Pina Capobianco passed away peacefully at her home on April 6, six days before her 96th birthday. She was the beloved wife of her late husband “Cappy”, the loving mother of Rosa Careccia and Peter Capobianco, and stepmother to Susan Capobianco Lyon.
She treasured the time she spent with her grandchildren Jeffrey Capobianco, Joseph Careccia, Nicole Doyle, Jack Careccia, Paul Capobianco and Stefanie Hahn and great grandchildren Callie, Delilah and Sebastian. She was a big, bold and beautiful character and loved to cook for her family and friends. Her passing has left a void in the hearts of all those whose lives she touched.
Family has requested that donation be made in lieu of flowers to the Hope House Ministries in memory of Pina. https://www.hhm.org/donate-online/
The wake will be held on April 9 at Moloney’s Funeral Home, 523 Patchogue Rd, Port Jefferson Station from 3 p.m – 7 p.m. The funeral will be held on Thursday, April 10 at Infant Jesus Church, 110 Myrtle Ave, Port Jefferson at 11 a.m. with interment to follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery at 3442 Route 112 in Coram.
People don’t generally get married at 9 a.m, with an active, energetic and all-out party that follows immediately after the magical ceremony and that lasts until 3 pm.
No, big events like weddings, birthday parties and even smaller gatherings, like, oh, I don’t know, a pickleball tournament, sometimes start late in the evening and end some time after midnight.
Those are, as we all know, the typically festive party hours, when we welcome, as loudly as we can, the married couple for the first time to the dance floor, when we yell into each other’s ears standing feet from the trumpet and trombone players and when we cheer for the heartfelt sentiments of friends and family who share moving anecdotes about the people at the center of attention.
But what if, like me, you’re a morning person? What if, as the night goes on and everyone else becomes increasingly giddy, the inner child in you begs to go to bed because you know, no matter how hard you try to block out the morning light or to sleep in as late as possible, you will arise early the next morning?
For the past few incredible weekends, in which I visited my son in college where we played in a late night pickleball contest that ended around 1 a.m. and then traveled to celebrate a family wedding for a beloved cousin whom I’ve known since she was four, I have desperately tried to force my mind and body to push through the fatigue.
I recognize, of course, that people can’t and don’t sleep when their bodies and minds demand, such as when they are working several shifts or jobs to pay the bills, when they are taking care of someone late at night, or when an illness keeps them from getting the rest they need. These are clearly much harder and more real challenges than playing in a sporting event or celebrating with family.
I also realize that the academic and working world is geared towards morning people. Important tests and meetings can start as early as 8 a.m., when night owls would otherwise prefer to cruise into the final few hours of a restful sleep. Standardized tests also never started at 10 p.m. Someday, maybe some circadian scientist will offer to give tests at different blocks of time and see if scores improve for those who self select into their hourly wheelhouse.
I recall my first experiences with activities that extended well past midnight. Decades ago, I attended an all night dance to raise money for a worthy cause. I wasn’t sure how I’d do at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., when my body demanded time to recharge and shut down.
Fortunately, my high school friends and I took cat naps and, once the sun appeared, my system came back to life.
High school ski trips also typically left the school parking lot some time around 2 or 3 a.m., which was tough on those who drove us to school, especially if they had early morning activities the next day. After greeting everyone at the bus, I slept against the window, waiting until the sun flicked my “on” switch back into position.
During the recent late night pickleball games and wedding, I did my best to rally beyond my daily routine.
The first few games of pickleball went well, as the excitement of competition and of spending time with my son more than compensated for my fatigue.
The toughest words that night were “let’s run it back,” which my son and his friends said after each game. That meant one more game which turned into at least five more. By the end of the night, I felt like I was playing on four flat tires and I was swatting helplessly at the ball. I definitely cost us the final game, which my son accepted with remarkably good nature.
Fatigue didn’t interfere noticeably at the wedding, particularly because I threw myself around the floor to some of the final songs, including Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.”
