They looked at more called third strikes than they would have liked, but now the Riverhead Little League All Stars are looking at the real possibility of playing in the state tournament for the Little League World Series.

Riverhead’s entry in the 11-12-year-old age group is one win away from making that a reality.

“I’d be lying if I wasn’t a little bit surprised [at] how well they have handled pressure,” coach Mike Mowdy said. “I know they have the ability to play with anybody.”

That includes Plainview, last year’s state champion.

Despite striking out 14 times (10 times looking), Riverhead cranked out big hits when they needed them and handed Plainview a 5-2 defeat Sunday at the North Shore Little League Complex in Rocky Point.

“We’re making history, boys!” a joyous Mowdy, who believes this is the furthest Riverhead has ever advanced in the tournament, told his players afterward. “We’re making history!”

The victory brings Riverhead multiple benefits. In addition to buying Riverhead a couple of extra days of rest, their top two pitchers, K.J. Duff and Mike Mowdy, the coach’s son by the same name, should be available. In this double-elimination phase, Riverhead will face the winner of Monday’s Plainview-West Islip game on Wednesday in East Meadow. If Riverhead (9-0) doesn’t win that game, they would have another chance in a winner-take-all game for the Section 4 East championship.

Mowdy’s two-run home run off a 2-and-2 fastball with two outs in the fourth inning snapped a 2-2 tie. It was the first homer of the tournament for Mowdy (2-for-3, two runs), who clubbed 10 during the regular season. He was mobbed by happy teammates at home plate.

Riverhead spotted itself a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but they could have scored more. A leadoff walk by Duff was followed by successive singles by Mowdy, Connor Saville and Noah Dufour (2-for-3) for the first run. The second one scored on a David Raynor walk.

Sebastian Lippman evaded further damage by striking out the next three batters looking. Riverhead failed to break the game open early and feared that failure would come back to bite them.

It did, partially.

Plainview (5-1) immediately pulled a run back when Ryan Tucci liked the first pitch he saw in the second and slugged a homer to centerfield. In the third, Andrew Lenki’s double off the leftfield fence set up James D’Alessandro’s RBI groundout to tie it at 2-2.

D’Alessandro came on in relief in the fourth and struck out his first two batters before Duff sent a sharp single to center. That preceded Mowdy’s big shot.

Riverhead received an insurance run in the fifth thanks to some help from the bench. Dufour led off by ripping a first-pitch triple that landed near the rightfield line. One out later, Daniel Buday was brought on as a pinch hitter.

“Well, I knew that I wasn’t going to get up again, and so I was trying to make the most of it, trying to get on base,” said Buday.

What Buday got was the biggest hit of his young life, knocking an RBI single to left.

“I told these kids that we are a 14-man team,” said Mowdy, who presented Buday with the game ball. “We can’t win without contributions from all 14. Daniel Buday is a perfect example of that. He has such a great attitude. Every game he comes to play. He has a smile on his face. When I put him in, he’s always ready.”

Meanwhile, Saville did a masterful job, pitching all six innings. The 5-10 righthander gave up six hits, one walk and struck out four. He was economical, throwing 65 pitches. That included a 21-pitch first in which he escaped a bases-loaded jam.

“I wasn’t worried,” Saville said. “I was confident throughout the whole game that we were going to win. We feel great that we can compete with these other teams.”

Beating a team of Plainview’s stature has to be good for Riverhead’s morale. “If we can beat them, then we can beat anybody,” reasoned Buday.
Saville had one parting thought: “We’re coming for Chinese Taipei.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Riverhead’s Mike Mowdy, center, is congratulated on his tie-breaking home run by Aidan Cahill, left, and Luke Pilon (9). (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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A passenger in a vehicle stopped in Riverside on Wednesday, June 27, was arrested for drug possession, according to state police.

During the stop, Gerald Nagengast was found to be in possession of a hypodermic needle and heroin, police said. He was charged with possession of a hypodermic needle and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, police said.

The driver, Sarah McPhillips, 33, of Farmingville had been pulled over for traffic violations and was found to be driving with a suspended license, police said. She was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and a violation, police said.

Both were issued tickets to appear in Southampton Town Justice Court at a later date.

• Tony Orellana-Salguero, 22, of Flanders was arrested last Wednesday after being pulled over on Evergreen Road near Flanders Road in Flanders for multiple traffic violations, according to Southampton Town police.

Police found that Mr. Orellana-Salguero was driving with a license that had been revoked.

He was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and three violations, police said.

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Two Riverhead men are facing multiple felony charges in relation to stealing credit cards.

