The Times of Middle Country - May 21, 2015

The TIMES of Middle Country

Serving CentereaCh

Volume 11, No. 5

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Selden

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northern lake grove

May 21, 2015

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A day of reflection on Memorial Day Also, Memorial Day parades on the North Shore; local actor lands lead in ‘Oliver!’ at Theatre Three

PAgE B1

Keeping crabs in their habs

Town wants to limit horseshoe crab harvesting

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Photos by Erika Karp

above, ajay, right, and Christian, left, carefully place the last cup on top of their cup tower at the event. Below, students show off their lego engineering creation to a judge. SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGES A8 & A9.

Rooting for STEM in MC

A pumped-up crowd in the Centereach High School gymnasium cheered, clapped and clamored to see which of the district’s elementary schools would come out victorious at Monday night’s STEM Celebration.

The evening marked the district’s first celebration of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM. Hundreds of students, parents, teachers

and administrators flooded the school to see students use their skills to build paper helicopters, newspaper tables and cup towers, and compete against each other to build a spaghetti tower. In addition, students from the district’s eight elementary schools presented their LEGO engineering creations to judges.

Stagecoach Elementary School won the STEM challenge.

—Erika Karp

PAGE A2 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • May 21, 2015

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MC residents approve next year’s budget

Middle Country’s $236 million budget passed, with 1,863 votes in favor and 579 against. All three school board incumbents — President Karen Lessler and Trustees Jim Macomber and Arlene Barresi — were running unopposed and were re-elected to their seats.

The spending plan keeps current programs intact, no excessing of staff will happen and it includes a continuation of the popular science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — known as STEM — program that has been a hit

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in the district. The spending plan is also tax levy cap-compliant.

The budget allocates funds for extra staff in order to comply with a statemandated English as a second language initiative, which aims to help students whose first language is not English. The district will add two to three teachers to meet the mandate.

In regard to new programs, officials said the budget allocates funds for a science research program at the high school.

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May 21, 2015 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A3

Community volunteer leaves void

By BarBara Donlon

Edna Gerard, a longtime resident with a knack for community service and a mind for business, died on May 16 at age 86.

A 57-year resident of Brookhaven Town and the wife of former town councilman Gene Gerard, she died of complications related to esophageal cancer, her daughter Pam Ruschak said

in an interview on Tuesday.

Edna Gerard had lived in Mount Sinai, Port Jefferson and Middle Island with her husband, to whom she was married for 65 years. The couple raised five children together.

The pair’s surname was perhaps most well-known through the printing shop they owned in Port Jefferson Station, St. Gerard Printing, where Edna worked until last year, when the Gerard family

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sold the local business.

But “her big love was community service,” Ruschak said.

Gerard had worked with many organizations throughout the area over the years. She was a past president of the Port Jefferson Station and Terryville chamber of commerce; a founding member and past president of the networking group Decision Women in Commerce and Professions; a former vice president of the Mount Sinai Fire Department’s Ladies Auxiliary; and a former Long Island Power Authority trustee.

Former LIPA Chairman Richard Kessel called Gerard a “valuable asset to the board.”

“Soft-spoken but challenging, cared greatly for ratepayers and the environment,” Kessel said. “She’ll be missed.”

Ruschak said her mother found a way to raise a family and still be involved in her community, something that makes her proud.

“She was just a beautiful, dynamic, classy, graceful woman,” the daughter said.

In addition to husband Gene, daughter Pam and Pam’s husband, Richard Ruschak, Edna Gerard is survived by her son, Paul Gerard, and his wife, Pam; her daughter, Patricia Leffke, and husband Gary; her daughter, Ann Dunn, and husband John; her son-in-law, Edward

Photos from Kerri Ellis

above, Gene and Edna Gerard were married for 65 years. at left, the couple is surrounded by their grown children — from left, Christine, Pam, ann, Patricia and Paul — on their 50th wedding anniversary.

McKenna; nine grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Her daughter, Christine McKenna, preceded her in death.

Moloney’s Port Jefferson Station Funeral Home handled arrangements and a Mass was held at St. Frances Cabrini R.C. Church in Coram on Wednesday.

“There will be tough shoes to fill,” Pam Ruschak said. “There will be a real void in this community.”

Louis J. Marcoccia Brookhaven Town Receiver Of Taxes

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Legal Notice: TO THE TAXPAYERS AND INHABITANTS OF THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN, TAKE NOTICE: Louis J. Marcoccia, Receiver of Taxes, in and for the said Town, has received the tax and assessment rolls and warrant for the 2014/2015 Tax Levy and said second half taxes and assessments therein may be paid to the Receiver of Taxes at his office, One Independence Hill, Suite 110, Farmingville, New York 11738-2149, during the following extended hours:

Remember to keep your pets safe this Memorial Day!

