I have often joked that I am well qualified to give a seminar to sports reporters on how to cover the blowout game. You know, a game that is basically over minutes after it began. The game that, if it were televised, viewers would undoubtedly change the channel to put on something else — anything. The game that has you wondering, “When will this thing finally end?”

The truth is, I have covered many more of those type of games than I care to remember. Blowouts are a part of sports and they happen, and even blowouts, believe it or not, can produce some intriguing stories. One time I was covering a remarkably one-sided game when I turned to a photographer and said, “You know, this is so bad it’s good.”

Well, maybe I will be seeing a little less of those sort of games in the future.

Eagle-eyed readers of The Riverhead News-Review and The Suffolk Times will notice some changes in the way we cover sports in the coming weeks. The newspaper business is changing, and with it come changes in how the news is covered, including sports news.

While game coverage is an important part of a sports section (after all, it’s all about the games, isn’t it?), expect to see more features, profiles of sports figures, notebooks, advance stories and the like on these pages starting with this fall season. We will still cover big games, of course, but will offer a more balanced diet of story-telling forms that we hope will capture the interest of readers.

Ever since I joined the company — and even before that — the Times/Review approach to high school sports was to try and cover each team in its coverage area at least once during a season and try to spread out the coverage in as balanced a way as possible. If that meant sometimes covering a game played by a struggling 2-14 basketball team, well, so be it.

In retrospect, I’m not sure that was the best way to go about business. We will handle things a bit differently now. Instead of covering a game, say, in which that 2-14 basketball team gets blown out by 35 points, we may include an item from that team in a notebook column or write a profile of an interesting player on that team.

Why the change?

We live in a news media environment that has changed dramatically since the turn of the century with the growth of the Internet, social media, the explosion of the Information Age. Although we publish weekly newspapers, we are a digital daily at the same time with our websites that are fed 24/7 (or let’s say close to it).

News, much like bread, eggs and milk, is a perishable commodity. What is front-page news one day is outdated the next. That is why when we write game stories for our print paper, we try to featurize them as much as possible in order to give them a longer shelf life (plus, it makes for a better read).

We have found that feature stories and profiles do well on the web in terms of reader interest. So, part of this is giving the readers what they want.

Our sports department, like many others, I’m sure, faces the challenge of trying to provide the best coverage it can with limited resources. Trying to balance what you have to cover, in terms of news value, with what you would like to cover isn’t easy when manpower is spread thin. All you can do is try your best.

I admit to having some trepidation about this. After all, changing the approach to the way you have done something for over two decades can make you a little uneasy. But I’m excited at the same time because I feel confident that the journalistic product will be better, just packaged differently.

And, if a byproduct of this is that I will not have to sit through as many routs as I have in the past, well, that’s not a bad thing, either.

Bob Liepa is the sports editor of the Riverhead News-Review and The Suffolk Times. He can be reached at bliepa@timesreview.com.

Whatever ailed defending Riverhead Raceway NASCAR Modified and Figure Eight champion Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead earlier in the season is now just a distant memory.

Rogers won both a 40-lap NASCAR Modified race, which he backed up minutes later with a victory in a 15-lap Figure Eight main event Saturday at Riverhead Raceway.

In a 30-lap INEX Legend Race Cars national qualifier, championship leader Vinny Delaney of Holtsville scored the biggest win of his career.

Following his 43rd career win in the Modified race, Rogers said: “The car wasn’t quite where we’d like it to be. I sure didn’t want to see all those double-file restarts, but we were able to hang on.”

Later, Rogers’ thoughts about his car proved to be spot on when car owner Joe Ambrose pointed to a misplaced right rear brake caliper as well damaged rear suspension. When asked at what point of the race he thought the damage occurred, Rogers simply shrugged his shoulders and said, “ I really don’t know.”

Rogers is 20 wins behind Riverhead Raceway’s all-time Modified leader, Charlie Jarzombek.

Dave Brigati of Calverton finished second while championship leader Shawn Solomito of Center Moriches recovered from early-race contact with the wall to race his way back to a third-place tally. Eddie Brunnhoelzl III of Levittown and John Fortin Jr. of Holtsville completed the top five.

Shortly after his Modified triumph, Rogers had to go right back to work in the Figure Eight feature, picking up his 26th career win in that class, ranking him fifth on the all-time win list. Scott Pedersen of Shirley was second and Tom Ferrara of Patchogue third.

It was a big night for the INEX Legend Race Cars with their annual national qualifier. Following Delaney at the finish was second-place Richie Davidowitz of East Moriches and third-place John Beatty Jr. of Merrick. With one points race left, Delaney enjoys a 21-point lead over Beatty for the championship.

