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Stock photo

Suffolk County Police arrested two people on April 11 during a massage parlor raid at foot spas in Medford
and Selden.

Following an investigation by Sixth Precinct Investigative Unit officers, with the assistance of Town of
Brookhaven personnel and the Town of Brookhaven Fire Marshal, arrested the following for
Unauthorized Practice of a Profession, a felony:

• Jianfen Ye, 47, of Flushing, Queens, an employee at Zensation Foot Spa, located at 3316 Route
112 Unit G in Medford

• Ruogu He, 42, of Bayside, Queens, an employee at Foot Relaxing Station, located at 1070
Middle Country Road Unit 14 in Selden

Ye and He were issued Desk Appearance Tickets and are scheduled to appear at First District Court in
Central Islip on May 1.

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Muhammad Ashraf Azmi accepts a proclamation from Leg. Rebecca Sanin on April 9. Photo courtesy of Leg. Sanin's office

At the General Meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature on April 9, Suffolk County Legislator Rebecca Sanin proudly honored Muhammad Ashraf Azmi, a tireless advocate for diversity, inclusion, and civic engagement in the Town of Huntington.

Muhammad Ashraf Azmi has called Huntington home since 1997, where he has built a legacy of service rooted in compassion, equity, and community safety. As a proud Pakistani Muslim American, Muhammad has dedicated decades to advancing unity and opportunity across Suffolk County.

Currently serving as an executive member of the Pakistani Americans of the Town of Huntington (PATH), Muhammad uplifts the voices of local Pakistani American families and fosters connection through cultural exchange and civic participation. He is the former chairman of the Pakistani American Society of New York (PASNY) and previously led the Asian American Task Force in Huntington.

Throughout his career, Muhammad has been a champion of civic engagement, a trusted partner to elected officials, and an active organizer of events that celebrate Huntington’s rich cultural diversity.

“Muhammad Ashraf Azmi embodies the values of inclusivity and public service,” said Legislator Sanin. “His unwavering dedication to uplifting others and creating bridges across communities is the kind of leadership we need to build a stronger, kinder Suffolk County.”

In addition to his community work, Muhammad is an accomplished applied chemist, environmentalist, and small business owner. He is also a devoted husband and father of four, seamlessly balancing his professional, personal, and civic responsibilities.

Legislator Sanin presented Muhammad with an official proclamation in recognition of his ongoing efforts to build a more just and connected community. The honor was presented alongside a student award ceremony recognizing youth leadership in bicycle safety, making the day a celebration of both present and future changemakers.

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Centereach High School Student of the Month Meaghan Grieco
Newfield High School Student of the Month Charlotte Farrugia
Dawnwood Middle School Student of the Month Aurelio Luna
Selden Middle School Student of the Month Emily Makiani

The Middle Country Central School District recently announced the recipients of the March 2025 Students of the Month honors. The award recognizes students for their exceptional academic achievements, leadership, and contributions to their school communities. This month, four outstanding students were selected: Meaghan Grieco from Centereach High School, Charlotte Farrugia from Newfield High School, Aurelio Luna from Dawnwood Middle School, and Emily Makiani from Selden Middle School.

Meaghan Grieco is a standout athlete, musician, and student leader whose GPA has her ranked just outside of the top 10 percent in her graduating class. She has taken a rigorous schedule over her four years, including five Advanced Placement courses and eight college level courses. Meanwhile, she has proven herself in college courses that also span all disciplines including electives such as College Virtual Enterprise and College Business Law. She has successfully taken advantage of all that our district offers.

Meaghan has played Varsity Volleyball and Varsity Basketball since her freshman year. In volleyball, she was a four-year starter and captain who earned All-League Honors twice and All-Classification honors while leading her team to the playoffs this year. In basketball, she was voted the Rookie of the Year award her freshman year by the varsity basketball coaches in her league. Meaghan was also recognized by the coaches as an All-League player the past two years. Due to an injury she sustained in volleyball, Meaghan required surgery and had to sit out this basketball season. Nevertheless, she played an integral role to the team’s success this year. She was at every practice and game, providing the players with encouraging words and the coaches with suggestions and advice. Meaghan has been a member of the Wind Ensemble for the past two years, playing Tenor Saxophone, and a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society for the past four years, with which she has volunteered at various school and community service events. Next year, Meaghan plans to study to become a pediatric nurse at SUNY Farmingdale.  There she also plans to continue playing volleyball as she is almost all healed from her injury. 

