Guardian Angel Benjamin Garcia talks with two women at a Greenport laundromat Monday night. (Credit: Guardian Angels)

Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa will give a public presentation in Greenport next Tuesday to gauge how receptive residents are to having his volunteer-led community protection group return to the area.

In 2005, after former mayor Dave Kapell invited the group to help tackle the area’s drug problem, Long Island’s first Guardian Angels chapter was established. Residents who were involved in that effort, recently approached Mr. Sliwa again, after four alleged members of MS-13 attacked two men from a rival gang with guns and a machete last month in Southold. 

A small group of Guardian Angels visited Greenport and Southold Monday to canvass the area and hand out fliers. They started at the Mitchell Park carousel around 5 p.m., then went to the Third Street playground and basketball courts before heading to Main Road in Southold. They left the North Fork around 11 p.m., Mr. Sliwa said.

And what the group found didn’t surprise their leader.

• Hear what Sliwa says at 7 p.m. Nov. 11, St. Agnes R.C. Church, Greenport

“They came across quite a few young ladies who are definitely involved with MS-13,” said Mr. Sliwa, 60, who founded the organization in New York City in 1979. “They bragged about it through the gang signs, had the tattoos. They weren’t posers or wannabes.”

Mr. Sliwa said the teenagers, who were hanging out near Third Street Park, approached the Guardian Angels and asked where they were from.

After they explained they were from New York City, the Guardian Angels asked the group of girls about their tattoos, which Mr. Sliwa described as “MS-13 tags.”

He said he believes MS-13 — a gang comprised mostly of Salvadorans — is present in Greenport and “looking to expand.”

MS-13 was formed in the 1980s when refugees fled El Salvador during its civil war and came to Los Angeles.

“The Mexican gangs were preying on them because Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Hondurans are much smaller — not as stout, not as big as the Mexicans,” Mr. Sliwa said. “In order to protect themselves, they formed MS-13.”

In addition, the 18th Street gang, which was founded by Mexicans in Los Angeles in the 1960s and has expanded to include members from other Central American countries, now has a presence in Southold and Riverhead and is very strong in Huntington Station, Mr. Sliwa said.

Mr. Sliwa said he believes gang-related incidents are sparking throughout the country in conjunction with the latest wave of immigration and that rival gangs are starting to fight one another for new recruits.

“It’s either join 18th Street, join MS-13 or you’re an enemy of both,” he said. “Also, there’s the intimidation of gang-bangers. They follow one code, whether they’re white, black or Hispanic: Snitches get stitches and end up in ditches.”

Mr. Sliwa said Greenport resident Douglas Roberts helped organize the upcoming meeting, during which Mr. Sliwa will make a presentation to local educators about the Guardian Angels’ junior program. He said Tuesday’s presentation will determine if the Guardian Angels will return to the area for an extended period.

“If at that point the community green-lights us to go to the next step, then it’s incumbent upon me to reach out to law enforcement,” he said.

David Gamberg, superintendent for both Greenport and Southold school districts, said Monday that no one had contacted him yet about the Guardian Angels having a presence in the area or Mr. Sliwa wanting to give a presentation about the group’s program.

Mr. Gamberg said faculty and administration from both districts are working closely with law enforcement officials and had participated in an Oct. 30 training session with Southold Town police and Suffolk County detectives to discuss the prevalence of MS-13. Mattituck and Oysterponds school district officials also attended the meeting, he said.

“I’m certainly open to exploring the possibility of getting whatever support we can to make our community aware and safe and able to address the situation in the best way possible,” Mr. Gamberg said. “I speak as a school superintendent of two districts, as well as a resident of the North Fork. I am concerned and I want to make sure we prepare our staff and our residents of the community in conjunction and in concert with the Southold Town Police Department.”

Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley said Monday that he hadn’t been contacted by the Guardian Angels either, but didn’t consider that unusual, based on his memory of the organization’s previous presence on the North Fork.

“It was my experience in their previous visit to Greenport that they operated independently without coordinating any of their efforts with local law enforcement,” he wrote in an email. “I do remember sitting in on their community meeting with previous Greenport Village mayor Dave Kapell and I feel there was some value in the message they were trying to convey to the general public. But I also felt that they lacked specific knowledge about the criminal behavior we were experiencing in Southold Town at the time.”

Mr. Kapell wrote in an email Monday that he believes the formation of the neighborhood watch volunteer group in 2005 helped tackle the village’s “acute drug problem.”

“Their efforts, in combination with the work of the Southold police, working with the District Attorney’s East End Drug Task Force, solved the problem,” he said. “This type of collaboration between the police and the people they protect should be ongoing.”

Mr. Sliwa said he believes his group was successful the last time around because both the community and a high-ranking official supported its plan.

He said Guardian Angels were present for about two years. As the open drug dealing began to subside, Mr. Sliwa said, he approached community members to warn them that he had noticed gang members in the area.

“When we were there [in 2005], I was telling people, ‘Hey, you’ve got gang problems here. I see the tattoos on the necks. I see the gang signs,” he said. “There were many who thought it was an overreaction and many businesses told Mayor Kapell, ‘Calling in the Guardian Angels is like yelling ‘shark’ on the beach in the summer.’ ”

This time around, Mr. Sliwa said, his approach will focus on educating public school officials about gangs.

“You as a good parent could do everything that you can do in the Hispanic community to protect your children and shield them from gang activity on the streets or in the mall,” he said. “But then you’ve got to send them to school — and that’s where gang-bangers go, too. That’s where they do their best recruiting.”

Mr. Sliwa described his group’s job as “recruiting the young men and young women who might normally be joining MS-13 or 18th Street.”

“If we can’t recruit them, at least we can try to keep them out of harm’s way — away from the gangs,” he said.

jnuzzo@timesreview.com

with Grant Parpan

Sorry Greenport: 7-Eleven is out for that last-minute beer run. At least for a little while.

