Port Times Record

Village Hall is visible in the background of a basketball court at Rocketship Park. Photo by Elana Glowatz

Basketball players could soon be shooting hoops on a fresh surface in downtown Port Jefferson.

Village officials have approved a $15,000 proposal to repair the basketball courts at Rocketship Park, between Barnum Avenue and the municipal parking lot behind Village Hall.

“Our basketball courts are in disrepair out back,” Mayor Margot Garant said at the board of trustees meeting on Monday night.

But there is surplus money the village previously set aside, in the event those courts would have to be completely renovated. Instead, work simply needs to be done to repair cracks and “take away what we call the ‘birdbaths,’ or puddles,” she said.

The plan, which the board approved at its meeting, includes putting in lines for pickleball play at the courts. That sport involves paddles and has similarities to tennis and badminton.

Trustee Stan Loucks, who is the board’s liaison to the Port Jefferson Country Club, said the village feels comfortable hiring East Norwich-based Championship Tennis Courts LLC to do the basketball court project because that same company has done work on the country club’s tennis courts for the last five years.

“They do a terrific job,” Loucks said.

Trustee Adam DeWitt resigned from Port Jeff's BOE. File photo by Elana Glowatz

A proposed policy for Port Jefferson schools could change the way teachers interact with and accommodate transgender students.

The board of education’s policy committee crafted the proposal with help from the student body’s Gay-Straight Alliance club, and included rules for how transgender and gender nonconforming students would be referenced in school records and what bathroom and locker room facilities they would use.

According to the proposed text, students who want to be identified by a gender other than the one associated with their sex at birth could request a meeting with their principal to discuss names, pronouns and designations in school records; restroom and locker room access; and participation in sports, among other topics.

Students would be able to change gender designations in school records if they provide two official forms of identification indicating the new gender and legal proof of a change in name or gender.

Emma Martin, the president of the high school’s Gay-Straight Alliance, said during the Port Jefferson school board meeting on Tuesday night, “This policy could be the difference between whether a student feels safe in the school, whether their learning is hindered or it’s enriched, whether they graduate high school or even if their life could be saved.”

The proposed policy includes a provision that any student’s transgender status would be kept as private as possible, apart from necessary communication to personnel “so they may respond effectively and appropriately to issues arising in the school.”

In addition, it dictates that the district would have to accept any student’s gender identity.

“There is no medical or mental health diagnosis or treatment threshold that students must meet in order to have their gender identity recognized and respected,” the policy reads. “Every effort should be made to use the preferred names and pronouns consistent with a student’s gender identity. While inadvertent slips or honest mistakes may occur, the intentional and persistent refusal to respect a student’s gender identity is a violation of school district policy.”

Martin called the policy forward thinking.

“Even though I won’t be here to see this in place because I’m a senior — I’ll be leaving — I’m very, very proud to say that this will be in place hopefully when I leave.”

Trustee Adam DeWitt, the head of the policy committee, replied that the policy committee could not have done it without her club: “Your contributions and the students’ contributions as well as the staff were critical in the wording … so your legacy and the legacy of the students and the staff that helped us create this will live on for a long time.”

The school board accepted the policy at first reading on Tuesday and could vote to approve it, making it final, at the next board meeting. Its reception was a quiet one — there was no public comment on the policy apart from Martin’s.

That was not the case in other districts that recently attempted to make similar rules. In the Rocky Point and Smithtown school districts, discussions about accommodating transgender students turned into heated debates.

Superintendent Ken Bossert attributed the lack of controversy in Port Jefferson to the fact that the district took time to shape the policy with the help of input from many parties, and officials took up the matter on their own “without discussing any specific child.”

“That can be very sensitive when the community is fully aware of children who are involved in the discussion and that’s what I really wanted to avoid here.”

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Comsewogue school board President John Swenning and Superintendent Joe Rella, along with the rest of the board and administration, have begun 2018-19 budget preparations. File photo by Alex Petroski

If Comsewogue School District wants to maintain all of its academic programs in the coming year, it’s going to need state officials to return aid that was previously taken away.

