Wyandanch High School’s new football head coach, Josh Shields, really didn’t need a scouting report for his team’s season-opening game Saturday against Greenport/Southold/Mattituck. That’s because, well, Shields was the scouting report.

No joshing.

Shields, 38, was Greenport’s offensive coordinator last year before taking over his first head coaching job at Wyandanch this year. The fact that the two teams opened up their season against each other Saturday added some human interest to the affair.

One thing was for sure: Shields knew who he was facing. Perhaps too much, from Greenport’s perspective.

“We already know who the studs are over there, so we know who to look for,” Shields said before the game. “It’s going to be fun.”

Well, maybe for host Wyandanch. For Greenport, not so much.

Dionte Jordan scored three touchdowns (two on runs) and NyQuan Joiner passed for two as Wyandanch rolled to a 36-20 victory. The score is misleading. Wyandanch held a 36-8 lead before Greenport pulled back a couple of TDs on a winding 58-yard run by Ahkee Anderson and a 30-yard pass from Anderson to Brandon Clark in the final 4 minutes, 11 seconds.

“The first half really surprised me,” Greenport coach Jack Martilotta said. “We scrimmaged well last week. We practiced well this week. To come out and look like that, I was very surprised, to be quite frank. And then in the second half, we were the team that I thought we were.”

Greenport right tackle/nose tackle Jude Swann indicated the game could be seen as a sign of challenges to come. Based on this one game, it doesn’t appear as if this will be an easy season for the Porters, does it?

“I don’t think so,” he said after Greenport’s ninth straight loss, a string that began last year.

A work of art, the game was not. Perhaps that could have been expected of two teams seeded in the bottom half of Suffolk County Division IV. The penalty-filled game saw plenty of mistakes on both sides. The teams combined for 21 penalties (17 by Wyandanch). On three occasions, Wyandanch committed penalties on back-to-back snaps.

The game was marked by bad snaps, fumbles and frequent play stoppages that dragged the game on for some 3 1/2 hours.

“The offense, we just weren’t clicking in the beginning,” said Clark, who also returned a punt 55 yards for a TD. “Towards the end we really started rolling, but it’s our first game. We have to work the kinks” out.

Greenport’s long afternoon began when Deandre Smith picked off a pass and ran it back 75 yards for a score. Jordan (13 carries, 97 yards) added a second TD on a 6-yard run off a toss. Those scores and two-point conversion passes to Marcus Hayward and Jordan made it 16-0 by halftime.

Jordan’s second TD run (a 41-yarder), followed by TD receptions by Jordan and Dennis, made it 36-8 early in the fourth quarter.

Joiner went 8 of 14 for 124 yards.

Among the bright spots for Greenport was the defensive play of Rob Lechner (12 tackles, one sack) and Swann (eight tackles).

Greenport’s blocking woes were an issue, though.

“The one thing we thought we were going to be better at was being able to run downhill, we really did,” Martilotta said. “That didn’t happen. The obvious reason is they were able to get through the line and make tackles. There were times when Ahkee couldn’t even pull out from under center.”

After the game, Greenport players met up with Shields at the center of the field and kidded him about not returning to Greenport.

Martilotta congratulated his former assistant. “I wish him nothing but the best,” he said. “This is a tough job. At the end of the day, you’re trying to get 11 young men to do the same thing, and that is a challenge. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Wyandanch’s new head coach, Josh Shields, meets with some of his former Greenport/Southold/Mattituck players after the game. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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On Wednesday, Southold Town will host an important forum on the problems posed by the far too large deer population that is thriving and rapidly growing on the North Fork.

The forum is scheduled for Sept. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall.

Residents of the North Fork know how serious the overpopulation of deer is in Southold. There are far too many deer here, more than any time in our recent history, and even more than when English settlers arrived in the early 17th century.

They are in our yards in the middle of the day, and have become accustomed to living around people. The herd has reached such proportions that farmers now routinely have to put up expensive high fencing around their fields to protect crops, which of course pushes the herds around their fields and into yards.

Town officials next week will say that the white-tailed deer population has wreaked havoc on gardens, damaged expensive crops, raised critical health concerns for such things as Lyme disease, and caused scores of vehicular collisions. Deer struck by cars are a common sight on all our roads.

In previous years, town officials have said deer populations were at emergency levels. And, data will show, the hunting season — which opens Oct. 1 — has not brought the population down to acceptable levels. Just 1,400 deer have been culled from the 2008 hunting season through 2016.

That is not enough to make a dent in the growing population of white-tailed deer. Additional steps must be devised and sold to the public, which must understand the health threat posed to all of us who see deer on our property.

