Southold resident Andrew Moreno died June 3, 2021, at Stony Brook University Hospital. He was 41.

The family will receive visitors Wednesday, June 9, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Clair S. Bartholomew and Son Funeral Home in Bellmore, 302 S. Bedford Ave., Bellmore, NY 11710; and Thursday, June 10, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport. A funeral service will take place Friday, June 11, at St. Patrick’s R.C. Church in Southold, with time to be determined. Burial will follow at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Southold.

A complete obituary will follow.

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Southold Town police arrested a 41-year-old East Marion man for driving while intoxicated following a single-car crash in Cutchogue last Thursday.

According to police, Jevemai Hernandez Luna was driving on Skunk Lane and struck a telephone pole shortly after 4 p.m. No injuries were reported as a result of the crash, but police found Mr. Luna was intoxicated at the scene.

He was charged with aggravated DWI, circumventing an interlock device and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, according to police.

• Freddie Ramirez, 32, of Mattituck, was arrested and charged with DWI after he was stopped for failing to maintain his lane along Route 25 in Southold Sunday around 4 p.m.

Police also charged Mr. Ramirez with false personation and second-degree forgery after he reportedly gave police a false name.

• Police were called to the Opportunity Shop in Greenport Saturday after a 46-year-old Port Washington woman refused to wear a mask inside of the store.

She left the area once police arrived, reports said.

• Police were called to a beach at the end of Lighthouse Road in Southold Friday after a neighbor reported numerous cars in the area doing burnouts and playing loud music.

Police arrived shortly after midnight as youths were fleeing the area, extinguished a bonfire and cleaned up litter left behind, according to a report.

• A 31-year-old San Marcos, Texas, man was interviewed by Southold police after police received a notification of an adult male “acting erratically” near Orient State Park last Tuesday afternoon.

The man told police he was acting odd as part of training for an acting class and agreed to stop for the day.

• A 62-year-old Greenport woman was asked to leave a Greenport Village bar after pouring several drinks on a fellow patron Saturday around 11 p.m. No charges were filed as a result of the incident, according to a police report.

• Mattituck Fire Department responded to a brush fire along Pike Street in Mattituck last Thursday afternoon. Responders were able to extinguish smoldering mulch in a flower bed, reports said.

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.

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Mattituck-Laurel Library has closed off its parking lot, as it begins construction to add more spaces and a green space.  

The project, which officially started May 24, is tentatively scheduled to end the first week of August. In the meantime, patrons will need to park in the neighboring church parking lot to visit the facility. The library will keep regular hours throughout the project. 

The library is planning an additional 24 parking spaces on the south side of the lot and a new 3,500 square foot outdoor green space and performance area behind the building, complete with Wi Fi and charging spots. The lot entrance will also be expanded several feet and five new handicapped spaces will be created in the northeast corner. 

“When we had different activities going on, [people] couldn’t find parking … people would always have to park in the church when the parking lot filled up,” said library director Jeff Walden. “So over the years, I’ve had people come in and say, ‘You know, there was never enough parking out there.’” 

Mr. Walden said the library hopes to host outdoor events — such as concerts, pumpkin carving and other family-style activities — in the greenspace as weather permits throughout the year. Plans for the addition began before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“But now that COVID happened, it certainly plays into the whole thought of having an outdoor space, so it was kind of fortuitous that we thought about that ahead of time,” Mr. Walden said. 

Last year, members of the Southold Town planning department suggested an archaeological dig on the site, a potential spot where the British Army may have camped during the American Revolutionary War. Mr. Walden said the town did not require an archaeological investigation, but a local volunteer — Southold resident and live sound technician Ben Fisher — has been scanning the property with a metal detector.  

“He mostly turned up like bottle caps and some scrap metal, but nothing of any value at that point,” Mr. Walden said of the volunteer’s two visits to the site. “I may have him come back again throughout the process to do some more.” 

Mr. Fisher said he reached out to Mr. Walden after reading an article in The Suffolk Times about the suggested dig. He explained there’s layers of ground accumulation that would make it difficult to find artifacts from the 18^th century, but once the topsoil is removed at the site it should be easier to find materials buried deeper.  

“If there was actually a camp there, which is what I guess is in debate … then it would be relatively easy to find stuff once they remove that,” Mr. Fisher said. “Nobody really knows until you do it.” 

The project is funded by a New York State Construction Grant amounting to $219,000, money from the library’s capital reserve account and a commercial loan that was included in the library’s annual budget. There will be no increase in taxes. 

The project bid was awarded to Owen Brothers Landscape Design and Development from Baiting Hollow. It will remain compliant with the town’s Dark-Sky initiative to limit light pollution. 

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When young and old mixed together on the basketball court of a longtime men’s league in Mattituck, tensions could inevitably flare.

The energy of the competitive youngsters wouldn’t always sit well against the older men just hoping to make it through the game without suffering a week’s worth of aches and pains.

“The young guys would be very competitive and us old guys are saying, ‘Hey, we got to go to work tomorrow,’ ” said Mark Rolle, a former player in the league.

Matthew Rolle, Mark’s son, joined the league starting during his college years. A standout athlete at Mattituck High School who played baseball, basketball and soccer, Matt brought a skill and grit to the league with his size and passing ability. And while he was the kind of player everyone wanted as a teammate, he was also someone opponents didn’t mind matching up against.

“He played aggressively but he understood how to play with the older men, except for me,” Mark Rolle said, noting that he often played on an opposite team of his son. “He beat me up. Didn’t beat anyone else up.”

Early Saturday morning, many of the men who played alongside Matt over the years, as well as some of his former high school teammates, gathered for a memorial tournament in his memory. The Matt Rolle Memorial Basketball Tournament, held on the courts at Aldrich Lane in Mattituck, raised money for a college fund for Matt’s two young children, Clayton and Lylah.

Matt died in January after a three-year battle with cancer. He was 36.

Stephen Pisacano, a longtime member of the basketball league, organized Saturday’s tournament, which he hopes to build on in upcoming years.

“Matt was like one of the greatest guys I ever played with,” Mr. Pisacano said, adding how he would always pick Matt to play on the team alongside a bunch of guys who were over 40.

“We used to play a lot of times a bunch of 22-year-olds and we would win like seven of the 10 games,” he said. “We just loved playing with him.”

Mr. Pisacano came up with a Superman-themed logo for the event that was featured on T-shirts many of the players wore Saturday. It featured Matt’s name in the block lettering akin to Superman as well as a diamond shape logo similar to the famous “S” emblem, but with a basketball outline.

Mr. Pisacano said Matt was always mild-mannered, much like Superman’s alter ego, Clark Kent.

“I want his kids as they get older, if this keeps going, to say Daddy was like Superman,” he said.

Basketball was always a big part of life in the Rolle family, so it was a fitting way to keep his memory alive by organizing a local tournament, Mr. Pisacano said.

He opted to keep the tournament small for an inaugural event, so it was mostly those close to Matt who participated, as well as to limit the gathering size during the ongoing pandemic. Teams competed in games up to 11 on four courts before crowing a champion.

The tournament raised $7,000.

Mark Rolle said “it’s been unbelievable” the way the community has supported the family since Matt was first diagnosed with cancer and now six months after he has passed.

