Southold Town is considering creating a part-time administrator position for Fishers Island to help bolster communication between the town and the island’s residents.

It can be more difficult to figure out what the priorities of the island are compared to other hamlets because distance provides a challenge, Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said Tuesday at a Town Board work session.

Fishers Island Justice Louisa Evans said residents are asking for someone who can gather information to give to the Island Community Board, which would then find a consensus on what issues are most important.

The administrator could also be a point person between Fishers Island and other agencies, whether in the county or state, that residents might feel alienated from, Mr. Russell said.

It will also benefit the town in avoiding spending resources on matters that may not be of the highest priority to the island as a whole.

“The administrator is a good way at this point of saying look we can improve communications on both sides,” Mr. Russell said.

Photo caption: Fishers Island pictured in 2014. (Credit: Grant Parpan, file)

kzegers@timesreview.com

The post Town considers adding Fishers Island administrator position appeared first on Suffolk Times.

A glass window at the entry of the Mattituck Handy Pantry was damaged Wednesday afternoon when a driver accidentally drove forward from a parking spot into the building.

No injuries were reported, according to Southold Town police, and no charges were expected.

The sedan suffered damage to the front end. The accident occurred shortly before 1 p.m.

Photo credit: A Southold police officer assess the damage to the sedan in the parking lot of the Mattituck Handy Pantry. (Credit: Kelly Zegers)

The post Cops: Car rolls into Mattituck Handy Pantry appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Introducing our new northforker giveaways. In these monthly giveaways, we will partner with community businesses to create a true North Fork experience for the giveaway winner.

Enter our July giveaway below.

The post Experience North Fork July Giveaway appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Here are the classifieds and Service Directory for July 20, 2017. If you are interested in placing an ad, please call Karen, 631-354-8029 or email kcullen@timesreview.com.

Suffolk Times classifieds and Service Directory: July 20, 2017

The post Suffolk Times classifieds and Service Directory: July 20, 2017 appeared first on Suffolk Times.

A former Southold Town police officer’s motion seeking reinstatement after being fired for poor job performance was denied Monday in New York State Supreme Court.

The court found that the town was “reasonable and rational” in firing Garrett Lake, an officer who was fired four days before his probationary period ended last year, due to “ample support” that showed he did not undertake counseling and retraining or perform up to standards after the department received civilian complaints about his actions as an officer, according to Justice William Ford’s decision.

Mr. Lake disputed the notion that he was a poor performer, citing pressure after two “high profile arrests” he made in 2016, according to court papers.  He argued his termination was the result of political pressure from local Republican figures, specifically John Helf, the Southold Republican party vice chairman, and Joseph Sawicki Jr., the Suffolk County assistant deputy police commissioner for finance.

• Read the full court document below

He said he was fired after he arrested Steven Romeo, who in April pleaded guilty driving while ability impaired in a fatal limousine crash in Cutchogue, according to court papers.

In addition, Mr. Lake claimed there was also pressure from the Jamesport Fire Department after he arrested first assistant chief David McKillop last year on a drunken driving charge.

While on duty, Mr. Lake was honored with a proclamation for making the Southold Police Department’s largest number of drunken-driving arrests in 2015.

The town responded to Mr. Lake’s motion, filed in April, and argued that as a probationary employee, Mr. Lake was not entitled to a reason for his dismissal. However, the town said that “poor or problematic performance” were the reasons for the dismissal, according to court papers.

Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley, “while not finding Lake to be the worst performer in the department, had received certain civilian complaints” that painted him to be “overaggressive and overzealous in his use of police tactics in conducting vehicle traffic stops, searches and arrests,” according to court papers.

Concerns about Mr. Lake’s performance were found in a review of his vehicle camera and body microphone, according to court documents. Chief Flatley testified that Mr. Lake was counseled for his actions four times and was sent for additional instruction and retraining on proper vehicle traffic stops and searches.

Chief Flatley recommended Mr. Lake not be offered a job as a permanent police officer, which the Town Board accepted, according to court papers.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said in an email Wednesday that the court’s decision affirms what the town had said all along.

“Mr. Lake was dismissed on the recommendation of the Chief of Police based solely on his job performance and for no other reason,” he said.

kzegers@timesreview.com

Lake Trial Court Decision by Timesreview on Scribd

Editor’s Note: John Helf was misidentified in an earlier version of this article. He is the vice chairman of the Southold Republican party. Joseph Sawicki Jr. is the he Suffolk County assistant deputy police commissioner for finance.

The post Judge finds firing of Southold cop ‘reasonable and rational’ appeared first on Suffolk Times.

A 40-year member of the Jamesport Fire Department was temporarily suspended and could face departmental charges for his role in a fight that broke out at a fire scene July 3.

Tom Brady, 65, a former chair of the Jamesport Fire District board of commissioners, says he wasn’t the aggressor in the fight, which was caught on video by a Riverhead Town employee. And he said his suspension was lifted Tuesday evening at a board of commissioners meeting.

The incident in question took place July 3 about 12:30 p.m. at the East Creek boat ramp on Peconic Bay Boulevard in Jamesport.

A town recreation department vehicle had caught fire there, and Jamesport Fire Department volunteers arrived quickly to extinguish it.

