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What does hunger look like on the North Fork?

Community Action Southold Town will discuss the question at its inaugural Hunger Forum Sunday, Oct. 27, at Southold High School from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. 

The event will feature a screening of “A Place at the Table,” a 2013 documentary on hunger in America directed by Lori Silverbush and Kristi Jacobson. A panel discussion will follow with Ms. Silverbush; chef Tom Colicchio; Ellen Teller,  director of government affairs for the Food Research and Action Center; Robert Carpenter of the Long Island Farm Bureau; Dr. Fatema Meah of Peconic Pediatrics; and the Rev. Roger Joslin of Common Ground Garden.

The Suffolk Times sat down with Ms. Silverbush and CAST director Cathy Demeroto to discuss the film, stigmas tied to hunger and what it means to go to bed hungry.

The following is an excerpt from the full podcast above:

Suffolk Times: Walk me through the early stages of making this film. What was your motivation for focusing in on hunger?

Lori Silverbush: I think my interest started many, many years before we started working on the film. I had partnered with some really talented, creative activists to make a film about girls in juvenile jail. It struck me then that so many young women who were going through some really rough stuff in their lives … it felt as if every single one of them had experience with hunger. … I decided to use my ability as a storyteller and filmmaker to examine and investigate why this is the case in such a wealthy nation such as ours.

ST: The film spotlights multiple individuals in America who are struggling from food insecurity. How did you find those people and decide they were the right candidates for the film?

LS: This is where Kristi’s experience as a documentarian was super helpful. She thought it would be a really good idea to reach out to service providers … and say, “Who do you think would share their story?” I think it’s critically important, when it comes to hunger … it doesn’t look in this country in the way it looks in other countries. We do not necessarily have the child with the swollen belly and the flies buzzing around — or what we think about when we think of sub-Saharan hunger, for example. … It doesn’t look like what we think, and because of that, it’s all around us and there’s a tremendous stigma in this country to hunger and to poverty.

ST: Where does that [stigma] come from, and how can we work to resolve that? And Cathy, if you want to jump in, too, or speak to it on a more local level?

Cathy Demeroto: Well, I completely agree with Lori about the hunger and food insecurity being invisible. … That’s how it is on the North Fork. The hundreds of people we see coming into CAST every week are the families where the parents are working. … It’s the elderly woman who comes into CAST because she has to make a choice if she will buy her prescription or get produce at the store. … And we have this bounty out here of farms, and we have this breathtaking beauty, and so many people don’t realize how many people are food insecure.

ST: There’s almost this juxtaposition between farming and organic food and, on the other side of it, people who are still struggling to eat and get by.

LS: I think it’s important to point out that when the numbers of people who are in this difficult position are as high as they are in this country, the margin … is so slender. … I urge people to not think about this like, “Oh, those poor people,” but as a community, and a society, we are living with a very thin margin of comfort, which, of course, brings us to larger conversations about what it looks like to address that.

For more information on the event, go to castsoutholdtown.org/events/hungerforum2019.

knalepinski@timesreview.com

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Asked what makes her Miller Place High School field hockey team as good as it is, coach Alana LaMorte provided what might sound like an odd answer. She said the Panthers don’t have a single superstar — and that’s a good thing, mind you.

“I think that really helps,” she said. “They all have each other’s back.”

The team without a superstar shined enough Thursday, though, to end Shoreham-Wading River’s season. Goals by senior Madison Murphy and junior Lizzie Doherty carried host Miller Place to a 2-0 win and, for a second straight year, SWR was bounced in a Suffolk County Class B outbracket game.

“Miller Place is always a super tough game and it’s very high intensity,” SWR defender Gabriella Meli said. “They’re the fun games, the ones you really have to work hard in. I thought we tried our hardest and we put everything onto the field because we knew this could be one of our last games, so we put our hearts into it.”

No. 4 seed Miller Place (12-5), which earned a semifinal against No. 1 Bayport-Blue Point (12-3-1) Monday, had beaten SWR twice during the regular season, once in a shootout. Would the third time be a charm for SWR?

That’s what LaMorte was concerned about. “Playoffs is a new season,” she said, “so whatever happened in the regular season doesn’t matter now.”

LaMorte expressed a healthy respect for the fifth-seeded Wildcats (8-8).

“They’re very fast,” she said. “They have a great defense. They have one of the top players in the county in Summer [Steimel]. So, we’ve had to prepare ourselves for that because we don’t really have any standout players. We all kind of just work together and hustle and try to work hard.”

That they did on a sunny day under a blue, cloudless sky.

Miller Place struck for its first goal just 7 minutes and 39 seconds into the game. The goal came off the game’s first penalty corner, with Murphy slamming a long-range shot past goalkeeper Ashley Luppens (five saves) for her third goal of the year. Taylor Guigliano assisted.

“My initial thought was it’s one goal,” Meli said. “We can definitely come back. We can score just as many as they can, if not more.”

Not on this day, though.

While goalkeeper Meaghan Stoessel went about posting a three-save shutout, Miller Place tacked on an insurance goal through Doherty (her second of the season) off a feed from Ally Schreck with 14:50 left in the second half.

“They’re definitely a good team and have a lot of skilled players and they like to capitalize on their fast breaks and they definitely hit the ball long and hard and can hustle after it, so that’s hard to defend, but we tried,” Meli said. “They were kind of relentless and never gave up.”

Asked for her take on her team’s performance, SWR midfielder Abigail Korzekwinski said: “Some points of the game we played good; others we didn’t. It’s just all about hustle.”

LaMorte, whose team took a victory lap afterward, said, “We’ve been preparing all season for playoffs and they all just stepped up and wanted to win.”

It was the final game in the high school careers of SWR’s five seniors: Korzekwinski, Luppens, Meli, Steimel and forward Madeline Rutkowsky.

What has this season been like for the Wildcats?

Korzekwinski, her voice choking with emotion, answered: “I thought it was an amazing season from the start. It was so fun, and I’m going to miss it a lot.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Abigail Korzekwinski, one of Shoreham-Wading River’s five seniors, takes a hit during the second half of the Wildcats’ 2-0 playoff loss at Miller Place. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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A proposal to build a four-story luxury apartment building in downtown Riverhead ran into opposition at a public hearing last Wednesday, when several speakers said the building doesn’t fit in with its surroundings.

331 East Main Street LLC, a subsidiary of G2D Development in Huntington, has pitched its plan as a market-rate apartment complex at the site where a Subway restaurant used to be located.

The proposal requires both site plan and special permit approval from the town.

Chris Kent, the attorney for the applicant, said the plan calls for 36 parking spaces on the ground floor and 10 one-bedroom and 26 two-bedroom apartments. The building was originally planned for five stories and 44 units, but was scaled down, he said.

Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith said the town already has several affordable apartments downtown, and said market-rate housing is what the town is now looking for.

Greg DeRosa, CEO of G2D Development, said market-rate housing rarely results in children being sent to the local school district, and in the projects he has built or managed, no children have been enrolled in local schools.

“The first thought that comes to mind is 50 pounds being shoved into a 10-pound bag,” said Janice Scherer of Baiting Hollow. She said the town’s recent investment in a downtown “pattern book” was to “right size” the buildings in downtown.

“We’ve already had the five-story building,” she said. “Let’s not do a repeat.”

Ms. Scherer said the proposed building doesn’t match anything downtown.

“You have these tiny little buildings and then this massive building,” she said.

Mr. Kent said there are several large buildings in the area where the apartments are proposed, including the Hyatt Place hotel, the Sea Star Ballroom and The Preston House & Hotel.

Barbara Blass of Jamesport said she agreed with Ms. Scherer and added that the public was at a disservice because the town didn’t post the site plan map.

William Van Helmond, president of the Greater Jamesport Civic Association, said he was glad the applicant scaled down the project but added that the proposed building “doesn’t really conform in downtown Riverhead.”

Stephanie Ranghelli of Riverhead said the proposal doesn’t look like it reflects any history.

“To me, it just says ‘housing,’ ” she said.

tgannon@timesreview.com

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Two Flanders men were among 24 people arrested in connection with “a massive drug ring” that operated on or near the Shinnecock Reservation, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney.

The drug distribution ring was responsible for selling more than $1 million worth of heroin cut with fentanyl each year in addition to cocaine, Oxycodone pills and marijuana. Authorities said the ring is linked to five fatal heroin overdoses.

An investigation began last December when officials said an uptick in criminal activity was reported on the Shinnecock Reservation, including an increase in firearm violence, narcotics possession and sales and fatal overdoses both on and near the reservation.

Kenneth Rivero, 34, of Flanders allegedly supplied narcotics to Justin Eleazer, 29, of Southampton and Ryan Kellis, 32, of Southampton, who conspired to distribute heroin and cocaine to members of the Shinnecock Reservation and other residents of the Southampton area, according to the DA.

Mr. Rivero faces three felony charges: second-degree conspiracy, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Trevor Hardin, 29, of Flanders was also arrested and also faces three felonies: second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and first-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Mr. Rivero faces up to 25 years in prison for the top charge and Mr. Hardin faces up to 15 years.

“For far too long, criminals have attempted to evade law enforcement and hide on the Shinnecock Reservation, terrorizing the law-abiding citizens of the Shinnecock Nation by selling drugs and committing various acts of violence, but that ends today,” District Attorney Timothy Sini said. “This was a massive drug ring operating primarily out of the reservation, selling more than $1 million worth of heroin cut with fentanyl each year.”

The investigation revealed William Bess III, 35, of Southampton allegedly purchased large quantities of heroin and cocaine to resell to people on the reservation. Johnnie Booker, 35, of Bellport was allegedly his supplier of cocaine, the DA said.

Police executed search warrants at five locations Thursday, resulting in the seizure of approximately 120 grams of heroin and fentanyl, 90 grams of cocaine and more than 10 pounds of marijuana. Authorities also recovered an assault weapon, numerous shotguns and rifles and drug paraphernalia, such as scales, grinders and cutting agents.

Southampton Town police chief Steven Skrynecki said the investigation was a “major step to mitigate the flow of dangerous and potentially deadly drugs to members of the Shinnecock Reservation and neighboring communities with the Town of Southampton.”

Mr. Sini said the investigation remains ongoing and prosecutors will seek a top charge of operating as a major trafficker for several of the defendants. That charge carries a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Two additional defendants are in custody on unrelated charges and will be charged in connection to the alleged drug ring, the DA said.

The investigation, which featured the East End Drug Task Force, involved the use of routine surveillance, electronic surveillance and court-authorized eavesdropping, the DA said.

The East End Drug Task Force includes members of each department on the East End, as well as the District Attorney’s Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and others.

The full list of defendants charged is:

Ryan Aldrich, 27, of East Hampton

William Bess III, 35, of Southampton

Johnnie Booker, 45, of Bellport

Max Byrne, 30, of Southampton

Benjamin Diaz, 47, of the Bronx

Joseph Dowling, 27, of Sag Harbor

Justin Eleazer, 29, of Southampton

Brandon Gardner, 33, of Southampton

Edward Gumbs, 57, of Southampton

Thomas Halek, 49, of Hampton Bays

Trevor Hardin, 29, of Flanders

Ryan Kellis, 32, of Southampton

Matthew Manzella, 30, of Hampton Bays

Walter Mims, 33, of Southampton

Derrick Quinn, 49, of Southampton

Valton Reddick, 51, of Southampton

Kenneth Rivero, 34, of Flanders

Nichole Rosado, 29, of Southampton

RIchard Short, 50, of Southampton

Nicholas Spiegel, 32, of Hampton Bays

Frank Taylor, 59, of Southampton

John Tracey, 25, of East Hampton

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A jury has been selected for the trial of Thomas Murphy, the Holbrook man accused of killing a Wading River boy in an alleged drunken driving crash in Manorville last year.

More than two weeks after the start of jury selection, a process that saw nearly 600 potential jurors called, 12 county residents and three alternates have been impaneled for the start of testimony next month.

“We have a jury,” Acting Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho said Friday as he handed the card of juror No 12 to his clerk.

Both sides will still return to the Riverside courthouse Nov. 6 for three additional days of jury selection as Judge Camacho said he hopes to add up to three more alternate jurors. Opening statements should begin Nov. 12 and the trial is expected to last three to five weeks, the judge said.

Mr. Murphy, 60, was allegedly driving his Mercedes-Benz SUV drunk on David Terry Road in Manorville Sept. 30, 2018 when he struck and killed 12-year-old Andrew McMorris of Wading River, who was hiking with fellow Boy Scouts. Prosecutors have said four others were injured during the crash. He is facing a top charge of aggravated vehicular homicide, which carries a maximum sentence of 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison.

A warrant issued to obtain Mr. Murphy’s blood showed a blood alcohol content of .13% more than three hours after the crash, prosecutors have said.

Defense Attorney Steven Politi, who replaced Mr. Murphy’s original attorney this summer, has argued that police lacked probable cause to arrest his client. He also sought a special prosecutor and filed a motion in appellate court to have Mr. Camacho removed from the case.

The most pressing issue in recent weeks, has been the prospect of finalizing a jury. Over the first five days, more than 360 prospective jurors were dismissed, most of whom said they could not be fair or impartial in the highly publicized case.