“It’s just a great community,” he said.

A number of sponsors helped make the event possible, including the lead sponsors: Cedars Golf Club in Cutchogue and One Source Tool Supply based in Southampton. East End Sporting Goods in Mattituck assisted with the T-shirts.

Dr. Jay Slotkin, a physician in Mattituck, said he’s been playing in the men’s league since the late ’80s. The league had started with George Gaffga, a pastor of Mattituck Presbyterian Church, he said.

Dr. Slotkin, 72, was back on the court Saturday and said he was likely the oldest player in the tournament.

“I’m still standing up afterwards and I got a few rebounds,” he said of his performance.

The eight teams, which competed in a double elimination tournament, were sponsored by local businesses. The Lucharitos team of Kevin Flinter, Dave Markel, Matt Ahern, Jovan Booker, Matt Ianno and Marta Czaplak, went undefeated to win the inaugural tournament. Ms. Czaplak, who helped lead the Riverhead girls basketball team to a Long Island Championship in 2012, earned the unofficial Most Valuable Player honors. There was no trophy just yet for MVP.

“It’s funny because we’re like, this isn’t about winning but as the games get closer to championship, we’re like maniacs,” Mr. Pisacano said. “Everybody wants to win now.”

Ms. Pisacano said above all else, the day was about “the spirit of [Matt’s] name.”

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The sun finally emerged Monday after three days of hard rain, and it was heartening to see crowds at events across the North Fork honoring members of the military who lost their lives in America’s wars.

The sun shining down on events from Calverton National Cemetery to Orient and Shelter Island also seemed to welcome us all back after the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when our lives were so shuttered and masked.

To see people happily lined up along Main Road in Southold for the return of the Memorial Day parade — which was canceled last year — and gathering afterward outside the American Legion post, was a great way to honor the holiday and those who served and died. Some folks walked over to the Civil War monument on the corner, which the lists of names of local men involved in that conflict.

There is no place in our region, however, where service to country is more honored than at Calverton National Cemetery, a place of hallowed ground with more than 275,000 gravesites.

On Monday, area Boy Scouts continued their long tradition of placing American flags next to gravestones. This is one of the best traditions of this unique American holiday, and a solemn and important way for the Scouts to understand what service to a country fully entails.

Memorial Day and all that goes with it is also the unofficial beginning of the summer season. But before we all celebrate the coming of hot days and afternoons at a favorite beach, let’s read the poem “In Flanders Fields,” written in 1915 by John McCrae, a Canadian soldier-physician, after his friend and fellow soldier was killed at the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium.

This poem has lasted, and rightly so, over the generations and speaks to gravesites across America and Europe where those who served and died are buried. 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

 If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

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Southold Historical Society is ramping up the visitor experience at the Colonial Herb Garden behind its 18^th century Thomas Moore House, with QR codes linking to historical context for each plant species. 

Twenty-four herbs from the garden are featured in profiles on a website called Plants Map, a platform designed to document, map and share information about the plants. Each profile outlines how the plant was used throughout history, especially during the colonial period, complete with photos of each. 

“It gives [visitors] permission to pause and have a cognitive and sensory experience with the garden,” said master gardener and Southold resident Carol Brown. 

Ms. Brown, along with fellow master gardener and Southold resident Cara Cunneen, used the project to obtain her certification as a master gardener through Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. Ms. Brown is also a member of the Southold Garden Club, which maintains the Colonial Herb Garden. The project was funded by David and Liz Shanks of Surry Lane Vineyard Orchard Farm in Southold, in memory of David’s mother, master gardener Nettie Shanks. Trimble’s of Corchaug Nursery in Cutchogue donated annuals to the garden. 

“We are excited for visitors to discover this new feature in the Colonial Herb Garden,” said Deanna Witte-Walker, executive director of the Southold Historical Society. “The QR codes offer depth and breadth while also making the experience fun for all ages. We are truly grateful to be the recipients of Carol and Cara’s project.” 

Ms. Brown, who has a background in education, started the project with Ms. Cuneen in 2019. She said the project was inspired by signs in Cutchogue Library’s perennial garden. 

“I saw them and I said this is great because it will help people stop and pause and maybe learn something, or engage and say this is not only pretty, but it has a purpose,” she said.  

The project’s completion comes just before the historical society’s museums and shops open for the season in early July for the first time since summer 2019. The Southold Historical Society also plans to unveil a logo and name change around the same time.  

Among the opening exhibits is a seasonal display in the Ann Currie-Bell house called “The Roaring Twenties,” that examines Prohibition-era speakeasies and rum-running, lifestyle and fashion in the 1920s, and women’s suffrage.  

The society also expanded its “Enslavement in Southold” exhibit from one room to encompass the entire Thomas Moore/Samuel Landon house, with a reinterpretation that includes the narrative of people who were enslaved in the house.   

The Southold Historical Society is celebrating its reopening with a ceremony at the Maple Lane Complex on July 1 at 4 p.m. and a brick dedication at its Boxwood Garden on July 3 at 12:30 p.m. 

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At just under eight acres, a new parcel of preserved farmland along Main Road in Cutchogue is a bit smaller than a typical acquisition would be.

But land preservation advocates say the property, which the Town Board voted unanimously to purchase the development rights to last Tuesday, is a crucial part of ongoing preservation efforts.

“The preservation of this farm connects two existing preserved farms and results in a block of just under 120 acres of preserved farmland,” town land preservation coordinator Melissa Spiro wrote in a letter to the Town Board, which hosted a public hearing before approving a resolution Tuesday.

The 7.8-acre agricultural property at 21657 Main Road, owned by the McCall family, connects town and county-owned preserved parcels and is also located near the Downs Farm Preserve.

Covenants and restrictions will require that a small adjacent parcel at 21380 Route 25 Cutchogue will remain permanently attached to the farm. 

“It’s an interesting piece of property,” landowner Russ McCall said. “It makes a nice piece.”

Mr. McCall, who grew up summering in the area, has been a chronic preservationist who worked with the Peconic Land Trust and other groups in the mid 1990s to save Downs Woods and surrounding farmland from the threat of a condominium development. The site was once home to the Algonquin Indian tribe.

Since then, he’s tacked on dozens of more acres to the preserved area through partnerships with the land trust, town and county.

“I’m happy to see that property be the way it was when I was growing up,” Mr. McCall said.

The town plans to use Community Preservation Funds to acquire the development rights easement for $505,700, which town officials noted is below the fair market value determined during an appraisal.

“[Mr. McCall] is well known to the town, as he has sold development rights before and has helped facilitate the preservation of other lands,” Ms. Spiro said, extending thanks for his “past and most likely future participation” in land preservation.

Town supervisor Scott Russell said the property had been a priority on a master preservation list due to its proximity to already-preserved land. “When we established criteria for rating properties to establish priorities, properties that are located in areas where other properties have already been preserved are put at the top of the list,” he said. “One of our preservation strategies focuses on creating large, expansive areas of protected lands rather than a checker-board approach. Once we buy this one, it will be a key parcel for implementation of that strategy. The McCall family has always been a great and generous partner in ensuring the preservation of a large portion of that  whole area,” Mr. Russell said.

