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Yearly Archives: 2016

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By Bob Lipinski

“Montrachet should be drunk kneeling, with one’s head bared.” — Alexander Dumas, 1802–1870, French novelist and playwright

The Leflaive family has been rooted in Puligny-Montrachet in eastern France since 1717, when Claude Leflaive first planted grapevines. In 1984, Olivier Leflaive launched his own company Olivier Leflaive Frères with the help of his uncle Vincent and his brother Patrick. He quickly established his own reputation among Burgundy’s finest.

The majority of the wines are white, from the three prestigious Côte de Beaune villages of Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet and Meursault, as well as from Chablis and the Côte Chalonnaise.

At a recent press event, I had the opportunity to taste and evaluate the 2014 vintage wines; here are my tasting notes and food pairings.

Overall comments on the 2014 Burgundy vintage were very good to excellent and certainly better than the previous vintages. Red wines are light to medium-bodied and meant for relatively early drinking, generally with less acidity than 2013. Colors are lighter, tannins lower, but they are showing marvelously now in their youth. The whites are quite fruity and well-balanced, with considerable perfume and aromas at this early stage of development.

Bourgogne Blanc “Les Sétilles”: Bouquet and flavor of citrus, plenty of apples, minerals and hints of vanilla with a clean aftertaste. Serve with some lightly fried squid and plenty of lemons.

Rully “Les Cloux” 1er Cru: Perfumed aroma of peaches and lime; concentrated fruit-acid flavors along with lime. Lean with good structure and great finish. Poached salmon with a dill beurre blanc sauce would work well.

Meursault: For a young wine it has a developed bouquet of oranges and spices; some oak and vanilla present; lovely fruit-acid balance. I would pair this wondrous flavored wine with some cold, smoked fish.

Meursault “Poruzots” 1er: Elegant bottling with good acidity, concentration of fruit, especially tangerine; lively finish and long fruity aftertaste. Serve with grilled chicken loaded with fresh tarragon.

Chassagne-Montrachet: Lively bouquet of apples and citrus; some earthiness and minerals in the mouth; plenty of fruit and a pleasing slightly tart aftertaste. Make it simple; grilled vegetables.

Chassagne-Montrachet “Clos Saint Marc” 1er: Bouquet of ripe melons, oranges, and lime; lemon hints; medium-body with a strong flavored aftertaste of citrus and Granny Smith apples. Take some pork chops, pile them high with slices of apples and cinnamon and bake.

Puligny-Montrachet: Delightful aromas of white peaches and apples; citrus also abounds; powerful in the mouth with vanilla and hints of oak; keep for a few years. Softshell crab anyone!

Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru: Everything you want from a spectacular, full-bodied wine; marmalade, vanilla, nuts, toast, oranges, apricot nectar; smoke, and vanilla; a spicy citrusy aftertaste just lingers. Just serve this wine by itself — that’s it!

Bob Lipinski, a local author, has written 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need to Know About Vodka, Gin, Rum & Tequila”  (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on wine, spirits and food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

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Anthony Forte, left, leaves behind his mother Debbie Carpinone, right, and 21-year-old brother Christopher. Photo from Debbie Carpinone

Anthony Michael Forte was a 24-year-old who got good grades in high school and went home to a loving family. He dreamed of a pursuing a career in the entertainment or food industries — until he died of a heroin overdose on May 2, 2015.

Forte is the new face of heroin addicts on Long Island.

While the drug problem continues to rise, his mother, Debbie Carpinone, is doing what she can to keep her spirits high and her son’s alive. Last October, Carpinone, of Port Jefferson, created Anthony’s Angels and established a $1,000 scholarship in Forte’s name.

The scholarship will help send one Mount Sinai High School senior to college this year. Carpinone, who works as a teaching assistant for the Mount Sinai Elementary School, wanted to pay it forward and give one student a chance to do the one thing her son couldn’t — go to school.

