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Port Jefferson Village Hall. File photo by Heidi Sutton

Village taxes will stay the same for Port Jefferson residents next year.

The board of trustees adopted a 2016-17 budget on Wednesday night that will not increase the property tax rate, despite the total spending plan going up about $300,000.

Next year’s $10.6 million budget will make up that difference largely through other revenues, such as an expected increase in mortgage taxes, which are paid to a local government when mortgages are recorded. Treasurer Dave Smollett said during a public hearing on April 13 that even estimating those other revenues conservatively, the village will be able to maintain all that it offers to residents.

“We are not going to compromise those services,” Smollett said.

Following the treasurer’s budget presentation, just before the board unanimously approved the spending plan, Mayor Margot Garant said she was pleased with the budget and was “looking forward to a good year.”

“I’m feeling very optimistic and confident,” she said.

Although the tax levy will increase slightly next year, the assessed value of the entire village has increased as well, keeping the property tax rate at the same level it is in the current budget cycle: $27.51 for every $100 of assessed value on a home.

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Brookhaven Councilwoman Valerie Cartright, right. File photo by Elana Glowatz

Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station) is continuing her Community Connect Campaign to stay in contact with residents and will hold mobile office hours in which she will meet with constituents in different locations throughout her council district so that they don’t have to travel all the way to Town Hall.

The first mobile office will be at New Village Recreation Center at 20 Wireless Road in Centereach on April 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The councilwoman will go to the Setauket Fire Department station at 394 Nicolls Road in East Setauket on May 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

From there, on June 16, she will head to Comsewogue Public Library at 170 Terryville Road in Port Jefferson Station from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Those who want to stay informed through email can sign up for both emergency alerts and updates on town-related business affecting the 1st Council District by visiting that district’s page under the “elected officials” section of the town’s website, at www.brookhaven.org, and completing the “Join Councilwoman Cartright’s Mailing List” form.

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File photo
Grace Marie Damico, St. JamesGrace-Marie-Damico-Presidential-Primaries_2016_05_barkleyw
Q: Will you vote in the primary?
A: Yes.
Q: Why?
A: Because I think that the country is in dire straits right now, and the more people that get out and vote for who they prefer, the better the country will be. Hopefully we can bring this country back.



John Hayes, CoramJohn-Hayes-Presidential-Primaries_2016_04_barkleyw
Q: Will you vote in the primary?
A: Yes
Q: Why?
A: Because it’s too dangerous not to vote. It’s a very important election. I believe Donald Trump is a very dangerous man. I believe that every vote counts against him. If you don’t vote, it’s a vote for Donald Trump.



Charles Spinnato, Port JeffCharles-Spinnato-Presidential-Primaries_2016_06w
Q: Will you vote in the primary?
A: Yes. I want to choose who I want to vote for [and] who I want to be the nominee for the Republican Party. So I would vote in the primaries to make that choice. [It’s a] very interesting election this year.



James Turrill, MasticJames-Turrill-Presidential-Primaries_2016_01_barkleyw
Q: Will you vote in the primary?
A: I’ve never voted in the primaries before but I want to.
Q: Why?
A: I’m fed up with politicians. Look what [U.S. President Barack] Obama has done to this country. He’s destroyed it. I want somebody not like him.

By Giselle Barkley

The 2016 U.S. presidential candidates from both sides of the aisle made their way to New York to continue rallying support this week.

And by next Tuesday, New Yorkers can make a difference when they vote for their nominee in the closed primary.

Suffolk County Republican Chair John Jay LaValle said this is the first primary in three decades where New York State’s vote is this relevant.

“By the time the vote gets to New York, it’s usually over and it’s a functional exercise when the candidates run,” LaValle said.

When asked how running in New York differed from campaigning in other states, LaValle said, “New Yorkers like to hear it straight.” The Republican chair added that voters in this state are very engaged, intelligent and are more skeptical when it comes to casting a vote.

