TIM KELLY FILE PHOTO | Grant Parpan (center) moderating last month’s legislative debate at Martha Clara Vineyards.

Ten years ago this month, I was managing a video store in a Los Angeles suburb, still unsure where life would take me.

One day on lunch break, I was sitting in my car reading a local paper when I noticed a classified ad for a part-time sportswriter.

As a young man whose mom always said I taught myself to read at age 3 so I could follow the Mets game recaps in Newsday, covering sports was something I really wanted to try.

After passing a freelance test assignment, I ended up getting the job and, before long I’d worked my way into a full-time staff position.

No longer employed at a video store, I was suddenly a newspaper man. (Newspapers? Video stores? I know how to pick professions, right? Also on my shortlist of potential careers were village blacksmith, town lamplighter, neighborhood milkman or courier for the Pony Express.)

It’s been quite a decade in newspapers. My career has taken me back home, introduced me to my beautiful wife and given me the unique opportunity to tell other people’s stories — the good and the bad.

Last week, I attended Roy Laine’s 100th birthday party. I grew up two miles from Roy’s home in Wading River but would never have had the good fortune of meeting the man if not for this job.

During the party, his friend Fred Conway said to him, “Roy, I’ve never met anyone else who reached 100,” to which the birthday boy joked, “Neither have I.”

But not me. In fact, it was the second 100th birthday party I’d attended in a year. Not many career paths can so frequently take you places you’d never go otherwise.

When I speak to classes at area schools, I always start off by asking the students what they want to do for a living. I write down all the occupations they mention. Even in high school and college journalism classes, students don’t necessarily want to be reporters. Usually the list looks something like this: baseball player, doctor, actor, mechanic, teacher, etc.

While I never had the opportunity to be any of those things myself, my job has enabled me to take a peek into the lives of the folks who live in these worlds.

I never threw a one-hitter for the Mets, but I saw Steve Trachsel do just that on the very first day I covered a Major League game. I also never got to spend an afternoon at the Bada Bing, but I once got to ask a local actor what it was like to film a scene in the bar for “The Sopranos.”

So far in my career, the folks I’ve written about have taken me along on their greatest journeys — to Antarctica, the NFL draft and the Olympic medal stand. They’ve also shared with me their harrowing ordeals of homelessness, life in prison and the loss of the person they loved most.

Of course, not every story captures someone’s greatest or worst moments and it’s often the stories somewhere in between the highs and lows that have the greatest impact on the reader. People love to see familiar names and faces in the newspapers, and there’s nothing quite like being able to tell people something they didn’t know about their friends and neighbors.

I’ve never understood reporters and editors stressing about how they’ll fill their newspapers. Even in small communities like the ones we cover, there are endless stories to tell each day. Anyone seeking proof of that need look no further than this newspaper’s archives or visit our website as it’s constantly updated every day.

Serving as executive editor of your community newspaper is a responsibility I don’t take lightly. Each morning I’m genuinely excited to come to work to help tell the stories that are important to you.

When I moved into this role seven months ago — after spending the past two years helping to grow this company’s presence on the web and the five years before that editing our former newspaper in Brookhaven — I failed to use this space to introduce myself to those I’ve never met.

I welcome any feedback you all have for me at the email below. If you’d prefer to speak with me, my direct line is 631-354-8046. Of course, you can always drop by our office in Mattituck, too.

This past decade has been the best of my life and I eagerly anticipate many more years of telling your stories on the pages of this community newspaper.

I couldn’t think of a better career path for a guy like me.

gparpan@timesreview.com

In response to John Betsch’s Feb. 14 guest spot “No need to fight over conservation,” I agree strongly that we should not have pointless divisions and am dismayed that he feels that property rights are being attacked.

The water quality of our aquifers, bays and Sound are not a partisan issue, nor should the community be divided into “camps.” We all need to better understand the conditions that cause the most harm. Then, as individuals and as a community, we need to target solutions appropriate for each particular situation.

Healthy waters safeguard property values, as well as protect the marine and tourist industries that define our local economy and treasured character.

Why do we care about water quality? Our waters are degrading. In addition to pathogens and other contaminants, excess nutrient loading, especially forms of nitrogen, is a significant concern.

The North Fork has the highest levels of excess nitrates in groundwater in Suffolk County. In some areas, over 15 percent of our wells fail to meet safe drinking water standards. It is projected that, with the scope of development allowed by current zoning, these nitrate levels will consistently exceed safe drinking water standards over much of the area.

Nitrogen from the atmosphere accounts for roughly half of the nitrates in our environment. Of the rest, individual human wastewater systems contribute 40 percent of the nitrates directly to groundwater. These contaminants quickly travel to the bays and the Sound, dramatically affecting marine life. The South Shore lost 98 percent of its shellfish industry due to excess nutrient loading. Do we want the same thing to happen here?

What are the wastewater conditions that contribute to poor water quality?

The majority of individual wastewater treatment systems installed before 1973 are most likely cesspools. These open-walled pits allow pathogens and dissolved solids to migrate to the soil and groundwater.

Even with septic systems built to current code, if the depth to groundwater is less than three feet, the wastewater does not have enough time to break down naturally and for filtering to occur.