Eric Zeh of Selden might have picked up some battle scars along the way, but that didn’t upset him as he won his second Late Model feature of the year, a 50-lap victory. Kevin Metzger of Massapequa was second and Chris Turbush of Wading River made a strong comeback for third.

Defending Blunderbust champion Tom Pickerell of Huntington raced his third win of the season (and 18th of his career) in a 20-lapper. The next two spots went to Tim Mulqueen of Levittown and Zeh.

The never-say-quit attitude of multiple Super Pro Truck champion Roger Turbush of Riverhead propelled the current championship leader to his 26th career win in a 20-lap event. Owen Grennan of Glen Cove was second, with Brigati third.

Brigati Closes in on Title. Dave Brigati of Calverton took a giant step toward the first Modified Crate championship when he won a 40-lapper Sunday afternoon. With one points race left, Brigati’s 25-point lead over Dylan Slepian of Dix Hills, coupled with an average car count of 10 in the division, virtually wraps up the title for Brigati. The only fly in the ointment for Brigati would be a field of 13 or better for the points finale Sept. 17.

Brigati, who prevailed for his fourth win of the season, held off runner-up Dillon Steuer of Bohemia. Dennis Krupski of Calverton wheeled in third.

On Colin Ryan’s Facebook page is a quote from basketball great Michael Jordan about never giving up.

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

It’s sage advice for anyone looking to overcome adversity, but for Mr. Ryan, who died Saturday in a tragic crash on Main Bayview Road in Southold, it’s how he lived his life. 

The 31-year-old from Massapequa, who was deaf and had cerebral palsy, was an accomplished runner who briefly played on the 2002 United States Paralympic Soccer team.

“His disability never seemed to phase him,” said Rick Moss of Austin, Texas, the coach of the 2002 team. “I was in touch with him as recently as last week. It was just a shock. I can’t believe it.”

Josh McKinney of Princeton, West Virginia, was among the players on that team. He recalled Mr. Ryan, then just 17, coming into training camp and working hard to earn his place as the youngest on the team.

“He was a clear runner,” said Mr. McKinney, six years his teammate’s elder and the next youngest player on the team. “He was just a really good kid. He was quiet, but at the camps he always wanted to hang out with the guys.”

Mr. Ryan represented his country in an international tournament, traveling to Holland that April for a championship the Americans would win.

Mr. Moss said that while soccer was not Mr. Ryan’s natural sport, he gave it his all, and the coach enjoyed hearing about his former player’s running accomplishments in the years that followed. Mr. Ryan, an aspiring teacher, regularly ran long-distance races on Long Island and also ran Paralympic races in the 2000s, according to his obituary.

“He loved his running more than anything,” Mr. Moss said. “He could run forever. He dedicated his life to it. [His death] just blows your mind away. Life is too short.”

Mr. Ryan, a 2004 graduate of Massapequa High School and a 2008 graduate of Mitchell College in Connecticut, is survived by his parents, Mary and Edward, and a brother, Thomas. Visitation will be held at the Massapequa Funeral Home on Merrick Road from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday. A funeral Mass is planned for St. Rose of Lima R.C. Church in Massapequa at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Mr. Ryan was driving a Honda coupe north on Main Bayview Road near the intersection with Williamsburg Drive when he left his lane and struck a southbound SUV driven by Antigone Amengual, 66, of Southold, police said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. His dog, which was riding in the car with him, was also killed. There were no other passengers in either vehicle.

The families of both drivers declined comment Sunday.

A Stony Brook University Hospital spokesperson said Sunday that Ms. Amengual was listed in critical condition.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, according to police.

Top Caption: The spot of the crash, hours after it was cleared Saturday. Second photo: Colin Ryan in his Facebook profile picture.

gparpan@timesreview.com

It wasn’t students who boarded one of Greenport’s school buses Wednesday, but teachers. Specifically, it was the 12 new hires that are about to begin their first year in the district who were treated to a tour of the village in which they’ll soon teach.

The teachers were shown around town by Chris Golden, long-time Greenport resident, high school history teacher and the district’s new athletic director. The bus, which has operated as the district’s Book Mobile this summer, drove through residential neighborhoods, down Front Street and past numerous village staples, including Mitchell’s Park, the Townsend Manor Inn and Eastern Long Island Hospital.

“As you might know Greenport is a very small, tight knit community,” Mr. Golden said. “The school is the hub and kind of the center … Many of our residents are coming to the school and they use the facilities. On any given day you might see soccer games, pick up games. That’s the uniqueness of Greenport.”

