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Police blotter: Suffolk County incidents and arrests, April 16-26

by TBR Staff - April 30, 2015

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Burglar busted
A 22-year-old Port Jefferson Station man was arrested on Ontario Street on April 22 at about 12:45 p.m. and charged with possessing burglary tools. Police said the man was found inside an abandoned home with black gloves, a hammer, a fire iron, metal snips and a chisel.

Napkin-thin defense
Police said a 22-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station was arrested on April 26 and charged with assault, recklessly causing physical injury. Police said that at about 12:53 a.m. at Schafer’s restaurant on West Broadway in Port Jefferson, the man threw a napkin dispenser at someone, resulting in a laceration on the victim’s right eye that required medical attention.

Streetfighter
A 29-year-old man from Port Jefferson was arrested on Main Street on April 21 at about 6:55 p.m. and charged with disorderly conduct, fighting/violent behavior and resisting arrest. Police said the man was fighting with another man in the middle of the street.

First cut is the deepest
A 20-year-old woman from Rocky Point was arrested on April 23 at about 10:30 p.m. and charged with assault with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon. Police said the woman slashed another woman with a knife in a parking lot on County Road 83 in Holtsville.

Drug dealer caught
Police arrested a 28-year-old man from Centereach on Middle Country Road on April 23 and charged him with third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. He was also charged with four counts of criminal possession of a narcotic drug, four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance. Police said the man was found that day at about 1:37 p.m. in possession of heroin. He was arraigned the next day and held in lieu of posting a $20,000 cash or $40,000 bail bond, according to court records.

It wasn’t me
A 35-year-old man from Selden was arrested on April 21 and charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and second-degree criminal impersonation. Police said he gave a fake name and fake identification at Mooney Pond Road and South Bicycle Path in Selden and was arrested at the scene at 3:46 p.m.

Facing the music
Police arrested a 23-year-old Selden man on April 24 and charged him with two counts of petit larceny and one count of fourth-degree grand larceny of property valued at more than $1,000. Police said the man stole a Bose sound bar and a Sony bluetooth speaker from a location on Horseblock Road in Medford on two separate days. He also took five watches from a location in Sayville on April 16.

ShopWrong
A 34-year-old Selden woman was arrested on April 24 and charged with leaving the scene of property damage. Police said on April 18 the woman backed her 2006 GMC Envoy into a Honda Civic in the parking lot of ShopRite on College Plaza at about 9 p.m.

Bills, bills, bills
A 21-year-old man from Bellport was arrested in Stony Brook late on April 23 and charged with first-degree possession of a forged instrument. Police said the man had two counterfeit $10 bills and six counterfeit $50 bills.

Let’s bounce
A man told police a bouncer at Junior’s Spycoast on Main Street in Port Jefferson pushed him at 3:20 a.m. on April 26. There were no arrests.

Hotmail
Someone set off fireworks in a mailbox, causing it to melt, at a home on Old Rocky Point Road in Miller Place sometime between 9:50 and 10:20 p.m. on April 24.

Shopping for a victim
Someone lifted a purse out of a shopping cart at Marshalls on Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook sometime between 5 and 7 p.m. on April 23. The purse contained a wallet and credit cards.

Case of the stolen beer
A man walked out of Stop & Shop on Route 25A in Setauket-East Setauket with a case of beer on April 21, at about 7:47 p.m., and didn’t pay for it.

Call me
A prepaid phone was stolen from a home on William Penn Drive in Stony Brook sometime between 11 a.m. on April 18 and 1 p.m. on April 20. The incident was reported on April 22.

Stopped up
A 32-year-old man from Selden was arrested in the parking lot of a Home Depot in Setauket-East Setauket on April 21 and charged with petit larceny. Police said that at about 1:45 p.m. he took wrenches and plumbing fittings from the store.

Phoning it in
A man from Brandywine Drive in Setauket-East Setauket told police someone fraudulently accessed his AT&T wireless account to obtain an iPhone 6. The incident was reported on April 23 at 3:30 p.m. and occurred sometime between Feb. 20 and April 8.

Jeep Grand Cherokey
Someone keyed a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee parked at Danfords Hotel & Marina on East Broadway in Port Jefferson on April 24 at about 5:30 p.m. There were no arrests.

