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My name is Patrice Conklin. I work here at White Flower Farmhouse.

When I come in, the first thing I do is walk around the store, because [owner Lori Guyer] brings in new things almost every day.

It is definitely every aspect of the business, from ordering, because we do carry new merchandise as well as vintage, to unboxing and pricing when it comes in. I love customer service. Customers have a lot of questions about design, what will go with what. I can offer some help with designs, but Lori is the expert. I’ve learned so much from her. I’m even changing my look at home because of her.

I worked at a desk job for a marina for about 10 years and got tired of that.

So I left there and then I ran into Lori at the Opp Shop and we started talking. She asked if I wanted to work at the store and I jumped at it.

It’s been a match made in heaven. She has helped me get my creative side out again.

I’m really into vintage photos and vintage maps. But I’d just keep them in a box, even with my old family photos. When I started here, Lori pushed me — she said, “Let’s do something with these.” So I collected old photos and maps from tag sales and I’ll make cards out of them or frame them.

There’s just something about old photos of the area that I just love.

I actually wish I could go back in time for a day and see the North Fork how it was.

People come in for the farmhouse tables, weathered white-washed mirrors, ironstone and candles are big. One of the attractions is that Lori has the Shiny Brite ornaments, vintage ornaments in the original boxes.

I guess it reminds me of my childhood. My mom was into antiques and it just was a simpler time. That’s why I think it’s such a good fit in the store for me. And Lori is a really special person. She’s giving and supports women-owned businesses. That really inspires me.

I never am like ‘Ugh, I have to go to work.’ One of the best parts of the job is that I’ve made so many new friends. The customers become my friends. They’re really great, really friendly people.

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

The post The Work We Do: Patrice Conklin, White Flower Farmhouse 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, Dec. 17:

NEWS

Jury expected to begin deliberations Tuesday in scout’s death case

Take Two: Revised Greenport school bond up for vote Tuesday

Pending improvements to parks funded through solar company agreement

SPORTS

Wrestling: Tuckers crown two champs in season’s second tournament

NORTHFORKER

These are a few of our favorite [northforker] things from 2019

WEATHER

Expect rain and wind today with a high temperature of about 40 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

The low tonight will be around 29.

The post Daily Update: Jury to deliberate in Murphy trial, Greenport bond vote today appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Listings prepared for Times Review Media Group by Suffolk Research Service, dated Oct. 21-27, 2019.

Brought to you by:

AQUEBOGUE (11931)

• Lutz, A & E to Hazzard, Jared, 355 Tuthills Ln (600-46-2-30), (R), $485,000

• US Bank Trust, NA to Losee, Keith, 51 Josica Dr (600-85-4-9), (R), $395,000

• Laube, D to Pirir Coe, Carlos, 166 Sunup Trail (600-86-5-19), (R), $401,000

CALVERTON (11933)

• Ayoub, F Trust to Dipane, Jerome, 2 Black Pine St (600-81.1-1-27), (R), $525,000

CUTCHOGUE (11935)

• Rimor Development LLC to Rosenthal Goodman Trust, Audrey, Harvest Pointe Home #6 (1000-102.1-1-6), (R), $707,820

• Rimor Development LLC to Flynn, Christine, Harvest Pointe Home #8 (1000-102.1-1-8), (R), $707,820

• Rimor Development LLC to Cracchiola, Philip, Harvest Pointe Home #12 (1000-102.1-1-12), (R), $695,000

• Piccolo, A to Waldkirch, Ronny, 2900 Pequash Ave (1000-103-13-23), (R), $475,000

• Reeve, J to Palatine Properties LLC, 1815 Country Club Dr (1000-109-3-2.34), (V), $300,000

• Drell Corp to Colletti, Scott, 25500 Route 25 (1000-109-3-5), (C), $300,000

FLANDERS (11901)

• Vlahos, D to Fisher Organization LLC, 326 Royal Ave (900-123-1-68), (R), $552,000

GREENPORT (11944)

• Ryan, J to Katona, Kathy, 330 Inlet Ln & lot 5-017 (1000-43-5-3), (R), $1,250,000

JAMESPORT (11947)

• PNC Bank, NA to Cerbone, Arthur, 42 Melissa Ct (600-69-3-53.49), (R), $442,000

MATTITUCK (11952)

• Pumillo, J & C to Mucaria, Giacomo, 210 Pat Ln (1000-114-10-10), (R), $490,000

ORIENT (11957)

• Weiss, J to 2610 Orchard LLC, 2610 Orchard St (1000-27-3-2.4), (R), $465,000

PECONIC (11958)

• Marczewski Jr, W to Flatley, Ryan, 1980 Carroll Ave (1000-74-3-6), (R), $483,070

RIVERHEAD (11901)

• Mayer, P to O’Gorman, Theresa, 3180 Sound Ave (600-12-2-5.1), (R), $507,500

• Pacilio, M & W to Rana, Allah, 77 Sandy Ct (600-15-2-1.1), (R), $620,000

• Jarreau, C to Russo, Ronald, 25 Newcastle Ct (600-82.4-1-15), (R), $475,000

SHELTER ISLAND (11964)

• Burden, J & Joseph, J to Anderson, Ross, 55 N Cartwright Rd (700-8-3-46.1), (R), $1,125,000

• Clark, D Trust to Larkins Legacy LLC, 112 S Ferry Rd (700-23-2-97.1), (R), $655,000

SOUTHOLD (11971)

• Kujawski III, J & C to Israel, Marcel, 55 Oriole Dr (1000-55-6-15.24), (R), $395,000

WADING RIVER (11792)

• Walther, D to Shefferman, Laurence, 63 17th St (600-53-1-10), (R), $320,000

• CK Auto Repairs Inc to Better Auto Repair Corp, 2105 Wading River Manor Rd (600-74-1-27.1), (C), $475,000

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

The post Real Estate Transfers: Dec. 12, 2019 appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Peter Michael Walker, a longtime Cutchogue resident, unexpectedly passed at home Dec. 10, 2019. He was 68 years old.

