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P.J. Gelinas Junior High School. File photo

The Three Village School District is leaning on its counseling staff this week as it mourns a seventh-grader who collapsed in school last week and died, officials said.

Schools Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich took to the district’s website this week to commemorate student Gabriella Beals-Reid, who died at P..J. Gelinas Junior High School last Monday afternoon. Suffolk County police said they responded to calls from the school around 2 p.m. about a student in need of medical assistance.

Beals-Reid was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital soon after, where she was pronounced dead, police said.

In a statement, Pedisich said the district immediately implemented its crisis intervention plan and grief counselors to assist students and staff throughout the Three Village schools community.

“We are extremely saddened by this heartbreaking news,” she said. “A young person’s death is always tragic and a sudden loss like this can have a profound effect on the entire school community.”

In a letter penned to parents, students and staff throughout the Gelinas community, Pedisich and Principal William Bernhard described the seventh-grader as an aspiring writer and musician who exemplified hard work and dedication.

“Gabriella was a talented and avid creative writer, whose passion for the craft was inspiring to her classmates and teachers,” the letter said. “She was also a gifted musician who played the French horn with style and talent. A well-rounded young adult, Gabriella was respected among students and staff members alike and will be greatly missed.”

Upon Beals-Reid’s family’s approval, Bernhard said the district would keep the community updated with funeral arrangements and memorial services.

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File photo from Margo Arceri

Story last updated 4.11.2016, 1:30 p.m.

Police have identified the body found near a beach off Setauket Harbor on Monday morning, linking him back to an emergency crash-landing that happened nearby in February, Suffolk County cops said.

Gerson Salmon-Negron, 23, was last seen shortly after 11 p.m. on Feb. 20 when the Piper Archer four-seated airplane he was in went down in the waters of Setauket Harbor with three others on board. His body was finally found on Monday morning after a 911 call told dispatchers about a body spotted on the beach near Brewster Lane in Setauket around 9:10 a.m., the Suffolk County Police Department said.

The three other men, student pilot Austricio Ramirez, 25, Nelson Gomez, 36, and Wady Perez, 25, were rescued by nearby neighbors and officers soon after the crash. The small plane had taken off from Fitchburg, Mass., en route to Republic Airport in Farmingale, but went down near the vicinity of 108 Van Brunt Manor Road in Poquott. The incident spurred residents living on the Strongs Neck side of the water to jump into action as soon as they noticed emergency vehicles making their way into the small North Shore community.

Related: Small plane crash-lands in Setauket Harbor

As the incident unfolded, residents living along the shoreline started offering up their personal kayaks for rescuers to use to lift the survivors out to safety.

“Where this occurred, there are only a few homes, but instantly, the neighbors pulled together,” resident Margo Arceri said in a previous interview after the crash occurred. “They say, ‘it takes a village,’ and these neighbors showed a real sense of community. We all pulled together immediately. I just wish it had a happier ending.”

In a report released in March, the National Transportation Safety Board said that aircraft reported low amounts of fuel and had been operated for about five hours since its tank was last filled. The report said the plane’s engine “sputtered” as it approached the Port Jefferson area, spurring the flight instructor to turn on the electric fuel pump and instructing his student pilot to switch the fuel selector to the plane’s left fuel tank as it flew at around 2,000 feet. The sputtering stopped, but started up again about three minutes later, the NTSB said, and then lost power.

That was when the pilot instructor took control of the plane and tried heading to the shoreline, where he believed the plane could safely land, the NTSB report said. But the pilot was unable to see the shoreline due to the darkness and could only guess where the shoreline began by the lights inside of nearby houses, the report said.

He held the plane off of the water for as long as he could before touching down and instructing everyone to grab a life vest and exit the plane, the NTSB said. Neither the student pilot nor the passengers, however, were wearing life vests when they exited the plane, the report said. Emergency personnel were on the scene within minutes and rescued three of the four men.

The airplane floated in the water for about five minutes before sinking nose-first to the bottom of the harbor, the NTSB said.

Divers with the Suffolk County Police Department pursue the aircraft as the missing person search continues. Photo from Margo Arceri
Divers with the Suffolk County Police Department search for Gerson Salmon-Negron’s body shortly after the plane crash-landed. File photo from Margo Arceri

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Jeff Boals joins the Seawolves after spending seven seasons as an assistant at Ohio State

Jeff Boals coaches the Ohio State University men's basketball team from the sideline. Photo from Ohio State University

Jeff Boals, who spent the last seven seasons as an assistant coach at Ohio State University, has been named the head men’s basketball coach at Stony Brook University.

