Ivy F. deLutio of Greenport died July 24. She was 94.
The family will receive visitors Sunday, July 30, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport. A funeral Mass will take place at 11 a.m. Monday, July 31, at St. Agnes R.C. Church in Greenport. Burial at Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale.
Memorial donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.
A complete obituary will follow.
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Perry Gershon of East Hampton filed paperwork July 15 to run against Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin for New York’s 1st Congressional District in 2018.
The Democrat announced that he has raised more than $100,000 in the first week since the filing. All of the money came from individual donors, not from political action committees, according to a press release.
“I’m thrilled with the support I’ve received for my candidacy in the first week and I remain confident that I can garner the financial support necessary to hold Lee Zeldin accountable,” Mr. Gershon said in the release.
Mr. Gershon, 55, is not a career politician. He opened a sports bar at age 23 and worked in commercial real estate for over 25 years. A 22-year Suffolk County resident, he and his wife, Lisa, have two college-aged sons. He says he is running in this election to fight against health care being taken away from Americans and to “restore the middle class.”
“This campaign is about raising wages and improving health care for the people of Long Island and they are fired up and ready to fight back,” Mr. Gershon said. “Zeldin has put his own interests and special interests first for too long. He isn’t fighting for the middle class, but I will.”
Mr. Gershon is expected to officially announce his candidacy later this summer, but does not have a specific date yet.
Courtesy photo: Perry Gershon
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Virginia J. Smith of Riverhead died July 25 at her home. She was 99.
The daughter of Joseph and Nelle Baker, she was born Oct. 11, 1917, in Brooklyn.
She was a retired teacher, previously teaching in Pawling, N.Y.
Ms. Smith was a member of the Legion of Mary, the Retired Teachers Association, League of Women Voters, Ladies of the Moose, a volunteer with the Riverhead Senior Center and AARP and served as a 4-H leader, Eucharistic minister and CCD teacher.
Predeceased by her husband, Albert, in 1986, Ms. Smith is survived by her children, Walter, of Maryland, Gail Rampolla, of Brewster, N.Y., Lance, of Florida, Ginny Naugles of Riverhead and Albert of Miller Place; sisters Muriel Groneman of Riverhead and Delores Bennison of Port Jefferson; brother Bill Baker of Williston Park; 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. She was also predeceased by her brother Joseph Baker and sister Bernice Cordes.
The family will receive visitors Thursday, July 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 28, at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church in Riverhead. Interment will take place at the church cemetery.
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A westbound car on Route 48 in Southold collided with another vehicle Tuesday after the driver appeared to suffer a medical emergency and lost control, according to Southold Town police.
Injuries related to the crash near Boisseau Avenue all appeared to be minor, police said. The vehicle that was struck had three people in it, police said.
The Southold Fire Department responded to the crash, which occurred shortly after 5 p.m. No charges were expected, police said.
Both vehicles were cleared from the road by about 6 p.m.
Photo credit: Kelly Zegers
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Irwin R. Kaplan
Irwin R. Kaplan, a resident of Brooklyn Heights and Southold, died July 16, 2017, at the age of 81.
Irwin was born in Brooklyn to Harry and Ann Kaplan June 10, 1936. He was a graduate of Boys High. He served honorably in the U.S. Army, attended Brooklyn College and went on to earn a law degree from Brooklyn Law School.
Irwin was a distinguished attorney for 53 years. He began his career as a trial attorney and continued practicing, specializing in personal injury. He was proud to have worked side-by-side with his son for the past 10 years at his practice.
He leaves behind his beloved wife of 41 years, Ceil (née Pace); son Cary; daughter-in-law, Audrey; grandchildren, Kayla and Dylan; and sister, Bonnie Waldman. He was predeceased by his son Jamie and a brother, Paul.
Irwin’s passions included traveling with his wife, as well as flying and boating. Above all, Irwin will be remembered for his generous heart, his kind and warm personality and his ability to make people laugh.
Services took place July 19 in Brooklyn. Burial followed at Moravian Cemetery in Todt Hill, Staten Island.
This is a paid notice.
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Before the start of Tuesday’s doubleheader, someone mentioned to North Fork Ospreys coach Bill Ianniciello that his team needed “just one more point” to clinch a playoff berth.
“Don’t say ‘just’,” said Ianniciello, who advised that the word “just” be removed. In other words, just because the Ospreys needed only one point didn’t mean it would be easy, and it wasn’t.
It took Tom Brady’s walk-off single to bring the Ospreys a 3-2 triumph over the last-place Sag Harbor Whalers in Game 1 of the twinbill at Mashashimuet Park, securing the coveted place in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League playoffs. In doing so, the Ospreys kept alive their string of having never failed to reach the playoffs in the league’s 10-year history.
“It’s a great organization and we come to the field ready to play every day, ready to win, so it’s not surprising,” said Brady.
Ianniciello said, “They earned it.”
Game 2 was a bit easier, with the Ospreys winning, 7-4, to nail down the No. 3 seed. They will open a best-of-three semifinal series against the No. 2 Long Island Road Warriors on Thursday.
“I’m just looking forward to seeing where we can go,” said shortstop Luke Stampfl.