He was born in Huntington to Bertram White Walker and Margery Marie Powers of Laurel.

Peter graduated from Cold Spring Harbor High School. He attended NY Tech and C.W. Post. He taught art in Cold Spring Harbor High School, James E. Allen BOCES and finished up his 30-year career in the William Floyd School District. In William Floyd he also coached volleyball and soccer for many years. Since 2008, he enjoyed his retirement golfing, captaining boats in the summer, lobstering, scalloping, fishing, creating cairns and traveling the world with his wife, Eileen.

He is survived by his wife, Eileen (Clifford) Walker; his brother, Timothy (Joan); his sisters, Patricia Walker, Margery Scotti, Susan Wilcenski (John) and Amy Tenreiro (Tony); and 11 nephews and nieces.

Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue assisted the family.

Memorial donations may be made to any of the following organizations: North Fork Animal Welfare League, East End Hospice, Making Headway (in honor of his nephew Max) or North Fork Environmental Council.

This is a paid notice.

The post Peter Michael Walker appeared first on Suffolk Times.

John Malcolm Schriefer of Southold died Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019, at the Kanas Center in Westhampton Beach. He was 91.

He was born in Peconic March 2, 1928, to Florence (Case) and John Schriefer and was a lifelong resident of the East End.

In August 1960, he married Eleanor Novick, who predeceased him, and they made their home in Southold for 60 years. John worked at Suffolk County building and grounds before his retirement in 1992.

He is survived by four daughters, Susan Nobile of Southold, Linda (Ted) Kucin of Riverhead, Barbara (Steven) Donahue of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Carol (Brett) Kehl of Southold; and five grandchildren: Michael Nobile, Stephen Best, Adam Best, Amanda Donahue and Nicholas Donahue. He was predeceased by his two siblings, Clifford Schriefer and Vivian Schriefer Fahey.

The family will receive friends Thursday, Dec. 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold. Graveside services will follow at Sacred Heart R.C. Cemetery in Cutchogue.

In lieu of flowers, donations to East End Hospice would be appreciated. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

This is a paid notice.

The post John Malcolm Schriefer appeared first on Suffolk Times.

A new environmental organization dedicated to reducing the impacts of climate change on a local level is turning to an unlikely culprit: food waste.

Jim Bunchuk, the town’s solid waste coordinator, said members of the Drawdown East End group approached him with a plan that could divert over a million pounds of food waste per year from the town’s waste stream.

Mr. Bunchuk said the idea is consistent with the state’s new emphasis on solid waste planning for municipalities. “Food waste is the biggest component left in the garbage stream that doesn’t need to be in garbage if it can be composted,” he said Tuesday during a Town Board work session.

Under the pilot program created and funded by Drawdown East End, 30 local families would initially agree to separate their food waste from their regular trash for 30 days. They would need to bring their compostable food waste — including meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds and tea bags — to the town’s transfer station in food waste buckets. A team from Drawdown East End would then weigh the food waste, provide participants with clean buckets to be refilled and transport the waste to Treiber Farm, where it would be composted and used for soil regeneration.

Peter Treiber Jr. said in an interview Tuesday that it comes down to the willingness and education of the community at large. “It’s important for the holistic, waste not-want not approach to farming,” he said. “It starts and begins with soil.”

“Banana peels, onion skins, lettuce heads or the parsley that rotted in the fridge, it’s so unnecessary for that to go into a landfill,” Mr. Treiber said. “It could be so beneficial [to farms.]”

Though supportive of the idea, Supervisor Scott Russell asked that members of the organization attend a future work session to provide a better understanding of the program, as well as talk through logistical issues, such as how often residents would be asked to drop off their waste.

For example, Mr. Bunchuk said, all composting would need to take place off-site and would need to be picked up daily. “Whatever food they’re going to bring, it has to be sealed,” he said, so it won’t attract pests. “We can’t hold waste overnight without getting the [New York State Department of Environmental Conservation] involved.”

If the pilot program is successful, Drawdown East End hopes to expand it townwide. They estimate that each person generates approximately 1.6 pounds of food waste per week. With 23,000 residents in Southold Town, that could prevent as much as 1.9 million pounds of food waste from entering the stream each year.

“One of the things they’d like to educate people on is not buying excess food,” Mr. Bunchuk said.

Photo caption: Jim Bunchuk outlines the pilot program at Tuesday’s Town Board work session. (Credit: Tara Smith)

tsmith@timesreview.com

The post Pilot program pitched to make better use of town’s food waste appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Voters in the Greenport School District approved a revised $17.18 million capital improvement bond Tuesday.

