Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a pedestrian in Coram on Oct. 16.
Evan Espinosa 31, of Medford was walking in the roadway of Middle Country Road, near Martin Street, when he was struck by an eastbound 2011 Cadillac SRX4, at 10:07 p.m.He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Cadillac, Christian Dilone, 38, of Port Jefferson Station, was not injured.
The vehicle was impounded for a safety check. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to call the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.
Kevin P. McMullen, age 76, died on Oct. 4. A memorial service will be held at the American Legion, 7 Woodside Avenue, Northport, New York, on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 4 p.m., with a reception following.
Kevin McMullen was born to Vincent L. McMullen and Eileen (Ryan) McMullen in 1947.
He lived most of his life in Northport. He attended Chaminade High School, then St. John’s University, where he excelled academically and was a very successful member of the debate team. He earned a J.D. from St. John’s Law School, Brooklyn, an L.L.M. from New York University Law School, an M.A. in comparative government and a certificate in international law and diplomacy from St. John’s, Jamaica. After admission to the Bar, he worked for a firm specializing in trusts and estates. He was house counsel for a small corporation before joining the Marino Bar Review Course and then Marino-Josephson BRC.
He was later a ghostwriter specializing in law and military affairs. A long-serving reservist, he retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel (infantry) after serving in Germany, Panama and Korea. He was an honor graduate of the resident course at the United States Army Command and General Staff College. He was an alumnus of the Air Staff College, the Naval War College, the Air War College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
A member of the New York County Lawyers’ Association, he served on the association’s library committee and was co-chair of the committee on foreign and international law. He was a member of the American Foreign Law Association, the American Society of International Law, the American Branch of the International Law Association, the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, the American Forensic Association, the Association of the U.S. Army, the Air Force Association and the Naval War College Foundation.
Kevin had a 15-year loving relationship with Amy Christianson. In lieu of flowers, gifts in Kevin’s memory may be made to the Chaminade High School Development Fund.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Fabio Monasterolo, 51, and his wife, Judith Monasterolo, 55, of Holbrook, pleaded guilty to Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree for unlawfully disposing broken cinderblocks and concrete near tidal wetlands in the Town of Brookhaven.
“These defendants would have escaped responsibility for dumping in our wetlands had it not been for a concerned citizen who reported them to the Town of Brookhaven after capturing them on camera during their illegal acts,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Thanks to our partnership with the Town through our Quality-of-Life Town Coalition initiative, this couple is now an example of what will happen to those who think they can turn Suffolk County’s vibrant ecosystem into their personal junkyard.”
“This couple decided to make our wetlands their personal dumping ground. As I said when they were caught on camera: we have no tolerance for illegal dumpers, and when we catch you, we will prosecute you. I want to thank District Attorney Tierney for pursuing this case and prosecuting the Monasterolos and for helping us protect our environment,” said Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine. “Environmental crimes are not victimless – they are crimes against our entire community, and future generations that are harmed by polluters and illegal dumpers. We are committed to protecting the environment and will not tolerate dumping anywhere.”
According to court documents and the defendants’ admission during their guilty plea allocutions, on April 23, 2023, at approximately 2:03 p.m., the Monasterolos illegally dumped solid waste, which included broken chunks of concrete and cinderblocks, from their black Dodge Ram pick-up truck into the wetlands adjacent to the intersection of Jefferson Drive and Grove Road in Mastic Beach. That intersection and the surrounding areas are owned by the Town of Brookhaven and abut a tidal wetland. When a witness saw what the defendants were doing, she began taking several photographs of the couple and the waste that they had dumped. Judith Monasterolo, who was in the passenger seat of the Dodge Ram, allegedly then gave the witness two middle fingers as Fabio Monasterolo drove them away from the scene.
Brookhaven Town Officials contacted the District Attorney’s Office and provided the photographic evidence and information regarding the dumping crime. Detectives from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team (BEAST) immediately began an investigation. The defendants were subsequently arrested a week later, on May 1, 2023.
On October 16, 2023, Fabio and Judith Monasterolo each pleaded guilty to Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree, a Class A Misdemeanor, before Acting County Court Judge, the Honorable James McDonaugh.
As a condition of their plea agreements, prosecutors mandated that the Monasterolos pay the Town of Brookhaven $2,602.75 in restitution for the initial cost of clean-up for their illegal actions, fully finance a day-long clean-up of other pollution in the tidal wetlands by a Town of Brookhaven work crew, participate in a Pine Barrens reforesting initiative by personally planting over 50 trees, and issue a written apology to the citizen who captured them on camera during the commission of their crime. The Monasterolos were represented by Jorge Macias, Esq.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John Sciandra of the Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team (BEAST), with investigative assistance from Suffolk County BEAST Detective Walter Justinic, DEC Environmental Conservation Officer Timothy Day, and DEC Environmental Conservation Investigator Jeremy Eastwood.
