Anne L. Arnold passed away peacefully April 8 at the age of 94.She was born July 26, 1924, in Fall River, Mass., to Henry and Elizabeth (Kelley) Lord.

Anne served in the Canadian Women’s Army Corps until she was old enough to transfer to the US WAVES. After being discharged in 1946 she attended Pembroke College in Brown University, graduating in 1950.

She accepted a position with American Metal Company and then Creole in NYC, where she met the love of her life, George. They settled in the home in East Marion that George’s parents had built in 1930. She continued her librarian career as the school librarian at Greenport School from 1964 until she retired in 1986.

Many will remember Anne’s love of giraffes and have seen her collection of over 400 different ones, collected from around the world.

Anne was predeceased by her parents, her husband, and seven of her eight siblings — Frank Lord, Margaret Macomber, Mary Kilby, Vincent Lord, Helen Janick, Joseph Lord and Veronica Lord. Her and George’s infant triplets, Jane, Jean and George Jr., also predeceased her.

She is survived by her daughter, Kathleen Richter (Michael); three grandchildren, Nathaniel Richter, Katherine Diamond (Benjamin) and Elizabeth Richter; and her great-grandson, Johnathan Diamond. In addition, her sister Elizabeth Green survives, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitors will be received Tuesday, April 16, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Horton Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 17, at St. Agnes R.C. Church in Greenport. Burial will follow at St. Agnes Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to John’s Place at St. Agnes or Doctors Without Borders.

This is a paid notice.

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Lisa Raye Finnegan of Flagler Beach, Fla., formerly of Southold, died at home March 31. She was 58.

She was born July 12, 1960, in Arlington, Va., to Bonnie Raye and John F. Chizzini.

Lisa was a restaurateur and bartender for several notable Washington, D.C., establishments including The Grand Hotel. She then became vice-president for T.L. Finnegan’s Plumbing and Heating.

Her hobbies were traveling, taking cruises, going to the beach, playing with the kids and her dogs and cats.

Lisa was predeceased by her husband, Tom “Finn” Finnegan, and her father. Lisa is survived by her mother; her son, Ryan Thomas Finnegan; her granddaughter; numerous aunts and cousins; and her significant other, William “Billy” Leviness.

Clymer Funeral Home in Florida assisted the family.

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Bruce J. Lehr of Southold passed away peacefully at his home April 8, 2019. He was 81.He was born Jan. 23, 1938, to Margaret (Smith) and David Lehr.

Bruce served in the military for two years, then became a mechanic for Tryac Truck & Equipment and later at Southold Town Highway Department. He was a 56-year member of Southold Fire Department and a longtime member of the H.H. Franklin Car Club. He enjoyed restoring, driving and showing his antique car collection.

Bruce was predeceased by his brother, Barry, in 2016. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Beverly; his niece, Jean Walters (Louis); his great-nephew, David Kramkowski (Carolyn); his great-niece, Kristin Witczak (Christopher); and his great-great-nieces and -nephews, Kaitlin, Blake, Natalie, Madison and Lukas.

Services will be held in the summer of 2019.

Memorial donations may be made to Southold Fire Department.

DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold is assisting the family.

This is a paid notice.

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Roy Cornell Pace was born Aug. 18, 1946, in Cutchogue, N.Y. He was the eighth out of 12 children born to the Rev. Bertis Pace and Lillian Pace.

At an early age he received Christ at Unity Baptist Church of Mattituck.

Roy attended Cutchogue Grammar School and graduated from Mattituck High School. He then joined U.S. Marine Corps and proudly served his country for nearly five years. Roy was in the Vietnam War where he was stationed in Italy and was one out of 100 Marines stationed on the U.S.S. Little Rock. He became a sergeant in 1969 before he was transferred to the reserves.

Roy met the love of his life, Rosetta Pace, at the age of 14. They were married seven years later. From this union, five children were produced. They remained married until his life partner was called to be home with Christ Sept. 29, 2016.

Roy had many jobs before serving a combined 34 years at Jamaica Water Company, which eventually merged with Nassau Water Authority, from which he later retired.

Roy enjoyed taking on household projects at which he was awesome. Plumbing, building and repairing almost anything thrown at him. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and golfing, at which he became his own Tiger Woods.

Roy was a loving father to his children and grandchildren. He was a great friend to all. He took great pride in making sure his success runneth over. He was very stern in raising his children. He gave them the world. Always lending a helping hand to anyone in need. Not only was he a father to his own children, he also became a father to the neighborhood aiding with snow removal, quick plumbing fixes or just simply lending a helping hand. He would always be remembered by his famous pointing finger followed by the word “Pal.”

He loved music; old school soul was his favorite. If you heard Isaac Hayes, you knew to stay clear; that was him in thinking mode. He had many vehicles, from a Mustang to his Lincoln Continental, which he cherished.

On Tuesday, March 12, 2019, Roy C. Pace departed his life to be with his heavenly Father. He was preceded in death by his parents, the Rev. Bertis Pace and Lillian Pace; his three brothers, George, Bertis Jr. and Ronald Pace; his two sisters, Judy Martin and Jean Pace; and the love of his life, Rosetta Pace. He leaves to cherish his memory his five children, Michelle, Roy Jr. (Treva), Lisa, Sean (Kimberly); his baby girl, Rosetta Nicole; his three brothers, Alvin (Addie), Gary and Terry (Tracey); his three sisters, Beatrice De Jesus, Joan Davis (Forrest) and Lorraine Mason; his 10 grandchildren, Jasmine, Sheleyiah, Kimberly, Jayden, Diamond, Lil Roy, Quianna, Korey, Khalil and Kayla; two great-grandchildren, Jailyn and Brooklyn; his three brothers-in-law, Roy Brunson (Juanita), Johnny Brunson (Patricia) and Michael Brunson; one sister-in-law, Patricia Brunson, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

He fought a good fight and has finished his journey and he kept the faith until the end.

