2013 Riverhead News-Review covers

8/13/2019 2013 Riverhead News-Review covers

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NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARYRiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, January 3, 2013 $1.50

News-ReviewR iveRhead

WHAT'S INSIDE

Birthday celebrationturns tragic after fatalhit-and-run downtown

Page 4

New reports of creepstrying to lure younggirls into cars

Page 6

Times/Reviewannounces newownership

Page 12

Cops: Morecharges pendingfor gift-swipers

Page 14

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Like a patron saint fordogs in Riverhead TownBY PAUL SQUIRE |STAFF WRITER

In August 2011, Denise Lucas took her 13-year-old neighbor to the Riverhead Animal Shelter tolook at the dogs. The girl wanted to be a veterinar-ian but was terrified by the barking dogs and thesight of the shelter.

Animal advocates had long protested conditionsat the towns shelter, saying that better facilities

were needed to care for the dogs. After her Augustvisit, Ms. Lucas saw the same need.

Instead of protesting, she took action.The longtime Riverhead resident and dog lover,

who had never organized a single fundraiser before,soon began going door to door, business to busi-ness across the East End to raise money to buildRiverhead Town a new animal shelter.

More than a year later, Move the Animal Shelter the organization she founded has raised thousandsto put toward building a new town facility. Shes alsospearheaded the towns first public dog park, with asecond park expected to open in the spring.

Ms. Lucas has kept up an impressive pace, holding

PERSON OF THE YEARPERSON OF THE YEAR2 122012

DENISE LUCAS

News-ReviewRiv eRhead

BARBARAELLEN KOCH FILE PHOTO

Denise Lucas and friend Laurie Milford of Wading River at a summer fundraiser.

DENISE LUCAS | PAGE 20

BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO

Looking south at East Main Street and the Long IslandAquarium from Ostrander Avenue.

Young couplerobbed afteraquarium visitVictim calls for bettersecurity downtownBY PAUL SQUIRE |STAFF WRITER

North Babylon resident Nick Galioto and his girl-friend drove to the Long Island Aquarium in River-head Saturday to spend the day interacting with pen-guins as part of a Christmas gift from his mother.

But what happened after the young couple leftthe aquarium still has them both shaken.

You see it in the movies and you see it on TV, butyou never think itll happen to you, Mr. Galiotosaid in an interview. Out of all the days, leaving theaquarium, you think its a pretty safe location.

After hours of fun at the aquarium Saturday af-ternoon, Mr. Galioto, 24, and his 19-year-old girl-friend were robbed at knifepoint by a man on abike as they walked back to their parked car.

Ive never been in any type of situation [likethis] never of a magnitude like this, never in mylife, Mr. Galioto said.

The young couple were huddling under an um-

brella to stay dry in the rain while walking northalong the sidewalk on Ostrander Avenue about 4p.m. when they heard a voice behind them mutterto get out of the way, Mr. Galioto recalled.

The two moved over to the side, up against afence, when the man, wearing a jacket with thehood up, rode up close next to them on a bicycle,blocking them from moving, Mr. Galioto said.

Give me your wallet, the man demanded whilestraddling the bike.

ROBBED | PAGE 22


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Experts weigh inBY PAUL SQUIRE | STAFF WRITER

For weeks, environmental activistshave pressed authorities to remove

thousands of cars damaged by super-storm Sandy from the Enterprise Park atCalverton, saying the stored cars pose apollution hazard because leaking fluidscould seep into groundwater.

But local environmental and auto-motive experts say theres nothing to

worry about.Mechanics and environmental con-

sultants interviewed by the News-Re-view all agreed salt water from Sandyalone would not have caused those carsto rust to the point of leaking fluids.

I certainly dont believe the corro-sive nature of salt water is so aggressive



WHAT'S INSIDE

Allen landsin Riverheadrecord books

Sports

Look for morecops on the beatdowntown

Page 3

Voters will headto the polls forspecial election

Pages 2, 8

State educationreport pitchesbig changes

Page 14


BY TIM GANNON | STAFF WRITER

Riverhead Town sustained morethan $2 million worth of damage dur-ing superstorm Sandy, but officials

say they expect the town will recoupmost of that from the Federal Emer-gency Management Agency, whichreimburses for 75 percent of the cost.

Supervisor Sean Walter said hesconfident FEMA will cover a bulkof the towns costs from Sandy, butsaid rebuilding the shoreline is a

whole other story.The exact total of the towns Sandy-

related costs has changed over time,said Riverhead Police Chief DavidHegermiller, who is also the townsdisaster response coordinator.

There are things that have been

taken off and things that have beenadded on, he said, adding the num-ber will be more than $2 million butless than $3 million.

These figures dont include the costof damage to private property result-ing from the storm.

The town can be reimbursed forlabor, equipment usage and projectsassociated with storm cleanup, the

chief said, adding that hes also con-fident the town will be reimbursed.

We are well on the way to beingreimbursed, he said.

The biggest ticket item on the

towns reimbursement list is the SouthJamesport boat ramp, the chief said.The concrete, we feel, has shifted.

That is over a million dollars to re-place that, he said.

Anything electrical near the wateralso needs to be replaced, since these

were submerged during Sandy. Theseinclude the electric stations along the

Riverhead starts to tackledamage to town property$1 mil to fix boat ramp; FEMA wont help beaches


Foreman Sam Parris of Hinck Electrical Contracting of Bohemia replacing marina stations on the riverfront dock Friday.

Amper wantsEPCAL cars goneBY TIM GANNON | STAFF WRITER

Members of the Central Pine Bar-rens Commission voted Tuesday topursue legal action against the ownerof an Eastport farm where storm-damaged cars are being kept.

But that wasnt enough for RichardAmper, executive director of the non-profit Long Island Pine Barrens Society.

He wants the commission to takeaction to stop the storage of storm-damaged cars anywhere within the

Pine Barrens and specifically at theEnterprise Park at Calverton, whereRiverhead Town has leased two run-

ways for that purpose, The townstands to make more than $1 millionfrom those leases, which involve anestimated 15,000 cars.

On Tuesday, Mr. Amper impliedthat by not going after the EPCAL cars,

DAMAGE | PAGE 22 AMPER | PAGE 22

SANDY CARS | PAGE 22

Sandy carpollutionno threat


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WHAT'S INSIDE

Blue Waves loseheartbreaker inNorth Babylon

Sports

Sandy garbageis her problemin Jamesport

Page 2

SWR schools getevaluation planin under wire

Page 14

DA looks toclose loopholeon hit & runs

Page 21


BY TIM KELLY, BETH YOUNG

AND TIM GANNON | STAFF WRITERS

In the days leading up to Tuesdaysspecial legislative election, several lo-cal Democrats voiced cautious opti-mism on Councilman Al Krupskischances against Riverhead Supervi-sor Sean Walter.

Their caution was unnecessary.Mr. Krupski thoroughly trouncedhis GOP rival, winning the countyLegislature seat long held by Ed Ro-maine by a better than two-to-onemargin. Unofficial results from theSuffolk County Board of Electionsshow Mr. Krupski, 52, with 6,561votes to 3,182 for Mr. Walter, 46.Thats a split of 67.29 percent to 32.63

percent, the highest percentage vic-tory in the last decade for any specialelection held in Suffolk County.

Early results showed Mr. Krupski,a Peconic farmer, ahead or even inmany GOP districts, and Democratscheered with delight when the num-bers showed Mr. Krupski out-pollingthe supervisor in Wading River, Mr.

Walters hometown. Mr. Krupski end-

ed up claiming all but three electiondistricts in Riverhead Town and everydistrict in Southold Town.

At about 10 p.m., only an hour afterthe polls closed, Mr. Walter walked into Democratic headquarters at theDark Horse Restaurant on RiverheadsMain Street as Suffolk County Demo-cratic Chairman Rich Schaffer was

Walter surrenders after

whirlwind election battleKrupski grabs 67% of vote over North Fork rival

After loss,is Walter allwashed upin Riverhead?BY GRANT PARPAN | EXECUTIVE EDITOR

You stomped me bad.Those were Sean Walters words

Tuesday night after he crashed the

Democrats Election Night party todeliver his concession remarks per-sonally to Legislator-elect Al Krupski.

The handshake and smile the River-head Town Supervisor shared with theman who had so easily defeated him

was a classyand unusualmove in Suf-folk Countypolitics, where typically a phone call isplaced or no concession is made at all.

Ive never seen that before, saiddeputy county executive Jon Sch-neider, a behind-the-scenes player onevery major Democratic campaign inSuffolk County for nearly a decade.

Certainly the move, similar to one Phil

Cardinale made after his defeat in 2009,was made possible by the close proxim-ity of the two headquarters: While theDemocrats laughed the night away ina private room at the Dark Horse Res-taurant on Main Street in downtownRiverhead, Republicans drowned theirsorrows in pint glasses filled from thetaps of neighboring Codys BBQ.

For the past month, weve all heardthe sledgehammer ads on the radio andlistened as Mr. Walter painted himself asthe loudest elected official on the NorthFork, a man whos not afraid to stand onsomeones desk to get the job done.

Hes a politician who keeps hisfriends close and his enemies on an-other continent.

In some ways, that frank approach inpolitics is refreshing, like an ice cold beeron a 100-degree day. Have too much ofit though, and youre left feeling dizzy.

