On Friday the Mattituck High School girls got a feel for what it’s like to run cross country in frigid Plattsburgh, N.Y., this time of the year. On Saturday they will experience the real thing.

For the eighth straight year, Mattituck won the Class C title at Friday’s Section XI Championships on a brutally cold, blustery day at Sunken Meadow State Park. In doing so, the Tuckers once again qualified as a team to compete in the state championships Saturday at SUNY/Plattsburgh.

“Unfortunately, it’s going to feel like this in Plattsburgh, but I’m so excited,” said Payton Maddaloni, the Mattituck senior who finished first individually in the Class C race on the five-kilometer course in 21 minutes, 11.39 seconds. She also won this race two years ago.

The temperature when the meet began was 37 degrees, but the wind-chill factor made it feel as if it was in the 20s. “I told them it’s a good precursor for the states because it’s up in Plattsburgh, so it’s probably going to be similar weather,” said coach Chris Robinson.

Saturday’s forecast for Plattsburgh calls for a high of 24 degrees, a low of nine degrees, with a 10% chance of precipitation and five mph winds.

Southold coach Karl Himmelmann said: “If you’re going to run cross country, you have to know how to run in every weather condition … That’s the job of a cross-country runner.”

Runners had varying reactions to Friday’s weather conditions, with some minding it more than others. Maddaloni, for one, prefers cold over hot weather.

“The cold wasn’t even that bad,” she said. “I was ready to run. I was so excited. You have no idea. I was just ready to get out here and kill it for our team.”

The fact that it was Maddaloni’s last high school race at challenging, hilly Sunken Meadow and its famed Cardiac Hill was a motivator, she said.

“I’m so proud of her,” Mattituck junior Bella Masotti said of Maddaloni. “She’s been a team leader since she was a freshman. She’s been pushing us every day in practice and we made it here because of her and Rob [Robinson].”

Masotti didn’t seem to mind the cold too much, either. Her second-place time of 21:20.44 was only a few seconds off her best time on the course.

“I usually do better in the cold for some reason,” she said. “Last year my best race was when it was the coldest at states, so I wasn’t really worried about the weather.”

Emily Nicholson, a sophomore, completed Mattituck’s sweep of the top three places in 21:35.79, crushing her previous best Sunken Meadow time by 20 seconds.

Emily Nicholson of Mattituck finished third. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

Mattituck grabbed four of the first five places, with sophomore Kate Schuch fifth in 22:11.46. Two Mattituck juniors, Emma Reidy (23:54.90) and Abby Rosato (24:04.05), were 13th and 14th. Kylie Conroy, a junior who had been Mattituck’s No. 2 runner before being sidelined with knee tendinitis, made a comeback and was 17th in 28:29.37.

“They looked strong, so that’s what we wanted to be, be strong, finish well, be healthy and go to states with a great attitude going forward,” Robinson said. “Since day one they’ve been inseparable. So, I mean, just the dynamic between each one of them, it’s a big family and they pick each other up. They push each other constantly. We had some injuries this year that set us back a little bit, but we stuck together. We kept pushing, practicing, every single day working extremely hard.”

Mattituck finished with 22 points to second-place Center Moriches’ 34.

Maddaloni said, “We’ve had so many obstacles this season with injuries and just … bad races, so yeah, this was our time to show everybody that we were able to come out on top no matter what combination of people we put in, no matter how tough the course is.”

“This is the day we’ve been waiting for,” Masotti said after the team posed for photos with the championship plaque in the late afternoon’s fading light. “I’m so happy with our team. We’ve been working all season for this. Obviously, the weather isn’t the best, but we still ran our best. Today really showed that we’d do anything for each other.”

What was Nicholson’s take on things?

“It’s amazing,” she said. “I love this team so much. It’s the best team I’ve ever been on.”

Francesca Lynch finished third in the Class D race. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

Southold will send three girls to Plattsburgh: senior Olivia Lynch, her sister, freshman Francesca Lynch, and sophomore Evelyn Helinski.

“I’m thrilled. I’m absolutely thrilled,” said coach Karl Himmelmann.

Olivia Lynch (22:17.06) was second in the Class D race to Pierson junior Penelope Greene (20:30.41). Francesca Lynch (22:43.03) was third and Helinski (25:44.54, her best time ever on the course) seventh.

Of Olivia Lynch, who will make her third straight trip to the state meet, Himmelmann said: “I was happy with Olivia’s run. Olivia knows how to race to get the job done.”

Greenport senior Jessica Villareal (28:42.88) was 14th.

Maddaloni heard that the state meet will be run on a flat course. She liked hearing that.

“Flat courses are the best,” she said, “and that’s what we’re ready for, no hills, flat course and just kill it, and that’s just going to be a full-out sprint, and that’s what I’m excited about.”

As for the weather report, the Tuckers don’t seem to mind the cold, especially when good things happen.

Photo caption: Early in Friday’s race at Sunken Meadow State Park, from left, Southold’s Olivia Lynch, Mattituck’s Emily Nicholson, Payton Maddaloni and Bella Masotti led the Class C pack. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

bliepa@timesreview.com

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Claudio’s Waterfront is looking to expand and alter its restaurants just a few months after a controversial summer season.

