As a mother and as an educator, I am regularly thinking, reading, discussing and keeping up to speed on the ever-evolving topics of child rearing, child development and educational practice, in particular amid our changing social landscape. Naturally, that means lately I’m thinking a lot about raising children in the digital age. Throughout motherhood and my career as an educator, I have always worked on what it looks like to foster good citizens in the world. And now, more than ever, I am focusing on what it looks like to foster good citizens in the digital world.

My concerns reached a critical point just a few weeks ago at my middle son’s basketball game. I was sitting in the bleachers, watching as the teams rallied back and forth, one team outplaying the other significantly. I watched the teams navigate the disparity and deftly work with a player with disabilities. This individual bounced the ball high, screamed and flapped his arms and the game played on. Coaches and players alike worked admirably with this boy, and helped him be a part of a team. 

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, older players for an upcoming game looked on. I did a double take, as I noticed two of the boys were holding their phones up and videotaping the game. I thought it odd; I bounced up out of my seat, walked over to them and asked what they were up to. They quickly stumbled for words, one of them saying he was recording the game for fun because he remembered being that age once, too. Naturally, I was skeptical and I asked them to put their phones away, adding that unless their brother or sister were out there, they really had no business recording this game. I knew what they were up to. They knew what they were up to. The recording would be used to exploit and mock, thrown up on Snapchat or TikTok for likes and laughs, all at the expense of these younger kids on the court.

At a minimum, this act was a breach of privacy and in very poor taste. But can we really blame these kids? Have we adequately prepared our adolescents about how to apply the values of good citizenship to their digital lives? As parents, we hand our adolescents a phone — at an age when their prefrontal cortex is shifting and decision-making skills are not at their optimal performance level — and we expect them to use it appropriately without ever teaching them.

In an era when online mistreatment of others has practically become commonplace, if not acceptable, we must double down as parents and educators about how to teach children to apply the values we espouse to their online lives. We must continue to strive to help our children be good people. And that means helping them learn to be good people online too.

As a step toward addressing this at Peconic Community School, we have launched a Digital Citizenship Initiative, within which we aim to teach our community as a whole how to appropriately use technology and how to uphold the same principles that guide us in life in the digital landscape. We are conducting regular discussion groups with our students regarding the benefits and pitfalls of screens and devices. Among the many resources we are consulting are digital citizenship lessons from Common Sense Media, which can be found online and are free. We are also hosting a viewing of “Screenagers” for the community at large, followed by a discussion. The following day we will share the film with our fourth- through sixth-graders.

PCS has also implemented a policy that prohibits the use of personal devices in school, collecting our students’ devices at the beginning of the day and returning them at the end. This eliminates the risk and temptation for students to be on phones when they shouldn’t and don’t need to be. I urge my colleagues at neighboring schools to rethink their own cellphone policies in school during class time — even through high school — and consider whether the risks might in fact outweigh the benefits. Let’s give our kids the break they need and deserve from their devices for their six-hour school day. It will benefit not only their academic success, but their social-emotional well being as well. And curriculum in all schools should include lessons in digital responsibility. Technology is here to stay and is a tool with many benefits and advantages for adults and young people alike. But its very power is what makes our responsibility to prepare and supervise our children that much more urgent.

We spend our children’s early years helping them learn how to share, how to be kind, how to use good manners and how to help others. We now need to teach our kids how to apply these very same ideas to their digital life. We owe it to them to help them learn these skills and we owe it to society at large.

“Screenagers” will be shown at Peconic Community School on Thursday, March 26, at 7 p.m. It is open to the community and free for all.

Ms. Casey is a founder of and teacher at Peconic Community School in Aquebogue.

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The 93-year-old Custer Institute has hired its first-ever executive director.

Longtime volunteer Cynthia Cichanowicz recently began the new role and said her top priority is to build on the momentum gained since she first visited Custer in 2010.

“I started coming more often to observe,” Ms. Cichanowicz said during an interview at the institute last Thursday. “There’s so many interesting people and things about space to learn — it just pulled me in.”

Since then, she’s become “instrumental,” in leading the organization’s efforts, according to Custer board president Charles Cardona. As a volunteer who officially joined the board in 2017, Ms. Cichanowicz has helped secure a $32,000 grant to bring electric vehicle charging stations to the site, started a beekeeping club, taught courses in astrophotography and dedicated hundreds of hours guiding visitors during public viewing sessions in the observatories on Saturday nights.

She even beautified a basement workshop, where mirrors for telescopes undergo grinding and repairs, by painting a mural of the major constellations on the bare white walls.

“We always were an all-volunteer organization and we really knew we wanted to take the next step,” Mr. Cardona said. “We want to expand and do a lot more for the community.”

Her goals include increasing membership, seeking out grant opportunities, planning events — the institute will soon begin preparing for its centennial — and increasing engagement with the community and local schools through field trips and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs.

Ms. Cardona said the board has been aiming to hire an executive director for at least a decade, but got serious about it in recent years to try and keep up with rapid growth fueled by tourism in the area. The part-time position is being funded in part by a $5,000 grant provided by the Charles and Helen Reichert Family Foundation, plus the organization’s own fundraising initiatives.

“[Years ago,] it was rare that we would have 20 people here,” Mr. Cardona said. “Now, it’s rare we have 20 people because it’s usually 50 or 100.” 

On a recent February night, more than 30 skygazers came bundled up to observe.

Ultimately, Mr. Cardona hopes to expand beyond just being open for four hours on Saturday nights.

“With volunteers only, that’s a big ask. So with Cynthia here, we’ll be trying to offer programs during the week.”

The nonprofit was founded in 1927 and has grown beyond astronomy to include programs in music, geology and beekeeping. The observatories are open to the public every Saturday evening for viewing through their telescopes.

Ms. Cichanowicz, an avid amateur astronomer, now owns a few telescopes of her own and has found a passion in astrophotography. She often teaches members how to take these photos and printed about a dozen images that now decorate the top of the table in the common room.