Temper tantrum
A 32-year-old man from Stony Brook was arrested in Smithtown and charged with obstructing traffic and resisting arrest on April 26. Police said that at about 5:25 a.m. at the corner of Edgewood Avenue and Glenrich Drive in St. James he was standing in the middle of the street and became violent and belligerent as cars attempted to pass him. He also refused to comply with a police officer’s demands.

Caffeine crash
Police arrested a 17-year-old teen from Nesconset in Smithtown on April 21 and charged him with criminal mischief — reckless property damage in an amount less than $250. Police said that the teen pushed a coffee-making machine off the counter at a 7-Eleven on Smithtown Boulevard, causing damage to it at 9:52 p.m. on April 8.

Be right back
A 34-year-old woman from St. James was arrested at her home on Copperbeech Road on April 25 and charged with operating a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident. The incident happened on Lake Avenue in St. James on March 19 at about 2:10 p.m., where police said the woman was involved in a reportable car accident. She was driving a 2011 Toyota Sienna and fled the scene of the accident.

Swords, bow and arrow jacked
A Smithtown complainant from Jerome Street told police someone took a laptop, bow and arrows and swords from a shopping center at 2150 Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook sometime on April 24 between 10:30 and 11:40 a.m.

Tire troubles
Two cars parked on Hawkins Avenue in Smithtown were damaged in two separate incidents that occurred on April 22 at 10 p.m., police said. Two tires of a 2007 Infiniti were damaged, and an unknown person also slashed a tire on a 2015 Kia.

Plate taken
Someone removed a license plate from a 2011 Ford pickup truck parked on Standish Place in Smithtown sometime between April 25 at 8:30 p.m. and April 26 at 8:30 p.m.

Push ‘n shove
A man told police another man pushed him at America’s Best Value Inn on Nesconset Highway in Nesconset at about 6:30 p.m. on April 26.

Fence face-lift
An unknown person spray-painted multiple sections of a fence on Pine Drive in Nesconset sometime between April 24 at 8 p.m. and April 25 at 9:30 a.m.

iSad
Someone broke the driver-side window of a 2008 Ford parked on Bennett Street in Kings Park and stole an iPad. The incident happened sometime between 11:30 p.m. on April 20 and 5:30 a.m. on April 21.

Out of tune
Someone took an electronic guitar, cable, wireless system and tuner from a 2014 Lexus parked on Lou Avenue in Kings Park sometime between April 19 at 11:30 p.m. and April 20 at 7 a.m.

Jewels, cash taken
Jewelry and cash was stolen from a home on Drew Drive in St. James sometime between 8 a.m. on March 26 and 2 p.m. on April 21.

Paper stolen
Multiple reams of paper were stolen from a school on Moriches Road in St. James sometime between March 27 and April 20.

Car climbing a tree
A 27-year-old man from Cold Spring Harbor was arrested in Huntington on April 25 and charged with driving while intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 of 1 percent. Police said that on April 25, at about 5:48 a.m., the man was heading west on Holdsworth Drive in Huntington when he drove up an embankment at Oakwood Road and struck a tree.

Stolen car, pills and a fake check
Police arrested a 50-year-old man from Huntington on April 23 and charged him with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree possession of a forged instrument. Police said that at the corner of Kerri Court and Park Avenue in Huntington after midnight, the man was found to be operating a stolen 2002 Toyota. He was also found with prescription pills without a prescription and also appeared to possess a fraudulent check.

Halloween shenanigans
A 17-year-old from East Northport was arrested in Huntington on April 24 and charged with third-degree criminal tampering. Police said that on Halloween last year at 8:55 p.m. on Wendy Lane in Elwood, he intentionally ran through a vinyl fence, damaging it. He was arrested at 4:40 p.m. at the precinct.

Brawler busted
Police arrested a 50-year-old man from St. James on April 20 in Huntington and charged him with third-degree assault, with intent to cause physical injury. On March 27 at about 7:40 a.m., police said the man grabbed another male by his sweatshirt on New York Avenue and both individuals fell to the ground. The man then punched the victim in the face. The victim suffered a broken nose, concussion and required medical attention, including stitches. He was arrested at the 2nd Precinct.