Temporary wastewater system failure due to flooding can have a significant impact on water quality. Because they are not waterproof, cesspools in flood and surge zones contribute significantly to the resultant pollutions.

Current recommendations call for one acre as the minimum lot size necessary to dilute the concentrated wastewater that comes out of septic systems before it reaches our wells. This means that existing developments on small lots are contributing nitrates to groundwater at an excessive level. Our marine environment is significantly more sensitive and will suffer even at the recommended acreage standards.

The factors that put our drinking and open waters at risk tend to overlap. Because of this, selective improvements can dramatically improve water quality. Peconic Green Growth is currently mapping environmental and land use conditions that impact wastewater quality, as well as groundwater travel patterns. As a result, we will soon be able to identify neighborhoods that can most benefit from improvements. Improvements in these areas will help safeguard our health, our waterways and our property values.

We encourage all homeowners in the five eastern towns to be involved. First, please take the wastewater survey, accessible on the home page of peconicgreengrowth.org. Based on the responses so far, most people think that wastewater is an area of community concern appropriate for public subsidy. Peconic Green Growth has already received grants to help communities develop pilot projects to improve wastewater handling.

While the solutions to issues will vary, if we approach our water problems collectively, we are more likely to find cost-effective, efficient and effective solutions that protect our precious waters. Let’s not attack each other, let’s work together.

Glynis Berry is an architect and executive director of Peconic Green Growth. She lives in Orient.

BETH YOUNG PHOTO | The house on Kimogenor Point in New Suffolk being replaced with new construction.

After several months in which the top floor and roof of a house on Kimogenor Point in New Suffolk stood on cribbing awaiting word on its fate from the Southold building department, workers have begun rebuilding the house in earnest.

The Kimogenor Point Company, a co-op that owns the private peninsula and the houses on it, submitted plans to the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals last year to demolish the building and rebuild a new house meeting modern codes.

The ZBA said no to demolition but granted permission for an expansion and renovation of the existing structure. The ZBA last reviewed the project in November, when the property owners learned they would need to move it from its existing foundation and place it on pilings to meet new post-Hurricane Sandy FEMA regulations.

In the weeks following the ZBA’s review, the pilings were set and the bottom portion of the house mysteriously vanished, leaving just the top fl oor. It stayed that way for more than a month, while the building department was scheduled to determine whether 25 percent of the structure was remaining. If less than 25 percent was left, it would be considered non-conforming and could not be rebuilt.

All building inspectors in the building department were away at a New York State Association of Towns conference this week and were unavailable for comment.

byoung@timesreview.com

CARRIE MILLER PHOTO | Stephan Bogardus of North Fork Table & Inn will take his cooking game to the small screen next month on an episode of Food Network’s ‘Chopped.’

If you watch the popular Food Network contest show “Chopped,” you’ll have a local chef to root for in an episode airing next month.

Stephan Bogardus of Southold, chef de cuisine at The North Fork Table & Inn, will appear in an episode set to air at 10 p.m. March 12.

Mr. Bogardus, 25, learned his way around the kitchen working at several East End eateries. The chef, who speaks four languages, originally planned on attending law school, but was not accepted into any good schools, he said. On the advice of another chef, he attended the Culinary Institute of America, graduating in 2009.

Not long after, he made his was back to the North Fork.

Mr. Bogardus said Gerry Hayden, executive chef of The North Fork Table & Inn, recommended him to “Chopped” producers.

The show pits four chefs against each other competing for a chance to win $10,000. The challenge is to take a mystery basket of ingredients and turn them into dishes that are judged on creativity, presentation, and taste — with minimal time to plan and execute — a description of the show reads.

We sat down with Mr. Bogardus this week to discuss his career and his experience on the show:

Q. What would you say your specialty is?

A. What we have here at the North Fork Table & Inn, American cuisine and comfort food. Fresh local ingredients, they naturally display the pristine of the North Fork.

Q. Were you able to bring any North Fork flare to any of your dishes?

A. Absolutely. I like to feel being a native and a local out here, I brought a lot of personality and Long Island pride to the show for sure.

Q. One of the ingredients in the first round was beef tongue, had you ever worked with it before?

A. I make smoked beef tongue here at the restaurant. We purchased all the cows from Russell McCall at McCall Ranch this year, and so every two weeks we received a whole cow, that had the tongue in it. So I always did some kind of cure. I was quite aware of the ingredient.

Q. What was the most challenging aspect of the competition?

A. The timing is really, really hard. I had practiced a couple of times with twenty-minute increments and mystery baskets and things, it goes so much faster when you are in the studio.

It was hands down the most challenging 20 minutes of my life. Not only having to do what they ask you, to put together the best plate against these talented individuals, then there are cameras and lights and cords running across the floor you had to jump over. Something they did in the pantry, they put ingredients all over the place. It’s not all organized and together. There’s a lot of hunting and pecking that you have to do to assemble.

Q. Do you think your young age was an asset, or did it hinder your performance?

A. It was definitely a double-edged sword. It was great because I feel like a lot of the competitors underestimated me, but it was also challenging because my level of experience did not match most others. I would consider myself the least experienced of all the individuals.