An overcast day marked by unseasonably cool, October-like weather began with the Ospreys, Riverhead Tomcats and Shelter Island Bucks vying for two remaining playoff slots. Like the Ospreys, the Tomcats needed one point from a doubleheader to reach the postseason, which they achieved. They will face the defending champion Westhampton Aviators in the other semifinal series.
Brady had a big game in the opener. The first baseman socked a deep home run — his first of the season — off a tennis court fence beyond rightfield for a 2-1 Ospreys lead in the fifth.
Brady topped off his 3-for-3 game in style with his seventh-inning heroics. With the score tied at 2-2, Stampfl led off the inning by drawing a full-count walk. Following a sacrifice bunt by John Mead and a walk by Tom Archer, Brady stepped into the batter’s box. Ianniciello had told him to try to hit the ball into a big hole between first and second base. Brady took an inside fastball and did just that, drilling a hit to rightfield. Ianniciello, coaching at third base, waved Stampfl through.
“My thinking was we were going to try to score that run on a base hit,” Ianniciello said. “No question.”
The throw home was late and high, and the Ospreys (22-19) were playoff-bound.
Sag Harbor (13-28-1) had leveled the score at 2-2 on Justin Lebek’s leadoff homer in the sixth.
Sag Harbor had a 3-for-3 hitter, too, in Will Strauss, who had a pair of doubles.
Michael Calamari made his way into the Sag Harbor record book. By knocking a single in the seventh, he set a new mark for hits in a single season by a Whalers player with 53.
Anthony Criscione pitched five-plus innings for the Ospreys, scattering eight hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
The Ospreys were able to breathe a little easier in the second game as they built a 4-0 lead by the third inning against knuckleballer Nick Kruel.
Matt Dipasupil slid home safely from third base on a wild pitch in the first. Then three straight walks set up a three-run third. Stampfl (3-for-4, two RBIs) singled in a run (a second run came home on an error on the play) and Archer knocked in another.
An RBI single by Cole Coker in the third and a two-run drive over the rightfield fence by Bryan Rubin in the fifth for Sag Harbor trimmed the Ospreys lead to 4-3.
But the Ospreys gained more separation in the sixth when they rallied for three runs with two outs. Peter Matt scored when Brady was hit by a pitch and the ball bounced away, Brady scored on an error and Stampfl smacked in another run.
Ospreys starter Dylan Mulvihill gave up one run and six hits over four innings. He was succeeded by four relievers, including Parker Bates, who pitched for the first time since he was in high school and surrendered the homer to Rubin.
“I’d say we’re gritty,” Brady said. “We don’t give at-bats away. We don’t lose focus on the mound. We just come ready to play every day.”
And now, the Ospreys will have at least a couple of more days to play.
What does reaching the playoffs once again mean for the Ospreys?
Answered Brady, “It means we get to play baseball for another week or so and get to prove that we’re one of the best teams in the league.”
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Two local estuaries are now a step closer to securing federal funding for the next fiscal year after some uncertainty about whether they’d be included in a final federal budget given cuts in Environmental Protection Agency appropriations proposed by the White House earlier this year.
Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) announced Monday that federal funding for the Long Island Sound Program and the National Estuary Program, which funds the Peconic Estuary Program, has been added to the Department of the Interior and related agencies appropriations bill for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year did not include the National Estuary Program, which supports 28 estuary programs nationwide. Now, Mr. Zeldin announced, the House of Representatives’ appropriations bill includes $26.7 million for the national program, plus another $8 million for Long Island Sound efforts.
“Both the Long Island Sound Program and the National Estuary Program must be protected; securing the funding needed to maintain these programs is a major win for our local waterways and I look forward to this bill’s passage in the House,” Mr. Zeldin, a founding member of the Congressional Estuary Caucus, said in a press release. “There is much we can do to improve water quality in the Long Island Sound and Peconic Estuary, and I will continue working in Congress on a bipartisan basis to ensure our waterways are preserved for generations to come.”
• Related story: Peconic Estuary Program celebrates 25 years, but funds in doubt
The Long Island Sound Program was funded $8 million for the current fiscal year, up $4 million for the year before, while the National Estuary Program received $26.7 million to be shared among the water systems it covers. Individual programs have received an average of $600,000 per year, according to Peconic Estuary Program director Alison Branco.
The Peconic Estuary was added to the national program in 1992 after a grassroots community effort — with support from several levels of government — pushed for federal recognition following the appearance of brown tide in the mid-1980s.
Ms. Branco said PEP is grateful for the work of Mr. Zeldin and other members of Congress to get the funding added to the bill, calling it an “important step” in restoring that funding to the final budget.
“This is a reflection of the fact that the work we do is critical to our region and the work of all the different estuary programs is really a nonpartisan issue that has support on both sides of the aisle,” Ms. Branco said.
Photo credit: Kelly Zegers
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Many North Fork residents have an appreciation of history.
Few have worked as hard to preserve it as Richard Wines.
Not only is his Jamesport home a Riverhead town landmark — part of it dates back to 1790 — but he has moved several other historic buildings onto his property over the years.
“Everybody has a collection,” he said while walking through his colorful gardens last week. “We’ve collected historic buildings.”
