2013 Riverhead News-Review Covers

NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARY RiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, January 3, 2013 $1.
50
News-Review
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WHAT'S INSIDE
Birthday celebration
turns tragic after fatal
hit-and-run downtown
Page 4
New reports of creeps
trying to lure young
girls into cars
Page 6
Times/Review
announces new
ownership
Page 12
Cops: More
charges pending
for gift-swipers
Page 14
SUBSCRIBE TODAY | CALL 631-298-3200
Like a patron saint for
dogs in Riverhead Town
BY PAUL SQUIRE | STAFF WRITER
In August 2011, Denise Lucas took her 13-year-
old neighbor to the Riverhead Animal Shelter to
look at the dogs. The girl wanted to be a veterinar-
ian but was terried by the barking dogs and the
sight of the shelter.
Animal advocates had long protested conditions
at the towns shelter, saying that better facilities
were needed to care for the dogs. After her August
visit, 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 build
Riverhead Town a new animal shelter.
More than a year later, Move the Animal Shelter
the organization she founded has raised thousands
to put toward building a new town facility. Shes also
spearheaded the towns rst public dog park, with a
second park expected to open in the spring.
Ms. Lucas has kept up an impressive pace, holding
PERSON OF THE YEAR
2012
DENISE LUCAS
News-Review
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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 Island
Aquarium from Ostrander Avenue.
Young couple
robbed after
aquarium visit
Victim calls for better
security downtown
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 left
the aquarium still has them both shaken.
You see it in the movies and you see it on TV, but
you never think itll happen to you, Mr. Galioto
said in an interview. Out of all the days, leaving the
aquarium, 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 a
bike as they walked back to their parked car.
Ive never been in any type of situation [like
this] never of a magnitude like this, never in my
life, Mr. Galioto said.
The young couple were huddling under an um-
brella to stay dry in the rain while walking north
along the sidewalk on Ostrander Avenue about 4
p.m. when they heard a voice behind them mutter
to get out of the way, Mr. Galioto recalled.
The two moved over to the side, up against a
fence, when the man, wearing a jacket with the
hood up, rode up close next to them on a bicycle,
blocking them from moving, Mr. Galioto said.
Give me your wallet, the man demanded while
straddling the bike.
ROBBED | PAGE 22
Experts weigh in
For weeks, environmental activists
have pressed authorities to remove
thousands of cars damaged by super-
storm Sandy from the Enterprise Park at
Calverton, saying the stored cars pose a
pollution hazard because leaking uids
could 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 Sandy
alone would not have caused those cars
to rust to the point of leaking uids.
I certainly dont believe the corro-
sive nature of salt water is so aggressive
NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARY RiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, January 10, 2013 $1.50
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Allen lands
in Riverhead
record books
Sports
Look for more
cops on the beat
downtown
Page 3
Voters will head
to the polls for
special election
Pages 2, 8
State education
report pitches
big changes
Page 14
BY TIM GANNON | STAFF WRITER
Riverhead Town sustained more
than $2 million worth of damage dur-
ing superstorm Sandy, but officials
say they expect the town will recoup
most of that from the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency, which
reimburses for 75 percent of the cost.
Supervisor Sean Walter said hes
confident FEMA will cover a bulk
of the towns costs from Sandy, but
said 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 David
Hegermiller, who is also the towns
disaster response coordinator.
There are things that have been
taken off and things that have been
added on, he said, adding the num-
ber will be more than $2 million but
less than $3 million.
These gures dont include the cost
of damage to private property result-
ing from the storm.
The town can be reimbursed for
labor, equipment usage and projects
associated with storm cleanup, the
chief said, adding that hes also con-
dent the town will be reimbursed.
We are well on the way to being
reimbursed, he said.
The biggest ticket item on the
towns reimbursement list is the South
Jamesport 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 water
also needs to be replaced, since these
were submerged during Sandy. These
include the electric stations along the
Riverhead starts to tackle
damage 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 wants
EPCAL cars gone
Members of the Central Pine Bar-
rens Commission voted Tuesday to
pursue legal action against the owner
of an Eastport farm where storm-
damaged cars are being kept.
But that wasnt enough for Richard
Amper, executive director of the non-
prot Long Island Pine Barrens Society.
He wants the commission to take
action to stop the storage of storm-
damaged cars anywhere within the
Pine Barrens and specically at the
Enterprise Park at Calverton, where
Riverhead Town has leased two run-
ways for that purpose, The town
stands to make more than $1 million
from those leases, which involve an
estimated 15,000 cars.
On Tuesday, Mr. Amper implied
that by not going after the EPCAL cars,
DAMAGE | PAGE 22 AMPER | PAGE 22
SANDY CARS | PAGE 22
Sandy car
pollution
no threat
News-Review
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WHAT'S INSIDE
Blue Waves lose
heartbreaker in
North Babylon
Sports
Sandy garbage
is her problem
in Jamesport
Page 2
SWR schools get
evaluation plan
in under wire
Page 14
DA looks to
close loophole
on hit & runs
Page 21
BY TIM KELLY, BETH YOUNG
AND TIM GANNON | STAFF WRITERS
In the days leading up to Tuesdays
special legislative election, several lo-
cal Democrats voiced cautious opti-
mism on Councilman Al Krupskis
chances against Riverhead Supervi-
sor Sean Walter.
Their caution was unnecessary.
Mr. Krupski thoroughly trounced
his GOP rival, winning the county
Legislature seat long held by Ed Ro-
maine by a better than two-to-one
margin. Unofficial results from the
Suffolk County Board of Elections
show Mr. Krupski, 52, with 6,561
votes 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 special
election held in Suffolk County.
Early results showed Mr. Krupski,
a Peconic farmer, ahead or even in
many GOP districts, and Democrats
cheered with delight when the num-
bers showed Mr. Krupski out-polling
the supervisor in Wading River, Mr.
Walters hometown. Mr. Krupski end-
ed up claiming all but three election
districts in Riverhead Town and every
district in Southold Town.
At about 10 p.m., only an hour after
the polls closed, Mr. Walter walked in
to Democratic headquarters at the
Dark Horse Restaurant on Riverheads
Main Street as Suffolk County Demo-
cratic Chairman Rich Schaffer was
Walter surrenders after
whirlwind election battle
Krupski grabs 67% of vote over North Fork rival
After loss,
is Walter all
washed up
in 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 to
deliver his concession remarks per-
sonally to Legislator-elect Al Krupski.
The handshake and smile the River-
head Town Supervisor shared with the
man who had so easily defeated him
was a classy
and unusual
move in Suf-
folk County
politics, where typically a phone call is
placed or no concession is made at all.
Ive never seen that before, said
deputy county executive Jon Sch-
neider, a behind-the-scenes player on
every major Democratic campaign in
Suffolk 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 the
Democrats laughed the night away in
a private room at the Dark Horse Res-
taurant on Main Street in downtown
Riverhead, Republicans drowned their
sorrows in pint glasses lled from the
taps of neighboring Codys BBQ.
For the past month, weve all heard
the sledgehammer ads on the radio and
listened as Mr. Walter painted himself as
the loudest elected ofcial on the North
Fork, a man whos not afraid to stand on
someones desk to get the job done.
Hes a politician who keeps his
friends close and his enemies on an-
other continent.
In some ways, that frank approach in
politics is refreshing, like an ice cold beer
on a 100-degree day. Have too much of
it though, and youre left feeling dizzy.
The heads at Codys were certainly
spinning late on Election Night, where
Riverhead GOP insiders were contem-
plating next steps as if their guy were the
one 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 stomped
in Tuesdays special legislative election. I wish you the best of luck, my friend, he told Mr. Krupski.
Special election: How they voted
Riverhead Southold Brookhaven Shelter Island
Al Krupski 2,027 3,355 904 275
Sean Walter 1,514 699 850 119
News-Review
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WHAT'S INSIDE
Residents scramble to
purchase guns; others
take aim at lawmaker
Pages 2,3
Schumer slammed by
L.I. chefs after duck,
bison remarks
Page 4
Democratic chair
makes a call for
bipartisanship
Page 18
Suffolk Theater
opens box office
for ticket sales
Page 12
Riverhead Town is throwing its hat in the ring in a
competition among county, municipal and private
entities all trying to entice Federal Aviation Admin-
istration ofcials to build a state-of-the-art air trafc
control facility on their land.
Wherever the NextGen Integrated Air Trafc Con-
trol Facility is built in lower New York State or Long Is-
land, it would bring with it some 800 highly technical
and well-paid permanent jobs, as well as hundreds of
construction jobs over 10 years ofcials say.
The FAA hopes to have the project online by 2019.
Riverhead Councilwoman Jodi Giglio, after some
pushback from Supervisor Sean Walter, convinced
the 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 so
Congressman Bishop encourages them to apply,
said Bishop spokesman Oliver Longwell, noting that
Mr. Bishop has not publicly endorsed a location, as
several applications are coming from within his 1st
Congressional District.
Riverhead officials are proposing town-owned
land at the Calverton Enterprise Park, once the site
of a Grumman ghter pilot testing facility.
Congressman Bishop is ghting hard to have the
new FAA tower built on Long Island, Mr. Longwell
said. EPCAL does seem to t the criteria but were
not sure about [easement questions], as there are
complicated environmental issues at the site.
The facility, which would be satellite-based, un-
like current radar-based air trafc control systems,
would consolidate and replace the functions of the
existing FAA Air Route Trafc Control Center at Long
Island MacArthur Airport in Islip Town and the ex-
isting Terminal Radar Approach Control facility in
Westbury, federal ofcials 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 facility
NextGen 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 eforts fell short. See sports for the story, and page 14 for more coverage of Mercy High School.
News-Review
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WHAT'S INSIDE
Bankruptcy proceeding
has Long Island National
course on the market
Page 4
Polo complex, FAA
facility has Town
Board talking EPCAL
Page 6
SWR teachers
are changing the
way they meet
Page 14
Waves hoops
teams post
big victories
Sports
Latisha Diego said the masked men
who burst into her home on Priscilla
Avenue in Flanders never demanded
her money or possessions. At one
point, they pointed a gun at her in her
bedroom and ordered her not to move.
Most of her family was asleep when
the men broke in. But her younger
cousin, Demitri Hampton, was awake
playing 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 the
police, she said. And hes shot and
He always made us smile
Riverhead grad
shot dead during
home invasion
HOME INVASION | PAGE 20
Demitri had
worked to
help others
It never should have happened
to someone who cared so much for
others.
Thats what stunned friends and
classmates of Demitri Hampton said
this 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 who
encouraged those around him to work
toward their goals just as he was.
He just had big dreams, he always
saw the big picture, said his clos-
est friend, Jason Sims. If he wanted
something he
put 100 percent
into [it].
Mr. Hamp-
ton, who graduated from Riverhead
High School in 2010, played on the
school basketball team and ran track
and field. The current Blue Waves
varsity basketball team observed a
moment of silence before its game
Tuesday evening in his memory.
He was also a longtime member of
the Council for Unity, a community ser-
vice student group that works to reduce
violence and gang activity in town.
Mr. Hampton joined the group in
6th grade and spent seven years as a
council member, said Theresa Drozd,
one of Mr. Hamptons former teachers
at the school and the groups adviser.
Whenever you were around him
you couldnt be angry because he al-
ways put a smile on your face, she
said. Everybody loved him. You had
to love him.
During high school, Ms. Drozd re-
called, Mr. Hampton went with oth-
er council members to the Suffolk
County Community Colleges Youth
Leadership Conference, raked leaves
Looked to lift up
peers, relatives
DEMITRI | PAGE 20
Demitri Hamptons sister Jennifer Davis (left), brother Jamal Davis and first cousin Latisha Diego with photos of Demitri, who appeared on
the 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 COLUMN
Page 9
NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARY RiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, February 7, 2013 $1.50
News-Review
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WHAT'S INSIDE
Riverhead boys clinch
share of League III title
with b-ball win over Bulls
Sports
Sex offender
trailers may soon
be hauled away
Page 3
Is Napa winery
looking to own
the word duck?
Page 12
Teachers union
head will retire
in Riverhead
Page 14
BY CARRIE MILLER | STAFF WRITER
There is a little more joy in heaven
this morning.
Those were the words offered by a
loving uncle, saying goodbye to his
nephew far too soon.
More than 400 mourners lled Gal-
ilee Church of God in Christ Saturday
to celebrate the life of 21-year-old
Demitri Hampton, who was shot and
killed early Jan. 27.
If you look around this room, you
can see the testament to who my
nephew was, said Mr. Hamptons
uncle, 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
Memorials
held as cops
investigate
Demitri Hampton was a brother
and a cousin, a boyfriend and a best
friend, a role model and a hero, friends
and relatives said at local ceremonies
this week as hundreds turned out to
honor the college student killed in a
Flanders home invasion last week.
We do thank God for the life of
Demitrius Hampton, the love, the
friendship, the joy and the laugh-
ter that he brought to those who
knew and loved him, said Elder Al-
bert Brown of Galilee Church of God
in Christ at a candlelight vigil held
outside Riverhead High School last
Thursday night. Certainly our lives
were enriched by his life.