And that is what this herd is — a serious health threat. Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses are thriving, with new ones identified almost every year and more expected as our climate changes.

Deer are the “blood meal” ticks require. Many residents have seen deer in their yards that are literally covered with ticks. A sharp reduction in the number of deer per square mile will interrupt this cycle and stop the spread of diseases. Lyme disease rates will fall, as will the threat of other diseases like babesiosis and Alpha-gal.

A plan to bring in federal sharpshooters failed when towns and villages across the East End came out against it. That was a mistake. Private groups of sharpshooters have been hired by homeowner associations to cull herds in their neighborhoods, which is a start but is not enough to bring the numbers down.

Attending next week’s meeting in Town Hall and listening to experts from the town, state and federal governments is a good way to understand how serious this problem is.

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For only the third time in 38 years, the Mattituck High School girls tennis team has a new coach.

Coaching changes in the program are rare, at least in the modern era. Jim Christy had run the team for 33 years before handing over the reigns to Mike Huey. After four years — and a 34-22 record — Huey has stepped down. Now the top job belongs to Cory Dolson.

”It’s definitely exciting,” said Dolson, hardly a stranger to the scene, having coached Mattituck’s junior varsity team for the last 12 years. “JV is an easygoing atmosphere. This is varsity. It counts. You’re fighting for championships. It definitely gets the juices going.”

A new coach is hardly the only change Mattituck (5-9 last year) has seen. For the first time in seven years, the Tuckers don’t have Liz Dwyer playing singles for them. “It’s unfortunate for us,” said Dolson.

Dwyer, The Suffolk Times’ 2017-18 Mattituck Female Athlete of the Year, had one of the greatest careers the team has seen, compiling a 56-18 record and having played first singles the last four years.

Not only is Dwyer gone, but the entire singles lineup from last year has moved on.

Six players with varsity experience are competing for the four singles spots, junior Kelsey Bundrick among them. Bundrick played second singles last year for Bishop McGann-Mercy, which closed after the school year.

“Having Kelsey is big,” Dolson said. He added, “She has the highest level of varsity experience on our team, so it’s going to be a tremendous benefit having her around.”

The others in the singles mix are juniors Ashley Perkins, Julie Kosmynka and Jessica Scheer, and seniors Annie Finnegan and Mia Slovak.

“We’re going to have to throw some girls in there and test things out and see what happens,” Dolson said. “Right now, to be honest with you, we’re just trying to figure out a lineup.”

Seniors Sarah Bihm, her twin sister Lauren Bihm, Claudia Hoeg, Katie Parks and Cat McGrath hope to be in that lineup.

Dolson is familiar with many of these players. “I’ve coached almost every single one of these girls for a number of years,” he said.

Mattituck made it to the playoffs for the sixth straight year in 2017, losing to Commack in a Suffolk County Team Tournament Round of 16 match.

This year the Tuckers have been dropped down to League VIII.

“Our goal is going to be to win League VIII,” Dolson said. “Why not?”

A league championship doesn’t seem likely this year for Southold/Greenport (2-10), but who knows about the near future?

If coach Mike Carver looks into a crystal ball, he might like what he sees. The First Settlers may have found the fountain of youth.

“We’re super young this year,” he said. “We’re definitely not aging. We have a couple of good years ahead of us.”

All of Southold’s starters from last year are back, most notably All-County first singles player Natalie Kopala. The freshman went 14-1.

“She opened some eyes last year,” Carver said. “She’s a very strong player. She’s going to be a force for the next four years. She plays a lot. I could just see her getting better and better.”

The rest of the singles lineup tentatively had sophomore Reese Thompson in the No. 2 slot, sophomore Kaia Rothman at No. 3 and senior Casie Vaccariello at No. 4.

Sophomore Danielle Henry could play singles or first doubles with freshman Ellie Alloway. The other projected doubles teams are sophomore Hannah DeSimone and senior Ally Boyle at second doubles, with juniors Julia Mejsak and Liz Garcia paired in the No. 3 position.

Rounding out the roster are junior Jessica Cruz and freshman Isabella Penney.

Carver said wins over Ross and Hampton Bays last year gave the Settlers a taste of winning and they liked it.

“We’re having a lot of fun at practice,” he said. “The girls are excited … If you can have fun and be successful, what more can you ask for?”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Kelsey Bundrick, who played second singles last year for Bishop McGann-Mercy, is now Mattituck’s most experienced singles player. (Credit: Bob Liepa, file)

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Shawn Hirst replaces Pat Snyder as executive director of East End Arts. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

East End Arts has welcomed a new executive director.

Shawn Hirst, 37, started Aug. 6 and spent the month working with outgoing executive director Pat Snyder. Her first official day was Tuesday.

