Greenport Village has started construction on a new drainage project this week , village officials said.

The Road End Drainage Project totals $339,933 and was approved by village trustees in September. Constructed by KJB Industries, the project will help prevent stormwater runoff into Peconic Bay, village administrator Paul Pallas said.

The project will remove some of the pavement on Clark, Fourth and Brown streets and put in three bioretention swales, or shallow basins, which will collect stormwater and percolate down into the ground rather than running directly into Peconic Bay.

Village trustee Mary Bess Phillips said construction work is currently active on Fourth Street.

The basins contain “natural filters,” or plants that assist in the removal of toxins that would otherwise be directed into the water, Mr. Pallas said. The swales will collect roughly 90% of rainfall waters.

“The runoff from the roads contributes to pollution in the waters,” he said. “This will clean the water before it ends up back in the water table and into the harbor.”

The project, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2019, is partially funded through a grant from Suffolk County. The village is expected to be reimbursed for half of the contract with KJB, Mr. Pallas said.

Since the basins are being installed at the end of each road, most villagers will not be impacted by the construction, Mr. Pallas said.

“Not many people walk down that area in the cold weather, so it’s a good time to pursue the work,” he said.

The contract was sent to KJB for execution Sept. 30 and was fully executed Oct. 2, according to village records.

A previous version of the project included Flint Street but that was removed to ensure December completion.

knalepinski@timesreview.com

The post Construction begins on drainage project in Greenport Village appeared first on Suffolk Times.

The Pierson/Bridgehampton girls volleyball team has a motto: Do whatever it takes.

What it took for the Whalers to dethrone defending Suffolk County Class C champion Mattituck Wednesday night was to survive a five-set marathon. It took a sensational performance by outside hitter Sam Cox. It took a rock-solid, stubborn defense that returned some of the hardest hits Mattituck had to offer.

And it took composure.

The fifth set was tied at 23-23 before Cox crushed a kill down the line for the go-ahead point and Pierson picked up the match point when the Tuckers couldn’t handle a driven ball. That brought the second-seeded Whalers a wild 22-25, 29-27, 20-25, 25-22, 25-23 triumph and their third county championship, according to coach Donna Fischer.

The top-seeded Tuckers (15-2), last year’s Long Island champions and this year’s League VIII champions, appeared devastated. Following the postmatch awards ceremony, the Tuckers were quickly ushered out of the Greenport High School gym before there was an opportunity to request interviews.

Asked if Mattituck’s exit from the postseason at this stage put a stain on its season, Mattituck coach Frank Massa said: “Think about some of the teams that we have played and how we have played during the year. Yeah, our performance today was a little disappointing, sure. Yep, something was missing.”

But someone was present, and Cox made quite a difference. The senior put away 37 kills.

“Honestly, I don’t recall a time when I played a better match, no,” she answered after the question was posed.

• See more photos here

Pierson libero Olivia Cassone said she had never seen Cox play at the level she reached in the final. “She’s incredible,” said Cassone.

Mattituck had taken both of its league matches against Pierson (13-3), a five-setter Sept. 20 and a three-setter Oct. 16. The Whalers managed to topple the Tuckers in the final without first-string middle blocker Gylia Dryden, who is recovering from a concussion.

But Pierson had setter Sofia Mancino (37 assists) and, of course, they had Cox, and that was enough. Barely.

The match turned in a crazy second set that featured five set points and slipped away from Mattituck, which held six-point leads on four occasions. The Tuckers even led at 24-22, yet couldn’t put the Whalers away. Cox slammed three straight kills for a 25-24 edge. Both sides made errors down the stretch before a Mattituck hitting error gave Pierson the set and new life.

“We just pushed through as hard as we could,” Cox said. “We said, ‘We’re not going to let even the thought of a loss get in our minds.’ ”

Mattituck got production from its big hitters, Viki Harkin (20 kills) and Charlotte Keil (13 kills, four blocks, three service aces, three assists). Setters Miranda Hedges (18) and Ashley Young combined for 35 assists.

“I have respect for how hard they work and how they leave it all on the court,” Cox said of the Tuckers. “We both played to the last point, and that’s what made it so interesting.”

In the first set, Harkin delivered a thunderous kill from a ball Pierson sent over the net after it had bounced off an air vent above the court. Harkin later tattooed a ball for the set point.

But Pierson also returned many hard-hit balls by the Tuckers.

