Arnold Richard Golz Sr. of Southold died Jan. 4, 2018, at San Simeon by the Sound in Greenport surrounded by his family. He was 82.

He was born in Lynbrook May 15, 1935, to Margaret (Riegel) and Arnold William Golz and began visiting Laurel at a young age where his family had a second home.

After his service to his country with the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1959, Arnold was honorably discharged.

He then moved to the North Fork full-time and began a career with TOSCO/Northville Industries that lasted over 40 years, retiring as a marine supervisor.

During the TWA Flight 800 disaster, Arnold was involved with the rescue and recovery mission in East Moriches.

In his free time, he enjoyed boating and fishing and his dogs. He was fond of his grandkids, especially Connor, who he would pick up from preschool, take to McDonald’s to grab a cheeseburger and then they would go to Hallockville and feed the cows.

Surviving are two sons, Arnold, Jr. (Amanda) of Aquebogue and Nathaniel (Alana) of Southold; grandchildren, Connor, Carly, Colby and Charlotte and granddogs, Heidi, Lucy and Annie. He was predeceased by his sister, Marilyn.

The family will receive visitors Tuesday, Jan. 9, from 4 to 8 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck where the U.S. Army will render military honors at 6 p.m.  The Rite of Committal will be private.

Kindly consider making a donation to a marine research foundation of your choice.

This is a paid notice. 

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Side roads throughout Southold Town were passable, but slick Friday morning as residents returned to business as usual. 

For many, shovels hit the snow in the early morning hours in preparation for their commute — others waited for the what little warmth of the sun offered with temperatures in the teens and the wind chill below zero. 

Southold resident Mike Rebentisch began shoveling his driveway on Corey Creek Lane around 9 a.m., not-so-secretly hoping a plow would soon make it down the private road. 

“It’s not so bad, at least I could get the day off from work,” Mr. Rebentish said as he took a brief break. “I’ve been out here for about an hour. I keep telling myself 15 more minutes. I consider it my once-a-year workout.”

According to the National Weather Service, 13.6 inches fell was reported by a trained weather spotter in Mattituck. 

Visibility was spotty along Route 48 Friday morning. Although the roads were plowed and many spots were easily passable, wind blowing off drifts on open fields lining Route 48 made it difficult to see on some parts of the road.

But that didn’t stop people from getting outside and shoveling their way to work.

In downtown Greenport, Jim Kuhlmann, owner of the Whiskey Wind Tavern, and Andrew Rowsom, the owner of the building where his wife’s business, Heather’s Salon, is located, were outside shoveling the paths leading to their businesses.

Mailman Rusty Kransky was also hard at work, walking his 12-mile route to deliver the day’s mail to residents and businesses downtown. He said the snow makes the job more difficult, as many places are blocked by large piles of snow.

The blistering cold and strong winds didn’t help either and he said he wore multiple layers to survive the trip. “I’ve got dance tights, four pairs of socks and three face masks on,” he said.

Winds were gusting up to 40 mph in Greenport, where the wind chill values were between -5 and zero. A wind chill advisory is in effect for the entire East End until Saturday morning.

Armed with a shovel, Lea Bryant was helping her elderly neighbors clear their driveway on Stillwater Avenue in Cutchogue. She stayed indoors all day Thursday and had yet to make the trek into town.

Over on Track Avenue in Cutchogue, Greg Burns was clearing the area in front of his mailbox so mail could be delivered Friday — a good reminder for many.

Roads on New Suffolk Avenue were slippery in areas. Side streets overall weren’t in the best condition, with some areas still packed with snow. Main Road was cleared, except for some spots where snow drift blew snow back onto the road.

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It’s time for the annual report on how English — the language of Shakespeare, Emerson, Joyce and professor Irwin Corey — fared in 2017.

Going forward, there’s a lot to unpack since many parts are baked in and we certainly don’t want to kick the can down the road or throw someone under the bus.

If you’ve had a reaction to that sentence that’s similar to hearing the scream of a dentist’s drill about to be involved with one of your canines — tooth, not pooch — then you know the language is in trouble. The words and phrases used above once added zest to our daily discourse, but are now doomed to do time in the cliché jail. Why, word scolds ask, can’t we return to “the future,” “explain,” “inseparable,” “procrastinate,” or “betray”?

Government at all levels offers ripe fields for harvesting clichés and mangled language; it’s always fun to go snarky on harmless idiocies and blather. But now something sinister is afoot, with the Trump administration considering the banishment of certain words for ideological reasons. Reports indicate that the Centers for Disease Control is preparing a mob hit on “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “transgender,” “fetus,” “evidence-based” and “science-based.”

Somewhere, George Orwell is weeping.

Snarky, by the way — a flawless word that combines sound with meaning — was expropriated from Lewis Carroll who, along with his colleague, James Joyce, was never happier than when turning language on its ear. Carroll portmanteau-ed a snake and a shark to create a new animal, the “snark,” perfectly describing our modern notion of souped-up sarcasm.

Breaking news: Lake Superior State University in Sault Sainte Marie, Mich., has released its 42nd annual “List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness.”

Guesstimate makes the 2017 cut from the cold-eyed Michigan word constables. Guesstimate should be used, LSSU says, “when guess and estimate are never enough.”

Also to be deep-sixed, according to the LSSU fanatics, are:

Echo chamber, which is described as “lather, rinse, repeat. After a while everything sounds the same.”

Disruption: “When humanity looks back on zombie buzzwords, they will see disruption bumping into other overused synonyms for change.”

Listicle: “Numbered or bulleted list created to generate views on the web, LSSU’s word banishment list excluded.”

Merriam-Webster has enshrined feminism as its 2017 Word of the Year.
Somewhere, Elizabeth Cady Stanton is cheering.

I heard from an old friend, language samurai David Lozell Martin, who is also a journalist, editor and best-selling author of a dozen novels and one of the best modern American memoirs, “Losing Everything.”

In a dispatch from his fortress on the Delmarva Peninsula (named for the brave and noble Delmarva tribe), Mr. Martin considered the desecrations people inflict on English during the season of lights.

“The holiday season brings a fresh load of horrors for those of us who respect the proper use of the language, grammar and punctuation,” he wrote. “Party invitations are a particular pain for me. I’ll use some examples from invitations I’ve received over the years:

The Smith’s would like to invite you to our Holiday party.