In total, 125 prospective jurors were invited back this week, with 15 of them ultimately being selected to move on for the start of trial. Both sides have expressed a desire to add more alternate jurors due to the increased risk of losing jurors in a high profile case that could last more than a month.

gparpan@timesreview.com

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Three sixth grade students from Pulaski Street School were recognized last Friday as winners of the 15th annual Hometown Heroes Essay Contest in memory of Vietnam War veteran Private First Class Garfield Langhorn Jr.

The winners were Addison Heck, Dayami Carbajal Serrano and Isabella Umana. They answered the question: “How can you honor the memory of Garfield M. Langhorn Jr.”

“A thread of kindness and altruism was woven throughout each of their essays,” the district said in a press release.

Pfc. Langhorn, a Riverhead native, posthumously earned the Medal of Honor, the most prestigious military decoration, as well as the Purple Heart. On Jan. 15, 1969, Pfc. Langhorn threw his body onto a grenade to save the lives of fellow soldiers, several of whom had already been injured during a mission to recover the bodies of two pilots whose helicopter was shot down by enemy fire.

In January, a ceremony was held at the Riverhead Post Office that bears his name to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Pfc. Langhorn.

Photo caption: The essay winners, from left, Addison Heck, Isabella Umana and Dayami Carbajal Serrano. (Credit: Riverhead Central School District)

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The team playing with a heavy heart showed plenty of heart, both on the football field and off.

All one had to do was watch how Shoreham-Wading River played to see how much the Wildcats care about one of their own, who was hurting deeply.

Davin Casey, a special teams player for SWR, suffered the loss of his father earlier in the week, but he was in uniform Friday night, wearing his No. 80 uniform.

Casey was given the honor of leading the team onto the field while holding up SWR’s “54” flag, a tradition the Wildcats began following the 2014 death of one of their players, Thomas Cutinella, who wore No. 54. The visiting Wildcats then put on an impressive display in the Suffolk County Division IV game, thumping a good Center Moriches team, 57-14. SWR entered the game in second place; Center Moriches was fifth.

Casey, a 5-4, 145-pound junior, took part in kickoffs and extra points. He received cheers from his teammates when he was sent in as a wide receiver for SWR’s last two series. Backup quarterback Chris Visintin twice threw in Casey’s direction, but those passes fell incomplete.

After the first of those two series, SWR’s star QB, Xavier Arline, put his arm around Casey on the sideline, a touching sight.

“It’s a tough time right now for this team, Davin especially,” said Arline, who noted that the Wildcats wore their yellow “Tommy Tough” jerseys “because we wanted to represent a family, and we got his back.”

Casey wasn’t up to handling a postgame interview. One wondered how tough it was for him to take the field.

“I think it was definitely tough, but I think our bond made it easier for him,” Arline said. “I mean, we’re definitely a welcoming group, and I made a promise to him that every single play that I play this year is going to be for him and his dad and his whole family.”

News of the death filtered through the school Tuesday. It stung.

“We were all devastated because we’re all a family, and when something happens to one of us, it affects all of us,” running back/cornerback Max Barone said. “I feel awful when I think about it.”

The Wildcats (6-1), determined to try to ease Casey’s pain any way they could, had a spring in their step as they turned in one of their finest performances of the season.

After Emond Frazier (three catches, 92 yards) cut across the middle of the field, snagged a pass from Hunter Hassett and raced untouched for a 74-yard touchdown pass for Center Moriches (4-3) on the Red Devils’ first play from scrimmage, the rest of the game belonged to SWR. SWR responded with pick-six interceptions by Jake Wilson (12 yards) and Tyler Schwarz (47 yards) to end the next two Center Moriches series. Visintin also had a first-half interception.

And Arline was his spectacular self, running for two TDs (and a two-point conversion) and throwing for two more. The senior ran for 132 yards on 20 carries. He went 8-of-11 passing for 128 yards, with scoring tosses to Barone and Robert McGee. Arline even caught a 23-yard pass from McGee.

“He’s one of the best players I’ve ever seen in person,” Barone said of Arline.

Barone and Mike Casazza, who had all 77 of his rushing yards in the fourth quarter, also ran for TDs. SWR outgained Center Moriches, 403-252.

SWR was up, 43-6, before Naejon Ward caught a tipped 23-yard pass from Hassett in the end zone for the second Center Moriches TD late in the third quarter.

“It’s just a statement game,” Barone said. “We just got the momentum after that [early Center Moriches TD] and we just didn’t let it go.”

SWR coach Aden Smith said what Casey has suffered is “a tremendous loss for him. I’m sure it’s still sinking in. He’s going to need our support … but the fact that he’s here with us shows that the culture of family is important.”

Casey’s teammates spoke highly of him.

“He has the most heart on this football team,” Arline said. “A standup kid, always does the right thing. He’s out there early, after practice.”

Barone added: “He’s one of the best teammates. He’s always bringing people up.”

On Friday night, Casey’s teammates were there for him to give him a boost.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Davin Casey, carrying the “54” flag, leads Shoreham-Wading River onto the field before Friday night’s game at Center Moriches. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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Two Riverhead Town residents were arrested last Wednesday evening in Grangebel Park for loitering, police reports said.

Christopher Jennings, 52, and Vanessa Cobb, 55, of Calverton were found in the park on Peconic Avenue with a glass pipe, a bag with marijuana, and two rolled papers containing marijuana. Both were arrested at approximately 5:08 p.m. and charged with loitering, a misdemeanor.

Ms. Cobb was also charged with tampering with physical evidence, a felony, reports said. Mr. Jennings was also charged with criminal possession of marijuana, a felony, and a town code violation for open alcohol.

Both were transported to Riverhead Police Department headquarters for processing. Ms. Cobb was held for arraignment. Mr. Jennings was released after being given an appearance ticket.

• A Sound Beach woman was arrested Sunday evening in Riverhead for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, reports said.

Patricia Rodriguez, 38, was stopped on Griffing Avenue around 6 p.m. for driving a 2007 Suzuki 4DSD with a defective headlight. Upon further investigation, police found Ms. Rodriguez was driving with multiple license suspensions.

She was transported to Riverhead Police Department headquarters where she was charged for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor. She was later released on bail.

• Shanie Woodson, 31, of Riverhead was arrested Sunday on Old Country Road for petit larceny, reports said.

A Walgreens employee contacted police around 11:23 a.m. and stated that a woman removed $476 worth of clothing, cosmetics and other merchandise without paying. She allegedly fled westbound on foot onto Old Country Road.

Once police located Ms. Woodson behind the nearby Laundry Palace, reports said she fled on foot toward Harrison Avenue. Police identified and arrested Ms. Woodson on Harrison Avenue.

Police located the merchandise in the parking lot of Island Tile, reports said.

Reports said the Walgreens employee signed a citizen’s arrest form against Ms. Woodson. She was arrested and charged with petit larceny, a misdemeanor. She was transported to Riverhead Police Department headquarters, where she was processed and held for arraignment.

