To the editor:

On the evening of Jan. 13, I got a call no husband or father ever wants: My wife and kids were in a car accident. 

As I drove to the scene, my mind was racing with thoughts of how they were, and how bad their injuries were. Luckily, their injuries were minor. By the time I got there, about eight minutes after it had happened, both the Riverhead Police Department and Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps had the scene more than under control. 

They were comforting my wife and making my kids smile. I couldn’t have asked for someone to take better care of my family than those two groups. By the time my kids and wife were transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center, all three of them were laughing with the EMTs, and also with the fine nurses and doctors. They even went out of their way to get my kids a snack since it was way past their dinner time, which they had not eaten yet. 

In all, I just wanted to say an extended thank-you to the amazing first responders who helped us that night. You deserve more recognition than you receive.

Tom and Ashley Loreto, Southold

The post Featured Letter: When we were in need, first responders were there for us appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

Mattituck-Cutchogue school district officials unveiled a proposed $41.4 million budget for the 2020-21 academic year at last Thursday’s school board meeting.

Like last year’s $40.78 million budget, this new financial plan is driven by employee salaries, at $20.30 million, and employee benefits, at $11.5 million. It’s a 1.69% increase over last year’s total budget.

“With diligent fiscal planning, this budget maintains all current programs offered to students and includes continuous implementation of safety and security measures as well as enhancement in areas of curriculum, mental health, the arts, clubs and athletics,” Superintendent Jill Gierasch said at the meeting. 

This year’s proposed tax levy will rise by 1.90%, which falls below the district’s assigned allowable increase  of 2.51%, according to district treasurer Frank Bacchi. 

The cap on raising property taxes, imposed in 2012, limits tax levy increases for any given year to either 2% (with certain exceptions) or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower.

Over the past few years, Mr. Bacchi said, the district has been “extremely resourceful” and generated substantial savings for taxpayers in the district. 

The 2020-21 budget proposal is divided into seven categories: salaries, employee benefits, instructional and student services, central office, transportation, debt service and fund transfers, and facilities and security.

Ms. Gierasch also pitched long-term potential projects that could be funded separately through the district’s Capital Reserve.

Items up for consideration included new roofing and exterior building renovations, three athletic field renovations, new boilers, a multi-purpose room and a STEAM wing at the high school and new roofing and a pole barn for storage at  Cutchogue East Elementary School.

Textbooks, instructional resources and technology account for roughly 3% of the budget. Administrator of curriculum and instruction Ilana Finnegan and technology director Gerri Doherty explained how the budget will fund curriculum and technology expenses, respectively.

Compared to last year’s budget, more funds will be directed to in-district and out-of-district professional development for teachers, Ms. Finnegan said. Curriculum writing, instructional resources, literacy and math intervention, and BOCES curriculum services are also supported through the budget.

In response to widespread pushback across the state , New York’s Board of Regents voted in 2017 to replace Common Core curriculum standards with Next Generation Learning Standards. At Mattituck, the math curriculum has shifted to align with these newer standards, Ms. Finnegan said. 

On the technology side, Ms. Doherty explained that the proposed budget covers infrastructure changes, audio visual changes and new technology initiatives. 

Compared to last year, she said, the biggest technology expense would be a  switch from 300 Mbps internet to 1G internet service, which will provide students, teachers and district staff with a faster and more efficient internet connection.

Mr. Bacchi said the proposed budget is subject to change before it is adopted by the school board. The budget vote is set for Tuesday, May 19, from 3 to 9 p.m. at the high school gymnasium.

The post Mattituck-Cutchogue unveils preliminary budget with a 1.69% increase appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

The man who was operating a 39-foot Cobalt boat that struck a bulkhead in Mattituck last fall, injuring two passengers and killing a third, is planning to sue Southold Town for $30 million for negligence and defamation of character, according to a notice of claim filed with the Town Clerk Feb. 7.

In the notice of claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, Frank Distefano, 48, of East Northport alleges that the town “negligently maintained or failed to maintain the navigation aids, buoys and marine markers at or about the entrance to James Creek” in Mattituck and that, by doing so, they did not adhere to guidelines set forth by the U.S. Coast Guard. According to the claim, his boat ran aground while he was searching for buoys and navigational aids at the entrance to the creek.

Southold police initially responded to the scene near Old Salt Road at about 9:17 p.m. Nov. 10, after the boat slammed into the bulkhead fronting Great Peconic Bay. The vessel was approximately 150 feet from the shoreline with four people aboard when first responders arrived, police said.

The crash claimed the life of 27-year-old Kelley Blanchard of Riverhead and injured Mr. Distefano and his passengers Nicholas Soullas, 41, of Jamesport and Ms. Blanchard’s sister Megan, 29, of New Suffolk.

Police arrested Mr. Distefano and charged him with misdemeanor boating while intoxicated — a charge that was dismissed after a toxicology report showed Mr. Distefano did not have a blood alcohol content above the legal threshold to warrant a criminal charge, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. The DA’s office said at the time that the crash remains under criminal investigation.

The claim, filed by attorney Frank Blangiardo of Cutchogue, further alleges that “the Town of Southold, through its Police Department made libelous, false statements … suggesting [Mr. Distefano] was involved in a serious crime.”

He is seeking punitive damages for fractures, head, neck and back injuries, mental anguish, loss of earnings, false arrest, wrongful prosecution and publication of false statements “with reckless disregard for claimant’s reputation,” the document states.

Records also show that Mr. Blangiardo submitted a second notice of claim to the town on behalf of passenger Nicholas Soullas, who cited serious head and neck injuries and a shattered pelvis as injuries sustained, in addition to loss of earnings and mental anguish. That claim did not include an amount sought to recoup from the town and Mr. Blangiardo did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Megan Blanchard has also indicated she will file a $25 million suit against the town, according to a separate notice of claim filed Feb. 5 by her attorney, former Southold Town justice Brian Hughes.

Her claim indicates that the town “failed to notify, advise, or warn mariners and the general public of the removal of [navigational aids],” which caused or contributed to her hand, back and leg injuries that required surgery, as well as loss of earnings and mental anguish. Mr. Hughes did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Town attorney Bill Duffy confirmed the claims had been filed and said his office is in the “early stages” of investigating.

