will be sure to ‘see what tomorrow brings’ and ‘live and hope’ as she so often reminded us.

This is a paid notice. 

Jerry Tuthill, a co-owner of Claudio’s restaurant, the waterfront’s popular clam bar and Crabby Jerry’s in Greenport, died Saturday night, family members confirmed. He was 69.

Mr. Tuthill, after whom Crabby Jerry’s was named, came up with the idea for the Claudio’s clam bar and marina and helped oversee its success.

“Before the clam bar, there was just a set of docks out there and an empty building,” said co-owner and brother-in-law Bill Claudio. “There were five of us involved, but Jerry was the guy behind it, who kept pushing.”

“He’ll be missed greatly,” added sister-in-law and fellow co-owner Kathy Claudio-Wyse.

Mr. Tuthill was born and raised in Greenport and married his high school sweetheart, Beatrice Claudio, more than 40 years ago. He was a Suffolk County cop and helped work undercover on drug investigations in the 1980s, said Mr. Claudio.

After retiring from the force, Mr. Tuthill joined up with the other Claudios to buy the famed Claudio’s restaurant from the patriarch of the family, Bill Claudio Sr., in 1989. By the time the property was bought, Mr. Tuthill already had a vision for a bayside bar, Mr. Claudio said. 

Within three months, the clam bar was nearly complete, he said.

“He was just very tough on himself and other people to get the job done,” Mr. Claudio said. “But he had a vision and the vision worked out.” The clam bar became packed with customers and tourists, so much so that the owners opened up Crabby Jerry’s nearby to handle the overflow, he said.

“The rest, as they say, is history,” Mr. Claudio said. The clam bar has grown to become one of Long Island’s best known seafood destinations.

“Before, Greenport was a sleeping jewel,” Mr. Tuthill said at a 25th anniversary celebration for the clam shack in 2013. “People only knew about the Hamptons, Sag Harbor and Montauk. I thought we had the same attractions to offer here. Greenport grew because of the Clam Bar. It gave the North Fork a destination.”

In addition to being a tireless worker and “gruff when he needed to be,” Mr. Tuthill was beloved for his quick wit and outgoing attitude, Mr. Claudio said.

“You’d find him a very, very charming individual,” he said. “You could find him down at the clam bar at the bar smiling with people. He was really congenial. He really loved what he was doing.”

Mr. Claudio said his brother-in-law had not been feeling well as of late, but family members were stunned that he had passed sometime Saturday night in his sleep.

“This was absolutely not expected this quickly,” he said. “He had a few years to go yet.”

Mr. Tuthill is survived by his wife of 42 years, Beatrice, daughters Jackie Tuthill Sarkis and Erika Tuthill Cabral, as well as four grandchildren.

Visitation will be held at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, family members said. A funeral mass will take place Thursday at 10 a.m. at St. Agnes R.C. Church on Front Street.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Southold Police Benevolent Association or the Suffolk County Police Athletic League. 

psquire@timesreview.com

Photo credit: Tuthill family, courtesy

The Olympics have arrived. Not in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but in little Mattituck.

With the real Olympic Games to start on Aug. 5, an early burst of Olympic fever was experienced Monday at the Mattituck-Laurel Library. The library staged its first Rio Crazy Olympics for youngsters who have completed kindergarten, grades 1 and 2.

Fifteen young Olympians participated in the fun event, which was held in an air-conditioned downstairs room at the library, an escape from the heat outdoors.

After a series of warmup exercises, it was time to let the games begin. The youngsters enthusiastically took part in the discus, the broad jump, relay races, the shot put and hurdles.

The big hit at the end, though, was unquestionably the medal ceremony. A gold-colored medal tied to a red, white and blue ribbon was draped around the neck of every participant by Ashley Bush, the director of JumpBunch of Southeast Long Island, who ran the activities.

