The Suffolk County Police Department Highway Patrol Bureau, assisted by the New York State Police, arrested 14 people and seized one vehicle during an overnight sobriety checkpoint in Port Jefferson Station June 30.
Police officers from the SCPD highway patrol were assisted by New York State Troopers in conducting a sobriety checkpoint at the corner of Route 112 and Hallock Avenue. The checkpoint was conducted as part of an on-going July 4th holiday enforcement operation for the prevention of injuries and fatalities associated with driving while ability impaired by alcohol and drugs. A total of 716 vehicles went through the checkpoint.
The following people were charged with driving while intoxicated:
Sandra Ventre, 50, of Port Jefferson
Robert Paddock, 28, of Stony Brook
John Young, 40, of Centereach
Jeffrey Gerlin, 57, of Centereach
The following was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs:
Nicholas Cappelletti, 31, of Centereach
The following was charged with driving while ability impaired by a combined influence of alcohol and drugs and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance:
Justin Maldonado, 24, of New Jersey
The following was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance:
Justin Wienckowski, 23, of Commack
Ventre’s vehicle was seized due to a prior DWI conviction. The individuals were be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip July 1. Additionally, six individuals were arrested for unlawful possession of marijuana and issued field appearance tickets and will be arraigned on a later date.
This post was updated Feb. 12, 2018 to remove an accused person whose charges were dropped after pleading guilty.
Suffolk County Police today arrested a nurse for assaulting a paraplegic man she was caring for at his Coram home last week.
Areatha Pickens, a licensed practical nurse, was caring for an 83-year-old man and Korean War veteran who became paraplegic in a 1975 motor vehicle crash, when she assaulted the man who was confined to a stretcher June 22. Pickens punched the man several times after the victim notified Pickens’ employer that she was late for work. The victim was treated at Stony Brook University Hospital for a fractured orbital bone.
Sixth Squad detectives charged Pickens, 44, of Coram, with second-degree assault. She was scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip.
Ward Melville's 4x800-meter relay team placed third at New Balance Nationals June 18. Photo from Christy Radke
Ward Melville spring track and field head coach J.P. Dion sent a text to his 4×800-meter girls relay team the day of the national race: “Believe in yourself, like I believe in you.”
The girls had shaved 15 seconds off their time and bested a school record in the process at the state-qualifying meet a few weeks earlier. Despite a letdown, falling to sixth after going in as the No. 2 seed in the state meet, the Patriots believed and pushed themselves to the limit to reverse the drop in the standings with a third-place finish at the New Balance Nationals in North Carolina June 18. Placing in the Top 6 also earned them All-American status.
“They have that fire, and they harnessed it,” Dion said. “They’re more than willing to work, and there’s big things to come here at Ward Melville with these girls.”
Ward Melville’s 4×800-meter relay team of Allyson Gaedje, Samantha Sturgess, Elizabeth Radke and Samantha Rutt following the third-place finish at New Balance Nationals June 18. Photo from Christy Radke
The quartet of soon-to-be seniors Sam Rutt, Sam Sturgess and Allyson Gaedje and will-be sophomore Elizabeth Radke started the 2017 season like any other. The four had competed in both the 4×800 and 4×400 relay, outrunning the school record for the latter in 2016. As the weeks passed, the girls weren’t sure which race would be the focus come county and state championship-time. That is, until the school record-shattering 9 minute, 1.81 second finish at the state-qualifying meet at Warwick Valley High School.
The team needed to finish second or better to be able to compete in the state championship. With anchor Gaedje, or “Gator” as her teammates call her, racing to a hard-fought finish against a top-tier competitor in Shoreham-Wading River’s Katherine Lee, she knew it’d come down to the wire.
“I always race against her, so I knew it’d be difficult, but I just wanted to do my best,” she said.
In a photo finish, Lee beat out Gaedje for second place. Despite the loss, the girls celebrated their historic run. They were competing on a Saturday, and had finished the race in 9:16.61 that previous Tuesday, less than 4/10ths of a second off the state standard of 9:17, which was needed to qualify to compete in the state meet.
“That’s when we knew we had what it takes,” Radke said.
Her teammates agreed, especially after easily surpassing the 2011 school record of 9:10.56.
“We were hoping just to get the state standard — we thought the school record was almost untouchable,” Rutt said. “It was really emotional. We went to the tent to grab our stuff and Sam [Sturgess] and Gator were hugging each other on the track, and J.P. Dion called us over and asked us why we’re crying.”
That’s when the Patriots found out Shoreham-Wading River had been disqualified following a judgment call from one of the officials. Lee had changed lanes rounding a bend, instead of taking the straight path, which officials argued forced Gaedje to run a longer distance.
