Dolores A. “Tootsie” Chituk of Riverhead, formerly of Mattituck, died peacefully Wednesday, March 20, at East End Hospice Kanas Center for Hospice Care in Quiogue, N.Y. She was 84 years old.

Ms. Chituk was born Jan. 21, 1935, in Eastport, N.Y., to Anna (nee Tysh) and Joseph Polak.

After graduating from high school, she married the love of her life, Antone B. “Tony” Chituk Jr. on Jan. 12, 1958, at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church in Center Moriches, N.Y. Together they had three children.

She enjoyed spending time with her family and was an avid yard saler for years.

Ms. Chituk was predeceased by her husband and her son, Robert A. Chituk. She is survived by her daughters Lori Leja and her husband Chuck of Aquebogue and Lyn Chituk of Riverhead; her daughter-in-law, Maureen Chituk of Aquebogue; and her grandchildren Justin Underwood, Robby Chituk, Jr., Jessica Chituk and Emma Leja.

Visitors will be received Monday, March 25, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday, March 26, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue, officiated by Father Mariusz Gorazd. Interment will follow at Sacred Heart R.C. Cemetery in Cutchogue.

Memorial donations may be made to Peconic Bay Medical Center or East End Hospice Kanas Center for Hospice Care.

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The start to Mattituck/Southold’s girls lacrosse season had a strange ending. Not that the Tuckers were complaining.

Defending New York State Class D champion Mattituck led by as many as three goals Friday, fell behind after three straight Shoreham-Wading River goals and forced overtime. It was then when an odd occurrence settled the outcome of the Suffolk County Division II game.

Mattituck’s Julie Seifert shot into an unguarded goal after dislodging the ball out of SWR goalie Sarah Sheridan’s stick pocket 1 minute, 40 seconds into overtime for a season-opening 8-7 sudden victory at Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field in Shoreham.

Mattituck’s Francesca Vasile-Cozzo and SWR’s Brooke Langella both were assessed two-minute penalties at different times late in the fourth quarter that carried over into overtime.

Isabella Meli won the draw for SWR at the start of OT, but the Wildcats lost possession on an offside call. Sheridan did well to stop a shot by Maddie Schmidt off a feed from Riley Hoeg for her 10th save of the game.

Vasile-Cozzo returned to the field at 1:22 after serving her penalty, giving Mattituck a man-up advantage. Seifert smothered Sheridan as the goalie casually walked the ball forward, well out of her net. Seifert delivered a stick check that brought her the prize she was looking for. The ball popped loose. Seifert retrieved it, looked up and saw an open goal about a distance of between 12 and 15 meters away.

“I felt good but a little nervous,” Seifert said. “I said, ‘I better make this.’ ”

She did, and with it, Mattituck had its first ever win over SWR in what Tuckers coach Matt Maloney believes was the seventh career meeting between the teams.

“I definitely feel for [Sheridan] a little bit, but at that point where we made so many mistakes, it was just try to get the ball any way you can and we saw an opportunity there,” Maloney said. “Shoreham’s a storied program, winning numerous state championships over the years. For us, it’s a huge team win.”

Asked if she had ever seen a game end like that, Mattituck midfielder/attack Mackenzie Hoeg (four goals, eight ground balls) answered: “Honestly, no, I don’t think I have. It was a great job by Julie to realize that we were man up for a couple of seconds there for her to go and pressure the goalie. We were blocking off the Shoreham people pretty well, and I think that it definitely made it a hard lane for the goalie to throw it to.”

Langella’s penalty time became complete at the time of the game-winning goal.

Confusion cost the Wildcats (1-1, 0-1) at that critical juncture.

“At that point, I think a lot of us were kind of looking for some sort of direction, so I definitely feel like I could put some of that blame on myself,” SWR coach Brittany Davis said. “That could have been an optimal time to call a timeout and really just get everyone on the same page.”

Asked if her players took the loss hard, Davis said, “Emotions are high for all of them and I don’t think a lot of these kids have ever, ever, ever really been in these huge moments.”

SWR took its only lead of the day on three straight second-half goals by the Meli sisters. Isabella Meli, Gabby Meli and then Gabby Meli again struck within a span of 1:21 for a 7-6 edge with 11:15 left in the second half.

“She’s one of those kids that is an excellent player,” Davis said of Gabby Meli, who also assisted on one of Jenna Lesiwicz’s two goals. “She’s crafty, she’s quick and, you know, people don’t really know too much about her because we’ve had a lot of people on the offensive end who are a powerhouse. So, these other kids who are really good, they’re just waiting their turn and they’re hungry.”

Down a goal, Mattituck faced adversity in the face. Schmidt scored her second goal of the game off Riley Hoeg’s fourth assist to knot the score with 4:40 to go in regulation time. Schmidt was denied a hat trick by Sheridan with 10 seconds left in regulation.

Mattituck received a goal from Kaitlin Tobin.

Amanda Padrazo and Hayden Lachenmeyer scored for SWR.

Said Maloney, “It was a bad start for us, but it was a great finish, obviously.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Mattituck/Southold’s Julie Seifert pressures Shoreham-Wading River goalie Sarah Sheridan before forcing the turnover that led to Seifert’s winning goal 1 minute, 40 seconds into overtime. (Credit: Daniel De Mato)

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Southold Town police arrested Mario Soto, 41, of Southold for driving with a revoked license in Peconic Saturday around 5 p.m.

According to a press release, Mr. Soto was stopped for operating his 2004 Toyota with switched license plates and no inspection sticker.