“So far so good,” Ms. Hirst said of her first month. “Everyone I have met has been warm and welcoming to me.”

She said her biggest goals are to increase fundraising for the nonprofit, to continue growing their programs and to help stabilize some of their internal business practices.

It was these goals that helped her stand out among the 50 candidates, John McLane, president of the Board of Directors at East End Arts, said.

“It was clear from the interview process Shawn came to us with experience at managing nonprofits as a business,” Mr. McLane said. “During the interview process she was incredibly prepared, probably the best prepared of all the candidates. And she has experience with the revitalization in Patchogue, which was key.”

Prior to coming to East End Arts, Ms. Hirst, of Lake Ronkonkoma, worked as the executive director of Patchogue-Medford Youth and Community Services for over six years, where she increased programs and diversified funding.

She said when she began they offered two programs in two schools for about 20 children. By the time she left there were nine programs in nine schools that serviced hundreds of children.

Her time there left her wanting to work for a bigger, more established organization rather than a grassroots program so she began working for SYJCC as chief development officer and the acting chief program officer.

“It was a very large organization, a little bit larger than I wanted,” she said. “I wanted to find a place that would give me that community feeling again but on a bigger scale … It kinda happened naturally that East End Arts was looking for somebody. I knew Riverhead was on the brink of something great, that’s what drove my interest.”

Ms. Hirst, who received her Bachelor’s Degree in social work from Syracuse University and her master’s degree in social work from Adelphi University, said she understands how important the arts are to the community and is excited to further developing and revitalizing programs to continue enriching lives of community members.

She said she’s excited to work with the staff, community, government and non-government groups and Board of Directors to further East End Arts growth.

During Ms. Snyder’s 23-year tenure she introduced numerous programs to the organization, including the Teeny Awards, JumpstART, Long Island Winterfest and the Community Mosaic Street Painting Festival, to name a few.

Ms. Snyder will be staying on throughout the year as an adviser to oversee the completion of some ongoing projects, Ms. Hirst said.

Ms. Hirst added that she’s most looking forward to next year’s Teeny Awards, an annual ceremony that celebrates excellence in high school theater, since her background includes working with youth.

“The arts touch lives,” Ms. Hirst said. “And does it throughout all stages of life. The arts isn’t something that comes in and out of our lives. From birth to death the arts have an influence over people that is profound.”

nsmith@timesreivew.com

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Minutes before Mets star Noah Syndergaard took the hill at Citi Field Saturday night, a local hero pushed off the pitching rubber and fired a strike toward home plate.

Dylan Newman, a Southold teen who is battling Ewing’s sarcoma, was invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Mets’ victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. His dad Todd served as his catcher.

As part of the festivities, the 14-year-old baseball fan and his family, posed for pictures behind home plate and got to meet the players and see them up close.

Baseball is a huge part of his life. He not only collects memorabilia, but he plays the sport and was called up to play on Southold High School’s varsity team this past spring as a starting third-baseman and leadoff hitter.

He’s played in tournaments all over — Cooperstown, Rehoboth Beach, Del., and the Cal Ripken diamonds in Maryland. The Newman family has also hosted players from the North Fork Ospreys of the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League.

But on Saturday, Dylan was the center of attention as he showed off his skills before turning the mound over to one of the best pitchers in the world.

The teen’s cancer treatments have inspired the community to rally around him in recent months.

Proceeds from Saturday’s fourth annual yard sale Kait’s Angels Yard Sale, will go, in part, to support Dylan’s ongoing treatment.

Josh Lobel photos and Andres Puerta video courtesy of the Newman family.

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Last year coach Paul Ellwood described his Mattituck High School boys golf team as being “super young.”

Well, the Tuckers grew up awfully quickly.

With only two returning players from the previous year and no seniors, Mattituck could have expected some bumps in the road. “I figured we’d have some hiccups along the way,” said Ellwood.

Didn’t happen.

What happened was Mattituck not only went 12-0, winning a third straight League VII championship, but it took the league tournament for a fourth consecutive year. The Tuckers went 47-4 over the last four years.

What’s more, the team is back in its entirety for a run at some more titles in 2018.

“This year we’re very experienced all of a sudden,” said Ellwood, who takes a 79-7-1 record into his eighth season.

At the top of the lineup is the lean figure of Matt Sledjeski, an All-County senior.

“Matt learned his game on Cedars’ par-3 course [in Cutchogue], so he learned how to use wedges and putts,” Ellwood said. “Even when he’s not hitting fairways, he’s able to put up a competitive score. And then, if he’s on, he’s really dangerous. He can go under par.”

Senior Ryan Seifert, junior Chris Talbot and freshman Matt Seifert (Ryan’s brother) are All-League players competing for the Nos. 2-4 positions in the lineup.

