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Police blotter: Suffolk County incidents and arrests, Jan. 11-17

by TBR Staff - January 21, 2016

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Sister, Sister
A 20 year-old woman from Trumbull, Conn. was arrested on Jan. 17 just before 6:30 a.m. after police said she parked her 2002 BMW on the Northern State Parkway in Commack in the right lane of travel and then discovered she was drunk. At the 4th Precinct she gave her sister’s name instead of her own and had prescription pills in her possession without a prescription. She was charged with second-degree forgery of a public record, seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and driving while intoxicated.

Oh no-se
On Jan. 17, a 19-year-old woman from Brentwood was arrested after police said she punched a woman in the face and fractured her nose on Garet Place in Commack at 8:05 p.m. She was charged with third degree assault with intent to cause physical injury.

Can’t focus
Police said a 27-year-old man from East Setauket was driving drunk on Jan. 16 at 2:30 a.m. He was originally pulled over while speeding and failing to maintain inside his lane while driving a 2012 Ford Focus on Route 25 in Smithtown when police said they discovered he was driving drunk. He was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Crook on Crooked Hill
Police said a 30-year-old woman from Brentwood was driving a 2003 Lincoln Navigator with a suspended license on Crooked Hill Road in Commack on Jan. 17. She was arrested at 10:45 a.m. and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle.

Trying to dodge the law
A 34-year-old man from Kings Park was arrested on Jan. 15 at 3:10 a.m. after police pulled him over for failing to signal when he was making a left onto Enfield Lane in Kings Park while driving a 1998 Dodge pickup truck. Once he was pulled over, police said he was driving drunk and charged him with driving while intoxicated.

Suspicious activity
On Jan. 17, a 20-year-old woman from Commack was arrested at 3:30 a.m. after police said she was driving suspiciously in front of a business on Indian Head Road in Commack that was recently burglarized, and then realized she was driving drunk. She was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated.

Not very family like
At Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace on Route 111 in Smithtown on Jan. 14 at 3:30 p.m., police said an unknown person stole property from an unlocked 2010 Dodge Ram including an iPod, change, a pocketknife and prescription medication.

Take care
On Jan. 14 at 9 p.m., police said an unknown person stole personal care items from CVS on Smithtown Boulevard in Nesconset and then fled the scene.

Polo pocketed
An unknown person stole men’s Ralph Lauren Polo clothing from Macy’s on Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack on Jan. 15 at 12:12 p.m.

Not a sign of the crook
Police said an unknown person damaged a business sign at St. James Island Health Care on Lake Avenue in St. James on Jan. 14 at 7:19 p.m.

Naptime
Police arrested a 39-year-old man from Medford on Jan. 15 for driving while ability impaired in a 2011 Chevrolet, after officers found him parked on the shoulder of Route 25A in Mount Sinai with the engine running. Officers discovered the man was intoxicated and arrested him.

A phone-y check
On Jan. 11, police arrested a 28-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station for criminal possession of stolen property. He allegedly stole an iPhone 6 from the GameStop on Nesconset Highway on Sept. 26. Police said the man also deposited a stolen check into his account at the Teacher’s Federal Credit Union bank on Sept. 28. Authorities arrested the man at his residence.

What a fake
A 42-year-old man from Port Jefferson was arrested on Jan. 15 for using a forged license, after he was pulled over on Terryville Road. A police spokesperson didn’t specify what caused the traffic stop.

Not-so-sweet surprise
A Sound Beach woman was arrested for criminal mischief on Jan. 17. According to police, the woman smashed a window of a 1991 Chevrolet Corvette on Honey Lane in Mount Sinai.

Manipulative suspect
Police arrested a man from Centereach for burglary on Jan. 16, after the 34-year-old man manipulated a garage door at the Meineke on Middle Country Road in Coram before breaking into the store and taking money from the cash register. He was collared at the scene.

Greeted at the garage
On Jan. 13, a woman was opening the garage at her residence on Ledgewood Circle in Setauket-East Setauket when someone tried to steal her backpack, purse and sorority bag. Police said the suspect dragged the woman before fleeing with her bags, which contained cash and a driver’s license.

Cash and cocoa
An unknown person smashed a window of Margaret’s Florist on Route 25A in Miller Place on Jan. 16. Police said the suspect stole assorted gourmet chocolates and money from the business.

More stealing, more doing
On Jan. 13, a 26-year-old man from Bohemia was arrested for one count each of petit larceny, criminal mischief and grand larceny. Police said the man stole a drill from the Home Depot in Independence Plaza in Selden that day. Officers also discovered the man was in possession of prescription medication that wasn’t prescribed to him. According to police, the man was involved in a previous theft — he allegedly stole rings and paintings on Dec. 11 from a residence on Cleveland Street in Selden.

Scam scare
Police said a woman received a call from an unknown person saying that her husband was involved in an accident and that they would hurt him if she didn’t send them money. The woman didn’t send money to the unknown caller. She received the call on Jan. 12 on Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook.

Energized and arrested
Police arrested a man from Centereach on Jan. 17 for petit larceny. The 44-year-old man had entered the Walmart in the Centereach Mall and took two knives, multipurpose tools and several energy drinks. Police arrested the man at the scene at 12:45 p.m.

St. James speeder
A 19-year-old man from St. James was arrested for driving while ability impaired after driving a 1999 Chevrolet south on Pond Path in Setauket at 55 miles per hour, in a 30-mile-per-hour zone. Officers discovered the man was intoxicated and arrested him at the scene.