By the late 1990s, Mr. Wines and his wife, Nancy Gilbert, had purchased 15 acres of land on Winds Way in Jamesport from Mr. Wines’ uncles Warren and George Wines. The land had been in the family since the 1600s and his uncles, who owned most of the shares for the land, had plans to build houses there.
Mr. Wines and Ms. Gilbert did not want to see that happen and worked to buy out all of the shares and preserve the property, which both his maternal and paternal grandparents called home.
Richard Wines outside his home on Winds Way in Jamesport. (Credit: Krysten Massa)
The couple shares a passion for land and historic preservation, as well as gardening. Mr. Wines, who chairs Riverhead Town’s Landmark Preservation Commission and is a member of its farmland preservation committee, said moving multiple historic buildings onto the property gave him and Ms. Gilbert an excuse to create several extravagant gardens, one to surrounding each structure.
Exploring their property is like walking through a forest, taking in the different colors and pleasant smells. Through the various patches of flowers and vegetables are pathways that lead to the four historic buildings the couple has collected.
They brought in the first one in 1992, an old District 10 schoolhouse in Northville. Built in 1872, it was used as a school until 1911 and, after that, was used on a farm to store hay.
The house was in terrible shape when he first visited, Mr. Wines said.
After moving the old schoolhouse to their property, they renovated it and restored the inside, adding historic artifacts. Mr. Wines refers to the building as their “garden ornament” and said they sometimes host community events there.
The second historic building the couple moved onto the property is their 19th-century residence, which has parts dating back to the late 1700s and once belonged to a whaling captain who sailed out of Jamesport.
The historic barn on the property. (Credit: Krysten Massa)
The house was originally located in Laurel, right next to the post office. In 1995, the couple discovered that the structure was at risk of being torn down because the owner, who wanted to save it, did not have the resources to do so. Mr. Wines reached out to the owner and was able to acquire the house for free because of his intention to preserve it.
After that, Mr. Wines said, he looked for a barn he could move onto the property. In 1996, the couple found an old red barn that once sat on Sound Avenue. They believe it was built in the early 19th century by Zachariah Hallock, who Mr. Wines said is an ancestor. Inside the barn, the initials Z.H. are carved into the ceiling.
At that point, the couple still wanted one more building to adorn their property. In 2002, they were finally able to track down an old outhouse that had once been part of the schoolhouse they’d already acquired. The small red structure has two doors, each leading to three stalls; one side was for the girls and the other for the boys. The schoolhouse was built in the late 1800s, but Mr. Wines suspects the outhouse was built later.
In addition to preserving the buildings and creating gardens, Mr. Wines and Ms. Gilbert have donated the development rights to the remaining acreage of their property to the Peconic Land Trust. They also put a façade easement on all of the structures, preventing any future owners from making exterior changes.
“What we’ve tried to do here on our property with these buildings we’ve collected and the way we’ve restored them and the way we’ve gardened, is we tried to echo what we think is the essence of the North Fork,” Mr. Wines said, adding that he thinks it is important for others to recognize their heritage and work to preserve it.
“We hope everyone will support our efforts and the efforts of a whole lot of others to make sure that most of what we have left gets preserved for the future because it’s what makes this area really special,” he said.
The old schoolhouse on the property. (Credit: Krysten Massa)
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The Southold Town Highway Department on Thursday will pave New Suffolk Avenue just past Marratooka Lane going east toward New Suffolk until Blossom Bend in Mattituck. The work is scheduled to begin at 6 a.m.
Around noon, the second phase of paving will begin on Wickham Avenue between Mill Lane and Route 48, also in Mattituck.
Residents are encouraged to find alternate routes.
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Here are the classifieds and Service Directory for July 27, 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 27, 2017
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For decades, ownership of a sliver of land at the south end of Main Street in Greenport has been in dispute. Or so the story goes in the village.
The owners of Claudio’s Restaurant say the land is not in dispute, and is theirs. And an examination of the tax map for that part of Main Street shows that most of that land does, in fact, belong to the restaurant owners.
The map also appears to show a sliver of a state-owned road in the vicinity of the parking spaces outside Preston’s.
The owners of Claudio’s maintain that parcel is also theirs. The state road ends at the fire hydrant in front of Claudio’s, near the walkway across Main Street, said Jan Claudio.
“When the state paves, they never pave past that point,” Ms. Claudio said, adding that Claudio’s has a survey showing that their property extends to Preston’s front door.
Those parking spaces currently have signs indicating that they are for Claudio’s customers only. Claudio’s charges a redeemable $20 fee for parking in its lots, and that fee gets refunded with a purchase at any Claudio’s location.
But the ownership issue may not be so black and white. Some people, including some village officials, say the area around Preston’s has been disputed and that in the past the village has done its own study on the question of ownership. Village officials would not discuss that study for this story, however, and the study itself could not be located by a reporter.
Preston’s owner Andrew Rowsom said, “I just go by the survey, and the survey says it belongs to Claudio’s.”
The parking spots are labeled ‘Claudio’s parking only.’ (Credit: Kelly Zegers)
The issue of the parking spots near Preston’s arose again recently when Robert Lehmann of Greenport, 65, was arrested for painting over some of the signs that said the spaces were Claudio’s. He was charged with criminal tampering, a misdemeanor. He pleaded not guilty in Southold Town Justice Court July 7 and is due back in court in the fall.
