The pier at Harborfront Park in Port Jefferson needs repairs, according to a report by an engineering firm. Photo by Alex Petroski
By Kevin Redding
The pier in Harborfront Park will remain open, with restrictions, through the summer.
The Port Jefferson Village board of trustees decided during a public board meeting July 17 to hold off on several significant repairs to the pier until after Sept. 16. On that day, the annual Dragon Boat Race Festival sponsored by the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce is set to take place. The 2016 version of the event prompted a field assessment of the pier last fall following reports of the 337-foot-long by 12-feet-wide timber structure “shifting” and “swaying” while packed with people waiting to board boats and compete in the event.
Mayor Margot Garant said during the July 17 village board meeting that while Port Jefferson’s Seven Seas Construction, Co., could potentially begin work on the pier in two weeks, she could not “in good conscience” allow the pier to be closed to the public during its prime season for use.
“I’d hate to have my pier closed for two months in the summertime,” Garant said, estimating the repairs will now take place during the fall or winter.
According to the evaluation reports of the Bohemia-based engineering firm P.W. Grosser Consulting Inc., the group commissioned by the village in Oct. 2016 to assess the pier, there was “severe section loss” to pilings or columns driven into the sediment that serve as a foundation for the platform; a missing nut and washer for one beam-to-piling connection; rusted connections between pieces of wood; and a split in at least one cross-bracing beam.
The pier, which was originally built in 1996, was last modified in 2004, according to the firm’s report.
All findings were referred to as “significant structural deficiencies” and it was advised they be addressed immediately. During an Oct. 20, 2016, meeting, Village Trustee Bruce D’Abramo said he was in favor of doing just that.
“They’ve called the village’s attention to a couple of issues [with the pier], I think that if we ignored it, it would not be good,” D’Abramo said.
P.W. Grosser at that time also recommended the enforcement of a maximum occupancy of 180 people for the pier, which was estimated to hold up to 200 during last year’s festival.
At the recent meeting, Garant said the occupancy restriction will be implemented for this year’s event.
“During the Dragon Boat Race there would be absolutely no more than 150 people at a time on that pier,” Garant said. She added that the pier would no longer be open to spectators, only race participants.
When asked how members of P.W. Grosser felt about the delay in repairs, Senior Vice President Paul Boyce said he was unable to speak on the matter until getting the village’s consent. The village board did not respond to requests to interview Boyce nor inquiries as to how it plans to fund the eventual repairs.
The October report stated the “overall structural condition of the pier was considered good to fair.
Jack Soldano wanted to help the Miller Place-Mount Sinai Historical Society repair the roof of the William Miller House, so he’s selling some of his collection of comic books at Mount Sinai’s Heritage Park yard sale this month and next. Photo by Kevin Redding
With a little help from some super friends, a local boy wonder is on a mission to save the oldest standing house in Miller Place.
For most 12-year-olds, summer vacation means sleeping in, goofing off and avoiding responsibility at all costs.
Some of Jack Soldano’s collection of comic books. Photo by Kevin Redding
But for Jack Soldano, a North Country Road Middle School student and self-professed “lover of geeky things,” it’s been spent organizing and pricing hundreds upon hundreds of old comic books and making pins, magnets and bottle openers out of the collection’s vibrant panels, sometimes from 8 in the morning until 11 p.m.
Although Jack has a passion for the medium — he dresses up every year as his favorite superheroes at New York Comic Con and even wrote a letter to Marvel Comics when he was 6 years old detailing why the company should hire him — he isn’t doing this for himself.
“With a great supply of comic books comes great
responsibility,” Jack said, laughing.
He will be selling up to 1,000 comic books — Marvel, DC and everything in between — and homemade superhero accessories throughout July and August at Heritage Park’s community yard sale in Mount Sinai to help the Miller Place-Mount Sinai Historical Society repair the roof on its main headquarters.
The nearly 300-year-old William Miller House at 75 North Country Road, built in 1720, is the ancestral residence of the family after which Miller Place was named. The oldest existing house in the town, which is open to public tours and serves as the meeting place for the nonprofit organization, needs between $18,000 and $28,000 to renovate its collapsing roof and a total $100,000 for a full-house repair, including window replacements.
Jack Soldano is selling some of his comic books for a cause at Mount Sinai’s Heritage Park yard sale this month and next. Photo by Kevin Redding
The society has offered family-friendly programs for years at the Miller House, like Postman Pete, where kids eat cookies and mail out letters to Santa, and the Spooky Lantern Tour of the historic Miller Place district in the fall.
So when Jack, whose family has been involved in the programs since he was very young, saw on the news more than a month ago that members of the historical society were pleading for public donations, he got an idea.
He went to his grandfather, who has an expansive library of comic books that includes everything from “Batman” to “Superman” to “Dr. Strange” as the former owner of a Port Washington hobby shop in the early 1990s, and told him he wanted to sell the collection to raise as much money as possible for the restoration project.
His grandfather simply said, “Okay,” and started donating bins of issues.
