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Monthly Archives: May 2016

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Huntington High School. File photo.

Two incumbents will square off against a former administrator in the race for two seats on the Huntington board of education.

Bari Fehrs is running for her second term while Bill Dwyer is seeking his third victory. Carmen Kasper, who served as the district’s director of world languages for 14 years before retiring in June 2015, is challenging the pair.

Carmen Kasper

Kasper_Kasperw“The hardest thing about making that decision [to retire] was that I was not going to work with students any more,” Kasper said in an email. But by running for the board, “I could still work for them, serve them the best I could, and serve them to the best of my knowledge by being a trustee, making decisions that would help to improve their education.”

Kasper has lived in Huntington for 10 years. She has spent her life as an educator, teaching English in Peru and Spanish in Copiague school district. She earned a degree in education from SUNY Old Westbury and a master’s degree from Hofstra University in teaching English as a second language.

Bari Fehrs

Fehrs_FehrswFehrs, a 27-year Huntington resident, was elected to the school board in 2013. She was on the board’s Safety Committee, Health and Wellness Committee, Shared Decision Making Committee and Policy Committee during her first term.

Fehrs said she is proud of several accomplishments in her first term, like the board restoring a full-day kindergarten program, which was previously cut, without piercing the state-mandated cap on tax levy increases; expanding academic and extracurricular programs; and enhancing technological infrastructure.

“I look forward to the opportunity to serve another term as a school board trustee, to continue the excellence in education that the Huntington community has come to expect while being fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of this district,” she said in an email.

Bill Dwyer

Dwyer_FilewBill Dwyer was first elected in 2008. He left the board in 2011 after his first term, and was elected again in 2013. He served as president of the board for three school years.

“I am proud of the work we have done in adding programs and services, all within the realm of responsible budgeting,” Dwyer said in an email. “I have made positive contributions to the school district during my time on the board and would be honored to continue my service.”

Dwyer has a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He started his own health publishing company called Rocket Science Publishing, which produces patient education materials to help in chronic disease management. He currently works for an educational technology company.

Polls will be open on May 17 to vote on the district’s $123 million budget and select two board members. There is another item on the ballot: the release of $2.4 million from the district’s capital reserves for infrastructure upgrades related to handicap accessibility.

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He can’t Champlain

A 27-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station was arrested on Champlain Street for having cocaine and heroin at about 6 p.m. on April 27, according to police. He was charged with two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Arden Place fight

On Arden Place in Port Jefferson, a 22-year-old man struck two people in the face at about 3 a.m. on May 1, police said. He was arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree harassment.

Unlicensed crash

At about noon on April 29, a 48-year-old man from Centereach driving a 1991 GMC Suburban on North Coleman Road in Centereach was involved in a crash with another vehicle, according to police. The man was arrested when it was discovered he was driving without a license. He was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Bonnybill drug bust

A 27-year-old woman from Centereach was found to have oxycodone pain medication without a prescription on Bonnybill Drive at about 1 p.m. on April 28, police said. She was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Mall mischief

At about 9 p.m. on April 26, a 19-year-old man from Farmingville stole various electronics and jewelry from Centereach Mall, according to police. He was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Should have registered at Bed, Bath & Beyond

At Centereach Mall on April 5 at about 11 p.m., a 36-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man, both from Islip, stole multiple items, including a vacuum cleaner, a coffeemaker and an air purifier, police said. They were arrested in Selden on April 26 and each was charged with petit larceny.

Moto madness

A 51-year-old man from Centereach was driving a 1997 Kawasaki motorcycle on Middle Country Road in Selden with a revoked license at about 4 p.m. on April 29, according to police. He was arrested and charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Bathroom photographer stopped

At about 9 a.m. on April 27, a 37-year-old man from Bay Shore entered the bathroom at Smith Haven Mall, took out his cellphone, put it in picture-taking mode and reached the phone underneath an occupied stall, police said. It was not clear whether the suspect was in a men’s bathroom or a women’s bathroom at the time of the incident, but he was arrested and charged with second-degree unlawful surveillance.