Monday, June 1st 2015 8am – 8pm SECOND HALF PAYMENT: Payable by June 1st, 2015 without penalty.

Please Note:

Town Hall Will Be Closed Monday May 25, 2015 in Observance of Memorial Day

Regular office hours are 9:00am to 4:30pm Monday thru Friday For your convenience, you may also make payment in person at the: Rose Caracappa Senior Citizen Center 739 Route 25A Mt. Sinai, NY 11766 Phone 631.476.6431 Wednesday May 20th 10am – 3pm (no cash please)

After June 1st, 2015 all outstanding balances must be paid to the County Treasurer: Suffolk County Treasurer

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PAGE A4 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • May 21, 2015

Town seeks to curb horseshoe crab harvesting With its horseshoe crab population dwindling, Town of Brookhaven officials are calling on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to ban harvesting within 500 feet of town property.

At the Mount Sinai Harbor Marine Stewardship Center at Cedar Beach on Tuesday, Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) announced the Brookhaven Town Board is poised to approve a message in support of the ban at Thursday night’s board meeting.

Horseshoe crabs are harvested for bait and medicinal purposes, as their blue blood, which is worth an estimated $15,000 a quart, is used in the bio-

medical and pharmaceutical industries to detect bacterial contamination in drugs and medical supplies, due to its special properties.

While there is already a harvesting ban in place for Mount Sinai Harbor, Romaine is seeking to expand the restriction across the North and South shores so the crabs have a safe place to mate.

The crabs take about nine years to reach sexual maturity.

“We think it is time not to stop or prohibit the harvesting of horseshoe crabs … but instead to say, ‘Not within town properties,’” Romaine stated.

Brookhaven’s Chief Environmental Analyst Anthony Graves and cleanwater advocacy group Defend H20’s

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founder and president, Kevin McAllister, joined Romaine at the Tuesday morning press conference.

Graves said the ban would help preserve the 450-million-year-old species’ population.

Preserving the species affects more than just the crabs: If the population continues to shrink, other species — like the red knot bird, which eats the crab eggs — will suffer.

“They are in some ways an ecological keystone species,” Graves said.

“That means that they serve a function beyond their individual existence.”

East Coast waterways are the epicenter for the crabs and, according to McAllister, states like New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia have already enacted harvesting limits. The crabs’ nesting season starts in mid-May and lasts until the end of June. Officials said the crabs are oftentimes harvested at night and illegally.

Romaine said he has asked all of the town’s waterfront villages to support the measure. If the DEC moves forward with the ban, Romaine said the town could help the department with enforcement by establishing an intermunicipal agreement.

A DEC representative did not immediately return a request for comment.

Photos by Erika Karp

Top, an approximately 3- to 4-year-old horseshoe crab. above, Supervisor Ed romaine.

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May 21, 2015 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A5

Suffolk County GOP seeks to attract Latino voters Party establishes new Hispanic alliance that alternative.”

Republicans are seeking to County Republicans are vy- tap into a growing Latino elecing for the votes of Suffolk La- torate in Suffolk County, the tinos. statement said. According to A county GOP press release Nick LaLota, the Republican last week announced that for commissioner of the Suffolk the first time in its history, it County Board of Elections, Lawould be creating a Hispanic tinos comprise about 7.8 peralliance tasked with register- cent of Suffolk County’s 907,000 ing Latino voters and recruit- total registered voters this year. ing potential candidates to run That’s up from 5.82 percent in for office.

2006, he said.

“For far too long, the politiWhen drawing up the figcal left has taken ures, BOE offithe Hispanic com- ‘We believe that they cials analyzed munity for granted have the same core the last names and recent polls of voters to deindicate a growing values — family, termine which frustration with business. They’re individuals the Democrat parhave “Hispanvery conservative.’ ty’s lack of family i c - o r i e nt e d ” — jose nunez names, LaLovalues and understanding of small ta said. And business,” GOP chairman while it’s not an “exact science,” John Jay LaValle said in the it gives officials an idea of the statement. “It is clearly time growth of the population. for Suffolk County’s Hispanic Two Hispanic Republicans — families to seek an alternative Brookhaven’s Jose Nunez and and the Republican Party is Victoria Serpa of Islip — will

By Rohma aBBas

File photo by Rohma Abbas

Latinos congregate at Xavier Palacios’ law office in huntington station last year to watch President Barack obama announcing executive orders on immigration.

co-chair the Suffolk County Republican Hispanic Alliance, LaValle said. When reached this week, Nunez said he felt there was a great opportunity for the Republicans to attract Hispanic voters, who traditionally lean Democratic.

“We believe that they have the same core values— family, business,” he said. “They’re very conservative. There’s a lot of re-

ligion. I think there’s a pool of people right here that haven’t been reached.”

