Rocky Point Rotary Club hosts benefit gala for Kenyan orphanage

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

secretary of HCF who accomplished much for the orphanage despite being paralyzed.

Rocky Point Rotary Club president Kevin Mann detailed McDonough’s perseverance and drive in the face of his physical condition.

Community

The Rocky Point Rotary Club hosted the 5th annual Douglas J. McDonough Hope Children’s Fund Gala on Saturday, March 11, at the Inn and Spa at East Wind in Wading River.

This annual event benefits the Jerusha Mwiraria Hope Children’s Home in Meru, Kenya. Douglas McDonough was a former

“Nothing ever stopped him,” Mann said. “No one ever even asked about his injury because he did everything,” adding, “He taught at BOCES in the middle school level for kids who got thrown out of their schools — in a wheelchair. He was just an amazing guy.”

Mann also outlined the central motivations for the gala, affirming that the annual event has been perennially instrumental in enabling educational opportunities for the children at Hope Children’s Home.

“The premise of the gala is to raise funds and provide educational opportunities for orphans in Kenya,” he said. “This event will supply enough funds to send 45 children with secondary and postsecondary education for a trimester,” adding, “We raise a tremendous amount of money for that cause.”

Mann chronicled the orphanage’s history, stating the earliest organizers first laid plans for the home in 2000. In 2003, the organization became a 501(c)(3) charity, and in 2005 the organizers opened the orphanage.

Children entering the home come from varied and often difficult backgrounds, according to Mann. “There’s a wide range of how they arrive at the door,” he said. Moreover, membership has grown considerably during its nearly two decades in operation. “The goal was 18 children,” Mann said. “We have [over] 90 today.”

One of the unique characteristics of HCF

ROTARY CONTINUED ON A7

Elections

Continued from A3 special assistant for veterans affairs and U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota (R-NY1) as a congressional aide.

“I have been someone who’s served my country, and I wanted to continue to do that at the local level,” he said. “I believe my experience with being an officer in the military, being an attorney, as well as the other positions I have held bring a level of leadership that no one else is bringing.”

He added, “I think I have an ability to lead from the front, put myself at the point of friction and make myself available to the constituents of the district.”

Lennon committed to tackling issues associated with public safety, stabilizing the county’s budget and finances and thoroughly investigating the September ransomware attack against the county’s information technology network.

He pledged to “work with the county to make sure we find out what happened with the cybersecurity breach and make sure that we have accountability, policies and training put in

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The Republican also cited the need for “standing with local officials to stop the ‘Queensification’ of Suffolk County that Gov. [Kathy] Hochul [D] is seeking.”

Brookhaven’s 2nd Council District

The boundaries of Brookhaven’s 2nd Council District underwent a considerable transformation during last year’s redistricting process. Most notably, the district stretched southward, now encompassing a sizable swath of Coram.

Incumbent Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) is up for reelection this year, along with the other six members of the Town Board. Before entering office in 2007, Bonner served as a legislative aide to Dan Losquadro (R), thenSuffolk County legislator and now incumbent Brookhaven highway superintendent.

Bonner also served as a trustee on the Rocky Point board of education and president of the Rocky Point Civic Association. In an interview, Bonner said she is running for reelection to continue working on various long-term projects.

“Every year you serve is like peeling another layer on the onion to tackle long-term issues,” she said. “In my years in office, we’ve done major stormwater remediation projects all along the North Shore, upgrades to our parks,” adding, “I would say, succinctly — to continue to do the good work on behalf of the residents.”

If reelected, Bonner said she would focus on the environment, noting, “We continue to battle and deal with climate change. The North Shore is always under attack, and there are more projects that I’d like to see come to fruition.”

Referencing examples of initiatives she has worked on with the Town Board, she cited cybersecurity, tax and spending caps and antinepotism legislation. The incumbent added that she would “continue fighting for Long Island to be a suburb and not a city.”

Challenging Bonner is Carol Russell, a resident of Coram. A retired nurse and trial attorney, she spent nearly 30 years defending doctors, nurses and other health care providers in litigation. Russell has also served as a mentor for the Dress for Success Brookhaven initiative and has volunteered to coach the mock trial team at Longwood High School.

“I look at our society, nationally and locally, and I see it is so divided and so broken,” she said. “I think people want to be listened to and included. I think our Town Board can do a better job at that, and I want to be a part of that.”

She referred to existing dynamics within the town government as “sort of a one-party rule for a good number of years now, and I’m not really sure the Town Board understands its residents or at least part of its residents.”

She regarded the two central issues within the town as the affordability crisis and the looming Brookhaven landfill closure.

“I’d like to see what can be done to alleviate some of the tax burdens on our residents,” she said, adding, “And I’m particularly concerned about the closing of the landfill, which is going to leave a huge gap in our budget.”

She further cited homelessness as an area of concern, particularly in Coram. “Homelessness is not exclusively but predominantly a mental health issue,” she said. “I think that there are ways that we as a town, in partnership with the county and the state, can do better.”

