Bishop McGann-Mercy Diocesan High School’s closing this past June didn’t mean the end of the playing careers for a number of former Monarchs. Three of them didn’t have to go far to find new football homes.

Seniors Austin Beyrodt and Liam Egan and junior Ethan Aube all say they have made the adjustment, trading in their Mercy green and gold for Riverhead blue.

“The school is different,” said Egan, who the Blue Waves have used at tight end, fullback and middle linebacker. “Football is football.”

Of course, going from a small Suffolk County Division IV team to a larger Division II team is a change, but the threesome maintain there isn’t a dramatic difference in the caliber of play.

“The competition is definitely a lot more physical, but aside from that — they’re a little bit faster, a little bit stronger — but mentality[-wise], most of the kids have the same idea of what they’re doing,” said Beyrodt, a center, linebacker and long snapper.

Perhaps the most striking difference is the attendance at home games. “Just more people,” said Egan.

While Beyrodt and Egan were both with the Blue Waves in training camp, Aube took a detour, first attending St. Anthony’s, where he didn’t play, before recently transferring to Riverhead. Riverhead’s 41-0 home loss to Centereach Saturday was his second game with the team.

“I knew I wanted to play football; it was just a matter of where,” said Aube, a quarterback/middle linebacker. “It’s my hometown and graduating here, it’s going to be fun. Playing with kids from your hometown is really nice.”

All three live in Riverhead. Aube and Egan said they knew, with Mercy’s closure, that they wanted to keep playing football. As for Beyrodt, he had to give the matter some thought. “I had second thoughts about it coming into the season,” he said, “that I wasn’t going to play originally, but guys on this team that I met outside of Mercy and Riverhead encouraged me to play, and now I’m here.”

Meanwhile, former Monarchs are playing and coaching at other schools. Will Razzano is at Holy Trinity. Christian Doroski and Evan Kappenberg are both at St. Anthony’s. Gabe Schrage is at Longwood. Former Mercy coach Jeff Doroski is coaching Westhampton Beach’s junior varsity team and his former assistant, Phil Lombardi, is coaching at Harborfields.

The ex-Monarchs still keep in touch. “I talk to them every day,” said Aube.

Egan said he knew he would play football after leaving Mercy. Riverhead was the obvious place.

At Riverhead, the three have more freedom than at Mercy, which had a dress code and certain restrictions. “I like it,” said Egan, sounding fully adapted to Riverhead life.

Egan, in particular, has made a smooth transition to the field. He has caught 14 catches for 106 yards, including a touchdown, as well as catching a pair of passes for two-point conversions. Defensively, he has 20 tackles, one for a loss, and a fumble recovery. He also blocked an extra-point attempt by Bellport’s Christian Moreno on Oct. 6.

In an interview after a practice last week, Aube said he has plenty of nice memories from his time at Mercy, but “I’m just happy to be here.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Riverhead’s Liam Egan (second from right) blocking an extra-point attempt by Bellport’s Christian Moreno (31) on Oct. 6. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk file)

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The two candidates vying to represent New York’s 1st Congressional District will face off in a debate hosted by the Mattituck Chamber of Commerce next week.

Incumbent Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) is running for his third term against Democrat Perry Gershon, a businessman.

The debate is slated for Wednesday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. at the Vineyards at Aquebogue.

A New York Times and Siena College poll conducted Oct. 4-8 shows Mr. Zeldin leading in the race by eight points.

Pollsters made 27,178 phone calls and spoke with 502 constituents within the district, which encompasses the five East End towns, all of Brookhaven Town and some of Smithtown.

Of those, 49 percent said they would cast a vote for Mr. Zeldin; 41 percent indicated they would vote for Gershon. Ten percent of voters in the district reported being undecided about how they will vote.

Based on the interviews, the poll shows Mr. Zeldin is viewed favorably by 48 percent and unfavorably by 35 percent of respondents while Mr. Gershon is viewed favorably by 29 percent and unfavorably by 27 percent of those who took the survey.

Forty-four percent told the New York Times they were unfamiliar with Mr. Gershon, compared to 17 percent who are unfamiliar with Mr. Zeldin.

The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 4.6 points.

Mr. Zeldin’s campaign team said the poll comes as no surprise. “[The poll] reflects the continued, widespread support [Mr. Zeldin] has in every corner of this district,” said Chris Boyle, communications director for the Zeldin campaign.

“This is also the result of hundreds of volunteers and supporters on the ground walking door to door, making phone calls and requesting lawn signs to help get the message out,” Mr. Boyle said.

President Trump tweeted support for Mr. Zeldin in late September, saying the incumbent has his “complete and total endorsement.”

“Congressman Lee Zeldin is doing a fantastic job in D.C. Tough and smart, he loves our country and will always be there to do the right thing,” the president said.

A separate poll completed Oct. 8-10 by D.C.-based GBA Strategies shows Mr. Zeldin ahead by just three points, with 49.5 percent to Mr. Gershon’s 46.2 percent.

Their margin of error is reported to be plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

“Every indication is that there’s a great grassroots surge breaking Perry’s way. Other polls, including one completed after the Times poll, show NY-1 in a statistical dead heat,” said Alexandra Dakich, press secretary for Mr. Gershon’s campaign. “We’ve knocked on 150,000 doors. It all leads to tremendous confidence Perry will win the only poll that matters, on Election Day.”

In September, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee designated the NY-1 race as part of its “Red to Blue” program, which identifies high-priority campaigns across the country.

NY-1 has historically been a battleground district, flipping between parties. Mr. Zeldin won his second term in 2016 by 16 points against former Southampton Town supervisor Anna Throne-Holst.

Other polling organizations, including the Cook Political Report, FiveThirtyEight and Center for Politics show the district as “likely” to vote for a Republican candidate.

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 6.

tsmith@timesreview.com

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Dozens of Boy Scouts and their family members representing Troop 161 of Shoreham stood in solidarity inside a Central Islip courtroom Tuesday morning as the man charged with killing a 12-year-old boy in an alleged drunken driving crash was arraigned on a 16-count indictment.

Thomas Murphy, 59, of Holbrook pleaded not guilty to the upgraded charges, including the top charge of aggravated vehicular homicide, before Judge Fernando Camacho. Mr. Murphy had a blood alcohol content of 0.13, which is above the legal limit of .08, prosecutors said. That BAC was taken more than three hours after the Sept. 30 crash in Manorville, so prosecutors said that number is extrapolated to 0.19.

Mr. Murphy will remain free on the initial $500,000 bond he posted after his Oct. 1 arraignment on the first misdemeanor DWI charge.

More than 75 people filled the courtroom in support of the victims, including young scouts in their uniforms. The family of Andrew McMorris, the Wading River boy who died, led the group, all of whom were wearing red shirts or red ribbons.

District attorney Timothy Sini said that Thomas Lane, the 15-year-old Shoreham boy who suffered serious injuries, has since been released from the hospital and is home recovering.

“The defendant will be held accountable for his actions,” Mr. Sini said after the arraignment. “Nothing will bring Andrew back but we will seek justice to this case.”