Charlotte Farrugia is ranked 31 out of 383 seniors with a weighted GPA of 98.5370. She has the potential to graduate in June with more than 25 college credits. Through her high school career and currently she’s a member of Dr. Gerold’s leadership committee, DECA, Glamour Gals, The Environmental Club, Tri-M Music Honor Society, and The Foreign Language Honor Society. She also serves as the secretary of the National Honor Society, secretary of the newspaper club, vice president of the Quill and Scroll Honor Society, and secretary of the class of 2025. She was also the winner of the Middle Country Career Exploration Award last spring. In addition to her academic career, Charlotte works as a babysitter for multiple families, was a seasonal farm worker at Harbes Farm in Riverhead, is a council member on the Teen Advisory Council at the Middle Country Public Library, volunteers at Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church assisting the outreach program and is a girl scout who last June earned her Gold Award. Charlotte plans to attend Stony Brook University in the fall with the plan of working toward becoming certified library media specialist or teacher.

Aurelio Luna plays the cello in both the 8th grade Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra. He is always ready to help or participate in class and goes above and beyond in everything he does. Aurelio’s overall average for his sixth and seventh-grade school years is 94.2 and Aurelio’s average for the first and second quarter of this school year is 93.2. Aurelio is involved in many activities at Dawnwood. He is the president of our National Junior Honor Society, a member of the eight-grade orchestra, chamber orchestra, peer leadership club, the singing club, and the student activities club. Aurelio is also a member of drama club, where last year he played the leading role of Sebastian in our production of the Little Mermaid. Outside of school, Aurelio is part of a group that perform songs in sign language for the community. Aurelio also loves playing with his three dogs and singing karaoke.

Emily Makiani has been described by teachers as humble, hardworking, motivated, and kind. She finished her sixth-grade year with an overall yearly average of 98.3 and bested that in seventh grade with an overall yearly average of 98.4. Looking at her quarterly grades this year, she is set to have her best year yet as she had a nearly perfect first quarter report card two 99s and five 100s. Having spoken to Emily about her dedication to her studies, I am quite sure she will keep up that exceptional work. Emily is a member of the National Junior Honor Society and enjoyed her community service work where she prepared and packed lunches for those in need. She likes to write stories and is enjoying reading S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders right now.

For more information regarding the Middle Country Central School District and its students’ many achievements, please visit the District’s website: https://www.mccsd.net/.

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Police car

Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are investigating a road rage incident during which a driver shot what detectives believe to be a BB gun into another vehicle in Lake Ronkonkoma on April 10.

A man was driving a 2018 Chevrolet pickup eastbound on the Long Island Expressway eastbound between Exits 59 and 60 at around 8:40 a.m. when he was involved in a road rage incident with another driver who fired what detectives believe to be a BB gun into the rear driver’s side window of the Chevrolet. The suspect was a male driving a white Honda Civic with tinted windows. The Chevrolet driver, who was alone in his vehicle, was not injured.

Detectives are asking anyone who may have witnessed this incident to call the Fourth Squad at 631- 854-8452 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.

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From left, Yen Lo, Joyce Lee, Elizabeth Wright and Athie Kim. Photo courtesy of Emma Clark Library
From left, Suzanne Shane, Ted Gutmann, Joyce Lee, Yen Lo, Athie Kim, Elizabeth Wright, Linda Josephs, Angeline Yeo-Judex, David Douglas. Photo from Emma Clark Library
Pictured from left, Kevin Scanlon, Susan Megroz Rosenzweig, Brian Biscari, John Holownia, Tina Costanza, Joyce Lee, Yen Lo, Athie Kim, Elizabeth Wright, Deirdre Murphy, and Michael Jantzen. Photo from Emma Clark Library
Ed Taylor, Sherry Cleary, Joyce Lee, Yen Lo, Athie Kim, Elizabeth Wright, Karen Shack Reid, Niva Taylor, and Matt Schwimmer. Photo from Emma Clark Library
From left, Steven Englebright, Joyce Lee, Yen Lo, Elizabeth Wright, Athie Kim, and Dan Panico. Photo from Emma Clark Library
From left, Ed Taylor, Library Director Ted Gutmann and Joyce Lee. Photo from Emma Clark Library
From left, Ed Taylor, Library Director Ted Gutmann and Yen Lo. Photo from Emma Clark Library

On April 7, board members and staff of Emma Clark Library in Setauket, along with the family of the late Helen Stein Shack, local elected officials, and representatives from the Three Village Central School district, honored teens at the 11th annual Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Award.

