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Times of Huntington-Northport

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Heroin rides shotgun

A 38-year-old woman from East Setauket was arrested on Dec. 5 for criminal possession of a controlled substance. Police said officials pulled the woman over between Main Street and Dayton Avenue in Port Jefferson Station for an unknown reason, then discovered she was in possession of heroin. The drug was on the front passenger seat of the woman’s 2005 Ford. Police arrested her at the scene.

It’s not my asphalt

On Dec. 3, police arrested a 19-year-old man from Port Jefferson for robbery and criminal mischief, after police said he threw someone to the ground and stole their wallet near the Pax Christi Hospitality Center on Oakland Avenue in Port Jefferson. The man also threw a piece of asphalt at the building and broke one of its windows. Police arrested the man on Linden Place.

Heads and tails

Police arrested a 38-year-old man from Mount Sinai on Dec. 6 for driving while ability impaired while going east on Route 25A in Mount Sinai. Police pulled the man over because his Volkswagen Jetta’s headlights and taillights weren’t working. Officials discovered the man was under the influence and arrested him at the scene.

A 54-year-old man from Centereach was arrested on Dec. 5 for driving while ability impaired in a 1992 Buick on Rustic Road in Centereach. Police pulled the man over around 12:42 a.m. because the car’s taillights weren’t working. They discovered he was intoxicated and arrested him.

Wrangling a suspect

On Dec. 5, a 41-year-old man from Centereach was arrested for leaving the scene of a car crash. The man was driving a Jeep Wrangler east on Old Town Road in East Setauket when he crashed into a 2006 Acura around 8:05 p.m. Police arrested the man minutes later at his residence on Gnarled Hollow Road. Police said the man failed to stop, causing the crash, but it was unclear if that was at a stop sign or at a traffic light.

Desperate Housewives, cont.

Police arrested a 17-year-old male from Selden for assault with a weapon on Dec. 6, a day after he struck someone with a glass bottle. Police didn’t say what caused the altercation but said the victim was transported to the Stony Brook University Hospital. The teenaged assailant was arrested the following day at his residence on Wisteria Lane in Lake Grove.

College crash

A 56-year-old woman from Selden was arrested for leaving the scene of a crash on Dec. 5, after driving a 2004 Nissan on College Road in Selden and crashing into another car. Police found the woman after she fled and arrested her at the 6th Precinct.

If I had a Nicolls …

Police arrested a 31-year-old woman from Islip on Dec. 4 for driving while ability impaired on Nicolls Road in Stony Brook. Police pulled her over when she failed to stay in her lane and arrested her after discovering she was under the influence.

Que Linda!

An unknown person slashed a tire of a 1997 Lincoln that was parked on Linda Street in Port Jefferson Station. Police said the incident happened between Dec. 5 at 10 p.m. and Dec. 6 around 6 a.m.

Cutting

On Dec. 6, a 39-year-old man from Port Jefferson was arrested for harassment. The man was standing on Main Street in Port Jefferson and had a machete in his pants. Police said the man pointed the machete toward his own throat and made a cutting motion.

Thief fresh

An unidentified person walked into the Subway on Route 25A in Miller Place with a small black handgun and demanded money from the cash register. The incident happened on Dec. 4 around 8:19 a.m.

On Dec. 3, someone stole a yellow skateboard in front of the Subway on Route 25A in Shoreham.

Two chains

An unidentified person stole two bikes and a chain saw from a residence on Farmingdale Road in Sound Beach between Dec. 4 at noon and Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. The items were located in a storage shed near the house.

Just kickin’ it

On Dec. 4, several unknown people kicked a hole in the fence of a residence on Model Court in Sound Beach.

Out of gas

Police arrested a 25-year-old man from Rocky Point on Dec. 6 around 9:55 p.m. According to police, the man entered a BP gas station in August armed with a small handgun and demanded money from the cash register. Police finally arrested the man on Dogwood Road in Rocky Point.

Cracking the Walnut

An unknown person stole cash and removed a locked safe from a residence on Walnut Drive in East Shoreham on Dec. 3.