District attorney Timothy Sini speaks outside the courtroom as the McMorris family stands to his left. (Credit: Cyndi Murray)

The McMorris family and dozens of other Troop members stood behind Mr. Sini as he spoke to reporters outside the courtroom. The family declined comment.

Mr. Sini added that his office is doing its best to resolve the case quickly and efficiently.

“We all need to pull together and be there for the McMorris family, be there for the Boy Scout community and for our part, we will pay justice,” he said.

Assistant district attorney Jacob DeLauter said during the court appearance that Mr. Murphy had been golfing that morning with associates at Swan Lake Golf Club in Manorville and he began drinking vodka as early as 9:30 a.m. The crash occurred just before 2 p.m. on David Terry Road as the Boy Scouts were walking northbound on the shoulder of the road after a hiking trip.

“They should’ve been out of harms way,” Mr. DeLauter said.

Thomas Murphy of Holbrook pleaded not guilty to a 16-count indictment. (Credit: Cyndi Murray)

The ADA said someone had offered to drive Mr. Murphy to his next location since he was intoxicated and he declined and locked the doors to his 2016 Mercedes. At least one witness observed him swerving out of his lane, Mr. DeLauter said.

Mr. Murphy’s attorney, Stephen McCarthy Jr. of Manhattan, read a statement on behalf of his client outside the courtroom following the arraignment. Mr. Murphy said it was his intention “to accept responsibility” so that the victim’s families would not endure a long court proceeding.

The statement read:

“A beautiful, wonderful child lost his life. I can never make that right.

To the parents and family of Andrew McMorris, I want to express my deepest sorrow, sympathy and prayers.

I am a parent. I know that nothing can fill the void left by the death of your beloved son. I am so very sorry.

To the wonderful, special boy who was so severely injured, Thomas Lane, his parents and family, I want also to express how very sorry I am.

My prayer is that Thomas make a full recovery. Again, I am so remorseful for his injuries.

To all of the other boys who were injured, I am very sorry.

I, along with my attorney, and my family, will review the indictment that has been given to me this morning.

I will also review the evidence that has been presented against me.

It is my ultimate intention to accept responsibility for my role in this tragic accident, so that perhaps, the healing for the victims, especially the McMorris family, will not be delayed by my court proceeding.”

Attorney Stephen McCarthy Jr. reads a statement outside the courtroom Tuesday. (Credit: Cyndi Murray)

The 16-count indictment features 10 felony charges. Mr. Murphy faces up to 25 years in prison for the aggravated vehicular homicide charge. Additional charges listed include second-degree vehicular manslaughter, aggravated DWI and second-degree assault, among others.

Police took a blood sample from Mr. Murphy, after obtaining a warrant, on the afternoon of the crash. He had refused a breath test at the scene, prosecutors said. The blood sample was taken at approximately 5:42 p.m., more than three hours after the crash, according to the criminal complaint.

The next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 27.

rsiford@timesreview.com

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As legal marijuana gets closer to becoming a reality in New York, state officials are asking the public: How can we get it right?

In September, the Department of Health launched a statewide listening tour bringing community organizers, physicians and pro-cannabis activists together to share their input as the state’s Regulated Marijuana Workgroup begins crafting language for an adult-use recreational marijuana law.

“We are not here to build consensus, but rather gather input,” from a variety of viewpoints, said Sandra Houston, a Department of Health official who moderated a session held in Ronkonkoma Tuesday evening.

Over 100 people packed a ballroom at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center to voice their opinion for or against marijuana legislation.

“The cat’s out of the bag,” said Suffolk County resident Larry Lodi. “People are using cannabis.” Mr. Lodi said that a regulated program would allow for proper testing of the product and generate much-needed tax revenue for the state.

The Department of Health report estimated that tax revenue in the first year alone could generate up to $678 million.

Another middle-aged resident, who asked to be identified by only his first name, said he has been regularly using marijuana since his youth, but it hasn’t negatively impacted his life: he’s married, has children, runs a business. 

“I don’t want to feel like a criminal anymore,” Dave said. “I get away with it because I’m white, but people are getting racially profiled for this and that’s not fair either.”

Racial disparity plagues the criminal justice system, some activists said. Despite a 2014 decision by New York City not to make arrests for low-level marijuana possession, data from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services for the first three months of 2018 show that many people — mainly black and Latinos — are still being arrested for minor offenses. According to their report, 93 percent of people arrested by the NYPD from January-March of 2018 were New Yorkers of color.

Nicole Nunez, a student at Farmingdale State University and youth organizer with Make the Road New York, a nonprofit that works with immigrant communities, spoke out against biased marijuana policing.

“We cannot continue to criminalize only young and communities of color for the use of marijuana,” Ms. Nunez said. “The collateral damage can be crippling for the same behavior that is ignored in wealthier, white communities,” she said, adding that tax revenue should be reinvested into communities “most harmed by past policies,” like the War on Drugs.

Under the proposed Marijuana Regulation And Taxation Act in New York, marijuana would be legalized for adults over 21 and seal the criminal records of those previously convicted for low-level charges.

Some speakers said 21 is still too young, citing studies that show brain development continues into the mid-twenties.

“It will send the wrong message to our youth,” said Ruthanne McCormack, project coordinator with the Rockville Centre Coalition for Youth. She said that in her community, teens already see a “highly low perception of risk,” related to alcohol and marijuana. She also expressed concern that legal products could be marketed toward children, like discreet vaping devices and edible marijuana products.

Several physicians stood on both sides of the issue.

Dr. Charles Rothberg of Patchogue said legalization poses public health concerns. “Twenty years ago, there was a rush to urge our health community to treat pain aggressively. We were sure that new opioids were safe. If only we could turn back the clock,” he said.

Dr. Tanya Adams, a physician from Setauket, disagreed, adding that the drug has been used safely for thousands of years. 

“The relative risk of cannabis is exceedingly low,” she said, compared to other regularly prescribed drugs including opiates.

A Hempstead man said he was prescribed opioids for pain management, but didn’t like the side effects. “Opioid based medicines had me on the couch feeling like a zombie. I smoke marijuana and I’m able to function in society as a normal person,” said Will Avalos, an Army veteran.

Current medical marijuana patients also expressed dissatisfaction with the current system. Ashley Hunt-Martorano of Medford said she was thrilled when she qualified for the program two years ago due to a rare neurological condition. “I quickly found it was very expensive,” she said, and not covered by insurance. 

Increased competition by legalization, she said, could bring prices down. 

“Right now, the medical marijuana program is only available for people of a certain socioeconomic status,” Ms. Hunt-Martorano said. “Recreational marijuana could bring the cost down for those of us who need it for medical purposes.”

New York is one of 29 states that have welcomed medical marijuana. In 2016, Riverhead become home to the county’s first medical marijuana dispensary on West Main Street.

Beverage distributors are also hoping to tap into the legal market.

Kevin McKillop, who owns Riverhead Beverage, spoke with Mike Boufis, owner of Bullseye Beverage in Smithtown.  

“When it does become legal, we would like to be considered to be able to sell [marijuana] in New York State,” Mr. McKillop said.

Mr. Boufis added that beverage distributors could help safely regulate the product. 