The after party at the hotel, however, pushed my limit. When someone nearby lit up a cigar, the scent of which overwhelmed my system, I couldn’t continue to stay awake and ignore the smell.
While I didn’t hang out and chat in the lobby until the last moment of the post party gathering, I made it past 2 a.m., which is as late as I can get before closing my eyes for “just a second” turns into a few hours of much needed rest.
The cover of the first issue of The Village Times in 1976 by Pat Windrow
By Leah S. Dunaief
Leah Dunaief, Publisher
Two happy milestones have marked this week. My oldest grandson turned 30, which we celebrated in style, and The Village Times, the flagship of Times Beacon Record News Media, was started exactly 49 years ago.
First the details of the birthday bash.
It happened Sunday afternoon at the ballpark, Citi Field, the home of the Mets, or what we Old Timers used to call Shea Stadium. Now if you knew my grandson at all, you would know he is a fierce and utterly loyal fan of the Mets since his earliest years. You could gather from that bit of information, that he is mighty stubborn about his loyalties. After all, there have been many incentives to switch support to other, more winning teams, right? And who could blame him? But that is not his style. His loyalty is boundless. And of course, the Mets have gradually rewarded him for his patience.
Thus, it was no surprise that he wanted to share his special day with the Mets, and in his honor, they won the game. But I get ahead of myself.
It’s worth relating how beautiful Citi Field is, especially so for me, a die hard Yankee fan who spent many afternoons during my teens in concrete-riven Yankee Stadium.
Now admittedly, we did have a luxurious situation. The cost of a box at the park was shared. We entered from a designated parking lot, after waiting on a short line, and were guidedpast giant pictures of Met greats like Jerry Koosman and Tom Seaver, to a manned elevator that took us swiftly to the fourth floor.
We stepped out into a spacious hallway of patterned marble floors, paneled walls, high ceilings with recessed lighting and multiple wooden doors that led to individual suites. Overstuffed armchairs lined the walls. And you should see the bathrooms.
Staff greeted us all along the way and led us to our room, where more overstuffed seating, fruit and salad awaited us. At the far end was a sliding glass door leading out to cushioned balcony seats that accommodated most of the 18 of us as we watched the game.
Happily both suite and balcony had heaters, although the weather, while chilly, behaved nicely. The early morning rain had stopped. More ballpark food arrived throughout the afternoon, but it was hard to tear ourselves away from the balcony as the Mets won what turned out to be a pitchers’ duel, 2-1. I can hardly wait to see how we will celebrate his 40th.
As for our newspaper anniversary this past Tuesday, it came and went quietly as we enter our 50th year. We were busy putting out this week’s papers. But we will certainly whoop it up at various community events throughout the year until we reach half a century.
It’s easy to fall back on the well-used cliche, “time flies,” but it is astonishing to me and to those who were involved in the start-up, like our general manager, that we have reached almost five decades of publishing hometown news. So much has happened, so much has changed, but not the mission of the newspaper.
Our goals have always been steadfast. We strive each week to bring vetted news, information and even some fun to our readers, originally with newsprint, and now with the additional platforms of the 24/7 website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and the weekly podcast, The Pressroom Afterhour,which is also on Spotify.
We promise our staffers that, if and when they leave, it will be with more skills than when they arrived because we invest in our people. And the third and last part of our mission is to support and give back to our readers and advertisers in whatever ways we can, starting with working to create a sense of community.
Frankly, we consider ourselves incredibly lucky to have survived almost 50 years, as we see hometown papers fall around us. Last week, while I was attending the New York Press Association Convention in Saratoga Springs, two more papers closed down, leaving their neighborhoods unprotected.
Suffolk County Police on April 9 arrested a man and a woman during a massage parlor raid in East Northport.
In response to numerous community complaints, Second Precinct Investigative Unit officers, in conjunction with the Town of Huntington Fire Marshal and Building Department, conducted an investigation into Tranquil Spa, located at 165 Larkfield Road, and arrested two employees.