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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, June 7.

THE SUFFOLK TIMES

Southold Town preserves roughly eight acres of farmland in Cutchogue

Mattituck-Laurel Library begins work that includes adding outdoor performance area

Basketball tournament in memory of Matthew Rolle raises $7K for his children’s college fund

RIVERHEAD NEWS-REVIEW

Riverhead’s Polish Fair canceled for second straight year

Planning Board votes down site plan for proposed propane storage facility

In new setting, performers take to stage for 2021 Riverhead Idol

NORTHFORKER

One Minute on the North Fork: An afternoon at 67 Steps Beach

So you want to plant a vineyard?

WEATHER

Expect sunny skies today with a high temperature of about 82 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The low tonight will be around 62. 

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After a brief illness, John Hartland Woodhouse of Orient died peacefully at home on May 23, 2021, with his wife and family by his side. He was 94.

John was born on Oct. 22, 1926, in New York City to Vasconcellos and Marguerite (Moeller) Woodhouse. He graduated from Mepham High School in Merrick, N.Y., and from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, N.Y.

During World War II, he sailed convoy duty in the North Atlantic and graduated with a special wartime diploma in 1947 as a Merchant Marine officer. He was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve and served for five years on passenger vessels, including the SS Washington.

John was self-employed as a manufacturers’ representative in the leather industry, covering the New England territory for more than 40 years.

He married Jerilyn Barr Woodhouse on Oct. 25, 1985, at the Ram’s Head Inn on Shelter Island, N.Y.

John was an avid sailor, great swimmer and loved playing golf. He volunteered with the restoration of the historic vessel Regina Maris and the “Tuesday Group” at Oysterponds Historical Society.

He was predeceased by his daughter, Pamela Woodhouse Benn; stepson, Scott Charles Barr; and his siblings, Daniel Woodhouse and Barbara Woodhouse Kavanagh. He is survived by his wife, Jerilyn; his son, John Woodhouse Jr. (Kathleen) of Middletown, R.I.; his stepdaughters, Jill Barr of Greenport, N.Y., and Melissa Barr Burton of Sag Harbor, N.Y.; 10 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

A private gathering for family and friends to celebrate John’s life is being planned. His ashes are to be scattered at sea.

Memorial donations may be made to Oysterponds Historical Society or a charity of your choice.

Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport assisted the family.

This is a paid notice.

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Lucille Cecilia Fessel of Hampton Bays, N.Y., passed away on May 16, 2021, at her home with her husband, Bruce, by her side. At 85 years old, she had lived a long, fulfilling life with her loved ones. Lucille was ill for many years while battling cancer and other health issues, which she bravely fought. At the time of her death, her husband says she was not in any pain and was ready for the Paradise Earth. To her loved ones, she was known as Pinky, Lucy, Mom, Grandma and Old Great Grandma. She was loved by all who met or came into contact with her.

Lucille was born on Oct. 23, 1935. She was predeceased by her parents, Victor and Julia Zatto; brother Victor Zatto, also known as Skippy; granddaughters Rayna Murray, Kimberly Strobel and Leanna Strobel; and also her nephew Michael Zatto, also known as Mic-a-Mike. Lucy had a common theme with the ones she loved. Everyone that had crossed her path got a nickname. 

Lucy grew up in Jamaica, Queens. She had always aspired to be in the medical profession. She trained to become a nurse at the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center and attended Brown’s Business School. She had a variety of jobs, but always found herself in the medical profession. Her last job was as a nurse’s aide for the Dominican Sisters in Hampton Bays. 

As a nurse-in-training at a local hospital near her childhood home, she met George Strobel. George and Pinky, in their 23 years of marriage, eventually relocated to eastern Long Island in Shirley, N.Y., and then Coram, N.Y. They had nine wonderful children together. Lucy, George and then — later on — Bruce all shared in raising their children.

She met Bruce Fessel and they were married on Oct. 21, 1978. This was a union that some did not think would last, but they were all wrong. Lucy and Bruce would have celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary in October 2021. Their marriage was a true testament to love, companionship, partnership and loyalty. Anyone who witnessed the way Bruce took care of Lucy in the past few years, months, days, hours and minutes saw that their love went above and beyond human comprehension. 

Before settling in Hampton Bays, Lucy and Bruce lived in Sayville, N.Y.; Ronkonkoma, N.Y.; and East Quogue, N.Y. They shared a lot of fun memories camping with their family and friends at The Hideout in Lake Ariel, Pa. Lucy loved to travel, something which she and Bruce did a lot of until the past year, when she became too sick to travel. There was always an invitation to their children, grandchildren and friends to join them on these fun excursions. 

Lucy was a voracious reader with a passion for history and archaeology. She wished she had been a pirate, which speaks volumes for her free spirit. Lucy had a lust for life and every day to her was a new adventure. Lucy also loved to watch movies, specifically “the oldies.” She also loved to garden, cook, sew, crochet, cross-stitch and paint; collect dolls, movies and mugs, among other things; and ride really fast on the back of motorcycles; as well as visit and spend time with family and friends. 

Lucy was a devoted Jehovah’s Witness at the time of her death. She found joy in teaching many what the Bible teaches about her heavenly father, Jehovah, and the hope He holds out to all mankind of living forever in Paradise. She was baptized in the summer of 1959 at the Hempstead Arena. She then rededicated her life to Jehovah on Dec. 24, 1973. She leaves behind a multitude of brothers and sisters whom she loved dearly. Lucy was loved by all of them and will be missed. 

Lucy leaves behind an exceptionally large family. She is survived by her husband, Bruce Fessel of Hampton Bays; nine children and their spouses/partners: Sharon (Strobel) and Eddie Murray of Parkton, N.C.; Cynthia (Strobel) and Tommy Marchessault of Mountainburg, Ariz.; Michael and Nancy (Happel) Strobel of Newark, Del.; Timmy Strobel of Eden, N.C.; Christopher and Valerie (Luckstone) Strobel of Whitehouse Station, N.J.; Lisa (Strobel) and Roy Pfleger of Flanders, N.Y.; Victoria (Strobel) and Dr. Kerry Lane of Hampton Bays; Michelle Strobel of Cutchogue, N.Y.; and Stephen and Amy (Ramatowski) Strobel of Hampton Bays. She is also survived by her 26 grandchildren and their spouses/partners: Melanie Murray of Edgemoor Gardens, Del.; Edward Murray of Islip, N.Y.; Jodi (Marchessault) and Michael Kane of Port Jervis, N.Y.; Jaimie (Marchessault) and Rob Schoene of Springhill, Fla.; Dyanna (Marchessault) and Luke Jackson of Mountainburg, Ariz.; Erica (Strobel) and Greg Limb of Newark, Del.; Jenny (Strobel) Holmes of Maine; TJ Strobel and Sara Flaharty of Pittsburgh, Pa.; Nicole Strobel of Delaware; Christopher Strobel of Pennsylvania; Caroline (Luckstone) and Nick Loften of Fort Campbell, Ky.; Katie and Lauren Strobel of Whitehouse Station, N.J.; Brandon and Nicole (Carroll) Mayer of Lindenhurst, N.Y.; Dr. Kyle and Dr. Alyssa (Flanagan) Keyser of Yaphank, N.Y.; Jessica (Keyser) and Michael Prinz of Sound Beach, N.Y.; Tyhler Keyser and Sarah Kraskewicz of Hampton Bays; Brian “Buddy” Downs of Newark, Del.; Christopher Downs of Hampton Bays; Alex Lane and Tori Laureano of Hampton Bays; Jayme Downs of Clifton Park, N.Y.; Jules Searson of Riverhead, N.Y.; Sara Searson and Michael Serrano of Clifton Park, N.Y.; Stephen Strobel Jr. of Selden, N.Y.; and Cassandra and Julia Strobel of Hampton Bays. Additionally, she is survived by her 26 great-grandchildren: Aaron Hanak; Cody Murray; Amira and Riley Spahr; EJ, Jayden and Madison Murray; Isis Monroe Hawthorne; Brielle Watts; Michael and Angelina Kane; Darius and Cassendra Noto; Kennedy and Michael Holmes; Cheyenne, Chris Jr., Andrew, Aubrey and Grace Strobel; Avery Loften; Hailey and Brandon Mayer; and Brayden Duval, Hannah and Olivia Prinz; as well as her three great-great grandchildren. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends. The list is long; we apologize in advance for anyone we failed to mention.