Also in the stiff competition for positions are junior Parker Sheppard, freshman Evan McCaffrey, sophomore Connor Fox and senior Chris Siejka.

“They look really good,” Ellwood said. “My older guys, you can tell they’ve been playing … They’ve been playing all spring and summer and it shows.”

This year teams will play playoff matches to determine an overall county champion.

As for the League VII race, Ellwood isn’t taking anything for granted.

“We know we have tough matches with Riverhead and Eastport-South Manor,” he said. “They both gave us tough matches toward the end of last season, so we’re not crowning ourselves champions just yet.”

Greenport/Southold’s season-opening match is today against Shelter Island at Island’s End Golf & Country Club in Greenport. Just three days ago, new coach Jeff Ellis could name only one varsity player, senior Tyler DeFriese.

“It’s kind of a rebuild after that,” said Ellis.

Ellis, who had coached the junior varsity team the last four years, takes over from Dave Fujita. Fujita, who had a 63-69 record in his 11 years as coach, said he stepped down so he could watch his daughter play soccer.

Greenport (2-10) has 13 candidates for the varsity and JV teams (three seniors and no juniors among them), said Ellis, who noted that the team lost two practice days because of heat alerts.

Because of that, things remained to be ironed out in the days leading up to the season opener.

DeFriese was one of Greenport’s top players last year.

“He’s actually a very good golfer,” Ellis said. “He’s got a very nice swing. He cares about the game and he works on it on his own. He can hit the ball. He plays pretty well. It’s not first day of practice was the first time he picked up his club in a while. He’s been working on his game all summer.”

Ellis said he would love to see the rest of the Porters take to golf the way DeFriese has.

“If anyone has ever played, they know it’s not the easiest sport,” Ellis said. “If these kids can get out and play more and more, that’s going to make the program better.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: All-County senior Matt Sledjeski leads a defending League VII champion Mattituck team that returns all of its players. (Credit: Bob Liepa, file)

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A small crowd gathered at the construction site of the new North Fork United Methodist Church on the corner of Horton’s Lane and Route 48 in Southold early Thursday morning. The crowd, a dedicated group of parishioners, were there to witness history as the new steeple was affixed atop the church.

The steeple was constructed in North Carolina and weighs 175 pounds, said the Rev. Tom MacLeod. The peak of the steeple attached to the church stands 50 feet high.

“It’s a calling card in a sense,” he said. “It shows that the building we’re building is a Christian house of worship.”

About a dozen people attended and prayed together at the site after the steeple was placed. They also got a tour inside the new church.

“It’s a blessing from God that we’re getting this new building,” said Debbie Boschetti of Laurel. “We want to see the steeple reach up so everyone in the neighborhood knows we’re here and welcoming.”

Construction, done by Seifert Construction, on the new church began in April and is expected to be completed by the new year. However, the parish will then need to get a certificate of occupancy and other requirements.

The hope is to begin using the building at Easter 2019.

Parishioners pray outside the new church Thursday morning. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

The new building is the same size as the former Cutchogue United Methodist Church where parishioners currently worship, the Rev. MacLeod said. The only difference is the new space won’t have a basement, stairs, ramps or elevators — making it completely accessible for those in wheelchairs or other disabilities.

The Rev. MacLeod has been with North Fork United Methodist Church for five years and said he was brought on to oversee the project of merging the Methodist churches in Cutchogue, Southold, Greenport and Orient.

“The whole goal is to merge these four churches to be centrally located to the town,” he said. “To be in a building that’s more or less energy efficient, it doesn’t require a lot of our time or energy to maintain, therefore it gives us the opportunity to do more ministry for the people in this town. It frees up the resources of the people. It frees the church up, basically.”

Three of the four buildings have been sold.

The steeple firmly attached atop the church Thursday. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

The Orient United Methodist Church voted to merge with North Fork United Methodist Church in Cutchogue, which had already absorbed separate congregations from churches in Southold, Cutchogue and Greenport, in March 2016.

The landmarked 1836 Orient building was sold to John Wesley Village LLC of Riverhead and will serve as a chapel. The Southold church building was converted into the Southold Opera in November 2016 and the Greenport church property was sold to a developer and has been subdivided into three residential lots.

The consolidated North Fork Methodist Church was founded in 2014 and its Horton Lane property was bought in May 2015.

“It’s an exciting step in the development of the new church location,” said Bill Moore of Southold. “And it makes it feel like a church.”

Top photo caption: A crane positions the steeple atop the church as two workers help position it into place early Thursday. (Credit: Courtesy of Rebecca Rogers)

nsmith@timesreview.com

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Robert A. MacLellan of Mattituck died Sept. 8 at Kanas Center for Hospice Care in Quiogue. He was 68 years old.