Managers Stephen Loffredo and Tora Matsuoka attended last Thursday’s Greenport Planning Board meeting to discuss potential changes to 111 Main St. The application is for interior and exterior renovations for the property in the Waterfront Commercial and Historic Districts, according to village records.

Under the new plan, roughly 200 seats will be added throughout all of Claudio’s restaurants. Robert Brown, the architect for the property, said “the main issue” tackled in the plan is new outdoor seating for the restaurant which will be protected by a retractable awning and umbrellas.

Other changes include new exterior doors on the south side of the building and one door on the west side of the restaurant.

The fence and picnic table layout in front of Crabby Jerry’s will also be modified, Mr. Brown said. A storage area and more outdoor seats will be added at that location. The painted pedestrian walkway has been slightly moved west of the restrooms, he said.

The pizza shop behind the Clam Bar will be converted into an accessory prep kitchen for the Clam Bar, Mr. Brown said. The retail shop next to the east wall of the restaurant on Main Street, he said, will be converted into the new pizza parlor.

The parking lot for the property has not and will not change as per the plan, Mr. Brown said. The property currently has 100 parking spots, Mr. Matsuoka said.

Planning board chair Walter Foote mentioned the continued noise complaints made to the village.

“It’s a serious issue, obviously. The fact that we’re getting a proposal that creates … more people, more customers and a little bit more noise is something we have to consider,” he said.

Mr. Loffredo said the work that was performed in winter 2018 helped “eliminate a lot of the prior noise issues.” This winter, he said, Claudio’s will complete additional work to reduce noise coming from the property.

Mr. Matsuoka said the majority of the noise complaints, as he understood it, were related to activity at the Clam Bar. The additional seating at the restaurant will assist the team during lunch and dinner service. However, fewer people visit the restaurant Friday and Saturday nights when the bar is open later.

“So, to some degree, the additional seating is not something that impacts what happens during the time where it may have been perceived to be louder or noisier,” he said.

Claudio’s staff had previously considered renovating the second floor of the restaurant, Mr. Loffredo said, but after analyzing costs he said Claudio’s will not pursue that expansion.

The Planning Board held the pre-submission conference open and requested additional documents from the applicant. Discussions on the site plan will continue Dec. 5.

Photo caption: An aerial view of Claudio’s last week. (Credit: Michael Versandi)

knalepinski@timesreview.com

The post Claudio’s plans renovations to expand with additional seating 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 Tuesday, Nov. 12:

NEWS

Update: Additional charges expected after fatal boating crash

Winner of hole-in-one contest receives new car from Riverhead dealership

Claudio’s plans renovations to expand with additional seating

Southold American Legion hosts Veterans Day ceremony: Photos

Honoring veterans at annual ceremony in Riverhead: Photos

SPORTS

Girls Cross Country: Tuckers run to eighth straight sectional title

NORTHFORKER

North Fork fried chicken sandwiches actually worth fighting for

WEATHER

Expect temperatures to fall throughout the day today with rain possibly turning into snow, according to the National Weather Service. The temperature which will be as high as 54 degrees is expected to drop to 37 by 5 p.m. and to a low just 19 degrees overnight.  

The post Daily Update: Additional charges expected in boat crash, Claudio’s proposes renovations appeared first on Suffolk Times.

David Glenn Feavel, 72, of Sanford, N.C. passed away peacefully, after a very short illness, with his family by his side, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, at Central Carolina Hospital in Sanford.

David was born April 6, 1947, in Cook County, Ill., to the late Glenn and Laura Ross Feavel.

He attended Dormont High School in Castle Shannon, Pa., and graduated from Salem College in West Virginia. It was there that David met his beloved wife and they resided in Southold, N.Y., until moving to Carolina Trace in 2004.

David retired from the Suffolk County Probation Department, after being a probation officer for 26 years.

He was an avid gun enthusiast/collector and member of the Lee County Wildlife Club. While a resident of New York, he earned his state and federal firearms license, which he treasured. He loved boating and salt water fishing, visiting Harrah’s Casino in New Jersey, and enjoyed playing Texas Hold ’em with the Carolina Trace players. From a teen, David spent many summers in the Allegheny National Forrest, which he introduced to his wife and two children and they as a family spent many weeks there each year.

David was a man who would thrive on helping others and no job was too big or too small. So many times, you would hear, “sorry to bother you David, but I need your help.” He was totally devoted to his family and his love for them had no boundaries, they always came first.

David is survived by his wife of almost 51 years, Mary Ann Dooley Feavel; daughter, Lisa Feavel Burns Volk and her husband Nicholas; son, Glenn Feavel; four grandchildren, Alyssa Burns, Justin Burns, Adilyn Gordon and Easton Feavel; his sister, Sandra Ross, and his brother-in-law, Peter Dooley and his wife Minda Dooley.

Online condolences can be made at millerboles.com. Services entrusted to Miller Boles Funeral Home of Sanford.

This is a paid notice.