• Police received a report early last Thursday that the gutters of a home on Northside Road in Riverhead collapsed onto a vehicle after high winds took down power lines in the area.

Around 2 a.m., a Riverhead resident told police that a tree near his home fell due to high winds, which pushed down power lines and a utility pole in front of his home. He stated that when the wires came down, it ripped the main power line off his residence and caused the gutter to collide with his 2017 Kia sedan, which was parked in the driveway.

Reports said PSEG was notified of the incident and responded to repair the power lines. No additional action was taken.

• Police are investigating a report of petit larceny that occurred last Thursday afternoon at Journey’s in Tanger Outlets.

A store employee told police that while she was working alone, two separate groups of people came into the store asking to try on women’s Uggs. While assisting one customer, she said, another woman removed four boxes of Uggs valued at $649.96 and left without paying for them. The woman escaped from the parking lot in an older model, beige-colored SUV in an unknown direction.

The store does not have surveillance cameras, reports said. The case was closed pending further information, reports said.

• Police documented a report of identity theft that occurred Friday on Doctors Path in Riverhead.

Around 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon, a woman told police that $87.56 were removed from her Money Network Visa debit card by T-Mobile. Police notified Money Network Bank of the fraudulent charge. Police were only contacted to document the incident, reports said.

There are no suspects at this time, but if found, the suspect would be charged with identify theft, a misdemeanor.

Those who are named in police reports have not been convicted of any crime or violation. The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.

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The biggest surprise in Suffolk County Division I football this season may be named the Riverhead Blue Waves.

Having gone 2-6 in Division II last year, Riverhead was a mystery team this year as it was moved into Division I for the first time. The Blue Waves didn’t know much about Division I, and the rest of Division I didn’t know much about them.

Respect was sparing. The Blue Waves were seeded dead last in the 12-team division.

Look at them now:

With a 21-7 upset of Commack Saturday, Riverhead is 5-2 and perhaps playoff-bound.

Who saw this coming?

The Blue Waves did, of course.

“We proved that we can compete with amazing teams,” Riverhead cornerback/tight end Christian Campbell said after the homecoming game at Commack Stadium. “Everyone looked down at us, chose us for [a] homecoming [opponent], but we showed them that they were wrong.”

Rising to Riverhead’s defense Saturday was, well, its defense. It was a defense that persevered in a stubborn defensive battle. It was a defense that responded to the challenge when a big stop was needed. It was a defense that held Commack (3-4) to 98 first-half yards. It was a defense that bent (allowing Commack to go 5-for-13 on third-down plays) but didn’t break when it really mattered (Commack went 0-for-4 on fourth downs).

And it was a defense that provided the touchdown that sealed the win, courtesy of Campbell.

Clinging to a 14-7 lead late in the fourth quarter, Riverhead had to punt from its own 33-yard line. The thing was, Riverhead’s first-string punter, Isaiah Barbieri, had been ejected from the game along with Commack’s Vincent Rotelli following a brief scuffle with 2 minutes and 51 seconds left in the third quarter. So, sophomore kicker Recep Kocan was sent out to punt for the first time in his career.

“I had my fingers crossed, my toes were crossed, my legs were crossed,” said coach Leif Shay.

Kocan caught the snap and delivered a booming 43-yard punt that pushed Commack back to its 24.

On the next play, Commack quarterback Aidan McCarthy, finding no one open downfield, whizzed a pass to the flat. Campbell read it perfectly, jumped the route and took his first career interception 22 yards to the end zone with 4:08 left in the fourth quarter.

“I knew it was over,” said the soft-spoken, mild-mannered Campbell. (“He’s one of those laid-back, surfer types, so give him a board, he’ll be happy,” said Shay.)

Commack ran off seven plays after that before turning the ball over on downs. Three runs by Albert Daniels completed his 192-yard day, and Riverhead had another big win.

“Another homecoming and another big crowd, and I think our guys get energized for the crowds,” Shay said. “Our defense has been playing great all year. We had the one long play that we gave up [McCarthy’s 42-yard TD pass to a wide open Dennis Morley on a busted coverage], but we know they’re not going to make a living on those types of plays. You got to be able to grind it out against us, and our guys are pretty stout.”

It didn’t hurt that Riverhead had senior middle linebacker Ethan Aube back for the first time since tearing his left meniscus in a preseason scrimmage.

“I was pumped up to play,” said Aube, who made six tackles. “I was so excited. Missing out [six] weeks of the season, it’s really tough, but seeing how we were competing every week, I just wanted to bring the same energy.”

Aube joined a linebacking corps that included Jack Qualey, Aaron Gaines-Bullock and Rayvon Moore (six tackles, one pass defensed). Deontae Sykes led Riverhead with eight tackles.

Commack’s Soel Melero made 10 tackles and recovered a fumble.

Daniels once again came through in a big way, with an 8-yard TD run on Riverhead’s game-opening, 11-play drive and a 75-yard beauty of a TD run, his 17th of the season, in the third quarter. Through seven games, Daniels has 1,378 yards from 193 carries (7.1 yards per carry).

“I know we get a lot of points for this,” Shay said of the victory. “… I think it secured us a playoff spot, but we want to try to not be the eighth seed. We want to try to get a little bit higher.”

Not a bad position for a preseason No. 12 seed.

Photo caption: Riverhead’s Deontae Sykes (88) and Rayvon Moore bring down Commack quarterback Aidan McCarthy. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

bliepa@timesreview.com

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The Riverhead man accused of setting a fire at a Roanoke Avenue church is not eligible for bail because of two prior felony convictions, Riverhead Town Justice Lori Hulse said at his arraignment Sunday.

Lee Ragland, 33, was caught on surveillance cameras starting a fire at the Luz en tu Senda Church at 941 Roanoke Ave. at about 2:22 a.m. Saturday, according to police.

Mr. Ragland started a fire in a garbage receptacle at the church, which spread to an exterior west side wall and an interior wall, according to court documents.

An affidavit from Dora Cabrera, who is described in court documents as an “owner or possessor” of the church, estimated that $50,000 worth of damage was done to the church.

Police said the fire, located in the back of the church, had reached a point of breaching an upper window and was entering the interior of the church.

Riverhead Fire Department volunteers were able to quickly put out the fire. No one was in the building at the time of the fire.

The Suffolk County Arson Squad, along with the Riverhead Town Detectives, and the town fire marshal were investigating.

The case will be reviewed by a grand jury. Mr. Ragland until be incarcerated until Nov. 1 while the grand jury decides if it will indict him.

Mr. Ragland was convicted of first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, a felony, in 2017, and was convicted of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, also a felony, in 2007, according to court documents.

