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Discharging homes’ wastewater into sewer systems could keep harmful substances out of our water supply. File photo

By Colm Ashe

The message from Stony Brook University’s center for clean water technology was clear — it’s time to cut the poop.

Suffolk County’s waters are inundated with nitrogen pollution and the main culprit is wastewater coming from our homes, officials said this week. There are more than 360,000 homes in the county using a 5,000-year-old system for waste management — septic tanks and cesspools. The waste from these systems is leaching into the groundwater, causing high amounts of nitrogen pollution. On June 20, the NYS Center for Clean Water Technology at Stony Brook University proposed the new technologies they aim to implement in order to restore our polluted waters to a healthy state.

The design is simple, officials said: utilizing locally sourced, natural materials to provide a system that is both efficient and economically feasible.

This is not just an environmental issue. Suffolk County’s waters underlie the foundation of the state’s greater economy, from real estate to tourism. If nothing is done to counteract continuous contamination, officials argued, the very identity of Long Island could be compromised.

The center is taking action, and its members shared that action with the public on Thursday, June 23.

“These simple systems, comprised of sand and finely ground wood, are demonstrating an ability to treat household wastewater as well or better than the most advanced wastewater treatment plants,” said Christopher Gobler, the center’s co-director and professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University. “Similar in footprint and basic functionality to a drain field, the most common form of onsite wastewater dispersal around the country, we call them nitrogen-removing biofilters, and the next step is to pilot them at residences to see if they can consistently perform in more dynamic situations.”

To accompany the high nitrogen-removal rates, these nitrogen-removing biofilters are proving effective in removing other unwanted contaminants from the water, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products, Gobler said.

Harold Walker, center co-director, professor and chair of the Department of Civil Engineering at Stony Brook University, reinforced the new system’s viability, adding, “they are passive systems by design, which means they are low maintenance and require little energy to operate.”

Biofilters are not the only technology the center is working on. Ever since they were funded by the state environmental protection fund in 2015, their collaborative efforts with leading experts from the public and private sectors have produced several treatment options all in the name of providing cost-effective, high-performance waste-management systems suitable for widespread implementation on Long Island. However, the biofilters end up receiving most of the praise.

According to Richard Amper, executive director of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society, the technology “is among the most promising we’ve seen in Long Island’s effort to restore water quality.”

Regardless of the obvious potential, it is still up to Suffolk County to approve the systems for commercial use. In an exclusive interview with TBR News Media, Gobler said, “some systems will be approved this year.”

As part of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services demonstration program, the center should see local testing as early as this fall. Pilot installations are already underway at a test center, Gobler said.

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Soon-to-be graduate proudly displays high school diploma at Ward Melville High School’s commencement on June 26, 2016. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy

They came with cameras, air horns and even a graduate’s photo held high on sticks. These were the proud families and friends who came to celebrate the 618 students who graduated from Ward Melville High School on Sunday.

Before receiving their diplomas, graduating seniors listened to final pieces of advice from their peers, their principal Dr. Alan Baum and school board president William Connors.

Class salutatorian Ariel Long urged her classmates to take their experiences at Ward Melville and “look on new beginnings with excitement and not fear.” Jeffrey Michel, the class valedictorian, reminded them to not limit themselves to one talent or interest.

“Change starts with you,” said Dr. Baum, who quoted a number of artists, including Shakira, to remind students that failure is a part of life and a way to learn. He told the graduates to “challenge obstacles,” try again and move forward.

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Graduates toss their caps into the air. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy
Soon-to-be graduate proudly displays high school diploma at Ward Melville High School’s commencement on June 26, 2016. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy
Principal Alan Baum addresses the graduates at Ward Melville High School’s commencement on June 26, 2016. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy
Salutatorian Ariel Long addresses her class at Ward Melville High School’s commencement on June 26, 2016. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy
Soon-to-be graduate proudly displays high school diploma at Ward Melville High School’s commencement on June 26, 2016. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy
Student government president Joseph Hines presents the senior class gift of new picnic tables at Ward Melville High School’s commencement on June 26, 2016. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy
Soon-to-be graduate proudly displays high school diploma at Ward Melville High School’s commencement on June 26, 2016. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy
Soon-to-be graduate proudly displays high school diploma at Ward Melville High School’s commencement on June 26, 2016. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy
Soon-to-be graduate proudly displays high school diploma at Ward Melville High School’s commencement on June 26, 2016. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy
Soon-to-be graduate proudly displays high school diploma at Ward Melville High School’s commencement on June 26, 2016. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy
Soon-to-be graduate proudly displays high school diploma at Ward Melville High School’s commencement on June 26, 2016. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy
Soon-to-be graduate proudly displays high school diploma at Ward Melville High School’s commencement on June 26, 2016. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy
Graduates switch their tassels at Ward Melville High School’s commencement on June 26, 2016. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy
Valedictorian Jeffrey Michel addresses his class at Ward Melville High School’s commencement on June 26, 2016. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy

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Julianne Soviero is a Ward Melville High School graduate. Photo from Julianne Soviero

By Joseph Wolkin

Julianne Soviero is focused on developing young softball pitchers throughout Long Island. The 1998 Ward Melville High School grad and 2002 valedictorian at Manhattan College is attempting to make a difference for young athletes, searching for ways to educate them about the recruiting process and keep them savvy of the sharks swimming through the competitive waters.

Julianne Soviero is a Ward Melville High School graduate. Photo from Julianne Soviero
Julianne Soviero is a Ward Melville High School graduate. Photo from Julianne Soviero

In May, Soviero self-published her second book, “Empowered Recruiting: The Student Athlete’s College Selection Guide.” In her latest work, the now Ronkonkoma resident said she attempts to convey multiple messages to student athletes, with chapters about knowing one’s options, eligibility, signing and more.

“I have been working with elite athletes in my business for well over a decade,” Soviero said. “What I was finding that was very challenging is that, by the time they decided they wanted to play competitively, it was like there was way too much information for them to acquire to do that because it’s become too complicated to do that. Usually, to get this kind of information and to sit down with them — the amount of time it would take to do it thoroughly — is astronomically expensive. I wanted to create a way to make all of this information accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time.”

Soviero is president of Flawless Fastpitch, an organization dedicated to instructing how to pitch in softball, along with learning the anatomy and physiology of properly delivering the ball. Guiding numerous athletes to successful Division I and II collegiate careers, she said she wants to continue expanding her influence with the book.

“I don’t get any joy in telling people that consult with me that if they want to play in Division I, they have to start super young,” Soviero said. “But it’s just the truth. When you’re in seventh or eighth grade, you don’t know what you want to do. Some people don’t even know what they want to do until after they graduate college. At least if you begin the education process at that time, you can say that maybe Division I is too much for me, and you can go to Division II. A lot of people assume that Division III offers athletic scholarships and they do not.”

Growing up, Soviero went to Setauket Elementary School, P.J. Gelinas Jr. High and pitched for four years for the Patriots varsity softball team, graduating from Ward Melville High School in 1998. Her pitching success led her to become the recipient of the 2001 NIT Student/Athlete Award. Come 2010, she became a consultant for LIU Post’s softball team, staying with the team through 2013.

Among those who stand out in Soviero’s eyes include Seaford’s Lindsay Montemarano, who completed her junior year with the Michigan Wolverines, and Brightwaters’ Liz Weber, who attended LIU Post.

Compared to Soviero’s other book, “Unleash Your True Athletic Potential,” she said she hopes student athletes and parents will not only come out with a better knowledge of the recruiting process, but also have a better understanding of what the process of being scouted by colleges is like.

Soviero said she makes occasional appearances on Fox and Sirius XM Satellite Radio, preaching her company’s work along with athletes that have signed with major teams.

“This book [was written] specifically because I was seeing how many athletes are struggling through this very complicated process to be noticed by colleges and things like that,” Soviero said. “It’s become very difficult for them, and it’s become enormously expensive.”

Her book is available on Amazon.com.

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The author with famous New Orleans R&B record producers Harold Battiste, left, and Wardell Quezergue, right, in 2010. Photo from John Broven

By Rita Egan

For those who meet John Broven, if they ask the proofreader at the Times Beacon Record Newspapers questions about his past, the mild-mannered Englishman may treat them to stories about the old-time record industry. For those who don’t have the opportunity to meet the music historian, there are his three books: “Rhythm and Blues in New Orleans,” “South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous” and “Record Makers and Breakers.”

Recently Broven had the opportunity to greatly revise and republish his first book “Rhythm and Blues in New Orleans,” which was originally published in the United States in 1978 and under the title “Walking to New Orleans: The Story of R&B New Orleans” in Great Britain in 1974. 

Selling more than 20,000 copies initially and inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, the book is a comprehensive history of the local rhythm and blues industry filled with information about the careers of icons such as Fats Domino, Lloyd Price, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John and many more. A great deal of the material is derived from interviews that the author conducted himself.