But Lillian Clayman, chair of Brookhaven’s Democratic Committee said “unless there’s this huge ideological chasm with the candidates,” running in New York isn’t much different than in other states.

The presidential primaries allow voters to help determine the presidential nominees for their respective parties. Of the nominees, GOP frontrunner Donald Trump is doing well on Long Island, LaValle said. He added that people are getting tired of hearing the typical political rhetoric they hear from the other 2016 presidential candidates.

Although Clayman said she doesn’t know what’s to come for next week’s primaries, she said Democratic nominees, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) have energized residents, even those who usually don’t vote during the primaries.

Registered voters can choose their nominees on Tuesday, April 19.

Visit elections.ny.gov for more information on deadlines and where residents can vote.

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Workin’ at the car wash

On April 8 at 8:57 p.m., police arrested a 32-year-old homeless man for petit larceny after he took cash from a car wash business on Route 347 in Port Jefferson Station.

Bagged it

A 19-year-old man from Lake Grove was arrested for unlawful possession of marijuana. According to police, on April 7 the man was parked in a church parking lot near Pond Path in Setauket. Officers discovered the man, who was in the passenger seat of the car, had a bag of marijuana in the car. Police didn’t know why officers first approached the man but said he was arrested at 8:25 p.m.

Robber on the run

Police arrested a 37-year-old for third-degree burglary on April 8, after the Centereach man stole an iPod, cash and a sweater from a store on Market Street. Police said officers already had a warrant for his arrest after he violated his parole. They arrested him at the scene, at 4:40 p.m.

Going to the dogs

Between 12:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. on April 4, someone damaged two tires on a 2008 BMW. The car was parked near a residence on Dogwood Drive in Stony Brook.

Sneaky

On April 4, a woman from Lake Ronkonkoma stole two pairs of sneakers, two iPhone cables, a power pack and phone accessories from the Walmart in Centereach. Police said the 40-year-old fled the scene in a Hyundai, and witnesses saw the car and gave officials the license plate number. Officers stopped the woman along Middle Country Road in Selden and arrested her for petit larceny at 3:47 p.m.

Impaired driver

A 47-year-old man from Mount Sinai was arrested on April 6 for driving while ability impaired with a child in the car after he hit a telephone pole along North Country Road in Stony Brook. Police discovered the man was intoxicated while driving with his 8-year-old child, and arrested him at the scene at 7:42 p.m.

Lock it out

Police said that on April 4 around 10 a.m. someone tried to break down a door to a residence and damaged the lock. The incident happened on Parkside Avenue in Miller Place.

Smoke break fix

On April 6 around 4:15 a.m., someone broke the glass door of the Rite Aid on Nesconset Highway in Mount Sinai. The person stole assorted cigarettes and fled.

Gone with the goods

Between April 5 at 9 a.m. and April 8 at 5 p.m., someone stole jewelry, a laptop and prescription medication from a residence on Crossover Road in Centereach.

On April 4 at 8:45 a.m., someone stole an iPhone from an unlocked 2006 Hyundai Odyssey that was parked at a gas station pump when the victim went to pay for gas. The incident happened near Middle Country Road in Selden.

What a steal — almost

Police said someone stole three iPad cases while shopping on April 10 in the Walmart on Nesconset Highway in Setauket-East Setauket. When a security guard approached the individual, the suspect dropped the items and fled the store.

Pickup the pieces

Between April 7 at 7:30 p.m. and April 8 at 7 a.m., someone shattered the rear passenger side window of a 2004 Ford pickup truck. The incident happened near the Frank Carasiti Elementary School in Rocky Point.

Merchandise missing

A 47-year-old woman from Lake Ronkonkoma was arrested at about 5 p.m. on April 9 for stealing assorted merchandise from Kohl’s in Lake Ronkonkoma, police said. She was charged with petit larceny.