Better late than never

An unknown person damaged a glass door and window screen at a home on Mount Sinai-Coram Road in Mount Sinai at about noon on Jan. 1, according to police. Owners of the home filed a police report on May 1.

Beach bandit

At Cordwood Landing County Park in Miller Place on April 30, an unknown person took jewelry and cash from a 2010 Jeep parked near the beach, police said.

TV waltzes out of Walmart

On April 30 at about 7:30 p.m., an unknown person put a television in a shopping cart at the Walmart on Nesconset Highway in East Setauket and left the store without paying, according to police.

Can you hear me now?

A cellphone charger and a phone battery were stolen from the Walmart at Centereach Mall at about 10 p.m. on April 28, police said.

Unhealthy theft

An employee at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson dropped their wallet in a hallway in the hospital at about 7 a.m. on April 29, police said. The wallet was taken and never returned.

Wax on, decals off

An unknown person ripped business decals off the front windows of Ultimate Taekwondo of Stony Brook at about 9 p.m. on April 27, according to police.

No mini-golfing at 2 a.m.

On April 28 at about 2 a.m., someone attempted to enter Tiki Action Park in Centereach, causing damage to a rear door, police said. The person was not able to enter the business.

Drills disappeared

A 20-year-old man from Lindenhurst stole fuel drills from the Home Depot at Independence Plaza in Selden at about 6:30 p.m. on April 24, according to police. He was arrested in Selden on April 28 and charged with petit larceny.

After-hours deli disturbance

The rear glass door at El Limeño deli on Main Street in Port Jefferson was cracked, though no entry was made, at about 10 p.m. on April 28, police said.

Almost pool season

An unknown person stole two pool cleaners from Leslie’s Pool Supplies in Centereach Mall at about 9 a.m. on April 25, according to police.

Bank robbed in St. James

An unknown man robbed a TD Bank on Lake Avenue in St. James on May 1. At approximately 2:35 p.m., police said the man approached a teller and displayed a note demanding cash, which the teller gave him. The suspect had the lower half of his face covered with a construction mask, and was described as a white male, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build. He was wearing a brown-hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. Police said he fled the bank on foot.

The investigation is continuing, and detectives are asking anyone with information about this incident to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

Life’s not a beach

A 26-year-old man from Mastic Beach was arrested on April 30 after police said he was in possession of a controlled substance while inside a 2013 Hyundai on Bay Avenue in Ronkonkoma. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Taking the high road

On April 30 a 19-year-old woman from Medford was arrested after police said she had marijuana on her while driving a 2005 Nissan on Express Drive North in Islandia. She was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

I think she just left

Police said a 60-year-old woman from Lake Grove left the scene of a car crash involving her 2013 Hyundai on April 29 at 3:30 p.m. and did not give out her license or drivers insurance. She was charged with operating a vehicle and leaving the scene with property damage.

Now you see me, now you don’t

A 34-year-old man from Bohemia was arrested on April 28 after police said he crashed his 2010 Audi A5 into a 2011 Chevrolet while driving on Belle Avenue in Ronkonkoma, damaging the left side of the Chevrolet and fleeing the scene. He was charged with operating a vehicle and leaving the scene with property damage.

Knife-y situation

On April 27 a 22-year-old man from Ronkonkoma was arrested after police said he held a knife up to a man while at a residence on Edgewood Avenue just after 4 p.m. He was charged with second-degree menacing with a weapon.

No license and drugs

Police said a 26-year-old man from Huntington had marijuana on him while driving a 2002 Lexus on Route 25 and Indian Head Road in Commack on April 27 with a suspended license. He was arrested and charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Doughnuts make me go nuts

A 29-year-old man from Kings Park was arrested on April 27 after police said he stole credit cards, gift cards and other assorted items from a Dunkin Donuts on Pulaski Road in Kings Park. He was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny.