“They played a hell of a match tonight,” Massa said. “It was like playing against a brick wall, everything that we hit. They served tough. They played a complete game and we couldn’t match their stamina and we couldn’t match their offensive ability.”

Cassone said: “We played amazing … We moved our feet, we stayed on our toes and we got to the ball. We were like a wall back there.”

An ace by Keil capped the third set after officials conferred to rule that a Pierson player had touched the ball before it flew out of bounds. Pierson picked up momentum over the final two sets and rode it.

“I wasn’t shocked that it was close,” Massa said. “I was shocked that we could never go on a run. We’d get up by two or three points and they’d get around and just put it right back at us. So, they played a great match.”

Cassone said, “I think that there are really no words to describe it in all honesty, but we pushed, we pushed.”

Pierson pushed its way into a Long Island regional match Nov. 16 at Hauppauge High School.

“Mattituck’s a really strong team and my girls were fired up tonight,” Fischer said. “We talked about bringing the I-C-E, the intensity, the concentration and the energy, and they did it. They served tough, they hit, they swung, they were aggressive.”

Cox said: “We knew it was probably going to be one of the toughest games we have ever played before or ever played in our lives, but we walked in and we were like, ‘If we don’t go 110 percent, we’re going to regret it and we’re going to walk out with our heads down and we’re not going to play to our full potential, so we have to do as much as we can.’ ”

Whatever it takes.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: From left, Mattituck’s Jordan Osler, Charlotte Keil and Miranda Hedges react to their team’s five-set loss to Pierson/Bridgehampton in the Suffolk County Class C final at Greenport High School. (Credit: Daniel De Mato)

The post Girls Volleyball: Pierson dethrones Tuckers in five-set thriller 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, Nov. 7:

NEWS

Riverhead School Bond set at $85.9M; vote likely in February

Deer management program reports another increase to start hunting season

Proposed sewer district for Riverside faces more roadblocks

Construction begins on drainage project in Greenport Village

SPORTS

Girls Volleyball: Pierson dethrones Tuckers in five-set thriller

NORTHFORKER

Northforker Weekend: What’s happening across the North Fork the week of November 7

WEATHER

Expect partly sunny skies today to eventually give way to rain and a high of 59 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The low tonight will be around 33 and that rain could turn into snow, though no accumulation is expected.

The post Daily Update: Deer hunting season off to fast start, drainage project begins appeared first on Suffolk Times.

The Mattituck girls volleyball team lost a heartbreaker against Pierson in the Class C county championship Wednesday night.

The second-seeded Whalers won a wild 22-25, 29-27, 20-25, 25-22, 25-23 triumph and their third county championship.

Read more coverage here and see more photos below:

Photos by Daniel De Mato

The post See more photos from Mattituck-Pierson county championship appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Caroline Loschen of Laurel died at home Nov. 7. She was 92.

Visitors will be received Saturday, Nov. 16, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. Funeral services will take place during the visitation. Interment will be private.

The post Caroline Loschen appeared first on Suffolk Times.

The Southold Town Board unanimously adopted the 2020 preliminary and capital budgets Wednesday night, exactly two weeks ahead of the Nov. 20 deadline.

Supervisor Scott Russell outlined specifics of his $48 million budget proposal in a presentation Oct. 29. He and the board received virtually no budget-related feedback during Wednesday’s two scheduled public hearings. Two speakers spoke during the hearing on issues not directly related to the budget.

The budget calls for a 1.19% increase in spending and stays within the tax cap with a 1.95% increase. Southold residents with an assessed home value of $6,000 should expect to pay roughly $38.95 more in annual town tax.

Totals for the 2020 preliminary budget estimate $79.3 million in total appropriations and provisions for other uses, $21.7 million in estimated revenue and $9.4 million worth of unexpended balances. These values include special district funds.

As for the capital budget, the total general fund whole town budget for fiscal year 2020 proposed projects is currently valued at about $2.7 million and reserves $80K for proposed 2021 projects.

Photo caption: Supervisor Scott Russell breaks down the budget at an Oct. 29 presentation. (Credit: Mahreen Khan)

Correction: The increase in the spending plan is 1.19%, a change from the tentative budget. 

mkhan@timesreview.com

The post Town Board adopts 2020 preliminary, capital budgets appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Drivers who make U-Turns on Love Lane in Mattituck could soon be cited for the maneuver.

In a memo dated Oct. 22, Southold Transportation Commission Chair Neboysha Brashich asked Town Board members to consider enacting legislation to ban U-turns along the road and install appropriate signage.