Police also found he had a revoked license due to a prior alcohol-related offense.

He was charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, and several violations, according to officials.

• A 911 caller reported an erratic driver on Route 48 in Greenport Saturday around 8 p.m.

Police stopped a Wading River man driving a Maserati who told police he was just tired, officials said.

He took a walk outside of his vehicle before leaving and agreed to get coffee at a nearby gas station.

• Police responded to a Pike Street bar Saturday around 10 p.m. after six patrons became involved in an altercation over an unknown matter.

According to police, the parties were separated and no charges were filed.

• A Cutchogue man called police Friday around 10 p.m. to report that a group of about 20 youths were possibly fighting in the street on Highland Road.

The youths had dispersed when police arrived, but an officer pulled over a vehicle matching a description given soon after.

The driver, a Southold woman, told police she dropped off the individuals in her car. She was advised to return home for the evening, police said.

• A Southold man called police last Wednesday afternoon to report his chimney was on fire.

The fire extinguished itself prior to police arrival, according to a police report. Southold Fire Department officials responded to check for fire extension into the walls with negative results, officials said.

• A Greenport woman notified police last Wednesday that an unknown person stole $6 in loose change from her boyfriend’s truck.

• Police responded to a disturbance at a Greenport convenience store last Wednesday around 8:40 a.m.

A Riverhead man told police he was upset with the price of a cigar and was escorted back to the Riverhead train station, officials said.

• Between midnight and 6 a.m. last Tuesday, a man reported that loose change was stolen from his vehicle on Wiggins Street in Greenport.

Items were also reported missing from a Honda CR-V on Wiggins Street, according to police.

• Police responded with Mattituck Fire Department last Monday to a report of a basement fire at a residence on Bray Avenue in Laurel.

Fire department officials extinguished the flames around 7:15 p.m.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation but does not appear to be criminal in nature. No injuries were reported, 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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There was a great deal of optimism in eastern Long Island’s environmental community when, in the fall of 2017, a Flanders homeowner used a Suffolk County grant to replace an older cesspool with a state-of-the-art system.  

These new systems are desperately needed in large areas of Suffolk County that don’t have municipal sewers, and are designed to prevent nitrogen from polluting our groundwater and seeping into our bays. Nitrogen is the culprit behind environmental troubles including brown tide, which has in past years done major damage to shellfish such as scallops.

Suffolk’s Septic Improvement Program completed eight installations of new cesspool systems that first year, and 49 last year. So far this year, according to County Executive Steve Bellone’s office, 12 new systems have been installed — half of them in Riverhead and Southold.

This is very good news. But progress toward expanding the switch to better systems is now very much in danger of losing its momentum.

In January, County Comptroller John Kennedy informed those who received county grants, which helped pay for these systems, that the money is considered income and that they are responsible for paying federal taxes on those amounts — the very opposite of what Suffolk officials initially told them.

To say the least, this is a very late, and politically suspect, move on Mr. Kennedy’s part — one that will almost certainly discourage others considering applying for the grants.

The program awards grants of approximately $11,000 to offset the high cost — which can run well over $20,000 — of the modern wastewater systems. Letters from Mr. Kennedy’s office informing recipients of their tax exposure have shocked homeowners and fall into the category of “no good deed goes unpunished.”

One Flanders homeowner, who received a county grant plus a Southampton Town rebate totaling $25,000, said her federal tax bill will jump by “many thousands of dollars” if this stands. These very generous grants pushed this one homeowner into a higher tax bracket — not a welcome development as April 15 comes around.

There is a political context to this story. It makes the very bad news about tax liability for a critically important environmental initiative of the Bellone administration even more unsettling: Mr. Kennedy, a Republican, and Mr. Bellone, a Democrat, will face off in the race for county executive this fall.

By all appearances, Mr. Kennedy, who has said he will seek an opinion from the IRS on the matter, has injected an environmental program he should fully endorse into his campaign to unseat Mr. Bellone. He seems to want to politicize groundwater protection. That is a very unwelcome development.

The post Editorial: Comptroller’s move endangers critical program appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Southold Middle School students would normally be hustling to find their seats when the bell rings on a Friday morning. But on March 15, school was closed and those seats were instead occupied by teachers and administrators.

Three facilitators from Southold Elementary School — special education teacher Liza Karnich, social worker Rose Patti and psychologist Jennifer Moley — listened as one teacher spoke about a student who is struggling academically and socially due to trauma.

“There’s a fine line between trying to help and trying to see something from a traumatic point of view,” Ms. Moley said. “At the same time, we don’t want to enable them and hinder their success.”

“Trauma and Behavior” was just one of over 40 workshops that were available to more than 200 teachers and administrators during last week’s Ed Camp NOFO, an annual conference at which participants from the Southold and Greenport school districts discuss education-related topics and guide their peers.

Southold elementary school principal Ellen O’Neill said that, after attending two national conferences last year, she was eager to bring Ed Camp to the North Fork.

“There’s a lot of knowledge and professional experts that work in our district,” she said. “So, why do we have to go outside the district if we have some experts inside?”

Ms. O’Neill said she teamed up with Greenport and Southold Superintendent David Gamberg three years ago to roll out the program. Ed Camp, which has been held in school communities nationwide, is designed to avoid the traditional conference format, she said.

“It’s very much organic,” she said, “about what you talk about in each session. A lot of planning goes into it, but once you’re here, it’s purely organic, whatever comes up.”