“There’s nothing possessive about the Smiths in that sentence so no apostrophe is called for. Some people apparently believe the ‘s’ and the apostrophe are married and always go together. They don’t.

“Also in that sentence, the Smiths saying they ‘would like’ to invite me sounds as if they’re about to give a reason why they can’t invite me even though they would like to. Just say, ‘The Smiths invite you …’ı

“Finally, ‘holiday’ is not a proper noun and shouldn’t be capitalized.”

Our annual holiday bash is held every year on December 26, the day after Christmas.

“This one causes my eyes to roll back in my head. If the holiday bash is annual, we don’t have to be told it’s held every year, just as we don’t have to be reminded that Dec. 26 is the day after Christmas.”

And remember, bring your ‘favorite’ beverage and we’ll supply all the food.

“Another ignorant use of sneer or irony quotes. These quotes are properly used when the writer wants to signal to the reader that a word or phrase is being used ironically: ‘The “civilization” that Europeans brought to Native Americans included death, disease and removal from native lands.” We know from the quotes around ‘civilization’ that the writer is using that word to mean the opposite of what it should mean.

“So when I’m told to bring my ‘favorite’ beverage, should I bring something I hate to drink?

“I no longer send detailed corrections to the people who sent me these flawed invitations. For some reason, the invitations have dried up. I stay home alone, happy as a clam with my favorite beverage and a copy of Garner’s Modern American Usage.”

To put a bow on this, so to speak, we’ll leave it to T.S. Eliot:

For last year’s words belong to last year’s language

And next year’s words await another voice.

The author is the editor of the Shelter Island Reporter. He can be reached at a.clancy@sireporter.com.

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An officer was at the Southold Fire Department when he smelled an odor of smoke in the area Dec. 27, Southold Town police said. 

The officer located an active fire around midnight at 205 Boisseau Ave., officials said. Southold Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire, determining the cause to be a burning wood stove. The building was unoccupied, the report states.

• James Degroff, 58, of East Moriches was arrested for driving while intoxicated on New Year’s Eve around 2:20 p.m., police said. While on patrol, police observed the vehicle traveling 70 miles per hour on Route 48 in Peconic, and initiated a traffic stop when Mr. Degroff failed to maintain his lane and failed to signal a lane change.

• Robert Howard, 30, of Greenport was arrested Sunday for criminal contempt, a misdemeanor, for being in violation of an active order of protection around 9:40 p.m., police said.

• Egidio Albizures-Morataya, 40, of Mattituck was arrested Monday for criminal mischief in the third degree, a felony, after he broke three windows at a Mattituck residence with a baseball bat around 4:45 p.m., police said.

• Manuel Romano-Merino of Greenport was arrested for DWI last Saturday in Laurel around 12:30 a.m., police said.

• Tara Detrick of East Marion was arrested for DWI Dec. 19 at 12:48 a.m. in Greenport after she was found on the wrong side of the road with the keys in the ignition and the car running, police said.

Those who are named in police reports have not been convicted of any crime or violation. The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.

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Southold Town Justice William Price has retired from his post on the bench, ending a 36-year tenure throughout which he aimed for compassion in the courtroom. 

He’s handled some of the town’s most heart-wrenching cases and took on a volunteer role as a justice on the East End Regional Intervention Court. While he will no longer be an elected presence at Town Hall, he noted in June that he’ll seek out other opportunities to serve the community as a volunteer.

That is why Judge Price is The Suffolk Times’ choice for Public Servant of Year.

The Suffolk Times sat down with the him in June to take a look back at his service as a town justice. Now 66, Judge Price recalled that after returning from law school at the University of Albany, he strove to be thought of as earnest in the community where he grew up.

“I grew up in Greenport and, well, I was not the most behaved young man,” he said, sitting in his office in the Justice Court trailer attached to Town Hall. “I came back right out of law school to practice. It was hard to get anybody to take me seriously.”

But he was taken seriously later, evident from his successful 1981 campaign for a town justice seat and eight consecutive re-elections after that.

Judge Price recalled some of the most memorable and poignant cases he presided over, including a murder in 1988 in Cutchogue and numerous driving while intoxicated and domestic violence cases.

On Dec. 19, the Southold Town Board presented the jurist with a proclamation praising his more than three decades as a public servant.

“I want to say, on a professional level, you’ve been wonderful; on a personal level, you’re far more important to me than I think you know,” Southold Supervisor Scott Russell told him after reading the proclamation.

Town Board members each thanked Judge Price, as did retiring town assessor Robert Scott, who also received a proclamation that day for his dedication, friendship and help over the years. Councilman Jim Dinizio, who also grew up in Greenport, said he always looked up to “Billy” Price.

Fishers Island Justice Louisa Evans recalled her first day in court, when an attorney “loved to make objections.” She called for an adjournment and called the judge for advice. He told her, “Just say no.”

“He gave me more confidence in court,” Ms. Evans said. “I really thank you for that and mentoring me all the way through.”

Eileen Powers of Southold, an attorney with offices in Riverhead, was elected in November to succeed Judge Price on the town bench. She has known him for 25 years, having met him as a young prosecutor in his courtroom. She said she also knew him through her father-in-law, for whom he had worked as a teenager and who always spoke highly of him.

“He was not your standard, cookie-cutter judge,” Ms. Powers said. “He was his own person.”

Judge Price said he made an effort to treat anyone before him in court the way he’d expect to be treated under the same circumstances.

“I’m not going to treat one of our local citizens who gets a ticket for having an outdated inspection like I’m going to treat someone who’s brought in [wearing] handcuffs on a Sunday morning because they were caught driving while intoxicated the night before,” he said in June.

In the East End Regional Intervention Court, otherwise known as “drug court,” he made clear that participants who were dealing with addiction faced a public health issue, not a criminal one.

Ms. Powers said Judge Price had just two words of advice for her after she won the election: “Do good.”