“He was so smart,” she said. “He wanted to go to school so bad, but he just couldn’t get his act together due to his addiction.”

The teaching assistant of 13 years sold 128 “Anthony’s Angels” T-shirts last year for the fundraiser of the same name. She raised $1,610 and also established a Facebook group. She approached Mount Sinai Elementary School Principal John Gentilcore in January regarding her son’s death and her scholarship, Gentilcore said.

He said it was easier for the small school district to spread the word about the scholarship. Forte was Carpinone’s eldest son, who went to Comsewogue High School until 2006, before he graduated from Newfield High School in 2008. His mother said even when he hit tough times, Forte remained loving and always had a smile on his face.

According to Carpinone, her son started using heroin in his junior year of high school. He told her about his addiction around two years later, and was in and out of sober houses.

“Talking about the loss of a child, if that doesn’t move you, if that doesn’t evoke a response to support and help … then I’d be surprised,” Gentilcore said. “She was honoring her son. To be able to do that in a way that helps others is a wonderful thing.”

Forte’s autopsy showed high levels of fentanyl in his system. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, fentanyl is more potent than morphine. Carpinone said she discovered the identity of her son’s dealers, their address and their contact information. She provided Detective Ghyslaine McBean with this information, but said the detective hasn’t returned her call since November. McBean didn’t respond to media inquiries prior to publication.

While tackling the issue of drug use on Long Island is important for many communities across Long Island, acknowledging the evolution of heroin addicts and other drug abusers is also vital.

Carpinone said some people still think all heroin users are dirtbags or come from terrible homes, which is not the case. Tracey Budd, who lost her son to a heroin overdose four years ago, met Carpinone last year. Budd, who helps families dealing with addiction, said nowadays, anyone could become a drug addict.

“The majority of people I know [who are affected by a drug addiction] all come from good families or good homes,” Budd said. “The thing we learn in addiction is, we didn’t cause it.”

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Huntington's Infinite Tucker leaps over the hurdles. File photo by Darin Reed
Huntington’s Infinite Tucker leaps over the hurdles. File photo by Darin Reed

It was the Infinite Tucker show last weekend at the Taco Bell Classic at Spring Valley High School’s Harry Parone Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. The Huntington senior walked away with four medals, following a classic finish in the premier relay race.

Tucker won the 400-meter high hurdles, came in a close second in the 110 high hurdles, anchored the Blue Devils’ winning 4×400 relay and finished fourth in long jump. His performance helped Huntington finish in a tie for second place in the team standings with 41 points. The competition drew more than 2,500 competitors from nearly 300 high schools across more than a dozen states.

Perhaps the highlight of the entire two-day competition was the 4×400 relay finals that pitted Huntington against longtime rival Archbishop Carroll of Washington, DC and Newton, in New Jersey, which won the team championship.

Kyree Johnson, Lawrence Leake and Shane McGuire handled the first three legs of the race before Tucker took over.

“Infinite gave it everything he had,” Huntington head coach Ron Wilson said.

The senior sprinted the final 400 meters and dove across the finish line while the Blue Devils held their collective breath. It was a photo finish with Archbishop Carroll, and officials took their time trying to determine the winner. About five minutes passed before it was announced that Huntington had won by 1/100th of a second in a time of three minutes, 22.13 seconds. The event drew 59 relay teams. Newton took third place in the race.

“It was an incredible finish to a weekend filled with great competition,” Wilson said. “We had some nice performances.”

Huntington’s 4×800 relay shined in a race that drew 52 entries. McGuire, Mitch Rudish, Tom Kopstein and Kyle O’Brien finished second in a time of 8:07.81.

“They were magnificent,” Wilson said.

The Blue Devil star finished in a time of 53.72 seconds. He was second in the 110 high hurdles after running 14:56 in the finals, nearly a half second off his qualifying heat time. Tucker clipped the last hurdle in the finals, which slowed him down.