Bush said the event was an introduction to sports and the Olympic concept for some of the youngsters. She said: “I think the fun thing is these kids, it’s probably the first time watching it and seeing it, so now they’ll be able to watch [the real Olympics] and be like, ‘I did that. I can do that. I learned how to do that,’ and they’ll really be able to relate to it and then take that with them if they want to get into sports later on in life.”

Karen Letteriello, the library’s head of youth services, said this is the first time the library has run the Olympics-themed event. She deemed it a “huge success.”

“They had a great time,” Letteriello said, adding: “We’re not giving them skills. That’s not what it’s about. It’s really just to have fun and to have the idea that these things happen.”

After receiving their medals, the participants all grouped together in a huddle before letting out one loud cheer: “Olympics!”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Alexander Boyd clears the hurdles during the Rio Crazy Olympics at the Mattituck-Laurel Library on Monday. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

Dylan Slepian of Dix Hills scored his second NASCAR Modifieds win of the season Saturday on a hot, sultry night at Riverhead Raceway. Slepian went wire to wire in a 40-lap main event.

Dillon Steuer of Bohemia drove in second, with C.J. Lehmann of Shirley third, championship leader Dave Brigati of Calverton fourth and Peter Bertuccio of Bohemia fifth.

Defending Figure Eight champion Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead had been sidelined from racing since May for health reasons. But Rogers made a triumphant return to action Saturday, winning his 25th career feature event, a 15-lapper. Rogers, subbing for the vacationing Tom Ferrara, started 12th in the field. He made his way around Ken Hyde Jr. of Mastic Beach with two laps remaining for the lead and eventual victory. Hyde had to settle for second. The championship leader, Roger Maynor of Bay Shore, took third.

Defending Blunderbust champion Tom Pickerell of Huntington bounced back from his disqualification from the previous week and won a 20-lap race for the 17th time in his career (and second time this year). That moved him into a three-way tie for third place on the all-time win list with the active Scott Maliszewski and retired Mark Tooker. Jack Handley Jr. of Medford was the runner-up. Tommy Walkowiak of Ridge claimed third.

Owen Grennan of Glen Cove continued a family tradition when he went out and won a 20-lap Super Pro Truck feature event. Grennan’s father, Danny, won 22 races as well two track championships (2002, 2003) in the division prior to hanging up his helmet. Roger Turbush of Riverhead used a last-lap pass to grab second. Mike Albasini of Flushing motored in third.

Just a week after a jarring crash that left his INEX Legend Race Car heavily damaged, Kyle Soper of Manorville won a 20-lap Legend Race Car feature. John Beatty Jr. of Merrick grabbed second. Kevin Nowak of Medford raced his way from a ninth-place starting berth to finish third.

Catherine Elizabeth Getches, born May 3, 1922, in East Marion, passed away on July 23, 2016.

Viewing hours will take place Thursday, July 28, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, July 29, at the funeral home, with interment immediately following at St. Agnes R.C. Church Cemetery in Greenport.

Catherine, or “Auntie” as she was known to her family, graduated from Greenport High School in 1940.

She worked for Hazeltine in Mattituck and for the A&P in Greenport. After 28 years of employment with the New York Telephone Company in Riverhead, she retired in 1983. Still wanting to work, she became a childcare provider for the Connell family. Memories of daily walks pulling the children in their wagon while accompanied by their dog gave her great joy in her final days.

Catherine moved to Southold and resided in Colonial Village for over 25 years. She loved her little apartment, the friends she made there and many hours listening to the Mets games with her radio perched on her lap. Though she often would not admit her allegiance when things weren’t going well for her team, she was a devout Mets fan her entire life. Days before her death she could still discuss the players and baseball politics in depth.

Catherine was preceded in death by her parents, Catherine and Joseph; her niece Michelle Getches and her brothers James and Joseph. She is survived by her nieces Marge Kirchner (Guy) and Mimi Edwards; her nephews, Mark Getches (Christie) and Jim Getches (Eileen); and her great-nieces and nephews who were so dear to her: Greg and Lauren, Lindsey, and Michael and Carolyn.