Q. How did it feel to be selected as a contestant?

A. I knew I was being considered to be a contestant, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be selected. I’m just a 25-year-old from Southold, I never thought I’d be on TV.

It was a life-changing experience. It was truly an honor to be chosen as a competitor. There was really an acknowledgment toward years of hard work and experience, on a national level, which is pretty sweet.

cmiller@timesreview.com

Maria Commins

5 years ago

Teacher’s aide charged in rape of 15-year-old boy

A 39-year-old Greenport School teacher’s aide was arrested Feb. 22, 2008 and charged with the rape of a 15-year-old student at the school, according to a story published in the following week’s edition of The Suffolk Times.

Maria Commins was arrested after a private investigator hired by her husband alerted Riverhead Police that Ms. Commins and the boy were at the Holiday Inn Express in Riverhead, prosecutors said at the time.

Ms. Commins, who told investigators “I love him and he loves me” in a handwritten statement, pleaded not guilty at her arraignment, reporter Eileen Duffy wrote. She admitted to drinking beer and having sex with the boy at the hotel, according to her statement, in which she also admitted to having sex with the boy “seven or eight” additional times in Greenport.

Postscript: Ms. Commins later pleaded guilty to a count of attempted rape and she was sentenced in Sept. 2009 to six years probation. An order of protection against her was also extended five years at that time. A civil lawsuit the victim’s family filed against the district was dismissed in 2010 and they later lost an appeal, court records show.

15 years ago

Greek Orthodox parish excommunicated

When the Greek Orthodox congregation started holding Mass outside the Main Street church in Greenport, it was clear a struggle was brewing inside. Now the congregation has been excommunicated.

That was the lede of the Feb. 26, 1998 Suffolk Times cover story, detailing the struggles of St. Anargyri, a Greek Orthodox church in Greenport.

Essentially, the conflict was over a Centuries-old debate between two factions of the Greek Orthodox Church, reporter Tim Wacker wrote.

Local congregants of one faction were hosting Mass on the front lawn of the church, while busloads of out-of-towners from the other faction filled the church most Sundays after the lockout, he reported.

25 years ago

Birthdays as scarce as Olympics

Reporter Karin Werner previewed the fourth birthday of Greenport twins Bob and Ev Corwin and the 18th birthday of Riverhead’s Stella Polecki in the Feb. 25, 1988 issue of the Suffolk Times.

But the Corwin twins were actually turning 16 that week and Ms. Polecki would be 72. The trio of local residents was born on “Leap Day,” Feb. 29.

They all said that in non-leap years they celebrate their birthday on Feb. 28 or March 1.

“[But] every four years we go for it [on Feb. 29],” Ev Corwin said.

Postscript: Ms. Polecki, who Social Security records show died in June 1999, lived through two more leap birthdays. She was months away from another. The Corwins celebrated their 10th leap birthday last year while their many of their friends and former classmates turned 40.

30 years ago

Mistrial coming in Greenport murder case?

After a defense attorney in a 1983 murder trial was hospitalized due to nasal hemorrhaging, a court spokesperson said a mistrial could be declared, we reported in the February 24, 1983 issue of The Suffolk Times.

Natividad Santiago Ortiz, a 30-year-old migrant worker at Sepenoski’s Farm  in East Marion was on trial for killing 19-year-old Greenport resident Donna Lupton. Ms. Lupton died August 28 after suffering stab wounds to the face and neck outside Drosso’s Bar in Greenport.

Postscript: A mistrial was declared the following week, but later that year Mr. Ortiz was convicted of second degree murder. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. He is eligible for parole in April, state prison records show.

Bobby Cahoon in the Feb. 24, 1963 issue of The Suffolk Times.

50 years ago

LIRR employee is Greenport’s only ‘polar bear’

Bobby Cahoon, who works as baggage manager at Greenport’s Long Island Rail Road station, has a unique hobby: He likes to go swimming in winter.

That was the lede of an article in the Feb. 22, 1963 issue of The Suffolk Times, detailing Mr. Cahoon’s routine of taking swimming breaks in Greenport Harbor.

On the day the paper photographed him, Mr. Cahoon was swimming in 28-degree water. The temperature outside was 26 degrees that day, we wrote.

80 years ago

Greenport boy is star of college basketball team

Reggie Hudson of Greenport was one of three University of Virginia seniors to lead the team to the Souther Conference Tournament in 1933, according to the Feb. 24 issue of The Suffolk Times that year.

Mr. Hudson, a center, led the team with 151 points that season, we wrote.

99 years ago

Eleven saved from shipwreck off Orient Point

Five men, four women and two children were saved after they hung on to a wrecked barge off Orient Point, we wrote in the Feb. 21, 1914 issue of The Suffolk Times.

The tug Pinny Fiske left New Haven, Conn. with six barges of coal in tow, we reported. While off Bartlett’s Reef, four of the barges went adrift. Capt. Gilligan (I swear his name was actually Gilligan) did not know he had lost the barges until within two miles of New London, we wrote.

“It was blowing a gale and the seas were a mountain high,” the story read. “He could not turn back.”