“I was perfectly fine not going to states because they ran their socks off,” Dion said. “They really performed well. Just the fight in that race was good enough for me as a coach.”
Ward Melville’s 4×800-meter relay team of Allyson Gaedje, Sam Rutt, Elizabeth Radke and Sam Sturgess were crowned All-Americans for finishing in the Top 6 at New Balance Nationals. Photo by Desirée Keegan
The girls’ race game wasn’t up to par come states, and they knew that after a big letdown, they needed to believe in themselves, like Dion said, in order to pull out an All-American finish.
“After we ran a 9:01, we realized it’s time to get serious, and we can do something other than just show up,” Sturgess said. “Competing in that atmosphere gets you serious.”
As the leadoff runner, Sturgess knew she needed to set the tone.
“I had to get us off to a good start,” she said. “I wanted to be in the Top 6 to get us that All-American status. That’s what we’ve been working on and working toward. We were motivated.”
She made her way to sixth before she handed the baton off to Radke, who said she has always had a problem controlling her anxiety heading into a race.
“I was freaking out,” she said, laughing while still showing that nervousness. “I kept telling myself ‘maintain and kick, maintain and kick.’ I didn’t want to get passed, because that gets me down, so I kept my spot, and ended up moving up a couple of spots before handing off to my teammate and hoping for the best.”
Rutt was next in line, who helped move the team to fourth before passing the baton to Gaedje.
“It was a little bit of a mind game, because we had to think to states and remember how bad we did and how we needed to pick it up,” Rutt said. “It’s cool to see what you can do when you put your mind to it. It’s so mental — how far you can push your body. The way Gator races, she’s so driven. I knew that as long as I got her in a good enough spot that’d be good enough for us.”
As she crossed the finish line, Gaedje said she couldn’t believe what her Patriots had done.
“My head was a little fuzzy,” she said, laughing. “I was a little tired, my legs were burning, and it took a little while to process, but my teammates came over and hugged me. I couldn’t believe it.”
Local school districts took pride in their highly accomplished students at the top of the class this year. Last weekend, valedictorians and salutatorians from Miller Place, Mount Sinai,
Rocky Point and Shoreham-Wading River took to the stage to address their peers during the Class of 2017 commencement ceremonies.
Miller Place
William Sussman and David Argento were the school’s valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively.
Sussman, who graduated with a 101.4 GPA, was a National Merit Scholar and Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor.He was president of the Future Business Leaders of America and received U.S. State Sen. Kenneth LaValle’s (R-Port Jefferson Station) Youth Leadership Recognition Award. Enrolled in nine AP courses throughout his years at Miller Place, including AP Chemistry and college computer application, he served as the Mathletes team captain, and was a member of the National Honor Society and the Foreign Language National Honor Society.
He will attend Yale University in the fall to major in electrical engineering.
“I think the best way to put it is gratification,” Sussman said about being named valedictorian. “After years of putting in hours of work — staying up late to do all the homework and projects in addition to extracurriculars — it felt good to be recognized.
Sussman followed in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Howard Sussman, an associate professor of clinical family medicine at Stony Brook University School of Medicine and valedictorian of his own high school in 1988.
“It’s kind of exciting and poetic,” Dr. Sussman said. “He values education incredibly highly and he’s really gone above and beyond to learn all he can.”
David Argento
Argento, who is heading to Providence College in the fall to study finance on the school’s St. Thomas Aquinas scholarship, was named salutatorian with a 99.1 GPA. With a loaded schedule, he was a National Honor Society parliamentarian, co-captain of the varsity tennis team, an Eagle Scout, and was also a member of Mathletes, orchestra and a jazz combo musical group. Like the valedictorian, he has taken nine AP courses at Miller Place. Argento said he hopes to have the opportunity to run his own business someday.
Argento’s older brother Chris was valedictorian at the school in 2012. He said he never expected to be in the position he is now.
“It feels great, but I didn’t really have it as a goal to be salutatorian,” Argento said. “I just tried my best and it seemed to work out.”
He said he chose his college because of its similarity to Miller Place, which he called a very positive environment.
“Both schools are rather small, and I just felt very comfortable there right from the start,” he said.
Mount Sinai
At the top of Mount Sinai’s class are Ben May and Helene Marinello.
May, the school’s valedictorian, graduated with a 103.97 GPA, and is known for his environmental work. He was the founder of Mount Sinai’s Model United Nations and environmental outreach club, was on the Matheltes team, and was captain of the Ocean Bowl team, which won a national title this year. He took three AP classes as a sophomore, four as a junior and six his senior year.