Broven said it was about three years ago when the publisher, Pelican Books, approached him about updating the book. While he kept the paperback to the basic rhythm and blues period of the 1940s to the 1960s, it gave him a chance to update the basic information as well as incorporate several post-1974 interviews. This edition is significantly different from the original publication.

“The book is still very well respected, and I’m very pleased it’s given me the chance to say: Well, this is as up to date and as good as I can get it,” he said.

The cover of Broven’s book. Photo from John Broven
The cover of Broven’s book. Photo from John Broven

Rhythm and blues has filled the author’s life since his early years growing up in England. Broven said he started collecting records as a teenager and was fortunate to go to school with Mike Leadbitter, who launched the publication Blues Unlimited in 1963 along with another schoolmate Simon Napier.

He described Leadbitter as a great visionary, and when he and Napier formed the magazine, he asked Broven if he would like to write for them. The writer said he had no experience at the time and Leadbitter said to him: “You have all these records, write about them.”

It was the first international blues magazine, and Broven said he was in the right place at the right time. When the writer traveled to the United States with Leadbitter in 1970, they discovered numerous American artists who they felt were being forgotten.

Leadbitter said to him: “Why don’t you write a book?” The author said the original edition centered more around Fats Domino, who Broven described as “a great American success story.”

Broven said he is happy he had the opportunity to write about the genre. “In general I find that Americans just don’t realize what an impact their music has had overseas and internationally. Rock ’n’ roll and rhythm and blues spread from here [to] literally all over the world,” the author said.

The writer explained that, “When I wrote the book in the early 1970s, New Orleans rhythm and blues was considered to be part of popular rock ’n’ roll and very few people saw the link between its jazz heritage, and people saw them as almost two distinct forms. I think one of the things was to show that there was a natural progression from the jazz era into rhythm and blues and soul music. In other words, rhythm and blues is as much a part of the New Orleans heritage as jazz is,” he said.

The author said he was working in banking when he wrote the original edition of the book, and after 31 years in the banking industry, he became a consultant with Ace Records of London, England.

With the record label, he traveled to locations such as New Orleans, Nashville and Los Angeles. It was during this time that he gained a deeper knowledge of the music business and met and interviewed more renowned recording artists, including B.B. King, together with many pioneering record men and women for the critically acclaimed “Record Makers and Breakers” (2009).

For the New Orleans book, Broven said he feels the interviews have stood the test of time, and the subjects, the majority born and raised in the city, are marvelous storytellers. “I couldn’t have done it without all those great personalities and their stories,” he said. Many are no longer alive, which makes the interviews even more precious, he added.

Broven has many favorite interviewees including Cosimo Matassa, the owner of three recording studios during his lifetime. Broven credits Matassa for giving New Orleans rhythm and blues its sound, particularly the “street” drum sound.

The author said Matassa’s studios provided a relaxed atmosphere for artists, and, in the 1940s and 1950s, “there was not the overdubbing and multitrack recording that you’ve got now. It was almost a live performance. If someone hit a wrong note, that was the end of that take and you had to do it all over again,” he said.

Broven’s musical journey eventually brought him to the United States permanently. While working with Ace Records he met his late wife, Shelley, who he said was very supportive of his record research work. She had inherited the independent label Golden Crest Records, of Huntington Station, from her father, Clark Galehouse.

’In general I find that Americans just don’t realize what an impact their music has had overseas and internationally.’ — John Broven

Broven said he arranged a meeting with Shelley in 1993 to discuss a licensing deal for the Wailers’ “Tall Cool One,” a Top 40 instrumental hit on her father’s label for Ace’s best-selling series, “The Golden Age of American Rock ’n’ Roll.” They were both single and soon began dating. He joked, “I always say we signed two contracts. One was for the record and the other one was for marriage.”

When he married Shelley in 1995, he moved to the United States. The couple originally lived in Cold Spring Harbor but moved to East Setauket after two years.

For the new edition of his book, Broven will be traveling from Long Island to New Orleans for signings and book talks. He hopes that readers, especially the younger generation, will take an interest and learn about this era of American music. He believes the music is just as good today and said, “That’s the definition of classical music.”

“As I said in the book, in the introduction, my one wish is to make people aware not only of this great music, but also to make them rush to their record collections to play all those records — and if they haven’t got the records, to try and seek them out,” Broven said.

For more information about the author, visit www.johnbroven.com or to purchase his books, go to www.amazon.com.