Meet me upstairs

Police said an unknown person broke the upstairs window of a residence on Park Hill Drive in Selden on Dec. 6.

For your convenience

An unidentified man and woman entered the CVS Pharmacy on Middle Country Road in Selden and stole beauty supplies, medical supplies and other items from the store. Police said the incident happened on Dec. 6.

Common sprinkler’s trick

An unknown man entered Old Navy on Jericho Turnpike in Commack sometime between 9:30 p.m. and 6:15 a.m. on Oct. 25 through a common sprinkler room. It is unknown if the man fled with any items. Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man, who was seen wearing a black hoodie.

Trying to stay fresh

A 46-year-old man and a 25-year-old man both from Farmingville were arrested on Dec. 5 at 6:50 p.m. for stealing air fresheners and red hair dye from Costco on Garet Place in Commack, according to police. They were charged with petit larceny.

Smack in Commack

On Dec. 4 an 18-year-old man from Dix Hills was arrested after police said he had a large amount of cocaine and prescription drugs without a prescription in his possession on Commack Road in Commack at midnight. He was charged with three accounts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Prepare for beat down

Police said a 25-year-old man from Dix Hills stole two pairs of Beats headphones from Target on Henry Street in Commack at 7:15 p.m. on Dec. 3. He was charged with petit larceny.

To infinity and — nope

A 44-year-old man from Commack was arrested on Dec. 3 at 6:10 p.m. after police said he was in possession of heroin and was driving a 1994 Infiniti on Carlton Avenue in Commack with a suspended license. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

We didn’t start the fire

On Dec. 6 a 30-year-old man from St. James was arrested at 6 p.m. on Privet Court in Smithtown after police said he threatened to physically harm someone and burn their house down. He was charged with second-degree obstructing governmental administration.

Ladies don’t get in her Mercedes

A 49-year-old woman from Smithtown was arrested in Huntington Station on Dec. 3 at 6:40 p.m. after police said she was involved in a crash while driving a 2000 Mercedes and discovered she was on drugs. She was charged with first-degree operation of a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs.

Driving on the high road

On Dec. 6 a 26-year-old man from Islandia was arrested on Larkfield Road and Daly Road in Commack at 8:12 p.m. after police said he was driving a 2009 Pontiac while on drugs. He was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs.

The lady in the Mercedes

A 49-year-old woman from Smithtown was arrested in Huntington Station on Dec. 3 at 6:40 p.m. after police said she was involved in a crash while driving a 2000 Mercedes. Police discovered she was on drugs and charged her with first-degree operation of a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs.

Not in prime position

A 22-year-old man from East Northport was arrested at the corner of Prime Avenue and Mill Lane in Huntington at about 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 after police said he was in possession of marijuana and prescription medication without a prescription. He was charged with two accounts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana.

No smiles on Broadway

Police said a 27-year-old man from Wheatley Heights had marijuana in his possession at midnight on Broadway Road in Greenlawn, on Dec. 6. He was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Liberty is caught

On Dec. 3, a 58-year-old man from Dix Hills was arrested at the 2nd Precinct for an incident on Nov. 19 at 10:35 p.m., where police said he was driving a 2011 Jeep Liberty on New York Avenue in Huntington when he side swiped another vehicle and then fled the scene. He was charged with operating a motor vehicle and leaving the scene with property damage.

Wallet woes

Police said a 32-year-old man from Huntington stole a wallet from someone inside Christopher’s in Huntington on July 19 at 11:15 p.m. He was arrested on Dec. 2 at the corner of New York Avenue and Main Street and charged with fourth-degree grand larceny involving a credit card.

A 25-year-old from Bayville was arrested on Dec. 4 at 11:10 p.m. at Acacia Restaurant on New York Avenue in Huntington for stealing someone’s wallet. He was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny.

Not nice in the Nissan

On Dec. 2, a 37-year-old man from Huntington Station was arrested after police said he was driving a 1998 Nissan on New York Avenue in Huntington Station at 3:40 p.m. with a suspended license. He was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle.