“We’re still researching whether we have any liability” with regard to James Creek and the placement of navigational aids, he said in an interview Friday afternoon. “We don’t have an answer to that yet, but we have insurance and we expect to defend the case.”

Following standard depositions and what’s known as a 50-h hearing, the claimants have one year to file a formal lawsuit with the town.

Mr. Duffy vehemently opposed allegations of defamation. 

“The police acted appropriately and I’m sure they will be cleared of any wrongdoing,” he said.

The post Operator in fatal boat crash plans to file $30M suit against Southold Town appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

The daily update is a podcast briefing on what’s happening across the North Fork.

​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, Feb. 18.

NEWS

Operator in fatal boat crash plans to file $30M suit against Southold Town

Firefighters knock down attic fire at Riverhead home early Sunday

Southold Town eyes extension of Main Road moratorium in Mattituck

OPINION

Featured Letter: When we were in need, first responders were there for us

NORTHFORKER

Planning the perfect North Fork winter weekend

WEATHER

There’s a slight chance for a rain or snow shower this morning, according to the National Weather Service. No snow accumulation is expected and the high is expected to get up to 48 degrees. Another round of showers will move in later tonight and the low will be around 40. 

The post Daily Update: $30 million notice of claim filed against town, firefighters extinguish house fire appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

The way basketball coaches see it, there’s no defense for not playing defense. A player’s shooting touch can come and go, they reason, but defense is about effort.

There was no question the defense — and effort — was there for the Mattituck girls last Thursday night in their 49-36 Suffolk County Class B semifinal win over Greenport/Southold at Mattituck High School. The Tuckers got in the face of Greenport’s standpoint player, Adrine Demirciyan — literally. Demirciyan was held to nine points before fouling out with 5 minutes, 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Mattituck’s defense limited Greenport’s field-goal shooting to 27.6% (16 of 58). The Tuckers made 19 steals and Greenport turned the ball over 26 times.

“Our defense drove our offense tonight, you know, the steals and scoring,” said Mattituck coach Steve Van Dood.

Mattituck’s Mackenzie Hoeg, responsible for eight of those steals, said that in past games in which the Tuckers lost earlier this season, they were perhaps a “little lazy” and slow on defense. That wasn’t the case in the semifinal.

• See more photos here

“I think the difference between the two teams was we played a lot more aggressive and, frankly, just played better defense,” she said, “and I think that ultimately, since we were the better defensive team, that’s why we were able to force so many turnovers and get the win.”

Friends and foes

Players on both the Greenport and Mattituck teams are familiar with each other, even beyond the basketball court. Some of them, like Adrine Demirciyan and Mattituck’s Abby Woods, have been teammates on teams in other sports.

“Many of the girls played soccer together, so they know each other,” Woods said. “They’re friends. I played basketball with Adrine, so we’re friends, but it’s totally different when we’re on the court. It’s rivalry.”

Getting a lot out of Woods

Mackenzie Hoeg was clearly the player of the game with 21 points from 8-for-14 shooting, as well as eight steals, four rebounds and three assists. But Mattituck got a nice lift from Abby Woods, the freshman who had 13 points. She is not related to Greenport sophomore Amelia Woods.

“Abby Woods had a great game tonight,” Steve Van Dood said. “She’s playing less like a freshman, you know. She’s getting more games under her belt, showing a little maturity and I’m very pleased with her performance. We knew she was going to be good.”

Notes …

As has been the case for most of the season, Mattituck didn’t have the services of sophomore guard Emily Nicholson, an injured starter who has a torn ACL. She played in only several games this season, said Steve Van Dood … Greenport coach Skip Gehring said he wants his players to remember how their season ended as motivation for next season. “Don’t forget,” he said. “… In terms of getting ready for next year, don’t forget how this feels.”

The post Girls Basketball Notebook: Mattituck’s defense gets job done appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

Unexpectedly, Sophia A. Greenfield fell seriously ill at the end of December. She passed away on Jan. 22, 2020, in the caring surrounds of Good Shepherd Hospice in Port Jefferson, N.Y. Sophia’s spirit is no doubt watching over us, wishing us well and encouraging us to keep kindness in our hearts.

Sophia came to the North Fork in 1968 from Washington, D.C. She grew up in a dynamic multicultural city with interesting people, places, experiences. She was always artistic, creative and imaginative. Early on she became passionate about gardening (which evolved into her lifelong commitment to protecting the environment). She was a good athlete. She loved swimming in the Chesapeake Bay. Her love for sailing started in Washington. After college at George Washington University, she became a social worker. She was an adventurous, poised young woman, confident enough to tour Europe by herself for several months. She had a younger sister, Dolores Kaminski, who survives her.

A childhood friend recalled this about her: “Sophia (Sophie) was my close friend. We shared a lively curiosity and active engagement in our world. Sophie made everything fun — she was smart and quick, imaginative and inventive. She could make things happen both artistically and practically. Being highly adept at whatever she did, her creative energy made everything and every day an exciting adventure. What fun we had climbing cliffs in Rock Creek Park, exploring deserted mansions, building forts and gardens, playing hopscotch and football with neighborhood friends in the street, cooking and cleaning, drawing. Our special fun was flying down the front stairs of my house on a mattress. Just two little girls enjoying life. We were lucky.”

On the North Fork, Sophia lived in both Southold and Peconic. She came here as a new bride and later divorced. She was a proud, independent, courageous, resourceful, highly creative, caring individual with a good sense of humor. She was also very private. Her friendships and concern for others were far-reaching — from the kids she taught, to fellow artists, to local merchants and farmers, to tradespeople and business professionals, to community organizations and people in need. She was an appreciative person. Her artistry also carried over to her work as a skilled landscaper. She was an “original,” one-of-a-kind person who touched many people’s lives and hearts.

People usually spotted Sophia accompanied by her dog, Ben. They were almost inseparable. They took long walks on the beaches, back roads, and countryside. Sophia always loved animals and sometimes volunteered at the Southold Town Animal Shelter. In recent years, Sophia often made wonderful little collages from recycled publications. Usually a loving or thoughtful message was attached, written in her strong, clear script. Not surprising, as she was an avid reader and sincere person, with something to say.

Sophia’s ashes will be scattered at sea. Peace and Blessings! If you wish to make a donation in Sophia’s memory, please contact the Southold Town Animal Shelter, 631-765-1811.