In an interview, Mr. Lehmann acknowledged painting over the signs and said he has painted over them before and been arrested for doing so.
“I know those parking spaces are public and I want [Bill Claudio] to know I know,” Mr. Lehmann said.
The area where Crabby Jerry’s is now was at one point the landing site for the North Ferry, which now docks at Third Street. North Ferry began leasing the Main Street site from the Greenport Wharf Company in 1943 and moved to its current site in 1958, according to Stella Lagudis, general manager of the Shelter Island Heights Property Owners Corporation, which owns North Ferry.
To the Claudio family, the painting over of signs is no small matter.
“We have been subject to three graffiti attacks by this man,” Ms. Claudio said. “The cost he has put on this company is ridiculous.”
An Oct. 24, 1967, ruling by state Supreme Court Justice Arthur Cromarty stated that Claudio’s had legally acquired the property from the Greenport Wharf Company.
After the village removed a barrier the Claudios erected on the property in 1964, Bill Claudio Sr. took the village to court claiming that, in 1954, the state Legislature had authorized the state’s “Commissioners of the Land Office” to convey the property to the Greenport Wharf Company, which conveyed it to Greenport Realty Management Company two years later. The land was conveyed to Mr. Claudio Nov. 19, 1958, according to the court ruling.
The village had stated in court papers that it owned the land in question, arguing the statute that authorized the conveyance was unconstitutional. Judge Cromarty disagreed and awarded the land to the Claudios.
However, the question of why tax maps show the land in front of Preston’s as state-owned remains unanswered. A spokesman for the state Department of Transportation was unable to find the answer to that question by presstime.
Village attorney Joseph Prokop told The Suffolk Times he would look into the ownership of those parking spaces, but added that tax maps are not for determining ownership. He was unable to report anything back to The Suffolk Times by presstime.
Following his arrest, Mr. Lehmann filed a handwritten $2 billion notice of claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, against various people and officials in Greenport Village and Southold Town. A licensed boat captain, Mr. Lehmann described himself as a 32-year volunteer with the Greenport Fire Department, an Army veteran and a member of the Merchant Marine since 1979.
He says his battles with Claudio’s, Greenport Village and North Ferry date back to 1998, when he attempted to operate a passenger-only water taxi in the village and ran into opposition from all three.
The notice of claim lists as defendants the Southold Town Police Department; the Village of Greenport; North Ferry; William Claudio Jr. and the late Jerry Tuthill; Joe Angevine, a former Greenport harbor master; Richard Sledjeski, whom he describes as a “dock boy”; and former Greenport mayor Dave Kapell.
The allegations made in the notice include false arrest, illegal imprisonment, assault by police officers and verbal assault.
Both Mr. Kapell and current Greenport Mayor George Hubbard Jr. declined comment.
When asked for comment, Southold Supervisor Scott Russell said by email, “Obviously, that’s not one we would be looking to settle … Perhaps if he cuts his claim to only $1 billion, then we could talk.”
Top photo: The parking spots next to Preston’s in Greenport, pictured in the background, have been in dispute for nearly half a century. The owners of Claudio’s maintain the space is rightfully their property. (Credit: Kelly Zegers)
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Dominican Sisters Thrift Store, a fixture on Front Street in Greenport for 19 years, closed its doors earlier this month.
The shop, run entirely by volunteers, sold donations from the community to earn money for ArchCare, formerly Dominican Sisters Family Health Services. ArchCare, which provides at-home health care, assumed sponsorship of the home care ministry from the Dominican Sisters in August 2016.
“I’m just sorry for those people who can’t use it anymore,” said volunteer Teresa Taylor of Greenport. Ms. Taylor has been a volunteer for about seven months. “Some people can’t afford what would normally be available at Tanger mall, or other stores.”
Ms. Taylor said the closure felt sudden, because at first the volunteers were told they had until the end of the month, but it was closed by July 14. The Greenport shop had about 20 volunteers and was run seasonally until six years ago, when it opened year round.
“It wasn’t the announcement that was sudden,” spokesman Jon Goldberg explained. “The shops did close sooner than expected, because unfortunately someone affiliated with the shops began sharing information that was misleading, so ArchCare simply made the decision to shut down the shops early. We know that was a disappointment.”
Dominican Sisters Thrift Shops were also closed in Hampton Bays and Sag Harbor at the same time. The merchandise and fixtures will be donated to other local nonprofits to benefit families in need, according to a letter written by Marianne Bogannam, vice president of development for ArchCare, in explaining their decision. In the letter, she thanked volunteers for their years of service and urged customers to continue to support ArchCare in other capacities.
“Operating the thrift shops was creating a financial drain on the ministries,” Mr. Goldberg said. “We decided the most appropriate course of action was to close the shops and redirect those funds to doing what they do, which is providing care to those who need it. It freed up additional monies to focus on those who need it.”
Bernie Kettenbeil of Greenport, a volunteer for three years, said the volunteers began crying when they found out the shop was closing.
“The community needs to know that we didn’t just decide ‘screw you,’ ” she said.
The thrift shops sold any donations that people provided, including a few antiques and designer labels, but mainly provided more affordable options to those who couldn’t pay full price. There’s another thrift shop in Greenport called the Opportunity Shop that is owned by Eastern Long Island Hospital.