In the video, Mr. Brady approaches fellow firefighter Joseph A. Szot from behind, places a hand on his shoulder and turns him around to speak to him. Mr. Szot’s father, Joseph Szot Jr., is a current fire commissioner with the department.

The video was turned over to Riverhead Town and made available through a Freedom of Information request. It also shows the younger Szot, 24, stepping in front of Mr. Brady as shoving begins, after which Joseph Szot Jr., 54, also jumps into the fray. Mr. Brady becomes pinned against a fire truck until other firefighters break up the scuffle. The video, apparently taken with a cell phone and somewhat shaky, shows the encounter lasting less than a minute.

Mr. Brady says he was punched several times and went to the hospital, where his injuries were described as “contusions,” of which he has photos.

A Riverhead Town police report was filed by Mr. Brady, but no police charges were filed or sought, as the report says it will “be handled in-house with JFD officers.” The report also says Mr. Brady was “wishing to document the incidents since it’s not the first one with the [Szots].”

“There have been arguments before, but I’ve never seen it come to fisticuffs,” Mr. Brady said in an interview.

He said he originally confronted the younger Szot at the scene on July 3 because “he nearly hit me with the truck” while pulling out of fire headquarters.

After the fight, Mr. Brady said he was suspended by Chief John Andrejack. No one else was suspended.

The July 3 scene where firefighters got into a fight. (Credit: Kelly Zegers)

On Tuesday, the fracas was discussed during a commissioners meeting in executive session, which is closed to the public, Afterward, Mr. Brady said he was told that his suspension was lifted, but he still faced potential departmental charges.

Following the meeting, Mr. Szot Jr. declined comment, saying, “It wouldn’t be right to comment while the incident is still under investigation.” His son was not at the meeting and could not be immediately reached for comment.

Mr. Andrejack also declined to comment.

Bob Sikora, chairman of the commissioners, confirmed Wednesday that the suspension had been lifted and that an attorney hired by the district is reviewing the video.

Mr. Brady, who is a retired Suffolk County Police lieutenant and an Air Force veteran, said he wasn’t told what type of charges he might face.

Editor’s Note: The video above was edited to begin when the altercation started. The audio was muted due to offensive language.

tgannon@timesreview.com

The post Fire scene in Jamesport turns to fisticuffs; member temporarily suspended appeared first on Suffolk Times.

A 23-year-old man who last week was charged with second-degree murder after a Greenport woman was found strangled in her home faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the felony charge.

Jaime DeLeon-Tino, who was before Suffolk County Justice Richard Ambro Thursday morning in Riverhead, is being held on $1 million cash bail or $2 million bond. He is charged with the murder of 27-year-old Michelle Schiavoni and has pleaded not guilty. Mr. DeLeon-Tino is the United States illegally and is currently in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to assistant district attorney Elizabeth Creighton. A district attorney spokesman said Mr. DeLeon-Tino was from El Salvador. Ms. Creighton said there’s no evidence he has any gang affiliation.

Mr. DeLeon-Tino said in a statement that he placed his hands around Ms. Schiavoni’s neck until she was dead on the night of July 10, Ms. Creighton said. He also said he was going to leave the state and possibly the country, and was carrying a “large sum” of money, according to Ms. Creighton.

Outside the courtroom, Ms. Creighton said while some type of argument occurred, Mr. DeLeon-Tino did not fully explain why. The two were not dating but were “known to each other as friends,” Ms. Creighton said.

Ms. Schiavoni’s family declined comment outside the courtroom.

The case adjourned to conference set for Aug. 17.

Southold Town police made 17 visits over five years to the Greenport Village address where Ms. Schiavoni was murdered last week in the town’s first homicide in over 20 years, Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley said in an interview this week.

During the previous five years, calls to town police to investigate at the address came from neighbors and were varied in nature. One caller, for example, reported possible criminal mischief when someone threw a rock at a window. Others called to report disturbances or complain about someone on the property who should not have been there. Charges were not filed in those cases.

Last August, at the same house, a man attacked Ms. Schiavoni and another man with a machete. That was the only call that resulted in an arrest at the address. Esvin Rolando Escobar of Greenport was arrested and charged with felony assault.

The day after last week’s murder, neighbors expressed sadness that the young woman had been killed, and said they kept their distance from the house because they saw a lot of people coming and going. Officers who covered that sector were aware of the house, Chief Flatley said.

He described Greenport as a safe community and said the last murder in Southold Town was “well over 20 years ago” at Driftwood Cove in Greenport. That case is still open. In 2009 a Greenport teenager, Eber Lopez, was found dead of a gunshot wound in Farmingville after he was last seen at a party in Southold. There was a homicide on Shelter Island in 1998. Kenneth Payne was charged with murder after firing a shotgun at his neighbor, Curtis Cook, believing he had molested an 8-year-old girl, according to news reports at the time.

Because an arrest was made quickly in the Second Street death, Chief Flatley said, “It didn’t leave the community thinking where is somebody going to strike next.”

Greenport Mayor George Hubbard Jr. said he received a few calls from people concerned about whether someone dangerous was still in the area, but was assured by police there was no threat.

“Generally, overall, Greenport’s a very safe place,” Mr. Hubbard said, calling the homicide an isolated incident. “It’s very rare that we have something like that happen here. It’s very unfortunate for that young girl.”