This is a paid notice.

The post Sophia A. Greenfield appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

It is very hard to read about the death of Thomas Valva, the facts are so horrific, so completely and utterly inhuman. The cruelty is unimaginable. This 8-year-old boy died Jan. 17 on the garage floor at his father’s house in Center Moriches. Outside temperatures hovered below 20 degrees. The boy died of hypothermia. 

It of course doesn’t grasp the full truth of this nightmare to say the boy suffered from the cold. It was a form of torture, as was his knowledge as he lay dying that he was being forced to spend the night in the unheated garage by his own father, NYPD officer Michael Valva, and the senior Valva’s fiancée, Angela Pollina.

Mr. Valva, 40, and Ms. Pollina, 42, have been charged with second-degree murder in the boy’s death, along with multiple counts of endangering the welfare of a child. The latter charges also include Thomas’ 10-year-old brother, Anthony. 

Newsday broke a story last weekend that was almost too painful to read. It showed all the ways Thomas’ mother, Justyna Zubko-Valva, had tried to save her son in the years leading up to Jan. 17. She knew the boy’s father was a monster, and she begged for help from multiple authorities, according to the Newsday account — “from police, county social services agencies and the courts in Nassau and Suffolk.” She also wrote a 75-page letter to U.S. Attorney General William Barr asking for his help.

She went from office to office, courtroom to courtroom, asking for assistance that never came. Two years ago, a judge rescinded Ms. Zubka-Valva’s custody of Thomas, Anthony and their brother Andrew, who at 6 is her youngest child. Her children were now completely in the hands of their father, with their mother off on the sidelines, the legal system fully backing him and discounting her. 

Go back and read the Newsday story by Nicole Fuller, Michael O’Keeffe and Craig Schneider to see how the reporters reviewed thousands of pages of documents in both counties, along with Child Protective Services reports and documents from the East Moriches school district, where Thomas was a third-grader. The facts are just horrific — from Thomas and Anthony coming to school “dirty, hungry and with bruises,” to the father’s house being falsely depicted in court as a place of happiness. What a farce.

These facts constitute an overwhelming indictment of multiple agencies. Clearly, the overall system failed at an epic level to protect this child. Suffolk District Attorney Timothy Sini is investigating how Thomas’s case was handled by the legal and social services network. He would be right to convene a special grand jury to examine it in depth, to put people under oath and to let the chips fall where they may.

Last weekend, some 50 people gathered in a Riverhead parking lot near the county Department of Social Services. They marched west up Main Street, carrying signs demanding justice for Thomas. Among them was Thomas’s mother, who hugged and kissed everyone for supporting her. For her, the road ahead will be one of excruciating sadness and loss, but hopefully one that ends with a full accounting of who is responsible, in addition to the father and his fiancée.

Perhaps the worst punishment for Michael Valva would be to spend the rest of his life in a small prison cell thinking about how he murdered his own son. The death penalty, which technically doesn’t exist in New York State for even the most extreme crimes, would seem to be the easy way out for this couple. Beyond punishing them, we as a society, we as taxpayers in one of the nation’s most heavily taxed areas, need to know exactly who failed this boy, and why. If these agencies can’t protect a child — what are they good for?

The post Editorial: A tragedy beyond comprehension appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

The Oysterponds Union Free School District has overestimated its fund balance by approximately $1.6 million over the past three academic years, according to a recent audit completed by the State Comptroller’s Office. 

Released last month, the audit examined the district’s financial condition from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2019. The audit was conducted to determine whether the school board and district administrators are adequately managing the district’s budget and finances. 

In the audit, a fund balance represents residual funds that were budgeted but never used during prior fiscal years. New York State Real Property Tax Law limits the unassigned fund balance, or any part of the fund balance not designated for specific expenditures, to no more than 4% percent of the subsequent year’s school budget.

For the last three years, however, Oysterponds’ reported unassigned fund balances have ranged from 16.5% to 27.8% of the ensuing year’s appropriations — or four to seven times the statutory limit. 

“The Board adopted general fund budgets that significantly underestimated revenues and overestimated appropriations over the last three fiscal years,” the audit states. 

The school board did not adjust ensuing years’ budgets based on prior years — which resulted in a pattern of over-budgeting, the audit states. 

In a Jan. 6 letter to the state comptroller, Superintendent Richard Malone wrote that the district experienced an increase in nonresident student enrollment over the last academic year, which resulted in greater revenue.

The district also received an increase in revenue in the 2018-19 academic year, Mr. Malone wrote, after being reimbursed by a neighboring district for prior years’ summer programs.

Mr. Malone wrote that district officials are preparing a new strategic plan for 2020-25 that will address, among other topics, financial condition and capital projects. Officials plan to reduce the district’s unassigned fund balance in part by using it to pay for some planned capital projects, like updating the school’s heating and ventilation system and playground.

“As part of the strategic plan, district administration and the Board will review curriculum/program development, staffing, enrollment, capital projects, financial condition, and future budgets for the district,” Mr. Malone wrote.

Last month, the state comptroller released a list of school districts in fiscal stress. Oysterponds was not on the list, meaning it had little to no fiscal stress. 

Mr. Malone was not available for comment last week. 

The post Audit: Oysterponds overestimated fund balance by $1.6M appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

The daily update is a podcast briefing on what’s happening across the North Fork.

​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, Feb. 19.

NEWS

Remembering Andrew McMorris takes another leap forward

Mattituck-Cutchogue unveils preliminary budget with a 1.69% increase

Audit: Oysterponds overestimated fund balance by $1.6M

OPINION

Editorial: A tragedy beyond comprehension

NORTHFORKER

How a local craftsman created this teardrop chair

WEATHER

Expect sunny skies today with a high near 48 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The low tonight will be around 20.

The post Daily Update: District unveils budget, 5K planned for fallen scout appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

I’m Julia Chachere. I’m a certified nurse midwife and nurse practitioner and I have been working in the Cutchogue office since it opened in July of this past year.

The North Fork, historically, has been very underserved in the area of women’s health. So, I came as part of Peconic Bay Medical Center’s move to increase access to women’s health services, particularly on the eastern end of the North Fork, but on all of the North Fork. 

I was a registered nurse and then I went to two years of graduate school to become a certified nurse midwife.

