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Village Beacon Record

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En route to an arrest
A 56-year-old man from Miller Place was arrested for driving while ability impaired on Nov. 14, after police pulled him over when he failed to maintain his lane. The man had been driving a 2006 Mercedes-Benz east on Route 347 in Port Jefferson Station when police pulled him over.

On Nov. 13, a 32-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station was arrested for driving while impaired by drugs, after police pulled him over for failing to stay in his lane on Terryville Road. He had been driving a 2011 Ford.

Just on time for 4:20
Police arrested a 56-year-old Rocky Point resident for criminal possession of marijuana at the Port Jefferson train station. An officer spotted the suspect and several other people hanging around the station around 4:20 a.m. on Nov. 13, and he was arrested shortly afterward.

A clean catch
A 51-year-old man from Centereach was arrested on Nov. 11 for petit larceny. According to police, he took a power washer from the Lowe’s on Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook on Oct. 29, then returned the item and received a gift card for the return. Police arrested the man at the 6th Precinct.

Unwanted entry
On Nov. 2, a 37-year-old man from Selden was arrested for criminal trespassing after he entered a residence on Mount Sinai-Coram Road. A person who owned the home asked the man to leave, and he did eventually leave the premises. He was arrested at the 6th Precinct on Nov. 12. Police didn’t say why or how the man entered the home.

Diamonds are a thief’s best friend
Police arrested a 21-year-old man from Miller Place for criminal possession of stolen property after he sold stolen jewelry to a pawn shop in early October. Police arrested the man on Nov. 13 on Middle Country Road in Selden.

This is not a drill
On Nov. 11 around 8:45 a.m. someone went into the Home Depot at 401 Independence Plaza in Selden and stole a drill.

A bump on the road
A 32-year-old man from Rocky Point was arrested for unlicensed operation of a car and criminal possession of a controlled substance on Nov. 12, after police pulled the man over on Ridge Road in Shoreham for an unknown reason. Police said the driver of the 1996 Jeep Cherokee was in possession of crack cocaine.

Port punch
An unidentified man punched another person at a residence on Patchogue Road in Port Jefferson Station on Nov. 14 around 3:45 a.m. Police didn’t know what caused the incident.

Punching off some steam
On Nov. 14, police arrested a 23-year-old man from Ronkonkoma for criminal mischief, after he punched and damaged a bedroom door at a residence on Water Road in Rocky Point.

Unlocked and unloaded
Between 1 and 9 a.m. on Nov. 13, an unidentified person removed an iPad and binoculars from an unlocked 2009 Jeep. The incident happened on Hillcrest Avenue in Port Jefferson.

The last keg stand
Shortly before 7 a.m. on Nov. 14, an unknown person entered a store on Route 25A in Mount Sinai and stole a few kegs of beer. Police didn’t say how many kegs the person took.

On a quest for the quad
According to police, an unknown person forced open the side door to a residence on Russell Drive in East Shoreham, breaking the door frame and entering the garage. Once inside, the person stole a 2015 Yamaha Quad. The incident occurred between 6:45 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Nov. 12.

Go fish
An unidentified person entered the Stop & Shop at 260 Pond Path in Centereach on Nov. 11 and stole three packages of sushi.

Unless you’ve got power
Police said on Nov. 11 at 2:10 a.m. a man was confronted and pushed by three unknown people who then stole the victim’s hoverboard scooter. The incident happened in the woods near Boyle Road in Selden.

Measure of a thief
Someone went to the Walmart at 3990 Nesconset Highway in Setauket-East Setauket and took a 25-foot Stanley Tape Measure and left the store without paying. The incident took place on Nov. 12 at 4:03 p.m.

Trouble at Target
Detectives are searching for two men who stole $135 worth of beer and sprayed mace on a store employee at Target in Commack on Nov. 7 at about 1:45 p.m. When the men were attempting to leave with beer, an employee confronted them and one of the men sprayed the employee with mace, allowing the pair to escape. Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about the alleged attempted robbery is asked to call them anonymously at 1-800-220-TIPS (8477).

Jewels
A 25-year-old from Commack was arrested after police said he stole jewelry and a phone from someone between June 4 and Nov. 1. He was arrested at the 4th Precinct on Nov. 16 at 7 a.m. and charged with fourth-degree grand larceny.

No mercy for Mercedes
An unknown person keyed a 2014 Mercedes parked on Nicola Lane in Nesconset at midnight on Nov. 13.