Superintendent Joe Rella released his first budget draft for the 2016-17 school year at a board of education meeting on Monday night, projecting an $87.2 million spending plan that would keep all existing programs. That budget would represent an increase of about $2 million over the current school year, due in large part to increasing costs in instruction.

But Rella’s proposed budget hinges upon a full restoration of the Gap Elimination Adjustment, a deduction of state aid taken from all New York school districts, enacted several years ago in an effort to close a state budget deficit.

State Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport), his chamber’s majority leader, recently sponsored legislation that would completely eliminate the adjustment in the next school year, though nothing is set in stone — his bill, S6377, passed in the Senate in January but has yet to come to a vote in the Assembly.

Comsewogue is not alone; school districts statewide are counting on a full restoration of the GEA this year due to a relatively low state-mandated cap on tax levy increases, which limits the amount of property taxes districts can collect and is largely determined each year by the rate of inflation. Before exemptions for a few items, such as spending on capital projects, school districts are looking at a 0.12 percent limit on how much they can add to their tax levies next year.

Comsewogue’s exempted spending, which includes funds to replace the roof at Clinton Avenue Elementary School, brings its proposed tax levy increase to 1.2 percent.

Restored state aid from the GEA could be crucial for some.

“If that doesn’t happen, then it’s a whole different world,” Rella said in an interview. “We’re anticipating it will happen. Albany’s been very quiet about it, and I’m taking that as ‘no news is good news.’”

Rella’s proposal suggests there would be cuts to staffing, including teachers, coaches and aides, as well as clubs, supplies and athletics if the schools don’t receive that additional state aid. His presentation also says Comsewogue would have to use $425,000 in reserves to help fund whatever is left.

If the state funding does come in, according to his proposal, the district would receive about $30 million in total state aid, which is an increase of $1.9 million over the current year.

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Port Jefferson's Matteo DeVincenzo, left, grapples with his Locust Valley opponent Hunter Dusold in the New York State finals matchup. DeVincenzo edged out Dusold, 2-1, for his second state championship crown. Photo by Luci DeVincenzo

Matteo DeVincenzo felt relieved.

As the clock wound down and the whistle blew, the 126-pound Port Jefferson powerhouse put another state championship title in the record books with a 2-1 victory over Locust Valley’s Hunter Dusold.

Matteo DeVincenzo hugs head coach Mike Maletta after earning his second New York State championship crown. Photo by Luci DeVincenzo
Matteo DeVincenzo hugs head coach Mike Maletta after earning his second New York State championship crown. Photo by Luci DeVincenzo

“I expected to win, so it wasn’t surprising, but it felt good,” DeVincenzo said. “Overall, I wrestled real solid and dominated up until the finals.”

That focus and determination from day one led the Royal to an undefeated season. DeVincenzo was 32-0 heading into the state championship bracket. The first upstate challenger he faced he topped 12-2; the second match, a Section X grappler, he ruled over 9-1; the third, a Section III opponent he outscored 8-4. The finals win against Dusold capped it all off for a perfect 36-0 season.

“This whole year has been about domination and preparation, so I’d say no matter where I was in the bracket I would’ve had the same outlook,” he said.

But the senior and his coaches Mike Maletta, Ian Schneider and Nick Miceli were happy to see him avenge his state semifinal loss from last season, to once again stand atop the New York podium.

“This was really his last time wrestling in New York so we knew of the significance of it and it being special,” head coach Maletta said. “Matteo is one of the best of the best. He was unstoppable.”

Schneider, the team’s assistant coach, said being just 23 years old and having the opportunity to coach in the state championship was a phenomenal feeling.

Port Jefferson's Matteo DeVincenzo, right, sizes up his competitor Hunter Dusold of Locust Valley. Photo by Luci DeVincenzo
Port Jefferson’s Matteo DeVincenzo, right, sizes up his competitor Hunter Dusold of Locust Valley. Photo by Luci DeVincenzo

“It was absolutely incredible to watch him do what he does best on the wrestling mat,” he said. “It was exciting, it was nerve-racking, it was all the emotions that ended joyously with him coming out on top. I may not ever coach a kid of his caliber in any sport again. I hope to have that, but he’s one of a kind and he’s something else as a person, as an individual and as a wrestler. He’s one of those rare gems that are out there. It was an absolute honor to coach him.”