Mr. Hampton was shot in the chest
and later died after two armed men
burst into his cousins house early last
Sunday night, police said. He had been
up playing video games in the living
room when the masked men broke
through a front door, and he was trying
to protect his sleeping girlfriend and
family from the intruders, authorities
and family members said. He was shot
during a scufe with the intruders.
The murder is still being investigated
by Suffolk County detectives, though
Southampton Town police have also
been involved. No additional details
have been released. Southampton Su-
pervisor Anna Throne-Holst told WRIV
1390 AM radio this week that she be-
lieves Mr. Hamptons death was a case
of mistaken identity.
At the first ceremony, held last
Thursday, more than 100 people gath-
ered on a windy night for a candlelight
vigil in his memory.
Riverhead school Superintendent
Nancy Carneys voice shook with emo-
tion as she spoke about Mr. Hampton,
a 2010 graduate.
Shooting victim
honored 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 after
Saturdays services. Behind them is Demitris girlfriend, Frances Acevedo of Mastic.
Riverside church fills with sobs and songs Saturday
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.
News-Review
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WHAT'S INSIDE
Page 13A-19A
SUV struck by LIRR
train in Mattituck;
driver escapes
Page 21
Landowners sue
over rezoning
Route 25A
Page 17
Tax breaks OKd
for Woolworth
rehab project
Page 20
Abandoned cars littered empty roads, disappear-
ing under the rising snow. A tree limb crashed onto a
Wading River home. Even police ofcers and emer-
gency volunteers who had no choice but to strike out
in the storm found themselves stuck as the inches
piled up around them like rising ood waters.
A record-setting noreaster pounded Riverhead Fri-
day night into Saturday morning with more than two
feet of snow in some places, clogging roadways and
trapping 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 inches
reported were impacted
somewhat less.
Poor travel conditions were
among the hallmarks of the
weekends blizzard. More than
100 drivers became trapped
on the Long Island Expressway as the storm wors-
ened, with many reportedly staying in their vehicles
to wait out the blizzard. The expressway was closed
for several days after the storm as crews cleared the
roads.
Forecasts originally warned of widespread power
outages caused by wind gusts expected to top 60
mph, but Riverhead peaked at about 400 outages
during the height of the storm. More outages were
reported farther east, with Orient experiencing the
most on the North Fork.
But blizzard conditions didnt stop emergency
crews from continuing their work, as emergency
medical technicians, police ofcers and reghters
traveled out to assist others.
One for the record books
Baiting Hollow sees 26 inches; town spared major power outages
BLIZZARD | PAGE 24
Childrens
Directory
We all need
a break now.
Jim Evans
WRFD chief
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Take a tour of
area business
happenings
Insert
Dispatcher, cops
come to rescue of
15-month-old boy
Page 3
Police arrest four
after drive-by in
downtown area
Pages 2, 3
Pol calls for
parking limits
downtown
Page 14
BY TIM GANNON | STAFF REPORTER
In August 2011, ofcials from the Riv-
erhead Police Department and the towns
code enforcement ofce launched a sur-
prise raid at the Wading River Motel, a
raid one Town Board member said was
more akin to something that would have
happened in the Soviet Union not a
small town like Riverhead.
The incident also sparked a urry of
criticism from the then-commissioner
of the countys Department of Social Ser-
vices, who wrote in a News-Review opin-
ion piece that the checks and balances
system of the judicial branch of govern-
ment fell at on its face with the warrant
issued for the towns search of the motel,
which he believed was illegal.
At the time, Riverhead Supervisor
Sean Walter said the motel was not
only a safety concern that had building
code violations, but was operating ille-
gally as a homeless shelter for Suffolk
County not as a motel, which is the
propertys approved use.
Mr. Walter vowed to take the motels
owners to court on that issue.
But the town never went to court
to challenge the use of the motel and
never led any building violations in
Riverhead Justice Court following the
raid. A rental permit violation that had
been led several months before the
raid was later dismissed.
What the town did instead was issue
a 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 raid
Town 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 other
emergency personnel are routinely dispatched to the Route 25 property.
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 attending
Hallockville Museum Farms Winter Camp, learning about what life and chores were like on a mid-19th-century farm. Pictured with Hallockville executive director Herb
Strobel are (clockwise from left front) Toby Howard, Miranda Howard, Colin Heilman, Alexander Kennedy, Justin McGreevy, Max Heilman and Lucien Heilman.
News-Review
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WHAT'S INSIDE
Demitri Hampton
scholarship will
aid SCCC students
Page 6
FAA set to tour
town land for
possible facility
Page 3
Another house
gets shot up in
downtown area
Page 12
Local wrestler
wins state title
in Albany
Sports
Peconic Y may throw in the towel
Founder says YMCA of L.I. killed efforts to build in Calverton
After almost 15 years of trying to
build a YMCA facility in Riverhead
Town or the Riverhead area and getting
nowhere, Peconic YMCA co-founder
Joe Van de Wetering said his board
which hasnt made any rm decisions
yet 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 Enterprise
Park at Calverton that the town was
willing to offer up for free.
Riverhead Town ofcials approved
the measure last year, and had been
hoping to get a lease signed by De-
cember or January.
At some point, youve got to say, lets
be realistic and throw in the towel, Mr.
Van de Wetering told the News-Review,
acknowledging that ending their effort
is one of the options being considered.
Mr. Van de Wetering said that while
hes hopeful something can be worked
out, Weve got some basic conflicts
with the [Long Island] YMCA group,
which must be on board and approve
of 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 time
it appeared the group had a site
near County Road 105 and Route 25
in Aquebogue. But those plans fell
through, and the group has since
looked at a number of other proper-
ties, some connected with unpopular
development proposals, some in loca-
YMCA | PAGE 23
NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARY RiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, March 7, 2013 $1.50
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Aquebogue man
buries his beloved
dog after house fire
Page 6
Two go public that
theyre running for
town supervisor
Page 3
New Walmart
gets green light
to start work
Page 17
Pole vaulter
takes fifth in
state meet
Sports
Suffolk
Theater
lights up
Riverhead
Reopens in
style with 30s
cocktail party
BY CYNDI MURRAY | CONTRIBUTOR
Jim Frost of Massapequa has fond
memories of watching movies at the
Suffolk Theater as a young boy, when
just a silver screen packed enough
Hollywood magic to dazzle any kid.
Years later, as he, his wife and oth-
ers stepped onto the red carpet at the
theaters grand reopening while two
swiveling spotlights bounced back and
forth off the clouds and Main Street
was lined with vintage cars they
couldnt help but feel like Hollywood
movie stars themselves, albeit during
a 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 restoration
costs, owners Bob and Dianne Cast-
aldi swung open the heavy wooden
doors of the Suffolk Theater in grand
fashion Saturday night, when more
than 600 people packed the much-
hyped and long-anticipated grand
reopening Back to the 30s cocktail
party. Revelers came for many rea-
sons but above all, they said, to in-
spect the new theater and compare
it to how it used to look, take in the
1930s decor, costume and spectacle
and support the theater and down-
town Riverhead.
Its wonderful, Mr. Frost said of
the theater. We bought tickets right
away. I havent been this excited about
an 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 display
at Saturdays 1930s party. See more photos on page 2 and at riverheadnewsreview.com.
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 been
removed from a 35-acre area of protected grasslands to the southeast.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Take a ride
with our
50-plus guide
Insert
Widows walk
structure lands
couple in court
Page 2
It appears town
will repeal its
ban on booing
Page 4
Cops: Kids living
amid dog feces
in couples home
Page 3
Thousands of cars that were ruined by Hurricane
Sandy and then allegedly illegally parked on
grassy areas at the Enterprise Park at Calverton
have all been removed to taxiways at the former
F-14 test site, but environmentalists and state of-
cials 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 cars
were 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 on
Dec. 10 but did nothing to force the removal of the
cars, 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 removed
from EPCAL grass, but is it too late?
Complaints arise that not enough was done to protect habitats
CARS | PAGE 30
50
+
0
plu
50
Fun on the
NORTH Fork
SENIORS,
Reinvented!
Age is just a
STATE OF Mind
PLUS
MUCH MORE !
|U8||!N|0 8\ !N| !|M|!/k|\||U N|U!k0U| - 11
The same location as the top photo on Monday. Environmentalists say the cars have ruined habitats for protected species.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
New library and
media center opens
at Phillips Avenue
Page 14
Police arrest two
in downtown
vandalism spree
Page 2
Local Catholic
leaders reflect
on Pope Francis
Page 19
SWR lacrosse
teams start as
second seeds
Sports
Pondering the fate of Reeves Beach
String of storms shrinks shoreline; beach closing a last resort
Every summer, Reeves Park resident Brian Noone
likes to pack his barbecue grill into the back of his
truck and head down to Reeves Beach with his wife
and two young children. They spend the afternoons
swimming, then build campres each night, just as
Mr. Noone did with his parents and siblings when
he 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 shore
of Baiting Hollow, has hundreds of feet of sand
stretching in both directions. But come down the
ramp at some high tides and the beach is gone,
completely submerged under the Long Island
Sound, which now reaches up to the ramp and
bluffs at the start of the beach.
Mr. Noone said it would be devastating to lose
parts of the beach.
Thats what this community lives for, he said. I
think this community enjoys this beach more than
any other community out there.
The dramatic erosion that wiped out Reeves
Beach is thanks to Hurricane Sandy and a series
of winter storms that battered the North Fork this
past year, experts said.
Now, town ofcials and engineers are planning to
look closer at the shoreline to gure out how to man-
age the towns most damaged beach before summer.
BEACH | PAGE 30
I just want to find out
everything 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.
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 now
in 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.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
PBMC Health
gets $5M for
care center
Page 6
Work on bike
path under way;
see the map
Page 3
Waves fans talk
game concerns
with Carney
Page 2
Two more
Dunkin Donuts
for Route 58
Page 12
Kent Animal Shelters plan to build a 10,000-square-
foot facility to replace the aging structure on its River
Road property in Calverton took a big step forward
last Thursday, when the Riverhead Town Zoning
Board of Appeals unanimously approved a series of
variances needed for the project.
Kent Animal Shelter has been operating at its
2.1-acre River Road location since 1968, during
which time it has gotten more than 30,000 ani-
mals adopted and has treated more than 60,000
dogs and cats through its spay/neuter program,
said executive director Pamela Green.
The nonprot animal rescue organizations cur-
rent facilities are antiquated by any standard,
Chuck Bowman, vice president of Kents board of
directors, 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. Green
later said.
The shelter is 45 years old and the buildings are
falling apart, Ms. Green told the ZBA. It really would
be a shame if we couldnt continue our services.
Kent seeks to remove two old buildings near the
river and build a 10,000-square-foot facility that
would incorporate the functions of several current
buildings into one, Ms. Green said. The new struc-
ture will have about 60 indoor dog runs and will be
sound-proofed, so noise will not travel outside the
building.
The new building will be so much better for the
animals 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 that
launched in 2010, Kent has more than $400,000 on
Kent gets key approval for new shelter
Calverton group looks to build a $1.75 mil facility on River Road
NEW SHELTER | PAGE 33
PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO
Life flourishes in whats now charred forest in Manorville, where the Wildfire of 2012 destroyed homes and property.
NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARY RiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, April 4, 2013 $1.50
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
He brought her
flowers and
saved her life
Page 2
Fun-guy and gal
start areas first
mushroom farm
Real Estate
Work to start
soon at site of
future Costco
Page 20
Another no-no
for major league
pitching prospect
Sports
The charred and soot-covered Ka-
wasaki motorcycle sat propped against
piles of other burned debris next to a
driveway on Oakwood Drive in Man-
orville. It was a classic, a 1985 454
Limited bike, one of George Morettis
prized possessions.
The motorcycle is useless now,
damaged beyond repair nearly a year
ago in the massive wildre that swept
through this neighborhood. The house
where he and his family had lived for
25 years and everything inside it
were destroyed by the ames and
smoke that jumped out from the Pine
Barrens behind his property.
The whole house was a loss except
for the framework, he said, sitting
outside his trailer this week, watch-
ing as contractors worked on the
shell of his house. He cant get what
happened out of his mind.
I know its been a year, Mr. Moret-
ti said. I think about it every day.
The Wildfire of 2012 burned
more than 1,100 acres of the Pine
Barrens in Manorville and Calver-
ton last April 9. The seventh larg-
est wildre in state history started
on Brookhaven National Labora-
torys Upton property and, fueled
by strong winds and dry tinder
on the forest oor, quickly spread
south and east into the Riverhead
Town section of Manorville.
Pine Barrens, fire victims
see life returning to normal
Neighbors
prepared to
fight Scouts
Bob and Mary Oleksiak imagine that
in the near future, the quiet and com-
fortable moments theyve come to en-
joy together in their backyard, which
Ms. Oleksiak calls her little piece of
heaven, will be interrupted by the
constant noise of screaming kids.
Boy Scouts, to be exact.