“[I am] extremely excited to become a part of the Stony Brook community and university,” Boals said. “[I am] grateful for the opportunity that Dr. Stanley and Shawn Heilbron have given me and I look forward to working with the team, building upon the success of last season and continuing it into the future. I can’t wait to get started.”

That success last season was Stony Brook’s first Division I NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship appearance, after an 80-74 victory over the University of Vermont in the America East Championship. With the win, the Seawolves earned their 26th single-season victory — a new Division I program record for the Seawolves. The No. 13 Stony Brook team played No. 4 University of Kentucky in the NCAA tournament’s opening Round of 64 but fell, 85-57.

Jeff Boals, on right, cheers on the Ohio State University men’s basketball team. Photo from Ohio State University athletics
Jeff Boals, on right, cheers on the Ohio State University men’s basketball team. Photo from Ohio State University athletics

Boals will be officially introduced as the 11th head coach in the program’s history to the Stony Brook community at a press conference on Monday, April 11, in Island Federal Credit Union Arena.

“Jeff Boals will be a great addition to the Stony Brook community,” the Boston Celtics’ player Evan Turner said. “His commitment, passion and knowledge of the game is second to none. I’m excited to see the rise of the Stony Brook basketball program.”

A member of Thad Matta’s staff since 2009, Boals helped guide Ohio State to seven postseason appearances, including six NCAA Tournaments. The Buckeyes, who won or claimed a share of three Big 10 titles, advanced to the Final Four in 2012. Ohio went 193-62 during Boals’ time in Columbus.

“Jeff has done a remarkable job at The Ohio State University in his seven years as a Buckeye — he is certainly ready to be a head coach and has an amazing opportunity at such a fine institution,” Matta said. “Jeff has a great basketball mind and will bring energy and enthusiasm to the great situation that Stony Brook University offers.”

Boals was instrumental in bringing some of the top players in the nation to Ohio State, including current NBA stars Jared Sullinger and D’Angelo Russell, along with Aaron Craft, the all-time steals and assist leader in Ohio State history. He also coached Turner, the 2010 National Player of the Year, during his collegiate career with the Buckeyes.

“My focus during this search was to find the right person who could lead Stony Brook men’s basketball to new heights, and Jeff Boals is the right guy at the right time,” Heilbron said. “He is prepared for this opportunity, which comes at a critical time in our history following our first America East title and NCAA Tournament appearance.”

Jeff Boals, who was formerly an assistant coach at Ohio State University, will replace Steve Pikiell at the helm of the Stony Brook men's basketball team. Photo from Ohio State University athletics
Jeff Boals, who was formerly an assistant coach at Ohio State University, will replace Steve Pikiell at the helm of the Stony Brook men’s basketball team. Photo from Ohio State University athletics

Prior to Ohio State, Boals spent three seasons at the University of Akron, as the team’s recruiting coordinator while working with players. The Zips advanced to three Mid-American Conference championship games, winning the title in 2009. It was Akron’s first NCAA Tournament berth since 1986.

“The first thing about Jeff is that he’s won everywhere he’s been,” said Keith Dambrot, Akron’s men’s basketball coach. “I like to think of Jeff as a diversified coach. He’s a terrific recruiter, understands in-game strategy and is relentless.”

Boals also recruited Anthony “Humpty” Hitchens, an All-freshman performer, and Zeke Marshall, a national recruit.

“Jeff has coached at the highest level as a member of Thad Matta’s staff at Ohio State and he understands what it takes to win,” Heilbron said. “I am excited for our players to learn from him on the floor and, more importantly, he will serve as a strong mentor to our student-athletes in all areas of their lives outside of basketball.”

Boals spent two seasons (2004-06) at Robert Morris University and four years (1999-2003) at Marshall University. In his final season at Robert Morris, the Colonials posted their first winning record in 15 seasons. He also spent a total of four seasons at Division II University of Charleston in two different stints.

A 1995 graduate of Ohio University, Boals was a two-time captain and four-year letterwinner for the Bobcats, who advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1994. The following year, Ohio University won the Preseason NIT Championship after wins over Ohio State and No. 14 Virginia, as well as George Washington and New Mexico State, at Madison Square Garden.

“Knowing that he is pursuing his dreams to be a head coach is big time,” Los Angeles Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell said. “He has always been super supportive and a major mentor to me and my family throughout my process. P.S. [I] just became a Stony Brook fan.”

—Stony Brook Athletics

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A Zippia.com survey ranked Setauket and East Setauket as the fourth happiest spot in New York State, beating out all other Long Island communities on the list. File photo

The pursuit of happiness is alive and well in Setauket.