Some mid-day cocaine
On Nov. 16 a 42-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station was arrested after police said he was driving a car without a license and had cocaine in his possession. He was arrested at the 4th Precinct just before noon and charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

OMG for GMC
An unknown person stole four rims and tires from a 2006 GMC Yukon at the King O’Rourke car dealership in Smithtown at midnight on Nov. 14

Jewelry thief
Police said a 21-year-old woman from Ronkonkoma stole jewelry from a resident’s house on Pinelawn Road in Farmingdale on Oct. 22. She was arrested at the 4th Precinct at 8:15 p.m. on Nov. 13 and charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

Darn for Dairy Barn
On Nov. 15 at 1:30 a.m. an unknown person threw a cinder block through a glass door and stole money from a Dairy Barn in Kings Park.

Speedy arrest
A 21-year-old man from Patchogue was arrested after police pulled him over for speeding in a 2007 Hyundai on Middle Country Road in St. James and said he was driving drunk at 3:20 a.m. on Nov. 15. He was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.

Cosmetics crook
An unknown person stole assorted cosmetics from CVS on Jericho Turnpike in Commack on Nov. 16 at 1:30 p.m.

Pickup pullover
On Nov. 13, a 29-year-old man from Coram was arrested while driving a 2015 Chevy pickup truck on Veterans Highway after police said he failed to maintain his lane. He was pulled over and then police said he was driving drunk. He was arrested at 10:30 p.m. and charged with driving while intoxicated.

Identity confusion
On Nov. 14 at 1:45 p.m., a 29-year-old man from Huntington Station was being arrested at the 2nd Precinct for a bench warrant when police said he gave someone else’s name. He was charged with false personation.

Cash and credit card crisis
A resident of Lakeridge Drive in Huntington reported that a credit card and cash were stolen from his or her house on Nov. 14 at 4 p.m.

A punch and a name change
A 26-year-old man from Huntington Station was arrested on Nov. 13 after police said he punched someone in the back of the head on E 3rd Street in Huntington Station. The victim did not require medical attention. When the man was arrested at 10:30 p.m., he gave a false name and was charged with false personation.

King Kullen crook
An unknown man stole assorted food from King Kullen on Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station at noon on Nov. 14.

High Hyundai
On Nov. 12, police said a 20-year-old man from Deer Park was arrested in Dix Hills Park after police said he was in possession of marijuana inside his 2007 Hyundai just before 7 p.m. He was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Life’s a beach
Police said a 22-year-old man from East Northport was in possession of heroin and a glass pipe with residue on Nov. 13 at Crab Meadow Beach in Northport. He was in the parking lot in a 2001 Dodge Ram truck at 6:20 p.m. when he was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Police said a 20-year-old man from East Northport was in possession of marijuana at Crab Meadow Beach in Northport on Nov. 11 at 5:20 p.m. He was arrested and charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Third times the harm
A 34-year-old man from Huntington was arrested on Nov. 14 after police said he was driving a white 2002 Chevy without an interlock ignition device. He was driving east on Pegs Lane in Cold Spring Harbor at 5 p.m. when police pulled him over for suspicion of drunk driving. He was charged with using a vehicle without an interlock and his third charge of driving while intoxicated in less than 10 years.

Mistakes at Macy’s
On Nov. 13, a 33-year-old woman from Commack was arrested at Macy’s in Huntington after police said she stole more than $1,000 worth of merchandise at 3:30 p.m. She was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny.

Text message terror
A resident of Garfield Place in East Northport reported that he or she was receiving threatening text messages that were causing alarm for the person on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m.

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Chris Rosati rushes for yards in a game earlier this season. File photo by Bill Landon

So far it’s been another perfect season for the Shoreham-Wading River football team, as the No. 1-seeded Wildcats move into the Division IV finals today, where the team will take on No. 2 Elwood-John Glenn at Stony Brook University at 7 p.m.

After going 8-0 in league play, the Wildcats moved on to face No. 8 McGann-Mercy in the qualifying round, where the team demolished its competition, 41-7. Next up was Bayport-Blue Point in the semifinals, and again, Shoreham-Wading River came out on top, 21-6.

Kevin Cutinella lines up in a game last season. File photo by Bill Landon
Kevin Cutinella lines up in a game last season. File photo by Bill Landon

In the game against Bayport, the opposition scored first, which was just the second time the team had allowed an opponent to score first all season. The only other time, was when Elwood-John Glenn got on the scoreboard first in the second quarter of the team’s Oct. 17 matchup. But as has been the case with the Wildcats all along, the team found its groove and consistently piled on the points.

Scoring first was senior wide receiver Jon Constant on a five-yard run with six minutes left in the first quarter, which gave Shoreham-Wading River the lead for good, at 7-6. Junior quarterback Kevin Cutinella completed five of seven passes for 85 yards, and also rushed in the team’s next score, to put the Wildcats out in front, 14-6. Senior running back Chris Rosati scored the final touchdown of the game on a 47-yard run, and senior kicker Daniel Mahoney remained nearly perfect on the season, as he split the uprights for the final time of the game. Mahoney only had one kick blocked and two kicks miss the entire season.

