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East Northport

The Northport School District celebrated its graduation June 29.

Nathaniel Wang is the 2019 valedictorian for Northport High School. He will study computer science at Columbia University. Katie Sierra is the 2019 salutatorian and she will study neurobiology at Harvard University. 

A photo Brian Newton. Photo from New York State Sex Offender Registry

An East Northport man and registered sex offender has been sentenced on transporting, trading and possessing child pornography.

In federal court in Central Islip, Brian Newton, 38, was sentenced to 19 years in prison by United States District Judge Joseph F. Bianco Feb. 27. This followed a guilty plea May 3, 2018, to the transportation of child pornography in interstate and foreign commerce. As part of his sentence, Newton must serve five years supervised release following his imprisonment, during which time he must remain registered as a sex offender and not have unsupervised contact with minors. 

Richard Donoghue, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the assistant director in charge of the FBI New York Field Office announced the sentence.

“Newton, despite being a registered sex offender, again chose to victimize children by sharing images of their abuse with others online, conduct that is deserving of a substantial prison sentence and underscores a message of deterrence to others,” said Donoghue. “The protection of innocent children is a priority of utmost importance for this office and our law enforcement partners. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who victimize children will be arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”  

Newton, who at the time of the charged offense was on probation from a conviction in Suffolk County in 2014 for possession of child pornography, was allegedly caught trading child pornography including sadistic depictions of the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. During the execution of a search warrant at his residence, police seized Newton’s large collection of child pornography, including hundreds of videos and thousands of images.  After his arrest, Newton admitted engaging in conversations with minors over internet chat platforms, as well as sending nude images of himself to minors and soliciting nude images from minors.    

“Child pornography is not an abstract crime. It is a direct by-product of the sexual abuse of innocent children — in this instance, including infants and toddlers,” Sweeney said. “And though he was already on probation for a prior child pornography conviction, Newton continued and even escalated his depraved actions, sharing child pornography while sexually soliciting minor children online.”

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. attorneys’ offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

The government’s case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States attorneys Lara T. Gatz and Michael R. Maffei were in charge of the prosecution. 

East Northport volunteer firefighters responded to fire at a cemetery this past Saturday.

The East Northport Fire Department received numerous calls Feb. 23 reporting flames coming out of a maintenance building on the grounds of Genola Rural Cemetery off Laurel Road at approximately 1:30 p.m., according to fire department spokesman Steve Silverman.

Volunteer firefighters arriving on the scene found a one-story building fully engulfed in flames and began to aggressively attack the blaze. It took approximately 60 firefighters using eight trucks under the direction of Assistant Chiefs Tom Bourne and Steve Macedonio to bring the fire
under control within 40 minutes.

Both the Northport and Greenlawn fire departments assisted by providing additional apparatus and volunteer firefighters. Cyanide Response Team paramedics from the Dix Hills Fire Department responded to the scene in case of injuries from smoke inhalation. The Commack Fire Department and volunteer ambulance corps provided standby coverage during the alarm.

The fire appears to be accidental in origin, according to Silverman. It is under investigation by the Town of Huntington fire marshal. There were no injuries reported, but the cemetery’s maintenance building was extensively damaged.

An East Nothport house decked in more than 25,000 holiday lights hopes to raise funds for charity. Photo by Sara-Megan Walsh

Each year as it gets close to Christmas, drivers slow down just a bit on residential streets as those who are young at heart enjoy the holiday light displays. Everyone knows the address or road of that one home whose lawn is decorated with more figures and lights than can be counted.

James Tomeo, 28, has spent weeks decorating his East Northport home with more than 25,000 Christmas lights and hundreds of figures in hopes of raising money for Cohen Children’s Medical Center. On the night of Dec. 7, his home was transformed into Santa’s workshop where children would take pictures and talk to Santa and Mrs. Claus while marveling at the display.

A sign at James Tomeo’s house indicate the holiday light display is in honor of his late mother, Jacki. Photo by Sara-Megan Walsh

“Every year the fundraiser has grown bigger and bigger,” he said. “And with that the display has continued to grow bigger and bigger.”