Bob was born in New York City Jan. 23, 1950, to James H. and Mildred (Siebold) MacLellan. He attended Brooklyn Technical High School and Queensborough Community College. From 1969-1972, he served in the U.S. Army, fighting in the Vietnam War.

He married Susan Goldberg July 17,1976 in New Hyde Park. Bob worked as a manufacturing supervisor, owned a satellite TV business and was a real estate agent.

Bob was a member of BraveHearts at St. Francis Hospital, a support group for those recovering from heart surgery. Family members said he was a fan of  NASCAR racing  and classic cars.

Predeceased by his brother James D. MacLellan in 2016, he is survived by his wife Susan, of Mattituck; daughter Mindy (Mike) Viggiano; grandson Michael Robert Viggiano; and granddaughter Miley Blue Viggiano, all of Cutchogue.

The family will receive visitors Thursday, Sept. 13, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue. Interment will take place at Calverton National Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to East End Hospice Kanas Center for Hospice Care, eeh.org.

This is a paid notice.

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More than 40 K-9 officers and their dogs stood at attention as the funeral procession for Rocky passed through Veterans Memorial Park Monday morning to honor the German shepherd killed in the line of duty last week.

The procession, featuring dozens of police cars, passed through the Calverton park filled with officers from departments across Long Island and beyond, including a contingent of NYPD officers. The K-9 dogs, many wearing badges around their collars, sat next to their handler. Community members who wished to pay their respects stood opposite the officers.

“It’s basically Rocky’s day,” said Riverhead K-9 Officer John ‘Jack’ Doscinski, who works alongside the newest dog in the department, Titan.

The funeral procession at Veterans Memorial Park. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

Rocky died in the early morning Sept. 2 when the vehicle he was in crashed. Officer John Morris was responding to a police pursuit after a driver fled a DWI checkpoint and injured an officer. Rocky was 8 years old.

Following a private ceremony Monday, the funeral procession passed through Veterans Memorial Park and continued to Riverhead where it ended at police headquarters.

Mr. Doscinski remembered Rocky as a narcotics expert who assisted in countless police cases.

“He’s apprehended robbery suspects, burglary suspects,” he said. “He was a very active, seasoned police dog.”

Trooper Andrew Gargiulo, a K-9 officer with the New York State Police, said it was important to support Mr. Morris and his fallen dog.

“It’s a bond that can’t be broken,” he said.

Officers lined up with their K-9s to pay tribute to Rocky. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

Mr. Gargiulo’s K-9 partner is TJ, a Belgian Malinois. Like most K-9s, TJ is named after an officer, he said. Trooper Thomas J. Consorte was killed in November 1987 in Riverhead when he was struck by a vehicle while investigating a motor vehicle accident.

Officer Brendan Gayer was one of more than a dozen K-9 handlers from the Suffolk County Police Department who paid tribute to Rocky.

“It’s extremely important for all of us to come out here and show our support for Officer John Morris, for the Riverhead Police Department, for K-9 Rocky, and make sure everybody knows how much we respect, appreciate and remember him.”

joew@timesreview.com

The procession for Rocky arrives at Veterans Memorial Park in Calverton. pic.twitter.com/bYj8wXoJf5

— RiverheadNewsReview (@riverheadnews1) September 10, 2018

Officers stand at attention as the procession passes. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

Officers stand at attention as the procession passes. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

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Thursday’s primary elections will have three races that effect residents in Riverhead and Southold towns.

The most high profile of the three is a Republican primary for the second Assembly District.

• Incumbent Republican Anthony Palumbo, 47, of New Suffolk, has been in office since 2013. He is being challenged on the Republican line by Mike Yacubich, 52, of Shoreham. 

Regardless of the primary result, Mr. Palumbo will still be on the November general election ballot on the Conservative and Independence Party lines.

Rona Smith, 73, of Greenport, also will be on the November ballot on the Democratic line. 

Mr. Palumbo challenged the nominating petitions of Mr. Yacubich on the grounds that his petitions were under the heading “Mike Yacubich” and yet the candidate, whose full name is Michael B. Yacubich and his son, whose full name is Michael V. Yacubich, both were registered to vote at the same Shoreham address. 

The Board of Elections, reacting to a challenge filed by three registered Republicans within the district, agreed that that was confusing as to who was actually on the ballot, and bounced Mr. Yacubich from the Republican primary line. 

But Mr. Yacubich challenged that decision in court, and after losing in State Supreme Court, was reinstated to the ballot by the state Appellate Division. 