Corner drugs

Police said a 22-year-old man from East Northport had marijuana in his possession on Mckay Road and Columbia Street in Huntington Station at 12:15 a.m on Dec. 6. He was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Driving on the high road

On Dec. 6, a 26-year-old man from Islandia was arrested on Larkfield Road and Daly Road in Commack at 8:12 p.m., after police said he was driving a 2009 Pontiac while on drugs. He was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs.

Not BB-ing nice to the windows

On Dec. 4, at about 10 p.m., someone reported that a window of his or her home on West Neck Road in Huntington was shot with a BB gun.

Close but no cigar

An unknown person broke into a home on Browning Drive in Greenlawn on Dec. 5 at 9:30 a.m. but did not steal anything.

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Kate Keating and Austin Morgan in a scene from ‘Frosty.’ Photo by Michael DeCristofaro

The holidays are upon us and that means it’s time for “Frosty” to come to life at the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport. Under the direction of Richard T. Dolce, the annual production, with a spirited cast of five adult actors, presents a lively show with song and dance that is perfect for its target audience.

Uber-talented Kate Keating reprises her role as Jenny, a young girl living in the town of Chillsville who loves the snow and loves winter. With the help of her mother, lovingly played by Courtney Fekete, Jenny builds a snowman who magically comes alive, and the duo are quickly best pals. Making his Engeman debut, Austin Morgan is a terrific Frosty and quickly connects with the audience, especially after he dances to “It’s Your Birthday.”

Jen Casey is the villain Ethel Pierpot, who wants to make Chillsville warm and snow-free so she can build a new factory. Her weather machine starts to make everything melt, including Frosty. With the help of the audience, Ethel Pierpot’s plan is foiled and, after a thrilling chase scene through the theater and an intense snowball fight, the machine is turned off.

From the very beginning the theatergoers become part of the show, thanks to the efforts of the narrator, Michael Verre, who guides the audience through the story with comedic genius. Verre draws the most laughs as he goes from being bundled up for winter to wearing less and less each time he makes an appearance on stage to demonstrate how warm Chillsville is getting.

Asking a full house last Sunday how to stop Ethel Pierpot from turning Frosty into a puddle of water, Verre received some creative suggestions, including have Frosty “go to a new town where there’s plenty of snow,” “put Frosty in an ice cream truck” and “reverse the machine to cold.” At the end of the show, all the children are asked to wish for snow to keep Frosty from melting and are rewarded for their efforts.

There was magic in the air at the Engeman Theater that morning — yes, a snowman came to life and, yes, it snowed inside the theater. But even more magical than that were the priceless expressions of joy, excitement and wonderment on the faces of the children in the audience.

Meet the cast after the show for pictures and autographs. An autograph page is conveniently located at the back of the program.

Take your child or grandchild to see “Frosty” and let them experience the magic of live theater. They will love you for it.

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport, will present “Frosty” through Jan. 3. Tickets are $15 each. For more information, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

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Tenants of early stage businesses at work in LaunchPad Huntington. File photo by Rohma Abbas

Early stage businesses on the North Shore should set their sights high.

A state program that offers tax breaks, technical aid, legal advice and more is now more accessible to startup businesses, thanks to both Long Island High Technology Incubator in Stony Brook and LaunchPad Huntington.

The Innovation Hot Spot Support Program is a smaller version of the New York State-wide program Start-Up New York, which aims to empower more up-and-coming businesses with the tools they need to prosper. Hot Spot does not offer all of the benefits that Start-Up NY offers, but it is less restrictive and has fewer mandates than the former.

Start-Up New York requirements include a 10-year commitment strictly at an incubator location, and hiring a certain amount of employees.

Hot Spot was created to support companies that are in the early stages of development for the purpose of creating successful businesses in state. In order for a company to get approved for this program, they need to be recommended by a certified Start-Up New York member.