The store’s liquor license, which is still in the name of its previous owners, expired Oct. 31. Until the matter is straightened out, the store is not allowed to sell alcoholic beverages.

An employee confirmed the news, and New York State’s Liquor Authority website notes that it expired last month as well.

The store has been run by the 7-Eleven corporation since its former owners were among five people indicted in June 2013 following federal raids of 10 of the convenience chain’s locations on Long Island and Virginia.

In September, the five suspects, including Greenport store owners Farrukh Baig, 58, and his wife Bushra Baig, 50, of Head of the Harbor, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and concealing and harboring illegal aliens while stealing their wages, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

As part of their plea, the defendants forfeited the rights to 10 7-Eleven stores in New York, including the Greenport and Cutchogue locations, and four 7-Eleven stores in Virginia, as well as five houses in New York worth over $1.3 million, prosecutors said. The deal marked the largest criminal immigration forfeiture in Department of Homeland Security history, according to the news release.

The defendants also agreed to pay more than $2.6 million in restitution for the back wages that they stole from their workers, the release states.

According to the SLA website, the liquor license for the Cutchogue store expires at the end of November, next year.

Orient Harbor on the opening day of scallop season. (Carrie Miller photo)

It’s an aquatic episode this week on North Fork in the News.

In our first story, reporter Carrie Miller takes us on a scalloping tour as this year’s season opened. She talks with longtime baymen who share their tales of this North Fork tradition.

We also go beneath the waves to meet an unusual visitor who made a rare appearance in Greenport harbor last week: a Northern Right whale. Finally, our editorial board weighs in on the midterm election results.

North Fork in the News, Volume 4

Scalloping — 0:32-8:16
Whale sighting — 8:17-12:49
Our View: Working with or against each other? — 12:50-End

Archive

Greenport Village Board Mary Bess Phillips. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo, file)

A fish shop operating in a building owned by the husband of a Greenport Village Board Trustee has been open for business since the summer without receiving proper permits — and a decision made last week doesn’t require it to close while that paperwork is sought. 

North Fork Smoked Fish House, located on First Street in Greenport, is renting space from K & M Properties, for which Village Board Trustee Mary Bess Phillips is the secretary/treasurer and her husband, Mark, is president.

The issue was discussed at Thursday’s Planning Board meeting, where an extension to review the application was agreed on by both parties.

Village building inspector Eileen Wingate said the fish house will need a variance since it’s “processing on a wholesale level,” and does not comply with village zoning. The space had previously been used as a retail market, she said.

On Aug. 25, the Planning Board received from the fish house a “use evaluation” application, which Ms. Wingate described as an abbreviated site plan for smaller commercial properties. The board has also sent the application to the Village Zoning Board of Appeals for review, because the Planning Board believes the fish house’s proposed use isn’t appropriate for the current zoning.

Ms. Wingate said after last week’s meeting that the Planning Board sought an extension through January to review the application because state law says “if the Planning Board doesn’t act in 60 days [from when the application was filed], then it’s considered approved.”

She declined comment when asked by a reporter about the fish house operating without proper approvals.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Greenport residents and Village Board watchdogs John Saladino and Bill Swiskey criticized the Planning Board for allowing the fish house to remain in operation.

“[Ms. Phillips] should have never opened before she had the use of evaluation,” Mr. Saladino said. “She should have never have opened if that operation isn’t zoned for that.”

At one point during the meeting, Planning Board president Peter Jauquet said the board should directly address Mr. Saladino’s concerns.

“It appears to me that it would be satisfactory to you … that the fish house should be shut down and anybody else who’s in violation should be shut down,” Mr. Jauquet told Mr. Saladino. “The building code enforcement officer puts a padlock on the door and we’re the ones that ask them to do that.”

Planning Board member Pat Mundus interjected during the discussion to say “that’s not the scope of the Planning Board.”

Mr. Swiskey said he disagreed with Ms. Mundus and said he believes the Planning Board “has the power” to get involved.

“You did shut down that surf shop, didn’t you?” he asked, referring to Flying Point Surf Shop, which opened up in May prior to receiving final approvals. The shop was forced to close at the time until it received approval from the Planning Board to open up shop — which it eventually did.

Both Mr. Jauquet and Ms. Mundus had expressed concern about Flying Point’s opening at a May meeting.

Ms. Mundus had described the situation at the time as “another example of lack of enforcement in the village of Greenport.”

Mr. Jauquet had told a Flying Point co-owner: “It is not a ‘maybe.’ You have to get approval before opening.”

When contacted by a reporter Thursday night, Ms. Phillips, who wasn’t at the meeting, declined comment.

Smoked Fish House owner Phil Karlin did not return a phone call seeking comment for this story.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story misidentified the owner of Flying Point. We regret the error.

jnuzzo@timesreview.com

Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa at Tuesday’s community meeting in Greenport. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Nearly a decade after they first arrived in Greenport, the Guardian Angels will once again maintain a regular presence in the village, hoping this time to deter gang violence.

Speaking before a crowd of more than 40 local residents inside a classroom at St. Agnes R.C. Church, the organization’s founder said patrolling the streets of Greenport will be the first step in a return to the community for the red berets.

“The patrols will be here,” Guardian Angels CEO Curtis Sliwa said Tuesday night. “That’s one major step in the right direction.”

Mr. Sliwa said after the meeting that the patrols will come in the form of weekly visits from Guardian Angels each Saturday night, which he referred to as a prime time for “gang banging.” The primary focus for the men and women roaming the streets will be in cultivating relationships with school-aged youths from the Latino community, who Mr. Sliwa called prime targets for gang recruitment.

[Click here to read about the Guardian Angels recent visit to the North Fork and initial reaction from local leaders]

The other key component to making sure the village addresses its gang issue, Mr. Sliwa said, is in establishing a presence within the schools. He asked the community to encourage local youths to join the Guardian Angels’ junior program, which he said provides students with an alternative to joining a gang. He said the program is flexible and can be integrated into existing school programs.