The Oleksiaks and their immediate
neighbors in Baiting Hollow are up in
arms over plans to install a COPE (Chal-
lenging Outdoor Personal Experience)
course at the adjacent Baiting Hollow
Scout Camp off Sound Avenue, owned
by the Suffolk County Boy Scouts. The
neighbors insist the course structures
should be placed somewhere else on
the 90-acre camp property not im-
mediately behind their yards.
A COPE course is a series of rope
and high-wire climbing challenges
designed to meet Boy Scouts of Amer-
ican standards, according to the COPE
Course website. The site says COPE
programs 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 Planning
Board meeting, Baiting Hollow camp
director Jim Grimaldi described the
proposed course as requiring the instal-
lation of twelve 35-foot-high telephone
poles on property east of a pond called
Fresh Pond. He said the location is in
the farthest east part of our property.
He later told the News-Review its
the only viable spot on the property
for the course, considering the land is
at in that area.
But that puts it within sight of the
neighbors, making for some conten-
tious exchanges before an auger has
even hit the ground.
Camp plans to
build next door
SCOUTS | PAGE 22
ng
h-
he
at
t-
d
e
-
-
d
PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO
West Sayville firefighters extinguish the smoldering remains of a horse trailer that Krupski family members used to store spare car parts on their
Wading River Manor Road property. See pages 2 and 3 for more wildfire coverage.
NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARY
RiverheadNewsReview.com
Thursday, April 12, 2012 $1.50
New
s-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Second-generation hero springs into action to pull man from burning truck
Page 4
Village project
threatened by
foreclosure
Page 6
Take a tour of
countrys other
North Forks
Real Estate
The largest Long Island wild re in a over a decade
burned more than 1,000 acres of forest and property
from Ridge to Manorville early this week, damaging
nine structures, causing the evacuation of dozens
of residents and injuring three re ghters one of
whom suffered burns after he and others were forced
to abandon a truck that had caught re. Suffolk County was placed under a State of Emer-
gency as hundreds of firefighters spent two days
bringing the ames under control. By Tuesday night,
re ghters had put out all of the remaining, smaller
res and residents had returned to their homes. The res started on an undeveloped part of the
Brookhaven National Laboratory property in Up-
ton about 2:30 p.m. Monday, according to Michael
Bebon, the labs deputy director for operations. He
said no structures were damaged at the lab and no
operations were interrupted.
The cause is still being investigated by the Suf-
folk County police arson squad, the New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation,
Brookhaven National Laboratory and Brookhaven
re marshals, of cials said. Fire ghters from 109 departments across Long
Island, including all Suffolk County and about 20
Nassau departments, joined the battle against the
re, which quickly spread south and east, propelled
WILDFIRES | PAGE 21
Scorched earth in the Pine Barrens
1,000 acres burn, but property damage limited in largest fire since 95
BY PAUL SQUIRE & TIM GANNON | STAFF WRITERS
WILDFIRE OF 2012
One family still hasnt returned home since wildfire
WILDFIRE | PAGE 24
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Riverhead budget
plan would bump
tax levy 3.82%
Education
Field Day trial
calls on former,
current officials
Page 19
24-hour run is
coming back to
the riverfront
Page 25
Execs plans on
closing $400 mil
budget gap
Page 21
New tenant,
new life for
old church
109-year-old building
will be abuzz again
BY CYNDI MURRAY | STAFF WRITER
First Parish Church in Northville is getting a
new lease on life thanks to a new tenant dedicated
to preserving the buildings rich history.
On Sunday, April 7, Community Baptist Church
began holding services at the 109-year-old church.
The congregation nalized a lease agreement last
week with United Church of Christ, which owns
and maintains First Parish Church, located at the
corner of Church Lane and Sound Avenue.
Dwindling membership and nances almost
caused First Parish to shut its doors for good.
The lease agreement gives the small UCC parish
the freedom to hold services without the nan-
cial burden. The UCC congregation now meets at
Grange Hall, another historic First Parish-owned
building, 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-
afliated with any religious
organization. Before renting
First Parish Church, Com-
munity Baptist didnt have a house of worship
to call its own. Instead, members gathered for
services in the basement of Polish Hall in River-
head and later moved their Sunday services to
Grace Episcopal Church in Riverhead.
I told our folks we really needed to pray for a
building because I dont want to be the nomadic
Baptist church. Pastor Fryman said. I want to nd
a place to put our roots down. Most of our folks
come from the North Fork, so its been a blessing.
One of the features that drew Pastor Fryman to
the church is the buildings dynamic history. First
Parish Church dates back to 1829, when the pa-
rishioners of Old Steeple Church in Aquebogue
split from that congregation after deciding it did
not follow the Bibles teachings closely enough.
From that, the Strict Congregational Church was
born. It held services at Grange Hall until 1831,
when the rst church building was constructed.
The church was rebuilt twice due to re. In 1877,
a disgruntled former minister burned the building
CHURCH | PAGE 31
CHURCH PHOTOS
Page 14A
Ups-a-daisies
Batches of gerbera daisies help usher in spring at Colorful Gardens landcape center in Jamesport.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
After Sandy, New Jersey
and Fire Island regulars
turn eyes to North Fork
Page 2
Mans work on
Calverton home
lands him in jail
Page 6
Locals report
back after
Boston blasts
Page 3
Will Scouts
need special
approvals?
Known for rating everything from
cars to cribs, Consumer Reports re-
leased updated hospital safety ratings
last month, giving two East End health
care facilities the highest scores in the
county.
Southampton Hospital led the coun-
ty with a score of 58, followed closely
by Peconic Bay Medical Center with
56. Both hospitals scored signicantly
higher than the national average of 49.
Ten of Suffolk Countys 13 hospitals
were rated by the magazine. Eastern
Long Island Hospital in Greenport was
one of the three not included in the re-
port, along with South Oaks Hospital
in Amityville and the Veterans Affairs
Medical Center in Northport.
Hospitals across the U.S. are now
being rated by Consumer Reports
every six months on a scale of 1 to
100 points, based on factors such as re-
admissions, communication and pre-
ventable infections.
Preventable infections, according
to the report, include infections pa-
tients contracted after common surgi-
cal procedures in 2010; bloodstream
infections include those patients con-
tracted through the use of central-line
catheters in 2011. Central-line cath-
eters are placed in a large vein in a pa-
tients neck, chest or groin and are used
to deliver medications, among other
things.
Data for the ratings came from the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
and state health departments. Infor-
mation collected by the nonprofit
American Hospital Association was
also included.
An attorney representing a Baiting Hollow cou-
ple up in arms over a towering Boy Scouts obstacle
course planned for just 100 feet from their back-
yard says the proposed structure should require a
special permit from the Riverhead Town Board.
The lawyer, former town supervisor Phil Cardi-
nale, also insists the COPE course will also need
site 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 rope
and wire climbing obstacles. Similar courses exist
at Boy Scout camps throughout the country. COPE
is an acronym for Challenging Outdoor Personal
Experience.
Baiting Hollow camp director Jim Grimaldi said
the proposed course would require the installation
of twelve 35-foot telephone poles on property east
of 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 in
Baiting Hollow say the proposed course would
Local hospitals ranked top in county
Consumer Reports now grading U.S. medical centers every 6 months
Town, neighbors may
lock horns over course
HOSPITALS | PAGE 29
SCOUTS | PAGE 25
JOHN NEELY PHOTO
Light in the dark
Dozens 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 nonprofit
that advocates for federal policies. The hour-long event came months after the death of Riverhead High School
graduate Demitri Hampton, who was shot and killed during a home invasion in January. A picnic and basketball
tournament to raise money for a scholarship in Mr. Hamptons name are also scheduled for Saturday, May 18, at
Ludlam Avenue Park in Riverside, from 2 to 8 p.m. See slide show at riverheadnewsreview.com.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Calverton fields honor-
ing soldiers set as site of
Little League opener
Pages 2, 3
School officials
defend use of
voter software
Page 14
Riverhead grad
Maysonet set for
NFL entry draft
Sports
BY JENNIFER GUSTAVSON | STAFF WRITER
Riverhead parent Angela Partridges 8-year-old son
arrived late to school last Wednesday morning. She
dropped 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 sit
quietly by himself away from his classmates and
teacher for 90 minutes reading a book in a separate
room 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 their
children opt out of taking state tests this week, a
statement they are making to Albany to express their
displeasure with its testing model and how it affects
classroom learning by whats called teaching to the
test.
For the past two months, theyve just been pre-
paring for these tests, Ms. Partridge said of her sons
class. 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 Carney
before 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 is
appropriate for the students.
Many educators predict dramatic drops in their
students standardized test scores not because
students arent prepared, but because new standards
have 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 of
national benchmarks intended to help public school
students master language arts and mathematics. They
OPTING OUT | PAGE 34
Students opting out of assessments
Parents in Riverhead, across L.I., protest high-stakes testing
Goats
gone wild
Year-old crossbred
brown 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.
PAIGE HUBBARD COURTESY PHOTO
Friends sprayed champagne at Miguel Maysonet Saturday night after the former standout Riverhead football player
signed 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 | COMMENTARY RiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, May 2, 2013 $1.50
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Navigate the
soils of the
North Fork
Insert
Sandy-ravaged houses
seeing little FEMA aid
in rebuilding efforts
Real Estate
Researchers find
ticks to blame
for meat allergy
Page 3
Woman finds
cherished ring,
reunites heir
Page 2
North Fork school
numbers suggest cap
has changed little
BY JENNIFER GUSTAVSON AND
GRANT PARPAN | STAFF WRITERS
When state lawmakers approved a 2 percent cap
on annual tax levy increases in 2011, they said the
legislation was designed to control school district
spending and ease the burden on taxpayers.
Since then, a Times/Review Newsgroup analysis
has found, spending in most North Fork districts
has 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 hikes
greater than 2 percent.
School administrators and elected leaders
blame the increases on mandated pension ex-
penses tied to the downturn in the economy, uc-
tuations in state aid and facility upgrades.
While state law caps the increased
in the tax levy the total amount
school districts can collect from
taxpayers at 2 percent, school
districts are allowed to exceed that
maximum mandate because the law exempts
some expenses, such as pension and capital costs.
By factoring in those exemptions, school districts
are allowed to raise the tax levy by more than 2
percent without needing to obtain 60 percent
voter approval.
Ten of the 14 budgets proposed in local school
districts in the past two years raised the tax levy by
more 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 budgets
featured tax hikes in excess of 2 percent.
Former assemblyman Dan Losquadro (R-
Shoreham), whose district covered the North Fork
and who worked on the tax cap legislation and
pension reform during his two years in ofce, said
he believes the mandate has been successful at
SCHOOL NUMBERS | PAGE 30
Spending,
taxes still
going up
BY JOE WERKMEISTER | STAFF WRITER
As life returned to normal for Miguel Maysonet
in the days after signing with the NFLs Philadelphia
Eagles, 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 fact
that Im an NFL football player, Maysonet said.
A 2009 Riverhead High School graduate who
torched the record books at Stony Brook University,
Maysonet agreed to sign as a free agent with the
Eagles Saturday night after a whirlwind day that he
hoped would end with him becoming the rst Stony
Brook player to ever be drafted into the NFL.
It wasnt the script Maysonet expected, but the
result was the same.
Today hell report to Philadelphia and the Eagles
rookie minicamp, where hell take the rst step to-
ward earning a roster spot and suiting up in green
and white when the Eagles kick off their season
against division rival Washington Sept. 9 on ESPN.
I basically just expect to begin the whole process
of being an NFL football player, said Maysonet, a
running back. Learning the playbook, getting to
MAYSONET | PAGE 35
Maysonet will start NFL career in Philly
The Eagle has landed
SPECIAL
REPORT
HOME&GARDEN
keduci ng your i mpac I on Ihe envi ronmenI / OuIdoor reIreaIs
/ Gardeni ng wi Ih naIi ve pl anIs / keI i ni shi ng your basemenI / Com
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uni I y gar den s a n d m
u c h m
o r e
/ zo /
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Riverhead phenom
gives up first run
of the season
Sports
Town will name
road for fallen
EMS volunteer
Page 6
Elected leaders,
residents protest
bus facility plans
Page 3
NYC mayoral
candidate buys
EPCAL land
Page 20
With about eight months left before $20 million in
upgrades must be completed at Riverheads sewer
treatment plant off Riverside Drive, town ofcials read-
ily admit they are well short of having enough money
to fund the project. And town leaders have been pre-
paring two pitches in hopes of acquiring enough funds
through Suffolk County to pay for the upgrades.
The Riverhead Sewer Districts assessed rate for
properties is currently just .455 percent, or about $35
a year on average for property owners, said sewer
superintendent Michael Reichel. If the town cant se-
cure county money, assessed rates will have to jump
by more than 522 percent, up to about $215 a year,
to help pay for the necessary upgrades, which are
being mandated by the state, town ofcials 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 in
1937 and has been upgraded twice, most recently
in 2000, which at the time
helped the town meet state
Department of Environ-
mental Conservation re-
quirements, said Riverhead
Supervisor Sean Walter.
The DECs basic opinion
[after the last upgrade] was
that we wouldnt have to
upgrade 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 the
town to complete an upgrade by January 2014 that
will meet new water quality standards. (He noted,
however, that construction and installation of the
upgrades would take about two years.) The dis-
trict plans to le for an extension on the required
upgrades while additional
funding is secured.