Senior fullback Will Loper had 10 tackles with a forced fumble, and junior defensive end Ethan Wiederkehr had six tackles and a forced fumble in the win over Bayport-Blue Point.

As was the case last season, the Wildcats always found ways to score, while also limiting their opponents to two scores or fewer. Three of the team’s games were shutouts this season, and while Shoreham-Wading River tallied 353 points this season, the Wildcats only allowed 60 points against.

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St. Louis de Montfort Roman Catholic Church in Sound Beach provides food for those in need. Photo by Giselle Barkley

A full stomach may hurt sometimes, but not around the holidays.

The holiday season is typically the busiest time of year for food pantries like those at the Sound Beach Community Church and St. Louis de Montfort Roman Catholic Church in Sound Beach. Each year the Sound Beach Civic Association sponsors one family from each church during the holidays. In light of this, Bea Ruberto, president of the Sound Beach Civic Association, said they thought their meeting on Monday, Nov. 9, was a good opportunity to discuss the churches’ work.

St. Louis de Montfort is no stranger to running a pantry. According to Jane Guido, the church’s outreach director, the facility established its pantry around 25 years ago. Around 150 families are registered for the pantry services at the church. The church saw an increase in those in need during the recession when countless businesses downsized staff and many were left without a job.

“A lot of our local families who were okay now find themselves without a job or [they’re] getting a job with less pay,” Guido said. “With the high cost of living on Long Island, it makes it very difficult to take care of the bills and the food.”

Though St. Louis de Montfort doesn’t prevent people of different faiths from using its pantry services, community members must live within the areas the church serves. This includes Sound Beach, Mount Sinai and Miller Place. While the church receives monetary donations and local organizations like schools, the fire department and the Girls and Boys Scouts donate food, Long Island Cares provides a good portion of food for both church pantries.

According to Hunger in America 2014, around 88 percent of households are food insecure within the Long Island Cares and Island Harvest area.

“It’s really sad to know that in an area that’s pretty well off, we need two pantries,” Ruberto said.

Pastor John D’Eletto of the Sound Beach Community Church said various organizations also donate food to his establishment. Members of the church also support by donating money, which goes toward buying food for the pantry. According to D’Eletto, the church’s five-year-old pantry serves 10 to 15 families weekly.

“We feel that because we’re a church, we have to go above and beyond just giving people food,” D’Eletto said. “Because we do care — we want to focus on the spiritual aspect of the people too — not just giving them physical things.”

D’Eletto’s church will also cater to residents facing additional hardships through prayer, to help them through their difficulties.

But one of the more difficult times for families to put food on the table doesn’t stop with the holidays. Ruberto said January and February are also difficult months for food pantries. According to the Sound Beach civic president, food donations slow down significantly following the holiday season.

“Yes, we’re all very generous over the holidays, but remember in February they still need food,” she said.

Guido added that pantries are an asset to the communities they serve.

“They know they have a place to go and get food … We live in a remote area [and] there’s not [many] places for people go,” Guido said. “There are soup kitchens, which are a blessing, but that’s only one day a week and one meal a day, so the pantry supplements that also.”

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Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Legislator Sarah Anker are all smiles on Election Day. Photo by Rohma Abbas

By Desirée Keegan & Giselle Barkley

Voters may have to wait a little longer for 6th Legislative District election results.

As vote tallies poured in on Election Day, it appeared Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) had edged out Republican challenger Steve Tricarico by just one vote — literally. But with absentee ballots still being counted, according to Nick LaLota, the commissioner of the Suffolk County Board of Elections, the final results may not be available until after Thanksgiving.

Steve Tricarico is confident on Election Day. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Steve Tricarico is confident on Election Day. Photo by Desirée Keegan

According to LaLota, the board began counting the more than 550 absentee ballots on Nov. 12.

Although the margin between the two candidates is slim — Anker squeezed past Tricarico with 5,859 votes to Tricarico’s 5,858 — Anker hopes she can continue the work she’s been doing.

“I love doing my job,” she said.

Tricarico did not return calls for comment.

Anker said she’s been able to win support from a lot of Republican voters in the past, which she attributes to being active and having a presence in the community.

For now, she is not giving up on the projects she is working on, like addressing traffic safety on Route 25A and drug addiction throughout the county — while staying within the budget.

“I am fiscally conservative,” she said. “What I try to do is take our resources and make the most of them without spending additional money.”

“I’m very honored to be able to — hopefully when the count is official — to continue the work I do,” Anker said. “To get by, by one vote … Every vote counts. I’m hoping we can resolve the final count and I can continue the work I love to do.”