The abandoned passengers were spotted by onlookers watching from Brown’s Hill in Orient Village, we wrote. Two sons of Benjamin Latham, who owned the last house on the point, “went to the rescue and brought them back safely to shore,” we reported.

gparpan@timesreview.com

Happy birthday today to the following North Fork residents:

Selena Ameden

Sharon Anderson

Bill Eagle

Dawn Jasinski

Ness Kramer

Claudia Popolizio

Steve Reed

Jenny Schoenstein

Ray Sparling

Carolyn Tamin

Dave Troyan

Jeff Watkins

Ann Wilson

Liz Zurawski

Email us your birthday announcements

CARRIE MILLER PHOTO | Heather Riley (center ) with her parents Willie and Lori at Martha Clara Winery where they work.

Riverhead High School graduate Heather Riley will be introduced this week as the first-ever Riverhead hamlet resident to compete in the Miss Long Island Pageant, now in its sixth year.

“We get over 350 applications a year,” said Lori Thomas, executive director of the Long Island Pageant System, which has run the Miss Long Island and Miss Long Island Teen pageants since 2008. Both pageants will take place Aug. 11. at the Patchogue Theater for Performing Arts.

“I only pick around 30 girls to compete” in the two contests, 15 for each, she said. “It’s pretty much the cream of the crop that actually make it to the stage.”

Katy Campbell of Wading River competed in the annual pageant last year.

Ms. Riley and the other contestents will be introduced Wednesday at Nocello restaurant in Northport.

This is Ms. Riley’s first pageant competition, but it won’t be her first step into the limelight. She’s been working as a model and actress since she was 15, she said. Most recently, she played one of Vince Vaughn’s children in the movie “The Delivery Man,” set to be released Oct. 4.

Working without the help of a talent agent, Ms. Riley is constantly going to auditions and posing in front of the camera, motivated by a desire to “make it,” she said. Modeling and acting are her main source of income.

“We are very supportive of her, of everything she does,” said her mother, Lori. “She does it all on her own. She’s very self motivated.”

One of four children, Ms. Riley grew up at Martha Clara Vineyards, where her father, Willie, is horse trainer and farm manager. Her mother is Martha Clara’s tasting room manager.

“We would go out and help him with the saddles,” the 5-foot-6 model said of growing up on a farm. “We would have to help clean the stalls and stuff like that,”

Ms. Riley’s star moments began at Riverhead High School, where she shone on the track. She was brought up to varsity level track and field in eighth grade and by junior year had captured the spring track pole-vault record at nine feet, said her former coach, Maria Dounelis.

“She was a great kid, a really coachable kid. Always positive,” Ms. Dounelis said. “It’s amazing watching her now.”

Ms. Riley graduated in 2008, receiving a partial athletic scholarship for track and field to the College of St. Rose in Albany. She graduated from St. Rose in May with a bachelor’s degree in public communication.

“I feel like Riverhead has definitely helped me get to where I am now because of the different experiences that I’ve gone thorough,” she said.

Some of those experiences include dealing with racism.

Ms. Riley is biracial and said she’s had differing experiences because of her background.

“The reason I wanted to be in the pageant was that I wanted to show girls my age that no matter your age, weight, color and background, you can do anything you put your mind to,” she said. “I want to tell my story.”

“She’s definitely the type of girl we are looking for,” said Ms. Thomas. “I think what’s really wonderful about her is she is very passionate. She was very honest, very sincere. At age 22 it is really wonderful to see someone that well-rounded.”

Although there are two cities and 13 towns in Nassau and Suffolk counties, pageant participants are not chosen according to where they live. There are no other contestants representing Riverhead Town, Ms. Thomas said.

For her pageant platform, Ms. Riley has decided to support Strength for Life, a Port Jefferson Station not-for-profit that works to help cancer patients enhance their recovery process through exercise. The group also works to educate the general public about the benefits of exercise.

“We’re working getting her to our exercise classes and to our next exercise retreat,” said Jacqueline Errico, executive director and co-founder of Strength for Life. “We’re very excited about it. We’re always happy someone is willing to help us. It can help us get our message out.”

“My biggest passion is fitness,” said Ms. Riley. “I have also had family members that have passed from cancer.” She lost her grandmother and a cousin to cancer, she said, noting that neither was very physically active.

A win for Ms. Riley could be a win for Riverhead Town, Lori Riley said.

“It will bring more publicity for downtown,” she said. “To let people know it’s moving and shaking out here.”

“If she wins it’s not necessarily good for just Riverhead, it’s good for Long Island,” said Ms. Thomas. She’d be representing the three million people that live here.”

If Ms. Riley were to win, she would advance to the Miss New York USA pageant, receiving professional coaching by Ms. Thomas, who holds five pageant titles herself.

Ms. Riley said she’s looking for support from the community to help her finance her pageant participation and raise money for Strength For Life.

“Typically local businesses get behind the local delegate, really anyone who is looking to help someone participate,” said Ms. Thomas. “Everyone gets advertised in the program book. Whether it’s a corporation or a person from the community.”

cmiller@timesreview.com

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | Tonight’s Greenport school board meeting is at 7 p.m.