“I remember when I was younger in Miller Place, going to the Spooky Lantern Tour and Postman Pete, and having much fun, and I want the younger kids to be able to experience that too,” Jack said, adding with a smile that he won’t be giving away every comic. “I’ve kept some comics for myself, of course, because why not, but I wanted to sell the leftovers to a worthy cause and what’s more worthy than one in your own backyard?”
Jack Soldano is also handmade pins to help restore the William Miller House. Photo by Kevin Redding
Jack’s mother, Cristin Mansfield, said she and her husband are proud of their son for coming up with the idea himself.
“He’s not using the proceeds for himself,” Mansfield said. “He’s sitting there and immersing himself in this thing that he loves, reading the comics, finding funny speech bubbles. We’re super proud.”
Miller Place-Mount Sinai Historical Society Vice President Antoinette Donato said the society is extremely grateful.
“We are so inspired that someone so young has such an interest, and that nobody planted the seed — it all came from him,” Donato said. “I think it’s everybody’s responsibility to keep history alive, so when somebody like Jack comes along who obviously has an interest and is genuine, it’s very reassuring for us and gives us hope.”
Residents can buy comic books every Thursday between 5 and 8 p.m., through Aug. 24, at the Mount Sinai Heritage Park. Visit https://www.facebook.com/comics4acause/ and https://www.etsy.com/shop/ComicsForACause for more information.
Curious to find out how the North Shore community spent the Fourth of July, TBR News Media’s star reporter, Kevin Redding, took to the streets of Port Jefferson to interview local residents before the holiday. Here are some of their responses:
Jackie and Chris Buzaid, Lake Grove
Jackie: We usually go to my grandma’s in the Jersey Shore and watch fireworks and have a big cookout, stuff like that. We go to the beach, have barbecues, do sparklers.
Chris: I just like spending time with my extended family and seeing them, because we don’t usually see them that much over the years and it’s always nice seeing them and spending time together in the summer.
Devon Buckley, Poquott: All of my friends … around six or seven of us … are gonna go on my family’s sailboat and go out to Pirate’s Cove, the first cove right at the mouth of the entrance of Port, on the night of 4th of July to see some fireworks. It’s usually a leisurely day, [but] we kind of do that every year. We just hang out, we’ll have a grill onboard, grill some food, go swimming. [Fourth of July] has always been a family and friends ordeal every year.
Pat Morelli, Setauket: I’m actually going up to New Hampshire for my brother’s wedding. It’s not on the 4th of July, but it’s going to be a long weekend type of thing with the whole family. Usually the family that’s here on the Island, we try to get together every 4th of July. It’s a nice, summer holiday where we get to remember how great this country is and hang out with each other.
Avery Looney and Michael Famiano, Port Jefferson Station:
Avery: We’re going to a pool party.
Michael: There’s gonna be barbecue, a fire pit, some fireworks. It’s just partying, [red, white, and blue] themed.
Jenna and Jeannette Cleary, Coram
Jeannette: Well, on the 2nd, we have a big family reunion. And then on 4th of July, we have Grandma’s birthday party first and then to my sister, who’s been having an annual party at her house in Manorville forever. We’ll be busy. My brother’s here this weekend from Hawaii and he plays games and is like the event coordinator. He’s bringing fireworks from out of state, there’s a pool. We split the time between my mother-in-law’s birthday and that. We do fireworks, they play horseshoes and volleyball. Then my brother makes up these games. Not a bad weekend
Jenna: Yeah, like egg tosses and stuff like that. You get covered in eggs. I got it last year..
Bill Evans and Kristine O’Brien, Holbrook: We live in Holbrook but we’re doing a little getaway for two days, staying at Danfords and hanging out in town. We’re just gonna walk around, enjoy the atmosphere, have dinner. For us at home, we show patriotism, but here, we’re really just looking to get away and have a 24-48 hours escaping from our four girls, ages 11 to 18, and throughout the weekend we’ll celebrate
.John and Nicole Goncharuk, Selden
Nicole: We’re just taking a walk out here today with the family, and then we’re gonna barbecue at the house for 4th of July.
John: Just barbecue stuff at the house. Not so much, since we have the kids now, nothing too big or extravagant. It’s low-key. We’re in Selden, so we’re way up high and we can see the fireworks at Bald Hill. But we might venture down here [to Port Jefferson] and we have pamphlets that show where fireworks are going on so we might check that out. There’s plenty to see and plenty to do [on Long Island]. We used to get dressed up nice, go out to dinner and stuff like that but now our priorities are different.
Photo courtesy of HAC
The festival will showcase L.I. Dance Consortium’s Kaleidoscope of Dance 2 on Aug. 9. Photo courtesy of HAC
By Kevin Redding
For 52 continuous summers, Huntington has been a gathering place for lovers of live music, theater and dance, all on full display for multiple weeks during the town’s jam-packed and family-friendly performing arts extravaganza, the Huntington Summer Festival. This year the series of free concerts is bigger and better than ever, bringing touring and local artists of every variety to the Chapin Rainbow Stage in Heckscher Park six nights a week now through Aug. 13.
As the festival has grown since the Huntington Arts Council first started it in 1965, so has its roster of performers, which changes from year to year in order to bring new experiences to returning concertgoers.
