By Bill Landon
The Mt. Sinai Fire Department held its 15th annual Breakfast with the Easter Bunny at Company 1 on Mt. Sinai Coram Road on April 13. It was a robust turnout with raffles silent auctions and plenty of food where the kids had their picture taken with the Easter Bunny. No one left hungry.
— Photos by Bill Landon
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who allegedly stole merchandise from an Islandia store in April.
The man pictured above allegedly stole shoes from Famous Footwear, located at 1770 Veterans Memorial Highway, on April 4 at approximately 11:25 a.m.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.
On April 5, Councilwoman Jane Bonner attended the North Shore Little League (NSLL) Opening Day ceremonies. The NSLL, which was established in 1963, offers boys and girls, ages six through sixteen, the opportunity to play organized baseball and softball with their peers at fields on Route 25A in Rocky Point.
Also at the Opening Day ceremony was 2nd District State Assemblywoman Jodie Giglio and Quentin Palifka representing Suffolk County Legislator Chad Lennon.
Councilwoman Bonner said “The North Shore Little League is great for kids to have fun and enjoy spending hours playing America’s pastime. I always know that summer is just around the corner when I hear the words ‘play ball!’ on opening day.”
For more information about the North Shore Little League, to volunteer or join their e-mail list, go to www.nsllrp.org or call 631-744-3355.
In honor of April’s Organ Donation Awareness Month, St. Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown, in collaboration with LiveOnNY, hosted a special flag-raising ceremony on April 2.
Heart transplant recipient Ed Schafer was present at the ceremony to share his story and also discussed the memorable moment when he met his donor family. He explained how it was an unforgettable moment when the donor’s mother asked to feel Ed’s heart beating. It was at that moment, she knew her son’s heart lived on, in Ed. Ed’s donor was only 32 years old when he passed away.
Pictured from left, Zach Matuk, RN; Megan Burrows, RN; Natasha Thomas, LiveOnNY; Ed Schafer, heart transplant recipient; Karen Cummings, LiveOnNY; Chris Nelson, Interim President, St. Catherine of Siena Hospital; Chris Boukas, St. Catherine’s Chief Operating Officer; Mary Ellen McCrossen, St. Catherine’s Community Relations Manager and kidney donor; Laurie Yuditsky, St. Catherine’s Vice President, Quality and Patient Safety; Leslie Callahan, St. Catherine’s Office Manager, Plant Operations. To register as an organ donor, go to LiveOnNY.org.
By Bill Landon
Having dropped their season opener against East Islip the week before, Shoreham-Wading River looked to ink their first win of the early season with a road game against Miller Place. The Wildcats dominated the first two quarters of play before holding Miller Place scoreless in the third to cruise to a 16-5 victory Monday afternoon, April 7.
Shoreham-Wading River midfielder Andrew Cimino, a returning varsity starter, picked up where he left off last season, stretched the net five times and added an assist in the win. Sophomore Lucas Diamond inked four assists, and three goals along with Noah Gregorek, the freshman tallied four assist and two goals.
Jackson Thompson led the way for the Panthers with two goals, and Christopher LoRe had 11 saves.
Shoreham-Wading River senior goalie Angelina Price stopped four in net.
The win lifts the Wildcats to 1-1 in the division while the loss drops the Panthers to 2-2.
— Photos by Bill Landon
Starting on April 1, Dogwood Elementary School in Smithtown celebrated Autism Acceptance Week. Children have been learning about autism and seeking ways to make school even more inclusive. Mrs. Nielsen’s students wrote and shared about the different things that make them special.
Mrs. Braun and Mrs. Diemer’s class learned about autism acceptance. After listening to a story, students brainstormed ways they can be kind and include others and worked on this project together.
On April 2, students were encouraged to wear red, gold, rainbow or blue to show support and acceptance of individuals with autism.
One characteristic of autism is to show incredibly focused passion for topics of interest. On April 3, students shared their passions and interests.