He has a pending case in Riverhead Town Justice Court for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance stemming from a Sept. 28, 2018 arrest.

He also was convicted of a petit larceny charge in 2017, which is a misdemeanor.

Mr. Ragland wore a T-shirt, shorts and sandals in court Sunday having been kept overnight by police following his arrest. He was assigned a court-appointed attorney, Olga Murray, and filed a not guilty plea. He is due back in town court Monday.

Police ask that anyone with additional information may contact the Riverhead Detective Division at 631 727-4500 ext. 312. All calls will remain confidential.

Photo caption: The exterior of the church damaged in an early morning fire Saturday. (Credit: Tim Gannon)

tgannon@timesreview.com

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A Riverhead man caught on surveillance video setting a fire at a church was arrested Saturday, according to Riverhead Town police.

Lee Ragland, 33, was arrested at Riverhead Police Headquarters and charged with third-degree arson, a felony.

Police received a 911 call of a fire at the Luz en tu Senda Church at 941 Roanoke Ave. at 2:22 a.m. Saturday. Officers found a working fire at the rear of the exterior of the building, police said. The fire had reached a point of breaching an upper window and was entering the interior of the church.

Firefighters in the Riverhead Fire Department responded and quickly extinguished the flames, but not before some interior damage occurred. The building was unoccupied and no injuries were reported as firefighters extinguished the flames.

The Riverhead Fire Marshal’s office responded to the scene along with Riverhead detectives to investigate. The Suffolk County Arson Squad also assisted in the investigation as the fire appeared suspicious.

Riverhead detectives determined the fire was started by a man who was captured on surveillance cameras.

Mr. Ragland is scheduled to be arraigned in Riverhead Justice Court Sunday morning.

Mr. Ragland was arrested in 2017 on a burglary charge by Southold police, according to prior reports.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact police at 631-727-4500, ext. 312.

Photo: Lee Ragland mugshot/2017. (Credit: Southold police)

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Southampton Town police arrested a Riverhead man for driving while intoxicated in Hampton Bays Saturday evening.

According to a police report, an officer responded to a report of a vehicle that struck a utility pole near Bay Woods Drive and Squiretown Road around 6:28 p.m.

An officer noted that Amilcar Rodriguez-Calix, 41, displayed signs of intoxication and he was subsequently charged with DWI.

The extent of his injuries was not clear, but police said he was held overnight and arraigned Sunday morning.

• Marvin Chocon Punay, 25, of Riverhead was arrested and charged with DWI following a traffic stop on Flanders Road Saturday at approximately 3:50 a.m., police said.

A chemical breath test obtained with consent revealed Mr. Chocon Punay had a blood alcohol content of .12%, according to a police report.

Those who are named in police reports have not been convicted of any crime or violation. The charges against them may later be reduced or withdrawn, or they may be found innocent.

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In 2018, Southold Town received $130,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant money that was allocated to various groups and projects across the town. This year, Southold has $260,000 in block grant funds for projects that are underway.

These federal grants, which are funneled to towns by Suffolk County, are vital lifelines that help support a wide cross-section of worthwhile groups and projects. In short, in both Riverhead and Southold, these grants are the key reason important goals are completed when town funding is limited.

In Riverhead, seven nonprofit organizations are seeking block grant funds from the town to allow their organizations to continue in 2020. Among them are the Riverhead Community Awareness Program, The Butterfly Effect Project, Church of the Harvest food pantry and Maureen’s Haven Homeless Outreach.

Catholic Home Care and The Retreat are also seeking block grant funds from Riverhead. To illustrate how critical these funds are, and the kinds of programs they help pay for, the Community Awareness Program is requesting $10,000 for 2020 to support its alcohol and drug abuse prevention program in the Riverhead school district. That money could end up saving lives.

The emergency winter shelter program operated by Maureen’s Haven will open in November. That program now runs seven nights a week for six months of the year. In 2018, the shelter helped 225 people — a huge achievement.

In Southold Town, officials hope to make it easier for pedestrians to make their way around Mattituck’s Love Lane area with a $150,000 plan to create sidewalks near the town’s very well regarded senior center on Pacific Street. Government liaison officer Denis Noncarrow and human resource center director Karen McLaughlin — one of the unsung heroes of town government — recently presented a plan to seek block grant funds to accomplish this project next year.

If approved, the project would install a new sidewalk from the Human Resource Center along the south side of Old Sound Avenue and up to Westphalia Road. Ms. McLaughlin noted that some seniors have had a very hard time navigating  those areas due to the lack of sidewalks.

These grants, appropriately funded by the federal government, are critical to enabling Riverhead and Southold to make streets safer, feed and house the homeless and help school kids navigate their way around serious obstacles they may encounter in life.

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Three acres of the former Beagle Club in Baiting Hollow is now home to the Warrior Ranch Foundation. 

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone signed a 10-year agreement with Warrior Ranch Foundation Friday that allows the group to establish their new headquarters at the site.

The Warrior Ranch Foundation was established in 2016 and provides a number of free clinics and workshops to help veterans and first responders cope with post-traumatic stress disorder through horse-training exercises.

The program works with veterans and first-responders to rehabilitate troubled horses in order to make them fit for adoption.

“This is an amazing story of how we got here,” Mr. Bellone said.

He said he was in a meeting with Steve Castleton, the civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army, and Eileen Shanahan, the president of Warrior Ranch, when they explained the program to him.

“I have to be honest, it sounded totally unbelievable to me,” Mr. Bellone said. “A foundation that was dedicated to rescuing horses who were going to be put down because they needed rehabilitation, or they needed something to prevent that from happening. The foundation was going to put together these horses and then work with our veterans, the men and women who have served and sacrificed for all of us, to help train them as they transition back to civilian life. As we know, they’ve faced challenges and difficulties that most of us never have to face,  as they transition back to civilian life.”

The three acres is part of the former Beagle Club, which was located on a former farm on 170 acres off Edwards Avenue.

The Club’s owners sold the property to the county, but it has sat fallow for 15 years.

Mr. Bellone speaks at Friday’s press event. (Credit: Tim Gannon)

The agreement with the county gives the land to the Ranch for no lease, but the Foundation will be responsible for maintenance costs and $100,000 worth of capital improvements to the site.

The barns on that the property that used to be dog kennels will now be restored to house up to 15 horses, according to officials.

“We provide a safe haven of health and well being for veterans, first responders, their families and horses in need,” Ms. Shanahan said Friday.

“We have a special focus on those who have PTSD,” she said. “Our veterans and first responders are committing suicide at an alarming rate. Equine-assisted therapy has been proven to reduce the systems of PTSD. And whether its due to neglect or retiring from a show performance career, there are over 100,000 unwanted horses in the United States.”