Though she holds an engineering degree, space intrigues her. “It’s fascinating,” she said, encouraging others to visit the observatory and museum. “There’s a lot of cool stuff to look at in the telescopes — galaxies, nebulae, the planets. And the moon is always beautiful too.”

The Custer Institute is located at 1115 Main Bayview Road in Southold.

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The Southold players had heard a lot about Center Moriches, the Suffolk County Class B boys basketball champion that is a virtual scoring machine, fully stocked with talent and primed to make a run at the state championship. Then again, to hear about the Red Devils is one thing — standing face to face with them on the court is something else entirely.

An indication of what awaited Southold was seen after Center Moriches’ Emond Frazier made a layup off the opening tip just four seconds into the Suffolk Class BCD final Saturday at Walt Whitman High School.

Yes, the First Settlers may have thought to themselves, this was going to be a tough one.

In a game in which Southold really had nothing to lose, heavily favored Center Moriches stormed to the win, scoring over 100 points for the fifth time this season for their ninth straight victory. Nae’jon Ward bagged 20 of his game-high 22 points in the first half of Center Moriches’ 107-55 rout.

If the Settlers (13-9) didn’t fully appreciate just how good Center Moriches (21-1) is, they surely do now.

“Their athleticism, oh my God, it’s insane,” Southold junior Jaishaun McRae said. “I heard about it. I did not expect it” like that.

Center Moriches has athletes, that’s for sure. It has players like the 6-5 Jaden Kealey, the 6-4 Frazier, Ward and Ahkee Anderson, the transfer from Greenport who entered the contest averaging 23.5 points a game, per Newsday. And the Red Devils have more.

Center Moriches, a state semifinalist last year and winner of four straight league titles, is ranked second in the state behind Lowville in the New York State Sports Writers Association’s Class B rankings.

“They’re a great squad,” Southold coach Lucas Grigonis said. “There’s a reason why they’re now [21-1]. We have a lot of respect for them and what they do and their players. Yeah, we knew what we were getting into today.”

Ward was one of 10 Red Devils in the scoring column and half of them reached double figures. Frazier and Kealey each poured in 18 points, Anderson had 14 and Dayrien Franklin added 12. Kealey also grabbed 14 rebounds.

Center Moriches’ dominance on the boards helped. The Red Devils came down with 46 rebounds to Southold’s 29. And Center Moriches’ pressure defense helped force 28 turnovers while the Red Devils turned the ball over only eight times themselves.

Southold’s top scoring threat, Nick Grathwohl, did not play in the second half as a preventive measure. The senior guard ran into early foul trouble. He picked up his second and third personal fouls with 3:43 left in the first quarter, the third coming on an unsportsmanlike conduct call that cost him a technical foul. A second technical foul against the fiery Grathwohl would have brought with it an automatic one-game suspension, preventing him from playing in the Southeast Region Class C semifinal against East Rockaway (8-11) March 10 at Centereach High School. Grigonis said Grathwohl was upset about being kept on the bench in the second half, but the coach said he didn’t want to risk losing him for the East Rockaway game.

A buzzer-beating three-pointer before halftime left Grathwohl with seven points.

Nick Eckhardt led Southold with 12 points and John Kaelin added 11.

Asked what was the toughest thing his team had to deal with, Grigonis answered: “Our nerves. It seems like some of my guys played scared. We played hesitant, you know. [Assistant coach Joseph Irwin] and I tried to give them a simple, yet effective game plan, and when nerves and fear take over, things go out the window.”

Center Moriches used first-half runs of 19-0 and 12-0 to help itself to a comfortable 61-27 halftime lead. The high-flying Red Devils had first-half dunks by Kealey and Frazier. Among the team’s 49 field goals were 25 layups, helping account for its 57% shooting.

“It was like a little bit intimidating coming in,” Eckhardt said. “The first half we looked scared, and then the second half we just came around. We didn’t really care what the score was. We just played tough.”

McRae said: “We tried not to let them hit a hundred, but they did. We didn’t do what we were supposed to at times. We were discombobulated towards the end.”

It could be argued that the game was good preparation for facing East Rockaway.

“Obviously, that’s the best team we’ve played all year, so [it was] good preparation for our next game,” Eckhardt said. “That’s probably the biggest game of the year for us.”

The post Boys Basketball: Center Moriches’ ‘O’ leads to Southold ‘L’ appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

A fire ripped through a Mattituck home Saturday night causing extensive damage.

No injuries were reported and fire officials at the scene said a homeowner was able to get out.

Firefighters with the Mattituck, Cutchogue and Southold Fire Departments responded to the scene at about 9:30 p.m. Firefighters were still pouring water on the charred home after 10:30 p.m.

Mattituck Chief Ted Webb said the house was fully involved when firefighters arrived on scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation and the Suffolk County Police Arson Squad was en route to assist. The chief confirmed one person was inside the home and got out.

*This post will be updated as additional information becomes available

The post Mattituck home destroyed by fire Saturday night appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

I thought the editorial “A month of learning is great, but we need to do more” (The Suffolk Times, Feb. 13) was well balanced and I really enjoyed the following section:

“Their histories as told are incomplete if we don’t also note that many of those families were slave owners — not to judge them through a 21st-century lens, but just to round out the story.”

I always say that America is the “perfect imperfection!” What I mean by this is America is not perfect and it can never be perfect given the imperfections of its citizens. The beauty of our system of government is the design of checks and balances. 

Our Founding Fathers understood the failings of their fellow humans and how horrible we can be toward each other, and many of them understood the evil of slavery, too. They understood that it would not just go away simply. 

The choice was to form a union with its imperfect aspects or just give up. Anyone who has ever run a not-for-profit or any type of volunteer organization knows that it is difficult to get the team to agree on what color to paint the walls. Now imagine how difficult it was to form a union comprising some people who wanted slavery abolished and others who relied on it for their economy. Yes — they had more heated discussions than we do about the color of the walls. 