The tour was designed as part of their orientation to introduce the new staff members to the area they’ll be spending the majority of their week starting next Wednesday when school begins.

While on the last stop of the tour, Front Street, Mr. Golden pulled two high school students who were working at local restaurants — his daughter Jillian Golden and Jules Atkins — to say hello to their new teachers.

“A lot of our kids are invested in the community, they work,” he said. “Those are the kids. The more you get to know those kids, the more you get to share, the better the connection. It makes for a great experience.”

The amount of teachers hired — which is substantially higher than in past years — was made possible by the nearly $13.7 million voter-approved school year budget. The budget, which pierced the tax cap with an 8.52 percent increase in the district’s tax collections, called for reinstating numerous teaching positions.

The budget included converting the librarian and psychologist positions from part-time to full-time, adding full-time teachers in reading, special education, secondary English and English as a Second Language (ESL), as well as an ESL assistant teacher.

The district was also looking to create a new position: a part-time science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) teacher for grades K-8.

nsmith@timesreview.com

Top Photo: Greenport’s new hires pose with superintendent David Gamberg (middle), elementary principal Joseph Tsaveras (third from left) and athletic director Chris Golden (second from left), who narrated, before their bus tour of the village Wednesday. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

A Greenport man was arrested last week on felony DWI charges in Laurel after he nearly crashed his car into another vehicle, according to a police press release issued Tuesday.

Elias Gasca, 47, was driving on Sound Avenue last Monday shortly before 10 p.m. when police received a report that he almost caused a motor vehicle accident and failed to drive within his lane of travel, Southold Town police said.

Police pulled over Mr. Gasca after he was observed crossing over the solid yellow line, officials said.

During the investigation, police found Mr. Gasca was intoxicated and had a prior DWI conviction, officials said.

He was charged with felony DWI and his vehicle was impounded, police said.

Mr. Gasca’s arraignment information wasn’t immediately available.

Caroline Veronica Dobek of Southold died Sept. 2 at Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead. She was 89. 

The daughter of Adam Pekunka and Dominica Bieleski, she was born May 14, 1927, at Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport.

On Oct. 8, 1950, she married Frank Dobek at Our Lady of Ostrabrama Church in Cutchogue.

For 30 years, Ms. Dobek managed Sunset Motel in Greenport. She was a member of St. Agnes Rosary Society, Ladies Homemakers, a San Simeon by the Sound volunteer and a member of the Polish National Alliance.

Family members said she enjoyed sewing, crocheting, needlepoint, arts and crafts, cooking and gardening and also loved birds.

Predeceased by her husband in 2000, Ms. Dobek is survived by her sons David and Fred, both of Florida, and three grandchildren. She was also predeceased by her brother, Mike Pekunka in 1992 and her sister, Natalie Poliwoda in 2012.

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

Former Greenport resident Teddy Antone Kujawski Jr. of Riverhead died Sept. 1 in Greenport. He was 60.

The son of Emma (Smith) and Ted Antone Kujawski Sr., he was born Sept. 16, 1955, in Greenport.

On June 8, 2013, he married Stephanie Frost at Mattituck Presbyterian Church.

Mr. Kujawski attended college, served in the U.S. Army and worked at C-Cat Electrician in Mattituck, before going out on disability three years ago. He was a member of the Junior Order of Mechanics.

Predeceased by his parents, Mr. Kujawski is survived by his wife, Stephanie Frost-Kujawski of Riverhead; his son, Anthony, of Arizona and his brothers, Bob Smith of Maryland, Peter, of Florida and James, of Southampton. He was also predeceased by his brother, John.

A funeral service will take place at noon, Friday, Sept. 16, at Mattituck Presbyterian Church. Interment will follow at Calverton National Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to a charity of the donors choosing.

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

Southold Town officials said Tuesday they’re concerned about a new plan to reinforce beachfront properties at Hashamomuck Cove in Southold because public beach access would need to be created and at least one home would need to be demolished and turned into a parking lot.

The $17.7 million beach re-nourishment proposal by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also needs a separate public or private entity to pay for 35 percent of the initial costs, as well as half the costs for maintenance, Supervisor Scott Russell said, adding the town can’t afford to take on the project.

“This is a lot of money for a tiny budget,” he said.

Last month, the Army Corps opened a public comment period on the project, which would create three berms along the coves in the Hashamomuck area and to fill them in with about 160,000 cubic yards of sand.

In total, the project would cover about 1.6 miles including 58 residential structures and two commercial structures. At a press conference last month, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) and residents in the area urged politicians to fund the project, saying their homes and properties were endangered by rising tides and storm surges.