This is a paid notice.

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Phyllis Conley died April 8.

Services will take place Monday, April 15, at 11 a.m. at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Greenport followed by interment at Calverton National Cemetery.

Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport is assisting the family.

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For the second consecutive year, Southold Town saw record high numbers in its deer management program for the 2018 hunting season, which ran from October to the end of January. 

The total harvest for the regular and nuisance season was 339, reported environmental analyst Craig Jobes at a Town Board work session Tuesday.

In 2017, 246 deer were harvested for the season.

On town property, Mr. Jobes reported 164 deer were harvested, up from 123 for the 2017 season.

“That’s way above what we’ve gotten in past years,” Mr. Jobes said. Town properties with the highest deer numbers are located within the Bayview Avenue area of Southold and in Orient, he said.

Harvested deer are donated to food kitchens through the program, which began in 2008, and residents can also pick up deer for their own use. A record 65 were picked up by local community members, Mr. Jobes said.

The numbers do not include deer hit by vehicles, which would have to be obtained from the police department. Number of deer are also reported directly to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The town’s program has served as a model for other municipalities exploring what to do about large deer populations. Moving forward, the town is hoping to offer the program to private property owners as well. Town Supervisor Scott Russell plans to survey property owners of five acres or more to gauge interest in expanding the hunting program. “A lot of [property owners] don’t know about hunting, so it gives us a chance to get them in a room and explain how it would work. Theoretically, we could see some changes next year, depending on what kind of response we get,” he said Tuesday.

Mr. Jobes hopes to see a rise in private-sector hunting. “We’re doing an unbelievable job on town-owned property. We need to focus on [private property] going forward,” he said.

According to Mr. Jobes, each doe harvested could account for three deer the following spring. He also reiterated that residents should refrain from feeding the animals.

The supervisor, praising the deer management effort, said holding the population in check should be seen as a victory “until we begin to see dramatic changes in Albany.”

“Frankly, it’s a public health issue,” he said.

tsmith@timesreview.com

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Lucas Kosmynka brings a photogenic swing to the tennis court. And he’s not bad behind the camera, either.

It’s hard to say what Kosmynka is better known for at Mattituck High School — as the school’s top tennis player or for his talent with video. One stands a decent chance of finding Kosmynka holding a camera or a tennis racket at a given moment. The senior has done well with both.

Kosmynka has dabbled in still photography, but his work with video seems to be more in line with what he wants in his future. “I’ve been moving into narrative short films,” he said.

His work has received acclaim. “I think film is his real passion, and he’s so good at it,” said teammate and fellow senior Joe Sciotto, who started playing tennis, along with Kosmynka, when they were fourth-graders. Sciotto said when it comes to video, Kosmynka is “probably one of the best, if not the best around here.”

Kosmynka is no slouch on the tennis court, either. Last year he was an All-Conference player in the second singles position for Mattituck, which shared the Suffolk County League VIII championship with Southampton. But this year brought a big change for Kosmynka, who has moved into the first singles slot as Mattituck has been bumped up to League VII, where the competition is fiercer.

“I think it’s a big adjustment,” Mattituck coach Cory Dolson said. “He’s facing much tougher opponents every single match.”

Kosmynka showed some of the good things he can do on the court Tuesday. He put away 19 winners in a 6-2, 6-1 defeat of Southampton junior Ruben Schneiderman. Host Southampton won the team match, defeating Mattituck by a 4-3 score for the second time in 19 days.

“I think I played well,” Kosmynka said. “My first-serve percentage could have been better, but that’s something I got to work on.”

While Kosmynka wasn’t enthralled by his 56-percent accuracy on first serves, he did outpoint Schneiderman, 55-29. Schneiderman had first-serve issues, too, at 32 percent.

A Schneiderman service ace at deuce evened the games at 2-2 in the first set. Then Kosmynka ran off 28 points to Schneiderman’s 11 over the next seven games, which all fell in Kosmynka’s favor.

“He’s fast,” Dolson said of Kosmynka. “He’s got a good serve. He’s got good groundstrokes. He’s more of a baseline player … Yeah, he’s very, very well-rounded. There’s not a lot of weakness in his game.”

Sciotto, who had to withdraw and forfeit his third-singles match against Ryan Grigo after the first set because of a hyperextended right shoulder, said Kosmynka’s “baseline play is very consistent and he’s able to apply spin to the ball in any situation. He’s very good at attacking weaknesses. He’s a reactive player.”

Kosmynka, who brought his season record to 4-5, said most of the matches he has lost have been due to unforced errors. (He had seven Tuesday to Schneiderman’s 12). At the same time, he acknowledged that the competition at first singles is improving his game.

“I think I’m playing a lot smarter this year,” he said. “I’m hitting a lot more balls in. If you hit the balls in, you have a chance to win.”

Mattituck’s Savvas Giannaris did that enough to beat Wilson Green, 6-0, 6-2, at fourth singles. The Tuckers (2-7, 2-5) gained their other team point from the second doubles team of Alex Koch and Steve Moeck, who triumphed on a third-set tiebreaker. They topped Duke Fagan and Jose Martinez Ochoa, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).