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Little Portion Friary is on Old Post Road in Mount Sinai. Photo by Giselle Barkley

After 35 years, Hope House Ministries is reuniting with its roots.

Earlier this year, in light of financial difficulties and a lack of manpower, the Franciscan Brothers of the Little Portion Friary on Old Post Road in Mount Sinai announced their building was closing. But this past spring, Father Francis Pizzarelli approached the brothers about acquiring part of the property, and now it can still have a future.

According to Pizzarelli, his Port Jefferson-based nonprofit Hope House Ministries began at the Little Portion Friary location, when it rented the friary’s guesthouse. The group has since grown, adding local properties such as the Pax Christi Hospitality Center on Oakland Avenue in Port Jefferson, where it shelters homeless men. Now it will return to where it all started.

Pizzarelli said the brothers were going to sell the 44-acre property to a developer who was going to build condominiums. Instead, Hope House will rent four acres of the lot — with the rent going toward the land’s purchase price — while the remaining 40 acres will go to Suffolk County. Hope House will change the facility’s name to Hope Academy at Little Portion Friary and use the building to further assist and support the people who are battling addiction.

With Long Island facing heroin addiction in particular as a widespread problem, Pizzarelli said he didn’t have enough space to help, so he first purchased an apartment house in Port Jefferson to accommodate those individuals brought in for assistance.

“What the friary is going to provide for me is greater space,” Pizzarelli said.

The young men who currently reside at the apartment house will be moved to the friary, and the additional space will give them more room to reflect and help further their treatment, the priest said.

The building required basic maintenance and renovations, including repainting the bedrooms, replacing carpets and cleaning the facility.

“When the brothers realized they had to leave, they weren’t going to spend money on a building that might have been demolished,” Pizzarelli said.

Hope House began renovating the building in September. Residents like Ann Moran of Sound Beach described the friary as a “little known secret” in the Mount Sinai area. She was pleased about the friary’s new future, saying, “I’m delighted that Hope House is taking it over and the [friary] won’t be closing.”

Pizzarelli said his neighbors were also thrilled that Hope House was preserving the friary’s nearly eight and a half decades of service to the community.

Despite the changes, one local tradition will remain — the bakery is and will still be open for business. For many years, the brothers were known locally for baking bread and have passed the baton to Hope House, which has been selling bread since October.

Pizzarelli said he kept the bakery “not so much to make money, but to basically honor the brothers and their 86 years.”

The labyrinth and chapel will also be available for community members to use.

According to the Little Portion Friary website, the friary helped serve the community through “prayer, study and work.” The brothers of the friary occasionally took in homeless people or others who simply needed a safe place to go.

The Franciscan brothers are currently in San Francisco and were not available for comment, but Pizzarelli said the brothers were also pleased to know the friary would be used for a good cause.

“The Franciscan brothers have always been supportive of this ministry and are grateful that [the] ministry will continue to give life to this holy ground.”

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Flying high on the Smithtown Bypass
A 38-year-old man from Amityville was arrested on Nov. 9 at 10 p.m. after police said he had heroin in his possession, pushed a police officer to the ground and then forcefully pulled away while trying to resist arrest on the Smithtown Bypass in Smithtown. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree physical contact and resisting arrest.

Garage door damage
An unknown person damaged a garage door of a residence on Oak Avenue in Smithtown at 4 p.m. on Nov. 6.

Goodbye
A 51-year-old man from Holbrook was arrested on Nov. 6 at 11:15 p.m. after police said he drove into a 2007 Ford van that was parked on Johnson Avenue in Ronkonkoma and fled. He was charged with leaving the scene with property damage.

No more rims
Four tires and rims were stolen from a Cadillac at King O’Rourke Cadillac Buick GMC in Smithtown at 10 p.m. on Nov. 4.

Shed crime
A 19-year-old woman and a 20-year-old woman from Commack were arrested after police said they entered a shed on Lillian Road in Nesconset on Nov. 4 without permission at 7:30 a.m. They were both charged with third-degree criminal trespassing of an enclosed property.

Fake
A 45-year-old man from Commack was arrested on Nov. 7 after police said he pretended to be a police officer by showing a fake badge and saying he was a police officer at 1:30 p.m. on Route 25A in Commack. He was charged with second-degree criminal impersonation of a public servant.

Pot stop
Police said a 18-year-old man from Commack had marijuana in his possession at the corner of Route 25A and Commack Road in Commack at 10:50 p.m. on Nov. 4. He was arrested and charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Flee fail
On Nov. 4 a 63-year-old woman from Commack was arrested after police said she hit a parked 2006 Ford pickup truck on Commack Road at 5:20 p.m. while driving a 2004 Cadillac and attempted to flee the scene. She was arrested and charged with leaving the scene with property damage.