The heads at Codys were certainlyspinning late on Election Night, whereRiverhead GOP insiders were contem-plating next steps as if their guy were theone moving on. And he just might be.

ELECTION | PAGE 22 WALTER | PAGE 23

COMMENTARY

TIM KELLY PHOTO

Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter admits to Al Krupski supporters in a private room at Dark Horse restaurant that he got stompedin Tuesdays special legislative election. I wish you the best of luck, my friend, he told Mr. Krupski.

Special election: How they votedRiverhead Southold Brookhaven Shelter Island

Al Krupski 2,027 3,355 904 275

Sean Walter 1,514 699 850 119


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WHAT'S INSIDE

Residents scramble topurchase guns; otherstake aim at lawmaker

Pages 2,3

Schumer slammed byL.I. chefs after duck,bison remarks

Page 4

Democratic chairmakes a call forbipartisanship

Page 18

Suffolk Theateropens box officefor ticket sales

Page 12



Riverhead Town is throwing its hat in the ring in acompetition among county, municipal and privateentities all trying to entice Federal Aviation Admin-istration officials to build a state-of-the-art air trafficcontrol facility on their land.

Wherever the NextGen Integrated Air Traffic Con-trol Facility is built in lower New York State or Long Is-land, it would bring with it some 800 highly technicaland well-paid permanent jobs, as well as hundreds ofconstruction jobs over 10 years officials say.

The FAA hopes to have the project online by 2019.Riverhead Councilwoman Jodi Giglio, after some

pushback from Supervisor Sean Walter, convincedthe Town Board to submit an application last week.

The submission also comes at the urging of Congress-man Tim Bishop (D-Southampton), Ms. Giglio said.

It would obviously be a boon to Riverhead soCongressman Bishop encourages them to apply,said Bishop spokesman Oliver Longwell, noting thatMr. Bishop has not publicly endorsed a location, asseveral applications are coming from within his 1stCongressional District.

Riverhead officials are proposing town-ownedland at the Calverton Enterprise Park, once the siteof a Grumman fighter pilot testing facility.

Congressman Bishop is fighting hard to have the

new FAA tower built on Long Island, Mr. Longwellsaid. EPCAL does seem to fit the criteria but werenot sure about [easement questions], as there arecomplicated environmental issues at the site.

The facility, which would be satellite-based, un-like current radar-based air traffic control systems,

would consolidate and replace the functions of theexisting FAA Air Route Traffic Control Center at LongIsland MacArthur Airport in Islip Town and the ex-isting Terminal Radar Approach Control facility in

Westbury, federal officials say.As for the competition for the new facility, Islip

Town has been pushing the FAA for some time to

Town vies for FAA air traffic facilityNextGen campus would bring 800 well-paid jobs to Calverton

AIR TRAFFIC | PAGE 20

ROBERT OROURK PHOTO

LOOK OUT FOR THAT BALL!This photo from Friday nights basketball game at Bishop McGann-Mercy High School seems to explode from the page. The Monarchs fought to

come back against Mattituck, but their efforts fell short. See sports for the story, and page 14 for more coverage of Mercy High School.


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WHAT'S INSIDE

Bankruptcy proceedinghas Long Island Nationalcourse on the market

Page 4

Polo complex, FAAfacility has TownBoard talking EPCAL

Page 6

SWR teachersare changing theway they meet

Page 14

Waves hoopsteams postbig victories

Sports


BY PAUL SQUIRE | STAFF WRITER

Latisha Diego said the masked menwho burst into her home on PriscillaAvenue in Flanders never demandedher money or possessions. At onepoint, they pointed a gun at her in herbedroom and ordered her not to move.Most of her family was asleep when

the men broke in. But her youngercousin, Demitri Hampton, was awakeplaying video games, she said.

When Demitri confronted the in-truders, they shot him.

The next thing I know hes run-ning in and hes telling me to call thepolice, she said. And hes shot and

He always made us smileRiverhead gradshot dead duringhome invasion

HOME INVASION | PAGE 20

Demitri hadworked tohelp others


It never should have happenedto someone who cared so much forothers.

Thats what stunned friends andclassmates of Demitri Hampton saidthis week in the wake of the charis-matic young mans death.

Those who knew him best said Mr.Hampton was a fun-loving but ambi-tious student, a real character whoencouraged those around him to worktoward their goals just as he was.

He just had big dreams, he alwayssaw the big picture, said his clos-est friend, Jason Sims. If he wantedsomething heput 100 percentinto [it].

Mr. Hamp-ton, who graduated from RiverheadHigh School in 2010, played on theschool basketball team and ran trackand field. The current Blue Wavesvarsity basketball team observed amoment of silence before its gameTuesday evening in his memory.

He was also a longtime member ofthe Council for Unity, a community ser-vice student group that works to reduceviolence and gang activity in town.

Mr. Hampton joined the group in6th grade and spent seven years as acouncil member, said Theresa Drozd,one of Mr. Hamptons former teachersat the school and the groups adviser.

Whenever you were around himyou couldnt be angry because he al-ways put a smile on your face, shesaid. Everybody loved him. You hadto love him.

During high school, Ms. Drozd re-called, Mr. Hampton went with oth-er council members to the SuffolkCounty Community Colleges YouthLeadership Conference, raked leaves

Looked to lift uppeers, relatives

DEMITRI | PAGE 20


Demitri Hamptons sister Jennifer Davis (left), brother Jamal Davis and first cousin Latisha Diego with photos of Demitri, who appeared onthe cover of a Suffolk County Community College campus magazine in 2012, during a meeting with reporters in Polish Town Tuesday.

PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO

The Suffolk County police command post on Priscilla Avenue Sunday morning in Flanders.

SEE COLUMNPage 9


6/51

NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARYRiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, February 7, 2013 $1.50


WHAT'S INSIDE

Riverhead boys clinchshare of League III titlewith b-ball win over Bulls

Sports

Sex offendertrailers may soonbe hauled away

Page 3

Is Napa winerylooking to ownthe word duck?

Page 12

Teachers unionhead will retirein Riverhead

Page 14


BY CARRIE MILLER |STAFF WRITER

There is a little more joy in heaventhis morning.

Those were the words offered by aloving uncle, saying goodbye to hisnephew far too soon.

More than 400 mourners filled Gal-ilee Church of God in Christ Saturdayto celebrate the life of 21-year-oldDemitri Hampton, who was shot andkilled early Jan. 27.

If you look around this room, youcan see the testament to who mynephew was, said Mr. Hamptonsuncle, Tom.

Mr. Hampton will be best remem-bered for his love, laughter, cour-age and swag, said his aunt, Jackie.He enjoyed bringing laughter to ev-ery family occasion, she said, and

Grief-stricken mourners

pack services for Demitri

SERVICES | PAGE 23

Memorialsheld as copsinvestigate


Demitri Hampton was a brotherand a cousin, a boyfriend and a bestfriend, a role model and a hero, friendsand relatives said at local ceremoniesthis week as hundreds turned out tohonor the college student killed in aFlanders home invasion last week.

We do thank God for the life ofDemitrius Hampton, the love, thefriendship, the joy and the laugh-ter that he brought to those whoknew and loved him, said Elder Al-bert Brown of Galilee Church of Godin Christ at a candlelight vigil heldoutside Riverhead High School lastThursday night. Certainly our lives

were enriched by his life.Mr. Hampton was shot in the chest

and later died after two armed menburst into his cousins house early lastSunday night, police said. He had beenup playing video games in the livingroom when the masked men brokethrough a front door, and he was tryingto protect his sleeping girlfriend andfamily from the intruders, authoritiesand family members said. He was shotduring a scuffle with the intruders.

The murder is still being investigatedby Suffolk County detectives, thoughSouthampton Town police have alsobeen involved. No additional detailshave been released. Southampton Su-pervisor Anna Throne-Holst told WRIV1390 AM radio this week that she be-lieves Mr. Hamptons death was a caseof mistaken identity.

At the first ceremony, held lastThursday, more than 100 people gath-ered on a windy night for a candlelightvigil in his memory.

Riverhead school SuperintendentNancy Carneys voice shook with emo-tion as she spoke about Mr. Hampton,a 2010 graduate.

Shooting victimhonored as hero

MEMORIALS | PAGE 23

BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTOS

Demitri Hamptons brother Jamal Davis hugs a mourner after Saturdays funeral in Riverside.

Demitri Hamptons parents, Juanita and Theodore Teddy Trent, leave the church afterSaturdays services. Behind them is Demitris girlfriend, Frances Acevedo of Mastic.

Riverside church fills with sobs and songs Saturday


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Father Peter Narkeiewicz of Amagansett was out shoveling the steps of St. Isidore Church at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, just as a monster blizzard was tapering off. He couldnt use the snowblow-ers because they were in the garage, snowed in. All he had for breakfast was Tylenol, for his sore back, he said. See pages 2, 3, 4 and 8 for additional coverage.



WHAT'S INSIDE

Page 13A-19A

SUV struck by LIRRtrain in Mattituck;driver escapes

Page 21

Landowners sueover rezoningRoute 25A

Page 17

Tax breaks OKdfor Woolworthrehab project

Page 20



Abandoned cars littered empty roads, disappear-

ing under the rising snow. A tree limb crashed onto aWading River home. Even police officers and emer-gency volunteers who had no choice but to strike outin the storm found themselves stuck as the inchespiled up around them like rising flood waters.