The family would like to thank her daily caregivers and East End Hospice for the compassionate and vital support they provided.

“Auntie” stayed close to home her entire life; she was a local gal from year one. She did travel to Northern Ireland in 1987. It was the adventure of her life. She was thrilled to meet and reunite with many relatives on her mother’s side.

Memorial contributions can be made to the East Marion or Southold fire department rescue squads.

In memory of “Auntie,” we will be sure to “see what tomorrow brings” and “live and hope” as she so often reminded us.

Southold Town is investigating possible legal action against the Federal Aviation Administration over the agency’s decision to extend a North Fork helicopter and aircraft route four more years without waiting for public comment from the Town.

In a statement at Tuesday’s work session, Town Councilman Robert Ghosio called the decision a “ham-fisted precipitate action” that deprived residents of their Constitutional right to petition, the town of its due process rights, and violated a presidential executive order that required the FAA to consult with town officials before extending the route.

“If given the opportunity to which it was clearly entitled, the Town of Southold would have provided the FAA with substantial evidence that the [North Shore Route] had not reduced helicopter noise and would have requested the FAA to terminate the NSR, not extend it,” the statement reads.

The town’s legal counsel will now investigate what legal options the town has to reverse the FAA’s decision.

Jim Harmon Jr., legal cousel to the town’s Helicopter Noise Steering Committee, said the FAA approved the route on Friday, even after they had been informed that the Southold Town Board would be meeting Tuesday.

“I was shocked that they went ahead. They knew that you were going to meet here today,” he said. “In my opinion, Southold Town had the right to be heard.”

Mr. Ghosio said it was “beyond comprehension” that the FAA would approve the route for another four years. He said the approval came as an especially egregious surprise because Mr. Ghosio, along with Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), had spoken at a public forum on helicopter noise on Saturday.

Both elected officials, unaware that the FAA had approved the route, said the route, which was due to expire on Aug. 6, should not be extended.

According to Mr. Harmon, the FAA stated it was forgoing the normal public comment period because it didn’t want to cause confusion among pilots during the busiest flight season of the year. But Mr. Ghosio said if the FAA wanted to avoid a mid-season switch, it should have approved a temporary extension of a few months, not four years.

Helicopter committee member Adam Irving had a different theory, noting the North Shore Route mainly affects areas in northern Queens, Port Jefferson and the North Fork, and implying the route avoids heavily populated areas in Nassau County that have more voters.

Town Supervisor Scott Russell said he will work with Mr. Zeldin and hopefully the other East End towns to push back against the FAA. There is no timetable for when legal action might be taken.

“We’re looking to do the right thing that’ll produce the right result,” Mr. Harmon said.

psquire@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Town Councilman Robert Ghosio reads from a statement as members of the town’s helicopter committee — Adam Irving and James Harmon Jr. — at Tuesday’s work session meeting.

A celebration of life for Dorothy Lesser of Greenport will take place Saturday, July 30, from 3 to 6 p.m. at 1865 Highland Road in Cutchogue. Family and friends are welcome to attend.

Ms. Lesser died June 15 at the age of 81.

Southold Town police partnered with the Suffolk County police motor carrier safety unit to conduct a checkpoint of buses and limousines Saturday on town roads. 

Southold police said 15 traffic stops were conducted during the 4 1/2-hour checkpoint and seven Level-1 inspections were done, which means the vehicles were subject to a complete inspection, police said. Six violations were noted on inspection reports, police said, and there were five stickers issued called CVSA stickers, which stand for “good guy sticker for a good safety inspection,” police said.

No vehicles were placed out of service, police said.

The checkpoint came one year after the fatal limousine crash on Route 48 in Cutchogue that claimed the lives of four young women. Police conducted a similar checkpoint a week after that crash in July 2015 after the Suffolk police unit reached out to Southold Chief Martin Flatley. Police also did a similar checkpoint in September.

Photo caption: A Suffolk police vehicle on patrol at a checkpoint last year. (Credit: Grant Parpan, file)