So C-Lowe’s

On April 26 a 51-year-old man from Woodhaven was arrested at the 4th Precinct after police said he stole merchandise from Lowe’s on Sept. 4 and Oct. 7. He was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny valuing property more than $1,000.

You shall not pass

Police said a 25-year-old man from Centereach stood in the middle of Serpentine Lane in Islandia on April 25 stopping vehicles that were attempting to pass. He was arrested and charged with obstructing traffic.

Not keeping watch at 7-Eleven

Police said two male suspects stole assorted merchandise from 7-Eleven on Old Nichols Road in Islandia on April 30.

All for a slice of ‘za

On April 30, a 20-year-old man from Brooklyn was arrested after police said he used fraudulent credit cards to purchase gift cards, food and drinks from California Pizza Kitchen on Route 110 in Huntington. He was charged with petit larceny and second-degree possession of a forged instrument.

Faking it

Police said a 28-year-old man from Brooklyn had marijuana on him on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington on April 30. He was arrested and taken to the 2nd Precinct where police said they discovered fraudulent credit cards on him. He was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and second-degree possession of a forged instrument.

Blurred lines

A 27-year-old woman from Greenlawn was arrested on May 1 after police pulled her over for speeding while driving a 2007 Hyundai on Arbutus Road in Greenlawn and said they discovered she was drunk. She was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Not buying what he’s selling

On April 30, a 33-year-old man from Huntington Station was arrested on Route 110 in Huntington Station after police said he had heroin in his possession. He was charged with third-degree possession of narcotic drugs with intent to sell.

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Farm workers’ advocates are preparing to march 200 miles up to Albany in the name of better labor conditions, and we think lawmakers should listen.

A group called the Rural Migrant Ministry organized the annual March for Farm Worker Justice, which sets off on May 15 this year, as part of its lobbying efforts for better working and living conditions, overtime pay and more for farm workers across the region. One member of that group described farm workers as “living in fear” of the “strongholds” farmers have on them, and the group has accused state Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport) of failing to address their concerns since becoming majority leader.

But an anonymous website, nyfarmworkerprotectionbill.com provided the farmers’ perspective.

“RMM and others have recruited various celebrities and foodies to support the bill, as well as downstate and New York City legislators, most of whom have never even been to a farm,” the site said. “We believe these individuals have been misled and have not done the proper research to find out the truth about farms, growers, farmworkers and the challenges we face to bring fresh food to as many tables as possible.”

We understand there are different angles to this debate, but we also firmly believe workers of any type, whether they are legally employed or paid off-the-books, should be allotted some basic rights that lawmakers must find ways to put in placew. We are calling on our elected officials to engage stakeholders in this debate and hold a public hearing in which all parties can contribute to the dialogue.

There can be no mutual understanding without communication, and there appears to be a disconnect between farmers and their workers, or even between legislators and the agricultural sector. If everyone sits down together and has a respectful discussion, they may find fertile ground for compromise.

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Cesar Moncada mugshot from SCPD

By Elana Glowatz

Police have arrested two teenage stepbrothers in connection with one of the three shootings that took place in Huntington Station over the course of three days in late April.

Cesar Moncada mugshot from SCPD
Cesar Moncada mugshot from SCPD

The Suffolk County Police Department alleged on Thursday that 18-year-old Jonattan Canales and 19-year-old Cesar Moncada, who live in the same Tower Street home, shot a man in the foot while he was walking through the Long Island Rail Road commuter lot off New York Avenue.

When that shooting occurred on the night of April 23, police said 20-year-old Jose Jurado was walking in the lot when someone stepped out of a vehicle, pointed a gun at him and fired. Jurado, of Huntington Station, fled and made it to the 7-Eleven at New York Avenue and Depot Road, where another person called 911. The victim was treated at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow.

Detectives have charged Canales and Moncada with first-degree assault. They were scheduled to be arraigned on May 5 and attorney information was not immediately available.