New acts include the Adam Ezra Group, an up-and-coming, Boston-based folk band; New York Voices, an internationally renowned vocal ensemble; Miles to Dayton, an Americana-and-folk group from Port Jefferson; and Jay Armstrong Johnson, a Broadway and television performer, to name just a few. Local performing groups like the Huntington Community Band, the Huntington Men’s Chorus and the Long Island Dance Consortium will also have their chance to shine on stage. Plaza Theatrical Productions, a Lynbrook-based company, will put on several musicals throughout the summer including “My Fair Lady.”
The Huntington Community Band will present concerts on July 12, 19 and 26. Image from HAC
One of many brand new programs this year will be the Huntington Jazz Week, beginning July 18, which will feature big band jazz ensemble concerts put on by internationally recognized musicians, including harpist Brandee Younger and saxophonist Richie Cannata, of Billy Joel’s band, and nights dedicated to the music of composer George Gershwin and jazz legend John Coltrane.
The following weekend, on which the 12th Huntington Folk Festival takes place, will feature unplugged showcases with more than 40 different folk artists — everyone from Sarah Lee Guthrie, granddaughter of Woody and daughter of Arlo, to the Sweet Remains.
Every Tuesday evening is “family night” which offers kids music and live theater such as “Cinderella” on July 25 with fun-filled craft projects before the shows.
“It’s such a positive thing for the residents of the town as well as Long Island as a whole,” said Huntington Arts Council Performing Arts Director John Chicherio, who has served his position for eight summers and has been organizing concerts since the 1970s.
“Roughly 40 to 45 percent of the performances are really quality local group [and] roughly 55 percent of the program is made up of touring artists from all over the world and United States. These are all artists performing their own work and they’re new to Long Island in most cases. And the merchants enjoy it because we’re bringing people into the town and they go have dinner before or after the concerts. [The festival’s] just grown that way”.
He continued, “When the first Huntington [Summer Festival] was put together [in 1965], it didn’t have this many concerts, [but] because more groups wanted to perform over time, it grew and we’ve been building it into what it is today.”
Chicherio, who spearheaded the festival’s new, jazz-oriented week, said he’s excited for what’s in store for those who attend this summer. “It’s a very eclectic variety of performances in both the types of music and performing arts genres,” he said. “Plus, we’re doing workshops and master classes with a couple of groups. The whole week of jazz, one of the important things I’ve been trying to do, is [going to be] a very special week,” highlighting the Coltrane day, July 22, especially. “That evening I’ve got a terrific lineup with some very special guests, [like] the Kenny Garrett Quintet.”
According to Chicherio, the shows will go on rain or shine, unless “there’s lightning and thunder that can endanger the audience,” and attendees should feel free to bring lawn chairs and blankets, which they can place on the hill overlooking the stage for a great view.
Concession stands and vendors selling refreshments, such as ice cream and soda, will be set up inside the concert area and any outside food is welcomed. All shows begin at 8:30 p.m. with the exception of the children’s shows on Tuesdays, which begin at 7:30 p.m.
To see the full schedule of events, visit www.HuntingtonArts.org.
Local school districts took pride in their highly accomplished students at the top of the class this year. Last weekend, valedictorians and salutatorians from Miller Place, Mount Sinai,
Rocky Point and Shoreham-Wading River took to the stage to address their peers during the Class of 2017 commencement ceremonies.
Miller Place
William Sussman and David Argento were the school’s valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively.
Sussman, who graduated with a 101.4 GPA, was a National Merit Scholar and Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor.He was president of the Future Business Leaders of America and received U.S. State Sen. Kenneth LaValle’s (R-Port Jefferson Station) Youth Leadership Recognition Award. Enrolled in nine AP courses throughout his years at Miller Place, including AP Chemistry and college computer application, he served as the Mathletes team captain, and was a member of the National Honor Society and the Foreign Language National Honor Society.
He will attend Yale University in the fall to major in electrical engineering.
“I think the best way to put it is gratification,” Sussman said about being named valedictorian. “After years of putting in hours of work — staying up late to do all the homework and projects in addition to extracurriculars — it felt good to be recognized.
Sussman followed in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Howard Sussman, an associate professor of clinical family medicine at Stony Brook University School of Medicine and valedictorian of his own high school in 1988.
“It’s kind of exciting and poetic,” Dr. Sussman said. “He values education incredibly highly and he’s really gone above and beyond to learn all he can.”
David Argento
Argento, who is heading to Providence College in the fall to study finance on the school’s St. Thomas Aquinas scholarship, was named salutatorian with a 99.1 GPA. With a loaded schedule, he was a National Honor Society parliamentarian, co-captain of the varsity tennis team, an Eagle Scout, and was also a member of Mathletes, orchestra and a jazz combo musical group. Like the valedictorian, he has taken nine AP courses at Miller Place. Argento said he hopes to have the opportunity to run his own business someday.
Argento’s older brother Chris was valedictorian at the school in 2012. He said he never expected to be in the position he is now.
“It feels great, but I didn’t really have it as a goal to be salutatorian,” Argento said. “I just tried my best and it seemed to work out.”
He said he chose his college because of its similarity to Miller Place, which he called a very positive environment.