Mr. Castleton, a philanthropist and film maker who is on Warrior Ranch Foundation’s board of directors, said the estimate that 22 veterans a day commit suicide is misleading, because for every suicide, there are 25 attempted suicides. He implored the media to get the word out.

“If you see a veteran at Starbucks, buy him an overpriced cup of coffee. If you see a veteran of pizza shop, buy him a slice of pizza. Just say thank you. Sometimes you know what? That’s all the veteran needs that day.”

“I can’t even began to express to you how important today is,” said StaceyAnn Castro-Tapler, a retired Marine who is involved with Warrior Ranch Foundation. She said there are 75,000 veterans on Long Island.

“We don’t know them all, but we owe them,” she said.

Suffolk County acquired the property from the Beagle Club in 2012 for $8.9 million.

While Warrior Ranch Foundation will occupy the three acres fronting Edwards Avenue, the rest of the property is used for hunting and horseback riding, although a permit is required to use any county parks, according to Phil Berdolt, the county parks commissioner.

tgannon@timesreview.com

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For the first time in several years, the Riverhead Town Board reviewed its proposed budget in a public work session Thursday. 

The tentative budget released by Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith on Sept. 30 called for a 1.17% increase in spending; a 2.5% increase in the tax levy and a 2.58% increase in the tax rate in the three funds that are paid into by all town residents.

The spending increase for all town funds, including water, sewer and garbage district, which are not paid into by all town taxpayers, increased by 2.76%, for a total of $100,390,400.

Since the supervisor’s budget was released, it has come under criticism from Republicans, who said it doesn’t adequately address illegal and unsafe housing in the town.

Ms. Jens-Smith, who is running for reelection on the Democratic line, said her budget includes one new code enforcement officer and three new cars for code enforcement.

Councilman Tim Hubbard, who is up for reelection on the Republican line, said he thinks the town needs to take overcrowded and illegal housing cases to state supreme court, which can bring steeper penalties.

He released a draft budget of his own that calls for hiring one more code enforcement officer, in addition to the one the supervisor proposed — a part time clerk for code enforcement and a part time paralegal who will work on bringing cases to State Supreme Court.

The expenses, he said, would not add to the budget the supervisor proposed.

But Ms. Jens-Smith said that the money would be coming from capital projects, and cautioned that the town just found out that it will have to pay at least $325,000 for records management as result of new state mandates next year.

“I’d be a little leery to take it from capital projects,” she said.

“The community very strongly wants to see something done that’s more than what we’re doing,” Mr. Hubbard said. “Cracking down on landlords with increased fines I can support.”

Ms. Jens-Smith said a paralegal in the town attorney’s office might be able to be assigned part time to the state supreme court cases.

Ambulance

The board also discussed a request to add $30,000 to the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps. budget to have a volunteer and an ambulance stationed in Jamesport during the busy summer months.

“This is a matter of public safety,” Councilwoman Jodi Giglio said.

The RVAC is under contract with the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance District to provide ambulance service to the town. The district is comprised of Town Board members.

In 2017, the Town Board approved third-party medical billing for motor vehicle accidents only.

Councilman Jim Wooten said the billing money was meant to be put in a reserve account to go toward the construction of a new ambulance barn.

The town has raised more than $300,000 through the billing funds to date. Finance administrator Bill Rothaar said the town also has spent $15,000 from the billing money on a new radio repeater for the ambulance and it may need a second repeater.

Court building

Ms. Smith’s budget also includes $12,000 to rent a modular building for use by the town justice court, which is considered to be overcrowded and dangerous.

“The justice court is bursting at the seams,” she said.

The proposal would be to use the modular building as an office for the town justices, freeing up office space in the court building.

Ms. Smith said it will probably be located in the front of the building.

“We have to do something right away,” Councilwoman Catherine Kent said.

The town has looked at many potential locations for a new courthouse and police headquarters over the years, but has yet to settle on a plan.

New York State gave the town the former Armory building on Route 58 for use as a police and court headquarters, but a majority of the board backed off when a study put the price of renovating the building at $13 million.

tgannon@timesreview.com

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Brought to you by:

My name is George Eldi and I own Wines By Nature here at The Shoppes at East Wind in Wading River. 

Waiting tables helped me get through college and I stayed waiting tables even though I had a college degree. I started working at the Seafood Barge in the mid-’90s and that’s where I really became introduced to wines. From there, I owned my own restaurant and from there, I was a sales rep. Prior to this for 17 years, I was a wine rep, selling to all the best stores and restaurants here in Suffolk County. When the opportunity came to open up a wine shop in a region where there really wasn’t a shop like this, I took advantage of it.

We are filling a niche between the Hamptons and western Suffolk. In this neighborhood, there’s not a really customer service-oriented small production wine and spirit shop. So, for those people who are looking for the customer service [and] really good value … we fill that void for them.

Our wines kind of rotate through the seasons. Rosé takes a spike during the summer time. The heartier reds during the winter, so we don’t really have one wine that dominates them all. Seasonally, we do different features and those tend to be the popular ones of the season. My desert island wine would probably be sparkling wine and Champagne. Our most popular category is New York State. Of course, the North Fork leads the way — Paumanok, Macari, Sparkling Pointe, Shinn, always come to mind as some of the favorite wines.

I’ve learned more drinking beers with winemakers than I did in any sommelier class. And what we really want to let people know about is, you go into a liquor store and you ask them about a wine, they’re going to tell you its popular, it’s nice. We know the people behind the wines, so, we actually have a connection with the wineries, with the people who make it. We’ve been to these regions. We know the people, the areas, the vineyards, so, we really get a chance to get to know the people behind the bottle. We’re friends helping friends. I always say, ‘I’m a small business that represents small businesses and I want to be part of their stories.’

“The Work We Do” is a News-Review multimedia project profiling workers around Riverhead Town. 

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The Riverhead man accused of setting a fire at a Roanoke Avenue church is not eligible for bail because of two prior felony convictions, Riverhead Town Justice Lori Hulse said at his arraignment Sunday.

Lee Ragland, 33, was caught on surveillance cameras starting a fire at the Luz en tu Senda Church at 941 Roanoke Ave. at about 2:22 a.m. Saturday, according to police.

Mr. Ragland started a fire in a garbage receptacle at the church, which spread to an exterior west side wall and an interior wall, according to court documents.

An affidavit from Dora Cabrera, who is described in court documents as an “owner or possessor” of the church, estimated that $50,000 worth of damage was done to the church.

Police said the fire, located in the back of the church, had reached a point of breaching an upper window and was entering the interior of the church.

Riverhead Fire Department volunteers were able to quickly put out the fire. No one was in the building at the time of the fire.

The Suffolk County Arson Squad, along with the Riverhead Town Detectives, and the town fire marshal were investigating.