The bottom line is they did not give up. They built a system that would allow growth, change and, eventually, the ending of the evil system of slavery through blood and conflict, but it ended. 

It ended because there were a lot of white men willing to die for the union and to die for the principles to end slavery. Did we finally have an African American president? Yes! He, too, was elected because there were a lot of white people willing to vote for him. 

When I joined the Marines in 1991 one of the first things out of my drill instructor’s mouth — after he said “Drop and give me 50!” — was: “The only color in the Marines is green!” That was the color of our uniforms in 1991 and that is the motto that honestly many Americans of all colors believe and exhibit in their behavior. 

Is America still struggling with race issues? Absolutely, but we all must realize the distance we have covered while never forgetting the starting point. Slavery was evil! Racism is evil! Don’t forget the past but also don’t condemn the living for the sins of the dead. 

I’m just a green-colored Marine!

Mr. Sanders is commander of American Legion Post 803 in Southold.

The post Equal Time: We are a ‘perfect imperfection’ appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

A Douglaston woman told police around 11:44 a.m. Monday that $2,200 in cash had been stolen from her mother’s Mattituck home. The woman gave police the name of a possible suspect, who works as her mother’s aide. An investigation is underway.

• Two men reported to police around 3:30 p.m. Friday that money had been stolen from the group they work for, Long Island Mineral and Geology Society. The men said that in December, they enrolled a Laurel woman as their new secretary, adding that between that time and Feb. 1, the woman had been writing herself checks and using group funds for private purchases. In total, the men said, she removed $2,291.08. When confronted, the woman allegedly admitted to the theft and agreed to pay the men back. 

As of Feb. 7, she had returned $2,200, but the men wanted the remaining balance of $91.08 documented.

• A Mattituck man called police last Wednesday around 1:24 p.m. to report his gray $300 Pep Boys 50cc pocket dirt bike missing from its spot at the Mattituck Plaza.

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: $2,200 reported stolen from Mattituck home appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

UPDATE (4:30 p.m.): Southold Town police have charged the driver involved in a single-vehicle crash early Sunday morning with driving while intoxicated.

Jose Agustin Gomez, 21, of Greenport struck a PSEG pole shortly before 5 a.m. on Route 48 in Greenport. The road was closed between Moores Lane and Chapel Lane until 2:45 p.m. as PSEG crews fixed the broken pole that had fallen into the roadway.

Police said Mr. Agustin Gomez had an odor of alcohol on his breath, his eyes were bloodshot and glassy and he was unsteady on his feet. He was taken to Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital by Greenport Fire Department ambulance because of leg and hip pain. He was later transported to headquarters to be held for arraignment.

Original Story: County Route 48 was closed Sunday morning between Moores Lane and Chapel Lane as PSEG crews responded to fix a pole that fell across the road following a single-vehicle accident, according to Southold Town police.

The vehicle struck a PSEG pole in an early morning accident. A police press release did not specify the extent of any injuries.

Drivers are advised to use Route 25 when traveling east toward Greenport.

Police said additional details about the incident are expected.

The post Update: Driver charged with DWI after crash that caused portion of Route 48 to be closed appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

A ferry service operating between Sag Harbor and Greenport may return this summer.

In June 2012, Hampton Jitney launched an 83-day pilot program for Peconic Jitney, a 125-passenger ferry service that linked the villages of Sag Harbor and Greenport. At that time, ferry service cost $20 for a round trip, or $12 one way. 

Village administrator Paul Pallas said Thursday at a Greenport work session that the reestablished service, pitched to him by Hampton Jitney manager Jim Ryan earlier this month, would operate similarly to how it did in the past. He told the board he was awaiting their approval to request a formal business plan and proposal with ferry operation and costs.

Greenport trustees expressed interest in the service at Thursday’s work session, but were skeptical about its impact on the village’s parking spaces and marina.

Mayor George Hubbard Jr. said he was disappointed that the company pitched the project to the Sag Harbor Board of Trustees in December 2019, but Greenport trustees are only hearing about it this month.

“They’ve been before their board for two months,” Mr. Hubbard said, “and now we’re hearing about it after the fact.”

In 2012, Mr. Hubbard said, the company unloaded and picked up passengers in the marina near Mitchell Park. But that pier is busier than it was eight years ago, the mayor said.

“Taking a 125-passenger ferry in there six to eight times a day could be problematic with the amount of boats and traffic in there, especially on weekends,” Mr. Hubbard said. 

The mayor suggested the company dock its ferries at the railroad dock near Wiggins Street, close to the North Ferry location. Mr. Hubbard said passengers would be asked to use the 48-hour parking lot. 

Originally, Mr. Pallas said, the company was interested in using Claudio’s dock as a drop-off location for passengers, but that is no longer a viable option.

In 2012, the company leased the parking lot at Greenport High School for public parking. But board trustee Mary Bess Phillips said that lot was rarely used, and riders parked downtown anyway.

Trustee Peter Clarke recalled more visitors stopped at Greenport and then traveled to Sag Harbor, producing less parking issues in Greenport than in Sag Harbor.

Mr. Ryan told 27east.com it would likely cost $27 for a round-trip ticket or $16 for one-way passage if it were reestablished this summer. The ferry would make 12 round trips Sunday through Thursday, and 16 on Fridays and Saturdays.

After hearing the board’s unanimous interest, Mr. Pallas said he will formally request a business plan and proposal.

Mr. Ryan was not available for comment Friday.

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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 Monday, Feb. 24.

NEWS

Mattituck home destroyed by fire Saturday night

Riverhead voters to decide fate of school bond Tuesday

Peconic Jitney, linking Greenport and Sag Harbor, may return this summer

Alive on 25 dates for 2020 trimmed in half; Oktoberfest could be coming

WEATHER

Expect sunny skies today with a high near 48 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Clouds will move in tonight and there’s a chance for rain after 8 p.m.