Although Tucker was slightly off his game in long jump, a week earlier, he tied a 34-year-old Huntington record in the event with a leap of 24’6. He placed fourth last weekend at 22’3.

Leake was 13th in a field of 99 in the 400 run in a time of 50.52 seconds, Johnson was 18th in a field of 160 in the 200 dash in a time of 22.28 seconds, Kopstein was 30th in a field of 175 in the 800 run in a time of 2:03.15, McGuire was 54th in a field of 180 in the mile run in a time of 4:43.40, and Vernon Alexander was 15th in a field of 94 in shot put with a throw of 46’1 feet.

Huntington’s second-place team finish is an improvement over last year’s performance, when the Blue Devils placed eighth with 18 points.

— Huntington athletics

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Kids will have fun learning about the Long Island Sound this Sunday. Photo from Whaling Museum

Environmental conservation is an important, daily issue across the country. Long Island is no exception.

On Sunday, April 17, The Whaling Museum & Education Center in Cold Spring Harbor will try to do its part in spreading knowledge and awareness about humanity’s impact on the Long Island Sound. The museum is hosting SOUNDoff, a brand new event that will feature activities for marine enthusiasts of all ages including science experiments, water monitoring, art exhibits and a touch tank featuring oysters, sea stars, horseshoe crabs and hermit crabs.

Nomi Dayan, the executive director of the Whaling Museum, said that the goal of the event is to be fun and interactive for kids, while also being informative.

“SOUNDoff is [being held] basically [because] we want visitors to understand how to protect the waters around us,” Dayan said in a phone interview. “These are our neighbors that inhabit the waters.”

A press release from the museum highlighted the importance of appreciation and preservation for the large body of water that neighbors the North Shore.

“The Long Island Sound is an amazing natural resource providing economic and recreational benefits to millions of people while also providing habitat for more than 1,200 invertebrates, 170 species of fish and dozens of species of migratory birds,” the release said.

Representatives from the Cornell Cooperative Extension, Seatuck Environmental Association and The Waterfront Center will all be on hand at the event to host workshops, conduct experiments and educate visitors about the importance of keeping that water clean. They will lead mock water sample tests with kids, give a presentation on marine debris and another on storm water management presentation to name a few of the various activities in store for attendees.

“There are a lot of pressures and threats against the Sound today, so it’s really up to us to keep it clean,” Dayan said. “It is a growing problem every year, especially on Long Island. Whatever we put in the water really will come back to haunt us.”

Dayan mentioned the types of fertilizers used on lawns, avoiding facial moisturizers containing micro beads and picking up after pets as some of the every day adjustments that Long Islanders can make to improve the overall health of the Sound.

According to the release, the event was partially funded by a grant from Long Island Sound Futures Fund, which pools funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“This event is poised to have an impact through the rest of the summer months as Long Islanders get ready to hit the beaches, spend time on boats and fertilize their lawns,” Dayan said in the release about the lasting impact she hopes the event will have on those who attend.

Admission to the event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., is free. The Whaling Museum is located at 301 Main Street in Cold Spring Harbor. For more information, call 631-367-3418.

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Jason Geier photo from SCPD

Update, 4.18.16, 10 a.m.: Police said Jason Geier was found in Brooklyn, unharmed.

A missing Dix Hills teenager who has depression and bipolar disorder has not had his medication in more than 24 hours and might be suicidal.

Police first issued an alert for 17-year-old Jason Geier on Tuesday, after he was last seen on Arista Drive around 3:30 p.m. that day. The teen was still missing on Wednesday night, and the Suffolk County Police Department renewed a public request for help to find him.

Anyone who has seen Geier, who has blonde hair and blue eyes, or has information about his location is asked to call 911 or the SCPD’s 2nd Squad at 631-854-8252.

In addition to having depression and bipolar disorder, the teen has ADHD, police said. He could possibly be suicidal.

Geier is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. When he was last seen, he was wearing a blue jacket, blue jeans and bright yellow sneakers.

