If you were to compare the 2016 Long Island vintage to a bottle of wine, it might be the kind you’d serve at a dinner party for friends — but perhaps not the special occasion reserve you were saving for your 25th wedding anniversary.

Harvest reports from across the East End are rolling in, and the prognosis is that 2016 is shaping up to be a challenging but manageable year. It will likely be remembered as a perfectly respectable vintage.

Vintners are reporting lower than average sugar levels, or brix, at ripening. That will translate to wines with a lower alcohol by volume content when the 2016 bottles are released.

“I don’t think we’ve ever seen the sugar this low with the grapes being this ripe,” said longtime Lenz winemaker Eric Fry. “That’s not evil, nothing wrong with that. As long as the wine tastes good, that’s fine.”

Last Thursday, the crew at the Peconic vineyard, which grows more than half a dozen varietals on its 85 acres, were snipping clusters of merlot to be brought to the winery.

It’s a unique harvest for Fry, who has held his position for 28 years, because it’s his first with a second-in-command. Last spring Lenz hired assistant winemaker Thomas Spotteck, a Shelter Island native with experience in vineyards in Washington State and South Africa. Fry said he’s thinking about retiring in the coming years and is training Spotteck to be his successor.

“It’s good and bad,” Fry said with a laugh. “Good in that I’ve got somebody that I can trust to do things that I want. Bad in that I have to trust somebody to do things that I want.”

Like Fry, Wölffer Estate Vineyard winemaker and co-owner Roman Roth, who is also president of the Long Island Wine Council, noted that low alcohol isn’t necessarily something for winemakers to worry about.

“The fruit flavors are wonderful. Very clean and bright,” Roth told our wine columnist, Lenn Thompson, earlier this season. “The record-warm July and August have ensured that the fruit is [tasting] ripe and that acidity is on the lower side. Sugars are lower than the stellar 2013 or 2015 vintages, but that is fine for our elegant and balanced wines.”

This year’s summer was ideal in terms of sun, heat and breezy weather, said winemaker Kareem Massoud of Paumanok Vineyards in Aquebogue.

Just .9 inches of rain fell during the entire month of August — much lower than the average 3.98 inches, according to data from the National Weather Service. Lower-than-average rainfall was also reported in July and September.

And a four-day heat wave from Aug. 12-15 — when temperatures reached 90, 93, 97 and 90, respectively — brought record-breaking highs to the region.

“Yields were lower than normal, but quality was high,” Massoud said in an email.

Vineyard workers harvest merlot at The Lenz Winery in Peconic on Thursday, Oct. 20. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

Luckily for wine growers, the biggest threat to the vintage, Hurricane Matthew, moved to the Atlantic Ocean after pummeling the Carolinas in early October. A severe storm in late summer or early fall can be devastating: In 2011, the effects of Hurricane Irene decimated the red grape harvest on Long Island.

Bedell Cellars winemaker Richard Olsen-Harbich called 2016 a “quintessential Long Island vintage” in that the wines that are produced will be made in Long Island’s signature style — balanced and low alcohol.

“There are no easy vintages here on Long Island … but the results are beautiful and so worth it,” he said. “It’s what makes what we do so triumphant and rewarding.”

Olsen-Harbich said to be on the lookout for 2016 cabernet franc, albariño, sauvignon blanc and malbec.

Jamesport Vineyards culled about a third of its crop this year, according to president Ron Goerler Jr., leading to yields of about two and a half tons per acre — about average. Less fruit on the vines means the grapes can ripen more quickly.

“The hardest part of this business is not getting greedy,” Goerler said. “I don’t see it being a bad year because of a little bit of rain.”

Making wine on Long Island may never be simple, but the experienced grower knows how to navigate erratic weather. Adam Suprenant, winemaker at Osprey’s Dominion in Peconic and Coffee Pot Cellars in Cutchogue, agreed that 2016 will be a year to reward those who are diligent in the vineyard.

“The people focused on quality are going to do great,” he said one day before the last of Osprey’s cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, carménère and petit verdot were set to be harvested.

In his opinion, Suprenant said, sugar levels might not be lower than average — just less than they were in banner years like 2010, 2013 and 2015.

“To me, this [year] is normal for our area,” he said. “To be super dry for so many years in a row is exceptional.”

After previously opposing U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in 2012, Republican nominee Wendy Long is trying her hand at defeating New York’s senior senator this time around.

Her lackluster and paranoid campaign, which centers around calling the 17-year congressman a “corrupt career politician,” offers few specifics on how exactly her opponent is guilty of her bold allegations.

Chuck Schumer, meanwhile, is a clear favorite to become the Senate majority leader if Democrats can take back the chamber, an exciting prospect for the state. He’s been vocal about his desire to work with Republicans on pushing forward legislation with bipartisan support. He told Newsday those issues include “major infrastructure investments to create jobs, affordable higher education, criminal justice reforms and more funding for scientific research,” the paper wrote in its endorsement of him.

Mr. Schumer is a tireless worker and his finest accomplishment locally has been his ability to secure an abundance of Federal Emergency Management Agency funds in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.

We wish he had done more to stop the Federal Aviation Administration’s extension of the North Shore Helicopter Route earlier this year, and believe it would be wise for him to protect Long Islanders against dredge spoil dumping in the Long Island Sound in this next term.

Regardless, he’s the clear choice in this election.