Tomeo said his massive holiday light display is inspired by his late mother, Jacki, who died when he was 8 years old. He recalls fondly that his mother’s favorite holiday was Christmas and remembers frequently stopping with her to admire a large light display in Deer Park near where he went for karate lessons as a child.

 

“I slowly started building up my display over time, and I wanted to have a huge display like his,” Tomeo said.

In 2015, the Elwood school district board of education trustee decided to put his light display up and host an event to raise money for the Leukemia Foundation in honor of his mom. Over the years, he’s transitioned to donating any funds raised to the Cohen Children’s Medical Center.

“A lot of people stop by each year for their kids,” Tomeo said. “So, we wanted to do something for the children.”

In order to create his holiday light display, the East Northport resident said he starts assembling his army of more than 600 lit and blow-up figurines featuring popular characters from Disney movies, Star Wars, Sesame Street, Looney Tunes and more by Halloween.

“Everyone comes on Halloween to see what I’ve started with on the roof,” he said. “It’s become a Halloween tradition.”

His neighbor Sarah Perinchief said it’s a community activity to watch the display come together each year.

A homemade light display in honor of Tomeo’s brother, a U.S. Marine, who is deploying overseas. Photo by Sara-Megan Walsh

“Last year, when he did it I saw it from The Best Market parking lot,” she said. “I was like, ‘Where is that house’ so I took a drive around in October, and I could see the lights.”

Among the more than 25,000 Christmas lights are a number of personal decorations that Tomeo has made throughout the years. For 2018, he custom built an American flag made up of more than 2,000 bulbs with the words “Peace on Earth” to hang above it. In front of the flag, a Santa Claus kneels over a pair of combat boots. Surrounding the American flag and Santa, are choirs of angels. The installation was designed to honor Tomeo’s brother-in-law, a U.S. Marine who will be deploying overseas for Christmas.

“It’s our Christmas present to him,” Tomeo said. “That’s our way of telling him that we wish him the best overseas and a safe return home.”

High school volunteers from Commack, Elwood and Northport school districts came dressed as elves Dec. 7 to help oversee a raffle of baskets and items donated by local business owners in an effort to help raise money for the children’s hospital. Among the prizes raffled off were a 55-inch television and spending a day in the life of New York State assemblymen Andrew Raia (R-East Northport) and Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills).

“It’s awesome,” Perinchief said. “It’s such a fun, nice family-friendly event for a good cause.”

Update: Due to weather forecasters calling for inclement weather, the event was postponed to Dec. 7.

There are more than 25,000 Christmas lights and roughly 600 figurines on the front lawn of an East Northport home, all in the spirit of charity.

James Tomeo, a board trustee for Elwood school district, has decked out his Mansfield Lane South residence — and dubbed it the East Northport Christmas House — to host his 4th annual Oh What Fun It Is fundraiser for Cohen Children’s Medical Center.

Tomeo invites the community Dec. 1, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. to join him for a holiday celebration. He said Santa, Mrs. Claus and Rudolph will visit and take photos with children in his temporary workshop. Letters to Santa with a pre-addressed envelope will be sent to the North Pole.

There will be a raffle featuring baskets and gift certificates in Tomeo’s driveway, including a day in the life of various  local politicians, with hot cocoa and food donated by local businesses.

Those attending are asked to make a goodwill donation, as all proceeds will be given to the children’s hospital.

Suffolk County police car. File photo

Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the death of an East Northport man who was found unresponsive in his home’s swimming pool on Saturday.

Second Precinct officers responded to a Franconia Road house Aug. 18 at approximately 4:30 p.m. after a 911 caller reported finding one of the residents, Lewis Conte, unresponsive in the backyard swimming pool. Conte, 63, was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. The exact cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392.

East Northport residents and their families flocked to the East Northport Fireman’s Fair this past weekend.