But as far as Suffolk County Democratic Chairman Rich Schaffer is concerned, the Republicans were late to the party.

He noted the Democrats have backed several Hispanic individuals who were elected “It’s about time,” Schaffer said. “We don’t need press re-

leases. We’ve been doing it for years. We welcome them to finally recognizing that the Hispanic population is an important part of our county.”

Nunez said the GOP’s new alliance would also serve an educational purpose — engaging Latino voters in a political dialogue and perhaps dispelling fears of the political process GOP continued on page A12

130913 File: 18904f-CCMC-Kohl’s Cares bw-Times Beacon Record Newspapers (East) Size: 9.75” x 6.125”

PAGE A6 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • May 21, 2015

POLICE BLOTTER Incidents and arrests from May 11–18 Indebted a Pagnotta drive resident in Port Jefferson Station reported on May 11 that somebody used her debit card to make unauthorized purchases.

File photo

Woman charged for firing rifle from apartment balcony

Police charged a woman with reckless endangerment after she allegedly fired a rifle from her apartment balcony on Monday evening. according to the Suffolk county Police department, the 26-year-old suspect, a resident of the brookwood Village apartments in coram, fired the rifle multiple times into a wooded area near her apartment on dunstan Place at 6:53 p.m.

Police said no one was hit by the shots and there was no property damage. officers arrested suspect Suzanne Pesola and recovered two rifles and ammunition, police said. The woman was

charged with second-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree criminal contempt.

Pesola has a previous charge pending against her, a harassment charge from late april. She was listed as being represented by Legal aid in the new York State court system’s online database, and attorney information on the newer charges was not immediately available. detectives from the ScPd’s 6th Squad are investigating the case. anyone with information is asked to call them at 631854-8652.

— Elana Glowatz

Police arrest naked man wielding machete Police subdued a man who had allegedly threatened bystanders and officers with a 20-inch machete on Monday afternoon in a costco parking lot.

The Suffolk county Police department said officers arrived on the scene shortly after 1 p.m., following numerous witness reports of a naked man waving a machete at people in the lot on Middle country road in Lake Grove. The suspect then barricaded himself in the cab of a 2007 Freightliner tractor-trailer, which police said he was operating for a new Jersey-based transport company but was also where he was living. according to police, the man refused to exit his vehicle when Sgts. Keith Serper and brian Michels and officers richard regula, christopher Tenbrink, anthony Sepe and Jean Hutchinson arrived on the scene. but he later attempted to leave the tractor-trailer cab with the ma-

chete in his hand, and the officers held the doors shut to contain him. Police said the suspect opened a small window and tried to exit the cab through it and threatened the officers with the weapon. regula, Tenbrink and Serper approached the man closely enough to discharge a Taser. Police then entered the truck cab and subdued him. no bystanders were hurt in the incident.

The 37-year-old man from bay Shore, who police identified as Jose amaya, was arrested and brought to Stony brook University Hospital for evaluation.

He was charged with menacing a police officer, fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. attorney information for the suspect was not immediately available. He was scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday.

— Elana Glowatz

Punches and pies a man reported a person hit the back of his head without reason while at a Port Jefferson pizza parlor on Main Street on May 16 at around 3:18 a.m. Police said the man suffered a minor laceration and was transported to St. charles Hospital for treatment.

Possession and public lewdness a 49-year-old Huntington Station woman and a 45-year-old Port Jefferson Station man were arrested in Port Jefferson on May 15 on public lewdness charges. according to police, the man was touching the woman’s breasts in view of the public. The woman was also charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, the musclerelaxer carisoprodol.

Sharp objects an unknown person used a sharp object to damage a 1994 Saturn while it was parked in front of an ashland Street residence in Mount Sinai between May 13 and May 14.

Rolling a Huntington road resident in Sound beach reported that between May 12 and May 13 a person took tires from his backyard.

Just leafy a Sunburst drive resident in rocky Point reported a verbal dispute between himself and a neighbor, who pushed the complainant to the ground on May 15. according to police, the dispute was over leaves and the complainant wasn’t injured.

Graffiki Action Park an unknown person spray-painted graffiti in Tiki action Park on Middle country road in centereach on May 14.

Knock, knock a Gould road resident in centereach reported that on May 13 two males in their early 20s assaulted him after he answered his door. The suspects took cash from the complainant and fled. It was unclear if the victim

required medical attention.

Window rocked a Hammond road resident in centereach reported that unknown people threw rocks at her home’s window, shattering it, on May 11.

Tit for tattoo a 57-year-old centereach man was arrested for second-degree harassment, third-degree criminal mischief and acting in a manner to injure a child. Police said the man smashed a window, a lighted neon sign and a cigarette bucket at a centereach tattoo shop during a May 11 incident.

Checked out a Strauss avenue resident in Selden reported on May 17 that an unknown person withdrew money from his checking account without permission.