The Greenport Board of Education is expected to vote on a resolution tonight to grant elementary school principal Joseph Tsaveras tenure.

If approved, Mr. Tsaveras’ tenure will go into effect July 1. He has been the elementary school principal for three years.

In addition to discussing Mr. Tasaveras’ tenure, Superintendent Michael Comanda will likely update the school board on next year’s school calendar, the lockdown drill that took place on Jan. 30 and shared-service agreements with the Southold School District, according to the agenda.

Tonight’s meeting is at 7 p.m. in room 126.

Scroll down to view the complete agenda. Read more in the Feb. 28 issue of The Suffolk Times in both our print and electronic editions.

Greenport school board agenda, Feb. 25, 2013

MICHAEL WHITE FILE PHOTO | An FAA control tower currently at MacArthur Airport in Islip Town.

Federal Aviation Administration officials are coming to Riverhead Town in mid-March to check out 50 acres at the town’s Enterprise Park in Calverton the FAA is considering for a new air traffic control complex, town officials said.

If the EPCAL land is selected for the complex, as many as 800 jobs could come to Riverhead, said Riverhead Councilwoman Jodi Giglio, who is coordinating the town’s effort to woo the FAA and announced the news through a press release Monday.

NEWS-REVIEW FILE PHOTO | A view of the EPCAL site from the sky.

The facility would replace the FAA’s current air traffic control facilities at Long Island, one at MacArthur Airport in Islip and another in Westbury, according to federal officials.

Editorial: FAA facility would be a welcome boost

Ms. Giglio said the town submitted its response to a request for information from the FAA by the Jan. 31 deadline, offering up 50 acres adjacent to the Stony Brook Business Incubator on Route 25, free of charge, to the FAA.

“The important thing is to keep the jobs on Long Island, getting them all to stay here,” said Ms. Giglio, who added that 800 skilled workers at EPCAL would bring more people to Riverhead’s restaurants, golf courses and other businesses.

“The secondary industries would be phenomenal, as well as secondary spending with this type of facility as an anchor,” she said.

On offering the land for free, she said, “I think [the free land] would act as a loss leader, so we can create secondary industries and spending.”

At its height, the Grumman Corporation that for decades ran a fighter jet testing and assembly facility at the site employed about 3,000 workers.

Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter, who was initially against trying to lure the FAA to town because he and other supervisors pledged to support Islip’s proposal, said he was glad federal officials would be touring the site.

“I think its wonderful…. It’s always positive when people are coming to look at property at EPCAL. I’m certainly interested in any leads for selling property there.”

He didn’t think the meeting would be open to the public, but added “all the details” have not been worked out yet.

Ms. Giglio said she was expecting a call later Monday to confirm when, exactly, FAA officials would be visiting, and whether they will just be viewing the site or spending the day in Riverhead to see what the town has to offer workers.

The new facility would incorporate state-of-the-art satellite air traffic equipment, replacing older, radar-based equipment now used at the Islip and Westbury facilities.

Ms. Giglio said the Islip facility, which currently has about 800 employees, is also used as a training area for air traffic controllers who are later sent to airports throughout the county.

“I think they’re looking for an easy commute for their employees at the Islip base,” she said.

Initial specs the town has received from the FAA say any towers to be installed would not have windows, and she believes none of them would be taller than the 75-foot height restriction currently at EPCAL, Ms. Giglio said.

FAA officials said last month they intended to locate the facility on between 34 and 49 acres within 150 miles of New York City, and in New York State.

The federal officials are planning to build a total of 250,000 square feet of buildings, towers and parking for the employees.

SEE PRIOR NEWS-REVIEW COVERAGE

byoung@timesreview.com

Check back at suffolktimes.com and see the Feb. 28 newspaper for more information.

The Southold Planning Board will review a revised site plan for a horse farm and riding arena on Ackerly Pond Road in Southold at its work session this afternoon.

The proposed riding academy has been criticized in the past by neighbors who shared a common driveway with the property, leading the new owners to propose a different access to the 10-acre site.

Also up for discussion is the proposed subdivision of the New Suffolk Waterfront Fund’s 3.4 acre site at the end of New Suffolk Avenue.

The Waterfront Fund is transferring 1.1 acres of the site to neighboring Robins Island Holding, LLC, the holding company for property neighboring the Waterfront Fund’s site that is owned by billionaire hedge fund manager Louis Moore Bacon III. Mr. Bacon helped pay off the Waterfront Fund’s mortgage last year in exchange for title to a portion of the site.

Also up for review are a proposed expansion and a new warehouse at Sparkling Pointe winery in Peconic.

The work session begins at 2:30 p.m. in the executive board room upstairs in the Southold Town Hall Annex on the corner of Youngs Avenue and Route 25 in Southold.

Southold Planning Board work session agenda, Feb. 28, 2013

Southold Police employed a marine patrol, its canine unit and a Suffolk County Police helicopter Monday to search for a 16-year-old Peconic girl who failed to show up at school in the morning, but the girl is still missing, police said.

Believing that the girl may have left the area, police are no longer actively searching near her home, said Chief Martin Flatley.