Suffolk County Police arrested a man after allegedly committing a carjacking and then fleeing from police in the car in Lake Ronkonkoma on Oct. 15.
A man was sitting in a 2022 Toyota Corolla in the parking lot of USA Gas Mart, located at 382 Portion Road, when James Fenner got into the car and punched him at approximately 11:55 p.m. The victim exited the vehicle, and Fenner fled the scene in the Toyota.
Highway Patrol vehicles followed Fenner as he drove west on the Long Island Expressway to the Northern State Parkway to Exit 31N, Glen Cove Road. Fenner lost control of the Toyota shortly after coming off the exit, left the roadway, and crashed into a wooded area at approximately 12:25 a.m. Fenner then fled the scene on foot. Officers located him a short time later, and he was transported to Nassau University Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries sustained in the crash.
Sixth Squad detectives charged Fenner, 20, of Bay Shore, with Robbery 2nd Degree, Grand Larceny 3rd Degree and Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle 3rd Degree.
You may spend decades contributing to various retirement accounts. But for some accounts, such as a traditional IRA and 401(k), you must start withdrawing funds at a certain point. What should you know about this requirement?
To begin with, the rules governing these withdrawals — technically called required minimum distributions, or RMDs — have changed recently. For many years, individuals had to begin taking their RMDs (which are based on the account balance and the IRS’ life expectancy factor) when they turned 70½.
The original SECURE Act of 2019 raised this age to 72, and SECURE 2.0, passed in 2022, raised it again, to 73. (If you turned 73 in 2023, and you were 72 in 2022 when the RMD limit was still 72, you should have taken your first RMD for 2022 by April 1 of this year. You will then need to take your 2023 RMD by Dec. 31. And going forward, you’ll also need to take your RMDs by the end of every year.)
Not all retirement accounts are subject to RMDs. They aren’t required for a Roth IRA, and, starting in 2024, won’t be required for a Roth 401(k) or 403(b) plan. But if your account does call for RMDs, you do need to take them, because if you don’t, you could face tax penalties. Previously, this penalty was 50% of the amount you were supposed to have taken, but SECURE 2.0 reduced it to 25%.
When you take your RMDs, you need to be aware of a key issue: taxes. RMDs are taxed as ordinary income, and, as such, they could potentially bump you into a higher tax bracket and possibly even increase your Medicare premiums, which are determined by your modified adjusted gross income.
Are there any ways you could possibly reduce an RMD-related tax hike? You might have some options. Here are two to consider:
• Convert tax-deferred accounts to Roth IRA. You could convert some, or maybe all, of your tax-deferred retirement accounts to a Roth IRA. By doing so, you could lower your RMDs in the future — while adding funds to an account you’re never required to touch. So, if you don’t really need all the money to live on, you could include the remainder of the Roth IRA in your estate plans, providing an initially tax-free inheritance to your loved ones. However, converting a tax-deferred account to a Roth IRA will generate taxes in the year of conversion, so you’d need the money available to pay this tax bill.
• Donate RMDs to charity. In what’s known as a qualified charitable distribution, you can move up to $100,000 of your RMDs directly from a traditional IRA to a qualified charity, avoiding the taxes that might otherwise result if you took the RMDs yourself. After 2023, the $100,000 limit will be indexed to inflation.
Of course, before you start either a Roth IRA conversion or a qualified charitable distribution, you will need to consult with your tax advisor, as both these moves have issues you must consider and may not be appropriate for your situation.
But it’s always a good idea to know as much as you can about the various aspects of RMDs — they could play a big part in your retirement income strategy.
Michael Christodoulou, ChFC®, AAMS®, CRPC®, CRPS® is a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones in Stony Brook. Member SIPC.
