Mattituck senior Kaan Ilgin received all-American honors after helping lead the Tuckers to a state title this season. (Credit: Sarah Condon)

As well as the Mattituck High School boys soccer team played on the field, the Tuckers cleaned up off it as well.

After earning their third New York State championship last month, the Tuckers were among the major highlights of the Suffolk County Boys Soccer Coaches Association awards banquet in Holbrook on Monday night.

Senior midfielder/forward Kaan Ilgin, the most valuable player of the Class B state and Long Island finals, not only was named the county small schools player of the year, but he also was selected as the state player of the year and was chosen an all-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Besides Ilgin, seniors Paul and James Hayes and Kevin Williams were named all-county selections besides winning all-conference honors as the Tuckers, one of the smallest Suffolk schools, placed four players on the county-wide 46-player team.

Coach Mat Litchhult was honored as Suffolk’s small school coach of the year for the second successive season.

“It’s a culmination of hard work this year,” Litchhult said. “The guys are walking out with a lot of their fruits of their labor. A lot of kids got recognized today from Ben Knowles with 10 shutouts to having a New York State player of the year. It’s tremendous for the program. It’s tremendous for Mattituck.”

Ilgin, who will play in the High School All-American Game at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, admitted he lost track of how many times he was called up to the front of the room to receive a plaque, trophy or certificate. He also was named all-county, All-Region and was recognized as being among nine county players who finished with 20 or more goals.

“I was pretty shocked. I thought my teammate Steven Dovi was going to get it,” Ilgin said of the all-American honor, referring to the Smithtown West player who plays with him on the Smithtown Arsenal youth team.

Ilgin has said that he is considering pursuing a career in pro soccer.

Litchhult said that he believed Ilgin’s all-American honor was a first for the school, which has enjoyed a storied soccer history dating back to 1936.

“He’s playing in the all-American game on Saturday. That’s definitely a first,” he said. “I’ve talked to a few people and have been around — there’s been no all-Americans in Mattituck history. So this will be the first. It’s just an amazing accomplishment. “

Several other teammates received recognition:

• Team captain and central defender Paul Hayes was named League VII MVP, all-state and all-county.

• Senior defender Walter Jacob and striker Mario Arreola secured all-league honors.

• Jacob also was chosen to the Academic all-county team.

• Knowles was honored with the John Ruffini goalkeeper award, as he was among six keepers who finished with at least 10 shutouts. The senior accrued 10 clean sheets.

The Tuckers also were recognized as Class B state champions after securing their third state crown in Middletown, defeating Skaneateles, 6-0, in the semifinals and Beekmantown, 3-1, in the final.

Litchhult has announced that he will retire after this season so Monday’s awards were even sweeter.

“I still think it is a just an amazing way for the whole thing to end,” he said. “Each year was kind of like a different chapter in the book. If you made a movie about it you wouldn’t believe the ending. We started out with a goal in the beginning. We fulfilled it. If it was possible after tonight, we exceeded that fulfillment.”

HONORS FOR SETTLERS, PORTERS Southold and Greenport high schools picked up several honors.

First Settlers senior forward Shayne Johnson was named to the all-county team and was a League VIII all-conference selection. He also led the team with 15 goals.

Senior midfielder Sean Moran, the MVP of the County Class C final, was picked for the all-conference team along with junior midfielder Peter Fouchet and Johnson.

Juniors Joseph Worysz, a forward, and Noah Mina, a midfielder, and sophomore defender Michael Christman were chosen all-league.

Defender Jack Dunne was chosen to the academic all-county team.

Coach Andrew Sadowski was named the League VIII coach of the year after directing Southold to a 10-2 in the league and 12-6 overall before losing in the Long Island Class C championship game.

Greenport junior forward Bayron Rivas was named all-conference and sophomore midfielder Eduardo Sanchez all-league. Rivas led the Porters (2-14) with seven goals.

Midfielder Robert Nicholas was selected to the academic team.

For the third consecutive year and fourth time overall, the Porters, coached by Chris Golden, were named team sportsmanship winners.

When the school year comes to a close for 2014 with winter break, Greenport High School will suffer a tremendous loss. Interim secondary principal Robert Feeney, who has served since September, will be leaving us. There aren’t enough adjectives in the dictionary to describe this incredible man. We all want to chain him to his desk so he can’t leave (I believe someone even went so far as to try and close the school’s safe when he was inside!) but all good things must come to an end. Mr. Feeney, I know I speak for everyone at the high school when I say thank you for four fantastic, memorable months. You are the best. 