“I plan to take that to heart,” she said.

kzegers@timesreview.com

Top file photo: Southold Town Justice William Price at the bench in his final year in office. He was first elected to the post in 1981 and served nine terms before retiring last month. (Credit: Kelly Zegers)

Previous Winners

2016: Jim Grathwohl
2015: Jack Martilotta
2014: Ted Webb
2013: Heather Lanza
2012: Ed Romaine
2011: Greenport and Southold Highway Department Crews
2010: Leslie Weisman
2009: Betty Neville
2008: Thomas Crowley
2007: Philip Beltz
2006: Jesse Wilson
2005: Martin Flatley
2004: Mattituck-Cutchogue School Board
2003: Ben Orlowski Jr.
2002: Jack Sherwood
2001: Dave Abatelli
2000: Melissa Spiro
1999: Valerie Scopaz
1998: Jamie Mills
1997: Karen McLaughlin
1996: Lisa Israel
1995: John Costello
1994: Ray Jacobs
1993: Judy Terry
1992: William Pell
1991: Beth Wilson
1990: Antonia Booth
1989: Frank Murphy
1988: Venetia McKeighan
1987: Paul Stoutenburgh

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“X” marks the spot, and with Xavier Allen, that’s in the cylinder of the basket.

The sophomore point guard for the Mattituck High School boys basketball team, who has a knack for putting the ball in the basket, goes by a couple of nicknames.

“They call me X or X-Man,” he said. “Usually on the court, if I’m just playing bad, they’ll call me Xavier. If I’m playing great, they’ll call me X-Man or X, so that’s how I know how I’m doing in a game.”

On Saturday, he was X-Man, scoring, passing, even rebounding as the Tuckers pulled away to an 83-60 non-league win over Southold in Mattituck. Allen had 26 points with the aid of three three-pointers. He might have surpassed his season-high of 31 points, but shot 7-for-14 from the foul line.

Mattituck coach Paul Ellwood said Allen, who entered the game with an 18.9 points average, put in “tremendous effort” in the offseason “and it’s showing now.”

For the Tuckers, Allen is the irreplaceable one.

“He’s the one guy we can’t not have in the lineup,” Ellwood said. “Everyone else, we can replace. We can’t replace X. We have some depth at the bigs. We have some depth at the other guards, but he’s worked at his game since last year. I’m lucky [to] have a guard like that.”

As part of his game Saturday, Allen also had 10 rebounds, five steals and three assists. Three other Tuckers scored in double figures. Isaiah Johnson, another sophomore guard, had 16 points (with four treys) and five assists. H’Nadahri Joyner, a 6-4 junior coming back from an ankle injury, was an inside force with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Trevor Poole added 12 points.

Southold received 21 points and five assists from Steven Russell and 20 points from Nick Grathwohl.

Both teams might find their respective records hard to believe — for different reasons. Mattituck improved to 9-2 while Southold remains winless at 0-9.

“We’ve pretty much won all the games we’re supposed to win and now we’re getting into the tougher part of the schedule,” said Ellwood, whose team’s only losses have come to Pierson and Greenport. “We still have some growing up to do, some maturing to do, but it’s nice to do it as you’re winning.”

Southold, on the other hand, has undergone a great deal of player turnover and is still searching for its first win.

“I think we need a commitment to defense and executing what we do in practice [in] a game,” coach Lucas Grigonis said. “I think right now our mindset in a game is that things will get better when we don’t really realize that you have to work for those things to get better. Zero and nine hurts, but you come back every day and you work hard. I don’t know if there’s one reason for us being 0 and 9. I think it’s a lot of little things that add up.”

Allen’s 14-point first quarter (he scored 12 of Mattituck’s first 13 points), spotted the Tuckers a 24-15 lead.

Three-pointers were flying from both sides. Mattituck shot 9-for-21 from beyond the arc while Southold went 8-for-23, with four threes by Nick Grathwohl.

Mattituck enjoyed superiority on the boards, with a 43-28 rebounding advantage.

“Mattituck is definitely playing quality basketball right now,” Grigonis said. “They matched up well against us. Obviously, they’re coached well, and they don’t take any plays off, which is the difference between their team and ours right now.”

Southold was without a healthy Max Kruszeski, who Grigonis called the team’s defensive leader. Kruszeski watched the game in street clothes after rolling an ankle in the last five minutes of practice Friday, said the coach.

Mattituck was missing Nick Perino because of an ankle sprain.

But there was the X factor. The Tuckers had X-Man on their side, and he’s a difference-maker.

“I don’t see a difference in his game play from the first to the fourth quarter,” Grigonis said. “I think he plays 32 minutes. I think he’s a good leader, and I think he does what he does on both ends of the floor to be a good teammate and to make it hard for his coach to take him off the floor.”

Nick Grathwohl said: “He just attacks you at every single point … He’s quick. He can shoot. He has handles. It’s tough to beat a guy like that.”

Allen was a starter last season for Mattituck, but things are different this time around. He said he feels more responsibility. “I have to be a leader,” he said.

That means doing what he does best, and among those things is putting up points.

“I like scoring,” he said. “I hear the cheerleaders say my name and stuff, so that’s always fun.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Xavier Allen had 26 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and three assists for Mattituck in its non-league win over Southold Saturday. (Credit: Garret Meade)

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Nicole Mohr and Jason Barkley

Nicole Mohr and Jason Barkley were married Oct. 28, 2017, by the Rev. Peter Kelley at Founders Landing Wharf House in Southold, where a reception followed. 

Nicole, daughter of Andrea and Robert Mohr of Southold, was attended by her friends Kristen Al-Sullami and Jaime Carey.

Jason is the son of Faith Finne of Southold and Charles Barkley. His brothers, Charles Barkley and Gregory Barkley, served as groomsmen.

Their children, Madison Smith and Matthew Barkley, served as the flower girl and ring bearer.

The family honeymooned in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. They reside in Southold.

Photo credit: courtesy photo

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Let us begin by stating this very simple truth: A small number of people can bring about an extraordinary amount of good. 

Public advocates, a fireman who pushed past prejudice, a town justice leaving the bench after a long and solid career — these are just some of the people discussed in the pages of our newspapers this week, highlighting the very good work they do and have done in our communities. They give fresh meaning to two very important words: public service.

Each year at this time, Times Review Media Group newspapers recognize people who, in their own unique ways, make sizable contributions to our towns and hamlets. They are people who have made and continue to make real differences in our lives and what our communities look like.

They make things better, in other words. Recall the words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever does.”
We have made selections in a number of categories. Each of the people chosen was picked for what he or she has done, or continues to do.