The post Daily Update: Mattituck home destroyed by fire, Riverhead school bond set for vote appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

When it ended, Mackenzie Hoeg looked down, raised her hands to her face, wiped away some tears and waited on the handshake line. Her laudable high school basketball career had just ended.

It couldn’t have been the ending the Mattituck High School senior envisioned. Port Jefferson’s blanket defense held Mattituck to 20.8% shooting and Hoeg to seven points from 1-for-10 shooting in the Royals’ 42-28 Suffolk County Class B final win Friday night at Centereach High School.

“The hardest part for me when you’re shaking hands, especially after we won, is seeing a girl cry,” Port Jefferson co-coach Keith Buehler said. “That just shows you the heart.

“We frustrated her. I know we did. That’s our job, but she’s an unbelievable athlete and an unbelievable kid.”

Hoeg, an All-County player last season, scored 710 points over the course of her sterling four-year varsity career. The point guard also collected 321 rebounds, 245 steals and 122 assists in that time. She averaged 17 points per game this season.

Hoeg’s coach and teammates spoke glowingly about her.

“Oh God,” coach Steve Van Dood said. “She’s heroic. I mean, she does everything, you know. She takes a lot on herself, but the best thing she does is off the court, how she works with the girls, how she talks to the girls. It’s all good stuff. Mac Hoeg has been a leader from day one for us.”

Another Mattituck senior, guard Sarah Santacroce, said Hoeg has “been a tremendous asset to the team from day one. She’s been on varsity for so long. She has all the skill sets that it takes to be a good varsity athlete. She’s definitely helped a lot of us mold into that varsity basketball team that we became.”

Hoeg, who wasn’t up for a postgame interview, is a player opposing teams need to account for.

“Just as a leader and as an athlete, her presence on the court is something that if you’re watching, just the eye test … she’s the threat,” Port Jefferson’s other co-coach, Jesse Rosen, said. “She’s the girl that you need to be aware of offensively and defensively.”

Mattituck will have a different look next season, with likely expanded roles for younger players like freshman Abby Woods, sophomore Aaliyah Shorter and junior Aniah Thompson.

“She’s just like the heart and soul of our team and she’s the big asset to the team,” Thompson said of Hoeg. “We’ll definitely miss her next year.”

The post Girls Basketball: Mac’s farewell comes with tears appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

As the number of restaurants and bars in Greenport increases, village officials are considering ways to limit further expansion and better regulate parking. 

At Thursday’s work session, officials discussed a moratorium on new restaurants and bars in the downtown Business District.

Trustee Peter Clarke pitched the idea and said a moratorium could remain in place until the village completes proposed zoning changes and develops a strategy for parking and a long-range comprehensive plan for Greenport. The moratorium would help the village get a better grasp on the pace and nature of change in the community, he said. 

Mr. Clarke added that there aren’t many requirements for opening a restaurant or bar in the incorporated village. “You really just need a building permit if you’re going to make changes, or putting in, maybe, a grease trap if there wasn’t a restaurant there before to accommodate what the sewer system would require,” Mr. Clarke said.

His concern, he said, arose as numerous properties on Main Street changed in recent years from retail to restaurants and bars.

“Before you know it, we could be a Patchogue or a Westhampton Beach or a Montauk — where our community has been taken from us in that we don’t have anywhere for families to go that aren’t interested in eating out or having alcoholic beverages,” he said.

The Village of Patchogue recently considered a moratorium on new restaurant approvals, but no decision has yet been finalized there.

Mayor George Hubbard Jr. said parking issues in Greenport have persisted for over 60 years and it’s difficult to find one concrete solution. 

“I don’t think there is a solution for parking,” he said.

Trustee Julia Robins said there are now about 45 restaurants and bars in the downtown Business District, and that eight to 10 more could open locally this year alone.

Since a parking study was conducted in the village in 2009, Trustee Mary Bess Phillips said, parking codes have been enforced. 

Trustee Jack Martilotta said a growing number of liquor license applications has come before the board and that the village has seen “quite a dramatic change” in recent years. He asked village attorney Joseph Prokop how to address that growth. 

Mr. Prokop said an applicant cannot apply for a liquor license if a restaurant/bar use is not permitted under the zoning that applies to the location. Nearly every month, he said, the village receives a liquor license application in which the applicant describes a use that is not permitted by zoning. 

A moratorium must be enacted through the adoption of a local law, Mr. Prokop said, and must be tied to a plan other than the elimination of a particular use. He recommended any moratorium run six to 12 months.

To further limit the conversion of a non-food business into a food business, Mr. Prokop said, village trustees could change the zoning code to a conditional use, asking that restaurants meet more requirements.

Mr. Clarke said parking, business growth and zoning code changes are issues that intersect. A moratorium serves as one approach to addressing these issues. 

He also proposed a parking meter system throughout the village to generate village revenue and encourage residents to park outside the downtown area. The system would not apply to 30-minute parking zones, like the lot outside the IGA, Mr. Clarke said. He also recommended creating a residential parking lot on Adams Street for apartment-dwellers.

“What I know is the status quo is not working for us,” Mr. Clarke said.

Ms. Robins said metered parking would not create additional space but simply shift the usage. Revenue is already generated by code enforcement officers, she said. 

Mr. Hubbard said the village tried using parking meters roughly 10 years ago and it was unsuccessful. The previous system cost $160,000 to install.

Ms. Phillips, who was hesitant about a moratorium but would consider changing the zoning code, suggested the board host a meeting with Zoning Board of Appeals members to hear their perspectives. 

A solution has not been finalized. Village administrator Paul Pallas will look into the cost of a parking meter system, Mr. Hubbard said.

The post Should Greenport Village consider implementing a moratorium on new restaurants and bars? appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

A series of “cut and paste” lawsuits has reached the North Fork, affecting dozens of local businesses and prompting the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce to issue an “urgent alert” last week.