Athletic director Jim Caliendo asked me to get the word out that he’s declaring Tuesday, Jan. 6, as “Purple Out Day.” What does that mean? Your hometown Porters basketball teams will host the Southold Settlers that evening (JV at 4:30; varsity at 6:15) and he’d like everyone who attends to wear purple. I like that idea!

Congratulations to senior Willie Riggins III, who has been named Greenport Rotary’s Student of the Month for December. Way to go, Willie.

If you’ve got a little extra time on your hands tomorrow (Dec. 12), stop by the conference room at ELIH between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and check out the hospital auxiliary’s sale of fun fashion accessories.

Belated anniversary wishes to Alice and Taylor Jester, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Nov. 28.

If you see any of the following folks during the next couple of weeks, be sure to wish them a happy birthday: Leslie Parker, Dantré Langhorne and Laura Riggins on Dec. 11; Shawn Cutts and Courtney Weber on the 12th; MaryAnn Dinizio on the 13th; Kyle Tuthill on the 14th; Nicole Wallace and Craig Richter on the 15th; Cassandra Kalin, Jeanine Bishop and Billy O’Brien on the 17th; Francine Biggs, Adan VanEtten, Brenda Jensen and my buddy Michael Petroski on the 18th; my cousin Brion Heaney and Laurie Citera on the 19th; Kim Cronin on the 20th; James Bondarchuk, Pastor Garret Johnson and Elizabeth Berg on the 21st; Mike Mazzaferro and Bryan Weingart on the 22nd; Jeannie Jimenez Claudia Berry and Della Watson on the 23rd and Maureen Gonzalez and Bruce Urban on the 24th.

Happy anniversary to RuthAnn and P. J. Corazzini, who will celebrate 24 years of marriage on Dec. 12.

This time next week our son, Jeff, will be an official graduate of the Touro College physician’s assistant program. To say that Jim and I are extremely proud of him would be the biggest understatement of the decade. Congratulations, Jeff!

There is an early deadline for my final column of the year, which I’ll be sending in early on the evening of Dec. 18. My next column won’t appear until Jan. 15, 2015. If you’ve got something you’d like to share with the community, now would be the time to pick up the phone and call me.

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

Tyshie Williams drives to the basket against Shelter Island Friday night. (Credit: Garret Meade)

PORTERS 65, INDIANS 62

Late heroics by Willy Riggins and Tyshie Williams averted a possible controversial result and pushed the Greenport boys basketball team to victory over Shelter Island on Friday night. 

Riggins and Williams scored baskets in the final 62 seconds to lift the Porters from a one-point deficit to a 65-62 win in a Suffolk County League VIII game as the Porters avenged a defeat in last year’s Class D county final.

With the Porters (2-1, 1-1) leading 55-53 during a time out with 4:45 remaining in the game, the referees, after consulting with both teams’ scorers, determined that the Indians (0-1, 0-1) were missing two points on the scoreboard. The score was “corrected” to 55-55.

This reporters’ copious notes, however, did not agree with the game officials’ decision.

Shelter Island eventually grabbed a 62-61 lead as Tristan Wissemann (26 points) sank two foul shots with 1:27 left in the game. But Greenport would not wilt. Riggins sank a one-hander with 62 seconds remaining before Williams extended the advantage to three points with a driving layup with 34.8 seconds to go.

The visitors missed two shots down the stretch and the Porters rebounded successfully to close out the game.

Greenport enjoyed as much as a 12-point lead at 41-29 with 4:33 remaining in the third quarter before Shelter Island rallied.

The Porters’ Tim Stevens scored 14 of his team-high 21 points in the opening half. Angel Colon contributed 11 points and Darius Bolling added 10.

For Shelter Island, Sawyer Clark finished with 12 points and Bill Boeklen and Johnny Sturges scored nine points apiece.

Prior to the game, Greenport honored former standout Gavin Dibble, who scored his 1,000th career point on his last shot as a high school player in a 73-66 loss to Shelter Island in the Class D final. Because it was an elimination game and the final contest of the season, Dibble’s feat could not be commemorated. On Friday, the University of New England freshman received a basketball from the school with the words 1,000 points written on it.

