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North Shore Youth Council members make blankets with kids during a family service night. Photo from North Shore Youth Council

North Shore Youth Council has been keeping kids from ending up on the streets for more than two decades.

The council’s programs “give them more stuff to do beyond the school day and keeps them active and doing positive things,” office manager Marcie Wilson said.

Offering a myriad of programs, the not-for-profit hosts after school recreation, math tutoring on Tuesdays, social skills groups, child care, open mic nights, youth and family counseling, a Big Buddy/Little Buddy service and even helps teenagers get jobs.

“A lot of the time, young kids learn from other young people, so we try to get the high schoolers involved with the middle school kids,” Laurel Sutton, president of the North Shore Youth Council board of directors, said about the Big Buddy/Little Buddy program. “Any time they’re making good choices, it helps teach the younger kids to make good choices.”

The Youth Council also partners with local businesses and organizations to give children fun and interesting things to do or give them an outlet to help others. Shaolin Kung Fu & Fitness in Rocky Point, Studio E in Miller Place, Creative Zone Inc. in Rocky Point and national organization JumpBunch are just a few of those entities. Zumba instructors also host events for kids who are enrolled in the program.

Last December, six students partnered with Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild a home in Rocky Point. Months later, they were brought back to the dedication ceremony to see the final product.

Local students help in the construction of a Habitat for Humanity build in Rocky Point. Photo from North Shore Youth Council
Local students help in the construction of a Habitat for Humanity build in Rocky Point. Photo from North Shore Youth Council

“What was so great was that the kids were amazed,” Wilson said. “They worked on it and they went into what they called ‘their room’ that they worked on. They were so proud of themselves.”

A summer program is also available. Kids begin as campers and can become junior and senior counselors by the time they turn 16.

“They stick around with us for a really long time,” Wilson said. “Then they go off to college and we see them back in the summer time.”

North Shore Youth Council also partners with the Miller Place, Mount Sinai, Rocky Point and Shoreham-Wading River school districts, offering counseling and educating the schools on issues that concern today’s youth.

“We’re at each of the schools at 6:45 in the morning and we’re there until 6 p.m.,” said Janene Gentile, executive director of the youth council. “Everybody contributes to this organization. The kids on our Youth Advisory Board are in the schools and understand the issues and tell me the direction we should be heading in.”

According to Rocky Point Superintendent Michael Ring, six student assistance counselors work out of the Frank J. Carasiti Elementary and Joseph A. Edgar Intermediate schools. While primary focus is on middle school and high school counselors, there is a partnership at the elementary level. Emphasis is put on direct counseling, intervention and support services related to substance abuse.

“These counselors run numerous programs to support the social and emotional needs of our students and families, including anti-bullying, mentoring and character education,” Ring said. “Their expertise and support has provided critical resources to our district for more than two decades.”

Gentile, a drug and alcohol counselor with a master’s degree in art education, has been with the Youth Council for 23 years, working alongside Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office to host expressive art classes at the Little Portion Friary in Mount Sinai and working with incarcerated women and youth at the correctional facility in Riverhead.

“We’re trying to help people make good choices,” Sutton said. “North Shore is helping young people have activities to do after school rather than be home and get in trouble. There are enrichment programs, fun stuff and educational things.”

Gentile said she is thankful for all the help she’s received, but those she works with say they’re more thankful to have her around for all that she’s been able to do for the program.

“She’s such a loving, giving person, she’s very involved, she’s extremely creative and she knows her stuff,” Sutton said. “She’s a very in-tune person to what is going on. She basically built this whole program from the very beginning. She’s constantly doing things to improve it, and I couldn’t see anyone else heading North Shore.”

Gentile is more thankful for the connections made with so many other organizations, children, families, schools and businesses across the Island.

“I’m just really grateful that people have the same vision,” she said. “I get up every day and I enjoy being here and helping the young people; they’re an asset in every which way to the community. … I’ll continue to hold the young kids up, because I believe in them.”

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Sills Gully Beach scattered with litter. File photo

Federal dollars are giving Sills Gully Beach and Gully Landing face-lifts.

U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) announced that Brookhaven Town will receive $2,275,000 in federal funding to repair Sills Gully Beach in Shoreham and the town’s Gully Landing Road drainage facility in Miller Place, which were severely damaged due to high winds, heavy rains and the tidal surge during both Hurricane Irene in 2011 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

“Working closely with the Brookhaven Town finance department, Brookhaven highway department, Federal Emergency Management Agency and the New York State department of homeland security, my staff and I were able to successfully expedite the necessary federal funding to make critical repairs to Sills Gully Beach and Gully Landing Drainage Facility,” said Zeldin, who is a member of the House of Representatives’ transportation and infrastructure committee, in a press release. “As a result, Brookhaven Town will now be able to make renovations to protect, restore and strengthen the beach, so that Long Islanders can enjoy its beauty for generations to come.”