Scenes from state Route 25A in Shoreham for the funeral procession of U.S. Army Sgt. Bernard J. Sweeney Jr., who died in World War II. Photos by Greg Catalano
Scenes from state Route 25A in Shoreham for the funeral procession of U.S. Army Sgt. Bernard J. Sweeney Jr., who died in World War II. Photos by Greg Catalano
Scenes from state Route 25A in Shoreham for the funeral procession of U.S. Army Sgt. Bernard J. Sweeney Jr., who died in World War II. Photos by Greg Catalano
Scenes from state Route 25A in Shoreham for the funeral procession of U.S. Army Sgt. Bernard J. Sweeney Jr., who died in World War II. Photos by Greg Catalano
Scenes from state Route 25A in Shoreham for the funeral procession of U.S. Army Sgt. Bernard J. Sweeney Jr., who died in World War II. Photos by Greg Catalano
Scenes from state Route 25A in Shoreham for the funeral procession of U.S. Army Sgt. Bernard J. Sweeney Jr., who died in World War II. Photos by Greg Catalano
Scenes from state Route 25A in Shoreham for the funeral procession of U.S. Army Sgt. Bernard J. Sweeney Jr., who died in World War II. Photos by Greg Catalano
After more than seven decades as missing in action, the remains of U.S. Army Sgt. Bernard J. Sweeney Jr. were finally dignified in an honorable military funeral service. The Alexander-Rothwell Funeral Home, in collaboration with various organizations and community members, held the funeral service Tuesday, Oct. 10, for this long-lost hero.
Sweeney entered the military in New York City on Nov. 27, 1942, and served valiantly in Company I, 330th Infantry Regiment, 83d Infantry Division during World War II. He was reported missing as of Dec. 16, 1944, near Strass, Germany, during the Battle of Hürtgen Forest. His remains were not recovered or identified following the war, leaving him an unknown soldier for many years.
In April 1950, unidentified remains numbered as X-2752 were interred in Ardennes American Cemetery in Neuville, Belgium. These remains were recovered from a minefield north of Kleinhau, Germany. Thanks to efforts by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and the American Battle Monuments Commission, X-2752 was exhumed in April 2019 and designated as CIL 2019-174. Through historical research and laboratory analysis, the DPAA confirmed that these remains belong to Sweeney.
Sweeney, who had no immediate family or next of kin remaining, was laid to rest Tuesday afternoon with full military honors at Calverton National Cemetery in Calverton, the nearest National Cemetery to his hometown.
A horse-drawn caisson carried his remains to their final resting place, symbolizing a solemn tribute to a fallen hero.
Suffolk County Fourth Precinct police officers responded to a three-vehicle crash in Lake Ronkonkoma on October 13.
A 2021 Nissan, a 2019 Infiniti SUV and a 2012 Jeep were involved in a motor vehicle crash at the intersection of Express Drive North at Hawkins Ave. at 11:30 p.m. The driver of the Nissan, a 57-year-old female, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
The female drivers of the Infiniti and Jeep were not injured.
Suffolk County Police arrested a Yaphank man on Oct. 15 for allegedly murdering his girlfriend earlier this year.
Fifth Precinct officers responded to the Shore Motor Inn, located at 576 Eastbound Sunrise Service Road in Patchogue, at approximately 2:25 a.m. on May 29 after a 911 caller reported a woman was not breathing. The woman, Candice Woodruff, 37, of Katy, Texas, was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Following an autopsy by the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner, it was determined Woodruff’s cause of death was asphyxia. Following an investigation by Homicide Squad detectives, an arrest warrant was issued for Woodruff’s boyfriend, Willie Hart.
Hart, 59, of Yaphank, surrendered on October 15 and was charged with Murder 2nd Degree. Hart will be held overnight at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Yaphank and arraigned at Suffolk County Court in Riverhead on October 16.
Organizers gather at the festival’s entrance. From left, Eleanor Moore, Linda Owens and Sharon Jones. Photo by Aramis Khosronejad
By Aramis Khosronejad
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rocky Point celebrated the fall season Saturday, Oct. 7, with its annual October Fall Festival. This family-oriented event consisted of baked goods, a few local vendors, a variety of children’s activities and other fun crafts and activities. The festival also had live music playing for the attendees.
Educational Programs Administrator Michele Darienzo Photo from BNL
By Daniel Dunaief
Brookhaven National Laboratory hopes to inspire the scientists of the future.
The Department of Energy sponsored national laboratory, which attracts scientists from all over the world to its state-of-the-art facility, opens its doors regularly to local students and teachers, with researchers and educators translating what they do to area residents at all levels of scientific development and understanding.
Amid so many other efforts and with a welcome return to on-site education after pandemic restrictions over the last few years, BNL received DOE funding to help eight area teachers learn how to create computer coding.
In their classrooms, these educators have shared what they studied this past summer with their students.
Amanda Horn
Coding, which uses programs like Python and Arduino, can help scientists create a set of instructions that allow computers to process and sort through data more rapidly than any person could by hand.