Came out swinging a man walking on boyle road in Selden on May 14 reported that another man got out of his vehicle and started to swing his fists at the complainant.

Sick and tired a Firestone complete auto care manager in Selden reported damage to the shop’s garage door and window, which occurred between May 12 and May 13. no property was stolen from the store.

My sediments exactly The owner of a 1998 Jeep reported the driver’s side window was shattered by a rock found in the front seat on May 11. The car was parked on college road in Selden and no items were taken from the vehicle.

Bottoms up a 55-year-old woman from centereach was arrested May 15 in East Setauket and charged with operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 of 1 percent, and driving while intoxicated.

Police said the woman was driving a 1994 Honda westbound on route 347, east of arrowhead Lane in Setauket at about 4:50 p.m. when she rear-ended a van.

— CompilEd by Rohma abbas & ERika kaRp

The TIMES (USPS 003–952) is published Thursdays by TIMES bEacon rEcord nEwSPaPErS, 185 route 25a, Setauket, nY 11733. Periodicals postage paid at Setauket, nY and additional mailing offices. Subscription price $49 annually. Leah S. dunaief, Publisher. PoSTMaSTEr: Send change of address to Po box 707, Setauket, nY 11733.

May 21, 2015 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A7

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PAGE A8 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • May 21, 2015

MC students put STEM skills to use

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May 21, 2015 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A9

Photos by Erika Karp

Page left, clockwise from top left, Ryan Ortiz, 4, goes fishing with the fishing pole he created; Henry Ciavarella, 7, builds a newspaper table; Eugene Auer Elementary School students race to make a spaghetti tower using the pasta and marshmallows; Hawkins Path Elementary School students work together to build their tower. This page, clockwise from top, Hawkins Path Elementary School students show off their LEGO creation; Nick Sorrentino, 10, and William Mercado, 10, successfully constructed a “Lunar Lander”; and Gabby Fiore, 9, left, and Jade Senh, 10, right discuss how to build their “Lunar Lander.”

PAGE A10 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • May 21, 2015

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May 21, 2015 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A11

PEOPLE

Hooray for Youth Bureau award winners!

Councilman Kevin LaValle (R-Selden) recently honored 3rd District residents who were recipients of the Town of Brookhaven’s Youth Bureau Volunteer Awards during the 35th annual ceremony at Brookhaven Town Hall.

The awards honor those who have volunteered to work with and assist young people throughout the town, whether they are individual adults, service groups, or

young people themselves. The event was hosted by the Town of Brookhaven Youth Board, which is an advisory board to the Youth Bureau.

“It was an honor to join my colleagues and thank the Youth Bureau Award winners for all they do to make Brookhaven a better place to live,” LaValle said. “Volunteers are the backbone of the community and it’s great to see so many young people who step up and want to

make a difference in the lives of their neighbors.”

The Youth Bureau is responsible for planning and coordinating activities and services for young people up to 21 years of age. The division monitors and provides oversight for youth agencies and programs that receive funding from the Town of Brookhaven. For more information, please contact the Brookhaven Youth Bureau at 631-451-8011.

Photo from Brookhaven town

Pictured with Councilman LaValle are Youth Board Chairperson Charlotte Pressley and award winners Austin Vero, Jonathon Chiaramonte, Mike Kulyk, Ashley Gardner, Amanda Kelly and members of the Centereach Youth Civic.

sweet Leaf honored

by Brookhaven At the May 7 Brookhaven Town Board meeting, Councilman Kevin LaValle (R-Selden) presented a certificate of appreciation to Dan Kenny, owner of Sweet Leaf Landscaping in Selden, for being an active member in the community and donating his landscaping services to maintain the Centereach Civic Association’s Hamlet of Centereach sign. He was also recognized for his charitable activities, in particular for helping Carolyn Jordan, of Selden, who had a damaged sprinkler system that Kenny repaired free of charge.

“Dan has a very successful

Celebrate!

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business, but he continues to do so many things for the community without any fanfare,” LaValle said. “He is an important part of the fabric of our Town and I applaud his commitment to help make it a better place to live.”

Photo from Brookhaven town

Pictured left to right, Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station), Councilwoman Jane Bonner (C-Rocky Point), Councilman Kevin LaValle, Ed Kenny, Supervisor Ed Romaine (R), Carolyn Jordan, Councilwoman Connie Kepert (D-Middle Island), Councilman Neil Foley (R-Blue Point) and Councilman Dan Panico (R-Manorville).

Congrats, grads!

A local alumnus was recently in prestigious NYC film festival.

Alexander Seefried, of Selden, had his film, “Living the Good Life,” entered into the School of Visual Art’s 26th Dusty Film & Animation festival

in NYC. The film screened at the festival, May 9 to 11.