Besides the four-time Suffolk County and two-time Eastern States champion, the Royals also sent two other wrestlers to Albany.

Sophomore 120-pounder Joe Evangelista and freshman 99-pounder Ricky D’Elia garnered some extra experience battling the bracket. Evangelista, a three-time All-County wrestler who became a county champion this year and finished with a 22-10 record, had to battle two tough All-State kids. D’Elia, who ended the season 25-7, made a couple of mistakes in a 5-3 first-round loss that sent him to the wrestlebacks.

“For their first time, it was cool for them to see the process for themselves and for Matteo,” Maletta said.

Matteo DeVincenzo has his arm raised by the referee after winning his New York State championship finals matchup. Photo by Luci DeVincenzo
Matteo DeVincenzo has his arm raised by the referee after winning his New York State championship finals matchup. Photo by Luci DeVincenzo

Although DeVincenzo will take one final trip with his coach, and D’Elia, to Virginia for nationals, but then the senior star is taking his talents to the mats of Princeton University. In college-level wrestling he will join his older brother, Tristin, who wrestles at the University of Pennsylvania, and another former Royal, Paul Cavanagh, who competes for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

The Royals had 11 All-County wrestlers this season. In addition to the three who traveled upstate, Brendan Rodgers, Robbie Williams, Vin Miceli, Joe Longo, Alex Frohnen, Dallas Brett, Jack Collins and Ryan Walsh all earned the accolade.

“I’m proud of what we’re doing here at Port Jeff and people notice us — from the biggest school in Suffolk County to the smaller schools that we wrestle with,” Maletta said. “They know if they’re competing against a kid with a Port Jeff singlet, they’re going to be prepared.”

Seven of those 11 will be returning to the roster next season. And with a young squad that will not soon graduate, the Royals expect only to gain players over the next two seasons.

“We’re moving in the right direction,” Schneider said. “Our middle school program has a bunch of kids where we’ve lacked in the upper weight classes, so when we can fill out the lineup we’ll be that much harder to beat.”

Maletta has enjoyed his time with his grand grappler, and hopes for even bigger and better things in the future.

“I’m 45 years old and there’s been great days in my life — getting married and having kids — but putting on my suit and heading down to see Matteo be crowned a state champion was pretty special, and I’m thankful that Matteo was brought into our lives and into our wrestling room at Port Jeff,” he said. “We put a lot of effort into this and I’m aware that many coaches don’t get to coach a Matteo. I’ve been coaching for 20 years and this is a kid that will be linked with me forever.”

Matteo DeVincenzo stands atop the 126-pound competitors. Photo by Luci DeVincenzo
Matteo DeVincenzo stands atop the 126-pound competitors. Photo by Luci DeVincenzo

From left, Hans Paul Hendrickson, Steven Uihlein, Andrew Gasparini and Dana Bush in a scene from ‘The Adventures of Peter Rabbit.’ Photo by Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions, Inc.

By Heidi Sutton

When Theatre Three announces the return of a perennial favorite, “The Adventures of Peter Rabbit,” everyone knows that spring is just around the corner. Even more fitting, this year marks 150 years since the birth of Beatrix Potter, who created all of the wonderful characters in the production, from Mrs. Rabbit, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-Tail to Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny and the McGregors. Written by Jeffrey E. Sanzel and the late Brent Erlanson, the show mimics Potter’s “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” closely with a kinder, softer story line. Sanzel directs a talented cast of eight adult actors to bring us this delightful musical that has become a wonderful tradition for families all over the Island.

The cast of ‘The Adventures of Peter Rabbit.’ Photo by Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions Inc.
The cast of ‘The Adventures of Peter Rabbit.’ Photo by Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions Inc.