The lawsuits are aimed at businesses with websites that are considered inaccessible to the visually impaired, a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Local business owners were stunned to learn that their websites are subject to the same ADA regulations as their brick-and-mortar shops.

Federal court records show that a lawsuit was filed by James Murphy against the Preston House & Hotel in October. Mr. Murphy is described in court documents as a New York City resident who is visually impaired and legally blind, which requires him to use screen-reading software while browsing web content.

The suit was filed against the downtown Riverhead business for its “failure to design, construct, maintain and operate its website to be fully accessible to and independently usable by [Mr. Murphy] and other blind or visually impaired people,” and notes that “denial of full and equal access to its website and therefore denial of its products and services offered thereby” is a violation of his rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

According to court records, Mr. Murphy filed 11 similar lawsuits between Oct. 1 and Nov. 7, including identical cases against Atlantis Marine World LLC in Riverhead and the Long Island Game Farm in Manorville.

Last week, the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce alerted its members to the legal action being brought against local businesses. In the memo, the chamber urged businesses to check with their web developers to make sure their sites comply with the ADA guidelines.

“We have two concerns,” said Chamber of Commerce president Bob Kern. “That people with disabilities are able to enjoy and benefit from present and future electronic technology and secondly, we’re concerned that businesses are being unfairly targeted not realizing they are non-compliant.”

Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination against disabled people in the activities of places of public accommodations, meaning businesses that are generally open to the public. Although the language of the ADA doesn’t specifically mention the internet, websites are considered public accommodations.

According to Seyfarth Shaw LLP, a national law firm that tracks such cases, more than 10,000 ADA Title III lawsuits are filed per year and nearly half are filed in New York, California and Florida. 

“Businesses across the country feel under siege,” the firm’s website states. “Some businesses find themselves defending against investigations and enforcement actions brought by the U.S. Department of Justice. which can result in onerous remedial measures, large damage payments and civil penalties.”

“Most of the businesses have settled to avoid long, drawn-out lawsuits,” Mr. Kern said. “Who is this benefiting? The law firms or people with disabilities?”

A letter dated Feb. 11 from the law offices of Campolo, Middleton & McCormick LLP, who are representing The Preston House in the lawsuit, requests an extension to respond to the complaint until March 18. 

“The parties are involved in settlement discussions,” the letter states.

An attorney at the firm declined to comment on the pending litigation Monday.

Accessibility advocates say that the playing field should be leveled online, allowing users to view web content by using methods known as assistive technology, such as screen readers, closed captioning, transcripts and assistive keyboard interfaces.

“In today’s tech-savvy world, blind and visually impaired people have the ability to access websites using keyboards in conjunction with screen access software that vocalizes the visual information found on a computer screen or displays the content on a refreshable Braille display,” Mr. Murphy’s lawsuit states.

According to the lawsuit, approximately 8.1 million people in the United States are visually impaired, and about 400,000 visually impaired people live in New York.

This isn’t the first time local businesses have been hit with these types of lawsuits.

In 2018, Kathy Wu, a visually impaired woman from Brooklyn, filed similar lawsuits against at least eight local wineries, including Palmer Vineyards, Pindar Vineyards, Bedell Cellars, Jason’s Vineyard, Jamesport Vineyards, McCall Wines and Sannino Vineyard. Court records show all of these cases reached settlement in 2019.

Reached by phone Monday, Jeffrey Gottlieb, an attorney for Mr. Murphy, declined to comment. Mr. Gottlieb was also listed as an attorney for Ms. Wu, according to court records.

Plaintiffs can only get a maximum of $500 for each case under New York State law.

Tom Stebbins, executive director at the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York, said in an interview Monday that the Department of Justice, which creates regulations for the ADA, hasn’t set concrete rules for business owners to follow.

“Profit-seeking lawyers have jumped into the fray by filing all of these cut and paste lawsuits against a variety of industries,” he said. “It is clearly a lawyer-driven enterprise, not driven by disability advocates.”

Since the memo warning of the lawsuits was issued by the Riverhead Chamber, Danielle Nicholas, founder of web developing agency Dee Nick Media, Inc. has offered to help businesses bring their websites into compliance at no cost.

The post Lawsuits target local businesses with websites deemed inaccessible to the visually impaired 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. 25.

NEWS

Should Greenport Village consider implementing a moratorium on new restaurants and bars?

Riverhead firefighters put out fire at vacant Toys ‘R’ Us building; arson squad investigating

Site plan approved for shopping center in Wading River

SPORTS

Girls Basketball: Mac’s farewell comes with tears

NORTHFORKER

Northforker chats music and history with Rob Europe

WEATHER

Expect cloudy skies today with a high near 47 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Rain is expected later in the day and the low tonight will be around 38.

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Artemios V. Tsismenakis of East Marion died Friday, Feb. 14, 2020. He was 89 years old.

Artemios was born Nov. 30, 1930, in Agios Georgios, Keramia, Chania, Crete, Greece, to Sophia Theodora (Kapenekakis) and Vasilios Georgiou Tsismenakis.

He went on to attend Panagia Keramia Elementary School in Crete, Greece, and then graduate from Charles Evans Hughes High School on 18th Street and 8th Avenue in New York City. After high school, he attended Maryland University of the Military, Wisconsin University-Correspondence Courses and International Electric Institute, attaining an automotive and electrical certificate, and is a graduate of the University of Hard Knocks with honors.

Artemios married the love of his life, Stella Kapassakis, on June 25, 1960, at Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church in Manhattan, N.Y., and together they had four children.

Artemios immigrated to the United States and came to Baltimore, Md., on Nov. 8, 1951, then moved to Manhattan in 1952. As a young boy he was part of the civilian resistance to the Nazi occupation of Crete, Greece, during World War II as a freedom fighter. He served in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958, attaining the rank of E3T special structural steel engineer, and was honorably discharged with the Good Conduct Medal. He also served in Tripoli, Libya, as a member of the 6th Army Rifle Team.