Ninja-like thief
On Jan. 15, police arrested a man for criminal possession of stolen property, a 2013 Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle. The motorcycle was parked in the victim’s driveway on Van Buren Street in Rocky Point on Nov. 17 when the man allegedly stole it. Police arrested the suspect at his residence.

Privately pocketed
On Jan. 17, an unknown person stole a woman’s pocket book at a private catering event at Schafer’s restaurant in Port Jefferson.

Powerful criminal
Police said an unidentified person damaged a 6-foot chain and a 20-foot fence at North Shore Power Lawn Equipment in Mount Sinai. The incident happened on Jan. 17 at 8:45 p.m.

Not the best friendship
On Jan. 14, someone stole a driver’s coat from a Lindy’s Taxi cab. Police said the woman’s coat contained money and was stolen on Friendship Drive in Rocky Point.

Smoked Samaritan
According to police, on Jan. 17 someone tried to break up a fight at a hookah bar on Middle Country Road in Selden when he was stabbed. Police said he was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital.

Into the Woods
A 55-year-old man from Manorville was arrested on Jan. 16 at midnight after police said he entered a home on Woods End Road in Dix Hills without permission. He was charged with third degree criminal trespassing in an enclosed property.

Two puppies to go
Police arrested a 17-year-old woman from Syosset on Jan. 14 at 11 a.m. after they said she stole two puppies from Selmer’s Pet Land on Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station. She was charged with third degree grand larceny.

High times
An 18-year-old man from Huntington was arrested on Jan. 15 at 8:25 p.m. on the corner of Lawn Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Greenlawn after police said he had Xanax in his possession without a prescription. He was charged with seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Pricked by the law
On Jan. 16, a 27-year-old man from Deer Park was arrested on Old Brook Road in Dix Hills after police said he had heroin and a hypodermic needle on him. He was charged with seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Coat crook
Multiple coats were stolen from Bloomingdales on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington on Jan. 15 at 10:20 a.m., according to police.

Losing the value
Police said an unknown person left her cell phone on the counter at Value Drugs in Huntington on Jan. 16 at 3:15 p.m. and when she went back to retrieve it, the cell phone was gone.

Bad deal for DVDs
On Jan. 16, a 22-year-old man from Rosedale was arrested after police said he assaulted a woman while entering her property on Lenox Road in Huntington Station. Once he was arrested, police found marijuana in his possession as well as 22 counterfeit DVDs. He was arrested at 4:45 p.m. and charged with third degree trademark counterfeiting, third degree assault with intent to cause physical injury and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Division I college football experiences are worth the trip

by Alex Petroski - January 20, 2016

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Petroski_12-31-15w — From left, Chris Barba, Matt Irving, John Petroski and Alex Petroski have fun at the 2015 Cotton Bowl at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Photo from Alex Petroski

College football fans that live on Long Island might as well live on a deserted island. A Long Islander looking to take in a major college football game on a quick Saturday trip has two options, and sadly, at the moment, neither is very appealing.

Rutgers University plays their home games in Piscataway, New Jersey, which is about a two and a half hour drive from the Times Beacon Record office located in East Setauket. Under three hours isn’t a terrible ride to see a Big Ten football game, but the Scarlet Knights’ 4-12 conference record since joining leaves a bit to be desired for five hours round trip.

The University of Connecticut in East Hartford is about the same distance from East Setauket as Piscataway, New Jersey, with the help of the Port Jefferson ferry. Though a $75 each way ferry ticket is difficult to justify to see a team that saw a dramatic improvement to go 6-7 overall this year, up from their 3-9 and 2-10 2013 and 2014 records, respectively.

Rather than use up my time, energy and money to make one or more treks to Piscataway or East Hartford to see struggling teams, I went with my brothers and a couple of friends to games in the newly minted College Football Playoffs the last two seasons. On New Year’s Day 2015, a year ago, I was at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, to see Florida State University play the University of Oregon. On New Year’s Eve 2015, I attended the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where the University of Alabama met Michigan State University. The games were moved from New Year’s Day to New Year’s Eve this season, so technically both games took place in 2015.

It may be premature to call a two-time occurrence a “yearly tradition,” but they have to start somewhere, and I think that is what my brothers, friends and I have created — a yearly New Year’s Eve/Day tradition.

As far as New Year’s Eve plans go, traveling to Texas to see a football game might seem comprehensive and overwhelming. But if you consider what goes into planning some of the “all-inclusive” catering hall-type events that are closer to home with a large group of people, the difference in legwork is negligible. When compared to bustling into Manhattan to see the ball drop in Times Square, I’d argue this is even simpler and easier.

I can’t recommend highly enough for college football fans living on Long Island to try and make it to one of the three playoff games next season. We flew out of LaGuardia Airport on the evening of December 30th, landing in Dallas and checking into our hotel in enough time to explore the area around the vast AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys and the largest video board known to man. We stumbled upon a local sports bar with infinite televisions and beer-on-tap choices to go along with some excellent Texas style barbecue. On game day, the 31st, we explored the stadium, which can’t remotely be captured in words, and attended the game.

College football fans have a reputation for being ravenous and boisterous, so imagine about 100,000 of them packed into some of the nicest venues in the country and worked into an absolute fever. The two games I’ve attended were experiences unlike any other, let alone sporting events.