Persistent thief thwarted
Police said a 32-year-old East Northport man was arrested on April 26 at his home on Loret Lane in East Northport and charged with a flurry of petit larcenies in the area spanning March 25 to April 4. Sometime between March 25 and March 26 on Norton Drive in East Northport, he stole ear buds, a phone charger and cash. On March 26 at about 1:50 a.m., he stole Ray-Ban sunglasses and cash from a home on Joseph Court. That same day, he stole two portable DVD players and phone chargers from another home on Joseph Court. Sometime between April 3 at 8 p.m. and April 4 at 4:30 a.m., he stole an iPhone 5 and iPod from Tanager Lane in Fort Salonga. He also took a Garmin GPS sometime between April 3 at 11 p.m. and April 4 at 6 a.m. from a location at Gilder Court in Fort Salonga. Police said that at Bobolink Lane in Fort Salonga the man stole prescription pills.

Window broken in bar fight
A window was broken during a fight at Finley’s of Greene Street in Huntington on April 26 at 3 a.m., police said.

Man stabbed
Someone told police he was stabbed by an unknown person in a parking lot on West Hills Road in Huntington on April 26. The call came in at about 4:20 a.m. The victim said he required medical treatment.

Temple looted
Someone took money from a locked file cabinet drawer at Temple Beth El on Park Avenue in Huntington sometime March 31 and April 14. The incident was reported on April 23.

Police catch winter bank robbery suspect

by Elana Glowatz - April 29, 2015

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Christopher-Collins-w — Christopher Collins mugshot from SCPD

Police arrested a Ridge man on Tuesday afternoon who they say robbed two banks this past winter.

The Suffolk County Police Department alleges Christopher Collins, 25, robbed the Bank of America on Bennetts Road in East Setauket on Jan. 31 and the Capital One bank on Smithtown Boulevard in Nesconset on Feb. 17. The suspect in both robberies presented a threatening note to the teller at the bank.

According to police, Pattern Crime Unit detectives used video surveillance and tips from community members to identify Collins as a suspect. The detectives then placed him under their own surveillance.

Collins was arrested on Tuesday at about 3:15 p.m. on Middle Country Road in Ridge. He was charged with two counts of third-degree robbery.

No attorney information was available for Collins, a resident of Ruth Lane.

The defendant has unrelated charges already pending against him, including for petit larceny.

Community comes out for Butterfly Breakfast for a Cure

by TBR Staff - April 28, 2015

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Buttlerfly People — A local family came out for breakfast to support a great cause. Photo by Jenn Intravaia Photography

By Ernestine Franco

More than 160 people started their day recently at the Butterfly Breakfast for a Cure fundraiser held at Applebee’s in Miller Place.

The $4,000 raised on Saturday will benefit DEBRA for America, an organization that provides assistance and education to families with children born with epidermolysis bullosa (EB). Young people who suffer from this disease are called “butterfly children” because their skin is so fragile it blisters or tears from friction or trauma.

After the event, Donna McCauley, who organized the fundraiser, expressed her gratitude to everyone who participated in the fundraiser, “When [my daughter] Kelly asked to take on a fundraiser for DEBRA of America, we were so proud of her for taking such an interest to give back to this wonderful organization that has supported our family for so many years. Living with EB is not easy and often people ask me how I manage to be so involved in so many things. All of my servers worked out of the goodness of theirs hearts and for service hours and did a great job. In case it wasn’t obvious to all yesterday by [the number of people who came to] Applebee’s … It is because of the love and support of my fantastic family and a group of friends like all of you. I am truly humbled by the turnout.”

If you would like to donate to help find a cure, please visit www.DEBRA.org.

Dead body found near Miller Place school

by Barbara Donlon - April 27, 2015

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Police say incident is not criminal

Miller-Place-Body-Rocky-Point-Road-042715-Donlon6w — A man in a New York Police Department jacket and two others in suits observe the brush next to North Country Road Middle School after a body was discovered there Monday morning. Photo by Barbara Donlon

Suffolk County police responded to a report of a dead body found in Miller Place within feet of the North Country Road Middle School early Monday morning.