Zippia.com gathered data for 341 different places in New York with more than 2,000 people and ranked them based on overall happiness, placing Setauket and East Setauket as the fourth happiest place in New York State, beating out all other Long Island communities in the top-10, including North Wantagh in fifth, North Merrick in ninth and Cold Spring Harbor, ranked 10th overall. The career research website considered various topics, like education, employment, commute times and home ownership in its search for the state’s biggest smiles, and Setauket natives stood in support of the findings.

“I like Setauket’s sense of place,” said George Hoffman, a Setauket mover and shaker who heads the region’s environmental watchdog, the Setauket Harbor Task Force. “[I enjoy] its authentic architecture and revolutionary war roots, the beauty of its coastal waters and its links to the shipbuilding and seafaring days.”

The North Shore native said he enjoyed interacting with Setauket’s “highly educated and close community of interesting and engaging residents” and compared it to the kind of small town found in areas like New England.

“Nothing is perfect, but living in Setauket is pretty darn close,” he said.

Beverly Tyler, the Three Village historian, said the Setauket area is one of beauty, variety and history that is backed up by its array of historic structures, schools, public buildings, parks, trails and green spaces.

“The residents here have, over the years, formed groups and organizations that have not only preserved our history and our culture, but have expanded our understanding and concern for each other,” Tyler said. “From the first English settlers who came here 361 years ago and accepted Quakers and other religious settlers looking for safety and community, to the European immigrants who came here in large numbers in the 19th century and initially faced uncertain and conditional acceptance, we have often led the way to an understanding that our differences make us stronger and help vitalize our community.”

Ted Gutmann, director of Setauket’s own Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, said his front-row seat to the greater Setauket and East Setauket community has proven to him how unique the area is. After years at the helm of the community’s library, Gutmann said his patrons often share stories of visitors from afar loving Setauket’s character and pride.

“There are other nice towns on Long Island. There are other historic towns on Long Island. But I think what sets Setauket (and all of the Three Villages) apart is the true sense of community here,” he said. “Having worked at the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in different positions for virtually my entire career, I have experienced firsthand the sense of pride and neighborliness that exists here.”

Lisa DeVerna, who works in the library’s community outreach and special projects department, echoed her director’s sentiments.

“I think Setauket has such a rich history, from the Spy Ring during the American Revolution to people like William Sidney Mount, who grew up here,” she said. “Combine this with the excellent Three Village school district and our proximity to major roads, which makes it easy for people to get to work and travel, it’s no wonder Setauket is such a great place to live.”

Also making the list were Niskayuna in first, Westvale in second, Harris Hill in third, North Hills in sixth, Tappan in seventh and West Hills in eighth.

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Caroline Woo, above, plays with therapy dog Beau. She named her black Labrador stuffed animal after her regular reading companion, Malibu. Photo by Giselle Barkley

A book and a calm canine companion are all Caroline Woo needs to practice reading.

Every Thursday afternoon, this 11-year-old from Setauket visits the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library for its Books Are Read to K-9s program. Caroline joined the program and fell in love with it last November, after her mother, Eydie Woo, learned of the club. But BARK didn’t just allow her to interact with a calm canine, it also improved her reading skills.

Last month for her birthday, Caroline asked her friends and family to make a donation to the program instead of buying presents. The $270 she received went toward training more dogs for the club and other therapy dog-related programs. For Caroline, reading to Patchogue Rotary Animal Assisted Therapy certified dog Malibu, a black Labrador, helped her tackle the big words she struggled to say when reading out loud.

“Malibu, she’ll … just sit down and they’ll kind of listen and it is better because the dogs, they mostly maintain one expression,” Caroline said. “It’s easier since she’s less judgmental than people”

According to Malibu’s handler and owner Fred Dietrich, the program hasn’t only helped her reading skills, but it’s also boosted her confidence. He added that he’s seen Caroline become more outspoken since she joined BARK.

Her mother agreed with Dietrich, saying Caroline “feels comfortable with Malibu and it’s translating into other settings.” The fifth-grader met Malibu when she started the program and they’ve been regular reading partners since. Malibu, like all eight dogs involved in the reading program, is PRAAT certified.

Stony Brook resident Jo-Ann Goldwasser established the Doggie Reading Club program, which is called BARK at the library, three years ago after learning about a similar program in Chicago. The Windy City’s Sit Stay Read program has served kids in Chicago’s inner-city schools for several years. Goldwasser wanted to help children overcome their reading difficulties with this program. Her club started with Rocky Point Middle School’s sixth-grade students and has expanded to the Comsewogue school district, two schools in Brentwood as well as the library. She plans to establish the program in Hauppauge school district.