Sky-high at Upsky

Police said a 28-year-old man and a 31-year-old man, both from Queens, had marijuana on them while sitting in a 2012 Chevrolet in the parking lot at Upsky Long Island Hotel in Hauppauge on April 9. They were arrested and each charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Drugs & Buster’s

On April 9 at about 8:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Dave & Buster’s in Islandia, a 31-year-old man from West Islip, in the driver’s seat of a 2013 Chevrolet, possessed marijuana, police said. He was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Coke in a Caddy

On April 8, police said a 51-year-old man from Middle Island was seated in a 2004 Cadillac at the Gulf gas station on the North Service Road in Islandia and in possession of cocaine. He was arrested just after 6 p.m. and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Driver snaked by police

Near the intersection of Serpentine Lane and South Bedford Avenue in Islandia on April 8 at about 8 p.m., police said a 30-year-old man from Islandia was driving a 2012 Chevrolet without a license. He was arrested and charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

Clothing stolen

On March 11 at about 5 p.m., a 43-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man, both from Riverhead, stole about 65 items of clothing from Khol’s in Lake Ronkonkoma, police said. They were arrested in Smithtown on April 8 and both charged with fourth-degree grand larceny.

Beauty kit bandit busted

Police said a 46-year-old woman from Kings Park stole a Clinique beauty kit from T.J. Maxx in Islandia at about 1:30 p.m. on April 7. She was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Craigslist bait and switch

On March 25, an unknown person accepted payment for an excavator on Craigslist but never delivered it, police said. Money was transferred from the buyer’s T.D. Bank account in Lake Grove to the seller’s account, but the item was never sent, according to police.

Insufficient funds

On Jan. 25 at about 9 a.m., an unknown person used someone else’s bank account number to withdraw money from T.D. Bank on Arlington Avenue in Saint James, police said.

Robin Hood for pets

A 29-year-old man from Brentwood stole pet medication from Walmart in Commack at about 7 p.m. on April 8, police said. He was issued a field appearance ticket.

Kohl’s, but no cigar

At Kohl’s on Crooked Hill Road in Commack at about 7 p.m. on April 8, a 31-year-old woman from Central Islip stole clothing and jewelry, according to police. She was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Smoke up

On April 8 at about 10 p.m., a 30-year-old man from Smithtown stole a pack of cigarettes from Walgreens on West Main Street in Smithtown, police said. He was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Abandoned Home Depot Road

Police said a 19-year-old woman from Huntington Station was trespassing in an abandoned house on Depot Road in Huntington Station at about 3 p.m. on April 10 and had marijuana in her possession. She was arrested and charged with second-degree criminal trespassing, resisting arrest and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Wrench wielder wrangled

On April 10 at a home in Huntington Station, a 57-year-old man from Huntington Station was arrested for pointing a wrench and waving it at another man he was arguing with, police said. He was arrested and charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon with intent to use it and second-degree menacing with a weapon.

Five-finger discount filet

Police said a 33-year-old man from Huntington Station took multiple steaks and other assorted meats from Stop & Shop on Wall Street in Huntington at about 5:30 p.m. on April 8 and attempted to leave without paying. He was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

I miter saw that

A 23-year-old man from Huntington Station stole a Dewalt miter saw from Home Depot on New York Avenue in Huntington on April 9, police said, along with a Home Depot charge card number belonging to someone. He was arrested and charged with fourth-degree grand larceny and petit larceny.

Mini bike — major crime

On April 8 at a home on Old Country Road in Huntington Station, police said they discovered a 19-year-old man from Huntington Station in possession of a 2005 Kawasaki motorbike and a mini motorbike, which had previously been reported stolen. He was arrested and charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

Busted at Bloomingdale’s

At Bloomingdale’s on Route 110 in Huntington Station at about 4:30 p.m. on April 8, a 30-year-old woman from Huntington Station stole handbags and cell phone cases, police said. She was arrested and charged with third-degree grand larceny.

Rite Aid sells cologne?