During the first hour of Ed Camp, participants brainstormed talking points and others volunteered to facilitate discussions. Topics ranged from emotional learning in elementary school to the benefits of teaching students outdoors.

Southold teaching assistant and head athletic trainer Alyssa Cardillo said she attended the trauma workshop because she has multiple students with behavioral or physical disabilities.

“We talked about getting [students] to the proper channel,” she said. “A medical issue? Send them to a nurse or to me, an athletic trainer. Behavioral issues? Send them to the school psychologist or social worker.”

Ms. Cardillo, who is new to Southold, facilitated a discussion about student concussions, which she said aren’t uncommon in school sports.

Greenport English teacher Kaitlin Daniels, who co-led a session about her teachings in AP seminar, attended the concussions workshop. As a varsity field hockey coach, she retained a lot from it.

“Concussions are something that we are seeing much more frequently because the symptoms are now being spoken about and addressed, which is so important that they don’t go undiagnosed anymore,” Ms. Daniels said.

Another discussion, focused on English Language Learners, was facilitated by Greenport special education teacher Vanessa Lara. She encouraged an audience of mostly Greenport faculty to use whatever Spanish they know when speaking with these students.

“Even just saying a few things to them in Spanish, it means a lot,” she said, “because they’ll know you care.”

Ms. O’Neill said smaller districts sometimes struggle to discuss issues related to certain student demographics. For example, she said, if three or four teachers are at one grade level they don’t always get to talk to other teachers.

“It’s nice to be able to share and learn from one another, because nobody ever knows everything, no matter how many years we’re doing this,” she said. “You can always learn something and get better.”

Photo caption: Greenport special education and ENL teacher Vanessa Lara facilitates a discussion about student English language learners at last Friday’s Ed Camp. (Credit: Kate Nalepinski)

knalepinski@timesreview.com

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All of Mattituck/Southold’s previous boys lacrosse games against Rocky Point may have been forgettable from the Tuckers’ perspective, but Saturday’s game is one they will surely remember for years to come.

Mattituck trailed for most of the non-league game, falling behind by two goals on four occasions. That only set up set up the dramatic finish.

Greg Hauser fired in the tying and game-winning goals — the latter, his third of the game, with 1 minute, 11 seconds left to play — for a 7-6 triumph by visiting Mattituck for its third win in as many games this season. It was Mattituck’s first ever win over Rocky Point, according to John Amato, who has faced the Eagles six times in his six years as the Tuckers’ coach.

“I said this [Mattituck] team could be the first one” to defeat Rocky Point, Amato said, “this could be the first time we ever do it and we did it in dramatic fashion.”

Mattituck made it a new game when Max Kruszeski scored off an assist by Dane Reda, tying the score at 5-5 with seven seconds left in the third quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, Reda won a ball at midfield and lofted a pass to Matt Seifert, sending him in on a breakaway. Rocky Point goalie Tyler Kotarski made the save, but took a stick to his left shoulder moments later and went down. Kotarski walked off the field and was examined by a trainer.

A non-releasable three-minute penalty was assessed to Mattituck’s Ethan Schmidt. Before the penalty expired, Kotarski returned to goal and Teddy Accardi (three goals, one assist) converted a feed from Matthew Sweeney for a 6-5 Rocky Point lead with 7:58 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Amato said the fact that his man-down defense didn’t allow more than that “was huge.”

Kotarski made a point-blank stop on Willie Burns, but Mattituck equalized shortly after when Reda swung a pass to Hauser and he finished the play with 4:56 left.

Later, Hauser used a lefty dodge before launching in the decisive go-ahead goal for Mattituck’s first and only lead of the cold day.

“I was just hyped,” said Hauser, who already has eight goals to his credit this young season.

“I like to lean on our seniors for leadership and everything, and he just stepped up in a big way right there,” Amato said. “The moment wasn’t too big for him.”

Penalties were an issue for Mattituck (six penalties for 6:30), but two untimely penalties by Rocky Point (four for 3:00) late in the game really hurt the Eagles (0-3).

At the same time as Hauser’s final goal, Rocky Point’s Ethan Curreri was given a one-minute penalty for unnecessary roughness. Seven seconds later, Rocky Point’s Jack Meyers drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, costing him one minute and giving Mattituck a two-player advantage for 53 seconds.

Mattituck played keepaway the rest of the way. The Tuckers charged toward their goalie, Luke Wojtas (six saves), to celebrate when the game ended.

“That game was frustrating and scary,” said Reda, who had two goals and one assist. “We wanted to come out on top and thank God we did.”

Seifert, assisted by Schmidt, also had a goal for Mattituck.

Rocky Point received a goal and an assist each from Donald Woods and Sweeney as well as a goal by Kyle Bonesteel.

“I’m proud of [how] no matter how frustrating it got, we just kind of stayed positive,” Amato said. “You know you’re going to go through ups and downs and you can never get too low and you can never get too excited. You just got to stay even-keeled until the game is over, and I felt like we did that.”

Before heading to the warmth of the team bus, Hauser reflected on the value of the victory.

“We haven’t beat Rocky Point before,” he said. “The first ever, it definitely feels special. We’re going to go on this bus and have a good time.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Mattituck/Southold’s Greg Hauser (three goals) dodges around Rocky Point’s Jack Meyers before taking a shot during the second quarter. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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Build a track and they will come.

That’s exactly what has happened to the Southold/Greenport high school boys and girls track and field teams. “They built it and the kids came,” said Karl Himmelmann, the coach overseeing both teams in this landmark season.