On April 4, students dressed in cozy pajamas in recognition of the fact that individuals with autism often have a variety of sensory sensitivities.
By Bill Landon
With the score tied at 5 all after 12 minutes of play, the Ward Melville boys lacrosse team fell into a rhythm in the second quarter, shutting down the visiting Longwood Lions Thursday afternoon April 3. The Patriots held Longwood scoreless in the second half to cruise to a 17-7 victory in the division 1 matchup.
Ward Melville senior attack Liam Banks led the way for the Patriots with four assists and two goals, and teammates Loius Montellese and Bohdan McLaughlin both notched an assist and three goals apiece for the win.
Longwood keeper Jason Biondi had 10 saves in net and Colby Alister stopped five for the Patriots.
— Photos by Bill Landon
By Bill Landon
Comsewogue girl’s lacrosse opened their road game against Rocky Point peppering the pipes with five unanswered first quarter goals before Rocky Point’s Kaleigh Moeller’s shot arrested the Spartan’s scoring fest at the five-minute mark on Tuesday, April 8. Comsewogue stretched their lead to take a 10-2 lead at the 5:09 mark of the second quarter.
From there Comsewogue’s sticks fell silent as the Eagles chipped away at the deficit when Moeller stretched the net again to cap an 8-goal scoring tear to tie the game at 10-10 with 5:13 left in regulation.
Vienna Guzman re-awakened the Spartan offence when her shot found its mark to put her team out front with 3 minutes left in regulation. With less than 2 minutes left Comsewogue’s Kamryn McCrary split the pipes for the Spartans for the insurance goal for a 12-10 advantage, a score that would make the final buzzer.
Jayla Callender topped the scoring charts for the Spartans with an assist and four goals and McCrary had three assists and two goals.
Cadence Adamo netted four goals and two assists.
The win lifts the Spartans to 1-2 in this early season while the loss drops the Eagles to 3-1.
— Photos by Bill Landon
The Middle Country Central School District recently announced the recipients of the March 2025 Students of the Month honors. The award recognizes students for their exceptional academic achievements, leadership, and contributions to their school communities. This month, four outstanding students were selected: Meaghan Grieco from Centereach High School, Charlotte Farrugia from Newfield High School, Aurelio Luna from Dawnwood Middle School, and Emily Makiani from Selden Middle School.
Meaghan Grieco is a standout athlete, musician, and student leader whose GPA has her ranked just outside of the top 10 percent in her graduating class. She has taken a rigorous schedule over her four years, including five Advanced Placement courses and eight college level courses. Meanwhile, she has proven herself in college courses that also span all disciplines including electives such as College Virtual Enterprise and College Business Law. She has successfully taken advantage of all that our district offers.
Meaghan has played Varsity Volleyball and Varsity Basketball since her freshman year. In volleyball, she was a four-year starter and captain who earned All-League Honors twice and All-Classification honors while leading her team to the playoffs this year. In basketball, she was voted the Rookie of the Year award her freshman year by the varsity basketball coaches in her league. Meaghan was also recognized by the coaches as an All-League player the past two years. Due to an injury she sustained in volleyball, Meaghan required surgery and had to sit out this basketball season. Nevertheless, she played an integral role to the team’s success this year. She was at every practice and game, providing the players with encouraging words and the coaches with suggestions and advice. Meaghan has been a member of the Wind Ensemble for the past two years, playing Tenor Saxophone, and a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society for the past four years, with which she has volunteered at various school and community service events. Next year, Meaghan plans to study to become a pediatric nurse at SUNY Farmingdale. There she also plans to continue playing volleyball as she is almost all healed from her injury.