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William Bacon’s notebook where he recorded leaving Alderwasley on June 12 1794, leaving the Port of Liverpool 10 days later and arriving in New York on Aug. 23. Photo from Beverly Tyler

By Beverly C. Tyler

“Here is not merely a nation but a teeming nation of nations.” – Walt Whitman, preface to Leaves of Grass – 1855

For almost 400 years, America has welcomed immigrants from around the world to its shores. They came here for many reasons, but principally to find a better life for themselves. As we prepare to celebrate American Independence Day on July 4, we remind ourselves that the strength of our nation is in its people, the men and women who came here for political, economic or religious freedom and, in the process, made America greater.

William Bacon, my great, great, great grandfather left his home in the midlands of England on June 12, 1794. He booked passage on a ship out of Liverpool on June 22 and arrived at New York’s South Street Seaport on Aug. 23. He then traveled to Patchogue, arriving on Aug. 28. Letters from his father and brothers between 1798 and 1824 and numerous trips I made to the villages of his youth provided the basis for this fictional letter to his father and mother based on other letters he wrote after his arrival in America.

In 1794, England was at war with France, as was most of Europe. The resultant curtailment of trade was having a very negative effect on the British economy. The impressment of American merchant ship crews by the British had brought America and England very close to war again. President George Washington was in his second term as the first president of the United States and had recently appointed Chief Justice John Jay to negotiate a treaty of commerce with England.

On Long Island, Selah Strong was again elected as president of the trustees of the Town of Brookhaven, a post he had held almost every year since the end of the Revolutionary War. In Patchogue, the Blue Point Iron Works, run by a Mr. Smith, was in full operation and looking to England, especially the midlands, for young men like William Bacon, who came from a long line of lead miners and iron workers:

“July 4, 1794
M. Matthew Bacon
Alderwasley
Parish of Wirksworth
Derbyshire, England

My Dearest Father & Mother

I am writing this letter at sea. We are twelve days out from Liverpool and expect to arrive in New York before the end of next month. Today is Independence Day in America and, as this is an American ship and crew, they celebrated the day with canon fire and decorated the ship with flags. A special meal was prepared and the other passengers and I were included in the feast. Sitting with these new friends and enjoying their hospitality, I realized for the first time how much I already miss home and family.

Last month, the day before I left, as I sat on the hillside above our home, I realized that there was a part of me that would stay there forever. The green hills of Alderwasley will remain forever in my memory, as will your kind smile and patience with me as I prepared to undertake this journey.

My resolve in going has not diminished in spite of my love for my family, for my home, and for the gentle rolling hills I have so often walked. The position in Mr. Smith’s iron works I regard as a chance to flourish in a land of opportunity as many others have done before me. America also offers the chance to live free of the will of the Lord of the Manor. He has been good to you, and generous, but he owns the very hills and valleys where I was born and grew up. In America, I can work and be anything I wish to be.

Please write and tell me if any from Wirksworth or Alderwasley have volunteered for the cavalry or infantry and how the war with France goes. I will send you the prices of pig and bar iron in English money as well as the prices of beef and mutton in the same as soon as I can. If brother Samuel is still in Jamaica after I arrive, ask him to come and see me when he goes through New York. The same for my brother Matthew if he comes to Philadelphia to trade, as he plans.

I continue with great hope and anticipation and a deep sorrow at parting.

Your loving son, William Bacon”

One book to read this week is “A Nation of Immigrants” by John F. Kennedy. This important and detailed book was written as Kennedy prepared to ask Congress to revise our immigration law. Published in 1964, “A Nation of Immigrants” can be read in just a few hours.

Beverly Tyler is the Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society.

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Quarterback Matt O’Hea looks to make a pass downfield. Photo from Chris Boltrek

By Joseph Wolkin

Quarterback Matt O’Hea looks to make a pass downfield. Photo from Chris Boltrek
Quarterback Matt O’Hea looks to make a pass downfield. Photo from Chris Boltrek

Ward Melville has recently made headlines for having another pitcher drafted to the New York Mets, following in the footsteps of Steven Matz.

But for the second year in a row, the high school is sending multiple football players to the collegiate level. In 2015, five Patriots were sent to either Division II or III schools, highlighted by former All-County quarterback Jeff Towle, who set the standard by making the jump to Pace University.

Quarterback Matt O’Hea, linebacker Patrick Morelli, defensive end Tom Lorusso and running back Nick Cervone will each be playing college football come this fall.

Led by second-year head coach Chris Boltrek, the Patriots finished the year 5-3, sixth out of 14 teams in Division I Section 11, ending with a playoff loss at Connetquot.

While the team usually makes headlines for baseball or lacrosse, Boltrek hopes to continue the recent trend of sending football players to that next level.