Southold High School will host track meets for the first time with its new track this spring. The track, part of a $9.7 million capital bond that school district voters approved in 2015, was unveiled in a ribbon-cutting ceremony last May. But the track’s first meet will be Tuesday when Southold’s boys and girls teams both host Shelter Island in season-opening meets.

“I have to be honest with you, if you had asked me three years ago if Southold would ever build a track, I would say, ‘No way,’ ” Himmelmann said. “It’s a beautiful track. Honestly, I know I’m partial because it’s our track, but it’s one of the nicest tracks around.”

The six-lane red track (Southold’s color) also has a pole vault area and a water pit for the steeplechase.

Because Greenport, which had previously been the host school, doesn’t have a suitable track, all of the teams’ meets had been on the road. One of the longest road trips will come to an end as the road warriors turn into homebodies. All five of the girls team’s league meets will be in Southold, and the boys will run at home in three of their six league meets.

The lure of the new track, as well as coaches’ recruiting efforts, have brought out 52 boys and 28 girls for the teams.

Himmelmann said: “I know that’s the most Greenport/Southold boys and girls we have ever had … There’s definitely a sparked interest level in track and field in Southold and Greenport.”

For this season, at least, Himmelmann will oversee both teams while being assisted by three coaches working in their own specialty areas. Bill Hiney will work with throwers and high jumpers, Joe Corrado handles sprinters, long jumpers and triple jumpers, and Stephanie Berberich coaches the hurdlers and race walkers. “It seems to be working very well so far,” said Himmelmann, who had coached in Mattituck from 2010-18.

“I have so much respect for and appreciation for the coaching staff that I have to work with in Southold this year,” he added. “… They’re great coaches. We’re starting to build what has the potential to be a strong track program for years to come.”

Hosting track meets involves an organizational aspect, such as moving hurdles onto and off the track and having chaperones in the right places. Himmelmann is looking forward to it.

“It’s a different experience for all of these community members and parents as well,” he said. “Many of them have never sat down and watched a track meet. It’s super exciting. It really is.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Southold High School will host its first meet on its new track Tuesday when both its boys and girls teams will compete against Shelter Island. (Credit: Kelly Zegers, file)

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From my couch 240 miles away from Binghamton, my heart pounded with anticipation Saturday. I spent several years at the beginning of my career covering sports, and few games I’ve ever witnessed could match what was unfolding at Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena.

Not one overtime.

Not two overtimes.

Three overtimes!

The boys basketball Class C semifinal game between the hometown Porters and Cooperstown became an instant classic once the final buzzer sounded, a game people will talk about at the state tournament years from now.

Remember that time the kid on Cooperstown scored 53 in that triple overtime game?

But sports can be cruel. That’s what makes the thrill of winning such a rush. And this time, after all the points, after all the drama, after all the highlight plays, it was the Porters on the short end of an otherwise thrilling game. Cooperstown 108, Greenport 98.

At one point during overtime, a co-worker texted me about how wild the Greenport game was. It was great to be able to follow so closely from afar, thanks to the efforts of Kevin Webster, who streamed the game through his Webster Sports Network to hundreds of Greenport fans. And our sports editor, Bob Liepa, was there courtside, typing up live updates and commentary on Twitter. There’s no greater time than March for basketball fans, and to have a local high school team advance so far into the state tournament only added to the excitement. As expected, the Greenport community rallied around their team and the support was overwhelming, from the fire department escort early Friday morning to the sea of purple in the stands Saturday morning in Binghamton.

There are just over 150 teams across New York in Class C and to be one of the last four standing is no small feat. It’s worth remembering just how difficult it is to win a state title in basketball, perhaps the most difficult accomplishment for any team sport in New York. Consider this year, no Long Island teams won state titles, and the quality of the teams in each classification was outstanding: Brentwood in Class AA, Center Moriches in Class B, for example.

Moments after the Porters’ game ended Saturday, my attention shifted to the next big moment of March: college basketball conference tournaments. At 1 p.m., I tuned into CBS Sports Network to watch my alma mater, St. Bonaventure, play against the University of Rhode Island in the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament.

I quickly regrouped from the disappointment of the Porters loss to begin cheering for the next big game. And two hours later, I was all smiles as St. Bona came from 15 points down to win and advance into Sunday’s championship. With a few minutes left in the game, and a win all but assured, I texted my wife at work to plead my case for going into Brooklyn the next day for the championship game.

Sunday happened to be St. Patrick’s Day, the biggest day of the year for my Irish wife.

But she knows how much I love basketball, so she agreed to take an early-morning train into Barclays Center, throw on a St. Bona sweatshirt and cheer alongside me.

Up for grabs was a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

We got to Barclays Center and found a sea of brown and white in support of St. Bona. I was at home.

Everything started perfectly, as the Bonnies jumped out to a 15-point lead. I could already picture myself watching them in the NCAA Tournament a few days later.

But as I said earlier, sports can be cruel.

The lead in the second half slowly disappeared, and suddenly with three minutes to go, the team trailed by eight.

Just when it seemed over, a quick rally and a 3-pointer with under a minute to go made it a two-point game. The crowd was delirious.

Finally, one possession was left. After two missed shots, the ball swung into the corner to a player who had just checked in due to a starter fouling out. He caught the ball with four seconds left, down by two. He shot an open three-pointer, his only shot of the game, for the win. I leaned forward against the railing, as the ball seemingly hung in the air forever, ready to jump in excitement.

The ball hit off the back of the rim, and just like that, the season was over.

Talk about a swing of emotions. Sports can be a gut punch at times.