Both years, we booked flights home for the day after the day after the game, leaving us a day to do some modest exploring in a new city. Dallas did not disappoint. We visited the site of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, which is now a museum. We stood and looked out the window down to the road from the perspective of Kennedy’s killer and saw the same view that he saw on that day. We drove the same path that Kennedy’s motorcade took. It was a breathtaking experience.

Believe it or not, costs for both trips were not as outrageous as you might think. Because the venues are so large, there are game tickets to be had, and if you’re willing to leave a little before the 31st, flights are more manageable as well.

Next year, we’ll be choosing between the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia, the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona and the National Championship game in Tampa Bay, Florida. Trust me, keep it in mind.

Senator supports schools’ push for state aid

by Phil Corso - January 20, 2016

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Albany-capitolw — The New York State Capitol building in Albany. File photo

For New York schools, cutting the Gap Elimination Adjustment could be an addition by subtraction.

The adjustment, a deduction taken out of each New York school district’s state aid, was enacted several years ago to help the state government close a budget deficit. While the amount deducted has decreased in recent years and there have been efforts to completely restore the funding, state Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport) has recently sponsored legislation that would completely eliminate the system this year, giving more financial help to public schools struggling to make ends meet.

The bill passed in the Senate and must make its way through the Assembly before heading to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D). And as schools across the state wait for the final vote, administrators applauded Flanagan’s efforts in helping them restore their funding.

“Over the past several years our district has been proactive in imploring our elected officials to restore the funds lost under the Gap Elimination Adjustment,” said Cheryl Pedisich, superintendent of schools for the Three Village Central School District. “As we enter our latest budget preparations, we are pleased at the news that this effort has taken an important step forward.”

Over in Northport, Superintendent Robert Banzer said restoring aid would “support critical instructional programming and operational budgets that districts rely on to provide a sound environment for our educational community.”

According to Banzer, aid cuts add to pressure on school budgets.

“Marginal tax caps, decreases in revenues and increases in state mandates leave districts with little room to navigate yearly budgets, and the elimination of the GEA would help alleviate the impact of some of these restraints.”

Port Jefferson Assistant Superintendent for Business Sean Leister was not as optimistic that the Gap Elimination Adjustment would be removed.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” he said during a budget presentation at a school board meeting last week.

Leister is estimating a 6 percent increase in state aid next year, a number he called “conservative,” but if the adjustment is eliminated and Port Jefferson receives more state aid than it allots for in the budget, he said school officials would decide together how to spend it.

Comsewogue’s assistant superintendent for business, Susan Casali, said her school district has lost out on almost $23 million in state aid since the first year of the adjustment. In the next school year, Comsewogue schools could lose out on another $1.3 million if the Gap Elimination Adjustment remains. But that could create a problem for the district, which is currently crafting its 2016-17 budget.

“To maintain our financial position and programs, we need to have the full [deduction] restored,” she said in an email this week.

Flanagan said that eliminating the school funding cuts was the Senate’s top priority in education this session. There are currently about $434 million in GEA cuts still in place for schools in 2016-17 but if the bill becomes law, Flanagan said, his legislation would permanently abolish such education budget reductions.

“The Senate’s top education funding priority this year will be the complete elimination of the GEA,” Flanagan said. “Since 2011, the Senate Republicans have worked to restore $3 billion in funding that was lost to schools because of the GEA and we will not pass any budget that does not fully eliminate it this year. The GEA has been hurting schools and students for way too long and it is past time that we end it once and for all.”

Former Gov. David Paterson (D) imposed the GEA in 2010 despite widespread opposition from Republicans. Since it was approved, Flanagan said he and his Republican colleagues have been leading the charge to abolish the GEA and deliver funding increases to help mitigate its impacts on education. Over the past five years, he said, the GEA cuts have been reduced by roughly 85 percent, to $434 million in the 2015-16 budget.

State Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) co-sponsored the legislation alongside Flanagan. In a statement, he said the move was long overdue.

“The elimination of the GEA has been a top priority of mine since it was imposed,” LaValle said. “It has hurt our students and increased costs for taxpayers. The bill we passed completely abolishes the GEA this year and ends its devastating impact on state funding to public schools.”

The legislation has already gained support on the other side of the state Legislature, with Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick (R-St. James) saying he was in favor of the GEA elimination and calling on the governor to return all the funds taken from schools since it was imposed.

“It’s simple: The state has an obligation to fully fund our school districts. Some members of the legislature made the shortsighted decision to allow the governor to borrow against the future of our children to close a budget gap created by rampant, uncontrolled spending,” Fitzpatrick said. “It was wrong then and must be resolved once and for all.”

Victoria Espinoza, Elana Glowatz and Alex Petroski contributed reporting.

‘In the Heights’ comes rapping into the CMPAC

by TBR Staff - January 19, 2016

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InTheHeights_2016_2w — Samantha Rosario with the cast of ‘In the Heights.’ Photo by Lisa Schindlar

By Charles J. Morgan

In the theater when the aesthetic and technical coalesce, it engenders a happy marriage of entertainment; a delight to the audience. Such a meld was achieved at Oakdale’s CMPAC’s production of “In the Heights” that opened to a sold-out house on Jan. 16.