In the only other three-setter of the day, Southampton’s Luke Sacconaghi held off Chris Siejka at second singles, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

Southampton’s first doubles duo of Jomel DelaCruz and Billy Hattrick were 6-1, 6-2 winners over Dylan Kaputska and Kyle Schwartz. Third doubles also went to the Mariners (4-6, 3-4), with Aiden Campo and Elijah Halsey downing Jake Catalano and Ben Webb, 6-3, 6-3.

After graduating, Kosmynka will take his dual talents to Syracuse University, where he will study film production and play club tennis.

And, after that, who knows? The question was posed to Sciotto: Can you see Kosmynka one day becoming a famous film producer?

Sciotto answered, “I think he is one of the most headstrong, stubborn kids I ever met, so if anyone can do it, it’s him.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Lucas Kosmynka is not only Mattituck’s top singles player, but he also has a knack for shooting video. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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Like all Mattituck High School sports squads, its baseball team goes by the nickname Tuckers.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Escape Artists might have been a better way to describe the team in its 11-1 victory over host Port Jefferson.

Leading the charge was righthander Tyler C. Olsen, who showed his resiliency, pitching in and out of trouble in a complete game. He scattered 10 hits and stranded nine runners.

“It tells you he’s got a lot of resolve,” coach Gene Rochler said. “He takes a deep breath. I always say to him, ‘Go on to the next batter, put the last batter behind you.’ He’s able to do that. That’s something that’s not only going to bode well for him, not only in baseball, but in life itself basically. That’s what life is about, putting it behind you and moving on.”

It certainly boded well for Olsen and the Escape Artists, err, the Tuckers (3-1, 2-0) in their Suffolk County League VII game against the Royals (1-3, 0-2).

The hosts had players on base in every inning and put the leadoff man aboard five times. Yet, Mattituck found a way to get out virtually unscathed.

“It tells us that we’re strong as a team and we’re resilient when we do have runners on,” said centerfielder Chris Nicholson, who clobbered a double, a bases-clearing three-run triple and scored three runs. “We could keep our cool, even under pressure.”

Let us count the many ways, the Tuckers accomplished that:

In the first inning, Olsen hit leadoff batter Anthony D’Elia with a pitch. He stole second base and went to third on Luke Filippi’s single to left, but Filippi was picked off. Peyton Gines then doubled home a run when rightfielder Johnny Lisowy slipped trying to catch the ball. However, a nice relay from Lisowy to shortstop Connor Fox to third baseman Bryce Grathwohl got Gines trying to stretch his hit into a triple.

“The pickoffs and the throwing the guy out at third base in a big situation, all those things we practice and it’s nice to see them come to fruition in a game,” Rochler said.

With a man on in the second inning, Gabe Zoda hit a blooper that fell just in front of leftfielder Emmet Ryan for an apparent single. But Ryan alertly threw to second to get the force and the second out of the inning. “Everyone was yelling at me, ‘Heads up, get the runner out at second,’ ” Ryan said.

“That was amazing,” Nicholson said. “Olsen was lights out. He just kept getting out of situations, especially with the bases loaded.”

That happened in the third with Mattituck clinging to a 3-1 lead. After the Royals loaded the bases with one out, Olsen struck out Jordan Suarez and induced Charlie Rolfe to ground out to third to end the inning.

“A leadoff hit and stuff like that really wakes you up in an inning,” Olsen said. “Really just woke me up. Every time I just hit my spots and they were just hitting it to my fielders, and they were making the plays and we got out of it.”

Port Jefferson put the leadoff man on in the final four innings but had nothing to show for it.

James Giruenfelder doubled to start the fourth. D’Elia singled in the fifth but ended the frame as he was thrown out trying to steal on a strikeout, throw ’em out double play.

The Royals had two runners on in the sixth — Suarez led off with a single — but again, no dice.

Pinch hitter Josh Tesser singled to start the seventh but was stranded as Olsen recorded two of his six strikeouts.

“I’m not really a strikeout pitcher,” Olsen said. “So, it comes in really nice when my team picks me up on ground balls and fly balls and the tough plays that not a lot of other people make. There’s a lot of trust between me and my fielders and it’s great.”

Ryan, who had three RBIs, singled in the Tuckers’ first run in the second inning, followed by Brady Mahon’s run-scoring single. He added an RBI double to extend the lead to 3-1. The Tuckers broke open the game with three runs in fifth and five in the sixth.

“We’re coming into our own now,” Ryan said. “It’s a good start to the season.”

Added Olsen: “We have a couple of big series coming up. It’s good that we hit, and I pitched well today. It’s a boost of confidence for everybody and it’s going to pay off in the long run.”

Photo caption: Bill Hickox, left, congratulates Tyler C. Olsen on pitching a complete game for Mattituck. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

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State lawmakers plan to host a public hearing addressing limousine safety after new regulations were included in the approved state budget, measures the families involved in the 2015 crash in Cutchogue say fall short of expectations. 

While the new regulations include a ban on U-turns for larger vehicles, a new $85 state inspection fee, tougher penalties for illegal limo operators and authority for police to remove license plates from stretch limousines that fail inspections, the families are disappointed drivers will not be required to have a commercial driver’s license and that adults will not be required to wear seat belts in limousines.

“We are going to continue to push for the inclusion of those two things,” said Nancy DiMonte, whose daughter Joelle survived the Route 48 crash in 2015. “That is vital.”

Ms. DiMonte added that overall the eight families effected by the crash, which claimed the lives of four young women, are grateful that some of what they hoped would be included in the budget was approved, including the ban on U-turns.

“That’s huge,” Ms. DiMonte said. “Our daughters were the victims of a U-turn being made.