He lived in Brooklyn, N.Y., since 1958 and part-time in East Marion since 1967, finally moving to East Marion full-time in 1995.

He was a member of NY State Real Estate Brokers, Alma Garment Union, Tailor IKA from 1946-1950, Cretan Association Omonia as an officer, Cretan Brotherhood of New York as an officer, Three Hierarchs Greek Orthodox Church as a parish council member, Ahepa “Pindos Chapter” since 1957, Pancretan Association of America, Saints Anargyroi, Taxiarchis & Gerasimos Greek Orthodox Church in Greenport, N.Y., Three Hierarchs Greek Orthodox Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., Transfiguration of Christ Greek Orthodox Church in Mattituck, N.Y., Kimisis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church in Manhattan, N.Y., and Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption in Windham, N.Y.

He worked as a shoemaker, tailor, farmer, truck driver, electrician, painter, restaurateur, real estate investor and finally as a self-employed manager and real estate broker of Atlas Sales Realty since 1970.

He was especially proud of his real estate investments and developments. He loved everyone and he loved America.

Predeceased by his parents, siblings Nicolas V. Tsismenakis, George V. Tsismenakis and Emmanuel V. Tsismenakis and uncle James Tsismenakis, he is survived by his wife, Stella; children Sofia Antoniadis (Michael) of East Marion, Georgia A. Tsismenakis of Shelter Island, Vasilia H.A. Tsismenakis (Aristides Georgelis) of East Marion and Bayside, N.Y., and Artemios N.A. Tsismenakis of East Marion; grandchildren Domna Antoniadis-Kelly (Robert Kelly), Nicholas Antoniadis, George Georgelis and Artemios Georgelis; great-grandchild Thanasis Antoniadis-Kelly; cousins John and Eleni Tsismenakis of Massachusetts; and cousins, nephews and nieces and godchildren in Greece, Australia, New York and Massachusetts.

The family received friends Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, at Dahill Funeral Home in Brooklyn, N.Y. Visitation and funeral services were held Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, on the North Fork. Visitation began at 11 a.m. followed by the funeral liturgy at noon at Transfiguration of Christ Greek Orthodox Church in Mattituck. Interment followed at East Marion Cemetery in East Marion, N.Y., where the United States Army rendered military honors.

Makaria meal was at O’Mally’s in Southold, N.Y.

This is a paid notice.

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Karen Ann Helinski of Southold Town passed away Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. She was 58 years old.

Born in Greenport and raised in Cutchogue, Karen was a lifelong resident of the North Fork.

She was the beloved daughter of Jane (Orlowski) and Anthony Domaleski.

She graduated from Mattituck High School and attended college at CW Post – Long Island University, where she studied marketing.

She married the love of her life, Thomas M. Helinski, on Nov. 15, 1986, at our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue. They have lived in Southold for the past 33 years.

Karen was active around town. She worked as a CPA and owned an accounting firm in Southold. She also served as treasurer for the Southold Fire District and enjoyed attending mass at Saint Patrick’s R.C. Church.

Predeceased by her parents, Jane and Anthony, and her sister, Alice Domaleski, she is survived by her husband, Thomas; daughter Kristen Callahan and her husband, Daniel, of Watertown, Mass.; and brother John Domaleski and his wife, Vareen, of Warren, R.I.

Karen found joy making jewelry, taking summer boat rides on Peconic Bay and spending time with her daughter, Kristen. Karen could always be spotted around town, whether it was browsing at the Book Cottage or attending a fundraiser at the firehouse.

Visitors will be received Thursday, Feb. 27, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold. The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, Feb. 28, at 10 a.m. at Saint Patrick’s R.C. Church in Southold, officiated by Father John Barrett. Interment will follow at Saint Patrick’s R.C. Cemetery in Southold.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to East End Hospice or the Southold Fire Department Rescue Squad. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

This is a paid notice.

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Bruce William Benson of Orient died at home Feb. 16. He was 73.

He was born Jan. 6, 1947, to Dorothy (Tranter) and August Benson in Bensonhurst, N.Y.

Mr. Benson attended Mepham High School and earned an associate degree from Nassau College. He made a career as a Nassau County police officer.

He married his wife, Barbara Ann Benson, on Nov. 11, 1967.

Mr. Benson was a member of Fraternal Order of Police, U.S. Marshals and True Light Church. Family said he enjoyed playing bass guitar and listening to The Beatles and was a fan of Superman.

He was predeceased by his wife. He is survived by his children, Dr. Kevin Benson of Midland, Texas, Karen Ann Benson of Cutchogue and Pastor Keith Benson of Southold; and three grandchildren.

A celebration of life will take place Saturday, Feb. 29, at 11 a.m. at True Light Church, 1850 Main Bayview Road, Southold, NY 11971.

Memorial donations may be made to True Light Church, P.O. Box 804, Southold, NY 11971.

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Marta Anna Hemming of Greenport died Feb. 7. She was 90.

She was born May 4, 1929, to Stefania (Laske) and Jerzy Bohdan Hildt in Wejherowo, Poland.

Ms. Hemming graduated from SUNY/Empire State College with a degree in social work and was employed by Family Services Association in Hempstead.

She married her husband, J.F. Kerry Hemming in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1958.

Ms. Hemming was named Polish/American Citizen of the Year and was the 1948 Polish Women’s Downhill Skiing Champion. Her family said she held a deep love for the nation and people of Poland and her grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her husband in 2006 and her brother, Roman Hildt in 2012. She is survived by her son, Philip Eaton Hemming, of Vancouver, Canada; and grandchildren Ailsa and Felix.

A service will take place Thursday, March 5, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue. Her ashes will be buried in Warsaw, Poland.

Memorial donations may be made to Kosciuszko Foundation (thekf.org) or North Shore Animal League (animalleague.org).