The story follows a mischievous Peter Rabbit who, because of his insatiable appetite for parsley, cucumbers, tomatoes, string beans and lettuce, is constantly drawn to Mr. McGregor’s garden despite his mother’s wishes. Many trips to the garden patch with his cousin, Benjamin Bunny, eventually wear down the farmer’s patience, ending in a great chase scene through the theater, which is reenacted in slow motion later on.

The show opens with a sweet rendition of “Morning” by Mrs. Rabbit, played by Amanda Geraci, and never loses its momentum. Marquéz Catherine Stewart, Jenna Kavaler and Melanie Acampora are the good little bunnies Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-Tail, respectively, who spend most of the show trying to find their “wayward brother” Peter, played with unbounded energy by Hans Paul Hendrickson. Dana Bush returns as a patient Mrs. McGregor after a few year’s absence and Andrew Gasparini tackles the role of Mr. McGregor for the very first time, playing the stingy and cranky farmer perfectly, sans the desire to eat the rabbits. Steven Uihlein, who plays the role of cousin Benjamin Bunny, rounds out the cast and does a terrific job.

Imagination plays a big part in the show, as the set design is sparse, utilizing a trapdoor on stage as a rabbit hole and constructing a makeshift scarecrow. Costumes, designed by Teresa Matteson, are on point, from Mr. McGregor’s overalls to the little white tails on the rabbits. Kudos to Michelle Manda for a terrific job on the lighting, especially during a Mission Impossible scene when Peter and Benjamin attempt to retrieve Peter’s clothes from the scarecrow.

The musical numbers, written by Kevin F. Story and accompanied on piano by Steve McCoy, are all showstoppers, especially “One More Time Around,”  “Beware! Mr. McGregor!” and “Peter’s Socks,” which Stewart, also the choreographer, has converted to a fun hip-hop piece. All of the songs are incorporated into the finale, a perfect ending to a Theatre Three classic.

Souvenir bunnies in various colors are up for sale during intermission, and the entire cast is in the lobby after the show for a meet-and-greet.

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson will present “The Adventures of Peter Rabbit” through March 26. Children’s theater will continue on the Mainstage with “Cinderella” from April 16 to June 11, “The Emperor’s New Clothes” from July 8 to Aug. 5 and “The Misadventures of Robin Hood” from Aug. 5 to 13. All seats are $10. For more information, call the box office at 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

The Comsewogue middle school robotics team poses with coaches Steven Nielsen and Jennifer Caltagirone. Photo by Alex Petroski
Steven Nielsen shows off the creation of the Robotic Raccoons, Comsewogue's middle school team. Photo by Alex Petroski
Steven Nielsen shows off the creation of the Robotic Raccoons, Comsewogue’s middle school team. Photo by Alex Petroski

Comsewogue’s John F. Kennedy Middle School robotics team captured the Long Island Championship in the FIRST LEGO Robotics Competition at Longwood High School on Feb. 28, competing against about 150 other teams. They will be moving on to nationals in Missouri in April.

The board of education honored the team for its achievement at the board’s meeting on Monday.

“I think it’s fantastic,” Superintendent Joe Rella said in an interview. “They’ve been working on this project for a while, and that’s great that they have that interest.”

The Robotic Raccoons team, coached by Steven Nielsen and Jennifer Caltagirone, is collecting bottles and cans as a means of fundraising for their trip to Missouri. Anyone who would like to help should bring their recyclables to the middle school’s main entrance lobby.

A plane that crash-landed in Hauppauge was still at the scene a few days later. Photo by Greg Pereira

By Phil Corso & Elana Glowatz

For the second time in the last couple of weeks, a plane with engine problems made an emergency landing on the North Shore.

The Suffolk County Police Department said a passenger plane flying into Republic Airport in Farmingdale on Saturday afternoon experienced engine failure while flying at 2,000 feet. The pilot, who was with his daughter and returning from visiting colleges, deployed the plane’s parachute at 1,500 feet before crash-landing at an industrial park in Hauppauge.

According to police, after the plane landed just feet from a building on Marcus Boulevard, the pilot pulled his passenger out of the plane. Police said both father and daughter refused medical attention.