Ling Li, 40, of Flushing, was charged with two counts of alleged Unauthorized Practice of a Profession, a felony, and two counts of Prostitution, a misdemeanor. Jian Lin Zhang, 56, of Flushing, was charged with allegedly Promoting Prostitution 4th Degree and Criminal Nuisance 2nd Degree, both misdemeanors.
Both Li and Zhang were issued Desk Appearance Tickets and are scheduled to appear at First District Court in Central Islip on a later date. The Town of Huntington issued several summonses and violations to the business.
Robert Joseph Duncan, known to all as Bob, passed away peacefully at home on March 9, at the age of 90.
Duncan was born in Brooklyn and was the youngest of four siblings. During his high school years, his family moved to Port Jefferson, where he graduated before attending Paul Reed Smith College in Upstate New York through their ROTC program. After college, he served in the U.S. Army for two years at Fort Riley, Kansas, where he worked as a driving instructor.
Duncan’s eagerness for business started from a young age. At just 10 years old, he had a paper route along the Brooklyn Navy Yard—unknowingly beginning a lifelong journey of hard work and entrepreneurship. After his time in the Army, he set his sights on the auto industry and worked his way up to purchasing a Shell gas station in town, a milestone that would change his life in more ways than one.
One day, a young woman named Shirley pulled into his station for gas, and Bob was her attendant. In a moment that would go down in family history, he forgot to return her gas cap—a small mistake that led to a lifetime of love. That fateful encounter sparked a beautiful relationship, and on May 22, 1960, they were married at Infant Jesus Church in Port Jefferson. Duncan and Shirley spent 64 wonderful years together, building a life filled with love, laughter, and family.
Together, they built a thriving business, running an auto parts company for 40 years. At its peak, they owned six stores with over 50 employees across Long Island. Their most popular location was the NAPA Auto Parts store at 1515 Main Street in Port Jefferson—a cornerstone of the community. In the business world, Duncan was known as “The Great One”, a testament to his leadership, work ethic and ability to make everyone feel like family.
Duncan was also deeply involved in his community. He was an active church member, president of the Lions Club and a committed fundraiser for his parish, most notably raffling off a brand-new Ford LTC to support the church.
At the age of 65, he and Shirley Duncan retired from the auto parts business and stepped into what became their greatest joy—being grandparents. In 2017, they moved from their beloved hometown of Port Jefferson, NY, to San Diego to be closer to family.
In the later years of his life, Duncan became known by many as “Angel”. Whether at his assisted living facility or during trips to the VA Medical Center, he often joked that he was the easiest to care for—never complaining and always making people laugh. His quick wit, charm and warmth brought smiles to not just his family but also to fellow residents, staff and visitorsalike.
Duncan is survived by his devoted wife of 64 years, Shirley Duncan; his son David and daughter-in-law Sandra; and his cherished grandchildren, Robert, Christopher, William, and Nicole. He was preceded in death by his beloved son, Tom, who remains forever in the hearts of his family.
Duncan was a force of nature—charismatic without trying, kind, hardworking and always quick with a joke. He was loved by many and left a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. More than anything, he loved spending time with his family and grandchildren, who were the light of his life.
A Celebration of Life will be held on March 26 in San Diego, California, with family and friends gathering to honor Bob’s memory. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be madeto the Child Neurology Foundation in Duncan’s honor.
Trailing 13-7 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Stony Brook baseball team mounted a stunning seven-run rally, capped by Luke Szepek’s game-tying three-run homer and a walk-off single from Chanz Doughty, to secure a 14-13 victory over Sacred Heart on April 8 at Joe Nathan Field.
Scott Gell got the Seawolves on the board in the second with a one-out solo homer to left-center. In the third, Evan Goforth walked and came around to score on Erik Paulsen’s double into the right-field gap. Nico Azpilcueta capped the frame with a sacrifice fly, giving Stony Brook a 3-0 lead.
Vincent Mariella tossed a clean fourth inning out of the bullpen, and Aidan Colagrande followed with a scoreless fifth, allowing just a walk.