“We had a bunch of regular customers who came who would spend money on us,” Ms. Kettenbeil said. “On the flip side, there is a lot of poverty on the North Fork, people living one paycheck at a time. We managed to give money to Dominicans every month, even in the winter when we weren’t doing great.”
Mr. Goldberg said that ArchCare could not justify keeping the shops open.
“Honestly, we know people are disappointed and the shops were fixtures in the community,” he said. “Given all that’s happening in health care today, losing money of any amount from operating a thrift shop is not responsible. We’re making sure that every ounce of funding is used for people who need it.”
Photo: The Dominican Sisters Thrift Store in Greenport closed for good after ArchCare decided it was no longer profitable to keep it open. (Credit: Rachel Siford)
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Sunday was a memorable day in more ways than one for Chase Phelps. It was a dramatic mix of bad and good.
First, the bad. The North Fork Ospreys pitcher awoke Sunday morning to a couple of disturbing text messages, informing him of the death of a friend the night before.
So, it was with a heavy heart later that day when Phelps took the mound for a start against the Southampton Breakers.
“It was a little emotional,” he said.
Emotions of a different sort took over in the game when Phelps became the first Ospreys pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter and the sixth in Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League history. He fanned Joey Porricelli for his eighth strikeout of the game, wrapping up a 3-0 shutout in the opener of a doubleheader in Southampton.
“It was kind of a surreal moment,” said Phelps.
Phelps did not issue a walk, throwing 60 of his 78 pitches for strikes in the seven-inning game. Because of a couple of errors, he faced two batters over the minimum.
“It was exciting,” Ospreys coach Bill Ianniciello said. “He was painting [the corners] all day. He was very sharp. He had good command of his fastball. We said in the first inning, ‘His stuff looks sharp.’ That is a special thing, for sure.”
Phelps said: “I felt good. The fastball felt alive. The breaking ball was sharp.”
Phelps, a 6-foot-1 righthander from Fort Wayne, Indiana, will enter his sophomore year at Indiana University-Purdue University. This season he is 2-3 with a 4.53 ERA.
Phelps was presented with two balls from the game as mementos. Asked if he had ever thrown a no-hitter before, Phelps said: “I think I threw one when I was younger, but this one was a lot more special to me, especially with the circumstances. … Initially, I just wanted to get the win for [my friend] and kind of dedicate it. I had no idea it would turn into a no-hitter. It just made it that much more special to me.”
* No, he’s not that Tom Brady
The Ospreys are clearly Tom Brady fans.
No, not that Tom Brady, but the one who plays first base and sometimes designated hitter for them.
Brady, who will be a junior at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, has given them reason to be. He went 3-for-3, homering and then singling in the game-winning hit in the Ospreys’ playoff-clinching 3-2 victory over the Sag Harbor Whalers in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader.
“The last few games I’ve been feeling pretty good at the plate,” Brady said. “I just tried to continue that.”
Now, what about the jokes and cracks he continually hears about the New England Patriots quarterback with the same name? Does he ever tire of it?
“It’s all fun,” he said. “Some of the jokes get old.”
Photo caption: Chase Phelps with one of the baseballs he used Sunday when he pitched the first no-hitter in the North Fork Ospreys’ history. (Credit: Bob Liepa)
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I’ve dubbed this past June “the month of bombshells.” The shells started flying in May, when a routine visit with my ophthalmologist morphed into what seems like a lifelong relationship. But I don’t mind; he’s on the cutting edge of medicine and a nice guy. However, I wasn’t prepared to hear that I needed cataract surgery in both eyes.
Bombshell No. 1.
Me: Doctor, I thought only old folks need cataract surgery.
Doctor: Well, Ms. Iannelli (we were not on a first-name basis, yet!), you are of “that” age!
Me: Hmm. What age is “that”?
Doctor: (Smiling and glancing at my birthdate) Nov. 28, ___ (Ya think I would give my age up in this space?)
Me: Oh!
I don’t think in terms of age; it’s just a number — and mine is unlisted. However, after I heard my birthdate aloud, certain realities smacked me in the face. That being said, the good doctor went over the procedure in detail. I left his office feeling somewhat bemused at the prospect of having cataracts, but confident.
Fast-forward to June.
On the day of surgery, I felt a tad apprehensive. I hadn’t been in a hospital since my sons were born — way back then! The hospital staff treated me with courtesy and explained things in a way any patient could understand. I was trained as a nurse, but I didn’t tell them. I have a lot of secrets, obviously.
After being prepped, I was given some “good drugs.” I felt awake, and not. I knew what was happening, but I didn’t give a damn. Then it was over!
Bombshell No. 2: The first thing I noticed was the vibrancy of the colors in my world. I kept repeating to anyone who would listen: “Look at those colors!” — so much so that my sister asked if they’d put LSD in my IV. For instance, the burgundy accent wall in the living room looked “very burgundy-ish” Hmm. I wonder if that’s a good thing. My vision sharpened, making watching TV a new experience. I was delighting in things I once took for granted.
After the second surgery, my vision became even keener. Folks, it’s akin to looking at life though a dirty window and then having said window cleaned with Windex. (I don’t recommend the Windex treatment for the eyes!)