The case will be reviewed by a grand jury. Mr. Ragland until be incarcerated until Nov. 1 while the grand jury decides if it will indict him.

Mr. Ragland was convicted of first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, a felony, in 2017, and was convicted of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, also a felony, in 2007, according to court documents.

He has a pending case in Riverhead Town Justice Court for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance stemming from a Sept. 28, 2018, arrest.

He also was convicted of a petit larceny charge in 2017, which is a misdemeanor.

Mr. Ragland wore a T-shirt, shorts and sandals in court Sunday having been kept overnight by police following his arrest. He was assigned a court-appointed attorney, Olga Murray, and filed a not guilty plea. He is due back in town court Monday.

Police ask that anyone with additional information may contact the Riverhead Detective Division at 631-727-4500, ext. 312. All calls will remain confidential.

Photo caption: The exterior of the church damaged in an early morning fire Saturday. (Credit: Tim Gannon)

tgannon@timesreview.com

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A new STEM program coming to the Long Island Science Center will address gender and poverty barriers. 

The five-session program, which will begin October 28 and 29, will welcome fifth- and sixth-grade students from Pulaski Street School, Aquebogue Elementary School, Riverhead Middle School, and students in grades 3-8, to focus on printing and engineering design.

Spearheaded by Pulaski Street School media specialist Amelia Estevez-Creedon and the Center’s executive director Cailin Kaller, the program was made possible through a $20,000 grant from the Long Island Community Foundation.

The grant allowed the center to purchase equipment for the class and to pay educators to deliver the course, Ms. Kaller said.

Students will get a tutorial on what 3D design is, how it’s created and then will be guided how to use Tinkercad, a 3D design program, and Polar Cloud, a 3D printing program. Kids can print a design every week.

Ms. Kaller said the Science Center was motivated to create a program that would bring young people into STEM who may not have been involved in or had access to it.

“We are far enough out on the East End that there are not as many opportunities for programs like this for children who live in this area,” Ms. Kaller said. “So that became our focus: how can we introduce some of these programs, do it for a community that may not have the ability to sign up for some of these expensive online courses, but still bring to kids the idea that STEM really is for everybody.”

After speaking to Ms. Estevez-Creedon about potential programs and the needs of her students last spring, Ms. Kaller said she applied for the grant.

“Her feedback helped us solidify the grant, really let the Long Island Community Foundation know we had a need for this, we had a way we would fulfill this and there was interest from the community,” Ms. Kaller said.

Students in the program. (Credit: Kate Nalepinski)

A big part of engineering design, Ms. Kaller said, is collaborating with others. For that reason, the Center is partnering with several local groups to offer bilingual programs and communication “in the hope to break that barrier to STEM.”

The Center will work with SEPA Mujer, an organization which helps Latina immigrant women and girls; Riverside Rediscovered, a community-driven initiative to bring economic and social activity to Riverside; the Butterfly Effect, a nonprofit designed to empower young girls; and Girls Inc., an organization that advocates for gender equity for all girls in all areas of their lives.

Ms. Estevez-Creedon said the after-school program is a “step up” from the four projects Pulaski students pursue in the library throughout the year.

“The kids in the fifth grade [at Pulaski] are getting exposure to technology in a way they never have before,” Ms. Estevez-Creedon said. “Once they go into this after-school program, they can take that foundation and problem-solve what they’ve learned from basics to conceptualize and produce something that is real and tangible.”

Ms. Kaller said many girls and minorities are not entering STEM fields as frequently as their male counterparts, and many future careers focus in on technology.

Female students’ achievement in mathematics and science is on par with their male peers and female students participate in high-level mathematics and science courses at similar rates as their male peers, with the exception of computer science and engineering, according to 2018 data from the National Science Foundation.

“If we can introduce technology at a younger age, we may have a better chance of them getting interested and involved when they are at the high school-age,” Ms. Kaller said. “… we thought this would be a really great way to try to bring those ideas and break some of those barriers. Because it really is for everybody.”

The Science Center is still accepting applications for the after-school program. It is available to all children, but underserved children will be prioritized. Tuition assistance is available. Parents interested in signing up are encouraged to contact the Science Center directly.

knalepinski@timesreview.com

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Democratic Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith and her Republican challenger Yvette Aguiar disagreed on everything from the sale of land to Calverton Aviation & Technology to the need for a new town master plan to code enforcement and overcrowded housing during a candidate forum sponsored by the Riverhead News-Review last Wednesday at Polish Hall.

Ms. Jens-Smith and Ms. Aguiar faced off in the debate for Riverhead Town supervisor, and a separate debate was held the same night for the Riverhead Town Council candidates.

Here is breakdown of issues discussed:

Opening Statements

Ms. Jens-Smith said that when she took office in 2018, “we had hamlets at risk, and farmland at risk.” Before that, she said, the town said it couldn’t do anything about that because it was broke.

“I didn’t take that for an excuse,” she said. “I went out and made sure that when developers were coming in, they were part of the community and they contributed money to the community benefit fund, so we were able to fund things without using tax money.”

She said the town is moving forward with a “pattern book” for downtown that will “fast track” development there. The pattern book is part of an overall town master plan update, she said.

“I think that part of it is that we need to ‘sell’ the town, to get people to come here and invest in our town. I think it’s a very important job for the supervisor.”

Ms. Aguiar said she’s a retired New York Police Department sergeant from the counterterrorism division, who has a doctorate in business administration from the online Northcentral University and was chair of the criminal justice program at Briarcliffe College in Patchogue, which has since closed. She also is a licensed real estate agent.

“I’ve never sought public office before,” she said. “I have skills in management, leadership, budgeting and finance, both in the public and private sector. My experience and knowledge has prepared me to serve you.”

Transfer of development rights

Transfer of development rights, or TDR, is a program where the development rights on farmland the town seeks to preserve are transferred to land where the town feels additional development is warranted. The land can still be used for farming, but it cannot be developed.

Ms. Aguiar feels the town needs to increase the use of TDR.

“We need to protect farmers and help them stay in business in order to preserve our agriculture and our economy,” she said. Ms. Aguiar said she would work with the county, the state and preservation organizations to make the program work.

“As far as the TDR program, it’s sad,” Ms. Jens-Smith said. She said the town was hopeful the program would be more successful in retaining and preserving farmland.

“We know it has not worked quite to the level we would have liked at this point,” she said.

The TDR program will be incorporated with the master plan update, she said, so that more development can take place in receiving areas so that the rights will be worth more and farmers will be able to better preserve their farms.

Incumbent Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith. (Credit: Tara Smith)

EPCAL sale

“We need to know what it is they plan on building there,” Ms. Jens-Smith said of the prospective purchasers of EPCAL, Calverton Aviation & Technology, which combines Triple Five Group and Luminati Aerospace LLC. The latter is a non-voting member that controls 25% of CAT.