“We are already well equipped for all age detection We have license scanners and are highly trained,” he said.

Those on both sides of the issue agreed that the state should proceed with caution.

Suffolk County Department of Health Commissioner Dr. James Tomarken said that while this will “very likely” become policy, the public should consider long-term consequences. “It’s not a done deal in terms of knowing that it’s safe,” he said.

Christine Casiano, chief administrative officer at Outreach, a substance abuse treatment organization, said as a parent of two, she’s “deeply worried” about legalization. “I do feel a bit like this is an express train that has already left the station,” she admitted. So instead of railing against marijuana, Ms. Casiano said the state should slow the process and ensure safeguards are put in place “so the train doesn’t go out of control.”

She suggested increase drug prevention programming, strict control of marijuana products, ensuring products aren’t marketed toward children, preparing for how use will be regulated in public settings, and how impairment will be dealt with on the roads and in workplaces.

Feedback will be brought back to the work group as they draft potential legislation. Gov. Andrew Cuomo established the multi-agency workgroup in August after a New York State Department of Health report released in July concluded that the positive effects of a regulated marijuana program in the state outweigh potential negative impacts. The group is tasked with considering economic impacts, public health and criminal justice.

Gov. Cuomo ordered the assessment in his budget address in January.

Nine other states and Washington D.C. have legalized recreational marijuana use for adults over 21. 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.

Comments made during the listening session reflect the results of a recent poll conducted by South Nassau Communities Hospital in September. Residents of Suffolk and Nassau counties and the five boroughs were polled and the hospital found that 50 percent of respondents support legalizing recreational marijuana, 40 percent do not, and 10 percent are unsure.

Written comments on the proposed regulated marijuana program can also be emailed to rmls@health.ny.gov.

tsmith@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Dozens spoke at the Tuesday night Regulated Marijuana Workgroup. (Tara Smith photo)

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In the first of a number of scheduled events featuring both candidates for the 1st Congressional District, U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) and Democratic challenger Perry Gershon answered a battery of questions Monday evening about their environmental views, posed by some of the region’s most vocal environmental protection advocates.

Mr. Zeldin, who has been given low grades for his voting record by the event’s hosts, the League of Conservation Voters admitted that he thinks protection of the environment nationwide has been weakened by the Trump administration’s rollbacks of environmental regulations. He split from President Donald Trump’s stance on climate change by saying he believes the warming climate has been caused or exacerbated by human activity.

At the same time, Mr. Zeldin defended his own record while in Congress and spotlighted what he saw as environmental successes for the region — funding support for Long Island Sound and the National Estuary Program — and his own opposition to the administration’s proposal to open the Eastern Seaboard to offshore oil exploration.

“I believe it is hugely important that we have stringent standards to provide clean air and clean water,” he said. “We have to set ambitious goals, but they have to be attainable goals.”

Mr. Gershon, for his part, was resoundingly critical of the Trump administration’s “attack” on the environment and said that voters in the 1st District and elsewhere should elect representatives next month who will vote to stall the administration’s anti-environmental policies.

“Like many institutions in this country, the environment is under attack by the current administration,” Mr. Gershon said. “It used to be the role of a congressman was to ensure money flowing to the environmental projects in your district. But there is an attack on clean air and water standards, there is an attack on the [Environmental Protection Agency], and we need a congressman who is going to stand up to this administration.”

Mr. Gershon’s view was clearly shared by the hosts of Monday’s debate and the three environmental advocates who posed the questions to the two candidates.

“We think the environment is a bipartisan issue,” Adrienne Esposito, the executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said in posing one of her questions. “Yet the Trump administration seems to be working very hard at eviscerating protection measures while Suffolk County regularly receives an ‘F’ for air quality.”

Each candidate appeared separately before the panel and audience of 150 people for about 40 minutes each, answering the same questions.

Outside the event, which was held at the Suffolk County Community College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Center on Main Street in Riverhead, dozens of Gershon supporters gathered holding signs, angry that they were barred from filling the only half-full room, because college staff had set a limit on the number of attendees. Nearby, a pickup truck with an American flag mounted in its bed adorned with Zeldin banners played patriotic music.

Some Gershon supporters said that people who had registered to attend the event through Mr. Zeldin’s website had been unfairly allowed to take up all the chairs in the audience before those who registered through Mr. Gershon’s site could get in. But the audience inside appeared about evenly split between supporters of Mr. Zeldin and those of Mr. Gershon.

Mr. Zeldin and Mr. Gershon are scheduled to hold a handful of debates or forums at which both will be in attendance — as compared to the dozens that have been the tradition between the candidates for the 1st District seat. Both men are scheduled to sit for a forum hosted by the Press News Group and Sag Harbor Express Thursday, Oct. 25, that will not be open to the public but will be televised on LTV and SeaTV. There will be a public debate between both candidates at Hampton Bays High School Monday, Oct. 29, hosted by the League of Women Voters, with The Press participating.

On Monday night, Mr. Zeldin made nary a mention of his opponent, who a recent poll showed is trailing him by 8 percentage points, and actually toed some of the same policy lines that Mr. Gershon leapt across with both feet. Each man said he would support more federal funding for expanding sewer systems on Long Island to help improve water quality. Mr. Zeldin said there is also substantial state funding available for such projects.

The men differed on how to address sea level rise, with Mr. Gershon saying that moving development off the coastline must ultimately be the goal, while Mr. Zeldin said that sand replenishment projects and other protections, when suitable, could protect homes and businesses from sea level rise.

“You can put Band-Aids—they work sometimes, they don’t work sometimes — but the real answer is to move back away from the shores,” Mr. Gershon said. “And the steps we should be taking to make our future better is to fight climate change.”

Mr. Gershon called for Congress to restore funding to the EPA and once again press for enforcement of clean air and clean water standards abandoned by the Trump administration. “We need members of Congress that are making sure the EPA is doing what the EPA is supposed to do,” he said.

Mr. Zeldin pointed to Long Island, which draws much of its power from inefficient decades-old diesel power plants. Requiring upgrades would help efficiency, but would be costly. “I don’t want to support something just because it sounds good,” he said.

Mr. Gershon said the federal government should entirely abandon Trump administration proposals to sell off some federally owned lands for mineral exploration and to turn control of others over to states to oversee. Mr. Zeldin said he agreed, but that such issues, particularly in western states, are more complicated than most Long Islanders understand.

He pointed to his own lobbying to keep Plum Island in federal ownership after the disease research labs are moved to new facilities in Kansas sometime after 2022, and said he wants to see public access to the property increased and the mostly undeveloped nature of the island kept intact.

While Mr. Gershon noted Mr. Zeldin’s legislative opposition to the Trump offshore drilling plan, he said that Eastern Long Island’s congressman should be advocating for incentives to boost the use of alternative energies like solar power as well as electric vehicles.

With a subtle hint at what he expects will be another successful reelection bid, Mr. Zeldin closed by urging supporters of both sides to start thinking about how they will comport themselves after Election Day.

“My message to anyone who is running … we need to do a better job of working together,” Mr. Zeldin said. “Regardless of whether you come in first or second, you accept those results and work together. This is what America is all about.”