Thanks to a bill signed last month by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, your beloved pet can now be legally buried with you.

The legislation allows New Yorkers to be interred with their pet’s cremated remains at nearly 1,900 nonprofit cemeteries around the state — provided they receive written consent from cemetery officials.

“The pet/caregiver relationship is a very special one and I am happy that this relationship will finally be honored,” Assemblyman James Brennan (D-Brooklyn), who co-sponsored the bill with state Senator Michael Ranzenhofer (R-Erie County), said in a press release last month. In 2013, a state law made it legal for the cremated remains of humans to be interred with their animals at .

The new legislation, which requires cemeteries to provide customers with a list of charges associated with interring a pet’s ashes, doesn’t apply to burial grounds owned by religious organizations. Since it’s under federal jurisdiction, Calverton National Cemetery is also exempt.

Nonprofit cemeteries in Southold Town include Bethany Cemetery in Mattituck, Cutchogue Cemetery in New Suffolk, Sterling Cemetery in Greenport and Orient Central Cemetery in Orient.

Under the new legislation, cemeteries would also be mandated to deposit all payments for pet interments into their permanent maintenance funds.

For Douglas Mathie, owner of Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport, the bill is a no-brainer.

“Since the conception of people being buried, and cats and dogs being cremated, this has been a common practice for many, many years,” said Mr. Mathie, who added that his funeral home has received requests for people to be buried with the remains of their pets “many times” over the years.

“It’s common,” he said. “It’s addressed.”

Joe Grattan, funeral director at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home, which has locations in Mattituck, Southold and Shelter Island, said he hasn’t received such a request in his five decades in the industry. However, he would be happy to accommodate families who would like to take advantage of the new bill.

“To put it simply, as long as it’s OK with the cemetery and that’s what the family wants, that’s what we do,” Mr. Grattan said.

Gail Horton, who lives in Greenport with her 14-year-old dog, Sparky, said the new bill appeals to her — particularly since she now lives in an apartment complex and wouldn’t be able to bury the Jack Russell in her backyard.

“I think pets have become more important to people, particularly since people are living longer,” said Ms. Horton, whose husband died several years ago. “If you don’t have a spouse, it’s someone to talk to.”

With any luck, Sparky will enjoy many more years with his beloved owner. But when the time comes, he won’t be lonely for eternity: Ms. Horton has decided to have his ashes interred alongside her.

“I would do it,” she said. “Affirmative.”

Photo credit: Grant Parpan

Rachel Young is a staff writer and copy editor at Times Review Media Group

For the second year in a row, the Southold High boys soccer season was ended by an excruciating late, dramatic goal.

In 2015, the First Settlers were eliminated in the NYSPHSAA Southeast Regional Class C semifinal by the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester’s Miles Ogihara, who scored on a breakaway with 36 seconds remaining en route to a 1-0 defeat.

On Saturday, sophomore striker Borys Zasada struck with 3:14 left in regulation to lift Pierson/Bridgehampton to a 1-0 victory and the Suffolk County Class C title at Diamond in the Pines in Coram.

Zasada converted a breakaway off a counterattack feed from Luis Padilla, putting the ball past senior goalkeeper Dylan Clausen for his fifth goal of the season.

Southold (7-11) had beaten the Whalers (10-6) in three successive county championship games.

The First Settlers had reached this year’s county tournament by petitioning Suffolk County soccer officials, despite finishing at 6-7. Teams must finish above .500 to reach the playoffs. Coach Andrew Sadowski brought up the fact that his team had played Class C teams an even (5-5) during the regular season and his team was allowed to participate in the playoffs for the 21st consecutive season.

Southold’s Joseph Silvestro heads the ball toward Pierson’s Ariel Quiros during Southold’s 1-0 loss to Pierson in the Class C finals at Diamond in the Pines in Coram Saturday. (Credit: Daniel De Mato photos)

Given a second chance, Southold did not squander the opportunity. In Wednesday’s semifinals at The Stony Brook School, the First Settlers surprised the Bears, 1-0, in overtime. Stony Brook had beaten Southold twice during the regular season.

Likewise for Pierson during league play, but the North Fork side entered Saturday’s game much more confident. It certainly showed in its play in the opening 40 minutes as it forced the issue in front of the Whalers’ net. With the wind at their backs, the First Settlers dominated play, but had nothing to show for their efforts.

Things evened out in the second half as Pierson gained more possession of the ball with the wind at their back as both teams tried for the game-winner.

The First Settlers certainly had their chances. The team’s best opportunity came with 6:44 remaining, when junior midfielder Edwin Martinez headed junior midfielder Ryan Hermann’s free kick from the left side over the net.

Pierson will meet the Section IX champion at Diamond in the Pines on Tuesday at 2 p.m.

Top Caption: Southold’s Joe Berry #11 consoles teammates Michael Christman #5 and  Ryan Herrmann #3 following Southold’s 1-0 loss to Pierson in the Class C finals at Diamond in the Pines in Coram Saturday.

More than 100 children and kids at heart gathered in Mitchell Park Saturday morning for a Halloween parade up First Street.

The event, dubbed the March of the Goblins and Hounds, kicked off with an hour of free rides on the carousel for children in costume and concluded with sweets and goodie bags at Floyd Memorial Library.

The Village of Greenport and the Greenport PTO organized the event along with the library. The Greenport Fire Department led the parade with its 1933 truck.