The funding will be used to repair and reinforce the bluffs by installing a bulkhead. According to town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R), the drainage systems and shoreline protection at the locations had been so severely damaged that it was no longer serving its primary function.

Hurricane Sandy “was not only a South Shore event — our North Shore communities were affected as well, and Sills Gully Beach and Gully Landing Road were particularly hit hard,” he said. “I thank Congressman Zeldin for securing the funds so we can finally begin work to repair the damage so residents can once again safely enjoy this popular recreation spot.”

The funding will also be used to upgrade the existing stormwater drainage system.

“We were able to finally cut through the bureaucratic red tape after years of inaction and allocate the necessary federal funding to modernize our stormwater infrastructure and repair badly eroded bluffs, protecting the endangered surface waters of the Long Island Sound,” town Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro (R) said. “Shoreline protection projects such as these are critical in our efforts to maintain our shoreline and ensure its resilience.”

The federal grant was secured through FEMA. The funding is being provided under authority of Section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Act and will be granted directly to New York State.

“I appreciate the hard work of Congressman Zeldin, the Town of Brookhaven, the highway department and Councilwoman Jane Bonner [R] have done for our community to get this project approved,” said Marc Mazza, a board member of the Miller Place Park Homeowners Association. “I offer my heartfelt thanks.”

Community clubs and organizations were just excited to see the beach restored for local enjoyment.

“We are very, very grateful,” said Jennifer Juengst, a board member of the Shoreham Shore Club. “The funding obtained with Congressman Zeldin’s efforts are a lifeline for the health of this North Shore beach and will ensure that future generations of beachgoers will enjoy safe summers for years to come.”

This version replaces an incorrect photo.

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Cocaine sellers stopped

A 26-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman both from Huntington were arrested at about 6:30 a.m. on April 1 on Depew Street in Huntington for possessing cocaine, police said. They were each charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with the intent to sell.

Unlicensed Lincoln

On March 31 at about 11 a.m., police pulled over a 32-year-old man from Huntington Station driving a 2000 Lincoln on Park Avenue in Huntington. He did not have a license, according to police. He was charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Driving on drugs

On Spring Road in Huntington at about 7:30 p.m. on March 30, a 21-year-old man from Brooklyn driving a 2012 BMW was speeding and ran a stop sign, according to police. When pulled over by police they said drugs impaired the driver. He was arrested and charged with first-degree operation of a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs.

Not quite international waters

A 19-year-old woman from Huntington Station was in possession of marijuana at the Soundview boat ramp in Northport at about 5:30 p.m. on March 30, according to police. She was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

He was thirsty

On April 1 at 7-Eleven on East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station, a 24-year-old man stole a beverage, police said. He was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Trees

At about 6:30 p.m. on April 2, a 24-year-old woman from Melville had marijuana at Arboretum Park in Dix Hills, police said. She was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. A 25-year-old woman from Dix Hills was arrested at the same time and place for possessing marijuana and a medication without a prescription, according to police. She was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Cocaine, marijuana, Xanax and cash

Police said a 22-year-old man from Huntington Station was driving a 2011 Lexus on Homecrest Avenue near East 23rd Street at about 11 a.m. on April 1 without a license. When he was pulled over, police said he had cocaine, marijuana and Xanex without a prescription, along with money stolen from 7-Eleven on East Jericho Turnpike on March 22. He was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana, fifth-degree criminal possession of cocaine, petit larceny and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Stabbing suspect caught

On Aug. 18, 2015, in front of a home on West 10th Street in Huntington Station, a 20-year-old man from Huntington Station stabbed another man with a knife, police said. The victim was taken to Huntington Hospital. The suspect was arrested on East 2nd Street near New York Avenue on March 31 and charged with assault with the intent to cause physical injury with a weapon.

Saks Seventh-Degree Avenue

On March 30 at about 8 p.m. a 20-year-old man from Commack stole clothing from Saks Fifth Avenue on Walt Whitman Road in South Huntington, police said. When he was arrested police said he had heroin on him as well. He was charged with petit larceny and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

No license, with pot

A 30-year-old man from Huntington Station was driving a 2004 Mazda on Mckay Road near Railroad Street at about 10 p.m. on March 30 when he was pulled over by police, who said they discovered he was driving with a suspended license and had marijuana. He was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Manor Field Park attack

Police said three unknown men attacked a man who was seated in a parked car at Manor Field Park in Huntington Station at about 5:30 p.m. on April 3. The driver drove away and the suspects fled on foot. The passenger was treated for minor injuries at Huntington Hospital, police said.

Retro Fitness mischief

The window of a 2014 Nissan was broken and credit cards were stolen from the car while it was parked at Retro Fitness on East Jericho Turnpike in Elwood at about 1:30 p.m. on April 1, according to police.

Woman revived by police

Police responded to a call at a home on Oak Street in Central Islip at about 7 a.m. on April 2. When they arrived they found an unresponsive 65-year-old woman being administered CPR by a family member. Members of the Suffolk County Medical Crisis Action Team gave the woman multiple shocks from an automatic external defibrillator and an injection of cardiac medication, which restored the woman’s breathing and pulse, police said. She was taken to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore.