Charlotte Farrugia is ranked 31 out of 383 seniors with a weighted GPA of 98.5370. She has the potential to graduate in June with more than 25 college credits. Through her high school career and currently she’s a member of Dr. Gerold’s leadership committee, DECA, Glamour Gals, The Environmental Club, Tri-M Music Honor Society, and The Foreign Language Honor Society. She also serves as the secretary of the National Honor Society, secretary of the newspaper club, vice president of the Quill and Scroll Honor Society, and secretary of the class of 2025. She was also the winner of the Middle Country Career Exploration Award last spring. In addition to her academic career, Charlotte works as a babysitter for multiple families, was a seasonal farm worker at Harbes Farm in Riverhead, is a council member on the Teen Advisory Council at the Middle Country Public Library, volunteers at Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church assisting the outreach program and is a girl scout who last June earned her Gold Award. Charlotte plans to attend Stony Brook University in the fall with the plan of working toward becoming certified library media specialist or teacher.
Aurelio Luna plays the cello in both the 8th grade Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra. He is always ready to help or participate in class and goes above and beyond in everything he does. Aurelio’s overall average for his sixth and seventh-grade school years is 94.2 and Aurelio’s average for the first and second quarter of this school year is 93.2. Aurelio is involved in many activities at Dawnwood. He is the president of our National Junior Honor Society, a member of the eight-grade orchestra, chamber orchestra, peer leadership club, the singing club, and the student activities club. Aurelio is also a member of drama club, where last year he played the leading role of Sebastian in our production of the Little Mermaid. Outside of school, Aurelio is part of a group that perform songs in sign language for the community. Aurelio also loves playing with his three dogs and singing karaoke.
Emily Makiani has been described by teachers as humble, hardworking, motivated, and kind. She finished her sixth-grade year with an overall yearly average of 98.3 and bested that in seventh grade with an overall yearly average of 98.4. Looking at her quarterly grades this year, she is set to have her best year yet as she had a nearly perfect first quarter report card two 99s and five 100s. Having spoken to Emily about her dedication to her studies, I am quite sure she will keep up that exceptional work. Emily is a member of the National Junior Honor Society and enjoyed her community service work where she prepared and packed lunches for those in need. She likes to write stories and is enjoying reading S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders right now.
For more information regarding the Middle Country Central School District and its students’ many achievements, please visit the District’s website: https://www.mccsd.net/.
ADOPT TRINITY!
Step into a world of love, loyalty, and husky charm with Trinity, this week’s featured Shelter Pet available for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter. This extraordinary young lady is ready to fill your life with joy, adventure, and unconditional affection.
Trinity is a stunning female Husky, estimated to be just under a year old. With her shimmering white coat delicately outlined in black, she looks as if she stepped straight out of a snow-covered fairytale. Found wandering as a stray, Trinity was brought to the shelter in the hope that her family would come forward—but no one ever did. Now, this beautiful spirit is patiently waiting for a new chapter to begin.
Beneath Trinity’s striking appearance is a heart as warm as sunshine. She adores every person she meets, greeting everyone with a wagging tail and bright, expressive eyes. Her sweet, affectionate nature and gentle demeanor make her instantly beloved by staff and visitors alike. One moment with Trinity, and you’ll understand why she’s impossible to forget.
Like any young Husky, Trinity is smart, energetic, and playful—a pup with a zest for life and an endless supply of curiosity. She thrives on interaction and would flourish in a home that offers an active lifestyle and plenty of mental stimulation. Whether it’s a family hike, a playful romp in the backyard, or a cuddle on the couch, Trinity is ready for it all.
Trinity is showing promising signs of compatibility with other dogs, cats, and children, making her a wonderful fit for many types of households. She’s healthy, vibrant, and brimming with potential—just waiting for the right family to help her shine.
Shelter staff and volunteers agree; Trinity is the kind of dog that leaves paw prints on your heart… She’s affectionate, lively, and endlessly loving. Any family would be lucky to have her.
If you think your home might be the fairytale ending Trinity deserves, we invite you to fill out an application and schedule a Meet & Greet. Spend time with her in the shelter’s cozy domestic spaces, the dog runs, or take a stroll on their Dog Walk Trail—you’ll fall in love before you reach the halfway point.
The Town of Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Visitor hours are Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only). For more information, call 631-360-7575 or visit www.townofsmithtownanimalshelter.com.
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