Councilman Bill Ruland, who serves as liaison to the Transportation Commission, said the measure has been discussed for several years and came to a head after a recent incident this summer.

“[A vehicle] just came roaring up there and made a left and turned right into [a walkway],” Mr. Ruland said at a work session Wednesday morning. “The people on the benches had to dive out of the way,” to avoid the driver, who was attempting to turn around to access a parking spot on the opposite side of the street, he said.

“There was always some question about whether the town had the authority to do it or not,” Mr. Ruland said, noting that the town attorney had researched and found the town can regulate traffic rules on the town-owned street.

Officials hope that as the reconstruction of Ray Dean parking lot is completed, more people will opt to park behind the Love Lane shops and walk. “It’s only maybe 10 more steps than where they would be [parking on the street],” Councilwoman Jill Doherty said.

To encourage that, Councilman Jim Dinizio and Mr. Ruland discussed placing more adequate signs directing people who may not know the parking lot is there, in addition to signs warning drivers of the U-turn ban.

Where to place such signs will be part of the ongoing discussion as the town attorney drafts language for the proposed legislation, which would be subject to a public hearing.

Mr. Ruland says the measure is needed to help further the town’s goal of walkability.

“If you’re going to promote a walkable downtown and spend money on the infrastructure to update sidewalks, walkways, crosswalks and all the things that enhance [pedestrians,] then you have to keep them safe, too,” he said.

tsmith@timesreview.com

The post No more U-turns on Love Lane in Mattituck? 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 Friday, Nov. 8:

NEWS

No more U-turns on Love Lane in Mattituck?

Is another car wash too many for Route 58 in Riverhead?

Southold Town Board adopts 2020 preliminary, capital budgets

‘Miller’s Marlins’ raise 6K for juvenile diabetes research

SPORTS

Podcast Preview: Riverhead football heads to Longwood for playoff showdown

NORTHFORKER

Indoor Riverhead Farmers Market returning this month

WEATHER

It’s expected to be mostly sunny and breezy today with a high temperature of just 40 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The low tonight will dip below freezing to about 22 degrees. 

It’s supposed to be sunny most of the weekend as temperatures will climb back up to the mid-40s on Saturday and into the 50s Sunday.

The post Daily Update: U-turn ban proposed on Love Lane, auto car wash pitched for Route 58 appeared first on Suffolk Times.

A new French bistro featuring baguettes and wine may be coming to Main Street in Greenport Village.

A site plan for the property at 471 Main St. currently before the Village Planning Board proposes interior renovations to accommodate a cafe and bar next to Stirling Sake.

At the Planning Board meeting Thursday, owner Emily Demarchelier of Shelter Island said the restaurant, informally named The Demarchelier Bistro, will be open year-round.

Ms. Demarchelier said she partially manages her family’s popular French restaurant in Manhattan, Demarchelier, which has been open since 1978.

The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner, Ms. Demarchelier said. Hours are tentatively 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., but are subject to change.

She said she’s familiar with Greenport and does not plan to keep the bistro open late. She does not anticipate hosting live music.

“We don’t want to push it too late — we’re not looking to be a nightclub,” she said. “We just want people to enjoy good food and wine.”

Planning board member John Cotugno expressed concern with the current plans. He said the front door should swing outward, but in the plans it swings inward.

Architect Robert Brown said the rear door opens out and he will review the plans and entry requirements for the property.

The pre-submission conference for the property, which formerly housed antique and furniture store Gallery 429, is due back on the Planning Board agenda at the next meeting Dec. 8.

Photo caption: The site of the proposed French bistro. (Credit: Kate Nalepinski)

knalepinski@timesreview.com

The post French bistro planned for Greenport Village on Main Street appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Greenport Village trustee and deputy mayor Jack Martilotta received the Meritorious Service Medal from the United States Army last Sunday, Oct. 27, for his efforts in the U.S. National Guard in 2016.

Mr. Martilotta was recognized for two years of service as first sergeant of Headquarters Battery, First Battalion 258 Field Artillery.

The Meritorious Service Medal is granted to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who distinguish themselves by outstanding achievement or meritorious service to the country, according to the United States Air Force website. Mr. Martilotta was employed in several training army centers to prepare troops for battle, with help from captains Adam Connelly and Christopher Wallace.

“We’re responsible for training and the welfare of the troops,” Mr. Martilotta said. “At the time, we had roughly … 175 people in our unit.”