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Helicopter pilots are being urged to fly an all-water route to and from the Hamptons rather than transitioning over the North Fork, according to new routes issued by the East Hampton Town Airport.

But some residents who have been critical of helicopter noise aren’t applauding just yet.

According to the flight paths dated Jan. 21, pilots using the “Echo Route” would proceed along the North Shore Helicopter Route east at 3,500 feet to Plum Gut, turning to proceed south to the airport. “Remain at altitude as close in as possible for noise abatement,” the instructions state. “The Echo Gates must be flown precisely for noise abatement.”

During a Southold Town Board work session Tuesday, Teresa McCaskie of the town’s helicopter noise steering committee outlined several concerns she has over the new plan, including the lack of input from community members in Southold, Shelter Island and Riverhead.

“These routes are not a solution,” she said, noting that an increased amount of air traffic over Orient will negatively impact residents in that area. In addition, she said, there is no language included that addresses how far off shore the helicopters are supposed to fly. The South Shore Route, which Ms. McCaskie said is still underutilized, requires pilots to fly one mile offshore.

“Everyone on the beach is going to have to watch the highway in the sky,” she said.

Orient resident and helicopter committee member Adam Irving compared the route change to “whack-a-mole.”

“They help inland residents who have been slammed for years with transition route noise and shift it to [Long Island Sound]-facing communities,” he said in an interview Tuesday, adding that even at a mile offshore, twin-engine helicopters would still generate noise. “Why should East Hampton beachgoers hear the wind and waves while Sound beachgoers have to listen to chopper racket?” he said.

Reached by phone Tuesday, East Hampton Airport manager Jim Brundige declined to comment on the new routes, but confirmed that they were released within the last month.

Anne Murray, president of the East Marion Community Association, said in an interview Tuesday that the new route will be a “disaster” for East Marion and Orient. “We’re the two quietest hamlets because we’re the furthest east,” she said. “It’s another example of the 1% trumping the rest of us.”

Some members of the Town Board are trying to keep an open mind. “This is obviously not a fix,” said councilwoman Sarah Nappa, who serves as liaison to the helicopter noise committee. “But it’s a step in the right direction.”

Councilman Bob Ghosio, who formerly served as the liaison to the helicopter noise committee, said the route proposed is “basically the route we’ve been fighting for for a long time.”

He agreed that the distance pilots must fly offshore should be addressed, in addition to the frequency the route is used in combination with a south shore route, for example. “If that’s addressed … we may actually have something a whole lot better than what we had before,” he said.

Ms. McCaskie, Ms. Murray and Mr. Irving are all skeptical that pilots will comply with the route, instead opting to cross over to save money and time.

Ms. McCaskie thinks the measure is meant to reduce noise complaints from North Fork residents to benefit an argument to save the East Hampton airport from closure.

Councilman Jim Dinizio thinks that plan may backfire. “If they’re going out over Orient, they’re going to get more complaints than they’ve ever gotten,” he said.

Though it can be “exhausting” to lodge complaints, Ms. McCaskie is urging residents to continue being as vocal as possible.

She’s planning on attending a “Fly Neighborly Kickoff” meeting of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council, which is open to community members, elected officials, Federal Aviation Administration officials, airport managers, but not open to members of the media, on March 11 in Melville.

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At the end of the first act of the musical “Into the Woods,” the central characters — Cinderella, Jack (of the beanstalk), Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood — get exactly what they each desire. This, they believe, will bring them the happily-ever-after they’re all seeking.

The second act reveals just how wrong they are.

When Mattituck High School senior Gabrielle Finora takes the stage as Cinderella in her school’s production of the play starting Feb. 27, it will mark a second act of sorts in her own life. For most of her later-elementary school, middle school and high school years, Gabrielle’s main passion was basketball. But ACL tears in both knees in the span of four years took their toll, and by the end of her junior year on varsity, Gabrielle faced a tough decision: Try to grind out one more year playing through the fear of another injury, or direct her energies elsewhere.

Gabrielle ultimately chose the latter, leaning into a talent she’d always had for singing by trying out for the school musical. To her surprise, she was chosen for one of the lead roles — Cinderella — and now says that whatever hesitation she may have had about forgoing her senior basketball season to join the school play has long since disappeared.

Arriving at that decision wasn’t easy, however. Gabrielle’s love for basketball had deep roots, starting when she was little, watching her two older brothers play on youth and school teams and shooting baskets for hours on the hoop outside their home.

“I really just wanted to play with them,” she said, smiling. “I wanted to be just like them.”

Gabrielle was involved in dance as a youngster as well, but said she never cared much for other sports she tried, like soccer or lacrosse.

“I fell in love with [basketball],” she said.

Gabrielle started playing as a fourth-grader, on a CYO team coached by her father, Joe Finora. She continued playing into middle school, before tearing her right ACL as a seventh-grader. The surgery and yearlong recovery period were tough, she said, but she was determined to get back out onto the court, and was relieved when she did a year later.

“I was just so overjoyed that everything worked like it was supposed to,” she said. “It felt like I could breathe again.”

Gabrielle said she was “thrilled” to make the junior varsity team as a freshman. But during a summer league game before her sophomore year, she sprained her left knee. She was told initially that she could return to action soon, and finished out the summer season. But her knee still didn’t feel right, and a doctor’s appointment and subsequent MRI delivered the worst-case scenario news: She had torn her left ACL.

“I remember feeling so heartbroken even when they said I needed to go for an MRI,” she recalled. “I was like, no, this already happened, this shouldn’t happen again.”

During October of her sophomore year, Gabrielle’s doctor told her she needed another surgery.

“My heart sank,” she said. “I wanted to be on varsity so bad; that was my dream.”

Gabrielle went through the surgery again, and once again endured the months of physical therapy, which ramped up to two-hour sessions three times a week. A return to basketball after the first surgery wasn’t even a question. This time around, her future in the sport was murkier. Two ACL tears in the same knee bring with them a strong recommendation to stop playing. But with one in each knee, the way forward is trickier. Gabrielle ultimately played her junior year, achieving a longtime dream of making the varsity squad, but it wasn’t what she hoped for.