“There is now more accountability on the road and for that [we] are pleased,” she said. “We’ve begun the process of making ourselves known [in Albany] and

I feel confident we’ll find someone who will sponsor [the additional measures].”

Ms. DiMonte said she expects that the hearing, proposed by Sen. Tim Kennedy (D-Buffalo), chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation, will be held in early May.

The regulations included in the budget came at the urging of the families of the Cutchogue victims. Following the death of 20 individuals in a limo crash in Schoharie, N.Y. last year, Ms. DiMonte arranged for the Long Island families to meet with officials in Gov. Andrew Cumomo’s office. The governor then included the regulations in his proposed 2019-20 executive budget.

State lawmakers, however, stripped the final budget of the CDL and seat belt requirements.

“Our understanding is that some lawmakers wanted more discussion and believed some [of the regulations] should not be done in the budget and instead go to legislative hearings,” Ms. DiMonte said. “We want to see amendments brought up before June, that’s the heavy season for limousine traffic.”

gparpan@timesreview.com

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Tick-borne infections have reached epidemic proportions on Long Island — and the North Fork is often thought of as ground zero for such illnesses. 

But many of the methods for controlling ticks are not cost-effective or limited by other constraints.

Exacerbating this public health crisis is an expanding population of deer, which carry the harmful insects.

So what options are there to limit the deer and tick populations? How can the public better educate itself on tick-borne illnesses? What preventive measures can people take to ensure their personal health?

We’ll put these and other questions to a panel of experts at our next Times Review Talks event at The Vineyards at Aquebogue on Wednesday, April 24, from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Panelists include Stony Brook University researcher Jorge Benach; Dr. Anna-Marie Wellins of the Medical Advisory Panel of the Regional Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital; Jeff Standish, Southold Town’s director of public works; Craig Jobes, environmental analyst for Southold Town; and April Boitano, president of Tick Wise Education Inc. The discussion will be moderated by Times Review Media Group content director Grant Parpan.

Times Review Talks are panel discussions mostly on issues our communities are facing with the people who best understand the concerns and, in some cases, are in a position to make a difference. Future talks are expected to cover the topics of climate change, school enrollment and more.

The two-hour events will be held monthly. The $30 ticket price ($20 for Times Review subscribers) includes lunch. Space is limited, so we recommend purchasing your tickets in advance at http://bit.ly/TRTalks_APRIL.

This month’s lead sponsor is Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s Regional Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center. Additional sponsorship partners include Suffolk Security Systems, Riverhead Ford Lincoln and Riverhead Buick GMC, East End Tick and Mosquito Control, North Shore Exterminators, Tick Masters and the North Fork Chamber of Commerce.

To learn more about becoming a sponsor of Times Review Talks, contact Sonja Reinholt Derr at 631-354-8050 or sderr@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 San Simeon by the Sound Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, award-winning care, when and where you need it most.

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 Wednesday, April 10:

NEWS

Southold deer harvest reaches record numbers once again

‘Grappling with Ticks’ the subject of next Times Review Talks

Riverhead Town may update master plan; Giglio calls Route 58 zoning a priority

Some limo regulations approved, including ban on U-turns

‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ costume exhibit opens at Tanger

SPORTS

Baseball: Mattituck’s Olsen goes the distance

Boys Tennis: Kosmynka excels in video racket, too

WEATHER

Expect mostly sunny skies today with a high near 58 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The low tonight will be around 35.

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Following a plethora of presentations and public hearings over the past two months, all Greenport school board members voiced support regarding the district’s proposed $23.8 million Capital Improvement Project. 

Construction for the bond project, which would modify and renovate the school building, could begin as early as summer 2020, Superintendent David Gamberg said. A previous $29.8 million version of the plan, proposed Feb. 5, included a turf field.

In the near future, Mr. Gamberg said, the scope of the project will be brought to the bond council, which will draft a resolution of the proposal to appear on ballots. If approved by the school board in late April or early May, voters can choose to approve the project June 20, district officials said.

The project would have at least two ballot items for voters: one would approve most of the interior changes, totaling $21.2 million; the second option, which adds an additional $2.6 million to the project, would include upgrades to the tennis courts and track. The second item cannot be approved without the first, Mr. Gamberg said at a previous board meeting.

Board member Daniel Creedon said he believes the project is necessary, but he’s concerned that the upgraded track would benefit community members, not students. He said all the money raised from taxes should go to students, not residents of the community.

Building and Grounds Committee and board member Heather Wolf was not present at the meeting. Board president Babette Cornine read a letter Ms. Wolf submitted: “‘Rather than proposing small projects, we, as committee members, felt it was fair to lay everything on the line so that taxpayers didn’t have to wonder what would be asked of them next,’” she wrote.

Ms. Cornine, who is also on the committee, said she supports the project. She said she’s listened to comments from the community for the last 18 months and knows what changes the district needs to see.

“We cannot save money fast enough to do what we need to do to help our children and give them what they deserve,” she said.

Board member Kirsten Droskoski said she’s “completely in support” of the bond project and noted the importance of the marine program.

Board member Tina Volinski offered a similar sentiment and said the project is a reflection of community comment.

“Everything that’s in the bond now is everything I heard over the past three months while I’ve been at the IGA, on my walk, via text and phone calls on the weekends,” she said. “I feel like we’ve listened to everybody, and I look forward to even more collaboration over the next few months.”

The school will hold a public tour of the building Saturday, April 13.

knalepinski@timesreview.com

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The Greenport Village Board appointed some new members to its Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals and also discussed some of its priorities for the coming fiscal year during its organizational meeting last Thursday at the Old Schoolhouse. 