The benefits of being in the Hot Spot program include technical assistance, mentorship, entrepreneurial education, development services and tax breaks.  Phil Rugile, director of LaunchPad Huntington, said that businesses in Hot Spot are eligible for state tax breaks, corporate tax breaks, are free of sales tax, and can receive legal advice for issues like patents.

As of this month, Launchpad is a designated approval site for the Hot Spot program and can now nominate companies to be considered for it, as long as they are tenants of one of LaunchPad’s five locations, according to Rugile.

“We want to help startups,” Rugile said. “I’m excited. This is a good program.”

One of the reasons LaunchPad is now part of the Hot Spot program is because the Long Island High Technology Incubator located at Stony Brook University supports them. It’s required for every Hot Spot to be affiliated and supported by a college, university or research institution.

Long Island High Technology Incubator is a non-profit business that supports early-stage companies much like LaunchPad. In its 16 years of service, it has housed more than 70 companies and is an official Start-Up New York member. Now LaunchPad joins Long Island High Tech in supporting new businesses and recommending them for programs like Hot Spot.

Ann-Marie Scheidt, director of economic development at Long Island High Tech and an adjunct professor at Stony Brook University, said in a phone interview that the council wants to make sure all places they support “represent a innovative family on Long Island that will help startups grow and stay on Long Island.”

She said that LaunchPad exposes new companies to “an enormous range of expert resources that are so valuable for an early-stage business.”

LaunchPad has already successfully nominated a tenant of theirs to join the Hot Spot program — Nomorobo, a company that shields customers from telemarketers and robot callers.

Aaron Foss, founder of Nomorobo, said that LaunchPad wanted any company they nominated to be able to contribute to the community. Ross is also a professor at Molloy College and works with students from Molloy, Stony Brook and Hofstra University to develop their business ideas.

Foss said the financial benefits of the program are fantastic.

“I have about a $50,000 monthly phone bill, with added costs for sales tax,” Foss said in a phone interview. “That’s thousands of dollars I can use elsewhere, to hire employees or spend on advertising.”

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Hanae Wada clashes with her foil opponent. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

The Brentwood fencing team was too much for the Huntington Blue Devils to handle, as the boys fell 15-12, and the girls lost 18-9, Monday night.

On the boys’ side, Brentwood dominated Huntington in epée, winning seven of nine bouts, which set the tone for the rest of the match. Notching victory for the Blue Devils in epée was Finn Tucker, who managed to take two out of three, defeating his opponents 5-3 and 5-4 before dropping his third by a single point.

On the girls’ strip, Huntington struggled to fill the card, and forfeited three matches as a result of fencers being ineligible due to practice issues, which, according to Huntington head coach Jillian Melnick, is not uncommon this early in the season.

“We were fencing their best of their best, but unfortunately, not all of our fencers were eligible,” Melnick said, adding that each fencer needs a certain number of practices to qualify for the first meet.

Senior Elisa Medina-Jaudes took two out of three in epée, defeating her opponents 5-3 and 5-4 before she too dropped her third match by a single point.

Jack O’Heir, right, battles his epée opponent. Photo by Bill Landon
Jack O’Heir, right, battles his epée opponent. Photo by Bill Landon

“Brentwood has always been an equal match for us,” Medina-Jaudes said. “We were missing some of our best players, but I think we did well overall. We were able to hold our own, but we struggled without those players.”

Melnick said she is always pleased with her senior’s performance.

“Elisa performed well, as she stayed cool under pressure,” she said. “She’s a leader out there on the strip, where she kept her entire team rooting for one another.”

The boys took foil with a dominant performance by Dylan Collier, who won all three of his bouts 5-2, 5-0 and 5-3. Huntington took the foil card 5-4.

The girls struggled in foil, and managed only three wins to Brentwood’s six. Leading the card for Huntington was Hanae Wada, with two victories, defeating her opponents 5-2 and 5-4, while Sabrina Floro won her match 5-1.

“We did really well considering we didn’t have all of our varsity starters, so we saw new people step up,” Wada said. “We’ve got to work on being more aggressive, but we got a lot of touches today.”