Mr. Yacubich is an accountant and financial advisor, who is chief of the Rocky Point Fire Department and a former Shoreham-Wading River Board of Education member. 

“The main reason I chose to get involved is that I have listened for the last 25 years on how we need to control the cost of living on Long Island so that our seniors and our kids can afford to live here,” Mr. Yacubich said in an interview. “I haven’t really seen much progress in that area.”

Mr. Palumbo, an attorney and former assistant district attorney in Suffolk County, has blamed Democrats in Albany with big spending. The Assembly majority is controlled by Democrats.

The position has a two-year term.  

• Surrogate Court Judge (10-year-term)

The race for Suffolk County Surrogate Court Judge has the Republican candidate, Tara Scully, 41, of Setauket, in a primary for the Democratic line against Theresa Whelan, 56, of Wading River. 

Ms. Scully, a registered Republican, also has the Green Party and Reform Party lines, while Ms. Whelan also has the Independence party line. 

A third candidate, Deborah Poulos of Dix Hills, has the Conservative line.

In July, Suffolk Democrats issued a press release saying that all ten town Democratic leaders in the county were supporting Ms. Whelan. 

Ms. Scully’s father, Peter Scully, currently works for Democratic County Executive Steve Bellone as a deputy county executive. She is an attorney with practice in the area of wills, trusts and estates.

Ms. Whelan has been a Family Court judge for the past 10 years. 

Ms. Poulos, 64, is currently a Family Court Judge. 

• Family Court Judge (10-year-term)

There are two candidates running for Family Court Judge, but the primary only involves the Women’s Equality party line. 

Karen Kerr, 56, of Centerport, is a registered Democrat who is running on the Democrat, Conservative, Working Families and Independence party lines.

She is currently a Suffolk County District Court judge.

Richard Hoffman, 63, of Hauppauge, is a registered Republican running on the Republican, Green party and Reform party lines. He has previously been a Suffolk County Family Court judge from 2007 to 2016.

They are running a primary against each other for the Women’s Equality party line. 

tgannon@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Incumbent Republican Anthony Palumbo (right) is being challenged on the Republican line by Mike Yacubich (left). 

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I’m Debbie Gildersleeve and I am the owner and head designer at Renee’s in Mattituck. We are a wonderful lifestyle store on eastern Long Island on the North Fork.

Well, my day starts before I even get here. I try to look through my emails, get back to my clients.

I do a lot over the phone, believe it or not. Once I get rolling with a client, I will text them pictures of things. Once I get here, I try to meet with my assistant designers and get an update on how they’re doing with each of their clients. I just try and do a once-over of the store and make sure everything is perfect because I’m a perfectionist, checking every pillow, every table that everything is on it correctly.

Debbie Gildersleeve of Renee’s in Mattituck. (Rachel Siford photo)

And then from there on, that’s the thing about this business. Anything goes. I could be meeting with a vendor to buy a new line. I could be fielding a customer service issue. I’m meeting with clients in the store. I also do a lot of consults outside the store, so a lot of time’s on the road.

The store was established, believe it or not, 40 years ago. We moved out from Huntington. This was our summer house and my dad wanted to keep my mom busy so he had her open this little boutique for women’s clothing.

We went to all the trade shows and we bought some frame prints and furniture to display our jewelry in the store. And people started to say, can I get that picture and what about that piece of furniture. It was almost like we got involved in the furniture business by accident. It’s gotten to the point over the last five or six years that the furniture is 99 percent of our business.

My favorite part is dealing with clients in general. I have a very good clientele. I become very good friends with my clients because it’s very personal. I have a key to their house and get to know them. I love the buying, too, and I love putting a room together. I genuinely love the work itself, the creative part.

“The Work We Do” is a Suffolk Times multimedia project profiling workers on the North Fork. Read it first and see more photos every Monday on Instagram @thesuffolktimes and watch the video on facebook.com/thesuffolktimes.

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Karen Land Rich

Karen Land Rich (Mary Karen Kapp), 76, of Cutchogue, passed away on Sept. 8, 2018, surrounded by family and friends.

Born in New York, N.Y., Karen grew up in Freeport, and moved to Southold as a teenager. A graduate of Southold High School, Karen later went on to earn a master’s degree in library and information science. She worked at various local libraries and schools over the years, and was the head librarian at Greenport Schools for 15 years before retiring. Her love of teaching and learning kept her involved in Greenport, where she was a regular visitor, reading to children of all ages.

Karen was an accomplished artist and writer. She wrote and illustrated numerous children’s books, including the highly-acclaimed “Fat Tale,” and her artwork has been featured at many local art shows and galleries. In addition to her work with children in the community, Karen was an active member of many local organizations, including mother’s groups, quilting groups, food co-ops, and most recently, she was a founding member of the new North Fork chapter of the League of Women Voters. She was committed to many Democratic causes, and was active in the efforts of the Southold Town Democratic Committee. Karen spent her free time sailing and traveling with her husband Bill.