Video by Krysten Massa

Photos by Jeremy Garretson

Henley Tuthill

Brooks Tuthill

Isla & Story Fischer

Matilda Jackson & Shawwa Simpson

Village Trustee Mary Bess Philips

Melissa & Shaine Rudder

Nada & Julien Greenfield

Patt Rudder

Ricky & Nora Fiedler

TT the Bat Dog

Ana & Elenna Patchke with Spirit the Dog

Elisabeth Newman, Ashley Caruana and Charlotte

Times Review executive editor Grant Parpan as Gru with northforker editor Vera Chinese and their minions Jackson and Nora.

Chris McShea with son Jack

Village Trustee Mary Bess Phillips

The Tuthill clan

Henley, Brooks and Royal Tuthill

Few locations on the North Fork can match the beauty of Orient Beach State Park.

The drive in, which features a turtle crossing sign, excellent bird watching opportunities and views of ferry boats leaving the point, is almost enough on its own.

Then you get to the beach or the kayak launch and understand this park has many unrivaled layers to it.

We spent some time there Friday and figured we’d share a minute with you.

One minute on the North Fork is a series of six, 10-second clips filmed in one general area over a one-hour period. It will appear each Sunday on northforker.com.

With a very important Election Day coming up Nov. 8 and a lot on the line for our land of the free and home of the brave — by and for the people — here’s what America’s founding fathers believed:

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people,” declared John Adams, America’s second president.

Thomas Jefferson, the third president and author of the Declaration of Independence said, “God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever.”

General George Washington, our first president proclaimed, “While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.”

Then we have America’s fourth president and primary author of the United States Constitution, James Madison, who said “We have staked the whole future of American civilization not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments.”

What wonderful words of great wisdom from such a faith-filled man and a true patriot.

Then there’s old Benjamin Franklin, last but not the least on my short list of America’s founding fathers. A signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the U. S. Constitution, founder of the University of Pennsylvania, one of the leading theorists of the American Revolution, who declared in his love of country and great intellect, “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth — that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?” Wow! I say.

So here we are today, with one of America’s highly respected and loved faith- and freedom-loving leaders, Dr. Ben Carson, saying: “I think [Faith & Freedom’s] importance is critical. In 2012, 30 million evangelicals did not vote. If you got just a fraction of those people involved then you could change the outcome. Faith is not a dormant thing; it’s an active thing. I know some people have the attitude of ‘Well, God’s in charge.’ But he uses us! So we have to be involved as well.”

And then we have in these trying times when freedom, religious liberty and the Constitution are under attack right now: Hillary Rodham Clinton warning all Americans on April 25, 2015, to be on notice, “Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will. And deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed.”

So do we have to say more? Let all these insightful words speak for themselves.

God bless America! And let freedom ring! Vote your conscience on Election Day. Your vote matters.

The author lives in Mattituck.

I’m a people watcher, but hold on: I don’t peek through windows or engage in stalking or gawking, nothing creepy like that. Wherever or whatever I’m doing, I usually find something that sparks my interest.

Humans are fascinating; however, I’ve noticed that folks have become painfully predictable — and where’s the fun in that? Folks are striking a weird pose with their “neck forward” postures and have acquired the habit of looking down — down at their mobile devices.

While out to dinner with my gentleman friend, we were the only couple that was interacting one on one. Folks were interacting, all right, but not with each other. We watched in fascination while couples sitting across from one another were lost in their own worlds — the “other worlds” that lived in their mobile devices.

At an exciting Mets game, I was shocked to see folks looking down into their mobile devices instead of out on the playing field. Mind you, it was the bottom of the ninth and the score was tied! Huh?

Going to concerts is something I refuse to outgrow. Last summer, while at a Jackson Browne concert, the gals in front of us were checking their emails. Checking their emails instead of watching Jackson Browne perform live? Incomprehensible.

Last week, I went into a favorite clothing store and before I could say “Watch out,” a gal looking down at her phone smacked right into a large pillar. Then she looked up, stunned!

Many of you know the beach is my happy place. Yet this past summer I was taken aback by the many folks who were playing with their phones instead of kicking back and enjoying the beautiful weather and surroundings. (The teeny gals clad in teeny-weeny bikinis didn’t faze anyone.) Hard to believe!

Yup, folks are obsessively scrolling up and down their mobile devices to ensure that they don’t miss a “like” on Facebook or an important photo posted on Instagram. When we’re not scrolling, our hands are hovering over the phone ready to pounce when we hear that notification ping — right?

Physicians and chiropractors are seeing more patients with overuse injuries such as tenosynovitis, the inflammation or swelling of the tendon, typically the wrist, caused by repetitive movements such as texting. Or text neck (I kid you not!): the aforementioned forward head posture that results in chronic headache and upper back, neck and shoulder pain.

Psychologists are treating folks with cellphone addiction. We’re pumping adrenaline while waiting for the “ping” that will quell our anxiety, feed our habit and let us know we’re “liked.”

Lost communication skills are the most damaging overuse injury. Our spouse or partner may be talking and sometimes we barely listen. We may be getting the “twitches” because the one-sided conversation may be taking us away from the stuff in our “other world.”

We’re fortunate to live on the North Folk, my “paradise found.” I ask: How often do we look up from our devices to take in the bay, sound, creeks and inlets? Watching the waterfowl skimming over the water or the seagulls scouring from above lifts my head and heart. Capturing our magnificent sunrises or sunsets is a photographer’s dream.