Were coming to a crunch
here, Mr. Reichel said.
The sewer district spent
about $1 million drafting
plans for the upgrade in 2009,
town officials said. Those
plans involve converting and
repurposing 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 upgrades
With deadline looming, Riverhead Town will appeal to county for cash
SEWER | PAGE 40
Everything is done. We know
how big its going to be, we
know the size of the pipes, we
just 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 before
being dumped into Peconic Bay.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Our guide to local
districts budget and
school board ballots
Page 3
Upstate entrepreneur
appeals to town for
OK to build zip line
Page 2
State wont
support Scouts
COPE course
Page 17
How to know
if Sandy killed
your pine tree
Page 24
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 a
company like Grumman, one reads.
Grumman should never be forgot-
ten, another insists.
But in the ve years since Riverhead
Town took control of the site, those
who helped establish the park say
those words are losing their meaning.
Grumman Memorial Park, located
on Route 25 near the Route 25A in-
tersection on the former Grumman
Aerospace Flight Test Facility prop-
erty, pays tribute to the advances
in aviation and aerospace that took
place on Long Island throughout the
20th century. The park opened in 2000
thanks to the volunteer efforts of the
nonprot East End Aircraft group. In
2008, the organization entered into
a licensing agreement with the town
and relinquished all responsibility for
the improvement, maintenance and
public access to the park.
Town Board members approved
the agreement unanimously.
Since then, East End Aircraft has
dissolved and the F-14 and A-6E mod-
el ghter jets on display at the park
have become chipped and weath-
ered, much to the shock and disgust
of those who helped open the tribute
13 years ago.
Last week, former East End Aircraft
group volunteer Pat Van de Wetering
Former
Grumman
fighters
need TLC
Locals furious
over condition
of historic jets
GRUMMAN | PAGE 28
CARRIE MILLER PHOTO
Jacqueline Celentano, 21, of Calverton is led out of Southampton Police Department headquarters in Hampton Bays Wednesday
morning to answer to charges that she drove away from the scene of a crash that injured Aaron Hartmann early Sunday.
Arrest follows hit-and-run
that injured Riverhead man
Aaron Hartmann recovering at Stony Brook hospital
BY MICHAEL WHITE, CARRIE MILLER
& PAUL SQUIRE | STAFF WRITERS
Residents across Riverhead have
spent much of the past few days
praying for the recovery of a pop-
ular young man being treated for
serious injuries after a hit-and-run
driver struck him as he walked in
Flanders 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 turning
herself into police.
Southampton Town police an-
nounced the arrest of Jacqueline
Celentano of Calverton on Wednes-
day, with detectives saying they
were able to locate a car allegedly in-
volved in the crash, a red 2000 Chevy
Impala, outside a Riverside home.
Ms. Celentano, a 2009 Riverhead
High School graduate, was charged
with leaving the scene of an accident
involving physical injury and held
on $30,000 bail after answering to a
judge in Southampton Town court.
She turned herself in to police about
6 p.m. Tuesday after consulting her
lawyer, John Russo, Mr. Russo said
in Justice Court in Hampton Bays.
Before setting bail, Justice Deborah
Kooperstein said she was concerned
it took so long for Ms. Celentano to
turn herself in.
Mr. Russo answered that his client
HIT-AND-RUN | PAGE 30
BOBBY HARTMANN COURTESY PHOTO
Aaron Hartmann gives his family a thumbs up
from his hospital bed at Stony Brook University
Medical Center Wednesday. His condition has
been upgraded to stable, an uncle said.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Beaches rebound
since Sandy but
no June lifeguards
Page 3
The top 5 stores,
restaurants you
want in Riverhead
Page 12
SWR girls lacrosse
heading back to
the county finals
Sports
IN HIS MEMORY
Andre Kearney of Brooklyn holds his 9-month-old son, Andre Jr., as he watches basketball at a Saturday picnic and fundraiser for
the Demitri Hampton scholarship fund at Robert Ludlam Park in Riverside. Mr. Kearneys wife, Angela (formerly Clements), is a rst
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 budgets
win residents approval
But incumbent Jeff Falisi bounced from board
BY PAUL SQUIRE AND TIM GANNON | STAFF WRITERS
Voters approved school budget proposals in both
the Riverhead and Shoreham-Wading River school
districts Tuesday, as an incumbent school board
member in Riverhead was voted out of ofce.
Taxpayers in Riverhead voted 1,520 to 1,252 in
favor of a $117.6 million spending plan for 2013-14
that carries an estimated 3.82 percent tax levy in-
crease. The approved budget is about $5.7 million
more than the current school years budget, an in-
crease of 5.12 percent.
The budget vote this year was much closer than in
Riverhead voters
reject bus plans
for Riverside
There will not be a school bus maintenance and
storage facility on land next to the Phillips Avenue
Elementary School in Riverside. The Riverhead
School Districts bus plans had run into sharp com-
munity opposition. But the district can begin saving
BUDGETS | PAGE 32 BUS PLANS | PAGE 32
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
SWR boys lacrosse
grabs 10th county
title since 2001
Sports
Companies pull
herbicide from
L.I. store shelves
Page 6
Candidates picked
for local elections;
primaries loom
Page 3
And you thought
bacon couldnt
get any better
Page 12
The off-white trailer rimmed with blue sat on cin-
der blocks in the Suffolk County Correctional Facility
parking 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 sex
offenders who had slept outside the jail would leave
this shelter and security would lock up the trailer
until they returned at night to sleep. But for the rst
time since May 2007, no sex offenders left
the 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 permanently
over Memorial Day weekend, marking the end of
a six-year struggle by local government ofcials,
civic leaders and residents to free themselves from
the burden of housing the countys entire
homeless sex offender population.
It may be Memorial Day, but it feels like
Christmas, Southampton Town Supervisor
Anna Throne-Holst said at a press conference held in
Riverhead Town Hall Friday to announce the closing.
Six-year nightmare comes to an end
County shuts sex offender trailers in Riverside, Westhampton
TRAILERS | PAGE 24
BILL LANDON PHOTO
For fallen brothers and sisters
Riverhead High School NJROTC cadets Todd Brewer (left) and John Roca carry the groups banner on East Main Street during the annual Riverhead Combined Veterans
Memorial Day parade Monday morning.
SEE EDITORIAL
Page 8
Pup loses her way
Penny, a female harbor seal pup now a week old, was rescued by Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research & Preservation staffers Saturday on Atlantic Beach in
Nassau County. She was found with her umbilical cord still attached. Rescue program supervisor Julika Wocial said the pup is being given formula and electrolytes
through 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 to
coddle 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 | COMMENTARY RiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, June 6, 2013 $1.50
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Hit-and-run victim
back home after
long hospital stay
Page 3
Cops: Man made
terror threats
with a machete
Page 3
First water coaster
in N.Y. opens at
Splish Splash
Page 2
SWR boys lacrosse
takes Long Island
championship
Sports
Shows over for annual blues festival
Loss of outdoor concert series called a huge blow to local music scene
BY RACHEL YOUNG & MICHAEL WHITE | STAFF WRITERS
The Riverhead Blues & Music Festival as we know
it is no more, and thats leaving Long Island music
enthusiasts singing a sad tune.
Bob Barta, president of downtowns Vail-Leavitt
Music Hall, conrmed last week that theater ofcials
did not submit an application to hold the two-day
series of concerts on town property downtown in
2013. The once wildly popular festival, which started
in 1999, drew as many as 10,000 people to the area.
But it has been forever plagued by downtown po-
litical in-ghting.
Since 2006, the festival had served as the historic
Vail-Leavitt theaters chief fundraising event. Now,
it will likely be restructured as a series of in-house
events at the theater, tentatively scheduled for Sep-
tember, Mr. Barta said.
He said Vail-Leavitt ofcials hope to hold the festi-
val outdoors again some time in the future.
Were unsure at this point, but were trying to
work 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 Business
Improvement Districts management association
members, the Riverhead Blues Festival started to
run into nancial troubles, including a lawsuit from
a top act, before the Vail-Leavitt took over in 2006.
Since then except for 2011, when it was canceled
BLUES FESTIVAL | PAGE 32
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Page 15A
Walter says Albany
close to deal to help
EPCAL development
Page 3
Legendary music
shop makes move
to Main Street
Page 14
News-Review
named best
weekly on L.I.
Page 30
County pol
floats plan
for hamlet
In a one-bedroom apartment in Riv-
erhead, 18-year-old mother Jennifer
Reyes often lies awake at night won-
dering how shell care for her family.
Shes already cut back hours at her
retail job to tend to her 3-year-old
daughter, Ashley, and she has an-
other baby on the way. Balancing -
nances and childcare is made all the
more challenging by her ancs 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 her
days learning and socializing at a lo-
cal center in Riverhead.
Ashley loves her teachers and her
friends here, Ms. Reyes said with a smile
Friday while she awaited her daughters
moving-up ceremony in one of the cen-
ters classrooms. She is safe here.
Ms. Reyes smiling face faded to
one of worry when she spoke about
Ashleys future and the future of her
unborn child.
Its really upsetting, she said.
Head Start programs across the
country are facing an uncertain future
in the wake of sweeping federal budget
cuts that come as part of whats known
in Washington, D.C., as the sequester,
which took effect March 1. The Head
Start 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 of
the classes at the Riverhead facility,
including Ashleys. The rest of the stu-
dents will nish June 21, sooner than
in previous years due to the cuts. The
center will reopen in mid-October,
more than a month later than the
typical start of the fall semester.
Were blessed were still here be-
cause we thought we wouldnt make
it past June 1, said Carol Burnett of
Jamesport, a community outreach
recruitment coordinator for Long
Island Head Start. Ms. Burnett had
thought the center would close even
earlier 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 trafc circle and
a small three-story business district
across from McDonalds with stores
on the ground oor and apartments
or ofces on the upper oors.
The South Fork lawmaker also
envisions a trail through the woods
leading down to the Peconic River.
The trail would connect with a foot-
bridge that would span the river into
downtown Riverhead.
The area in question would stretch
about a half-mile in the style of a Main
Street along Route 24, across from
McDonalds and west of Vail Avenue.
Most of the buildings in this area are
currently vacant or for sale, he said.
Mr. Schneiderman (I-Montauk)
showed off a 3-D computer model
of what hes envisioned at Mondays
meeting of the Flanders, Riverside and
Northampton Community Association.
Of course, no paperwork has been
filed in Town Hall to move forward
Federal cuts now affecting
low-income families here
Local Head Starts scaled back under sequestration
Main Street and
footbridge part of
Riverside vision
FEDERAL CUTS | PAGE 34
FOOTBRIDGE | PAGE 1
Childrens
Directory
TIM GANNON PHOTO
Legislator Jay Schneidermans plan for a
Riverside 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.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Riverheaders help
shore up defense
in all-star win
Sports
Feds accuse 7-11
owner of targeting
immigrants
Page 3
Its the summer
of stars across
the North Fork
Page 2
Plan in place to
fix fighter jets in
Grumman Park
Page 18
A low water table and high number of vacant build-
ings are among the reasons some Riverside business
and property owners give for why its been so hard to
develop that area of Southampton Town commercially.
Those comments come a week after Suffolk Coun-
ty Legislator Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk) unveiled
a vision for Riverside, including a recongured trafc
circle, in a 3D computer graphic presentation before
the Flanders, Riverside and Northampton Commu-
nity Association.
The proposal was just a vision, he stressed to the
civic 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-story
buildings with retail shops and cafes on
the ground oor and apartments above them.
He likened the plans Main Street component to
downtown Sag Harbor.
Mr. Schneiderman also suggested working with
the owners of the Budget Host Inn and the vacant
building that once housed the Riverboat Diner to
try 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 ve-
pronged trafc circle. Ofcials would also
try 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 making
the traffic circle into a two-lane roundabout that
No new Riverside without sewers
Business owners react to vision for long-blighted hamlet
RIVERSIDE | PAGE 35
Picture perfect
Trish Polcha of Riverhead, who has taken up photography in her retirement from Hampton Bays schools, stopped to photograph a eld
of owering mustard plants on the west side of Roanoke Avenue late Saturday afternoon. Phil Schmitt Jr. planted the cover crop as an
experiment for the rst time this year, because it acts as a natural fumigant so he doesnt have to treat the soil with chemicals.
SEE EDITORIAL
Page 8
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Who they are
and where theyre
heading: 2013
Special Section
Happy endings
in separate water
rescues in Sound
Page 3
Tim Bishop on
immigration
efforts in D.C.
Page 20
ICE questioning
7-Eleven workers
after raids
Page 23
THE SPORT OF KINGS
The rst-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 designed
to fast-track development proposals at the Enter-
prise Park at Calverton was approved last Thursday
by both houses of the New York State Legislature.
Hooray! Its done! Riverhead Supervisor Sean
Walter texted after the vote. Mr. Walter had been
championing 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 in
Hauppauge 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 Town
will develop an overall generic environmental im-
pact study (GEIS) outlining what can and cant be
built there.
A similar bill was proposed last year and passed
the 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 the
only vote in opposition.