As the NCAA Tournament begins in full Thursday, I’ll be back in front of the TV, computer and phone watching all the action. I won’t have any rooting interest any more this month, only for a bracket that will likely be busted by Saturday.

Photo caption: Jaxan Swann goes to the basket for Greenport. (Credit: Jeff Miller)

The author is the editor of The Suffolk Times and Riverhead News-Review. He can be reached at 631-354-8049 or joew@timesreview.com.

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The tax rate in Greenport Village will increase by just over two percent as a result of the tentative village budget proposed by Mayor George Hubbard Jr., which was released Wednesday.

“There’s a modest tax increase in it, of 2.09 percent,” Mr. Hubbard said at Thursday’s village trustee meeting. “If fits under the tax cap. We have money in there for two additional part-time traffic control officers to try and take care of that issue.”

The $10.6 million budget is up by 3.66 percent in spending, or $375,720.

Mr. Hubbard said afterwards that people complained that there were no TCOs on duty on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so the village is trying to get someone on duty for at least part of every day.

The tax levy increase in the 2019-2020 proposed budget is 3.83 percent. The state tax cap applies to the tax levy and is at two percent this year, although it allows for a number of exemptions, such as tax base growth. Officials said the village budget does not pierce the cap.

A budget hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, April 9, at 6 p.m. in the Old Schoolhouse museum on the intersection of Front and First streets.

“We also have money for a building inspector, but not a senior building inspector,” Mr. Hubbard said. “It will just be someone off the civil service list and we will probably have to train that person.”

The village has been trying to get a full-time head of the building department for more than a year, according to the mayor.

“We had tried getting a building inspector last year but nobody was on the list and everybody at the top of the list had already found jobs,” he said. “So we’re looking to advertise that position. We’ve been doing a lot with part-timers, but we’re looking to get one person full-time to be the focus person.”

Mr. Hubbard said there also are two people retiring from the highway department as well that will be replaced.

“The budget went up a little bit because we needed to do some bonding for the road repairs last year,” he said.

The proposed 2019-2020 budget shows about $91,000 in debt service for road improvement projects.

tgannon@timesreview.com

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Paul Schulman was watching the news on television last fall when he learned of the limousine crash in upstate Schoharie, where 20 people were killed.

Mr. Schulman of Smithtown, who lost his daughter Brittney in a limo crash on Route 48 in Cutchogue three years earlier, said ‘here we go again.’ 

“Every time it was mentioned on TV and every time it was in the paper they made mention and showed ours as well,” he recalled Sunday.

For Mr. Schulman and the families of Lauren Baruch, Amy Grabina, Stephanie Belli and four other friends who survived the horrific Cutchogue crash, Schoharie was just another reminder of the dangers of limousines and the lack of legislative action that has transpired since that deadly summer evening in 2015.

Family members of the limo passengers gathered at LABS Lane in Smithtown Sunday, a road named for the deceased, to film a video to send to lawmakers in Albany, advocating support for stricter regulations regarding limousine transportation that are included in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed 2019 budget. The families said they are concerned that special lobbying interests in Albany are working tirelessly to strip the budget bill of regulations necessary to ensure the safety of limo passengers and the public — “common sense” measures, as Mr. Schulman described them, that could help prevent another Cutchogue or Schoharie from happening again.

“I don’t need reminders like that,” Mr. Schulman said of Schoharie. “It’s going to happen more and more unless they change the laws. It’s going to happen. We can’t avoid it. But every day of my life I have reminders of what happened.”

• See also: Improving limo safety must be top priority

Nancy DiMonte of Elwood, whose daughter Joelle was injured but survived the crash, said she reached out to lawmakers soon after learning of the incident in Schoharie.

“I called the governor’s office and said, ‘Can I have an appointment? We need to talk,’ ” Ms. DiMonte recalled.

In a series of meetings with Cuomo representatives, the crash victims’ families were able to help outline reforms that made their way into the proposed executive budget.

On Sunday, Ms. DiMonte pointed to six key points the families would like to see included in the approved budget:

• A requirement that all limo passengers wear seatbelts.
• The prohibition of u-turns for limousines.
• A law that all limo drivers obtain commercial licenses.
• Stricter limousine registration guidelines.
• Improved limousine construction.
• Penalties severe enough to prevent limousine companies and their employees from skirting the law.

“I couldn’t give you a rational explanation why someone would oppose [those regulations] other than money,” Ms. DiMonte said of lobbying efforts the families feel are impacting the actions of state legislators.

Family members and their supporters gathered at JABS Lane in Smithtown to film a video that will be sent to state lawmakers, asking them to consider stricter limousine regulations. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Many of the initiatives included in the Cuomo budget bill have been stripped from the budgets proposed by the state Senate and Assembly. Mr. Cuomo has also backed off his January call for a ban on stretch limousines in the State of New York. These points are likely to be discussed in public hearings in Albany later this year.

Mr. Schulman also pointed to a 126-page grand jury report recommending limousine safety measures that was released by former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota’s office in 2016. While those recommendations made their way to Albany, no action has been taken since, Mr. Schulman said.

No state lawmakers were present at Sunday’s gathering, though some Smithtown and Suffolk County officials, including Comptroller John Kennedy, a candidate for County Executive this fall, lent their voices to the video in support of the proposed legislation.

Mr. Schulman said the video being filmed Sunday was necessary because it has proved impossible to gather all of the people impacted by the 2015 crash for a weekday lobbying effort of their own in Albany. They hope the recording of their words and faces carries even more weight.