A record-setting noreaster pounded Riverhead Fri-day night into Saturday morning with more than twofeet of snow in some places, clogging roadways andtrapping residents in their homes and cars for days.

The western half of Riverhead Town was hit hard-

est, with Baiting Hollow reporting the highest snow-fall: 26 inches. Downtown Riverhead saw 19.4 inches,

while areas to the east like

Jamesport, with 14 inchesreported were impactedsomewhat less.

Poor travel conditions wereamong the hallmarks of the

weekends blizzard. More than100 drivers became trappedon the Long Island Expressway as the storm wors-ened, with many reportedly staying in their vehiclesto wait out the blizzard. The expressway was closed

for several days after the storm as crews cleared theroads.

Forecasts originally warned of widespread power

outages caused by wind gusts expected to top 60mph, but Riverhead peaked at about 400 outagesduring the height of the storm. More outages werereported farther east, with Orient experiencing themost on the North Fork.

But blizzard conditions didnt stop emergencycrews from continuing their work, as emergencymedical technicians, police officers and firefighterstraveled out to assist others.

One for the record booksBaiting Hollow sees 26 inches; town spared major power outages

BLIZZARD | PAGE 24

ChhiillddrreennssDDiirreeccttoorryy

We all needa break now.

Jim Evans

WRFD chief


8/51



WHAT'S INSIDE

Take a tour ofarea businesshappenings

Insert

Dispatcher, copscome to rescue of15-month-old boy

Page 3

Police arrest fourafter drive-by indowntown area

Pages 2, 3

Pol calls forparking limitsdowntown

Page 14


BY TIM GANNON | STAFF REPORTER

In August 2011, officials from the Riv-erhead Police Department and the townscode enforcement office launched a sur-prise raid at the Wading River Motel, araid one Town Board member said wasmore akin to something that would havehappened in the Soviet Union not asmall town like Riverhead.

The incident also sparked a flurry of

criticism from the then-commissionerof the countys Department of Social Ser-vices, who wrote in a News-Review opin-ion piece that the checks and balancessystem of the judicial branch of govern-ment fell flat on its face with the warrantissued for the towns search of the motel,which he believed was illegal.

At the time, Riverhead Supervisor

Sean Walter said the motel was notonly a safety concern that had buildingcode violations, but was operating ille-gally as a homeless shelter for SuffolkCounty not as a motel, which is thepropertys approved use.

Mr. Walter vowed to take the motelsowners to court on that issue.

But the town never went to courtto challenge the use of the motel andnever filed any building violations inRiverhead Justice Court following theraid. A rental permit violation that hadbeen filed several months before theraid was later dismissed.

What the town did instead was issuea 24-page order to remedy to the mo-tels owners, giving them the opportu-nity to bring the motel into compliance

The fallout from 2011 motel raidTown never went to court; motel owner complying with issues

MOTEL RAID | PAGE 22

JENNIFER GUSTAVSON FILE PHOTO

Authorities photographed motel residents IDs and checked for warrants during the raid.

TIM GANNON PHOTO

The Suffolk County Department of Social Services is still housing homeless families at the Wading River Motel, and Riverhead Town officials say town police and otheremergency personnel are routinely dispatched to the Route 25 property.


9/51


This stinks!Children from across the North Fork pack a four-seater outhouse on the grounds of the Hallock Homestead in Northville last Thursday. The children were attendingHallockville Museum Farms Winter Camp, learning about what life and chores were like on a mid-19th-century farm. Pictured with Hallockville executive director HerbStrobel are (clockwise from left front) Toby Howard, Miranda Howard, Colin Heilman, Alexander Kennedy, Justin McGreevy, Max Heilman and Lucien Heilman.



WHAT'S INSIDE

Demitri Hamptonscholarship willaid SCCC students

Page 6

FAA set to tourtown land forpossible facility

Page 3

Another housegets shot up indowntown area

Page 12

Local wrestlerwins state titlein Albany

Sports


Peconic Y may throw in the towelFounder says YMCA of L.I. killed efforts to build in CalvertonBY TIM GANNON | STAFF WRITER

After almost 15 years of trying tobuild a YMCA facility in RiverheadTown or the Riverhead area and gettingnowhere, Peconic YMCA co-founderJoe Van de Wetering said his board

which hasnt made any firm decisionsyet just might end up calling it quits.

This comes after new leadership at

the parent group, YMCA of Long Is-land, rejected a site at the EnterprisePark at Calverton that the town was

willing to offer up for free.Riverhead Town officials approved

the measure last year, and had beenhoping to get a lease signed by De-cember or January.

At some point, youve got to say, letsbe realistic and throw in the towel, Mr.

Van de Wetering told the News-Review,acknowledging that ending their effortis one of the options being considered.

Mr. Van de Wetering said that whilehes hopeful something can be workedout, Weve got some basic conflicts

with the [Long Island] YMCA group,which must be on board and approveof any Y facility built in the region.

Peconic YMCA publicly announced

its plans to bring a YMCA to River-head in January 2000, at which timeit appeared the group had a sitenear County Road 105 and Route 25in Aquebogue. But those plans fellthrough, and the group has sincelooked at a number of other proper-ties, some connected with unpopulardevelopment proposals, some in loca-

YMCA | PAGE 23


10/51

NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARYRiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, March 7, 2013 $1.50


WHAT'S INSIDE

Aquebogue manburies his beloveddog after house fire

Page 6

Two go public thattheyre running fortown supervisor

Page 3

New Walmartgets green lightto start work

Page 17

Pole vaultertakes fifth instate meet

Sports


SuffolkTheaterlights upRiverheadReopens instyle with 30scocktail partyBY CYNDI MURRAY | CONTRIBUTOR

Jim Frost of Massapequa has fondmemories of watching movies at theSuffolk Theater as a young boy, when

just a silver screen packed enoughHollywood magic to dazzle any kid.

Years later, as he, his wife and oth-ers stepped onto the red carpet at thetheaters grand reopening while twoswiveling spotlights bounced back andforth off the clouds and Main Street

was lined with vintage cars theycouldnt help but feel like Hollywoodmovie stars themselves, albeit duringa different time.

This was the time of Clark Gable,Shirley Temple and Fred Astaire.

This was the 1930s.After some eight years and millions

of dollars in purchase and restorationcosts, owners Bob and Dianne Cast-aldi swung open the heavy woodendoors of the Suffolk Theater in grandfashion Saturday night, when morethan 600 people packed the much-hyped and long-anticipated grandreopening Back to the 30s cocktailparty. Revelers came for many rea-sons but above all, they said, to in-spect the new theater and compareit to how it used to look, take in the1930s decor, costume and spectacleand support the theater and down-town Riverhead.

Its wonderful, Mr. Frost said ofthe theater. We bought tickets rightaway. I havent been this excited aboutan event in a long time.

SUFFOLK THEATER | PAGE 21

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO

Vintage cars, period-dressed doormen and cigarette girls helped accent the Suffolk Theaters restoration, which was on full displayat Saturdays 1930s party. See more photos on page 2 and at riverheadnewsreview.com.


11/51

BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTOS

As of Saturday afternoon, lines of Sandy-damaged cars were still parked on grass along the eastern runway fence at the Enterprise Park at Calverton, even though cars had already beenremoved from a 35-acre area of protected grasslands to the southeast.



WHAT'S INSIDE

Take a ridewith our50-plus guide

Insert

Widows walkstructure landscouple in court

Page 2

It appears townwill repeal itsban on booing

Page 4

Cops: Kids livingamid dog fecesin couples home

Page 3


BY TIM GANNON |STAFF WRITER

Thousands of cars that were ruined by HurricaneSandy and then allegedly illegally parked ongrassy areas at the Enterprise Park at Calvertonhave all been removed to taxiways at the formerF-14 test site, but environmentalists and state of-ficials say the damage is done.

The Long Island Pines Barrens Society environ-mental group issued a press release March 1 that in-

cluded Feb. 1 aerial shots of the 35 acres where carswere being stored. Those photos show the grass-lands covered in puddles and utterly destroyed,said the groups executive director, Richard Amper.

He said the state DEC issued the violations onDec. 10 but did nothing to force the removal of thecars, which were still there in the Feb. 1 photos.

Its a day late and a dollar short, Mr. Amper said in

Sandy cars have been removedfrom EPCAL grass, but is it too late?Complaints arise that not enough was done to protect habitats

CARS | PAGE 30

50

Funon theNORTHFork

SENIORS,Reinvented!

AgeisjustaSTATE OFMind

PLUSMUCHMORE !

The same location as the top photo on Monday. Environmentalists say the cars have ruined habitats for protected species.


12/51



WHAT'S INSIDE

New library andmedia center opensat Phillips Avenue

Page 14

Police arrest twoin downtownvandalism spree

Page 2

Local Catholicleaders reflecton Pope Francis

Page 19

SWR lacrosseteams start assecond seeds

Sports


Pondering the fate of Reeves BeachString of storms shrinks shoreline; beach closing a last resortBY PAUL SQUIRE |STAFF WRITER

Every summer, Reeves Park resident Brian Noonelikes to pack his barbecue grill into the back of histruck and head down to Reeves Beach with his wifeand two young children. They spend the afternoonsswimming, then build campfires each night, just asMr. Noone did with his parents and siblings whenhe was young.