Police said the Dix Hills kid also has family in Merrick.

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Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) put the county’s red light camera program back under the microscope this week, as he should. We appreciate his watchdog approach when it comes to the county’s finances — he went so far as to call the red light camera program, which photographs and tickets cars that run through red lights or don’t come to a full stop before turning right on red, “taxation by citation.”

This newspaper has been historically critical of the program, and when the county released its 2014 annual report on the matter, it reminded us why.

In 2014 alone, the county collected $27.5 million from about 321,000 citations issued. Most of that was profit — Suffolk paid the camera vendor only $9.5 million to operate the program. And the county’s net revenue that year represented an exponential increase from when the cameras went live in 2010.

We are not ignoring the statistics, though. We recognize that overall crashes decreased by 3 percent, right-angle crashes went down by 21 percent and crashes involving injury decreased 4 percent. Rear-end crashes, however, went up 42 percent.

But Suffolk County has gotten into a dangerous habit. While some lawmakers and residents remain critical of the cameras, our government now has several years of ever-increasing citation dollars going to the county’s general fund. If we were to nix the red light camera program, it would leave a gaping hole in the county’s pocketbook. Rather than cutting equal expenses, we all know where our government would turn to make up the difference: taxpayers’ wallets.

At this point, the best solution would be to go back in time and never allow the program to pass in the first place. Instead, we urge our lawmakers and neighbors to continue to be critical of the red light camera program and keep it honest as it evolves across our county. If there’s no way to dismantle it without passing the buck onto taxpayers, we hope together we can at least find a happier medium.

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Workin’ at the car wash

On April 8 at 8:57 p.m., police arrested a 32-year-old homeless man for petit larceny after he took cash from a car wash business on Route 347 in Port Jefferson Station.

Bagged it

A 19-year-old man from Lake Grove was arrested for unlawful possession of marijuana. According to police, on April 7 the man was parked in a church parking lot near Pond Path in Setauket. Officers discovered the man, who was in the passenger seat of the car, had a bag of marijuana in the car. Police didn’t know why officers first approached the man but said he was arrested at 8:25 p.m.

Robber on the run

Police arrested a 37-year-old for third-degree burglary on April 8, after the Centereach man stole an iPod, cash and a sweater from a store on Market Street. Police said officers already had a warrant for his arrest after he violated his parole. They arrested him at the scene, at 4:40 p.m.

Going to the dogs

Between 12:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. on April 4, someone damaged two tires on a 2008 BMW. The car was parked near a residence on Dogwood Drive in Stony Brook.

Sneaky

On April 4, a woman from Lake Ronkonkoma stole two pairs of sneakers, two iPhone cables, a power pack and phone accessories from the Walmart in Centereach. Police said the 40-year-old fled the scene in a Hyundai, and witnesses saw the car and gave officials the license plate number. Officers stopped the woman along Middle Country Road in Selden and arrested her for petit larceny at 3:47 p.m.

Impaired driver

A 47-year-old man from Mount Sinai was arrested on April 6 for driving while ability impaired with a child in the car after he hit a telephone pole along North Country Road in Stony Brook. Police discovered the man was intoxicated while driving with his 8-year-old child, and arrested him at the scene at 7:42 p.m.

Lock it out

Police said that on April 4 around 10 a.m. someone tried to break down a door to a residence and damaged the lock. The incident happened on Parkside Avenue in Miller Place.

Smoke break fix

On April 6 around 4:15 a.m., someone broke the glass door of the Rite Aid on Nesconset Highway in Mount Sinai. The person stole assorted cigarettes and fled.

Gone with the goods

Between April 5 at 9 a.m. and April 8 at 5 p.m., someone stole jewelry, a laptop and prescription medication from a residence on Crossover Road in Centereach.

On April 4 at 8:45 a.m., someone stole an iPhone from an unlocked 2006 Hyundai Odyssey that was parked at a gas station pump when the victim went to pay for gas. The incident happened near Middle Country Road in Selden.