“Both schools are rather small, and I just felt very comfortable there right from the start,” he said.
Mount Sinai
At the top of Mount Sinai’s class are Ben May and Helene Marinello.
May, the school’s valedictorian, graduated with a 103.97 GPA, and is known for his environmental work. He was the founder of Mount Sinai’s Model United Nations and environmental outreach club, was on the Matheltes team, and was captain of the Ocean Bowl team, which won a national title this year. He took three AP classes as a sophomore, four as a junior and six his senior year.
Benjamin May
“The school was very receptive to me wanting to challenge myself academically,” he said. “Over the past three years we’ve made the school very sustainable [through the environmental outreach club]. We started a recycling program, we do annual cleanups with about 70 students cleaning up Cedar Beach.”
Outside of school, the valedictorian was also on the planning committee for the first Long Island Youth Conservation Summit and is the group’s current national communications coordinator, writing the emailed newsletter. Through the Sea Youth Rise Up campaign, he won a video contest last spring, was selected to travel to NYC and Washington D.C., where he participated in a live internet broadcast, met with the president of the United Nation’s general assembly and met with former President Barack Obama’s (D) environmental quality council.
“It was probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever done, because with that meeting, we were pressing them to found a new national monument at the marine protection area called Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument,” May said of the new marine protected area Obama established last fall.
His passion is meeting with politicians and pressing for environmental changes. He plans to double major in international relations and economics at University of Pennsylvania this fall and plans to become proficient in six different languages.
“I could use that for international diplomacy through political advocacy when it comes to the environment, which is what I hope to do in the long run,” he said.
When he thinks about his time spent in Mount Sinai, and when asked how and why he’s striven for success for so long, May recalls the instant he knew he was chasing the No. 1 spot he’s in now.
Helene Marinello
In his AP World History class, for every chapter read, students needed to create an outline. Grades would be given from 1 to 5, depending on how much work seemed to be put in. May’s friend would spend half an hour on his assignment and get a 4, and May put in two hours with each assignment, and received at 5.
“Almost every single time we’d get the grades back, he’d ask me why I put in so much work — What matters getting that extra point?’” May recalled. “I just wanted it. I felt I knew I could get that extra point if I put in a little extra effort, and I kept that mindset throughout high school and put in that extra bit of time to get the better grade. It’s super fulfilling. It shows it pays to put in the extra work.”
Marinello graduated with a 102.04 GPA. She said high school has left her with many
memorable moments, but enjoyed a trip to Disney World this past March the most.
“I felt as though our whole school bonded as one large group, instead of the usual cliques,” she said. “I got to become closer with people I normally would not have talked to.”
She said she felt honored to be at the top of her class.
“The competition between class rank was very vigorous, so it is truly a privilege to be recognized for what I was able to accomplish,” she said. “Seeing all my hard work finally pay off, in a way other than just good grades, brought me great pride. These past 13 years at Mount Sinai have been an all-around learning experience that I don’t think any other school district could have given me. Between the amazing faculty at this district and the community that surrounds the school, I will never be able to forget the memories I have made.”
Rocky Point
At the top of Rocky Point’s Class of 2017 were Pooja Deshpande and Nicholas LoCastro.
Pooja Deshpande
Deshpande graduated with a 105.38 GPA and was a member of the National Honor Society,
vice president of the Math Honor Society, president of the Human Rights Club, the Interact Club and Thespian Society, was a mentor of the North Shore Youth Council’s Big Buddy Little Buddy program, which pairs high school students with younger ones, and tutored students in subjects ranging from mathematics to French.
Taking 10 AP courses, the valedictorian won the Principal’s Leadership Award, became an Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor, received the National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Award in writing and won numerous awards at the Long Island Science Congress. She’s also been involved in the school musical every year.
“I have grown so much over these past years, and I am so thankful to have been raised by such a community,” Deshpande said. “The Rocky Point School district has taught me that not only is being unique accepted, it is celebrated, and the differences that everyone has should be used to bring us closer together, as a strong community.”
Through the Interact Club, sheassisted in a Camp Pa Qau Tuck cleanup in Center Moriches, the school blood drive, fundraised for various organizations and was a mentor to students with various disabilities.
Nicholas LoCastro
“I have learned through these experiences that although I may not be able to change the world, I have the power to change a life, and to someone, that can mean a world of difference,” she said.
She will be attending Stony Brook University’s Honors College in the fall, majoring in neuroscience with a minor in mathematics, on the pre-medicine track.
Close behind was LoCastro, with a 105.13 GPA. Taking seven AP courses, he was also a National Merit Scholar, AP Scholar, was president of the Science Club, member of the honor society, math honor society and thespian society. He played Captain Von Trapp in “The Sound Of Music”, was in the tech crew for spring pocket theater, was a member of guitar club, participated in New York State Council of Administrators of Music Education festival mixed choir and Suffolk County Music Educators Association festival choir.
“Rocky Point has an excellent music and theater program,” he said. “It also let me broaden my horizons and perform in school musicals, something I had never done before high school but am glad I did.”
Natalie Bazata
Rocky Point also had an exhortation speaker in Natalie Bazata, who graduated with a 104.64 GPA.