While Mr. Sliwa said he believes gangs are less prevalent on the North Fork than in other places on Long Island, they are definitely present here, and community action is necessary to combat the issue.

“For those that do something, they have less of a problem,” he said. “For those that don’t, you know what, they’re going to have continued problems. It’s not going away.”

The Guardian Angels established its first Long Island chapter in 2005, after former Greenport mayor Dave Kapell, who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, invited the organization to help tackle the issue of drug sales in the village.

Residents who were involved in that effort contacted Mr. Sliwa last month after four alleged members of MS-13 attacked two men from a rival gang with guns and a machete in Southold. Police say the fight initiated at Third Street Park in Greenport and one of the four suspects charged in the shooting was a 16-year-old student at Greenport High School.

Mr. Sliwa said that although community members, mostly business owners, gave him the cold shoulder when he pointed out a growing presence of gangs last time around, he described Tuesday’s meeting as “positive.”

Sister Margaret Smyth of the North Fork Spanish Apostolate was also present at the meeting and said she vowed to organize a group of volunteers to open up communications with the Greenport School District over the possibility of bringing the Guardian Angels’ junior program into the schools. Mr. Sliwa said the program is free and includes self defense classes.

Several local Board of Education representatives, including Greenport school board member Heather Wolf, Mattituck school board member Laura Jens-Smith and Oysterponds school board vice president Janice Caufield, also attended the meeting.

Ms. Wolf described Tuesday’s discussion as “outstanding” and said she’s looking forward to sharing details about the Guardian Angels’ plans with fellow board members and parents.

“I’m in no position to talk about what’s appropriate for the school, but I was impressed by their proven ability to reach the Latino community,” she said. “That, I believe, isn’t being done any other way within the school.”

Greenport Village deputy mayor George Hubbard, who attended the meeting along with fellow Village Trustee Julia Robins, said he doesn’t anticipate too much pushback from the community over the Guardian Angels’ presence this time around.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a bad thing,” he said. “Anything that will make the community safer is a good thing.”

As for next steps, Mr. Hubbard said the Village and Southold Town boards are planning a meeting with police and school officials to discuss the Guardian Angels’ plans. That meeting will not be open to the public, he said.

A follow-up meeting with the Guardian Angels would then be scheduled, according to Mr. Hubbard.

Mr. Sliwa said he isn’t surprised by that timeline and is looking forward to working with the community.

“I know we don’t get invited right from the jump street,” he said. “Once we’re here and we’re doing things, which we’ve already started to do, then I would expect that we would become a participant, especially because of our experience in this area.”

No Southold Town Board or police department representatives were present Tuesday, but town officials said after the meeting that they are taking the gang issue seriously.

“I have been discussing the issue daily with Chief [Martin] Flatley,” Town Supervisor Scott Russell said in an email. “I know that he is coordinating his efforts with [District Attorney Thomas] Spota and other law enforcement agencies. I am quite confident that this approach will be most effective at addressing the issue of gang violence in Southold.”

Chief Flatley wrote in an email that he was not sure if it would have been appropriate for the police department to attend the meeting.

“I was not certain as to the agenda,” he wrote.

jnuzzo@timesreview.com

With Grant Parpan

Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa spoke for more than 90 minutes with members of the Greenport community Tuesday evening. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa met with a crowd of more than 40 local residents inside a classroom at St. Agnes R.C. Church in Greenport Tuesday.

During the more than 90-minute meeting he said his organization will again be patrolling the streets of Greenport. He also emphasized the importance of having a presence in the schools and deterring the youth from joining gangs.

You can listen to an audio recording of the meeting by clicking on the link below.

Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa at Tuesday’s community meeting in Greenport. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

The Guardian Angels will not rid the North Fork of gangs. Nor will the Southold Town Police Department or any sort of law enforcement task force.

No elected official will ever put forward a magical piece of legislation that solves the problem, either. And while school administrators can discipline or expel any student they suspect is involved in gang activity, there will always be some element of it in our schools and on our streets. 

This is reality. It has been for some time.

Perhaps the most important part of Tuesday night’s community discussion with Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa in Greenport was the acknowledgement by many in the audience that we do have a gang problem on the North Fork. Is it South Central L.A.? No. But a recent shooting in a quiet neighborhood in town is an all-too-real indication of what lies beneath the surface in town. Unfortunately, too many people are still in denial about that.

While no one person or group will ever completely erase gangs, if representatives from all segments of the community band together, some proactive measures can have a positive effect.

That’s why it was disappointing to notice that several North Fork community leaders were not present at Tuesday’s meeting. The chief of police, the town supervisor, the mayor of Greenport and all four local school superintendents did not show. It was at least good to see several school board members and two elected Greenport officials in the audience. The town, however, was glaringly absent.

It’s not often that so many concerned residents representing different races, ethnicities and interests gather together for a constructive conversation. Setting aside Mr. Sliwa’s unique brand of publicity and politics — the man certainly rubs some people the wrong way — Tuesday’s meeting was the type of frank discussion about society’s flaws that we’re often reluctant to have.

Supervisor Scott Russell said he’s been discussing the gang issue daily with Police Chief Martin Flatley, who he said is coordinating his efforts with District Attorney Thomas Spota and other law enforcement agencies.

“I am quite confident that this approach will be most effective at addressing the issue of gang violence in Southold,” he said.

We’d agree with that statement, but having the town and school administrators present at Tuesday’s meeting to hear from concerned residents and update them on efforts being made would also have been an effective approach.

Our cover story this week states that town and village officials plan to meet with local law enforcement and school officials to discuss the gang problem. Afterward, they’re expected to meet privately with Mr. Sliwa. Perhaps that meeting can be opened to the public.

An opportunity to have all the players in the room was missed Tuesday. Let’s not make that mistake again.

Correction: In the print edition of this story, it incorrectly said certain officials had not been formally invited to the meeting.