Dibble was home during the school’s Christmas break.

Greenport’s Gavin Dibble, a freshman at the University of New Hampshire, was honored before Friday’s game for scoring 1,000 career points. Varsity coach Ev Corwin (left) and former coach Al Edwards presented Dibble with a basketball. (Credit: Garret Meade)

Defense attorney William Keahon outside Southold Town Justice Court following Tuesday’s bail hearing. (Credit: Carrie Miller)

A Greenport resident who witnessed the fatal Dec. 5 crash that led to the arrest of local businessman John Costello is disputing a claim by Mr. Costello’s attorney that his client was not at fault. 

At a bail hearing Tuesday, William Keahon, a well-known Suffolk County criminal defense attorney with offices in Hauppauge, said it was the other driver, 22-year-old Oseas Ramirez, who had crossed a double-yellow line before the two cars collided on Route 25 in Greenport.

Mr. Costello maintained his lane of travel the entire time, the attorney told Judge Rudolph Bruer.

“My client is not at fault,” he said, noting that Mr. Ramirez was allegedly driving without a license at the time of the crash, which led to the death of Bartolone Miguel, 32, of Peconic.

In a telephone interview Wednesday, the witness, whose name was redacted from an accident report obtained from police last week but who confirmed to The Suffolk Times that he did in fact see the crash, called Mr. Keahon’s statement “insane.” The witness, who was known to The Suffolk Times prior to the crash, requested that his name not be published.

When asked by a reporter if he saw Mr. Costello, 71, leave his lane of travel, the witness said, “Stevie Wonder could have seen that. It was that obvious.”

In an interview last week, Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley said Mr. Ramirez had swerved to his left, across the roadway, in an attempt to avoid Mr. Costello’s oncoming truck, which had already crossed into the westbound lane.

“That’s why they hit on the passenger side and not the driver’s side,” Chief Flatley said.

The witness, who said he was driving directly behind Mr. Ramirez, agreed that he was only reacting to Mr. Costello leaving his lane when he began to swerve.

“He was trying to avoid [Mr. Costello],” the witness said. “That’s how it was initiated.”

When first contacted by The Suffolk Times Dec. 10, the witness called the crash “really devastating.”

“A tire [from Mr. Ramirez’s car] went flying into the air,” he said. “I tried to help out as best I could. [Mr. Miguel] was pretty much in shock. He was just staring at me staring at him.”

The man said Mr. Costello exited his vehicle on his own and was holding his neck as he waited for police to arrive.

Assistant district attorney Elizabeth Miller said in court Tuesday that Mr. Costello’s blood alcohol content at the time of the crash was 0.17 — just over twice the legal limit of 0.08.

That reading was determined through a blood test administered at Eastern Long Island Hospital several hours after the crash, she said.

Ms. Miller, who said prosecutors expect to level more charges against Mr. Costello at a later date, asked that bail be increased to $100,000, but Judge Bruer, who referred to the suspect as a “good friend” of 40 years, opted to maintain bail at $250.

Mr. Costello entered a not guilty plea and is due back in court Jan. 30.

gparpan@timesreview.com

Since I began my last column by saying goodbye to Mr. Feeney, interim Greenport High School secondary principal, it only seems fitting that I start this one by welcoming the new interim principal, Bill Caulfield. He’ll be with us through June when, hopefully, we’ll find a permanent principal to take his place. 

Three GHS juniors — Danielle Fauteux, Max Mastrangelo and Nicholas Wallace – recently passed their certified first-responder class. I’d like to offer them congratulations on a job well done.

Across all of the U.S. and Canada, only 547 school districts “simultaneously achieved increases in access to Advanced Placement (college) courses for a broader number of students and also maintained or improved the rate at which their AP students earned scores of 3 or higher on an AP Exam.” Any guesses on which eastern Long Island school is in that group? That’s right … Greenport High School. Congratulations to our AP students and their teachers on this monumental achievement.

Students in Ms. Pawlik’s and Ms. Van Duzer’s classes took third place for New York State in a recent National Sumdog United States Math Contest. They also ranked 83rd nationally out of 2,685 competing classes. And if that isn’t enough good news, check this out: Everett Corwin, son of Melissa and Ev Corwin, placed seventh in the nation and Trinity Creighton, daughter of Adele Cassone, placed 82nd nationally. Congratulations to all of you!