For all four years, she participated in chamber orchestra and pit orchestra, ran the variety show, a demonstration of the immense musical and artistic talents of Rocky Point students, during her junior and senior year, and also dabbled in school organizations like human rights club, Be A Nicer Neighbor club and Big Buddy Little Buddy.
“The teachers and other staff of the Rocky Point district are caring, passionate and knowledgeable in their fields, and I am incredibly thankful to have crossed paths with them,” she said. “I usually have a huge fear of public speaking, but for some reason, I felt more proud and excited than scared in that moment. Words mean very much to me, so it was an honor to craft a speech that said things exactly how I wanted to say them in a
moment of celebration.”
Shoreham-Wading River
Anthony Peraza and Kyle Higgins finished at the top of the Class of 2017.
Anthony Peraza
Peraza, who continues a string of family success in the district, graduated with a 102.45 GPA.
He took 10 AP courses to be named an AP Scholar with Distinction, ran cross-country all four years, and was named captain, competed in winterand spring track and played alto sax in jazz band.
“When I first got named, it felt surreal and didn’t really hit me for a while,” Peraza said. “I’ve kept expectations low — I knew I was high in my class, it wasn’t a focus during school.”
He will be majoring in biological engineering at Cornell University in the fall.
“I know academics are great and it will challenge me, which is what I want,” he said.
Higgins graduated with a 102.17 GPA. He took eight AP courses, to be named an AP Scholar with Honor, was vice president of the National Honor Society, a member of Natural Helpers Club,a varsity lacrosse player,a community program’s lacrosse coach, and was named academic All-County for varsity basketball and named second team All-Division in football.
Kyle Higgins
“I worked hard in school,” he said. “It was never really my aim to get to salutatorian, I just wanted to do the best that I could, so it was an added bonus just to be named that.”
He will attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall, majoring in aerospace engineering and will play lacrosse for the school. He was also the recipient of theThomas Cutinella Memorial Scholarship.
“There were definitely a lot of nights I stayed up way past when I should have because I had to get work done, but it’s just about being able to stay focused on what I was doing at the time and get done what I need to get done,” he said.
Kevin Redding contributed reporting
This article was updated to correctly identify the university that Benjamin May is attending.
Michelle, Cari and Katelyn Gostic are sisters who were each named valedictorian or salutatorian at Shoreham-Wading River High School. Photo from the Gostics
By Kevin Redding
At Shoreham-Wading River High School, siblings share more than genes.
When Advanced Placement student and track star Anthony Peraza graduated at the top of his class, he wasn’t just following in the footsteps of his older brother, Matthew, who was named salutatorian in 2014.
The soon-to-be Cornell University engineering student was also carrying on an ongoing tradition in the district, which, since 2006, has seen a total of five sets of siblings graduate in the top percent of their classes, as valedictorian or salutatorian.
Those on the list, which now includes the Perazas, are William Throwe, named valedictorian in 2006, and his sister, Emily, salutatorian in 2009; Katelyn Gostic, valedictorian of her graduating class in 2009, whose drive to succeed from an early age set the bar for her sisters, Michelle, salutatorian in 2011, and Cari, valedictorian in 2013; Iris Yu, 2010 salutatorian, and her sister, Spring, the 2015 valedictorian; and Maxwell Maritato, who was named valedictorian in 2014, two years before his brother, Nicholas, who gave his salutatorian speech in 2016.
“For any student to become a valedictorian is an amazing achievement, but to have several sets of siblings be at the top of their classes really is a testament to the families,” Shoreham-Wading River High School Principal Dan Holtzman said in an email.
“I think Anthony saw the adulation his brothers received and was like, ‘oh, I’m going to be like that.’”
— Rosemary Peraza
In the Peraza household, education was always priority No. 1.
Raised by two high school chemistry teachers, Anthony and his older brothers — Matthew, 20, entering his senior year at Cornell University this fall, and Michael, 24, a Cornell graduate working for the county as an environmental engineer — were taught the importance of structure and academics from the moment they could breathe, according to their father, Tony, a retired teacher and coach at Longwood Senior High School.
“When Anthony was about four, my wife and I used to run with him while [also] working on vocabulary and times tables,” his father said, laughing that he was the “drill sergeant” parent while his wife was the more affectionate one. “He knew what was expected of him as the youngest.”
Anthony’s mother Rosemary, a teacher at West Babylon High School, said the brothers are close, support one another and each have a strong work ethic.
“I think Anthony saw the adulation his brothers received and was like, ‘oh, I’m going to be like that,’” she said.
But while Matthew and Michael had to be pushed sometimes to get in gear, their father said that was never needed for Anthony.
“He was self-motivated — he would get up on time, would get most of his work done before he got home, [and] always gave us perfect report cards since grammar school, A-plus’s all the way down,” Tony Peraza said. “He just seemed to get it.”
Aside from running cross country and playing alto sax in the jazz band throughout high school, Anthony Perazatook several AP classes, in physics, chemistry, calculus, music theory, U.S. history, literature and even scored a high grade on an AP biology exam his freshman year even though he did not take the class.