After voters rejected a $23.8 million bond in June by just 23 votes, the turnout on the smaller plan wasn’t nearly as close. Just past 8 p.m. Tuesday, the results printed out showing 409 voters approved the bond compared to 240 who voted against it.

Superintendent David Gamberg tossed a paper in the air as he read the results and exclaimed: “Not even close!”

The total turnout was similar to the June vote when 354 residents voted no and 331 voted yes. At the time, school officials described that as a record turnout.

In an interview after the vote, Mr. Gamberg held back tears as he said: “Thank you Greenport, let’s start with that. This is very well deserved. I’m happy for the students, staff, families — everybody.”

With the bond approved, the district will apply $1 million from its capital reserve fund to lower the total cost, meaning that $17.18 million of the total $18.18 million cost will be bonded. Mr. Gamberg had said the planned upgrades will touch “a great many areas of the physical building to bring it into a healthier, safer, better learning environment.”

Greenport Elementary School Principal Joseph Tsaveras commended all the work that went into updating the bond since June.

“I’m very excited,” he said. “I think the first time there were a lot of questions that needed to be answered. I think we all felt defeated. When you put together this bond, and it went through with flying colors, it’s pretty exciting.”

Board member Babette Cornine said when she walked into the gym, it was a “totally different environment” compared to June.

The tension from the last vote was gone, she said.

“People were coming in and out with their children and it was much different than the first time we did it,” she said. “Mr. Gamberg had gone to Peconic Landing. They totally backed us, The Suffolk Times backed us and I think people just understood more than originally. I’m just so excited, I don’t know what to do.”

Board member Kimberly Moore Swann excitedly swung her young son around in the air and then said she “absolutely elated” that the bond passed.

“We have a lot of work cut out for us and I am excited to hit the ground running,” she said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make this school what I know it’s capable being — which is the Mecca for all small schools. Thank you so much Greenport.”

Fellow board member Sandra Martocchia described the process of revising the bond as nerve-wracking. She said now the students will have a building to match all the great work they are already doing.

Greenport Teacher Association president Rebecca Lillis had urged the board in October to maintain the $17.1 million total and to not lower the bond any further and make further concessions. She said the teacher’s association worked hard “behind the scenes” to promote the bond, by making phone calls, sending out robocalls and informational postcards. They also met in person with different community groups.

“We had a little more time to get the information out there,” she said, compared to the June vote. “The board of ed worked really hard, Mr. Gamberg worked really hard, so it’s exciting.”

knalepinski@timesreview.com

The post A win for Greenport as voters approve revised bond by wide margin appeared first on Suffolk Times.

A mobile app coming to North Fork school districts might bring students one step closer to community service opportunities.

Beginning in 2020, Southold High School students can download and use an app called Passport For Good, which tracks each student’s involvement in community service, career development and school clubs and activities. Mattituck High School adopted the app in the 2018-19 academic year.

For several years, principal Shawn Petretti said, the district has offered students a Service Learning Enhancement on their diplomas if they accumulate 65 hours of community service over the course of their high school career.

However, the tedious process of tracking service hours on paper was discouraging students from registering for the credit they were due, he said.

“We found students were doing community service, but the paperwork was so cumbersome they weren’t submitting their hours,” he said. “Passport for Good approached us and … [it ] allows them to do all of that previous paperwork online.”

In only a few months, Mattituck students have logged over 1,700 community service hours and 30% of students are registered with the app, Mr. Petretti said. Members of the Community Service Club and the school secretary have been trained in the app.

Program founder and CEO Gayle Farman of Albany, N.Y., said the app was created in 2015 to solve a problem her own children faced while preparing for college.

“There was no way for them to chronicle their journey of everything that they were doing outside of the classroom,” Ms. Farman said.

She contacted hundreds of school district administrators and counselors in upstate New York and found the problem was widespread. It prompted Ms. Farman to find developers for an app that measured and verified student engagement in education.

Now, school districts are able to purchase a subscription to Passport for Good through BOCES, which then becomes a service supported by state aid. Approximately 22 districts are using the app in New York State.

The app also provides each district with engagement data that shows how many community service hours students are pursuing and which partnerships they’re creating, Ms. Farman said.

Although Southold has not yet rolled out the app, administrators there “have a vision for Passport for Good to establish the importance of capturing the whole student,” Ms. Farman said.

“The whole student might not just be doing community service, they may be participating in chess or newspaper club, they may be working a job after-school to support their family, they may have to watch siblings after school,” she said. “All of this can go into [the app] and give teachers and counselors a bigger picture of who their students are.”

Similarly, Mr. Petretti said the high school consistently tries to connect students with outside career opportunities to promote a more well-rounded education.

Community service is a prominent part of the Mattituck community, Mr. Petretti said, with organizations like Mattituck Lions Club and Kait’s Angels often donating scholarships and funding to the schools. One of the messages he tries to convey to students, he said, is how privileged they are to be a part of a generous community.

“There’s only so much we can teach students within the brick and mortar of this building and I feel it’s important that they go out and interact with the community and be involved,” he said. “There’s a lot to learn through doing and being exposed to something, and that could be life-changing for them.”

knalepinski@timesreview.com

The post A mobile app helps North Fork students track community service hours appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Three former coaches — Dorrie Jackson, Dude Manwaring and Al Edwards — are among the five people who will be inducted as the inaugural class in the Greenport High School Hall of Fame. Bill Fuccillo and Ryan Creighton will join them.