After the murder, Southold police called in the Suffolk County Police Department’s homicide squad, which is standard department procedure any time there is a suspicious death, life-threatening violent act or a need to determine whether a serious felony was committed, according to the chief.

He said the toughest challenges for the local department come down to manpower, especially in the summer, when there are more people and cars around town and officers are spread between managing traffic and seasonal events.

“It gets busy,” he said. “But luckily, we live in an area where we’re not dealing with the violence as much as other places. We don’t have armed robberies on the street. We may get on the rare occurrence one of those, but very seldom is it somebody who doesn’t know the person that they’re attacking or there’s some other reason for it. It’s a safe community and we work hard to try and keep it that way.”

kzegers@timesreview.com

The post Man charged with Greenport murder held by ICE appeared first on Suffolk Times.

The Southold Town Board approved a resolution Tuesday to endorse Oysterponds Historical Society’s application for a grant that would aid in its goal of purchasing the Orient United Methodist Church property on Village Lane.

The historical society hopes to preserve the church, which currently carries a $950,000 price tag. The Peconic Land Trust has agreed to front the funds for the purchase and give OHS three years to repay the money.

OHS is seeking a grant from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation under the Environmental Protection Fund. The maximum grant award is $500,000.

Bob Hanlon, president of the Orient Association, said Tuesday that $100,000 has already been raised for the project.

kzegers@timesreview.com

The post Town Board backs grant application for purchase of Orient church appeared first on Suffolk Times.

The musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie” is this year’s Youth on Stage production at North Fork Community Theatre in Mattituck. Performances will take place Thursdays through Sundays, July 20 to Aug. 6. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays.

The show is based on the 1967 film of the same name, which starred Julie Andrews. In 1922, Small-town girl Millie Dillmount heads to New York to find a rich man to marry. She ends up in a hotel run by the leader of a white slavery ring in Hong Kong. She makes friends and falls in love, but not in the way she’d expected.

Members of the cast are Ashley Hilary (as Millie), Eric Hughes, Aria Saltini, Kierra Prentiss, Gage Bennett, Sarah Fogarty, Alex Bradley, Eric Momente, Grace Lukachinski, Julia Cappiello, Bridgett Comiskey, Kimmie Connolly, Alissa Dabrowski, Ben Eager, Caleb Foley, Gaby Gonzalez, Shay Jackson, Lily Keane, Mikayla Keane, Leah Kerensky, Alek Lewis, Rebecca Lukachinski, Alex McCarthy, Jessica Nicholson, Casey Plitt, Jocelyn Podlas, Sarah Scarbrough, Justin Stuart, Jillian Tuthill and Julianna Voegel.

A free opening-night reception will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 20.

Tickets are $25, with student rush admission of $20 offered 10 minutes before curtain, if seats are available.

For reservations, visit nfct.com or call 631-298-6328.

Photo: Ashley Hilary (center) plays the title role in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” in North Fork Community Theatre’s Youth on Stage production in Mattituck. (Credit: North Fork Community Theatre/Rory MacNish)

The post ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ opens at North Fork Community Theatre appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Many have heard the story about the bartender who busts his hump slinging drinks across a bar every day and night to save enough coin to fulfill the longtime dream of one day owning his own place.

From a distance, one might think there’s a similar story behind Andy’s, the popular new bar and restaurant on Front Street in Greenport.

But to hear co-owners Andy Harbin and Doug Roberts tell it, that’s not the case at all.

“It was never my dream,” Mr. Harbin, perhaps the most popular bartender in all of Southold Town, said.

“How long did I dream of being in the restaurant business?” Mr. Roberts asked. “I didn’t.”

The origin story behind Andy’s isn’t actually any one person’s fantasy. Instead it’s a tale of family, community, friendship and opportunity. The result so far for many of the patrons who’ve entered the establishment — formerly the home of Rhumb Line — is a belly full of good food.

“We really just wanted to open a place in Greenport where a family with young children can sit down and enjoy a good meal together,” Mr. Roberts said over lunch at the bar Monday, his business partner standing a few feet away among the highball glasses and beer taps, where you’ve most often seen him.

The pair actually met in a similar spot, with Andy — let’s ditch the Mr. Harbin thing — manning the bar at nearby Front Street Station and Mr. Roberts a patron. One day, Mr. Roberts said to his future business partner, “If you ever think about opening your own place, I’d be interested in partnering with you.”

It was an offhand comment made more than three years ago, with no real plan behind it — the kind of statement people often make after having a drink or two.

The Roberts and Harbin families inside Andy’s during construction. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

Andy has worked the North Fork bar and restaurant scene since his days at Mattituck High School. His first gig behind the bar, he once told one of our reporters, was when a bartender didn’t show up to work at the Old Mill Inn, where he was waiting tables.

RELATED: BEHIND THE BAR WITH ANDY HARBIN, A NORTH FORK LEGEND

He’s perhaps best known as one of the bartenders at Sophie’s in Southold, but he also forged many relationships at other local establishments like Legends in New Suffolk and The Frisky Oyster in Greenport.