Frommer’s has come out with a list of “Most Charming Small Towns in New York State” and guess who’s No. 1? You got it — Greenport! They called us the “cutest town on Long Island’s North Fork.” I’ll take that! 

Lucille Stocker of Greenport has all the luck! She recently took home the top prize of $5,000 at Greenport Rotary Club’s annual reverse raffle. Raffle proceeds benefit Rotary’s many humanitarian projects, including local scholarships, literacy, polio eradication, John’s Place, Mercy Ships, CAST, Gift of Life and clean water projects around the world.

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Greenport hosts overnight guests of Maureen’s Haven on the third Friday of each month, starting Nov. 21, and the fifth Friday when there is one. Volunteers from the community are always welcome, as are donations of warm socks, jackets and hats, mittens/gloves, scarves, toiletry items, combs, lip balm and new men’s and women’s underwear. Call 477-0662 to volunteer or for more information.

Here’s a blast from the past for all of you former St. Agnes School students. Sister Mary Redempta (now known as Sister Josephine Maria Thomas) turned 100 years old at the end of October. I did a little digging and came up with the following address if you’d like to send her a belated wish: Sister Josephine Maria Thomas, c/o Sacred Heart Convent, 100 Mercy Drive, Belmont, NC 28012.

The Greenport Elementary Drama Club will present its production of “A Modern Christmas Carol” today, Nov. 13. There will be a preview in the school auditorium at 1 p.m.; the actual performance will be at 7 p.m.

Here’s a reminder for all perspective varsity and JV winter athletes: Get your sports contracts in now to avoid delay in your start of the season. All contracts should be handed in to the athletic department — not directly to your coach.

Belated birthday wishes go out to Elbertie “Bert” Thornhill, who celebrated her 102nd birthday Nov. 4. I hope you had an extra-special day, Mrs. Thornhill.

Celebrating birthdays in the near future are Jillian Ruroede and Jane Conway on the 13th; Lee Fitting on the 14th; Sevastian Alvarado, Randi Juarez, Randy Peterson, David Gates, Eleanora Kopek and Erin Doucett on the 15th; Mark Mysliborski Jr., Betty Kalin and my cousin Rose Bondarchuk on the 16th; Christopher Dinizio, Angelo Stepnoski, Norma Slavonik, my dear friend Lynn Menaker and Taylor Swann on the 17th; Kelvin Martinez and Bob Staples on the 18th; Philip Doucett and Kim Skrezec Corazzini on the 19th; Ken Tamin and my niece Kaleen O’Connell on the 20th; William Stetler Jr., Marissa Schiavoni and Barbara Kettering on the 21st; Gen Montgomery and Albie DeKerillis on the 22nd; Charlie Parker, Jillian Vandernoth, Cory Browne and Denise Edwards on the 23rd; Allan Dinizio and Diane Purcell on the 24th; Eddie Yoskovich, Kelly Bracken and Chris Harris on the 25th; and Christian Gebhardt and Vaughn Edwards Jr. on the 26th.

June and Doug Peterson are wished a very happy anniversary as they celebrate 23 years of wedded bliss on Nov. 23.

Contact Greenport columnist Joan Dinizio at Lucky1inNY@aol.com or 477-9411.

A Greenport man was charged with felony DWI Saturday night after he was involved in a crash in Mattituck, Southold Town Police said. 

Kurt Schmalz, 44, was involved in a motor vehicle accident at the corner of Main Road and Factory Avenue about 8:30 a.m., police said. Additional details about the crash were not disclosed.

He was arrested after he was found to be intoxicated, police said. He was held overnight at police headquarters for arraignment.

A Southold Town police officer reportedly used pepper spray and a Taser to subdue a Greenport man who was allegedly drunk and attacked the officer Monday, according to a press release.

Police found Victor Dubon Garcia, 24, passed out in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked near Third and Webb streets in Greenport at around 12:45 a.m., officials said. The vehicle’s engine was running and its headlights were on, police said.

Mr. Garcia started to walk away from the scene when the police officer tried to perform a sobriety tests, officials said.

“The officer attempted to stop the defendant from leaving when the defendant started to struggle and fight with the officer,” the release states. “The officer engaged in a violent struggle with the defendant on the ground and had to use pepper mace and the Taser to gain control of and handcuff the defendant.”

Mr. Garcia was taken to Eastern Long Island Hospital for treatment to his eyes caused by the mace and to have the Taser probes removed, police said.

He was charged with driving while intoxicated, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration, officials said.

Mr. Garcia was then transported to police headquarters, processed and held for morning arraignment, police said.

The Greenport Village Board is expected to vote on a nearly $35,000 security system contract next week. 

During Monday’s work session, village administrator Paul Pallas said he’s recommending the board approve a contract with Hampton and North Fork Technology Professionals in Mattituck to install exterior security cameras in an effort to deter vandalism.

The buildings slated for the security system project include: Village Hall, waste water treatment plant, power plant, firehouse, skate park and facilities at Mitchell Park, Mr. Pallas said.

The recreation center isn’t included in the plan since the village doesn’t own the building, he added.

The Village Board is scheduled to vote on the contract at its next meeting Nov. 24, at 6 p.m. in the firehouse.

jnuzzo@timesreview.com

Garrett Moore (right), pictured with Patrick O’Halloran in September, received one of 12 awards from Sea Town Services International for lifesaving efforts for his role in rescuing six boaters and bringing an out-of-control cigarette boat to a halt in the waters of Greenport Harbor. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo)

Sea Tow Services International presented 12 awards for lifesaving efforts and “for efforts above and beyond” the call of duty at a Nov. 18 awards banquet in West Palm Beach, Fla. 

Among those honored “for efforts above and beyond” were Bill Barker, a captain for Sea Tow in Southold, and Garrett Moore, a part-time Sea Tow captain. In September, Mr. Barker and Mr. Moore helped rescue six Connecticut men who were ejected into Peconic Bay after driver of a speed boat lost control of the boat near Claudio’s Restaurant in Greenport.