Police did not provide any information on the body, which was found close to the building on Lower Rocky Point Road. Police described the incident as “noncriminal” in nature.

Cops received a call this morning reporting the discovery. The caller told police that the body was found just north of the school.

At 2:30 p.m. Monday, a man wearing a New York City Police Department jacket with a police patch was observed browsing the brush next to the school, flanked by other men dressed in suits.

No marked police vehicles were visible at the scene.

Sayville knocks down Shoreham lacrosse

by Desirée Keegan - April 27, 2015

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Shoreham-Wading-River-girls-lacrosse-Isabella-Meli-4-042415_Keeganw — Shoreham-Wading River’s Isabella Meli pulls back to fire a shot at the cage in the Wildcats’ 12-4 loss at Sayville Friday. Photo by Desirée Keegan

The Shoreham-Wading River girls’ lacrosse team couldn’t keep up with the Golden Flashes on Friday. Despite lighting up the scoreboard early, the Wildcats fell to Sayville, 12-4.

“I don’t really think they played with a lot of heart today,” Shoreham-Wading River head coach Rachel Feirstein said of her team. “They didn’t play the game that I know they can play.”

Sayville scored first but a minute later, Jesse Arline passed the ball to Sophia Triandafils, who tied the game. It didn’t last for long though — by the time another minute had passed, Sayville had edged ahead, 3-1.

Shoreham-Wading River’s Jesse Arline pulls the ball out and away from the crease to try to get an open look at the net in the Wildcats’ 12-4 loss at Sayville Friday. Photo by Desirée Keegan

Shortly afterward, following a foul call, Shoreham eighth-grader Isabella Meli, a midfielder and attack, fired a shot straight up the middle from 10 yards out to pull her team within one.

“I think today wasn’t one of our best games but I think we did good on draw controls,” she said. “I think we need to have a more positive attitude while we’re playing — and less turnovers.”

Sayville then scored four straight goals, but it would have been more without Shoreham senior goalkeeper and captain Lauren Daly, who made three big saves to minimize the damage.

The half ended with the Wildcats down 7-2.

“I think we had some moments of greatness, but I think there were times where we could have won a few more 50/50 balls and taken some better shots,” Daly said. “Sayville is a great team. They have some really good players and some really good ball movement, so I think defensively we communicated well with each other.”

At the start of the second half, Shoreham patiently maintained possession of the ball for more than five straight minutes and finally found the back of the net, to bring the score to 7-3.

After another Daly save, Sayville hammered one in net and forced Shoreham to call a timeout. Daly came out of the huddle to make another save, but Sayville squeezed another ball past her to jump out to a 9-3 lead.

“I walk into every game with the same attitude, and every single game I just try to play my best,” Daly said.

After winning the draw, Shoreham-Wading River’s Samantha Higgins maintains possession of the ball as she makes her way into Sayville’s zone with a defender on her hip, in the Wildcats’ 12-4 loss at Sayville Friday. Photo by Desirée Keegan

Sayville’s defense continued to pressure, forcing Shoreham outside the crease. Even there, the Wildcats couldn’t find the open looks.

Sayville scored another time before Shoreham scored its final goal of the game.

Samantha Higgins, who won possession off of several draws for the Wildcats, swiped the ball out of the air, took it all the way down the field and passed to Meli in front of the net, who whipped it in for the score.

Daly made her final of nine saves on the day, and Sayville scored twice more to end the game at 12-4.

Feirstein does not believe the game and its result are indicative of the way her team can play.

“I think the negative outweighed the bright spots, but there were some — we had an eighth-grader who scored two goals,” she said of Meli. “I have a lot of confidence in my team; they just need to show it. They need to work together as a team, and they practice it all week long — they just need to put it together in a 50-minute game.”

Daly said to end the regular season strong, the team will need to work on winning more ground balls and capitalizing on turnovers, which the girls hope to do Monday, when they travel to Miller Place at 4 p.m.

“We have some really great players and we’re a young team, but I think we’re a confident team,” she said. ”I think when we play confident and when we play our best, we’re a threat.”