The author is a writer for The Southampton Press.

Photo caption: Congressman Lee Zeldin and Perry Gershon spoke at Monday’s debate. (Michael Wright photos)

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They’re Ryan and Ryan.

No, it’s not a law firm, just Riverhead High School’s top two cross-country runners.

The 6-foot-3 Ryan Carrick and 6-1 Ryan Keane have the ideal physiques for cross country. Both are tall and lean, with long-legged strides that eat up ground underneath them.

And the two seniors have both been team leaders, on the course and off.

In the process, the two Ryans have been making each other — not to mention their teammates — better and faster through their efforts.

“Your team is the most important thing,” said Carrick, following in the footsteps of the graduated Luke Coulter and Eric Cunha as Riverhead’s top runner. “Nobody understands that. It’s such an individual sport, but you know, if I didn’t have Ryan, if I didn’t have the guys, it’s so hard to stay motivated. It’s such a rigorous sport where you’re constantly beat down by negative things that it’s nice to have teammates to keep bringing you up, to keep pushing you.”

Carrick is striving to finish his high school cross-country career in what would be his first state meet Nov. 8 at Sunken Meadow State Park. Last year he failed to qualify, coming in 28th in Class A in the state qualifier in 18 minutes, 4.16 seconds on an unseasonably warm afternoon. Earlier in the season, he was third in Division III in the division championships on the same 3.1-mile course in 17:35.31.

This year Carrick has finished first in all of Riverhead’s League III races, except for one in which he took second.

“Ryan has performed well all season,” coach Matt Yakaboski said. “He’s lean and mean on the course. … He’s really developed as a leader, taking the team under his wing.”

Carrick himself is pushed by the other Ryan, Keane. They have known each other since they were in elementary school and are friends outside of cross country and track and field. The symbiotic relationship has benefitted both of them in practices.

“It’s just crazy,” Keane said. “We go on these runs and, you know, Ryan Carrick’s faster than me, and I try to use that to my advantage. I try to keep up with him until my body just doesn’t allow me to do that any more, and I’ve noticed that it will yield good benefits when it comes race time.”

Carrick said Keane “helps me a lot, and we’re really just on the same page about a lot of things. … He’s always there to motivate.”

After Carrick and Keane, Riverhead, which finished the league season with a 2-4 record, has three sophomores — Ben Catanzaro, Gabe Burns and Matt Yakaboski, the coach’s son. The next runners on the rung are seniors Michael Cunningham and Eoin McElhinney.

So, it’s easy to see the great change in store for the team next year, when it will return only three of its top seven runners.

“It’s going to be a big hit,” said Matt Yakaboski.

Keane, however, believes the younger runners will develop fine for next season. “There’s been a lot of friendly competition, all the kids, and we’ve seen it benefit them significantly,” he said. “They’re making each other faster. [It’s] a very young team, so there’s a lot of prospects and we’re hoping that when we leave, you know, we can kind of rub off on them. They could do what we did, and hopefully better.”

As Keane spoke, Carrick was encouraging teammates running around the track during a practice.

It would seem that Carrick has plenty of self-motivation — the opportunity to run in a rare state meet on Long Island. The last time the state meet came to Long Island, Sunken Meadow hosted it 10 years ago.

“I think I’m definitely like a different cross-country runner, by far, because last year, right when the season started, right when the school year started, we started cutting back the miles,” Carrick said. “We were in the middle of the season. But this year we haven’t cut back the miles yet. We’re still running long runs. We’re still really putting in the work.”

The Ryans estimate they’re running 40 to 45 miles per week.

“My end goal is the state meet,” Carrick said. “That is exactly what I’m thinking about. That would mean a ton to me.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Riverhead seniors Ryan Carrick (left) and Ryan Keane during a break in practice last week. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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The Riverhead Town Board approved a new five-year contract for the Police Benevolent Association that calls for annual salary increases of two percent for each of the first three years and 1.5 percent for each of the past two years.

The PBA has been without a contract since 2015. This contract starts retroactively in 2016 and ends in 2020.

“The PBA’s membership goes to work every day to protect us, and it was only right that we give them a fair deal,” Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith said in a release.

Retroactive increases will be paid when the employee leaves the job, and it will be paid based on the then prevailing salary rate of the employee at the time, or the employee’s salary rate as of Jan. 1, 2023, whichever is less, according to the contract.

Councilman Tim Hubbard, who was involved in the negotiations with Ms. Jens-Smith, said the deal is “extremely fair to the town and very fair to the PBA,” during the Riverhead Town Board meeting Tuesday night.

He said the PBA agreed to some givebacks in the deal.

“The PBA realized that they could do more to help the Town cut expenses and they suggested cost saving measures to allow the town to do just that,” Mr. Hubbard said in the release. “I cannot praise them enough for their willingness to work with us to get results not only for their membership, but for Riverhead.”

The contract will make Riverhead the first police department on the East End to have all current employees paying into their health insurance, officials said. Active officers will pay 15 percent into their health insurance premiums and 10 percent of their retirement cost.

Under the previous PBA contract, the town paid 100 percent of their health insurance premiums.

Other “highlights” from the contract, officials said in the press release, include an increase in night differential pay, a shortened promotion timeline for detectives and increased clothing, K-9 and equipment allowances.

“The PBA negotiating team is happy that the current administration was able to work out a fair deal for the PBA and the Town,” said PBA president Dixon Palmer in a release.

The PBA represents police officers and detectives.

The Town agreed to a new contract with the Superior Officers Association in July. The bargaining unit, which represents lieutenants and sergeants, also had been without a contract since 2015.

The board voted 4-0 to approved the PBA contract Tuesday. Councilman Jim Wooten, a former town police officer as well as a former PBA president, was absent.

Mr. Hubbard also is a retired town police officer.

tgannon@timesreview.com

Photo caption: The Town Board approved the contract Tuesday. (Tim Gannon photo)

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Rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds overhead during sporadic rain. Someone suggested that perhaps that was an encouraging sign that the Riverhead High School boys soccer team has a bright future ahead of it.

“I think so,” coach Evan Philcox said. “There’s some symbolism there.”

Over the course of this season, Philcox couldn’t help but feel that his team took one step forward and then another step backward. Those highs and lows — and everything in between — made for a maddening inconsistency. Riverhead’s level of play rose and fell like a volatile stock market.

“It’s not even from game to game,” Philcox said. “It’s from half to half; it’s from minute to minute.”

Now that the minutes have run out with a 4-2 loss to Half Hollow Hills East in the final game for both teams Wednesday, the Blue Waves can take a degree of solace in the sense that they’ve been more competitive in games and weren’t victimized by as many lopsided results as in the past.

Still, work remains to be done.

Riverhead’s record (2-13-1 overall and in Suffolk County League II) ended up remarkably close to the 3-12 it registered last year. Those fluctuations in the team’s play need to be ironed out.

“That’s what kind of killed us this season,” said center midfielder Chris Cortave, one of 12 Blue Waves to receive flowers as tokens of appreciation on Senior Day at the Pulaski Sports Complex in Riverhead.

True to its ways, Riverhead had some good moments as well as some bad.