I’m as guilty as the next, but recently I broke up with my cellphone — temporarily, that is. And guess what? Nothing earth-shattering happened. OK, I missed a few “likes” from my other world.

A prayer I say frequently reminds me of the power of looking up. “At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home.”

Walk outdoors sans your phone and listen to the thundering silence. Look up at the sky, notice the formation of the clouds, watch the sunrise or moonrise, then observe the brilliance of the stars. Contemplate how all of this came to be and how amazing our really-real world is.

It is, you know: You just gotta look up.

Top photo credit: Celia Iannelli

Ms. Iannelli is a resident of Jamesport.

Lately, Hugh Prestwood has spent a lot of time in the personal studio above the garage at his Greenport home.

A member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Mr. Prestwood gets great pleasure from writing music. And he’s good at it: Three of the songs he’s written for other artists during his nearly 40-year career have earned him Grammy nominations. Another garnered him an Emmy.

But this time, Mr. Prestwood isn’t writing for other musicians. Instead, he recently recorded an album of his own songs.

Released Oct. 18 by Wildflower Records, “I Used to be the Real Me” is the first album the veteran songwriter has ever recorded with an outside label.

“I’m really proud of it,” said Mr. Prestwood, an El Paso native. “I think every song on the album is great.”

“I Used to Be the Real Me” features 13 tracks consisting of new songs and older tunes Mr. Prestwood previously self-produced or that other artists recorded.

Just as she helped launch Mr. Prestwood’s songwriting career in 1978, singer/songwriter Judy Collins assisted with his new album.

Ms. Prestwood said the process began in 2014 after he saw Ms. Collins perform on TV. He called her to tell her how well she did, and they began talking about his latest projects. From there, the collaboration began, with Ms. Collins signing Mr. Prestwood to her label, Wildflower Records.

Mr. Prestwood said many of the album’s songs are complex and probably wouldn’t be played on the radio.

“That’s what we were trying to do,” he said. “We were trying to make some art.”

Hugh Prestwood playing guitar Tuesday at his home studio in Greenport. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

The album also represents a lot of great memories. Years ago, for instance, Mr. Prestwood returned home to a voicemail from James Taylor, who had left a lengthy message telling him he loved a song he’d written called “The Suit.” The legendary artist went on to record the track.

Mr. Prestwood considers that one of the best moments of his career, so he recorded “The Suit” himself for “I Used to Be the Real Me.”

The album’s last track, “The Song Remembers When,” earned Mr. Prestwood a 1994 Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics. It was performed by Trisha Yearwood during a Disney special and was voted “Song of the Year” by the Nashville Songwriters Association.

Mr. Prestwood said songwriting has always been his passion — and when he finds his flow, he just keeps going. Sometimes he starts with the music; other times he’ll simply think of a good name for a song and go from there.

“I feel like I’m levitating when I write,” he said. “I love that I have the great blessing to be a professional songwriter.”

While his songs have been performed many times by artists like Jimmy Buffet, Anne Murray and The Judds, Mr. Prestwood said he’s still learning how to be a performer himself.

Mostly, however, he’s focused on promoting his new record. Recently, he played shows in Florida and Montana.

“I’m trying to put more effort into being a performer at this point,” he said. “But my ultimate goal is always to write a great song.”

kmassa@timesreview.com

The Village Board approved construction of a seawall at Eastern Long Island Hospital — but not without a lengthy discussion and a condition attached.

At issue was the hospital’s progress on the project, which village officials said had already begun without approval. The Village Board needed to sign off on a wetlands permit for the seawall and curb around the eastern, western, and southern sides of the building, which is needed to install an electric generator on a raised platform.

But the board hasn’t received a drainage plan for the site, an important document since the construction has already removed walls that factored into the hospital’s previous plan. In the original resolution, the board gave the hospital six months after completion of the project to hand in a plan, but resident William Swiskey argued the village would have no way to enforce the ruling.

“They’ll finish that project in a month and then what will you do?” he said. Mayor George Hubbard Jr. said the village would rely on “good faith” and would urge compliance if they failed to get the plan in on time.

But during a later discussion during a vote on the resolution to approve the permit, Village Board members and the village’s attorney, Joseph Prokop, tweaked the conditions. The deadline for the runoff plan was set to Feb. 1, 2017, roughly three months after the permit was approved.

“I don’t think that should be that hard for them to come up with that in three months,” Mr. Hubbard said, adding that should the hospital not provide a plan, future applications could be held up.

Photo caption: Greenport Mayor George Hubbard Jr. and Trustee Julia Robins at Thursday night’s meeting. (Credit: Paul Squire)

psquire@timesreview.com

If your car’s roof could speak, it would probably say something like “Ouch!” or “Hey, cut that out!” as acorn after acorn bounces off it this fall.

Just about everyone seems to agree the amount of acorns falling this year is among the highest they can remember. Jonathan Shipman, a board-certified master arborist with Shamrock Tree Company in Mattituck, thinks he knows why.

“Acorns are known to drop here early every three to five years,” he said. “It’s kind of a cyclic thing. But it can easily be triggered by drought, and this summer was particularly dry. So it’s not uncommon for trees that need to preserve carbohydrates to actually drop their fruit or acorns early.”