Mayor George Hubbard Jr. said last week that two people were resigning from the Planning Board, one from the ZBA and two from the Historic Preservation Commission.

For the Planning Board, the board appointed Lily Dougherty-Johnson to serve the balance of the term of departing member Noah Thomas, and Patricia Hammes to fill the seat held by Ben Burns, who will also step down.

Mr. Burns, 88, has served on the Planning Board since 2012, and also was an village trustee from 1999 to 2003.

Ms. Dougherty-Johnson ran for village trustee in March but came in third out of four candidates for two available seats.

The Village Board also reappointed member John Cotugno to another five-year term, and reappointed Mary Given as Planning Board chairperson.

On the ZBA, the board appointed John Reardon to fill the seat that Ellen Neff had held for 10 years. She decided not to seek another term. The board also reappointed John Saladino as ZBA chairman.

Mr. Hubbard said the board still is looking for people to replace Caroline Waloski and Susan Wetsel on the HPC.

Plans for upcoming year

“We don’t have a lot of new projects coming up, but we have a lot of stuff in the works, and we’re going to try and get a lot of these things taken care of and finished up,” Mr. Hubbard said.

These included dredging Sterling Basin, connecting the Sandy Beach area to the village sewer system and seeking grants to help with that project.

The village’s fiscal year runs from April to March.

The mayor also said the village is “getting close” to establishing a mini-train in the north part of Moore’s Woods. That project, a joint effort with the Greenport Rotary and the Railroad Museum of Long Island, is awaiting state Department of Environmental Conservation approval. A groundbreaking is expected in mid-to-late spring, Mr. Hubbard said.

The train engine, cars and tracks are being purchased from Rotary member Frank Field, who offered rides to kids on the miniature train on his Greenport property for more than 30 years. The train would be located on village property.

Mr. Hubbard also mentioned the drainage project at the road ends on Clark, Flint, Brown and Sixth streets, for which county grants have been secured.

Another project the village hopes to complete is redoing the bathroom and the playground equipment at Fifth Street Park to make them handicapped accessible, Mr. Hubbard said.

Paving the north end of Moore’s Lane, for which the village also received state grants, is another project the mayor hopes to complete this fiscal year.

Mr. Hubbard said Greenport residents are very helpful with the comments and tips they send to officials.

“It’s very helpful,” he said. “We know if there’s a problem or an issue somewhere, and through their letting us know about it, we try to take of it right away.”

tgannon@timesreview.com

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In 1999, Mark Miller sat down with his father, Jim, and came up with terms under which he would buy Miller Environmental Group, a business Jim Miller had started 28 years earlier. That year, the business had 60 employees, with headquarters in Calverton and five other offices in two states. 

At about that time, father and son were also partners in another Long Island environmental services business, National Response Corp.

“My dad and I sold our half in NRC and by 1998, we began talking about Miller Environmental Group, in which my dad was the sole shareholder,” Mark Miller said. “There were some health concerns for my dad at that time, and we were transitioning away from NRC. It developed that he felt it was time to sell MEG, and I felt it was time for me to take on the challenge of running the business.”

Terms of sale were drawn up that required Mark Miller to take on “debt up to my eyeballs” and make monthly payments to his father. “He said, ‘You do realize I am not giving this to you?’ He sold it at fair market value in an arm’s length transaction. He held the note, and his was the first check I wrote every single month,” Mark Miller said.

In the 20 years since that transaction, MEG has boomed into a premier entity in the industry and one of eastern Long Island’s most successful enterprises. Under Mark Miller’s leadership, business revenue quadrupled, the number of employees grew to 150 and the firm expanded to include 11 offices in six states.

Last month, Mark Miller sold MEG to a New York-based financial services company for an undisclosed amount. Started in 1971 by Jim Miller, a former lobsterman and commercial fisherman — MEG had been wooed for several years by prospective buyers who saw in the Calverton company an efficiently run business that punched well above its weight class. Major events like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 — when MEG rounded up 1,600 workers to assist with the massive cleanup — helped grow the business and put it on the map nationally, as did work it performed in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria to restore power to thousands of homes.

“We were able to come up with a management system and to use our 150-person team to leverage our way onto much bigger national projects,” Mark Miller said. “We operated like a substantially larger company just by the way we managed the company. With Deepwater Horizon, we put together a group of 1,600 people. We were one of the top five contractors on that project. The others at the table were huge companies with thousands of employees. We were the little locomotive that could.

“In recent years, I was getting calls every week, some several times a day, to see if we would be willing to sell MEG,” he continued. “But I wanted to make sure, more than anything, that everything we worked so hard to build, and the employees who have taken this journey with us, would be protected. To me, that was the most important thing.

Some of the companies that inquired, he said, intended to make major changes. He made sure to avoid that.

“Then GenNX came along, and they saw what we had accomplished here, and they said they wanted the company as it is,” Mark Miller said. “That is how I wanted to do it — to protect people who have worked hard and raised families and bought houses and done all sorts of important things.”

GenNX is GenNx360 Capital Partners, which has major holdings in industrial companies and now adds MEG to its portfolio. In making the announcement, the company said Mark Miller would leave day-to-day operations but would continue as a member of the board of directors. Two longtime MEG employees were promoted as part of the transition: Jerry Coogan, who started as a laborer with the company, is now CEO, and George Wallace, who started right out of college, was named executive vice president.

Before establishing MEG, Jim Miller and members of his family were commercial fishermen out of Port Jefferson Harbor. Aboard his 32-foot Lady Barbara, Mr. Miller maintained lobster traps in Long Island Sound. His sons were deckhands and his wife, Barbara, sold lobsters off the back of the boat. As a 7-year-old, Mark Miller’s first job was to put rubber bands on the lobster claws.