As first sergeant, Mr. Martilotta said, he worked primarily in Jamaica, Queens. During his service, he also led a unit of enlisted soldiers through a roughly three- or four-week program at the Joint Readiness Training Center, a U.S. Army training center at Fort Polk, La.

In Louisiana, he spent a lot of time working with junior leaders to ensure that they knew how to use weaponry. Then, those leaders trained troops, he said.

“We had a really successful rotation,” he said. “We were able to find success in trying to make the Battery better.”

Some additional training took place at Camp Smith, a military installation in Cortlandt Manor, roughly 30 miles north of New York City, Mr. Martilotta said.

Mr. Martilotta left the role in late 2017. He now serves as the First Sergeant of Alpha Battery — part of the same battalion, he said, which drills out of New Windsor, N.Y.

The Greenport Village resident has been a science teacher at Greenport High School for roughly 13 years. He’s also the varsity football coach.

“I’m just trying to do the right thing,” he said.

Ever-modest, Mr. Martilotta said none of his achievements would have been possible without the help of members of the unit, and the support of his wife and three children.

“They put up with me doing stuff like this,” he said. “I really appreciate all the support that [she] and the kids give to me.”

Mr. Martilotta will be formally awarded the medal at a ceremony in December, he said.

Photo caption: Jack Martilotta at a recent village meeting. (Credit: Kate Nalepinski)

knalepinski@timesreview.com

The post Greenport trustee Jack Martilotta honored with Meritorious Service Medal appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Jean Bernard Laurent, 36, of Commack was arrested last Thursday around 5:45 p.m. for driving while intoxicated on Route 48 in Cutchogue near Depot Lane. Mr. Laurent was stopped for speeding, determined to be intoxicated and arrested.

• Gillian Gargiulo, 35, of Farmingdale was arrested Friday around 7:56 p.m. on Route 25 in Peconic. Ms. Gargiulo had an active bench warrant in her name.

• A Southold woman told police around 6:47 p.m. Monday that the vehicle of an individual living on Clearview Avenue was constantly parked in front of her residence and on her lawn. Police located the vehicle’s owner, a Southold woman with two addresses, and advised her to move it into her driveway. The woman moved the vehicle without incident and apologized for parking in front of her neighbor’s residence. Southold Town code enforcement was notified of the incident and advised other vehicle owners to refrain from parking there.

• A Southold woman told police Saturday around 11:29 a.m. that multiple items had been stolen from her vehicle and pocketbook. She said her car keys, valued at $350; her passport, valued at $100; a BJ’s card valued at $50; a brown purse valued at $30; a NYS driver’s license, valued at $25; and her Social Security card, valued at $20; as well as her wallet and multiple credit cards had been taken from the scene. A detective was notified of the incident.

• The Cutchogue Fire Department, assisted by Southold police, extinguished a chimney fire on Little Neck Road in Cutchogue Sunday around 6:23 p.m. The caller, a Cutchogue man, had used a fire extinguisher on flames at the base of the chimney, police said. The top of the chimney, however, was still ablaze, prompting CFD members to access the roof in order to extinguish the fire, according to the report. The fire was determined to be accidental, caused by creosote build-up in the chimney.

• A Maspeth man notified police Friday around 3:39 p.m. that his 1968 Irwin Sloop sailboat was missing from his mooring in Pipes Cove Basin, outside Sixth Street in Greenport. Southold police advised the man that Shelter Island and Southampton bay constables would be notified if they heard any news of the boat. The man was advised to contact salvage companies on the North Fork. Southold bay constables had not heard of any missing sailboats as of the time of the report, according to police.

• A Cutchogue man with a home in Mattituck notified police last Thursday around 4:32 p.m. that $55,000 has been taken from his Chase bank account between last Tuesday and last Wednesday. The man said his Chase checking account and two Chase savings accounts had been compromised, and large amounts of money had been fraudulently removed from them. The man said he had contacted the bank and was advised to pursue the matter further by way of police documentation. A detective was notified of the incident.

• A Southold man reported damage to an A/C unit, valued at $200, located at North Road Deli on Route 48 in Southold last Monday around 6:15 p.m. The man wished to have the incident documented. An investigation is underway.

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.