The East Northport Fire Department kicked off its annual community fair Aug. 1 with a parade. The four-day festival featured rides, carnival games and live music to entertain all ages. Click through the gallery above to see if TBR News Media caught your family having fun. 

East Northport resident awarded an honorary degree from Smithtown High School West June 21

A lifelong dream has been made a reality for a Holocaust survivor who, after nearly 30 years educating others, can finally say he’s received his high school diploma.

East Northport resident Mordechai Miller was given an honorary degree at the 103rd commencement of Smithtown High School West June 21, becoming a member of the graduating Class of 2018. The 87-year-old donned a blue cap and gown, sitting with his fellow graduates on the field to wait to hear his name called by Principal John Coady.

“It’s very exciting,” Miller said upon hearing he was being granted a diploma.

The moment was decades in the making for Miller.

Everything he’s wanted in life he’s been able to achieve, except for this.”
– Leah Miller

“Everything he’s wanted in life he’s been able to achieve, except for this,” said his daughter, Leah. “He’s really wanted this for a long time, but it’s not something you can ask for.”

Miller was born in the village of Jablonna, Poland, in 1931. Due to the outbreak of World War II, he was only able to complete first grade before he and his family were forced to live in a Jewish ghetto before eventually going into hiding. They were liberated from the war front town, where they had taken up work as Polish refugees, by the Soviet army in January 1945.

Miller moved to the United States in 1956 where he settled in Brooklyn. A self-motivated man, he started his own business selling used truck parts and eventually opened his own junkyard in Bay Shore after moving to East Northport in 1984.

Since the 1990s, Miller has shared his life story as a public motivational speaker at hundreds of events, according to his daughter. For the past 10 years, he has regularly been a guest speaker in Christina Cone’s Holocaust and Genocide class at Smithtown High School West.

We thank you for all your work with our students, sharing your experiences and congratulate you on receiving your diploma.”
– John Coady

“He will always start out by saying that he loves to come to school because he didn’t get a chance at an education,” his daughter said.

The Holocaust survivor’s goal in sharing his life and experiences with students each year is to increase tolerance in the world. To honor Miller’s message of doing right by others, Smithtown’s staff decided to confer upon him an honorary degree.

“As he was deprived of a formal education and was never awarded a high school diploma, it is our privilege to bestow upon him this long-awaited document,” the principal said. “We thank you for all your work with our students, sharing your experiences and congratulate you on receiving your diploma.

Miller was given a standing ovation by the students, parents and Smithtown faculty at the June 21 ceremony as he walked across the stage and accepted his degree.

“He has always wanted this opportunity, and tonight they have made his dream come true,” his daughter said.

While the school district has given out honorary diplomas before, Miller was the first be allowed to walk in the ceremony.

A little bit of rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of Northport’s Class of 2018.

Northport-East Northport school district held its annual commencement exercises June 23 inside Northport High School’s auditorium. More than 530 students stepped forward to receive their diplomas.

“Be courageous, enjoy whatever is to come. Learn, not just in class, but from every experience and every obstacle you encounter,” Valedictorian Dan O’Connor said. “Most of all, do not fear the uncertainty of the future, but rather embrace it, for it is this very uncertainty that makes our future so promising.”

 

Five people were injured Sunday when a SUV flipped onto its side on Larkfield Road in East Northport.

The East Northport Fire Department and Suffolk County police responded to reports of a motor vehicle crash near the intersection of Larkfield Road and Cedar Road at approximately 7 p.m. May 20. The accident involved a Toyota SUV that had overturned onto it’s side and had swiped another car. Firefighters had to use the heavy rescue tools including the “jaws of life” to remove the roof from the vehicle, according to fire department spokesman Steve Silverman.

The five occupants of the SUV, three adults and two children, were transported to Huntington Hospital where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, Silverman said. The driver of the car declined any medical assistance.

There were about 50 East Northport firefighters and emergency personnel who responded and were on the scene with four heavy rescue engines, four ambulances, paramedic first responders and fire police under the direction of fire Chief Dan Heffernan.