Benjamin May
“The school was very receptive to me wanting to challenge myself academically,” he said. “Over the past three years we’ve made the school very sustainable [through the environmental outreach club]. We started a recycling program, we do annual cleanups with about 70 students cleaning up Cedar Beach.”
Outside of school, the valedictorian was also on the planning committee for the first Long Island Youth Conservation Summit and is the group’s current national communications coordinator, writing the emailed newsletter. Through the Sea Youth Rise Up campaign, he won a video contest last spring, was selected to travel to NYC and Washington D.C., where he participated in a live internet broadcast, met with the president of the United Nation’s general assembly and met with former President Barack Obama’s (D) environmental quality council.
“It was probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever done, because with that meeting, we were pressing them to found a new national monument at the marine protection area called Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument,” May said of the new marine protected area Obama established last fall.
His passion is meeting with politicians and pressing for environmental changes. He plans to double major in international relations and economics at University of Pennsylvania this fall and plans to become proficient in six different languages.
“I could use that for international diplomacy through political advocacy when it comes to the environment, which is what I hope to do in the long run,” he said.
When he thinks about his time spent in Mount Sinai, and when asked how and why he’s striven for success for so long, May recalls the instant he knew he was chasing the No. 1 spot he’s in now.
Helene Marinello
In his AP World History class, for every chapter read, students needed to create an outline. Grades would be given from 1 to 5, depending on how much work seemed to be put in. May’s friend would spend half an hour on his assignment and get a 4, and May put in two hours with each assignment, and received at 5.
“Almost every single time we’d get the grades back, he’d ask me why I put in so much work — What matters getting that extra point?’” May recalled. “I just wanted it. I felt I knew I could get that extra point if I put in a little extra effort, and I kept that mindset throughout high school and put in that extra bit of time to get the better grade. It’s super fulfilling. It shows it pays to put in the extra work.”
Marinello graduated with a 102.04 GPA. She said high school has left her with many
memorable moments, but enjoyed a trip to Disney World this past March the most.
“I felt as though our whole school bonded as one large group, instead of the usual cliques,” she said. “I got to become closer with people I normally would not have talked to.”
She said she felt honored to be at the top of her class.
“The competition between class rank was very vigorous, so it is truly a privilege to be recognized for what I was able to accomplish,” she said. “Seeing all my hard work finally pay off, in a way other than just good grades, brought me great pride. These past 13 years at Mount Sinai have been an all-around learning experience that I don’t think any other school district could have given me. Between the amazing faculty at this district and the community that surrounds the school, I will never be able to forget the memories I have made.”
Rocky Point
At the top of Rocky Point’s Class of 2017 were Pooja Deshpande and Nicholas LoCastro.
Pooja Deshpande
Deshpande graduated with a 105.38 GPA and was a member of the National Honor Society,
vice president of the Math Honor Society, president of the Human Rights Club, the Interact Club and Thespian Society, was a mentor of the North Shore Youth Council’s Big Buddy Little Buddy program, which pairs high school students with younger ones, and tutored students in subjects ranging from mathematics to French.
Taking 10 AP courses, the valedictorian won the Principal’s Leadership Award, became an Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor, received the National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Award in writing and won numerous awards at the Long Island Science Congress. She’s also been involved in the school musical every year.
“I have grown so much over these past years, and I am so thankful to have been raised by such a community,” Deshpande said. “The Rocky Point School district has taught me that not only is being unique accepted, it is celebrated, and the differences that everyone has should be used to bring us closer together, as a strong community.”
Through the Interact Club, sheassisted in a Camp Pa Qau Tuck cleanup in Center Moriches, the school blood drive, fundraised for various organizations and was a mentor to students with various disabilities.
Nicholas LoCastro
“I have learned through these experiences that although I may not be able to change the world, I have the power to change a life, and to someone, that can mean a world of difference,” she said.
She will be attending Stony Brook University’s Honors College in the fall, majoring in neuroscience with a minor in mathematics, on the pre-medicine track.
Close behind was LoCastro, with a 105.13 GPA. Taking seven AP courses, he was also a National Merit Scholar, AP Scholar, was president of the Science Club, member of the honor society, math honor society and thespian society. He played Captain Von Trapp in “The Sound Of Music”, was in the tech crew for spring pocket theater, was a member of guitar club, participated in New York State Council of Administrators of Music Education festival mixed choir and Suffolk County Music Educators Association festival choir.
“Rocky Point has an excellent music and theater program,” he said. “It also let me broaden my horizons and perform in school musicals, something I had never done before high school but am glad I did.”