Community newspapers have many responsibilities. We have to show taxpayers how their hard-earned money is spent, or misspent; we have to report how elected or appointed officials vote on critical measures, and what ideas they propose to make life better in our communities; and as best we can, we have to hold public officials accountable for their actions, or inactions.

Beyond those lofty goals, it’s also vital that community newspapers write about people who do a world of good — in small ways, like the Greenport resident who picks up trash when she’s out for a run, and in big ways, like Riverhead Fire Department’s first African-American member.

Riverhead police officer Byron Perez, who speaks fluent Spanish, is a bridge between the department and the town’s growing Hispanic community. Richard Ligon, who died last May at 77, was a 40-year member of the Riverhead Fire Department. His application to join the department in the 1970s was rejected. He pushed past that to have a stellar career, as fellow firefighter and Riverhead Town Justice Allen Smith states in our story.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Village of Greenport might not look as it does today if not for the contributions of Mindy Ryan. During morning runs she noticed a lot of trash. She began cleanup efforts, and encouraged others to do the same. Today, she’s also leading the effort to revamp Greenport’s venerable American Legion Hall.

And then there’s William Price, who recently retired as a Southold Town justice after a 36-year tenure that will be remembered long after his departure. Looking at Judge Price’s career, those two words keep coming up: public service.

Here is a good way to end a career. Put this on a sticky note and attach it to your computer at whatever patronage job the taxpayers so generously compensate you for. It is Mr. Price’s two words for Eileen Powers, who has taken his spot on the town bench: “Do good.”

Words to remember.

swick@timesreview.com

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She is amazing Grace.

And one of the amazing things about Grace Syron is her smile.

The day after the day that might have been the worst of her young life, she showed up for duty, wearing a soccer uniform and that trademark smile on her friendly face. That ever-present bright smile defines Grace as much as her athleticism and competitiveness.

“You know Grace [by] the smile on her face,” said Greenport athletic director Chris Golden, who coached her this past fall when she helped the Southold/Greenport high school girls soccer team reach the New York State Class C semifinals for the first time. “It is a beautiful smile. It lights up a room.”

It’s a contagious smile, too.

“It really brings a smile to your own face because she’s always so upbeat,” said Chris Golden’s daughter Jill, who is a longtime soccer teammate and friend of Grace’s.

Just behind her smile that mid-September day, though, there must have been tremendous pain. Just the day before, Sept. 15, Grace’s mother, Kathy, had succumbed to a long illness at the age of 52.

The First Settlers had a home game against Babylon the next day, and Grace was there as usual, ready to play. As always, her coaches and teammates could count on her. She had to play for her late mother. It was her mother who drove her to practices and games and served as a team mom. “She was always there to support me,” Grace said. “She was there for everybody on the team.”

A three-sport standout at Greenport High School, Grace Syron is known as much for her affable demeanor off the playing field as for her prowess on it. That’s just part of why the senior has been named The Suffolk Times’ Sports Person of the Year for 2017. She is also being recognized for the courage she showed in persevering despite the loss of her mother.

“She’s just a natural leader,” said Annie Lincoln, who plays alongside Grace on Southold/Greenport’s girls soccer, girls basketball and softball teams. “She always takes charge and she’s always there for you when you need her and she’s just an amazing person. I love her so much.”

Grace comes from a sports-minded East Marion family. Her father, Bob, played football and softball and coached her in softball. Her older brother, Keegan, is a freshman linebacker for the Hartwick College football team. A younger brother, Brendan, is an eighth-grader who plays soccer, basketball and baseball.

Chris Golden remembers the first time he ever saw Grace Syron. She was on a soccer field in Laurel, playing for a coed Greenport-East Marion-Orient team that was scrimmaging the Mattituck Marlins, an under-10 travel team Golden coached.

“There was this girl on the field,” he recalled. “Every time we did something, this girl would just dominate the play and it was kind of like, ‘Who is that girl out there?’ And it turned out to be Grace Syron, and even at 10 years old, Grace Syron, she stood out on that soccer field and I knew I had to sign her. I had to do it. It made up for all my bad signings. It was the greatest signing in my history.”

From the beginning, he said, he knew she was a special athlete, “a game-changer.”

Jill Golden, who played for the Marlins, quickly struck up a friendship with her. “Grace is an amazing person,” she said. “She’s really, really nice; I would say, hands down, the nicest person that I’ve ever met. She’s so kind and compassionate and she cares deeply about people.”

With her blend of strength, speed and quickness, Grace was an All-State Third Team midfielder this past fall. It was the third time she received All-State recognition in soccer, having made the third and fifth teams the previous two years. She and Jill Golden led Southold to its first Suffolk County Class C championship in 30 years and its first appearance in a state semifinal where the First Settlers (14-5) lost, 3-1, to Allegany-Limestone. Grace scored Southold’s lone goal, her 19th of the season. She also had seven assists on the year.

“You take this kid off this field … we just don’t go that far,” said Chris Golden.

Grace also excels in basketball and softball.

Grace Syron attempting a close-range shot despite being tightly guarded by Bishop McGann-Mercy’s Melina Santacroce. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

In the last softball season, her athletic skills were put to good use as she played a variety of positions, from second base to the outfield to shortstop to first base. Batting in the meat of the order, she finished with a .439 batting average, 11 RBIs, six doubles and two triples as Southold made the playoffs for the first time in 20 years.

In basketball, she’s so active that it can sometimes feel as if she is in multiple places at one time. Through eight games this season, the forward has posted double-doubles in each of them and a triple-double in one. She is averaging 14.5 points and 15.6 rebounds per game.

Skip Gehring, who coaches her in both of those sports, didn’t know Grace until she went out for those teams. “The thing that you noticed right off the bat, the first thing as a coach, is not athleticism that you notice, it’s a drive, a determination, a heart,” he said. “That’s the first thing that every coach notices. She was driven.”

Gehring said Grace is driven to win. Statistics are a byproduct of her hard work. “The biggest part that she brings to the team is a desire to win,” he said. “She’s coachable and she works harder than everybody else that’s out there, and that defines her.”

Chris Golden said: “She’s just — out here — head and shoulders, really, above any other female athlete in all three sports. She is as pure a three-sport athlete as I’ve seen in a long time.”

Although Grace is reserved, friends say she has a good sense of humor and has become more outgoing and charismatic. She can be hard on herself and for all of her talents, they say, she is modest and down-to-earth, without a trace of ego.