Goldwasser said the school and library programs are somewhat different.

“Children who generally like to read, who go to the library, think it’s kind of a fun thing to come to the library and read to a dog,” Goldwasser said. “In the schools however, we go into … the same classes … every other week. It’s more academic in that we listen to the same children read week after week; we know what they’re reading [and] we know how to help them.”

Fellow therapy dog handler Linda Devin-Sheehan said it’s hard to track the program’s success in the library because the club is only three-years-old. A lack of regulars like Caroline also makes it difficult to monitor a student’s improvement.

Parents must register their children to participate in the library’s program, which is held every Wednesday and Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the library’s kids’ section.

According to the handlers, a dog’s patience and calm demeanor are helpful to students like Caroline. While the program has helped Caroline in the past few months, she simply enjoys being around dogs as they come in various shapes, sizes and dispositions.

“You can see [a dog] on the street and pet it and get to know it for a short minute but … you can already tell that they’re such a sweet dog and it’s nice getting to meet a ton of different dogs,” Caroline said.

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Guitarist Steve Salerno will make a special guest appearance at the concert. Photo from Peter Winkler

By Ellen Barcel

Guitarist Steve Salerno will make a special guest appearance at the concert. Photo from Peter Winkler
Guitarist Steve Salerno will make a special guest appearance at the concert. Photo from Peter Winkler

Le Petit Salon de Musique will present a concert titled Silken Rags with husband and wife duo, pianist Peter Winkler and violinist Dorothea Cook, on Sunday, April 10, at 2 p.m. Ed Mikell, of the salon, noted that Winkler, a Setauket resident, is “a well-known and respected music professor,” who recently retired from Stony Brook University.

Although Setauket residents now, both Winkler and his wife come from the West Coast. “I grew up in California,” he noted having attended UC Berkley for undergraduate work, Princeton for graduate school and Harvard as a postgraduate. “Then I came to Stony Brook and have been here ever since,” having joined the faculty in 1971.

“I taught at Stony Brook for 42 years. I was there when the music department was just getting going. Now it’s turned into a world class music department.”

Winkler and Cook met while teaching at a music camp, continuing a long-distance romance before marrying in the 1980s. “Dorothea was a native of Seattle, when there was a big bloom in music. Her father taught in high school. One of his students was Quincy Jones . . . she grew up around these famous musicians.” Winkler and Cook’s musical collaboration began in 1987 and continues to this day.

In demand as a professional violinist, Cook continues to teach violin — she maintains a private violin studio and conducts classes in Dalcroze Eurhythmics at Stony Brook.

Winkler is not only a performer but a music composer, having written a symphony in 1979. It was performed that year at the university and “just this past year the Stony Brook Symphony performed it again. I feel so lucky. I wrote for faculty and students … it’s a lovely situation for a composer to be in.” Winkler also wrote an opera, “Fox Fables,” which was also performed at Stony Brook. The piece was the 2011 Contemporary Americana Festival competition winner.

Peter Winkler and Dorothea Cook. Photo by Susan Dooley
Peter Winkler and Dorothea Cook. Photo by Susan Dooley

Winkler and Cook perform together as Silken Rags. Where does the name come from? “I was always interested in ragtime,” Winkler noted. “I was classically trained and in the ‘70s [when there was a resurgence in ragtime, especially with the film “The Sting”] started composing my own ragtime. We wanted a name that combined the earthiness of ragtime with the elegance of classical or salon music.”

Winkler added, “This might be the last time we do a whole concert by ourselves,” noting the amount of work needed to put together such a performance.  “We have performed at SBU a few times and (Cook) is active as a performer with the Stony Brook Baroque Ensemble. We’re members of the church [the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship] so we have also played for services there,” as well as special events such as the 1890s Fair.

The concert on Sunday will include “for the most part,” said Winkler, “my own compositions plus a few jazz standards.” How does Winkler describe his style? “Classical chamber music,” but, he added, “heavily influenced by folk and popular music. One reviewer called it ‘genre bending’ compositions.” Winker said, “Most of my music is inspired by my wife. In the jazz pieces [we perform] she does some improvisation, but the compositions are mostly mine.”

Another reviewer noted, “the music, for violin and piano, features the pair in rhythmically complex, harmonically rich music with influences extending from gospel and Caribbean to samba and tango — all performed here with remarkable flair and dash” (Melinda Bargreen, Seattle Times).