The post David Glenn Feavel appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Mary Wheeler Doroski McCafferty of Greenport, formerly of Southold, died Nov. 11 at San Simeon Nursing Home. She was 91.

She was born Oct. 16, 1928, to Edith (Priest) and Robert Wheeler in East Marion, N.Y.

Mary graduated from Greenport High School and worked as a waitress at Claudio’s, Sound View and Townsend Manor Inn.

She volunteered at San Simeon Nursing Home and Eastern Long Island Hospital. She was also affiliated with St. Agnes Rosary Society and St. Agnes R.C. Church as a Eucharist minister.

Her family said she enjoyed baking, gardening and making people happy. Mary was always there for her children and grandchildren giving counsel. Mary’s most important trait was her loving heart. She never spoke ill of anyone, she had a positive approach to life and to all those around her. She was known for her kindness to anyone who crossed her path.

Mary was predeceased by her grandson Jeremy; and husbands, John Doroski Sr. in 1994 and Bernard McCafferty in 2014. She is survived by her sons, John (Nanette) Doroski of Greenport, Gary Doroski of Cutchogue and Gerald (Melanie) Doroski of Greenport; 14 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.

Visitors will be received Wednesday, Nov. 13, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue. A service will take place Thursday, Nov. 14, at 10 a.m. at St. Agnes R.C. Church in Greenport followed by interment at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Cutchogue.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

The post Mary Wheeler Doroski McCafferty appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Trevor Zappulla, a Mattituck High School freshman who had played soccer since he was in kindergarten, made a sports switch this fall, taking up cross country for the first time. “I thought I would do better in cross country,” he explained.

Well, the results speak for themselves.

Zappulla extended his first cross-country season by qualifying for the state meet. He finished seventh in Class C — the only freshman among the top 18 — Friday in the Section XI Championships at Sunken Meadow State Park. Not bad for a rookie.

“I was nervous the week before about this race … I just went out and tried to push myself,” said Zappulla, who turned in a time of 18 minutes, 25.89 seconds on the 5,000-meter course.

Zappulla said there was pressure, “a lot of pressure, but once I felt I was ahead of the pack, I kind of felt a relief that I did it.”

Five of the first six finishers were from Class C champion Port Jefferson, including junior Brian Veit, who won in 17:16.71. Zappulla finished close behind Port Jefferson’s Owen Okst (18:24.58).

Two other Mattituck runners — junior Luke Altman (10th place in 18:49.19) and senior Eric Palencia (11th in 18:51.48) — qualified for the state meet as well. Zappulla, Altman and Palencia all ran their fastest times at Sunken Meadow despite it being a bitterly cold, windy day. The temperature at the start of the meet was 37 degrees, but it dropped and felt colder because of the wind.

The wintry conditions didn’t seem to bother Zappulla at all, though. “It wasn’t a bad day,” he said. “I thought it was going to be a lot worse. I like it a little cold.”

Mattituck coach Mike Jablonski played down the affects of the weather. “Besides the wind being strong, the temperature is fine for runners,” he said. “Actually, it can help them in the long term, so besides the heavy winds, it’s not too bad.”

And perhaps good preparation for what the state qualifiers will face in the state meet Saturday at SUNY/Plattsburgh, where a high of 24 degrees is forecast.

Mattituck sophomore Luke Woods was 15th in 19:59.69. The others who crossed the finish line for the Tuckers were three freshmen — Jack Hutchinson (19th in 20:47.76), Zappulla’s twin brother, Marc Zappulla (21st in 21:02.64), and Lexington Horton (27th in 22:25.79).

“The whole team peaked at the right time,” said Jablonski, whose team finished second to Port Jefferson (17 points) with 62 points. “Like I said at the beginning of the season, we have a lot of good, young talent, and Trevor really is finding his pace right now. I’m happy for him.”

Trevor Zappulla said he enjoys his new sport.

“I’m getting better every race, figuring how fast I can push myself and how [far] I can go,” he said. “It’s like a mental game, how good you think you’re going to do.”

Isaiah Mraz of Southold finished second in Class D. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

Mraz returning to states. Southold’s Isaiah Mraz is no fan of the cold weather, but he couldn’t complain about the results.

“I hate running in the cold,” he said. “It gets bad when it gets below 40 [degrees] for me. Like 45, that’s ideal for me. That’s when I run my best times. Wind never helps. Wind in any way is always terrible. It messes with me.”

Not enough, though, to prevent Mraz from qualifying for his second straight state meet Saturday at SUNY/Plattsburgh. The sophomore, who took second place in Friday’s Section XI Class D race, will have company in Plattsburgh. Four of his teammates will join him: eighth-grader Flynn Klipstein, freshman Jack Goscinski, senior James Hoyt and freshman Robert Doering.

“Isaiah has a lot of natural talent and he is driven by the fact that he likes to be the best,” Southold coach Karl Himmelmann said. “He likes to be the best at what he does.”