We live down there, he said of the routine.But this year may be different.

At low tide, Reeves Beach, on the north shoreof Baiting Hollow, has hundreds of feet of sand

stretching in both directions. But come down theramp at some high tides and the beach is gone,completely submerged under the Long IslandSound, which now reaches up to the ramp andbluffs at the start of the beach.

Mr. Noone said it would be devastating to loseparts of the beach.

Thats what this community lives for, he said. Ithink this community enjoys this beach more thanany other community out there.

The dramatic erosion that wiped out ReevesBeach is thanks to Hurricane Sandy and a seriesof winter storms that battered the North Fork this

past year, experts said.Now, town officials and engineers are planning to

look closer at the shoreline to figure out how to man-age the towns most damaged beach before summer.

BEACH | PAGE 30

I just want to find outeverything that we need to

know to open this beach.Ray Coyne, Riverhead recreation department


Riverhead native and lifelong Reeves Park resident Jeff Fuchs makes his way up the Sandy-ravaged beachs access ramp after hanging out late Tuesday afternoon with friends.Mr. Fuchs is confident Mother Nature will restore Reeves Beach along Long Island Sound in Riverhead.


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Kent Animal Shelter kennel attendant Erin McGrellis holds Walter, a 3-year-old French bulldog. Walters owner surrendered him because he was picking on an older dog in the household. Walters nowin training to rid him of his bad habits. Kent launched a capital campaign in 2010 to raise money for a new shelter for orphaned dogs and cats. The current shelter is 45 years old and falling apart.



WHAT'S INSIDE

PBMC Healthgets $5M forcare centerPage 6

Work on bikepath under way;see the mapPage 3

Waves fans talkgame concernswith CarneyPage 2

Two moreDunkin Donutsfor Route 58Page 12



Kent Animal Shelters plan to build a 10,000-square-foot facility to replace the aging structure on its RiverRoad property in Calverton took a big step forwardlast Thursday, when the Riverhead Town ZoningBoard of Appeals unanimously approved a series ofvariances needed for the project.

Kent Animal Shelter has been operating at its2.1-acre River Road location since 1968, during

which t ime it has gotten more than 30,000 ani-mals adopted and has t reated more than 60,000dogs and cats through its spay/neuter program,

said executive director Pamela Green.The nonprofit animal rescue organizations cur-

rent facilities are antiquated by any standard,Chuck Bowman, vice president of Kents board ofdirectors, said at last weeks ZBA hearing.

Mr. Bowman is also a land-use planner who is do-nating his services for the Kent project, Ms. Greenlater said.

The shelter is 45 years old and the buildings arefalling apart, Ms. Green told the ZBA. It really wouldbe a shame if we couldnt continue our services.

Kent seeks to remove two old buildings near theriver and build a 10,000-square-foot facility that

would incorporate the functions of several currentbuildings into one, Ms. Green said. The new struc-ture will have about 60 indoor dog runs and will besound-proofed, so noise will not travel outside thebuilding.

The new building will be so much better for theanimals and for the people, Ms. Green said.

Kent expects the project to cost about $1.75 mil-lion. Kents funding comes entirely from private con-tributions, grants and bequests, Mr. Bowman said.

About three years into a capital campaign thatlaunched in 2010, Kent has more than $400,000 on

Kent gets key approval for new shelterCalverton group looks to build a $1.75 mil facility on River Road

NEW SHELTER | PAGE 33


14/51

PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO

Life flourishes in whats now charred forest in Manorville, where the Wildfire of 2012 destroyed homes and property.

NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARYRiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, April 4, 2013 $1.50


WHAT'S INSIDE

He brought herflowers andsaved her life

Page 2

Fun-guy and galstart areas firstmushroom farm

Real Estate

Work to startsoon at site offuture Costco

Page 20

Another no-nofor major leaguepitching prospect

Sports

BY PAUL SQUIRE |STAFF WRITER

The charred and soot-covered Ka-wasaki motorcycle sat propped againstpiles of other burned debris next to adriveway on Oakwood Drive in Man-orville. It was a classic, a 1985 454Limited bike, one of George Morettisprized possessions.

The motorcycle is useless now,damaged beyond repair nearly a yearago in the massive wildfire that sweptthrough this neighborhood. The house

where he and his family had lived for25 years and everything inside it were destroyed by the flames andsmoke that jumped out from the PineBarrens behind his property.

The whole house was a loss except

for the framework, he said, sittingoutside his trailer this week, watch-ing as contractors worked on theshell of his house. He cant get whathappened out of his mind.

I know its been a year, Mr. Moret-ti said. I think about it every day.

The Wildfire of 2012 burnedmore than 1,100 acres of the Pine

Barrens in Manorville and Calver-ton last April 9. The seventh larg-est wildfire in state history startedon Brookhaven National Labora-torys Upton property and, fueledby strong winds and dry tinderon the forest floor, quickly spreadsouth and east into the RiverheadTown section of Manorville.

Pine Barrens, fire victimssee life returning to normal

Neighborsprepared tofight Scouts


Bob and Mary Oleksiak imagine thatin the near future, the quiet and com-fortable moments theyve come to en-

joy together in their backyard, whichMs. Oleksiak calls her little piece ofheaven, will be interrupted by theconstant noise of screaming kids.

Boy Scouts, to be exact.The Oleksiaks and their immediate

neighbors in Baiting Hollow are up inarms over plans to install a COPE (Chal-lenging Outdoor Personal Experience)course at the adjacent Baiting HollowScout Camp off Sound Avenue, ownedby the Suffolk County Boy Scouts. Theneighbors insist the course structuresshould be placed somewhere else onthe 90-acre camp property not im-

mediately behind their yards.A COPE course is a series of ropeand high-wire climbing challengesdesigned to meet Boy Scouts of Amer-ican standards, according to the COPECourse website. The site says COPEprograms are based on attaining sev-en goals outlined by the Boy Scouts of

America: teamwork, communication,trust, leadership, decision making,problem solving and self-esteem.

At a recent Riverhead Town PlanningBoard meeting, Baiting Hollow campdirector Jim Grimaldi described theproposed course as requiring the instal-lation of twelve 35-foot-high telephonepoles on property east of a pond calledFresh Pond. He said the location is inthe farthest east part of our property.

He later told the News-Review itsthe only viable spot on the propertyfor the course, considering the land isflat in that area.

But that puts it within sight of theneighbors, making for some conten-tious exchanges before an auger haseven hit the ground.

Camp plans tobuild next door

SCOUTS | PAGE 22

g-

eat

t-

e

-

PAUL SQUIREPHOTO

WestSayville firefighterse xtinguishthe smolderingremains ofa horse trailerthatKrupskifa milymembers used to store spare carparts ontheir

WadingRiver ManorRoad property. Seepages2and3formorewildfire coverage.

NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARY

RiverheadNewsReview.com

Thursday,April1 2, 2012 $1.50

News-Review

R iveRhead

WHAT'S INSIDE

Second-generationherosprings intoactiontopullmanfromburningtruckPage4

VillageprojectthreatenedbyforeclosurePage6

TakeatourofcountrysotherNorthForksRealEstate

SUBSCRIBE TODAY| CALL 631-298-3200

The largestLongIslandwildfire in a overa decadeburnedmore than 1,000 acres offorestand propertyfromRidge to Manorville earlythis week, damagingnine structures, causingthe evacuation ofdozensofresidents and injuringthree firefighters one ofwhom sufferedburns afterhe andotherswere forcedto abandon a truckthathad caughtfire.SuffolkCountywasplaced undera State ofEmer-

gencyashundredsof firefightersspenttwodaysbringingthe flamesundercontrol.ByTuesdaynight,firefighters had puto utallo fthe remaining, smallerfiresand residents had returned to theirh omes.Thefiresstartedonanundevelopedpart ofthe

BrookhavenNationalLaboratorypropertyinUp-ton about2:30 p.m. Monday, accordingto MichaelBebon,the labsdeputydirectorforoperations. Hesaid no structureswere damaged atthe lab and nooperations were interrupted.

ThecauseisstillbeinginvestigatedbytheSuf-folk County police arson squad,theNew YorkState DepartmentofEnvironmental Conservation,Brookhaven National Laboratoryand Brookhavenfiremarshals, officials said.Firefightersfrom109departmentsacross LongIsland,includingallSuffolkCountyandabout20Nassaudepartments,joinedthebattleagainst thefire,which quicklyspread south and east, propelled

WILDFIRES | PAGE21

ScorchedearthinthePineBarrens1,000acresburn,butpropertydamagelimitedinlargestfiresince95

BYPAULSQUIRE& TIMGANNON | STAFFWRITERS

WILDFIREOF2012


One family still hasnt returned home since wildfire

WILDFIRE | PAGE 24


15/51



WHAT'S INSIDE

Riverhead budgetplan would bumptax levy 3.82%Education

Field Day trialcalls on former,current officialsPage 19

24-hour run iscoming back tothe riverfrontPage 25

Execs plans onclosing $400 milbudget gapPage 21


New tenant,new life forold church109-year-old building

will be abuzz againBY CYNDI MURRAY | STAFF WRITER

First Parish Church in Northville is getting anew lease on life thanks to a new tenant dedicatedto preserving the buildings rich history.