The federal government requires that the beaches its re-nourishes are made open public, which town engineer Michael Collins described as a “non-negotiable” part of the funding agreement.

Two of the three areas where the beach will be re-nourished pose little issue for public access, he said.

The western berm would be located near the publicly accessible Town Beach while the eastern berm could be accessed by clearing a sliver of land currently owned by the county, Mr. Collins said.

The beach area near the middle berm — which Mr. Collins said the Army Corps have deemed as the most important part of the project — isn’t accessible and there’s no public land nearby.

The only option, he said, is to buy one of the property owners’ land, bulldoze it and set up a parking lot for public beach access.

“There’s going to be three people who are directly impacted,” he said, noting the properties’ neighbors would have to have a parking lot next door.

When Councilwoman Jill Doherty asked if walking to the beach was enough for public access, Mr. Collins said an entrance was needed within half-a-mile of the project area.

As for finding another local entity to sponsor the remaining costs, Mr. Russell described it as the project’s “biggest hurdle” and said he’s not sure what role the county or state is interested — or can afford — to play in the funding.

If those municipalities won’t foot the bill, Mr. Russell suggested that utility companies may sign on in order to protect their assets along the Route 48.

A special taxing district could also be set up to pay a “nominal” fee towards the beach re-nourishment, he added.

“They’re going to see a tremendous amount of benefit,” Mr. Russell said.

Ms. Doherty said she didn’t want to see the town becoming the de facto advocate for the project. The supervisor agreed, noting a similar joint project near Mattituck Inlet took months to sort out and didn’t go well.

“I would hate to see the town get involved in a local sponsor [hunt], going out and soliciting,” he said.

psquire@timesreview.com

Photo credit: Tim Gannon

A Greenport man was arrested on a drunken driving charge Tuesday after his vehicle overturned in East Marion, Southold Town police said.

Tomas Lemus-Lopez, 38, was driving a 2000 Ford Focus eastbound on Route 25 around midnight when the accident occurred, police said.

Mr. Lemus-Lopez reportedly told police a white pickup truck rear ended his vehicle, which caused him to drive off the roadway, officials said.

His vehicle hit rocks and bushes before flipping “at least one time before landing back on its wheels,” the release states.

All three occupants in Mr. Lemus-Lopez’s car were able to exit the vehicle, police said. The victims suffered minor injuries and were taken to Eastern Long Island Hospital for treatment, officials said.

Mr. Lumus-Lopez was found to be intoxicated and charged with misdemeanor DWI, police said.

Police are still investigating the whereabouts of the second vehicle, which left the accident scene without stopping, officials said.

Arlette Yvonne Brisson of Greenport died at her home in Peconic Landing Aug. 29. She was 78.

The daughter of Yvonne (Buyle) and Meurice Janssens, she was born July 27, 1938, in Brussels, Belgium.

She married Frederick Brisson in May 1978 in London, United Kingdom.

Ms. Brisson worked for Tiffany & Co in New York City for five years as the vice president of public relations.

Predeceased by her husband, in 1984, Ms. Brisson is survived by her son John Josephson and three grandchildren.

A memorial service will also take place at a later date.

Memorial donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders or WNET for Masterpiece Theater.

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

Margaret E. Brockner of New Suffolk died Sept. 2 at San Simeon by the Sound in Greenport. She was 95. 

The daughter of John and Marietta Shanley, she was born May 12, 1921, in New York City.

Ms. Brockner worked as an administrative assistant in the medical department of Brookhaven National Lab.

Family members said she enjoyed knitting, reading, crossword puzzles, the beach and playing Scrabble.

Predeceased by her husband Charles, Ms. Brockner is survived by her children, Joanne Yacko of New Suffolk, Peg Rogers of Illinois and Charles, of Hawaii; her brothers, John Shanley of Pennsylvania and William Shanley of North Carolina; three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

The family will receive visitors Thursday, Sept. 8, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue. A funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 9, at Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. Church in Mattituck. Interment will follow at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Cutchogue.

Memorial donations may be made to the New Suffolk Civic Association or the New Suffolk Waterfront Fund.

Southold Town is preparing to once again take legal action against controversial Cutchogue winery Vineyard 48, with Supervisor Scott Russell accusing the business of breaking an agreement over alleged violations and promising to bring the “full legal might” of the town down on the operation.

“Businesses that operate with complete arrogance and have no respect for the law, or of the community, have no place in Southold,” Mr. Russell said in a statement after the meeting. “I want to see this town commit all of the resources it needs to take any legal action available to ensure that they no longer have the privilege of doing business in this town.”