As expected, Shelter Island senior Kal Lewis blew away the field, winning in 16:40.82 to lead the Indians (24 points) to the team title. Mraz was second in 18:41.09, Klipstein fifth in 19:30.53, Goscinski seventh in 19:57.38, Hoyt eighth in 20:03.41 and Doering ninth in 20:04.49. Southold’s Tate Klipstein was 12th in 20:45.32 and teammate Andrew Clausen was 14th in 21:25.67.

Did Mraz feel pressure?

“It’s more just nervousness than pressure, like you’re nervous before a recital or you’re nervous before a job interview,” he said. “It’s more like that than it’s like, ‘Oh, I got to do this or else I’m a terrible human being.’ ”

Mraz said he had been hoping to run about 40 seconds faster, but he understood this was a state qualifying meet, and place counted more than time.

“I really did want to qualify and since I did, I’m extremely happy,” he said. “I’m not too impressed with my time, but I’m going and that’s what matters, I guess.”

Top photo caption: Mattituck freshman Trevor Zappulla, in his first cross-country season, qualified to run in the state championships. (Credit: Daniel De Mato)

bliepa@timesreview.com

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The counting of the absentee ballots in the remarkably close races for Southold Town supervisor, Town Board and town justice will begin Friday, Nov. 22, the Suffolk County Board of Elections said.

On election night, Nov. 5, unofficial results compiled by the BOE showed incumbent Republican Supervisor Scott Russell with 3,988 votes and his Democratic opponent, Greg Doroski, with 3,768. For the two open seats on the Town Board, incumbent Republican Jill Doherty led the voting with 3,896. Fellow incumbent Republican William Ruland had 3,778 votes, followed tightly by Democratic challenger Sarah Nappa with 3,731. Democratic challenger Robert Hanlon had 3,618 votes.

The race likely comes down to either Mr. Ruland or Ms. Nappa joining Ms. Doherty as the winner.

If Ms. Nappa prevails, she would be the first Democrat elected to the Town Board since Al Krupski in 2009.

The town justice race was also too close to call, with incumbent Republican Brian Hughes receiving 3,870 votes to Democratic challenger Daniel Ross’ 3,775.

Beginning Nov. 22, all absentee ballots will be counted. That process takes days and can result in court challenges.

As of election night, the party affiliation of the 473 absentee voters in Southold makes things even closer in each of these races, with 248 registered Democrats returning ballots to 128 Republican voters. There were also 18 Independence and five Conservative absentee voters, minor parties that endorsed the Republican candidates. Additional absentee ballots are counted that come in after Election Day, as long as they are postmarked by the correct date and received no later than the seventh day after the election.

The post Absentee ballots to be counted Nov. 22; election results remain in limbo 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 Wednesday, Nov. 13:

NEWS

Prosecutors: Murphy turned down ride from sober friend moments before fatal crash

Absentee ballots to be counted Nov. 22; election results remain in limbo

Officials urge residents to attend forum on downtown Riverhead

SPORTS

Boys Cross Country: SWR’s Zelin qualifies for his third state meet

Boys Cross Country: Mattituck rookie headed to states

NORTHFORKER

Mapping your way to a Zen state before the busy holiday season

WEATHER

Expect sunny skies on this otherwise breezy, chilly day. The high temperature will be about 32 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, which has issued a black ice warning. The low will be around 20.

The post Daily Update: Opening arguments in Murphy case, Election results still on hold appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Kathleen M. Donlin of Southold died Nov. 13. She was 90.

Visitors will be received Friday, Nov. 22, from 3 to 7 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold.

The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, Nov. 23, at 10 a.m. at Saint Agnes R.C. Church in Greenport, officiated by Father Richard Hoerning. The Rite of Committal will be private.

The post Kathleen M. Donlin appeared first on Suffolk Times.

On the showroom floor at Riverhead Nissan, Kelley Blanchard would “zip around” in her high heels. Next month would have marked her one-year anniversary as a sales and leasing consultant at the Riverhead dealership, where her smile would light up the room.

Whether it was at Michelangelo Pizzeria in Mattituck, where she was a longtime manager, or in her newest role at the dealership, Kelley was known for her energy and her larger-than-life personality.

Staffers at the dealership referred to her as their “little-big sister” because of the way she looked out for younger co-workers, said general sales manager Francois Wall.

“We were the family away from her family,” he said.

Kelley, who grew up in Southold and currently lived in Riverhead, died Sunday night in a boating crash in Mattituck. She was 27.

Her sister Megan, 29, was also injured in the crash and is expected to recover.

“Kelley was very loud and outgoing,” said Claire Vega, an aunt of the sisters. “She just put herself out there. She was nice to everybody. And funny. She had so much fun with anything she was doing.”

Ms. Vega said the sisters were “best friends” who did everything together.

Natalie Zappola, a close friend of Kelley’s since they met in eighth-grade gym class, said Kelley and Megan were “soul mates.”

Ms. Zappola said she made a promise to Kelley to look after her sister.

“That would be her biggest worry right now,” she said. “All I keep hearing is, ‘Take care of Megan.’ ”

Ms. Zappola said Kelley’s life had begun to take off in the last year, as she began a new job, and she was excited to advance her career.