It was one day last year, while walking to a shift at the latter, that Andy noticed a “for rent” sign inside the former Rhumb Line. A couple of days passed and a customer at the bar brought up the vacancy across the street again.

After checking out the terms with the building’s landlord, he floated the idea to Mr. Roberts.

“At first I was like, ‘What, is he kidding? I don’t really want to own a restaurant,’ ” Mr. Roberts, an education consultant and village trustee, recalled. “Then I looked at the terms and said this is actually a pretty good opportunity.”

Both men saw an opportunity to create a type of eatery they felt didn’t necessarily exist within the village: a place where families with kids of all ages can meet, with a sports bar atmosphere and a menu that appealed to both locals and tourists. Several places fulfill some of these needs for customers, but to have it all in one location is a bit of a niche, the men believe. The waiting area features games kids can play with and bring to the table to hold their attention throughout a meal without staring at a screen.

To bring the concept together, the men employed the wisdom of their wives, Sharon Harbin and Mary Roberts, and other family members and hired Greenport resident Alexa Suess as a branding strategist.

Pulled pork potato skin shooters at Andy’s. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

“She’s a genius,” Andy said of the young artist, who designed the menus and was the brains behind much of the restaurant’s atmosphere. He’s also quick to point out the creativity of chef Larry Evans of Philadelphia, who most recently worked as sous chef at Industry Standard.

As expected, Andy’s has been popular with locals in its first month of business and it should be a go-to spot to watch football in the fall and early winter. Attracting tourists is the hurdle that will mark true success for the business, the men believe.

What they’re most proud of is how much their families and the surrounding business community has embraced Andy’s, a name that was actually pushed by others who knew how well-liked Andy is.

“My wife’s support has been amazing,” Andy said. “She was up there painting the ceiling while I was dealing with all these other things that come with opening a business.”

Mr. Roberts, whose wife does the books, said he’s not afraid to admit that Andy’s daughter Lili came up with his favorite menu item, mozzarella stick grilled cheese, which is on the children’s menu.

Andy was visibly moved speaking of the support he received from Robby Beaver at The Frisky Oyster and Dennis and Diane Harkoff of Legends, who donated a display case that’s among the first things you see when walking through the front entrance. Bobby Heaney, owner of the former Skipper’s, donated the glassware.

“Without all these people, we couldn’t have done it,” Andy said.

As we ate Monday — the New England clam chowder, for now a soup of the day, is among the best around — a local businessman sat at the other end of the bar. As he chatted with a friend, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that his own son had just entered the restaurant.

Two generations of one family were checking out the new place at the same time. Family, exactly what these two unlikely restaurant owners had in mind.

Top photo caption: The entrance to Andy’s in Greenport. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

The author is the content director for Times Review Partners, a division of Times Review Media Group. He covers lifestyle and business news for the company.

The post Column: Andy Harbin opens a Greenport restaurant where everyone knows his name appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Transparency in government is vital if citizens are to know and fully understand what government officials are doing with the tens of millions of dollars we pay in taxes. Very few of us are forensic accountants who have the time to obtain government records under the Freedom of Information laws and study them at our kitchen tables to see where every dollar is going.

We count on people in elected and appointed offices to do the right thing by us, and to spend money in the best — and most transparent — ways. After all, it’s our money. We gave it to them. Common sense would say that if what government is doing is really in our best interests, it should be done out in the open.

The issue of transparency in government seems to be very much the underlying discussion in Riverhead about the proposal from a company called Luminati Aerospace. Officials in Southold, Greenport and Shelter Island should be paying attention to what is unfolding there. A lesson is playing out in Riverhead on how to do business with people who want to do business with government.

Luminati is boldly proposing to return the EPCAL site in Calverton to its glory years, when Grumman built F-14 jets there. It was Grumman engineers and scientists who helped put astronauts on the moon and bring them back safely to earth. There is tremendous history at the site, harking back to the days when America’s grasp exceeded its reach.

It would seem doubtful that anything on the scale of Grumman will ever return to Calverton. Riverhead Town has certainly tried and for several years now has been tossing around ideas ever since receiving this massive and magnificent piece of property from the U.S. Navy. Those ideas have included an indoor ski mountain and other themed resorts; a racing-themed entertainment center; an industrial park; a proposal from Donald Trump for the entire 2,900-acre site for a NASCAR race track; and an equestrian park. Those ideas have come and gone.

The more than 2,000 acres that make up the site are a gem and, outside the preserved areas of the Long Island Pine Barrens, one of the largest undeveloped tracts of woodlands remaining. Perhaps in another time and place it would be a candidate for a national park and an aerospace museum.

The discussion in Riverhead now is whether to move forward with Luminati and sell the company more than 1,000 acres of land at the site. Stories in the Riverhead News-Review and those by RiverheadLOCAL have raised a number of critical questions that need to be answered by town government and fully discussed with the public. The media and candidates for town office have been the ones asking the questions.

Daniel Preston, Luminati’s CEO, has not answered a number of questions from reporters who have asked for basic, dollars and cents information about his company and his track record as a businessman. So far, he has even declined to provide a copy of his résumé, and it does not look like Riverhead has asked for key documents from a company that could end up owning this massive piece of real estate. Or, if they have important documents, have they fully and publicly vetted this information?