Jackson built up a 148-43-7 record as Greenport’s football coach from 1951-78, including a Rutgers Trophy-winning team in 1958. He was the New York State Coach of the Year in 1974 and 1978 as well as the Suffolk County Coach of the Year in 1956 and 1959. Jackson has already been inducted into the Suffolk County, Ithaca College and Westerly, R.I., halls of fame. Greenport’s football field is named after him.

Manwaring (Greenport Class of 1944) played semipro football for the Greenport Rams and coached Greenport boys basketball (1966-78) and baseball (1957-65) teams to multiple championships. He also coached the football Porters from 1979-83. Greenport’s gym is named in his honor.

Edwards was an All-American high school basketball player for Greenport who went on to play for East Carolina University. He was Suffolk’s leading scorer his senior season in 1972 with 2,117 points. Edwards went on to coach the Porters from 1979-2013. In that time, his teams won 383 games, 12 league championships, 10 county titles and three trips to the state final four, reaching a state Class D final in 2009. He is a member of the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame.

Fuccillo (Greenport Class of 1974) was an All-American football player and a league champion/state qualifier in golf. The Syracuse graduate also played basketball for the Porters.

Creighton (Greenport Class of 2009) was a five-time All-State basketball player and Long Island’s all-time leading scorer with 2,799 points (that ranked him third in the state). He played football for the Porters for three seasons.

The selections will be recognized and inducted Jan. 23 between the varsity and junior varsity boys basketball games against Southold at about 5:30 p.m.

“The Greenport Hall of Fame is an important step to honor the dedication and commitment for our student athletes over the years,” Greenport Superintendent David Gamberg said in a statement. “The accomplishments of the inaugural inductees reflects the best of our storied history in Greenport Athletics.

Photo caption: Ryan Creighton was presented a framed No. 34 Greenport jersey by varsity coach Al Edwards (left) and former Superintendent Michael Comanda in 2013. (Credit: Garret Meade/file)

The post Greenport legends to be inducted into inaugural Hall of Fame class 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, Dec. 17:

NEWS

A win for Greenport as voters approve revised bond by wide margin

Jury does not reach verdict in first hours of deliberations at Murphy trial

A mobile app helps North Fork students track community service hours

Pilot program pitched to make better use of town’s food waste

Riverhead grad Josh Breezzyy set to release latest hip-hop album

SPORTS

Greenport legends to be inducted into inaugural Hall of Fame class

Boys Basketball: Blue Waves putting on a show

NORTHFORKER

Win two tickets to the New Year’s Eve party at The Merchant’s Wife in Greenport

WEATHER

Expect sunny skies early with increasing clouds to follow today and a high temperature of about 39 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

The low tonight will be around 19.

There’s a chance of snow showers throughout the day.

The post Daily Update: Greenport voters approve school bond, no verdict in Murphy case appeared first on Suffolk Times.

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Thomas Murphy stood between his attorneys, his gaze fixed on the jury foreperson, as she delivered a verdict on all nine charges the Holbrook man faced Wednesday afternoon.

“Guilty,” said Andrea Vianola of Shirley, one of the five women and seven men who deliberated for the better part of two days before convicting Mr. Murphy, who took the life of 12-year-old Andrew McMorris of Wading River in a drunken driving crash on David Terry Road in Manorville last September. Three other Scouts were injured.

The six-week trial — which included testimony from 26 witnesses and dozens of tense moments between the judge and defense — came to a swift close Wednesday when Judge Fernando Camacho returned from a lunch break to inform both sides the jury had reached a verdict.

The packed courtroom was silent as the charges were read off one by one. 

Mr. Murphy, 60, took a seat as Ms. Vianola concluded her reading of the verdict and his supporters began sobbing. One of Mr. Murphy’s three daughters wrapped her arm around another as reality set in. Sitting only several feet away, Alisa McMorris, Andrew’s mother, raised her left hand to her mouth and began to cry.

Ms. McMorris and her husband, John, continued to sob outside the courtroom as they addressed the media with their 17-year-old daughter, Arianna, standing at their side.

“We trusted the judicial system,” Ms. McMorris said.

“God bless the DA’s office, the jury for seeing what really happened that day, to speak the truth and let the truth prevail,” Mr. McMorris said.

Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini hugged Ms. McMorris after the jury left the courtroom.

Mr. Murphy’s defense attorney, Steven Politi, said: “You hope that a jury won’t convict with emotion, but sometimes that’s hard for them to do.”

Mr. Politi said he plans to file an appeal, alleging “dozens” of missteps by prosecutors and the judge.

“This is only the beginning,” he said.

Mr. Murphy, who is due back in court Jan. 21 on motions filed during the trial, will be sentenced sometime after that. He is facing a maximum sentence of 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison, with a minimum of between one and three years.

He will remain free on a $500,000 bond pending sentencing next year.

All 12 jurors declined to comment shortly after the reading of the verdict, which came more than two months after jury selection began.

Jurors spent the better part of two days re-examining evidence and testimony and beginning deliberations before reaching the verdict Wednesday afternoon. The process began with a two-hour jury charge Tuesday from Judge Camacho, who explained in detail the elements of each charge facing Mr. Murphy.

“We trust in the process and we trust in the jury and believe that justice will be served,” Ms. McMorris told reporters in the opening minutes of deliberations.

