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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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The property is adjacent to Cordwood Landing County Park off of Landing Road in Miller Place. Photo by Erika Karp

Acquiring land for open space preservation is usually straightforward, but that wasn’t the case for a piece of property adjacent to Cordwood Landing County Park in Miller Place.

What started as a simple purchase of the land and a quest to preserve it, ended with bad blood between a legislator and those involved with the property, after Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) accused developer Mark Baisch and Friends of Cordwood Landing of colluding together to defraud the county. The accusation, which Baisch and Tom Cramer, president of Friends of Cordwood, said is not true, was enough to discourage Baisch from following through with his initial plan to sell the property for open space preservation.

“I’m not interested in selling the property … not after I’ve been accused with stuff like this,” Baisch said. “Who in their right mind would go ahead and keep negotiating further?”

Baisch acquired the property in September 2014 for $750,000 from the original owner. When asked why Anker accused him and Friends of Cordwood Landing of conspiring together, Baisch was unsure where the accusation came from.

Anker said she thought Baisch and Friends of Cordwood Landing were conspiring together after receiving an email from Cramer that criticized Anker’s efforts regarding the property, and added he thought Baisch’s asking price was reasonable.

The accusations did not stop there. According to a previous interview with Cramer, Anker did not do what she could to help purchase and preserve the land — a statement Anker refutes. The resolution for this property was Anker’s first piece of legislation when she was elected in 2011. According to Anker and Jon Schneider, deputy Suffolk County executive, Anker did what she could within the law to acquire the property. In 2011, before the original owner sold the property to Baisch, Anker said the land was appraised for $783,000 — the owner refused to sell the land to the county for an unknown reason.

After Baisch purchased the property from this owner, Cramer approached Baisch about selling the property for open space preservation. According to Baisch, once he agreed, Cramer put the steps in motion to get the land reappraised and encourage the county to purchase and preserve the land. Baisch said he would sell the eight parcels for $1.25 million. He said he offered the property for 24 percent more than the purchase price, knowing what he could get out of the 5.5-acre property.

According to Schneider, based upon as-of-right laws, the property yielded five one-acre parcels plus an additional parcel using Pine Barrens credits, which allows a developer to add parcels to the land according to their individual credits. Baisch explained that he had several Pine Barrens credits, which increased the number of possible parcels to eight.

After Anker issued another appraisal of the property, the county offered $930,000, despite Baisch’s selling price — they did this with the understanding that six parcels were permitted on the property, as Baisch must get approval to add the two additional parcels to his plan. While Baisch claims to have said “no” to the offer, Schneider said he did not respond to the offer, and it expired.

“We can only make an offer based on land as it sits,” Schneider said. “We can’t make an offer today as though he has eight lots. He doesn’t have eight lots he has six.”

While Cramer said Anker didn’t work hard enough to acquire the property, Schneider said there is little else the legislator could have done.

“All a legislator can do is set the process in motion,” he said, “Then we make an offer based on fair market value. At the end of the day, the goal is … we want to make the best use of taxpayer dollars.”

Anker said she can’t “break the law” and get involved in the negotiations regarding the property, and added the issue, including the rally Friends of Cordwood Landing organized on Oct. 15, was political. Steve Tricarico, who ran against Anker for Legislator of the 6th District, attended the rally, according to Anker. Anker was not invited to the event.

Although Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) and Councilwoman Jane Bonner (C-Rocky Point) attended the rally and promised to pay 30 to 35 percent of the property’s cost, Baisch is currently in the process of approving his eight-parcel plan for the property with the Town of Brookhaven.

He intends to build seven homes and one Workforce home. According to Baisch, the law states that if a developer intends to establish more than five parcels, they must provide at least one Workforce house, otherwise known as affordable housing. Baisch plans to market the affordable home to a returning veteran.

According to Cramer, the property is the last remaining tract adjacent to Cordwood Landing County Park. Despite the controversy surrounding the property, officials like Anker would like to see the property preserved.

“This parcel would make an excellent addition to Cordwood Landing County Park and the nearly 65 acres already preserved by Suffolk County,” Anker said. “I know Supervisor Ed Romaine and Councilwoman Bonner share my desire to preserve this parcel, and I look forward to working with them in preserving this important piece of land.”