Jonattan Canales mugshot from SCPD
Jonattan Canales mugshot from SCPD

According to the New York State court system’s online database, both the men have other charges pending against them: Canales for possession of a forged instrument and moving traffic violations, including unlicensed driving; and Moncada for criminal possession of marijuana and criminal possession of a weapon, for a loaded firearm.

The night of Jurado’s shooting was an active one for Huntington Station. About two hours after that incident, several shots were fired toward a home on East 6th Street, between Fairground Avenue and Lenox Road. Police said at the time that two friends were standing in the driveway when shots were fired in the house’s direction, with several of them hitting the home. Other bullets, police said, hit a vehicle in the driveway of the house next-door, where a child was asleep in the back seat.

The 8-year-old child was not hurt.

A few days later, several shots were fired near 10th Avenue. Officers responded to a ShotSpotter activation on that block, between Craven and West 15th streets. Five men who were standing in front of a home on the residential street reported hearing gunshots and seeing flashes of light, police said, but did not see anyone firing a gun.

According to police, no injuries were reported but spent bullet casings were found at the scene.

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Sharks win 25 straight, look to advance to NJCAA Division III World Series in Rochester, Minnesota

The Suffolk County Community College softball team poses with its championship plaque following the Region XV championship win over Nassau County Community College. Photo from SCCC

On Saturday afternoon, the Suffolk County Community College softball team beat Nassau County Community College, 9-1, to capture the Region XV Championship.

With the Sharks’ three wins this weekend, their regular season record is 27-10, and they are the winners of 25 straight. The team will travel May 7th to play Montgomery College, the winner of Region XX. The team that comes out on top this weekend
advances to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III World
Series in Rochester, Minnesota.

Paige Baker, Sandra Lombardi, Jackie Chester and Jamie Parente were named to the All Tournament Team. Courtney Lawrence was voted Tournament MVP to go along with her Region XV Player of the Year Award.

Freshman third baseman, shortstop and outfielder Jessica Parente; freshman outfielder, second baseman and shortstop Jamie Parente; freshman outfielder Paige Baker; sophomore shortstop, outfield and pitcher Valerie Scura, from Newfield; and freshman pitcher, outfielder and shortstop Courtney Lawrence were named to the Region XV All Region Team voted on by the Region XV coaches.

Sophomore first baseman, third baseman and catcher Samantha Magerovich was named to the second team.

— SCCC Athletics

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Activists demonstrate across the state in a 2013 rally for farmworkers’ rights. Photo from U. Roberto Romano

The road to fairness for farmworkers starts in Suffolk County.

Supporters of the Farm Workers Fair Labor Practices Act, as it has been known for the majority of its existence, which has spanned years and decades, will begin a 200-mile march to Albany on May 15, starting from Sen. John Flanagan’s (R-East Northport) office in Smithtown. A group called the Rural Migrant Ministry organized the March for Farmworker’s Justice. The group has been lobbying for better working and living conditions and benefits like overtime pay and health insurance for farmworkers, who Linda Obernauer, a volunteer with the ministry, said “live in fear” under “strongholds” from many farmers.

“The owners of the farm are the landlords — the owners of the housing,” Boris Martinez, a farmworker from a nursery in Patchogue, said through translator Katia Chapman in a phone interview Tuesday. Martinez is from El Salvador and has worked at the nursery for about two years, he said. “The owners only care that the housing is okay when inspection is going to come. They don’t care what state the housing is in, what condition the housing is in. It’s most likely that there will be at least 10 people living there.”

Nathan Berger is the main organizer of the march, which is a yearly occurrence. Participants march between 10 and 15 miles per day, stopping overnight to sleep at churches or at homes provided by volunteer host families. Obernauer said anyone is welcome to march, and they can join during any leg and participate for as many or as few miles as desired. Berger could not be reached for comment.