The crash-landing happened exactly two weeks after another in Suffolk County, which occurred when a small plane carrying four people experienced engine trouble and went down in Setauket Harbor near Poquott. That incident did not end as safely.

The Piper PA-28, which had taken off from Fitchburg, Mass., and was heading for Republic Airport in Farmingdale, went down on the night of Feb. 20. All four people exited the plane into the water, police said, but only three were rescued. Authorities are still searching for the fourth passenger, 23-year-old Queens man Gerson Salmon-Negron.

The county police said its marine bureau has been out on the water daily, weather permitting, during daylight hours in search of the man both via the surface on boats and using side scan sonar to scan the floor of the water.

At the time the plane was having engine trouble, a student pilot identified as 25-year-old Bronx resident Austricio Ramirez was flying it and turned over the controls to his instructor, 36-year-old Queens resident Nelson Gomez.

Wady Perez, a 25-year-old from Queens, was identified as the other man rescued from the water that night.

Suffolk police were receiving help from the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. Coast Guard, local fire departments and the town harbormaster in the rescue, missing person search and investigation in that February incident.

In a report released this week, the NTSP 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 plunge into Setauket Harbor after a plane crash-landed on Feb. 20. Photo from Margo Arceri
Divers with the Suffolk County Police Department plunge into Setauket Harbor after a plane crash-landed on Feb. 20. Photo from Margo Arceri

Chris Ryon photo from Naomi Solo

By Naomi Solo

Chris Ryon has officially been appointed Village Historian for the Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson. Chris brings to this position a very interesting historical story. His parents were introduced to one another by Rob Sisler who was the village’s first historian. At the time Chris’ father had been teaching in Port Jefferson High School along with Rob. Chris’ mother Theora Newcomb was a personal family friend. Theora’s father and his brother Spurge owned the very well known Newcomb Brothers Automobile dealership located where the present ferry dock is.

Back in the 1980s I was fortunate to interview Andrew Newcomb, Chris’ grandfather. I was doing research on the building of the schooner Palestine. I got some of my earliest history lessons of the village from him.

Chris’ interest in our local history comes naturally to him because he was raised in a family where history was the conversation during dinner. Chris has for several years been the historian for the Village of Poquott. His appointment to this additional position comes at a time when he has just retired from a career in teaching and is excited about the possibilities of expanding and enriching the Archive of Port Jefferson Village.

To that purpose he cordially invites any residents in the area to stop by the Archive room in the Port Jefferson Village Center on Saturdays or Mondays from 9 a.m. to noon and share stories and/or photos with him.  He fully realizes that the enrichment of the Archive room necessitates villagers’ participation and he is eager to talk to many of you.    

Chris succeeds Ken Brady who held the position and was largely responsible for the development and rich holdings that the Archive room now possesses. Ken welcomed one and all from Port Jeff and surrounding communities to drop in and visit to share old photos and to chat. Chris wants to follow that same pattern.  Preceding Ken Brady in that position was Rob Sisler, and it was Rob’s idea that the Village Center have a Mezzanine/Gallery. Because of this we are able to have continuing art and historical exhibits. It is through Rob’s efforts that two of our historic buildings were moved and restored and have become the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce office and the Zinna house at West Broadway.

  In chatting with Chris, he said that history exists in the rich memories of the families living in and around the village. For the 150th anniversary of Cedar Hill Cemetery Chris worked on the photo exhibit. Recently my husband has passed away and when I go up to Cedar Hill I see so many of the local family names. I learned most of their histories  from Ken and Chris.

A historian’s job goes beyond simple knowledge and is enriched by the contributions including stories and photos that provide a more complete picture. The job of a historian is to be the gatherer of information where people can come and share their stories.

Those wishing to speak with Chris are welcome to call 631-802-2165 and/or email him at [email protected].

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The Gentlemen’s Driving Park is currently overgrown and hidden, but will soon be restored. Photo by Elana Glowatz

By Elana Glowatz

Officials are on track to restore a piece of Long Island history, bringing an abandoned and forgotten horse-racing site back to life.