Natalie Bazata
Rocky Point also had an exhortation speaker in Natalie Bazata, who graduated with a 104.64 GPA.
For all four years, she participated in chamber orchestra and pit orchestra, ran the variety show, a demonstration of the immense musical and artistic talents of Rocky Point students, during her junior and senior year, and also dabbled in school organizations like human rights club, Be A Nicer Neighbor club and Big Buddy Little Buddy.
“The teachers and other staff of the Rocky Point district are caring, passionate and knowledgeable in their fields, and I am incredibly thankful to have crossed paths with them,” she said. “I usually have a huge fear of public speaking, but for some reason, I felt more proud and excited than scared in that moment. Words mean very much to me, so it was an honor to craft a speech that said things exactly how I wanted to say them in a
moment of celebration.”
Shoreham-Wading River
Anthony Peraza and Kyle Higgins finished at the top of the Class of 2017.
Anthony Peraza
Peraza, who continues a string of family success in the district, graduated with a 102.45 GPA.
He took 10 AP courses to be named an AP Scholar with Distinction, ran cross-country all four years, and was named captain, competed in winterand spring track and played alto sax in jazz band.
“When I first got named, it felt surreal and didn’t really hit me for a while,” Peraza said. “I’ve kept expectations low — I knew I was high in my class, it wasn’t a focus during school.”
He will be majoring in biological engineering at Cornell University in the fall.
“I know academics are great and it will challenge me, which is what I want,” he said.
Higgins graduated with a 102.17 GPA. He took eight AP courses, to be named an AP Scholar with Honor, was vice president of the National Honor Society, a member of Natural Helpers Club,a varsity lacrosse player,a community program’s lacrosse coach, and was named academic All-County for varsity basketball and named second team All-Division in football.
Kyle Higgins
“I worked hard in school,” he said. “It was never really my aim to get to salutatorian, I just wanted to do the best that I could, so it was an added bonus just to be named that.”
He will attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall, majoring in aerospace engineering and will play lacrosse for the school. He was also the recipient of theThomas Cutinella Memorial Scholarship.
“There were definitely a lot of nights I stayed up way past when I should have because I had to get work done, but it’s just about being able to stay focused on what I was doing at the time and get done what I need to get done,” he said.
Kevin Redding contributed reporting
This article was updated to correctly identify the university that Benjamin May is attending.
Mount Sinai seniors show off their diplomas. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Siani seniors take to the field to receive theri diplomas on graduation day. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors wait to receive their diplomas. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors sing on graduation day. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai's band performs for the parting seniors during commencement. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai valedictorian Ben May addresses his peers on graduation day. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors receive their diplomas. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors decorated caps for the 2017 commencement cermeony. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors bid farewell on graduation day. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai salutatorian Helene Marinello speaks to the Class of 2017. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors perform during the 2017 commencement ceremony. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors decorated caps for the 2017 commencement cermeony. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors celebrate graduation day. Photo by Kevin Redding
Mount Sinai seniors hit the field June 24 to celebrate the end of their high school careers.
Valedictorian Ben May and salutatorian Helene Marinello shared parting words with the Class of 2017, many of whom were donned with decorative caps signifying places gone and what’s to come.
May spoke about the class being the last to have been born in the 20th century, and technically the final group of 90’s kids to graduate.
“We have the best chance of anyone alive today to live in three different centuries. We have more opportunities today to learn, develop and achieve great things than ever have veer been seen in the history of the human race,” he said. “Let’s go out into the world ready not to be the best person in the room, but also ready to strive to become better. If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”
He finished with a fond memory from freshman year.
“Midway through our class trip to Six Flags, it started raining, and all of the rides began to close and most people sought shelter inside,” May said. “However, we were different. In the middle of the storm, we started dancing and playing. In the future, let’s remember to dance when it’s raining.”
This version was updated to correct the spelling of valedictorian Ben May’s name.
Shoreham-Wading River seniors celebrate graduation and bid farewell during the Class of 2017 commencement. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River seniors wait to receive their diplomas. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River Board of Education President John Zukowski addresses the Class of 2017. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River senior Bailey Rand receives her diploma. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River seniors take to the Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field for the Class of 2017 commencement ceremony. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River senior Emilee Ginley receives her diploma. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River valedictorian Anthony Peraza addresses the Class of 2017 during commencement. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River seniors perform the National Anthem during the Class of 2017 commencement ceremony. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River seniors split up into rows along the Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field during graduation day. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River salutatorian Kyle Higgins speaks to his peers. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River seniors say goodbye during the Class of 2017 graduation day ceremony. Photo by Bill Landon
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Tim Sini speaks to Shoreham-Wading River graduates. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River seniors sing on graduation day. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River seniors celebrate graduation with family and friends. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River seniors celebrate graduating by tossing their caps into the air. Photo by Bill Landon
Shoreham-Wading River’s Class of 2017 seniors celebrated graduation day June 25.