On two occasions during the first day of deliberations the jury returned to the courtroom with notes requesting specific photographs, to view a video from the crime scene and, among other requests, to hear a reading of testimony related to when Mr. Murphy might have begun drinking on the day of the crash and to the injuries of two other boys.

The charges the jury convicted on included two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault, two counts of second-degree vehicular assault and two counts of third-degree assault and reckless driving.  

“[Prosecutors] failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt on any of the elements,” Mr. Politi told the media outside the courtroom, a group that grew to more than a dozen reporters, photographers and camera operators as the case reached its final hours.

During closing arguments, jurors first heard from the defense, which called the crash that caused Andrew’s death an “unavoidable tragic accident” and said the criminal case that followed was one built around an ever-evolving set of facts manufactured by prosecutors right up until the final day of testimony at trial. Then the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office took its turn and said the crash could have been avoided if Mr. Murphy had accepted a friend’s offer to drive his car home that afternoon.

“Mr. Murphy decided to gamble,” assistant district attorney Brendan Ahern told jurors of the Holbrook man’s decision to get behind the wheel after drinking with friends at the nearby Swan Lake Golf Club. “He selfishly rolled the dice and the children lost everything.

“It’s time to hold him accountable for his crimes.”

John and Alisa McMorris speak with reporters during deliberations Wednesday, as they expressed confidence in a guilty verdict, which did come down less than two hours later. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Mr. Politi began his closing arguments by reminding jurors of assistant district attorney Raymond Varuolo’s claim during opening arguments that they would hear testimony in the trial from an accident reconstruction expert prosecutors ultimately decided against having take the witness stand. He suggested the decision to not call Suffolk County crime lab investigator Robert Genna and others on the witness list fits a pattern in the case of prosecutors changing course when circumstances might be beneficial to Mr. Murphy. He also painted two of the detectives as personal friends of the victims in the case.

“Has anything been fair to my client?” he asked at one point. “Not from minute one.”

Mr. Ahern said it wasn’t necessary to call Mr. Genna since Mr. Murphy’s own friends testified that the Scouts were walking on the shoulder and not in the roadway, as Mr. Politi suggested in his closing arguments. The defense blamed Mr. Murphy’s obstructed view of the roadway as he drove behind a larger SUV and a lack of supervision on the hike.

The defense was also critical of prosecution witness Steven Meola, the only one of three friends who went golfing with Mr. Murphy prior to the crash who said he believed Mr. Murphy was driving drunk. He called Mr. Meola a “degenerate” and a “loser” who has a track record of inappropriate behavior and can’t be trusted. He also urged jurors to remember that his client’s other friends, Chris DiMaria and Ray O’Brien, said they did not believe Mr. Murphy was intoxicated.

Mr. Politi questioned if the blood tested at the Suffolk County crime laboratory, where it registered a 0.13% blood alcohol content, even belonged to his client, saying police and prosecutors failed to present a clear chain of custody of the sample. He also noted that one of the instruments used during the blood test had expired one day earlier. He said the testimony from Mr. Murphy’s friends proved he drank no more than six ounces of vodka that morning, an amount that could not have caused the 350-pound man to get drunk.

Mr. Ahern said Mr. DiMaria and Mr. O’Brien likely colluded to lie about how much vodka was in the bottle they drank at the course that day.

Mr. Sini spoke with reporters after the verdict was read.

“We’ve obtained justice for Andrew,” he said. “That’s what this was about. We never lost sight of that. And today, justice was served.”

COMPLETE TRIAL COVERAGE

Day 1: Prosecutors say Murphy turned down ride from sober friend moments before fatal crash

Day 2: Text messages, friend’s testimony tell a story of day of Scout crash

Day 3: Defense calls into question the character of key witness in Murphy trial

Day 4: Friends testify that despite drinking, Murphy did not appear drunk on day of crash

Day 5: Parents of surviving victims take stand

Day 6: Shoreham parent recounts moment of crash during testimony

Day 7: Jury sent home early as defense raises legal issue in Murphy trial

Day 8: Arresting officer testifies that Murphy showed signs of intoxication following crash

Day 9: Two more officers testify that Murphy was intoxicated on day of crash

Day 10: Two detectives take witness stand at Murphy trial

Day 11: Scientist who tested Murphy’s blood testifies it was over legal limit

Day 12: Toxicologist: Murphy’s BAC was twice legal limit; ordered to turn over notes

Day 13: Several charges could be withdrawn in case against Thomas Murphy

Day 14: Scout’s dad says ‘I ran as fast as I could’ to help son following crash

Day 15: Murphy defense begins to make its case as judge officially dismisses four charges

Day 16: Prosecutors to call counter witness as end of Murphy trial nears

Day 17: Another delay in Murphy trial as jury sent home early Thursday

Day 18: Testimony concludes in Murphy trial as exchange between judge and attorney gets heated

Day 19: Jury expected to begin deliberations Tuesday in Scout’s death case

Day 20: Jury does not reach verdict in first hours of deliberations at Murphy trial

The post Thomas Murphy found guilty on all charges; faces up to 25 years in jail appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Fire districts across Southold Town held elections for fire commissioner posts last Tuesday. The commissioners function as the governing body over their fire districts, taxing jurisdictions that oversee local fire departments, whose members are mostly volunteers.