At the same time, a knowledge of coding can and does provide students with tools that scientists seek when they are choosing graduate students, technicians or staff in their laboratories.
Coding helps to set students “up for a job,” said Michele Darienzo, Educational Programs Administrator and one of the two teachers for the four-week summer program. “It puts you at the top of the pile.”
Darienzo added that efforts such as these prepare the science, technology, engineering and math workforce for the future.
Using modern technology, researchers collect data in a wide range of fields at a rate that requires technological help to sort through it and derive meaning from it.
“We’re at the point where lots of projects are collecting so much data and information,” said Darienzo. “We have one experiment [that is producing] many iPhones per second worth of data. That’s not something a person can do in their lifetime.”
Darienzo taught the programming language Python to the class of teachers, while Amanda Horn, who is also an Educational Programs Administrator, instructed these educators with Arduino.
“It went really well,” said Horn. “The teachers seemed really engaged in everything we were doing.”
A day in the life of a river
Bernadette Uzzi
Beyond the on site experience at BNL, Horn accompanied a class this fall or a Day in the Life of the Carmans River at Smith Point County Marina.
The students used sensors to measure numerous variables, such as temperature, pressure and humidity. With another sensor, they were able to measure carbon dioxide levels.
“If you cup your hand around the sensor, you can graph [the level of the gas] in real time using the code,” said Horn. Variabilities occurred because of the movement of air, among other factors, she added.
The students on the trip “seemed excited [to use the sensors] and to get a sense of how they worked,” Horn said.
In the context of global warming in which greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide drive an increase in temperature, Horn addressed why it’s important to measure the levels of the gas.
Ongoing efforts
Training teachers to code represents one of numerous educational efforts BNL offers.
The Office of Educational Programs has hosted over 30,000 participants in various programs in its K-12 and university science education programs.
Kenneth White
Bringing students back on site this year after suspending in person visits amid the pandemic created a “big difference” for students, in terms of their excitement and enthusiasm, said Kenneth White, Manager of the Office of Educational Programs.
Jeffrey Tejada, a junior at Brown University, conducted summer research in the Computational Sciences Initiative.
Tejada, who grew up in Patchogue and moved to Medford, appreciated the opportunities he’s had since he started coming to BNL at the age of 14.
“It’s crazy how incredible BNL Is as a resource,” said Tejada, whose parents are immigrants from the Dominican Republic.
Indeed, the first year Tejada attended, Aleida Perez, Manager, University Relations and DOE Programs at BNL, needed to convince his mother Rosa Tejada that the effort, which didn’t involve any pay, would benefit her son.
“My mom asked [Perez,], ‘how worth it is this?’” Tejada recalled. Perez told Rosa Tejada, “You have to do this.”
His mom didn’t understand, but she listened and “that’s all that mattered,” as Tejada not only conducted research over the years, but is also planning to earn his PhD after he graduates.
White suggested that the recent coding effort was a recognition that students coming for internships at BNL or for scientific training opportunities elsewhere ended up spending considerable time trying to “figure out the basics” of coding.
Aleida Perez
In the first year of the teaching program, BNL reached out to teachers in 20 school districts that met particular criteria, including serving a high percentage of students that are traditionally under-represented in STEM fields. This included Longwood, Hampton Bays, Williams Floyd, South Huntington, Roosevelt, Central Islip, Middle Country and Brentwood.
The first week of the program was “frightening” for some of the teachers, who hadn’t had coding experience, said Perez. The teachers were “glad they came back for week two.”
As a part of the program, teachers presented their coding lessons to high school students on site at BNL, said Bernadette Uzzi, Manager, K-12 Programs in the Office of Educational Programs.
The final assessment test was a “pretty fun day,” Uzzi said, as the students pushed teachers to go further with their outdoor explorations.
Uzzi was thrilled when she had read that the Department of Energy had invited BNL to write a proposal for this pilot program. “Coding skills are important to be a scientist, no matter what field you’re in” she said. “There’s definitely a gap in what students are learning in school versus what is needed in the STEM workforce.”
Summer of ’24
At this point, it’s unclear if the DOE will build on this pilot program and offer additional teachers the opportunity to learn coding and bring this skill back to their classroom.
Uzzi said she would like to increase the number of teacher participants to 12 next year and to add physics applications to the current course work, which included a focus on environmental climate science.
You may spend decades contributing to various retirement accounts. But for some accounts, such as a traditional IRA and 401(k), you must start withdrawing funds at a certain point. What should you know about this requirement?
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