“Grace is probably the most real person I’ve known,” said Joan Dinizio, assistant to Greenport’s athletic director. “There’s nothing fake about her. She’s just an all-around great kid. She doesn’t realize just how talented she is, or maybe she does but she doesn’t let it affect her. She’s just a sweet girl.”

That sense made what Grace had to endure with her mother’s death all the more painful for her friends. Chris Golden remembers only too well that sad day when he received a text message from Grace, letting him know that she would not be in school that day; her mother had died.

Grace Syron delivers a base hit in the team’s game against East Rockaway. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Just as her mother had been there for her teammates, Grace’s teammates were there for her in her time of need. They embraced her during that difficult time. “They were all there for me,” she said.

Chris Golden said he had let Kathy Syron know he was going to “look out for Grace.”

As an intern for the Greenport athletic department, Grace is routinely in and out of the small office, which has the feel of a museum with old uniforms and sports memorabilia on display. One of the job’s perks is she sometimes gets to drive around a golf cart.

But an intern’s life isn’t all fun and games. It also involves less glamorous tasks such as laundering uniforms, preparing fields, providing gear and water. That keeps Grace busy to and from the athletic office, but that office also has another purpose. It’s a refuge, of sorts, for her.

“I told her, ‘You know, if you need some down time, if you need a place just to regroup, the door is always open for you,’<\!q>” Dinizio said. “So, she comes and she talks to us sometimes about how tough things are or about future plans. Chris and I will always be here for her. Chris made that promise to her mom: He would always look after her.”

Chris Golden said there have been times when Grace would enter his office, the door would be closed, she would take a seat across from his desk and cry.

“This was a real safe place for Grace and she needed that,” he said, sitting at his desk. “That’s the side that people did not see of Grace. There were times when she just needed to cry. It wasn’t easy.”

Those who knew Kathy Syron say they see a lot of her in Grace. The smile. The upbeat personality. The kindness.

“I hear that a lot, actually,” Grace said. “My mom was a very upbeat person and she was very caring. I heard that I have that, too. We were together all the time, so we were pretty similar in a way. I picked up a lot of things from her, I think.”

Grace continues playing in her mom’s memory.

“Her mom is in the back of her mind,” Dinizio said. “She wants to keep going because she knows that’s what her mom would want.”

Grace said she is undecided about what college she will attend, but will probably play soccer. Sports will likely be a part of her future.

“She has a bright future in front of her,” Gehring said, “and as long as she stays on the track that she’s on now, there’s nothing but the stars in front of her.”

It’s a future she can smile about.

bliepa@timesreview.com

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The east side of Southold Town Hall suffered “considerable water damage” after the pipes froze in a fire suppression system, according to Town Supervisor Scott Russell. 

The damage has led to a decision to close all offices located within the Main Road building Monday.

“The floor had about two inches of water and, because the pipes are located over the ceiling, the ceiling suffered a great deal of damage as well,” Mr. Russell said in an email. “We have contacted a company to assist in the clean up so we can have the building up and running as soon as possible.”

Mr. Russell added that power was cut to that side of the building and “we are surveying damage to equipment, etc. right now.”

He said the town’s insurance carrier has also been contacted

The closed offices include the town clerk, assessors, engineers and the tax receiver. All other town facilities and offices will be open during regular business hours.

Anyone seeking assistance from Mr. Russell can still reach him at (631)300-5349.

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The Village of Greenport wouldn’t look like it does today if it weren’t for Mindy Ryan. Through various cleaning and beautification efforts, including the revamping of the American Legion Hall, she has proved that one person can make a difference. 

That’s why Ms. Ryan has been named The Suffolk Times’ Community Leader of the Year for 2017.

“She is very grounded and rooted to the North Fork,” said Jerry Cibulski of Greenport, a local real estate agent.

Ms. Ryan’s effort to help Greenport began last year during her regular morning runs, when she started noticing trash and litter around the village. Not only did she pick it up herself, but she posted about it on social media, inspiring others to follow suit.

With the help of Greenport Village Trustee Mary Bess Phillips, Ms. Ryan soon launched the “One Bag at a Time Project” via the “Let’s Talk Village of Greenport” Facebook page. During her runs, she’d fill a bag with trash and encouraged residents to do the same.

“The discussion of trash was how I really got to meet her personally,” Ms. Phillips said. “She has a lot of effervescent drive.”

The project instructed residents to pick up garbage they saw on the street, beaches, sidewalks or in bushes, and post about it to keep the momentum going in the community.

“What she’s doing in her day, she actually shares that out with others,” Mr. Cibulski said. “It just comes from a very honest place.”

Ms. Ryan has sparked change in the village through her example. Mr. Cibulski said that after he saw her posting about trash in the area, he began noticing the same thing. He added that what he saw most was discarded coffee cups and lids.

“I was like, if I’m getting coffee cups myself, I’m only feeding to that stream,” Mr. Cibulski said. “So then I was like why don’t I start using a reusable container for my coffee and just stop with the coffee cups and the lids. So it’s things like that she’s doing that influence people around her to make this a better place.”

Ms. Ryan has also posted about recycling whatever possible.

“You have to get past the outrage and feel good about doing good,” Ms. Ryan said in a previous interview with The Suffolk Times. “Just stop the anger and do something … You don’t have to save the world here, but one bag at a time, everybody pitches in.”

Most recently, Ms. Ryan has taken on the role of general manager at the Greenport American Legion, which has been out of commission for over a decade. It is expected to reopen in 2018. Ms. Ryan, along with her team, is determined to make the space more than a roller rink. Possibilities include parties, weddings, movie nights and much more.

“She has a lot of good ideas, and she’s good with delegating out to other people, so it’s a good collaborative,” Mr. Cibulski said. “It’s not one person that’s trying to do something with total control.

It’s a very supportive environment on this. That’s why I’m excited to hear that she’s being honored, because it makes sense.”

Ms. Ryan’s work is sure to continue in 2018 with her leadership of the legion and her following in Greenport.

“I think that as far as being a member of the Village of Greenport community, she’s setting an example of someone who is pushing forward on what I think our community is really all about, helping out and tackling problems,” Ms. Phillips said.