I’ve always been drawn to pregnancy and birth and that led me to pursue midwifery. And, in that, I started to develop a strong interest in well-woman care, gynecology, family planning and menopause as well.

My day typically starts with reviewing charts, reviewing labs, calling patients, giving them updates on their results and then we start seeing patients. The range of care runs from basic gynecology, well-woman care, and that is from adolescence to menopause and postmenopause.

I really enjoy listening to patients, which is a hallmark of midwifery. And it really enables me to be able to put the context of their visit into the broader issues in their life.

If it were a teenager, or older, or anybody who is seeking family planning, I would spend a lot of time explaining the options, and the risks and benefits of both. If it’s an issue like screening for osteoporosis, I put a lot of emphasis on nutrition, exercise, lifestyle management, to prevent osteoporosis.

I also love working with the immigrant community and meeting their unique needs. I really hope to do a lot of outreach to that population. 

I love being able to see patients throughout their lifespan. Childbirth is one part of that, but it’s not all of it. Women’s health needs span a whole lifetime — and that’s what I’m here to do.

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

The post The Work We Do: Julia Chachere, Peconic Bay Primary Medical Group appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

In a game where Nick Grathwohl struggled for the first half, a player better known for his defense and rebounding came to Southold’s rescue on Wednesday afternoon.

John Kaelin turned out to be the unlikely hero, scoring eight of his 10 points in the second quarter to help the First Settlers register a 51-30 victory over Smithtown Christian in the Suffolk County Class CD boys basketball final at Centereach High School.

How unlikely? The 6-2 junior forward said he averages just under two points a game.

After coming off his heroics, which included an 11th-hour trey and a season-high 30 points in the Class C final against Pierson on Feb. 14, all eyes naturally were on Grathwohl. The senior guard, however, hit only one of 10 attempts for two points in the opening half.

“Honestly, I thought Nick was going to be on his game tonight but first quarter, and I felt I had to step up and show what I had. I wasn’t really the biggest point scorer this season,” Kaelin said. “I was more of an all-around defense, rebounder. But I felt I had to step out of my shell and go and help out my team.”

He did — in spectacular fashion in the second quarter, when Kaelin had the first and last words. Southold led going in, 11-5. He connected on a shot from the key 21 seconds into the period. When Smithtown Christian (8-11) moved within 20-18 with 1 minute, 18 seconds remaining, Kaelin turned into a one-man wrecking crew. He hit a drive, put in a layup with 47.5 seconds left and sank a 15-footer with 36 seconds to go as the Settlers (13-8) led at halftime, 26-14.

“If I’m not hitting everyone else steps [up] and we just play our game,” said Grathwohl, who finished with 14 points. “We don’t come into the game and think, ‘Oh, if Nick’s not going to score, we’re going to lose.’ They think, ‘We’ve got to step up if he’s not there because he’s our teammate.’ We all pick each other up at the end of the day.”

After Kaelin was an important scorer on the junior varsity team, Southold coach Lucas Grigonis had hoped that he could duplicate that effort for the varsity. “He had some confidence issues when it comes to scoring,” Grigonis said. “Johnny can actually do a little bit of everything. He’s got a calm and cool to him. He makes everyone else relax and that’s huge to our team. He’s a strong defensive asset.

“He’s really a 10 [points] and 10 [rebounds] guy a game if he can do that. Some days it goes, sometimes it doesn’t. Something he has to work on for his senior year.”

Grathwohl rediscovered his scoring touch, knocking down two early buckets in the third quarter. Southold enjoyed a big enough that it did not score its first basket of the fourth quarter until Nick DeNicola’s driving one-hander with 43.7 seconds left. DeNicola had 11 points. Nick Carr then put an exclamation point on the win, canning a trey with six seconds remaining.

Grathwohl helped the Settlers extend their lead by sinking all of his six foul shots in the period.

The teams split their League VIII games this season. Asked what the difference was this time, Grathwohl replied: “When we played there, we didn’t push at all in transition. Today, we killed them on transition. We just wanted to come in here and run them out of the gym. That’s what we ended up doing.”

As a playoff game, the encounter was a bit unusual because it had no direct bearing on the Settlers’ participation in the state tournament. Yet, the contest was important enough to win, for pride, and to earn another competitive game before taking on Nassau County champion East Rockaway in the Southeast Region Class C semifinal at Centereach on March 10.

“I look it as it’s still a championship game,” Grathwohl said. “It’s a game we need to win. It’s a CD championship. We just want to keep going as far as we can.”

The Settlers earned an opportunity to play Class B champion Center Moriches (20-1) at Walt Whitman High School on Saturday at noon. Center Moriches defeated Southampton in the Class B final on Wednesday, 72-65.

“We’re playing ‘B’-class teams, which are better,” Grathwohl said. “So that will more prepare us for upstate if we ended up getting there.”

DeNicola agreed. “We took it serious,” he said. “We have a game March 10. We’re going to be playing basketball anyway. It’s nice to have this game to just to keep us sharp.”

The post Boys Basketball: Southold’s Kaelin rises to occasion in Class CD final appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

After months of uncertainty, the Internal Revenue Service has determined that Suffolk County’s septic improvement grants will, in fact, be considered taxable income.

A push led by County Executive Steve Bellone encouraging homeowners to voluntarily replace old septic systems and cesspools with what are known as Innovative and Alternative On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems prompted over a thousand homeowners to invest in the costly systems, hoping they would receive rebates in return. Incentivizing the program was initially meant to motivate people to switch over as the county invested in combating nitrogen and bacteria in the county’s waterways. Under Mr. Bellone’s 2014 “Reclaim Our Water” Initiative, nitrogen was declared public water enemy No. 1 and environmental scientists urged that precautions be taken. Last spring, county comptroller John Kennedy requested that the IRS make a ruling on the grants, only to find himself on the receiving end of backlash for issuing 1099 tax forms to both grant recipients who had purchased new systems, and to those who installed them. 

In a Jan. 15 ruling, the IRS announced that septic improvement grants would be taxable to the homeowner — something one local civic group described as “a serious setback to the clean water program that Orient residents and others have embraced so actively this winter.”

In an email to its members, the Orient Association broke the news, adding that they will be following changes and developments as they come.