Lucy was cremated and her final wishes were to have her family together to spread her ashes in her rose garden at her home with her pet fish, Rocky. Her final words to all of her loved ones were, “Please don’t forget me.” The family is planning a Zoom memorial service in the future; details to follow. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Lucy’s name to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978 or Jehovah’s Witnesses atjw.org/donate. 

The family would like to thank Doug Mathie from Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport, N.Y., during this difficult and emotional time for his professional and caring assistance in the cremation services.

This is a paid notice.

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Following several days of mixed messaging and mass confusion among school communities across the state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday morning that local school districts will be given individual discretion on mask policies — but only as it relates to outdoor activities.

Schools should continue to require students to wear masks indoors according to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mr. Cuomo said. The governor added that the CDC has told New York State officials it is unlikely to change its policy for several more weeks, meaning a full release from the mask mandate would not take effect until next school year for most districts.

“They were not comfortable with [lifting the] indoor mask requirement,” the governor said of the CDC.

Mr. Cuomo said the lifting of outdoor mask wearing will help align school policies with the summer camps that will soon begin.

The issue of mask mandates in schools reached a fever pitch this weekend following the release of a Friday letter from New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker to the CDC that suggested the state could relax mask mandates beginning Monday. In the letter, Dr. Zucker stated that New York hoped to reconcile its school and camp guidelines with indoor mask use being “strongly encouraged but not required for students, campers, and staff/teachers/counselors who are not fully vaccinated” and outdoor masks no longer being required.

“If there is any data or science that you are aware of that contradicts moving forward with this approach, please let me know as soon as possible,” Dr. Zucker concluded in his letter to CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. “We plan to make this guidance effective on Monday, June 7.”

The timing of reports about the letter, on a Friday afternoon with no clear guidance given to school administrators, led to an avalanche of confusion and concern among parents and school officials.

New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta called the announcement “whiplash-inducing news.”

“The release of this letter on a Friday afternoon, with no consultation or advance notice, is too typical of what we have all experienced throughout the pandemic,” read a separate message released Saturday by the Council of School Superintendents. “But it’s also worse, in creating expectations among parents for immediate changes in district policies, without either explicit legal authority for action or clarity in specific requirements that may need to be considered in making any changes.”

Local districts communicated to parents Sunday that guidance from the state education department would prevent them from lifting mask mandates in time for Monday’s school sessions.

“All students and staff must continue to wear masks tomorrow until further notice,” wrote interim Riverhead superintendent Christine Tona Sunday. “As we experience summer-like weather, frequent mask breaks will be in place. If at any time this direction changes, I will keep you informed.”

Southold superintendent Anthony Mauro said in a similar letter Sunday that despite recent news reports, mask mandates have to remain in place. He highlighted a specific portion of the letter from the state Department of Education that said “schools should continue to operate under their existing procedures until further notice” as the state allows the CDC time to respond.

Mr. Cuomo and Dr. Zucker finally said Monday that conversations have now taken place with the CDC and both took exception to claims of mixed messaging.

“There was no confusion with the schools,” the governor said in response to a reporter’s question. “We never said there would be no more masks on Monday.”

The confusion served as fodder for political rivals of the governor, including local Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), who has announced his intent to run for governor in 2022. Following Monday’s announcement, Mr. Zeldin questioned the governor’s leadership in a tweet that mocked a special Emmy Award the governor received for his response to the pandemic.

“On Thur, NY was mandating students wear masks indoors & outdoors at school. On Fri, that was reversed. On Sun, the reversal was reversed,” the tweet read. “Just now, Cuomo reversed 1/2 of yesterday’s reversed reversal, saying no more mask mandate outside. Emmy Award winning COVID ‘leadership?'”

Mr. Zeldin participated in a rally Wednesday in Hauppauge alongside parents and advocacy groups to demand the governor lift the mask mandates for students.

“Our kids have suffered too much already throughout this pandemic in so many destructive ways, developmentally, mentally, emotionally and physically,” Mr. Zeldin said at the rally.

The governor said Monday that “virtually all” COVID restrictions will be lifted once the state reaches 70% of residents having received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. He said currently New York is at 68.6 percent and state officials who appeared at the press conference estimated the state will reach that goal within one to three weeks.

“Just 1.4% to go,” Mr. Cuomo said.

But the governor said schools will be an exception to that rule and will continue to follow direction from the CDC.

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A funeral mass for Stanley “Wiskers” Zaweski of Laurel will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 12, at St. Isidore R.C. Church in Riverhead.

Mr. Zaweski died March 24, 2020, at the age of 88.

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Lois J. Schwarz of East Nassau, N.Y., a former longtime Riverhead resident, died Friday, June 4, 2021. She was 94.

Lois was born on Nov. 20, 1926, in Chatham, N.Y., to Myrtle R. (Goodrich) and Lorenzo Faulkner. She had three brothers and five sisters. She lived in Riverhead for 50 years, then in Aztec, N.M., for 30 years, finally settling in East Nassau for the past two years. She worked as a bus driver for the Riverhead Central School District for 33 years.

Predeceased by her husband, Robert L. Schwarz, and son Arthur Schwarz, Lois is survived by her children Richard Schwarz (Rosemary) of Mattituck, John Schwarz (Linda) of Fleetwood, Pa., and Gary Schwarz (Theresa) of Milford, Pa.; nine grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

The family has chosen to remember Lois’ life privately at this time. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Interment will take place at Riverhead Cemetery.

DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck is serving the family.

This is a paid notice.

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Jane Agnes Reilly Minerva, 86, died early Thursday, June 3, 2021, at her home in Easley, S.C. 

She was born to Edward Joseph and Agnes Mayer Reilly on April 5, 1935, in Baldwin, N.Y. Jane was raised in Lynbrook, N.Y., where she met the love of her life, Giovanni “John” Minerva. As Jane always was very certain of what she wanted, they married young. After he returned from the Korean War, during which he wrote her numerous letters, she had them bound into a book and published. They lived in Levittown and Wantagh with their growing family until the mid-1960s, when they came to the East End for a vacation and Jane and family never left.