The post Southold Blotter: Commack woman charged with DWI appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Recently, the Southold Historical Society curated an exhibit on the lives of enslaved persons in Southold Town, and we read with interest the News-Review editor Steve Wick’s Sept. 9 column “Historical society’s slavery exhibit shines an overdue light.” Mr. Wick praised the exhibit as a starting point for much-needed discussion and expressed a desire for other local groups to pick up the work of acknowledging this painful, but important, history. We at Peconic Community School could not agree more: Discussions about enslavement and the lives of enslaved persons are vital conversations with the potential to activate profound change.

Last winter, I facilitated a unit on enslavement with my class of fifth- and sixth-graders at Peconic Community School. As an entry point into this difficult study we focused on learning the narratives of enslaved persons on Long Island during an integrated studies unit titled “Telling Our Stories.” It was important to us that we bring the stories of enslaved persons to light and honor their lives in the community. We sought out authentic learning experiences and research opportunities that we hoped would connect us most closely to the lives of enslaved persons on the East End.

The students and I visited historic sites of enslavement — museums, exhibits and historical societies. We consulted with historians and record-keepers to access, firsthand, primary texts and original documents, including writings, censuses and manumissions. With the help of people like Wendy Annibell from the Suffolk County Historical Society and Donnamarie Barnes at Sylvester Manor, we came to know the stories of local figures such as Jupiter Hammon, Venture Smith and Ward Lee, and were able to explore the living quarters of former enslaved persons and walk silently through ancient burial grounds. With David Rattray of The East Hampton Star, students had the extraordinary privilege to work with primary documents as part of the Plain Sight Project, which amplifies the narratives of enslaved persons by uncovering and recording as many names and biographical details as possible.

What emerged from our interaction with the materials and places we visited was that, what the students were really seeking, beyond facts or confirmations, was a connection to the people they were discovering. And that connection was formed by their learning. For these students, knowing became a way to care. And the more they cared, the more they wanted to know, and the more they learned, the more they questioned.

We were fortunate to find guides and resources like Ms. Annibell, Ms. Barnes, Mr. Rattray, Sylvester Manor and the “Long Road to Freedom” exhibit at The Long Island Museum, but much of our study was far from easy. Education about enslavement in America has been fraught with fear, misinformation and deep unease. As Mr. Wick pointed out in his column, many historians “did not just overlook the stories of the enslaved people here. They willfully ignored them. They did not fit the script.” When my students went looking for evidence of these stories — trying to gain access to historic legal documents, or trying to determine whether the bodies of the enslaved really were beneath the sign labeling an area a “slaves burial ground” — they were frustrated. Answers were difficult to find. There were roadblocks; omissions, inaccuracies and gaps.

One of the biggest takeaways from the end of our trimester study — in fact, our clearest conclusion — was that we weren’t done. We had to settle with having opened the door to a dark and difficult history. We peered in and came to care deeply, knowing more and wanting more for the people we met there. And then we had to sit with that door open. As it turns out, I think that is the work: to learn, to seek, and then to sit with the door open, and care and keep asking for more.

Three weeks ago, my class of fifth- and sixth-grade students (including four students returning from last year’s study) read a story in Newsday about an alarming history “lesson” at a middle school in Freeport, Long Island, where a teacher instructed her middle-school students to caption photos of enslaved persons and to “make it funny and don’t bore me.” I invited my students to respond in writing, and many wrote letters to the school. What amazed me about their responses was not their outrage at the teacher’s assignment, but the compassion they felt for the school community. They apologized to the students that the teacher had broken their trust and misused her authority. They expressed regret that the kids didn’t have the opportunity to do real learning about enslavement, and they offered resources they had used that they thought might be beneficial to a historically honest study of enslavement and racism. This is the kind of conversation that comes from care.

Last weekend one of my 10-year-old students visited the Lincoln Memorial and heard the park ranger leading the tour repeatedly use the word “slaves.” At the end of the tour, the student asked the ranger if he would consider using the term “enslaved person” because it’s more respectfully accurate. The ranger agreed, my student told me, and he hung around to listen to the start of the next tour using the revised language. This is the kind of change my students are willing to ask for.

What we are seeing at Peconic Community School is that when children are offered the opportunity to approach this difficult subject in a way that honors the lives of enslaved persons and acknowledges the true, and troubling, nature of our relationship to this past, they learn to care. And this care propels the kinds of courageous and compassionate questioning that creates positive change. Students are asking for more, from park rangers, from educators and from their communities. Let’s help them achieve it.

Ms. Timoney is a teacher at Peconic Community School in Aquebogue.

The post Guest Column: Learning and caring can go hand in hand appeared first on Suffolk Times.