“We stopped the physical search because that’s as far as we could take it,” the chief said.

Police are now working with the girl’s family, and checking phone records and the girl’s friends, he added. He could not say whether the girl is a student in Southold, where most Peconic youths are educated.

The chief declined to offer any additional information, including a name and a photograph.

PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO | Joe Goglia (left) and another All-Star manager play a game of FIFA ’13 on the bowling alley’s 21-foot TV screen.

As he fiddles with a video game controller, All Star bowling alley manager Joe Goglia imagines watching dozens of gamers lining the bar area’s tiered seating, watching as others compete on the huge 21-foot TV screen behind the bar.

He is already thinking of different prizes to offer the winners of the bowling alley’s weekly tournaments.

He envisions a leaderboard posted on the wall showing the top video game players’ ranks for the week.

“The possibilities are endless with this thing,” Mr. Goglia said last week as he tested out the Xbox plugged into the massive TV. “I can see this thing really taking off. We just need people to come in and see it.”

The All Star will host its first official video game night Monday night, an open invitation for North Fork gamers to test their skills.

The tournament-style night was dreamed up by Mr. Goglia, a Conecticutt native who used to spend hours with his friends playing video games like Call of Duty. Since he moved to the North Fork, Mr. Goglia said he wanted to recreate the good times he shared back home.

“There’s nothing out here like this,” he said.

The game night will focus on sports and arcade fighting games to start, like the soccer game FIFA ’13 and a comics-based fighter game called Marvel vs. Capcom, Mr. Goglia said.

The group will avoid first-person shooters to keep the atmosphere at the All-Star more “family-oriented,” he said.

Players will pay $10 for their entrance fee and will be guaranteed at least two games, possibly more depending on the number of people competing that night. All gamers will also get a $2 card to the arcade, and the winner of the double-elimination tournaments will also win gift cards to the bowling alley.

The All-Star, he said, offers a unique opportunity for gamers to play on a giant screen with a classic arcade a few steps away.

“Where else are you going to go and play video games like this?” Mr. Goglia said.

Game night will be held every Monday at 7 p.m. at the All-Star bowling alley on Route 25 in Riverhead.

psquire@timesreview.com

Listings prepared for Times/Review Newspapers by Suffolk Research Service, dated Jan. 1-7, 2013.

CUTCHOGUE (11935)
• Bailey, P to Mattituck 2012, LLC, 36570 Route 25 (1000-97-3-2), (R), $250,000

EAST MARION (11939)
• Tosca Realty LLC to Loscalzo, John, 235 Huckleberry Hill Rd (1000-31-16-9), (R), $1,550,000

FLANDERS (11901)
• Dimsuyu, M & N to Squires, Justin, 140 Royal Ave (900-148-2-35), (R), $205,000

JAMESPORT (11947)
• Morse, R to Santiago, Ivan, 96 Washington Ave (600-90-2-43), (R), $349,000

LAUREL (11948)
• Pope, H & M Trusts to DiPippo, Philip, 8675 Peconic Bay Blvd (1000-126-4-16.4), (R), $420,000
• Dubinsky, N to Landmark Properties Suffolk, 590 Laurel Ct (1000-126-13-5), (V), $230,000

ORIENT (11957)
• Terry, D to Ventura, Michael, 1780 Village Ln (1000-24-2-19), (R), $480,000

RIVERHEAD (11901)
• Montag, M & J to Coffey, Craig, 104 Linda Ln West (600-16-2-11), (R), $321,000
• Belknap, D to Zubok, Valentina, 34 Waterview Ct (600-17-1-8.1), (R), $1,100,000
• Danowski, M & R by Referee to ACM Suffolk IV B, LLC, 116 Riverside Dr (600-129-6-11), (R), $250,382

SHELTER ISLAND (11964)
• Meire, M to Caputo, Joseph, 4 Country Club Dr (700-3-2-19), (V), $470,000
• Weill & Neroni Trust & to Gardiner’s Bay Country Club, Gardiners Bay & 7013-23 & 1-19 (700-3-2-32), (R&E), $15,900,000
• Feinstein, J & M to Van Zandt Jr, Pieter, 22 Tuthill Dr (700-11-2-18), (R), $1,847,170
• Shea, B & P to Sheinker, Jana, 24 Margaret’s Dr (700-18-2-45), (R), $1,950,000

SOUTHOLD (11971)
• Gable, A Trust to Keating, Andrew, 700 Ruch Ln (1000-52-2-28.1), (R), $585,500
• Donahue, F to Manfredi, Mary Lou, 7750 Horton Ln (1000-54-1-28), (R), $410,000
• Taeschler Jr, M & J to Reinckens, Thomas, 985 Boisseau Ave (1000-63-2-27), (R), $295,000
• Fitzpatrick, P to Morandina Living Trust, 1035 Calves Neck Rd (1000-63-7-32), (R), $1,300,000
• Patchell, S & G to Maretic, Ive, 1075 West Hill Rd (1000-70-4-24), (R), $680,000
• Verity, B to Devito, Daniel, p/o 865 Nokomis Rd (1000-78-3-26.2), (R), $317,500

WADING RIVER (11792)
• Holmstrom, C & L to Curtin, Harriet, 151 Farm Rd W (600-57-1-14.34), (R), $338,000

(Key: Tax map numbers = District-Section-Block-Lot; (A) = agriculture; (R) = residential; (V) = vacant property; (C) = commercial; (R&E) = recreation & entertainment; (CS) = community services; (I) = industrial; (PS) = public service; (P) = park land; as determined from assessed values in the current tax rolls.)