A 58-year-old man from Huntington stole Dolce & Gabbana cologne from Rite Aid on West Main Street at about 7 p.m. on April 9, police said. He was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Tried to steal some zzz’s

Police said a 28-year-old man from Port Washington stole bed sheets from Macy’s Backstage on Walt Whitman Road in Melville on March 31 at about 7 p.m. On April 9 he was arrested in Huntington and charged with petit larceny.

Drugs on Starlit

At the corner of Norwood Road and Starlit Drive in Northport on April 9, a 21-year-old woman from Northport had Xanax pills without a prescription, police said. She was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Missing drugs

An unknown person stole drugs and other items from a home on Carrol Place in Greenlawn at about 1:30 p.m. on April 9, police said.

Knife pulled on walk home

A man from Huntington Station was walking home from a store on Depot Road at about 9 p.m. on April 9 when two men asked to borrow his cell phone, police said, and then after the phone was used, one of the two suspects pulled out a knife. The victim grabbed the knife and suffered a cut on his hand that required stitches at Huntington Hospital. Police said no arrests have been made yet.

That’s a lot of change

The glass window to the garage door at Laurel Service Center auto repair shop in East Northport was broken at about 5:30 p.m. on April 7 according to police. An unknown person stole about $50 in change and a machine valued at about $1,500.

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Jenna Kavaler and Brett Chizever share a light-hearted moment in ‘Beau Jest.’ Photo by Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions Inc.

By Michael Tessler

Ever leave a theater feeling lighter than air? Theatre Three’s production of “Beau Jest” left me with this happy sensation I haven’t yet been able to shake.

Mary Powers masterfully directs an all-star cast in a perfectly paced stage comedy. Originally written by James Sherman, this show can best be described as a love child between “Fiddler on the Roof” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”  And let me tell you, it makes for a beautiful combination.

Sarah Goldman, the show’s protagonist (and arguably antagonist) is the kind of girl my grandmother would have loved for me to date. Pretty, smart, successful, and most importantly … Jewish. Like so many children she’s torn between pleasing her parents while being true to herself. Played by the hard-not-to-love Jenna Kavaler, you can’t help but sympathize with this love-struck young woman whose biggest fear is hurting the ones she loves most.

From left, Bob Kaplan, Scott Joseph Butler, Ginger Dalton, Brett Chizever and Jenna Kavaler in a scene from ‘Beau Jest.’ Photo by Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions Inc.
From left, Bob Kaplan, Scott Joseph Butler, Ginger Dalton, Brett Chizever and Jenna Kavaler in a scene from ‘Beau Jest.’ Photo by Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions Inc.

Sarah is romantically involved with a man opposite of the “nice Jewish boy” stereotype. Chris Kringle is a marketing executive and Sarah’s secret boyfriend whom she hides from her overly traditional and protective family. Played with immense talent by Steven Uihlein, Chris just can’t seem to catch a break. As if being named after the North Pole’s most popular resident wasn’t bad enough, he finds himself in love with someone who cannot love him back — openly that is. 

To make matters worse, Sarah finds herself hounded by her parents to the point where she invents a fake boyfriend. What started as a tiny lie quickly snowballs into an impossible to contain catastrophe. Her pretend boyfriend isn’t just Jewish, but he’s also a doctor, and a surgeon at that! Desperate to maintain the facade, Sarah hires Bob, a struggling actor turned male escort who is given the impossible task of pretending to be Sarah’s Jewish surgeon boyfriend. Brett Chizever is brilliant in his portrayal of Bob. Chizever can best be described as a master of comedic timing and expressions. He’ll have you in stitches before the show’s end.

Sarah’s mother, Miriam Goldman, is played to perfection by the hysterical and enormously talented Ginger Dalton, who was for me the highlight of the show. To say she is dramatic would be an understatement and a disservice to the beautifully accurate portrayal of an overly concerned Jewish mother. Who knew a person could sigh with such fervor? Dalton offers a magnificent performance and is complimented perfectly by her equally talented partner Bob Kaplan who portrays her husband Abe, a Tevye-like patriarch stuck in the wrong century but nonetheless endearing.