Steve Baruch, whose daughter Lauren was also killed in the 2015 crash at the Route 48 intersection with Depot Lane, said each of the proposed reforms are long overdue.

“It’s something that should have been done a long time ago,” he said. “To break it down, limousines [being able] to make u-turns on two-lane highways is the cause and effect of why our daughters lost their lives. That’s something that should have been enacted years ago that’s still out their today.”

gparpan@timesreview.com

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The Southold/Greenport Robotics Team, R.I.C.E. 870, tasted first-place victory last week while participating in the 2019 Finger Lakes Regional competition.

Their win at Rochester Institute of Technology not only showed they have the ability to defeat high-caliber teams, but gave them a ticket to compete in the world championships in Detroit, touted as the world’s largest student-oriented STEM competition.

In just six weeks, the combined high school club planned, designed, built, tested and troubleshot a working robot that could carry out complex tasks, according to team adviser and Southold High School math teacher Christine Schade. R.I.C.E. stands for respect, integrity, compassion and equity — all qualities Ms. Schade says her students possess.

Team members were expected to race their bot against competitors’, attaching panels, loading cargo and then returning the bot to its “habitat” — all while avoiding a simulated sandstorm, which was created to obstruct the team’s vision.

A variety of sub-groups exists within R.I.C.E. 870, including a safety team, drive team, art team and media and business team. Each team is integral to the club’s overall success during competition. As if they were traveling through deep space — the theme of this year’s FIRST [For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology] competition — students had to either draw up code or manually configure a system that could control the bot’s movements and maintain awareness of its surroundings.

At last week’s Finger Lakes Regional, R.I.C.E. 870 did just that with an alliance of two other teams, outranking and outscoring 47 competitors. Southold/Greenport’s bot was two out of three in the finals, and went on to outperform its top competitor, Team 1551 of Naples, N.Y., in terms of cargo delivery, panel attachment and navigating the sandstorm.

“It was a phenomenal win … Speechless, we’re all speechless,” Ms. Schade said. “These kids have put in countless, countless hours, so it was just a phenomenal feat. This win is totally theirs.”

Team co-president Drew Wolf, a Greenport junior, said that from the hours the team’s mentors set aside to the overwhelming support they provided, those efforts made the team’s success a reality.

“It’s all problem solving, but we’re trying to make our solutions very simple,” Drew said.

The Southold/Greenport bot came in first at the 2019 Finger Lakes Regional competition, advancing the team to the Detroit world championship.

Ms. Schade, who oversaw team operations, said that the 33 team members from Greenport and Southold high schools worked on the bot regularly from 2:45 p.m., when school lets out, until about 10 p.m. While not every member had to come in every day, the time commitment was significant. Many club members were juggling other clubs, sports, musical responsibilities, schoolwork, exams, familial obligations and, in some cases, SAT and ACT prep.

“It was really hard,” Kat Kilcommmons, a Southold junior, said of the time management aspect. “I do about seven other clubs besides robotics and I do sports every season, so it’s really hard to time manage.” Add SAT courses to that, plus Kat’s role as art department head, and she was left with little time for much else.

Still, Ms. Schade said, her students exhibited unparalleled dedication. “I think a program like this helps to model the dedication needed for success,” she said. “The kids are hungry for more. You can tell that. You can tell that when you watch them play and persevere.”

She attributes the team’s success to its many mentors and sponsors — and the new robotics room given to the team by the Southold School District.

“For the district to set aside a dedicated work space for us was huge,” she said. “I think the kids really felt that this was important. To have Southold schools give us this space … they are extremely supportive of STEM. I just feel very lucky to be an educator in this district.”

Molly Tuthill, a junior at Southold who transferred from now-defunct Bishop McGann-Mercy High School, joined the robotics club almost immediately after starting at her new school. She worked on the safety team, as well as the business and media team.

Molly said her biggest takeaway was that whether working alone or as a team, there will always be bumps in the road. R.I.C.E 870 certainly had its share at the Finger Lakes Regional when its bot stopped functioning properly and members had to disengage one of its mechanisms ahead of the second match in the finals. Molly and Kat, both in their first year with R.I.C.E., joined the roughly 13 girls who are now part of the team.

“It is more than just robotics,” Molly said. “You join a family.”

R.I.C.E. 870 is scheduled to compete again next week at Hofstra’s School-Business Partnership of Long Island Regional, where students will feel a bit less pressure but say they very much plan to bring home a win. Looking forward, the team will be in Detroit April 24-27 for the worlds competition, where members will compete against approximately 400 other teams.

“We’re not too worried,” Ms. Schade said. “We got compliments left and right on how beautiful our robot was.”

Top photo caption: The Southold/Greenport high school robotics team at the 2019 Finger Lakes Regional competition at Rochester Institute of Technology last week. (Credit: Scott Borden, courtesy photo)

mkhan@timesreview.com

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The daily update, a podcast briefing on what’s happening across the North Fork, is brought to you by Riverhead Ford Lincoln and Riverhead Buick GMC.

Get the daily update delivered straight to your inbox each weekday morning by subscribing to our newsletter. Or listen through Apple Podcasts by subscribing to Closer Look. 

Here are the headlines across the North Fork for Monday, March 25:

NEWS

Families of limo crash victims: Stricter state regulations are long overdue

Wildlife Rescue Center seeks expansion into Aquebogue

Southold/Greenport Robotics Team set to take on the world

Aquebogue principal’s motivational message will endure after retirement

Village mayor unveils tentative $10.6M budget

SPORTS

Track and Field: Southold’s new track to be christened

Boys Lacrosse: Hauser shoots Tuckers past Rocky Point

Girls Lacrosse: Seifert steals game for Tuckers over SWR in OT

WEATHER

Expect gradually sunny skies today with a high near 50 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The low tonight is forecast at 25 degrees, with a wind chill value between 15 and 20 degrees.