“We should all be involved in this,” Obernauer said in a phone interview Friday. “They are who we are but we don’t give them justice.”

Martinez said during a snowstorm last year many of the rooms in the housing provided by the owner of the farm where he works had leaks. Snow and water got inside of virtually all of the rooms. About 10 tenants share the home at a given time.

“The difficulty is that if we were to say to the owner that it’s not adequate housing he would send us out of the house to rent elsewhere because here when you work at his farm we don’t pay rent and it would be difficult to afford rent elsewhere,” Martinez said. “None of the workers are paid overtime pay. None of us have health insurance and if we get sick we don’t have the resources to pay for basic medical care. I know a lot of other workers in the area and none of them are paid overtime pay. Many of us don’t have a day of rest either. I’m right now working about 60 hours a week but when the weather warms up I’ll probably be working 67 or 68 hours.”

“The owners only care that the housing is okay when inspection is going to come.”
­— Boris Martinez

Martinez added he has friends who work upward of 80 hours a week.

“Those in power, they don’t care how we’re doing as workers, what they care about is the money that we’re producing for them,” he said.

An anonymous website, located at www.nyfarmworkerprotectionbill.com, provides the farmers’ perspective on the seemingly never-ending battle. An attempt to contact the purveyor of the website was unsuccessful. The email associated is no longer active.

“[The Rural Migrant Ministry] and others have recruited various celebrities and ‘foodies’ to support the bill, as well as downstate/New York City legislators, most of whom have never even been to a farm,” the site says. “We believe these individuals have been misled and have not done the proper research to find out the truth about farms, growers, farmworkers, and the challenges we face to bring fresh food to as many tables as possible.”

State Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan (D-Queens) is the sponsor of the bill in its current form. The site suggests increased rights and benefits for farmworkers would take a financial toll on farmers’ businesses.

“What we are talking about are five or six exemptions to state labor law,” the site states. “These exemptions, like the one for overtime pay exist because of the production and marketing realities associated with farming. Farming does not take place in an enclosed building with a regulated environment. We have a limited time to plant and harvest. If overtime is enacted, farmers will have to cut hours during the growing season so as to afford the extra hours needed at planting and harvest times which can’t be avoided.”

Flanagan was a sponsor of the bill during his time in the State Assembly in the early 2000s. Since being elected to the State Senate in 2002 he has publicly supported the bill. However, despite becoming the GOP majority leader in 2015, the bill remains before the Labor Committee and has yet to pass the Senate. Flanagan did not respond to multiple requests for comment through his public relations personnel.

Jose Ventura, another farmworker from Guatemala who lives on Long Island, said his living and working conditions are not bad, but he also does not receive overtime or health benefits. He will be participating in the march.

“I’m participating in the march because even though, as I said, I like my job, I also see my friends, my companions that they are not always treated well,” Ventura said in a phone interview Tuesday through Chapman as a translator. “On their farms they’re not always paid fairly. There’s a lot of Guatemalan farmworkers and some of them are mistreated in the job and while I feel that this march is for the benefit of my people, therefore I feel motivated to be a part of the movement.”

Martinez, who also plans to participate in the march, said he knows his value and plans to fight for it.

“Farmworkers are the most important workers in every country because they’re the ones producing the food for the country.”

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Miller Place's Alyssa Parrella moves around John Glenn’s Amelia Biancardi. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Miller Place dominated over visiting Elwood-John Glenn amid light rain Tuesday afternoon. The Panthers outscored their opponent 9-1 after 25 minutes of play in Division II girls’ lacrosse action, and despite the Knights scoring six goals in the second half, Miller Place was able to extinguish the rally and put the game away 17-7 to improve to 8-3 in the league and secure a solid playoff position.

The Panthers spread the scoring around in the first half, but senior Kristin Roberto led the way, as the midfielder and captain scored twice. Attacks Olivia Angelo, Julia Burns, Loren Librizzi and Allison Turturro each found the cage, as did midfielder Danielle Plunkett. The two other co-captains, junior midfielder Arianna Esposito and senior midfielder Alyssa Parrella, also split the pipes to dominate the game early.