Ms. Jens-Smith and Councilwoman Catherine Kent opposed a “qualified and eligible” designation for CAT, but were outvoted 3-2 by the rest of the Town Board. The original deal had been to sell only about 600 acres for $40 million, but former supervisor Sean Walter later announced that the town would sell 1,600 acres to Luminati for the same $40 million price.

“We’re giving the extra 1,000 acres away,” said Ms. Jens-Smith, who was not on the board at that time.

CAT and Triple Five Group have not provided the town with solid financial information about the company. The financials should not only show that CAT has the $40 million to buy the property, but also that it has the money needed to build out the property, Ms. Jens-Smith said.

“I want to know what they are going to build, how they are going to build it and how are they going to finance it,” she said.

Ms. Aguiar said the town has tried to sell property at EPCAL “over and over and over again” without success. The contract with CAT has been looked over by three attorneys and “has been deemed enforceable,” she said.

“Regardless of whether you are for EPCAL or not, we need to have the business mind to go forward with it,” she said.

The Town Board recently met with three companies that are interested in locating  at EPCAL. They were brought to a work session by Chris Kent, the attorney for CAT.

“These are Fortune 500 companies with government contracts,” Ms. Aguiar said.

“They are robotics, clean energy and aerospace technology,” she said, the type of jobs that were meant to be at EPCAL when the federal government gave the 3,000 acres to the town for $1 in 1998.

Ms. Jens-Smith said the three companies — Launcher, Unique Electric Solutions and ULC Robotics — are not Fortune 500 companies.

“They are small companies and these are new programs,” she said.

Ms. Jens-Smith said that while she is happy to have this type of business at EPCAL, “that is not going to be the bread-and-butter of tax dollars coming through.”

Ms. Aguiar said that once the town sells the property and gets it back on the tax roll, it will immediately receive $4 million in property taxes, and the interest on the money the town received from the sale will be about $5.3 million.

Ms. Jens-Smith disputed this, saying that Triple Five said publicly at the Q&E hearing that it would seek tax breaks on the land.

Ms. Aguiar also criticized Ms. Jens-Smith for constantly referring to the buyer as being Luminati, which has moved upstate and  is facing several lawsuits, including one from  Hexcel Corporation claiming  that Luminati defaulted on a $10 million loan from Hexcel, which was granted an order to seize property at EPCAL from Luminati.

Republican challenger Yvette Aguiar. (Credit: Tara Smith)

Master Plan

The two candidates disagreed on the need for a master plan update and on the need for a “pattern book.”

Ms. Aguiar said the master plan update is costing Riverhead taxpayers $675,000, and that the town has done  at least three prior studies of downtown.

She claimed the master plan will take five years to complete.

“We don’t have five years to wait,” Ms. Aguiar said. A better approach, she said, would be to hire a company to make recommendations for downtown based on the existing studies.

“Today in downtown, we see more vacancies than ever,” she said.

Ms. Jens-Smith said it’s been 16 years since the town last updated its master plan “and a lot has changed in the Town of Riverhead, sometimes for the good and sometimes not so much.”

The national trend away from big box retailers has had an effect on Route 58, where a number of national chain retail stores have closed.

“We need to take a look back at what has developed on Route 58 and decide what we’d like to see there in the future,” Ms. Jens-Smith said.

Code enforcement

Ms. Aguiar said the town has failed at controlling illegal housing and overcrowding, which she feels leads to increased school enrollment.

Ms. Aguiar said she has a 10-point plan on her website for addressing the problem. Among those recommendations are creating a task force to pool town resources like code enforcement, police and other officers to attack the issue cohesively; enhancing the town’s computer tracking system to identify and document illegal and overcrowded homes; hiring at least two more code enforcement agents; and increasing fines. 

Ms. Aguiar said that under Ms. Jens-Smith, code enforcement has targeted struggling businesses at her direction and a press conference was held to that effect.

The press conference dealt with three vacant buildings downtown.

Ms. Jens-Smith said that since she has taken office, code enforcement has doubled the amount of code violations it has issued.

Ms. Aguiar said the town has not taken overcrowded housing violations to state Supreme Court, which imposes heavier fines.

Ms. Jens-Smith said the assistant town attorney who handing these cases prepares to take the cases to town justice court. Ms. Jens-Smith said this assistant town attorney is Republican Councilman Tim Hubbard’s son-in-law.

Police and Water District

Ms. Aguiar accused Ms. Jens-Smith of wanting to let Suffolk County take over the town police and water district, something Ms. Jens-Smith denied.

Ms. Aguiar said she is opposed to both proposals as well.

“At one point, the county police department made efforts to take control of the town department. It did not happen,” Ms. Aguiar said.

As for the water district, Ms. Aguiar said, “I know that there was a conversation between the current supervisor and individuals from the county discussing the possible takeover.”

She said former supervisor Sean Walter was approached by the Suffolk County Water Authority every year he was in office about SCWA taking over the town system.

Ms. Jens-Smith said she’s never had a conversation with SCWA and has “no intention of selling our water district.”

She also said she has no plans to turn the police department over to the county and said she worked to get the police contracts for the Police Benevolent Association and the Superior Officers Association approved since taking office.

Ms. Aguiar said those contracts were nearly complete when the supervisor took office. Ms. Jens-Smith said that’s not true.

Closing Statements

Ms. Jens-Smith said that when she decided to run for office, she attended every Town Board meeting and work session “so I could learn and listen to what was going on.”

“If I was going to offer plans, they had to be rooted in reality, and if I was going to offer criticism, I was also going to have to be able to provide solutions,” she said.

She said the town has stepped up police presence and gotten more grant money than in the past. She also is working to update its master plan and “we are crafting a plan for downtown that keeps the best of our past, while creating a family-friendly Main Street.”

Ms. Aguiar said she is not a politician and has never run for officer before.

She supports the ECPAL/CAT deal and she again accused her opponent of not taking code violators to state Supreme Court.

She said the town court and police department are working in “extremely dangerous and unsafe conditions” in the aging police and court building, and she blamed Ms. Jens-Smith for that.

tgannon@timesreview.com

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Riverhead Central School District’s capital project community forum scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 30, has been postponed, the district announced Tuesday.

District officials canceled the bond forum to “allow the Board of Education and administration additional time to work with the district’s architect on the latest round of revisions to the district’s proposed facilities plans,” a press release from the district stated.

The revisions are based on the needs of the district and the feedback obtained from the community during the Oct. 16 capital projects community forum.

The next community forum will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5, in the Large Group Instruction Room 133 at Riverhead High School starting at 7 p.m.

The district originally pitched a $100 million bond project in September. That cost was since reduced to a range of $73.5 to $87.9 million.

knalepinski@timesreview.com

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