Photo caption: While some community members spent Earth Day lounging around the house or running menial errands. Mindy Ryan was leading a beach cleanup effort in Greenport. (Credit: Grant Parpan, file photo)

risford@timesreview.com

Previous Winners
*The award was previously called Civic Person of the Year

2016 — Valerie Shelby and Sonia Spar
2015 — Don Fisher
2014 — Designer show house organizers
2013 — Ron and Doris McGreevy
2012 — Group for the East End
2011 — American Legion Post restoration volunteers
2010 — Peggy Murphy
2009 — North Fork Community Theater
2008 — Lori Luscher
2007 — Committee for Phil McKnight
2006 — Relay for Life organizers
2005 — Merle Levine
2004 — Christine Roache
2003 — Barbara Taylor
2002 — Kim Tetrault
2001 — Elinor May
2000 — Mark Miller
1999 — George Hubbard Sr.
1998 —Ed Siegmann
1997 — Freddie Wachsberger
1996 — Shelley Scoggin
1995 — Craig Richter
1994 — Stewardship Task Force
1993 — Walt Krupski
1992 — The Eklunds
1991 — Bill Grigonis
1990 — Merlon Wiggin
1989 — Jeanne Marriner
1988 — Ray Nine
1987 — Bessie Swann

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With books and toys in hand, Sarah Benjamin strides into the homes of Southold Town residents with a smile on her face.

Ms. Benjamin works with families, usually with preschool-aged children, to help prepare both parents and kids for the start of kindergarten through the North Fork Parent Child Program. 

Run through Community Action Southold Town, the program began under Ms. Benjamin in 2013. She spends up to two years working with children ages 16 months to 4 years, teaching them valuable life skills before they enter the school system.

“She’s passionate about the work,” CAST director Cathy Demeroto said. “She’s a wonderful advocate for families and she’s a strong advocate for education, particularly early childhood education.”

For her dedication to the children and parents of Southold Town, Ms. Benjamin is The Suffolk Times’ 2017 Educator of the Year.

The goal of the free program is to help children develop reading and literacy skills so they feel more comfortable with their abilities when they enter the formal school system. Studies have shown that children who get the type of home attention Ms. Benjamin provides go on to be more successful in the long-term school program, said CAST board member Denis Noncarrow.

The free program has grown each year, with 48 families currently enrolled, Ms. Demeroto said.

“In speaking to parents and families involved in this they can’t say enough about how it’s changed and made so many kids comfortable with reading and getting ready for school,” Mr. Noncarrow said.

Ms. Demeroto echoed that sentiment, citing the praise Ms. Benjamin receives from the parents she works with.

“The families love her,” Ms. Demeroto said. “She truly believes in the work she does.”

The in-home approach is designed to make education convenient for families facing poverty, language barriers and lack of transportation.

Each family receives a minimum of 46 home visits a year, or 92 over the course of two years. Most visits last a half-hour, according to the national Parent Child Program website.

The program operates in more than 400 communities in the United States as well as in Bermuda, Canada, Ireland and Chile, and received national certification in 2015, its website states.

“She’s really passionate and committed to her families,” Ms. Demeroto said. “She doesn’t just do the program, she supports them if they have other needs in the community and connects them to resources.

She’s just a great support for local families with young children.”

Ms. Benjamin has been involved with CAST for many years, previously serving as executive director before stepping down to focus her energy on the North Fork Parent Child Program.

In addition to visiting participating families, Ms. Benjamin makes sure to secure enough funds to enable the program to continue each year. That includes funding for other volunteers who visit homes and money for materials, such as books and learning games, to use with the children.

Mr. Noncarrow credited Ms. Benjamin’s drive and passion not only for keeping the program intact, but for helping it thrive each year.

“Because of her undying love for these children, nothing will stop this program from being the success it has been,” he said. “Sarah’s a dynamic, energetic person. She impressively took this program from 0 to 100 on the North Fork. She’s just an impressive lady.”

Photo caption: Sarah Benjamin, coordinator of Community Action Southold Town’s Parent Child Program at CAST’s 50th anniversary party in 2015. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder, file photo)

nsmith@timesreview.com

Previous Winners

2016: Emily Gundersen
2015: John Roslak
2014: Phillip ‘Skip’ Munisteri
2013: Al Edwards
2012: Daniel Goldfarb
2011: Major William Grigonis
2010: Jean Dempsey
2009: Robert Feger
2008: Charles Kozora
2007: Kathy Williams
2006: Dr. Stuart Rachlin
2005: Mattituck Fund for Students
2004: Ron McEvoy
2003: Chris Gallagher
2002: Brigitte Gibbons
2001: Barbara Ackerman
2000: Ruth Yoskovich
1999: Tom Brennan
1998: Peggy Dickerson
1997: Elizabeth Goldsmith
1996: Lee Ellwood
1995: Linda Gates
1994: Poppy Johnson
1993: Peggy Murphy
1992: Patricia Wall
1991: Charles Nephew
1990: Dennis Claire
1989: Bruno Brauner
1988: Winifred Billard
1987: Jim Christy

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Former Mattituck resident Russell C. Bird died Jan. 4 at the Long Island State Veterans Home in Stony Brook. He was 80.

The son of Samuel and Adrianna Bird, he was born Oct. 15, 1937, in Mattituck.

Mr. Bird attended Farmingdale State College, Cornell University, Virginia Tech and SUNY Stony Brook. He was a professor at SUNY Farmingdale.

On June 10, 1967, he married Judith Faller in Mattituck.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1963.

Family members said he enjoyed gardening, horticulture and travel.

Mr. Bird is survived by his wife, Judith, of Brookhaven and brother, Samuel, of Queens Village. He was predeceased by his sister, Mary Lou Lick.

Cremation was private. Burial will occur in the spring at Cutchogue Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Peconic Land Trust, P.O. Box 1776 Southampton, NY 11969 or Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue, 228 West Montauk Hwy, Hampton Bays, NY 11946.

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

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Longtime Orient resident Jill Muir died Jan. 4 in Orient. 

The daughter of George and Irma (King) Muir, she was born Nov. 5, 1942, in Greenport.

Ms. Muir received a vocational education and, for 42 years, worked for Suffolk County in Riverhead.

Ms. Muir is survived by her son, Jonathan, of Holbrook and her stepsiblings, William Park, David Park and Susan Park Utz.

A memorial visitation will take place Saturday, Jan. 13, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport.