The bill, which at presstime still needed Gov. An-
drew Cuomos signature, authorizes the town, state
and county to establish a GEIS to cover all possible
development proposals that meet a reuse plan
agreed upon by the town, county and state.
EPCAL | PAGE 25
EPCAL development bill approved
Measure requiring 90-day application reviews goes to governor
NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARY RiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, July 4, 2013 $1.50
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Cardboard boaters
paddle for glory on
the Peconic River
Page 2
Husband, wife
charged in food
stamp scheme
Page 3
Cleared land on
Route 58 may
lead to new regs
Page 20
Downtown restaurant owner
loses everything in grease fire
Smoke engulfed the Athens Grill restaurant on
East Main Street after a grease re broke out during
the dinner rush Friday night, damaging the building
and shuttering the downtown restaurant.
The restaurant was quickly evacuated and nobody
was injured, emergency ofcials said.
In the days that followed the re, friends of owner
John Mantzopoulos and fellow downtown restaura-
teurs began efforts to start raising money to help the
business rebuild.
Mr. Mantzopoulos of Greenport, the owner and
chef, was busy at Athens Grill when the re started
in the kitchen about 8:30 p.m.
While waitstaff and customers left the packed
restaurant, Mr. Mantzopoulos realized the re had
spread through a duct to the roof. He grabbed a re
extinguisher to put out the ames, he later said in
an interview.
He used a ladder to get to the roof and tried to
stop the re from spreading, but couldnt extinguish
it, he said. Then he heard the beams beneath him
creak from the ames and climbed down to safety.
There was not a lot of time to react I was
numb, Mr. Mantzopoulos said. One minute Im
waiting for 8:30 reservations to show up and the
next minute Im out in the parking lot.
By that time reghters 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 between
two layers of the roof, creating a challenge for the
volunteers, said Riverhead Fire Department press
ofcer Bill Sanok.
ATHENS GRILL | PAGE 35
Michael
makes his
return to
Riverhead
Friends, family and former teachers lined up
outside Peconic Bay Medical Center last Thurs-
day afternoon, waving signs to welcome home a
local teen whod been gone far too long.
Michael Hubbard is back in his hometown of
Riverhead.
Michael, who will turn 17 in August, was
moved from Blythedale Childrens Hospital in
Westchester County to PBMC Healths Skilled
Nursing Facility, where he will be cared for until
the opening of Brendan House, a long-term care
facility planned for Riverhead.
Im excited, I really am, said his mother, Nancy
Teenage victim of
gel candle explosion
staying 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 PBMC
Health senior vice president Ronald McManus Thursday
at Peconic Bay Medical Center.
Vows to rebuild with help from his neighbors
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Athens owner
gets a little help
from his friends
Page 4
Growing private
school moves to
Aquebogue
Page 3
Vines & Hops
gets set to open
on Main Street
Page 12
Boat safety bills
churning up
confusion
Page 6
Riverside
sewers
for $2M?
New technologies in wastewater
treatment could allow a small sewer
plant to be built in Riverside for just $2
million infrastructure that would be
key to advancing efforts to transform a
blighted 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 there
could be county grant money avail-
able to cover a chunk of that cost.
Grant money may also be available
for two other proposals Mr. Schnei-
derman recently made as part of a
vision he and town ofcials share for
the beleaguered Riverside hamlet: a
walking path to the nearby Peconic
River and a footbridge over the river
to downtown Riverhead. (See digital
rendering on page 28.)
For an area with such a high water
table, sewer treatment is necessary
for any building improvements, and
a traditional sewage treatment plant
for Riverside would cost more than
$10 million, Mr. Schneiderman said,
pointing to Riverhead Towns sewage
treatment plant, which cost $8.75 mil-
lion to build in 2000. Upgrades to the
existing Riverhead plant, needed to
satisfy state requirements, are expect-
ed to cost upwards of $20 million.
Assemblyman Fred Thiele (I-Sag
Harbor) has told the News-Review
federal money would be necessary to
build a full-scale plant in Riverside,
and that such funding has dried up.
The water table and proximity to
the environmentally sensitive Pecon-
ic River have put huge constraints on
New technology
could 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.
SOAK IT UP
These sunowers 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.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Police hunting for two
men who ditched stolen
car after fatal crash
Page 2
Gershow car recycler
has neighbors all shook
up in Riverhead
Page 2
All Star bowling
scraps plans for
lit sign on 25
Page 18
Expansion eyed
for historical
society building
Page 29
Riverhead Councilwoman Jodi Giglio is under
re after revelations last week that she failed to
get proper permits for three separate alterations
to her Baiting Hollow home for several years, and
only recently got a certificate of occupancy for
two of the alterations one dating as far back as
1999 as shes in the midst of a heated primary
battle for a re-election bid.
Ms. Giglio, who works as a permit expediter for
land-use purposes, has largely blamed the delays
on her husband, Mike Giglio, and issued a public
apology in the form of press release and letter to
the 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 John
Dunleavy in an at-large Republican primary for two
council 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 website
RiverheadLOCAL.com Thursday afternoon.
This is a big thumbing your nose at every citizen of
Riverhead who does pay their fees, Mr. Coates said.
Resign? Not a chance, Ms. Giglio responded.
Let my record stand for itself and the taxpayers
of the Town of Riverhead decide my fate as an
elected ofcial.
The town building department issued a certicate
Challenger calls for Giglio to resign
Town councilwomans home lacked permits, COs dating back to 1999
GIGLIO | PAGE 35
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Hospital says
tick illnesses on
the rise here
Page 6
Developments
in Giglio building
department saga
Page 3
Teen saves his
friend who
couldnt swim
Page 2
Security cams
coming to
downtown?
Page 17
Jamal Davis says it seems like every day on the
news 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, somebody killed
somewhere else.
He thinks about his brother, Demitri Hampton,
the easygoing Suffolk County Community College
student and Riverhead High School graduate, a for-
mer Blue Waves basketball player and beloved role
model to his peers.
He said he tries not to think about the early Janu-
ary morning when two masked men stormed into
his cousins house and shot and killed Mr. Hampton
as he tried to ght them off.
Nearly six months later, Mr. Hamptons murder
has not been solved.
Its hard to grasp, Mr. Davis said. Demitris not
the only person dying out there, but how do they
nd out who did it?
Mr. Hampton was killed about 3 a.m. Jan. 27,
when the two intruders burst through the front
door of Mr. Hamptons cousins house on Priscilla
Avenue in Flanders.
Six months later, still no arrest
Demitri Hamptons family remains optimistic that killers will be caught
DEMITRI | PAGE 22
PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO
Its just a drill
Teams of reghters from across Long Island braved the heat to compete in the 27th annual Invitational Motorized Drill hosted by
the Riverhead Fire Department Saturday afternoon. The competition, which began at noon and lasted nearly seven hours, featured a
series of events that tested the reghters ability to scale ladders, hook up hoses and spray down targets as fast as possible.
NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARY RiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, August 1, 2013 $1.50
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Local media to
host two debates
at Suffolk Theater
Page 20
Column: Has
Coates run an
honest campaign?
Page 9
Catch, size limits
to stay in place
for fluke, porgy
Page 18
Plan for Costco
lights protested
by neighbors
Page 3
Giglio voted
on contracts
involving two
biz partners
On the Fourth of July in 1993, the
War of the Woods was coming to a
head, and Long Island Pine Barrens
Society co-founder John Turner was
on the front lines.
Mr. Turner sat upstairs in the
chambers of the New York State Sen-
ate and Assembly in Albany, tracking
the progress of a landmark bill that
would protect the Long Island Cen-
tral Pine Barrens.
On that day, in the closing moments
of the years legislative session, the act
passed unanimously in both houses.
That was a euphoric moment,
Mr. Turner said.
Senator Ken LaValle, a sponsor of
the legislation, recalled seeing envi-
ronmental activists and developers
celebrate as the act was approved.
People who were combatants in
the War of the Woods were literally
embracing one another, jumping up
and down like little kids, he said.
On July 14, 1993, the Long Island
Pine Barrens Protection Act was
signed into law by Gov. Mario Cuo-
mo, creating one of the largest com-
prehensive land management plans
in state history.
Riverhead Councilwoman Jodi Giglio
says she didnt know that two of her
partners in the Summerwind Square
apartment complex were also owners
of Joes Garage and Grill a restaurant
located within the building when
she voted in May to award that busi-
ness two snack vendor contracts.
Had she known of her business
partners involvement in the restau-
rant, Ms. Giglio said, she would have
abstained on the
snack vendor vote,
explaining that the
restaurants owner-
ship changed just
before the bidding
process.
Ms. Giglio, who
along with Ray Dick-
hoff, Martin Send-
lewski and Wayne
Steck, is a principal
of Eastern Property
Investor Consultants, LLC, the company
that owns and is building Summerwind
Square, a 52-unit apartment complex in
the works on Peconic Avenue. Summer-
wind, which is not yet open, will offer
apartments on the top three oors, as
well as retail, including the restaurant,
on its ground oor.
On May 22, through a competitive
bidding process, the Riverhead Town
Board awarded Joes Garage and Grill
two snack vendor concession con-
tracts for town beaches. The contract
awards were recommended by recre-
ation superintendent Ray Coyne, as is
customary on bids. Joes Garage was
the only bidder on one concession
When the paving stopped
in Long Islands Pine Barrens
Landmark law protecting forests was signed in 1993
Says didnt know
restaurant had
changed hands
PINE BARRENS | PAGE 24 GIGLIO | PAGE 25
CARRIE MILLER PHOTO
LOOK AT THE BEAR!
One of 10 Austrialian baby doll sheep that can be seen grazing in a pen in front of Jasons Vineyard on
Main Road in Jamesport. North Fork newcomers might be apt to get the miniature breed confused
with, say, a dog or even a live teddy bear. To read some hilarious observational blunders from those
unaccustomed to farm country, see Claire Leadens column, Out of the mouths of tourists, on page 2.
COUNCILWOMAN
JODI GIGLIO
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Deadline nears
for state grant to
build footbridge
Page 17
Paleo-Indian Park?
Mammoth bones
on Plum Island
Page 3
Two stabbed at
party that grew
out of control
Page 6
Highway boss
hopeful tossed
from GOP line
Page 18
BY JENNIFER GUSTAVSON | STAFF WRITER
Some say theres a phenomenon happening in Riv-
erhead, but to catch on, youll have to listen closely.
An ancient Mexican language called Mixteco
which originated, and is still spoken, in the moun-
tainous regions of Guerrero, Oaxaca and Puebla
can be heard in area parks, stores and schools.
Mixteco is tonal in sound, like Mandarin Chinese,
and until about 30 years ago,
when a group of professors
created a Mixteco alphabet to
promote and preserve the lan-
guage, its only written form
was in codices symbols similar to hieroglyphics.
In recent decades, the Mixteco-speaking popula-
tion in this country has grown, as more people search
for a better life away from their poverty-stricken
homelands, where work is scarce. And on Long Is-
land, Riverhead appears to be their town of choice.
Leslie Martino-Velez, associate director at the
CUNY Institute of Mexican Studies, said that although
Mixtec immigration to the U.S. has risen, it can be dif-
cult to pinpoint the numbers, because U.S. census
data doesnt track detailed information about sub-
groups from Mexico. In addition, many immigrants
dont readily identify themselves as Mixtec, mainly
because of past discrimination in their native land.
Ms. Martino-Velez said she believes Riverheads
agricultural industry appeals to Mixteco speakers
because many are already farmers.
Economic opportunities drive people to leave
where theyre from, she said.
One of those immigrants
is 28-year-old Lorenza Leal,
mother of ve children ages
2 through 10. She and her
husband came to America from Guerrero in 2002
to start their family in Riverhead after a friend told
her about the employment and education oppor-
tunities that were available.
During an interview last month at the North
Fork Spanish Apostolate in Riverhead, where Ms.
Leal volunteers, she told the News-Review why
she left her home, where her ancestors have lived
HIDDEN DIALECT | PAGE 22
JENNIFER GUSTAVSON PHOTO
Many Mixtec people in Riverhead live on Harrison Avenue, near Riverhead High School, and come from the same mountainous region of Mexico.
CARRIE MILLER PHOTO
Lorenza Leal, 28, and her son, Juan Basurto, 7, at the North
Fork Spanish Apostolate in Riverhead last month. Ms. Leal
is from Guerrero, Mexico, and speaks Mixteco.
Riverheads
hidden dialect
This is the town of choice for speakers of ancient language
See the VIDEO at
riverheadnewsreview.com
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Page 15A
Despised trailer for
sex offenders gone
from jail property
Page 24
Riverside efforts
seeing support
from two towns
Page 3
Shopping center
developers want
to make a deal
Page 14
Seeing red
after NYS
releases
test scores
BY JENNIFER GUSTAVSON | SENIOR STAFF WRITER
As many parents struggle to under-
stand how the majority of children
locally and across the state could
have performed so poorly on the
2012-13 school years math and Eng-
lish Language Arts assessments, local
educators and administrators are try-
ing to calm their concerns.