Sacred Heart struck back in the sixth, scoring four runs to take a 4-3 lead. Stony Brook immediately answered as Paulsen doubled again and Azpilcueta launched a two-run shot off the scoreboard—his 10th homer of the season—to reclaim a 5-4 advantage.
The Pioneers responded with a five-run seventh inning, including a two-run homer and a three-run blast to take a 9-5 lead. Stony Brook got two runners on in the bottom half but couldn’t capitalize.
Paulsen took the mound in the eighth and surrendered four runs, including a two-run homer, as Sacred Heart extended its lead to 12-5.
The Seawolves showed fight in the bottom of the eighth, cutting the deficit to 12-7. Chris Carsonreached on a fielder’s choice, and after a walk by Nick Zampieron, Matt Miceli drove in Carson with an RBI single. A defensive error allowed Zampieron to score.
After Sacred Heart added one more in the top of the ninth to make it 13-7, the Seawolves came roaring back. Paulsen singled, Doughty doubled, and Johnny Pilla walked to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Paulsen, and Gell delivered a two-RBI single to left, narrowing the gap to 13-10. Matthew Jackson singled off the bench, setting the table for Szepek, who crushed a pinch-hit three-run bomb to tie the game.
With the momentum fully in their favor, Stony Brook loaded the bases again on three straight walks. Doughty then stepped up and ripped the walk-off single to center, scoring Brett Davino and completing the unforgettable comeback.Right-hander Jacob Pedersen made his third start of the season and looked sharp early, retiring five of the first six batters he faced and finishing three scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
The team returns to Joe Nathan Field this weekend for a three-game set against Campbell. First pitch on Friday, April 18 is scheduled for 2 p.m., with all the action streaming live on FloCollege.
Stony Brook softball lost to St. John’s, 8-0, in five innings on April 9 at Red Storm Field in Queens.
Alyssa Costello reached safely on a bunt with one out in the first, but was later thrown out attempting to swipe second base to end the inning.
The Johnnies struck for three runs against Stony Brook starter Maddie Male in the first. Jarrard blasted a two-run shot to start the scoring and St. John’s added an unearned run on a double.
Madelyn Stepski led off the second by working a walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice, but was stranded in scoring position.
The Johnnies strung together three straight hits to start the second inning to load the bases. The Red Storm scored twice, once on an error defensively, padding their lead to five runs after two full innings.
A one-out homer in the third was the end of Male’s day in the circle. Crimson Rice entered in relief, trailing 6-0. Rice worked around a walk to record the final two outs of the frame and send things to the fourth inning.
Stony Brook loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth after three consecutive hits from Costello, Nicole Allen and Stepski. St. John’s escaped without any runs coming across after a strikeout and a 6-6-3 double play.
The Red Storm enacted the eight-run rule in the bottom of the fifth. After Rice retired the first two hitters, the next five batters reached safely to push across a pair of runs and end the game.
The team returns home to host Monmouth to begin a three-game series on Friday, April 11. First pitch on Friday afternoon is scheduled for 3 pm from University Field, streaming live on FloCollege.
The Stony Brook baseball team secured the series-clinching victory on April 6 after John Rizzo allowed just one run over 7.0 innings and the Seawolves erupted for six runs in the sixth inning on their way to a 12-6 win over North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C.
After the Seawolves went down in order to start the game, Rizzo stranded a two-out hit with a lineout to end the opening inning.
Chanz Doughty led off the second inning with a home run, giving Stony Brook a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Luke Szepek launched a two-strike solo homer to extend the advantage to 2-0.
Rizzo followed with a perfect 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the second, striking out two in the frame.
Both teams went down in order in the third, with Rizzo recording another strikeout.
Johnny Pilla drew a one-out walk in the fourth, and Szepek followed with a base hit, but the Aggies escaped the jam to keep the deficit at two.
Rizzo stranded two runners with a strikeout to end the fourth, and worked around two more baserunners in the fifth to preserve the 2-0 lead.