Mr. Russell said the town had tried to work with Vineyard 48 to come up with a resolution to numerous alleged violations at the winery, some of which date back to 2012, and it seemed to be working. A code enforcement officer was sent to the winery each weekend and reported no serious violations, he said.

But outspoken neighbor Bill Shipman of Horseshoe Lane had reported numerous times that the vineyard was overcrowded and was running an illegal cigar shop on its property, in violation of the town’s codes.

Town Board members had previously told Mr. Shipman that the vineyard’s owners had agreed to shut down the cigar shop. But according to town officials, the cigar shop was reopened on a recent weekend when the code enforcement officer wasn’t working.

That violation was the last straw, Mr. Russell said in an interview after the meeting. The town is no longer willing to negotiate.

“We thought we had at least reasonable resolution and … I think we’ve had a great deal of success, but when the one weekend a code enforcement officer takes off, they start selling cigars? It’s over. No more discussion.”

An attorney representing Vineyard 48 could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday night after the Town Board’s meeting.

The long-running controversy over Vineyard 48 included early allegations of loud music, people urinating on neighbor’s properties, and even cases of people having sex outdoors nearby. In 2013, the State Liquor Authority revoked the vineyard’s license, but that decision was suspended by a state Supreme Court judge after Vineyard 48 argued the revocation was a “draconian” abuse of power.

Legal representatives for Vineyard 48 argued that there was no strict definition of a “farm winery license” or “wine tasting” so the SLA didn’t have the authority to charge them with violations relating to loud music or dancing.

A year later, the revocation was overturned completely on appeal. However, the vineyard’s legal troubles weren’t over. In April of this year, the vineyard was shut down for three weeks and fined $10,000 as part of a SLA ruling concerning complaints by neighbors and local police.

The winery was reopened on April 26. Critics of the winery called the penalty a “slap on the wrist.” Mr. Shipman, in particular, has appeared at numerous Town Board meetings and has warned of future tragedies like the deadly limo crash last summer that killed four passengers.

That July crash involved a limousine leaving Vineyard 48 and making a U-turn at the intersection of Depot Lane. The driver of the limousine has since been charged with criminally negligent homicide, though the vineyard itself was not criminally liable for the crash.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Mr. Shipman said he had warned the Town Board that Vineyard 48 wouldn’t follow the rules, and called the state’s authorities corrupt.

In an interview after the meeting, Mr. Russell said activities at the winery had been scaled down in recent years thanks to an agreement reached between the owners and the town.

Mr. Russell said the town was doing what it would for all other businesses: seeking compliance first before suing. The town had also been hesitant to pursue legal action because state agriculture and markets law could have been used against local authorities to set a precedent, Mr. Russell said. He citied, as an example, the failures of the SLA to reign in Vineyard 48 in 2013.

“You never know where [the judges] are going to come down,” he said.

But the recent alleged violation after years of negotiations has hardened the town’s position, with Mr. Russell saying any deal between Vineyard 48 and the town “wouldn’t be worth the paper it’s printed on.”

“It’s a waste of time talking to them,” Mr. Russell said at Tuesday night’s Town Board meeting. “We’re going back to full battle now … We’re done talking to them.”

Mr. Russell said the Town Board will pursue whatever legal action it can, including exploring “if an operation has any business operating in Southold if they’re can’t follow the basic rules.”

The town is not worried about losing now, he added.

“If we lose, let some judge give it to them,” he said. “We’re not.”

Mr. Russell also warned the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets not to defend Vineyard 48’s actions.

“If New York Ag and Markets wants to try to support this operation  and impose its will on this community then let them come down here, stand in front of the place and tell us all that this is what the future of agriculture should be,” Mr. Russell said in a statement. “If they aren’t willing to do that then they should stay out of this fight.”

psquire@timesreview.com

A day before the school year was to begin at Greenport High School, the Porters faced their first major test of the Suffolk County League VII boys soccer season Tuesday afternoon.

They did not fare as well as they had hoped.

Junior forward Alvaro Martinez Torres scored the first two goals to spark The Stony Brook School to a 5-2 victory over the Porters in the rain in Stony Brook.

Senior midfielder Remi Droskoski and freshman midfielder Drew Wolf connected for Greenport (0-2, 0-1).

Torres lifted the Bears (1-0, 1-0) into a 1-0 lead as he converted a rebound of his own shot that sophomore goalkeeper Miguel Torres blocked with 37 minutes, 8 seconds left in the opening half.

He doubled the lead when he scored into an open net with 28:24 remaining in the half before Gazie Moghalu increased the margin to three goals, converting from the right side with 23:53 to go in the half.