The thesis projects of more than 100 graduating students are celebrated at this annual three-day festival that is free to the public.

‘Our Community Newspaper With Its Eye On The World’ www.tbrnewsmedia.com

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Suffolk County GOP Chairman John Jay LaValle.

migrants come here to fulfill the American Dream for their children, something that appears to be becoming more challenging.

“Folks nowadays, in my view, are losing that dream,” he said.

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NOTICE OF ADOPTION Notice is hereby given that the following amendment(s) to the Uniform Code of Traffic Ordinances of the Town of Brookhaven.was/were adopted by the Brookhaven Town Board on Public Hearing Date 05/07/2015 to become effective ten (10) days from this publication as required by Section 133 of the Town Law. Article VII Section 26 entitled STOP AND YIELD INTERSECTIONS is hereby amended by ADDITION of the following in the hamlet of CENTEREACH SALEM RD TOWNE LN STOP N / TOWNE LN KENT LN SALEM RD STOP S / KENT LN FAIRLAWN LN SALEM RD STOP W / SALEM RD STATE OF NEW YORK) SS: COUNTY OF SUFFOLK) I, Donna Lent, Clerk of the Town of Brookhaven in said State and County do hereby certify that I have compared the annexed copy of the Amendment(s) to the Uniform TrafficCode with the record of the original filed in my office, and that it is true and correct copy of such record and of the whole thereof.

In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and Affixed the seal of the Town of Brookhaven on this 11th day of May, 2015 .

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THE TIMES OF SMITHTOWN

that some may acquaint with their native countries.

It’s “smart” for Republicans to be reaching out to Hispanic voters, according to Xavier Palacios, a Huntington resident, school board member and cofounder of the Friends of Huntington Station Latin Quarter — a group established to revitalize Huntington Station through business development, mentorship, vocational training and other programs. The number-one issue on the minds of Hispanics, Palacios said, is immigration reform, and it’s something Republicans need to address head-on if they’re going to attract Latino voters.

“I think it can no longer be the hot potato,” he said. “A solution to real immigration reform needs to be had, needs to be discussed as a real issue.”

Not everyone thinks that Latinos care most about the immigration issue.

Nunez said there are many Latinos out there who feel people should arrive and settle in the country through legal channels. He also said immigration was a federal issue, not a local one.

Other issues on the local level are of importance to Latinos too, Palacios said — namely economic opportunity. He said Republicans and Democrats would be smart “in focusing on pocketbook issues,” as many first-and-second-generation Latino residents are staggered in professions or can’t afford college. Im-

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GOP Continued from page A5

LEGAL NOTICE PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Board of Fire Commissioners of Centereach Fire District will hold a special workshop meeting for the purpose of 2015/2016 Budget on June 12, 2015 at 7:00 P.M. at Fire Headquarters, 9 South Washington Avenue, Centereach, New York.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS CENTEREACH FIRE DISTRICT TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN DATED: May 12, 2015 Jennifer Gardner District Secretary 973_052115_1x_tmc LEGAL NOTICE TO THE TAXPAYERS OF THE CENTEREACH FIRE DISTRICT: NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a resolution was duly adopted by the Board of Fire Commissioners of the CENTEREACH FIRE DISTRICT, Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk, State of New York, on the 12th day of May, 2015, subject to permissive referendum as provided for by the Town Law.

TRUCK NO LONGER NECESSARY FOR THE DISTRICT’S USES AND PURPOSES VALUED AT LEAST TEN THOUSAND ($10,000.00) DOLLARS BUT LESS THAN FIFTY THOUSAND ($50,000.00) DOLLARS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS UNDER SECTION 176 SUBDIVISION 23 OF THE TOWN LAW WITH THE ACTUAL PRICE OF SALE TO BE BASED UPON MARKET FORCES. Sale of said vehicle is subject to permissive referendum as required under Section 176 subdivision 23 of the Town Law and in accordance with procedures for permissive referendums as described in the General Municipal Law. DATED: May 12, 2015 BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONER CENTEREACH FIRE DISTRICT TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN ATTEST: Jennifer Gardner District Secretary 974_052115_1x_tmc

An extract of the resolution is as follows: THE CENTEREACH FIRE DISTRICT SHALL SELL THE FOLLOWING VEHICLE: ONE (1) 2007 FORD F550 DUMP

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May 21, 2015 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A13

Photos by Bill Landon

Clockwise from left, amanda Masullo shoots through Sachem East traffic; Jamie ortega beats out the Sachem East goalkeeper for a goal; and alison diPaola moves the ball up the field.

Middle Country Mad Dogs make it back to semis Girls’ lacrosse

Middle Country . . . . 16 Sachem East . . . . . . . . 4

the first time at the 4:41 mark, but midfielder Jamie Ortega scored again two minutes later, for her hat trick goal.