From left, Bob Kaplan, Ginger Dalton and Brett Chizever in a scene from ‘Beau Jest.’ Photo by Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions Inc.
From left, Bob Kaplan, Ginger Dalton and Brett Chizever in a scene from ‘Beau Jest.’ Photo by Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions Inc.

Last, but certainly not least, is Sarah’s brother Joel, a divorced psychiatrist played by Scott Joseph Butler whose dry humor blends perfectly with this already well-rounded show. Butler’s subtle comedy is so effective and peaks in the second act during one particularly hysterical tirade.

“Beau Jest” succeeds beautifully as it establishes itself as a living sitcom, complete with a live studio audience, some great inside jokes, and a cast you can’t help but fall in love with. Each knock on the door welcomes a new whirlwind of comedy, drama and beautifully scripted madness; the perfect way to spend an evening with someone you love.

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson, will present “Beau Jest” through May 7. Tickets range from $15 to $30. For more information, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

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Suffolk County's Public Works Committee will vote Aug. 29 to decide the future of red-light camera program. TBR News Media file photo

When it comes to Suffolk County’s red light camera program, Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) said he’s seen enough.

Trotta took to the intersection of Indian Head Road and Jericho Turnpike in Commack on Monday to call on the county to pull the emergency brake on its red light camera initiative and reevaluate, citing an increase in traffic crashes with injuries at that location.

The legislator picked the Indian Head Road red light camera location because the county’s 2014 Red Light Safety Program report showed crashes with injuries had gone up more than 100 percent there, making it a prime spot to prove Trotta’s point. The annual report said the yearly average of reported crashes with injury went from 8.7 before the camera’s installation to 19.3 after. The camera at that intersection was installed in January 2014, giving the 2014 report 11 months of traffic data to work with while comparing it to traffic patterns recorded over three years between 2007 and 2009.

Back in October, Trotta joined with other Republican lawmakers from Suffolk County to solicit input from the public about the red light camera program. At the time, he said residents alerted him about an increase in rear-end crashes since people were stopping abruptly at yellow lights to avoid being ticketed. The 2014 annual report on the red light program proved that notion.

According to the report, rear-end crashes increased by 42 percent since the cameras were installed.

“Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone has turned the residents of Smithtown into crash test dummies,” Trotta said on Monday. “This is just another example of [the Bellone administration’s] attempt to raise revenues through ‘taxation by citation.’”

However, the county’s Red Light Safety Program was enacted in 2009 — years before Bellone assumed the county executive position in 2012.

The annual report said the county collected $27.5 million in citation payments in 2014 and paid $9.5 million to the vendor to operate the program. The net proceeds were credited to the county’s general fund.

Backing up Trotta was Lawrence Zacarese, assistant chief of police and director of the Office of Emergency Management at Stony Brook University. In his remarks, speaking as a paramedic who has served Suffolk for decades, Zacarese said the Indian Head Road and Jericho Turnpike intersection was a dangerous spot in Commack and red light cameras only made it worse by forcing drivers to jam on their brakes at yellow lights in order to avoid tickets.

“People are confused,” he said. “The data shows that clearly.”

Paul Margiotta, executive director of the county’s Traffic and Parking Violations Agency, defended the county’s program while citing the report’s evidence of decreasing crash figures coupled with increasing trends of distracted drivers.

“The Suffolk County red light camera program has reduced crashes involving injuries at intersections with cameras and dramatically reduced right-angle crashes, which have the highest potential for serious injuries or even fatalities, by more than 20 percent,” he said. “Intersections with red light cameras on average are safer than intersections without cameras. Unfortunately, crashes throughout all of Suffolk County have increased, primarily because of distracted driving which has more than doubled since just 2012. It is clear that Suffolk County needs to do more, not less, to address traffic safety.”

At intersections where cameras were installed, overall crashes decreased by 3 percent, right-angle crashes went down by 21 percent and crashes involving injury decreased 4 percent, according to the county report.