“I think that’s who we are,” Philcox said. “We had moments of playing really well. We had moments where we fell asleep for three seconds and the ball’s in the back of the net.”

It was a bit of a crazy game, a rematch of a 2-2 draw between the sides on Sept. 27. Riverhead twice took one-goal leads, only to see them evaporate with three second-half goals by Steven Mariani, Zach Cunningham and Mason Arnberg.

The memorable moment of the match, unquestionably, was Mariani’s second goal of the game, a tremendous strike of a 45-yard free kick. Like a laser beam, the liner dipped ever so slightly into the upper left corner, leaving goalkeeper Owen Cassidy with no chance. That tied the score at 2-2 with 24 minutes and 31 seconds left in the second half.

“That was ridiculous,” said Philcox.

In addition to wowing the spectators, the blast lit a fire on Hills East’s offense. Just 5:28 later, Cunningham, after Tyler Zaremsky dropped the ball off for him, ripped a long-range effort as well that flew high into the net.

With 6:45 left, Arnberg blasted a shot in off Cassidy’s leg for the final score. Ethan Koval had his second assist of the day on that one.

Ian Lull set up both Riverhead goals, by Cortave and Davit Kebadze.

Kebadze had turned on a ball, firing a fierce left-footer that goalkeeper James Duffy did well to tip over the crossbar. On the ensuing corner kick by Lull, though, the ball was bouncing in the penalty area before Cortave nailed it home for his second goal of the season at 27:03.

“I was just so hyped,” Cortave said. “I don’t know. It just felt good to score in my last game.”

Koval’s quickly taken free kick sent Mariani forward for an equalizer 1:38 before halftime.

But Riverhead shot ahead again 5:54 into the second half. A cutting through ball from Lull sent Kebadze in on Duffy. After tapping the ball to the left to avoid the onrushing Duffy, Kebadze slid it in.

With 9:14 left in the second half, Riverhead had a chance to even the score at 3-3 after Kebadze drew a foul in the penalty area. But Lull’s penalty shot to the left was parried aside nicely by substitute goalkeeper Reid Feldman.

“It was low, hard in the corner and he guessed the right way,” Lull said. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”

Hills East (6-9-1, 6-9-1) picked up its second win in eight games. Riverhead closed out its season with five straight losses since a 2-0 win over Connetquot on Oct. 3.

“We fought hard, you know, it’s just unfortunate the outcome doesn’t go your way,” said Lull, who bagged a team-leading six goals this season and has 13 over two years. “We played good as a unit, we defended well, but they just eventually beat us on the scoreboard. It happens.”

Riverhead loses four senior starters and is expected to return six players next year.

“Numbers are not a problem; talent is not a problem,” Philcox said. “Cohesion is our problem. It’s a matter of us putting it together and playing for each other.”

Perhaps Cortave noticed those rays of sunshine sneaking through the clouds. Asked how next year’s team will be, he replied: “There’s plenty of talent. There’s a lot of talent.”

And, perhaps, a sunny future.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Senior center midfielder Chris Cortave (closest to the camera) is congratulated by Riverhead teammates after scoring the game’s first goal. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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Electronic signs are now positioned on Route 25 to remind drivers passing by the Riverhead Charter School in Calverton just how fast they’re going. 

Meanwhile, the Riverhead Town Police Department will place an officer outside the school to direct traffic, according to Chief David Hegermiller. 

State Sen. Ken LaValle said that after learning that Superintendent Raymond Ankrum had been direct traffic outside the school himself, he reached out to the state Department of Transportation to install more effective signage advising drivers of the presence of buses, pedestrians and the school itself. 

Lately, Mr. Ankrum has donned a bright orange vest and hat twice daily and spent about 45 minutes each morning and 45 minutes each afternoon directing traffic outside the school because there’s no one else to do so.

The section of Route 25 that runs past the K-8 school has a 50 mph speed limit. 

Last year, Mr. Ankrum said, Riverhead police assigned a crossing guard assigned to the school. But that person was hit by a car while directing traffic and is still unable to work.

This year, town police initially said they were unable to provide a crossing guard, which prompted Mr. Ankrum to take it on himself — even though he’s neither trained nor authorized by police to do so, according to Chief Hegermiller. 

Photo caption: Riverhead Charter School Superintendent Ray Ankrum directs traffic. (Tim Gannon file photo)

Officials have tried in the past to convince the state to reduce the speed limit near the school, but have had no success, Mr. Ankrum said. 

Mr. LaValle said in a Facebook post that the regional office of the state Department of Transportation is taking steps to conduct a traffic study on Main Road by the charter school. The last such study was done in 2009. 

“The early indications are that there is a need for lowering the speed limit, in addition to more signage and pavement markings,” Mr. LaValle wrote. “I will keep the district abreast of any new developments that arise and share the results of the study when they are available.”

Mr. LaValle said the DOT will be moving temporary signage to the location in the next few days to better alert drivers of the presence of buses, pedestrians and the school itself.

tgannon@timesreview.com

Photo caption: New signs posted on Route 25 in Calverton alert drivers to their speed. The speed limit near Riverhead Charter School, however, is still 50 mph. (Courtesy photo)

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UPDATE: 6:45 p.m.: A 53 year-old Aquebogue man was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital after being ejected from his vehicle during a head-on crash in Aquebogue this morning.

Chris Hollborn suffered serious head injuries as a result of the 11:31 a.m. crash in front of the Vineyards at Aquebogue, according to Riverhead Police.

Police said David Gordon, 77, of Mattituck was driving a red 2018 Tesla westbound on Main Road when he crossed the double yellow lines and collided with a red 2016 Dodge Ram operated by Mr. Hollborn.

The Riverhead Fire Department heavy rescue extricated Mr. Gordon from his vehicle before he was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital by Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance with non-life threatening injuries .

Mr. Hollborn was transported via Suffolk County Police helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital with serious head injuries, officials said in a press release.

There were no passengers in either vehicle.

Riverhead Police Detectives arrived on scene to investigate with the assistance of the New York State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit.

Main Road remained closed for nearly five hours after the crash.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the accident to contact them at 631-727-4500 ext. 321.  

ORIGINAL STORY: A serious crash on Main Road in Aquebogue involving two vehicles blocked traffic in both directions for about five hours.

At least two injuries were reported, including one driver who was ejected, following the crash around 11:30 a.m. Thursday near The Vineyards at Aquebogue. A pickup truck and sedan were the vehicles in the crash.

A Suffolk police medevac helicopter landed near the crash scene to airlift one patient to Stony Brook University Hospital.

Riverhead firefighters responded to the crash along with members of the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Traffic was blocked off between Church Lane and Tuthills Lane as police cordoned off the crash scene with crime tape. The road remained closed in that stretch until 4:30 p.m. as police investigated the scene.

The condition of the victims or further details on the cause of the crash were not immediately available.

This post will be updated with additional information as it becomes available.

Top photo caption: Firefighters on scene by the mangled vehicle on Main Road in Aquebogue Thursday. (Credit: Tara Smith)

Police tape marked off an area by the crash Thursday. (Credit: Tara Smith)

The pickup truck and sedan collided Thursday. (Credit: Tara Smith)

tsmith@timesreview.com

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The proposed Riverhead Islamic Center on Harrison Avenue took another step forward last Thursday night when the town Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously granted a zoning variance allowing the center to have more parking than the town code permits.