Nationwide, an environmental movement was growing; the federal Environmental Protection Agency was formed in 1970 and the federal Clean Water Act was enacted in 1972. Against this backdrop, an oil spill occurred in Port Jefferson Harbor while a tanker was delivering oil to shore-side terminals. With major changes in environmental laws, the Miller family saw a need for a new business model and created MEG, a new entity for a changing time. That business would move into a building on Edwards Avenue in Calverton and begin providing a wide range of services to clients in the marine business, electrical utilities, aviation and the rail sector, among others.

The firm’s work at the Deepwater Horizon spill is a master class in business acumen and hustle. In the face of enormous demand for cleanup workers, the firm trained and transported people to the Gulf. MEG took over an abandoned Kia dealership in Mississippi as headquarters. The firm rented entire hotels for their workers. They set up a tent city where workers could check in, have breakfast and get their orders for the day before being bused out to work sites.

“It was like being in a battle without getting shot at,” Mark Miller recalled. “How do you support a large number of people in remote areas? How do you house and feed them and get petty cash to people? How do you handle payroll? How we did this explains why companies began to call wanting to buy us.

“I feel wonderful about this,” he added. “There is no seller’s remorse. But I am certainly not retiring. I am 58 years old. I have a long way to go. My dad is 84 and he comes to the office every day.”

On a recent afternoon, father and son, who are neighbors in Southold, stood together by a model of the Lady Barbara, the family’s lobster boat, at their new offices in Cutchogue.

“That’s how it all began,” Jim Miller said, pointing to the model. “With the Lady Barbara. Everything has worked out very well, and I couldn’t be happier.”

swick@timesreview.com

The post Calverton’s Miller Environmental Group sold to financial services firm appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Listings prepared for Times Review Media Group by Suffolk Research Service, dated Feb. 11-17, 2019.

Brought to you by:

CALVERTON (11933)

• Villas at Roanoke to Larsen, Daniel, 72 Penny Dr (600-97-2-9.2), (V), $486,940

• Champion 11 Group to Guerrero, Carlos, 4506 Middle Country Rd (600-97-2-28), (R), $400,000

CUTCHOGUE (11935)

• S3S LLC to 65 Commerce Drive LLC, 65 Commerce Dr (1000-96-1-1.3), (V), $990,000

• Klodnicki, E & J to Daley, Eric, 1415 Harbor Ln (1000-97-6-10), (R), $1,225,000

• 750 NSR LLC to Downing, Jesse, 750 New Suffolk Rd (1000-109-6-6), (R), $726,500

• Burk, J to Galgano, Robert, 305 Carrington Rd (1000-111-11-16), (R), $324,000

FLANDERS (11901)

• Broadriver LLC to 46 Point Road LLC, 46 Point Rd (900-122-1-43), (R), $289,000

• Devon, J to Valdez, Juan, 412 Flanders Blvd S (900-167-2-19.1), (R), $395,000

GREENPORT (11944)

• Homestead Way LLC to Foran, Caroline, 1240 Homestead Way (1000-33-3-16), (R), $830,000

• Vessa, R & V to Klemm, Taylor, 170 Rockcove Ct (1000-33-3-19.10), (R), $1,212,500

JAMESPORT (11947)

• Moran, R by Referee to PNC Bank Nat Assoc, 42 Melissa Ct (600-69-3-53.49), (R), $611,703

MATTITUCK (11952)

• Gaydosik, M & M to McGlone, Timothy, 2105 Mill Rd (1000-100-3-13), (R), $700,000

• DeRidder, B & S to Spieler, Michael, 145 Old Field Ct (1000-120-3-8.19), (R), $650,000

NEW SUFFOLK (11956)

• Hofer, A to Chamale, Manuel, 5080 New Suffolk Rd (1000-110-8-14), (R), $486,000

RIVERHEAD (11901)

• Dietrich & Donovan, & to 48 Hill LLC, 48 Hill Dr (600-16-1-1), (R), $140,000

• Sabatini, J to Dowd, Diane, 1902 Cedar Path (600-18.1-3-116), (R), $310,000

• Byrnes, P Trust to Mustillo, Corrado, 104 Stoneleigh Dr #1602 (600-82.5-1-2), (C), $460,000

• 87 Sandy Court & JMA to Manuel, Gasper, 1428 Roanoke Ave (600-83-1-15.5), (R), $440,000

• Alcaraz/Benitez, A to Pinzon Lozada, Jose, 898 Ostrander Ave (600-107-4-23), (R), $320,000

• Trent, E by Referee to Bank of America NA, 54 Fanning St (600-120-1-11), (R), $247,493

• 129 Ostrander Avenue to J. Petrocelli Development, 129 Ostrander Ave (600-129-3-15.2), (C), $126,000

SHELTER ISLAND (11964)

• Hindin, E & P to Marshall, Jeffrey, 53 N Cartwright Rd (700-8-3-45), (R), $900,000

• Rice, J by Referee to JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, 32 St. Mary’s Rd (700-15-4-11), (R), $1,402,678

• SI Meeting of Friends to Town of Shelter Island, Burns Rd (700-15-4-143), (V), $25,000

• Bar-Tur, A & K to 13 North Midway Road LLC, 13 N Midway Rd (700-18-3-86), (V), $472,250

SOUTHOLD (11971)

• Andrews, F & J to Lupo, Matthew, 2575 Glenn Rd (1000-78-1-33), (R), $790,000

• Goodman, S & A to Tsoupros, David, 1860 N Bayview Road Ext (1000-79-6-3.4), (R), $875,000

WADING RIVER (11792)

• Meier, D to Meier, Stephanie, 4 Gully Rd (600-54-3-16), (R), $280,000

• Mandleur, M to Armstrong, Joanne, 268 Fairway Dr (600-57-3-15), (R), $430,000

(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.)