Riverhead Town Police arrested Richard Johannes, 22, and Gino Florian, 18, in connection to a June 20 burglary at a home on 5th Street. Police said the pair stole credit cards along with other items and the credit cards were later used at several Riverhead businesses.

Mr. Johannes and Mr. Florian were arrested on July 7 following an investigation. Mr. Johannes was charged with two counts of criminal possession of stolen property and one count of identity theft.  Mr. Florian was charged with one count of identity theft and one count of criminal possession of stolen property.

Both were remanded to the Suffolk County Correctional Facility and the investigation into the use of the credit cards continued.

Mr. Johannes was released on July 13 and the next day Riverhead police responded to a report of a pocketbook being stolen from a vehicle on East Main Street in Riverhead.  The investigation led to Mr. Johannes being arrested again.

At the time of his arrest, Mr. Johannes was found to be in possession of credit cards that had been in the victim’s pocketbook when it was stolen. He was charged with criminal possession of stolen property and grand larceny.

The continuing investigation into the credit cards that had been stolen during the June 20 robbery resulted in eight additional felony charges. On July 14, Mr. Johannes was charged with four counts of criminal possession of stolen property and four counts of identity theft. These charges are in addition to the initial charges on and are related to the use of the credit cards, police said.

Mr. Johannes was processed at Riverhead Police Department and held for arraignment.  Mr. Florian remains in the Suffolk County Correctional Facility and additional charges against him for the use of the credit cards from the burglary are anticipated, Riverhead police said.

Photo caption: Gino Florian, 18, left, and Richard Johannes, 22, are facing multiple charges in connection to credit card theft. (Riverhead Police Department courtesy photo) 

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Riverhead Town Police arrested Melanie King, 37, of Mastic Beach on a felony grand larceny charge stemming from an incident that occurred at Target on April 4, 2018, police said. 

After an investigation conducted by the Riverhead Police Detective Division, it was determined that Ms. King stole $1,224.61 worth of items, according to police.

She was arrested at Riverhead Police Headquarters and released on an appearance ticket for a future court date.

Photo Caption:  Melanie King was arrested on a grand larceny charge. (Riverhead police courtesy photo)

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The $4.6 million roundabout under construction at the Riverside traffic circle is on schedule and is expected to be done by November or December, according to Bill Hillman, chief engineer for the Suffolk County Department of Public Works.

It will be “substantially complete to most people’s eyes” well before that, he added.

Some residents posting on social media had become concerned that the county had failed to follow the approved plans for the two-lane roundabout, claiming it still looked like a one-lane roundabout.

Mr. Hillman said the project simply isn’t done yet.

“We had our surveyors go out and survey the work and we are building it right to plan,” Mr. Hillman said. “It’s exactly to plan.”

Two locations in the roundabout will be one lane, as had been planned from the beginning, Mr. Hillman said. A leg heading north from the circle onto Peconic Avenue will remain one lane. But southbound traffic coming into the roundabout from Peconic Avenue will have two lanes.

Likewise, a small section just north of the former diner property and heading into Riverleigh Avenue will also be one lane, Mr. Hillman said.

“Riverleigh Avenue would have been much more complicated with two lanes going through this portion of it,” he said. “The same with Peconic Avenue. Because of the close configuration of the five legs, there would have been confusion and safety issues had we not done this.”

The rest of the roundabout will have two lanes going in and out, according to Mr. Hillman.

The difference between a traffic circle and a roundabout is that the approach angles on a roundabout are designed to make cars slow down, he said. The county feels roundabouts are safer.

“When you do have accidents in a roundabout, they’re traditionally much less severe because you generally don’t have high-speed, right-angle collisions,” Mr. Hillman said.

The county had originally wanted to eliminate one of the five legs on the roundabout, but a plan to close off Riverleigh Avenue was dropped after it met with opposition from residents.

Residents of Flanders, Riverside and Northampton also fought for years to get the county to fund the widening of the Riverside traffic circle.

In 2015, the county postponed the funding until 2018, prompting local residents to attend county Legislature meetings, where they convinced legislators to restore the funding.

Design work began on the project in 2011 and the county awarded the contract for the job to Pioneer Landscaping and Asphalt Paving of Kings Park in late 2016.

In January 2017, Mr. Hillman estimated it would take about two years to complete the work.

tgannon@timesreview.com

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An adult day care center is slated to open in Riverhead within the next couple of weeks.

Day Haven, which has been operating since 1984 with locations in Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma, has been running free trials every Thursday since June and has seen a steady group of eight clients each week, said Lori Maldavir, assistant director for program development and government relations.