During the incident, Mr. Moore jumped aboard the unmanned vessel, which at that point was making 20 mph elliptical circles in the water, and shut its engine off.

“We are extremely proud of our 2014 Sea Tow winners, who distinguished themselves by demonstrating their bravery and compassion for fellow boaters in the past year,” said Sea Tow founder Captain Joe Frohnhoefer in a statement. “They are truly ‘local heroes’ in their communities.”

ryoung@timesreview.com

Scott Raulsome, the new owner of Burton’s Books in Greenport. (Credit: Cyndi Murray)

In the day and age where it seems bookstores are going the way of flip phones and 8-track tapes, quitting your job to operate one of your own could be perceived as questionable decision. But that is not so, according to Scott Raulsome, who recently purchased Burton’s Bookstore in Greenport.

“I don’t feel like bookstores are dying,” said Raulsome. “Some aren’t doing so well, but independent stores in the right location can thrive. The people in Greenport are happy to have a bookstore. They are proud of it.”

Read more on northforker.com

A 74-year-old Shelter Island man was accused of threatening students from Greenport High School last Thursday, Southold Town police said.  The man allegedly yelled at students who were walking on Front Street during their lunch break, screaming “I will beat you” and “I can run you over with this car,” police said.

Officers later stopped the man’s vehicle in Mattituck.

He said he yelled at the students because they were standing on the sidewalk in front of a driveway, police said. The parents of the students were advised of the incident by the school, according to the police report.

No one wished to press charges, but parents did request extra patrols of the area during school lunch breaks.

Tim Stevens, fully recovered from a broken fibula, received medical clearance to resume physical activity two days before Greenport’s first practice. (Credit: Garret Meade)

Tim Stevens learned a lesson the hard way. “Never go half speed,” he said.

That, Stevens figured, was his transgression when he suffered a season-ending injury while playing for the Greenport/Southold/Mattituck high school football team this year. Stevens was trying to make a tackle during a game when one of his teammates, Chris Dwyer, missed his attempted tackle, and banged his helmet into Stevens’ right leg.

Stevens later learned that he broke a fibula, putting an end to his senior season.

“That was my last time playing football, and I never thought it would come that way,” he said.

Stevens was on crutches and wore a boot for four weeks. He could only watch games, not play in them. “It was terrible,” he said.

So imagine the joy Stevens experienced when he received medical clearance to resume physical activity two days before the Greenport High School boys basketball team’s first preseason practice.

“I felt great,” Stevens said. “I always want to be on the court, on the field, any sport.”

The sight of a healthy Stevens, with no crutches, is a happy one for the Porters. As the Porters’ longest-serving player (he is entering his fifth varsity season), the 5-foot-11 guard is an important part of the team’s plans.

Greenport’s second-year coach, Ev Corwin, said he had not expected Stevens to make it back for the basketball season. Corwin said Stevens has “looked great” in practice.

“Timmy’s been around this program forever, and he does a lot of things, especially on the offensive end,” the coach said before Monday’s night’s practice. “He got a little microwave in him. When he gets hot, he can throw it up backwards and it goes in.”

Stevens, a 3-point threat who averaged about 8 points per game last season, declared that he is “100 percent good to go.”

That’s good news for a team that lost an all-conference guard, Gavin Dibble, and an all-league forward, Austin Hooks. They both graduated.

The Porters went 9-11 last season, losing to Shelter Island in the Suffolk County Class D final. Corwin said it was a season in which the Porters never really got in sync. “We just had so many ups and downs,” he said. “I just feel like we never got everybody on a roll at the same time. That’s really the way I looked at it. When a couple of main guys were going good, then maybe somebody else wasn’t.”

Stevens is among eight returning players along with Angel Colon, Alex Perez, Darius Strickland, Tyshe Williams, Willie Riggins, Matt Drinkwater and John Drinkwater.

Darius Bolling, a sophomore promoted from the junior varsity team, will start at point guard, said Corwin. “He’s athletic … and I think his basketball instincts are growing now more than anything,” Corwin said. “When that whole package comes together, he’s going to be tough to deal with.”

Corwin is expecting the competition in League VIII to be fierce. Effort is going to be everything for the Porters. Corwin has stressed how vital defense will be. “If we don’t play defense, we’re doomed,” he said.

Colon said: “We’re just trying to get back to where we were last year, and that’s the Class D final. That’s where we want to be.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Last time, I told you that Frommer’s listed Greenport as “the cutest town on Long Island’s North Fork.” This week’s accolades are of the sports variety. For an unprecedented third year in a row, Suffolk County soccer officials awarded their sportsmanship award to the Greenport’s boys’ soccer program. Think about it. Out of all the high schools in Suffolk, Greenport has received the award three times. We sure must be doing something right. Congratulations to soccer coaches Chris Golden, Tom Taylor and Greg Dlhopolsky and all the players on this outstanding accomplishment.

It’s that time of year again. The cold weather is here and the Walker family has begun their fifth annual “Warm Hands, Warm Hearts” hat and glove drive. It is the family’s goal to provide everyone who may need them with a new hat and pair of gloves to help keep them warm this winter. They’re working closely toward their goal with John’s Place (through St. Agnes Church), local schools and other organizations. Last year, they collected almost 325 sets to distribute. Drop-off locations for your donations are the Walker house, 2530 Gillette Drive, East Marion; Oysterponds Elementary School; the Hampton Jitney office at 102 South St., Greenport; and McMann Price Insurance, 828 Front St., Greenport. Pickup is also possible.

If you’d like a head start on your holiday shopping, the ELIH Auxiliary has sales of fun fashion accessories coming up on two Fridays, Dec. 5 and 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m, in the hospital conference room.

Winter concerts at Greenport Schools are just around the corner. The junior and senior high school students will perform Tuesday, Dec. 9, and elementary students on Wednesday, Dec. 10, in the school auditorium. The shows start at 7 p.m.