Special guest performer at the upcoming concert will be guitarist Steve Salerno. “Steve is an amazingly versatile performer. He’s active in New York City and here [on Long Island] … He’s a world class performer, one of the top jazz performers, an extraordinary human being,” said Winkler adding, “I met him when he was a graduate student at Stony Brook University … a fine jazz guitarist, [he plays] classical, bluegrass, avant-garde — you name it and Steve will play it.”

Le Petit Salon de Musique, now in its sixth season bringing classical music to the community, is located at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 380 Nicolls Road, E. Setauket. The creator of Le Petit, Mikell, noted that “I enjoy bringing quality classical music to the area. People don’t have to travel to New York City.”

Tickets for Sunday’s performance are available at www.lepetitsalon.org for $15, online (adults). Adult tickets at the door are $20. Seniors 65 and over are $10 online and $15 at the door; students $5. In addition, Winkler and Cook will have copies of their album, “Silken Rags,” at the performance for purchase.

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Cocaine sellers stopped

A 26-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman both from Huntington were arrested at about 6:30 a.m. on April 1 on Depew Street in Huntington for possessing cocaine, police said. They were each charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with the intent to sell.

Unlicensed Lincoln

On March 31 at about 11 a.m., police pulled over a 32-year-old man from Huntington Station driving a 2000 Lincoln on Park Avenue in Huntington. He did not have a license, according to police. He was charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Driving on drugs

On Spring Road in Huntington at about 7:30 p.m. on March 30, a 21-year-old man from Brooklyn driving a 2012 BMW was speeding and ran a stop sign, according to police. When pulled over by police they said drugs impaired the driver. He was arrested and charged with first-degree operation of a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs.

Not quite international waters

A 19-year-old woman from Huntington Station was in possession of marijuana at the Soundview boat ramp in Northport at about 5:30 p.m. on March 30, according to police. She was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

He was thirsty

On April 1 at 7-Eleven on East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station, a 24-year-old man stole a beverage, police said. He was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Trees

At about 6:30 p.m. on April 2, a 24-year-old woman from Melville had marijuana at Arboretum Park in Dix Hills, police said. She was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. A 25-year-old woman from Dix Hills was arrested at the same time and place for possessing marijuana and a medication without a prescription, according to police. She was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Cocaine, marijuana, Xanax and cash

Police said a 22-year-old man from Huntington Station was driving a 2011 Lexus on Homecrest Avenue near East 23rd Street at about 11 a.m. on April 1 without a license. When he was pulled over, police said he had cocaine, marijuana and Xanex without a prescription, along with money stolen from 7-Eleven on East Jericho Turnpike on March 22. He was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana, fifth-degree criminal possession of cocaine, petit larceny and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Stabbing suspect caught

On Aug. 18, 2015, in front of a home on West 10th Street in Huntington Station, a 20-year-old man from Huntington Station stabbed another man with a knife, police said. The victim was taken to Huntington Hospital. The suspect was arrested on East 2nd Street near New York Avenue on March 31 and charged with assault with the intent to cause physical injury with a weapon.

Saks Seventh-Degree Avenue

On March 30 at about 8 p.m. a 20-year-old man from Commack stole clothing from Saks Fifth Avenue on Walt Whitman Road in South Huntington, police said. When he was arrested police said he had heroin on him as well. He was charged with petit larceny and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

No license, with pot

A 30-year-old man from Huntington Station was driving a 2004 Mazda on Mckay Road near Railroad Street at about 10 p.m. on March 30 when he was pulled over by police, who said they discovered he was driving with a suspended license and had marijuana. He was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Manor Field Park attack

Police said three unknown men attacked a man who was seated in a parked car at Manor Field Park in Huntington Station at about 5:30 p.m. on April 3. The driver drove away and the suspects fled on foot. The passenger was treated for minor injuries at Huntington Hospital, police said.

Retro Fitness mischief

The window of a 2014 Nissan was broken and credit cards were stolen from the car while it was parked at Retro Fitness on East Jericho Turnpike in Elwood at about 1:30 p.m. on April 1, according to police.

Woman revived by police

Police responded to a call at a home on Oak Street in Central Islip at about 7 a.m. on April 2. When they arrived they found an unresponsive 65-year-old woman being administered CPR by a family member. Members of the Suffolk County Medical Crisis Action Team gave the woman multiple shocks from an automatic external defibrillator and an injection of cardiac medication, which restored the woman’s breathing and pulse, police said. She was taken to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore.