Jong Hyun Choi gave the hosts a 4-0 halftime lead, scoring into an open net with 19:53 left in the half.

The Porters pushed forward in the second half and their efforts paid off. First, Droskoski scored from the left side to slice the lead to 4-1 with 34:42 remaining in the second half.

After Jai Narain scored off a chip shot with 20:30 to go in the game, Wolf closed the gap to three goals again with 6:43 remaining.

The Porters will try to secure their first win of the season when they play at Port Jefferson Thursday.

Photo caption: Greenport’s Mateo Arias controls the ball near Stony Brook’s Thomas Lawton. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

To the editor:

The Oysterponds Historical Society wishes to thank the North Fork community for all its support this summer.

Our annual summer benefit was particularly successful and we give a big thank-you to everyone who made it possible: the Board of Trustees, benefit and auction committee, benefactors and sponsors, donors, artists, volunteers and guests. We also received generous support that night toward much-needed upgrades to a building that has been a centerpiece of activities at the OHS this year: the Old Point Schoolhouse. From our “Curiosities” exhibition to OHS Kids to Heritage Day, the schoolhouse has been central to our educational mission and we are excited to move forward with repairs.

Over the past few years, OHS has been actively addressing the exteriors of the buildings that are such an important part of our collection. This project will ensure that the Old Point Schoolhouse will be protected for years to come. We hope that you will come visit us this September while our exhibits in the Schoolhouse and Village House are still up. Be on the lookout for fun activities coming up later this fall!

Again, our thanks for your support of the Oysterponds Historical Society.

Elsbeth Dowd and John Holzapfel,
executive director and board president

The Southold Town Board is tired of not being prepared to file competitive applications for grants to improve local roadways due to outdated studies.

So with two “transformative” improvement proposals targeting the intersection of Love Lane and Main Road in Mattituck and the T-shaped intersection of Route 25 and Main Road north of Greenport Village, town engineer Michael Collins and members of the Town Board agreed Tuesday that the town should complete studies for the area to make their grant applications as “shovel-ready” as possible.

Mr. Collins said the town missed out on a grant this year when officials learned of the available funds on short notice. Without completed and updated studies on the two intersection plans, the town wasn’t ready to put its best foot forward, he said.

“It becomes a waste of time,” Mr. Collins said at Tuesday morning’s Town Board work session. More than one grant may be available next year, he added.

Town Supervisor Scott Russell said the town faces fierce competition for the grants from other municipalities across the state that have a faster mentality toward the applications. Rather than wait to win the grant first, the Town Board members said they would try to fund the remaining $22,000 to complete the study.

Mr. Russell said he hopes to have the town pay for half of the study, with the county and state paying for a quarter of the costs each. But he supports adding the full $22,000 to next year’s budget and offsetting the costs with money from the state and county.

Mr. Russell said he’d spoken to Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) and County Legislator Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue) about finding funding to finish the study.

“I don’t want to spend $22,000 until I get the commitment from them and that seems to be lagging a little bit,” he said. “I’ll continue meeting with them and see what they have to say.”

Mr. Collins said a study for the Greenport intersection was completed 17 years ago and needs to be updated.

That intersection was once home to a traffic circle, which was removed decades ago. The current intersection is a complicated weave of jurisdictions, with the town, state and county all claiming responsibility for certain sections of the crossroads.

The Greenport intersection was the focus of a discussion at the Village Board meeting Aug. 18. At the meeting, Trustee Doug Roberts suggested the village encourage local authorities to improve the intersection, saying the current roadways were unsafe.

Mr. Roberts said a public lobbying campaign by the Village Board could get the state, county and town to the table to hash out an agreement to improve the intersection.

“It can’t hurt us to write a letter if we all agree on this, and then, yeah, I’m good at being a squeaky wheel, so we’ll go squeak,” he said at the Aug. 18 meeting.

Village Trustee Mary Bess Phillips agreed, saying the gridlock caused by last summer’s Tall Ships festival could serve as proof that the intersection needs addressing.

“I think we have a lot of examples to show to them that Greenport needs to have some assistance from some place in keeping the traffic flow moving, and that’s not what’s happening,” she said.

At Tuesday’s work session meeting, Mr. Collins said he would have information on how much updating the Greenport study would cost.

“That’s two projects we’ll have on the shelf ready to go,” said Councilwoman Jill Doherty.

psquire@timesreview.com

Photo: Southold Town is conducting a traffic study of the Love Lane and Main Road intersection in Mattituck. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Former Aquebogue resident Marie Genchi of Greenport died Aug. 31 at San Simeon by the Sound. She was 96.