Before the Dec. 9 concert, the senior class will host a spaghetti dinner fundraiser in the school cafeteria from 5 to 7 p.m.  The cost is $10 for adults and $8 for students and senior citizens. You can get a ticket in advance from any senior class member or purchase at the door .

Happy birthday to those of you celebrating in the next couple of weeks, including Corinne Bednoski and Dan Vindigni on Nov. 27; Ken Watson, Shanna Jimenez and Will Blasko on the 28th; Jennie Boyle and Jim’s aunt Mary Jane Dinizio on the 29th; Ryan Dinizio, David Lakowitz Slight, Anna Wiggins, Bill Rempe and Liz Malone on the 30th; Jillian Hughes, Lillian White, Paul Surozenski and Joe Droskoski on Dec. 1; Nancy Ryan and Sissy Herrmann on the 2nd; “David T” Tuthill, Corrine Ruther and Laura Atkins on the 3rd; Amanda Golz, Danielle Hubbard and Dan Letteriello on the 4th; Tom Wood, Victoria Johnson and Ivan Suarez on the 5th; Michele Jensen, my sister-in-law Cindy Tooker, Kelsey Hubbard, Jean Harris, Maegan Ramanrine and Delaney Macchirole on the 6th; F.J. Kiernan on the 7th; Chris Golden, Rob Lehmann and Brittany Doucett on the 8th; Jeff Andrade and Camilo Torres on the 9th; and Linda Owen, Michael Owen and Kay Kettering Welch on the 10th.

A bouquet of anniversary wishes to Diane and Bernie Purcell, who will celebrate their 29th on Dec 8.

I wish all of you out there reading this a very Happy Thanksgiving and hope that you’re surrounded at the table by all those you love and an abundance of good to complete the holiday.

Contact Greenport columnist Joan Dinizio at Lucky1inNY@aol.com or 477-9411.

Joe Tardif and Will Gildersleeve (21) are both all-league senior guards for Mattituck. (Credit: Garret Meade file)

PREVIEW

It may not exactly be all defense all the time, but defense surely is on the Mattituck Tuckers’ minds a lot these days.

If it sounds as if coach Paul Ellwood is playing the same record over and over again during his high school boys basketball team’s preseason practices, there’s a reason for it. He is emphasizing defense perhaps more than ever.

“I told the guys, ‘You’re pretty much only going to hear me talk about defense until our first game because it’s just going to be a team effort,’ ” he said.

Defense and rebounding will be critical to how well Mattituck does this season. No surprises there.

The Tuckers, who went 10-9 last season, losing to Wyandanch in a Suffolk County Class B outbracket game, have already shown that they can shoot. As a team they averaged 68 points per game last season with their uptempo style. They were a genuine threat from beyond the perimeter. Chris Dwyer and Will Gildersleeve led League VII in 3-point baskets last season with 40 each. Joe Tardif (27) and Parker Tuthill (25) were also among the league’s top seven in that category.

What the Tuckers lost in Gene Allen, a two-time all-conference player, they hope to make up for in their guard play. With Allen’s graduation, the Tuckers say goodbye to 15.8 points and 13 rebounds per game. He was League VII’s top rebounder.

Ellwood said, “I’m going to miss Gene’s leadership, his defense and his rebounds, but I think everyone understands … what they have to do to make up for what Gene did last year.”

Look at who the Tuckers still have. Gildersleeve, an all-league senior guard, averaged 14.6 points a game. Dwyer, a senior forward, was good for 12 points a game and Tardif, an all-league senior guard, averaged 9. Four players had 20-point games for the Tuckers last season.

Tuthill, a junior point guard, was the league’s rookie of the year.

James Nish, a 6-foot-3 senior forward, started a bunch of games. He brings the team height along with the 6-4 Josh Conklin and the 6-3 Ryan Mowdy.

Then again, Ellwood said size shouldn’t be much of an issue. “This is basically a guard league,” he said.

The Tuckers have plenty of depth in the back court, with Marcos Perivolaris, Auggie Knuth and Jon Dwyer, Chris’ younger brother. Dan Fedun, a junior forward, is a new addition to the team.

Altogether, it amounts to what Ellwood said is “probably my deepest team, probably my best offensive team.” Because of that depth, Ellwood, who takes a 74-140 record into his 11th season with the team, said he may go deeper into his bench to rest some legs.

With Mattituck’s speed, skill and savvy, Ellwood believes the Tuckers have closed the gap on League VII’s Babylon and Southampton; both of those teams each lost two all-county players.

Asked following a four-way scrimmage Saturday if he was ready for the new season, Ellwood replied: “You never feel like you’re ready. Right now I’m just thinking about getting through the next week.”

Southold coach Phil Reed also understands the value of defense. His First Settlers (8-10) have made gradual progress in that area over the past couple of seasons, but Reed says they need more improvement. Last season the First Settlers gave up an average of 53 points per game. Reed would like to see that figure dropped down to the 40s.

“Defense has to come from the heart, man,” he said. “It can’t come from just talking.”

So far Reed likes what he has seen. Preseason practices, he said, have been intense and three of his top players — seniors Liam Walker, Shayne Johnson and Alex Poliwoda — look like they are in the best shape of their lives.

Walker, an all-conference shooting guard, averaged 26 points a game last season. He enters his fourth varsity season about 150 points shy of 1,000 career points.

“If Liam sets the tone early, we’re going to be tough to beat,” said Reed.

Poliwoda is a long-range shooter, having knocked down 43 3-point shots last season.

If that isn’t enough, the First Settlers also have Greg Gehring, a junior point guard who transferred from Bishop McGann-Mercy. He will be a starter, said Reed.

The First Settlers are rich in seniors. Also among the team’s eight 12th graders are Matt McCarthy, Patrick Mejsak, Ryan DiGregorio, Anthony Siracusano and Jon Rempe.