The Helen Stein Shack Book Contest calls for teens in grades 7 through 12 who live in the Three Village Central School District to create a children’s picture book.  Each entry could be the work of a single author/illustrator or a collaborative effort between an author and an illustrator.  The contest was divided into two grade categories, grades 7 through 9 and grades 10 through 12, with one First Prize Winner and one Second Prize Winner selected from each group. 

Yen Lo, an 8th grader at Murphy Junior High School, won first prize in the Grades 7-9 category for her children’s book “Benny and the Lost Balloon” while  Joyce Lee, a 10th grader at Ward Melville High School, won first prize in the Grades 10-12 category for “What’s a Friend?”

Second Prize in the Grades 7–9 category  went to Athie Kim, an 8th grader at Murphy Junior High School, for “Dinky” while Elizabeth Wright, a 10th grader at Ward Melville High School, captured second prize for her book, “Kitty and Fish” in the Grades 10-12 category.

Library Director Ted Gutmann, along with the family of the late Helen Stein Shack, presented the winners’ books — bound and added to the Library’s Local Focus Collection — along with $400 checks to first prize winners Yen Lo and Joyce Lee and $100 checks for second prize winners Athie Kim and Elizabeth Wright. “The artwork in all of them and the stories are just great,” he remarked.

Suffolk County Legislator Steven Englebright, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico, and a staff member from Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay’s office were in attendance to present certificates to the winners. The winners also received certificates from New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo and Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich.

The award is named in honor of Helen Stein Shack, whose family approached the Library with the idea of establishing an endowment as a tribute to their mother, a teacher and lover of libraries, especially Emma Clark Library. Their gift covers the cost of the awards and passes along Ms. Shack’s joy of reading and lifelong learning to future generations.

Ed Taylor, Ms. Stein Shack’s son, told the guests that when he reflected on the contest, he thought of what he called the 3 C’s:

The first being creativity, of course. If you go look at the books, the first thing that strikes you is the artistic talent of these kids…they’re also very creative at storytelling. It’s not easy to invent your own story and even more difficult to invent a story and tell it in language of kids that are 10 to 12 years younger than you are…The second “C” is courage. Even though you have all that talent, it’s still not easy to put your stuff out there and have it judged by others…I didn’t have a third “C” so I thought and I thought, and then it hit me – cash!

Mr. Taylor’s gesture to the large checks beside him, which were given out to the winners later in the ceremony, received a chuckle from the audience.

Three Village Central School District Board President Susan Megroz Rosenzweig proudly addressed the winners, “You came up with a wonderful story, you created beautiful art, and then you gave us the gift of joyful reading.”

Library Board President David Douglas, Treasurer Suzanne Shane, Secretary Angeline Yeo-Judex, and Trustee Linda Josephs were also on hand to congratulate the winners. In addition to Susan Megroz Rosenzweig, Superintendent Kevin Scanlon, Assistant Superintendent Brian Biscari, Ward Melville High School Principal John Holownia, Murphy Junior High School Principal Michael Jantzen, Ward Melville High School English Department Chairperson Joanna Cadolino, and Murphy English Teachers Tina Costanza and Deidre Murphy were all in attendance.

Guests enjoyed sweets by The Bite Size Bake Shop, a local Three Village-owned business that has been donating desserts to the ceremony since the contest began.

When Supervisor Dan Panico spoke, he emphasized the importance of libraries and reading and commented, “To think that these books may be read by children themselves or perhaps by parents to their children and may end up being the books that children who go into adolescence and adulthood will remember, to me is something that is remarkable.”

To sum up the value of libraries and seeing our extraordinary youth through this annual contest, Legislator Steve Englebright stated, “You gave us a chance to preview the future.

The Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, located at 120 Main Street in Setauket and on the web at www.emmaclark.org, provides public library service to all residents of the Three Village Central School District.

 

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Police car stock photo

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.

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Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

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.

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Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

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.

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Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

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.

 

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Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

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.

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