Service Information

The family will receive friends Sunday, Nov. 17 from noon-4 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 18, at Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. Church in Mattituck. The Rite of Commital will be private.

No matter where she was in her life, she always found the time to take care of the people closest to her. She was a loyal friend who made sure everyone close to her knew how much they meant.

“She always put everybody else before herself,” Ms. Zappola said.

Kelley turned 27 on Oct. 26. The next night she celebrated her birthday with family and friends with a night out in Riverhead. Ms. Zappola said she met the group after they had dinner and they hung out the rest of the night and ate breakfast the next morning.

The pictures they took during that birthday celebration were the last of them together, she said.

“She’s one of the greatest people I’ve ever known in my life,” Ms. Zappola said. “She’s truly an irreplaceable person.”

Sisters Kelley (right) and Megan Blanchard. (Courtesy photo)

Kelley graduated from Southold High School in 2010. Ms. Zappola said they met at a time when Kelley lived up-island and was attending the Sachem School District.

Ms. Vega said she grew up just a few houses from her nieces in Southold and they spent every day together as kids because they were close in age. They would have sleepovers, ride bikes and go to the beach.

“They were like my best friends growing up,” she said.

From an early age, Kelley and Megan both loved Halloween. The proximity of Kelley’s birthday to the holiday made it all the more fun.

“They were the Halloween queens,” Ms. Zappola said.

Mr. Wall, who hired Kelley at Riverhead Nissan, said she was eager to try something new. Right away, he said, her “bright” and “energetic” personality stood out to him.

“There are certain things in sales that you can’t teach. I can teach you how to sell a car … but I can’t teach you energy,” he said. “She came to work and customers loved her. Everyone that met her was instantly drawn to her.”

Fellow sales manager Tommy Maiorini of Deer Park said when Kelley was hired, she was excited to join the sales team and loved coming to work.

“She literally came to work to work,” Mr. Maiorini said. “She was excited to jump in front of customers, excited to help them out. Every time she came into the store, she’d smile and light up the room.”

Mr. Maiorini, who has worked at the Riverhead dealership for a year and has been in the business for 14 years, said the sales team is a tight-knit group of roughly 10 employees, so they were all close to Kelley.

“We definitely lost a good one here,” he said.

The relationship Kelley formed with her co-workers prompted general manager Vinny Purrazzella and sales and leasing consultant Mario Gonzalez to create an online fundraiser.

The GoFundMe page created Monday, “For Kelley Blanchard”, had already raised over $4,000 as of Wednesday afternoon. The page states that funds will go to her family. A separate GoFundMe page has raised more than $5,500.

GoFundMe works to merge the funds in situations where multiple pages are created following a tragedy.

Sales and leasing consultant Peter Agudo of Holtsville started at Riverhead Nissan in February and was trained by Kelley.

“She was always funny, wacky, and spoke her mind,” he said. “I don’t know where she got it, but she was always talking about cheese and wine.”

Mr. Agudo said Kelley inspired him to be himself.

“Don’t take anything for granted,” he said. “Just be yourself. Just do you.”

joew@timesreview.com

The post Kelley Blanchard, 27, remembered as vibrant woman who always helped others appeared first on Suffolk Times.

On Saturday morning, Michael Combs received life-changing news: The studio in Southold where he has worked for 18 years as a famed wood carver and sculptor was burning. All his tools were in the second-floor studio, along with works in progress for an upcoming show, decoys and other carvings, including at least one highly prized wood carving of a swordfish made by his grandfather, Capt. George Washington Combs.

“Looking around now, I feel I lost everything,” Mr. Combs said Tuesday afternoon, four days after the fire, as he picked his way through the ruins of his studio, which still reeked of smoke. Burnt insulation lay on the floor and hung from the walls and ceiling. Tool chests and a band saw were black from the flames. “When I first heard about it, I really sank,” he said, “but now I am beginning to come out of it.”

A passing motorist saw smoke coming from the building, located on the south side of Hummel Avenue, and called 911. A neighbor who was letting his dog out also noticed the smoke. Southold Fire Department responded around 7:44 a.m. and the fire was quickly extinguished, according to Southold Town police.

Mr. Combs, 49, is a fifth-generation artist who grew up on the North Fork and lives in Greenport. His grandfather and his people before him were all wooden decoy carvers on the South Shore of Long Island. His family’s carvings of ducks are among the finest ever made, and some are in the prestigious Shelburne Museum in Vermont. The museum’s website describes decoy carving as a uniquely American art form.

Sculptor and wood carver Michael Combs inside his burned-out Southold studio Tuesday afternoon. (Credit: Steve Wick)

Michael Combs’ work is in the permanent collection of the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton. This is what the Parrish Art Museum website says of him: “The studio where Michael Combs works is redolent of wood — raw wood waiting to be stripped and cleaned, carved wood being oiled and polished, his great-grandfather’s skiff hanging from the rafters. Combs hails from a line of Long Island boatbuilders, decoy makers, fishermen, and market gunners who for five generations made their living on the Great South Bay. His skill at carving was evident from an early age …”

How to help

The family has started a GoFundMe page.