The junior class is well represented on the team, with Noah Mina, Dominick Panetta, Michael DiCandia, Joe Worysz, Dylan Van Gordon, Aidan Vandenburgh and Aidan Walker, Liam’s brother. Another player, Patrick McFarland, is a sophomore.

Reed said he can see all the pieces coming together. He said the team is reminiscent of the 2004-5 Southold team that won a Suffolk Class C championship.

“They were special,” Reed said. “This is the same kind of group.”

Last season Southold missed making it into the playoffs by one game. Reed said his team is driven to reach the postseason for the first time in four years.

He said, “I always tell the kids the train is pulling out of the station and we’re not stopping until we’re there.”

Expect Greenport (9-11) to be energetic and intense. Really, the Porters have no other choice but to play that way.

Coach Ev Corwin is expecting tough competition from all the teams he faces in League VIII. Shelter Island. Stony Brook. Southold. Bridgehampton. Pierson. Smithtown Christian. Ross. He doesn’t see any easy games on the schedule.

“There’s no layups any more,” he said. “In this league there used to be a couple. Not any more.”

That means effort will be of paramount importance. The Porters, who lost to Shelter Island in last season’s Suffolk Class D final, are going to have to work for everything they get on both ends of the floor.

Every game, Corwin believes, will present a challenge.

“If we don’t play defense, we’re doomed,” he said. He continued: “We’re not the type of team that can go out there and just skill-wise just beat you. The second we let down a little bit, we’ll be done.”

The Porters must overcome the loss of two graduated players, all-conference guard Gavin Dibble and all-league forward Austin Hooks.

What the Porters do have is a healthy Tim Stevens. The senior guard, a 3-point threat, has fully recovered from a broken fibula that he suffered in his right leg this past football season.

Two other seniors, forward Alex Perez and guard Angel Colon, were starters last season. Tyshe Williams, Darius Strickland, Willie Riggins and twins Matt and John Drinkwater also offer varsity experience.

Darius Bolling, a sophomore brought up from the junior varsity team, will be the starting point guard. “If you got a guy that really leads from that position, it makes everybody else comfortable,” said Corwin.

Corwin said selfish behavior is not tolerated on his team. It’s something the Porters cannot afford. A team-first mentality is essential, he said.

“It’s the only way that we’re going to be able to win,” he said. “We don’t have the seven-footer coming in here. … We’re just really stressing the fact that it’s going to take every single guy.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Greenport’s Matt Drinkwater looks for someone to pass to while being guarded by Bridgehampton’s Matt Hostetter. (Credit: Garret Meade)

KILLERS BEES 59, PORTERS 33

The early start to the Suffolk County League VIII boys basketball season places a premium on a quick start. Perhaps more than ever, it’s important for teams to bolt quickly out of the starting blocks.

The Greenport Porters tripped at the starting line.

Both the Porters and their rival, Bridgehampton, will play five league games before the new year. The first of those came Friday night when Bridgehampton christened the new season by gaining a measure of revenge on the Porters, beating them soundly, 59-33. Call it a little payback for the Porters defeating Bridgehampton in a Suffolk Class D semifinal in February.

A D.J. played blaring music in a corner of Greenport High School’s Dude Manwaring Gymnasium, lending a festive atmosphere to the occasion. The top two scorers in Greenport history, Ryan Creighton and former Porters coach Al Edwards, were on hand to watch the proceedings.

But the Killer Bees crashed Greenport’s party. With not a single senior on the roster, Bridgehampton is a team on the rise. It has three talented juniors: Tylik Furman (21 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals), Josh Lamison (11 points, 21 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 block) and Charles Manning (17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists, 2 blocks), a transfer from Riverhead.

Not surprisingly for a first game, there was ugly play on both sides. Both coaches, Carl Johnson of Bridgehampton and Ev Corwin of Greenport, lamented the sloppy play. The game was marred by 47 turnovers, almost evenly divided.

The shooting was off, with both teams barely making over 30 percent of their field-goal attempts. Combined, the teams shot 2 of 22 from 3-point territory.

Bridgehampton had a size advantage, and the Killer Bees made good use of it. They outrebounded the Porters by 43-20, giving up only 7 offensive rebounds.

The Porters continually seemed to be in foul trouble. They were whistled for 29 fouls and sent Bridgehampton to the foul line 44 times.

That’s not a recipe for victory, either.

The Porters’ difficulty scoring was a concern for Corwin. Angel Colon led the Porters with 11 points. The team’s next highest scorer was Tim Stevens with 6.

A 3-pointer by Manning left Bridgehampton with a 27-20 lead by halftime. But it was in the second half when the Killer Bees really stung. Lamison scored 14 points and Manning netted 10 during a paralyzing 25-1 run that gave Bridgehampton a 56-26 advantage with 4 minutes left in the game.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Credit: Flickr/Keith Cooper

A surplus. A windfall. A pot of gold.

Call it what you want, but have you heard there’s an extra $5 billion available in next year’s New York State budget?

Seriously. 

The state has cashed in on several financial settlements, and just last week, as first reported by Newsday, leaders with the Long Island Association — which bills itself as “the leading business organization in the Long Island region” — as well as the Long Island Regional Planning Council, sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo asking for $1 billion as Long Island’s fair share.

“The Long Island Billion,” they called it.

And the entire East End was nowhere to be seen in the letter, which named five projects in each county.

It was probably just an oversight, right? And, of course, the distribution of this huge chunk of money still has to be negotiated in Albany come budget season next spring. Most politicians — at least local ones — have yet to weigh in on the subject. And in the end, they’re the ones who will decide where the $5 billion goes.

Primarily these days, when you think of big-money projects in the area, Enterprise Park at Calverton comes to mind. And I was a little surprised not to see it on the list. Covering an area day-in and day-out as we do, this omission has to at least give some pause to the thought that EPCAL is a potentially big economic generator — or, at least, as big as we’re told it is.