The Greenport Planning Board has scheduled a public hearing for next month on Peconic Bay Medical Center’s expansion into the former Capital One bank branch in Greenport.

The application for interior renovations at 230 Main St. from Northwell Health Services came before the Planning Board Thursday. PBMC President and CEO Andrew Mitchell said this week their plan is to lease the vacant building and open medical offices.

Robert Brown, the architect for the property, said “Northwell is hoping to expedite this process” to complete the offices.

Mr. Mitchell previously stated that he anticipates the office will be up and running by spring 2020.

PBMC deputy executive director Amy Loeb said at the meeting that the offices will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday–Friday.

She said the facility, which will provide primary and specialty care, will determine staff based on the needs of the community.

“We’re looking at five employees to start, maximum would be eight,” Ms. Loeb said. “Maximum providers at one time would be two.”

The announcement comes soon after Peconic Bay Medical Center opened a new practice on Main Road in Cutchogue in the former BNB bank building.

The public hearing is Dec. 19.

knalepinski@timesreview.com

The post Public hearing scheduled for Dec. 19 on proposed medical offices appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Teenagers in Southold will have new recreation options this winter thanks to a program formed by the town’s recreation department and youth bureau.

Several teen “drop-in” nights have been planned for youth in sixth through ninth grades in an effort to provide something to do in the colder months.

They will be held at the town’s recreation center on Peconic Lane and will feature a range of activities including billiards, ping pong, movies, board games, crafts and guest speakers.

The first is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. and additional programs are slated for Jan. 10 and March 6, said Janet Douglass, the town’s recreation department supervisor.

The program is free, but requires a signed permission slip to attend, she said.

Youth Bureau director Lynn Nyilas announced the program with along with Ms. Douglass at a work session Wednesday.

“I’ve heard anecdotally from adults that remember going to the rec center as teenagers to their drop-in nights and have fond memories of it,” Ms. Nyilas said. “They’re now looking for their kids to have the same opportunity.”

Ms. Douglass said that while there are plenty of opportunities for summer recreation, there isn’t much to do in the colder months.

“Kids want to be social, but there’s no real safe place in communities for kids at that time, especially on a Friday night,” she said.

The program is modeled after similar programs offered in Riverhead and Southampton towns, which have been successful. Their goal is to bring different school-aged populations together and promote positive socialization.

“[Kids] are often at home playing video games in their rooms by themselves,” Ms. Nyilas said. “[Socializing] is super important. It’s a skill that’s definitely lacking.”

She said the two departments have been eying a partnership for some time because “we feel there’s more we can be doing and should be doing as a town.”

Together with county officials, the town is exploring options for eventually providing transportation to youth to attend the evening program, though Ms. Nyilas said the conversation is ongoing.

A full list of the recreation department winter programming and youth bureau events will be available Thursday, Nov. 21 with the release of the department’s winter brochure. Programs include adult basketball and volleyball programs, a revived youth basketball program and arts classes.

Photo caption: Recreation department supervisor Janet Douglass and Youth Bureau director Lynn Nyilas at Wednesday’s work session. (Credit: Tara Smith)

tsmith@timesreview.com

The post New recreation program focuses on opportunities for teens appeared first on Suffolk Times.

For our final Times Review Talks event of 2019, we’ll be focusing on Riverhead in 2029.

“Riverhead: What Will It Look Like 10 Years from Now,” is set for noon this Wednesday, Nov. 13, at The Vineyards at Aquebogue. Topics expected to be discussed include the future of downtown development, Route 58, housing, Peconic Bay Medical Center, the EPCAL sale, the upcoming school bond vote and the revitalization of neighboring Riverside.

RESERVE YOUR SEAT NOW

Riverhead councilwomen Jodi Giglio and Catherine Kent, Richmond Realty’s Ike Israel, Peconic Bay Medical Center deputy executive director Amy Loeb and Sean McLean of Mpact Collective and the Riverside redevelopment efforts are among the confirmed panelists. Town Supervisor-elect Yvette Aguiar has also been invited. Representatives of the Riverhead School District, whose taxpayers will soon be asked to consider an $87.9 million facilities bond, declined to participate in the event.

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. Times Review Media Group, which publishes both The Suffolk Times and Riverhead News-Review, held six previous events this year and is currently planning more talks for 2020.

Audience members are invited to ask questions during the 90-minute events. The $30 ticket price ($20 for Times Review subscribers) includes lunch. Space is limited, so we recommend purchasing your tickets in advance at bit.ly/TRTalks_November.