By the halftime break, Middle Country had tacked on four more goals for a 12-1 advantage.

By Bill landon “With the bye week, we had to stay After not playing for a week and a half, consistent,” senior goalkeeper Ashley the Middle Country girls’ lacrosse team Miller said. “We practiced at game level showed no signs of cobwebs. After a bye and at game speed, so we could handle week, the top-seeded team in Division I eas- whatever they threw at us today. We played well in the second half, we kept ily outscored Sachem East, 16-4, Tuesday. up our intensity and we “Considering we haven’t played in a week ‘Considering we haven’t stayed focused because it’s easy to sit back and and a half, we came out played in a week and a relax, but we didn’t.” and played the best game half, we came out and The scoring fest conwe’ve played so far,” tinued in the second half Amanda Masullo said. played the best game when Barry served one “We played two complete we’ve played so far.’ to Nikki Ortega for her halves today. Sometimes — amanda masullo hat trick goal, to break we get tired in the second out to a 13-1 advantage. Soon after, the half, but today we just kept going.”

Middle Country took command of senior struck again, this time off a feed the game from the opening draw, and from Rachel Masullo.

“We had a harder schedule towards the Mad Dogs broke out to an 8-0 lead midway through the first half, with the the end [of the regular season], so the bye Ortega sisters, Nikki and Jamie, lead- week really helped us, because we defiing the way with two goals each. Sopho- nitely needed a rest,” Nikki Ortega said.

Middle Country passed the ball crispmores Amanda Masullo and her twin sister Rachel, Ava Barry and senior Ali- ly and cleanly as they circled the cage looking for an opening. Amanda Masulson DiPaola added a goal apiece.

Sachem East lit up the scoreboard for lo found one, and passed to Jamie Ortega

on the cut. She drilled home her shot to give her team a 15-1 advantage.

Sachem East still had some life left in them, and managed three unanswered goals in the last 10 minutes of the game.

The clock continued to run uninterrupted, and Nikki Ortega drove home the last goal of the afternoon, to put the playoff win into the record books.

“I thought we did an awesome job on our draw control today and when you control the draw, you control the game,” Middle Country head coach Lindsay Dolson said. “Our defense did an outstanding job to hold that team to only four goals. “We’ll work hard, stay focused and watch film to get ready for Smithtown West.”

After crosstown rival and No. 5-seed Smithtown West topped No. 4 Smithtown East Tuesday, the Bulls will get a rematch to avenge a loss at the hands of Middle Country in the Mad Dogs’ last game of the regular season. The semifinal playoff match will take place Friday at Newfield, at 4 p.m.

“We’ll need to be mentally prepared for the next round and forget that we’re undefeated,” Nikki Ortega said. “This is the playoffs. There are no second chances, so our next game is our whole season and we can’t let up.”

PAGE A14 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • May 21, 2015

OPINION Petrone: Flanagan will be a ‘powerful voice’ huntington residents should be excited by the selection of John Flanagan as majority leader of the State Senate.

I have known John since his election to the Assembly three decades ago. I have found him to be a hardworking, dedicated advocate for policies and programs that are of interest to our constituents. he has helped ensure that Long Island gets its fair share of state education aid, reformed state elections law and led the way on other important measures, such as better informing women about breast density and cancer risks

We would all benefit by keeping our collective cool on the road.

and allowing students with respiratory ailments to bring inhalers to school functions. having served in both the Assembly and the Senate, John understands the issues, the legislative process and the dynamics that produce legislation aimed at bettering the lives of all of us. While holding strong beliefs on some issues, he nevertheless is willing to listen to opposing sides and consider the merits of different positions.

As majority leader, John will be a powerful voice in Albany for our local concerns.

I congratulate John and look forward to working with him on the items that are central to the town’s legislative agenda.

Frank Petrone huntington Town supervisor

File photo

EDITORIAL

Take a chill pill With warmer weather comes an urge to leave the house, and we expect, as usual, there will be a lot more cars on the road, so now is a good time to remind our readers not to lose their cool behind the wheel.

Whether a driver made a mistake — as we all do from time to time — or not, it can be terrifying for that person when another motorist becomes enraged and takes it out on them. We’ve all experienced tailgating or obnoxious horn-honking, and some of us have been victims of more dire cases of road rage, like prolonged following and actual physical violence or threats. In the less confrontational incidents, frustrated and angry drivers often lash out

because it’s easy to hide in the anonymous bubble of a car, when they would not have been so bold to display such anger in person. In the more extreme cases, the mad drivers may have had a screw or two loose to begin with and might have acted out no matter the location or circumstance.

We understand that daily stresses factor into this problem, and Long Island’s immense traffic congestion doesn’t help the frustration we might already be feeling while in the car. But consider this: The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that aggressive driving is a factor in more than half of all traffic fatalities, according to 2009 data. In those cases, “motorists are concerned with

the others’ aggressive driving while many are guilty themselves.”