Pants walk out of Macy’s

On April 2 at about 4 p.m., a 38-year-old woman from Islandia stole two pairs of pants from Macy’s at Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove, police said. When she was arrested at 5:30 p.m. she was found to be in possession of heroin. She was charged with petit larceny and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Serial stealer stopped

A 27-year-old man from Dix Hills was arrested on March 31 and charged with three counts of petit larceny. On March 7, he stole earbuds from Kohl’s in Commack, and on March 4 and 5 he stole two pairs of metal shear tools from Home Depot in Commack, police said.

Police crack down

At about 10 a.m. on April 1, a 34-year-old man from South Setauket driving a 2006 Hyundai on Moriches Road in Lake Grove was pulled over by police, who said they discovered cocaine in the car. He was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

License and registration, please

On March 31, a 31-year-old man from Kings Park was pulled over by police on Old Dock Road in Kings Park while driving a 2011 Chevy. During the traffic stop, police said they discovered that he didn’t have a license. He was arrested and charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Split Cedar sale

On March 31 at about 6 a.m., a 23-year-old man from Riverhead was arrested on Split Cedar Drive in Islandia when police said they found crack cocaine on him. He was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with the intention to sell.

Crack/cocaine possession

On March 31, police said a 46-year-old man from Selden in the driver’s seat of a parked 1997 Nissan near the intersection of Pine Avenue and Expressway Drive North in Ronkonkoma was in possession of crack cocaine. He was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

ATV drives off

An all-terrain vehicle was stolen from the driveway of a home on Rose Street in Smithtown at about 10:30 p.m. on April 4, police said.

Guns go missing

Police said an unknown person stole a safe containing guns and jewelry from a home on Lawrence Avenue in Smithtown at about 6 p.m. on March 27.

Bait and switch

A Kings Park resident transferred money to a person on Craigslist in exchange for a boat with a trailer at about 3 p.m. on April 1, police said. After the money was transferred, the Kings Park resident could not get in touch with the seller.

Slashed tires

The tires of a 2011 Mazda were slashed while the car was parked at a home on Old Commack Road in Kings Park at about 9 p.m. on March 29, police said.

Three minutes

A 24-year-old man from Coram was arrested for criminal possession of stolen property, fleeing from an officer in a car, criminal trespassing and resisting arrest on April 1. According to police, the man was driving a stolen 2013 BMW and when police tried to pull him over, he fled in the car from Walnut Street to Mead Avenue in Mount Sinai. The man abandoned the car and jumped the fence of a nearby residence, then took a fighting stance and charged at the officers before he was arrested on Osborne Avenue. The entire incident happened in a period of about three minutes, police said.

Tank it

On March 29 at 1:15 p.m., police arrested a man from Centereach for criminal mischief, seven counts of criminal possession of stolen property and three counts of unlicensed operation of a car. Police said the 31-year-old man stole assorted tools and a propane tank from a residence on Richmond Boulevard in Ronkonkoma, then damaged the lawn when he drove across the grass with a 2002 Dodge Ram with a suspended license. While fleeing the scene, the propane tank fell out of the back of the truck and hit a parked car. Police later arrested the man at his home.

Operation denied

A 25-year-old Sound Beach man was arrested on March 30 for unlicensed operation of a car. He had been driving a 2006 Honda Accord on Rocky Point Landing Road when police caught him.

Munchies mishap

On April 3, police arrested an 18-year-old man for criminal possession of marijuana. According to police, the Shirley resident was in the driver’s seat of a car parked in the ShopRite parking lot at College Plaza in Selden when police discovered the teen had the drug.

Bad drivers

On March 31 at 10 p.m., police arrested a 47-year-old woman for driving while ability impaired in a 2002 Honda Pilot. Police said she was going north on Route 112 in Port Jefferson Station when she failed to maintain her lane.

Police arrested a man from Setauket on March 27 for driving while ability impaired after the 21-year-old was speeding on Route 112 in Port Jefferson in a 2007 BMW. According to police, he also failed to maintain his lane.

Police arrested a 21-year-old Sound Beach woman on April 2 for driving while ability impaired after she got into a car crash while going south on Halesite Drive in a 2012 Subaru. Police didn’t specify what she hit.

Police arrested a 21-year-old man from Mount Sinai for driving while ability impaired after he drove a 1987 Toyota on Strathmore Village Drive and crashed into a parked 2015 Jeep. Police said the man fled the scene but was caught and arrested around 9 a.m. on March 27.

Call me

On March 29 around 2:10 p.m., someone stole two phones from a display case in the Verizon store on Nesconset Highway in Port Jefferson Station.