The post Daily Update: Limo crash victims’ families speak out, wildlife rescue center eyes North Fork appeared first on Suffolk Times.

H. William “Bill” Sawicki of Southold died Sunday, March 24. He was 61.

Mr. Sawicki was Southold Town Police Department Lieutenant and former Southold Town Fire Department Chief and Commissioner.

Visitors will be received Wednesday, March 27, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold.

The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday, March 28, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue, officiated by Father Mariusz Gorazd.

Interment will follow at Saint Patrick’s R.C. Cemetery in Southold.

Memorial donations may be made to East End Hospice Kanas Center for Hospice Care or Southold Fire Department.

The post H. William ‘Bill’ Sawicki appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Renee Ann Phelps of Cutchogue died Sunday, March 24. She was 60.

She was a longtime school crossing guard and volunteer with Southold Fire Department.

Visitors will be received Friday, March 29, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold.

Southold Fire Department Firematic Services will be held at 7:30 p.m. during the evening visitation.

Memorial donations may be made to Southold Fire Department Rescue Squad.

The post Renee Ann Phelps appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Maren Marie Erickson of Greenport died March 23. She was 86.

She was born June 7, 1932, in Greenport to Amelia (Hinkelman) and Hans Alfred Hansen.

Ms. Erickson was an avid crocheter who loved doing crafts and spending time with her family.

Predeceased by her brothers, Alfred, Johannus, Arthur Melvin, Fredrick and Daniel Hansen, and sister Alberta Bonkoski, she is survived by her daughters, Christina Dinizio of Greenport and Sharon Cox of Mattituck; her sister Virginia Dickerson; seven grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A service will take place at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Greenport, Pastor Garret Johnson officiating. Interment will follow at Arshamomaque Cemetery in Greenport.

Memorial donations may be made to the church or Greenport Rescue Squad.

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When Paul Hayes learned his Queens College men’s soccer team was going to play the New York Cosmos in a spring game last week, he was ecstatic.

After all, it’s not every day you play a professional team, especially one with a reputation of the Cosmos. That is the team of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto and Giorgio Chinaglia, among other greats.

“Honestly, I thought we were playing Cosmos B,” Paul said of the team’s minor league squad. “I didn’t know there was a Cosmos A and Cosmos B. So, when I found we were just playing the regular Cosmos, I was kind of stoked for it. I found out Monday. I was like, wow, playing against the Cosmos! It’s a big deal.”

Indeed, it was.

While the game did not go the way Queens College had wanted — a 4-0 Cosmos victory at Hofstra University on Thursday — it still was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the Hayes twins. James and Paul Hayes played vital roles in Mattituck High School winning the 2014 state championship.

“One of my old teammates, Charlie Ledula, was playing today. I knew it was going to be a good challenge,” James said of an old LIU Post teammate who is vying for a job on the Cosmos. “He’s a high-caliber player. They just had a way higher intensity.

“I thought we were always going to be on the back foot. It’s a professional team or a semi-professional team, but it was a good attempt. It kind of showed on the ladder where we are.”

This Cosmos team will play in two leagues this year. From April through July, the club will compete in the National Premier Soccer League, which is composed of amateur, semi-pro and professional players. From August through November, it will participate in the NPSL Founders Cup, a pro league making its debut.

The Cosmos did not have anyone of a superstar caliber, but they did have several talented players. So, it was a learning experience in so many ways.

“We showed that for starters, especially myself, it’s a whole other level,” James said. “We kept up with them in the first 70 minutes, the last 20 minutes we were kind of just chasing our tails and you could just tell they could retain their level for 90 minutes. That’s just something we’ve got to build on.”

The Hayes realized the match was going to be an uphill battle, something the Cosmos reminded Queens College about early on. Midfielder Ricardo Bocanegra, a former Mexican youth international, scored off a blistering shot six minutes after kickoff off a backheel pass from El Salvadoran national team midfielder Junior Burgos. In the second half, Darwin Espinal added two goals and Bledi Bardic one.

“The difference of playing against a professional team is you give them one chance and they’ll take it,” Paul said. “You can compare good college teams to that. Hofstra lost four-nil to them recently and I’ve played against Hofstra before and they’re top dogs. They [win] the conference championship every year.”

Paul said the Cosmos were more physical. “They get on each other if something bad goes wrong, like a mistake,” he added.

The brothers, who are majoring in economics, have one more year of eligibility remaining before they graduate next spring. They probably won’t play professional soccer, but could end up either coaching or running a sports team some day.

They live off campus in Westbury, about halfway between Flushing and Mattituck. They share living quarters with a former Tuckers teammate, Mike O’Rourke, who attends Hofstra.

On a cold, windy, rainy afternoon, the Hayes had some friends who braved the elements while rooting for them at the game, including another one-time Mattituck teammate, forward Ryan Foster, on spring break from SUNY/Cortland, and O’Rourke.

“A couple of my friends from Mattituck came out,” Paul said. “When you’re playing a team like this, you want to tell all your friends, ‘Hey, it’s against a professional team. It’s once in a lifetime. It doesn’t happen often.’ ”

The post Men’s Soccer: Hayes twins play against New York Cosmos appeared first on Suffolk Times.