My sincerest sympathies to Scott Ferguson and Alison Raynor on the passing of their mom, Sue Andrews Raynor, who passed away last Wednesday after a long illness. There is definitely another angel in heaven.

My next column won’t appear until Jan. 15, so birthday wishes are plentiful in this edition. The happiest of birthdays to Carol Schott, Holly Weingart, Jason Doucett and Alexandra Georgoulakos on Christmas Day; Holly Sponza and Becky Lillis on Dec. 26; Scott Klipp and Sue Stretz on the 27th; Cindy Mysliborski, Linda Reeves and Jaclyn Tooker on the 28th; Wayde Manwaring Sr. and Janis Moore on the 29th; Christine Dickson, Ray Van Etten, Judy Kozora, Carolee “Deetz” Doucett, Christian Angelson and Courtney Kart on the 30th; my dear friend, Barbara Damiani, Aaron Pacholk and Caryl Hallock Jarres on the 31st; Joan Mazzaferro Brown, Toyin Gates and Jon Alaia on Jan. 1; Kyle Charters and Joe Sieverman on the 2nd; Thalia Dinizio and Ryan Creighton on the 3rd; my cousin Kristen Chouinard on the 4th; another cousin, Rose Heaney Baker, Mary Olszewski Mantilla and Tai McKenzie on the 5th; Ricky Fiedler, Fred Schoenstein and Jamie Richter on the 7th; Lynn Webster, Randi Parker and Brendan Purcell on the 8th; Carmen Jimenez, Diane Brockett and Dale Hughes on the 9th; Rich Fiedler and “Yosh” Tamin on the 10th; and Cedric Davis and Kelly Rand on the 11th.

Happy anniversary to Marilyn and Rich Fieldler, whose special day is Jan. 9.

Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or another holiday, my wish for all of you is the same: to have the gifts that money can’t buy — health and happiness —  and to be surrounded by those you love. See you in 2015.

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

John Costello is led out of court Dec. 16. (Credit: Carrie Miller)

The news of a prominent Greenport business owner driving drunk — allegedly causing a crash that left a Peconic man dead — shocked the community weeks before 2014 came to an end. John Costello, 71, stands accused of driving drunk, swerving into oncoming traffic and striking another car, killing its passenger on Dec. 6. At the time of the accident, Mr. Costello had a blood alcohol level of more than twice the legal limit, a Suffolk prosecutor said.

Mr. Costello, who suffered a broken neck in the accident, first appeared in Southold Town Justice Court Dec. 16 to be arraigned on a misdemeanor DWI charge.

William Keahon, a lawyer representing Mr. Costello, a longtime dock-builder who owns Costello Marine in Greenport, argued that his client “only had two beers over a 90-minute period” the night of the accident. Mr. Keahon also said that the other driver, 22-year-old Oseas Ramirez, who was driving unlicensed, crossed the roadway and was at fault.

Mr. Ramirez’s passenger, Bartolone Miguel, 32, was taken to Eastern Long Island Hospital, where he later died of his injuries.

An employee of Pellegrini Winery & Vineyard in Cutchogue, Mr. Miguel left behind a wife and son.

Judge Rudolph Bruer maintained bail for Mr. Costello at $250, despite a plea from the ADA to increase it to $100,000.

Judge Bruer said during the proceeding that he considers Mr. Costello “a good friend” of nearly 40 years, adding that he was certain Mr. Costello would continue to appear for future court dates. Mr. Costello entered a not guilty plea and is due back in town court Jan. 30.

Top 10 stories

No. 10: Trio of tragedies along L.I. Sound

No. 9: Snow, cold weather impacts businesses

No. 8: After 12 years, Bishop is bounced

Friends of Kaitlyn Doorhy at a vigil in August. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo)

The North Fork was rocked this year by the accidental deaths of Kaitlyn Doorhy, 20, of Mattituck in August and Howard Meinke, 86, of Laurel in September.

Ms. Doorhy, a 2012 Mattituck High School graduate and junior at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., died Aug. 22 when she was struck by a car while crossing a street near her sorority house in Bridgeport, Conn. A $100,000 scholarship in the former Mattituck Strawberry Queen’s memory was established at Sacred Heart in October. In November, a bench was installed in her honor at Cutchogue East Elementary School.