Tale of the pup at Comsewogue

by Erika Karp - April 27, 2015

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The pups at Comsewogue Public Library’s inaugural Pet Adoption Fair couldn’t stop wagging their tails on April 25. Community members came out to pet their soft fur and get some kisses on a beautiful spring Saturday.

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Rocky Point budget heads to a budget vote

by Erika Karp - April 27, 2015

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School board adopts $78.7 million spending plan

MichaelRing_RockyPoint_BOE_112414_KARPw — Rocky Point Superintendent Michael Ring. File photo by Erika Karp

Come May 19, Rocky Point Union Free School District residents will take to the polls and vote on the district’s proposed 2015-16 school year budget, which would increase the tax levy by about 1.7 percent over the current year — slightly less than how much administrators previously expected to raise taxes.

Since budget talks began earlier this year, district officials estimated the tax levy increase at 1.97 percent. But at an April 22 school board meeting, district Superintendent Michael Ring announced the lower levy increase, after the district received additional state building aid for next year. According to aid projections from New York State, the district is set to receive a total aid package of more than $27 million.

The district had a difficult budget process this year, as it faces an increase in special education costs.

Between more students being schooled outside of the district and those with high-cost Individualized Education Program plans, the special education budget line will increase by nearly 13 percent. According a recent budget presentation, with BOCES services and tuition for outside and private placements, the district is looking at spending more than $7.3 million.

Assistant Superintendent Deborah DeLuca said officials tried to keep some special education students in-house, but was unable to do so.

“Quite honestly, there was no way of grouping them, with their needs and their IEPs, for us to do that here. … We wouldn’t be able to have nice, clean groups and it would be difficult to support,” she said.

Ring said creating a more robust special education program at Rocky Point to educate the students makes sense, but supporting it over the years could be a challenge.

“If we don’t get people to enroll in our program, what happens?” Ring said.

Because of that budget line’s increase, administrators said there would be a decrease in the district’s Striving for Higher Achievement at Rocky Point, known as SHARP, at the elementary level. The district is cutting the afterschool program, but summer SHARP would continue and other extra help would still be offered.

Ring said that after reviewing the numbers, there wasn’t a strong correlation between placement in the program and a child’s outcome, as students received the services for a brief time — from one hour to no more than four hours a week.

The move will save the district between $150,000 and $170,000, according to Ring.

A public hearing on the budget will be held at 7 p.m. on May 5 in the Rocky Point High School auditorium.

Three compete for one seat on Miller Place school board

by Barbara Donlon - April 27, 2015

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Thomas-Brischler-w — Tom Brischler. Photo from Brischler

The Miller Place Board of Education has one seat open as incumbent Mike Unger decided he would not seek re-election. Three hopefuls, including former trustee Michael Manspeizer, who wasn’t re-elected to his seat last year, and newcomers Tom Brischler and Keith J. Frank, are vying for the position. The election, as well as 2015-16 school year budget vote, will take place on May 19.

Unger, a six-year school board veteran, said in an email that he feels the board is in great shape and it’s a good time to hand it off.

Unger reflected on a number of achievements during his tenure, including construction of the administration building, addition of a full-day kindergarten program, adoption of long-term budgeting practices and naming Marianne Higuera as the district’s superintendent.

“I thank the residents, my board members and the staff of Miller Place for trusting me with their educational, administrative and financial issues,” Unger wrote. “I have truly enjoyed these last six years and will maintain a high level of interest in all things Miller Place. Go Panthers.”

Tom Brischler
The retired Sachem North High School English teacher is making a run for the board, as he hopes to become a facilitator between the board, the teachers and the community.
Brischler, 63, said he loved teaching and called it a way of life instead of a job. He feels education is in jeopardy, which is why he decided to make the run.
“I don’t want to see teaching and learning fall apart,” Brischler said.
He feels the relationship between local schools and the state of New York is at an all time low and he hopes that by gaining a seat on the board he can fix that.
If elected, Brischler said he would work on being a facilitator and making sure teacher’s jobs are manageable, as the Common Core Learning Standards and aligned standardized testing continues.
“I would like to see shared decision making come back to Miller Place,” Brischler said.
Brischler said is he is against Common Core and teacher evaluations being tied to the state tests.
Brischler and his wife, Janine, who is a teacher in the district, have lived in Miller Place for 10 years. He has two grown children.