Karen was predeceased by her son Bruce. She leaves behind the love of her life, William (Bill) Rich III; her daughter, Joanna Richardson (Land) Rallis, and her husband Damon, of Southold; William’s daughter, Elizabeth Rich Bourne, and her husband Michael, of Wappingers Falls, N.Y.; his son, William Rich IV, and his wife Katie, of Rockville Centre, N.Y.; and her grandchildren, Hanna and Sofia Land; Luca and Destin Rallis; Nathaniel Bourne; Madeline, William V, Brady and Hope Rich.

The family will receive friends at Coster Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue on Friday, Sept. 14, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. There will be a funeral service at the funeral home Saturday, Sept. 15, at 11 a.m. with burial to follow at Old Burying Ground at First Presbyterian of Southold.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made in Karen’s name to the North Fork Animal Welfare League, The Cutchogue Library or the Southold Town Democratic Committee.

This is a paid notice.

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Services for Ellen Young of Greenport will be held Saturday, Sept. 15, at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Southold. The Rev. Dr. Peter J. Kelley will officiate.

Mrs. Young was a longtime third grade teacher in the Greenport School District. She died Aug. 4, 2018 at the age of 98.

For further information, please contact DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Homes in Southold.

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Marian Bitzer of Riverhead, formerly of Greenport, died at Acadia Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Riverhead Sept. 10, 2018. She was 91 years old.

Funeral arrangements are in the care of DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold.

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Madeline H. Conner of East Marion died Sept. 5. She was 95.

Predeceased by her husband Edward, she is survived by her children: Stephen, Michael, Barbara, Richard, Daniel, Scott and Nancy Salter; 11 grandchildren; and 4 great-grandchildren.

The family will receive visitors Wednesday, Sept. 12, from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held Thursday, Sept. 13, at 11 a.m. at St. Agnes R.C. Church in Greenport. Interment will be at Calverton National Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be sent to Shelter Island Home Care agency, 74365 Main Road, Greenport, NY 11944.

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Representatives for First Universalist Church of Southold met with the Southold Planning Board Monday to discuss moving forward with a site plan to rebuild the church, which burned down in March 2015. 

The proposed site plan calls for the construction of a one-story, 6,816-square-foot place of worship with an existing parish house and single-family dwelling, which will remain. 

The popular “church on the bend” sat on 1.2 acres. A building team was assembled by the church’s board of directors shortly after the fire.

The next hurdle landscape architect Stacy Paetzel and architect Peter Marren must go through is obtaining a special exception from the Zoning Board of Appeals, since it’s a place of worship. The architects also must work with the Southold Town Landmarks Preservation Commission because the property is listed on the Town Register of Historic Landmarks. According to the register, the original church was built between 1835 and 1837.

“We approached this project with the understanding that the site was probably one of the critical elements,” Mr. Marren said. “We understand that this is the first building ever built in the historic district.”

“We’re looking at this as a design project, obviously to fulfill all the technical requirements, but we kind of viewed it as a civic project for the town,” he added.

The site plan calls for 34 total parking stalls but the code requires only 28. It has been classified as a Type I action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act and may require additional information.

A public hearing on the project has been set for Monday, Oct. 15. 

rsiford@timesreview.com

Photo caption: The conceptual site plan for the First Universalist Church. 

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A vase wrapped in ribbon and filled with white roses rested on two laminated pieces of paper at the 9/11 memorial at Cochran Park in Peconic Tuesday.

One paper featured a hand-written note.

It read: “Heartfelt appreciation … condolences and prayers to all first responders and families and all who unite to fight/stop terrorism [and] to prevent future disasters — such as this or any …”

The second paper detailed the life of Oleh D. Wengerchuk, a transportation designer with The Washington Group International who worked on the 91st floor of the World Trade Center’s South Tower. He died 17 years ago on Sept. 11. The Centerport resident was 56.

Memories of the 2,977 lives lost on 9/11 were ever present at a ceremony Tuesday evening to remember the victims of the terrorist attack. Residents who gathered placed flags throughout the park to honor each individual who died. Some flags featured hand-written notes.

Members of every North Fork fire department participated in a ceremony where they saluted a wreath placed in front of the steel beam salvaged from the World Trade Center. The Southold Fire Department hung a large American flag from two trucks at the entrance to the park.

Local Girl Scouts and NJROTC students helped place many of the flags for the ceremony.