“The Orient Association held a forum on these grants [in the] middle of January,” said Sherry Thomas, an association board member. “85 people showed up and we did another homeowner’s group about 20 days ago and 25 different people showed up to that. So, the interest in Orient has been just outstanding and I don’t think we’ve had a single person who hasn’t been willing to go out and do something about this and then we went and sent the tax advice.” 

Ms. Thomas said Southold residents are in a bind, because the town has many cesspools and experiences high water table levels. 

“We’ve got this totally motivated community who’s now anxious and concerned,” she said, expressing agreement with U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D–NY), who said the county already taxed Suffolk residents once by adding nitrogen to their water. Now, Mr. Schumer said, many residents feel they are being doubly taxed.

Ms. Thomas said many residents who have installed the new systems are property rich-cash poor, particularly those who own waterfront properties that have been handed down across generations. The upshot of the IRS ruling, she said, is that many Orient homeowners who have been considering participating are now holding off until they have “greater clarity about tax implications.”

In a phone interview Wednesday morning, Southold Supervisor Scott Russell said the town hasn’t seen an abundance of installations, but called the IRS ruling “alarming for several reasons.” Seeing as the federal government issues many direct grants, he argued, the future dependability of such grants –— along with community trust in similar public benefit programs — may be weakened. Many programs that have overwhelming public support, he said, such as affordable housing, farming, deer fencing and solar installation [rebates] tax grants, are now at risk of becoming taxable — or at least, that concern has been brought to the fore.

“Certainly, it’s going to dampen the [success of] alternative treatment systems, but it could also go beyond that,” the supervisor said. “If the IRS determines that a grant is somehow taxable … then they could conceivably start ruling that other grants that are conveyed to people are taxable and that could really have an impact on grants that are used for overwhelming public purposes … [This is] going to make it a lot harder to achieve the very goals they’re chasing.”

Dorothy Minnick of Flanders said last March she expects her tax bill will increase by “many thousands of dollars on top of what I anticipated paying” due to the tax. She received a $10,000 county grant plus a $15,000 Southampton Town rebate, both of which have now been deemed taxable as income.

In a Feb. 12 press release, Mr. Bellone declared that he plans to fight back against both the IRS and Mr. Kennedy, who has been accused of undermining the program and Mr. Bellone’s related legislation. The controversy began in January 2019, when Mr. Kennedy’s office mailed the IRS 1099 forms to grant recipients, who were caught by surprise.

“The decision by County Comptroller John M. Kennedy to issue 1099 tax forms to Suffolk homeowners have cost them thousands of dollars that they otherwise would not have to pay for installing new advanced septic systems to reduce nitrogen pollution and improve our water quality,” Mr. Bellone said in the release. “But then Comptroller Kennedy went even further — he chose to seek an IRS opinion against the advice of the County’s tax counsel as part of his scheme, and the IRS has now decided to go along with this costly plan.”

Ultimately, Mr. Bellone argued that the comptroller’s actions and the IRS decision directly contradict the goals of the Suffolk County Drinking Water Protection Program, the legal opinion of the county’s tax counsel and similar established practices in other areas, such as the state of Maryland.

According to the press release, 111 county homeowners enrolled in the program last month, bringing the total number of participants to more than 1,300.

Robert Dunn of Peconic, 73, installed his alternative septic system in September, primarily for his children. His old system was working fine, but was noticeably aging and undersized. Mr. Dunn lives about 45 feet from the water at Goldsmith’s Inlet, he said, adding that there is grave concern about what goes into the ground there. He was raising his home post-Hurricane Sandy and decided to remove a shed on his property to make room for an upgraded system.

“I applied for a county grant,” he said. “They were extremely helpful at the county level in terms of the Board of Health and just getting it done and, of course, I was a little taken aback by finding that I was getting a 1099 for it.”

Mr. Dunn’s system cost $33,000 to install, which was paid through the county. He said he had been a big fan of the program, recommending it to people, but that now, he has reservations about its rollout and execution.

“I do think it’s a great program, but not the way it’s structured like this … I never got any money. Nobody ever wrote a check to Robert Dunn, so I don’t even know why I get a 1099. They pay the installer directly, he gets the 1099, that was his work and he pays tax on it. That, to me, is fair … for the county to give me a grant and then have me pay taxes on it? It’s just asinine.”

He conceded that the taxes he’s now expected to pay won’t destroy him, but said there are many other grant recipients living on Social Security benefits who will now have to pay taxes on those benefits as well, which may put them in financial distress. 

“Imposing a new tax on those who choose to do the right thing is just plain wrong, and we will work to find a solution to undo the damage the comptroller has done,” Mr. Bellone said in the press release.

The post IRS ruling on septic improvement grants leaves residents feeling ‘doubly taxed’ appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

A new memorial planned for Tasker Park in Peconic will pay tribute to two young lives lost too soon.

This spring, as part of their Bronze Award project, Girl Scout Troop 261 will install a two-person swinging bench with a brick-outlined base at the community park, as well as two trees and plantings. 

The project will memorialize Morgan West, who died at age 9 in 2018 after a six-and-a-half-year battle with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a highly aggressive brain tumor, and Amber Stulsky, who was 10 when she died in a car crash at Route 48 and Chapel Lane the night before she would have started fifth grade at Southold Elementary.

Around a table at the Southold Town Recreation Center in Peconic last Thursday, the girls of Troop 261 remembered their peers — Amber for her timid, sweet personality and the way she’d add purple or blue streaks to her shoulder-length hair, and Morgan for her courage and shared love of Winnie the Pooh.

“Amber was a really sweet girl,” Vanessa Jimenez, 10, said of her friend, who had moved to a new school district last year. 

“After she moved, we weren’t as connected, but we were still friends,” added Katherine Meringer, also 10.

Troop co-leader Courtney Meringer of Mattituck, Katherine’s mother, said Amber was a member of Troop 261 and the fifth-graders knew they wanted to honor their friends when they began brainstorming for the Bronze Award project. “It was hard for them,” she said. “This is a way they could give back, have a little place to go and sit, reflect and remember the girls,” Ms. Meringer said. “We are really proud of them.”

The memorial will be placed between the playground and tennis courts at Tasker Park and the troop is working with Southold Town on the installation, Ms. Meringer said. 

The girls will build the project themselves, with a little bit of guidance from Ms. Meringer’s builder husband, Amos, and Morgan’s dad, Adam, who is a woodworker by trade and offered to help.