Michael, Anthony and Matthew Peraza have added to a sibling trend of valedictorians and salutatorians at Shoreham-Wading River High School. Photo from the Perazas
“My brother’s grades set pretty high standards, so I felt I needed to do that too, and not let anyone down,” he said. “Early on, it was drilled into my brain ‘do homework first, get it done.’”
On his younger brother’s achievements, Matthew Peraza said, “Anthony really got what he deserved. He’s worked hard and he had it figured out. I’m really proud.”
That same inherent motivation also drove the Gostic sisters in high school, where each of them excelled as three-season athletes, AP students and extracurricular leaders.
But as far as sisterly competition goes, Katelyn Gostic, 26, who was student government president, said there wasn’t much of it.
“We all sort of just followed each other’s examples … all three of us were independently wired to work really hard and take pride in what we did,” said the oldest sister, a Princeton University graduate currently pursuing her doctorate at the University of California, Los Angeles. “We were all so busy.”
Michelle Gostic, 24, currently at the Delft University of Technology Dutch in the Netherlands to get her coastal engineering degree, said having Katelyn as an older sister served as inspiration.
“I always admired her and had it in my head that she was in another league, so I never compared myself to her,” Michelle said with a laugh. “Any motivation we had was definitely from within.”
She said both her parents — Rich Gostic, a science teacher at Hampton Bays High School, and Sherry Gostic, a physical therapy instructor at Stony Brook University — instilled in them an appreciation for learning without putting pressure on them.
“My husband and I are proud parents, but I have to say the girls were very much self-disciplined and driven, and we really did not play a big role in what they have accomplished,” their mother said. “It just turned out the way it did without anybody really trying to accomplish any kind of goal.”
As the youngest, Cari Gostic, 22, said working hard was a habit that I grew up with and modeled.
“I came home and did my work because that’s what Michelle and Katelyn did, and it has worked out really well for me,” said the recent Cornell graduate, who finished a semester early with a degree in atmospheric science.
“We all sort of just followed each other’s examples … all three of us were independently wired to work really hard and take pride in what we did.”
— Katelyn Gostic
When Maxwell Maritato, 20, was in seventh grade, the engineer-in-training at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute recalls coming home and asked his mother Dorothy, “What would you say if I got an 85 on my science test?” to which she responded, “That wouldn’t be too bad.”
But when he told her that was the grade he got on his science test, she said, “Aw come on, you can do better than that.”
“I was like, ‘alright, let me see if I can do better,’ so it started out as wanting to please my parents a bit and it took off from there,” said Maritato, whose father, Peter, is the chair of the engineering department at Suffolk County Community College.
His mother said family always came first but stressed the importance of school.
“We encouraged them to get their work done before they played,” the physical therapy instructor said. “They were both bright from the get-go, and mature for their age. We consider ourselves lucky they were such good kids.”
By high school, Maxwell Maritato was student government president, a member of the National Honors Society, a volleyball and track standout and leagues above his classmates when it came to academics.
But younger brother Nicholas, currently pursuing a biomedical engineering degree at Johns Hopkins University, said he never felt pressured to achieve anything his brother did.
“It was definitely more inspiring to see the work he did pay off the way like it did, and it pushed me to strive to do my best,” he said, adding that any competition between the two was in good fun. “We were really good friends growing up.”
When Nicholas, an AP student, varsity volleyball and track athlete and Eagle Scout, was named salutatorian, his brother Maxwell had just a few words to say: “I saw it coming from miles away.”
Vice President of the North Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce Donna Boeckel, on left, and Councilwoman Valerie Cartwright, on right, with the scholarship recipients. Photo by Kevin Redding
The North Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce last week awarded $1,000 scholarships to local high school graduates heading to college to pursue their dreams this fall.
Each of the seven students, Benjamin May, Kira Gresser and Mathew Yonks from Mount Sinai; Alexa Tammone from Comsewogue; Angela Bonafede from Rocky Point; Emma Dell’Aquilla from Miller Place; and John McCarrick from Shoreham-Wading River were winners of the chamber’s highly competitive, districts-wide essay contest. Each was recognized for his or her academic achievements and community service.
“I think sometimes we as a community — the parents and the chambers — need to sit down and stop for a moment to let each and every one of you know that you’re doing a great job,” Brookhaven Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station) said during an awards ceremony at Don Quijote restaurant in Miller Place June 19. “While you’re in college, know that you have the entire community supporting you as you move forward. You guys soared — you’re shining stars and we look forward to having you as a continued part of the Town of Brookhaven.”
May, who will be attending the University of Pennsylvania to study economics and international relations, wrote in his essay about his experience as an environmental advocate at Mount Sinai High School — where he founded the Environmental Outreach Club. He said he was thrilled to accept the scholarship.
“I knew the competition was really strong for this one, so when I heard back about it, I was very humbled and honored,” May said. “I know the money is going to help me get a college education, so I’m very happy.”
Tammone, who has led several variety shows and programs at Comsewogue to benefit charities, will pursue a degree in music education at Montclair State University in New Jersey.
“[Music] is something I’m very passionate about and I want to share my passion with others — I’m very honored to be recognized,” she said.