School administrators and school
board members across Riverhead
Town have been trying to downplay
the state test results released last
week, saying the numbers dont truly
reflect student proficiency levels or
overall classroom performance.
For the rst time, this years math and
ELA assessments included elements of
whats known as the Common Core
State Standards
Initiative. The
Common Core
is a new set of
national stan-
dards designed
to raise the bar for classroom instruc-
tion and help prepare students for col-
lege and careers in the 21st century,
state ofcials say. The initiative primar-
ily requires instructors to teach more
non-ction and more rigorous math to
students at a younger age.
The state Department of Education
last Wednesday released the results of
the math and ELA assessments stu-
dents in grades 3 through 8 took in
April. The results showed a signicant
drop in test scores compared to the
previous school year.
Statistics statewide for New York
Officials asking
for patience on
Common Core
TEST SCORES | PAGE 32
Childrens
Directory
ROBERT OROURK PHOTO
STOPPING THE VIOLENCE
Clayton Hughes drives to the basket between two defenders at Saturdays Stop the Violence Tournament. Now in its seventh year,
the tournament aims to bring the community together and prevent future violence. See sports for more coverage.
COLUMN
Common Core
ignores the poor
Page 9
Nile Rodgers (left) joins singer Adam Lambert in performing Trespassing at Monday evenings
concert. The two collaborated on Mr. Lamberts 2012 album of the same name.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Locals clothing
line is starting
to get noticed
Page 12
District is paying
outgoing admin
through June 14
Page 3
Knightland plan
for Wading River
put on hold
Page 22
Doubt cast on
mammoth find
on Plum Island
Page 24
Legendary funk artist and music
producer Nile Rodgers helped bring
more than 4,500 cross-generational
concertgoers to Martha Clara Vine-
yards for what ended up being a sold-
out charity concert Mon-
day evening in Riverhead.
The rst-time event was
presented by Bridgehamp-
ton National Bank, with the
proceeds going to the newly formed
nonprot group All for the East End (AF-
TEE), which is working to support and
showcase more than 1,000 registered
nonprots from across the East End.
AFTEE will be dispersing money
to the other nonprofits through a
grant program.
The show featured music popular
throughout the decades, including Mr.
Rodgers, who took the stage with dance
band Chic, along with solo pop artist
Adam Lambert, electronic dance mu-
sic duo Chromeo, Mystery
Skulls, DJ Prince Paul and
comedian Russell Peters.
Avicii, a famous Swedish
house-genre DJ, closed the
show, which ended about 10:30 p.m.
When you come to a Chic show,
youve gotta dance, Mr. Rodgers,
wearing a white suit and slinging a
white guitar, told the crowd.
Mega dance party lights up Riverhead
Avicii, Adam Lambert and other stars help raise money for charity
DANCE PARTY | PAGE 34
CARRIE MILLER PHOTOS
Swedish DJ Avicii was among the headliners of the first-ever All for the East End dance party at Martha Clara Vineyards Monday. More than 4,500 people attended the concert, which
benefits East End nonprofits. Organizers said the event was a success and hope its not the last held here.
See
video at
www.riverheadnewsreview.com
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Special report on
loopholes in state
hit-and-run laws
Pages 2-3
Shes one of
the guys on
this team
Sports
Car crash claims
life of retired
Grumman worker
Page 12
Holiday leads to
later start for
local students
Page 14
Republican council candidates Jodi Giglio and
Anthony Coates questioned each others back-
grounds during Monday nights Riverhead Town
primary debates at the Suffolk Theater.
This while Councilman John Dunleavy sat be-
tween the bitter rivals.
At one point, Mr. Dunleavy expressed gratitude
that he didnt have to get involved in the dispute,
providing a moment of levity for a crowd of more
than 200.
Mr. Dunleavy did, however, criticize some of his
neighbors, and the management, at the Foxwood
Village community, while explaining his vote to allow
the developer of a Costco-anchored shopping center
to clear trees right up the property line of the retire-
ment community where he lives.
The debate, entitled Riverhead at the Cross-
roads, was sponsored and moderated by local
media outlets the Riverhead News-Review and Riv-
erheadlocal.com. The debate also featured Demo-
cratic supervisor candidates Ann Cotten-DeGrasse
and Angela DeVito. (See separate story.)
In the Republican primary, party designees Ms.
Giglio and Mr. Dunleavy, both incumbents, are facing
a challenge from Mr. Coates for two available seats in
an at-large election.
Mr. Coates, a former political adviser to incum-
bent Republican supervisor Sean Walter, said he
is running to bring a new voice to the board. Mr.
Coates has endorsed Mr. Dunleavys candidacy and
has been critical of Ms. Giglio.
Ms. Giglio has claimed and did so again Mon-
day night that Mr. Coates, who changed his reg-
istration from Democrat to Republican last year,
turned against her only after she voted against ap-
pointing him to a legislative secretary position
proposed by Mr. Walter in March 2012.
Two rivals square off at
downtown GOP debate
Dunleavy hard on neighbors for Costco debacle
REPUBLICANS | PAGE 34
Democrats on
how theyd
lead the town
In Monday nights debate between Democratic
supervisor candidates Angela DeVito and Ann Cot-
ten-DeGrasse, both candidates criticized the in-
cumbent Republican administration of Sean Walter
while touching on major issues facing the town.
They also, at times, took issue with each other.
The debate, entitled Riverhead at the Cross-
roads, was sponsored by local media outlets the
Riverhead News-Review and RiverheadLOCAL.
com and held at the Suffolk Theater. The debate
also featured Republican council candidates
Anthony Coates, John Dunleavy and Jodi Giglio.
(See separate story.)
Ms. DeVito, the Riverhead Democratic Com-
mittee nominee, is being challenged by Ms.
Cotten-DeGrasse. Both are retired and both have
served as Riverhead school board presidents, a
position Ms. Cotten-DeGrasse currently holds.
Theyve have also locked horns over issues dur-
ing their time on the school board together.
The winner of the Sept. 10 primary will take on
incumbent Republican Supervisor Sean Walter in
the Nov. 5 general election.
Ms. Cotten-DeGrasse is a former Riverhead
Feuding supervisor
hopefuls stick to issues
DEMOCRATS | PAGE 34
PRIMARY DEBATES
Republican Town Board candidates (from left) Anthony Coates, John Dunleavy and Jodi Giglio at Monday nights primary
debates at the Suffolk Theater. Mr. Coates and Ms. Giglio have been having a very public war of words since last year.
Debate moderators (left) ask questions of Democratic
candidates Ann Cotten-DeGrasse and Angela DeVito.
It doesnt seem real to Karen Serva.
The two hours spent traveling to
Westchester County to visit her 3-year-
old daughter, Caroline, who suffered
severe brain damage after birth?
That was real.
The moments she, her husband and
their three other daughters shared
with Caroline, who requires a ventila-
tor and constant medical attention,
before the trips back home to Sound
Beach? Those were real, too.
But the fact that Caroline will soon
be coming home to a care center a few
miles from their house?
I cant believe its right around the
corner, Ms. Serva told the News-Re-
view. We cant wait, were so, so ex-
cited Itll be the greatest day of our
lives, I think.
Theyre so anxious they know exactly
how long the ride will be to visit her.
Eighteen minutes, Ms. Serva said,
laughing. My husband timed it.
Ms. Serva and her husband, Rob,
both long-time court clerks in River-
head, are bringing their daughter back
to Long Island today, Thursday, to live
at Angelas House, a small nonprofit
group home for children who need
long-term medical care.
But for the Servas, who have spent
the past two years advocating for more
support for medically fragile children
like Caroline, the ght to bring Long
Islands medically dependent children
back home to their families isnt over.
Well do anything to stop another
family from going through what weve
gone through for the past three and a
half years, Ms. Serva said.
Meanwhile, their efforts appear
to be paying off, as plans are in the
works to address this void in local
medical services.
THEIR STORY
In April 2010, Caroline was the one
infant in a set of triplets born prema-
turely who suffered severe brain dam-
age after birth. Carolines story and
the struggle of her family, who regu-
larly spent hours driving to visit her at
Blythedale Childrens Hospital was
rst featured in a January 2012 special
report in the News-Review. The paper
later investigated the lack of long-term
pediatric care for children in need, re-
vealing that dozens of families across
Long Island have medically depen-
dent children but can nd practically
no residential care centers nearby.
NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARY RiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, September 5, 2013 $1.50
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Weve stood
on our heads
for this guide
Insert
Your road map for
the upcoming party
primary elections
Pages 3, 4, 10
Superintendents
on whats new
this school year
Page 16
Charter school
set for campus
expansion
Page 17
HIKING | ORGANIC FARMS | YOGA & PILATES | PARKS
HEALTH
fitness A
N
D
2013
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
PADDLEBOARD
YOGA
Its a Zen thing

IS IT
GLUTEN FREE?
North Fork eateries
answer demand

LEADING
THE WAY
Medical technology
and education
A family
welcomes
its little
girl home
But Servas still
advocating for
children in need
CHILDREN IN NEED | PAGE 22
COURTESY PHOTOS
Caroline Serva, 3, playing with her big sister, Emily, at Blythedale Childrens Hospital in upstate Valhalla. Caroline, who suffered brain damage
soon after birth, was scheduled to return home to Long Island today (Thursday).
Karen Serva with her 3-year-old triplets, Abigail (left), Bridget and Caroline (in her
mothers arms), and 5-year-old Emily. The family traveled four hours round-trip during
each visit to Caroline in Westchester County.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Your chart
to navigate
sea festival
Insert
End of an era for
lobstermen as ban
goes into effect
Page 3
Cliffs Rendezvous
back in business
after kitchen fire
Page 14
Kick-off for
high school
football season
Sports
Reported by GRANT PARPAN, CYNDI MURRAY,
TIM GANNON, PAUL SQUIRE and JENNIFER GUSTAVSON
Written by MICHAEL WHITE
The results had just been announced in the
three-way primary race for two Republican Town
Council nominations. And town Supervisor Sean
Walters guy, Anthony Coates, who had mounted a
spirited campaign ofcially launched at an event
last November in Jamesport, had lost.
It was at that same campaign event, at the Jede-
diah Hawkins Inn, that Mr. Walter predicted his
chief rival on the all-Republican Town Board, Jodi
Giglio, would be toast, promising Mr. Coates
would knock her from the ballot in 2013.
But less than two miles away from Mr. Coates gath-
ering downtown Tuesday night, at the Outerbanks res-
taurant at Indian Island Country Club, it was Ms. Giglio
who was being toasted by her supporters. After months
of incessant criticism from the Coates camp, Ms. Giglio
was the top vote-getter on primary night, with 912
votes, followed by fellow incumbent John Dunleavy
with 878 and then Mr. Coates with 484, Board of Elec-
tions gures showed. There are 7,457 voters enrolled
with the Republican party in Riverhead Town.
Shes on [crutches], but shes the winner, said
Republican Committee chair-
man John Galla, referring to knee
problems Ms. Giglio has said were
exacerbated as she walked door-
to-door around town during primary season. She
ended the primary campaign using a wheelchair.
People voted for Jodi because of who she is,
proclaimed Councilman James Wooten.
Big victories for Giglio, committees
Republican and Democratic challengers defeated on primary night
PRIMARY NIGHT | PAGE 24
2013
Maritime
Festival
Greenport
NEWYORK
Sept. 20-22
2013
SEE COLUMN
Page 9
GRANT PARPAN PHOTO
Councilwoman Jodi Giglio celebrates her Republican and Independence primary victory with supporters at Outerbanks Tuesday night. Ms. Giglio was the top vote-getter in an
often contentious GOP battle with challenger Anthony Coates, who failed to secure the second nomination, which went to Councilman John Dunleavy.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
A look back at the
East Ends deadliest
storm, 75 years later
Pages 2, 3
Man with prior
arrests charged
in slashing
Page 18
Human bowling
balls soar for
a good cause
Page 22
BY RACHEL YOUNG
AND MICHAEL WHITE | STAFF WRITERS
Mike Roth launched The Pizza Pie from a storefront
in Wading Rivers historic business district in 2000.
Business was good, so a year later he purchased
The General Store, a deli and market housed in the
adjoining building. When both businesses were
fully functional, customers could walk back and
forth between the two, allowing pizzeria custom-
ers to sit and eat in the deli. The General Store also
provided space for events.
I had a Friday night buffet, said Mr. Roth, who
also serves as president of the Wading River-Shore-
ham Chamber of Commerce. It was a nice thing. I
would get 50, 60 customers at night. We would have
private parties in there, the election night events, all
those kinds of things. We cant do anything now.
The oor at The General Store collapsed in August
2011 due to ooding during tropical storm Irene.
Since then, separate but related disputes with his
business insurance company and his landlord
all stemming from repair costs have halted Mr.
Roths progress on reopening the market. For Rent
signs now paper its windows.
The Pizza Pie, however small, has remained in con-
tinual operation. In fact, its one of the few shops left
that draw people to the area on any regular basis.
Of the six adjoining businesses on Sound Road,
including The Pizza Pie, The General Store and the
former Wading River Garage, two are vacant and one
the Frog Lady clothing boutique operates only on
weekends. The nearby building known as the Red Barn
houses a thrift shop thats also open weekends only, as
well as one of two area Cabinet Showroom locations.