Following is rundown of the election results in each district

Cutchogue: Incumbent Robert Fisher lost a five-year commissioner seat to challenger Michael Finnican, who was elected with 89 votes. Mr. Fisher received 39 votes and has served two five-year terms as fire commissioner. Matthew Martin was elected with 82 votes for a one-year term. There were 33 write-in votes. A total of 130 ballots were cast.

East Marion: Incumbent commissioner Bill Anderson was re-elected for a five-year term. He ran unopposed and received all 16 votes cast.

Mattituck: Incumbent Edward Hanus Jr. won an uncontested commissioner race. He received 41 votes.

Orient: Edward Webb ran without opposition and won with seven votes.

Southold: William Salmon won his re-election unopposed, receiving a total of 23 votes.

The post Incumbent fire commissioner in Cutchogue loses seat appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Maryann Palumbo of Southold, 55, is in need of a kidney and her friends and family are out sporting T-shirts displaying exactly that information in hopes of locating a willing and compatible donor.

Ms. Palumbo, who owns North Road Deli and Caterers in Southold with her husband, Rick, was diagnosed with Alport syndrome two years ago. Alport syndrome is a rare genetic condition characterized by kidney disease, hearing loss and eye abnormalities, according to the National Institute of Health.

The normal range for glomerular filtration rate, or GFR, which measures how well a person’s kidneys filter blood, is 60 or above. When Ms. Palumbo first received her diagnosis, her kidneys were about 40% functional. As of Monday, they were just 16% functional. If that decreases to 5% kidney function, Ms. Palumbo will have to start dialysis.

Realizing this prompted her to begin searching for a kidney via the T-shirts, which she designed and distributes for free. On each shirt is her blood type and a contact number people can call if they think they or someone they know might be a possible donor. Ms. Palumbo has Type O blood, meaning donors would have to have the same blood type to be compatible.

“I had to get under 20% to get on the renal transplant list,” she said at the deli Monday. She was placed on the list during the summer, and has since had to make dietary changes to improve her health and prevent the disease from worsening.

“I’ve had to change my diet completely,” she said. “I cannot have any salt. I have to watch potassium as well, but salt is the big one and there is salt in everything.”

Her daughter, Alexa, 21, added that her mother is also restricted in terms of protein, to fish and chicken — and only small amounts of either. Through process of elimination, Ms. Palumbo said, she now feels her diet is under control.

The Palumbos both have backgrounds in cooking; he’s a chef and she attended culinary school when she was younger. Her exposure to food, alongside her appreciation for traveling, going out and trying new restaurants, she said, is much more limited now.

“Travel is out, pretty much,” she said. “I mean, we’re going to Florida. I was thinking about going to Mexico, maybe to Europe, and those are out.”

To address her dietary needs, she has turned to baking — a favorite pastime. She joked that she makes a good banana bread and said that despite the difficulties of having to eat virtually flavorless food now, salmon is her favorite meal.

“It’s still fairly difficult,” said Alexa Palumbo. “If we go out to eat, really, she can’t have much and we have to test the food before she eats it sometimes or when she thinks it has salt.”

Alexa said that the part of her mother’s diagnosis that has been most difficult has been seeing her limited mobility and functionality.

“You can’t do as much, you can’t walk as much, you can’t go as many places,” she said to her mother, who was sitting next to her. In full agreement, Ms. Palumbo said she often gets sleepy and needs her daughter or husband to drive her to doctor’s appointments and on long-distance outings. She credited her family and friends for being a strong support system.

For Mr. Palumbo, the hardest part has been waiting.

“It’s always the wait,” he said. “We’re going to Florida and we’re going to go to a hospital over there, set that up, so it’s a process. And the more you talk about it with people, the more you have avenues that you never knew you had. People who are in the same boat, people who connect with somebody who can help you, moral support for people you have spoken to. The process of the unknown, I think, that’s the hardest part.”

Mr. Palumbo checked to see whether he could donate a kidney to his wife, but he was not compatible. Alexa, however, is a potential candidate. She’s looking to begin the process of finding out whether she is a match soon, but there is no guarantee she will be or that all conditions will be suitable for a kidney donation.

To ensure that all bases are covered, and since Ms. Palumbo could be on the waiting list for up to four years — a number that can increase once dialysis starts — Mr. Palumbo joined a paired exchange program. In this program, certain transplant centers help incompatible pairs of recipients/donors swap to potentially find a match.

“I’m A, she’s an O,” Mr. Palumbo said, citing their different blood types. “So, if somebody needs an A, I give it to them and vice versa, they give it to Maryann. The avenues are starting to broaden out, so the opportunity could be here sooner than we realize.”

Anyone with Type O blood who thinks they might be a possible donor is encouraged to contact Eneida Hernandez, R.N., pre-transplant coordinator for kidney transplantation at Stony Brook Medicine, at 631-444-1781 or eneida.hernandez@stonybrookmedicine.edu. You can also call Ms. Palumbo directly at 631-379-9088.

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.

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Here are the headlines across the North Fork for Thursday, Dec. 19:

NEWS

Thomas Murphy found guilty on all charges; faces up to 25 years in jail

Cops: Two men charged with burglary after Dec. 8 home invasion

Family, friends rally to support woman in need of kidney transplant

Incumbent fire commissioner in Cutchogue loses seat

Jamesport Fire District’s proposition voted down

Riverhead man’s one final wish fulfilled by Spirit’s Promise

NORTHFORKER

Weekend Podcast: What’s happening across the North Fork the week of Dec. 19

WEATHER

Expect it to be sunny but blustery today with a high temperature of about 29 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

The low tonight will be around 17.