There are still many steps local government must take with Luminati, particularly now that a possible financier has stepped onto the stage. Hopefully, officials in other towns are paying attention to the script being followed in Riverhead.

The post Editorial: There is no substitute for transparency in government appeared first on Suffolk Times.

When the time came for Alex Bradley to choose an Eagle Scout project, he looked to the past for inspiration.

The recent Mattituck High School graduate devoted his time to sorting through nearly 400 boxes of material excavated from a construction site in Glen Cove.

Collected by John Milner Associates, a historic preservation and cultural resource service, the material was found during a soil search that preceded construction of a residential development at the site. The boxes were given to the Southold Indian Museum in 2014, where they sat until Mr. Bradley, 18, organized a group of volunteers to curate them last summer.

“The volunteers I led were a lot of Boy Scouts and family members and we spent hours sifting through the archaeological spoils,” he said.

Mr. Bradley added that before teaching the volunteers — an important part of an Eagle Scout project, which is designed to teach leadership skills — he had to learn how to conduct an archeological dig and what exactly to look for.

While working on the project, which took months and also included writing reports and refurbishing the display case at the museum, Mr. Bradley and the volunteers found numerous artifacts, including some dating back approximately 6,000 years.

Notable finds include shells with “perfectly pinched holes” — a sign that they were used as adornments — and items made of catlinite, or red clay stone. Catlinite is not native to Long Island and shows evidence that the Algonquin Indians participated in travel or trade, museum secretary Lucinda Hemmick said. She added that a catlinite pipe was most likely used ceremonially, potentially as a peace pipe.

While he enjoyed his first archaeological dig, Mr. Bradley said it became difficult at times to determine if something was just a rock or had some historical and cultural significance.

“A lot of things looked tool-ish, but we had to discard some because we can’t just keep a bunch of rocks that look like tools,” he said.

He added that he learned to look for ridges, flat or sharp edges, or any other evidence that humans had been “chipping away” at the stones.

Only weeks away from starting college at Tufts University in Massachusetts, Mr. Bradley is entering with an undecided major, but is considering Native American history. If it does not eventually become his career, he said, it will always be a hobby.

“I liked Native American history previous to the [Eagle Scout] project because I have ancestors from other parts of the world, but Long Island being where grew up I know the people who lived here for the longest time were the Algonquin people,” he explained. “So it’s important to me because they’re the people who first inhabited the land where I live now. They’re my ancestors, in a way, even if they’re not biologically my ancestors.”

Mr. Bradley officially received Eagle Scout recognition July 1 during a ceremony at the Southold Indian Museum.

In addition to being on display at the museum, pictures of the Glen Cove artifacts Mr. Bradley identified are posted on its website at southoldindianmuseum.org. The online photos are part of a digital archiving project funded by a $4,300 grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation that the museum received last August.

Photo caption: Alex Bradley shows a few of the oldest artifacts he identified, some of which date back to about 6,000 years ago. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

nsmith@timesreview.com

The post Mattituck teen’s Eagle Scout project curates ancient artifacts for museum appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Sandwich boards advertising specials, racks with clothing on display and tables for outdoor dining are becoming more and more prevalent on the streets of Main Street and Front Street in downtown Greenport.

But with the exception of one 24-by-42-inch sandwich board sign for each business, all of them would have to go under a proposed compromise offered by the Greenport Business Improvement District in responses to a request for suggestions from the village trustees.

Those suggestions came Thursday, when the BID board of directors offered a compromise that there be one 24-by-42-inch, sandwich board sign allowed per business, ideally a chalkboard with a natural wooden frame, and the placement of it should allow five feet of unencumbered walkway, according to Trustee Julia Robins, who is the trustee’s liaison to the BID.

“Other encumberances such as tables, benches and clothing racks” would not be permitted, she said.

In its meeting Thursday, the village board discussed plans to take up the BID offer.

“I’ve noticed with the sandwich board signs, as you walk along Front Street, the sidewalk gets narrower and you can only really accommodate two people,” Trustee Mary Bess Phillips said. “As you get down toward lower Main, people start to walk in the roads, and part of that is because of the sandwich boards.”

The village code doesn’t specifically address sandwich board signs, but it does mention “signs” in a section on the clearing of sidewalks, and it says they shouldn’t “project over the sidewalk so as to interfere with the free passage of pedestrians over the whole width” of the sidewalk.

“The village reached out to us and asked for input or suggestions for an acceptable standard for sandwich boards,” BID president Rich Vandenburgh said in an interview Friday. “The sidewalks being as narrow as they are, pedestrian traffic gets obstructed. We’re trying to make sure that pedestrians visiting the shops are able to navigate the sidewalk without it being an obstacle course.”

He acknowledged that some store owners may like the proposal and others not.

At the June 22 Village Board meeting, Evan Gappelberg, who recently opened the Hampton Chocolate Factory on Main Street, made a case for allowing sandwich boards.

“Everybody in business has decided that these signs are good for business,” he said. “And when you drive around Long Island or you drive around the country, you see these signs. It’s a big business, and the reason is, is that it’s successful.  It works. It communicates to the customer.”

He added, “it’s hard to grab their attention with our little storefronts, so these signs actually do work. People come into our shop, and we’ve only been open since Memorial Day, and they literally are ordering what they see in these signs.”