“Going back my junior year, things just didn’t feel right,” she said. “I think I just lost confidence in my knees, which really affected the way I saw the sport.

“I felt like it was a constant internal battle,” she continued. “I kept saying to myself, you have to go for it, you can’t do this half-hearted. And my brain was telling me, ‘No, you have to protect yourself.’ I developed a fear of being injured.”

Gabrielle ultimately decided not to return for her senior season, but admitted that giving up basketball left a void she wanted to fill. Before long she filled that void, and pointed to what she later realized was a turning point — making the All-State Chorus during December of her junior year, in the middle of her basketball season. Gabrielle has always loved singing, and sang in the school chorus while also investing in voice lessons. Attending the NYSSMA chorus competitions made Gabrielle realize that there were people who put their heart and soul into singing, just as she always had in basketball. Just weeks before her senior basketball season was scheduled to start, Gabrielle still wasn’t sure if she would return to the team or try out for the musical, jokingly comparing herself to Troy Bolton, Zac Efron’s character from the Disney movie “High School Musical,” who was the star of his school’s basketball team before surprising his classmates and joining the musical.

“I had always loved music, and it was always in my house,” Gabrielle said. “My brother played the baritone, and he was really good, and I always heard him when I fell asleep at night. My brother had auditioned for All-State band and got in eight years before I did [All-State chorus], and I wanted to do the same thing.”

The confidence boost from making All-State chorus ultimately gave Gabrielle the push to try out for the musical, a choice she says she hasn’t regretted.

Gabrielle’s parents — Mr. Finora and his wife, Mary Grace Finora — were happy to see Gabrielle give the musical a go after they encouraged her to try out.

“I knew she would get a lot out of it,” Mr. Finora said. “She had the tools, it was just a matter of her making the commitment.

“She always loved music, and thankfully she had an alternative,” he added. “I always had complete confidence in her.”

Putting all her energy and focus into something different didn’t come naturally, at least not immediately. But Gabrielle said she soon realized that being part of the musical could be just as fulfilling.

“It was difficult at first, because I really had to put myself out there in a way I never had before,” she said. “In basketball, you have your teammates, but when I first started out [in the musical] I felt really alone. But the musical has a cast that’s like a team, in its own way. We support each other, and if one person messes up, people have to improvise and go along with what’s going on. They have to continue the story, which is very similar to a basketball game; if you mess up a play, you still go, the game’s still on, the show doesn’t end. So it’s been a really great feeling to be able to put myself out there in a way that I never did before, and to be so welcomed by the cast.”

Looking ahead, Gabrielle plans to attend college and is still waiting to hear back from several schools. She isn’t planning to pursue a theater major, but didn’t rule out continuing to appear in community theater productions, if the opportunity presents itself. She’s excited about the upcoming play, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement, especially for the solo she’ll be singing. Mostly, she’s happy she found her way through the woods of her own life.

“I was bummed for a long time because I loved that team feeling, and I felt like I’d lost that, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to get that with the musical, but I did,” she said. “The cast has really become my new team, and it’s the most incredible feeling.”

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The new owners of Croteaux Vineyards may reconfigure their parking plan in response to concerns from neighbors and members of the Southold Town Planning Board.

The winery, which reopened under new ownership in August, must obtain site plan approval as part of a stipulation of settlement reached with the town following a lengthy Zoning Board of Appeals lawsuit.

The site plan proposes 75 parking stalls on the property, distributed to the north and south of the winery. However, during a public hearing in December, neighbors who live along the property’s northern edge pushed back against their parking plan, which currently proposes that cars park along that buffer.

Reconfiguring that parking plan was the subject of a discussion during a Planning Board work session Monday.

“If there’s a creative way to beef up that particular area [for the] quality of life for that resident, that’s what I’m bringing to your attention,” Planning Board member Mary Eisenstein said.

The plans could be reconfigured to move some of those spots to the southern side of the property and signs could direct patrons to use that area as a secondary, overflow parking area, according to Dan Pennessi, who is representing the owners and the applicant.

He also said additional plantings could be placed along the buffer to help mitigate impacts.

“If more parking can be added, it should be added to the [south],” Planning Board Chair Don Wilcenski said.

The Planning Board may also ask for a revised site plan to show where live music or a food truck would be staged if a special event was being held at the property, located on South Harbor Road.

According to the stipulation of settlement with the town, no buses or limousines are permitted on the property, which is limited to hosting 150 guests in the tasting room at a time. They are permitted to host special events for no more than 75 people. Though food trucks are currently not allowed under town code, they could be allowed under a special event permit issued by the Town Board.

Town planners Heather Lanza and Mark Terry urged the board to consider those impacts on neighboring property owners.

“You could have a wedding every weekend for a lot of the summer and the fall,” Ms. Lanza pointed out. “That’s what we’re seeing in the special event committee.”

Mr. Pennessi assured the board that becoming a wedding venue isn’t their business plan.

“We’re not interested in having big weddings or amplified music,” he said, adding that special events they’d consider hosting would be in the realm of bridal showers, for example. 

“It’s limited to 75 guests anyway,” he said. “A lot of weddings are more than that.”

Ms. Lanza then pointed out that as a condition of site plan approval, Sannino Vineyards, which recently opened a new location in Cutchogue, originally agreed not to host special events.

Since then, she said, the Planning Board has amended that decision to allow them to host up to 12 special events per year.

Mr. Terry said the issue was raised as a matter of consistency.

“We get a lot of complaints from different people who live next to these uses,” he said. “It’s a beautiful winery, you’re going to be busy, but it’s a balancing act.”

A revised site plan is expected to be reviewed at a future work session.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to clarify comments made by Ms. Lanza during a Planning Board meeting.

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