The “Heights” are Washington Heights in Manhattan and those who live there are Puerto Rican and/or Dominican. They are poverty stricken but struggle to make the most of it. There is plenty of Spanish spoken and sung, but the language that carries the show along is English in the form of rap. This trigger-tongue delivery in rhyming (and sometimes not rhyming) doublets with occasional tercets is handled in a talk-sing manner best by the lead Joseph Gonzalez with surprising articulation. These high-speed passages are long, yet his strong tenor delivered them handily. They may have been enunciated with the speed of an M-4 with the safety off, but each “bullet” was clearly on target.

Set design was by Jenn Hocker. She constructed a suggestion of the Heights; its stores, apartments, streets, laundry, fire escapes and an upstage center suggestion of the Manhattan Bridge … geographically incongruent but piercingly pertinent. Lighting was handled by Allison Weinberger with remarkable success, even down to a dance number done in the dark with flashlights.

Which brings us to choreographer M.E. Junge. A mainstay on the Main Stage, “ME” is a highly talented terpsichorean artist. In this show she affected a sometimes rapid, sometimes nuanced evolution on the boards, replete with the staccato, offbeat Latin rhythms to a masterful degree.

Overall direction was by Michael Mehmet who was confronted with the daunting task of creating individuation to a massive cast as well as blocking each group and individual actor. His long list of talents enabled him to come through handsomely.

Ariana Valdes and Joseph Gonzalez in a scene from ‘In the Heights.’ Photo by Lisa Schindlar

A live eight-man pit band was headed by Anthony Brindisi with Laura Mitrache and Brindisi on keyboards, Patrick Lehosky on percussion, Brett Beiersdorfer on drums, Kevin Merkel on trumpet, Andrew Lenahan on reeds, John Snyder on bass and Conrad Scuza on trombone. This crew handled the complexities of the Latin rhythms most expertly. In the standard tempi of the “North American” songs they were great, but when it went “Caribbean” they were noteworthy.

Back on the boards. We have Leyland Patrick as Benny who with Gina Morgigno as Nina sing “Benny’s Dispatch” and “When You’re Home” with the whole company. In Act II they are back with “When the Sun Goes Down,” musical trifecta for them.

No review would be complete without mentioning the role of Daniela played to the hilt by Erica Giglio. Her enormous soprano, bursting with far-reaching range, brought down the house both with twin weapons of sarcastic spoken lines and dominant singing voice. One cannot neglect her talented dance abilities. She led the whole company in “Alabanza” and “Carnaval del Barrio” and shone in “No Me Diga” with Nina, Carla (Christina Martinez) and Vanessa (Samantha Rosario).

Kevin is a unique part. He is the aging paterfamilias and is gifted with a pleasing, plangent romantic tenor by Charlie Rivera. His “Inutil” in Act I and “Atencion” in Act II were tributes to his voice capabilities. A whole page could be devoted to Ariana Valdes as Abuela. She is opera-trained and, with this background the powerful soprano in a solo number about a winning lottery ticket, brought a deserved standing ovation.

The Ensemble comprising Liza Aquilino, Savannah Beckford, Alex Esquivel, Kin-Zale Jackson, Matthew Kadam, Michelle LaBozzetta, Tori Lewis and Edward Martinez were the aesthetic armature of it all along with Luke Rosario as Sonny; Kyle Perry as Piragua Guy; Lori Beth Belkin as Camilla; and Paul Edme as Grafitti Pete. When the Playbill read “Company” this group filled the spot with expertise rarely seen in regional theater.

This effort actually was an example of what CMPAC is capable of theatrically. The amalgam of expert management and a high-grade talent puts this company in the foreground, downstage center, the house ringing with applause.

The CM Performing Arts Center, 931 Montauk Highway, Oakdale, will present “In the Heights” through Feb. 7. Tickets range from $20 to $29. For more information, call 631-218-2810 or visit www.cmpac.com.

Affordable housing audit baffles town

by Giselle Barkley - January 19, 2016

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Romaine-Budget-2015_01_barkleyw — Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine. File photo by Erika Karp

Brookhaven Town failed to fully abide by New York’s affordable housing law, according to a state comptroller audit.

The audit, released Jan. 8, singled out eight governments across Long Island, including Brookhaven, zeroing in on their compliance with the Long Island Workforce Housing Act. State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (D) said the town “generally complied” with the act, but did not properly manage an optional trust fund set aside for affordable housing.

The Long Island Workforce Housing Act was passed in 2008 to require developers building five or more homes on a property to allocate 10 percent of their prospective residential units to affordable workforce housing units, meant for people earning up to about $105,000. The law also said that developers could avoid building affordable housing units by paying a fee to the town, which would be deposited into a trust fund for the purpose of building affordable housing.

The towns of Babylon, Huntington, Islip and North Hempstead and the villages of Hempstead, Farmingdale and Mineola were also evaluated in the audit. Each government either reached or exceeded the 10 percent affordable housing requirement, the audit said.

However, in the audit DiNapoli said Brookhaven adopted a resolution in August 2014 establishing a housing trust fund, but did not set up guidelines and procedures establishing how the expenditures from that fund would be used until September 2015 — which was later than the mandated six-month timeframe required to set up those rules.

The audit noted that “there have been no expenditures from the trust fund during the audit period.”

But Brookhaven officials said they did not agree with the comptroller’s assessment. Diana Weir, commissioner of Housing and Human Services in Brookhaven, said the town was in full compliance before the comptroller released the audit.