The ZBA vote would permit the proposed center, located diagonally across from Riverhead High School, to have a parking lot that is 64.8 percent paved or “impervious,” whereas the maximum allowed by the code is 15 percent.

“We expect the congregation to grow, which would require additional parking space,” said project architect Brian Fisher. “This would keep the vehicles on site, and limit the need to have them park on Harrison Avenue, which would be on the street, across from Harrison Avenue.

“We would like to have these stalls already in place. This seems like a safe approach,” Mr. Fisher said.

The variance would permit the creation of 62 parking stalls, instead of 45.

“”We just granted something similar to a Christian church in Wading River,” said ZBA member Frank Seabrook. “I don’t have a problem with this.”

The Riverhead Islamic Center is proposed for 1.24 acres at 751 Harrison Ave. The proposal would involve renovation of a boarded-up building on the property for use by the mosque’s religious leader, or imam.

That building, when completed, would be approximately 1,800 square feet.

The mosque itself would be housed in a separate two-story, 6,500-square-foot masonry-type building that would be built on the site, according to the plans.

In August, about 30 Muslims attended a Planning Board hearing, several of whom spoke in support of the proposal, saying there currently are no mosques in the area and they must travel great distances to mosques in western Suffolk. They said there is a large Muslim population in Riverhead.

The Planning Board has yet to formally vote on the proposal.

Mr. Fisher said afterwards that they were required to go to the ZBA and to go back to the Architectural Review Board, which they had previously gone to earlier in the year.

There were no speakers other than Mr. Fisher at last week’s ZBA hearing.

tgannon@timesreview.com

Photo caption: The proposed residence of the mosque’s religious leader. (Tim Gannon photo)

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The developer of a proposed 170-unit apartment complex at the former Sears site on East Main Street said he’ll provide far more parking spaces than the 88 originally proposed for the project.

Robert Muchnick of the Metro Group, who is under contract to buy the property from Riverhead Enterprises, told the Riverhead Business Improvement District Management Association Wednesday night that he would provide at least one parking space per unit, and possible more.

“I’m not going to cause any hardship in terms of parking for any of you,” he said.

Commercial developments within the town’s public parking district are not currently required to provide parking because property owners in the district pay a tax for the right to park there.

The district was created in the 1960s at a time when the commercial development was mostly stores and not apartments. The town has recently seen a number of apartment complexes built that provide no parking or far less parking than units.

The town is considering new rules that would require new apartment buildings to provide parking for its tenants.

“I understand the big thing is probably parking,” Mr. Muchnick told the BIDMA. “When I first started this, there was no requirement to provide any parking. And I understand that’s changing drastically so I’m in the midst of changing my design to incorporate a lot of parking.”

In addition to providing more parking, Mr. Muchnick said he is offering to pay the $165,000 needed to restripe and redesign the parking lot north of Main Street to provide 67 new spaces there.

Mr. Muchnick also said he may seek a variance from the town Zoning Board of Appeals to allow him to build parking spaces that are more narrow than the Town Code permits. This would turn the 88 spaces into 120 spaces, he said.

The site of the proposed complex. (Tim Gannon file photo)

While all of the new apartments buildings in recent years in downtown Riverhead have been affordable or “workforce housing” rentals, Mr. Muchnick is hoping to build 100 percent market rate apartments.

Members of the BIDMA support that idea.

BIDMA president Steve Shaugher said every study he has seen on revitalizing downtowns indicates that market rate rentals are needed.

Mr. Muchnick said he would also like to charge for the parking.

He said if his tenants don’t want to pay for parking, residents of the adjacent Riverview Lofts apartments might. That project has 116 units and only provides 55 parking spaces.

If the rents for the apartment are sufficient he may not need to charge for parking, he said. He could also allow public use of the parking under the right circumstances, he said.

Mr. Muchnick is asking the BIDMA to write a letter of support for his project to the Town Board, which has the final say on the proposal.

BIDMA member Dee Muma said the tenants at the recently built Peconic Crossing apartments — which has 45 units but only 35 parking spaces — are taking the parking behind her restaurant at night.

“If you’re going to supply 1.1 or 1.2 parking spaces per unit… hooray!,” one BIDMA member said. “I don’t think we could ask for anything more.”

Parking at the proposed complex was the top concern for the Riverhead Planning Board during its Thursday afternoon meeting. Members were unaware of Mr. Muchnick’s verbal promise to the BID about adding more parking, which is not reflected in the site plan on file. Mr. Muchnick was not in attendance Thursday.

“There’s a shortage of parking in that area,” co-chair Ed Densieski said.

Mr. Densieski also said he didn’t like the proposed facade of the building. There were also concerns about how construction would be managed along with Riverview Lofts next door.

The Planning Board’s comments will be passed along to the Town Board as part of the SEQRA scoping process. tgannon@timesreview.com

WITH TARA SMITH

Photo caption: Robert Muchnick of the Metro Group, who is under contract to buy the property from Riverhead Enterprises, spoke at Wednesday’s BID meeting. (Tim Gannon photo)

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Riverhead Town police are searching for a suspect in an alleged robbery that occurred in downtown Riverhead Thursday evening, according to a press release. 

Police said a woman who had been walking near the intersection of Riverside Drive and East Main Street was approached by an unknown black male who grabbed her and demanded money.

The man reached into the woman’s pocket and took off with $140 cash before fleeing on foot, according to police.

A Suffolk County Sheriff’s K9 officer assisted in the search, but the suspect was not located.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone that may have witnessed the incident is asked to call the Riverhead detective division at 631-727-4500 Ext. 326. All calls will be kept confidential, according to police.

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A developer is seeking permission to construct a new 7-Eleven on West Main Street in Riverhead.

The 3,062 square-foot store would be built on the south side of West Main Street, just east of Osborn Avenue. An existing automotive repair shop would be demolished to make way for the 7-Eleven.

Plans for the convenience store were initially discussed during a Planning Board meeting in August. With several other 7-Eleven stores in town, board members asked the applicants to return with revisions to the layout and facade of the building.

“We wanted you to come back and impress us,” said planning board co-chair Ed Densieski at a meeting Thursday.

Project engineer Eric Meyn of Bohler Engineering in Hauppauge presented amended plans that reflect comments made by the state Department of Transportation, town Architectural Review Board and Landmarks Preservation Commission.

According to the applicants, Area Real Estate Associates of Garden City, the DOT will require a one-way entrance and separate one-way exit that would not permit left turns out of the site.

Under amended plans, the exterior of the building would incorporate brick after officials suggested they use materials consistent with existing buildings in the downtown historic district.

Parking remains a top concern for Richard Wines, chairman of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

“We don’t want to see cars in front of the building,” he said.

Mr. Meyn suggested adding landscaping or a low picket fence to shield the view of the parking lot from the street.

Instead, Mr. Wines said he’d rather see the building turned to the side, thus moving the parking lot to one side and the rear of the building, similar to what was done at the 7-Eleven constructed in Flanders in 2014.