The daughter of Joseph and Josephine Sparta, she was born Oct. 15, 1919, in New Jersey.

As a teenager, Ms. Genchi left high school and sang in local saloons, churches, minstrels and Diamond Jim’s in New York City to help support her family. She later worked for New York Eye Shield in Carlstadt N.J. and became a sample maker of eyeglasses, working on a pair of glasses for General Douglas MacArthur.

Family members said Ms. Genchi was very religious with a “great faith” and that she loved singing the blues.

Predeceased by her husband, James, in 1993 and her son, Joseph, Ms. Genchi is survived by her three grandchildren, Julie DiCesare of Massachusetts, Bryan Ferretti of Point Lookout, N.Y. and Rachel Johnson of Aquebogue and eight great-grandchildren.

The family received visitors Sept. 5 at at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead. A funeral service followed at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church in Riverhead. Interment took place at Calverton National Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Arrangements were in the care of Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue.

Schools across Southold Town opened this week and many new faces greeted students as they got off the bus, most notably in the Greenport School District, which has more than 18 new faculty members.

Eight full-time teachers and a part-timer were hired, along with four teacher assistants and four support staff — mostly in the business office to replace staff who recently left the district, Superintendent David Gamberg said in a recent interview.

The district was able to hire new staff and reinstate numerous teaching positions this year because voters approved a nearly $13.7 million budget in May, which pierced the tax levy cap with an 8.52 percent increase.

“I am very excited about bringing ‘new eyes wisdom to support the old eyes wisdom’ that we have in Greenport,” Mr. Gamberg said in an email. “I think I speak for many people who share my excitement in bringing on board a great group of new staff to work with our very dedicated staff in Greenport.”

Chris Golden, longtime Greenport resident, high school history teacher and the district’s new athletic director, gave 12 of the new hires a tour of the village last week. Elementary principal Joseph Tsaveras drove the bus, which has operated as the district’s Book Mobile this summer, through residential neighborhoods, down Front Street and past numerous village landmarks, including Mitchell Park and Eastern Long Island Hospital.

“As you might know,” Mr. Golden explained to the newcomers, “Greenport is a very small, tight-knit community. The school is the hub and kind of the center.”

The district also shifted its part-time librarian and psychologist positions to full-time and added full-time teachers for reading, special education and English as a Second Language (ESL).

The district is also looking to create a new position: a part-time science, technology, engineering arts and math (STEM) teacher for grades K-8, Mr. Gamberg said.

Greenport also received two grants to launch new programs this year: $60,000 for Project Fit America fitness equipment and curriculum, and $10,000 from Seeds of Change to expand the school garden.

The Southold school district, where Mr. Gamberg is also superintendent, also has additions slated for this year, including physical education programs.

A $10,000 donation from the Southold Athletic Association paid for a new fitness room at the elementary school. Elementary students will also find more equipment in the school’s playground. High school students will take part in Fit For Life, a physical education program that includes an interactive online component, Mr. Gamberg said.

Inside the classroom, he said, ninth-graders will be able to take a new Science Research II course and a coding program will be offered to high school students.

In addition, the district’s garden program will now include a “fully functioning greenhouse,” Mr. Gamberg said.

“I am looking forward to honoring the unique qualities and strengths of each district and finding ways to best support the mission of both learning communities,” the superintendent said. “Where there are opportunities to share professional expertise I will support these programs and individuals.”

In Mattituck, the new school year also brings with it new student garden programs.

The district is offering a greenhouse course in which high school students work with elementary students work and create gardening lesson plans for them, Superintendent Anne Smith said.

As for staff development, Dr. Smith said faculty members gathered this summer to “focus on stronger collaboration within the district” and the entire staff participated in an AED and CPR training course during orientation led by athletic director Gregg Wormuth.

“It only made sense to me that the more people who knew how to provide emergency care would add to a more safe school and community,” he said. “I think they felt empowered that they could provide this care if needed. That’s the why we did it.”

The faculty and Board of Education also created focus groups to work on deciding what’s best for the district in the future, especially to address concerns about dwindling enrollment concerns.

“There’s a lot of excitement about shaping the future,” Dr. Smith said. “We love what we have, but what’s next? We’re regrouping to make sure we pay attention to what’s important to our students.”

The New Suffolk School, which has an enrollment of 12 students, hired a new physical education teacher and is reassigning some teachers to different grade levels, school board president Tony Dill said.

“I thought that a lot of the new people we brought in — a new art teacher, a new gym teacher and a new language teacher — they got their feet wet and really produced some remarkable results for the elementary grades,” he said.