My name is Dr. Charles Melton. I am a one-third owner of Total Dental Care of Mattituck.

I’ve been here since 2001, so 19 years I’ve been here. 

I was born and raised on Long Island in eastern Suffolk County. I went to St. Joseph’s in Patchogue for my undergrad. For dental school, I went to Stony Brook University and graduated in 2000.

Thankfully, we have a really great team of people here behind me. My day here in the office on workdays is actually pretty nice and smooth: I come in in the morning, we run our morning meeting, takes us about 15 minutes to go over our patients for the day, any procedures that we have outlined and anything in particular. On my schedule, I’ll probably see something like 10 or 12 patients every day, depending on how large the procedure might be.

There are two other owners — Dr. [Henry] Korn and Dr. [Gary] Klemons, who have been here since 2002, when they purchased the office. Originally, Total Dental Care, there were three of them, and they were owned by a pretty well-known dentist, Dr. [Jeffrey] Fox. … So, I was first here with Dr. Fox many years back and I decided to stay when they bought the office. They made me a partner here in 2009.

One of my favorite parts of working here is the team that I have here — the people that I work with. … It’s been a stable group of people for a really long time, so it’s nice to come in and work with people that you really enjoy working with.

I feel like I get to contribute to my community. We’ve got a really great pool of patients here. One of my favorite things is to take patients who may be very anxious and little by little, know that it’s not a scary thing, even though some people might think so. … It’s really nice at the end of a procedure to take a patient like that, and they walk out saying, ‘Wow, what was I worried about? That was not painful, that was not bad at all.’ And it turns out to be nothing at all. Most of those patients turn out to be some of the best patients.

“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 every Monday on Instagram @thesuffolktimes.

The post The Work We Do: Dr. Charles Melton, Total Dental Care appeared first on Suffolk Times.

An unexpected package arrived at Greenport High School Monday. Inside was an American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol in honor of the Greenport boys basketball team. An accompanying Certificate of Authenticity noted how the flag was flown March 20.

Joan Dinizio, the assistant to the athletic director, said she was shocked when she opened the package. No one in the athletic department knew it was coming.

The package had been addressed to Porters basketball coach Ev Corwin and Ms. Dinizio. When she opened it, Mr. Corwin’s son, Ev Jr. happened to be in the room along with athletic director Chris Golden.

“I got all chocked [sic] up reading the accompanying certificate to [Ev Jr.] and Chris Golden,” Ms. Dinizio noted in a Facebook message.

Ms. Dinizio shared a photo of the certificate on Facebook Monday afternoon. She said it was the effort of a 1998 Greenport graduate, Heather Latney-Kelly, who made it all happen. She’s a sergeant with the U.S. Capitol Police, Ms. Dinizio said.

The certificate reads: “This flag of the United States of America was flown over the United States Capitol on behalf of Sergeant Heather Latney-Kelly in honor of 2018-19 Greenport Porters Men’s Basketball Team for their hard work and dedication both on and off the court. As a GHS graduate, I am very proud of these young men, not just by their success on the court, but the way they conduct themselves off the court. To the team and coaches, you have earned the respect of your competitors and the lasting admiration of your supporters. PORTER PRIDE!”

Ms. Dinizio said they plan to frame the flag with the certificate.

The Porters recently wrapped up one of their best seasons in program history, advancing to the semifinals of the state tournament for the second consecutive year. The Porters lost a triple overtime classic in the semifinals to Cooperstown, the team that went on to win the Class C state championship.

(Photo credit: Joan Dinizio)

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Bruce E. Ferguson of Jamesport died peacefully at his home March 23, 2019, while surrounded by the love and support of his family. He was 72.He was born Oct. 23, 1946, in Queens to Jack and Nancy Ferguson.

Bruce received his bachelor’s from Adelphi University and a master’s in public administration from C.W. Post.

He was a Peace Corps volunteer and served in the Solomon lslands for over three years. For nearly 30 years, he worked for the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency as its executive director and CEO. Following his retirement from the IDA, he started Ferguson Development Associates, Inc. along with his two sons. Through this work, Bruce was able to help form the Southold LDC in 2014 and became its executive director.

More important to Bruce than his professional work was his family. He married the love of his life, Dorothy (née Kelly), Sept. 12, 1981, and together they created a strong and loving family. Bruce enjoyed traveling and would often take the rest of the family on vacations and adventures across the country and the world.

Bruce was a thoughtful, kind and gentle man. He was strong and dependable and always stepped up in helping others because it was right, not because he wanted any praise or accolades.

Bruce was predeceased by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, and his sons, John and Tommy.

Visitors will be received Wednesday, March 27, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Tuthill-Mangano Funeral Home in Riverhead, N.Y. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place Thursday, March 28, at 10 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church in Riverhead.

This is a paid notice.

The post Bruce E. Ferguson appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Norman Austin Burt of Shelter Island died March 23.

He was born to Joyce M. Broere and Austin C. Burt Aug. 13, 1957, in Greenport and graduated from Greenport High School.

Known to family and friends as “Stormin’ Norman,” he was a bayman, a skilled backhoe operator and was self-employed in marine construction.

He was predeceased by his parents and his sisters Jerri White and Georgia Vanbergen.

Norman is survived by his life partner of 25 years, Julianna Smith of Shelter Island. He is also survived by his brother, Steven Burt of Florida; his sister Nancy Burt of Mattituck; and several nieces and nephews.

Cremation was private. There will be a private celebration of Norman’s life at a later date.

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