This is the second of a two-part story. To read about the races for Suffolk County executive, Brookhaven Town supervisor and Port Jeff Village mayor, see story, “Suffolk County exec race prompts turnover across local government,” at tbrnewsmedia.com.

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The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police: Farmingville boy reported missing

Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to locate a Farmingville boy who was reported missing since March 13. Mertcan Cakmak left his home, located on Waverly Ave., on a bicycle sometime overnight and is possibly attempting to go to the Bronx. He was reported missing by a family member at approximately 5:45 a.m. Mertcan, 12, is white, 5 feet 5 inches tall, approximately 150 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing ripped jeans and a dark-color hooded sweatshirt. He has braces and a scar above his eye.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on Mertcan’s location to call the Sixth Squad at 631- 854-8652 or 911. Centereach teen reported missing

Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to locate a Centereach teen who was reported missing on March 12. Ashley Leonardi, 17, was last seen leaving her residence on Belwyn Lane, on March 11 at approximately 4:30 p.m. Leonardi is Caucasian, 5 feet one inches tall, 125 pounds with blue eyes, blonde and black hair. She was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt, tan sweatpants and white sneakers.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on her location to call 911 or the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.

The following employees were charged with alleged Unlawfully Dealing with a Child 2nd Degree: Connor King, 21, of Centereach, employed at Hemp Clouds, located at 1515 Middle Country Road; Andrew Petruzzi, 20, of Coram, employed at Metropolis Smoke Shop, located at 1685 Middle Country Road; Zubair Mahamud, 26, of Ronkonkoma, employed at Medusa Smoke Shop, located 2484 Middle Country Road; and Lakhwinder Singh, 34, of Centereach, an employee of Barcode Smoke Shop and Hookah, located at 115 Mark Tree Road.

Smith Haven Mall security guard arrested

Suffolk County Police arrested a Smith Haven Mall security guard on March 9 for allegedly committing a sex act while on duty last year. Jose Irizarry was working as a security officer in the Lake Grove mall on August 29, 2022, when he approached a 24-year-old woman who he suspected of shoplifting. Irizarry, under the guise of escorting the woman out of the mall brought her into an employees only corridor and then into a storage room, where he allegedly forced the victim to perform a sex act on him in exchange for her being allowed to leave the mall. Irizarry, 33, of Holbrook, was charged with Criminal Sex Act 1st Degree.

Medford teen killed in PJS car crash

Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed one teenager and injured five others in Port Jefferson Station on March 11. Christopher Ospina was driving a 2019 Honda Accord eastbound on Nesconset Highway when he attempted to make a left turn onto Woodhull Avenue and was struck in the intersection by a westbound 2022 Ford Bronco at approximately 9:30 p.m.

Four

arrested for selling e-cigarettes to persons under 21 in Centereach

Suffolk County Police arrested four people on March 11 for allegedly selling e-cigarettes to persons under 21 during compliance checks at businesses in the Sixth Precinct. In response to community complaints, Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers conducted an investigation into the sale of e-cigarettes to minors during which four Centereach businesses were checked for compliance.

Isaac Ruiz, 16, of Medford, a backseat passenger in the Honda, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the Ford, Taner Ustaoglu, 19, of Miller Place, along with Ospina, 18, of Islandia, plus three other passengers in the Honda, Jordan Hatal, 16, Joseph Marzano, 15, and Alexa Angelis, 17, were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Both vehicles were impounded for safety checks. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to contact the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.

— COMPILED BY HEIDI SUTTON

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.

Rotary

Continued from A4 is its organizational structure. The U.S.-based operation is entirely volunteer driven, with salaries paid out exclusively to employees in Kenya supervising the care of the children.

“In this particular case, everybody can say that 100% [of the proceeds go] to the cause,” Mann said.

One such HCF employee is Veronica Ntinyari, who runs the orphanage. In a series of text exchanges via WhatsApp, Ntinyari explained how the funds from the gala would assist the children under her care.

“The funds raised help to support the orphanage in paying their school fees, food, clothing, medical care and other necessities in the home,” she said.

Sonia Saleh is district governor for Rotary District 7255, which covers 62 Rotary Clubs throughout Long Island, including Brooklyn and Queens. She praised the Rocky Point Rotary for its initiative concerning HCF.

“The Rotary Club of Rocky Point has taken this cause on,” she said, adding, “This Rotary Club is all about peace and internationalism, which is so wonderful.”

Mann maintained that the HCF gala closely corresponds to the stated purpose and vision of Rotary International. “It fits very much under the concerns of Rotary, and literacy is one of the major components of Rotary as well,” he said.

Saleh added to this sentiment. “Rotary is about two things — it’s about service and community,” the district governor said. “The point is we come together for service first, and then there are the community and friendships, which is beautiful.”

Through HCF and Rocky Point Rotary, Ntinyari said she feels associated to the people of Rocky Point and the greater Long Island community.

“Me and the children feel connected to Long Island community members, especially during their visits in Meru,” she said.

To learn more about Hope Children’s Fund or to make a donation, visit hopechildrensfund.org.