Jane was active in the Sacred Heart Parish and school, was the organist at Sacred Heart Church for a period and volunteered everywhere. When her youngest son was near school age, she volunteered at Cut­ch­ogue Free Library, became a staff member and two years later the director, a position she continued to hold for over 35 years.

It was important to Jane to attain her master’s degree in library science and achieve her 4.0. She took the library from a single church building — where movies were shown Saturday afternoons for the kids and adults were given flashlights to find their books in the darkened building — and encouraged, planned and fundraised to build the addition on the back to more than double the space. She was adored and inspired her employees with her encouragement for education and her modeled work ethic. Jane was never one to hold back her opinion in her relentless desire to make the Cut­ch­ogue library the best. After retiring from the library, Jane continued her work in both the library community and the local towns. 

Jane was full of personality (particularly mischief), never backed down from a challenge, was honest to a fault and incredibly loyal to her friends and family. A talented musician, she sang in the North Fork Chorale for many years and always had music playing in her home that was often indicative of her mood. 

She was a lover of family, community and country! She loved the red, white and blue and always had a flag flying. Jane strongly believed that saltwater heals everything and spent countless days swimming, sailing, boating and fishing the Great South Peconic Bay. She would frequently make jams, jellies and quick breads and distribute them to family and friends around town. At this point, Jane would be telling us, “Time is short and the water’s rising.”

Jane and her husband, John, retired five years ago to a senior community in South Carolina near their younger son. Jane is survived by her husband, John; her sister, Monica Koszela; her brother, Edward (Susan) Reilly; her sons, John (Laura), of Naples, Fla., and Paul (Ann Marie), of Easley, S.C.; and her daughter Carol Badgley (Glenn Lawson) of Owls Head, N.Y. Her legacy of grandchildren includes Jeremiah Ryan, John Minerva, Jennifer DiPietro, David Minerva, Jason Badgley, Gregory Minerva, Rachel Badgley, Benjamin Badgley, Daniel Badgley, Paul Minerva and Anthony Minerva. Jane is also survived by her great-grandchildren, Jack DiPietro, John Robert Minerva, Julia DiPietro, Tyler Minerva, Alice Minerva, Giovannah Badgley, Ellanor Minerva, Joseph DiPietro, Aliyah Gorrow, Amelia Minerva, Dec­lan Ryan, Keiarah Gorrow and Ava Minerva. Jane was predeceased by her daughter Jeanne Minerva (Marland Henderson) of Cut­ch­ogue, N.Y. 

Visiting hours are Sunday, June 13, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cut­ch­ogue. A funeral Mass will take place at 10 a.m. Monday, June 14, at Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. Church in Mattituck. Burial will follow at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Cut­ch­ogue.

•

‘Sunday Story: A Conversation’ 

The following is a speech Jane gave on April 19, 2015, at Cut­ch­ogue New Suffolk Free Library:

Not sure why I’m here — I feel like Hillary Clinton, trying to resurrect a life. Indeed … no need! Times is short and the water’s rising.

I asked that I not be recorded for this talk, and was denied — “IT’S HISTORY,” so I’ll be careful in what I say and do — just for the record.

 Early on — in my personal history — I was always ‘Onward-Obsessive-Compulsive.”

I grew up in Lynbrook — a German-Irish family — lots of good food, noise, competition, loyalty in parades — God Bless America.

Music was a big part of our lives — my dad in military bands, mom playing classical piano, all singing in church and school choirs, etc.

In high school I was in variety shows, “Annie” — when I didn’t sing, I accompanied … also played clarinet in the band. (Which allowed me to play in Patsy Rogers’ recorder group … )

I also played sports, was a cheerleader (Della), president of Leaders’ Club, HiY, married very early — happy beginnings!

Hubby drafted to Korea — our new babe, a gal, born and we lived with my parents until her daddy’s return in two years. Then:

Settled in Levittown (with Bill O’Reilly, etc.) for five years, had a baby son and another daughter there.

Moved then to Wantagh — required for Catholic school — had final fourth baby, another son. Amen.

My mom wanted us to vacation, so she booked a cottage for a month in Jamesport near the bay. Us, our four kids, Mom and Dad, dogs, visitors, etc. Amen again.

I had never been to eastern Long Island. I learned a lot about farming, fishing, beautiful landscapes — everything!

Wonderful … and when the time came, I refused to go home. Daddy John went. My orders to him: “GO HOME AND SELL IT.” He wasn’t happy. I was aged 27.

I rented a bayfront house for the winter, put kids in schools, bought newly available Cut­ch­ogue property in Fleets Neck, I hired an architect, builder, etc. — all locals from the neighborhood — part of our growing team.

A year later, in 1967, we finally moved into our partially constructed house and became lovers of the community.

We became very involved in everything possible. 

I was Brownie and Girl Scout leader, CYO Coach (Peg Dickerson), committee renovator of the Sacred Heart Parish Hall (I designed the kitchen, made curtains, etc. Hubby John replaced the roof, bathrooms, etc.) He was also the Boy Scout leader and CYO Coach, president of the Sacred Heart school board, also president of the FNPO — did everything while commuting daily to Hicksville to his business in Rheingold. There was no LIE at that time. A long ride! His pickup grossed over 600,000 miles. But he was also a boat and auto mechanic. Thus the variety of boats we have owned.

Hey — guess what? Always in need of a few bucks, daily I packed his travel vehicle with loads of stuff from the local farm stands. Plus my jellies, pickles, etc. We had a new business. The guys he worked with in Nassau loved the tomatoes, corn, beans, peaches, etc. We just doubled the price. (Imagine what we could have done with wine! — in the beer trucks!) Actually, I worked for Louisa Hargrave (in my spare time), picking their first crop — in Cut­ch­ogue — all part of our team.

Our little business did well and we put the coins in a big jar and bought our first color TV. 

Then he absolutely refused to continue — said he couldn’t take any more fruit flies in his trip to Nassau daily.

Well, OK, we found other things to keep us busy. We volunteered everywhere. And I got a custodial job at the park district. (Subbing for my son!) (Narrative!)

Father Henry knew I could play piano — asked if I would try organ! Of course, I could do that, too. I had lessons as a 12-year-old in Lynbrook.

So I bought a Hammond on Swap and Shop from Jim Homan (local Braun’s seafood specialist) and renewed my abilities.

I took over the 10:30 Mass on Sundays plus holidays, rehearsals, etc. No pay. About 10 years. 

I also worked with the choir and teen guitar choir and loved working and performing in Mattituck with the North Fork Community Theatre and, in southold, with the North Fork Chorale. 

Loved public meetings: school, fire department, park district, town, property owners, Homemakers, Red Hats, etc. Had to get serious. And it certainly beat watching TV.

With our last child almost ready for school, I volunteered in the Sacred Heart school library and, a bit later, across the street in the Cut­ch­ogue Free Library.

Take it from there. I was soon hired and took over as director after about two years, for a 15-hour week — with my kids in Sacred Heart across the street and others beginning in Mercy High School in Riverhead.