Door needs a bandage

Police said someone damaged the door of Fresenius Medical Care on Nesconset Highway in Port Jefferson Station. The incident happened between 2:30 a.m. on April 2 and 8 a.m. the following day.

Lynbroken

Someone damaged the door of a residence on Lynbrook Drive in Sound Beach around 3 a.m. on April 2.

Ring the alarm

On March 31 around 1 p.m., a woman said someone stole her diamond engagement ring after she left it in a tanning room of Sky Tan on Middle Country Road in Selden.

Broadway bandit

On March 27, someone stole a jacket off a chair in the Rocky Point Ale House on Broadway around 10:17 p.m. Police said a wallet was in the jacket pocket.

Open for business

Between 11 p.m. on March 31 and 4 a.m. the following day, an unknown person stole a 2015 Ford Explorer from the Hope House Ministries property on North Country Road in Port Jefferson. Police said the car was unlocked and the keys were inside.

Someone stole multiple sunglasses and money from an unlocked 2015 Mercedes and an unlocked 2014 Jeep. The cars were parked near a residence on Locust Drive in Miller Place. Police said the incidents happened on March 30 around 3:50 a.m.

Making moves

According to police, on April 3 around 2 p.m. someone stole a GPS and its charger, cables, an agility ladder and assorted fitness equipment from a 2013 Mazda. Police said the car was parked in the Marshalls parking lot in Stony Brook.

Cemented steal

On March 29 around 6:30 p.m., someone stole a cement mixer from a 2015 Dodge Ram that was parked on Valley Drive in Sound Beach.

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Cheryl Pedisich speaks at the podium after receiving the first-ever Administrator of the Year award from the New York State School Counselor Association. Photo by Andrea Moore Paldy

As New York State lawmakers wrapped up the budget last week, they approved the end of the Gap Elimination Adjustment, a measure that took money from school aid packages to supplement the state budget.

To the relief of school districts across the state, remaining Gap Elimination Adjustment funds will be restored to 2016-17 budgets.

For Three Village, which has lost $34.7 million to the GEA since its inception in 2009-10, the district will receive a total aid package of $46.5 million — a $6.6 million bump from last year. This amount includes the $3.3 million in restored funds, as well as a $2.9 million increase in building aid for the 2014 bond.

The district’s cap on the increase to the tax levy is 2.41 percent and will not require Three Village to cut programs to meet the cap. Instead, said Jeff Carlson, assistant superintendent for business services, the district will restore a number of positions. 

Speaking at last week’s school board meeting, Carlson said that at the secondary level, the district would bring back assistant coaches for junior varsity football and lacrosse, as well as for winter and spring track. These positions will enhance safety, supervision and instruction, he said.

At an earlier meeting, Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich said administrators would reassign 3.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) teaching positions to academic intervention services (AIS) at the elementary level and 1.6 FTEs at the secondary level to rebuild Ward Melville’s business department. There will also be a .4 FTE increase for American Sign Language. 

The board will adopt the budget for the upcoming school year at its April 13 meeting. The public vote will be on May 17. 

Also on the May ballot is a separate transportation proposition to eliminate minimum distance requirements for busing. The measure would allow the district to provide busing for all students.

Currently, all elementary students are bused. Junior high students must live at least a mile away from school and high schoolers a mile and a half away to get transportation. School administrators believe that offering transportation to all students will address safety concerns about narrow, winding streets without sidewalks and crossing busy roads like Nicolls Road. 

If the proposition passes, it would cost $160,000 to add two buses. The addition of the buses would generate $70,000 in transportation aid from the state, Carlson said. 

Taxpayers will also elect two trustees to the school board on May 17.  Following former board member Susanne Mendelson’s resignation last month, the board decided to keep the seat open until the May 17 vote.  Board president Bill Connors said the person with the highest votes would finish out Mendelson’s term, which ends June 30.   

In other financial news, district officials finalized a five-year contract with the Three Village Teachers Association. There will be no salary increase for the first year, 2016-2017, followed by a 1 percent raise each year after, as well as a 2.5 percent step increase for longevity for up to 30 years, Carlson said.

Department updates

The chairs of the foreign language departments at the three secondary schools gave an overview of the departments’ offerings, which now include American Sign Language in the ninth grade. The district also offers French, Italian and Spanish, beginning in seventh grade and continuing to the Advanced Placement level. 

The district hopes to add “one of the less commonly taught languages such as Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Farsi or Japanese” in the future, the administrators said. 