The Cumsewogue Historical Society has a ticket to the Gentlemen’s Driving Park from July 4, 1892. Photo by Elana Glowatz
The Cumsewogue Historical Society has a ticket to the Gentlemen’s Driving Park from July 4, 1892. Photo by Elana Glowatz

Brookhaven Town finished purchasing a swath of wooded land off of Canal Road in Terryville at the end of 2013, after Cumsewogue Historical Society President Jack Smith discovered the faint outline of the horse track and dug up information about what was once called the Gentlemen’s Driving Park. The town now owns the entire 11-acre site.

Today it’s an overgrown path hidden among trees, but the Gentlemen’s Driving Park used to be a place where Victorian Era bettors watched men race around the half-mile loop — counterclockwise — behind horses in carts called sulkies. It was part of a circuit of harness racing tracks in the Northeast, according to Smith, but likely fell into neglect with the rise of the automobile.

But cars have also helped keep the track viable: Smith previously reported that at least through the mid-1950s, kids raced jalopies around the track, preventing it from becoming completely overgrown.

Smith said on Monday the effort to restore and preserve the track is moving slowly, but there has been progress since the town finished acquiring the property. There are plans in place to clear the track to about 20 feet wide, although leaving larger trees in place, and to move up the southern curve of the oval, he said.

Jack Smith takes a closer look at a wrecked car on the Gentlemen's Driving Park track around the time he first discovered the forgotten historical spot. Photo by Elana Glowatz
Jack Smith takes a closer look at a wrecked car on the Gentlemen’s Driving Park track around the time he first discovered the forgotten historical spot. Photo by Elana Glowatz

Currently, a small PSEG Long Island facility cuts into that southern tip. Rather than moving the facility or leaving the track incomplete, the town would retrace that small section of track, slightly shortening the loop but completing the oval so as to make a walkable path for visitors.

“The town is in the process of working on the track to restore the track as closely to the original footprint as possible,” Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station) said in a statement this week. “There will be some adjustments needed and the town is actively working on that.”

If all goes according to plan, the councilwoman said, the restored track could open late in the summer or early in the fall.

“The important thing is that it will be an oval,” Smith said Monday. “We want to keep some of the historical integrity.”

His goal is to put informational signs around the track that will teach people about its history.

The Gentlemen’s Driving Park is currently overgrown and hidden, but will soon be restored. Photo by Elana Glowatz
The Gentlemen’s Driving Park is currently overgrown and hidden, but will soon be restored. Photo by Elana Glowatz

The driving park was adjacent to well-known horse trainer Robert L. Davis’ Comsewogue stables, now the Davis Professional Park. After hearing rumors of such a track in Terryville, Smith discovered it by looking at an aerial image of the neighborhood taken during the winter, when the foliage was less dense. He saw the faint shape in the woods near Canal Road and went walking in to find it. Since that visit, he has uncovered a broken pair of Victorian-era field glasses near the finish line on the track’s west side, which may have been dropped and trampled. He also has a ticket from a racing event on July 4. 1892.

Once restoration work is completed, Cartright said the town hopes to work with the historical society and the community “to hold a kickoff event to highlight the track and its history.”

For his part, the historical society president has said he would like to hold a fair in which people will re-enact the late 1800s horse races with vintage sulkies or participate in a carriage parade.

“We can’t be happier that it’s been preserved,” Smith said.

Hollister hoodwinked

A 34-year-old man from Brentwood was arrested at about noon on Feb. 27 at Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove for stealing men’s apparel from Hollister, according to police. He was charged with petit larceny and third-degree burglary. Police said the latter charge was included because he previously signed an agreement that he would not enter the store.

Something smells fitchy

Cologne was stolen from Abercrombie & Fitch at Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove on Feb. 27. Police charged a 28-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman, both from East Elmhurst, with petit larceny.

Habitually shady thief

On four separate occasions in February, a 36-year-old man from Central Islip allegedly stole sunglasses from the Macy’s at Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove. He was arrested on Feb. 27, police said, and charged with four counts of fourth-degree grand larceny.