A Laurel man was arrested for drunk driving just after midnight Saturday during a traffic stop in Mattituck, Southold Town police said.

Police saw a 1997 Toyota failing to signal turns and “turning improperly” about 12:30 a.m. Saturday, according to a police report. An officer pulled the vehicle over and conducted sobriety tests on the driver, 57-year-old Cornelius Dembinski, police said.

Mr. Dembinski was unsteady on his feet, had glassy red eyes and his breath smelled of alcohol, police said. He failed several sobriety tests during the traffic stop and was arrested for driving drunk.

He was charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, and other traffic violations. Mr. Deminski was taken to police headquarters and held for morning arraignment.

JENNIFER GUSTAVSON PHOTO

The Greenport Village Board is expected to vote tonight on electrical upgrades to the Mitchell Park Marina, a project that could cost as much as $400,000. The village is bonding the cost of the project with the expectation that some of the costs will be recovered through increased revenue from rental of of the docks with upgraded electrical connections.

The village board is also expected to authorize a request for bids on sidewalk and curb repairs and to vote on penalties for unpaid parking fines.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Third Street firehouse. The full agenda is available below.

Greenport Village Board Agenda Feb. 25, 2013

Marion B. Harrison of Laurel died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013, at Fishermen’s Hospital in Marathon, Fla. She was 91 years old.

She was born May 23, 1921, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Robert Edward and Anna V. (Muller) Beuerle. 

On Oct. 30, 1943, she married John W. Harrison in Brooklyn. Together they made their home in New Hyde Park and later moved to Jackson Heights. They have been residents of Laurel since 1967.

Marion was a volunteer with the American Red Cross for 30 years and with Central Suffolk Hospital Auxiliary.

She is survived by her husband, John W. Harrison; two children, John C. (Barbara) Harrison of Laurel and Daniel E. Harrison (Allison Dugdale) of Baltimore, Md.; a brother, Charles E. Beuerle of New Hyde Park; and two grandchildren, John A. (Heather) Harrison and Christopher E. Harrison. She was predeceased by two sisters, Florence B. See and Edna B. Adamson.

The family received friends Monday, Feb. 25, at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. Funeral services were conducted by the Rev. George Summers. Interment followed at Cutchogue Cemetery.

Memorial donations to the American Diabetes Association or the American Red Cross would be appreciated.

This is a paid notice.

Arnold S. Sacks died peacefully at 7:24 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 20, in Sarasota, Fla., his loving family by his side. He was 87 years old. 

Arnold, a longtime resident of Mattituck, Long Island, N.Y., was born June 14, 1925, in Westhampton Beach, N.Y., to Julius and Mae Sacks. As a young boy, he started working at his family’s business, H. Sacks and Sons Produce in East Quogue, N.Y., and ascended to the title of president. 

Arnie, as he was known to his friends and family, was always quick with a joke or some good-natured ribbing. His humor and wit were enjoyed by everyone lucky enough to have met him. In his later years, Arnie and his wife, Pat, most enjoyed spending quality time with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

He was also an avid poker player. In 2006, at the age of 81, he won first place in a professional tournament as an amateur, beating out many of today’s top pros. 

Arnie was accepted into college but, out of pride for his country, he enlisted in the United States Navy in 1943 at the age of 17. As a radioman first class, he served on the USS Nashville, surviving a kamikaze attack on Dec. 13, 1944, that took the lives of 133 of his fellow sailors and wounded countless others. After the USS Nashville steamed back to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for heavy repairs, he continued calling in air strikes from the beaches under the command of eight additional ships.

Arnold S. Sacks was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1946 as a decorated veteran, having earned a Purple Heart, a Philippine Liberation Medal – 2 Stars, an Asiatic Pacific Medal – 3 Stars, a European Theatre Medal, an American Theater Medal, a Victory Medal and a Unit Commendation. 

Arnie was predeceased by his brother, Bobby. He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Pat; his sister, Dorothy Gordon; his children, Harry Sacks, Debbie Dolan and husband, Craig, and Greg Sacks and wife, Vicky; grandchildren, Nicole Sacks, Kristen Sacks, Kate Fohrkolb and husband, Dave, Carolynne Harvey, Brian Sacks, Paul Sacks and wife, Laura, and Rachel Sacks; and seven great-grandchildren. 

A graveside service will be held at Sarasota National Cemetery on Monday, March 4, at 1:30 p.m.

This is a paid notice.

John J. Cullen died Feb. 21 at his home in Cutchogue. He was 74 years old.

Born Aug. 5, 1938, in Brooklyn to Patrick and Anna Cullen, he was a draftsman at Delgado & Hugal in Manhattan and worked for over 40 years throughout Manhattan as a general contractor, manager and architect.