What a steal — almost

Police said someone stole three iPad cases while shopping on April 10 in the Walmart on Nesconset Highway in Setauket-East Setauket. When a security guard approached the individual, the suspect dropped the items and fled the store.

Pickup the pieces

Between April 7 at 7:30 p.m. and April 8 at 7 a.m., someone shattered the rear passenger side window of a 2004 Ford pickup truck. The incident happened near the Frank Carasiti Elementary School in Rocky Point.

Merchandise missing

A 47-year-old woman from Lake Ronkonkoma was arrested at about 5 p.m. on April 9 for stealing assorted merchandise from Kohl’s in Lake Ronkonkoma, police said. She was charged with petit larceny.

Sky-high at Upsky

Police said a 28-year-old man and a 31-year-old man, both from Queens, had marijuana on them while sitting in a 2012 Chevrolet in the parking lot at Upsky Long Island Hotel in Hauppauge on April 9. They were arrested and each charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Drugs & Buster’s

On April 9 at about 8:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Dave & Buster’s in Islandia, a 31-year-old man from West Islip, in the driver’s seat of a 2013 Chevrolet, possessed marijuana, police said. He was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Coke in a Caddy

On April 8, police said a 51-year-old man from Middle Island was seated in a 2004 Cadillac at the Gulf gas station on the North Service Road in Islandia and in possession of cocaine. He was arrested just after 6 p.m. and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Driver snaked by police

Near the intersection of Serpentine Lane and South Bedford Avenue in Islandia on April 8 at about 8 p.m., police said a 30-year-old man from Islandia was driving a 2012 Chevrolet without a license. He was arrested and charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

Clothing stolen

On March 11 at about 5 p.m., a 43-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man, both from Riverhead, stole about 65 items of clothing from Khol’s in Lake Ronkonkoma, police said. They were arrested in Smithtown on April 8 and both charged with fourth-degree grand larceny.

Beauty kit bandit busted

Police said a 46-year-old woman from Kings Park stole a Clinique beauty kit from T.J. Maxx in Islandia at about 1:30 p.m. on April 7. She was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Craigslist bait and switch

On March 25, an unknown person accepted payment for an excavator on Craigslist but never delivered it, police said. Money was transferred from the buyer’s T.D. Bank account in Lake Grove to the seller’s account, but the item was never sent, according to police.

Insufficient funds

On Jan. 25 at about 9 a.m., an unknown person used someone else’s bank account number to withdraw money from T.D. Bank on Arlington Avenue in Saint James, police said.

Robin Hood for pets

A 29-year-old man from Brentwood stole pet medication from Walmart in Commack at about 7 p.m. on April 8, police said. He was issued a field appearance ticket.

Kohl’s, but no cigar

At Kohl’s on Crooked Hill Road in Commack at about 7 p.m. on April 8, a 31-year-old woman from Central Islip stole clothing and jewelry, according to police. She was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Smoke up

On April 8 at about 10 p.m., a 30-year-old man from Smithtown stole a pack of cigarettes from Walgreens on West Main Street in Smithtown, police said. He was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Abandoned Home Depot Road

Police said a 19-year-old woman from Huntington Station was trespassing in an abandoned house on Depot Road in Huntington Station at about 3 p.m. on April 10 and had marijuana in her possession. She was arrested and charged with second-degree criminal trespassing, resisting arrest and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Wrench wielder wrangled

On April 10 at a home in Huntington Station, a 57-year-old man from Huntington Station was arrested for pointing a wrench and waving it at another man he was arguing with, police said. He was arrested and charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon with intent to use it and second-degree menacing with a weapon.

Five-finger discount filet

Police said a 33-year-old man from Huntington Station took multiple steaks and other assorted meats from Stop & Shop on Wall Street in Huntington at about 5:30 p.m. on April 8 and attempted to leave without paying. He was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

I miter saw that

A 23-year-old man from Huntington Station stole a Dewalt miter saw from Home Depot on New York Avenue in Huntington on April 9, police said, along with a Home Depot charge card number belonging to someone. He was arrested and charged with fourth-degree grand larceny and petit larceny.