On Sunday, April 7, Community Baptist Churchbegan holding services at the 109-year-old church.The congregation finalized a lease agreement last

week with United Church of Christ, which ownsand maintains First Parish Church, located at thecorner of Church Lane and Sound Avenue.

Dwindling membership and finances almostcaused First Parish to shut its doors for good.

The lease agreement gives the small UCC parishthe freedom to hold services without the finan-cial burden. The UCC congregation now meets atGrange Hall, another historic First Parish-ownedbuilding, directly across Sound Avenue.

Community Baptist Church Pastor Joshua

Fryman called the lease agreement a blessing.He described the two-year-old congregation as

an independent group un-affiliated with any religiousorganization. Before rentingFirst Parish Church, Com-

munity Baptist didnt have a house of worshipto call its own. Instead, members gathered forservices in the basement of Polish Hall in River-head and later moved their Sunday services toGrace Episcopal Church in Riverhead.

I told our folks we really needed to pray for abuilding because I dont want to be the nomadicBaptist church. Pastor Fryman said. I want to finda place to put our roots down. Most of our folkscome from the North Fork, so its been a blessing.

One of the features that drew Pastor Fryman tothe church is the buildings dynamic history. FirstParish Church dates back to 1829, when the pa-rishioners of Old Steeple Church in Aqueboguesplit from that congregation after deciding it didnot follow the Bibles teachings closely enough.From that, the Strict Congregational Church wasborn. It held services at Grange Hall until 1831,

when the first church building was constructed.The church was rebuilt twice due to fire. In 1877,

a disgruntled former minister burned the buildingCHURCH | PAGE 31

CHURCH PHOTOS

Page 14A


Ups-a-daisiesBatches of gerbera daisies help usher in spring at Colorful Gardens landcape center in Jamesport.


16/51



WHAT'S INSIDE

After Sandy, New Jerseyand Fire Island regulars

turn eyes to North ForkPage 2

Mans work onCalverton home

lands him in jailPage 6

Locals reportback after

Boston blastsPage 3


Will Scoutsneed specialapprovals?

BY CARRIE MILLER | STAFF WRITER

Known for rating everything fromcars to cribs, Consumer Reports re-leased updated hospital safety ratingslast month, giving two East End healthcare facilities the highest scores in thecounty.

Southampton Hospital led the coun-ty with a score of 58, followed closelyby Peconic Bay Medical Center with

56. Both hospitals scored significantlyhigher than the national average of 49.Ten of Suffolk Countys 13 hospitals

were rated by the magazine. EasternLong Island Hospital in Greenport wasone of the three not included in the re-port, along with South Oaks Hospitalin Amityville and the Veterans AffairsMedical Center in Northport.

Hospitals across the U.S. are nowbeing rated by Consumer Reports

every six months on a scale of 1 to100 points, based on factors such as re-admissions, communication and pre-ventable infections.

Preventable infections, accordingto the report, include infections pa-tients contracted after common surgi-cal procedures in 2010; bloodstreaminfections include those patients con-tracted through the use of central-linecatheters in 2011. Central-line cath-

eters are placed in a large vein in a pa-tients neck, chest or groin and are usedto deliver medications, among otherthings.

Data for the ratings came from theCenters for Medicare and Medicaidand state health departments. Infor-mation collected by the nonprofit

American Hospital Association wasalso included.


An attorney representing a Baiting Hollow cou-ple up in arms over a towering Boy Scouts obstaclecourse planned for just 100 feet from their back-

yard says the proposed structure should require aspecial permit from the Riverhead Town Board.

The lawyer, former town supervisor Phil Cardi-nale, also insists the COPE course will also needsite plan approval from the town Planning Board.

If the town doesnt require the special permit, Mr.Cardinale says, his clients will request a hearing be-fore the town Zoning Board of Appeals for an inter-pretation on whether the special permit is needed.

The proposed COPE course is a series of ropeand wire climbing obstacles. Similar courses existat Boy Scout camps throughout the country. COPEis an acronym for Challenging Outdoor PersonalExperience.

Baiting Hollow camp director Jim Grimaldi saidthe proposed course would require the installationof twelve 35-foot telephone poles on property eastof Fresh Pond. A variety of climbing exercise appa-ratus will hang from the poles, including a zip line,a cargo net, a Burma bridge and a balance beam.

Bob and Mary Oleksiak of Silver Beech Lane inBaiting Hollow say the proposed course would

Local hospitals ranked top in countyConsumer Reports now grading U.S. medical centers every 6 months

Town, neighbors maylock horns over course

HOSPITALS | PAGE 29

SCOUTS | PAGE 25

JOHN NEELY PHOTO

Light in the darkDozens gather in Grangebel Park Saturday evening for a candlelight vigil against gun violence. The vigil,called We Have Not Forgotten, was planned by Riverhead Organizing for Action, part of a national nonprofitthat advocates for federal policies. The hour-long event came months after the death of Riverhead High Schoolgraduate Demitri Hampton, who was shot and killed during a home invasion in January. A picnic and basketballtournament to raise money for a scholarship in Mr. Hamptons name are also scheduled for Saturday, May 18, atLudlam Avenue Park in Riverside, from 2 to 8 p.m. See slide show at riverheadnewsreview.com.


17/51



WHAT'S INSIDE

Calverton fields honor-ing soldiers set as site of

Little League openerPages 2, 3

School officialsdefend use of

voter softwarePage 14

Riverhead gradMaysonet set for

NFL entry draftSports


BY JENNIFER GUSTAVSON |STAFF WRITER

Riverhead parent Angela Partridges 8-year-old sonarrived late to school last Wednesday morning. Shedropped him off at Riley Avenue Elementary School in

Calverton about 11 a.m. to join his third-grade class.The late start wasnt due to a faulty alarm clock. It

was because Ms. Partridge didnt want her son to sitquietly by himself away from his classmates andteacher for 90 minutes reading a book in a separateroom while classmates took an exam he was sched-uled to take.

That was how her son had spent his time the previ-ous day, April 9, after refusing at his mothers re-quest to take the state-mandated English language

arts (ELA) assessment.Ms. Partridge and other parents across Long Island

and New York State have committed to having theirchildren opt out of taking state tests this week, astatement they are making to Albany to express their

displeasure with its testing model and how it affectsclassroom learning by whats called teaching to thetest.

For the past two months, theyve just been pre-paring for these tests, Ms. Partridge said of her sonsclass. Its taking them away from the enrichment of

what third grade is supposed to be.The mother of three said she sent a letter to prin-

cipal David Enos and Superintendent Nancy Carneybefore the testing, explaining why she didnt want her

son take the state assessments.Im not against testing, Ms. Partridge said. I think

its great, as long as its written by the teacher and isappropriate for the students.

Many educators predict dramatic drops in their

students standardized test scores not becausestudents arent prepared, but because new standardshave resulted in exams that are more rigorous than in

years past.This year, state ELA and math assessments include

elements of the Common Core State Standards Ini-tiative. The common core standards are a new set ofnational benchmarks intended to help public schoolstudents master language arts and mathematics. They

OPTING OUT | PAGE 34

Students opting out of assessmentsParents in Riverhead, across L.I., protest high-stakes testing

Goatsgone wildYear-old crossbredbrown Nubian and

long-eared goats

join white Saanen

goats, a European

breed, to feast on

hay last week. The

milk-producing goat

herd can be seen

from the Main Road

at Goodale Farms

in Aquebogue. The

farm had 150 baby

goats born this

spring.



18/51

PAIGE HUBBARD COURTESY PHOTO

Friends sprayed champagne at Miguel Maysonet Saturday night after the former standout Riverhead football playersigned a free agent contract with the NFLs Philadelphia Eagles. Maysonets mom, Yolanda Santana, joined in the celebra-tion outside the home of Tim and Lisa Hubbard.

NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARYRiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, May 2, 2013 $1.50


WHAT'S INSIDE

Navigate thesoils of the

North ForkInsert

Sandy-ravaged housesseeing little FEMA aid

in rebuilding effortsReal Estate

Researchers findticks to blame

for meat allergyPage 3

Woman findscherished ring,

reunites heirPage 2


North Fork schoolnumbers suggest caphas changed littleBY JENNIFER GUSTAVSON AND

GRANT PARPAN | STAFF WRITERS

When state lawmakers approved a 2 percent capon annual tax levy increases in 2011, they said thelegislation was designed to control school districtspending and ease the burden on taxpayers.

Since then, a Times/Review Newsgroup analysishas found, spending in most North Fork districtshas increased at a higher rate than during the two

years before the law was passed and the major-ity of school budgets have proposed tax levy hikesgreater than 2 percent.

School administrators and elected leadersblame the increases on mandated pension ex-penses tied to the downturn in the economy, fluc-tuations in state aid and facility upgrades.

While state law caps the increasedin the tax levy the total amountschool districts can collect fromtaxpayers at 2 percent, schooldistricts are allowed to exceed that

maximum mandate because the law exemptssome expenses, such as pension and capital costs.By factoring in those exemptions, school districtsare allowed to raise the tax levy by more than 2percent without needing to obtain 60 percentvoter approval.