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Rhonda Klch stepping into the ring again to raise money for charity

Mike Murphy, a boxing trainer, poses for a photo with Rhonda Klch. Photo from Klch

Don’t let her 4-foot, 11-inch stature fool you — Rhonda Klch is a force to be reckoned with.

This Long Island native, who was born in Smithtown and lives in Miller Place, opened her first business, American Investors and Collectors, at the age of 19, and saved up enough money from that business to purchase three houses when she was only 23 years old. Now, nearly two decades later, this mother of five runs her own business in the mortgage industry, caters to her family and finds the time to give back to her community through the five charities she is involved in.

As part of giving back, Klch joined Long Island Fight for Charity, and is putting on some boxing gloves and plans to step into the ring, again — a notion that was out of Klch’s comfort zone.

“[I] knew it would grab the attention in the business community,” Klch said when asked why she joined the charity, which provides money to organizations like Long Island Community Foundation, a nonprofit that connects donors with charitable organizations within their community, and PinkTie.org., a network of real estate professionals that raise funds for breast cancer research. “[It] became a buzz, which allowed me to express and to advocate for what the charities were doing.”

Klch trained and fought for the organization last year, raising $3,800. Although she is currently nursing a minor injury, she is accepting donations while she hopes to compete in her next match for Long Island Fight for Charity scheduled for Nov. 23.

Rhonda Klch left the ring with a victory last year. Photo from Corbett PR
Rhonda Klch left the ring with a victory last year. Photo from Corbett PR

Klch is now the president and CEO of her company, Equity First, which assists business residents who are experiencing financial difficulties. She established her current business in October 2003, but her goal wasn’t simply to make money and grow her demanding business, it was also to give back to her community — starting with those experiencing financial hiccups.

“There’s a bunch of people who have amazing resources,” Klch said. “If you’re not utilizing your resources for good, it goes to waste.”

Around seven years ago, Klch became more involved in community service. She worked alongside Building Hope, a charity that renovates the homes of families facing a crisis — families who may need wheelchair ramps in their homes upon a devastating injury were accommodated. But renovating the homes wasn’t an issue for these families, sustaining the home was the issue. According to Klch, no one checked the financial status of these families — some families risked losing the home following the renovations. Now Klch’s company conducts financial reviews for these families to ensure they don’t lose the house.

“Her commitment to giving back to her community is second to none,” Mark Legaspi said about Klch. “She really thinks of other people before she thinks of herself.”

Legaspi is the president of Legaspi Associates Inc, which aims to provide quality service regarding life insurance. Legaspi is also a board member, alongside Klch, for a veteran-minded charity called Easter Seals.

When Klch first decided to become involved with Long Island Fight for Charity, her family thought she was crazy.

“You don’t want to watch somebody get hurt,” said Klch’s husband Stephen. “But at the same time, because it was for charity … it’s not to bash somebody, but the concern was there because it’s a real fight.”

Klch and her husband got married 16 years ago. For several years, Klch was the main breadwinner, while her husband catered to the kids. According to Stephen Klch, he left his job and didn’t have to worry about hiring a babysitter to help look after their children. Now he works for his wife’s company, handling the budget and fixing up the homes.

While giving back to the community was important to Klch’s wife, helping others became a family affair as the children got older.

“We kind of live in a bubble,” Klch said. “We want them to have a reality check on what is in their neighborhood and what other families are struggling through.”

According to Stephen Klch, his children partake in events like Equity First’s project called Holiday Dreams. The company established the initiative last year and aims to provide holiday cheer to homeless children or those in transition. This year will be the second time the company is holding the event. Last year, they helped 200 children. This year, the company is committed to helping 250 children and 50 veterans, according to Rhonda Klch.

From her business to her family life and participation in several charities, Klch credits time management and delegation skills for her ability to balance her busy life. Her nonstop attitude when taking on and executing projects is one reason Maria Frey, president and founder of Executive Consultants of New York, clicked with Klch.

Frey said people like Klch show that there are still people who care about those around them.

“[Rhonda] solidifies to me that there are other people in the community who want to make a change and want to help, and she is definitely one of them,” Frey said. “I feel honored to know her.”