“The issue with Brookhaven is that we’ve never given a developer that option,” Weir said about the fees for the fund, which was not mandatory to create. “To us [making developers build the affordable units was] better because we are actually building the units. But just in case we figured we’d [establish] a trust fund.”

Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) said he was unhappy with the state’s assessment that the town only generally complied with the law. Because the town makes developers build affordable homes instead of paying to avoid the requirement, there isn’t any money in the trust fund account, Romaine said.

Of Brookhaven’s 924 housing units, 10 percent are affordable workforce housing units, according to the audit.

“What did Brookhaven do wrong?” Romaine (R) asked in a phone interview. “If Brookhaven required [developers] to build [affordable homes], why did we need a trust fund account? We’re actually fulfilling the law.”

In the preliminary draft of the audit, the comptroller suggested the town establish guidelines for the fund. That suggestion came several days after Brookhaven established rules for the fund. Despite this, the final audit didn’t reflect or acknowledge the change.

Brookhaven has always required developers to make affordable homes. During the recession, developers needed to allocate 20 percent of the residential units for affordable housing. Weir said purchasing affordable homes at the time was easier for prospective homeowners as prices of homes dropped. The town dropped the requirement to 10 percent once the market started improving.

“What the audit should have said is, ‘We recommend in the future that you set [the affordable workforce housing trust fund] up, but you’ve complied,’” Romaine said.

Western classic returns to local theaters

by TBR Staff - January 15, 2016

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butch-cassidy-sundance-kid-w — Photo from Fathom Events

One of the most influential and highest-grossing Westerns ever made, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” rides back into movie theaters this week for the first time in 40 years courtesy of Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies.

With its iconic performances by Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy, Robert Redford as The Sundance Kid and Katharine Ross as Etta Place, director George Roy Hill’s sprawling comedy-drama has delighted audiences around the world, but hasn’t been seen on the big screen in nearly two generations.

Featuring a specially-produced commentary by TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, the film will be shown at more than 650 theaters around the country on Sunday, Jan. 17, and Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

In our neck of the woods, screenings will be held at Island 16, 185 Morris Ave., Holtsville; AMC Loews Stony Brook 17, 2196 Nesconset Highway, Stony Brook; and Farmingdale Multiplex 1001 Broadhollow Road, Farmingdale. Tickets are available online at www.FathomEvents.com or at theater box offices.

Police blotter: Suffolk County incidents and arrests through Jan. 12

by TBR Staff - January 14, 2016

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UGG boots on the loose
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who stole more than a dozen pairs of boots from a Commack store in November. A man wearing glasses and a hooded jacket stole 15 pairs of UGG boots from Sports Authority on Veterans Memorial Highway, on Nov. 29 at about 4 p.m. The boots have a combined value of approximately $2,800. Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS (8477).

Televisions teleported
A 36-year-old man from Medford and 39-year-old woman from Middle Island were arrested on Jan. 9 at 9:50 p.m. after police said they stole three televisions from Walmart on Veterans Highway in Islandia. They were both charged with petit larceny.

Tools taken
On Jan. 7 a 29-year-old man from Smithtown was arrested after police said he stole power tools from a residence on Wayside Lane in Smithtown at 9 a.m. He was charged with petit larceny.

Blurred lines
Police said a 50-year-old from Rocky Point was driving drunk at 11:25 p.m. on Jan. 7. He was pulled over on Route 25 in St. James after police said he turned left in the right lane and drove across traffic. He was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated.

Busted at Busters
A 56-year-old man from Greenlawn was arrested on Jan. 9 at 8:30 p.m. after police said he was selling alcohol to an underage person at Beverage Busters in Commack. He was charged with first-degree unlawfully dealing with a child with alcohol.

Pill problem
On Jan. 7 a 32-year-old man from Commack was arrested after police said he was in possession of prescription pills without a prescription inside a 2015 Dodge Ram pickup truck on Wesleyan Road at about 10:45 p.m. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Purse nabbed at Napper’s
Police said an unknown person stole a pocketbook with credit cards and a license from Napper Tandy’s Irish Pub in Smithtown on Jan. 7 just after midnight.

Ale House to Jailhouse
A 20-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station was arrested on Jan. 8 for robbery. Police said the man approached another person with a silver semi-automatic handgun and stole cash and a cellphone from the victim outside Miller’s Commack Ale House on Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack. Police arrested the man that day around 1:15 p.m. at his residence.

Double the trouble
Police arrested a 24-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman from Coram for loitering and unlawful possession of a controlled substance on Jan. 5. The man allegedly injected himself with heroin before throwing the needle into the woods near Crystal Brook Hollow Road in Port Jefferson Station and was also found to be in possession of marijuana.

Tools of the trade
On Jan. 8 at 5 p.m., police arrested a 24-year-old man from Mount Sinai for criminal possession of stolen property. Police said he had three power tools that he received in December from another unidentified person, who had stolen them. Police said the man was also in possession of a plastic bag of cocaine, but he was not charged with drug possession.

The seat warmer
A 19-year-old Miller Place resident was arrested on Jan. 5 for unauthorized use of a car. Police said the man entered a 2011 Jeep Cherokee at a residence on North Country Road, then a 2002 Chevrolet on the same road shortly afterward. Police said the man didn’t steal anything but remained in the car. He was arrested around 2 a.m.

Swipe left
According to police, an unknown person stole an iPhone from a home on Beaver Lane in East Setauket. Police said the individual didn’t break into the home. The incident happened on Jan. 7 at 7 p.m.