Mayor George Hubbard said Thursday that the signs are getting “bigger and bigger.” He said the village board can vote to hold a public hearing in August, and then possibly vote on the issue in September.

But he said the village should enforce the proposed change as a “standard operating procedure” in the meantime.

“If they comply with this, we won’t issue notices, but if they go beyond this, we would,” Village Administrator Paul Pallas clarified.

“We’ll solidify how this works over the next two months,” Mr. Hubbard said.

tgannon@timesreview.com

[Photo credit: Tim Gannon]

The post Greenport moves towards eliminating some sandwich board signs appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Where was Camp Siegfried located? When did slavery officially end in New York State? Who was Benny Hooper?

These were some of the questions posed to an enthusiastic audience last Thursday during the East End Trivia Contest at the historic Jamesport Meeting House. Most questions were about local and regional history, some not so much, such as: How many stops are there on the Long Island Rail Road?

Answer: 124.

The event drew a large crowd and raised approximately $1,700 in team sponsorships that will go to the meeting house, which was built as a church in 1731 by early settlers and was bought in 2008 by a preservation fund.

For part of the two-hour event it looked as though the team from Peconic Landing in Greenport had all the correct answers, but when the final tally was made, it was the team of James Slezak, Linda Slezak, Jay Schondebare and Paul Hoffman that won the night.

There were plenty of laughter and loud cheers as questions were pulled from a bucket and read to the teams, which wrote their answers on slips of paper. Winning responses drew more cheers and fist pumps.

The first question was: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration lists eight bays in the Peconic system on nautical charts. Name five of them. Most of the teams had no problem naming the five. The next question was multiple choice: In 1902, what was the population of Riverhead? A: 1000. B: 2,500. C: 4,000, D: 5,500.

Correct answer: B.

A small controversy arose when one question asked which North Fork hamlet is home to the oldest English house. The correct answer — Cutchogue, where the house was built in 1649 — was also the wrong answer. Richard Wines, whose fundraising work saved the meeting house, pointed out that recent tree ring tests on that house showed it was built closer to 1698, technically making the Halsey House in Southampton the oldest English house on Long Island.

Answers to other questions: Benny Hooper became famous when he fell into a well in Manorville; Camp Siegfried was a German-American camp in Yaphank; slavery in New York officially ended in 1827.

These questions were all local: Who owns the trademark to Robins Island Oysters, which were famous and on New York City hotel menus? Answer: George Braun. Where did Long Islanders loyal to the British during the Revolution escape to? Answer: Connecticut. Who was Cutchogue’s most famous son who won a Pulitzer Prize for music composition?

Answer: Douglas Moore.

For Mr. Wines, the night was a great success.

“The East End Trivia Contest was a perfect use for the area’s oldest public building,” he said in an email.

Photo caption: James Slezak (from left), Linda Slezak and Jay Schondebare were the winning team last Thursday at Jamesport Meeting House’s East End Trivia Night. Not pictured: Paul Hoffman. (Courtesy photo)

swick@timesreview.com

The post East End Trivia Contest raises $1,700 for Jamesport Meeting House appeared first on Suffolk Times.

I’m sorry to say it appears as if the Major League Baseball All-Star Game has jumped the shark.

It’s with great sorrow that I write these words because of all the all-star games in professional sports, baseball’s stands as the most watchable of them all. Still, what we saw in the 88th playing of the summer spectacle made me shudder. The actual game itself was a good one. The manner in which it was broadcast, well, that’s another story.

With my vacation winding down, I had looked forward to settling in front of the TV last week to watch the game. Baseball is one of the joys of summer, and I’ve always liked watching the MLB All-Star Game, going back to when I was a kid. It seemed much more important to us kids back then in the 1970s. We wanted to see how the players representing the Mets and the Yankees stacked up against the rest of the best. It would be fodder for discussion the next day when we played ball at the school yard. To us kids, at least, it really mattered.

As the years went by, we got older and noticed the flaws in the NFL, NBA and NHL all-star games. Defense was little more than a rumor in those games. A lot of flash, but little substance.

What baseball has going for it is its all-star game is closer to the real thing than those in the other sports.

Unlike some, I thought it was a good idea when MLB started awarding the home-field advantage in the World Series to the club representing the league that won the All-Star Game. It was done that way from 2003-16. “This time it counts.” That was the message MLB conveyed back when it started selling that concept.

In keeping with that line of thinking, the new mantra for MLB’s showcase of stars could be, “This time it doesn’t count.”

All anyone who didn’t get that message had to do was watch last week’s game. It was a good one, with the American League topping the National League, 2-1, on Robinson Cano’s 10th-inning home run.

Now, for my complaint. First, let me get this out: I typically enjoy Fox’s sports coverage. I think the network routinely does a great job. But Fox’s use of in-game interviews last week was over the top. We saw players being interviewed in the on-deck circle before stepping up to the plate. We saw Alex Rodriguez strolling across the infield dirt, interviewing infielders before the start of an inning. It was really all meaningless blather. “Come on, get on with it,” I thought. “I just want to watch a baseball game.”

Just when I started wondering what would be next, play-by-play announcer Joe Buck engaged in a conversation with a mic’d up Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals (talking about the Dallas Cowboys, of all things) — while Harper was playing rightfield!