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has a similar theory.

“Acorn production is cyclic,” a DEC spokesperson said in a statement. “Usually every five to eight years a mast (large) crop is produced, but the climatic conditions need to be right. This was not considered a mast year, although acorn production in July and August was high across New York State. This was due to a lack of rain. In addition, acorn production was delayed due to late frosts, which hindered new growth in the spring.”

Bill Van Helmond of WCVH Landscaping in Jamesport called this year’s totals “out of this world.”

“It’s hard to clean them up, but we usually don’t start until after Thanksgiving — and by that time, the squirrels and the small animals have gotten the bulk of the food,” he said.

Mr. Shipman said he doesn’t believe the increase is a predictor of a cold winter, dismissing that belief as an “old wives tale.”

Even so, it has been one loud autumn for Riverhead resident Doug Wald.

“I live in a wooded area, and it sounds like somebody is walking on my roof firing a nail gun all day,” he said. I feel like I’m under acorn siege all the time.”

tgannon@timesreview.com

Photo credit: Monique Singh-Roy

Last winter, Maureen’s Haven, a Riverhead-based nonprofit that serves the homeless, experienced an unexpected flood of a new type of guest: young adults.

Just under half the people assisted by the nonprofit were under age 25, said executive director Maryann Gensler. And half of those roughly two dozen people were younger than 21.

“Where am I going to send these kids?” Ms. Gensler wondered at the time. The county and the network of shelters that work with Maureen’s Haven on the North Fork are geared specifically toward helping homeless veterans and those with substance abuse problems. The unique needs of young people are more difficult to address.

“It was getting to be a joke. It was ridiculous,” she said. “They can go to the county shelter just like anyone else, but it’s not appropriate.”

Now, with cold weather about to blow into the area and local overnight homeless shelters set to open Nov. 1, caregivers are bracing for another influx of young homeless people. Ms. Gensler attended a Southold Town Board meeting last Tuesday to take part in the annual discussion about how to divvy up the town’s community block development grants from the state.

During the meeting, Ms. Gensler shared the story of a young man from Mattituck named Sam who had been diagnosed with a form of autism. Sam struggled in college, she said, and ultimately found himself without support due to his behavior after returning to the North Fork.

Through Maureen’s Haven, Sam was able to find services to help treat his developmental disability and mental health issues, Ms. Gensler said. He’s back with his family and no longer homeless.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said the town used to receive far more block grant money to distribute to various organizations, including Maureen’s Haven and Community Action Southold Town. But this year, the grant was for just $30,000 — and only 15 percent was permitted to go to local nonprofit groups. The rest had to be used by the town itself for its own initiatives.

“There was a time where this town received … 10 times that amount,” Mr. Russell said. “That slowly but surely has been whittled away and that’s a shame.”

Town government liaison Denis Noncarrow said the town has appealed to the state to allow more than 15 percent of the grant to be given to nonprofits since the total amount is so low. So far, the state has not responded, although Mr. Noncarrow is optimistic the request will be granted.

Each person’s story of homelessness is different and that was certainly the case this past winter, Ms. Gensler said.

Some of the youth were runaways. Others were down on their luck and couldn’t pay rent after losing their jobs or having to repair a broken-down car. Some were suffering from opioid addictions, while others were teens who had aged out of the foster care system and were left “floundering,” Ms. Gensler said. Two young people had been released from jail and were desperately avoiding a return home, preferring to stay in Riverhead and avoid going back to the place that had led to their run-ins with the law, she said.

Maureen’s Haven hosts a day program from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day in Riverhead that offers food, clothing and a warm place to stay for those in need. But Ms. Gensler said few young people attend the program; many are couch-surfing or working, she said.

Ms. Gensler related the story of one young woman in Riverhead who came in for help while working two jobs as a waitress. At night, she slept in her car while trying to find a place to live.

The young homeless population sometimes clashes with the older, chronically homeless people Maureen’s Haven serves — and Ms. Gensler said she feels a particular responsibility to protect the youth.

“These are babies,” she said.

Part of the problem with addressing the homeless youth population is that it’s difficult to get an accurate count, said Mike Giuffrida, associate director of the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless.

“They are not necessarily seeking shelter,” he said. “They are not seeking services and there are not as many service providers where they have existing programs [for youth compared to other homeless populations].”

The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless has seen the same spike in youth homelessness that North Fork groups have found. In a January 2015 tally of all homeless people on Long Island, the coalition identified 48 young homeless people. They are defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as individuals who are unaccompanied or pregnant or parenting, are under the age of 25 and are living on the streets or in a shelter.

By January 2016, that number had more than quadrupled in Suffolk County to 208. The jump marks the largest increase of any homeless demographic on Long Island, Mr. Giuffrida said.

While the causes of homelessness in young people varies, Mr. Giuffrida said a lack of affordable housing seems to be driving the crisis.

“There are not available rental units for young people that are affordable,” he said. “That’s what it comes down to.”

Without affordable housing, youth are more susceptible to the kinds of emergencies — like a lost job or a medical issue — that can cause sudden homelessness.

Authorities, however, do have a plan to address the problem. In 2012, the federal United States Interagency Council on Homelessness unveiled “Opening Doors,” a 10-year plan to eliminate homelessness nationwide.