A handy heist
Police said someone entered the Lowe’s on Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook on Jan. 8 at 11 p.m. and stole an electric heater and leaf blower.

Push it, push it real good
According to police, two unidentified males got into a physical altercation on Jan. 10 on West Broadway in Port Jefferson. The two men shoved one another multiple times. One was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for a laceration.

Idling while intoxicated
Police arrested a woman from Port Jefferson for driving while ability impaired after receiving a call about the 45-year-old woman sitting in a 2010 red Toyota Prius outside the Applebee’s on Route 25A in Miller Place. Police said the engine was running when officials arrested the woman on Jan. 4 at 9:40 p.m.

Stopped in a flash
Police arrested a 26-year-old man from Setauket on Jan. 7 at 12:23 a.m. for driving while ability impaired in a 2006 Honda Civic. According to police, officials pulled the man over on Route 25A in East Setauket for speeding and discovered he was intoxicated.

Path to prison
A 35-year-old man from Centereach was arrested for driving while ability impaired in a 2008 Jeep on Jan. 5. He was heading west on North Bicycle Path in Selden when he got into a car crash. Police discovered the man was impaired by drugs and he was arrested at the scene.

License to steal
On Jan. 7 at 1:35 a.m., a 47-year-old Holbrook man was arrested for stealing two license plates from a 1998 Ford Explorer on South Coleman Road in Selden. And between Jan. 6 at 5:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. on the following day, an unknown person stole license plates from a car parked on Old Town Road in Port Jefferson Station. It was not clear whether the two incidents were related.

A safe decision
On Jan. 8 between 6 and 8 p.m., an unknown person broke into Old Coach Motors in Mount Sinai and stole a safe that stored money and papers.

Hickory dickory smash
An unknown person broke a window of a residence on Hickory Street in Mount Sinai on Jan. 4 at 2:56 p.m.

Mad for music
On Jan. 10, an unknown person stole headphones and batteries from the Walmart on Nesconset Highway in East Setauket. The incident happened around 12:25 p.m.

Lost and found
Someone stole a 2000 Honda Civic from a residence in Lake Grove on Jan. 9. Police said the owner of the car didn’t know it was stolen until after the car was recovered on Elwood Road in Centereach on Jan. 10, around 1 a.m.

Shell game
According to police, just past midnight on Jan. 10 someone stole a television from a shed at a residence on Shell Road in Rocky Point.

Huntington downs Newfield after huge third quarter

by TBR Staff - January 13, 2016

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By Bill Landon

Huntington led from the opening tipoff and never looked back, as the visiting Blue Devils held Newfield to just 13 points in a 59-13 victory in girls’ basketball action Tuesday night.

Huntington moved the ball effortlessly and controlled the tempo of the game for all 32 minutes, while the Wolverines had difficulty clearing the ball, and struggled to find a rhythm and the rim. The Blue Devils’ defense was overwhelming in the second half, where the team scored 24 unanswered points in the third quarter while holding the Wolverines scoreless.

“They’re a team that’s strong — they work very hard and their effort was nonstop,” said Newfield assistant coach Mike Weaver. “We warned our team at halftime that you have to be prepared, because [Huntington] is not going to give up, and that’s the reason the margin was what it was.”

Huntington head coach Michael Kaplan rested his starters for the final eight minutes of play as the Blue Devils coasted to victory and extended their winning streak to five games. Kaplan said the goal for his team in the game was for every player to get better and not turn the ball over.

“From a defensive standpoint, I thought we played great — we did a good job under the boards,” Kaplan said. “We’ll have to work on our rebounding and limit our offensive turnovers, but this game was a confidence builder.”

Topping the scoreboard for Huntington was sophomore guard Alex Heuwetter with 14 points, followed by junior guard Anna Gulizio with nine.

Gulizio said her team had good reads on the floor and good communication.

“Yes, we did well scoring-wise, but we played much better as a team in the second half,” Gulizio said.

Blue Devils sophomore guard Katie Seccafico, who tallied six points in the contest, agreed with Gulizio that her team was a little flat for the first 16 minutes.

“In that first and second quarter, we weren’t coming together on defense,” Seccafico said. “Coach told us we needed to work harder even though we were winning.”

Huntington junior guard Emma Petrizzi echoed her teammate’s assessment of the performance in the final two quarters.

“We played hard and we never let up,” she said. “We were able to hold the score so low.”

Huntington senior guard and forward Brooke Baade finished with eight points, senior guard Katie Reilly netted seven and Seccafico and senior guard and forward Taylor Moreno rounded out the score by banking six each.

Newfield senior guards Maria Daume and Muariana Milano, and senior forward Kelsey Larkin finished with four points apiece, while sophomore forward Emily Diaz completed the scoring with a free-throw point.

With the win, Huntington improves to 5-1 in League III and 7-2 overall, while Newfield falls to 1-5, and 2-7.

Both teams are back in action Friday as Huntington hosts Smithtown East at 5:45 p.m., while Newfield travels to North Babylon for a 4 p.m. game.

Brookhaven supervisor sworn in for another term

by Giselle Barkley - January 8, 2016

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Inauguration-Brookhaven_2016_07_barkleyw — Supervisor Ed Romaine takes his oath of office at the 2016 inauguration ceremony at the Town of Brookhaven headquarters. Photo by Giselle Barkley

Brookhaven is back in business.