“We had no idea that the Girl Scouts were planning this, so when we heard about their project we were blown away,” Morgan’s mom, Nikki, said in an interview. “We love the idea of kids supporting other kids with acts of kindness and, in this case, an act of friendship, love and support. This was such an amazing reminder that Morgan may be gone but she is definitely not forgotten,” she said, adding that Morgan loved playing at Tasker Park.

The troop is running a fundraiser until the end of March to support their project, selling 8-inch-square bricks for $50 each. The bricks can be personalized with a name, message or memory of a loved one. “It invites the community to be a part of the project,” Ms. Meringer said.

She said the troop has already received an outpouring of support from people who want to purchase bricks, as well as from local landscaping businesses that are willing to donate flowers, plants and trees.

The Bronze Award is the troop’s first major milestone and the highest honor junior Girl Scouts can receive.

The girls hope the new spot will be a peaceful way to make sure that Morgan and Amber are not forgotten.

“They’d sit on the bench, think about them and reflect,” said troop member Morgan Dunne. 

“I hope people will enjoy it, and maybe read a book on it,” added fellow Scout Victoria Winter. “When they see the plaques, hopefully they’d think of their memories.”

For more information and to purchase a brick, visit thatsmybrick.com/gst0261.

The post Girl Scouts to create memorial in Peconic to honor Morgan West, Amber Stulsky appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

Listings prepared for Times Review Media Group by Suffolk Research Service, dated Jan. 4-10, 2020.

AQUEBOGUE (11931)

• Daley Family Trust to Begy, Joseph, 67 Promenade Dr (600-46-1-36.23), (R), $335,000

• Cucchi, J to Tuba-Nievez, Jhovani, 127 Broad Ave (600-85-2-75), (R), $488,000

• Steiner, R & M to Probst, Thomas, 16 Bay Harbor Rd (600-113-4-25), (R), $848,000

CALVERTON (11933)

• Piscitelli, E Trust to Sznurkowski Trust, Patricia, 23 Golden Spruce Dr (600-81.1-1-4), (R), $535,000

CUTCHOGUE (11935)

• Hedler, A to Nicolini, John, 725 Eugenes Rd (1000-97-2-17), (R), $400,000

• 1600 Pine Tree LLC to 1600 Pine Tree Road Cutchogue, 1600 Pine Tree Rd (1000-98-1-19), (R), $915,000

• Rimor Development LLC to Schultheis, Gerard, Harvest Pointe Home #5 (1000-102.1-1-5), (R), $707,820

• Out North East LLC to Cosgrove, Brian, 1200 Broadwaters Rd (1000-104-9-3), (R), $2,200,000

FISHERS ISLAND (06390)

• Kernan, K by Executor to Fishers Overlook Partners, Oriental Ave (1000-10-8-12), (R), $3,000,000

FLANDERS (11901)

• Inisfada Realty Corp to Bolvito Garcia, Edin, 34 Temple Ave (900-148-1-52), (R), $290,000

GREENPORT (11944)

• Bonnie Capital LLC to Alexander Stephen Capital, 250 Dawn Dr (1000-35-5-12), (V), $295,000

• Bennett III, J & Brandt to 1655 Bay Shore Road LLC, 1655 Bay Shore Rd (1000-53-4-6), (R), $1,360,000

• Thomson, J to 214 Front Street LLC, 214 Front St (1001-4-9-21), (C), $640,000

JAMESPORT (11947)

• Albert Schmitt & Sons to Crossroads Atlantic LLC, Main Rd & 1176 Main Rd (600-69-2-17), (V), $2,900,000

LAUREL (11948)

• Baumgratz, M by Executor to Wang, Daniel, 8 Maple Ln (600-71-2-57), (R), $1,450,000

• Ruggieri, J & R to Frend, Eric, 3690 Peconic Bay Blvd (1000-128-6-6), (R), $633,000

MATTITUCK (11952)

• Corwin, K to Eightofus Family LP, 210 Marratooka Ln (1000-115-3-11), (R), $435,000

• Cutajar, O & D to 25 Adams Place Inc, 680 E Legion Ave (1000-143-4-12), (R), $225,000

RIVERHEAD (11901)

• 76 Sound Ave LLC to Fimognari, Alison, 190 Park Rd (600-13-5-1), (R), $329,000

• Ellis, J to Kiernan, Christopher, 20 Sea Breeze Dr (600-14-1-15.2), (R), $584,000

• Sanger-Profit, E to 1888 Centerville LLC, 3718 Sound Ave (600-18-1-1), (R), $385,000

• Leslie, A & G to Ballyhalwick LLC, 91 Sandpiper Dr (600-18-1-2.1), (R), $1,300,000

• Grexer, J by Executor to Paluck, Michael, 37 Goose Neck Ln (600-82.1-1-37), (R), $350,000

• Golden Wealth Prprts to Herrera-Castillo, Hector, 1106 Roanoke Ave (600-102-4-20), (R), $300,000

• Hulse, J by Executor to Glass, Benjamin, 64 Sunrise Ave (600-111-3-34), (R), $285,000

SHELTER ISLAND (11964)

• Ivers Jr, AW by Executor to 43 Myrtle Road SI LLC, 43 Myrtle Rd (700-12-1-12), (V), $295,000

• Ivers Jr, AW by Executor to 64 Myrtle Road SI LLC, 64 Myrtle Rd (700-12-1-14), (V), $305,000

• Ivers Jr, AW by Executor to 45 Myrtle Road SI, 45 Myrtle Rd (700-12-1-15), (R), $400,000

• Ivers Jr, AW by Executor to 58 Tuthill Dr SI LLC, 58 Tuthill Dr (700-12-2-14.2), (R), $825,000

SOUTHOLD (11971)

• Swiatocha, W to Croteau, Markis, 3150 Boisseau Ave (1000-55-6-8), (R), $629,000

• Kilfoil, P & L to Belville, Ryan, 215 Garden Ct (1000-63-7-17.9), (R), $799,000

• Regan, R & E Trust to Horne, Karen, 45 Oakwood Dr (1000-70-13-1), (R), $554,000

• Beinert, M to Fonti, Dominic, 522 S Harbor Rd (1000-75-4-27), (R), $660,000

• Bokros, A & Delaney, A to Stalzer, Richard, 2600 S Harbor Rd (1000-75-7-7.1), (R), $545,000

• North Eastwood Prprts to Nolan, Daniel, 5532 Main Bayview Rd (1000-78-4-40), (R), $325,000

• Keenan, J & K to Dennis, Ward, 1465 Brigantine Dr (1000-79-4-56), (R), $676,000

• Basin Road Realty Trst to Peconic River LLC, 450 & 520 Basin Rd (1000-81-1-18), (R), $1,725,000

WADING RIVER (11792)

• 94 Joan LLC to Belnavis, Gairy, 74 19th St (600-53-1-47), (R), $460,000

• Deegan, J to Franzese, Joseph, 120 Josephine Dr (600-95-2-13), (R), $455,000

(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: Feb. 20, 2020 appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

The daily update is a podcast briefing on what’s happening across the North Fork.