It was then, with impeccable timing, when I received a text message from Tim Gannon, a reporter at the paper, saying, “It’s like the Pro Bowl now.”

Oh God, no! Has it come to that?

Several years ago I forced myself to watch an entire Pro Bowl, and it was painful. You see, hitting and tackling are integral to football, and you don’t see that in the Pro Bowl, which is a form of glorified touch football.

Maybe my irritation over these mindless interviews is a case of old fogyism creeping in. I don’t know. I’m sure some producer at Fox thought the interviews were a good idea.

They weren’t.

In this case, “unprecedented access” led to unprecedented distraction and annoyance, at least as far as this game was concerned. Just because you have the ability to do something doesn’t mean that you should do it.

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

The post Sports Desk: All-star interviews were an unprecedented annoyance appeared first on Suffolk Times.

FOURTH-QUARTER HONOR ROLL

Southold Junior-Senior High

HIGH HONOR ROLL

Grade 12: Emma Alvarez, Adam Baldwin, Samantha Baldwin, Garrison Bennett, Charlie Bonilla, Grace Bruer, Abagail Cacovic, Michael Christman, Nicole Christman, Dylan Clausen, Douglas Fiedler, Miguel Gomez, Liam Gregg, C. Matthew Hall, Stephen Hocker, Sarah Jannazzo, Gus Klavas, Owen Klipstein, Robert Kruszeski, Jake McCarthy, Patrick McFarland, Althea Mignone, Jamie Molnar, Sean Okula, Quinn Osmer, Emily Perry, Meg Pickerell, Charles Poliwoda, Daisy Rymer, Jheimy Uguna, Connor Vaccariello, Edwin Ward IV.

Grade 11: Brooke Averette, Rebecca Dickerson, Jacob Dominy, Katherine Jarvis, Kathryn Jernick, Jack Koslosky, Michael Krause, Ann Lincoln, Annette Newman, Kai Obinata, Jared Palumbo, Kyra Panetta, Lucie Showalter, Kathryn Stahl.

Grade 10: Sabrina Basel, Jonathan Baumann, Bryanna Bay, Eric Connolly, Patrick Connolly, Olivia Daddona, Samantha Dunne, Robert Elliston, Van Karsten, Max Kruszeski, Marie Mullen, Jake Okula, Joseph Owens, Emiliann Palermo, Olivia Saccamano, Dante Tramontana.

Grade 9: Walter (Cole) Brigham IV, Jacquelyn Constantine, William Dickerson, Elizabeth Jernick, Felecia Kayel, Olivia Lynch, Julia Mejsak, Jessica Mele, Simon Mraz, Ella Neese, Elizabeth Quinones, Anna Yao Reilly, Steven Russell, Kaitlin Tobin, Rhian Tramontana, Nicholas Vicinanza.

Grade 8: Grace Brodarick, Andrew Clausen, Gabriela Contreras, Ryan Deerkoski, Isabella DeMaio, Hanna DeSimone, Matthew Garms, Danielle Henry, Cole Hilary, Julia Jaklevic, Caroline Koslosky, Ethan Magnuson, Kelli McHugh, Jaishaun McRae-Carden, Alexis Merino Fernandez, Matthew Mullen, Annamaria Napolitano, Samuel Owens, Daniel Palencia Castellanos, Stephen Palermo, Silvia Rackwitz, Juliet Rand, Magda Rodriguez, Kaia Rothman, Ania Smith, Tamara Vidal, Benjamin Ward, Miles Whiting.

Grade 7: Eleanora Alloway, Angel Grace Almedilla, Katherin Alvarenga Garcia, Annie Antonucci, Landon Bennett, Naomi Cichanowicz, Robert Corazzini III, Emma DeTour, Lane Dominy, Brendan Duffy, Mitchell Elliston, Gavin Fredricks, Dominick Giovanniello, Melissa Grzegorczyk, Bryce Hansen, Evelyn Helinski, Calvin Karsten, Conor Kilcommons, Tate Klipstein, Camryn Koke, Angela Kollen, Natalie Kopala, Kenny Lin, Steven Lopez, Jonathan Lopez, Isaiah Mraz, Jack Murray, David Okula Jr., Ryan Palumbo, Isabelle Penny, Katie Russell, Hannah Taggart, Jacob Volosik, Connor Wilinski, Amelia Woods, Gabriella Zaffino.

HONOR ROLL

Grade 12: Maria Amador, Mathew Cardi, Evelyn Cummings, Kylee DeFrese, Christopher DeSimone, Evelin Garcia Palencia, Anthony Klavas, Alexander Krukowski, Julia Mele, Joseph Saporita, Alexander Seifert.

Grade 11: Charlotte Allen, Harry Antonucci, Alexandra Apadula, Parker Bakowski, Katie Baumann, Hayley Brigham, William Burns, Charles Campbell, Alexandra Cardi, Ashley Hilary, Julia Kujawski, Michael Lasot, Heather MacArthur, Charlotte Mahaffy, Joseph Manfredi, Hannah Sutton, Justin Tobin, Victoria Tondo.