Police crack down

A 52-year-old woman from Smithtown was arrested on Feb. 27 at a home on Split Cedar Drive in Islandia because she was found to be in possession of crack cocaine, police said. She was charged with loitering while intending to use a controlled substance.

Caught crack-handed

At about 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 27, a 53-year-old man from Northport was arrested after it was discovered during a traffic stop on Lincoln Boulevard in Hauppauge that he had crack cocaine, according to police. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

In need of some heel-p

Police said a 35-year-old woman from Centereach was in possession of stolen shoes and a stolen purse from the DSW shoe store on Middle Country Road in Lake Grove. She was arrested on Feb. 26 and charged with petit larceny.

Driving me crazy

A 32-year-old man from Wheatley Heights was arrested at about 10 p.m. on Feb. 26 for driving with a suspended license, following a traffic stop on Motor Parkway in Brentwood, police said. He was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle.

Pot luck

At about 10 a.m. on Feb. 25, a 44-year-old man from Lake Grove was arrested on Hawkins Avenue in Lake Grove when he was found to be in possession of marijuana, according to police. He was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana in a public place.

Why would you want to stay?

On Feb. 25, at the Suffolk County Traffic and Parking Violations Agency in Hauppauge, a 29-year-old man from Central Islip was arrested after he was asked to leave the office and refused, police said. He was charged with trespassing.

Getting high with gravity

A 32-year-old man from Ronkonkoma was arrested at about 8 a.m. on Feb. 24 after police found him semi-conscious in the driver’s seat of a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee on Terry Road in Ronkonkoma with the engine running, police said. Police found prescription pills and a gravity knife inside the car. He was charged with first-degree operation of a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon with a previous conviction.

Probation possession

During a probation search of the home of a 36-year-old man on Gardenia Drive in Commack on Feb. 27, police said they found prescription pills in a 2007 BMW. The man was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

The windows on the bus go …

An unknown person broke the glass door of a bus at about 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 27, while it was parked at the Centereach Academic Center on Wood Road, police said.

Caddy crash

A 27-year-old man was arrested for unlicensed operation of a car on Feb. 28. According to police, the Port Jefferson Station resident was driving a 1995 Cadillac when he got into a crash on the corner of Nesconset Highway and Davis Avenue. Police arrested him at the scene.

60 percent of the time, it works every time

Police arrested a 43-year-old man from Sound Beach for driving while ability impaired on Feb. 25, after an officer pulled him over for driving a 2004 Mazda pickup without his headlights on. The incident happened at 2:35 a.m. on the corner of Route 25A and Panther Path in Miller Place.

He shall not be moved

On Feb. 21, police arrested a man from Islip for trespassing after he entered a residence on Woodland Road in Centereach and refused to leave the family’s attached garage. Police arrested the man around 9:30 p.m.

Leave a message at the beep

A Riverhead resident was arrested on Feb. 26 for petit larceny. Police said the man stole cellphones from Walmart at Centereach Mall. Police arrested him in the Burger King parking lot on Middle Country Road.

An unhappy ending

Police arrested a 50-year-old woman from Flushing for unauthorized practice of a profession and prostitution, after they say she offered a sexual act to an undercover officer in exchange for payment on Feb. 22, at The Pamper Spot on Middle Country Road in Selden. Police said the woman was also giving massages without a license.

They see me rollin’

According to police, on Feb. 22, a 22-year-old woman pulled alongside and entered an empty 2015 Dodge pickup parked in a parking lot near North Belle Mead Road in East Setauket and stole cash from the car. She was allegedly caught in the act and arrested. Police also said the woman had been driving a 2005 Hyundai Sonata without her interlock device.

Living on the Edge

Police arrested a 21-year-old woman from Bayport for driving while ability impaired in a 2007 Ford Edge, after she was heading south on Hollow Road in Stony Brook and got into a car crash. Police discovered the woman was intoxicated and arrested her at the scene, on Feb. 21 around 4:20 a.m.

Wrong kind of shrooms

A 19-year-old man from Coram was arrested for petit larceny on Feb. 20, after police said the teen stole a bag of dried mushrooms from Wild By Nature on Route 25A in East Setauket. Police arrested him at the scene.