Mini bike — major crime

On April 8 at a home on Old Country Road in Huntington Station, police said they discovered a 19-year-old man from Huntington Station in possession of a 2005 Kawasaki motorbike and a mini motorbike, which had previously been reported stolen. He was arrested and charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

Busted at Bloomingdale’s

At Bloomingdale’s on Route 110 in Huntington Station at about 4:30 p.m. on April 8, a 30-year-old woman from Huntington Station stole handbags and cell phone cases, police said. She was arrested and charged with third-degree grand larceny.

Rite Aid sells cologne?

A 58-year-old man from Huntington stole Dolce & Gabbana cologne from Rite Aid on West Main Street at about 7 p.m. on April 9, police said. He was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Tried to steal some zzz’s

Police said a 28-year-old man from Port Washington stole bed sheets from Macy’s Backstage on Walt Whitman Road in Melville on March 31 at about 7 p.m. On April 9 he was arrested in Huntington and charged with petit larceny.

Drugs on Starlit

At the corner of Norwood Road and Starlit Drive in Northport on April 9, a 21-year-old woman from Northport had Xanax pills without a prescription, police said. She was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Missing drugs

An unknown person stole drugs and other items from a home on Carrol Place in Greenlawn at about 1:30 p.m. on April 9, police said.

Knife pulled on walk home

A man from Huntington Station was walking home from a store on Depot Road at about 9 p.m. on April 9 when two men asked to borrow his cell phone, police said, and then after the phone was used, one of the two suspects pulled out a knife. The victim grabbed the knife and suffered a cut on his hand that required stitches at Huntington Hospital. Police said no arrests have been made yet.

That’s a lot of change

The glass window to the garage door at Laurel Service Center auto repair shop in East Northport was broken at about 5:30 p.m. on April 7 according to police. An unknown person stole about $50 in change and a machine valued at about $1,500.

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Vape Shops across Suffolk say the new law will hurt their businesses. File photo by Giselle Barkley

During last week’s Rocky Point Drug Forum, Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (C-Rocky Point) announced her new step to combat drug use, with a ban regarding hookah lounges and smoke and vape shops in Brookhaven Town.

If the town approves and implements the councilwoman’s proposal, prospective shop owners cannot establish their businesses within 1,000 feet of family- or child-oriented institutions or various public places. These locations include educational and religious facilities; non-degree granting schools, like ballet and karate studios; and swimming pools. The ban won’t apply to existing lounges and shops that have proper permits and certificates of occupancy.

The idea isn’t simply to deter students from purchasing items from the store, but also to prevent them from using these devices, or similar items, to smoke drugs like marijuana. During last week’s forum, John Venza, vice president of Adolescent Services for Outreach, said some vaporizers can accommodate various forms of marijuana including dabs, a wax-like form of the drug that has higher levels of THC.

According to Venza, marketing has also changed over the years to appeal to a younger audience. Bonner not only agreed with Venza, but went a step further.

“We all know that those attractive signs that lure the kids in are the very same reason the government banned Camel advertising,” Bonner said during last week’s forum. She added that parents need to keep a closer eye on their kids by observing their social media accounts, going through their phones and having family dinners.

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Councilwoman Jane Bonner announces her proposed ban at the Rocky Point Drug Forum last week. Photo by Giselle Barkley

For the Rocky Point school district and community alike, fighting substance abuse is a top priority. But according to Rocky Point Superintendent of Schools Michael Ring, the fight is an uphill battle with new devices on the market.

“One of the things that works against us is the emerging technology that makes it easier for students to be brought in and grow that into abuse,” Ring said.