Rocky Point’s Bonafede, who will be studying baking and pastry arts at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island after years in the BOCES culinary arts program, said it was a big relief to hear she’d been chosen.
“Everything I’ve been working toward is finally paying off,” she said. “I’ve done a lot of community service events, like giving food to people in need, car washes, fundraising — I’m excited to be making my big dream come true.”
Dell’Aquilla, a volunteer at Mather Hospital, said, in her essay, taking care of her epileptic brother growing up helped her realize she wanted to study nursing at the College of Mount Saint Vincent.
McCarrick, an honors student, athlete, Eagle Scout member, and junior firefighter in the Shoreham-Wading River district, said he will be using his scholarship money to pay for school supplies at SUNY New Paltz, where he will major in mechanical engineering.
While a senior at Mount Sinai, Gresser, who will study human-based law at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, held several fundraisers to help build a water well in Africa for the organization Strides for Africa.
“It’s really nice that there’s something like this because a lot of people do a lot of good and hard work and don’t really get much for it,” Gresser said of the scholarship.
Yonks, who plans to pursue nursing at the University of Buffalo, has been a member of the Future Business Leaders of America and the Eagle Scouts. As a senior, he built garden boxes and planted vegetables that were donated to needy families in local areas.
“I’m just proud to be a member of the community, and I always like to help whenever and wherever needed,” he said.
Donna Boeckel, vice president of the chamber, along with chamber corresponding secretary Carol Genua, sifted through the dozens of essays that poured in from each district. Boeckel said the chamber has spearheaded this contest every year for the last 20 years and raises the money through town fundraisers.
“These recipients had submissions that outshined all the others,” Boeckel said. “We’re very proud of them — they really took it to the next level.”
Mount Sinai seniors show off their diplomas. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Siani seniors take to the field to receive theri diplomas on graduation day. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors wait to receive their diplomas. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors sing on graduation day. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai's band performs for the parting seniors during commencement. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai valedictorian Ben May addresses his peers on graduation day. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors receive their diplomas. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors decorated caps for the 2017 commencement cermeony. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors bid farewell on graduation day. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai salutatorian Helene Marinello speaks to the Class of 2017. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors perform during the 2017 commencement ceremony. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors decorated caps for the 2017 commencement cermeony. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors celebrate graduation day. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors hit the field June 24 to celebrate the end of their high school careers.
Valedictorian Ben May and salutatorian Helene Marinello shared parting words with the Class of 2017, many of whom were donned with decorative caps signifying places gone and what’s to come.
May spoke about the class being the last to have been born in the 20th century, and technically the final group of 90’s kids to graduate.
“We have the best chance of anyone alive today to live in three different centuries. We have more opportunities today to learn, develop and achieve great things than ever have veer been seen in the history of the human race,” he said. “Let’s go out into the world ready not to be the best person in the room, but also ready to strive to become better. If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”
He finished with a fond memory from freshman year.
“Midway through our class trip to Six Flags, it started raining, and all of the rides began to close and most people sought shelter inside,” May said. “However, we were different. In the middle of the storm, we started dancing and playing. In the future, let’s remember to dance when it’s raining.”
This version was updated to correct the spelling of valedictorian Ben May’s name.
Those affected or who know someone affected by preeclampsia headed to Heritage Park in Mount Sinai June 16 to raise awareness and funds for the rare but life-threatening pregnancy disorder. Photo by Kevin Redding
By Kevin Redding
Families and friends walked to raise awareness and funds to help put an end to a life-threatening pregnancy disorder.
Coram mom Jen DiSanza was 33 weeks pregnant with her second child in early 2016 when she started experiencing what felt like really bad heartburn, which she was told was a common symptom experienced at the end of pregnancy.
Coram resident Jen DiSanza, who was diagnosed with HELLP syndrome, a complication of preeclampsia, during her second pregnancy, hosted a Promise Walk for Preeclampsia to raise awareness to and fund for the disease. Photo by Kevin Redding
Even though a recent visit to the doctor had ensured her everything was going well, in a matter of days, she was vomiting, her blood pressure was up to 188/110 and her liver was shutting down while in labor seven weeks ahead of schedule at Stony Brook University Hospital.
“My liver enzymes were very high, my blood stopped clotting and my platelet count dropped — normal is around 200,000 and I was at 27,000,” DiSanza said. “I couldn’t even walk down the hallway in the hospital because if I stubbed my toe, I could internally bleed to death.”
She was soon diagnosed with HELLP syndrome, which is a complication of preeclampsia, an all-too-prevalent but widely overlooked pregnancy disorder that threatens the lives of mothers and their unborn babies. HEELP gets the acronym for hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count, which are all affected by the disorder.
There is currently no direct cause, which affects .2 to .6 percent of all pregnancies, which symptoms include headaches to swelling, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Women in the United States are at a higher risk for maternal death than women in 47 other countries, and about 4 to 12 percent of women diagnosed with preeclampsia develop HELLP syndrome.