The post Daily Update: Southold woman needs a kidney, incumbent loses fire commissioner race appeared first on Suffolk Times.

The Southold Town Planning Board reviewed and accepted a proposed amended site plan application Monday relating to an expansion of the Mattituck-Laurel Library parking lot. The revised site plan for the 1.5-acre property proposes 24 new parking spaces, for a total of 58.

The library, which is in the RO/R-40 zoning district, currently has 34 parking spaces. The expansion would include five spaces for the handicapped and calls for an outdoor courtyard garden at the rear of the library. The applicants outlined in their proposal that they would provide landscaping, lighting and drainage.

The board accepted the updated site plan, along with the State Environmental Quality Review Act Type II declaration.

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Residents can expect a delay in receiving their tax bills this year due to errors in the county’s accounting process, Southold officials said Tuesday.

“A lot has to do with the county’s inability to adopt a budget,” Mr. Russell said, explaining that the process was delayed after County Executive Steve Bellone initially vetoed portions of the proposed 2020 budget.

Tax receivers in Suffolk County’s 10 towns began finalizing tax bills later than usual after several accounting errors were amended.

Tax bills, which usually go out in early December, will now be sent out Dec. 18, Mr. Russell said during Tuesday’s work session. Newly elected tax receiver Kelly Fogarty explained that residents don’t have to wait for the tax bill to come in the mail.

“We do have the tax bills up online,” she said. “They can pay online, or they can come to the office.”

Mr. Russell, expressing frustration that the county delay would likely result in backlash to the town, indicated that he would ask for an extension of the current Jan. 10 deadline for residents to pay the first half of their tax bill.

“It’s very difficult for people to readjust after the holidays,” he said.

tsmith@timesreview.com

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Stefan Soloviev, the East Hampton man who has been buying North Fork farmland for the past several years, recently bought three large farm parcels along Route 25 in Jamesport and another 98-acre farm on Sound Avenue in Baiting Hollow.

In the past year, he has also purchased and is operating Santa’s Christmas Tree Farm in Cutchogue and has purchased the former Peconic Bay Winery in Peconic, which he plans to reopen.

But Mr. Soloviev said in a brief interview this week that his spending spree is over.

“I’m not looking to buy anything else, I can tell you that,” he said. “I’ve hit my limit on the North Fork and I’m back out west right now, as I speak, running my business, the important part of my business.”

He said his North Fork holdings are “a fraction of” what he owns in the Midwest.

His company, Crossroads Agriculture, was founded in Topeka, Kan., in 1999 and is one of the biggest agricultural companies in the country.

Mr. Soloviev, who is also involved in development, confirmed that he purchased the Jamesport and Baiting Hollow properties and said he plans to farm them.

“I’m farming. That’s what I do,” he said.

He declined to say what type of farming he planned to do. Earlier this year, he said in an email, “I have no plans of developing my property right now. I now look at these acres no differently than I do my other 150,000 acres of crop land that I operate in the Plains.”

He said as long as profits meet expectations, he won’t develop, but added, “As long as we can grow hemp successfully on Long Island like we do in Colorado, there will be no construction plans as of now.”

Mr. Soloviev declined to say what he will grow on the newly acquired farms.

The three Jamesport properties, all of which have black and blue Soloviev signs in front of them, were owned, according to town records, by the Zaweski family, Albert Schmitt and Sons and a group led by Gordon Bahari. The Schmitt farm is listed as 14 acres and the Zaweski land comprises two properties on Route 25 totaling 21 acres, according to town records.

The 37-acre Bahari property was farmed for many years by the Gabrielsen family, although they did not own it.

According to county Legislator Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue), the former owners of that property had been in negotiations to sell its development rights to the county and preserve the parcel as farmland.

However, that deal “fell apart at the last minute,” Mr. Krupski said in August.

The fourth Riverhead property acquired by Mr. Soloviev was owned by Baiting Hollow Meadow LLC and consists of two parcels. One is a 6.7-acre plot with development rights intact and the other is 91.5 acres for which the development rights have been sold.

For many years, that property was owned and farmed by the Wulforst family, according to Mr. Krupski.

Mr. Soloviev bought the former Davis Peach Farm in Wading River in 2016 and currently operates it as Hayden’s Orchard, named after his son. He bought three vineyards along the North Fork the following year.

But he says the Midwest is where his company exists.

“I’m really tired of talking about the North Fork. It’s not my priority,” he said before hanging up. “Long Island is a great place, but I’m done talking about it.”

Mr. Soloviev’s former wife, Stacey, said in an interview in September that she plans to reopen the tasting room at the former Peconic Bay Winery, which has been vacant for several years.

“We want to make our own wines, we want to have a tasting room and keep the land as is — it’s beautiful,” she said.

A profile of Mr. Soloviev published by Bloomberg in September noted that he had “installed his 17-year-old son Christian as the head of a smaller agricultural operation on 1,100 acres on the North Fork — land he said he may eventually use to build homes.”