Bombshell No. 3: I saw everything! I keep a neat house — and it was neat, all right, but I noticed a cobweb on the ceiling, dust bunnies in the corners and streaks on my mirrors. I spent the next week with a dust rag and Windex close at hand.
Bombshell No. 4: I saw me! Yup, looking into the mirror — the mirror of truth, that is — I saw that my laugh lines seemed more prominent. Trying to talk myself into believing it’s because I laugh often didn’t cut it. I took to the Internet to explore which anti-aging products promise to reduce laugh lines in two weeks. I purchased some new products. Two weeks have come and gone; the jury is still out.
Along the same lines (no pun intended), I was going to a special event and wanted to look my best. I applied my “going out makeup” and yikes! It looked garish! (My sister denies this. Maybe she needs cataract surgery!) The old adage “less is more” for gals of a certain age can be applied here.
I’m seeing life with new eyes thanks to the good doctor and modern medicine. However, while walking on the beach, I had an epiphany of sorts: Cataract surgery aside, we can see life with new eyes anytime we choose. We humans get bogged down with the same old, same old, so we see “dull.” Sprinkling color into our lives by changing things up a bit can make a big difference.
Life isn’t a forever thing: We gotta “kick up our heels and have a ball,” as Peggy Lee advises. And if you are of “that” age, all the more reason to do just … that!
Ms. Iannelli is a resident of Jamesport.
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It’s time to collect that cardboard and duct tape for the ninth annual Riverhead Cardboard Boat Race, set for Sunday, Aug. 6, along the Peconic Riverfront.
Registration and inspection begin at 9 a.m., with a Hula Hoop contest at 11:30 and heats starting at noon. There is no registration fee.
Boat builders must use cardboard, duct tape, water-based glue and latex paint (props and decorations are permitted). No other materials may be used. Boaters may use one single-sided paddle per occupant; kayak paddles are not allowed. Each boat must have a name. All participants must wear an approved life jacket at all times.
Race events are Youth Regatta, Riverhead Yacht Club Regatta for single occupants, Peconic River Special barge race (barges must be at least 32 square feet) and Grand National Regatta: Anything Goes. A variety of trophies will be awarded.
The event is sponsored by the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce, the Riverhead Business Improvement District and Riverhead Town.
Boaters may register online or on race day. For rules and other details, visit riverheadchamber.com or call 631-727-3200, ext. 223.
Photo caption: A kid-powered boat with a ‘Super Mario’ theme competes in the 2015 youth race. (Credit: Vera Chinese)
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The Long Island Road Warriors looked right at home.
So much so, in fact, that they didn’t panic after falling behind a couple of runs. Instead, they used a five-run burst in the sixth inning to topple the North Fork Ospreys, 5-2, in Game 1 of the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League semifinals on Thursday.
As their nickname suggests, the Road Warriors don’t have an official home field.
“All year long we’ve been on the road,” said Long Island coach Neal Heaton, a former major league pitcher.
The longest road trip of your career, right?
“No,” he replied, “I’ve had longer than that, believe me.”
Playing all these road games doesn’t seem to have hurt the Road Warriors, though. The first-year club finished the regular season in second place with a 24-16-1 record.
Not having a place to call home, Heaton said, is “actually easier, if you think about it. We don’t have to line the fields. We don’t have to get the fields ready. We don’t have to do anything. We come, play and go home.”
And, more often than not, they win.
For this series they are calling Stony Brook Southampton home, and it suited their purposes just fine in Game 1.
The Ospreys started off well enough, riding a 2-0 lead from Chris Adams’ fourth homer of the summer and Luke Stampfl’s RBI single in the third inning.
Ospreys starter Stephen Hansen turned in a commendable performance on an overcast afternoon that saw intermittent light sprinkles fall. Hansen showed himself to be something of an escape artist, too. Long Island threatened with two runners on base in three straight innings, only to come away empty-handed each time. Hansen picked up strikeouts for the third outs in the second and third innings and benefitted when Nico Doria lined into a 4-4-6 double play to end the fourth.
But the line between winning and losing can be a fine one. Games can turn on an at-bat or two.
Hansen ran into trouble in the sixth when the bottom of Long Island’s batting order came up big. A Marc Wangenstein double and walks by Michael Veit and Ben McNeill set the table for Doria, the No. 8 hitter who socked an RBI single. That prompted Ospreys coach Bill Ianniciello to take the ball from Hansen and bring in Tanner Propst. No. 9 hitter Ron Linsalato welcomed Propst by lashing a two-run single to leftfield.
Just like that, Long Island was ahead, 3-2.
“It’s a game of inches,” Hansen said. “When Tanner comes in, if that ground ball’s a foot to the left, it’s a double play, we’re out of the inning, but it just sneaks through and then this happens, this happens and then the game’s out of hand.”
But the Road Warriors weren’t done. A throwing error brought in two more runs.
“I think our pitchers threw a very good game,” Adams said. “They got ground balls, which should have been outs. I think we need to clean up the defense, and I think that’s really what killed us here today.”
Hansen allowed six hits and four runs. “He pitched well enough to win the game for us,” Ianniciello said. “He pitched a good game.”
Hansen, however, wasn’t happy with the five walks he issued. He had six strikeouts.