The local program, housed in the former Riverhead Country Day School at 165 Columbus Ave., offers day-time care and supervision along with both physical and cognitive activities. Once it’s fully up and running, the Day Haven program will be available Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

“The model is either for a frail older adult or an individual who has Alzheimer’s or a related dementia to be in an environment where they can be really involved in activities that will help maintain their functioning,” Ms. Maldavir said.

The idea, she said, is that “if you don’t use it, you lose it” and the goal is to engage participants in activities that will maintain their physical and cognitive capabilities for a longer period of time.

Last Thursday, the group took part in a sort of test in which the participants were given a few clues to identify a place, person or thing. Later, they worked with a word bank to create a poem. Ms. Maldavir noted that participants come in with varying levels of cognitive skill, so the program accommodates that with a wide variety of activities.

The program offers a place to socialize, too, Ms. Maldavir said. Often, as guests arrive, the day will start with current events. Last week, the discussion turned to the World Cup, leading participants to reminisce about sports they played when they were younger. 

The care program includes breakfast, lunch and a snack. Employees are trained to help those with mobility problems move around.

Day Haven also gives its guests’ caregivers a few hours of respite. Depending on a loved one’s needs, some caregivers must accompany them wherever they go. One woman mentioned to Ms. Maldavir last Thursday that she was going to use the free time to get a haircut. 

“Some may do their errands, some may just want to read a book or have a cup of coffee — because it’s tiring caring for someone all the time, it really is,” Ms. Maldavir said.

Day Haven accepts private pay clients as well as those on Medicaid. Families can choose to enroll their loved one in a program from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. They can also choose a minimum block of three hours for care. 

“I really think it’s going to be an asset to Riverhead and the surrounding communities,” Ms. Maldavir said. “As people age, and maybe they have chronic illnesses at different levels or as the dementia progresses, it’s good to know you have options. And I’m glad that we can provide that other care option in Riverhead, because people need choices.”

kzegers@timesreview.com

Photo caption: One of the people participating in Day Haven’s programs. (Kelly Zegers photo) 

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When Kyle Soper of Manorville awoke Saturday morning, he knew he’d be racing a Late Model later in the evening at Riverhead Raceway. When Jack Orlando of Calverton awoke Saturday morning, he knew due to a high fever and double ear ache he could not compete in his Crate Modified. Contact between the two parties was made and the rest, as they say, is history.

Soper led all 30 laps of the Crate Modified race. Later in the show, Soper won his third Late Model race of the year.

Over his young career, Soper has won in the Legend Race Cars, Late Models, Crate Modifieds and NASCAR Modifieds at the track.

In a 25-lap Late Model race, Soper overtook Jeremy McDermott of Riverhead, a former three-time champion, on Lap 18. The championship leader held the lead the rest of the way for his ninth career win. McDermott was second. Jarrod Hayes of Calverton drove from a 13th starting berth to come in third.

Michael Rutkoski of Mattituck was the runner-up in the Crate Modified while Dave Brigati of Calverton, the two-time defending champion, raced his way to third.

Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead is dominating the Figure Eight class this year. For the fifth time in six races, the defending champion ended up in victory lane at the conclusion of a 15-lap main event. It was his 40th career win in the division. Eric Zeh of Selden was second and Vinny Delaney of Holtsville third.

Jack Handley Jr. of Medford made his fourth trip to victory lane this year, winning a 20-lap Blunderbust event for his 25th career victory. Cody Triola of Bay Shore was second and defending champion Tom Pickerell of Huntington third.

Veteran Jim Sylvester of Massapequa collected his first win of 2018 in a 20-lap Legend Race Car feature. Eric Hersey of Commack was second, with Mike Benton of East Hampton posting a career-best third-place finish.

Brandon Esposito of Famingville turned in a 20-lap Mini Stock victory for his first win in the class this season. Paul Wojcik of Centereach finished second and Russ Jansen of Medford placed third.

In a 40-lap Gut & Go Enduro, Christian Conklin of Riverhead won for the second time this year. Dege Russell of Rocky Point and Pickerell were the next two finishers.

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A 23-year-old Riverhead man was arrested on a felony burglary charge, according to Riverhead Town Police.

Taiheem M. McKay was arrested in connection to a May 4 robbery at a home on East Avenue, police said. The victim reported an unknown person entered through a side window and removed several hundred dollars. An investigation led to the arrest of Mr. McKay, according to a press release.

He is charged with felony burglary and criminal mischief.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has any information is asked to contact the Riverhead Police Department at 631-727-4500.