The profile also said Mr. Soloviev spends the majority of his time working in Manhattan to manage the family real estate business.

tgannon@timesreview.com

The post Four more North Fork farms sold to Stefan Soloviev 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, Dec. 20:

NEWS

Four more North Fork farms sold to Stefan Soloviev

Voters to decide in 2020 whether to increase Riverhead supervisor term

County’s accounting error causes delay in local tax bills

Riverhead Town Board urges state to amend, delay bail reform laws

Q&A: Jens-Smith reflects on tenure as Riverhead Town supervisor

Planning Board accepts site plan for library’s parking lot expansion

NORTHFORKER

Renovated Orient Point lighthouse transformed into artist’s residency

One Minute on the North Fork: Christmas in Greenport

WEATHER

Expect sunny skies today with a high temperature of about 31 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

The low tonight will be around 15.

The post Daily Update: Soloviev says he’s done buying land here, tax bills delayed appeared first on Suffolk Times.

A registered sex offender was arrested last Thursday after he failed to notify authorities that he had moved from Fishers Island to Groton, Conn., earlier this year.

Brian Tillis, 49, surrendered to Southold police and was charged with one count of violating Section 168F of New York State Corrections Law, also known as Megan’s Law.

Mr. Tillis was supposed to notify law enforcement about his change of address within 10 days, officials said.

He has a previous conviction for the same offense in 2008, police said, which raises the level of the charge to a felony.

He was arraigned in town Justice Court last week.

• A Peconic man called police Saturday afternoon to report a disabled vehicle on the side of the road.

Officers contacted the vehicle’s owner, a Cutchogue man, who stated his daughter left the vehicle there after running out of gas.

• A Mattituck man called police Monday morning to report that several tools valued at $1,449 had been stolen over the weekend from a pumphouse shed at his Breakwater Road farm in Mattituck.

• Following a report last week that Kevin Bergami, 27, of Laurel was arrested on for accepting down payments for work and failing to complete the job, additional victims have come forward to Southold police.

A Greenport man reported Sunday that he gave Mr. Bergami a $600 deposit for roofing work at his residence in June and the work was never completed.

A Cutchogue woman reported Saturday that she hired Mr. Bergami to replace her roof in October, gave him a $6,000 deposit and he never started the work.

Mr. Bergami has been charged with several counts of grand larceny in connection to prior incidents. It’s unclear if the recent reports will result in additional charges.

• An Oregon Road resident called police Sunday morning around 8:42 a.m. to report dogs barking for hours near her residence. Police found the dogs were associated with hunting, according to a police report.

• Police were notified by a Cutchogue woman Saturday that a UPS package on her doorstep had been opened and the contents, Ticketmaster gift cards valued at $300, were stolen between 5 and 6:19 p.m.

• A Caretaker at the Reydon Shores Community Association in Southold reported to police Saturday afternoon that a swimming regulations sign at the marina had been damaged.

• A Greenport woman reported that pills inside her residence were stolen Saturday around 11:42 a.m.

• A Cutchogue man filed a police report Friday morning after his vehicle’s engine began to malfunction and a mechanic advised him that someone put sugar in his gas tank.

He told police that he doesn’t know anyone who would do this and thinks his vehicle may have been mistaken for someone else’s.

• Police were notified by a Southold woman last Thursday that a signed rent check left on her kitchen table was stolen. She told police her apartment was left open, but nothing else was reported missing.

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: More victims say man failed to complete roofing work appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Greenport Village is one step closer to changing the times it enforces parking downtown, but the Business Improvement District might not be in support of the proposal. The move, village officials hope, would free up parking during peak hours.

The potential change to the code would shift parking enforcement on parts of Adams Street and the portion of First Street between South and Front streets. Instead of enforcing parking from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the village would enforce it from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Board trustee Mary Bess Phillips said the code is intended to ease traffic flow around parking spaces on First Street in summer months.

“With the 30-minute spaces … the whole First Street parking spots were being filled by 5 p.m. from those who wanted to go down and go to restaurants since it was open,” she said. “Those who wanted to get in and out of IGA quickly were not finding any parking spaces.”

Trustee Peter Clarke, former president of the BID, said the other intention of the code change is to “facilitate short shopping trips in the evening or late afternoon so the increasing numbers of restaurants don’t fill up the entire business district by 5 p.m.”

“If you have an after-work errand to run in the summer and you can’t find any parking anywhere, this would alleviate that problem for residents,” he said.

The change also benefits the traffic control officers, since there are usually few violations between 8 and 10 a.m., Mayor George Hubbard said.

Ms. Robins, the Village liaison to the BID, said when the group met, local business owners raised concerns with the change and preferred parking be left alone.

“I don’t mind the 10 o’clock, but the 8 p.m., I think, is going to have a pretty tough impact on a lot of restaurants,” Ms. Robins said. “If you’re going to go out to eat around 5:30 p.m. and you don’t get out of the restaurant in time, you’re going to be rushed.”

Mr. Hubbard said restaurant-goers wouldn’t park in 30-minute spots, but Ms. Robins said there are two-hour parking spots in that area, too.

Mr. Clarke said he understands the BID’s perspective, but the board’s point of view is to facilitate turnover for visitors and residents coming in at the end of the day. He added that the Board received a letter from the BID in October which reflected those points, but it was not discussed at the public hearing.

Ms. Robins said she will encourage BID members to voice their concerns at the Dec. 26 meeting. The board is expected to vote on the code at that meeting.

The Board hosted a public hearing Nov. 25 on the revamped parking, where no comments were made by the public.

knalepinski@timesreview.com

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