Elected officials, their family members and other residents packed into the Town of Brookhaven auditorium in Farmingville on Jan. 7 to witness Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) being sworn into his second full term in office alongside fellow recently elected and re-elected board members, including board newcomer Councilman Michael Loguercio (R-Middle Island) and other town officials.

Loguercio said he was also in good spirits. He said the ceremony was a good way to begin “the long journey to continue helping the community.”

Back in November, Loguercio won the race for the 4^th District — a position previously held by former Councilwoman Connie Kepert, a Democrat.

Councilwoman Jane Bonner (C-Rocky Point) said Thursday’s ceremony was a day of celebration that helped validate how residents voted during the 2015 elections. Bonner added “they like to make it open to the public so they could see the whole process and take part in it.”

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone speaks during the 2016 inauguration ceremony at the Town of Brookhaven headquarters. Photo by Giselle Barkley

In light of the board’s past work, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) highlighted Romaine’s performance as the supervisor saying that Romaine has always been one of the fiercest and most passionate advocates for what he believes in.

“That’s what leadership is about really,” Bellone said. “Putting aside the things that will at the end of the day do not really matter to people’s lives but what will make our communities and our town and our country a better place.”

Although residents saw the supervisor and Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro (R) officially sworn into their terms for the first time on Thursday, other elected officials recently elected to the board were officially sworn in at a previous event held on Tuesday Jan. 5. While several councilmembers were no strangers to the ceremony, the swearing in process still never gets boring, one North Shore lawmaker said.

Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro takes his oath of office for the first time at the 2016 inauguration ceremony at the Town of Brookhaven headquarters. Photo by Giselle Barkley — Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro takes his oath of office at the 2016 inauguration ceremony at the Town of Brookhaven headquarters. Photo by Giselle Barkley

“I’m really excited to get started again,” said Councilman Kevin LaValle (R-Selden) before the ceremony. “It was a great first two years — we accomplished a great deal. I’m really looking forward to the next two years.”

Romaine was sworn in last by Judge Judith Pascale, who also spoke highly of the supervisor and his leadership before he took his oath of office. Despite the praise, Romaine admitted that addressing challenges in the town is a group effort.

“Working in concert with our colleagues at Suffolk County and New York State will determine in large part the future we face,” Romaine said in his speech following his oath. “I pledge to work with my town board to find common purpose. To address these challenges head on and to make decisions necessary for a prosperous future and one that serves all the residents of this town.”

Police blotter: Suffolk County incidents and arrests, Christmas to Jan. 3

by TBR Staff - January 7, 2016

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Fire in the hole
A 21-year-old man from Deer Park was arrested on Jan. 2 at 3:30 a.m. after police said he hit a fire hydrant while driving a 2001 Nissan Altima on Commack Road in Dix Hills and fled the scene. He was charged with operating a motor vehicle and leaving the scene with property damage.

He’ll be watching you
Police said a 39-year-old man from West Babylon was sending threatening and stalking emails to someone on West Hills Road in West Hills. He was arrested at the 2nd Precinct on Dec. 29 and charged with fourth-degree stalking at employment.

Crazy stuff on Asylum Avenue
On Jan. 2, a 23-year-old man from Coram was arrested after police said he had marijuana in plain view while sitting in a 2005 Cadillac on Asylum Avenue in Huntington just after 7 p.m. He was charged with third-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Catching up on some z’s
Police said a 31-year-old man from Harlem was asleep at the wheel in a 2014 Chevy Suburban with the engine running in the HOV lane on the Long Island Expressway at 6:20 a.m. on Jan. 1. He was arrested for driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest after refusing to put his hands behind his back.

Story not checking out
A 25-year-old woman from Bay Shore was arrested on Dec. 31 at 5 p.m. at the 2nd Precinct for multiple incidents of forging checks. She was charged with four counts of second-degree possession of forged instruments for using forged checks at multiple Chase banks in Commack, North Babylon and Bay Shore from September through December.

High times
On Dec. 31, a 23-year-old woman from Nesconset was arrested after police said she had suboxone in her possession at 2 p.m. on New York Avenue in Huntington. She was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Un-lawn-ful
A 53-year-old man from Melville was arrested on Dec. 27 after police said he drove on a driveway and front lawn of a residence on Route 25A in Huntington and caused damage. He was charged with criminal mischief with intent to damage property.

Sneaking some sneaks
On Dec. 26, a 25-year-old man from Central Islip was arrested after police said he stole Macy’s gift cards and three pairs of sneakers from Macy’s on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington at noon.

Hit and run
A 17-year-old woman from Commack was arrested on Jan. 3 at 5:20 a.m. after police said she hit a pedestrian while driving a 2011 Nissan on Piave Terrace in Lindenhurst. She was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and first-degree failure to show license or identification.

Razor sharp senses
Police said an unknown person stole razors from a CVS on Main Street in Smithtown on Jan. 2 at 8:20 p.m.

Cocaine bust
On Jan. 2 a 34-year-old man from Patchogue was arrested at 4:15 p.m. after police stopped him on Morewood Drive in Commack for a bench warrant and then discovered he had cocaine in his possession. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Charged for cards
Police said a 20-year-old man from Commack stole gift cards from Best Buy in Commack over a two-month period. He was arrested on Dec. 31 at 9 p.m. and charged with petit larceny.