But changing the layout could impact other areas of the site plan, Mr. Meyn said. “Once we shove the parking to the back, you’re extending the drive aisles just to access the parking. So the impervious area is increasing right away and it’s going on eat into the amount of parking we actually provide,” he said.

Town code requires 13 spaces per the square footage; they are proposing 18.

The engineer also noted that the parking lot would still be visible even if the building is turned.

Still, the changes weren’t enough to impress planning board members. “Some of the Planning Board didn’t like the generic, country-style 7-Eleven,” said town planner Karin Gluth, recalling an earlier discussion of the plans. “This looks pretty similar to the generic country style 7-Eleven, except it’s brick.”

Project real estate developer Irwin Krasnow noted that they incorporated brick at the direction of the Architectural Review Board and the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which wanted the building to match what’s already on Main Street. “We’re not trying to be stubborn,” Mr. Krasnow said, adding that he was trying to balance requests coming from several different boards and agencies. “I just don’t know if I can accomplish everyone’s wish list.”

The group must also seek permits from the town Conservation Advisory Council and NY State Department of Environmental Conservation due to their proximity to the Peconic River.

Mr. Densieski agreed that the design was mundane. “I don’t think anybody’s too happy on this side of the table.”

Ms. Gluth asked the applicants to return to the drawing board and present two new drawings with different site layouts.

Though revising the plans will be a challenge, Mr. Krasnow agreed. “I still think at the end of the day, it’ll be so much nicer than what exists there today,” he said.

tsmith@timesreview.com

Photo caption: The site of the proposed 7-Eleven on West Main Street in Riverhead. (Tara Smith photo)

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The North Fork Animal Welfare League now has a new animal shelter for Riverhead Town.

The NFAWL, which had originally been seeking to build a town shelter at the Enterprise Park at Calverton, has instead purchased a six-acre property on Church Lane in Aquebogue that had until recently been used as a kennel and dog grooming site since 1984, according to Gillian Wood-Pultz, the executive director.

“We realized it was already already a shelter, so it was a perfect fit for us,” she said. “It’s six wooded acres and we’re in the middle of it.”

The NFAWL is planning to have both dogs and cats at the new shelter. The Youngs Avenue site it is leaving was not big enough to handle cats, she said.

Meanwhile, plans for the town-owned EPCAL site were dropped.

“We were trying to make the EPCAL project feasible, because it seemed like a great idea,” she said. “It seemed like a great marriage at the beginning.”

The NFAWL planned to build a new kennel on the south portion of EPCAL while using the existing Henry Pfeiffer Community Center building as space for cats as well as for offices.

“Unfortunately, based on the geographics of where the site is located, the town needed a variance from both the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the Suffolk County Department of Health. And years into this project, and we still weren’t fully permitted,” Ms. Wood-Pultz said.

The town’s animal shelter on Youngs Avenue, which NFAWL is moving out of, is located across from the town landfill and next to Crown Recycling, as well as the place where the town buries roadkill.

“We were literally working in the dump,” Ms. Wood-Pultz said. “The smell of death was wafting over us all the time, and walking dogs on Youngs Avenue was fairly dangerous with all the trucks going back and forth all the time.”

NFAWL has been in contract with Riverhead Town to operate an animal shelter and to be the town’s animal control department since 2013. The Riverhead shelter has five full-time employees and two parters, along with a number of volunteers.

The nonprofit organization also has been under contract with neighboring Southold Town to run its shelter since 1980.

The new shelter is the former site of Scoshire Kennels, whose owners wanted to retire, Ms. Wood-Pultz said. They were operating the kennel right up until the beginning of October, and NFAWL began moving into the site the day after the sale was finalized Wednesday, she said.

“This is so much better already than where we were,” she said. “It’s already infinitely better than the shelter we had before we’d even done a single renovation.”

Ms. Wood-Pultz expects to have all the animals moved into the new location by Monday.

NFAWL will not leave dogs outside at night, and it will have a staff member who is a dog trainer living in a home on the site, Ms. Wood-Pultz said.

“We will be extremely conscientious of our neighbors, who are pretty far away to begin with,” she said.

It will continue to do all the same programs and services it has been doing.

“Everything will be the same, we’re just doing it out of a nicer place,” Ms. Wood-Pultz said.

Photo caption: Gillian Wood-Pultz, the executive director of NFAWL. (Credit: Tim Gannon)

tgannon@timesreview.com

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UPDATE: 6:45 p.m.: A 53 year-old Aquebogue man was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital after being ejected from his vehicle during a head-on crash in Aquebogue this morning.

Chris Hollborn suffered serious head injuries as a result of the 11:31 a.m. crash in front of the Vineyards at Aquebogue, according to Riverhead Police.

Police said David Gordon, 77, of Mattituck was driving a red 2018 Tesla westbound on Main Road when he crossed the double yellow lines and collided with a red 2016 Dodge Ram operated by Mr. Hollborn.

The Riverhead Fire Department heavy rescue extricated Mr. Gordon from his vehicle before he was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital by Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance with non-life threatening injuries .

Mr. Hollborn was transported via Suffolk County Police helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital with serious head injuries, officials said in a press release.

There were no passengers in either vehicle.

Riverhead Police Detectives arrived on scene to investigate with the assistance of the New York State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit.

Main Road remained closed for nearly five hours after the crash.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the accident to contact them at 631-727-4500 ext. 321.  

ORIGINAL STORY: A serious crash on Main Road in Aquebogue involving two vehicles blocked traffic in both directions for about five hours.

At least two injuries were reported, including one driver who was ejected, following the crash around 11:30 a.m. Thursday near The Vineyards at Aquebogue. A pickup truck and sedan were the vehicles in the crash.

A Suffolk police medevac helicopter landed near the crash scene to airlift one patient to Stony Brook University Hospital.

Riverhead firefighters responded to the crash along with members of the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Traffic was blocked off between Church Lane and Tuthills Lane as police cordoned off the crash scene with crime tape. The road remained closed in that stretch until 4:30 p.m. as police investigated the scene.

The condition of the victims or further details on the cause of the crash were not immediately available.

This post will be updated with additional information as it becomes available.

Top photo caption: Firefighters on scene by the mangled vehicle on Main Road in Aquebogue Thursday. (Credit: Tara Smith)

Police tape marked off an area by the crash Thursday. (Credit: Tara Smith)

The pickup truck and sedan collided Thursday. (Credit: Tara Smith)

tsmith@timesreview.com

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Three area projects were recipients of Suffolk County’s Downtown Revitalization grants this week.

The county doled out over $500,000 in total to 11 downtowns throughout the county.

• The Riverhead Town Public Parking District received $74,925 to remove the existing concrete islands and restripe the town parking lot north of Main Street.

The proposal, which has been proposed by local architect Martin Sendlewski for several years, would create an additional 67 parking spaces in the so-called “Woolworth lot,” while removing some trees and concrete islands.

The town had hoped to use grant money and parking district funds to enact Mr. Sendlewski’s proposal. The estimate then was about $140,000.