The program works by accurately tracking homeless people and tailoring services to their needs. Its first focus was eliminating homelessness among veterans, and so far the project has been a success. Last year, veteran homelessness levels reached “functional zero,” meaning every homeless veteran identified by the program had been offered housing and support.

The plan calls for an end to chronic homelessness by 2017 using the same methods. By 2020, homelessness — especially among families and youth — is scheduled to be eliminated.

But until then, few resources exist for young homeless people on Long Island, Mr. Giuffrida said. As of 2016, he noted, there were no permanent housing programs on the island for unaccompanied young adults.

“It’s really a new conversation, and because it’s a newer conversation there really aren’t the resources for homeless youth,” he said.

Ms. Gensler has also been calling for more support. Her organization already works with other organization’s, like Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch, to place homeless youth in programs to get the help they need. But Timothy Hill, she said, is already at near-maximum capacity.

Ms. Gensler said her organization is also in discussions with North Fork houses of worship to expand their five shelter locations to include a dedicated homeless youth center. But that idea is still in the earliest stages of consideration, she said.

For now, local homeless groups will simply have to make do with the operations they have, Ms. Gensler concluded.

“There just are no resources,” she said.

psquire@timesreview.com

Photo: Maureen’s Haven executive director at the nonprofit’s headquarters in Riverhead. The group, which helps the North Fork’s homeless population, has seen a spike in homelessness among those under 25 years old. (Credit: Paul Squire)

Florence Marie Wagner of Greenport died Oct. 30, 2016, at her home in Peconic Landing. She was 84.

She was born in Brooklyn, on July 2, 1932, to George J. and Florence Mary (née Harrison) Smith. Raised and educated in Jackson Heights, Queens, she studied nursing at Mary Immaculate in Jamaica, Queens and had worked as a registered nurse at St. John’s Hospital in Smithtown, BOCES and Southampton Hospital.

On April 21, 1957, she married Donald Everett Wagner at Our Lady of Fatima R.C. Church in Jackson Heights and together they lived in East Hampton, Kings Park, St. James and Founders Village in Southold before moving recently to Peconic Landing.

In the community, she was a communicant of St. Patrick’s R.C. Church in Southold, a volunteer with the Eastern Long Island Hospital Auxiliary, a member and past president of the Griswold Terry Glover Post 803 Auxiliary of the American Legion, a member of Southold Senior Citizens and sang in the Peconic Bay Masterworks Choir.

In her free time, she enjoyed crocheting and reading.

She is survived by her husband, Don; daughter Lorraine (Dan) Johnson of St. James; siblings, Regina Beattie of Wading River and George Smith of Trumbull, Conn.; grandchildren Dianna Marie, Matthew and Danielle Johnson; nephews, Christopher Beattie and George Smith and niece, Jennifer Mitchelson.

The family will receive visitors on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 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 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, at St. Patrick R.C. Church. Interment will follow at Calverton National Cemetery.

Memorial donations to American Diabetes Association or Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation would be appreciated.

This is a paid notice. 

Fifty years ago, Jeffrey Smith graduated from Mattituck High School. And in the nearly two decades that followed, he served his community as a member of the district’s Board of Education.

Now, a few months after his death at age 69, Mr. Smith’s educational legacy will continue in the form of a scholarship a group of former classmates have established in his name.

The Classmates of 1966 in Memory of Jeffrey S. Smith Scholarship will be awarded to a student in each graduating class who is interested in furthering their education in the trades, school officials said.

A $1,625 donation that was accepted by the school board last week will fund the scholarship through 2021.

“He was just such an integral part of the district for so many years,” said Board of Education president Laura Jens-Smith. “He was so supportive of the kids in the district and I think this is such a good way to honor his memory.”

Superintendent Anne Smith said she recently received “a very sweet letter” from members of the Class of 1966 indicating they had started a collection in Mr. Smith’s memory. She said the scholarship was established in a way that allows people to continue to contribute to it, meaning it should still be funded after the initial donation runs out.

Mr. Smith, who died in August and resigned from the Mattituck school board when he moved to Florida last year, spent 22 years as a corrections sergeant in Riverhead for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. Before that, he served in the U.S. Army in 1967, achieving the rank of private. A 46-year member of the Cutchogue Fire Department, he was a Suffolk County BOCES board member for 20 years and a 15-year member of the Cutchogue-New Suffolk Park District, where he served as chairman. He was also a fourth-degree knight with Knights of Columbus.

nsmith@timesreview.com

A Suffolk judge has granted a motion requested by the pickup driver involved in the fatal limousine crash in Cutchogue last year to hold a hearing to determine whether blood alcohol results were properly taken.
Steven Romeo, 55, of Peconic appeared before Judge Fernando Camacho in 1st District Court in Central Islip Tuesday morning.

Judge Camacho made a brief remark announcing the decision after a 15-minute conference in his chambers with assistant district attorney Elizabeth Miller and Mr. Romeo’s attorneys Stephen and Daniel O’Brien. Mr. Romeo faces a misdemeanor DWI charge related to the crash that killed four young women at the intersection of Depot Lane and Route 48.

Mr. Romeo is due back in court for a hearing Dec. 13.

Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said at a March press conference that the criminal liability for the crash fell solely on the limousine driver, Carlos Pino of Bethpage. Mr. Pino was indicted by a special grand jury on four counts of criminally negligent homicide, but those charges were dismissed last week by Judge Camacho based on a motion alleging prosecutors used improper testimony to produce an indictment for a collision that does not amount to a crime.