Repair needed
On Nov. 6 around 1:40 p.m. an unknown person damaged the Dano’s Auto Clinic sign on Route 112 in Port Jefferson Station.

Cool crime
Between Nov. 3 and 4 an unidentified person stole an air-conditioning unit from Rheumatology Associates of Long Island in Port Jefferson Station.

Inhospitable hit
Suffolk County police said an unknown person broke the front window of the Pax Christi Hospitality Center in Port Jefferson on Nov. 6. The individual used a rock to damage the window.

Starting a garage band
On Nov. 5 an unidentified person stole an iMac computer and a guitar from a building on Riverhead Road in Sound Beach.

Just beachy
At Scott’s Beach Club in Sound Beach on Nov. 5, someone damaged a security camera and the arm of the security gate.

Mad hatter
On Nov. 7 someone left the Kohl’s in Rocky Point with a black hat without paying.

Can’t get no re-leaf
Between Nov. 4 and 5, an unknown person stole a leaf blower from a residence on Oxhead Road in Centereach. Police said the leaf blower was inside the home but didn’t specify how the person entered the home.

ShopWrong
An unknown person entered the ShopRite in Selden and stole assorted merchandise on Nov. 7.
A female stole assorted items from the Walmart on Nesconset Highway in East Setauket on Nov. 5.

Stony broke
On Nov. 6, an unknown person used another person’s identification without permission. According to police, the victim, who lives in Stony Brook, saw several charges to their bank card.

Drugged up and dreamin’
Police arrested a 28-year-old man from Medford for driving while ability impaired by drugs on Nov. 5, around 4:34 p.m., after he allegedly fell asleep while driving a 2008 Honda Civic west on Canal Road in Mount Sinai. Police arrested the man at the scene.

Wrong way
Police charged a 23-year-old woman on Nov. 5 for driving while ability impaired after she drove a black 2015 Hyundai Elantra the wrong way on a ramp connecting Route 97 and Route 25 in Centereach. According to police, the woman crashed into a tan 2003 Mercedes Benz. Police arrested the woman at the scene.          

License to spray paint
Police arrested a 69-year-old man from Selden on Nov. 6 for six counts of criminal tampering. The man allegedly spray-painted the front and rear license plates of a 2001 Toyota Camry, a 2004 Ford Taurus and four other unidentified cars on Oct. 17 and 27. The incidents took place at St. Joseph’s Village For Senior Citizens in Selden.

Low on luck
An 18-year-old man from East Setauket was arrested for petit larceny on Nov. 5, a few days after he took items from a Lowe’s home improvement store in Medford and attempted to return them for store credit.

Caught after the act
A 50-year-old woman from Rocky Point was arrested for grand larceny on Nov. 5, almost a month after she took a wallet from another woman’s purse on West Broadway in Port Jefferson. Police arrested the woman at the 6th Precinct.

In a Garden State of mind
Police arrested a 17-year-old teen from Brentwood on Nov. 6 for operating a car without a license. According to police, the teen was with another individual when he was driving the 2012 Toyota east on Route 25A in Miller Place, and he was in possession of forged New Jersey license plates.

Crash landing
A 23-year-old woman from Sound Beach was arrested on Nov. 7 for driving while ability impaired, after she crashed her 1996 Volkswagen on Rocky Point Landing Road in Rocky Point. Police arrested the woman on Tall Tree Lane.

The Heartbreaker
Coins and cash were stolen from a 2004 Chevrolet, a 2014 GMC and a 2005 Subaru, all parked in driveways on Valentine Lane in Huntington on Nov. 6.

Windshield woes
On Nov. 5 at 10 p.m. a 21-year-old man from Greenlawn was arrested after police said he jumped on a car on the corner of Greenlawn Road and Tilden Lane, and damaged the windshield. He caused injury to a police officer while resisting arrest, and was charged with second-degree assault with intent to cause physical injury to an officer, resisting arrest and intent to damage property.

Electronic troubles
An unknown person entered a gray 1999 Jeep Cherokee on Nassau Road in Huntington and stole a cell phone and an iPod at 1 a.m. on Nov. 7.

Not quite on Target
On Nov. 5, a 21-year-old woman from Huntington was arrested after police said she stole assorted clothing from the Target on East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station at 10:40 p.m. She was charged with petit larceny.

Dodgin’ the law
An unknown person entered a 2011 Dodge in a driveway on Vestry Court in Huntington and stole assorted items, including a pocket knife and a flashlight on Nov. 6.