Tim Martin owns the Red Barn and the strip of build-
ings on Park Road, except for the garage property, ac-
cording to property records. Mr. Martin declined to
Wading Rivers ailing business district
Locals blame several factors for state of once-active hamlet center
WADING RIVER | PAGE 36
Wading Rivers historic business district has seen the loss of mainstay The General Store and the high-end Amarelle restaurant. Most recently, the Grind Caf inexplicably closed
up shop, with locals wondering if it will ever open again. Is the area facing a prolonged slump?
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Riverhead teachers ink
5-year deal thats lauded
by union & school board
Page 14
Owner of popular
Farm Country Kitchen
gets DEC permits
Page 6
Love is blind for
vision-impaired
woman, horse
Page 4
Armed robbery
at Route 58 CVS
again
Page 17
B
A
R
B
A
R
A
E
L
L
E
N

K
O
C
H

P
H
O
T
O
Immigration & Agriculture
on the North Fork Pages 2, 3
NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARY RiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, October 3, 2013 $1.50
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Blue Waves
move to 2-1 with
blowout win
Sports
Betty Ford-type
center planned
for EPCAL
Page 3
Joe Johnson back
on the payroll
in Riverhead
Page 3
Returning soldier
surprises kids at
Vail-Leavitt
Page 14
BY MICHAEL WHITE
EDITOR
Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter pitched a 2014
budget proposal Monday that would increase the
town tax levy the total amount of money collect-
ed from taxpayers by 2.5 percent and see spend-
ing rise by 3 percent.
The towns tax increase would come in under the
states mandated 2 percent cap on year-to-year tax
levy increases, Mr. Walter said, since some expenses
are exempt from the law.
The budget proposal borrows $3.5 million from the
towns fund balance, leaving a balance of a little over
$3 million. The town has also created a separate rev-
enue stream from the $2 million it received from leas-
ing town space in Calverton to a car auction compa-
ny following superstorm Sandy. That money is being
parceled out at $550,000 a year for four years, starting
in Mr. Walters tentative town budget for 2014.
Mr. Walter emphasized that the town, while still
needing to use surplus money, is headed in the
right direction.
It took a long time to steer this ship around
through some treacherous waters here but things
are looking up, he said during Mondays public
slide show presentation in Town Hall.
The combination of cutting government expens-
es, renancing debt and refraining from taking on
much more debt has kept the town from raiding
its reserves completely, he said, pointing to a chart
showing that before he took ofce in January 2010,
the town was trending in a direction that would
have depleted the entire fund balance.
Had we not done the things we did, this town
would be facing a 20 percent tax increase for this
year, he said.
The town has been using the fund balance, which
comprises surplus funds, to offset tax increases for
at least a decade, with much of that money coming
from land sales or contracts for land sales at the
Surplus continues to hold down taxes
With funds dwindling, Walter pins future on cashing in at EPCAL
BUDGET | PAGE 21
A proud history of
service in Flanders
The Flanders Fire Department com-
memorated its 65th anniversary with
a parade and party Saturday afternoon.
Dozens of fire departments from as
far away as New Jersey joined in the
celebratory parade, which made its
way up Flanders Road from Longneck
Boulevard to the Big Duck Ranch.
Left: Members of Flanders Fire Department, known as the Keepers of the Pine Barrens, march along Flanders Road. Right: Grand marshals
and former Flanders chiefs Michael DeNicolo, left, and David Fox. Mr. DeNicolo has been with the department for 65 years, Mr. Fox for 48.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Inside a $3.8M
marijuana bust
in Riverhead
Pages 2-3
Zeldin announces
second run for
Congress
Page 6
New bagel shop
coming to
downtown
Page 12
Foxwood Village residents and union members picket in front of the Costco constuction site on Route 58 Tuesday morning. Below: Foxwood
residents, including homeowners association president Mary Lee Feldman (right).
TIM GANNON PHOTO
Together, they rally against Costco
Neighbors, pols join union members protesting Route 58 construction site
BY TIM GANNON
STAFF WRITER
Three sets of demonstrators de-
scended on a Riverhead construction
site Tuesday, making for a boister-
ous scene that blended union gripes,
neighbor beefs and political aspira-
tions along Route 58, where a Costco
Wholesale is in the works.
Neighbors from the adjacent Fox-
wood Village gathered to rally against
the developers having clear-cut all
trees that had been on the property,
which stretches north from the busy
thoroughfare. The neighbors have
also taken issue with what they say is
a imsy fence the developer has put
up along the property lines.
Union workers on hand protested
the developers alleged use of out-of-
state workers on the job.
And, nally, Democratic candidates
in this falls elections protested the
decisions of the current all-Repub-
lican Town Board that permitted the
clear-cutting.
Millie Thomas, Democratic Town
Board candidate, handed out her
palm cards and criticized the cur-
rent Town Board.
SIDE
Wildcats defeat
Mount Sinai for
first time ever
Sports
COSTCO | PAGE 36
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Blue Waves stun
unbeaten Bulls
with shutout
Sports
Election season
in full swing in
Riverhead
Page 3
Stabbing suspect
accuses girlfriend
of cheating
Page 8
Staying in shape
with Project Fit
at Riverhead
Page 14
Farmers,
brewers
grow with
each other
BY TIM GANNON
STAFF WRITER
With a Town Hall meeting room
full of angry residents, the Riverhead
Town Planning Board decided Tues-
day night not to issue a stop work
order at the controversial Shops at
Riverhead after planning a special
meeting to consider taking action.
Developers instead submitted re-
vised plans, which were met with
renewed disapproval from residents
of the adjacent Foxwood Village and
Millbrook communities, who said the
plans still leave an inadequate buffer
between their homes and the com-
plex and that construction is result-
ing in increased dust and noise.
You guys are supposed to do some-
thing and all you keep doing is jerking
us around, Foxwood Village resident
Steve Stanis told the Planning Board.
Right now, were in a big dust
eld, said George Buckingham, the
manager at Millbrook, which is east
of the development. This is ridicu-
lous. We cant even sit in the yard.
On Sept. 19, the Planning Board
had threatened to pull the building
permit for the 271,000-square-foot
project, which will have a Costco
store as its anchor, on the grounds
that the elevation drawings submit-
ted for the berm on the northern
property line were not properly en-
gineered. But the town never pulled
the permit. Planning Board attorney
Bill Duffy said Friday that was an op-
tion the board had at Tuesdays spe-
cial meeting if the developer did not
BY JOSEPH PINCIARO
MANAGING EDITOR
If you build it, said the voice in
the 1989 lm Field of Dreams, they
will come.
Such is the states hope as a grow-
ing New York beer industry builds it-
self up. Now, the state is also trying
to spur interest in growing products
namely, hops and barley to cre-
ate a truly local beer.
And so far, a few local breweries
have ordered up one of the states
new farm brewery licenses, created
last year by legislators to promote lo-
cal hops and barley cultivation and
one more plans to do so soon.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the
rst round of farm brewery licensees
last week, noting that Riverheads Long
Ireland Beer Co. was among the rst 14
in the state to be granted the new clas-
sification. Distinct from microbrew-
eries, farm breweries are expected to
use a certain percentage of New York
State-grown ingredients each year,
with thresholds for each key ingredi-
ent, excluding water, increasing from
20 percent to 90 percent over the next
10 years. In return, their beer earns the
label of New York State-made product,
and breweries are eligible for incen-
tives such as the ability to sell pints of
beer for consumption on premises and
exemptions from certain state fees and
tax ling requirements.
Greg Martin, Long Ireland co-own-
er, said the Pulaski Street brewery ob-
tained its new license several weeks
ago. And while the incentives to use
Shops plans are revised;
neighbors still dissatisfied
Planning Board holds special meeting; no action taken
New beer license
promotes use of
local products
COSTCO | PAGE 34 BEER | PAGE 30
WHATS MINE IS YOURS
Caralyn Roeper, 14, of Garden City shares an ear of corn with Daisy Saturday at Gabrielsens Country Farm in Jamesport, a popular spot
for people looking for a taste of local agritourism. For a guide to pumpkin-picking spots on the North Fork, see page 2. Also check out
managing editor Joseph Pinciaros column on the fall tourist economy and our roads, page 11.
ROBERT OROURK PHOTO
HOME SWEET HOME
In front of a packed house at Coach Mike McKillop Memorial Field Saturday afternoon, the Riverhead football team improved
its record to 5-1 with a resounding homecoming win over Walt Whitman, 28-0. Riverheads Daren Jefferson, vying for a pass with
Gerald Riley, caught two passes in the Blue Waves victory. See Sports for full coverage.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Dicks is first to
open at new
shopping center
Page 14
Local attorney
charged in $4M
Ponzi scheme
Page 3
A year later,
town still awaits
Sandy money
Page 4
Plan in works to
loosen regs on
protected farms
Page 8
Bellone:
Suffolk is
here to
help you
Exec throws
weight behind
First Baptist plan
BY TIM GANNON
STAFF WRITER
First Baptist Church of Riverheads
long-planned Family Community Life
Center on Northville Turnpike got a shot
in the arm Monday in the form of sup-
port from Suffolk County Executive Steve
Bellone and other elected ofcials.
The project also got some financial
support from the Horace and Amy Hage-
dorn Fund, which donated $25,000.
If built, the Family Community Life
Center a mixed-use project that
has been in the
planning stages for
more than 25 years
would include
an Olympic-size
indoor swimming
pool, a 25-seat the-
ater and media cen-
ter, adult and child
day care services,
an indoor walking
track, gymnasium,
tness center, classroom space and 132
affordable apartment units intended as
workforce housing for the area.
The project also depends on Riv-
erhead Towns adoption of a new
overlay zone, which would allow it
to be built on the churchs Northville
Turnpike property. Properties in the
overlay zone would need to have 10
or more acres of land with at least
800 feet of frontage on a county or
state highway as well as public water
and sewer connections.
BELLONE | PAGE 38
STEVE BELLONE
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Police say man robbed
McDonalds, demanding
cash and hamburgers
Page 20
Racing community
holds go-kart event in
memory of Jason Trinca
Page 28
Blue Waves earn
big win against
rival W. Islip
Sports
Riverhead serves
as backdrop for
Katy Perry album
Page 32
ELECTION 2013
Riverhead voters guide
Supervisor seat at stake as residents head to polls

Candidate profiles, endorsements & more inside
NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARY RiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, November 7, 2013 $1.50
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Blue Waves surge
to No. 1 seed in
Division II playoffs
Sports
Construction
begins on buffer
at Costco site
Page 3
Premium bacon
coming to
Wading River
Page 12
Hamburglar
being held by
ICE officials
Page 18
BY MICHAEL WHITE, TIM GANNON
AND RACHEL YOUNG
STAFF WRITERS
In June 2012, Councilwoman Jodi
Giglio filed a harassment complaint
against Supervisor Sean Walter.
Months later, Mr. Walter put out a
political hit on Ms. Giglio, which came
in the form of a primary challenge from
the supervisors friend and longtime
political adviser, Anthony Coates.
Then, during that contentious pri-
mary, Councilman John Dunleavy
perhaps sensing momentum building
behind Mr. Coates was continually
found to be out campaigning without
his committee-designated team, joining
Mr. Coates in door-knocking efforts.
But blood is thicker than water, the
saying goes, and as the outcome of
the Riverhead Town elections began
to crystallize before the family of Riv-
erhead Republicans Tuesday night,
judging by the hugs, kisses, high-ves
and handshakes bygones were by-
gones. Despite their differences, the
three incumbents on the Town Board
had all won re-election.
A night for incumbents in Riverhead
ELECTION NIGHT | PAGE 22
Despite past infighting, Republicans
celebrate together on Election Night
Riverhead Republicans celebrate a sweep Tuesday nignt in downtown Riverhead. From left: committee chairman Mason Haas, Councilwoman Jodi Giglio, Supervisor Sean Walter
and Councilman John Dunleavy. Mr. Walter said the team tried to stay positive during the campaign. He believes that approach resonated with voters.
Assessor Laverne Tennenberg posting the election results Tuesday night.
See page 22 for a breakdown of the numbers by party lines and election districts.
Grapes & Greens operation manager Pat Dean in the Calverton facilitys climate-controlled warehouse, where cases of wine from
six wineries and produce from dozens of local farms are stored.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Blue Waves
make a splash
with playoff win
Sports
Local families
feeling the pinch
after SNAP cuts
Page 4
Sean Walter
defends boards
right to pray
Page 6
First Baptist
supporters pack
Town Hall
Page 3
BY PAUL SQUIRE
STAFF WRITER
Lyle Wells, owner of Wells Home-
stead Farms in Aquebogue, used to
store his excess produce in a shed.
He couldnt control the humidity or
temperature and would lose about
40 percent of his stored crop because
of the conditions, he said.
But since September, Mr. Wells has
used Grapes & Greens a food stor-
age and processing facility in Calver-
ton owned by J. Kings Food Service
Professionals to store a total of
212,000 pounds of fresh butternut
and spaghetti squash harvested from
his farm.