Photo caption: Taiheem M. McKay, 23, of Riverhead.  (Riverhead Police Department courtesy photo)

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Commercial fisherman in New York are in the midst of a fluke fishing closure that will run until the end of the month. 

The closure began Sunday, and when it reopens Aug. 1, fishermen will be limited to a daily limit of 50 pounds of fluke. 

“That’s not even a box of fish,” said Riverhead fisherman Phil Karlin, who noted boxes are typically 60 or 70 pounds. 

The state Department of Environmental Conservation that enforces the federal quota restrictions notified fisherman of the closure via mail several days before, saying it was necessary to preserve fish for the fall,  Mr. Karlin said. 

“It’s putting a hardship on all fishermen,” Mr. Karlin said. “We’ve had it tough as it is. To close it in the middle of the summer like this is not good.”

Ultimately, something needs to be done about the fluke quotas the federal government sets for New York in general, Mr. Karlin said. 

Local commercial fisherman have long felt confined by the quotas while other states along the east coast have higher quotas. They’ve said the allocations are based on incomplete, incorrect and outdated data and put New York fishermen at a disadvantage. 

State Senator Ken LaValle and State Assemblyman Fred Thiele called on the state to keep its previous promises to bring litigation that aimed to strike down the fluke quotas for New York commercial fishermen. 

Governor Andrew Cuomo had visited Montauk in 2013 promising to do so, and issued a further warning to do so this past year spring, when state attorney general’s office filed a petition with the federal government to establish fair quota allocation for the state’s commercial harvest, the state legislators noted. 

“Our commercial fishing industry is an essential element in the fabric of the East End,” Mr. LaValle said in a statement last week. “It is way past time that New York State steps up to support our local fishermen by immediately filing suit to obtain equitable quotas. We need the Governor and the Attorney General to file the lawsuits immediately. Too many of our fishing families are being harmed by the discriminatory quotas. This needs to stop now. Assemblyman Thiele and I will continue to fight for the industry in every manner possible.”

kzegers@timesreview.com

Photo credit: Phil Karlin of PE & DD Seafood in Riverhead docks on Mattituck Inlet. (Kelly Zegers file photo)

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Two people were arrested after allegedly robbing a man and punching him in the face on West Main Street Sunday night, according to Riverhead Town police.

Police responded to a report of a stolen wallet at about 7 p.m. and found the victim was robbed of $600 by two people. Two suspects in the area were detained and were arrested following an investigation by detectives.

The victim identified both suspects and Jamar Newkirk, 22, of Riverhead and Kyisha Dozier, 30, of Riverhead were both charged with one count of second-degree robbery.

The victim sustained minor injuries during the robbery but did not require medical treatment, police said.

Both suspects were arraigned Monday in Riverhead Town Justice Court and pleaded not guilty. They were both represented by court-appointed attorneys.

Ms. Dozier has 12 prior convictions, including one for felony DWI and nine misdemeanors. Mr. Newkirk, who is unemployed, has seven misdemeanor convictions.

Judge Allen Smith set bail at $10,000 for both. Mr. Newkirk is due back in court Tuesday and Ms. Dozier is due back Friday.

Mr. Smith said the cases could go before a grand jury in the next several days.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has information is asked to contact police at 631-727-4500.

Photo caption: Jamar Newkirk, left, and Kyisha Dozier.

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My name is Melissa Stasi-Thomas and I own Little Miss Sew It All in Wading River.

Every day is different here. We have sewing lessons for children ages 6 to 16, so we’re basically an after-school activity.

We have regular classes where we teach children how to sew. On the weekends, we have drop-in sewing where we complete a little project with them — usually a stuffed animal. We have birthday parties on the weekends where they can make either pajama bottoms or one of those stuffed animals.

We have our summer camp, Project Funway, going on now where the children make an outfit and every Friday we have a fashion show in the courtyard.

I’ve been teaching sewing for 15 years. I’ve been sewing for 47. I started at the age of four with my Aunt Mary. She would sew and I would help her and it just progressed.

Melissa Stasi-Thomas of Little Miss Sew it All. (Rachel Siford photo)

It was a hobby at first. We used to sew with my Girl Scout troop, with my daughter’s troop. A few of the other troops found out that we were the sewing Girl Scout troop, so we would visit several of them and do pajama bottom meetings so they could get their sewing badge. About 15 years ago one of the other girl scouts said, “What else can we make?” And it has progressed from there. For eight years, out of my house, we sewed at my dining room table. And then when the classes got bigger eight years ago, I opened my first studio in East Moriches and then, when the opportunity came to move here to the Shoppes at Eastwind, it was the perfect backdrop for us to move and relocate over here.