Terrible accidents involving mangled cars happen all the time, but they don’t have to happen over things as petty as payback for being cut off or revenge on a slow-moving vehicle. We urge our readers to slow down when they’re seeing red behind the wheel and take some time to think about what the other person’s situation might be before lashing out. Give each other the benefit of the doubt because we are all humans who make mistakes. Let small road infractions go with a deep exhale.

Rising tempers don’t give us license to rage on the road.

And the consequences can be deadly.

got an opinion? discuss it @ tbrnewsmedia.com

Photo by Heidi Sutton

Buttercup’s Dairy is on Old Town Road in Port Jefferson Station.

Buttercup is the best TO ThE EDITOR: On May 2, Buttercup’s Dairy Store on Old Town Road in Port Jefferson Station held its annual Buttercup’s Day. It’s so nice to see a business give back to the community. There were

many attractions free to the public for the children, from pony rides to live animals, games, etc. The men, women and teens who helped out were wonderful.

Thank you, Buttercup, for your continued work to give back to your customers.

Kitty Shults Port Jefferson Station

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May 21, 2015 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • PAGE A15

‘Getting it’ in today’s crazy, mixed-up world

D. None of the above

by DaNiel DuNaief

vtimes@tbrnewspapers.com

W

here do we get the “Oh, right, I get it,” moments? We’re so close to ourselves and our lives that those moments are often hard to see. It’s like in the movies, where someone has a close friend: Lo and behold, that friend turns into something much more, once personal introspection is abandoned and it

is realized how important such a friendship is deep down.

Beyond the romantic comedies, however, we can turn to dramas, action films or other forms of entertainment for a broader awareness of ourselves and our lives.

Let’s say we’re driving on the Long Island Expressway and somebody cuts us off. What do we do? Well, if we’ve got kids in the car, we might grind our teeth, hold on tight to the steering wheel and fight the urge to say things that would look something like “$#$#@%$!!!” in a cartoon.

But what did that person make us do? Did we have to hit the brake a bit when we’re on the way to a soccer game?

Did she interrupt our train of thought when we were about to cure cancer, come up with a solution for tension in the Middle East, or figure out a way to reduce fossil fuel emissions from the thousands of planes that

soar overhead?

Is it possible that she was racing home from work to take care of a kid with a stuffy nose, to hear someone’s first violin concert or congratulate her son for earning his first A in social studies?

Yes, most of the time we’re, thankfully, stuck in the world of the small stuff. If we’re fortunate enough, we’re not worried every moment about taking care of basic needs. I know people have told us many times not to sweat the small stuff and they’ve even urged us to understand that it’s all small stuff. The problem is that we’ve become accustomed to a world in which everything is available to us right now and in which we don’t want to wait for anything or anyone.

How’s all that extra time working out for us? Are we all enjoying the chance to spend more quality time with each other? We seem to have freed up our time so that we can

disconnect with the people around us, staying plugged in to a virtual world devoid of awkward silences, driven by words that pour out of our fingers instead of our mouths. We don’t have to comb our hair or check our teeth to send someone a funny text with a little premade goofy face.

This isn’t a diatribe against electronics. I enjoy the instant gratification of knowing something that comes from ubiquitous Internet access.

In movies like “American Beauty,” we see Kevin Spacey “get it” a bit too late. He doesn’t see the wonder of his life, his wife and his daughter until he can’t appreciate or show it.

In real life, even people with jobs they dreamt about often get so caught up in what they’re doing that they seem to miss “it.”

Of course, when these small, unflattering moments occur for our fame-generated celebrities, eager members of the paparazzi

Are we all enjoying the chance to spend more quality time with each other? capture them “losing it.”

It’d be difficult to smell the flowers, become energized and inspired by a child’s question, or pause to appreciate a shifting wind all the time. We wouldn’t get much done and, I suspect, might miss a bill, deadline, meeting or two.

But, wouldn’t it be nice if those “Oh, right, I get it,” moments came more often, giving us the ability to appreciate the unseen air we breathe and the world of infinite possibilities that awaits around the corner?

Daniel Dunaief’s recent book, “The Other Parent,” may be purchased online from www.tbrnewsmedia.com/ebooks.

Hear ye: new ferry from NYC to Port Jeff

between you and me by leah S. DuNaief

I

vtimes@tbrnewspapers.com

f you could wave a wand and make all the summer weekend traffic on Long Island’s highways disappear, it would be a miracle, right? Well, we should prepare ourselves for a miracle, because one is about to touch down at Port Jefferson.

Specifically, it will arrive, starting tomorrow, May 22, and will last through Sunday and every summer weekend thereafter.