As he made his way through the ruins of his studio, Mr. Combs pointed out objects to a visitor. On the floor were carvings of trophy deer heads, heavily smoke damaged. There, he said, that is the swordfish carved by my grandfather. He said the carving was originally made as a sign for a bait shop. Objects made by his father, Capt. Jack Combs, were also there, buried under the burnt debris.

In an adjacent building he showed the visitor the beginnings of what will be a walnut table he is making for a customer. Where his father and those before him were predominantly wooden decoy carvers, Michael Combs is a well-regarded sculptor as well, in this case of a long table, the foam model of which sits on a workbench.

He retrieved a water-soaked book about his art. The book describes his family’s remarkable history; they are, in many ways, like the famous Wyeth family of multi-generational artists from Pennsylvania. In one section of the book, Michael Combs says: “All my life I’ve been around people creating with their hands. I learned to carve decoy birds by osmosis — just watching my grandfather and father at work. By the time I was sixteen, I had basically turned my father’s workshop into my own studio.”

As he walks outside into the cold, wet afternoon, Mr. Combs points out what someone has written on the studio door: that, out of the ashes, a new life will arise. “Isn’t that great?” he said. “I don’t even know who did it.”

But, he added, it will be true.

Top photo caption: A fire destroyed the inside of well-known sculptor Michael Combs’ Southold studio Saturday. (Credit: Steve Wick)

swick@timesreview.com

The post Sculptor left to pick up the pieces after fire destroys some of his work 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. 14:

NEWS

Riverhead teacher, assistant football coach placed on reassignment

Sculptor left to pick up the pieces after fire destroys some of his work

Text messages, friend’s testimony tell a story of day of scout crash

Kelley Blanchard, 27, remembered as vibrant woman who always helped others

NORTHFORKER

Northforker Weekend: What’s happening across the North Fork the week of November 14

WEATHER

Expect partly sunny and at times cloudy skies with a high temperature today of about 47 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The low will be around 34.

The post Daily Update: Artist studio destroyed by fire, friend testifies at Murphy trial appeared first on Suffolk Times.

A police blotter item in the Nov. 14 print edition of The Suffolk Times incorrectly listed a driving while intoxicated charge against a Greenport woman near Queen Street.

Southold Town police arrested Douglas Ely, 63, of North Andover, Mass for DWI on Nov. 5. The police report listed the Greenport woman’s name as the caller who alerted police to a possible drunken driver. She was not arrested in a separate incident, as The Suffolk Times’ blotter indicated.

The Suffolk Times regrets the error.

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Seven Mattituck High School senior athletes put pen to paper on national signing day, securing their collegiate futures. In addition to scratching their signatures, they might as well have also written glowingly about the state of lacrosse on the North Fork.

All seven athletes, as it turned out, are lacrosse players, five of whom have NCAA Division I teams in their future.

Seated at a long table Wednesday, with balloons matching the colors of their chosen colleges hanging behind them in the high school lobby, the seven are testimony to the health and growth of the Mattituck/Southold boys and girls lacrosse teams.

Four members of the two-time defending state Class D champion girls team inked their names with Division I teams: defender Maggie Bruer (Sacred Heart), attack/midfielder Mackenzie Hoeg (Virginia), defender Payton Maddaloni (New Hampshire) and midfielder Kaitlin Tobin (UMass Lowell).

On the boys side, midfielder/attack Dane Reda will remain on Long Island with Division I Stony Brook while attack Ethan Schmidt (Wingate University) and defender Colby Suglia (Queens University of Charlotte) will both play for Division II North Carolina schools that face each other in the South Atlantic Conference.

It’s really quite a haul for a school of Mattituck’s modest size.

“It’s definitely a little eye-opening,” Reda said. “I remember early on playing club lacrosse, my grandpa kept telling me, ‘You should just focus on school, you’re not going to be able to play college lacrosse. It’s such a small town, blah, blah, blah. But I mean, seven of us definitely proved him wrong there.”

Suglia said, “It shows that even though we’re a little school, we definitely have some caliber.”

Gregg Wormuth has seen the rise of the program in his 11 years as Mattituck’s athletic director. He said, “When you think back to where we came from to where we are right now — the team accolades, county championships on both the boys and girls sides, Long Island championships on both the boys and girls sides and then the two girls lacrosse state championships back-to-back — I think what has happened now is that everyone in the county knows who Mattituck/Southold/Greenport lacrosse is, and whether it’s the girls team or the boys team, we are a team on both sides, the boys and the girls, that nobody looks at on their schedule as a walk in the park any more.”

Matt Maloney, who coaches the girls team, can attest that Mattituck has built a name for itself in lacrosse. “It’s kind of transpired throughout the island that Mattituck is not just another school out there,” he said. “They’re one of the toughest games that you’re going to get on your schedule, and that’s not just because these girls are going to college, it’s the work behind the scenes that they put in to train and dedicate themselves to the sport.”

That dedication will carry over to the college level for these seven players, who were joined by friends and family members for the festive occasion.