But it’s not as if EPCAL is getting nothing from various levels of government. Nearly all the first phase of multi-million sewer work at the town-owned land in Calverton is being paid for by Suffolk County and New York State, thanks to grant funding of one kind or another.

But let’s be honest: EPCAL needs a lot more than sewers.

Anyway, with this “Long Island Billion” in mind, and probably in part because it’s fun to make lists of things we want this time of year, I figured this might be a good opportunity to make a wish list for our coverage area. The items are mostly infrastructure-based since the one-time funding source logically should go to one-time costs. And no, this list is not scientific. I have no cost estimates and have conducted zero feasibility or environmental studies. As with most wish lists, some items are silly and some are serious, and most probably won’t come true. But hey, it’s the holiday season. A guy can wish.

1. Road funding for EPCAL: This might require more firm plans on paper than the town currently has in order to get anything secured (actually, you can probably say the same for pretty much everything else on this list), but for all the talk about sewers, we haven’t heard much of anything about any other infrastructure costs at the former Grumman site. If leaders want to draw investors to the land, they might want to be able to show them more than some studies, a couple of runways and some privately developed roads. And actually, before they pave the roads, can we get some money for water, electric and fiber-optic utilities, too?

2. Renovation of the armory: Like one of those awkward gifts you got as a kid that you just never knew what to do with, the armory on Route 58 sits unused, empty and lonely. It’s kind of hard to blame the town, which can’t afford a multi-million dollar renovation to fix up the old white elephant at the moment. But why pay $13 million — one number that’s been thrown about — to renovate the armory into a new public safety complex in the future when the state has $5 billion now?

3. Light rail between Riverhead and Greenport: Discussed for the past decade, this project has never been a real priority because — again and as always — cost is an issue and real concerns exist over how many people might use it. Local business leaders have been using buses in recent years to shuttle people about, mostly from winery to winery, but the Long Island Rail Road east of Riverhead remains one obvious way to provide a spark to some of the downtown areas along the line. And as the brain drain continues and politicians search for some way to keep the area’s youth and draw them to downtown areas, implementing a light rail seems reasonable.

4. Plum Island: Come on, admit it — you’ve always been drawn to Plum Island. The mystique. The rumors. The creepiness. You want to see what it’s like over there. Well, maybe now the entire world can if the state buys it for us! Granted, with the new, restrictive zoning in place we wouldn’t be able to have much fun once we got there. But the same goes for Alcatraz. At the very least, we can be sure Donald Trump doesn’t buy it.

5. $258.02: That is $5 billion divided by New York State’s population (just under 20 million). In the long run, this makes absolutely zero sense considering how many things need work across the state, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that about 500 bucks for my wife and me sounds pretty nice right about now.

And considering we have a kid coming in March, can we make that check for $774, please?

6. A bridge to Connecticut: OK, this list has gone too far.

Joseph Pinciaro is the managing editor of the Riverhead News-Review and The Suffolk Times. He’s curious to hear what you’d like to see the area get in “The Long Island Billion” — should it receive anything — and urges you to write a Letter to the Editor or your state representative making your views known. You can reach him at jpinciaro@timesreview.com or 354-8024.

(Credit: AJ Ryan, Stringer News Service)

It could take about a week for results to be returned from the blood test to measure John Costello’s blood alcohol level during Saturday’s fatal crash in Greenport, Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley said Tuesday.

Mr. Costello consented to the blood test Saturday evening while being treated at Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport for injuries sustained in the crash which led to the death of Bartolone Miguel, 32, of Peconic, according to a police report.

A blood test is almost always administered — rather than a less-precise breath test — in accidents involving a death or serious injury, he said.

“If there’s any kind of case where there’s serious physical injury we almost always go toward the route of blood, because it’s better evidence to go to court with,” Chief Flatley said. “We have a whole procedure for somebody involved in a serious-injury accident.”

• Related: Group fundraising to return fatal crash victim to native country

The chief said the misdemeanor DWI charge Mr. Costello is currently facing could be upgraded once the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office receives the results of the blood test.

“The district attorney’s office will have to wait for results, then review the case and decide if there will be further criminal charges filed,” he said.

Since Mr. Costello consented to the blood test, police did not need a judge’s permission to administer the test, Chief Flatley added.

Initially charged with misdemeanor DWI, Mr. Costello posted $250 bail from Stony Brook University Medical Center, where he was transferred for further treatment of his injuries, and is expected to be arraigned after he is released. A hospital spokesperson said Monday that he was listed in fair condition.

Southold Town Justice Rudolph Breuer said the arraignment will likely occur on the first Friday after Mr. Costello is released from the hospital.

Judge Breuer, who was the judge on call at the time of the crash, said Tuesday that judges weigh the likelihood the defendant will return for future court dates when determining a bail amount. The amount is reflective of the nature of the crime as well as the defendant’s past criminal history.

A police report states that this is Mr. Costello’s first DWI offense and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said he has no prior convictions of any sort.

Bail factors, which are outlined in state criminal procedure law, include the suspect’s ties to the community, the judge said. This includes the defendant’s employment status in the town, whether he was raised or attended school in the area, and if he has family in town.

“All these things are considered,” Judge Breuer said. “You’re supposed to [release the suspect on his own recognizance] or set a bail that is appropriate to the charge.”

In describing the crash, Chief Flatley said Oseas Ramirez, the westbound operator of the 2006 Honda struck by Mr. Costello, tried to dodge the oncoming pickup truck, which had crossed the double yellow line in front of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church on Route 25, by swerving to the left, across traffic.

“He tried to compensate by going to his left into the opposite lanes, just to get away from [Mr. Costello's pickup truck],” he said. “That’s why they hit on the passenger side and not the driver’s side.”

Mr. Ramirez was charged with driving without a license, police said. He is also expected back in Southold Town Justice Court at a later date.

Police interviewed Mr. Costello’s son, John, 43, following the crash. A Greenport resident is also listed as a witness, according to the police report.

gparpan@timesreview.com