Over at Oysterponds Elementary School in Orient, students and staff are celebrating the district’s 50th anniversary.

The building, which opened in 1966 after a merger of the Orient Point and East Marion districts, will be decorated with pictures highlighting the school’s history, Superintendent Richard Malone said.

The K-6 school is also expanding the use of personal learning plans to all students. The program was introduced last year with a select group of children. Mr. Malone said a personal learning plan identifies learning methods that are best suited to each individual student.

“Teachers will be writing narratives in lieu of report cards,” Mr. Malone said. “The narrative reports are based on the personal learning plan and the growth and accomplishment of students over the designated periods of time.”

In addition, the district’s pre-K program has been expanded this year to include children as young as 3. The program offers both half- and full-day options, the superintendent said, adding that he believes most students will attend full-day classes.

Due to the success of the district’s pre-K program, Mr. Malone said, enrollment has increased from 76 students to 93 this year.

nsmith@timesreview.com

Top photo: Third grader Matt McGunnigle showed his excitement as he stepped off the bus Tuesday at Southold Elementary School. He said he couldn’t wait to see his friends and learn. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch, file)

Solemn memorial ceremonies are scheduled to honor and remember victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Wednesday, Sept. 7

6:30-7:30 p.m.: History of 9/11 presentation at Peconic Lane Community Center, 1170 Peconic Lane, Peconic. Led by Captain Charles Sanders. RSVP: Tracey1989@optonline.net.

Sunday, Sept. 11

8 a.m.-noon: ‘Remember M.E. 9/11 Memorial Tribute’ at the Railroad Museum of Long Island, 416 Griffing Ave., Riverhead. Presented by Miracles Everyday. Moments of silence, reading of names, 21-gun salute, taps, national anthem at 9:11 a.m., live art on train cars. Free. Rain or shine. rmli.org. september11th2016@gmail.com.

9 a.m.: 9/11 15th anniversary memorial service hosted by Tracey Orlando and the Fire Chiefs Council at Jean Cochran Park, Peconic Lane, Peconic. Park opens to the public at 9 a.m. to place flags in memory of the 2,977 victims. Local fire departments will mark the fall of the Twin Towers by ringing 15 bells at 9:59 a.m. and again at 10:28 a.m. Wreath presentation follows at the Southold Volunteer Firefighters Memorial. Tracey1989@optonline.net.

10 a.m.: The Flanders Fire Department is hosting a memorial at Flanders Memorial Park on Flanders Road. Light refreshments will be served at the fire house immediately following the memorial.

7 p.m.: 9/11 Memorial Walk Ceremony. Meet at Marine Street and Park Road, Riverhead and walk to the 9-11 Memorial Park at the corner of Park Road and Sound Avenue.

A Southold man died early Wednesday morning after the vehicle he was driving left the roadway on Route 48 in Peconic and crashed into a tree, Southold Town police said.

Sergio Montenegro-Ochoa, 25, was headed west around 12:40 a.m. when he crashed, according to a news release.

Mr. Montenegro-Ochoa pronounced dead at the scene of the crash by local police around 12:40 a.m., officials said.

Detectives are still investigating the cause of the fatal crash.

Check back for more information as it becomes available.

Extended hours for the town deer cooler and a lottery to give local veterans the opportunity to hunt on Southold Town and Suffolk County land are among the ways the town’s deer management committee is hoping to encourage deer hunting this season, according to department of public works director Jeff Standish.

Mr. Standish, who has worked with the committee, told the Town Board at Tuesday’s work session that while it’s unlikely a proposal to extend the end of deer season from January 31 to March 31 will pass in time for this year, the town can take steps to encourage more local hunters to help cull the herd.

The growing deer population has been declared a heath crisis by some local officials, who say the animals devastate local ecosystems through rampant grazing and spread tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease.

Mr. Standish said some members of the deer management committee suggested extending the hours at the town’s cooler from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. during October, when the weather is fairer and hunters can come in later. Mr. Standish said the plan could be tested this year, but would create more overtime for staffers who would have to man the cooler at night.

If hunters don’t use the extended hours, the plan could be shelved for next season, he added.

“If they’re willing to shoot more deer and help us in our cause, it’s worth a try,” Mr. Standish said.

He also suggested setting up a lottery to allow 10 Suffolk County veterans to hunt on county and town lands within the North Fork’s borders. Those extra hunters would get the opportunity to hunt on the 51-acre Downs Farm property, which is being opened up to local hunters this year for the first time.

“It puts more people in the woods that we really need,” Mr. Standish said.

Town Board members called the plan an “excellent idea.”

psquire@timesreview.com