Fake it till you make it
Police said a 19-year-old man from Roosevelt used fake checks at Community Market on Depot Road in Huntington Station on Nov. 4 at 12:30 p.m. He was charged with second-degree possession of a forged instrument.

Making a legacy in his Legacy
A 53-year-old man from Freeport was arrested at 10:15 a.m. on Nov. 6 after police said he intentionally hit a police vehicle with his 2015 Subaru Legacy on Rofay Drive in East Northport and then resisted arrest. According to police, he also had heroin in his possession. He was charged with second-degree reckless endangerment, third degree criminal mischief for property damage and fourth degree criminal possession of narcotic drugs.

Tears at Sears
Police said a 35-year-old from Huntington Station stole clothing from Sears on Route 25A in East Northport on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. He was charged with petit larceny.

High on North Hill
A 30-year-old man from Huntington Station was arrested after police said he was in possession of marijuana on the corner of North Hill Drive and Pulaski Road in East Northport on Nov. 5 at around 10 p.m.

No room for that at the inn
On Nov. 7, a 34-year-old man from Hicksville was arrested after police said he was in possession of cocaine in a parking lot of Rodeway Inn on West Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station. He was charged with seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Full speed ahead on Railroad Street
A 35-year-old man from Syosset was arrested on Nov. 5 after police said he was in possession of cocaine, marijuana and prescription pills without a prescription and then resisted arrest at 10:15 p.m. on the corner of Railroad Street and West Pulaski Road in Huntington Station. He was charged with two accounts of seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest and fifth degree criminal possession of marijuana.

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Miller Place senior Allison Turturro sends the ball through midfield. Photo by Desirée Keegan

After going undefeated in League III with a 14-0 record, the Miller Place Panthers field hockey team continued to pounce on its opponents.

First, the No. 1-seeded team topped Comsewogue, 4-0, before beating out No. 2 Rocky Point, 1-0, for the Suffolk County Class B crown.

Following the matchup, the Panthers took on Class C’s No.1-ranked and Suffolk County champion Pierson/Bridgehampton, and edged out the opposition, 1-0, for the Small School champion title.

On Sunday, Miller Place traveled to Dowling College’s athletic complex in Shirley to take on Garden City in Long Island Class B championship.

Both goals were scored off of penalty strokes, despite sophomore goalkeeper Ally Tarantino making nine saves in goal.

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Father Francis Pizzarelli of the Hope House Ministries speaks at the Miller Place Teachers Association 5K walk to promote drug awareness. Photo by Caperna-Korsen Photography

After Miller Place lost two more students last summer to drug overdoses, members of the Miller Place Teachers Association said it was time to take their community back.

“Many [people] in our area have felt helpless as a result of the growing drug problem in our community,” Nancy Sanders, president of the Miller Place Teachers Association, said in an email.

In light of recent events, the teachers association sponsored a 5K walk fundraiser to promote drug awareness in the community. The walk began at noon on Sunday at the Miller Place High School track. According to Sanders, the association raised over $14,000. All proceeds went to Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson and a family who lost their son to a heroin overdose just before school started this year. The family wished to remain anonymous. Sanders added that Hope House has helped many students in the Miller Place school district.

Father Francis Pizzarelli from Hope House spoke at the event, alongside several former Miller Place students who are recovering addicts. Pizzarelli was impressed with the event and commended the teachers for their effort.

“Finally after more than 25 years of ranting and raving about the serious drug problem we have … finally someone’s listening,” Pizzarelli said.

He added that other school districts should use the teachers association effort as an example.

“Until we educate parents with signs and symptoms and until we really yell and scream, this problem is going to continue to senselessly take lives,” Pizzarelli added.

The idea for the fundraiser came about during a Miller Place Teachers Association meeting. The fundraiser’s theme #BeSmartDONTStart was supposed to encourage Miller Place students to make the right choices “and to know that they have a tremendous support system that they can count on to always be there for them,” Sanders said.

BJ’s, Stop&Shop, Utz, Party Hardy and That Meatball Place are some of many businesses that donated goods to sell at the fundraiser. Additional stores and restaurants also donated goods for the raffle baskets. The association also received more than 300 shirts from Port Jeff Sports to sell at the event.

“This has been a true school and community effort,” Sanders said. “We would not have been able to pull off an event of this magnitude without all the support we received.”

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Residents jump the night away at Kevin Farrara’s Make-A-Wish fundraiser at Sky Zone in Mount Sinai. Photo by Giselle Barkley

Every act of kindness counts, especially for Jean Ferrara and her 14-year-old son Kevin.