See more photos below:

Photos by Joe Werkmeister

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Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville took another step towards his first career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship Saturday when he won the Miller Lite 200 at Riverhead Raceway. It was his sixth career WMT victory at the track where his NASCAR Modified career began. The victory also upped his overall Riverhead NASCAR Modified win total to 13. The Miller Lite 200 program was completed despite a five-plus-hour rain delay.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour practice session was barely a half-hour old when light rain fell over the track, halting the session while track-drying efforts began. After a short delay the track was deemed safe to resume the session but after one set of cars practiced the rain picked up in intensity and was halted once again.

What ensued was a marathon track-drying effort while NASCAR WMT officials along with Riverhead Raceway management held several meetings to explore options for the 200. After a delay of over five hours, a 20-lap Street Stock race was run before the WMT cars were called to the track for the Miller Lite 200. Wesley Sammon of Southampton won his first career race in that Street Stock event.

Bonsignore took the lead for good on the 160th lap of the Miller Lite 200. Timmy Solomito of Islip had to be content with runner-up honors. Chase Dowling of Roxbury, Ct., was third, followed by Doug Coby of Milford, Ct., and Dave Sapienza of Riverhead.

In a 30-lap Crate Modified race, Michael Rutkoski of Mattituck and Justin Brown of Manorville, two friends off the track, battled for the lead. Rutkoski, the 2016 Rookie of the Year, steered his way to a division-leading fifth win of 2018 and the seventh of his two-year career. The win gave Rutkoski a one-point advantage in the standings. Brown was second and Jack Orlando of Calverton crossed the line third.

Jack Handley Jr. of Medford continued his successful Blunderbust campaign, winning his sixth feature of the year in a 20-lap affair. It was the 27th career triumph for Handley, who opened up a 39-point lead over Jim Laird Jr. of Riverhead in the standings. Laird was second and defending champion Tom Pickerell of Huntington placed third.

Jim Sylvester of Massapequa took another step towards the Legend Race Car championship by winning a 20-lap main event for the class after starting from the pole position. Collecting his third win of the season was no easy task for the veteran driver, who held off second-place Richie Davidowitz of East Moriches and third-place Vinny Delaney of Holtsville.

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I agree that deal-making between the Conservative and Democratic parties is deceptive, erodes trust among voters and demonstrates a lack of commitment to the ideals and vision of the Democratic Party. I disagree that endorsing or voting for Theresa Whelan perpetuates that troubling behavior, or that voting against her addresses the problem. And I object that an implication of Mr. Wick’s article is that by endorsing Ms. Whelan the Southold Democrats in any way endorse the deal-making at the county level (“Surrogate judge primary conceals a scandal,” Sept. 6).

In my view, Ms. Whelan is the consequence of the fallout of a scandal, rather than part of the scandal. She was selected as the party’s candidate only after the Conservative-Democratic party deal fell through, with Marian Tinari stepping down. Tara Scully successfully thwarted this deal with her presence on the ballot. But that fact — especially when considering some of the troubling aspects of Ms. Scully’s candidacy — does not then grant her the status as the de-facto best candidate for the job.

It is irresponsible to presume that the Southold Democrats don’t have full insight into the race or that their decision to endorse was anything less than carefully considered. In fact, the committee discussed the circumstances that led to Ms. Whelan’s candidacy, her skills and background and the important role our local party has to inform voters about the candidate in the race that we believe to be most qualified to serve and represent the party’s ideals.

The column doesn’t mention that Ms. Scully purportedly paid canvassers to collect petitions that got her the Democratic line, or that her party used deceptive tactics to get her onto the Green party line. Moreover, it is not a “knee-jerk” reaction to object to a candidate “masquerading” as a Democrat when she is a Republican. The two parties — even in judgeships — represent dramatically different values, now more than ever. And it is the same reasoning that would lead one to object to a cross-party endorsement deal that would lead one to object to a Republican surreptitiously running in a Democratic primary.

Voting for Tara Scully for Surrogate Court judge does nothing to solve the deal-making at the county level. A win for Ms. Scully is no more than a “gotcha” moment for county party leaders and a win for the Republican party.

Encouraging others to vote for Ms. Scully as a protest vote against party horse-trading is just another way that our political system gets abused. It’s endorsing the notion of using an important role within our legal system to send a message rather than to think about how we best serve the position itself. It is my personal hope that if the Conservative line opens up as described in the editorial, Ms. Whelan declines it as a demonstration of her independence. But I won’t hinge my support in the primary on speculation.

Democratic voters should ask themselves: “Who is the best, most qualified person to serve as Suffolk County Surrogate judge?” Southold Democrats believe this is Theresa Whelan.

The author is chairwoman of the Southold Town Democrats.

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