Ten of the 14 budgets proposed in local schooldistricts in the past two years raised the tax levy bymore than 2 percent. In the two years prior to that,

nine spending plans led to tax hikes above 2 per-cent. Five years ago, only three of seven budgetsfeatured tax hikes in excess of 2 percent.

Former assemblyman Dan Losquadro (R-Shoreham), whose district covered the North Forkand who worked on the tax cap legislation andpension reform during his two years in office, saidhe believes the mandate has been successful at

SCHOOL NUMBERS | PAGE 30

Spending,taxes stillgoing up

BY JOE WERKMEISTER | STAFF WRITER

As life returned to normal for Miguel Maysonetin the days after signing with the NFLs PhiladelphiaEagles, the reality of it all still hadnt set in.

The wow moment wont be far off.I feel like once Im actually there, at the their fa-

cilities, thats when Im going to be hit by the factthat Im an NFL football player, Maysonet said.

A 2009 Riverhead High School graduate whotorched the record books at Stony Brook University,Maysonet agreed to sign as a free agent with theEagles Saturday night after a whirlwind day that he

hoped would end with him becoming the first StonyBrook player to ever be drafted into the NFL.

It wasnt the script Maysonet expected, but theresult was the same.

Today hell report to Philadelphia and the Eaglesrookie minicamp, where hell take the first step to-

ward earning a roster spot and suiting up in greenand white when the Eagles kick off their seasonagainst division rival Washington Sept. 9 on ESPN.

I basically just expect to begin the whole processof being an NFL football player, said Maysonet, arunning back. Learning the playbook, getting to

MAYSONET | PAGE 35

Maysonet will start NFL career in Philly

The Eagle has landedSPECIAL

REPORT

HOME&GARDEN


19/51



WHAT'S INSIDE

Riverhead phenomgives up first runof the season

Sports

Town will nameroad for fallenEMS volunteer

Page 6

Elected leaders,residents protestbus facility plans

Page 3

NYC mayoralcandidate buysEPCAL land

Page 20



With about eight months left before $20 million inupgrades must be completed at Riverheads sewertreatment plant off Riverside Drive, town officials read-ily admit they are well short of having enough moneyto fund the project. And town leaders have been pre-paring two pitches in hopes of acquiring enough fundsthrough Suffolk County to pay for the upgrades.

The Riverhead Sewer Districts assessed rate forproperties is currently just .455 percent, or about $35a year on average for property owners, said sewersuperintendent Michael Reichel. If the town cant se-cure county money, assessed rates will have to jumpby more than 522 percent, up to about $215 a year,to help pay for the necessary upgrades, which arebeing mandated by the state, town officials said.

No usage rate increases would be planned, Mr.

Reichel said.Riverheads main sewer treatment plant, near the

countys Indian Island Country Club, was built in1937 and has been upgraded twice, most recentlyin 2000, which at the timehelped the town meet stateDepartment of Environ-mental Conservation re-quirements, said RiverheadSupervisor Sean Walter.

The DECs basic opinion[after the last upgrade] wasthat we wouldnt have toupgrade the sewage treat-ment plant for the next 20 years, Mr. Walter said.But then the DEC found new technology.

Mr. Reichel said the plants permit requires thetown to complete an upgrade by January 2014 that

will meet new water quality standards. (He noted,however, that construction and installation of theupgrades would take about two years.) The dis-trict plans to file for an extension on the required

upgrades while additionalfunding is secured.

Were coming to a crunchhere, Mr. Reichel said.

The sewer district spentabout $1 million draftingplans for the upgrade in 2009,town officials said. Thoseplans involve converting andrepurposing a number of ex-

isting tanks at the plant as a way to contain costs.The sewer district currently has about $2.1 million

available through a state grant, $700,000 set aside in

Clock ticks on $20 mil sewer upgradesWith deadline looming, Riverhead Town will appeal to county for cash

SEWER | PAGE 40

Everything is done. We knowhow big its going to be, we

know the size of the pipes, wejust dont have the money.sewer district superintendent Michael Reichel

PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO

When the Riverhead Sewer District is able to upgrade its facility off Riverside Drive, wastewater being treated at the plant would be pumped through new, high-tech filters beforebeing dumped into Peconic Bay.


20/51



WHAT'S INSIDE

Our guide to localdistricts budget andschool board ballots

Page 3

Upstate entrepreneurappeals to town forOK to build zip line

Page 2

State wontsupport ScoutsCOPE course

Page 17

How to knowif Sandy killedyour pine tree

Page 24

BY CYNDI MURRAY | STAFF WRITER

A path of engraved bricks at Grum-man Memorial Park in Calverton nar-rates the legacy of Grumman Aero-space Corporation.

I pride myself for working for acompany like Grumman, one reads.

Grumman should never be forgot-ten, another insists.

But in the five years since RiverheadTown took control of the site, those

who helped establish the park say

those words are losing their meaning.Grumman Memorial Park, locatedon Route 25 near the Route 25A in-tersection on the former Grumman

Aerospace Flight Test Facility prop-erty, pays tribute to the advancesin aviation and aerospace that tookplace on Long Island throughout the20th century. The park opened in 2000thanks to the volunteer efforts of thenonprofit East End Aircraft group. In2008, the organization entered intoa licensing agreement with the townand relinquished all responsibility forthe improvement, maintenance andpublic access to the park.

Town Board members approvedthe agreement unanimously.

Since then, East End Aircraft hasdissolved and the F-14 and A-6E mod-el fighter jets on display at the parkhave become chipped and weath-ered, much to the shock and disgustof those who helped open the tribute13 years ago.

Last week, former East End Aircraftgroup volunteer Pat Van de Wetering

FormerGrummanfighters

need TLCLocals furious

over conditionof historic jets

GRUMMAN | PAGE 28

CARRIE MILLER PHOTO

Jacqueline Celentano, 21, of Calverton is led out of Southampton Police Department headquarters in Hampton Bays Wednesdaymorning to answer to charges that she drove away from the scene of a crash that injured Aaron Hartmann early Sunday.

Arrest follows hit-and-runthat injured Riverhead manAaron Hartmann recovering at Stony Brook hospital

BY MICHAEL WHITE, CARRIE MILLER

& PAUL SQUIRE | STAFF WRITERS

Residents across Riverhead havespent much of the past few dayspraying for the recovery of a pop-ular young man being treated forserious injuries after a hit-and-rundriver struck him as he walked inFlanders early Sunday.

And as 23-year-old Aaron Hart-mann of Riverhead lay heavily sedat-ed and on a ventilator Tuesday eve-ning in a Stony Brook hospital bed,after undergoing emergency surgery,a 21-year-old woman was turningherself into police.

Southampton Town police an-nounced the arrest of JacquelineCelentano of Calverton on Wednes-

day, with detectives saying theywere able to locate a car allegedly in-volved in the crash, a red 2000 ChevyImpala, outside a Riverside home.

Ms. Celentano, a 2009 RiverheadHigh School graduate, was charged

with leaving the scene of an accidentinvolving physical injury and heldon $30,000 bail after answering to a

judge in Southampton Town court.She turned herself in to police about6 p.m. Tuesday after consulting herlawyer, John Russo, Mr. Russo saidin Justice Court in Hampton Bays.Before setting bail, Justice DeborahKooperstein said she was concernedit took so long for Ms. Celentano toturn herself in.

Mr. Russo answered that his clientHIT-AND-RUN | PAGE 30

BOBBY HARTMANN COURTESY PHOTO

Aaron Hartmann gives his family a thumbs upfrom his hospital bed at Stony Brook UniversityMedical Center Wednesday. His condition hasbeen upgraded to stable, an uncle said.



21/51



WHAT'S INSIDE

Beaches reboundsince Sandy butno June lifeguards

Page 3

The top 5 stores,restaurants youwant in Riverhead

Page 12

SWR girls lacrosseheading back tothe county finals

Sports



IN HIS MEMORYAndre Kearney of Brooklyn holds his 9-month-old son, Andre Jr., as he watches basketball at a Saturday picnic and fundraiser forthe Demitri Hampton scholarship fund at Robert Ludlam Park in Riverside. Mr. Kearneys wife, Angela (formerly Clements), is a first

cousin of Mr. Hampton, who was shot and killed during a home invasion in Flanders. No arrests have been made. See page 18.

SWR, Riverhead budgetswin residents approvalBut incumbent Jeff Falisi bounced from boardBY PAUL SQUIRE AND TIM GANNON | STAFF WRITERS

Voters approved school budget proposals in boththe Riverhead and Shoreham-Wading River schooldistricts Tuesday, as an incumbent school boardmember in Riverhead was voted out of office.

Taxpayers in Riverhead voted 1,520 to 1,252 in

favor of a $117.6 million spending plan for 2013-14that carries an estimated 3.82 percent tax levy in-crease. The approved budget is about $5.7 millionmore than the current school years budget, an in-crease of 5.12 percent.