He was an active member of the Cutchogue Fire Department, a life member of the Centereach Fire Department and a former member of the Central Islip Fire Department. An Irishman at heart, he belonged to the Emerald Society and will be remembered for his sense of humor and love of chocolate ice cream.

Mr. Cullen is survived by his wife, Loretta (née Reimann); his children, John (Donna), Laurie (Vasken) Shahinian and Sharyn (Luis) Serrano; his brothers Ronald and Francis; and his grandchildren, Patrick, John Lawrence, Katilyn, Lauryn, Michael, Lucine and Pileigh. He was predeceased by his siblings Patrick Jr. and Sister Mary Rita.

Visiting hours will take place Thursday, Feb. 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. and Friday, March 1, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, March 2, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Mattituck, followed by interment at Cutchogue Cemetery.

This is a paid notice.

KATHARINE SCHROEDER FILE PHOTO | Tonight’s Oysterponds budget workshop is at 7 p.m.

Oysterponds Elementary School District Superintendent Richard Malone is expected to present a zero-based spending plan for the 2013-14 school year at tonight’s budget workshop meeting.

Mr. Malone said he’s developing a worst-case scenario plan known as a “zero-based budget” at the request of the board in order to show how much it would cost to run the school with bare minimum mandates. That process involves presenting a spending plan that includes only state-mandated programs. Since preschool and kindergarten aren’t mandated, Mr. Malone said they won’t be included in his zero-based budget. He said the school board could then decide to add in additional programs before presenting next year’s budget to the Orient and East Marion communities.

In addition to discussing his spending plan, Mr. Malone will give a mini-version of his “What is 21st century education?” series he presented earlier this year. Tonight’s topic is “Common Core and Complex Reading/Writing/Speaking.”

Here’s a summary of future budget workshops. Each meeting starts at 7 p.m.

• March 5: Budget workshop and presentation, “Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM)”

• March 12: Budget workshop and presentation, “Importance of Early Childhood Education (Pre-K Program)”

• April 2: Budget workshop and presentation, “Learning through Technology”

• May 14: Budget hearing

• May 12 from 3 to 9 p.m.: Budget vote

Read more in the Feb. 28 issue of The Suffolk Times in both our print and electronic editions.

Catherine V. Becker, 91, of Golden, Colo., a former 35-year resident of the Southold, Long Island, community, died Feb. 21, 2013, in Lakewood, Colo. 

She was born March 3, 1921, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Elmer Wydell and Catherine (Reardon) Duchman. She graduated from Commercial High School and was married in June 1940 to John L. Maune. To this union were born Catherine M. and James J. Maune. She married Edward J. Becker on Feb. 14, 1948.

Catherine was a cheerful, loyal friend to all who know her. She loved being a homemaker and hostess. She enjoyed cooking and baking, much appreciated by all her family. She volunteered for charitable organizations in Southold, where she lived from 1971 to 2006. She was always a champion for veterans and belonged to Griswold Terry Glover Post No. 803 of the American Legion in Southold, where she enjoyed many activities, especially bingo.

She loved to travel and visited many European countries. She also took on the role of travel director for the Mattituck Seniors Club, where she planned and directed tours for seniors for about 25 years.

Catherine moved to Golden, Colo., in 2007. She adjusted to the altitude after living her first 85 years entirely at sea level. She traveled around her new home and became a Coloradan with grace and joy.

Catherine was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, James Duchman, both husbands, her son, James, and her grandson Daniel Maune.

She is survived by daughter Catherine Ferrere of Lakewood, Colo.; daughter-in-law Audrey Maune of Plainview, N.Y.; grandchildren Janis Ferrere of Bayville, N.J., Kenneth Ferrere (Susan) of Dunstable, Mass., Suzanne Ferrere Norman (Andrew) of Evergreen, Colo., Tara Bassette (Tony) of Glastonbury, Conn., James Maune (Gina) of Chula Vista, Calif., and Patricia Maune Habas (Don) of Nanuet, N.Y.; and great-grandchildren Christopher Kowalczyk, Kelly Ferrere, Stephanie and Craig Ferrere, Carlee, Lauren and James Maune, Danny, Conor and Kelly Maune, Caitlin Orlando, Sean Habas and Oliver and Calandra Norman.

A funeral Mass will be said at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 969 Ulysses St., Golden, Colo., with a reception following in the church hall. Interment will be at Ft. Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colo. Arrangements are in the care of Ellis Family Services – Funeral and Memorial Care, Littleton, Colo.

Memorial contributions can be made in Catherine Becker’s memory to: American Red Cross for Sandy Relief; American Legion Griswold Terry Glover Post No. 803, 51655 Route 25, Southold, NY 11971; ASPCA; Foothills Animal Shelter, 580 McIntyre St., Golden, CO 80401; St. Agnes R.C. Church, 523 Front St., Greenport, NY 11944; St. Joseph Catholic Church, 969 Ulysses St., Golden, CO 80401; or Christ on the Mountain, 13922 W. Utah Ave., Lakewood, CO 80228.

Family and friends can sign the online guestbook at EllisFamilyServices.com.

This is a paid notice.