I love everything about the shop. The people and my kids are the best part of the shop.

I enjoy teaching them. Some kids take it very seriously. Some just come to have fun and we have fun right along with them. I believe it is a lifelong skill, so whether they’re going to pursue it as a career or sew for fun, sew with their kids when they get older, I just enjoy watching them progress from being afraid of the sewing machine to being comfortable behind it. It’s the best job in the world.

“The Work We Do” is a News-Review multimedia project profiling workers around Riverhead Town. It is made possible by Peconic Landing in Greenport. See more photos on Instagram @riverheadnewsreview. 

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As you drive along Sound Avenue, you might notice something missing.

The cattle that once grazed in front of Martha Clara Vineyards no longer live at the Riverhead winery. They were relocated about a month ago to a farm upstate, officials from the vineyard said. 

The representative said she couldn’t give a reason for the animals’ departure and was unsure about any future plans for bringing in more animals to the farm.

The vineyard, which is part of Big E Farm, has only a few horses left, officials said. 

Big E Farm was the home of the late Robert Entenmann, a former executive at Entenmann’s Bakery who died in September 2016. 

The property was recently sold for $15 million to a family group headed by Mexican businessman José Antonio Rivero Larrea. 

Mr. Rivero Larrea is the founder of Rivero Gonzalez, a family-owned winery and vineyard he launched 20 years ago in Parras de la Fuente, Coahuila.

The Corcoran Group, which handled the sale, billed it as the highest priced “residential” sale on the North Fork in a decade. The property, which had been on the market since 2014, was originally listed at $25 million. It had been in contract for sale since last December.

nsmith@timesreivew.com

Photo caption: Scottish Highland cattle at Martha Clara Vineyards. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)

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Life is good if you’re a Riverhead Tomcat these days.

The Tomcats continued their fine run in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League, hammering the Southampton Breakers, 10-0, in a mercy-rule shortened game Tuesday. Chris Stefl and Alex Baratta each drove in three runs and Tyler Henry (3-0) allowed four hits over five scoreless innings, lowering his league-leading ERA to 2.37. The seven-inning game at Veterans Memorial Park in Calverton was stopped after 2 hours, 7 minutes.

The Tomcats (20-13-3), winners of seven of their last 10 games, sit in first place with 43 points, one more than the second-place Long Island Road Warriors (21-13).

The Tomcats have the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 leaders in batting average in Louis Antos (.424), Baratta (.378) and Eduardo Malinowski (.376).

Baratta went 3-for-5 for the Tomcats, who had a pair of RBIs from Antos and three runs from Matt Daller. Daller doubled twice as part of Riverhead’s 10-hit attack.

Henry, who had two strikeouts and two walks, enjoyed a nice lead following a five-run second inning. It was 8-0 after three.

Riverhead’s Nick DeSalvo and Beau Keathley each picked up a scoreless inning in relief.

Cam Post had a pair of hits for the last-place Breakers (10-24-1).

Photo caption: Chris Stefl, making a catch in rightfield, delivered three RBIs for Riverhead. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

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A split Riverhead Town Board said on Tuesday that it will require Calverton Aviation & Technology to submit a more detailed analysis of its finances before voting on their proposal to buy 1,640 acres of town-owned land in Calverton for $40 million.

The swing vote — although the board didn’t take an official vote — was Councilman Tim Hubbard, who admitted that his position on CAT has previously been “all over the place.”

“Given the circumstances of what has been presented to us in terms of the financials from CAT, it’s not possible for me to vote in favor of this project without having more information,” Mr. Hubbard said Tuesday night.

“So my request, and I spoke to the supervisor and the other board members, is that I would like to have CAT be able to provide us with the correct financials that we need to make an educated decision on this project,” he added.

Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith and Councilwoman Catherine Kent, both Democrats, sided with Mr. Hubbard, a Republican.

Republican  Jim Wooten did not, and Republican Jodi Giglio said, “You have three votes. I’m not going to say no, I don’t want to see the financials, but I am saying the information I’ve seen thus far is satisfactory to me.”

She said it doesn’t have to be a “forensic audit, we’re not looking for a needle in a haystack. We’re just looking to  somebody to certify that they have the wherewithal to buy the property and build it out.”

“We should be seeing all of the financial documents,” Mr. Kent said, adding that it should be done in a public forum because the Town Board represents the public.

Mr. Wooten said that Triple Five Group, CAT’s majority owner, has been investing in the community and will create jobs on the EPCAL property.