Huntington’s Zach McGinniss won two out of three in sabre, besting his opponents 5-1 and 5-3, dropping his third match 3-5. Brentwood took the boys’ sabre card 5-4.

“Brentwood’s a good team; they’re consistent every year — they have good fencers, and I expected them to bring what they did today,” Huntington senior epéeist Jack O’Heir said. “We didn’t have our full varsity team, but I think each of us performed to our potential.”

Kelly Tenbus won two of her sabre matches, 5-1 and 5-3, and Adina Kirkland won her bout 5-2. But again, Brentwood bested the card, taking sabre 6-3.

“[Brentwood] showed superior technique today,” Melnick said. “We’ll practice in specific bouts where they’ll have to be aggressive in order to get the touch. Some of the kids were nervous and fell back on defense instead of pushing their own offense.”

Senior epéeist Stefano Ornato echoed O’Heir’s sentiment.

“They’re a solid team,” he said of Brentwood. “But missing as many players as we did, I thought we did pretty well with what we had.”

The Blue Devils hit the road for their next match, where they will take on Newfield on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 5 p.m.

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Smaller eateries could seat more, serve liquor

Smaller restaurants in Huntington may be able to expand their seating and serve a glass of wine with food. File photo

Huntington Town is looking for ways to allow smaller restaurants, like dine-in pizzerias and coffee shops, to offer more seating and obtain a liquor license in order to make them more competitive, officials said this week.

Councilwoman Tracey Edwards (D) sponsored legislation that attempts to help small businesses that serve food on-premises by placing them under a new classification. Currently, the town only classifies such establishments as either food shops or restaurants, but the former cannot have more than 15 seats and cannot serve alcohol, while the latter must have a floor plan of at least 2,500-square-feet. If passed, the resolution would create a new classification for bistros and allow one seat per 65-square-feet of total floor area, for a maximum of 38 seats in a 2,500-square-foot location.

If a business were to be approved as a bistro spot, it would have to meet specific parking requirements, could not have a drive-through, and could not dedicate more than 5 percent of its total gross floor area to prepackaged retail products, Edwards’ legislation said.

“Creating the bistro classification will help preserve the type of unique, local businesses that are present in our small strip malls as well as in our local villages and hamlets,” Edwards said in a statement. “This measure is important so that small businesses continue to have economic growth within the town of Huntington.”

Town Supervisor Frank Petrone (D) said that it’s important for town code to keep up with the times and the culture of what consumers now want in a restaurant.

“For example, today, many people like to have a glass of wine or a beer with a slice of pizza,” Petrone said in a statement. “This change will help small eateries that traditionally are owned by local businesspeople satisfy that demand and not lose customers to restaurants that already have capability.”

Residents and business owners of Huntington echoed this sentiment at a public hearing during a Huntington Town Board meeting Tuesday night.

Vito Defeo, owner of Viajo’s Pizza and Pasta on East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington, said that it’s an integral part of a restaurant to be able to offer a glass of wine or a beer with a meal.

“So it impacts our small businesses very greatly,” he said at the meeting. “Anything that can be done to move this forward, not just for myself, but for all the other small businesses in the town that are really restaurants but can’t be classified as such, I think is great. There are a lot of small operations that make amazing food that people would considered to be a restaurant, but unfortunately are not.”

Lisa Dvoskin, an attorney and lifelong resident of Huntington stressed the importance of maintaining smaller businesses in the area.

“I think we can all agree that the local businesses in Huntington are the lifeblood of this town,” Dvoskin said. “It is my hope we can have this new classification, in ‘bistro,’ to allow small businesses and restaurants to fairly compete and be successful.”

In addition to adding a bistro classification, Edwards said she also wants to simplify the bar classifications. Currently, a tavern or bar is under a sub classification of a restaurant, and with the new proposal, the distinction between a restaurant and a bar would be that a bar does not need to have kitchen facilities for food services at all times and is not required to have seating available for 90 percent of the lawful amount of patrons.

Edwards said after the meeting that based on the positive response from public comment, she expects the bistro law to be voted on at the next board meeting in January.