Students lined up across the Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field to receive their diplomas and toss their caps in celebration of the completion of high school.
Valedictorian Anthony Peraza and salutatorian Kyle Higgins addressed their peers, and other local officials and board of education members bid farewell. Special speaker Tim Sini, Suffolk County’s police commissioner, also shared some words of wisdom with the parting seniors.
Rocky Point seniors toss their caps in celebration of completing a chapter in their lives. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point valedictorian Pooja Deshpande, salutatorian Nicholas LoCastro and exhortation speaker Natalie Bazata receive their diplomas. Photo by Bill Landon
A father and daughter prepare to congradulate a Rocky Point senior. Photo by Bill Landon
A student is surprised by her brother, who returned from active duty to attend Rocky Point's Class of 2017 graduation ceremony. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point seniors decorated their caps for the 2017 commencement ceremony. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point Board of Education President Susan Sullivan hands out diplomas during the 2017 graduation ceremony. Photo by Bill Lanodn
Rocky Point seniors receive their diplomas during the Class of 2017 graduation ceremony. Photo by Bill Landonr
Rocky Point valedictorian
Pooja Deshpande addresses the Class of 2017. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point seniors decorated their caps for the 2017 commencement ceremony. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point Class of 2017 speaker Natalie Bazata receives the foreign language award. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point seniors sing during the Class of 2017 graduation ceremony. Photo by Bill Landon
A student gets emotional during Rocky Point's Class of 2017 commencement ceremony. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point senior Matthew Jones wins the computer science award. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point seniors decorated their caps for the 2017 commencement ceremony. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point salutatorian Nicholas LoCastro speaks to his peers during the Class of 2017 commencement ceremony. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point's Class of 2017 during the graduation ceremony. Photo by Bill Landon
Rocky Point’s Class of 2017 celebrated graduation day June 23.
Students decorated their caps and proudly displayed old and new school pride during the commencement ceremony inside the auditorium.
Valedictorian Pooja Deshpande, salutatorian Nicholas LoCastro and exhortation speaker Natalie Bazata addressed the crowd and Rocky Point Board of Education President Susan Sullivan handed out the diplomas. Other awards, like best in math, science and foreign language were handed out, along with scholarships.
Students anxiously await receiving their diplomas during Miller Place's Class of 2017 commencement ceremony. Photo by Kevin Redding
Caps were decorated across the auditorium during Miller Place's graduation day. Photo by Kevin Redding
Miller Place students embrace one another during Miller Place's Class of 2017 commencement ceremony. Photo by Kevin Redding
Miller Place students toss their caps in the air in celebration of their completion of high school. Photo by Kevin Redding
Members of the band play songs for the seniors during Miller Place's 2017 commencement ceremony. Photo by Kevin Redding
Miller Place valedictorian William Sussman addresses the Class of 2017. Photo by Kevin Redding
A student shows off his diploma during Miller Place's graduation day ceremony. Photo by Kevin Redding
Caps were decorated across the auditorium during Miller Place's graduation day. Photo by Kevin Redding
Miller Place salutatorian salutatorian David Argento speaks to his peers during commencement. Photo by Kevin Redding
Members of the orchestra play songs for the seniors during Miller Place's 2017 commencement ceremony. Photo by Kevin Redding
Caps were decorated across the auditorium during Miller Place's graduation day. Photo by Kevin Redding
Miller Place superintendent Marianne Cartisano speaks to her Class of 2017. Photo by Kevin Redding
Families celebrated their loved ones during Miller Place's Class of 2017 commencement. Photo by Kevin Redding
Miller Place students bid farewell during the Class of 2017 commencement ceremony. Photo by Kevin Redding
Miller Place seniors celebrate the end of four years of hihg school, and the beginning of new chapters in their lives. Photo by Kevin Redding
Miller Place seniors got a proper sendoff during the high school’s June 23 commencement ceremony.
Students displayed decorative caps and proudly posed with parents as they bid farewell to one chapter, and readied to begin a new. Miller Place Superintendent Marianne Cartisano, along with valedictorian William Sussman and salutatorian David Argento, were among some of the speakers during the Class of 2017 commencement ceremony.
Sussman, who graduated with a 101.4 GPA, was a National Merit Scholar and Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor.
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