Pants walk out of Macy’s

On April 2 at about 4 p.m., a 38-year-old woman from Islandia stole two pairs of pants from Macy’s at Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove, police said. When she was arrested at 5:30 p.m. she was found to be in possession of heroin. She was charged with petit larceny and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Serial stealer stopped

A 27-year-old man from Dix Hills was arrested on March 31 and charged with three counts of petit larceny. On March 7, he stole earbuds from Kohl’s in Commack, and on March 4 and 5 he stole two pairs of metal shear tools from Home Depot in Commack, police said.

Police crack down

At about 10 a.m. on April 1, a 34-year-old man from South Setauket driving a 2006 Hyundai on Moriches Road in Lake Grove was pulled over by police, who said they discovered cocaine in the car. He was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

License and registration, please

On March 31, a 31-year-old man from Kings Park was pulled over by police on Old Dock Road in Kings Park while driving a 2011 Chevy. During the traffic stop, police said they discovered that he didn’t have a license. He was arrested and charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Split Cedar sale

On March 31 at about 6 a.m., a 23-year-old man from Riverhead was arrested on Split Cedar Drive in Islandia when police said they found crack cocaine on him. He was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with the intention to sell.

Crack/cocaine possession

On March 31, police said a 46-year-old man from Selden in the driver’s seat of a parked 1997 Nissan near the intersection of Pine Avenue and Expressway Drive North in Ronkonkoma was in possession of crack cocaine. He was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

ATV drives off

An all-terrain vehicle was stolen from the driveway of a home on Rose Street in Smithtown at about 10:30 p.m. on April 4, police said.

Guns go missing

Police said an unknown person stole a safe containing guns and jewelry from a home on Lawrence Avenue in Smithtown at about 6 p.m. on March 27.

Bait and switch

A Kings Park resident transferred money to a person on Craigslist in exchange for a boat with a trailer at about 3 p.m. on April 1, police said. After the money was transferred, the Kings Park resident could not get in touch with the seller.

Slashed tires

The tires of a 2011 Mazda were slashed while the car was parked at a home on Old Commack Road in Kings Park at about 9 p.m. on March 29, police said.

Three minutes

A 24-year-old man from Coram was arrested for criminal possession of stolen property, fleeing from an officer in a car, criminal trespassing and resisting arrest on April 1. According to police, the man was driving a stolen 2013 BMW and when police tried to pull him over, he fled in the car from Walnut Street to Mead Avenue in Mount Sinai. The man abandoned the car and jumped the fence of a nearby residence, then took a fighting stance and charged at the officers before he was arrested on Osborne Avenue. The entire incident happened in a period of about three minutes, police said.

Tank it

On March 29 at 1:15 p.m., police arrested a man from Centereach for criminal mischief, seven counts of criminal possession of stolen property and three counts of unlicensed operation of a car. Police said the 31-year-old man stole assorted tools and a propane tank from a residence on Richmond Boulevard in Ronkonkoma, then damaged the lawn when he drove across the grass with a 2002 Dodge Ram with a suspended license. While fleeing the scene, the propane tank fell out of the back of the truck and hit a parked car. Police later arrested the man at his home.

Operation denied

A 25-year-old Sound Beach man was arrested on March 30 for unlicensed operation of a car. He had been driving a 2006 Honda Accord on Rocky Point Landing Road when police caught him.

Munchies mishap

On April 3, police arrested an 18-year-old man for criminal possession of marijuana. According to police, the Shirley resident was in the driver’s seat of a car parked in the ShopRite parking lot at College Plaza in Selden when police discovered the teen had the drug.

Bad drivers

On March 31 at 10 p.m., police arrested a 47-year-old woman for driving while ability impaired in a 2002 Honda Pilot. Police said she was going north on Route 112 in Port Jefferson Station when she failed to maintain her lane.

Police arrested a man from Setauket on March 27 for driving while ability impaired after the 21-year-old was speeding on Route 112 in Port Jefferson in a 2007 BMW. According to police, he also failed to maintain his lane.

Police arrested a 21-year-old Sound Beach woman on April 2 for driving while ability impaired after she got into a car crash while going south on Halesite Drive in a 2012 Subaru. Police didn’t specify what she hit.

Police arrested a 21-year-old man from Mount Sinai for driving while ability impaired after he drove a 1987 Toyota on Strathmore Village Drive and crashed into a parked 2015 Jeep. Police said the man fled the scene but was caught and arrested around 9 a.m. on March 27.

Call me

On March 29 around 2:10 p.m., someone stole two phones from a display case in the Verizon store on Nesconset Highway in Port Jefferson Station.

Door needs a bandage

Police said someone damaged the door of Fresenius Medical Care on Nesconset Highway in Port Jefferson Station. The incident happened between 2:30 a.m. on April 2 and 8 a.m. the following day.