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A sketch of Del Vino Vineyards is displayed at the Huntington Planning Board meeting on Dec. 2. Photo by Victoria Espinoza.

Huntington residents left a recent planning board meeting with a bad taste in their mouths, thanks to a proposal to build a Del Vino Vineyards winery directly next door to Norwood Avenue Elementary School.

Frederick Giachetti, owner of the 10-acre property, said in June that he wanted to grow grapes and open a 94-seat wine tasting room instead of subdividing the land into seven residentially zoned properties, which was the original proposal. Community members and the Northport-East Northport School District said they strongly disapproved of the plans due to safety and health concerns for students at Norwood Elementary during a Huntington Planning Board meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

Attorney Carrie-Anne Tondo spoke on behalf of the school district and accused the applicant of not being “neighborly” by skipping several parts of the site plan review process typically requested by the planning board. But Attorney Anthony Guardino, who was representing the applicant, said Del Vino Vineyards is not required by the state to even submit a site plan. He said the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets does not recommend site plan approval for farm operations, including wineries.

“However, if a town does not follow that recommendation, and requires site plan approval, the dept. suggests that the site plan review process for farm operations be streamlined and expedited,” Guardino said in an email.

Attorney Carrie-Ann Tondo speaks at the Huntington Planning Board meeting on Dec. 2. Photo by Victoria Espinoza.
Attorney Carrie-Ann Tondo speaks at the Huntington Planning Board meeting on Dec. 2. Photo by Victoria Espinoza.

Guardino said that the school district was referring to requirements from a different type of classification under New York State’s Environmental Quality Review standards.

“Based on a NYS Dept. of Agriculture and Market’s publication…the application should be classified as a Type II action under SEQRA, which would make it exempt from the SEQRA review process altogether,” Guardino said. This includes a traffic study.

“The fact of the matter is we didn’t have to submit anything,” he said. “We’re here before you because we agreed to do the site review but we don’t have to be.”

Guardino said he suggested that if the planning board really wants these extra studies done, they should take it up with the state. But he said Del Vino Vineyards is “fully complaint with the law.”

The district’s biggest concerns included the winery’s hours of operation, pesticide uses, traffic problems, and student safety.

“The board of education takes very seriously the protection of the 365 students who attend the school,” Tondo said.

She also said a traffic study is currently missing from the vineyards site plan approval, and with a proposal of 60 parking spaces, a traffic study is “clearly warranted.”

According to Tondo, the school has bus traffic patterns on the weekdays, and on weekends, the school is used for many different events including soccer games and various club activities. So additional traffic in this area could have an adverse impact, she said.

Tondo also said the school would have a better understanding of how much traffic would be affected if the vineyard released its hours of operations, but they have yet to do so.

“All we’re asking for is full disclosure and transparency, which shouldn’t be issues if you’re looking to be a good neighbor,” she said. “I don’t know why there can’t be some compromise to alleviate concerns for hours of operations.”

Guardino said that the board does not have any power over the deciding for closing and opening hours.

“Hours are at the discretion of the owner within…this board can’t control that,” he said.

The property on Norwood Avenue where Del Vino VIneyard wants to set up shop. Photo by Victoria Espinoza.
The property on Norwood Avenue where Del Vino VIneyard wants to set up shop is currently vacant. Photo by Victoria Espinoza.

Student interaction with patrons at the vineyard was another concern, and Tondo asked if the vineyard is exploring security services. To this problem, Guardino said that building plans included a landscape buffer between the vineyard parking lot and the school, as well as a 10-foot deer fence, and he said he saw no instance where students would be able to converse with patrons.

29-Norwood-June-2015_14wTondo also said the district would also like a notification of when Del Vino will be spraying pesticides on their crops because schools themselves are not usually allowed to apply pesticides to their grounds to prevent students from unnecessary exposure.

Guardino said that Giachetti plans to use “state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly pesticide applicators” that recycles whatever pesticides aren’t directly sprayed on a plant and has very little overspray.

Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) said he thinks this vineyard could be valuable to the town by providing more open space.