“This has been the town that couldn’t get it done for 20 years,” he said, referring to the length of time the town has owned the Enterprise Park at Calverton.

At issue is the requirement in the “qualified and eligible sponsor” designation that must be achieved before the town can sell land in a urban renewal area such as EPCAL.

The Q&E requires the buyer to submit a development plan and to show that they have the finances and ability to carry out the purchase and plan.

Triple Five has not agreed to make those documents public.

However, Ms. Giglio said that Triple Five has indicated that it would it would provide financial information if the town could agree to keep them confidential. She said town finance administrator Bill Rothaar was not comfortable doing this analysis himself, and so the town reached out to four large accounting firms and was told they would charge between $50,000 and $100,000 to review CAT’s finances.

Ms. Jens-Smith said the town asked Triple Five to pay that cost, but they declined.

Ms. Giglio said that the outside attorneys the town hired for this project have said that only one prior Q&E applicant, Riverhead Resorts, presented financial details. Mr. Rothaar had recently told the Board that CAT didn’t provide any of the financial information the town requested.

Triple Five is a privately-owned company which built the Mall of America in Minnesota and the West Edmonton Mall in Canada — two of the largest shopping and entertainment centers in North America.

Stuart Bienenstock, Triple Five’s director of business development, attended Tuesday’s meeting but declined to comment afterward, saying he wanted to talk to Triple Five’s lawyers first.

Ms. Jens-Smith said Triple Five had previously declined to pay for a third-party investigation of its finances, but she planned to ask again.

The Town Board had previously closed the Q&E hearing on Triple Five, meaning no new information can be submitted in the hearing process.

Photo caption: Councilwoman Jodi Giglio and Councilman Tim Hubbard at Tuesday’s meeting. (Credit: Tim Gannon)

tgannon@timesreview.com

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An apparent lightning strike sparked an attic fire at a Wading River home Tuesday afternoon, according to Riverhead Town police.

Firefighters from the Wading River, Riverhead and Rocky Point fire departments responded to the scene on South Road after the call came in at 5:19 p.m., police said.

The fire was in the rear of the home, which is tucked away amid winding roads in the neighborhood off North Side Road.

No injuries were reported.

The Riverhead fire marshal was on scene to investigate.

No power outages were shown in the area following the thunderstorm as of 7 p.m., according to the PSEG Long Island outage map.

Photo credit: Nicole Smith

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The Southold Historical Society is presenting “Clink! A Toast to Long Island Wine,” a visual essay exhibition of the history of wine on Long Island.

The historical society took a unique crowdsourcing approach to curate the exhibit. Members of the community and the wine industry were asked to donate or loan artifacts that showcased the beginnings and growth of North Fork vineyards.

“We had a few roundtable discussions in the beginning of this process and we did a kind of crowdsourcing,” explained Deanna Witte-Walker, acting director of the historical society. “We tried to put it out to people so that we weren’t just using things from our collection.”

The exhibit includes soil samples from Bedell Vineyards, a vintage grape crusher and corkscrews. Retired Southold chef John Ross also gifted a piece of artwork that features corks from various North Fork wineries from 1994,

Southold Historical Society trustee Margaret “Lee” Cleary, who curated the pieces, said the idea for the exhibition came from a lack of display of the area’s wine history.

“There’s no wine exhibit, no museum and [the vineyards] are 50 years old now,” said Ms. Cleary, adding that the historical society received a number of photographs and paintings from local artists pertaining to the Long Island wine industry. Some of the photographs on view were loaned from Louisa Hargrave, the North Fork’s first vineyard owner.

The exhibition, made possible by a grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, can be viewed Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. — and Wednesdays by advance appointment — in the Mayne Gallery at the Ann Currie-Bell House on Main Road in Southold.

A donation of $5 per person and $10 per family is suggested.

Photo caption: The exhibition is now on display through Oct. 7. (Erika Peters photo) 

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The state Department of Health released its full report on the possible impact of regulating marijuana in New York State last week, recommending that recreational use be legalized.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered the assessment in January. The 74-page report includes a review of health, criminal justice, public safety, economic and educational impacts.

Among the economic benefits, the state estimates that, depending on the percentage, up to $678 million in tax revenue could be generated if recreational use were legalized. Beyond that, according to the report, regulation would create jobs in the industry and is expected to reduce costs associated with illegal marijuana, such as police time and prison fees.

The report reviewed programs in other states where recreational marijuana is legal and recommends education as the key to public safety. It also notes that surrounding states are looking into legalization as well.