Trotta’s pleas came on the same day repeat offender Stephen Ruth, of Centereach, was arrested for allegedly tampering with 19 of the cameras throughout the county.

Ruth was first cuffed in August for allegedly using a pole to reach several red light cameras in Ronkonkoma and turn their lenses away from the road and toward the sky. He was charged with criminal tampering and obstructing governmental administration.

Police said Ruth “cut wires and manipulated equipment” on 18 of those cameras between April 9 and 10. The 19th camera incident in question dates back to Jan. 18, police said, when Ruth allegedly cut down a camera pole at the intersection of County Road 83 and Old Town Road in Coram.

According to a police estimate, the incidents caused at least $25,000 of damage.

Ruth, 43, has been charged with two felony counts of second-degree criminal mischief. Hauppauge-based attorneys William J. Keahon and Craig Fleischer are representing him on those charges but are not commenting on the case, according to their law office.

Ruth’s arrest comes about a week after another man was arrested for allegedly tampering with red light cameras. Bryan Valentine, of St. James, has been charged with two counts of second-degree criminal tampering after police said the 26-year-old placed plastic bags over red light cameras at the signal in the Main Street and Landing Avenue intersection in Smithtown.

Attorney information for Valentine was not available.

In interviews Ruth — whom his supporters have dubbed the “Red Light Robin Hood” — has stood behind his actions. He has received praise from people who oppose the county’s red light camera program and say it is simply a money grab, as the county receives much revenue from the tickets generated.

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Middle Country's Solyman Hatami connects with the ball. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Despite wind-whipped conditions, the Middle Country boys’ tennis team managed to pull out its second win of the season over Port Jefferson, 5-2, to earn the No. 3 spot in League VI behind undefeated Longwood and Mount Sinai.

The Mad Dogs, at 2-1, fell 7-0 to Longwood last week, and the Royals, at 1-5, had their hands full again with Middle County, as Port Jefferson fell to its opponent, 4-3, in the season opener.

Port Jefferson head coach Dennis Christofor said the weather made a win difficult, but added that his team has played in worse conditions before, just last week against Comsewogue.

“It’s a matter of who gets more first serves in the box — and they don’t even have to be hard,” he said. “The faster you can get the ball to the other guy’s backhand the faster you’re going to win the point, because at this level, they tend to have weaker backhands than forehands.”

Nick Kafeiti sends the ball over the net in his doubles match. Photo by Bill Landon
Nick Kafeiti sends the ball over the net in his doubles match. Photo by Bill Landon

Port Jefferson sophomore Eli Doyle had his hands full as he battled Middle Country sophomore Brandon Kittle. He won the first set 4-6, but dropped sets two and three, 6-2.

“In conditions like these consistency is the key,” Doyle said. “[You need to be] placing the ball away from your opponent.”

Middle Country senior and four year varsity player Solyman Hatami won his match, defeating his opponent 2-1.

“You need to take into consideration the elements — the wind direction and the chill factor,” Hatami said. “In addition to the athletic aspect, tennis is a very skill-based sport and part of that skill is thinking.”

Port Jefferson junior Nick Kafeiti said each end of the court presented difficult conditions.

“You have to adapt to it — knowing the wind direction makes you play the ball differently,” he said. “We did OK today.”

Middle Country head coach Mike Steinberg was most impressed by seventh-grader Alejandro Perez, whose presence on the court, he said, is well beyond his years.

“It’s one of those sports that when you start young, it’s such an advantage over someone who just picks up the racket for the first time,” he said.

But Christofor said two of his juniors, who have picked up the racket for the very first time this season, have been instrumental in bringing team strategy to an otherwise individual sport.

Alejandro Perez serves the ball. Photo by Bill Landon
Alejandro Perez serves the ball. Photo by Bill Landon

“Nick Kafeiti and Dan Strehle play football and soccer,” he said. “They already have that team mentality and are able to infuse that here. They’ve taught some of the other players that are one-sport athletes how to communicate and to identify their opponents’ weakness, and more importantly, how to exploit that. And that’s a big thing with our team being so young.”