Grade 10: Jack Antonucci, Ally Boyle, Michael Chacon Munoz, Michael Daddona, Tyler DeFrese, Justin Hanold, Anakin Mignone, Rosanna Mollica, Katherine Patchell, Marissa Rackwitz, Emily Russell, BriAnn Suskevich, Casie Vaccariello, Michael Wineberger.

Grade 9: Thomas Cooper, Jack Cosmadelis, Jessica Cruz, Justin Eckhardt, Vanessa Garcia Chicas, John Judge, Kathryn Kilcommons, Maximilian Pasko, Stephen Schill, Harold Vasquez Duenas, Julia Vicinanza, Emma Whittington-Quarty.

Grade 8: Patrick Allen, Nicolas Diaz, Jack Giovanniello, Christopher Holmes IV, Brook Howard, Jenna McFarland, Matthew Messana, Aidan Russell, Bianca Secaida, Sophia Small, Reese Thompson.

Grade 7: Savannah Alexander, Can (John) Altintoprak, Angelina Bokina, Nikolas Cartselos, Robert Cooper, Robert Guarriello, Michael Innamorato Jr., Anthony Jimenez Euceda, Megan Keller, Alyssa Kollen, Dayana Mejia Lopez, Benjamin Schaeffler, Matthew Schill, Alexandra Tsoumpelis.

COMMENDED STUDENTS

Carlos Campos-Chavez, Rachel Garms, Ashley Lang, Michael McFarland.

The post Southold Junior-Senior High fourth-quarter honor roll appeared first on Suffolk Times.

The Southold Town Highway Department will pave Old Jule Lane in Mattituck beginning at 6 a.m. Monday. Highway Superintendent Vincent Orlando said the paving will be done on the west portion of the road to minimize disruption for people leaving for work.

At around noon when that project is completed, the Highway Department will begin paving on New Suffolk Avenue beginning on Main Road eastbound toward New Suffolk.

Residents should seek alternative routes.

Photo credit: Google Maps

The post Highway Department to pave Old Jule Lane, New Suffolk Avenue Monday appeared first on Suffolk Times.

The first-ever all-class reunion for Mattituck High School drew more than 100 alumni over two days of festivities this weekend.

Organizers said more people than expected showed up at The Crazy Fork restaurant Friday night for a pig roast. On Saturday, they reconvened at Veterans Beach for a family barbecue with chicken, burgers, salads and more.

Alumni ranged back as far as the ’50s.

Denise Geis and Michael Sanchez led the organizing efforts and Eric Hubbard, ’83, — a former standout long jumper and triple jumper on Mattituck’s track team — manned the grill Saturday. The hope is for the all-class reunion, which featured items and food donated from local businesses, to become a tradition every other year similar to Greenport High School’s all-class reunion.

See photos below:

The post Mattituck alumni celebrate at first-ever all-class reunion: Photos appeared first on Suffolk Times.

The East End Fringe Festival, a collection of original plays, poetry, short theatrical performances and a New Orleans Jazz Brunch, will run Wednesday, July 26, through Sunday, Aug. 6. Events will take place at various Riverhead venues.

The festival opens at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 26, at Vail-Leavitt Music Hall with the play “Fifty Flat,” written by Brianna Singer and directed by Christina O’Toole. An opening reception will be hosted by Moustache Brewing Co.

Additional performances of “Fifty-Flat,” as well as performances of the plays “BREAK OUT!,” “Leaving Evelyn,” “Mr. Danby’s Son,” “Priapism” (for mature audiences) and “The Supreme Beings” will take place at Vail-Leavitt at various times July 28 and 29 and Aug. 2-6. The cost is $25 for one show; $35 for two shows and $45 for three shows.

“TheaterExpress,” a series of short sets of short plays, will take place Thursday, July 27, at various times during the “Alive on 25” festival on the Arts Stage at East End Arts. The performances will be free.

A New Orleans Jazz Brunch will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, July 30, at Dark Horse Restaurant. The event features live music by The Sunnyland Jazz Band and an encore “TheaterExpress” performance. The cost is $45.

“Project Poetry,” an evening of poetry readings, will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1, at Vail-Leavitt. The cost is $10.

For a complete listing of the times/descriptions of the performances, brunch menu and tickets for all of the events, visit eastendfringefest.com. “Meet the Playwright” information is available on the festival’s Facebook page, facebook.com/EastEndFringeFestival.

Photo: Vail-Leavitt Music Hall in Riverhead is among the East End Fringe Festival venues. (file photo)

The post East End Fringe Festival starts July 26 in Riverhead appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Fred and Martha Carter of Mattituck have announced the engagement of their son Fred to Chelsea Michalek, daughter of Gary and Becky Michalek of Winnetka, Ill.

Fred and Chelsea both graduated from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., where they met. Fred graduated from Lehigh’s College of Arts and Sciences and later received master’s degrees in technical entrepreneurship and mechanical engineering, also from Lehigh. Chelsea received a bachelor’s degree from Lehigh’s College of Business and Economics.

Fred and Chelsea reside in Chicago, where Fred is employed by Sciaky Inc. as a research and development process engineer. Chelsea is employed at Ernst & Young as an event and meeting planner.

An August 2018 wedding is planned in Chicago.

The post Engagement: Fred Carter and Chelsea Michalek appeared first on Suffolk Times.