But Rocky Point Smoke & Vape Shop employee Alex Patel said the ban might be a good idea with little reward. According to the Rocky Point resident and father of two, parents have purchased vaporizers and accessories for their children. Patel said the shop isn’t legally allowed to sell to residents who are under 21 years old, but this isn’t the only way students are acquiring the devices.

“Online, I see people buying left and right,” Patel said about vaporizers and similar devices. “It’s much cheaper online because they’re buying in bulk. So what they’re paying in the store $50, online, they can get it for $20.”

He added that it’s also easier for students to purchase these items online because these sites don’t verify the buyer’s age. In light of this, Patel continued saying the proposed ban won’t stop these underage residents from finding what they’re looking for.

North Shore Youth Council Executive Director Janene Gentile said she hasn’t seen an increase in these shops near her organization, but said the youth council works “with the legislators around holding the pharmaceutical companies accountable” as well.

“I believe in this bill,” Gentile added.

Residents can voice their opinions regarding the ban at the May 12 public hearing at 6 p.m. in Brookhaven Town Hall.

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Shoreham-Wading River's Jason Curran can't be caught as he races to the cage. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Photos by Desirée Keegan Clockwise from left, Shoreham-Wading River’s Jon Constant winds up for a shot with Mount Sinai’s Shane Walker on his back. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Shoreham-Wading River’s Jon Constant winds up for a shot with Mount Sinai’s Shane Walker on his back. Photo by Desirée Keegan

The Wildcats scored early and often, with senior Jason Curran’s four goals leading the way, as the Shoreham-Wading River boys’ lacrosse team downed crosstown rival Mount Sinai, 9-4.

“It’s great to get back at them for last year,” Curran said of Mount Sinai handing Shoreham one of its two losses of the season. “They’re the top dog. Since they won counties least year, it’s great to be able to finish against them with a nice win.”

It seemed like they may come out on top again, as senior Matt Boscarino started the scoring nearly halfway into the first quarter, with a rocket to the left side to break the ice. Mount Sinai senior goalkeeper Peter Mastrorocco also made a couple of early stops.

Despite opening strong, Mount Sinai’s defense turned the ball over several times in a row, and from there, Shoreham opened the floodgates to five straight goals through the opening of the second stanza. Despite the scores, Mastrorocco kept his team in the game, making five saves in that span on his way to 15 on the afternoon.

“I felt good, but I can’t do well unless I have a good defense, so I give that to them,” he said. “We locked down the wing shots and the crease shots.”

Shoreham-Wading River’s Chris Gray reaches back to pass the ball. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Shoreham-Wading River’s Chris Gray reaches back to pass the ball. Photo by Desirée Keegan

But Mount Sinai struggled to secure a faceoff win or a ground ball race. The team scored one goal in the second, and again to open the fourth, but that goal with 10:54 remaining was the last one they’d rattle the cage with.

“I think we need to work on our ground balls and our shooting, and we’ll be a big team to beat,” Mastrorocco said. “I think the team is making progress every single day. We work as hard as we can on and off the field and we’re putting in a lot of work.”

On the other side of the field, Shoreham’s scores were showing how far the work has already taken them.

The game heated up as Mount Sinai closed the gap to 7-4, but the Wildcats remained composed.

Junior attack Chris Gray fed Curran a pass, but Mastrorocco stopped the shot. Curran still scored amid frenzy in front of the net, on his next attempt seconds later, to an open left side.

“When my shots go in, I’m happy,” Curran said. “But I wouldn’t be scoring goals if it wasn’t for people like Jon Constant and Chris Gray feeding me.”

Mount Sinai’s Griffin McGrath battles Shoreham’s Jack Quinn. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Mount Sinai’s Griffin McGrath battles Shoreham’s Jack Quinn. Photo by Desirée Keegan

Gray said Joe Miller, a junior going to Navy, remaining poised at faceoff, helped the team to victory.