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Tire mischief
On Oct. 30 around 8:25 p.m. police arrested a 31-year-old man from Farmingville for criminal mischief. According to police, the man slashed the front and rear tires of a 2008 Nissan Frontier in a parking lot on Old Town Road in Port Jefferson Station. Police said the man was arrested at the scene.

Accidental arrest
A 24-year-old man from Smithtown was arrested and charged with driving while ability impaired on Oct. 31. Police said he was driving a 2010 Acura TSX when he got into a car crash on the corner of East Broadway and Main Street in Port Jefferson around 11:45 a.m. Police said the man was under the influence of heroin prior to driving and was arrested at the scene at 12:23 p.m.

Drop box theft
Suffolk County Police Department said a 19-year-old man from Rocky Point was charged with petit larceny. The man entered the Kohl’s at 346 Route 25A in Rocky Point on Oct. 24 around 3 p.m. and took cash from a drop box. The man was arrested a week later at the same location around 11:30 a.m.

Repeat suspension
On Oct. 31 at 12:15 p.m. a 42-year-old woman from Selden was charged with operating a car with a suspended license. The woman was driving a 2003 Jeep Liberty when she got into a car crash near Middle County and Nicolls Road in Centereach. Police said her license was suspended and arrested the woman around 1:30 p.m. Police also said the woman had her license suspended 23 times on 11 different occasions.

False reports
A 27-year-old man from Coram was arrested and charged with falsely reporting an incident. According to police, the man called the cops and falsely claimed he was robbed because he didn’t want them to know he bought drugs. The incident and arrest took place on Oct. 31 around 10:55 p.m.

Bobs burglary
Police arrested a 53-year-old man from Setauket for burglary. Police said the man entered a residence on Bobs Lane in East Setauket and attempted to steal a scarf around 7:22 p.m. on Nov. 1. Police caught the man in the act and arrested him at 7:51 p.m.

Why’d you do that?
A 31-year-old man from Shirley was arrested on Oct 28 around 7 p.m. and charged with harassment after he struck another man with his open hand at 101 Nicolls Road in Stony Brook. Police said they didn’t know why the man hit the other individual.

Trashed taillights
According to police, an unknown person was in the Port Jefferson Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealership parking lot at 5130 Nesconset Highway and damaged the taillights on three Dodge Ram vehicles and one Jeep Grand Cherokee. The incident happened on Oct. 31 around 1 a.m.

Beat at a bar
An unidentified man was taken to Mather Hospital on Nov. 1 around 12:30 a.m. after someone struck him at Schafer’s bar in Port Jefferson. Police didn’t specify where the victim was hit or why the suspect struck him.

Seven years of bad luck
Police said someone shattered a mirror on Oct. 31 around 2 a.m. at a home near West Broadway in Port Jefferson.

iPad problems
An unknown person broke the rear passenger window of a 2014 Infiniti and stole an iPad from the passenger seat on Oct. 30 around 6 p.m. The incident occurred in a residence’s driveway on Crystal Brook Hollow Road in Mount Sinai.

IRS request
According to police, on Nov. 1 around 10 a.m. a Port Jefferson Station resident was near Nesconset Highway in Mount Sinai when he received a phone call from someone who identified himself or herself as being from the IRS. The caller demanded money from the resident.

Jewelry gone
Police said an unknown person entered a residence on Nov. 1 on Henearly Drive in Miller Place and stole jewelry.

Purse problems
On Oct. 30 around 11:50 a.m., a woman reported that someone stole her purse while she was putting groceries into her car in the Stop and Shop parking lot on Route 25A in East Setauket.

Dirty crime
According to police, on Nov. 1 around 4 a.m., someone entered the backyard of a residence on Robinhood Lane in East Setauket. Police said the suspect destroyed the lawn with a dirt bike.

A spooky steal
On Oct. 30 around 10:30 p.m., someone entered the locker room of the Halloween City at 2304 Nesconset Hwy. in Stony Brook, and stole an employee’s purse. The police didn’t know if the suspect also worked at the store.

A bleach outlook
A 50-year-old man from Smithtown was arrested on Oct. 31 after police said he purchased a bottle of bleach and poured it on the floor at a 7-Eleven on 25A in Kings Park at 7 a.m. He was charged with third-degree criminal tampering.

Driveway mischief
An unknown person stole a shotgun and a steel combo lock from the driveway of a residence on Southern Boulevard in Nesconset on Oct. 31 at 10 p.m.

Credit card confusion
On Oct. 29 a 44-year-old woman from Brentwood was arrested after police said she made purchases on someone else’s credit card. She was arrested on Wicks Road in Commack at 10:20 p.m. and charged with fourth-degree unlawful use and possession of a credit card.

Killed Kia
A man reported that one of the tires of his 2008 Kia had been slashed on Oct. 31 at 1:40 p.m. while parked in the New York Community Bank parking lot in Nesconset.

Wrong items
Police said a 30-year-old woman from Mastic was arrested on Oct. 28 at North Ocean Avenue in Ronkonkoma at 11:30 a.m. after police said she was found in possession of a knife switchblade, a hypodermic needle, Xanax and heroin. She was charged with three counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Cashless in the classroom
An unknown person stole cash from a classroom at Developmental Disabilities Inc. in Smithtown on Oct. 31 at 3 p.m.

iPhone iLost
On Nov. 1 police arrested a 31-year-old man after they said he stole an iPhone 5 at 12:40 a.m. on Bennett Avenue in Smithtown. He was charged with petit larceny.

Drug driving
A 21-year-old man from Nesconset was arrested after police said he was driving a 2009 Honda Civic on Middle Country Road in Nesconset while impaired by prescription drugs at 2:50 p.m. on Oct. 29. He was charged with first-degree operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs.

Belgium blocks be gone
An unknown person stole four Belgium blocks surrounding a resident’s mailbox on Everit Place in Smithtown on Oct. 28 at 1 p.m.

Cat burglar at Kohl’s
On Oct. 29 a 23-year-old woman from Brentwood was arrested after police said she stole assorted jewelry from Kohl’s on Crooked Hill Road in Commack at 6:10 p.m. She was charged with petit larceny.

Five-sipper discount
An unknown person stole a soda from a cooler at a register at Walmart in Commack and left the store without paying for it on Oct. 31 at 5:45 p.m.

Man killed in motorcycle collision
Michael Awamy, 52 of Huntington, was killed after colliding with a car while riding a motorcycle on Oct. 30 at 4:15 p.m. He was driving a 2008 Kawasaki Ninja east on Jericho Turnpike when he hit a 2008 Nissan Sentra that was attempting to make a left turn on Sweet Hollow Road in Huntington. Awamy was transported to Huntington Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the Nissan Sentra was not injured.

Not using his head
A 56-year-old man from Huntington was arrested after police said he struck another man in the head with a crowbar, causing lacerations that required medical attention on Oct. 31. He was arrested at 1 a.m. on 10th Avenue in Huntington Station and charged with assault with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon.

ID swiped
Someone broke into a 2009 RAV4 parked in a High Street driveway in Huntington at 11 p.m. on Oct. 28 and took an ID card.

Probation problems
On Oct. 28, a 32-year-old Huntington woman was charged with fugitive arrest without a warrant. Cops said at 8 a.m. she was arrested at the 2nd Precinct and charged with both violating her probation and criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Borrowing from Barrow Court
An unknown person broke into a house on Barrow Court in Huntington and stole cash on Oct. 28 at 9:45 p.m.

Breaking a leg
Police said a 51-year-old Huntington man stabbed a victim in the leg, causing wounds, on Oct. 31 at 4:15 a.m. on Railroad Street in Huntington Station. He was charged with assault with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon.

But I got a fake ID
On Oct. 31, a 59-year-old Elmhurst man was arrested after police said he possessed a fake driver’s license and a fake credit card. He was charged with second-degree possessing a forged instrument and arrested at 5:22 p.m. at the 2nd Precinct.

Swiper is swiping in Fort Salonga
A 21-year-old Brooklyn man was arrested on Oct. 30 at the 2nd Precinct after police said he entered a home on Fort Salonga Road through a window and stole electronics sometime between Sept. 16 and Sept. 18. He was charged with second- degree burglary.