​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, Feb. 20.

NEWS

IRS ruling on septic improvement grants leaves residents feeling ‘doubly taxed’

New medical office building in Riverside quickly filling up

Girl Scouts to create memorial in Peconic to honor Morgan West, Amber Stulsky

SPORTS

Boys Basketball: Southold’s Kaelin rises to occasion in Class CD final

NORTHFORKER

Weekend Podcast: What’s happening on the North Fork the week of Feb. 20

WEATHER

Expect partly sunny skies today with a high near 34 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The low tonight will be around 19.

The post Daily Update: Medical offices open, Girl Scouts plan memorial appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

In a day when medical care is consolidating and smaller practices are being eaten up by larger groups, two doctors from Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital are bucking the trend. 

Dr. Dhiren Mehta, a gastroenterologist, and Dr. Frank Adipietro, a pain specialist, have opened the North Fork Surgical Center in Southold to offer outpatient procedures in their practice areas.

It has been a four-year effort, culminating in a Valentine’s Day notice that they’d received final approval from the New York State health department to function at offices on Boisseau Avenue. 

“It was easier getting a medical degree,” Dr. Adipietro said, noting hurdles the partners had to jump to make their plan a reality.

There were multiple applications that had to be filed, plus numerous hearings and inspections. They needed permits from Southold Town, Suffolk County and New York State.

Asked why they put themselves through such a bureaucratic ordeal, the doctors said that because some insurance companies are refusing payments for some procedures performed within hospitals or cutting back on reimbursements and hitting patients with high co-pays, they were largely forced to start the independent practice.

“We want to provide top-level care at an equitable price” to people on the East End, Dr. Mehta said.

They can offer that level of medicine with co-pays that will be less than half of what patients have been assessed by their insurance companies, Dr. Adipietro said.

Both practitioners accept a wide range of insurance, including Medicaid, so no patient has to be refused treatment.

At the same time, in rare cases where complications could be expected or a patient prefers treatment in a hospital setting, they can still perform procedures at the Greenport hospital, they said.

The idea started with Dr. Mehta, who brought his proposal to Dr. Adipietro. The pain specialist had been approached by other doctors with similar concepts, but none were as well thought out as Dr. Mehta’s, he said. Initially, they had planned to use a consulting group to guide them in developing the surgical center, but ultimately managed the process themselves.

It started with identifying a site that they now see as perfect, but originally was a vacant, aging building just north of the Long Island Rail Road tracks. On the first walk-through they realized it was an old structure. “This was a lot of work,” Dr. Adipietro said as he showed off the sparkling new facility, which offers amenities few developers might have even proposed.

At the entryway, for example, are vents that provide warm air, but their installation ensures that the heat doesn’t overwhelm the waiting room since the entire building is climate controlled.

For that and many other features, Dr. Adipietro credits Patricia McGrath at Coastal Home, who was involved in every aspect of creating a working space that feels more like a home than a hospital.

“I wanted patients to feel they are in someone’s living room, not a hospital,” Dr. Adipietro said.

A quiet waiting room offers calming music, but no television — and that, too, is purposeful. In the world of news today, Dr. Mehta said, he didn’t want patients waiting for procedures to be disturbed by, or even arguing about, what they might see on TV. 

The reception desk has two levels, the lower one positioned to accommodate a person who might enter in a wheelchair. There’s also a private space to interview patients.

The obvious need for a generator to provide back-up power in stormy weather when electrical connections could be lost was no easy step and just one of many construction delays.

The generator couldn’t be rolled in to where it had to be located, but had to be hydraulically lifted over the building. 

When patients arrive for a procedure, they are shown to a private room where they can change and given a locker with a key for their belongings. The patient keeps the key throughout the procedure.

The pre-and post-op areas are large and bright and each patient’s vital signs are monitored. Each area has features including chairs that convert to stretchers for many of the procedures — such as the colonoscopies and endoscopies Dr. Mehta performs— to avoid having to move patients from beds to stretchers to operating tables. But there’s also one stretcher specially designed for patients with other problems who may require X-rays. The design enables the patient to be X-rayed through the stretcher.

For procedures where anesthesiology is needed, a qualified physician will be available. All equipment is the state-of-the-art, the doctors said. 

“If I’m doing it, let’s do it right,” Dr. Mehta said. That not only includes a top-level endoscope and other machinery and instruments, but sterilizing equipment to protect against infections.

As for his operating room, Dr. Adipietro describes it as “set up perfectly.” 

The two doctors expect to begin performing procedures at the surgical center by mid-March. In the meantime, as they complete a few odds and ends, they are seeing patients for intake appointments and scheduling procedures that can wait until they are fully operational.

The post Doctors team up to open North Fork Surgical Center in Southold appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

The daily update is a podcast briefing on what’s happening across the North Fork.

​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, Feb. 21.

NEWS

Doctors team up to open North Fork Surgical Center in Southold

Charles Regan dismisses attorney representing him in federal lawsuit

‘Map and plan’ authorized to determine cost of extending Riverhead Water District into Manorville

NORTHFORKER

Chocolate Chip Cookies on the North Fork

WEATHER

Expect sunny skies today with a high near 33 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The low tonight will be around 30 but will feel more like 15 with the wind chill.

For the weekend, expect mostly sunny skies across the North Fork with temperatures in the low 40s.

The post Daily Update: Former principal fires attorney, new surgical center to open appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

Henry P. Flinter of Southold died Feb. 20 at his home. He was 79.