“We need open space and for someone from the outside to pay for it is a gift,” Trotta said. “Is this perfect? I don’t know. But I think that you have an opportunity here to work with this gentleman…and for us to preserve open space because once he sells that and builds houses it’s gone forever.”

Alice Abbate, a 25-year resident of Norwood road, presented a petition with more than 350 signatures against the vineyard. All four of her children walk to school everyday at Norwood Elementary.

“My children shouldn’t be afraid that there are 60 parking spaces they’re passing where people have been coming in and out after they’ve been drinking,” Abbate said. “When we bought our home 25 years ago, as did our neighbors, we bought it because it was in a nice quiet neighborhood on a street with a school. Maybe a winery is a good idea some other place.”

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File photo

An armed robber who restrains victims before stealing cash has hit another location in Suffolk County, according to police.

The suspect entered Beach Bum Tanning in Huntington Station on Friday night with a handgun and forced two employees to the back of the store and then restrained them, the Suffolk County Police Department said. The man then took cash from the shop’s drawers.

Neither female employee was injured in the incident, police said, and there were no customers in the East Jericho Turnpike store at the time of the robbery, at about 8:30 p.m. But the crime was a familiar one.

Police have already been on the hunt for the suspect, who followed a similar routine at the Huntington Station Pier 1 Imports, also on East Jericho, on Nov. 22. In that armed robbery, the suspect restrained employees and customers at the back of the store, then made an employee open the shop’s safe and took cash from the registers.

The two crimes were similar to those that have taken place across Long Island since late August, including four robberies at women’s clothing stores in Suffolk County: on Sept. 7 in East Farmingdale, on Oct. 12 in West Babylon, on Oct. 26 in Deer Park and on Nov. 2 in North Lindenhurst.

The suspect in all of the armed robberies is described as black, between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall, and of a thin to medium build, police said. During the Pier 1 robbery, he was wearing a mask and a hoodie, but police said he was wearing a scarf and a hat during the Beach Bum Tanning robbery.

Detectives from the SCPD’s Pattern Crime Unit are investigating the incident and Suffolk County Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-220-TIPS.

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Kegs clutter the back of the Sand City Brewing Co. Photo from the business

There’s a new spot in Northport for those looking to kick back with a cold one.

Sand City Brewing Co. opened its doors in October as the only brewery in village, with all beers made on-site.

What started off as a hobby for owner Kevin Sihler has became quite the business venture.

“I started home-brewing 10 years ago,” Sihler said in a phone interview. “As soon as I started, I wanted to perfect the craft. It was a hobby I got interested in and then I became infatuated with it and it took over my life — and my house.”

Sihler said his friends, Bill Kiernan and Frank McNally, started helping him back when he was brewing in-house and eventually became partners with him in Sand City Brewing Co.

The brewery is located on Main Street in the village, at a spot that has seen many different tenants, including The Spy Shop and The Inlet, over the past few years. But this did not scare off Sihler at all — if anything, he loves the spot.

Sand City Brewing Co. owner Kevin Sihler and his son, Hudson, pose inside the brewery. Photo from Sihler
Sand City Brewing Co. owner Kevin Sihler and his son, Hudson, pose inside the brewery. Photo from Sihler

“The location is great for a brewery,” Sihler said. “The alleyway off Main Street gives us more seclusion.”

The Centerport-based Blind Bat Brewery was originally looking to set up shop at this space in 2014. However, the owner, Paul Dlugokencky, could not come to terms on the lease with the landlord and left the location.

The tasting room is casual and relaxed, and welcomes both dogs and children.

According to Sihler, about 300 pounds of beer are brewed on any given day. Sihler said he likes to experiment with different styles, and add a unique twist to standard flavors.

Southdown Breakfast Stout, a popular beer, is brewed with coffee, chocolate and oats. Day Drifter Oatmeal IPA is also brewed with oats and is Sihler’s twist on classic India pale ale.

Since opening, Sihler said the tasting room is always crowded

“We are literally selling out of beer before we can brew it,” he said.