“I think it’s a reflection of their hard work and dedication to the sport, the team and the program,” Boltrek said. “You can see what football does for student-athletes. It provides them with opportunities. We’re talking about helping students get into a Division III school with great academics, and it helps them get into that school they might not have gotten into before. When you have that, it really gives you the ability to have more options when high school is over.”

And that was one of Boltrek’s main goals when he took over the program.

“It’s about continuing this process and hopefully getting them into larger schools,” he said. “One kid has been in Division II, and the other eight are all Division III. There’s a difference in competitiveness and the level of competition as you go from division to division. There is definitely more Long Island football out there in recent memory, and I’m trying to get the Ward Melville guys to be a part of that as well.”

With each of this year’s recruits being sent to Division III teams, Boltrek feels there will be more opportunities for future players, and he wants to get the attention of the bigger schools.

“I think it just comes with success, and hopefully, the work the coaches and kids put in turns into success on the field,” he said. “We’ve been trending in the right direction. The longer you can keep that up, the better chance you have at becoming [like] the lacrosse program or the baseball program because they’ve been consistently successful for years.”

O’Hea threw for 1,933 yards in nine games his last season, giving him the 11th most passing yards in New York. With a 119.2 passer rating, he was named to the second team All-Long Island, along with the first team All-Division, offensive MVP, and was Ward Melville’s Male Athlete of the Year.

Running back Nick Cervone moves the ball. Photo from Chris Boltrek
Running back Nick Cervone moves the ball. Photo from Chris Boltrek

O’Hea is heading off to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he will fight to become a starter. Looking to continue his success off the field, he plans on majoring in mechanical engineering.

“I’m going to have to go there and work for it,” O’Hea said. “My high mechanics throughout high school haven’t been up to par, so I need to work more on my mechanics when I go to college.”

Playing quarterback his whole life, O’Hea made the transition to wide receiver last year. However, he returned to his original position during the 2015-16 season, tossing 20 touchdowns in his final year with the Patriots. He grew up playing basketball and baseball, but evidently decided football was his focus because of what he calls “a college year.”

“A lot of it is about attracting kids to come out for football,” Boltrek said, using O’Hea as an example. “The good lacrosse athletes do not specialize. We have to get them to play football and make them recognize that playing football will actually help them with their other sports.”

Morelli will be going to Hamilton College in the fall, and Lorusso is traveling to Endicott College in Massachusetts.

Named one of the captains of the Patriots, Lorusso emerged as a team leader in his sophomore year, and started every year after, at defensive end and tackle, along with playing fullback and offensive tackle. Leading Ward Melville with three sacks, Lorusso also had a team-high nine quarterback hurries. He became a second team All-Division honoree this year, and was named the team MVP.

Cervone is joining the Allegheny College Gators in Pennsylvania this fall. Serving as one of the team’s captains this past season, he received the team leadership MVP, along with leading the team with 680 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.

As a result of Boltrek’s dedication and drive to push his players, his athletes are now off to college, attempting to build on what they started with the Patriots.

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Lights Out

A 37-year-old man from St. James intentionally damaged a metal and glass wall-mounted light fixture at the Arden Bar on Main Street in Port Jefferson at about 3 p.m. on June 18, according to police. He was arrested and charged with criminal mischief.

Three drugs, two guys

On Main Street in Port Jefferson near Linden Place, at about 2 p.m. on June 17, a 25-year-old man from Rocky Point and a 35-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station possessed more than one-eighth of an ounce of heroin and more than eight ounces of marijuana and cocaine, police said. They were arrested and each charged with two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a narcotic for the heroin and cocaine and third-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Wild ride

At about 9:30 p.m. on June 18, a 31-year-old man from Punta Gorda, Florida, driving a 1994 Chevrolet on Tyler Avenue in Miller Place failed to stay on the road and swerved onto the lawn of a home, according to police. Police discovered he was intoxicated. While being arrested police said he spit at an officer. He was transported to John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson. He was charged with criminal mischief for reckless property damage, driving while intoxicated and harassment for spitting at the officer.

Bad checks

A 38-year-old man from Rocky Point deposited checks made payable to himself on four occasions in January and February at Suffolk Federal Credit Union in Miller Place despite knowing the checks were from an account containing insufficient funds, police said. He was arrested at 7-Eleven on North Country Road in Rocky Point on June 17 and charged with four counts of petit larceny.

On his own street

On North Coleman Road in Selden on June 17 at about noon, a 41-year-old driver from East Patchogue hit a pedestrian and left the scene without reporting the incident, according to police. He was arrested at a home on North Coleman Road and charged with first-degree leaving the scene. The pedestrian suffered minor injuries, police said.