Lynbroken

Someone damaged the door of a residence on Lynbrook Drive in Sound Beach around 3 a.m. on April 2.

Ring the alarm

On March 31 around 1 p.m., a woman said someone stole her diamond engagement ring after she left it in a tanning room of Sky Tan on Middle Country Road in Selden.

Broadway bandit

On March 27, someone stole a jacket off a chair in the Rocky Point Ale House on Broadway around 10:17 p.m. Police said a wallet was in the jacket pocket.

Open for business

Between 11 p.m. on March 31 and 4 a.m. the following day, an unknown person stole a 2015 Ford Explorer from the Hope House Ministries property on North Country Road in Port Jefferson. Police said the car was unlocked and the keys were inside.

Someone stole multiple sunglasses and money from an unlocked 2015 Mercedes and an unlocked 2014 Jeep. The cars were parked near a residence on Locust Drive in Miller Place. Police said the incidents happened on March 30 around 3:50 a.m.

Making moves

According to police, on April 3 around 2 p.m. someone stole a GPS and its charger, cables, an agility ladder and assorted fitness equipment from a 2013 Mazda. Police said the car was parked in the Marshalls parking lot in Stony Brook.

Cemented steal

On March 29 around 6:30 p.m., someone stole a cement mixer from a 2015 Dodge Ram that was parked on Valley Drive in Sound Beach.

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Residents flooded the Rocky Point High School auditorium on Tuesday for a night of education on drugs and a chance to see what drug use is like in the district.

John Venza, vice president of Adolescent Services for Outreach, a New York-based organization that encourages community residents to seek help for substance abuse, and Suffolk County Senior Drug Abuse Educator Stephanie Sloan tackled drug education in the nearly two-hour forum.

Gateway drugs, drug use causes, the evolution of these substances and how parents and students alike can navigate through life without using drugs were among the topics discussed. The forum was also an opportunity to see results from the New York State-issued 2014-15 survey regarding youth development. Rocky Point was one of 10 school districts that took the survey, which examined drug use and prevalence in the district.

“Let’s face it, teenage years are tough enough to begin with, but then you have all this stuff added on — I wouldn’t want to go through [adolescence] again [now],” said Amy Agnesini, forum organizer and athletic director for Rocky Point.

Although drug use in Rocky Point’s seventh and eighth-graders falls below state average for alcohol and energy drinks — the most common substances used by this age group — the survey revealed the use of these two drugs in addition to chewing tobacco or using marijuana, cigarettes and pain relievers, among a few other drugs, increased in high school.

Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (C-Rocky Point) was among the speakers in attendance. Bonner announced her piece of legislation to ban hookah lounges, vape and smoke shops within 1,000 feet of various locations, including schools, non-degree granting schools, like a ballet or karate studio, religious facilities, hospitals and other areas. She added that there will be a public hearing on the ban proposal in the near future.

“This is a war — we are in the trenches as parents, as educators, as members of the community — we’re the ones battling,” said Rocky Point Superintendent of Schools Michael Ring. “The battle isn’t necessarily in the streets, the way a lot of people think it is … it’s in your living room.”

According to Venza, technology isn’t the only thing that’s evolved; drugs have as well. People can now use devices like vape pens to smoke different forms of marijuana, including a dab, a waxy substance with high concentrations of THC. Between 14 and 24-years-old is the worst time to smoke marijuana in a person’s life, Venza said during the forum. The potency of drugs, including marijuana, has also increased over the decades.

“Unlike 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago where you needed a needle, you no longer need a needle because [of the purity of the drugs],” Venza said about heroin needles. People can now sniff the drug and get high, which makes trying the drug less daunting, Venza added.

Outreach’s Vice President of Adolescent Services John Venza educates adults and children about drugs during a forum at Rocky Point High School. Photo by Giselle Barkley
Outreach’s Vice President of Adolescent Services John Venza educates adults and children about drugs during a forum at Rocky Point High School. Photo by Giselle Barkley

Hope House Ministries’ Opioid Overdose Prevention Program’s Clinical Director Dr. Jennifer Serrentino said 120 people die from drug overdose daily. Last year, there were around 100 fatal heroin overdoses in Suffolk County alone.

Although one resident voiced her concerns that the forum would give students more ideas on how and where to use drugs, the speakers and parents, like Sound Beach resident Sharon Ferraro, think knowledge is power.

“If you were at a party or at a friend’s house and you see that paraphernalia, that’s your trigger to get out,” Ferraro said to her daughter Molly Searight, after the resident posed the question.

Ferraro said she is very involved with her children, but that’s not the case for every family. She said some parents are busy and don’t always spend quality time with their children. Although Ferraro’s daughter Molly hasn’t seen students using drugs on campus, beyond electronic cigarettes or vape pens in the bathroom, she said she hears of drug use from peers. After the event, Molly said she’s more aware of the effects of alcohol on youth.