Last June, Kevin was diagnosed with stage-four lymphoma and leukemia. Rounds of chemotherapy took its own toll on Kevin’s body — he faced kidney failure, as well as continuous infections and fevers. Despite a rough year, on Nov. 7, Kevin and his mother experienced an act of kindness they’ll never forget. On Saturday, Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Suffolk County chapter and Sky Zone in Mount Sinai, teamed up to fundraise money and grant Kevin’s wish of going Walt Disney World.

In honor of the fundraiser, Sky Zone debuted its first glow in the dark jump-a-thon to help raise money for Kevin’s cause. Neon tape, face paint and shirts lit the indoor trampoline park for this 12-hour event, which started at 9 p.m.

Earlier this year, Make-A-Wish Suffolk County contacted Farrara, informing the single mother from Bohemia about her son’s Make-A Wish opportunity. To say she and her son were excited is an understatement. According to Farrara, she had no idea the event was advertised on 106.1 BLI or that it would attract the magnitude of community members it did.

Anthony Grassa, General Manager of Sky Zone; Kevin Farrara; Jean Farrara; Kellie Ryan, community relations manager for Make-A-Wish’s Suffolk County chapter; and Nicole Tumilowicz, communications liaison for Sky Zone, pose for a photo. Photo from Nicole Tumilowicz
Anthony Grassa, General Manager of Sky Zone; Kevin Farrara; Jean Farrara; Kellie Ryan, community relations manager for Make-A-Wish’s Suffolk County chapter; and Nicole Tumilowicz, communications liaison for Sky Zone, pose for a photo. Photo from Nicole Tumilowicz

While it’s unclear how many people attended the event thus far, Nicole Tumilowicz said the event was packed when the event began. Tumilowicz is the communications liaison for Sky Zone Mount Sinai. She contacted Make-A-Wish Suffolk looking to host a fundraiser at the trampoline park 10 months after the park opened in Mount Sinai.

Kellie Ryan, community relations manager for Make-A-Wish’s Suffolk County chapter, thought Kevin’s wish was a perfect fit.

“We just thought that it would be such a great idea to have this jump-a-thon where kids could come and constantly jump around and bring the same energy that Kevin does,” Ryan said.

Although Kevin is currently in remission, he has five more years before doctors consider him cancer free — he will undergo chemotherapy for three of those years. Doctors at Zwanger-Pesiri radiology in Medford discovered Kevin’s illness after conducting an X-ray and suggesting Farrara take her son to Stony Brook Children’s Hospital’s emergency center. Doctors then discovered a floating mass in Kevin’s chest. Since Kevin’s lymphoma and leukemia were around the same stage, doctors treated Kevin’s leukemia.

“We all hear the word leukemia … but you don’t know what it is until you’re really involved,” Ferrara said.

According to Farrara, Kevin went into remission after nearly three weeks of chemotherapy. While the Make-A-Wish foundation is viewed as a foundation that caters to terminally ill patients, Ryan said the organization grants wishes to children between two and a half to 18-years-old with life threatening diseases.

“I think that’s really where the magic starts,” Ryan said about granting a wish. “It takes [their mind] off the dark period that they’re facing.”

Mount Sinai residents like Diana Mlyn and her daughter Emily were among the many who supported Kevin’s wish and attend the fundraiser. Although they didn’t know Kevin personally, Mlyn, a Pediatric Respiratory Therapist at Stony Brook Hospital, supports organizations like Make-A-Wish. She’s seen many kids benefit from the Make-A-Wish foundation.

For Kevin’s mother, having community members like the Mlyn’s at the event was a simple act of kindness that resonated with her.

“Every little thing, whether it’s a ‘Hello how are you?’ or something like this, is a gift,” Farrara said. “When you feel people care…that’s the greatest gift you can get.”

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Uerda Zena colors before her heart procedure last week. Photo from Debbie Engelhardt

A 4-year-old girl from Kosovo is recovering after a life-saving heart operation on Long Island, thanks to the work of local volunteers.

Mom Barbara Zena comforts Uerda as she recovers from her heart procedure. Photo from Debbie Engelhardt
Mom Barbara Zena comforts Uerda as she recovers from her heart procedure. Photo from Debbie Engelhardt

It took a village to support Uerda Zena. Rotary groups throughout Suffolk lent a hand to the girl and her mother, Barbara, through the Gift of Life program, which works to provide such stateside heart procedures to children from around the globe. Uerda’s Nov. 4 surgery to repair a hole in her heart the size of a nickel was a milestone effort that celebrated the Rotary program’s 40th anniversary.

The atrial septal defect closure performed on Uerda at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn will add 60 or more years to the little girl’s life, Port Jefferson Rotary member Debbie Engelhardt explained, but the surgery was not available in her home nation.

Engelhardt, who is also the director of the Comsewogue Public Library, said more than 19,000 children from dozens of countries have received life-saving surgeries since the Gift of Life program was born in Suffolk County four decades ago and expanded through Rotary International.