This month’s lead sponsors are Peconic Bay Medical Center, Richmond Realty and ULC Robotics. Additional sponsors are Riverhead Ford Lincoln, Riverhead Buick GMC, Suffolk Security Systems, Advantage Title and Riverhead Chamber of Commerce.

The post Last call for Times Review Talks on the future of Riverhead 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 Monday, Nov. 11:

NEWS

French bistro planned for Greenport Village on Main Street

Siris Barrios, community liaison for Riverside Rediscovered, steps down

Public hearing scheduled for Dec. 19 on proposed medical offices

Last call for Times Review Talks on the future of Riverhead

SPORTS

Girls Soccer: SWR finds its first LI championship in overtime

Football: Longwood overpowers Riverhead in playoff opener

Football: Wildcats clear first playoff hurdle

NORTHFORKER

Northforker staff picks its favorite pies of the North Fork

One Minute on the North Fork: Reeves Creek

WEATHER

Expect partly sunny skies today with a high temperature of 59 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The low tonight will be around 45. 

The post Daily Update: French bistro planned for Greenport, public hearing set for medical offices appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Southold Town police are investigating a Sunday evening boating accident that occurred in the area of James Creek in Mattituck that claimed the life of a 27-year old Riverhead woman.

A 39-foot Cobalt struck a bulkhead approximately 50 yards to the west of the entrance to James Creek, which is just east of Veteran’s Beach, police said. The four people on board the vessel sustained serious injuries as a result of the impact. Two victims were transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center by fire department ambulance and two were airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital.

Kelley Blanchard, 27, of Riverhead suffered life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead at Peconic Bay Medical Center, police said.

The Mattituck fire department and Cutchogue FD responded, as did officers from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Police named the other individuals involved in the incident as: Frank Distefano, 48, of East Northport; Nick Soullas, 41, of Jamesport; Megan Blanchard, 29, of New Suffolk. Megan, who is listed in fair condition at Stony Brook University Hospital, and Kelley Blanchard are sisters. Mr. Distefano is also listed in fair condition Monday, according to a Stony Brook hospital spokesperson.

Southold police said Monday morning that Mr. Distefano, a partner in the Michelangelo’s pizza franchises where the late Ms. Blanchard worked as a manager, was charged with boating while intoxicated. He was issued an appearance ticket and is expected to be arraigned next week, police said. The release also said the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office is assisting with the investigation.

The incident occurred at about 9:17 p.m., police said. The boat was approximately 150 feet off shore when the first officers arrived on scene.

At 11 a.m. Monday, police still had the private road that leads to the homes where the boat struck the bulkhead blocked off. An officer said it was still an active crime scene.

Top photo caption: Investigators at the scene Monday morning. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)

The damaged boat. (Credit: Stringer News)

Photo caption: Investigators at the scene Sunday evening. (Credit: Stringer News)

The post Cops: Three injured, one dead in Mattituck boating accident appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Dr. Marjorie Grathwohl Driver, a longtime resident of Guam, passed away peacefully at her home there on Sept. 20 at the age of 95. She retired in 2007 after spending 40 years working as a translator, historian, curator and director of the Spanish Documents Collection at the University of Guam’s Micronesian Area Research Center (MARC).

Dr. Driver and her husband, John, arrived in Guam from New York in 1953. They had no idea that one day she would be honored as one of Guam’s “National Cultural Treasures.” She was a founder of MARC in 1967.

With roots in both Cutchogue and Southampton on Eastern Long Island (N.Y.), she was a graduate of Southampton High School. Dr. Driver, born in 1924, spent her childhood in Puerto Rico, where her father managed a pineapple plantation and where she became fluent in Spanish. She later graduated from Russell Sage and Middlebury colleges.

Dr. Driver has been recognized by legislative resolutions and honorary degrees. She published over 40 critically acclaimed books and pamphlets concerning the lengthy Spanish presence in the Mariana Islands. She and her late husband returned to Eastern Long Island regularly to visit family and friends.

She was predeceased by her devoted husband, John Davis Driver; her parents, Harold E. Grathwohl and Edith Smith Grathwohl; and her brother, Harold E. Grathwohl Jr. She is survived by her nephew, Hal McVey of Colorado; and cousins Kay G. Fisher of Southold, N.Y.; Emily G. Victoria, Jim Grathwohl and Dick Grathwohl, all of Cutchogue.