Residents and speakers alike, including the councilwoman, were not only pleased with the event’s turnout, but also the large volume of residents who were in attendance.

“I was so proud of the community that I live in, that it was standing room only,” Bonner said. “People [are] finally recognizing that you can’t bury your heads in the sand. Community forums like this one are integral to combatting this [drug use issue].”

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Community members passed the budget at the North Shore Public Library, above. Photo from Laura Hawrey

The North Shore Public Library ended Tuesday on a high note, after residents passed its 2016-17 budget proposal and re-elected library board of trustees member Richard Gibney. The library’s approximate $3.5 million dollar budget passed with 147 votes in favor with just 19 in opposition. The budget is around $18,500 less than last year’s budget.

Library Director Laura Hawrey said the money will help fund the library’s ongoing concert series and various programs. It will also help fund library books, electronic media and typical maintenance of the facility and its computers, among other items.

“Technology, educational courses, entertainment and other current offerings make this a much different library than what they grew up with,” Gibney said in an email about residents who use the library. “Anyone who visits and enjoys the library would never even think of voting down its budget. The returns far exceed the costs.”

Community members of the North Shore Public Library re-elected board of trustees member Richard Gibney to another five-year term. Photo from Laura Hawrey
Community members of the North Shore Public Library re-elected board of trustees member Richard Gibney to another five-year term. Photo from Laura Hawrey

As a member of the board of trustees, Gibney helped oversee the budget process. He was re-elected with 142 votes, and will serve on the board for another five years. The Wading River resident is a certified arborist and President of Gibney Design Landscape Architecture in Wading River. Although Gibney ran unopposed for his seat, the election isn’t political. Being a member of the board is simply a way for him to further serve his community.

“I like hearing about and being involved in the ‘workings’ of my library,” he said.

The trustee doesn’t only split his time between work and the library, but also lends a hand around the community. According to Gibney, he works alongside his wife Debra on Wading River Historical Society’s Holiday Tea and Duck Pond Day events. He also provided his professional services at the Tesla Science Center site and has educated second-grade Boy Scouts about landscape architecture and horticulture over the years.

“Richard Gibney has been a dedicated, responsible and cooperative member of the board, who knows the appropriate questions to ask at the appropriate time,” said William Schiavo, president of the board. “As a dedicated library user, he has been very sensitive and aware of the needs of the library and the taxpayers who support it. He has been a pleasure to work with in the past and I am looking forward to working with him in the future.”

Going forward, Gibney would like to have a new stand-alone or state-of-the-art library that has ample parking space, if the library can afford this kind of project. He added that he will serve as long as he feels he is effective and will step down if any future conflicts arise.

Hawrey was more than pleased with Tuesday’s results and was grateful for community members’ support of the budget and return of Gibney.

“The approved budget will continue to provide the North Shore Public Library community with exceptional library services,” Hawrey said in an email. “I am pleased that Richard Gibney has been re-elected and will continue to share his expertise with the other members on the Library Board of Trustees.”

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Assemblyman Steve Englebright speaks in opposition of the Gap Elimination Adjustment during a 2013 protest against the state school aid cut. File photo by Rohma Abbas

New York State is doing away with a funding cut that has kept billions of dollars out of schools, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office announced last week.

Legislators recently agreed on a state budget that would end the Gap Elimination Adjustment, a deduction taken out of each school district’s aid for the last several years, originally enacted to close a state budget deficit.

Parents, educators and even legislators have long been advocating for the adjustment’s finish but the push became a shove after state Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport), the majority leader, sponsored legislation to get rid of it. Flanagan called axing the Gap Elimination Adjustment his “top education funding priority” earlier this year.

“We will not pass any budget that does not fully eliminate it this year,” he said. The deduction “has been hurting schools and students for way too long and it is past time that we end it once and for all.”

Over the past five years, legislators had reduced the total statewide deduction from $3 billion to $434 million. In the next school year, it will be removed all together.

“Over the years, the GEA forced many school districts to cut educational programs and reduce services,” Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) said in a statement. “This restoration of aid will greatly help local school districts, and our taxpayers, with the budget funds necessary to educate our children.”

State school aid is projected to increase to almost $25 billion overall — and Long Island is slated to get $3 billion of that.

The New York State School Boards Association noted that the additional aid comes just as the state’s almost 700 school districts are grappling with a “record low” cap on how much they can increase their tax levies, a limit mandated by the state.

“The infusion of state aid will help them preserve student programs and services while still keeping property taxes in check,” the group’s executive director, Timothy G. Kremer, said in a statement.

However, the association said the state should “make sensible adjustments” to the tax levy cap, suggesting officials no longer use the rate of inflation as the standard for setting the limit each year.

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By Elana Glowatz

A 24-hour substance abuse hotline went live on April 1, providing Suffolk County residents with a new resource to help with battling addiction.

The Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence is operating the new hotline — 631-979-1700 — and will help callers get screenings, referrals and follow-ups, directing them to local resources that will help them or loved ones overcome addiction.

A flyer advertises a new substance abuse hotline. Image from the Suffolk County health department
A flyer advertises a new substance abuse hotline. Image from the Suffolk County health department

Officials announced the initiative at the end of February, calling it a partnership between the county, Stony Brook Medicine and the state’s health department, as well as private and public community partners in the substance abuse field. Those officials said having a single phone number for all those resources is key.

“This initiative will provide [the] opportunity for addicts to reach out during their time of need and access treatment and support options easily,” Suffolk County Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport) said in a previous statement. “Often, there is a critical and brief period of time when a person sees clarity and makes the decision to seek help. This hotline can be fertile ground for change and recovery as it can quickly link residents to crucial health care services.”

LICADD itself noted in a recent statement about the hotline that “the time to seek treatment is ‘now’” and that sometimes the “now” is late at night, early in the morning or on weekends or holidays. The agency also said that the period in which an addict is willing to get treatment could close without immediate help, due to “the pathology of denial, obsession and fear which often defines substance use disorders.”

Community leaders have ramped up efforts to fight opioid addiction in recent years while seeing an increase in heroin and prescription painkiller abuse and overdoses across Suffolk County. Those efforts have included more directed police enforcement and informational meetings. Police officers have also started carrying the medication Narcan, which can temporarily stop opioid overdoses and has been used hundreds of times in Suffolk.

Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), who authored the law that put Narcan into officers’ hands, said about the new hotline, “Every second counts to a mother whose son or daughter was found and saved from overdosing. And every hour and every day that slips by trying to find quality, affordable, accessible treatment is critical.”

For 24/7 substance abuse help, call 631-979-1700.

To report drug activity to the police, call 631-852-NARC.

The county health department will provide oversight and analyze data to monitor the hotline’s effectiveness, and identify trends and emerging issues in the community.

At the same time the drug abuse hotline went live, the Suffolk County Police Department announced another phone number, this one a 24-hour tip line for residents to report drug activity in their neighborhoods.

“We are asking the public’s help to fight this scourge, and with the public’s help, we can make a real difference,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Tim Sini said in a statement.

Residents can call 631-852-NARC anonymously to report information about local drug dealers, and authorities will investigate the tips. Even anonymous callers can receive cash rewards for tips that lead to arrests.

“If you see something, say something and Suffolk County police will do something about it,” Sini said.

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After three years, Rocky Point Board of Education President Susan Sullivan will run for re-election.

Those who are eligible to apply for the position can do so by April 18. The new term begins on July 1, and ends on June 30, 2019. Board of education candidates, including incumbents, can pick up applications from and submit them to Patricia Jones, Rocky Point’s district clerk.

Candidates must be United States citizens, be at least 18 years old, be qualified voters in the district and live in the area continuously for at least one year before the election, according to the New York State School Boards Association requirements. Although Sullivan and other board members declined to comment on her seat prior to the application deadline, board Vice President Scott Reh said Sullivan, who has lived in the district for decades, brings knowledge and experience to the board.

“It’s been wonderful,” Reh said about having Sullivan on the board. “She’s upfront, she’s honest [and] she cares about the community, the students [and] the school district.”

Sullivan’s lived in the area since 1985. She worked for the district for 32 years as a teacher and eight years as an assistant principal before she retired as an educator. She first ran for her seat on the board in 2013, against teaching aid Jessica Ward.

Once a candidate files their application, he or she must also disclose their campaign expenses in a sworn statement filed with district clerk. Once elected to the seat, new board members undergo mandatory training from the New York State School Boards Association during their first year on the board. The association was founded in 1896 in Utica and serves more than 650 boards of education.

School boards are usually composed of community volunteers. The boards oversee and manage the public school system in their respective school districts. Board members serve varying terms between three and five years to ensure that all board seats aren’t open at the same time.

Boards are tasked with creating school budgets, hiring and maintaining a superintendent and improving the institution to help students advance. Around 25 voters, or two percent of those who voted in the previous election, must sign the application.

The applications must include the candidate’s name and residence, the vacant seat, name of the incumbent, residences of those who signed the applications and the length of term the candidate seeks.

Candidates can submit applications no later than 5 p.m. on April 18. For more information, contact Jones at 631-849-7243.

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Developer Mark Baisch wants to establish 40 one-bedroom apartments for senior citizens on the former Thurber Lumber property in Rocky Point. Photo by Giselle Barkley

Nearly a month after Rocky Point’s Thurber Lumber Co. Inc. closed its doors, developer Mark Baisch of Landmark Properties plans on transforming the property to make room for senior citizens.

Baisch said he wants to establish 40 one-bedroom apartments on the former 1.8-acre space near Broadway to help the area’s aging population. Baisch hasn’t finalized rent for these 600 square foot apartments, but said future residents will pay a little more than $1,000 a month.

Baisch has been met with some opposition on his plans.