“Not too great,” he said. “I gave a lot of free passes to guys. I didn’t really have my off-speed pitches.”
Lefthanded reliever Tristan Amone picked up the win for Long Island. In the three-plus innings he pitched, he gave up four hits, a walk and had two strikeouts.
The Ospreys are 2-6 against Long Island and there’s a reason for that.
“I think they’re pretty good,” Adams said. “I think they definitely take advantage of the opportunities that they’re given. They’re not necessarily going to crush the ball, but they’re going to pitch well; they’re going to play good defense.”
For Game 2 of the best-of-three series, the Ospreys will return home to Peconic Friday night. Long Island will be on the road, but then again, that’s just where they feel at home.
Photo caption: Chris Adams is congratulated by North Fork coach Bill Ianniciello while rounding third base on his home run in the third inning. (Credit: Bob Liepa)
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The history of voting rights in America is littered with obstacles and roadblocks.
It took until 1870, with the 15th Amendment, for African-American men to earn the right to vote. And even then, literacy tests and poll taxes were designed to suppress their vote. The 19th Amendment, granting voting rights to women, wasn’t adopted until 1920. The 24th Amendment, outlawing poll taxes, was passed in 1964. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 aimed to further solidify those rights for African Americans, nearly a full century after the 15th Amendment granted them.
Progress has come slowly.
Even today, a whopping 230 years after drafting of the U.S. Constitution began, the right to vote remains under threat. Voter suppression efforts are underway at the highest level of our republic, led by President Trump’s commission investigating voter fraud. The commission’s effort appears less focused on finding voting fraud — an allegation firmly refuted by academic studies and other investigations — than it is on finding ways to minimize the number of people who vote. The allegation of voter fraud is merely a mirage to build barriers to voting.
The American Civil Liberties Union has said that up to 17 states had restrictive voting laws in place during the last election. In Ohio last year, the ACLU challenged a process that would allow a registered voter to be removed for failing to vote in two years — or one midterm election, according to The New York Times. The practice was halted in the courts and the Supreme Court is set to review the case in the fall, the Times reported earlier this month. North Carolina’s infamous voter restriction law that generated national headlines this year came to an end when the Supreme Court decided not to hear the state’s appeal of a lower court ruling striking it down.
On Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order designed to expand voter registration opportunities in New York — another example of our state showing leadership in the face of a regressive federal administration.
The executive order directs every state agency to make voter registration forms available and to offer assistance in filling them out. A new voter registration task force will explore ways to implement the reforms and oversee administration of the voter registration program.
The governor has also ordered SUNY and CUNY schools to conduct full investigations of their campus voter registration practices to ensure that required steps are being taken to increase registration rates among young voters.
“It is our responsibility to make it as easy as possible for people to vote because that’s what democracy looks like,” Mr. Cuomo said in a press release.
The Department of Motor Vehicles will also send information referencing online voter registration applications in all emails sent to New Yorkers about renewing their licenses, identification cards and vehicle registrations.
“Whether you are a student in college or a grandparent living on Social Security, there should be no artificial barriers to register and take part in the electoral process,” Mr. Cuomo said.
Our history in this country has been marred by efforts to limit voting. It’s worth remembering the fight for equality remains.
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The letters and drawings date to 1944 and 1945, when the writer and artist was stationed in Europe during World War II. There are hundreds of letters and dozens of drawings and, together, they tell the remarkable story of a soldier at war writing home to a family in Florida.
Some of the letters begin ‘Hi, Honey,” and the writer asks about “the boys” and how everyone is doing. Some of the drawings are of cowboys and horses and a fence line. There are references to Montana. The name written on some of the drawings is “Billie Phelps.” Most of the letters are signed “Bill.”
This collection of documents and images is in the possession of Pat and John Kurpetski of Calverton. It was found by their son John in the attic of a house in Orlando, Fla. He gave it to them with the hope that, somehow, the family of the person who wrote the letters and made the drawings could be tracked down.
“We want someone in this person’s family to have them,” Ms. Kurpetski said. “That is our hope — that a daughter or a son or more likely a grandchild of this person can be located and this collection can go to them. It only seems right that it be given to the family.”
A Nov. 15, 1944, letter from France — five months after the D-Day invasion — starts off “Hi, Honey — Got two letters from you yesterday. They were written the same day and explained all about the storm you folks had. Until I got your letters I knew nothing of a storm in Fla.”
A series of letters written from Germany in early March 1945 are signed “lovingly yours, Bill.” He asks about “Ruth” and “Tom” and says he has received letters from “Sam, Jean and Vera Beth.” He goes on: “So you have a pig now?” He says he heard the house was being painted — “so glad you were able to have it done.” He writes he was glad to get a letter from “Edith and Buddy last week” and he asks for more stationery because “I’m using it up kind of fast.”
He signs it “Hello to my boys, love, Bill.”
There are hundreds of handwritten letters in the collection. Nearly all are on paper that is fading and beginning to crumble. If the family of this person can’t be found — could the writer still be alive? — they belong in a museum where they can be preserved from further deterioration. Dozens of names are mentioned in the letters — and some are addressed to a family named Lamb — but there is no firm clue as to the writer’s identity.
Where does one start to find the family of the letter writer?