Memorial donations may be made to Orient Fire Department, 23300 Main Road, Orient, NY 11957.

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo presented his 2018 agenda last Wednesday outlining initiatives that, if realized, could affect the North Fork, including calls to address the opioid issue, immigrants’ rights and environmental issues.

The governor cited the rise in drug overdoses, mostly opioid-related, as a leading cause of death across the country.

“We must face it head on,” Mr. Cuomo said in his Jan. 3 State of the State address in Albany. “We are committed to a comprehensive solution: more prevention, more education, more enforcement, more treatment. But we also want to advance a new approach this year, the ultimate follow the supply chain strategy. Big corporations may own Washington, but they don’t own New York.”

The opioid crisis was manufactured by “unscrupulous distributors,” the governor said, and the state will sue to them to stop the spread. His plan, he explained, is to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable, remove insurance barriers to addiction treatment and recovery services and put forth legislation that would designate 11 variations of fentanyl — a potent opioid that has surpassed heroin as the main culprit in opioid overdose deaths in Suffolk County — as Schedule I controlled substances under the state’s Public Health Law.

Mr. Cuomo outlined 23 proposals in his State of the State speech, promising a progressive government.

Here’s are some of his other priorities for 2018:

On climate change: In response to extreme weather events, Mr. Cuomo said he will launch Resilient NY, a program meant to enhance how communities recover after climate change-related events. It will outline resiliency guidelines and provide state funds for resiliency plans to prevent communities from flooding, according to the 2018 agenda outline.

Immigrants’ rights: The governor said the Liberty Defense Project, a state-led legal defense fund, will continue to provide legal assistance to immigrants, regardless of status. He will also push for passage of the DREAM Act by the federal government so that undocumented students can have access to the Tuition Assistance Program and scholarships.

Combating workplace sexual harassment: Mr. Cuomo is seeking reforms that will advance women’s rights in New York State. These includes a proposal for legislation preventing the use of public money in settling sexual harassment claims, removal of forced arbitration provisions from employee contracts and a requirement that companies doing business with the state disclose the number of sexual harassment adjudications and nondisclosure agreements they’ve carried out.

Preventing ownership of firearms by domestic abusers: State law currently prohibits the possession of firearms by those who have been convicted of felony or “serious” offenses. However, it does not apply to misdemeanor offenses related to domestic violence, such as assault, battery or strangulation. Mr. Cuomo announced that he will work to advance legislation to add those offenders to the list of those who cannot own firearms, according to his 2018 agenda outline.

The governor’s address also condemned the federal government’s tax reform plan.

“Our federal government has hurt our state’s economic position, both nationally and internationally, by taxing our state and local taxes,” Mr. Cuomo said. “They made us less competitive and they are helping other states at our expense.”

Photo credit: Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivered his 2018 State of the State Address at Empire State Plaza Convention Center on Jan. 3. (Credit: Philip Kamrass, Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)

kzegers@timesreview.com

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A woman crossing Love Lane was struck by a vehicle Monday afternoon and the driver fled the scene, according to a Mattituck Fire Department official.

The woman did not appear to suffer serious injuries and she was being transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center. Love Lane was briefly closed off to traffic while first responders were on scene before 4 p.m.

The crash occurred near the Village Cheese Shop, officials said.

Further information on the vehicle was not immediately available.

Photo caption: A Mattituck Fire Department ambulance on scene Monday afternoon on Love Lane. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

nsmith@timesreview.com

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The Southold Town Assessor’s office will remain closed Tuesday following damage to the east side of Southold Town Hall after pipes froze in a fire suppression system, according to Supervisor Scott Russell.

The following offices will reopen: town clerk, receiver of taxes, supervisor and Justice Court.

The grace period for the requirement of a new permit at the Southold Town Transfer Station will be extended from Jan. 14 to Jan. 16.

For any questions, contact the supervisor’s office during normal business hours Tuesday at 631-765-1889.

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I’m Jessica Frankel, the reference librarian for Southold Free Library in Southold, N.Y.

Because of Google and databases, a lot of people know information already and they come to me when they need that next step of information. 

The reference librarian role has changed over the years. It’s much more a proactive position where we don’t wait for folks to ask us questions, we try to anticipate information needs of the community. I helped someone recently in getting them a book from a library in a different state; that’s a service we provide here.

Because the library has really become a community center, which is really exciting, everyone’s roles have changed a little bit.

I help people search about anything from health care issues. There was a credit scam last year so we set up displays about scams and protecting yourself. Folks will come in and ask for phone numbers because they used to use the phone book and now they don’t know how to find them anymore.

I was a high school English teacher before I got my master’s in library science. I enjoyed teaching but it really wasn’t a passion. I decided if I wanted to have a career it should be a passion of mine. And I always enjoyed the library and I always enjoyed research, so I decided to go back to school and went to Columbia University School of Library Service. It was great. I knew right then and there that’s what I wanted to do.

I’ve been a librarian now for 38 years, but most of my career was spent on Wall Street, and I did corporate research for many years.

Then, when my husband and I retired out here about nine years ago, I wanted to continue in libraries, so I made the switch to public librarianship.

I think it is important that people understand our role in the community as the link between people and information — in the many forms that comes in.

I think my favorite part is just helping people out when they really didn’t think it was possible to get information. Folks will come in and they’ll say “You know, I’ve been looking for this for a long time; you’re not going to find it …” I said, well that’s a good challenge.

I usually do find it.

“The Work We Do” is a Suffolk Times multimedia project profiling workers on the North Fork. It is made possible by Peconic Landing. See more photos on Instagram @thesuffolktimes.

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Runs are part of the game, and it was one final run that ultimately decided the game.

Babylon, relying heavily on the talents of Amanda Guerra, recovered from a 24-7 run by Southold/Greenport with a game-ending 15-7 run of its own. Guerra scored nine of those points herself, including Babylon’s last six points (all from the foul line), as the Panthers held off the First Settlers, 41-39, in a Suffolk County League VII girls basketball game Monday night at Southold High School.

The game completed the first half of the league season for both teams. Babylon improved to 6-6, 4-3 in the league. Southold (3-6, 2-5) needs to win five of its remaining seven league games in order to nab a spot in the playoffs.