For the Hoegs, lacrosse is a family affair. At Virginia, Mackenzie Hoeg will join her older sister, Riley. The oldest of the three Hoeg sisters, Katie, plays for North Carolina. Their father, James, is an assistant coach for the Tuckers and their mother, Karen, is the team’s scorekeeper.

Mackenzie Hoeg, a U.S. Lacrosse All-American and The Suffolk Times’ Mattituck Female Athletic of the Year for 2018-19 as well as a three-time All-County player, reached her 200th career goal and 300th career point last season. It was a season that saw her put up 54 goals, 38 assists, 43 ground balls, 88 draw controls and 22 caused turnovers.

Hoeg was attracted to Virginia by the school’s academic reputation. She made multiple visits to the campus before she committed. “Every time I visited, I loved it more and more every time,” she said.

For Maddaloni (34 draw controls, 18 ground balls, 13 caused turnovers last year), her visit to New Hampshire came late in the process. “This kind of came out of the blue for me and for me this was the perfect fit,” she said. “I loved it there. I walked on campus. I was like, ‘This is where I want to be.’ ”

Reda had a culinary explanation for his decision to stay close to home. “I kept thinking about it and I realized that I love good food and it’s hard to get that when you’re at school, so I wanted to be close enough to home so that I could get a nice home-cooked meal,” he said.

Bruer (22 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers), who tore both her meniscus and ACL in her right knee while playing soccer this fall and moved about with the aid of crutches, said she had been looking forward to this day for a while. “I’ve been dreaming about it for so long,” she said. “I’ve seen so many other girls in grades above me sign and go off and really enjoy playing, and I’m just glad I get to continue my lacrosse career.”

Mattituck boys coach John Amato said: “It’s unbelievable to see all these athletes going to such good schools and lacrosse is giving them an opportunity, and it shows the dedication of the parents, the athletes, the coaches and the community. It’s awesome to see the growth.”

After the ceremony, Maddaloni was asked what the day had been like for her.

“The word is surreal,” she answered. “I mean, it’s cool that I’m finally able to say that I’m done … I don’t have to worry about [college] applications any more and all my SATs are done. It just means that I’m secure and it shows that I’m ready for college.”

Photo caption: Seven Mattituck senior lacrosse players took part in a ceremony on national signing day: from left, Kaitlin Tobin (UMass Lowell), Maggie Bruer (Sacred Heart), Colby Suglia (Queens University of Charlotte), Dane Reda (Stony Brook), Ethan Schmidt (Wingate University), Payton Maddaloni (New Hampshire) and Mackenzie Hoeg (Virginia). (Credit: Bob Liepa)

bliepa@timesreview.com

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After a “near-unprecedented” scallop die-off in Peconic Bay, Suffolk County legislators on Thursday outlined efforts underway to investigate the cause.

“The alarm has sounded,” Suffolk County Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory said a press conference.

Experts with Peconic Estuary Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension and the state Department of Environmental Conservation have been working together to try to understand the problem, he said.

“We are seeing reports of die-off of 95%, up to 100% in some pockets,” Mr. Gregory said.

Steven Tettelbach, a shellfish ecologist with Cornell Cooperative, described the die-off as one of the most serious the East End has seen since the mid-1980s.

“We have done extensive population surveys of the scallops and confirmed what baymen had rumored, that the die-off was up to 100 percent in some locations,” he said. “Going forward, we need to address that and hopefully mitigate some of the die-off and the repercussions to the fishermen, especially.”

He said they believe the die-off was the result of a combination of “high water temperature and low dissolved oxygen levels, in conjunction with the spawning of the adult scallops.”

Both of those suspected factors may be linked to climate change, Mr.. Tettelbach said. However, he pointed out, this year does not hold the record for warmest water temperatures compared to the last five years. In 2018, he said, the water was warmer. Mr. Tettelbach also mentioned that oyster growers this year say 2019 has been one of their best harvesting years. Scallops, he said, are very environmentally-sensitive compared to certain other species.

“We think that the timing of scallop reproduction, which is actually a very physiologically stressful event for scallops, may have been more aligned with the highest water temperatures,” he said. “But the water temperatures in Flanders Bay and the western part of Peconic Bay this year were over 85 degrees and that’s getting very close to the lethal limit for bay scallops.”

If this is climate change, he said, the East End is at its mercy.

“We have to do what we can to save what we have left here,” he said.

Members of Cornell Cooperative Extension are collecting data on water quality, temperature records from various locations within the Peconic Estuary and targeted data from other scientific partners. Members of the Peconic Estuary Program are also compiling and reviewing similar data.

Sarah Schaefer, an environmental analyst and program coordinator for Peconic Estuary Program, said Thursday that “the scallop has been a longstanding icon.”

It is critical, she said, that restoration and water quality monitoring efforts continue in the watershed.

Ms. Schaefer said Peconic Estuary Program will be convening a scallop technical review committee in the coming weeks. Mr.. Tettelbach added that Cornell Cooperative is working to protect the remaining scallop population. His group will be meeting with members of the East End Seaport Museum in Greenport Thursday night to plan out a potential transfer of Peconic scallops that are located in areas where they have low chance of survival. Cornell Cooperative is also trying to obtain samples of live scallops to investigate the level of toxins in their tissues and check to see if disease might play a role. He is doubtful of that, he said, because there are still plenty of juvenile scallops in the bays.