“Several neighboring jurisdictions have legalized marijuana or are likely to soon,” according to the report. “Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine and Canada have legalized marijuana. Legalization is under discussion in New Jersey as well.”

As for implementation, the health department said the system should be designed to diminish the unregulated marijuana market.

“Implementation of a regulated marijuana program will require legislative and regulatory approaches that address the diverse needs of the State and the differing needs of a regulated marijuana program in rural regions compared to those in urban areas,” according to the report.

Following state health commissioner Howard Zucker’s announcement of the recommendation last month, local stakeholders commented that they expect regulation of a recreational program to be heavy and that there would likely be interest from local growers.

The report touches on different approaches to marijuana growing based on existing programs in other states, such as Massachusetts, which issues different licenses with different fee structures for growers and producers, manufacturers, testing, retail and distribution.

The Department of Health recommends that New York follow a model similar to Massachusetts, but acknowledges that the state would need to establish further requirements for each step of the supply chain.

“Further consideration is needed to determine who will review and issue licenses and how often they will be updated,” according the report.

Despite the report’s positive outlook on the benefits of regulation, a legislative hurdle remains. The state Legislature would have to vote on a law to approve legalization.

“The positive effects of a regulated marijuana market in NYS outweigh the potential negative impacts,” the report concludes. “Areas that may be a cause for concern can be mitigated with regulation and proper use of public education that is tailored to address key populations.”

kzegers@timesreview.com

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The Riverhead Town ethics board may be facing additional work as it continues to weigh a complaint made against Councilwoman Jodi Giglio.

John McAuliff, a spokesman for the Coalition Against EPCAL Housing — which filed an ethics complaint against Ms. Giglio in April — says that group now plans to ask the ethics board to look into potential conflicts involving former town community development agency director Christine Kempner. She joined Ms. Giglio to meet privately with members of Triple Five Group on March 12 to discuss the proposed sale of town land at Enterprise Park at Calverton.

Ms. Kempner also worked as a broker on Triple Five’s bankruptcy sale acquisition of Dowling College’s Brookhaven campus, according to a bankruptcy court document.

“We are going to add to the complaint [against Ms. Giglio],” Mr. McAuliff said. “I don’t know if, technically, it’s in addition to the complaint, or just a letter saying ‘hope you’re aware of this information and take it into consideration.’ ”

Town officials say they weren’t aware of Ms. Kempner’s involvement in the Dowling purchase until they read about it on RiverheadLOCAL Friday. 

“Triple Five Aviation Industries LLC contacted us through their broker, Christine Kempner of Whale Rock Realty, on Jan. 25,” a bankruptcy court document reads. 

“These are definitely issues for our ethics board to wrestle with,” said Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith. She said the ethics board has been asked to weigh in on these situations, which she considers new information.

Ms. Kempner, who resigned from a position with Brookhaven Town last week, said she has no conflict of interest in Riverhead Town. 

The town’s “revolving door” law prohibits former employees from appearing before their former town agency for six months. She said she left the town in May 2017. 

She said she first talked to Triple Five on Dec. 26, 2017, in a phone call.

“They were asking me about Calverton, and I told them I thought the highest and best use of the property was aeronautics and high tech,” she said

She said she had even draw up a plan for an advanced technology hub at the property.

Ms. Kempner said the Dowling property was an open listed sale, in which she would get a commission from the seller, not Triple Five, because she introduced them to the property.

“It’s a public bankruptcy auction, and I used all the forms approved by the court,” she said. “Nothing was done behind closed doors.”

The only bankruptcy court document that mentions her was filed May 31. 

“There’s a couple of issues here,” Ms. Jens-Smith said. “She stands to make quite a commission on this deal and she attended the meeting in the city with Jodi. Did she disclose that to Jodi, that she stood to make some money on this commission? Or did she not tell Jodi and Triple Five felt very comfortable going into this meeting knowing that they were there with someone who was in business with them, and not disclosing it to Jodi?”

Ms. Giglio said in an interview Tuesday that she was not aware that Ms. Kempner was a broker in a deal involving Triple Five. 

Ms. Jens-Smith said she asked Stuart Bienenstock of Triple Five at a public work session on April 5 if they were in business with Ms. Kempner, and he said no. 

Mr. Bienenstock said in an interview Tuesday that he did not disclose the relationship with Ms. Kempner because there was a non-disclosure agreement in place.

“This deal with EPCAL is based very much on the town having trust with this company,” Ms. Jens-Smith said. “Yet even with the small things, when they are asked, they are not being truthful with us.”