Aside from single glass tastings and a flight of five different beers, growlers are also available for purchase.

Sihler, a Northport resident, said he always wanted to set up shop in Northport.

“There’s a quaint feeling in this town,” he said. “The small town environment of getting to know your neighbors — I like that feeling.”

He said Sandy City Brewing Co. is actually named after a local hot spot in Northport, Hobart Beach Park, which many refer to as “Sand City.”

“It portrays the image of a relaxed place that everyone can relate to,” he said.

Sand City Brewing Co. is open Thursdays through Sundays.

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A view of the interior of the Panfield Manor House. Photo from Maria DeLeo

By Victoria Espinoza

Plan on decking the halls this season with the Huntington Historical Society.

The group will be hosting its annual holiday house self-guided tour this Sunday, Dec. 6, when participants will take a tour of five private houses and two museums in Huntington.

“It’s a nice way to kick off the holidays and get into the spirit,” said Maria DeLeo, office coordinator of the Huntington Historical Society. “Many families and big groups of friends come together to celebrate.”

Participants at a previous year’s tour view one of the houses. Photo from Maria DeLeo
Participants at a previous year’s tour view one of the houses. Photo from Maria DeLeo

All houses will be decorated for the holidays and will have a representative from the historical society to answer any questions, DeLeo said.

Each house is at least 100 years old, according to DeLeo, and displays different kinds of architecture with many aspects of the homes in their original form.

The oldest house by far on the tour is the Cornelia Prime House, with construction beginning back in 1760. According to the historical society, Prime donated money to the Huntington Trade School, was a benefactor of the Huntington Hospital and donated the famous tower clock to town hall.

The Panfield Manor House is another stop on the tour. Its original owner led the incorporation of the Village of Lloyd Harbor in 1926 and became its first mayor, according to the historical society.

The Dr. Daniel Kissam House Museum and the David Conklin Farmhouse Museum will also be decorated for Christmas and open to all participants of the holiday house tour.

A view of the exterior of the Panfield Manor House. Photo from Maria DeLeo
A view of the exterior of the Panfield Manor House. Photo from Maria DeLeo

DeLeo said the tour itself is more than 20 years old, and the society expects as many as 500 people to come this year.

“We have people calling in October asking about the event,” DeLeo said. “It’s very popular and many people come back year after year.”

The Huntington Holiday House Tour Committee starts searching for properties to feature over the summer, and DeLeo said the event is possible because of the generous people who open up their homes to her group.

The Huntington Historical Society was created in 1903 as an exclusively female organization. DeLeo said the founders were inspired by the town’s 250th anniversary celebration, which they took part in, as well as President Theodore Roosevelt, who was the featured speaker.

The first charter named the group the Colonial Society of Huntington, and when the organization received a new charter in 1911, they renamed themselves the Huntington Historical Society.

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File photo

Police said a Long Island man was not using a mandated anti-drunk driving device on his car when he struck a pedestrian in a parking lot on Wednesday night, seriously injuring her.

Interlock devices prevent a car from operating unless a sober person breathes into them, and the Suffolk County Police Department said 24-year-old Keylor Laporta did not have one in the 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 he was driving in the Huntington Station Target’s parking lot at the time of the incident.

Police did not specify why Laporta was mandated to use an interlock device or whether his blood alcohol level was tested at the site of Wednesday night’s crash, in which Laporta struck 68-year-old Teresa Kochan, a West Hills resident, in the lot off of East Jericho Turnpike.

Kochan sustained head injuries, police said, and was in serious condition at Huntington Hospital. Laporta, a Huntington Station resident, was not injured.

The man was charged with using a vehicle without an interlock device, a misdemeanor.

According to the New York State court system’s online database, Laporta also has two vehicle infractions against him in connection with the incident, operating an unregistered vehicle and failing to change an address on a license.

Attorney information for the defendant was not immediately available. He was scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday.

Police impounded the Dodge for a safety check.

Anyone with information is asked to call the SCPD’s 2nd Squad, whose detectives are investigating the case, at 631-854-8252.

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