Since giving birth to her perfectly healthy daughter, Elisandra, at midnight Feb. 4, 2016, DiSanza has bounced back from a post-birth health crisis and become an active volunteer with the nationwide Preeclampsia Foundation, an empowered community of patients and experts that aims to raise public awareness of the disorder and funds for research and a cure.
The foundation is a driving force behind two bipartisan bills currently trying to be passed in Congress that would support states in their efforts to identify a cause for the disorder and use their findings to improve healthcare quality and ultimately inform change.
Those affected or know someone affected by preeclampsia headed to Heritage Park in Mount Sinai June 16 to raise awareness and funds for the rare but life-threatening pregnancy disorder. Photo by Kevin Redding
DiSanza, with the support of several sponsors including Macaroni Kid and Eurofins NTD, organized the Promise Walk for Preeclampsia June 17, where dozens of local residents affected by the disorder in some way or another walked a mile and half around Heritage Park in Mount Sinai in support of disorder recognition and research.
A goal for donations to the foundation was set at $5,000, $3,000 of which was raised before the event even started. Gift certificates to local businesses were raffled off and a post-walk workout session was offered by Energy Fitness of Miller Place, where DiSanza works as an instructor. Face painting was available for kids.
“A lot of people aren’t aware of what preeclampsia actually is, and how serious it can be and how quickly it comes up,” DiSanza said to the small crowd before the walk began. “There’s a lot that women just don’t know to look for. Being here, and telling all your friends and family why we’re here, helps to share that message. [The foundation] sends out pamphlets to doctors’ offices and clinics around the country, they explain the warning signs and what to look for.”
Laura Moakley, a Seaford resident who helped DiSanza coordinate the event, and her 6-year-old daughter, Rowan, wore a pink shirt that read “Kick Preeclampsia to the Curb.” Moakley was diagnosed while 32 weeks pregnant with Rowan in 2011 after her midwife mistreated the signs.
Ray and Jen DiSanza with their two children. Elisandra, on left, was who Jen DiSanza was pregnant with when she was diagnosed with HELPP syndrome, a complication of preeclampsia. Photo by Kevin Redding
Feeling scared and uncertain of what awaited her, having been told she or her child could die in labor, Moakley had an emergency Cesarean section and woke up with a photo of Rowan next to her pillow. Her daughter spent 35 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
“I felt robbed of a normal pregnancy … why didn’t I have the picture perfect pregnancy that our society needs to see? My goal was for no other woman to ever have to go through this,” Moakley said as a happy and healthy Rowan hugged her. “Awareness is key — we must continue forward with all of our work, our walks, changes in the medical community and even Congress.”
She eventually discovered the foundation online and found a network of women and men to talk to and get support from.
“I feel more connected … I feel like we’re not alone,” she said. “I feel like there’s a movement happening and there could be change in the future. I already see there’s more awareness and support … not just for women, but men, who are just as deeply affected by it also. There’s the stress of coming home without a baby or of having to take care of a premature baby.”
Ray DiSanza, whose wife Jen was who was diagnosed with HELLP syndrome, said more mothers need to be aware of the deadly disease and its all-too-common symptoms. Photo by Kevin Redding
DiSanza’s husband, Ray, could vouch for that stress.
“It was the single most horrifying experience of my life,” he recalled. “I didn’t know all that much about preeclampsia before it happened … it was a good thing that Jen did, because if we had both been as ignorant of it as I was, we might not be here today.”
Dr. Terrence Hallahan, of Eurofins Clinical Diagnostics in Melville, spoke of a recently developed test screening for early onset preeclampsia at the lab, which is the only one offering the test at the moment.
“It’s something near and dear to our hearts,” Hallahan said. “We now have the ability to test pregnant women in the first trimester, and determine which are most likely to develop early onset preeclampsia. Not only can we detect this, we can now prevent it. People need to know.”
Jackie and Chris Buzaid, Lake Grove
Devon Buckley, Poquott: All of my friends … around six or seven of us … are gonna go on my family’s sailboat and go out to Pirate’s Cove, the first cove right at the mouth of the entrance of Port, on the night of 4th of July to see some fireworks. It’s usually a leisurely day, [but] we kind of do that every year. We just hang out, we’ll have a grill onboard, grill some food, go swimming. [Fourth of July] has always been a family and friends ordeal every year.
Pat Morelli, Setauket: I’m actually going up to New Hampshire for my brother’s wedding. It’s not on the 4th of July, but it’s going to be a long weekend type of thing with the whole family. Usually the family that’s here on the Island, we try to get together every 4th of July. It’s a nice, summer holiday where we get to remember how great this country is and hang out with each other.
Avery Looney and Michael Famiano, Port Jefferson Station:
Jenna and Jeannette Cleary, Coram
Bill Evans and Kristine O’Brien, Holbrook: We live in Holbrook but we’re doing a little getaway for two days, staying at Danfords and hanging out in town. We’re just gonna walk around, enjoy the atmosphere, have dinner. For us at home, we show patriotism, but here, we’re really just looking to get away and have a 24-48 hours escaping from our four girls, ages 11 to 18, and throughout the weekend we’ll celebrate
.John and Nicole Goncharuk, Selden
Sussman, who graduated with a 101.4 GPA, was a National Merit Scholar and Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor.
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