Mr. Spota said last week prosecutors will “certainly appeal” the decision.

Witnesses who testified before the grand jury, including a driver and three passengers waiting behind the limousine in an eastbound turning lane on Route 48, stated that Mr. Pino attempted to make a U-turn at the Depot Lane intersection despite having a “limited sight line,” Mr. Spota said in March.

A westbound Jeep Liberty attempting to make a left-hand turn off Route 48 to head south on Depot Lane obstructed Mr. Pino’s view, he said. Despite this, Mr. Pino attempted to make the U-turn without ever coming to a full stop, the DA added.

As Mr. Romeo approached the westbound intersection in his 2005 Dodge Dakota, the turning limousine blocked his lane of travel, Mr. Spota said.

Mr. Romeo, who told investigators he had been drinking beer at home in the hours before the crash, was charged with DWI the following day and pleaded not guilty.

A blood test taken one hour and 40 minutes after the crash revealed that Mr. Romeo’s blood alcohol was 0.066 — under the legal limit of 0.08 — Mr. Spota announced days later. However, he maintained that Mr. Romeo was “most likely” over the legal limit at the time of the crash.

Mr. Romeo’s attorney has fought the DWI charges based on Mr. Spota’s comments about blood alcohol content.

gparpan@timesreview.com

Theresa K. Gagen

Theresa K. Gagen, 87, of Greenport died Oct. 28 at Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport.

The daughter of Madeline Cassidy and John Murrary, she was born Oct. 8, 1929, in Brooklyn.

Ms. Gagen attended high school and was a stay-at-home mom, who family members said enjoyed raising her children. She also loved animals, especially golden retrievers.

Predeceased by her husband, Russell, in 1987 and her children Mary-Ann and Robert, she is survived by her sons Russell, of Riverhead and Michael, John, Joseph and Patrick, of Greenport; her daughters Teresa Littlefield, of Shelter Island, Kathy, of Virginia, Diane Heaney of Greenport and Wendy Scholl, of Mattituck. eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her brothers, John and Paul Murray.

Cremation was private. Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport assisted the family.

Memorial donations may be made to Greenport Fire Department Standard Hose Company.

Edward F. Doroska, age 73, formerly of Riverhead, died recently, Oct. 23, 2016, at the Pines of Peace Comfort Care Hospice House in Ontario, N.Y. For the past three years he had resided in the northern New York Finger Lakes region in Wolcott.

Edward, known to many of his childhood friends as “Edjew,” but more commonly known as Eddie, was born June 13, 1943, to John P. Doroszka and Sophie Bozenski Doroszka at the Riverhead Nursing Home on Roanoke Avenue and was raised in the hamlet of Polish Town.

Eddie was a graduate of Riverhead High School, Class of 1962, and worked for the United States Postal Service in Riverhead as a mail carrier for 31 years, his last several years delivering mail to Glenwood Village in Riverhead, where he was well received because of his caring, concerning service.

Eddie was a member of Sunnyside Baptist Church in North Rose, N.Y. The church’s Pastor Jim Houtz officiated at his funeral Oct. 29, 2016, at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead along with Pastor Dave Cook from Calvary Baptist Church in Riverhead. Calling hours were on Friday, Oct. 28, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home, where Pastor Fred Peipman from Moriches Bible Church shared a few words during the afternoon hours on Ed’s Christian walk and his personal testimony of being born again. Also, Monsignor Rev. E. Raymond Walden, a longtime family friend, offered prayers, memories and condolences on Friday evening.

Eddie’s nearly lifelong hobbies were his musical talents with guitars and the accordion, teaching himself to excel at both. He was a member of two bands in the ’70s with his longtime best friend, who was more like a brother, Geoff Hawkes. He was in The Geoff Hawkes Trio, along with a great buddy, Rusty Burgess, and then The Band on the Run when Flanders Methodist minister Ken White joined the original trio. In the ’80s, he played in the band “The JEMS” with another longtime best friend, Mark Heppner, and Greg Heppner, a most devoted special friend, along with another special friend, John MacDonald.

Once retiring from these band activities, Eddie threw himself into woodworking, buying a Woodmizer sawmill and building a solar lumber drying house for creating incredible wood treasures, which most of the time were designed from a picture, without any plans. He also drew up plans, and with the help of Ziggy Rachubka, he built his own three-bay garage, a backhoe, a hovercraft and a solar-powered hot-water heater. Eddie was known to create and build tools that were needed for his latest projects because there were none found to do what he needed them to do. Many have said that Eddie was a genius and jack-of-all-trades; there was very little he couldn’t do!

Eddie was predeceased by both of his parents and his brother Daniel and sister-in-law, Virginia Doroska. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Joanne (née Krajewski); his son, Anthony (Franci), and daughter Connie McCormack, both of Riverhead, and his daughter Sharon Rachubka of Calverton. Sharon’s two daughters, Jessica Rachubka of Riverhead and Melissa Rachubka of Flanders, were always loving and devoted to their “Gpa,” inheriting his artsy, talented gifts as well. He is also survived by Franci’s four children, Rosa Perez (Luis), Rick, Savannah and Billy Fleming, and her granddaughter, Isabella Perez.

Eddie was a most devout born-again Christian, fully believing in the gospel of John 3:5, which was also his personal testimony, “Jesus answered, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.”