Hes losing only 5 to 10 percent of
the crop now, meaning theres more to
be sold and more prot to be made.
It doesnt take long [for the money]
to add up really quickly, Mr. Wells said.
Wells Homestead Farms is one of
dozens of farms and six wineries
from across the North Fork to use the
facility since it opened for business
this harvest season. And although
the plants food packaging operations
arent quite ready, its storage and re-
frigeration units have already made
a huge, huge difference for local
growers, said one participant, Jim
Waters of Waters Crest Winery.
Its been terric, he said. Its re-
ally opened up a lot of avenues and
doors for us.
Its been tremendously success-
ful, said J. Kings owner John King.
Before the facilitys cooling storage
was up and running this year, J. Kings
would pick up produce directly from
farms and bring it to retailers for sale.
If they just pick it in the fields
and then bring it to Stop & Shop, the
product gets warmer and warmer,
Mr. King said. It was hot as hell
when we were delivering it.
As a result, he said, that produce
wouldnt last long on store shelves.
But now, produce cooled at the new
facility after being picked up at the
farms will last about five days on
store shelves.
The facility has 8,000 square feet
of storage and holds about 100 pal-
lets of produce.
The facility is also being used by
vineyards to cool wines for storage,
The fruits of their labor
no longer going to waste
Farmers seeing benefits of Grapes & Greens facility
FACILITY | PAGE 30
Ax falls on
longtime
LAX coach
SWR lacrosse
legend dismissed
after 19 seasons
BY PAUL SQUIRE
STAFF WRITER
For the rst time in nearly 20 years,
Tom Rotanz wont be on the sidelines of
the Shoreham-Wading River boys var-
sity lacrosse games this coming spring.
Superintendent Steven Cohen con-
rmed Tuesday night that he will not
recommend Mr. Rotanz to be reinstat-
ed as coach and said the district has
posted the position and other coach-
ing jobs as available.
Mr. Cohen said in an interview af-
ter the boards meeting that he didnt
think it was in the
best interest of all
the kids in the dis-
trict to retain Mr.
Rotanz.
I think we need
new leadership, Mr.
Cohen said, though
he declined to com-
ment further.
Mr. Rotanz said
he had spoken to
Mr. Cohen last Thursday and was told
he could be rehired for one more year
so long as he agreed to resign the fol-
lowing year.
When he refused, Mr. Rotanz who
has coached in the district since 1995
and led the boys lacrosse team to a
Long Island championship last year
was told he was too controversial to
remain on as coach, Mr. Rotanz said.
I found it odd that I was OK for this
coming spring, then why wouldnt I be
OK for the following one? he said.
The apparent dismissal sparked an
outcry from supporters of the coach
and the schools championship-win-
ning program at the school boards
meeting Tuesday night, which became
COACH | PAGE 30
TOM ROTANZ
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Need a gift
idea? Your
guide is here
Insert
Instagram pics
land men in
trouble with DEC
Page 2
Riverside one
step closer to
redevelopment
Page 4
Supporters pack
board meeting
to back coach
Page 14
HOLIDAY
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NORTH FORK GIFT GUIDE
What do you want for Christmas?
Festivities on the North Fork and Shelter Island | Healthy Holidays | NYE Sparkling Wine Cocktails
HOLIDAY
2013
ZBA hears plan
for treatment
center at EPCAL
$10M addiction facility
may come to Calverton
BY PAUL SQUIRE
STAFF WRITER
Addiction researcher Stephen Dewey of Manor-
ville says hes seen grant proposals for drug treat-
ment centers from across the nation during his
three decades in the eld.
But Calverton Addiction Research Education:
New York, a multi-million dollar research and treat-
ment facility proposed for the Enterprise Park at
Calverton, is like nothing hes seen before.
What you have before you is kind of a lifelong
dream, Mr. Dewey told the Riverhead Town Board
of Zoning Appeals at its meeting last Thursday
night. If I could design a center, after 30 years of
experience, Id design a center just like this.
Mr. Dewey was among a handful of researchers,
doctors and scientists who advocated on behalf
of the facility last Thursday, saying it would offer a
unique opportunity not only to help those suffering
from drug or alcohol addiction but to develop more
effective methods of treatment faster.
Project ofcials said CARE: NY would be set on a
34-acre campus and include 41,000 square feet of
housing and evaluation centers, 20,000 square feet
of ofces and 15,000 square feet of indoor recre-
ation facilities, like a gymnasium and a pool.
The center is proposed for property currently
owned by Jan Burman north of River Road and just
west of Connecticut Avenue.
The facility would have a maximum of 130 beds
for volunteers looking to get treatment, said attor-
ney Vincent Messina of Central Islip, who spoke on
behalf of the centers founders.
Patients would stay at the facility for up to 120
days and pay for treatment privately, though Mr.
Messina said new federal policies may allow insur-
ance to cover those costs for patients.
Mr. Messina assured the board that the center
would not be part of the criminal justice system, say-
ing the goal is to research and make breakthroughs
in the treatment of addiction not to serve as a
way for convicts to get reduced sentences.
We believe each and every square foot is used
as part of the research mission, he said, adding
that the compound would be well-secured and
fenced in. He also said that CARE: NYs location in
ADDICTION | PAGE 29
ROBERT OROURK PHOTO
BACK TO THE FINALS
The Riverhead football team will play for its second consecutive Division II county championship Friday night,
when the Blue Waves meet East Islip at Stony Brook University. The Blue Waves defeated Newfield, 34-20, in
the semifinals Nov. 16 after trailing in the fourth quarter. Tight end Mike Van Bommel celebrates with manager
Bryan Moore after catching a crucial two-point conversion pass on Riverheads fourth-quarter touchdown that
put the Blue Waves ahead, 27-20. See sports for more coverage.
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Three area delis
see ownership
changes
Page 12
New plaza
offers views
of racetrack
Page 19
An outpouring of
love and support
for local families
Page 2-4
Work resumes
at Wading River
Duck Ponds
Page 24
BY BOB LIEPA
SPORTS EDITOR
Jaron Greenidge was probably one of the few
people at Stony Brook Universitys Kenneth P. La-
Valle Stadium on Friday night who didnt see what
may go down as the greatest special-teams play in
Riverhead football history.
Greenidge, you see, was preoccupied on the Riv-
erhead sideline. I was too busy bowing my head,
praying, hoping for a miracle to happen, the tight
end/free safety said, and there it is. Indeed. There
it is. Greenidges prayers were answered.
Just about everyone in the stadium was expecting
the Suffolk County Division II nal to go into over-
time as time wound down. The only thing is, Ryan
Hubbard and his Riverhead friends had other ideas.
With the score tied at 14-14, an East Islip drive
stalled, and the Redmen punted. Hubbard caught
the ball at his own 16-yard line, darted to his right
before immediately cutting to his left. A block by
Steven Reid guided him to an open lane down the
sideline, and Hubbards speed took things from
Riverhead returns to L.I. title game
Hubbards three touchdowns carry Blue Waves in county championship
BLUE WAVES | PAGE 40
ROBERT OROURK PHOTO
Riverhead senior Ryan Hubbard leaves a wake of East Islip defenders as he races up the left sideline for a county-championship-clinching, 84-yard touchdown on a punt return in
the final seconds of the Blue Waves win over the Redmen Friday night. Riverheads 20-14 win over East Islip propelled the Blue Waves into the Class II Long Island Championship this
Friday against Carey High School at Hofstra University. See Sports for comprehensive coverage, including a column by Joe Werkmeister.
SUFFOLK DIVISION II FINAL | BLUE WAVES 20, REDMEN 14
BY RACHEL YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
The moment she and her host moth-
er, Linda Nugent, set foot in the King
Kullen supermarket in Wading River,
13-year-old Saline Otieno made her
desire for junk food abundantly clear.
Oh! Chips? the girl asked excitedly.
No, Ms. Nugent said, gently di-
verting the girls attention to the stores
produce section, where she paused
her shopping cart in front of a display
of shiny Red Delicious apples. What
else do we need?
Its an ordinary scene that plays out
along Route 25A every day: family mem-
bers deciding what groceries theyll buy
for the week.
But Saline, for all her
youthful spirit, has had
anything but an ordi-
nary existence.
Born in a remote vil-
lage in southwestern
Kenya, Saline shared a
mud hut with her mother and sister.
Her father died of complications from
AIDS last year, and she had another
sibling who also died.
At some point in Salines life, prob-
ably during toddlerhood, her face
became severely deformed by noma,
a rare type of flesh-eating bacteria
caused by malnutrition and unsani-
tary living conditions. In Salines case,
the noma ate away the tissue sur-
rounding her mouth and jawbone,
creating a hole in her face that made
eating and speaking difcult.
Noma is usually fatal, said Dr. Leon
Klempner, the East Setauket orthodon-
tist who learned of Salines case two
years ago through his
work with Smile Rescue
Fund for Kids, a non-
prot that raises money
to provide surgery for
children aficted with
facial deformities. She
happened to survive.
In late 2011, Smile Rescue Fund for
Kids raised money for Saline to un-
dergo two surgeries in Kenya. A skin
graft was made to cover the hole in her
face, but the graft, which lacked an ad-
equate blood supply, failed.
This summer, Dr. Klempner, who is
also a Doctor of Dental Surgery and
assistant clinical professor in the De-
partment of Childrens Dentistry at
RACHEL YOUNG PHOTO
Saline Otieno (left), 13, plays patty-cake with Heather Tepper, 11, during a recent visit to the Tepper home in Wading River. Heather is the
grandaughter of Linda Nugent, a Rocky Point woman who volunteered this summer to be one of Salines host parents.
NEWS | SPORTS | COMMENTARY RiverheadNewsReview.com Thursday, December 5, 2013 $1.50
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Waves fall to
Carey in Island
title match
Sports
Common Core
rage boils over
in Manorville
Pages 2, 3
A quick guide
to picking out a
Christmas tree
Real Estate
Planning firm to
lead revitalization
efforts in Riverside
Page 4
Kenyan
girl finds
hope in
the U.S.
Families, doctors
pool resources
for flesh-eating
disease victim
KENYAN | PAGE 29
JEANNE NEVILLE PHOTO
Plastic surgeon Dr. Alex Dagum (left) of Stony Brook University Medical Center, with Dr. Leon
Klempner, an East Setauket orthodontist, before one of Saline Otienos surgeries this summer.
The two are donating their services to rectify a severe deformity Saline suffered as a child.
I always wanted
to travel the world
and help people.
Dr. Alex Dagum
o
nd
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
The longest-tenured
school employee on
the North Fork
Page 4
Sunday Polka Time
host Johnny Niecko
hangs up his mic
Page 6
Chamber honors
some of towns
best in business
Page 12
A soldier returns
home from
Afghanistan
Page 19
Revolving
doors
The impact of athletic director turnover at Shoreham-Wading River Pages 2-3
R
I
C
H

B
A
R
N
E
S

F
I
L
E

P
H
O
T
O
News-Review
Ri veRhead
WHAT'S INSIDE
Fire Police Patrol
makes changes to
boost recruiting
Page 4
Man saved from
burning house in
the nick of time
Page 6
Town considers
bringing market
owners to court
Page 3
Your guide to
a very vintage
Christmas
Real Estate
JENNIFER GUSTAVSON PHOTO
Season of repose
The 14th annual holiday bonfire in downtown Riverhead Saturday night featured snow for the first time, organizers said, as well as a string of fire pits on the Peconic
River. Business Improvement District president Ray Pickersgill said the BID tested out the floating firepits in consideration of purchasing dozens more for future
events. Santa Claus arrived by boat shortly after nightfall and later settled into a gingerbread house, where eager kids waited on line to tell him what they want for
Christmas. The bonfire, the brainchild of former town councilman Ed Densieski, was sponsored by the BID, Suffolk County National Bank and Blue Duck Bakery.
A breakdown of property tax breaks
Of the 15,156 taxable parcels in town, 18 will get IDA discounts in 14
BY TIM GANNON AND MICHAEL WHITE
STAFF WRITERS
Ten seconds. That was how long Riverhead school
board president Ann Cotten-DeGrasse knelt in si-
lence in Town Hall, after bringing her head down to
her st in prayer. For those in the room who didnt
know, she was Tebowing, or imitating the outwardly
religious football player Tim Tebow. (It was sort of a
craze at the time.)
She explained at the January 2012 Industrial De-
velopment Agency meeting that she was praying for
the school district, which she described as being in
dire straits because of the states tax cap law. She
objected to the IDAs depriving the
school district of any additional tax
revenues. On the agenda that night,
specically, were tax abatements for a bowling alley
in town that was already mostly built.
A month later, the alley abatements were ap-
proved 3-0, with one IDA board member absent and
another, then a newcomer, abstaining.
Ms. Cotten-DeGrasse wasnt the rst school of-
cial to attend a Riverhead IDA hearing in protest,
claiming the Riverhead School District cant afford to
be short-changed because of abate-
ments granted by the public benet
corporation. But the quiet drama of
her display certainly attracted the most attention.
So how much, exactly, does the IDA give away in
property tax exemptions each year?
The News-Review set out to nd out.
IDA | PAGE 28
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