Mr. McAuliff added: “It starts with us learning only about Jodi’s private meeting, and then later on, we find out that Chris Kempner was with her as a friend and a lawyer. Now we discover this other potential role that she has.”

Ms. Jens-Smith believes there are other potential conflicts involving Ms. Kempner, such as having Town Hall listed as the mailing address for her real estate company and the fact that she was chair of the Community Development Agency at the time the agreement of sale with Luminati Aerospace was signed by former supervisor Sean Walter in March 2017. 

Luminati now owns a 25 percent interest in Calverton Aviation & Technology; Triple Five owns the rest. CAT is the entity seeking to buy the EPCAL property, although Triple Five says Luminati has no voting power in CAT.

“As CDA director, she was the manager of the EPCAL property,” the supervisor said. “ She has knowledge of the deal and knowledge of everything. What information was shared with Triple Five that was confidential versus not confidential? We don’t know.”

Ms. Kempner said the mailing address was just an oversight and is not criminal. As for being CDA director in March 2017, she said she hasn’t been employed in that position for almost 14 months.

tgannon@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Former town community development agency director Christine Kempner. (Riverhead News-Review file photo) 

The post Will former town official’s link to CAT impact ethics ruling on Giglio? appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A baseball field can be an awfully dangerous place, even before a game.

Or, perhaps better stated, especiallybefore a game.

A reminder of that was served about 90 minutes before Friday’s Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League game at Aviator Field in Westhampton when North Fork Ospreys player Ben Terwilliger went down after being struck in the head by a line drive during batting practice.

Terwilliger was trotting after a ground ball along the leftfield line with his back to the batting cage when a sinking liner hit by Matt Almonte clocked him in the back left side of his head. Terwilliger dropped to the ground. Coaches and players attended to him and he was able to rise to his feet and walk to the dugout, clutching an ice bag to the back of his head.

“At first, it’s just like a blunt force right to the head basically,” Terwilliger said after the game. “Then you just go down. It’s like a lot of ringing in your head … It was numb, but I was able to bounce back.”

Terwilliger, winner of the league’s recent Home Run Derby, played as a designated hitter in the Ospreys’ 10-3 win. He went 0-for-3, walking twice, scoring two runs and picking up an RBI.

As scary as the incident was, perhaps an even scarier situation materialized on the same field July 7 when the Ospreys’ Tom Brady was hit in the face by a line drive while taking a lead off third base. Although Brady appeared to escape serious injury, it was a horrifying sight for Ospreys coach Bill Ianniciello, who was serving as the third base coach at the time.

Horrifying “was the exact word I used,” Ianniciello said. “It was horrifying because I’m standing right behind the kid and from behind all I could see was it hit him. I didn’t know where in the face … He was just stunned.”

Getting hit by a ball like that is an occupational hazard for players, coaches, umpires and anyone else at a game.

Terwilliger said, “As soon as you step on the field, there’s always the risk for injury, you know, and that’s the risk you take, but it’s for the game we love.”

• Summer fun for Pansini

Alex Pansini, a Marist College sophomore from Westfield, N.J., is enjoying his summer. Not only is he getting to experience beaches and vineyards on his first visit to Long Island, but he’s developing further as a member of the Ospreys’ starting pitching staff.

Entering Monday, Pansini had a 2-2 record with a 2.33 ERA. In 27 innings, he had allowed 33 hits, with 26 strikeouts and six walks.

“I do miss home a lot, but it’s kind of fun to do something different in the summer,” said Pansini.

Like many HCBL players, Pansini saw limited action as a college freshman. The 6-1 righthander appeared in seven games, with an 8.74 ERA from 18 1/3 innings.

Pansini throws a fastball, slider and changeup. He wants to gain better command of all his pitches so he can throw them on various counts.

“It’s mostly just commanding pitches and getting people off-balance and hopefully getting outs,” he said.

• Yearbook photo

The HCBL’s 2018 yearbook has come out. The cover photo is a group shot with one player from each of the league’s seven teams (infielder Tyrese Clayborne represents the Ospreys) sitting behind three penguins at the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Ben Terwilliger follows through on a swing while playing as a designated hitter for the North Fork Ospreys Friday. Earlier in the day during batting practice he was struck on the head by a line drive. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

The post Ospreys Notebook: Sometimes baseballs hit back appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

The Jamesport Fire Department held its annual parade Wednesday night leading up to the carnival that will continue through the weekend at the George Young Community Center.

The carnival runs from 6 to 11 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 4 to midnight on Saturday.

See more photos from Wednesday’s parade and carnival below: