A fire broke out early on Memorial Day on Leeward Court, in the Highlands condominiums in uptown Port Jefferson.
The Port Jefferson Fire Department and Port Jefferson Village fire marshal were on the scene of the blaze in the early hours of the morning.
In the National Football League, it is widely believed that team success can be traced back to a long, stable relationship between head coach and quarterback. The longer those two have been working together and in perfect harmony, the likelihood for success usually goes up.
The board of directors at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital have followed a similar blueprint, and they couldn’t be happier with the results. Mather’s board chairman is Kenneth Jacoppi, and he has held that position for about 10 years, though he began serving on the board in May 1977. Konrad Kuhn joined the board a year later. One year after that, Harold Tranchon joined. All three remain on the board of directors to this day.
“Honestly, when you have board members who have been there for a long length of time they have institutional memory and a long understanding of [the] changing field of medical care,” hospital President Kenneth Roberts said in a phone interview.
He has a long tenure as well: This June marks the 30th anniversary of when Roberts took over that post. Prior to becoming president he served four years as the vice president.
Jacoppi, 78, who was the president of his senior class at Port Jefferson High School and later went on to become a lawyer, reflected on his near 40 years at Mather and his lifetime in the community in a phone interview.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would serve this long,” he said.
Jacoppi referred to others on the board as his “Mather family,” and said that his fondness and pride for his community have contributed to keeping him in the position for so long.
During the decades under the current leadership team, Mather has earned a Magnet designation for nursing excellence, achieved the highest patient experience scores in Suffolk County, been recognized as the only hospital in New York State to earn nine consecutive A ratings for patient safety and quality from the Leapfrog Group and established a new graduate medical education program, among many other accomplishments.
“You have a stability you don’t have in most organizations,” Jacoppi said. “We obviously want to provide the best possible care to people in the area.”
‘Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would serve this long.’
—Kenneth Jacoppi
Jacoppi added one of the things he’s picked up in his experience over the years is to be “a bit more laid back and patient.” He referred to himself when he started as a “hard-charging young lawyer” who had to learn to listen to other viewpoints and think about the effect decisions would have on doctors and the community.
Clearly Jacoppi and the rest of the board have figured out a way to stay on top of their game in what he and Roberts both referred to as an extremely challenging time for health care.
“In the old days, the volunteers held grand card parties under the huge old tree on the Mather lawn that helped raise money to provide exceptional health care for the community,” Jacoppi said in a statement from the hospital.
Times may have changed, but the Mather board of directors has not.
Long Islanders came together on Memorial Day to remember all the people throughout American history who gave their lives for their country. Events were held on May 30 across Suffolk County, with neighbors using wreaths, flags and rifle shots to pay tribute to the fallen heroes.
Residents from all Brookhaven communites are welcomed and encouraged to attend Brookhaven Town Youth Bureau’s free substance abuse awareness and opioid overdose prevention program training class, provided by Suffolk County EMS, on June 7 at Brookhaven Town Hall.
The training will discuss what an opioid overdose is, the signs and symptoms that will help identify an overdose, what to do until EMS arrives, and how to administer nasal Narcan to reverse an overdose.
Substance abose treatment information resources will be available from 5:30-6:30 p.m., and Narcan training will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Brookhaven Town Hall is located at 1 Independence Hill in Farmingville. Call 631-451-8011 for more information or to RSVP by May 27.
Wildcats will look to redeem last-season loss to Sayville on June 1 at Stony Brook Unviersity
Fans rushed onto the Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field to celebrate with the victors on Thursday, and as the students piled up on top of the No. 2-seeded Shoreham-Wading River boys’ lacrosse team, the Wildcats felt the rush of the 8-4 comeback win they took part in that is sending them into the Class B finals.
For Kevin Cutinella, the win was meaningful in more ways than one.
“Since it was on our home field — the Tom Cutinella Memorial Field — it’s significant,” he said. “It feels good.”
The junior midfielder, younger brother of the student-athlete who died following a head-on collision in a football game in late 2014, had scored the game-winning goal in the Class B quarterfinals against Eastport-South Manor with 1:49 left in regulation. This time, he also scored what would be the game-winning goal against Comsewogue High School, when he received a feed with an open look on the left side of the cage, and sent the ball into the netting to get the Wildcats past the round that held them back last season.
“It felt good,” he said of the goal as his face lit up. “You can’t think up things like that. I put myself in the right spot at the right time and executed.”
Cutinella also fired the first shot of the game, which went off the post with 2:58 left in the first quarter. Comsewogue came prepared though, knowing their opponent’s plays and blocking key players to keep them distant. Senior Warrior goalkeeper Jake MacGregor made it that much more difficult for the Wildcats, blocking all attempts in the quarter.
Shoreham-Wading River junior attack Chris Gray finally found a way to score when he swiveled around the back of the cage and dumped the ball into the top right corner. But Comsewogue junior Will Snelders had a quick response, whipping a diagonal strike in from 20 yards out, as the Warriors were running into trouble getting close to the crease.
“We need to work hard — whistle to whistle. They’re not going to back down; they’re going to fight.”
Shoreham-Wading River senior midfielder Jason Curran received a pass on a fast break and beat out MacGregor for a 2-1 advantage, but Comsewogue responded when senior midfielder Trevor Kennedy rocketed a shot from 15 yards away to tie it up.
The Warriors try to pull away from there. With 3:14 left in the half, Snelders took the ball from behind the cage and scored and, with eight seconds left, sophomore Richie Lacalandra found an open shot off a feed from senior midfielder and attack Brandon O’Donoghue for a 4-2 halftime lead.
The Warriors defense was holding down the fort and the offense was connecting on turnovers and finding its groove. But head coach Pete Mitchell told his team at halftime that he knew the win wasn’t going to be that easy.
“Take advantage of the tendencies we see in film,” he said. “We need to work hard — whistle to whistle. They’re not going to back down; they’re going to fight.”
And fight they did.
Shoreham-Wading River head coach Mike Taylor said the Warriors did something his team wasn’t prepared for — locking in Curran. So the team made adjustments to work around the blocks.
Gray scored to pull the team within one less than two minutes into the third, and although MacGregor made a save, so did Shoreham-Wading River senior goalkeeper Jimmy Puckey, who ended up shutting out the Comsewogue offense in the second half.
“We settled down and started playing as a team, and when we start playing like a team no one can stop us,” Puckey said. “I felt good once I had the first few stops under my belt. I had a rough one in the second quarter but then the defense and I locked it down the rest of the game.”
Junior attack Jon Constant tied it up a minute and a half into the fourth quarter, and with 4:44 left on the clock was when Cutinella scored the game winner.
“When we start playing like a team no one can stop us.”
“We tried to force it too early and just paced ourselves in the second half,” Cutinella said. “Patience is key.”
Shoreham-Wading River junior Joe Miller winning a majority of the faceoffs was also key to the team’s comeback, but what Taylor credits above all is how far the team has come since its overtime loss in the semifinals last year, after an undefeated season.
“Most of the kids had never played varsity before and they didn’t have any playoff experience, so they got into that game and the pressure got to them,” he said. “They’re acting like savvy veterans now, so when the pressure was on, they didn’t feel it. They kept it together and got back in the game. I think the loss last year was painful, but it’s probably part of why we are where we are today.”
Now, the Wildcats are ready for redemption.
Shoreham-Wading River will take on the No. 4 Sayville, which upset No. 1 Bayport-Blue Point, on June 1 at Stony Brook University at 3 p.m.
“I believe in every one of us,” Cutinella said. “This is our year.”
Before the boating season gets into full swing, officials are trying to agree on what to do about people who leave their kayaks strewn on Port Jefferson beaches without a permit.
During a recent trip to the beach at the end of Crystal Brook Hollow Road, village Trustee Larry LaPointe saw “there were five licensed kayaks on the rack and 20 on the ground scattered over the entire area, some chained up to trees, most of them just laying there,” he said during a recent board of trustees meeting.
In April, the village held its annual lottery to determine which residents would get to use its kayak racks at that beach, which is located on Mount Sinai Harbor, and the beach at Centennial Park, on Port Jefferson Harbor.
“All of the slots were accounted for” in the lottery, LaPointe said, “so that means most of the people who won the lottery haven’t put their kayaks down there yet.”
There are signs at the beaches warning that kayaks must be properly stored in racks, yet there are still many left unattended. To solve the issue, a code proposal would give the head of public works authority to remove unpermitted vessels that have been left unattended for 48 hours, Village Attorney Brian Egan explained at the meeting. The village clerk would give notice that the boat was removed, with a description of the vessel, and after 30 days unclaimed it would be considered abandoned.
At that point, Egan said, the village would be able to sell or otherwise dispose of it. And LaPointe said there could be an annual auction of the abandoned vessels.
“And what do I do when some of [the owners] come to kill me?” Trustee Bruce Miller joked, referring to potentially angry kayak owners confronting public works Superintendent Steve Gallagher.
The trustees also discussed kayaks being unmarked with ownership information.
“What happens when they say, ‘That’s my kayak,’ and the other guy says, ‘No, that’s my kayak,’” Trustee Bruce D’Abramo said.
“How do you prove that’s your kayak when there’s no marks,” LaPointe agreed.
D’Abramo replied, “Yep, I could get a free kayak.”
As the code would allow the village to charge those picking up impounded vessels with the costs of removal, storage and the price of the clerk’s public notification, another question raised was what the “reasonable costs” referenced in the proposed code would entail.
Mayor Margot Garant said she hoped to have a list of recommended fees by the time the matter went up for a public hearing at the board meeting on June 6.
By Alex Petroski
An idea that started as a seed about 15 years ago has sprouted into a full-blown tri-yearly tradition at North Shore Heritage Park in Mount Sinai.
The Parade of Flags, which is the brainchild of Mount Sinai resident Fred Drewes, takes place three times a year on Memorial Day in May, Independence Day on July 4 and Veterans Day in November. The first Parade of Flags was on July 4, 2010. The retired biology and environmental science professor created the event to promote national pride, teach kids about history, recognize those who have served our nation and help to express a “sense of country.”
The parade occurs on the Avenue of America, which is a few hundred feet of the nearly one-mile perimeter of the park. The avenue features approximately 100 flags on parade days, which includes flags from all 50 states arranged in the order of when they ratified the Constitution, flags for United States territories, previous versions of the American flag, flags of U.S. armed forces and many more. Signs that provide information about when the state joined the Union, state mottos and pictures of state coins and symbols accompany the flags. The avenue is also lined by each state’s official tree. The flags are assembled in the morning on parade days by volunteers just before 9 a.m., and then retired at 4 p.m.
“When people walk through the flags they just revel in the feeling and it also lifts spirits,” Drewes said in a phone interview last week.
Drewes has created something truly special, though he often attributes credit to the Heritage Trust, a nonprofit organization responsible for overseeing the park, and other volunteers like the Boy Scouts and community members who make the event possible three times a year.
“This is all something that Fred created — he never really gives himself much credit,” said Paul Dodorico, a Mount Sinai resident who volunteers with his wife Carol to help assemble and retire the flags, in a recent interview. “Seeing the flags on a sunny day with a little breeze —it’s just beautiful.”
Dodorico added that it’s important for kids and adults alike to learn and remember why holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day are celebrated and indicated that Drewes has established an enjoyable and visually memorable way for community members to do just that.
A guided tour of the avenue begins at 11 a.m. on Memorial Day.
The park features some other patriotic imagery like the Court of America, which is a sitting area with benches, plaques with quotes from presidents and other famous citizens and a rock garden in the shape of the continental United States. The rock garden is full of symbolic rocks, plants and flowers that are native to the region in America where they lay in the corresponding region of the garden. Blocks featuring the names of all 44 U.S. presidents and the years they held office border the garden.
A scavenger hunt will be available to help visitors interpret the representations found in the landscape and Parade of Flags.
The landscape, flags, plaques, plants, flowers and everything else that makes the avenue and park as a whole special were donated and arranged by volunteers.
Bob Koch of Koch Tree Services in Mount Sinai, who has had a hand in many features of the park including donating the state trees lining the avenue, also praised Drewes for his vision and hard work. “It really pays tribute to our country,” said Koch in an interview Monday. “It makes me appreciate being here.”
’Seeing the flags on a sunny day with a little breeze — it’s just beautiful.’
—Paul Dodorico
Drewes has kept a visitor’s book containing testimonials from people who attended the Parade of Flags over the years. Accolades including “A wonderful experience to share with my kids!,” “Thanks for the history,” “Well done. A beautiful tribute to our country,” and “A remarkable display, schools should visit,” jump from the pages.
Drewes said those thinking about attending the parade on May 30 should “expect to spend time and learn about the growth of our country and learn about the symbols and representations of states and territories of the United States.”
The 7th annual Memorial Day Parade of Flags will be held at Heritage Park, 633 Mount Sinai-Coram Road, Mount Sinai, on May 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Inclement weather cancels. For further information, call 631-509-0882 or visit www.msheritagetrust.org.
Other parades around Suffolk County
The following Memorial Day parades and services will be held in remembrance and to honor our nation’s fallen war heroes:
Calverton: Calverton National Cemetery, 210 Princeton Blvd., Calverton will hold a Memorial Day service on May 30 at 1 p.m. For further information, call 631-727-5410.
Centereach: The Centereach Memorial Day Parade will be held on May 29 at 1 p.m. beginning at the corner of Middle Country Road and Henry Road and ending at the VFW Hall Post 4927 on Horseblock Road. Memorial service to follow. Call 631-585-7390.
Centerport: The Centerport Fire Department will host a Memorial Day Parade on May 30 starting at 10:30 a.m. The parade will run from Harrison Drive to Park Circle. For further information, call 631-351-3012.
Commack: VFW Post 9263 will sponsor the Commack Memorial Parade on May 30 at 10 a.m. The parade steps off from the corner of Jericho Turnpike and Larkfield Road with a ceremony at Cannon Park to follow. Call 631-368-9463.
East Northport: The Knights of Columbus will lead a Memorial Day Parade on May 30 at 12:15 p.m. from Clay Pitts and Larkfield Road north on Pulaski Road to John Walsh Memorial Park. Questions? Call 631-262-1891.
East Setauket: The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 3054, will host the annual Memorial Day Parade in East Setauket on May 30 at 11 a.m. The parade will follow the route along Main Street and 25A. Opening ceremonies will be held on the Old Village Green opposite Emma S. Clark Library. Closing ceremonies will be held at Memorial Park on Route 25A. Call 631-751-5541.
Farmingdale: Farmingdale Village will hold a Memorial Day Parade on May 30 at 10 a.m. The parade kicks off at the corner of Thomas Powell Boulevard and Bethpage Road and proceeds south on Main Street to Village Hall. A ceremony will follow. Call 516-249-0093.
Farmingville: The Farmingville Residents Association will host a Memorial Parade on May 30 at 11 a.m. kicking off on Horseblock Road just west of Granny Road and commencing at the memorial by the Nicolls Road bridge. Call 631-880-7996.
Greenlawn: The Greenlawn Fire Department will host a Memorial Day Parade on May 30 at 9 a.m. The parade will run from East Maple Road, south on Broadway to Greenlawn Memorial Park at the corner of Pulaski Road and Broadway. Call 261-9103.
Huntington: VFW Nathan Hale Post 1469 will host a Memorial Day Parade on May 30 at 11:30 a.m. The parade will run from the Big H shopping center north on New York Avenue to West Carver Street to Green Street to Main Street to Stewart Avenue. Call 631-421-0535.
Kings Park: American Legion Post 944 of Kings Park will sponsor the 92nd annual Memorial Day Parade on May 30 at 9 a.m. stepping off at the RJO School at the corner of Old Dock Road and Church Street and proceed west on Old Dock Road, east on Main Street to the Veterans Plaza at the corner of Church Street and Route 25 for flag ceremonies. Call 631-269-4140.
Melville: The Melville Fire Department will lead a Memorial Day Parade on May 30 at 10 a.m. stepping off at Bertucci’s on Route 110, south of the Northern State Parkway and will proceed to march on Route 110 to the fire house at 531 Sweet Hollow Road. Refreshments will be served. Call 631-423-2635.
Northport: Northport American Legion Post 694 will host a Memorial Day Parade on May 30 at 10 a.m. The parade will run from the north end of Laurel Avenue to Main Street to Northport Village Park. Call 631-261-4424.
Smithtown: This year’s Memorial Day Parade in Smithtown will be held on May 30 at noon from the corner of Main Street and Route 111, continuing west on Main Street to Town Hall, with a ceremony to follow. Call 631-360-7620 for additional information.
Sound Beach: The Sound Beach Civic Association will hold Memorial Day services at the Sound Beach Veterans Memorial Park on New York Avenue on May 30 at noon with a wreath ceremony. Call 631-744-6952 for more information.
Stony Brook: On May 30 at 9 a.m., VFW Post 3054 and American Legion Irving Hart Post 1766 will host a Memorial Day Parade in Stony Brook beginning at the Village Center, east on Main Street to Veterans Memorial Park. Ceremony to follow. Call 631-751-5541 for more information.
St. James: Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 395 will host the St. James Memorial Day Parade on May 30 at 10 a.m. The parade will step off at the intersection of Lake and Woodlawn Avenues and march to St. James Elementary School for a ceremony. For further information, call 631-862-7965.
Son of a gun
A 56-year-old woman from Huntington was arrested on May 22 after police said he had an illegal hand gun in his possession while at his residence on Dunbarton Drive in Huntington. He was charged with criminal possession of a firearm.
Stop and Smoke
On May 21, a 46-year-old woman from Babylon was arrested after police said she was in possession of marijuana and cocaine while in the parking lot of Stop&Shop on East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington. She was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana.
Drug bust
Police said 31-year-old woman from Bethpage had Suboxone, a prescription drug, while on Derby Avenue and Rockne Street in Huntington at 10:40 p.m. on May 21. She was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Being a pain with cocaine
On May 21, a 51-year-old man from East Northport was arrested on Veterans Memorial Highway in Smithtown after police said he had cocaine on him at 9:10 p.m. He was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with the intent to sell.
Tree on Maple Lane
A 35-year-old man from Huntington Station was arrested on May 20 after police said he had marijuana in his possession on Maple Lane and Pinta Court in East Northport. He was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.
Down by the docks
A 20-year-old man and a 18-year-old man both from Huntington Station were arrested on May 20 after police said they damaged and stole from multiple boats docked in Huntington Harbor between May 17 and May 20. They were charged with second-degree criminal mischief, petit larceny and two charges of third-degree criminal mischief of property valuing more than $250.
Coffee rush
On May 19, a 31-year-old man from Huntington Station was arrested after police said he stole two cappuccino machines valuing more than $7,000 from Bed Bath and Beyond on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington. He was charged with third-degree grand larceny.
The route of the problem
Police said a 28-year-old man from Orlando was smoking a marijuana cigarette while on Route 25 in Huntington Station on May 19. He was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Not walk in the park
A 40-year-old man from Wyandanch was arrested on May 18 after police said he had crack cocaine on him while on Park Avenue in Huntington. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Plants plucked
Police said an unknown person stole plants planted in the ground in the front yard of a residence on Leonard Drive in East Northport on May 21.
Not the key to success
An unknown person keyed a phrase onto the side passenger door of a 2003 Jaguar parked on Sandpiper Lane in Fort Salonga on May 22.
Too many cocktails
A 22-year-old man from Hauppauge was arrested on May 21 after police pulled him over for running a red light while driving a 2013 Mitsubishi on Route 347 in Smithtown and said he was driving drunk. He was charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol and drugs.
Being a pain with cocaine
On May 21, a 51-year-old man from East Northport was arrested on Veterans Memorial Highway in Smithtown after police said he had cocaine on him at 9:10 p.m. He was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with the intent to sell.
Cocaine in Kings Park
On May 20, police on Indian Head Road in Kings Park arrested a 36-year-old man from Port Jefferson after they said he had cocaine in his possession. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
That’s not what BMWs are for
Police said a 30-year-old man from Miller Place was deliberately using his 2015 BMW to block a tow truck from reaching two cars that crashed into each other on Smithtown Boulevard, and then started yelling at officers on May 20. He was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct with violent behavior.
On another planet
A 19-year-old man from Ronkonkoma was arrested on May 19 at Richard Avenue and Express Drive North in Ronkonkoma after police said he had marijuana on him while inside a 1993 Mercury. He was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.
Making her blush
On May 18, a 21-year-old woman from Saint James was arrested after police said she stole cosmetics from Sephora at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove. She was charged with petit larceny.
That’s not my name
On May 18, Police arrested a 51-year-old woman from Commack after they said she filled out paperwork with someone else’s information at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Medford. She was charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing.
Heroin in a Honda
A 26-year-old woman from Centereach was arrested on May 18 after police said she had heroin on her while driving a 2004 Honda on Cheryl Drive in Ronkonkoma. She was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Not so fast
On May 18, a 42-year-old man from Kings Park was arrested after police said he rear-ended a 2015 Ford van on Route 110 while driving a 2004 Honda, and then fled the scene. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.
Goodbye
Police said an unknown person stole a phone from a 2005 Honda Accord parked at the Stonebridge Golf Links & Country Club in Smithtown on May 21.
Slash and Dash
On May 21, an unknown person slashed two tires on a 2015 Hyundai parked in the Fairfield apartment complex in Commack.
Pool hoppers
Police said someone damaged the pool liner of a pool at a residence on Colgate Drive in St. James on May 21.
You’ve got no mail
On May 21, an unknown person stole a mailbox from a residence on Hoffman Lane in Hauppauge.
Lego my Legos
At Toys “R” Us on Middle Country Road in Lake Grove, an unknown person stole five Lego sets on May 19.
Hopeless house
A 75-year-old man from Mount Sinai entered Hope House Ministries on High Street in Port Jefferson on May 20 and remained there to sleep in the lobby, according to police. He was arrested and charged with third-degree criminal trespassing.
Did I hit something back there?
At about 5:30 p.m. on May 19, a 23-year-old man from East Patchogue driving a Lincoln Aviator on Route 25A in Mount Sinai collided with an unoccupied 2007 GMC parked near the intersection of Chestnut Street and fled the scene, police said. He was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an incident with property damage.
Pot possession
On May 18 at about 1 p.m., a 28-year-old man from Mount Sinai seated in the driver’s seat of a 1997 Nissan on North Ocean Avenue was found to have marijuana, according to police. He was arrested and charged with unlawful possession.
Not on probation anymore
A 42-year-old man from Selden was arrested near a home on the corner of College Road and Linden Street at about 2 a.m. on May 19 for violating the conditions of his probation, police said.
Go to sleep
Near the corner of Belford Lane and Stuyvesant Drive in Selden at about 3:30 a.m. on May 19, police said a 49-year-old man driving a 2001 Toyota was pulled over. He was arrested and charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended license.
Pay your own bills
A 41-year-old man from East Islip paid three different bills, including a LIPA utility bill and an American Express credit card bill, using someone else’s stolen account information from his home on Sherry Street at about noon on Jan. 21, police said. He was arrested on May 18 in Selden and charged with two counts of first-degree identity theft and one count of second-degree identity theft.
Gadgets stolen from CVS
On April 8 at about 12:30 p.m., a 24-year-old woman from Medford stole a polarized digital camera and two Garmin GPS devices from CVS Pharmacy on Horseblock Road in Medford, according to police. She was arrested on May 18 in Selden and charged with petit larceny.
Stolen ATV recovered
A 16-year-old from Farmingville was found to possess a 2013 Honda all-terrain vehicle on April 25 that had previously been reported stolen, police said. He was arrested on May 18 and charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
Dodge drives off
A 2000 Dodge Caravan containing assorted mechanic tools parked outside of a home on Flower Lane in Centereach was stolen at about 11 p.m. on May 20, according to police.
Mexican food munchies
On May 19 at about 4:30 p.m., two women from Selden, a 21-year-old seated in the driver’s seat and an 18-year-old seated in the passenger seat of a Ford Taurus parked outside Blue Tortilla Fresh Mexican Grille, possessed marijuana and a prescription drug, according to police. They were arrested and each charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.
Jewelry jacked
Someone stole jewelry from a home on Hawkins Road in Selden at about noon on April 30, police said. A police report was filed on May 21.
At least he smells good
A 63-year-old man from Port Jefferson stole 10 bottles of perfume from CVS Pharmacy on Main Street in Port Jefferson at about 1 p.m. on May 21, according to police. He was arrested on May 23 and charged with petit larceny.
Glass bottle breaks glass
Someone broke the rear window of a 2015 Jeep with a glass bottle at about 2 a.m. on May 18 while it was parked on Main Street in Port Jefferson, according to police.
House fire kills Centereach man
A 50-year-old man from Centereach was found dead in his home on Minerva Lane after neighbors called 911 when they heard an explosion and saw flames coming from the home at about 2:30 p.m. on May 18, police said. Suffolk County police homicide detectives and the arson section are investigating the incident, though the fire is not believed to be criminal in nature.
Students in the Mount Sinai and Port Jefferson school districts will keep taking their talents to the next level.
Thanks to state Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) securing more funding, the joint science, technology, engineering and math program will be staying around for another year.
LaValle got $25,000 for each district to continue its partnership with professors at Stony Brook University to further the students’ learning and better prepare them for the future.
“I think the world today and the jobs today are in the STEM areas,” he said. “So we want to make sure that they have a good running start so that they can, when they apply to college, have an easy transition.”
Port Jefferson superintendent, Ken Bossert, said he’s happy the senator has been a strong supporter of the program, and said that so far the partnership with the schools has gone seamlessly.
“I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for our students,” he said. “The program has been extremely well received and well attended. There’s been a good deal of collaboration and a good deal of learning is taking place. It’s given by Stony Brook professors and they use equipment in the labs and are exposed to higher levels of learning that we can’t replicate on the high school level.”
The Mount Sinai superintendent, Gordon Brosdal, said after meeting with the senator to discuss the future of the program, he found out that his district and Bossert’s would be able to receive the same amount of funding they’ve received the last three years, to be able to maintain it.
“I would like to praise Sen. LaValle for being on the ground floor of this program, encouraging and supporting those partnerships like the Mount Sinai-Port Jeff STEM project,” he said. “We’ll keep up the partnership. It’s very positive and he is very supportive.”
LaValle said he likes the enthusiasm for the program in both school districts.
“There’s interest — that’s why we’re going to continue it,” he said. “It’s popular with the administrators and, most importantly, with the students and their parents.”
Bossert appreciates the senator’s support.
“Without the grant money that Sen. LaValle has made available for us, we would’ve had a difficult time initiating any program like this,” he said. “I think it’s something that has gone very, very well and has the opportunity for even further growth, so I’m hoping that the positive trajectory continues.”
What was supposed to be a special day for a Sound Beach resident and her husband-to-be 40 years ago took a sudden turn with little time to spare. Thanks to the efforts of her community hospital, the day became arguably even more memorable.
On May 14, 1976, a day before Ray and Joanne Wolter were supposed to be married at Infant Jesus Roman Catholic Church in Port Jefferson, a giant monkey wrench was thrown into their plans. Her father, William P. Strauch Jr., walked into the family’s home and told the bride and her relatives, who were beginning to assemble for the wedding the next day, that he had just been in a car accident a few blocks away, and he had walked home.
“He was a tough guy,” Wolter said of her father at a 40th anniversary celebration at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, where members of the Wolter family and hospital administration from then and now gathered to remember that unusual day.
After some convincing, Strauch boarded an ambulance to Mather Hospital, where it was found he had a punctured lung and a few broken ribs as a result of the crash. Doctors told him he wouldn’t be able to attend his only daughter’s wedding the following day. The hospital’s staff quickly sprung into action.
“I didn’t even have a chance to think beyond ‘oh my goodness,’ and somebody was there at my side offering me assistance and offering me a solution,” Wolter said.
Nurses from the emergency room spoke to then-Associate Administrator Arthur Santilli, who has since retired but made a surprise appearance at the celebration Tuesday.
“When she came to me and talked to me about this, I said, ‘Let’s offer them Mather,’” Santilli said Tuesday. “The wedding was an uncommon thing but anytime our community had a need, we stepped forward — as they still do.”
The wedding took place in a conference room at Mather the next day. A few weddings have occurred at Mather since, but the Wolters’ marriage on May 15, 1976, was the first time the hospital served as a wedding chapel. Nurses prepped Strauch, dressing him in his light blue tuxedo jacket with black pants, white shirt and black bow tie. When it came time for his daughter to be married, Strauch walked her down the aisle, and Joanne Wolter said there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
“The party I hardly remember, but the wedding piece I remember crystal clear and it was thanks to you folks and your compassion and your quick action,” the wife said Tuesday, as she thanked hospital administration for helping to make her wedding day happen.
Ray Wolter said his wife frequently comments on her favorite photo of her and her father from that day, which is displayed in their current home in Farmingville.
“Thanks to the leadership in this place, we were able to celebrate a day that could have been very difficult, especially for my wife who remembers that day — of course I do, too — being able to walk down the aisle with her father,” he said.
Joanne Wolter remembered the craziness of those 24 hours, and the difficulties of contacting 150 guests to let them know about what was going on in an era before cell phones. The reception went on as planned at The Wagon Wheel in Port Jefferson Station, which is now The Meadow Club.
“Our bond with Mather Hospital is a strong one … even now,” she said in an invitation to Tuesday’s anniversary event. “It’s our community hospital. It always will be. Every year we remember this day and how Mather went the extra mile for my family.”
Santilli downplayed the importance of his quick decision-making and accommodating actions: “We fix what we can,” he said.
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