A memorial service was held on Guam on Oct. 4. Burial will be Friday, Nov. 15, at 2 p.m. at the Grathwohl family plot in the cemetery on Main Road in Cutchogue. The Rev. Richie King, pastor of Cutchogue Presbyterian Church, will officiate. Memorial remembrances may be made to the University of Guam Endowment Foundation/Spanish Documents Collection, UOG Station, Mangilao, Guam 96923.

This is a paid notice.

The post Marjorie Grathwohl Driver appeared first on Suffolk Times.

At American Legion Post 803 in Southold, Nov. 11 is a day to honor all of America’s veterans, in particular those who came to Monday’s ceremony at the Legion Post and were given seats of honor in front of the podium.

“We are honored to be in the presence of our veterans, who have done so very much for us and our country,” said Charles Sanders, a Marine veteran and the post commander. “This is a day of celebration and remembrance.”

Monday’s ceremony was in honor of Veterans Day, a national holiday celebrated every Nov. 11 as a way of honoring America’s veterans of all wars. The national holiday began as Armistice Day, to mark the end of World War I — which formally ended at the 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. Mr. Sanders, in touch with history, began the ceremony at 11 a.m. sharp.

“We have our freedom,” he told the crowd, after an honor guard brought the colors onto the grounds to salutes and applause from the crowd. “Why? Because of our veterans.”

He noted last week’s elections, and pointed out that, in America, elections are marked by people voting and not fighting in the streets as in other parts of the world. He pointed out that, currently, less than one percent of the population has served in the military, adding that those who did serve represent a unique group of Americans who put service ahead of self.

Mr. Sanders pointed out that the American Legion, formed in 1919, is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Other speakers included Town Board members Bill Ruland and Jill Doherty, and Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski.

One of those who attended Monday’s ceremony was Joseph St. Pierre of Southold, who as Mr. Sanders noted the service of Vietnam War veterans, wiped tears from his eyes.

“I can get emotional on this day,” he said quietly. He said he served with the Marines in Vietnam in 1965, and noted that many Vietnam vets were greeted with protesters when they returned home. Referring to those Americans who died in combat, he spoke of the number — 58,220 — and said they should never be forgotten.

“I am very glad I came today,” he said.

See more photos below by Kate Nalepinski:

Local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts attended the ceremony.

NJROTC students at Monday’s ceremony.

Local veterans at Monday’s ceremony.

Jose Perez, a member of the Legion Post, speaks at Monday’s ceremony.

Charles Sanders leads the ceremony.

Charles Sanders leads the ceremony.

swick@timesreview.com

The post Southold American Legion hosts Veterans Day ceremony: Photos appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Brought to you by:

I’m Robert Bissonnette. I work at Calverton National Cemetery as a caretaker. I started here in 2013. 

I was in the Marine Corps for eight years, got out and joined the Navy Reserves as a Seabee in 2017. I’m currently still serving in the Reserves.

As a caretaker in the markers section, we take care of all the grave markers, the upright headstones and flat headstones, which are the bronze plaques level with the ground.

Daily, we maintain and set new headstones for new interments, maintain and clean them.

If you ever look down a row in a section, they’re all aligned. On a regular basis, we go through and realign and raise headstones.

We’re on 640 acres developed over a total of 1,100 acres, which is massive. For the most part, our operations stay the same daily, whether the weather is awful or awesome.

Regularly, it’s about 70 to 100 people to maintain and carry on everything that happens here.

My father was a veteran, my grandfather was a veteran and a couple of aunts and uncles served. To be honest, I was a little wayward in high school, and my father said to me that it was the best thing he’d ever done.

It was 100% the best decision I ever made.

Here, my crew is basically all Marines. We’re like-minded; we can share humor and past experiences. That’s an environment that I don’t think people get a lot in their workplace. It’s fortunate for us to be able to have that here.

You tell someone you work at a cemetery, they immediately are probably thinking something morbid.

But if you look at it the other way, we get to take care of veterans and their families every day.

We’re here, obviously, as people come in to grieve, but we make it nicer, or better, I would say. It’s a beautiful place and we put a lot of hard work into it so that it is that way. I don’t ever like to look at it in a negative way because coming to work every day, outside, in a gorgeous environment with shrines everywhere paying homage to veterans is gratifying.

“The Work We Do” is a Suffolk Times multimedia project profiling workers on the North Fork. 

The post The Work We Do: Robert Bissonette, Calverton National Cemetery appeared first on Suffolk Times.