Keith J. Frank is running for the Miller Place school board. Photo from the candidate

Keith J. Frank
The father of three students in the district decided he would like to run in an effort to continue the great experience his children in the district have.
Frank, 50, said his children have had a tremendously positive experience in the district and he wants to get on the board to make sure the district continues that.
“My goals are to make sure [the] schools continue to run as well as they have with the proper balance to maintain programs for kids,” Frank said.
Frank is a partner at the Uniondale-based law firm, Forchelli, Curto, Deegan,
Schwartz, Mineo & Terrana, LLP, where he practices labor, employment and business law. He said he feels he has a lot to bring to the board with his skill set, especially as he has litigation experience.
“I think I bring a good perspective of understanding how a large organization runs,” Frank said. “I try to see both sides of all issues.”
Frank has lived in the district for 12 years with his wife, Kristina, a stay-at-home mom.

Michael Manspeizer is running for the Miller Place school board. Photo from the candidate

Michael Manspeizer
Manspeizer isn’t letting last year’s loss get him down, and the Cisco Systems program manager is running again.
“I really want to have a second chance to get a full term and have an impact on the community,” Manspeizer, 55, said.
The 10-year Miller Place resident was first elected to the board to finish a retiring member’s term in the spring of 2013. He said he is running again because there are a lot of issues that need to be fixed.
“We face a lot of issues, a lot of issues that require thoughtful contemplation,” Manspeizer said.
With everything going on in the education world, Manspeizer said he hopes to help manage the change by being respectful to students, teachers and the taxpayers. He also wants to see more discussion among board members when making important decisions.
If elected, he would continue to comb through the budget to find better and more efficient ways to spend money, encourage more science, technology, engineering and math — STEM — programs in the district and work to enhance athletic programs.
Manspeizer, and his wife Doreen, a stay at home mom, have two daughters, one in college and one in high school.

Mount Sinai school board adopts $56.7 million budget

by Erika Karp - April 24, 2015

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Full-day kindergarten included in spending plan

Brosdal_Sweeney_mountsinai_BOE_111914_KARP_editw — Mount Sinai’s administration and board — including Superintendent Gordon Brosdal and BOE President Robert Sweeney — will ask taxpayers to weigh in on a capital bond proposal Dec. 11. File photo by Erika Karp

Over the last four years, only an average of 17 percent of registered voters in the Mount Sinai school district came out to the district’s annual May budget and school board election. This year, Superintendent Gordon Brosdal is urging residents to actually show up to the polls.

Prior to making his last presentation on the district’s proposed $56.7 million 2015-16 school year budget, which the school board unanimously adopted, Brosdal took a few minutes to remind the larger-than-usual crowd that every vote matters.

“If people vote yes or no, that’s their issue, but please come out and vote,” he said at the April 22 school board meeting. “All of you. Encourage your friends, neighbors.”

Elected officials, those who decide how much state aid the district gets, will take notice, according to Brosdal.

While the district budgeted for no increase in state aid over the current year, the district received $391,860 more than anticipated. Included in the total $16.4 million aid package, is more than $500,000 in kindergarten conversion aid, as the district plans to transition from a half-day to full-day kindergarten program.

The possible change has been a topic of discussion for a year, with many parents backing the move, as students require additional classroom time in order to keep up with the Common Core Learning Standards.

Last month, the district committed to making the jump and included the full-day program in its budget proposal.

At the April 22 meeting, Brosdal said that after he recently saw Miller Place’s newly implemented full-day kindergarten program he was “kind of elated” by what he witnessed at the school and how much the students were learning.

“We are leaving kids behind in our current program,” Brosdal said.

But school officials have repeatedly reminded residents that the budget just isn’t about kindergarten. There is still a whole K-12 program that the budget maintains and betters.

Under the spending plan, which increases nearly 3.3 percent from the current year, class sizes, class offerings and programs are maintained. In addition, the district will begin following Columbia University’s Teachers College Writing Project, which provides writing curriculum and professional development for teachers, in grades kindergarten through fifth.