The family will receive visitors Monday, Feb. 24, from 2 to 6 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold.

The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, at St. Patrick R.C. Church in Southold, with Father John Barrett officiating. The Rite of Committal will be private.

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

The post Henry P. Flinter appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

John A.Wilcenski Sr. of Mattituck passed away on Feb. 13, 2020, surrounded by his loving family. He was 87 years old.

John was born on Aug. 18, 1932, in Laurel, to Mary Anna (née Peksa) and Alexander Wilcenski. He graduated from Mattituck High School in 1950, then enlisted in the U.S. Navy on his 18th birthday and served his country for four years.

On May 2, 1959, John married his wife, Jeannette (née Cichanowicz) Wilcenski, and they made their home in Mattituck for the past 61 years.

John was employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory for 38 years, working as a cryogenic technician. He was an Ex-Chief, active and honorary member of the Mattituck Fire Department for 64 years. 

John was the most cherished Dziadek, father and husband. A loving description from one of his grandchildren, “What a sweet, determined, hardworking, fun-loving man! I am forever thankful for the gift of life and family he brought me and for all the love and laughs we got to share.”

Predeceased by his daughter Deborah A. Wisowaty in February of 2018, he is survived by his wife, Jeannette; children John A. Wilcenski, Jr. (Susan) of Westhampton, Patricia (William K.) Granneman of Califon, N.J., and Cutchogue and Donald Wilcenski of Southold; seven cherished grandchildren, William J. (Colleen) Granneman, Katherine Wilcenski, Alexandra Wilcenski, Elizabeth Wilcenski, Alex Wilcenski, Andrew Wilcenski and Laurel Wilcenski; and one great-granddaughter, Emily Ann Granneman.

Visitors were received on Feb. 16 at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral home in Mattituck. The Liturgy of Christian Burial Mass was celebrated on Feb. 17 at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue, officiated by Father Robert Wolosik. U.S. Navy honors were rendered following the Mass. Interment took place at Sacred Heart R.C. Cemetery in Cutchogue.

Memorial donations may be made to Mattituck Fire Department.

The post John A. Wilcenski Sr. appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

There’s just something about Port Jefferson.

Maybe it’s the Royals’ sharp shooting skill. Or their tenacious defense. Or their strength in grabbing rebounds off the boards.

Then again, it could just be Port Jefferson’s total package.

Whatever the case is, one thing is undeniable: Port Jefferson has Mattituck’s number.

Port Jefferson has won all three games between the two high school girls basketball teams this season by an average margin of 16.3 points. That includes second-seeded Mattituck’s 42-28 loss to the top-seeded League VII champions in the Suffolk County Class B final Friday night at Centereach High School. Port Jefferson (15-3) denied the Tuckers (14-8) what would have been a fifth straight county title.

This season Port Jefferson has proven to be a thorn in Mattituck’s side. Why is that?

“I wish I knew,” Mattituck senior guard Sarah Santacroce said. “Honestly, I think they’re just not like many other teams we’ve faced. They’re not like your typical short, athletic [team] like we’re used to playing against. They’re bigger. They move the ball quickly around, and their shooting is outstanding. I think that gave us a hard time.”

The Royals clamped down on Mattituck’s top player, Mackenzie Hoeg, and contested shots. Mattituck’s shooting, like the weather outside, was frigid. Too many missed close-range shots contributed to 20.8% shooting from the field (10 of 48). Santacroce hit Mattituck’s only three-pointer. Its 22 other attempts from beyond the arc were off target.

“We did everything we needed to do except we couldn’t put the ball in the basket, and that hurt us,” Mattituck coach Steve Van Dood said. “A lot of missed layups, a lot of in-and-outs.”

Hoeg, who averages 17 points per game, was held to seven points. The senior made one field goal from 10 attempts and shot 5-for-6 from the foul line. In her previous two games against Port Jefferson, she tallied 20 and 15 points.

Hoeg was visibly shaken and indicated she preferred not to talk after the game.

Mattituck never found its game in what started out as a slow, plodding first quarter. The Tuckers held three brief leads during that quarter on Hoeg’s running bouncer that fell in off the rim, Abby Woods’ layup off her steal and Santacroce’s three-pointer.

Evelyn Walker had the first five points in a 10-2 Port Jefferson surge spanning the first and second quarters that left the Royals holding a 15-9 lead. An Abigail Rolfe layup sent the Royals to their locker room at halftime with a six-point edge.

Mattituck opened the third quarter with a neat back-door layup by Aniah Thompson off a feed from Aaliyah Shorter to pull within 20-16. The Tuckers got no closer than that.

Samantha Ayotte had six points to help fuel a 12-0 Port Jefferson run that made it 32-16 late in the third quarter.

“Once we got on that little run, that’s when we knew we had it,” said Keith Buehler, who coaches Port Jefferson along with Jesse Rosen.

Mattituck wasn’t quite finished yet, though. As hard as it was for the Tuckers to find the basket, they reeled off 10 straight points in the fourth quarter to cut the Port Jefferson lead to 32-26. But the Royals wrapped up the victory with a game-ending 10-2 burst.

“They knocked down shots,” Van Dood said. “We just couldn’t hit them.”

Santacroce, known primarily for her defense, picked up her offensive game, finishing with 10 points. “I show up when I need to, so I guess that’s what happened,” said Mattituck’s only double-figure scorer.

Walker canned three three-pointers and had 13 points while Rolfe added nine.

The Royals dominated the boards, outrebounding Mattituck, 41-16. The Tuckers had only three offensive rebounds. Samantha Ayotte pulled down 14 rebounds and Rolfe collected 11 for Port Jefferson.

Next up for Port Jefferson will be the Suffolk Class B-C final against Pierson/Bridgehampton/Shelter Island (12-8) on Tuesday at St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue. The Royals also have a regional semifinal against the Nassau County champion March 9 at Newfield High School.

Port Jefferson added this to the two other county championships it won in 1927 and 2017, according to Rosen. “This is definitely something special,” he said.

As for Mattituck, Santacroce said: “The season’s had its up and downs, but all in all, I love the girls and I couldn’t have asked for a better season. There isn’t a day we don’t laugh.”

On this night, there were some tears, too.

The post Girls Basketball: Tuckers fall when their shots don’t appeared first on The Suffolk Times.