“The risk of the population is if the juveniles get harvested,” he said. “And that’s been a big issue in the last couple of years is illegal harvesting of juvenile scallops … If it takes shutting down the fishery then that may be what it would take. It has happened in the past and it’s happened a lot in the past two years.”

Mr. Tettelbach did say that closing the fishery now might be a premature move.

Legislator Al Krupski (D–Cutchogue) said scalloping is a real part of the local economy and culture, adding that it is difficult to calculate the financial impact because many people go scalloping casually, without keeping record. Legislator Bridget Fleming (D–Sag Harbor) said the die-off may be a potentially catastrophic monetary hit on the industry.

“The experts are predicting more than a million dollars,” she said. “It may be well above that because we do have the family baymen … but also the retailers and the restaurant industries.”

Nov. 4 marked the first day of scallop season. Many local baymen predicted in the days leading up to Nov. 4 that the a bad season was in the future. Those thoughts were confirmed on opening day.

Ms. Fleming added that scallops are integral to the economic viability of North and South Fork tourism, urging people to back data because “science matters.”

Mr. Krupski said one positive is that there are many bugs, or juvenile scallops, in the bay now, of all different forms and sizes.

“Hopefully, that will bode well for next season,” he said.

Photo caption: Legislator Al Krupski. (Credit: Mahreen Khan)

mkhan@timesreview.com

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The daily update, a podcast briefing on what’s happening across the North Fork, is brought to you by 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. 15:

NEWS

‘Alarm has sounded’ after scallop die-off of 95 to 100% in some areas

Short-handed Riverhead Town Board rejects supervisor’s proposal to increase fines

Riverhead woman pleads not guilty to attempted murder in Flanders shooting

Defense calls into question the character of key witness in Murphy trial

SPORTS

Lacrosse: Seven Tuckers sign with college teams

NORTHFORKER

Five options to avoid cooking this Thanksgiving

WEATHER

Expect mostly sunny skies today with a high temperature of about 51 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The low tonight will be around 27.

The sky should remain sunny for the most part this weekend, but winds will pick up and temperatures will fail to get above the 40s Saturday and Sunday. Rain showers are possible Sunday evening.

The post Daily Update: Scallop die-off being studied, Murphy trial continues appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Arnold H. Sims of Riverhead died at home Nov. 13, 2019. He was 96. 

He was born May 2, 1923, to Louise Rose and John Sims in Lynn, Mass. 

Mr. Sims graduated from high school and was employed as a service manager in the automotive industry for Wells Pontiac Cadillac and Peter Glenan Buick Cadillac in Southampton.  

He was predeceased his wife, Ann, and his daughter Jean LePage. He is survived by his children Daniel (Dorothy), Ronald (Pamela), Dorre (Harry) Miles, Linda (Robert) Taplin and Jo-Ann (Thomas) Perry; his significant other, Jean Guydish; 13 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

Visitors will be received Sunday, Nov. 17, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Tuthill- Mangano Funeral Home in Riverhead. Mass will be the following day at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church at 9:30 a.m., followed by burial at St. John’s Cemetery.

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Charles Joseph Cromack of East Marion died Nov. 14. He was 75.

He was born May 11, 1944, to Helen T. Cunningham and Charles George Cromack in Queens.

Mr. Cromack graduated from high school and later married Genevieve E. Russo on May 23, 1987, at St. Agnes R.C. Church in Greenport.

He served in the U.S. Navy from 1962 to 1968 and made a career as a police officer with the Port Authority Police Department for 22 years in New York City.

His family said he enjoyed sailing and landscaping.

Mr. Cromack was predeceased by his brother, Daniel Cromack. He is survived by his wife, who resides in East Marion.

Visitors will be received Wednesday, Nov. 20, at 9:30 a.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport followed by a service at 11 a.m. at St. Agnes R.C. Church in Greenport, officiated by Fr. Richard Hoerning. Cremation was private.

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Shaun M. Leo of Southold died Nov. 12 at Stony Brook University Hospital. He was 35. 

He was born Dec. 7, 1983, to Joy (McGrath) and Alan Leo. 

Mr. Leo graduated from Southold High School. 

His family said he loved his dog, nature and hiking. 

Mr. Leo was predeceased by his brother, Scott, in 2004. He is survived by his mother, who resides in Southold, and his father, who resides in Canton, N.Y.

Visitors will be received Wednesday, Nov. 20, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue. A service will take place during the evening visitation. Cremation was private. 

Memorial donations may be made to North Fork Animal Welfare League. 

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Stella Sakowicz of Peconic died at home Nov. 12. She was 93.

Visitors will be received Tuesday, Nov. 19, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold.

The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated following the visitation at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue, officiated by Father Robert Wolosik. Interment will follow at Sacred Heart Cemetery adjacent to the church.

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