Arianna Esposito cuts downfield for Miller Place. Photo by Bill Landon
Arianna Esposito cuts downfield for Miller Place. Photo by Bill Landon

Senior captain Amelia Biancardi scored the lone goal of the first half for the Knights 12 minutes into the contest.

To combat the deficit, Elwood-John Glenn head coach Janine Bright made a change in her team’s strategy for the second half. Bright said she knew Miller Place was a formidable opponent and that her team would have to fight from whistle to whistle for any chance of winning.

“We have to play a full 25 minute half — not just show up for six minutes in the first half, seven minutes in the second half — we have to play the entire game with full intensity from start to finish,” Bright said. “If we did that, today’s score could’ve been very different.”

Parrella opened the second half by lighting up the scoreboard with two quick goals — the first off an assist by Plunkett and then a solo shot for her hat trick goal, putting her team out front 11-1.

Miller Place head coach Thomas Carro said the leadership from his team’s captains is the reason for the team’s success this season.

“I think we’re peaking at the right time, and the girls are firing on all cylinders right now,” Carro said. “Their positive attitude on and off the field is just contagious. The girls are starting to believe in themselves and as a result of that, they can play with anybody this season.”

Biancardi, from a free position shot, scored again to make it a nine-point game with 16:03 left to play, but Parrella, unassisted, buried another one two minutes later to reopen the gap. Biancardi answered back at the 11:45 mark with a hat trick goal of her own, to bring the score to 12-3.

Miller Place's Loren Librizzi passes the ball. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place’s Loren Librizzi passes the ball. Photo by Bill Landon

“In previous years, we’ve played them closer, but they played amazing today,” Biancardi said. “They have so much speed on that team and you could see the difference.”

After another Panthers goal, Biancardi struck again after circling the cage and slipping an underhand shot in for the score. On the Knights’ next possession, Biancardi fed the ball to Madisyn Hausch, who found the net as momentum began to shift.

“[The Knights] have a couple of really good players who are not afraid to take it to cage,” Roberto said. “We had to step up and put pressure on them because they can score. We couldn’t take them lightly at all.”

Victoria Tsangaris drove one home from the free position, followed by Hausch’s second goal a minute later, to shave the Panthers’ lead to 13-7, but the Panthers capped off the game by scoring four more goals.

“Early on they were beating us to the ball, so we had to step it up — they came at us strong,” Parrella said. “Everyone’s fighting to make playoffs and we knew that if we played our game we’d come out on top.”

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File photo

By Alex Petroski & Elana Glowatz

Four candidates, no challenges. Both the Comsewogue and Port Jefferson school boards have two seats up for election later this month, but in both school districts, the incumbents are unopposed for re-election.

Rob DeStefano

Rob DeStefano photo from the candidate
Rob DeStefano photo from the candidate

DeStefano was first elected to the Comsewogue Board of Education in 2010. He graduated from Comsewogue High School with the Class of 1996 and joked that he’s been proud to be a part of the community since the day his parents brought him home from the hospital.

“I’m so honored that our community has supported me,” DeStefano said, as he runs unopposed for his third term. “It’s a lot to entrust in a handful of folks to make sure our district is in the right hands. I take this very seriously.”

DeStefano graduated from the New York University Stern School of Business with degrees in business marketing and business management, and a minor in political science. He earned a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Long Island University. He said he’s spent his whole professional career in technology and is currently a senior product marketing manager for a software company that specializes in mobile connectivity.

DeStefano and his wife have a 7-year-old at Norwood Elementary School and a 3-year-old who will soon be attending Comsewogue schools. DeStefano will be leading the school board’s newly formed public relations committee next year.

Francisca Alabau-Blatter

Francisca Alabau-Blatter file photo
Francisca Alabau-Blatter file photo

Alabau-Blatter did not respond to requests for comment on her run for her third term on the Comsewogue school board.