A resident with an average assessed home value of $3,500 will see an annual tax increase of $156.

The slight increase in state aid also helps the district’s three-year outlook, as it won’t have to rely as much on appropriating fund balance year after year. In the past, board President Robert Sweeney pointed to the 2017-18 school year as to when the district’s surplus would be depleted. However, according to current district estimates, the fund balance would remain at nearly 2 percent of the operating budget that year.

“We’re now in a position that we can develop our program each year and develop our program positively,” he said.

Three race for two seats on Rocky Point BOE

by Erika Karp - April 24, 2015

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In addition to voting on the 2015-16 budget this May, Rocky Point school district residents will cast their votes to fill two seats in the annual school board election. Incumbent school board Vice President Scott Reh is running for his third term, while residents Donna McCauley and Ed Casswell are throwing their hats in the ring for a second time.

John Lessler, who has been a trustee since 2009, isn’t seeking re-election. He did not return calls for comment.

Scott Reh is running for the Rocky Point school board. File photo

Scott Reh
After five years on the board, Scott Reh, 48, is proud of the work the board has done but wants to stick around and build upon that work.
In a phone interview, Reh, who became vice president last year, said he is seeking re-election to continue “moving in the right direction.” In addition, he wants to be involved as the board contemplates putting a capital improvements bond up for a vote in the future.
While the bond is a main focus, Reh said he wants to continue making sure that the school district officials and the board are working together. It is especially important to Reh that teachers and staff enjoy going to work every day.
Most important, though: The kids.
His main objective is “trying to afford children everything they need to learn.”
As Mount Sinai school district’s athletics director, Reh spoke of having a unique perspective, as he has interacted with students, teachers, administrators and parents. In addition, the role gives him significant budgeting experience.
With all of the changes happening in the education world, Reh said his job is to listen to the community and make decisions with that feedback in mind.
Reh and his wife, Lisa, have three children. His sons graduated from Rocky Point High School and his daughter is in 10th grade.

Donna McCauley is running for the Rocky Point school board. File photo

Donna McCauley
A frequent attendee of the Rocky Point school board meetings, Donna McCauley is making another go at becoming a trustee after running a year ago.
At this time last year, McCauley, 46, said she wanted to see more board member participation when making decisions and voting on resolutions. McCauley said she’s been pleased to see that happening.
However, more can always be done, and McCauley said she would give everyday, taxpaying residents a voice. While many of the board members have education backgrounds, McCauley does not and she said that is a good thing.
“I think I would offer a different perspective,” she said. “I think it makes for a more well-rounded board,” she said.
Last year, McCauley expressed concerns about the district’s academic plan, known as Next S.T.E.P., which is geared toward improving student performance. Since then, McCauley has taken an active role on the Next S.T.E.P. subcommittee to learn more about the plan and to educate the community.
“I think it is a work in progress,” McCauley said of the plan.
If elected, McCauley said she would like to explore adding more career and technology course offerings so students have a more robust menu of items from which to choose.
A former pharmaceutical company representative, McCauley has lived in the district since 1995. She has a daughter in 10th grade with her husband, Michael. She spends most of her time volunteering and holds leadership roles in and is an active member of St. Louis de Montfort Roman Catholic Church and the Suffolk County Girl Scouts.

Ed Casswell is running for the Rocky Point school board. Photo from the candidate

Ed Casswell
After unsuccessfully running for a trustee seat in 2012, Ed Casswell said his desire to serve the Rocky Point community has not diminished and he is ready to take on the role.
As principal of Center Moriches High School, Casswell, 50, said he is empathetic and in tune with the needs of the district’s students.
“I live it,” Casswell said in a phone interview. “I live all the changes and trials and tribulations that education brings.”
If elected, Casswell wants to make sure everyone in the district shares a common vision. He said the school board needs a strong voice and advocate in the state legislature, something he would pursue.
School board members must “understand the intricate details of any mandates, but also they need to realize it is quite possible that local communities will lose local control,” he said.
Casswell and his wife, Carrie Ann, have lived in the district for 23 years. The couple has two children — a fourth-grader and an 11th-grader — in the district.
He is a North Shore Little League board member and serves as the Suffolk County High School Principals Association’s president.

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