“People say he does good work, but to come in and say ‘this is what’s going to work down here, even though you don’t want it,’ is kind of strange,” said Albert Hanson, vice president of the Rocky Point Civic Association and chair of the land use committee.

Hanson said the civic and members of the community, who found out about the plans in February, haven’t had ample time to brainstorm alternative ideas for the area. Hanson added that the area doesn’t need additional housing.

According to Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai), Rocky Point is a high-density area already, and she added that the Thurber property is also a small area for Baisch’s apartments. The Legislator said she envisions different plans for the property.

“I would love to see a community center over there,” said Anker. “[The property is in] the heart of downtown Rocky Point.”

But Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (C-Rocky Point) said Baisch’s plans comply with a land use plan conducted in the area several years ago. Brookhaven officials adopted the land use plan for downtown Rocky Point back in 2012. The plan called for medium density housing in downtown Rocky Point, among other improvements. Although some residents oppose the plan, the councilwoman said there is a need for these kinds of residences townwide.

“There’s a large number of seniors who live back in North Shore Beach …. and many have reached out to me excited about this,” the councilwoman said.

Baisch wanted to create apartment units because of the property’s sanitary flow requirements — the amount of sewage per unit is less for a 600 square foot unit. According to Baisch, the apartments will give seniors more freedom in their daily lives. He added that Suffolk County is committed to establishing a bus stop in the area to further assist prospective senior residents.

“They have to pay taxes, they have to pay their oil bill, they have to pay for repairs [for their home] — Rocky Point is probably one of the most unsafe communities I know of, to walk around,” Baisch said. “So they have all these things that are burdening them as seniors and they basically have nowhere to go.”

Baisch added that these residents could live comfortably in his apartments on their Social Security or the equity they received after selling their home. While some senior citizens, like Linda Cathcart of Rocky Point, don’t plan on selling their home any time soon, she said Baisch’s plans will bring a stable population to the area.

“There’s 40 units proposed, so you’re talking about possibly 80 seniors who could bring business to the existing businesses,” Cathcart said. “Also, it would encourage new businesses to come into the area.”

Cathcart added that Baisch discussed putting the original railroad station structure from the area on the property, in addition to the apartment units. The railroad structure dates back to the 1920s and 30s.

Despite the proposed plans for the property, Hanson said the civic and some community members were debating using other local talent or developers to establish a vision and plan for the area that appeals to other residents.

“We have to think of what we would like to see down there that would make us draw [people to downtown Rocky Point],” Hanson said about the property. “I think what a lot of people don’t want is losing the opportunity to actually have a downtown.”

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Botched burglary
A 30-year-old man from Bay Shore entered through the window of a second-floor apartment on Smith Road in Lake Grove at about 8:30 p.m. on March 26, police said. The man escaped the apartment without taking any items. When approached by police, he gave a fake name and date of birth. He was charged with second-degree burglary and false impersonation.

Hit-and-run
At the intersection of Route 25 and Edgewood Avenue in Smithtown on Jan. 12, a 25-year-old woman from Setauket was involved in a car crash just after 8 p.m., according to police. After the crash, she fled the scene without exchanging contact information with the other driver. She was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.

Reckless driver
At about 4 p.m. on March 25, a 41-year-old man from Brentwood driving a dump truck crossed the white pavement line on Terry Road in Nesconset, hitting a parked 2014 Dodge with the driver inside. No one was seriously injured. The man was charged with reckless driving.

Two guys, too much pot
A 21-year-old man from Northport and a 22-year-old man from Islip were seated in a parked vehicle on West Main Street in Kings Park at about 5:30 p.m. on March 26 when, police said, they discovered the pair was in possession of more than 25 grams of marijuana. They were charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Mind your own business
At about 10 p.m. on March 26, police said a 34-year-old man and a 37-year-old man both from Ronkonkoma shouted obscenities and threats at police officers and members of the Lakeland Fire Department near a home on West 3rd Street. They were arrested and charged with second-degree obstruction of governmental administration.

Saloon patron slugged
Just after midnight on March 19 at South Beach Saloon Inc. in Nesconset, a 23-year-old man from Ronkonkoma punched another man in the face, police said. He was charged with third-degree assault with the intent to cause physical injury.

iPod stolen and broken
On March 24, a 22-year-old man from Lake Ronkonkoma was found to be in possession of a stolen and damaged iPod on Ronkonkoma Avenue in Islip at about 12:30 p.m., police said. He was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and criminal mischief.

Stolen from Sears
At about 5 p.m. on March 24, a 41-year-old woman from Lake Ronkonkoma stole assorted electronics from Sears in the Smith Haven Mall, police said. She was later arrested in Brookhaven and charged with petit larceny.

Identity crisis
On March 24 at about 7:30 p.m., a 23-year-old woman from Patterson, N.J., was arrested in Commack for possessing a Pennsylvania driver’s license that did not belong to her, police said. She was charged with second-degree possession of a forged instrument.