Originally from Spain, she moved to Long Island at 13 years old. She has three kids in Comsewogue and teaches Spanish in the Central Islip school district. She holds a bachelor’s degree in art education and a master’s degree in computer graphics.

Alabau-Blatter has made comments in the past about her views on standardized testing for students.

“I have little kids and I know what they go through,” she said in an interview after her election for a second term in 2013. “The only goal right now is to do well on this test and it shouldn’t be that way — it should be a well-rounded education.”

She said in 2013 that she was running for a second term because she felt there was still work to be done in the district.

Kathleen Brennan

Kathleen Brennan file photo
Kathleen Brennan file photo

The Port Jefferson school board president and former educator is seeking a third term because “there’s so many pieces still in play in the district, not the least of which is the search for the new superintendent.”

Superintendent Ken Bossert recently announced that this school year would be his last with Port Jefferson, and Brennan said she wants to focus on finding a replacement because “that person helps set the course for where the district goes.”

Brennan, a member of the board’s audit and finance committees and a resident of the district since 1978, noted that all the board members have a good rapport with one another, respecting each other’s opinions.

“There isn’t the kind of … interaction that there once was on the board,” she said. “There was a lot of negative interaction between board members.”

In addition to finding a new superintendent, the president would like to continue work on infrastructure improvements, because improving the campuses “affects morale for everyone in the organization,” including staff and students.

Ellen Boehm

Ellen Boehm file photo
Ellen Boehm file photo

Boehm, a member of the Port Jefferson board’s facilities and audit committees, also noted the superintendent’s departure when discussing her reasons for seeking a third term on the board.

“It’s, I think, good to have people that are familiar with what’s been going on with the school,” she said, “that we remain together” during the change. But she added that she thinks the district has a good administrative team in place, between new principals and other officials, to see everyone through a change in leadership.

Boehm, a Port Jefferson grad herself, was once a teaching assistant in the district.

“I love the community, especially the students here,” she said. “Having spent time at the elementary school, I’m familiar with a good number of the student body. It’s a great place. We should have strong schools.”

Boehm has served four years as a trustee, after being appointed in 2012 and re-elected to a full term the next year. In her third run on the board, she has her sights set on improving school facilities and supporting special education students “so that they’re career-ready.”

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Three candidates are vying for two seats on the Three Village school board.

Incumbent Jonathan Kornreich, who has been on the board since 2008, will try to hold on to one of the at-large seats. Newcomer Angelique Ragolia, 46, and Andrea Fusco-Winslow, who ran unsuccessfully for the school board in 2012, are joining Kornreich in a bid for the two, 3-year positions.

Jonathan Kornreich Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy

A handful of residents showed up at Ward Melville High School Monday for the PTA-sponsored Meet the Candidates Night, at which the candidates for board trustees fielded prepared questions from the audience. Pitching their strengths, each highlighted qualities they said make them uniquely suited for the board.

Fusco-Winslow, an anesthesiologist with ProHEALTH Care Associates, said that, as a former business owner, she understands budgets and the importance of the bottom line. As a “fresh face” to the board, “I may see things differently,” she said, which could help the board ask the right questions and “change things that need to be changed.”

“I want to do the best for the community that has taken such good care of me,” said Fusco-Winslow, a 1988 Ward Melville High School graduate.

Kornreich, 46, chair of the board’s audit committee and a member of its legislative committee, said his background in investment management and as a legal consultant gives him a good sense of what tomorrow’s businesses want. That makes him an effective advocate for programs that will give Three Village students the right skills.

“There are certain very special things about this school district that make it desirable,” Kornreich said. “The size of our district allows us to run a wide variety of programs and allows every child to find that special thing about school that they really enjoy.”

He added that he has demonstrated a commitment “to the kids of our community and the community at large.”