Not just the remote is lost
On Dec. 29 a 22-year-old man from Dix Hills was arrested after police said he stole a television from Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack at 12:20 p.m. He was charged with petit larceny.

Someone else’s plastic
A 29-year-old man from Smithtown was arrested on Dec. 31 after police said he made purchases on a stolen credit card. He was arrested at 11 p.m. at the 4th Precinct and charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a credit card.

To the point
Police said a 25-year-old man from Ronkonkoma was arrested for being in possession of a hypodermic needle inside a 2001 Nissan at 11:20 a.m. on Dec. 30. He was charged with possession of a hypodermic instrument.

Lights out
A 47-year-old man from Commack was arrested on Dec. 25 and charged with first-degree operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs. Police said he was driving a 2002 Ford pickup truck on Joyce Lane at 3 a.m. when they pulled him over for having a light out and then discovered he was driving while on drugs.

Can’t phone home
Police said two cell phones were stolen from Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack on Jan. 3 shortly after noon.

Speeding
On Jan. 2 a 22-year-old woman from Holbrook was arrested on Route 25 in Smithtown at 3 a.m. after police said she was speeding in a 2005 Pontiac and then discovered she was driving while on drugs. She was charged with first-degree operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs.

Not quite on target
A 28-year-old woman from Wyandanch was arrested on Jan. 3 at noon for stealing assorted merchandise from Target on Veterans Memorial Highway in Smithtown. She was charged with petit larceny.

Drifting to jail
On Dec. 29, an East Setauket resident was driving a 2006 Jeep west on Route 347 in Port Jefferson Station when he failed to maintain his lane. Police discovered the man was intoxicated and arrested him on the corner of Route 347 and Jayne Boulevard. The 33-year-old was charged with driving while ability impaired. He was previously convicted on similar charges 10 years ago.

Quest for the card thief
A 29-year-old man from Coram was arrested for grand larceny on Dec. 27, after he stole a credit card from an unlocked 2010 Chevrolet. The incident took place on Piedmont Drive in Port Jefferson Station, but police arrested the man on Montclair Street.

Drive away home
Police arrested a 21-year-old Port Jefferson woman on Jan. 2 for unauthorized use of a car. Police said she took a 2003 Lincoln Navigator out of a shared driveway around 4:04 a.m. and was arrested later that day at her Laurita Gate home.

Gimme a break
A man from Miller Place was arrested for criminal mischief on Dec. 29, after police said the 40-year-old broke a glass window to enter a residence on Woodhull Landing Road in Miller Place around 11:25 a.m. The man also allegedly gave the wrong name to officials just prior to his arrest.

Wantagh go to jail
Police arrested a Wantagh man on Jan. 1 for driving while ability impaired in a 2012 Nissan after he got into a crash while going south on Howell Avenue in Centereach. Officials discovered the 28-year-old was intoxicated. Police arrested him at 3:39 a.m., less than 30 minutes after the crash.

Boozy breakfast
On Jan. 1, police arrested a 26-year-old woman from Centereach for driving while ability impaired. Around 8:48 a.m., the woman was driving a 2006 Nissan when she got into a crash near the Sunoco station on Middle Country Road. Police at the scene discovered the woman was intoxicated and arrested her.

An early morning stroll
Police said an 18-year-old Selden man was shouting obscenities on Jan. 1 before trespassing at the 7-Eleven on Middle Country Road in Selden. Police arrested the man for trespassing at the scene.

Party-crashers
On Jan. 1 at 3:30 a.m., a resident living on Christian Avenue in Stony Brook was throwing a party when several unknown, uninvited guests struck and broke the glass front door and window of the home. Police didn’t specify what they used to cause the damage.

Pound it
Police arrested a 23-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station for criminal possession of a weapon at the Centereach Mall on Jan. 1, after they found him in possession of brass knuckles.

King of the road
On Jan. 2, a 52-year-old man from Rocky Point was arrested for driving while ability impaired. According to police, the man was speeding in a 1995 GMC north on Kings Walk and failed to stay to the right on the road.

Stopped and seized
A 20-year-old man from Sound Beach was arrested on Jan. 1 for criminal possession of a controlled substance. Police had made a traffic stop on Madison Street in Rocky Point and discovered the man was in possession of drugs. Police didn’t specify why the man was originally stopped.

The same old steal
On Jan. 2, someone entered the Old Fields Restaurant on Wynn Lane in Port Jefferson and stole an iPod and license from the business.

Toy troubles
According to police, someone entered the Kohl’s in Setauket-East Setauket and concealed a toy set in their bag. The incident happened on Dec. 30 at 9:54 p.m.

Food for the winter
An unidentified person took groceries from a store on Nesconset Highway in Mount Sinai on Dec. 29.

On the fence
On Dec. 28, a resident living on Kingston Road in Mount Sinai reported that someone damaged the house’s PVC fence and fence posts between 11 and 11:20 a.m.

Pumped for pickpocketing
An unknown person broke the passenger window of a 2005 Jeep parked in the LA Fitness parking lot in Port Jefferson Station. Police said a wallet was stolen. The incident happened on Dec. 31 around 6 p.m.

Finance this
Police said an unknown person broke a window at Soloway Agency on Nesconset Highway in Port Jefferson Station on Jan. 1, at 4:25 a.m.

Beauty knows no bounds
On Jan. 2, someone took body spray and hair products from the Walgreens on Middle Country Road in Selden.

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