Heroin on NY Ave.
On Oct. 29, a 21-year-old Cold Spring Harbor woman was arrested after police said she was in possession of heroin on New York Avenue in Huntington at 10:30 a.m. She was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Gray skies ahead for a gray Chevy
A 52-year-old Fort Salonga man was arrested on Oct. 28 at 9 a.m. on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington after police said he was driving a gray 2002 Chevy SUV with a suspended license. He was charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

High times
Police said a 28-year-old Huntington man was driving while ability impaired by drugs at midnight on Oct. 28. He was driving a 1995 Ford on East Pulaski Road in Huntington Station when cops said they pulled him over for driving at a high speed. He was charged with driving while ability impaired.

Faking it at Lord & Taylor
Three unknown men entered a Lord & Taylor on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington and used a fraudulent credit card to make miscellaneous purchases on Oct. 30 at 2:00 p.m.

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Paul Garske addresses the Rocky Point Board of Education about the accommodations for transgender students. Photo by Giselle Barkley

After dealing with the outcome of the defeated $20.4 million maintenance bond vote, the Rocky Point Board of Education is faced with another issue to tackle — accommodating transgender or gender-nonconforming students, particularly when it comes to bathrooms and locker rooms.

Although the board tabled the issue during its Oct. 26 meeting, that didn’t stop parents from voicing their concerns. The issue, to parents, is not that these students use the bathrooms or locker rooms they identify with, it’s the fact that these students have not made the full transition to the sex they identify with.

Paul Garske, a father of four, is one of several parents who are not in favor of the school district’s current practice, saying that it confuses younger children and allows for an increase in sexual harassment within the institutions. Garske also mentioned that privacy is difficult to maintain in a locker room setting as students will or may change in front of one another.

“Kids are taught about the difference between boys and girls and privacy,” he said. “When you take that privacy away, it defeats what parents are teaching their children.”

Garske said he has no issue with transgender or gender-nonconforming students, and wouldn’t mind if these students completed their transition into the sex they identified with. He said kids prefer they share a bathroom or locker room with students who have the same genitalia, and suggested that such students utilize the handicapped bathrooms. When he contacted the assistant principal, he was informed that the school’s accommodations for these students was part of the law.

The New York State Education Department issued guidance to school districts to help keep their students safe and prevent discrimination of transgender or gender nonconforming students. The document suggests that a school accepts a student’s assertion regarding their gender identity. While it doesn’t offer many specific means of protecting these children, the document does say “prohibiting a student from accessing the restrooms that match his gender identity is prohibited sex discrimination under Title IX.”

Jen Carlson, another local parent, said regardless of how a student identifies, kids develop differently according to their biological sex. During the Oct. 26 meeting, a further parent stated that residents should keep in mind that these transgender students “are children, and everyone here in this community is also part of keeping those children safe — whether you agree with it or you disagree with it.”

The resident continued addressing the board and those who attended the meeting.

“I hope the school board does the right thing and keeps those children safe,” she said. “If they identify as a girl, then they’re a girl; if they identify as a boy, they’re a boy and they belong in a boys’ bathroom or a girls’ bathroom.”

Both Superintendent of Schools Michael Ring and Rocky Point BOE President Susan Sullivan are determining what is best for these students.

“As is required, while we await a final policy from the Board of Education, the district is operating to implement the outlined material issued and required by the NYSED,” Ring said in an email.

Sullivan added that the board “is continuing to review the new and multilayered guidance document provided by the state Education Department and is seeking advice from our legal counsel about the appropriate steps our district should take in order to ensure our adherence to its contents.”

According to Sullivan, the guidance document is also supported by the U.S. Department of Education. Despite this, Garske doesn’t feel that government should interfere with how he raises his children, who he said feel uncomfortable changing and going to the bathroom with individuals who are not of the same sex physically.

“Do they have a right to be who they are? Absolutely. Do they have a right to their privacy and their comfort? Absolutely,” Garske said. “But not at the risk of my own children’s privacy comfort and their rights.”

The board plans to look further into the issue and make a decision at its next meeting on Nov. 23.

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