Angelique Ragolia file photo
Angelique Ragolia file photo

“I would love to be someone who advocates for all of our children,” said Ragolia, who taught speech for seven years in Brooklyn before moving to East Setauket more than a decade ago. She works as a positive behavior intervention specialist with people suffering from traumatic brain injuries.

Now at the end of her second year as president of the Three Village Council of PTAs, Ragolia said she has a good working relationship with district administration and the board.

Asked about the district’s greatest weakness, the former Minnesauke Elementary PTA president answered that there wasn’t one. She praised the school board for restoring several student programs while presenting a “fiscally responsible” budget within the cap.

“I see all good,” Ragolia said. “I see room for growth always, but that’s with everybody, everywhere.”

Fusco-Winslow, 46, said she’s pleased with the education her daughters are receiving at Nassakeag Elementary and P.J. Gelinas Junior High, but sees areas that can be improved.

The 13-year East Setauket resident touched on the need to increase technology and student safety. Specifically, Fusco-Winslow said she wants to move voting, like the April 19 primary, out of the district’s schools. In addition, she wants to ensure that student athletes have the most appropriate safety equipment — particularly for sports such as football and lacrosse, and that the additional $6 million from the state goes toward student programs like art and music.

“There are things that need to be improved, and we have the money to do it,” she said.

Andrea_Fusco_wKornreich mentioned the restoration of high school business classes, the expansion of secondary level computer science and the elementary STEM program as examples of the current board’s budget priorities.

Not only is next year’s budget below the cap, he said, “It enhances programs to the maximum extent possible for our kids.”

The district’s greatest weakness, he said, is the loss of local control.

“No one knows better than us how we want to educate our students,” he said. Kornreich added that being “force-fed” state assessments infringes on the district’s ability to “control parts of our own destiny.”

Both Ragolia, who spoke at the 2013 Ward Melville forum with then Education Commissioner John King, and Fusco-Winslow, whose platform includes opting out of state tests, believe the standardized tests are developmentally inappropriate. In interviews before Monday’s event, each said the tests were not helpful to students, teachers or parents in determining how well students are doing.

The vote for school board trustees and the budget will take place on Tuesday, May 17, at the elementary schools. Those who usually vote at W.S. Mount Elementary will vote at R.C. Murphy Junior High, and Arrowhead Elementary voters will go to Ward Melville High School. The order on the ballot, determined by a drawing required by law, will be Kornreich, Ragolia and Fusco.

The candidate with the most votes will complete Susanne Mendelson’s term, which ends on June 30.

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Above, Jillian Winwood grabs possession at midfield off the draw. Photo by Desirée Keegan

Amid a rain and wind-whipped field Tuesday, the Kings Park girls’ lacrosse team struggled to find a rhythm and, as a result, the Kingsmen fell 15-1 to Greenport/Southold/Mattituck on their home field.

Mattituck capitalized on Kings Park’s early mistakes, as the team continued to win the draw, force turnovers and scoop up the ground balls off bad passes, leading to 10 unanswered goals by the end of the first half.

Shannon Savage scoops up a ground ball. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Shannon Savage scoops up a ground ball. Photo by Desirée Keegan

By the 10th goal, which came at the 3:05 mark, the seconds began to tick away off the now-running clock, regardless of the referees blowing the whistle.

In the second half, Mattituck mustered up five more goals, while Kings Park junior Jillian Winwood scored the lone goal for her team, off an assist from classmate Shannon Savage.

Freshman goalkeeper Lexie Kotsailidis made five saves between the pipes.

With the loss, the Kingsmen fall to 6-5 in Division II. The team has three games left this season, against Shoreham-Wading River, Center Moriches and Hauppauge.

Kings Park will travel to Shoreham-Wading River today, Thursday, for a game against Division II’s No. 3 team at 4 p.m.

The Kingsmen will host the 4-7 Center Moriches team on May 9 at 4:30 p.m., and wrap up the regular season against visiting 5-6 Hauppauge on May 11 at 4 p.m.

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