The post Real Estate Transfers: April 11, 2019 appeared first on Suffolk Times.

The daily update, a podcast briefing on what’s happening across the North Fork, is brought to you by San Simeon by the Sound Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, award-winning care, when and where you need it most.

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 Thursday, April 11:

NEWS

$1 million Powerball ticket sold at Riverhead Hallmark

Calverton’s Miller Environmental Group sold to financial services

Greenport appears to be moving ahead with June 20 bond vote

New planning, zoning board appointees in Greenport

New medical office proposed for Main Road in Aquebogue

NORTHFORKER

First Fridays on Love Lane returns May 3

SPORTS

Baseball: SWR pitchers keep their cool

WEATHER

Expect sunny skies today with a high near 50 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The low tonight will be around 40.

The post Daily Update: Lotto winner unclaimed, Calverton company sold, medical offices proposed appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Plans for a gas station and convenience store in Southold can now move forward after the Southold Zoning Board of Appeals granted the applicants a special exception Thursday.

The applicant, Sukru Ilgin, previously submitted plans to convert an existing 3,476-square-foot building at the southwest corner of Route 48 and Youngs Avenue in Southold into a gas station with 12 fueling pumps, two canopies, 29 parking spaces and a convenience store.

Prior to voting unanimously to grant the special exception, ZBA Chair Leslie Weisman read several conditions the applicants must abide by, including:

• Construction must be completed in compliance with the conditions imposed by the ZBA within two years of the decision.

• Hours of operation will be limited from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Interior and exterior lighting must be turned off at 10 p.m., except for dark sky compliant security lighting.

• No franchise food concession can be established on the property.

• No further expansion of the convenience store or gas pumps will be permitted without ZBA approval.

• Cars exiting will be prohibited from making a left turn westbound on Route 48.

Last year, an updated traffic study was presented to the Planning Board to more accurately depict seasonal traffic. The entrance was also moved 20 feet west on Route 48, farther from Youngs Avenue in an effort to improve safety conditions.

First proposed in 2015, the proposal was met with disdain from community members who cited major concerns about traffic safety. A few supported the idea, saying there aren’t many fueling options along Route 48.

While pleased with the ZBA decision, Charles Cuddy, an attorney for the applicant, said after the meeting that there was still a process to go through before any work begins.

The applicants will now return before the Planning Board to seek required approvals, he said.

Photo caption: The Southold ZBA outlined several conditions Thursday. (Credit: Tara Smith)

tsmith@timesreview.com

The post ZBA grants approval for Southold gas station appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Reporter Tim Gannon and executive editor Steve Wick on Riverhead Town’s proposal to allow alcohol sales at South Jamesport Beach.

The controversial proposal will be the subject of a pair of upcoming community meetings.

Read more about the proposal: http://bit.ly/2KuHXm5

This week’s episode of Closer Look was sponsored by Beth Hanlon Agency bit.ly/bethhanlon

The post Podcast: Should alcohol be sold at local beaches? appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Thursday was the day of Mattituck High School’s big fashion show, and the school’s girls track and field team was styling.

Then again, that’s usually the case for the Tuckers. Winning is in fashion at Mattituck. With their 94-24 win in Port Jefferson, the Tuckers extended their string of dual-meet victories to 18 over a three-year stretch.

That’s not a bad run for Mattituck (3-0 in Suffolk County League VIII), which is bidding for a fourth straight league championship and ninth overall.

“It’s really impressive,” eighth-grader Ava Vaccarella said. “We just got to keep it going.”

For coach Chris Robinson, other things were foremost on his mind, like performance.

“Honestly, the only time I really think about [the winning streak] is when you bring it up, but it’s nice to hear, but I think we attack each season as a different season,” he said. “It’s nice, I guess, for the papers to write about it and it’s just nice to hear, but that’s not our focus.”

It could be argued that, as good as Mattituck was last year, it has an even more balanced roster this season, even if only for the presence of Vaccarella. This is her first outdoor track season and she has been a fine addition, bolstering the team’s long-distance corps. Vaccarella can be seen as the long-distance version of sophomore Bella Masotti, the team’s rocket-fast sprinter.

“If you can have a quality distance team and mid-distance and short distance, I mean, you’re a happy coach,” Robinson said. “Last year we had to throw some girls into the long distance that probably shouldn’t have been there. But this year, you know, with the addition of Ava, it has been a tremendous help, obviously, for the team, but she is a hard worker and she’s a blessing to have on the team. She brings us points, but her work ethic and her attitude every single day is what, to me at her age, is the best thing that she brings. I mean, her speed is her speed and her times are great, but just the way she comes out and works every single day and as an eighth-grader to do that on a program that’s had success and not being intimidated by that, I think, is her best asset.”

Mattituck’s pride and joy — its 4×100-meter relay team — once again looks good, with an alteration. With the graduation of Meg Dinizio, one of the 4×100 runners who competed in the state meet last year, Emily Nicholson has been brought onto the relay team.

Robinson said: “Emily looks good … I threw her into a lot of the mid-distance, distance stuff last year and I didn’t really know that she had some speed behind her, too, and she showed that this year.”

Masotti was moved to the anchor leg while Nicholson is filling in at Masotti’s previous second-leg position. They are joined by Nikki Searles and Miranda Annunziata.