Heroin seized

On June 18, a 28-year-old woman from Selden possessed multiple glassine envelopes containing heroin and prescription medications on Middle Country Road in Selden, according to police. She was arrested and charged with two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Unlicensed hit-and-run

A 43-year-old woman from Port Jefferson Station was driving a 2005 Ford on Terryville Road near Route 347 at about 4:30 p.m. on June 14 when she collided with a 2014 Hyundai, police said. She left the scene without exchanging information. She was later arrested and charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, when police discovered her license had been suspended previously, and leaving the scene of an incident with property damage.

Do it yourself

At The Home Depot on Middle Country Road in Selden on June 15 at about 6:30 a.m., a 54-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station stole various hardware items, police said. He was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Motorbike mischief

On June 15 at about 2:30 a.m., a 37-year-old man from Selden driving a 2004 Buell motorbike on Route 112, near Walker Avenue in Medford, crashed, police said. Police discovered he was driving with a suspended license. He was arrested and charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Two hits in one day

On June 19, a 25-year-old man from Mildford was arrested after police said he hit a 2005 Nissan while driving a 2011 Nissan south on Route 231 in Dix Hills and then fled the scene. Later that day, police said he also hit a 2015 Honda while driving on  Route 231, and fled the scene a second time. He was charged with two counts of operating a motor vehicle and leaving the scene with property damage.

Shady crime

A 40-year-old woman from Springfield Gardens was arrested on June 18 after police said she took four pairs of Versace sunglasses from Macy’s Backstage on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington. She was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny valuing more than $1,000 in property.

Shoplifting spree

Police said a 25-year-old man from Commack exchanged a pair of boots he had stolen from Bobs’ Stores Footwear & Apparel on Jericho Turnpike in Huntington for a gift card on June 18. He then stole a Fitbit watch and removed nine rings from a locked display case at Macy’s on Walt Whitman Road. After he was arrested police said they also found heroin in his possession. He was charged with two counts of petit larceny and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Trying to escape in an Escape

A 34-year-old man from Kings Park was arrested on June 18 after police said he was driving a Ford Escape on Pulaski Road and Maple Lane in Huntington with a suspended license. He was charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operations of a motor vehicle.

Curses

On June 18 a 37-year-old man from Huntington was arrested after police said he yelled and cursed at a manager of Meehan’s of Huntington on New York Avenue outside of the restaurant. He was charged with disorderly conduct with obscene language and gestures.

He would’ve sold a lot of drugs

On June 17, a 31-year-old from Huntington was arrested on Park Avenue in Huntington after police said he had marijuana, cocaine, packaging materials, scales and MDMA in his possession. He was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of narcotics, second-degree criminal possession of marijuana and two counts of fifth-degree criminal possession with intent to sell.

Spring in his step

A 37-year-old man from Huntington Station was arrested on June 17 after police said he took a GPS, a GPS power cord and eye glasses from inside a 2011 Hyundai parked on Spring Road. He was charged with petit larceny.

In need(le) of some help

Police said a 32-year-old from North Massapequa was arrested on June 15 after he was found in possession of a hypodermic needle while on Hauppauge Road in Huntington. He was charged with possession of a hypodermic instrument.

You gotta pay for that stuff

Police said two unknown people filled a shopping cart full of merchandise in Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack on June 17, and then left the store with it — without paying.

Life’s a beach

Police said an unknown group of people harassed a driver of a 204 Chevrolet on June 19, by yelling and chasing him out of Sunken Meadow State Park in Huntington and then throwing various items at his truck, damaging it.

Thief conducts a search

On June 19, police said an unknown person took various clothing items and a breast pump from Target on Crooked Hill Road in Commack and hid it in a plastic bag under the shopping cart, leaving without paying for it.

Lexus looted

Someone stole a wallet containing credit cards from a 2001 Lexus parked outside of a home on Richard Road in Selden at about 12:30 a.m. on June 19, according to police.

Breaking glass in broad daylight

The rear passenger window of a 2013 Ford was shattered while parked near a home on Dare Road in Selden on June 18 just before noon, police said.

Withdrawal wizard

Someone used the personal information of a Stony Brook resident to withdraw money from a Teachers Federal Credit Union bank account at about noon on June 15, according to police.

Jewel thief

Jewelry was stolen from a home on Dyke Road in Setauket at about 9 a.m. on June 16, police said.