Life was busy but challenging and I loved it all. Now I was in charge. Complete devotion. I never counted hours, just wanted excellence. I learned from my experiences.

I gave up most of my other volunteer positions (still organed at some friend’s weddings and played for special holidays) and focused completely on the library — the beginning of my long run until my ending 40 years later. Fifteen library hours soon became 30 and staff increased to a dozen, very slowly over the years! But I insisted that all staff all be local (a payback from their taxes) and dedicated. They were! I never had to advertise — just stuck a sign on the door — if need be.

In the meantime — my mom and dad moved in with us — she with Parkinson’s, he just retiring and closing the Bell Laboratories in NYC. Wow, what a gifted dad. He taught me! Example, when I was little, he bought me a camera and taught me how to develop the film and print the pictures. Also how to save coins, stamps, etc.

I still continued doing other things besides knitting, sewing, rug making, etc., like writing the Cut­ch­ogue column in the Mattituck Traveler, running the Sacred Heart Church annual three-day weekend fundraising auction/BBQ, etc. I was chairman of the Cut­ch­ogue Hamlet Committee for the town — appointed by Scott Russell, a former friend with my kids and eventually a library board president — having many Cut­ch­ogue hamlet meetings to ascertain zoning, lot sizes, etc. I terminated when I finally ended up in our local hospital under stress, etc. I then was totally dedicated to the library, and began, at age 40, a 10-year program to go to college and get a master’s in library and info science from Post. I was so embarrassed to be at the bottom of the professional scale. Nada.

I got my associate degree at Suffolk and my literature degree at St. Joe’s in Pat­ch­ogue. Became good friends with the nuns/faculty there — traveled to Europe, etc. Did fundraising.

Anyhow, I was age 50 for my final graduation. The audience contained a number of my cheering grandchildren. 

Looking forward to my next decade, I then continued my hiking, biking, tennis, swimming — whenever possible. And a total, now, of 17 grand- and great-grands. Never dull. Like running a full time B&B at home.

But at that time I was president of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System Directors’ Association — 57 librarians, all college professionals, except me! Six of our staff also obtained professional degrees over the years. Hallelujah. I then took on some lecturing, gave workshops, etc. Arranged meetings/luncheons. Countywide.

Here in our library we did very, very well, with tremendous support from our community, leading to super increases in everything, eventually becoming number one in New York State and the nation in “support/capita” and circulation/capita. Dollars were necessary in order to maintain good service in a district with a small tax population. Yes! and those No. 1 numbers still hold, according to current ALA and NYS publications. (I still check everything!) I’m sure we outnumber all in volunteers! 

My husband and I continued to give all we could — like, to shovel snow to keep the library available, whenever. We took the window blinds in the church home annually for bathtub cleanings and washed the church windows. We took care of special gardens and I built a brick walkway around the rear of the church — adding a property line hedge, etc. We helped in every way possible. Biggest thing was bringing down the Tiffany steeple “weathervane.” (There’s a picture of me on the church roof when it was taken down.) It broke loose and fell over on the roof in 1993 and I had it brought down into the lobby for a year of touching and feeling by us all. Now I am warned that these valuable “vanes” are being stolen by helicopters! Kind of like the old church beams suddenly disappearing during construction.

Before I left the library, not knowing what would be happening, I photocopied and put into book form all formal documents from my 40 years. Just as insurance. I was going to give them to Southold (Geoff Fleming’s professional history library) — but that’s a question! Now, at home, from my attic, I’m going through a huge carton load of “personal” letters, studies and paperwork. Wow, some great stuff, some nasty. Mostly handwritten or poorly typed on faded carbons. All handwritten stuff (thank you notes, etc.) I keep and reread — often around the New Year season. Some sad stuff, eventually, becomes fireplace material, but most remains in my basket of favorites, especially those from those deceased.

When I left the Cut­ch­ogue library, I spent the next eight years straightening out problems in other local libraries and finally putting together, professionally, the Suffolk County Library Association’s Last Copy Center/Library. So many filthy, old books. That was an adventure — for several years.

ONWARD! Now I’m doing my own family history paper collections — including transcribing 550 letters home from Korea, to be combined with photos in hardcover book format. AMEN.

Finally:

Community interaction is never-ending in the library. The library is a one-to-one with the Historical Council — sharing some expenses and professional help. We interact with our large number of hamlet volunteers and our facilities. Best is our library’s dedication to local history/proper professional organization and storage of paper materials. Yes, the taxpayers pay that bill, but the council paid a substantial amount for the renovation of the historical room in the loft. (After the raccoons were evicted and the squirrels shot.) The council keeps their “larger” antiques.

The library is interactive with local schools, churches, property associations, the fire department, park district, art displays, commercial enterprises and more — the Country Club — cemeteries!

The community is so helpful back to the library, reinforcing needs, being most rewarding to staff who so appreciate their faith and support. It’s a one-on-one deal — unending.

Regarding building repairs and renovations (the church) and the new structures — those projects were unbelievable, requiring such dedication from our wonderful board members and other serious, experienced residents. So many professionals came forward to make plans and do fund-raising. I’d be a loser if I started to list names. It would be impossible to complete.

But, my loving thanks could not be more sincere. You know who you are! The community lives, daily, with these massive improvements. 

I mean, think about that toilet in the old church closet. Thank gosh for the hole in the floor! It all froze for months during winter — so we went home for lunch!

Essentially, we were all a team, the more the better. Teams belong to a community — but there is no community without teams. 

Recently, I’ve been rereading our books about local history. Unbelievable: We were a British colony for centuries, expanding when the Irish and Polish immigrants came over to work the land. Here was the most fertile land and abundant fish known. The local natives were a part of the support team — and good negotiators. Churches were meeting rooms where most political decisions were made — thus the variety of churches. Now they are becoming museums, art centers, etc. Such beautiful architecture is being saved. 

Seriously, add local history to your reading lists. I have personal copies of all local stuff. All are available for purchase (I give them to family as holiday gifts) to live on.

I read this presentation to my husband last night, and he referred to it as an extensive obituary. Well, yes, I had my 80th birthday on Easter, so it’s good to have it ready for publication, but I’ll try to keep my dream teams going and support them for as long as possible, and … 

As per Kate Smith — this is only a beginning of another seventh inning stretch: 

God Bless Yankee Stadium and God Bless America — especially the continuing teams in Cut­ch­ogue and New Suffolk.

This is a paid notice.

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Peter Christopher Berdinka, age 64, of Montague, Mich., passed away on May 28, 2021, at home. 

Peter was born May 27, 1957, in Riverhead to Frank and Joan Berdinka, and was one of seven children. 

Growing up in Westhampton, he attended local schools. Upon high school graduation, he served in the United States Marine Corps and was stationed at Camp Lejeune, on Okinawa and in Germany. While serving in the military, he met Kelley Emerson. They married and settled in Montague. Together they raised two children, Noah Christopher and Angelique Jean (“Angie”). Peter was employed by Consumers Energy B.C. Cobb power plant until his retirement in 2012.

Upon retiring, Peter fulfilled a lifelong dream of sailing around the world on the Picton Castle, a three-masted sail training ship based in Nova Scotia, serving as a trainee crew member and deckhand.