Port Jefferson’s roster is made up of two seventh-graders, two eight-graders, two ninth-graders and five tenth-graders. The team has just five upperclassmen, and Kafeiti and Strehle are two of them.

Middle Country sophomore Zachary Ferrari, who plays football for Newfield, agreed that the conditions were the biggest challenge.

“When you play in this wind it’s very hard to keep the ball inbounds, so it is frustrating at times,” he said. “And we worked on it.”

Struggling to keep the ball in play, Middle Country junior Tyler Berns said he needed to overestimate his shots to compensate for the wind, and put more topspin on the ball. He and his doubles partner, sophomore Joe Cunningham, won both sets, but Berns said he knows he needs to keep a level head.

“Coach is always telling us that tennis is such a mental game,” he said. “You can’t get too confident with today’s win because you never know who you’re going to face next.”

Middle Country hits the road to take on Mount Sinai today, at 4 p.m., while Port Jefferson hosts Mount Sinai tomorrow at 4 p.m.

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File photo from Margo Arceri

Story last updated 4.11.2016, 1:30 p.m.

Police have identified the body found near a beach off Setauket Harbor on Monday morning, linking him back to an emergency crash-landing that happened nearby in February, Suffolk County cops said.

Gerson Salmon-Negron, 23, was last seen shortly after 11 p.m. on Feb. 20 when the Piper Archer four-seated airplane he was in went down in the waters of Setauket Harbor with three others on board. His body was finally found on Monday morning after a 911 call told dispatchers about a body spotted on the beach near Brewster Lane in Setauket around 9:10 a.m., the Suffolk County Police Department said.

The three other men, student pilot Austricio Ramirez, 25, Nelson Gomez, 36, and Wady Perez, 25, were rescued by nearby neighbors and officers soon after the crash. The small plane had taken off from Fitchburg, Mass., en route to Republic Airport in Farmingale, but went down near the vicinity of 108 Van Brunt Manor Road in Poquott. The incident spurred residents living on the Strongs Neck side of the water to jump into action as soon as they noticed emergency vehicles making their way into the small North Shore community.

Related: Small plane crash-lands in Setauket Harbor

As the incident unfolded, residents living along the shoreline started offering up their personal kayaks for rescuers to use to lift the survivors out to safety.

“Where this occurred, there are only a few homes, but instantly, the neighbors pulled together,” resident Margo Arceri said in a previous interview after the crash occurred. “They say, ‘it takes a village,’ and these neighbors showed a real sense of community. We all pulled together immediately. I just wish it had a happier ending.”

In a report released in March, the National Transportation Safety Board said that aircraft reported low amounts of fuel and had been operated for about five hours since its tank was last filled. The report said the plane’s engine “sputtered” as it approached the Port Jefferson area, spurring the flight instructor to turn on the electric fuel pump and instructing his student pilot to switch the fuel selector to the plane’s left fuel tank as it flew at around 2,000 feet. The sputtering stopped, but started up again about three minutes later, the NTSB said, and then lost power.

That was when the pilot instructor took control of the plane and tried heading to the shoreline, where he believed the plane could safely land, the NTSB report said. But the pilot was unable to see the shoreline due to the darkness and could only guess where the shoreline began by the lights inside of nearby houses, the report said.

He held the plane off of the water for as long as he could before touching down and instructing everyone to grab a life vest and exit the plane, the NTSB said. Neither the student pilot nor the passengers, however, were wearing life vests when they exited the plane, the report said. Emergency personnel were on the scene within minutes and rescued three of the four men.

The airplane floated in the water for about five minutes before sinking nose-first to the bottom of the harbor, the NTSB said.