At the Riverhead Business Improvement District Management Association meeting Wednesday night, developer Robert Muchnick said he will pay the $167,000 now needed to restripe the north parking lot, and if the town receives a grant beforehand, he will still donate that money to the town for parking improvements.

Mr. Muchnick is proposing to build a 170-unit apartment complex on the south side of East Main Street. The land is in the parking district as of now, but the Town Board is considering changing that. Mr. Muchnick originally proposed 88 parking spaces, but has since said he will likely have at least 170 parking spaces and likely more.

• The Flanders, Riverside and Northampton Community Association received $30,000 in grants for upgrading an existing walking and biking entryway from County Route 94 to Riverhead Town’s Grangebel Park.

The upgrade will add permeable pavers, benches, lighting and bike racks, officials say.

• The Mattituck-Laurel Civic Association received $56,300 in grants to redesign and rebuild the Raymond Dean Municipal Parking Lot in Mattituck.

The plan calls for adding 30 more parking spaces.

“Our downtowns are essential to keeping our region competitive and attracting the high skill, high knowledge workers we need to grow our local economy,” said County Executive Steve Bellone in a press release.

The county had received 18 applications for the grants, of which 11 were chosen.

Since 1997, the county has awarded $12.2 million in funds for downtown revitalization initiatives.

tgannon@timesreview.com

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Members of the Riverhead High School Gay-Straight Alliance were honored prior to the Riverhead Town Board meeting Tuesday night.

The Town Board issued a proclamation to recognize Oct. 11, 2018 as “Coming Out Day” in Riverhead. National Coming Out Day is an annual LGBT awareness day that dates back to the late ’80s.

“National Coming Out Day above all else though should serve as a celebration of a person’s journey to realizing not only who they are, but also a turning point from the loneliness and self-denial of concealing one’s identity, to the fulfillment of being true to one’s self to claim dignity, empowerment and self-respect, as well as the tolerance and support from others that is deserved by all,” the proclamation reads.

Teachers Jennifer Howlett and Caitlin Sheridan are the advisers for the high school GSA club.

Photo caption: Members of the Riverhead Town Board and the high school Gay-Straight Alliance club pose for a photo Tuesday night. (Credit: Tim Gannon)

National Coming Out Day by Timesreview on Scribd

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Taxi companies operating in Riverhead could see hikes in permit fees as town officials consider increasing them for the first time since 2012.

According to current town code, companies must obtain an owner’s permit for $500, as well as an operator’s permit and a vehicle permit for $100 each. Those fees were approved by the Town Board in December 2011 and took effect the following month, according to deputy town attorney Erik Howard, who discussed the proposal at a work session last Thursday.

Mr. Howard noted that the current fee structure is moderate compared to those in other towns. Both Southampton and East Hampton towns charge $750 for owner’s permits, $200 for vehicle permits and $100 for operator’s permits.

“It appears that the farther east you go, the more you get charged, basically, for all of your permits,” he said.

Councilwoman Jodi Giglio said that any fee increase should be justified by the amount of work involved in processing the permits.

“How much time does it take to process a renewal?” she asked Town Clerk Diane Wilhelm.

“Not a tremendous amount of time, but it’s a waiting period,” Ms. Wilhelm said, adding that the process involves multiple offices, including the town attorney’s office, police department and code enforcement.

Safety concerns about taxis and other vehicles for hire were also discussed. “It’s an appropriate question in light of what happened,” Councilwoman Catherine Kent said, referencing a limousine crash in Schoharie, N.Y., that left 20 dead. The vehicle involved in the crash failed a recent inspection, according to media reports.

Ms. Wilhelm said that to issue permits, the town requires valid insurance, inspection, registration and vehicle information as well as medical clearance, fingerprints and photographs for drivers.

As an added safety measure, she said, operator’s permit renewals must include a letter from the town Justice Court to show that there are no outstanding tickets or violations against the driver.

Under Mr. Howard’s proposal, the fee schedule would increase to $700 for an owner’s permit, renewable annually at $350, and $200 for a vehicle permit, renewable for $100. Operator permits would remain at $100. “This [code] is going on seven years old,” Mr. Howard said, adding that it should be updated to reflect rates in neighboring municipalities.

Ms. Giglio expressed concern that the fee hike could lead to fare hikes, affecting seniors and other residents who rely on taxi services to get around.

“I think we need to figure to what it costs us to review one of these applications” and set the fees accordingly, she said.

Councilman Tim Hubbard asked if the proposal would address the proliferation of ride-sharing services like Uber that operate in Riverhead.

“If we’re going to rope in Uber and Lyft and the other ride-for-hire apps, my suggestion would be that we review the code and put some new definitions in,” Mr. Howard said, adding that the town taxi code requires things like decals and dome lighting.

“I don’t know if that’s practical, to be honest with you,” said Councilman Jim Wooten.

He used an example of someone using Uber to get from Queens to Riverhead, and the driver then picking up additional fares while in the area.

“It would be very difficult to track,” Mr. Hubbard said.

Before they agree to raise fees, Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith asked Mr. Howard to review the schedule with various departments to justify the increases.

tsmith@timesreview.com

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Riverhead parks and recreation superintendent Ray Coyne presented a report earlier this month on the department’s programming and participation, which reflected an 11 percent increase in total registrations from 2017 to 2018.

“We’re back to where we should be,” Mr. Coyne said, noting that 4,336 people have participated in recreation department programs so far this year, up from 3,911 in 2017.

Using the data, the department identified several areas to focus on in order to boost participation.

In 2016, Mr. Coyne said, they noticed more women were signing up for programs than men, which resulted in adding programming to appeal to men such as basketball and golf. “It worked. We saw a 14 percent increase overall from 2016 to 2018,” he said.

The age group that makes the most use of town recreation programs is youth up to 9 years old, he said. Among 10- to 19-year-olds, participation has declined. 

“There’s a lot for kids in that age group besides Riverhead recreation,” Councilman Jim Wooten observed.

Another age group targeted with increased programming over three years was 20- to 39-year-olds, among whom participation has since increased by 81 percent, Mr. Coyne said.

He said participation remains strong for adults and seniors over 50. 

“Pickleball has exploded,” the superintendent said, adding that the department would need to brainstorm programs for those ages 40 to 49. Participation in that age group dipped from 77 in 2017 to just 12 in 2018.

Another area of concern Mr. Coyne’s report addressed was exercise programs.

“It’s trending down,” he noted.

While exercise programs drew 334 participants in 2016, only 268 signed up in 2018.

Classes offered include CrossFit, yoga, Zumba, cardio and a popular “Biggest Loser” program, he said.

Councilwoman Catherine Kent suggested that participation could reflect changes to workout regimens.

“Maybe some of our [classes] are not on-trend,” she said. “Exercise classes are something that kind of come and go.”

Mr. Coyne said the department would review which classes are doing better than others. Newer programs, such as beach yoga classes, have strong participation.

“Maybe we offer too many classes,” he said. “We’ve added a whole bunch and didn’t take away any.”

tsmith@timesreview.com

Photo caption: The Town of Riverhead Recreation Department on Shade Tree Lane offers programs for all ages. (Tara Smith photo)

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