Southold led by as many as six points in the third quarter on five successive baskets: one off a spin move by Adrine Demirciyan, a Liz Clark putback, a basket off a baseline move by Clark, a Demirciyan three-pointer from the top of the key and a short jumper by Demirciyan. That made the score 32-26.

But Babylon, which employed a full-court press for much of the game, wasn’t finished. The Panthers fought back behind Guerra, the senior forward who totaled 25 points, 15 rebounds, eight steals, three blocks and one assist. She made 13 of 17 free throws.

Babylon tied the score three times before a pair of Guerra free throws gave the Panthers a 37-35 edge with three minutes and 18 seconds left to play.

Moments later, Southold’s Grace Syron hit a shot just before the shot clock sounded to even terms at 37-37.

A layup by Samantha Dunne had cut Babylon’s lead to 40-39.

Guerra, who sank 4 of 6 free throws in the final 1:59, made her last foul shot with 17.9 seconds to go.

In the final seconds, Southold had two opportunities to pull ahead, but Demirciyan failed to convert a layup and a last-second desperation heave by Ale Cardi fell short.

Syron, who shot 7-for-16 from the field, led Southold with 14 points, 14 rebounds, five steals and three assists. Demirciyan, an eighth-grade point guard, had 12 points.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: With Southold/Greenport’s loss to Babylon, coach Skip Gehring needs the First Settlers to win five of their remaining seven league games in order to see the playoffs. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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The Hellenic Snack Bar & Restaurant in East Marion has been a family-owned business on the North Fork for a very long time.

Beginning with John and Anna Giannaris, the same family has owned and operated the iconic snack bar since 1976. 

Now the restaurant is run by their son George, who’s been able to keep his parents’ dream alive. For his dedication to his family business and the community he lives and works in, George Giannaris is our 2017 Suffolk Times Businessperson of the Year.

Restaurant manager Debbie Volinski said Mr. Giannaris has helped the Hellenic to evolve with the times. She began working there as a waitress when she was just 14, back when his parents ran it. Now 40 years later she’s still there, managing alongside Mr. Giannaris.

“George is so knowledgeable with everything,” she said. “He just tries to make things better at the restaurant.”

When the restaurant celebrated its 40th year in business, for example, Mr. Giannaris planned 40 special events throughout the year, such as a “one-of-a-kind offering” day or giving away free soup or lemonade.

This past year, he began making his own gelato. Inspired by a seminar he attended, he spent about three months trying to perfect his own recipe before the restaurant opened for the 2017 season.

“He’s really done it all,” Ms. Volinski said. She added that she cannot think of a more deserving honoree, stating that Mr. Giannaris took the foundation his parents left for him and built upon it.

“It says a lot,” she said. “If you look around, how many businesses have sold in all the years … and how many new businesses there are and Hellenic has stayed the same business for 41 years.”

During a Suffolk Times interview in 2016, Mr. Giannaris said he wanted to move the restaurant into the future, while also retaining customers who have been loyal patrons for years.

“We have a huge amount of customers that have been coming here for decades. We get a lot of families as well, yet the region is changing,” he said at the time. “We’re seeing a lot more people in their 30s coming down this way, trying the wines, and they have no idea who I am. I just want to be approachable to that generation as well, but not lose my original foundation.”

To do this, Mr. Giannaris likes to keep many of the original menu items while also welcoming requests and suggestions for new ones.

Rick Coffey and his wife own The Coffey House bed and breakfast located next door. He said he considers Mr. Giannaris one of his best friends. He said Mr. Giannaris’ work ethic and passion are what keep the snack bar successful.

“He never stops,” Mr. Coffey said. “When George pursues something, he goes after it with a passion.”

When he stops by the restaurant on Sunday mornings, Mr. Coffey said, he will often sit with Mr. Giannaris and watch as he reads Yelp reviews about the restaurant and personally answers each one.

“If you aren’t happy with the experience, which is extremely rare, he makes it right immediately,” Mr. Coffey said. “He cares about literally everyone’s experience and he passionately wants to make it perfect for everyone.”

Mr. Coffey added that Mr. Giannaris also opens his restaurant to the Greenport Rotary Club for meetings and roasts turkeys for his church at Thanksgiving. He described him as “quietly and passionately giving his time and money to help the community.”

While Mr. Giannaris can typically be seen walking around his restaurant greeting and conversing with old and new customers, he will also jump back on the grill when things get busy. Mr. Coffey said Mr. Giannaris loves food and incorporating local North Fork ingredients into his family’s recipes.

Mr. Giannaris has also published two books, “Ferry Tales” (2008) and “Ferry Tales 2: When Hellenic Freezes Over” (2016). In them, he talks about the history of the restaurant, family recipes and tells funny stories.

In a Suffolk Times interview about his first book, Mr. Giannaris said he was inspired to write because he wanted to make sure his family history was recorded somewhere for his sons, Yianni and Savvas.

At the time, he attributed the restaurant’s success to his father’s “gifted palate,” his mother’s persistence and attention to detail, and the ferry traffic that provides a constant stream of customers, even in the dead of winter.

Mr. Coffey said he’s seen so many restaurants in the area come and go over the years, but the Giannaris family restaurant is still as good as ever.

“To be there for over 40 years is outstanding,” he said. “It just shows his commitment to the community, to the North Fork and his passion for the people who live out there full time.”

Photo caption: George Giannaris  (right) with son Savvas scoops up some housemade gelato at Hellenic Snack Bar & Restaurant in East Marion. (Credit: Vera Chinese, file photo)

kmassa@timesreview.com

Previous Winners

2016: Lucy Senesac
2015: Wendy Zuhoski
2014: Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.
2013: Charlie Manwaring
2012: Jill Schroeder
2011: Shelley Scoggin
2010: Peconic Landing
2009: Rocky DiVello
2008: John Romanello
2007: North Fork Press/Academy Printing
2006: Soundview Restaurant and Inn
2005: Joe Frohnhiefer
2004: Dan Damianos
2003: The Arcade
2002: Kate McDowell
2001: Mattituck Chamber of Commerce
2000: The Harbes Family
1999: Sue Rempe
1998: Bob Scott
1997: Jackie Copas
1996: Richard Mullen
1995: The Claudios
1994: Jeff Strong
1993: The Hargraves
1992: The Rowsoms
1991: Mark Middleton
1990: John Wickham
1989: Ray Terry
1988: Dave LeFreniere
1987: Linda Livni

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