“He did a great job today, winning and giving us all the possessions that allowed us to score,” he said. “We had a lot of intensity coming into the game and it carried throughout all four quarters. Our defense looked great. They went man-up a couple of times, the other team, and we shut them down. The chemistry on offense today was really flowing for us.”

Eighth-grader Xavier Arline and Gray scored twice and added an assist each. Gray said his team not only has the bond, but the leadership and talent to get to the playoffs.

Curran liked that his team played smart while dominating the time of possession to secure the win. But he’s never satisfied.

“We’re always trying to get better moving forward,” he said. “If we can continue to play together, play unselfish and play smart lacrosse, we can go far, but if this is the best game we play all year, that’s not good. We want to get better after every week.”

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Superintendent James Grossane file photo

District administration fears financial “doom and gloom” might be on the horizon for the Smithtown school district.

The Smithtown board of education voted unanimously to adopt Superintendent James Grossane’s proposed $236,027,619 budget for the 2016-17 school year at a meeting Tuesday.

Thanks to a full restoration of the Gap Elimination Adjustment, which was enacted six years ago in an effort to close a state budget deficit by deducting funds from each school district’s state aid allotment, the budget includes some additional expenditures for 2016-17, despite what could be a perfect storm of financial stress for the district.

That decision added approximately $3.2 million in revenue to Smithtown’s budget for the upcoming school year. However, both Grossane and Andrew Tobin, the district’s assistant superintendent for finance and operations, said they are concerned that will be the final increase in state aid they will receive for the foreseeable future.

“The reality is, where is the future aid going to come from?” Tobin said during the board of education meeting Tuesday. “We know foundation aid historically has been directed to high-need districts, not to districts such as Smithtown. So we’re concerned, just like we were with the [Gap Elimination Adjustment] that we’ll be last in line to get future foundation aid increases. That’s the general concern going forward, that we might be solely reliant on tax levy revenue to help out our budgets going forward.”

In addition, the district benefitted during this budget season from a relatively low pension payment requirement, a perk that can’t be counted on every year. Grossane said he’s bracing for the possibility of a negative tax levy increase cap at some point in the coming years, because the district has a $2 million bond from the early 2000s coming off the books. That will result in an equal reduction to both expenses and revenue, though it will impact the tax levy increase cap. The district will look to rebuild their depleted capital reserve funds to address building repairs at multiple schools that have been neglected.

“These are all realities, and when they’re going to happen, we’re not sure,” Grossane said. “Hopefully never, but they are happening [to other districts in the state]. We can’t say that they’re not. It is very important, as we plan for the future, that we keep those things in mind.”

School board trustee Grace Plourde spoke Tuesday about the years leading up to the enactment of the state-mandated cap on tax levy increases in 2011.

“In the years running up to the tax cap, we had members of the board of education, who are no longer here, whose view was basically that anytime a school district put a little money in the bank, that was akin to theft,” Plourde said. “So they turned the district’s piggy bank upside down and shook it.”

Plourde also spoke about state laws that incentivize school district residents to vote against budgets that pierce the tax levy increase cap as well as limits on unassigned fund balance.

“It’s a little frustrating that every place we try to look to head off a problem, to prevent the day where we are going to have to make deep and painful cuts in program — like we’ve had to do in the past when we’ve had budget crises — every time we try to put a little money away or to do something to head off a crisis like that, we are thwarted by the state of New York,” she said.

The adopted budget will distribute money received from the restoration of the Gap Elimination Adjustment to one-time expenditures for 2016-17, rather than using it on programs that require yearly funding. Those expenditures include elementary and secondary staff development for teachers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) curriculum and investment in materials to help that development.

The board of education voted to close one of the district’s eight elementary schools for the 2017-18 school year as a cost-saving method in February. Parents against the closure spoke during the meeting in the hopes of convincing the board of education to reverse that decision in light of the unexpected spike in state aid for 2016-17. District administration and members of the board of education gave no indication that they would reconsider the closure.

The vote to approve the 2016-17 adopted budget is on May 17.

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