Peter was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Kelley; his son, Noah; his brother Martin; and his sisters Rita and Paula.

He is survived by his daughter, Angie, of Montague; sisters Maria (James) Raffel of Cut­ch­ogue and Sue (David) Elliston of Brookhaven; his brother Michael (Susan) of Aquebogue; and many nieces and nephews and their families.

A graveside service with military honors was conducted June 5 at Oak Grove Cemetery in Montague. A memorial Mass at Immaculate Conception Church in Quiogue is planned for a later date.

Sail on, sailor.

This is a paid notice.

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Amid the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic late last spring, the operators of Splish Splash in Riverhead held onto hope that conditions would improve to allow the water park to safely open for its 30th season.

Behind the scenes, offseason work like painting and various updates to prepare the 96-acre site for the season continued. Then it became a waiting game as New York rolled out its four-phase reopening plan.

But as a massive site that attracts thousands of visitors, clearance for amusement parks of its size never came last summer. And by late July, Splish Splash formally announced its 2020 season had been canceled and they were instead looking ahead to 2021.

After a long, long wait — 634 days to be precise — the reopening finally arrived May 29 on Memorial Day weekend.

And then the rain came. So the wait continued.

And then came more rain.

After its first two days were washed out, the water park officially reopened on Memorial Day. And while the weather still wasn’t ideal for swimming with temperatures in the low 60s, the first wave of guests — some wearing wetsuits — still made their way back for the first time since the end of the 2019 season.

This past weekend, Splish Splash got back to normal as temperatures climbed into the 80s and excited guests navigated the Lazy River and braved the Riptide Racer, Dr. Von Dark’s Tunnel of Terror and other thrill rides.

“Everyone just seems very excited to get out,” said Danielle Trombetta, the park’s new director of marketing.

Reopening the park came with its challenges, namely hiring enough staff, which has proven challenging in a number of industries coming out of the pandemic.

“We have a lot of new hires and they’re all energetic,” Ms. Trombetta said. “They can’t wait. Even today when I was talking to a few guests, they were very excited to be back. And luckily the weather’s cooperating today.”

In April, Splish Splash began a big hiring push to help fill the nearly 1,000 seasonal positions it takes to operate over the course of a season. An announcement at the time noted that Splish Splash would offer starting hourly pay rates up to $18 an hour with added eligibility for perks and bonuses. New and returning seasonal employees who completed the hiring process by May 16 also received complimentary 2021 Basic Season Pass for themselves and up to three immediate family members.

A job fair at the water park will be held Tuesday, June 15, from 3 to 6 p.m., Ms. Trombetta said. Lifeguards and cooks are two of the main positions where the water park still has openings.

In prior years, Splish Splash would also hire internationally through the J-1 Visa program, which allows around 300,000 foreign visitors from 200 countries and territories per year to experience U.S. society, according to the U.S. Department of State. However, the pandemic put a halt to that program, limiting another pool of potential employees.

The park had planned opening day festivities to celebrate the 30th season. Carter Rubin of Shoreham, who won the last season of “The Voice,” was scheduled to perform May 29 along with the Port Jefferson School of Rock.

The postponed performances will now be Sunday, June 27, and are expected to begin in the morning shortly after the park opens. 

Signs around the park remind visitors to maintain social distancing and wear a face covering if not fully vaccinated. The park is not requiring guests to wear masks if they are fully vaccinated. It’s up to individual guests to follow the honor system as the park is not requiring proof of vaccination.

“If you’re not vaccinated, you do still have to wear a mask,” Ms. Trombetta said. “It will not be on the rides itself, it will not be in the ride queue line, but if you are walking to an attraction or waiting on line to get food.”

Ms. Trombetta said a reservation system for tickets for the non-season members allows the park to control the size of the crowd on given days to allow social distancing. She said the park has internal figures it uses in terms of figuring capacity limits. Tickets will only be sold online.

“We are following CDC guidelines so I know in New York there are technically no capacity limits for outside, but you still have to maintain social distancing,” she said. “The safety of our guests is still very important to us.”

Ms. Trombetta said the most up-to-date information on the park’s hours is available on its website, splishsplash.com. The park is currently open Wednesday through Sunday and will expand to include Monday and Tuesday at the end of June when schools close.

The post Soaring down Bootleggers Run and more once again as Splish Splash reopens 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, June 8.

THE SUFFOLK TIMES

Cuomo: Local schools can now lift mask mandates, but only for outdoor activities

Lucharitos taking over Mattituck Cinemas concessions

A 21st Century experience at a colonial garden in Southold

RIVERHEAD NEWS-REVIEW

Navy publishes survey to gather input on environmental concerns at former Navy/Grumman site

Soaring down Bootleggers Run and more once again as Splish Splash reopens

Four people rescued in Long Island Sound when inflatable raft drifts out to sea

Riverhead Raceway: Two wins in three weeks for Fortin family

NORTHFORKER

North Fork Dream Home: Sprawling Post-Modern Home on Mattituck Inlet

WEATHER

Expect decreasingly sunny skies today with a high temperature of about 82 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The low tonight will be around 65. There’s a chance of heavy rain beginning in the afternoon and evening.

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George J. Baldwin of Greenport, N.Y., passed away in his 93rd year on June 5, 2021. 

He was born March 26, 1928, in Brooklyn, N.Y., and spent his formative years in Bellmore, N.Y. Following his graduation from Mepham High School, George entered the United States Marine Corps, where he earned the rank of sergeant. He proudly served as a Nassau County Police officer for 37 years and retired in 1987 with the rank of deputy chief.

George is predeceased by his wife of 49 years, Muriel (Rostin), and leaves behind his beloved wife, Margaret (Reinhardt). He is survived by seven children, Kathleen Parker, Susan Osterhout (Merrill), Janet Baldwin, Kenneth Baldwin (Amanda), Margaret Caron (Sean), Geraldine Gardner (Robert) and Daniel Baldwin (Kristen); and by his sister, Jeanne DeBeche. He was loving grandfather to 24 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

The family will receive visitors Tuesday, June 8, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport, followed by a Mass of Christian burial at noon at St. Agnes R.C. Church in Greenport, N.Y. Interment will take place at Calverton National Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Agnes R.C. Church, 523 Front St., Greenport, NY 11944, Attn: John’s Place; or Nassau County PBA, Widows and Children Fund, 89 East Jericho Turnpike, Mineola, NY 11501.

This is a paid notice.

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Like an unfamiliar cross-country course, life can lead people down some unexpected paths.

And so it is for two Mattituck High School athletes, Kylie Conroy and Nikki Searles. Conroy had played lacrosse from the time she was 6 until last year; Searles was a soccer player for about 15 years of her young life.

And then, there were the two seniors Monday at a college signing ceremony, each committing themselves to schools to run cross country as well as indoor and outdoor track and field.

It’s funny how things turn out sometimes, isn’t it?

Conroy, a long-distance runner, signed a national letter of intent for NCAA Division I Manhattan College. Searles, a hurdler, put pen to paper for Division II Adelphi University.