Divers with the Suffolk County Police Department pursue the aircraft as the missing person search continues. Photo from Margo Arceri
Divers with the Suffolk County Police Department search for Gerson Salmon-Negron’s body shortly after the plane crash-landed. File photo from Margo Arceri

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Nurses and their supporters picket outside St. Charles Hospital on April 8, calling for higher staffing levels and encouraging passing drivers to honk in solidarity. Photo by Giselle Barkley

Members of the New York State Nurses Association had drivers honking their horns near St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson on Friday, as picketers called for increased staffing of nurses.

Between 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 8, nurses and supporters marched and chanted outside the hospital to spread awareness of their cause. According to the nurses’ association members, some nurses tend to 10 or more patients and those working in St. Charles’ Intensive Care Unit are exceeding what they call a safe limit of one to two patients per nurse.

Increased staffing would help nurses devote more time to their patients, according to group members, which is better for the patient.

Nurses and their supporters picket outside St. Charles Hospital on April 8, calling for higher staffing levels and encouraging passing drivers to honk in solidarity. Photo by Giselle Barkley
Nurses and their supporters picket outside St. Charles Hospital on April 8, calling for higher staffing levels and encouraging passing drivers to honk in solidarity. Photo by Giselle Barkley

Nancy Joly, the New York State Nurses Association’s deputy director, said the organization has data showing that when ICU nurses have more than two patients “the chances of death are skyrocketed.”

The picketing comes as the St. Charles nurses’ union is negotiating with the hospital on a new contract, after the previous one expired in March 2015.

According to a statement from the hospital, the facility bases staffing guidelines on various factors, including when nurses call in sick, how much nursing care a patient needs, the number of patients who need care and guidelines set in previous union contracts.

Tracy Kosciuk, a St. Charles nurse of 27 years and president of the state nurses’ association’s executive committee for St. Charles nurses, said when they have too many patients, it’s difficult for nurses to give their “100 percent” and care for each patient, including teaching the patient and their family about their health.

“Unfortunately the mentality … nowadays in the industry is [that] all hospitals are short-staffed,” Kosciuk said. “That’s not acceptable to have that mindset.”

But St. Charles said the nurses and the hospital share the same goal of providing their patients with high-quality care. While the group has a right to picket, according to the hospital statement, it would prefer to discuss the nurses’ contract in a formal meeting.

“St. Charles remains committed to negotiating a fair contract … that supports our caregivers and the communities we serve,” the hospital said. “We will continue to negotiate in good faith with the union.”

Nurses and their supporters picket outside St. Charles Hospital on April 8, calling for higher staffing levels and encouraging passing drivers to honk in solidarity. Photo by Giselle Barkley
Nurses and their supporters picket outside St. Charles Hospital on April 8, calling for higher staffing levels and encouraging passing drivers to honk in solidarity. Photo by Giselle Barkley

Stony Brook resident Barbara Cea was among the nurses chanting outside St. Charles and celebrating when drivers honked their horns in solidarity. She has worked at the hospital for the past 32 years.

“They seem to be ignoring our pleas to increase the nurse-to-patient ratio so that we could provide adequate and safe care, which is more and more important,” Cea said. “We have to keep the nurses at the bedside.”

Cea supported the hospital’s statement that it’s trying to establish fair contracts with appropriate staffing guidelines, but said it’s been a slow process.

“Nobody knows when they’re going to end up in the hospital,” Joly said. “A lot of people are worried about their community hospitals being well-staffed. You really need to have good staffing everywhere.”

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An old map of the Suassa Park neighborhood shows some streets slated to be repaved this season, including an erroneously named Longfellow Lane. File image

Streets in the Suassa Park section of Port Jefferson Village will get a fresh coat of asphalt this paving season.

During a meeting on Monday night, the village board of trustees approved work on Owasco Drive, Emerson Street, Michigan Avenue, Lowell Place, Whittier Place, Hawthorne Street and Longfellow Lane, as well as the half of California Avenue within village boundaries. Medford-based contractor Suffolk Asphalt Corp. will pave those roads on the western side of the village, south of West Broadway, for a cost not to exceed $180,000.

Trustee Larry LaPointe said the streets in that section of the village are “badly in need of repaving.”

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