Put it on my tab

On Feb. 20 around 4:30 a.m., police arrested a 58-year-old man from Selden for assault after he got into a verbal argument with another man at Darin’s bar on Route 25A in Miller Place. Police said the victim went to the hospital after the suspect hit him with a metal bar stool.

We build it, you knock it down

According to police, someone damaged the window of Riverhead Building Supply on Hallock Avenue in Port Jefferson Station on Feb. 27, between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. The business couldn’t tell if anything was stolen.

CVS swindler

On Feb. 22 around 5 p.m., an unidentified person stole assorted food, vitamins and cosmetics from the CVS pharmacy on Main Street in Port Jefferson.

Watch out for blue shells

Someone stole an electric go-kart on Feb. 21 from a residence on Oxhead Road in Centereach.

We are not Oak-kay

Police said someone entered a residence on Oak Place in Selden through the rear door and stole cash on Feb. 21.

Hummer bummer

Between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Feb. 24, someone damaged the rear window of a 2006 Hummer limo. The incident happened on Jackson Avenue in Sound Beach.

He thieved me jewels

Someone entered a residence on Nautilus Road in Rocky Point and stole jewelry. According to police, the homeowner found her back door open on Feb. 25 around 1:03 p.m.

Shark attack

Police said an unidentified person gained access to the Long Island Sound Sharks football field at Shoreham on Feb. 25 and drove across the field. Police said the turf was ruined in the process.

Disaster on Depot

A 48-year-old man from Huntington Station was arrested just after midnight on Feb. 28 after police said he was in possession of cocaine on Depot Road. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

If I stay or if I go

On Feb. 28, a 21-year-old woman from Huntington Station would not leave Huntington Hospital after being discharged. At 2 a.m., after being repeatedly told she needed to leave, she was arrested and charged with third-degree criminal trespassing.

Pick pocket with pills

Police said a 25-year-old woman from Huntington Station stole cash from someone’s pocket at the Dolan Family Health Center in Huntington on Feb. 28 just before 2:30 a.m. Once police arrested her, they discovered she was in possession of prescription pills without a prescription. She was charged with petit larceny and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Woke up on the wrong side of the road

On Feb. 28, a 59-year-old woman from Northport was arrested while driving a 2010 Jeep on the wrong side of the road on Asharoken Avenue at 4:17 p.m. She was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Drugs, drugs and more drugs

A 25-year-old man from Wading River was arrested on Feb. 28 after police said he was in possession of 11 hypodermic needles, Xanax, heroin and cocaine on Route 25 in Huntington at 5:35 p.m. He was charged with three counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and possession of hypodermic instruments.

In need-le of some help

Police said a 22-year-old man from Kings Park had heroin and hypodermic needles in his possession while on Larkfield Road in East Northport at 5:20 p.m. on Feb. 27. He was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and possession of a hypodermic instrument.

Knuckle sandwich

A 19-year-old woman from Northport was arrested on Feb. 27 on Larkfield Road and 8th Avenue in East Northport after police said she had black plastic knuckles in her possession and heroin. She was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Making a deposit from Home Depot

Police said an unknown person stole assorted tools from Home Depot on Jericho Turnpike in Commack on Feb. 28 at 11:35 a.m.

Mamma mia

An unknown person pushed and shoved a man outside of Little Vincent’s Pizzeria on New York Avenue in Huntington on Feb. 28 and gave the victim two black eyes. The victim was treated at Huntington Hospital for minor injuries.

Everything from shoes to a boob guard

At Sears on Jericho Turnpike in Elwood, an unknown person stole jewelry, cologne, a phone charger, shoes and boob guards on Feb. 28, according to police.

Caught crack-handed

At about 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 27, a 53-year-old man from Northport was arrested after it was discovered during a traffic stop on Lincoln Boulevard in Hauppauge that he had crack cocaine, according to police. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Probation possession

During a probation search of the home of a 36-year-old man on Gardenia Drive in Commack on Feb. 27, police said they found prescription pills in a 2007 BMW. The man was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.