In the sixth, the Seawolves broke the game open with six runs on three hits and one A&T error to take an 8-0 lead. Nico Azpilcueta, who has reached base in every game this season, opened the inning with a walk and came around to score on an error. Chris Carson added an RBI sac fly, Nick Zampieron dropped an RBI bunt single, and Matt Miceli and Evan Goforth capped the rally with RBI hits.
A&T got on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth, trimming the lead to 8-1. Rizzo wrapped up his outing with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.
Carson singled to start the eighth and stole second, but the Aggies held the Seawolves scoreless.
Matthew Canizares took over on the mound for Stony Brook in the eighth and worked around two baserunners to keep A&T off the board.
The Seawolves added four more runs in the top of the ninth on five hits to take a commanding 12-1 lead. Szepek delivered a two-RBI double, Carson drove in another with a single, and Nick Solorzano came off the bench with an RBI single of his own.
The Aggies responded with five runs in the bottom of the ninth, but the Seawolves closed the door with a flyout to right field to secure the 12-6 victory.
Stony Brook softball completed a three-game sweep of North Carolina A&T on April 6 at University Field. The Seawolves have won seven of their last eight games and eight consecutive conference contests.
Crimson Rice started the Sunday contest, stranding two runners in scoring position to pitch a clean first inning.
The Seawolves struck early, scoring three runs in the first inning. Kyra McFarland and Alyssa Costello started things with hits, coming around to score on a Nicole Allen single and a Madelyn Stepski groundout. Allen later scored on a double steal. After a long first inning, Rice made quick work of the Aggies in the second.
A&T got on the board in the fourth inning, scoring twice to make it a one-run game. Rice again stranded a pair in scoring position, maintaining the lead.
Emma Scheitinger led off the fourth with a triple, scoring on an Emily Reinstein sacrifice fly.
The Seawolves added another run in the fifth. Costello led off with a walk and scored on a double by Allen, pushing Stony Brook’s lead back to three runs. Gabrielle Maday entered in the fifth inning, retiring nine of the 10 batters she faced to earn her second straight save.
“It wasn’t our best game of the series in a couple of ways, but we found a way to be gritty and grind out the win and get an important CAA sweep,” head coach Megan T. Bryant said. “That’s the sign of a good team… not firing on all cylinders and you find a way to win. I thought we could’ve been a little more productive offensively and we had an uncharacteristically messy inning defensively, but I thought Gabby was great in relief to give us a lift and get the W.”
The team visited St. John’s for a mid-week, non-conference clash on April 8. Results were not available as of press time.
The Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team controlled on both ends of the field en route to a 16-6 Senior Day victory over Monmouth at LaValle Stadium on April 4.
Prior to the game, the Seawolves honored their senior class, comprised of Charlotte Wilmoth, Riley McDonald, Molly LaForge, Casey Colbert, Courtney Maclay, Jordan Forte, Avery Hines, and Alexandra Fusco.
The Seawolves’ offense saw nine different goal scorers with a team-high five goals from McDonald. Isabella Caporuscio, Julia Fusco, and A. Fusco each tallied a pair, while Wilmoth, Maclay, LaForge, Kylie Budke, and Angela Beardsley got in on the action with one goal apiece. Colbert had herself a career performance notching five assists.
Defensively, Hines recorded a team-high five caused turnovers and five ground balls. In net, Natalia Altebrando made six saves on a .500 save percentage through 60 full minutes of play.
Stony Brook struck first with a transition goal from Caporuscio as the Hawks answered back quickly with a pair of goals. The Seawolves then notched a trio of goals over a 90 second span as Monmouth added another as Stony Brook took a 4-3 lead to close out the first quarter.
The Seawolves would outscore the Hawks 9-2 through the second and third quarter.
Stony Brook would tally four goals through the fourth quarter, holding the Hawks scoreless for a 16-6 final score as the Seawolves secured a 4-0 start to CAA play and their fourth consecutive win.
Up next, the team headed to New Jersey on April 9 to close out nonconference play against a top ten opponent in Princeton. Results were not available as of press time.
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