This miracle to which I refer is a high-speed ferry that will

carry walk-on passengers back and forth from New York City to Port Jefferson three times every Friday, once on Saturday and again three times on Sundays. In so doing, it will, of course, provide an alternate route not only to Port Jefferson but also, thanks to its alliance with the Port Jeff ferry and the Hampton Jitney, to points east and north. Do you hear the announcement, “North Shore, North Fork, Hamptons and the wineries”? What a stimulus this can be for business even as it is a long overdue benefit for passengers.

A partnership between Seastreak, the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry and Hampton Jitney is making this new mode of transportation possible. These companies will link the tristate area, even tying into the New Jersey coast.

The seasonal weekend service is called Sea Jitney, and it will use the Port Jefferson dock as its hub. Hampton Jitney service will carry passengers to their

preferred destinations elsewhere in Suffolk, and the Port Jeff ferry can take them to Connecticut and Amtrak.

“Seastreak has been an innovator in introducing new ferry services from New York City to destinations such as Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket,” said Jim Barker, president of Seastreak, in a press release.

I know something about that service because I used it myself as a way to spend a weekend with friends who lived on Martha’s Vineyard. But in order to do that, I had to travel out east at an early hour to catch the boat.

Still, I was willing to do that to avoid the legendary traffic jams that come with driving there, and as I bet people will do to visit Long Island. According to Baker, the vessels are equipped with high-backed seating, a full bar and Wi-Fi service.

Geoffrey Lynch, president of Hampton Jitney, commented for the press release that this innovative idea from these “three established and

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EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Leah S. Dunaief GENERAL MANAGER Johness Kuisel MANAGING EDITOR Erika Karp EDITOR Erika Karp

respected area transportation companies ... will give people a relaxing way to enjoy the East End and Port Jefferson.”

The ferry will leave Manhattan’s East 35th Street dock and Highlands, N.J., traveling round trip.

Margot Garant, Port Jefferson’s mayor, said in the release, “We are extremely pleased to partner with the Sea Jitney to help bring people to Port Jefferson by our harbor. This powerful partnership has an extremely low impact on our infrastructure while introducing visitors to our beautiful, historic village.”

Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry general manager, Fred Hall, pronounced the Sea Jitney “a game changer for people who travel between Connecticut and the Hamptons. At two-andone-half hours from Bridgeport to Southampton, it’s shorter than going through NYC and much less stressful.”

Here are some of the nittygritty details. One-way fares LEISURE EDITOR Heidi Sutton SPORTS EDITOR Desirée Keegan ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ellen Recker ONLINE EDITOR Elana Glowatz

What a stimulus this can be for business. will be from $33 to $50, depending on the length of the ride; reservations and advance payment are required. The trip takes about two hours from the city to Port Jefferson and an hour, traffic permitting, from Port Jefferson to the Hamptons.

For a complete schedule, go to www.seajitney.com.

Aside from my patriotic enthusiasm for the new alliance, I have a totally selfish reason to be so pleased with this new turn of events.

My children and grandchildren live to the west. Their summer visits may change for them from endurance on the highways to a pre-weekend pleasure as they stand at the rail and watch the bluffs of Long Island’s North Shore slip by. I’d better start stocking the refrigerator now.

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kathryn Mandracchia ART AND PRODUCTION DIRECTOR David R. Leaman INTERNET STRATEGY DIRECTOR Rob Alfano

CLASSIFIEDS DIRECTOR Ellen Segal BUSINESS MANAGER Sandi Gross CREDIT MANAGER Diane Wattecamps CIRCULATION MANAGER Courtney Biondo

PAGE A16 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • May 21, 2015

Treatment for Tick-Related Diseases, anchored by Peconic Bay Medical Center

It’s Tick season and they’re out in force

News Alert From The New Tick-Related Disease Center at PBMC Health How to avoid ‘em:

Do you have Lyme disease?

Suffolk County is one of the nation’s busiest breeding grounds for the little buggers that spread Lyme and other serious infectious diseases. According to the Center for Disease Control, the best ways to avoid them when you’re outdoors: • Stay away from tall grass, shrubs and wooded areas • Use insect repellent • Inspect yourself frequently • Wear light colored clothing • Wear long sleeved clothing • Bathe or shower after going outdoors

Lyme can be hard to diagnose. The famous Lyme bull’s-eye rash may or may not be visible. Symptoms can include fever, chills, sweating, headaches, joint pain, nausea and vomiting. If you think you may be infected, see your doctor right away or call the PBMC Health TickRelated Disease Center to make an appointment with our specialist.

Questions?

Call 631-574-TICK (8425) The PBMC Health Tick Related Disease Center is located at 496 County Road 111, Bldg. D, Manorville and receives educational support from Cornell Cooperative Extension.

115355

Learn more at PBMCHealth.org/TICK