The budget vote this year was much closer than in

Riverhead votersreject bus plansfor RiversideBY TIM GANNON | STAFF WRITER

There will not be a school bus maintenance andstorage facility on land next to the Phillips AvenueElementary School in Riverside. The RiverheadSchool Districts bus plans had run into sharp com-munity opposition. But the district can begin saving

BUDGETS | PAGE 32 BUS PLANS | PAGE 32


22/51



WHAT'S INSIDE

SWR boys lacrossegrabs 10th countytitle since 2001

Sports

Companies pullherbicide fromL.I. store shelves

Page 6

Candidates pickedfor local elections;primaries loom

Page 3

And you thoughtbacon couldntget any better

Page 12



The off-white trailer rimmed with blue sat on cin-der blocks in the Suffolk County Correctional Facilityparking lot. Padlocks were clamped to its two doors,

just above where pavers had laid fresh asphalt, trac-ing the edges of the roughly 40-foot trailer.

Every morning for the past six years, homeless sexoffenders who had slept outside the jail would leave

this shelter and security would lock up the traileruntil they returned at night to sleep. But for the firsttime since May 2007, no sex offenders leftthe Riverside trailer Saturday morning.

And none would be coming back.Suffolk County-operated trailers in Riv-

erside and Westhampton that had housed home-less sex offenders were shut down permanentlyover Memorial Day weekend, marking the end of

a six-year struggle by local government officials,civic leaders and residents to free themselves from

the burden of housing the countys entirehomeless sex offender population.

It may be Memorial Day, but it feels likeChristmas, Southampton Town Supervisor

Anna Throne-Holst said at a press conference held inRiverhead Town Hall Friday to announce the closing.

Six-year nightmare comes to an endCounty shuts sex offender trailers in Riverside, Westhampton

TRAILERS | PAGE 24

BILL LANDON PHOTO

For fallen brothers and sistersRiverhead High School NJROTC cadets Todd Brewer (left) and John Roca carry the groups banner on East Main Street during the annual Riverhead Combined VeteransMemorial Day parade Monday morning.

SEE EDITORIALPage 8


23/51


Pup loses her wayPenny, a female harbor seal pup now a week old, was rescued by Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research & Preservation staffers Saturday on Atlantic Beach inNassau County. She was found with her umbilical cord still attached. Rescue program supervisor Julika Wocial sa id the pup is being given formula and electrolytesthrough a tube, and its hoped shell soon be fed a fish gruel. Robert DiGiovanni Jr., the foundations executive director/senior biologist, said staffers are trying not tocoddle Penny, to keep her wild, while giving her the right amount of care and nutrition. It will be decided in about two months whether to release her to the wild.

NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARYRiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, June 6, 2013 $1.50


WHAT'S INSIDE

Hit-and-run victimback home afterlong hospital stay

Page 3

Cops: Man madeterror threatswith a machete

Page 3

First water coasterin N.Y. opens atSplish Splash

Page 2

SWR boys lacrossetakes Long Islandchampionship

Sports


Shows over for annual blues festivalLoss of outdoor concert series called a huge blow to local music sceneBY RACHEL YOUNG & MICHAEL WHITE |STAFF WRITERS

The Riverhead Blues & Music Festival as we knowit is no more, and thats leaving Long Island musicenthusiasts singing a sad tune.

Bob Barta, president of downtowns Vail-LeavittMusic Hall, confirmed last week that theater officialsdid not submit an application to hold the two-dayseries of concerts on town property downtown in2013. The once wildly popular festival, which startedin 1999, drew as many as 10,000 people to the area.

But it has been forever plagued by downtown po-litical in-fighting.

Since 2006, the festival had served as the historicVail-Leavitt theaters chief fundraising event. Now,it will likely be restructured as a series of in-houseevents at the theater, tentatively scheduled for Sep-tember, Mr. Barta said.

He said Vail-Leavitt officials hope to hold the festi-val outdoors again some time in the future.

Were unsure at this point, but were trying towork things so that we can hopefully have it out-

doors in coming years, he said.Mr. Barta said a couple of factors were involved in

Vail-Leavitts decision to call off this years outdoor fes-tival but he would not comment further at this time.

Initially sponsored by the downtown BusinessImprovement Districts management associationmembers, the Riverhead Blues Festival started torun into financial troubles, including a lawsuit froma top act, before the Vail-Leavitt took over in 2006.Since then except for 2011, when it was canceled

BLUES FESTIVAL | PAGE 32


24/51



WHAT'S INSIDE

Page 15A

Walter says Albanyclose to deal to helpEPCAL development

Page 3

Legendary musicshop makes moveto Main Street

Page 14

News-Reviewnamed bestweekly on L.I.

Page 30


County polfloats planfor hamlet

BY CYNDI MURRAY | STAFF WRITER

In a one-bedroom apartment in Riv-erhead, 18-year-old mother JenniferReyes often lies awake at night won-dering how shell care for her family.

Shes already cut back hours at herretail job to tend to her 3-year-olddaughter, Ashley, and she has an-other baby on the way. Balancing fi-nances and childcare is made all themore challenging by her fiancs job,

which is seasonal.Head Start, the federal preschool

program for low-income families,has been a source of comfort for Ms.Reyes in the past. Ashley spends herdays learning and socializing at a lo-cal center in Riverhead.

Ashley loves her teachers and herfriends here, Ms. Reyes said with a smileFriday while she awaited her daughtersmoving-up ceremony in one of the cen-ters classrooms. She is safe here.

Ms. Reyes smiling face faded toone of worry when she spoke about

Ashleys future and the future of herunborn child.

Its really upsetting, she said.Head Start programs across the

country are facing an uncertain futurein the wake of sweeping federal budgetcuts that come as part of whats knownin Washington, D.C., as the sequester,

which took effect March 1. The HeadStart program, run by the U.S. Depart-ment of Health and Human Services,has seen a 5 percent cut in its funding,

causing centers to lay off employees,shorten semesters or even shut down.

Friday was the last day for three ofthe classes at the Riverhead facility,including Ashleys. The rest of the stu-dents will finish June 21, sooner thanin previous years due to the cuts. Thecenter will reopen in mid-October,more than a month later than thetypical start of the fall semester.

Were blessed were still here be-cause we thought we wouldnt makeit past June 1, said Carol Burnett ofJamesport, a community outreachrecruitment coordinator for LongIsland Head Start. Ms. Burnett hadthought the center would close evenearlier this spring.


County Legislator Jay Schneider-man has a dream.

In the dream, the hamlet of River-side has a small restaurant and gro-cery store near the traffic circle anda small three-story business districtacross from McDonalds with storeson the ground floor and apartmentsor offices on the upper floors.

The South Fork lawmaker alsoenvisions a trail through the woodsleading down to the Peconic River.The trail would connect with a foot-bridge that would span the river intodowntown Riverhead.

The area in question would stretch

about a half-mile in the style of a MainStreet along Route 24, across fromMcDonalds and west of Vail Avenue.Most of the buildings in this area arecurrently vacant or for sale, he said.

Mr. Schneiderman (I-Montauk)showed off a 3-D computer modelof what hes envisioned at Mondaysmeeting of the Flanders, Riverside andNorthampton Community Association.

Of course, no paperwork has beenfiled in Town Hall to move forward

Federal cuts now affectinglow-income families hereLocal Head Starts scaled back under sequestration

Main Street andfootbridge part ofRiverside vision

FEDERAL CUTS | PAGE 34

FOOTBRIDGE | PAGE 1

ChhiillddrreennssDDiirreeccttoorryy

TIM GANNON PHOTO

Legislator Jay Schneidermans plan for aRiverside Main Street on Route 24.


Pre-K teacher Claudia Cipolla of Wading River reads a story to students Friday afternoon in Riverhead about preparing for kindergarten.Sitting with the children is Carol Burnett, CEO and executive director of Long Island Head Start.


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WHAT'S INSIDE

Riverheaders helpshore up defensein all-star win

Sports

Feds accuse 7-11owner of targetingimmigrants

Page 3

Its the summerof stars acrossthe North Fork

Page 2

Plan in place tofix fighter jets inGrumman Park

Page 18



A low water table and high number of vacant build-ings are among the reasons some Riverside businessand property owners give for why its been so hard todevelop that area of Southampton Town commercially.

Those comments come a week after Suffolk Coun-ty Legislator Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk) unveileda vision for Riverside, including a reconfigured trafficcircle, in a 3D computer graphic presentation beforethe Flanders, Riverside and Northampton Commu-nity Association.

The proposal was just a vision, he stressed to thecivic members, designed to jump-start a planning pro-cess, rather than an actual development proposal.

He suggested that the commercial cor-ridor on Flanders Road, across from Mc-Donalds, contain two- and three-storybuildings with retail shops and cafes onthe ground floor and apartments above them.

He likened the plans Main Street component todowntown Sag Harbor.

Mr. Schneiderman also suggested working withthe owners of the Budget Host Inn and the vacant

building that once housed the Riverboat Diner totry to reroute Riverleigh Avenue (County Road 104)so it connects to Lake Avenue (County Road 63) in-

stead of extending all the way to the five-pronged traffic circle. Officials would alsotry to convince the hotel owners to devel-op that property as a supermarket and try

to re-establish a restaurant at the diner site.The lawmaker said if there is no interest from

those property owners, he would support makingthe traffic circle into a two-lane roundabout that

No new Riverside without sewersBusiness owners react to vision for long-blighted hamlet

RIVERSIDE | PAGE 35


Picture perfectTrish Polcha of Riverhead, who has taken up photography in her retirement from Hampton Bays schools, stopped to photograph a field

of flowering mustard plants on the west side of Roanoke Avenue late Saturday afternoon. Phil Schmitt Jr. planted the cover crop as an

experiment for the first time this year, because it acts as a natural fumigant so he doesnt have to treat the soil with chemicals.