Robinson wanted to see them break 53 seconds Thursday, and they did just that, clocking a winning time of 52.42 seconds.

How good can the relay team be?

“I feel like once we perfect the handoffs, we’ll be sub-52, at least,” said Masotti, who also raced to victories in the 100 (13.0) and 200 (26.5).

Meanwhile, Vaccarella did her part, taking first in the 1,500 in 5:02.9 and the 800 in 2:55.2.

Searles was a double winner as well, in both hurdling events. She took the 100-meter high hurdles in 17.3 and the 400-meter intermediate hurdles in 1:16.2.

Mattituck’s Sarah Santacroce set a personal record, throwing the discus a winning distance of 94 feet, 4 1/2 inches. The Tuckers also received first-place finishes from: Jordan Olser (32-1 1/4 in the triple jump), Mack Conroy (1:05.6 in the 400), Nicholson (15-7 1/2 in the long jump) and Viki Harkin (4-8 in the high jump).

Masotti said, “Despite us winning a lot, we don’t get too cocky, and it just shows how much we work because obviously we’re still getting prs [personal records], we’re still trying our hardest.”

And the winning continues.

If anyone can appreciate winning, it’s Vaccarella, the new girl on the team. She said, “I love winning.”

It’s fashionable.

Photo caption: Mattituck sophomore Bella Masotti pushes herself to victory in the 200 meters in 26.5 seconds. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

bliepa@timesreview.com

The post Girls Track and Field: With Tuckers, winning is in fashion appeared first on Suffolk Times.

No relief was needed, and that was more than a relief. It was more like a blessing.

Mattituck starting pitchers turned in complete-game performances in the high school baseball team’s first three-game Suffolk County League VIII series against Port Jefferson. Bryce Grathwohl and Tyler C. Olsen both allowed one run each in their outings, but it was the showing by Mattituck’s new No. 3 pitcher on Friday that really turned heads.

Not even the coach was sure of what to expect in that one. Then, after seeing what sophomore Connor Fox could do, Mattituck coach Gene Rochler had to admit, “I didn’t see that coming.”

Rochler was hoping for three or four innings from Fox, and keeping Nate Demchak ready to come on in relief.

He never needed him.

Fox, in his first varsity game, looked like a virtuoso, turning in a two-hit shutout. Appearing calm and composed, the righthander took deep breaths here and then, stared into catcher Ryan Mahon’s glove and fired pitches in a 9-0 win over visiting Port Jefferson.

“It’s everything I thought it was,” Fox said of his varsity debut in which he issued no walks and struck out four. “I can’t ask for anything more. It’s just great.”

Rochler learned he has a more than capable third pitcher in his starting rotation. “It was an eye-opening start,” the coach said. “Let’s hope it’s the beginning of something good.”

Fox, who throws a two-seam fastball, a knuckle-drop and a changeup, retired the first eight batters he faced, and looked good doing so. He was economical, too, turning in five 1-2-3 innings and facing only one batter over the minimum through the first 6 1/3 innings. In one inning he required only six pitches. For the game he threw 80 pitches.

That additional batter was thanks to Port Jefferson’s ninth man in its order, designated hitter Phoenix Jampol, who took an inside 3-and-2 pitch down the leftfield line for a double in the third inning. The only other Port Jefferson baserunner was Peyton Ginas, who dropped a well-placed, one-out single between second baseman Brady Mahon and rightfielder Matt Czujko in the seventh.

“Honestly, I think he shocked the whole team, really,” Mattituck catcher Ryan Mahon said. “First start as a varsity pitcher and he just blew everyone away. It was great to see that we have a pitcher who can do that for us. Everything was great today. He was hitting spots. His stuff was good. I mean, you couldn’t ask for a better start than that.”

Fox credited the errorless defense behind him. “I knew that I had a good infield behind me and my coaches taught me good so I just trusted them,” he said. “You just got to bear down and start throwing strikes. That’s what it comes down to.”

Mattituck bats gave Fox a 5-0 cushion to work with after the first inning. The Tuckers (4-1, 3-0) batted through their order and capitalized on three Port Jefferson errors in the first. Three of those runs scored directly on errors. In addition, Demchak drew a bases-loaded walk and Brady Mahon plopped an RBI single into shallow leftfield.

A three-run charge in the third allowed for even more breathing room. A fine lunging catch by Port Jefferson centerfielder Gabe Zoda robbed Fox of what would have been his first varsity hit, but Mattituck still came away with runs from a Johnny Lisowy sacrifice fly, a Grathwohl RBI single and Tyler C. Olsen’s RBI ground-rule double.

Lisowy, the designated hitter, drove in his second run in the fourth, an inside-out, two-out single to rightfield. Lisowy, Tyler C. Olsen and Ryan Mahon had two hits each.

“I don’t know that we have a lineup that’s going to crush the ball, but we’re going to get hits, we’re going to score runs,” Rochler said. “We just got to play good defense and get good pitching. That’s the main thing.”

Fox, the workhorse for the junior varsity team last year, said the hardest part of the game for him was sitting in the dugout for extended periods when Mattituck had long innings at the plate. “That’s definitely the hardest part because your arm just gets colder,” he said. “You have to keep it warm.”

Nonetheless, he turned in a performance that has to warm the Tuckers’ hearts.

“No problems,” Fox said. “Everything felt great.”

Photo caption: Mattituck sophomore Connor Fox, left, high-fives teammate Sean MacDonald after pitching a two-hit shutout in his varsity debut. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

bliepa@timesreview.com

The post Baseball: Fox debut draws rave reviews appeared first on Suffolk Times.