Anyone interested in the giving of personal donations may send them to Pines of Peace Comfort Care Home, 2378 Ridge Road, Ontario, NY 14519.

This is a paid notice.

Lorraine Corwin Kowalski of Lillian, Ala. and South Jamesport died at her South Jamesport home Oct. 20, 2016, after a long illness. She was 85.

She was born Oct. 7, 1931, in Riverhead to Rita (née Martin) and O. Halsey Corwin.

Lorraine graduated Riverhead High School and later married Walter Kowalski in February of 1960 at St. Isidore R.C. Church in Riverhead.

A 65-year resident of South Jamesport and 20-year resident of Lillian, Lorraine was a retired manager with Beneficial Finance.

Surviving are her husband Walter; three children, Lori Wulffraat of Riverhead, Donna Harrison of Jamesport and Mike Kowalski of Mattituck; two sisters, Georgia Adams of Mattituck and Patricia Buteau of Albuquerque, N.M. and five grandchildren, Travis Harrison, Nicholas Wulffraat and Molly, Anna and James Kowalski.

The family received visitors on Oct. 24 at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. The Liturgy of Christian Burial was celebrated Oct. 25 at Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. Church, by Monsignor Joseph W. Staudt.

Memorial donations in Lorraine’s memory may be made to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, New York 11978.

This is a paid notice. 

The Southold Town Board agreed Tuesday morning to put together a “working group” that would investigate changes to the town code for wineries, breweries and distilleries — and whether a moratorium on those businesses is needed in the meantime.

But that latter, controversial idea didn’t find much support from board members, some of whom said they believed code changes could be finished without a ban on new wineries, breweries, and distilleries.

The idea of a moratorium was made public last week after Town Supervisor Scott Russell met with members of the Long Island Wine Council and Long Island Farm Bureau to share his idea. Mr. Russell said the current town code can’t handle the current growth of the industry in town.

At Tuesday’s Town Board meeting, as a group of winemakers and vineyard owners watched from the audience, Mr. Russell said the town code lacks definitions for tasting rooms, breweries, and distilleries.

“The problem is if it’s not in the code it’s presumed not to be allowed,” he said. Mr. Russell also believes the code needs to address agricultural retail uses like wine or beer sales at farm stands, adding the current zoning doesn’t specify where certain modern business models would be allowed.

Concerns over quality of life, traffic and police enforcement should also be addressed, he said. The town’s special events rules could also be changed to better match the “intention” of the original law, which he said was written to encourage businesses promoting or selling their own products made in town.

Mr. Russell initially suggested a moratorium while the Town Board looks at the code.

“It’s so global and it’s so comprehensive that any changes that come up should come up as one document. The problem is this one-at-a-time, this paste-and-glue approach, hasn’t served the code well over the years,” he said. “I think everyone has a right to see where we’re going from a global perspective.”

But members of the Town Board didn’t warm up to the idea of a moratorium at the meeting, with several on the council saying they wanted to come up with goals for any town code changes before considering a ban on new winery, brewery and distillery construction.

Councilman William Ruland said a moratorium should be a “last resort.”

“There are a lot of issues, but in my mind, they’re rather narrowly defined,” he said. “It’s not really like it’s a global issues that we’re wrapping our arms around.”

Councilman Robert Ghosio said he thinks the code is worth revising for “quality of life issues alone,” but was hesitant to endorse a moratorium. He didn’t want businesses that had already submitted their applications to be affected.

Mr. Russell said a moratorium could be passed that doesn’t affect existing applications, but board member Louisa Evans said doing that would mean those applications would still have to follow the old, incomplete code.

The board will come up with a list of goals over the next few weeks and meet again later this month with suggestions for which members of the public and winery industry should be on the committee.

“I don’t think it’s insurmountable if people really want this to happen,” Mr. Ruland said.

Meanwhile, Wine Council board member and vineyard owner Sal Diliberto said the council would have a written response to the town’s suggestions by then. He declined to comment on the proposal until the council could see more details.

“These specific purposes are what we want to see,” he said.

psquire@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Town Supervisor Scott Russell pitches his ideas for changes to the town code while vineyard owners watch on from the audience at Town Hall Tuesday morning. (Credit: Paul Squire)

John J. O’Brien of Wading River died Oct. 31, 2016, at Good Shepherd Hospice in Port Jefferson at the age of 50.

He was born in Plainview Feb. 14, 1966, to Eileen and John J. O’Brien Jr. and was a graduate of Hauppauge High School and Villanova University.

John was general manager of Flexim Americas Corp in Edgewood, N.Y..

Surviving are his wife Linda; children Shannon and Kenny; parents  Eileen and John J.O’Brien Jr. and mother-in-law, Catherine Lundgren; siblings, Tara (John) Seifert, Lisa (Michael) Kelly and Cathy (Matthew) Skinner and nieces and nephews Bryan, Corinne and Megan Kelly, Julie, Abigail and Johnny Seifert and Liam, Aidan and Gavin Skinner.

The family will receive visitors Thursday, Nov. 3, from 7 to 9 p.m. and Friday, Nov. 4,  from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C., Church officiated by Monsignor Joseph W. Staudt. Interment will follow at Sacred Heart R.C. Cemetery in Cutchogue.

The family suggests donations in John’s loving memory be made to Good Shepherd Hospice.

This is a paid notice.