SEE EDITORIALPage 8


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WHAT'S INSIDE

Who they areand where theyre

heading: 2013Special Section

Happy endingsin separate water

rescues in SoundPage 3

Tim Bishop onimmigration

efforts in D.C.Page 20

ICE questioning7-Eleven workers

after raidsPage 23



THE SPORT OF KINGSThe first-ever Cornell 4-H Cup charity polo match was held Saturday at the Dorothy P. Flint 4-H Camp in Riverhead, featuring two teams

created specially for the event. The teams included seasoned players, some from Argentina, where polo is a major sport. The event raised

money for Sandy damage at the camp, which is owned by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County. See story, page 4.


More than two years in the making, a bill designedto fast-track development proposals at the Enter-prise Park at Calverton was approved last Thursdayby both houses of the New York State Legislature.

Hooray! Its done! Riverhead Supervisor SeanWalter texted after the vote. Mr. Walter had beenchampioning the proposal as a necessary compo-nent of the redevelopment of EPCAL.

The marketability of that property has increased

10,000-fold with this vote, he said. There should

be nobody ever comparing this to the vacancies inHauppauge or Melville, because nobody else in New

York State has what we have now.The bill establishes the EPCAL Reuse and Revital-

ization Area, 2,124 acres for which Riverhead Townwill develop an overall generic environmental im-pact study (GEIS) outlining what can and cant bebuilt there.

A similar bill was proposed last year and passedthe Senate but never came up for a vote in the As-

sembly.

This year, the Senate vote was unanimous, 63 to 0,and the Assembly vote was 141 to 1, with Assembly-man Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst) casting theonly vote in opposition.

The bill, which at presstime still needed Gov. An-drew Cuomos signature, authorizes the town, stateand county to establish a GEIS to cover all possibledevelopment proposals that meet a reuse planagreed upon by the town, county and state.

EPCAL | PAGE 25

EPCAL development bill approvedMeasure requiring 90-day application reviews goes to governor


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NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARYRiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, July 4, 2013 $1.50


WHAT'S INSIDE

Cardboard boaterspaddle for glory on

the Peconic RiverPage 2

Husband, wifecharged in food

stamp schemePage 3

Cleared land onRoute 58 may

lead to new regsPage 20


Downtown restaurant ownerloses everything in grease fire


Smoke engulfed the Athens Grill restaurant onEast Main Street after a grease fire broke out duringthe dinner rush Friday night, damaging the buildingand shuttering the downtown restaurant.

The restaurant was quickly evacuated and nobodywas injured, emergency officials said.

In the days that followed the fire, friends of ownerJohn Mantzopoulos and fellow downtown restaura-teurs began efforts to start raising money to help thebusiness rebuild.

Mr. Mantzopoulos of Greenport, the owner andchef, was busy at Athens Grill when the fire startedin the kitchen about 8:30 p.m.

While waitstaff and customers left the packedrestaurant, Mr. Mantzopoulos realized the fire hadspread through a duct to the roof. He grabbed a fire

extinguisher to put out the flames, he later said inan interview.

He used a ladder to get to the roof and tried tostop the fire from spreading, but couldnt extinguishit, he said. Then he heard the beams beneath himcreak from the flames and climbed down to safety.

There was not a lot of time to react I wasnumb, Mr. Mantzopoulos said. One minute Im

waiting for 8:30 reservations to show up and thenext minute Im out in the parking lot.By that time firefighters had begun to arrive, the

building was fully evacuated and smoke had swal-lowed much of the structure.

The blaze had spread and was caught betweentwo layers of the roof, creating a challenge for thevolunteers, said Riverhead Fire Department pressofficer Bill Sanok.

ATHENS GRILL | PAGE 35

Michael

makes his

return to

Riverhead

BY CARRIE MILLER | STAFF WRITER

Friends, family and former teachers lined upoutside Peconic Bay Medical Center last Thurs-day afternoon, waving signs to welcome home alocal teen whod been gone far too long.

Michael Hubbard is back in his hometown ofRiverhead.

Michael, who will turn 17 in August, wasmoved from Blythedale Childrens Hospital in

Westchester County to PBMC Healths Skilled

Nursing Facility, where he will be cared for untilthe opening of Brendan House, a long-term carefacility planned for Riverhead.

Im excited, I really am, said his mother, Nancy

Teenage victim ofgel candle explosionstaying at PBMC

HUBBARD | PAGE 31

PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO

Firefighters climb to the roof Friday night at Athens Grill after the blaze spread upward. The East Main Street res-taurants owner, John Mantzopoulos, has vowed to rebuild.

CARRIE MILLER PHOTO

Nancy Reyer and her son, Michael Hubbard, with PBMCHealth senior vice president Ronald McManus Thursdayat Peconic Bay Medical Center.

Vows to rebuild with help from his neighbors


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WHAT'S INSIDE

Athens ownergets a little helpfrom his friends

Page 4

Growing privateschool moves toAquebogue

Page 3

Vines & Hopsgets set to openon Main Street

Page 12

Boat safety billschurning upconfusion

Page 6


Riversidesewersfor $2M?


New technologies in wastewatertreatment could allow a small sewerplant to be built in Riverside for just $2million infrastructure that would bekey to advancing efforts to transform ablighted stretch of Route 24 into a bus-tling main street and revitalize the sur-rounding area, says Suffolk County Leg-islator Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk).

Mr. Schneiderman also says therecould be county grant money avail-able to cover a chunk of that cost.

Grant money may also be availablefor two other proposals Mr. Schnei-

derman recently made as part of avision he and town officials share forthe beleaguered Riverside hamlet: a

walking path to the nearby PeconicRiver and a footbridge over the riverto downtown Riverhead. (See digitalrendering on page 28.)

For an area with such a high watertable, sewer treatment is necessaryfor any building improvements, anda traditional sewage treatment plantfor Riverside would cost more than$10 million, Mr. Schneiderman said,pointing to Riverhead Towns sewagetreatment plant, which cost $8.75 mil-lion to build in 2000. Upgrades to theexisting Riverhead plant, needed tosatisfy state requirements, are expect-ed to cost upwards of $20 million.

Asse mblyman Fred Thiele (I-SagHarbor) has told the News-Reviewfederal money would be necessary tobuild a full-scale plant in Riverside,and that such funding has dried up.

The water table and proximity tothe environmentally sensitive Pecon-ic River have put huge constraints on

New technologycould be key to

efforts in hamlet

RIVERSIDE | PAGE 28

BILL LANDON PHOTO

FREEDOM!Fireworks lit up the night over downtown Riverhead last Thursday, July 4, during the annual Business Improvement

District-sponsored Independence Day celebration. See page 2 for more photos.


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SOAK IT UPThese sunflowers along Aldrich Lane in Laurel have been in their glory all week, with temperatures that have held steady in the 90s.

The prolongued heat wave that started Monday isnt expected to break until sometime Sunday. Meanwhile, Riverhead Town has

opened a cooling center and extended its beach hours to help people stay safe. Read more on page 27.



WHAT'S INSIDE

Police hunting for twomen who ditched stolencar after fatal crash

Page 2

Gershow car recyclerhas neighbors all shookup in Riverhead

Page 2

All Star bowlingscraps plans forlit sign on 25

Page 18

Expansion eyedfor historicalsociety building

Page 29



Riverhead Councilwoman Jodi Giglio is underfire after revelations last week that she failed toget proper permits for three separate alterationsto her Baiting Hollow home for several years, andonly recently got a certificate of occupancy fortwo of the alterations one dating as far back as1999 as shes in the midst of a heated primarybattle for a re-election bid.

Ms. Giglio, who works as a permit expediter for

land-use purposes, has largely blamed the delayson her husband, Mike Giglio, and issued a publicapology in the form of press release and letter tothe editor on Tuesday.

An opponent in this falls town council primary,however, is placing the blame squarely on her.

The hand is caught in the cookie jar and frankly,I think she should resign, said Anthony Coates,

who is challenging Ms. Giglio and Councilman JohnDunleavy in an at-large Republican primary for twocouncil seats. Mr. Coates made his statement to the

News-Review hours after initial reports of the per-mit and CO issues were published on news websiteRiverheadLOCAL.com Thursday afternoon.

This is a big thumbing your nose at every citizen ofRiverhead who does pay their fees, Mr. Coates said.

Resign? Not a chance, Ms. Giglio responded.Let my record stand for itself and the taxpayersof the Town of Riverhead decide my fate as anelected official.

The town building department issued a certificate

Challenger calls for Giglio to resignTown councilwomans home lacked permits, COs dating back to 1999

GIGLIO | PAGE 35


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WHAT'S INSIDE

Hospital saystick illnesses onthe rise here

Page 6

Developmentsin Giglio buildingdepartment saga

Page 3

Teen saves hisfriend whocouldnt swim

Page 2

Security camscoming todowntown?

Page 17



Jamal Davis says it seems like every day on thenews he hears about someone getting hurt.

Theres always something happening to some-body else, he said. So much happens every day.Someone killed in Brentwood, somebo

Documents

2013 Riverhead News-Review covers