The drawings that were found with the letters are inside a textbook called “A Laboratory Manual for General Science.” Inside the cover is handwritten: “Billy Phelps,” then what looks like “Vera Phelps” and under that “Castle Butte Montana.”
Inside are dozens of pencil and crayon drawings — of a cowboy holding a rope, a log cabin, a fence line, a corral, a cowboy holding a pistol titled ‘the outlaw’ and signed by Billie Phelps. There are numerous drawings of glamorous women in fancy gowns and dresses. A drawing of a cowboy sitting next to a tree is signed Billie E. Phelps.
Billie must have loved horses, as there are numerous horse drawings. The artist’s imagination seems to be in Montana, while his heart is with a family in Orlando, Fla. “Billie Phelps” seems to be the author of all the letters and the drawings.
Written in ink at the bottom of one page in the book are the words:
How can this heart be mine
yet yours, unless our hearts
are one.
by Cupid’s Arrow
Hopefully, this collection can be reunited with a family.
The author is the executive editor of the Riverhead News-Review and The Suffolk Times. He can be reached at 631-354-8048 or swick@timesreview.com.
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The Bridge Lane Wine lineup is full of crowd-pleasers, not only because of their taste and price point, but because they are sold in bottle, box and keg.
So how could this company, the sister label of Lieb Cellars, expand its fan-favorite party and travel-friendly offerings?
The obvious answer would be cans.
Bridge Lane Wine canned 1,000 375 ml packages of its popular 2016 rosé on Monday, likely the first canned wine from a Long Island producer. The wine was canned at Premium Wine Group — the Mattituck winery and custom crush facility owned by Lieb’s parent company — by a mobile can company, Anvil Craft Services.
Lieb Cellars began offering wine in alternative packaging under its Bridge Lane label in 2014. The first year, the winery sold 900 boxes of wine. It expects to sell 11,000 in 2017.
“It was a risk at the time because nobody from New York was making a premium boxed wine,” said Ami Opisso, Lieb’s general manager. “We did it and we weren’t really sure how our guests, our consumers, the press and trade buyers would respond. But it’s all been so positive.”
A can of Bridge Lane Wine rosé in the Mattituck tasting room. (Credit: Vera Chinese)
That reception gave the Lieb team the confidence to pursue a canned product, Ms. Opisso said.
The wine canned on Monday was a test run and the winery expects to offer a wider selection of cans, including Bridge Lane’s full portfolio, in March 2018.
Russell Hearn, Premium’s director of winemaking, said the unorthodox packaging does not compromise the quality of the product. Lieb’s entire portfolio is bottled under screw cap, which is more dependable than cork, he said.
“I’m fine with the package as long as it’s in an inert package,” he said, noting that boxed wine has been a popular option in his native Australia for decades. “Good wine in a can doesn’t make it bad. Good wine going into any container stays good wine.”
The cans are guaranteed to stay fresh for a year. Because Bridge Lane’s rosé is not carbonated, the machine injects a tiny bit of nitrogen into the packaging to keep it shelf stable.
“That gives the cans that nice firm feel,” said Todd Lunderborg, who owns Long Island City-based Anvil with partner Pete Mastrella. “Otherwise it’s going to be a squishy, squishy can.”
The company travels to small craft breweries, including Moustache Brewing Co. in Riverhead, as the startup costs of the canning equipment would likely be too high for most operations. Monday was the first time Anvil had worked with a wine producer, Mr. Lunderborg said.
These empty cans were filled with Bridge Lane Wine rosé. (Credit: Vera Chinese)
The cans are 100 percent aluminum and are recyclable, although not redeemable.
They cost $9 each or $34 for a four-pack and became available to wine club members on Wednesday. They will be available to the public at the Bridge Lane tasting room on Aug. 2.
“The benefits of canned wine is that it’s smaller serve, it’s two full glasses in one can that you can drink yourself or split with someone. It can easily be chilled. It makes all the sense in the world to bring canned wine on the beach or on the boat,” Ms. Opisso said. “It seems like canned wine is so perfect for where we are.”
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Rain couldn’t stop Riverhead’s Alive on 25 this time around. After a two-week delay, the popular Riverhead Business Improvement District event returned Thursday evening.
“The streets are full, it’s really exciting,” said BID executive director Diane Tucci.
The street fair, now in its second season, featured eight bands, bar and restaurant specials, food trucks, artisan vendors and plenty of kids activities.
Ms. Tucci said Alive on 25 differs from other street fairs because it has a heavy focus on the arts. In addition to the scheduled vendors, the East End Fringe Festival hosted theatrical performances outside the East End Arts building.
Jerry Dicecco who has owned Jerry and the Mermaid on East Main Streetfor 25 years, said the event’s a great way to showcase improvements in downtown Riverhead.
“It gives everybody a different view of Riverhead for them to come back and visit us and see how we are now,” he said. “It’s all great, everybody has a great time.”
Alive on 25 returns for three more dates: August 10, 24 and 31.
(Photo credit: Krysten Massa)
(Photo credit: Krysten Massa)
Caylin Luciano, 10, of Manorville climbing the rock climbing wall at Thursday’s Alive on 25 event. (Photo credit: Krysten Massa)
The bubble palooza station. (Photo credit: Krysten Massa)
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