The medical team that took care of Uerda Zena, including Dr. Levchuck second from right, surrounds mom Barbara Zena. Photo from Debbie Engelhardt
The medical team that took care of Uerda Zena, including Dr. Levchuck second from right, surrounds mom Barbara Zena. Photo from Debbie Engelhardt

Rotary groups in the county are still going strong with Gift of Life, which is doubling up its efforts by providing doctors and medical staff in other countries with equipment and training to perform the heart procedures themselves.

“It’s a unique, renowned and respected Rotary-run program,” Engelhardt said.

Dr. Sean Levchuck, the pediatric cardiologist who performed the life-saving procedure on Uerda at St. Francis, described it as minimally invasive. To close the nickel-sized hole, he fed a catheter “the size of a coffee stirrer” into a vein in her leg and up to her heart, where the catheter deployed a device that, once placed in the hole, expanded to plug it. The cardiologist had to position the device properly while Uerda’s heart was still beating, mostly using ultrasound imaging to guide him.

Barbara Zena and daughter Uerda have fun at Chuck E. Cheese. Photo from Joe DeVincent
Barbara Zena and daughter Uerda have fun at Chuck E. Cheese. Photo from Joe DeVincent

The doctor said the procedure took between 45 minutes to an hour and required a team of nurses, an anesthesiologist and techs to assist with the imaging. The hospital donated the use of its facility and staff for the procedure.

Levchuck does about 15 of those procedures a year for Gift of Life, he said, with a fair number of the child recipients coming from Eastern European countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union. He also sees kids from places like Haiti and Jamaica.

Just like in those other nations, the procedure to repair a hole in a child’s heart is not available in Kosovo, Levchuck said, because the hospitals don’t have the resources to train their staffs to do it. And the kids who are born with those defects are more prone to pneumonia or respiratory infections, which could also be difficult to treat in a developing nation.

“Problems in this country that are seemingly innocent take a whole new look” in places like Kosovo, the doctor said. But he is willing to help: “Keep ‘em coming. … It’s easy to donate time.”

In Uerda’s case, plenty of Long Islanders donated their time, with many people pitching in to make the girl’s medical procedure a reality. Sayville Rotarian Joe DeVincent wrote letters to get the girl a visa, and she and her mother are staying with a host family in Northport while here. DeVincent has also provided transportation to the Kosovan mother and daughter.

Uerda Zena and mom Barbara are all smiles while in the U.S. to repair the girl's heart defect Photo from Joe DeVincent
Uerda Zena and mom Barbara are all smiles while in the U.S. to repair the girl’s heart defect Photo from Joe DeVincent

The endeavor to save Uerda had an additional element of kids helping other kids — students at St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington, one of whom is Levchuck’s son, raised funds to bring the girl to the United States from her home in the Kosovan capital, Pristina, where her mother works at a bakery and her father at a public works plant.

“They’re a fine group of students over there that championed a cause,” the doctor said about the St. Anthony’s kids. “When you see something like that, you really get a nice warm feeling about the future.”

Uerda will be staying stateside for a little while longer, and Rotarians are trying to show her a good time. She has already gone on a play date to Chuck E. Cheese and visited a children’s museum, DeVincent said, and this weekend she will go into New York City with her mother and some native Long Islanders to visit Times Square and Rockefeller Center.

“Uerda really enjoys being with her mother,” DeVincent said.

And she has more energy to do these things than before.

After a heart procedure, Uerda Zena is now healthier than ever. Photo from Joe DeVincent
After a heart procedure, Uerda Zena is now healthier than ever. Photo from Joe DeVincent

“Her heart’s working better, her circulation’s better,” the Rotarian said. “The kid generally feels better than she has in her whole life. So this is a very happy story.”

Uerda will also appear at a Taste of Smithtown, an event in St. James on Nov. 17, where there will be food from restaurants along the North Shore. The 10th annual event will run from 6 to 9 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz of Smithtown on Middle Country Road and will benefit the Gift of Life program, along with the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry and the Smithtown Children’s Foundation.

The plan is for the Zenas to head home on Nov. 22, to be reunited with Uerda’s father and her 18-month-old brother.

“Her mother is in touch with her family in Europe through her cell phone and … Uerda has spoken to her brother over the cell phone,” DeVincent said. “She’s actually very maternal toward her younger brother.”

It is a happy ending for both the Kosovo family and Suffolk County Rotarians.

“When you’re doing something like this with an adorable 4-year-old child, it brings you tremendous satisfaction,” DeVincent said. “This is the best way to spread happiness, certainly for these children and their parents but also for yourself. Nothing that I do or have done in my life has brought me as much joy.”

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