Social workers and school psychologists also outlined their roles within the school community. Each school has at least one full-time psychologist and a social worker, they said.  Dawn Mason, executive director of pupil personnel services, said district psychologists “partner with families and administrators and teachers to create safe, healthy, learning environments.”

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Assemblyman Steve Englebright speaks in opposition of the Gap Elimination Adjustment during a 2013 protest against the state school aid cut. File photo by Rohma Abbas

New York State is doing away with a funding cut that has kept billions of dollars out of schools, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office announced last week.

Legislators recently agreed on a state budget that would end the Gap Elimination Adjustment, a deduction taken out of each school district’s aid for the last several years, originally enacted to close a state budget deficit.

Parents, educators and even legislators have long been advocating for the adjustment’s finish but the push became a shove after state Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport), the majority leader, sponsored legislation to get rid of it. Flanagan called axing the Gap Elimination Adjustment his “top education funding priority” earlier this year.

“We will not pass any budget that does not fully eliminate it this year,” he said. The deduction “has been hurting schools and students for way too long and it is past time that we end it once and for all.”

Over the past five years, legislators had reduced the total statewide deduction from $3 billion to $434 million. In the next school year, it will be removed all together.

“Over the years, the GEA forced many school districts to cut educational programs and reduce services,” Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) said in a statement. “This restoration of aid will greatly help local school districts, and our taxpayers, with the budget funds necessary to educate our children.”

State school aid is projected to increase to almost $25 billion overall — and Long Island is slated to get $3 billion of that.

The New York State School Boards Association noted that the additional aid comes just as the state’s almost 700 school districts are grappling with a “record low” cap on how much they can increase their tax levies, a limit mandated by the state.

“The infusion of state aid will help them preserve student programs and services while still keeping property taxes in check,” the group’s executive director, Timothy G. Kremer, said in a statement.

However, the association said the state should “make sensible adjustments” to the tax levy cap, suggesting officials no longer use the rate of inflation as the standard for setting the limit each year.

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By Elana Glowatz

A 24-hour substance abuse hotline went live on April 1, providing Suffolk County residents with a new resource to help with battling addiction.

The Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence is operating the new hotline — 631-979-1700 — and will help callers get screenings, referrals and follow-ups, directing them to local resources that will help them or loved ones overcome addiction.

A flyer advertises a new substance abuse hotline. Image from the Suffolk County health department
A flyer advertises a new substance abuse hotline. Image from the Suffolk County health department

Officials announced the initiative at the end of February, calling it a partnership between the county, Stony Brook Medicine and the state’s health department, as well as private and public community partners in the substance abuse field. Those officials said having a single phone number for all those resources is key.

“This initiative will provide [the] opportunity for addicts to reach out during their time of need and access treatment and support options easily,” Suffolk County Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport) said in a previous statement. “Often, there is a critical and brief period of time when a person sees clarity and makes the decision to seek help. This hotline can be fertile ground for change and recovery as it can quickly link residents to crucial health care services.”

LICADD itself noted in a recent statement about the hotline that “the time to seek treatment is ‘now’” and that sometimes the “now” is late at night, early in the morning or on weekends or holidays. The agency also said that the period in which an addict is willing to get treatment could close without immediate help, due to “the pathology of denial, obsession and fear which often defines substance use disorders.”

Community leaders have ramped up efforts to fight opioid addiction in recent years while seeing an increase in heroin and prescription painkiller abuse and overdoses across Suffolk County. Those efforts have included more directed police enforcement and informational meetings. Police officers have also started carrying the medication Narcan, which can temporarily stop opioid overdoses and has been used hundreds of times in Suffolk.

Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), who authored the law that put Narcan into officers’ hands, said about the new hotline, “Every second counts to a mother whose son or daughter was found and saved from overdosing. And every hour and every day that slips by trying to find quality, affordable, accessible treatment is critical.”

For 24/7 substance abuse help, call 631-979-1700.

To report drug activity to the police, call 631-852-NARC.

The county health department will provide oversight and analyze data to monitor the hotline’s effectiveness, and identify trends and emerging issues in the community.

At the same time the drug abuse hotline went live, the Suffolk County Police Department announced another phone number, this one a 24-hour tip line for residents to report drug activity in their neighborhoods.

“We are asking the public’s help to fight this scourge, and with the public’s help, we can make a real difference,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Tim Sini said in a statement.

Residents can call 631-852-NARC anonymously to report information about local drug dealers, and authorities will investigate the tips. Even anonymous callers can receive cash rewards for tips that lead to arrests.

“If you see something, say something and Suffolk County police will do something about it,” Sini said.

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