Training for cross country and track can be grueling, difficult work, and Conroy alluded to the love/hate relationship runners in those sports can attest to. In an interview after the ceremony at Mattituck High School, she said, “It means a lot because I’ve been [running] my whole life, and even though I’ve had some downs, I’ve had downs and times [when] I hated it and I wanted to not do it any more, but yeah, I guess it’s kept me motivated to keep going.”

And rewards followed.

Chris Robinson, who coached both girls in all three sports, said Conroy and Searles share a drive and inner fire to compete and improve. “It’s something you don’t really teach or coach,” he said. “It’s something that’s within them.”

Conroy said her best — and favorite — event is the 800 meters, which she started running this season. She has run that distance as fast as 2 minutes, 26 seconds. She has also cloeked a personal-best time of 5:08 in the 1,500 in this, her first outdoor track season. She has run cross country and winter track for Mattituck since she was in eighth grade.

Robinson used the words “hard worker, determined, disciplined” to describe Conroy. He said: “Her senior year was her best year, so that’s just a credit to her. That determination, that drive, that work ethic really prevailed for her and it made her love the sport again because I think she wasn’t a hundred percent sure.”

Searles stepped away from soccer this year to run cross country for the first time and was a member of the Mattituck team that picked up a triple crown as the League IX champion with a 4-0 record, the Division V champion and Suffolk County Class C champion. It was the Tuckers’ ninth straight county title.

“At first, I did not enjoy it at all, but as the season went on and we went to counties and everything, I enjoyed it a lot more,” she said. “The team was amazing.”

Searles, a member of Mattituck’s outdoor track team since she was an eighth-grader before joining the indoor team as a freshman, said she gravitated to the hurdles from the beginning. Both the 100-meter high hurdles and 400 intermediate hurdles are both physically and technically challenging events.

That’s what attracted Searles to them.

“When I first started I really enjoyed [the] hurdles,” she said. “I wasn’t always that good at them, but it’s been a long process. It definitely paid off. I’m glad I stuck with them because a lot of people do not enjoy them. I enjoy it because it’s unique. Not a lot of people can do hurdles.”

Searles said she spends about four days a week practicing hurdling. “It’s a lot of practice,” she said. “It’s a lot of repetition.”

Her fastest times are 16.0 in the 100 hurdles and 1:11 in the 400 hurdles.

Searles also leads off Mattituck’s strong 4×100 relay team, which includes Emily Nicholson, Mackenzie Conroy (Kylie’s sister) and Bella Masotti. That team has a season-best time of 52.0.

Robinson said Searles “can do anything I need her to do, which is always a blessing as a coach, but her niche is hurdles, so she’s always competed in the 100 hurdles and she just kept getting better and better and better. You knew she would because of the amount of time she put in. And her times just kept dropping and dropping and dropping.”

Looking ahead to her next chapter, Searles said: “I’m just very excited. I can’t wait to see my time improve. I’m very excited for the coaching staff that I’m going to have. I will miss the Mattituck coaches, though. I’m just excited to see where it takes me.”

Who knows where the next path will lead?

The post Girls Cross Country: Two Tuckers have running in their college future appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

To teammates who kiddingly joked before the season that Nate Demchak had become a PO, well, the joke’s on them.

PO — baseball shorthand for “pitcher only” — doesn’t come close to indicating what Demchak has meant to the Mattituck High School baseball team. What Demchak has done on the pitching mound for the Tuckers may only be surpassed by the damage the senior has caused in the batter’s box.

It was all on display Tuesday when Demchak, the pitcher, registered a career-high 12 strikeouts and surrendered two hits in six innings of a 6-1 Senior Day win over visiting Port Jefferson. Demchak, the batter, did his part, too, doubling, walking, stealing a base and scoring two runs from the cleanup spot.

But to fully appreciate what Demchak has done this season, look at his season numbers. He maintained his team-leading .500 batting average (25-for-50). He has driven in 21 runs, homered twice and scored 16 runs. As a pitcher, he is 2-1 and he lowered his ERA to 1.46 from 1.84.

“What he’s doing right now, it’s insane,” said second baseman Brady Mahon.

The numbers are quite remarkable.

Demchak had eight Ks through four innings Tuesday. On the other side of the ledger, he walked four batters and hit two with pitches in his 108-pitch outing.

“He was just on fire,” Mattituck’s first-year head coach, Dan O’Sullivan, said. “That’s been him all year. He battles from first pitch to last pitch.”

The only hits off Demchak were Tommy Yost’s slow-rolling infield single that left shortstop Connor Fox with no play and Daniel Owens’ bloop single to shallow leftfield.

Port Jefferson put its sole run on the scoreboard in the third inning when a Ruairi Rago fly ball fell into rightfield, allowing Owens to score. An error was charged on the play, so the run was unearned.

“I just wanted to come out, pump the zone, really just get a win, and I think the whole team played great, a 6-1 win,” Demchak said after his final regular-season pitching start in Mattituck.

The Tuckers (10-5, 10-5 Suffolk County League V) had two more games remaining on the schedule, Wednesday at Mount Sinai and Friday at home to Bayport-Blue Point. O’Sullivan expects Mattituck to have a home playoff game next Tuesday.

Mattituck’s pitching rotation has been a strength, for sure, with Fox (4-1, 2.15 ERA), Demchak and Mahon (2-1, 2.33). Garrett Grathwohl has been the first-choice closer.

Mahon had three RBIs from a run-scoring infield single as part of Mattituck’s three-run first and a bloop double that scored two for a 5-1 lead in the third.

The first two Mattituck runs came on a Michael Mowdy sacrifice fly and a wild pitch that allowed Demchak to score.

Mattituck tacked on a run in the fifth when Grathwohl lined an RBI single over the leaping second baseman to bring home Demchak, who had walked and stolen second base beforehand.

Grathwohl pitched a perfect seventh in relief.

An interesting sidenote: Port Jefferson (5-11, 5-11) has a female starting leftfielder, Abby Rolfe, who coach Jesse Rosen thinks highly of. She struck out twice and hit into a fielder’s choice.

Demchak said he often talks about hitting with teammate Bryce Hansen. “My main focus is just really trying to put a barrel on the ball and make hard contact,” he said.

Under Mattituck’s previous coach, Steve DeCaro (who was in attendance at Tuesday’s game), Demchak was a backup catcher, who didn’t pitch much. This season Demchak has mostly played second base when not pitching, and has caught twice.

“I think, honestly, the catching helped,” O’Sullivan said. “I really think now that he’s on the other side of it, he really understands the counts, the pitch, what he’s going to do.”

So, the question had to be asked: Is Demchak better as a hitter or a pitcher?

That question stumped more than one of the Tuckers. “I don’t think there is an answer to that,” said O’Sullivan.

Those who good-naturedly joked that Demchak was a PO couldn’t have been more wrong, and that works to Mattituck’s benefit. So, what does one call Demchak now?

“Uh, I don’t know,” Mahon said. “I guess he’s a baseball player.”

And how.

NOTES

Mattituck started its four seniors — Fox, Demchak, designated hitter John Jacobs and leftfielder Evan Bailey.

“It definitely really was special,” Fox said. “I’ve been with this group of guys, you know, since I was 5 years old. So, to finally be out here and see it all kind of closing, it’s definitely like a sad realization that it’s all coming to an end. I’d definitely like a good way to go out, though.”

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