Things heated up at Fire and Ice

A 32-year-old man from Bay Shore was arrested on June 18 after police said he punched someone in the parking lot of Fire and Ice Hookah Lounge on West Main Street in Smithtown and had marijuana on him. He was charged with second-degree harassment with physical contact and unlawful possession of marijuana.

A 26-year-old man from Amityville was also arrested at Fire and Ice Hookah Lounge that night, after police said he yelled and hit a victim and then stole their iPhone. He was charged with second-degree harassment with physical contact and petit larceny.

Caught trying to catch

On June 17, a 32-year-old man from Sayville was arrested after police said he took fishing poles from a residential yard on Peter Road in Lake Ronkonkoma without the consent of the owner. He was charged with petit larceny.

I can’t Chevro-let you have that

Police said a 33-year-old woman from Hauppauge took a 2007 Chevrolet without the consent of the owner while on Woodbury Road in Hauppauge on June 16. She was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle without the owner’s consent.

Not driving 20/20

A 20-year-old man from Nesconset was arrested on June 16 after police said he was driving a 2001 Hyundai Accent west on Route 25 and Meadow Road in Kings Park while impaired by drugs. He was charged with first-degree operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs.

Socket to him

On June 16, a 33-year-old man from Farmingville was arrested after police said he put tool sockets in his pockets while shopping at Sears in the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove and then left the store without paying for them. He was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Not buying what you’re selling

Police said a 27-year-old from Ronkonkoma had heroin on her while on Express Drive North in Islandia on June 15. She was arrested and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, narcotics, with the intent to sell.

Struck

On June 15, a 36-year-old woman from Ronkonkoma was arrested after police said she struck and pushed two people while on Haven Avenue in Ronkonkoma. She was charged with second-degree harassment with physical contact.

Crack is whack

A 21-year-old man from Stony Brook was arrested on June 15 after police said he was in possession of crack cocaine and a hypodermic needle while driving a 2004 Toyota on Middle Country Road in Lake Grove. He was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and possession of a hypodermic instrument.

Zoom zoom

Police said an unknown person stole a 2015 Yamaha motorcycle from an apartment complex parking lot on Elliot Avenue in Smithtown on June 18.

Jewelry grabbed

An unknown person took jewelry from a residence on Blackman Street in Smithtown on June 17.

You gotta pay for that stuff

Police said two unknown people filled a shopping cart full of merchandise on Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack and then left the store with it — without paying.

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Mayor Dolores ‘Dee’ Parrish will serve another two-year term in Poquott. File photo

Incumbent Mayor Dolores “Dee” Parrish defeated challenger Barbara Donovan in her bid for a second term at the helm of Poquott Village on Election Day Tuesday.

Parrish did not appear on the ballot after a state Supreme Court judge ruled in favor of a lawsuit, brought about in part by Donovan, that claimed there were errors in her nominating petition, yet she received 239 write-in votes. Donovan received 190 votes. The race was a rematch of the 2014 election, which saw Parrish unseat Donovan, who was a 12-year incumbent.

Fifteen-year village resident Michael Schaefer and member of Poquott’s planning board captured one of the trustee seats up for election, while small business owner and lifelong Three Village resident John Mastauskas grabbed the other. Schaefer campaigned with Donovan and former Village Clerk Joan Hubbard as a member of the Party of Unity and Respect. Mastauskas, like Parrish and trustee candidates Gary Garofano and Sandra Nicoletti, was forced to pursue election as a write-in candidate.

Schaefer and Mastauskas received 205 and 198 votes, respectively. Hubbard finished third with 187 votes. Nicoletti’s name was written in 149 times, and Garofano’s 82.

None of the seven candidates could be reached for comment by press time Wednesday.

Lawsuits, allegations, closed-door meetings and hard feelings highlighted the campaign in the buildup to Tuesday’s vote. Parrish reached out to voters on the eve of the election Monday night in a nearly 2,000-word email.

“I will continue to improve the beaches and parks, and I will continue to run quality community events for all ages,” Parrish said. “My thoughts are that if beaches and parks are beautiful, safe and remain pet-friendly, people will come out to enjoy them. Physically bringing people together is the first step toward quenching the fires sparked by the few at the expense of the many.”

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Stephen Harding photo from SCPD

A Setauket woman reported her homeless son missing last week and police are looking for the public’s help to find the man, who has special medical needs.

Stephen Nathaniel Harding, who goes by the nickname “Nat,” might be in the Selden or Farmingville areas, according to the Suffolk County Police Department. The mother has not heard from her son since May 22 and reported him missing on June 13.