Fence kicker on the loose
An unknown person kicked in the fence of a home on Morris Avenue in Lake Ronkonkoma at about 3 a.m. on March 27, police said.

Damaged door
On Wheeler Road in Hauppauge at about 2:30 p.m. on March 27, an unknown person dented the driver’s side rear door of a 2000 Toyota, according to police.

You’ll shoot your eye out
Police said an unknown person damaged the screen of a window at a home on Barley Place in Commack at about 11:30 p.m. on March 26 with a BB gun.

Violent encounter
An unknown person approached a man at a Smithtown home just after midnight on March 26 carrying a handgun, police said. The man with the gun demanded money from the victim and then hit him in the head repeatedly with the gun, causing lacerations to the victim’s head, according to police. The man fled on foot.

Dave & busted window
An unknown person broke the driver’s side window of a 2006 Toyota parked at Dave & Buster’s in Islandia on March 24 at about 11:30 p.m., according to police. A wallet with credit cards was taken from the car.

Poor park job
At the Devonshire apartment complex in Hauppauge, an unknown person scratched the driver’s side front and rear doors and tailgate of a 2015 Dodge at about 10:30 a.m. on March 24, according to police.

Caught in a Benz bind
On March 22, an 18-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station was arrested for criminal possession of stolen property, a 2012 Mercedes-Benz. Police pulled over and arrested the man around 4 p.m. on Route 112.

Catching some Zs
A 19-year-old Port Jefferson Station man was arrested on March 26 for driving while ability impaired, after allegdly being caught sleeping in the driver’s seat of his running 2016 Hyundai, which was blocking the intersection of Route 112 and Nesconset Highway. Police arrested the suspect at the scene, around 4:21 a.m.

License revoked
According to police, a Sound Beach woman was arrested on March 26 for petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. Police said on Oct. 11, the 27-year-old woman had stolen jewelry and assorted merchandise from Kohl’s on Route 25A in Rocky Point. She was also using a Florida driver’s license that didn’t belong to her. Police arrested her at the 6th Precinct.

Busted
On March 23, a man from Centereach was arrested for criminal possession of marijuana. The 27-year-old was in his 2012 Mazda on the corner of Blydenburgh Road and Horseblock Road when police discovered him in possession.

Not-so-great escape
A 22-year-old woman was arrested on March 21 for petit larceny. The Yaphank woman allegedly had stolen someone’s phone on Middle Country Road in Centereach several days before.

Mad for meds
Police arrested a 30-year-old man from Rocky Point for two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance after discovering him in possession of two different prescription medications that he wasn’t prescribed. Police arrested him on Westchester Drive in Rocky Point on March 21.
Police said someone stole medication from a store on Route 25A in Miller Place. The incident happened on March 26 around 10:25 p.m.

Less-glamorous bank heist
On March 22 around 3:08 p.m., police arrested a 31-year-old man from West Babylon for grand larceny. According to police, the man stole money from the Capital One bank on Route 25A in Setauket after he deceived the teller. Police didn’t expand upon what the man did to acquire the money.

Breakin’ down the cars
Between March 25 at 9 p.m. and March 26 at 6:30 a.m. at Broadway, Port Jefferson Station, an unidentified person broke the front passenger window of a 2015 Ford pickup truck.

Boozing for bucks
According to police, someone entered the L.I. Pour House on Route 112 in Port Jefferson Station on March 23 at 2:30 a.m. and stole a metal box that contained cash.

Put ’em up
On March 26 around 3:47 a.m., an unknown person punched a man near the Junior’s Spycoast bar on Main Street in Port Jefferson.

‘The Wicker Man’ sequel
According to police, someone stole a wicker chair from the front yard of a residence on Broadway in Rocky Point. The incident happened on March 25 around 8 p.m.

Unlocked and loaded
Between March 21 at 6 p.m. and March 22 at 7 p.m., an unknown person entered an unlocked 2006 Nissan Altima and stole cash and several gift cards. Police said the incident happened at a residence on Oak Street in Centereach.

Noise turns dangerous
On March 26 at 10:20 p.m., a man left his residence on Newton Avenue in Selden to investigate a noise when an unknown person approached the man and threatened him. Police said the complainant was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital after the suspect cut the man in the stomach.

Backpacking thief
Someone broke into a 2015 Maserati parked near the AMC Loews theater on Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook and stole backpacks and two passports. Police said the incident happened on March 24 around 9:03 p.m.

Hearthstone hit-and-run
On March 27 at about 8:30 p.m., a 46-year-old man from Dix Hills was driving a 2004 Mercedes on Vanderbilt Parkway near the intersection of Hearthstone Drive when he crashed on the side of the road and then fled the scene, police said. He was later arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.

Heroin bust
Police said a 38-year-old man from Huntington Station possessed heroin near the intersection of Cooper Avenue and Route 25 at about 10:30 p.m. on March 25. He was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

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