The 29-year-old Harding has Type II diabetes and is addicted to heroin, police said. Authorities described the homeless man as white, 5 feet 5 inches tall with brown eyes and brown hair. He weighs about 200 pounds and has a scar on his forehead.

Anyone with information about Harding’s whereabouts is asked to call 911, or the 6th Squad detectives who are looking for him at 631-854-8652.

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Residents read the names of all Charleston and Orlando victims, who each had a candle lit in their memory. Photo by Kevin Redding

By Kevin Redding

On Friday evening, a diverse group of pastors and residents showed that, in the wake of unspeakable tragedy, there is more good in the world than evil.

They gathered together at the Mount Sinai Congregational Church to honor the nine churchgoers who were killed a year ago in a shooting spree during a peaceful Bible study in Charleston, South Carolina, as well as the 49 killed in an all-too-similar fashion in a gay nightclub in Orlando last week. While both massacres are products of hatred and bigotry, those who attended Friday’s service united under a theme of love and acceptance.

The service of remembrance was organized by the Mount Sinai church and the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Setauket, where a North Shore family related to one of the nine people shot and killed go regularly and last year’s service for victims was held. Just a week after 21-year-old Dylann Roof sat down in a Charleston church, participated in the readings, engaged with others, and ultimately stood up to open fire and take lives, the Three Village community showed up in droves to pay respects.

Greatly touched by the healing that took place, Bethel AME pastor Rev. Gregory Leonard and Mount Sinai resident Tom Lyon were quick to ensure this year’s anniversary service and, in light of another mass murder, a call for unity and support seemed necessary now more than ever.

Willie White, a Setauket resident, holds up a picture of his second cousin, a victim in the Charleston shooting. Photo by Kevin Redding
Willie White, a Setauket resident, holds up a picture of his second cousin, a victim in the Charleston shooting. Photo by Kevin Redding

“It’s important that people of goodwill come together,” Leonard said to the intimate and emotional crowd. “We have to build bridges and get to know each other. As I press on in years, I think about the legacy that we will leave, and I hope all of us can say at one point that we were building some bridges, we came together and we cared and didn’t just let a moment pass us by.”

Setauket church member Willie White held up a picture of his cousin, the Rev. DePayne Middleton Doctor, one of the victims in Charleston, and spoke at length about dealing with a tragedy that hits so close to home.

His family in Charleston had to wait hours after news broke of the shooting before they knew anything, he said, reduced to unbearable panic trying to call and get hold of their loved one, who would soon be confirmed as one of the fallen.

He called to action the importance of not seeing one another as different, saying that we are capable of avoiding future tragedies if we stand together. This is something he notices often in the aftermath of a traumatizing incident.

“I saw people of all walks of life hugging each other,” White said. “Why can’t we live like that every day? On that particular night, Charleston changed. The people changed. Unfortunately, it took nine lives for a change. I’m sure there’s gonna be a change in Florida. But look how many lives it took. We can think back on so many lives that have been taken with guns. And still, guns are on the market.”

Emotionally battered and certainly passionate about a need for change, Shahina Chaudry, a Muslim from the area, stood up and explained that her brother was among the 67 people killed by terrorists in the 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack in Nairobi, Kenya, and she understands exactly what the grieving families are going through.

“May God be with them, may God make them strong,” she said. “And may there be big, big changes in this country and may we all be part of those changes. I’m happy to be with all of you.”

A resident named Ira Apsel then stood up and faced Chaudry, offering his condolences.

“An old Hebrew prayer is ‘shalom aleichem,’ meaning ‘peace be with you’, and the response is ‘aleichem shalom,’ meaning ‘and also with you’… Shalom aleichem.”

“Aleichem shalom,” Chaudry responded.

Apsel composed himself as much as possible when he said that everybody has so much in common, and the evil in society must not be allowed to keep everybody apart. Leonard helped solidify this notion by leading the church in a sing-along of “This Little Light of Mine” before the names of each and every victim of Charleston and Orlando were read and honored with lit candles.

Before the service ended and people took time to commiserate with each other, Mount Sinai pastor Ron Wood drove home the importance of acceptance.

“Places where you gather with others like you, essentially, are sanctuaries,” he said. “Where you can be who you are without judgment. Pulse was a sanctuary. AME Church was a sanctuary. A sanctuary isn’t a place to escape. It’s a place to be strengthened and nurtured.”

As everybody filed out of the church, they were holding each other, laughing and smiling, and appearing even more unified than they were upon entering only an hour or so prior. In the wake of a tragedy that should destroy all hope and joy, the Mount Sinai Congregational Church was certainly a place to be strengthened and nurtured.

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