“It’s overwhelming the way this community has come together for us,” Ms. Doorhy’s father, Joseph, said this past summer. “There are no words to express our gratitude.”

Mr. Meinke, an environmental advocate and occasional Suffolk Times guest columnist, died Sept. 18 when he was hit by a car while crossing Route 48 after attending a fundraiser at the Soundview Restaurant in Greenport.

His untimely death — the third of its kind on that particular stretch of Route 48 since 2007 — has prompted residents and this newspaper to push legislators to make the road safer for pedestrians.

Mr. Meinke, a former president of the North Fork Environmental Council, “was probably one of the most passionate people that you’d want,” said current NFEC president, Bill Toedter. “It’s a big loss for the East End.”

Top 10 stories

No. 10: Trio of tragedies along L.I. Sound

No. 9: Snow, cold weather impacts businesses

No. 8: After 12 years, Bishop is bounced

No. 7: Fatal DWI crash in Greenport

No. 6: Battle lines drawn in New Suffolk

No. 5: North Fork mourns beloved vineyard owners

A Greenport man was charged with trespassing on Monday after police said he fell asleep on the North Ferry and refused to leave it.

According to Southold Police, 44-year-old Germain Mendoza was found sleeping in the passenger terminal of the ferry, which shuttles between Greenport and Shelter Island, yesterday afternoon. The ferry manager called police after reporting that a pair of employees advised Mr. Mendoza to leave the ferry, though the man allegedly refused to do so.

The manager also reported that such incidents are an ongoing problem with Mr. Mendoza, who “has been confrontational with some of the ferry employees” according to police.

The man was charged with trespassing, a violation.

Michael O’Brien’s truck remained at the Cross Sound Ferry terminal Friday morning. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Security footage from the Cross Sound Ferry appears to show Greenport resident Michael O’Brien parking his car at the Orient terminal before walking east toward the beach area Sunday evening, police and family members said Friday.

He has not been seen since. 

Southold Town police chief Martin Flatley said the “brief glimpse” of footage indicates that Mr. O’Brien, 55, did not board a ferryboat even though he left his pickup truck in the first row of parking at the terminal.

“We’re fairly confident that he walked away from that vehicle but did not get into any other vehicles,” Chief Flatley said.

The chief said police did not spot the truck when they first checked the ferry parking area Monday after Mr. O’Brien’s wife, Mary, reported him missing that day. Ms. O’Brien said family and friends who had been searching for the missing man checked the ferry parking lot on multiple occasions and also did not initially see the vehicle.

Ms. O’Brien said Friday that the security cameras — which Mr. Flatley said were checked by police after the car was spotted at the terminal Thursday — show her husband pulling into the parking spot about 10 minutes after he left his house Sunday. Chief Flatley said the footage, which was recorded at night, is dark, but police have no reason to believe it is not Mr. O’Brien.

Additional footage recorded at Cross Sound Ferry and the adjacent Plum Island ferry terminal, which has a camera at the tip of the point, do not appear to show Mr. O’Brien, the chief said.

Using boats, a helicopter and all-terrain vehicles, police searched the “entire point” Thursday, including the surrounding park area and beaches, Chief Flatley said.

“We covered it very thoroughly and came up with nothing,” he said.

Choppy water around the point restricted search efforts to land areas Friday, the chief said.

“Today was difficult,” he added. “We wanted to get out on our boats, but there was a four-or-five foot swell out there today.”

The town’s bay constables do expect to search by boat again Saturday and Plum Island officials are expected to assist in that effort, he said.

Mary and Michael O’Brien. (Courtesy photo)

Ms. O’Brien previously told The Suffolk Times her husband left their Front Street home quietly and without warning at about 7:20 p.m. Sunday.

“He’s been very depressed,” Ms. O’Brien said. “It was not anything domestic. He was very quiet. He came upstairs and asked me for something and he left, and that was it. No storming off. No anger. He’s just been depressed.”

Chief Flatley said Mr. O’Brien has no prior medical issues.

Ms. O’Brien said her husband left without cash or his debit card, but she wasn’t sure if he was carrying identification, adding that he could have left it in his car.

Though Mr. O’Brien’s truck had OnStar tracking services, the account wasn’t active, Chief Flatley said. Police contacted Southampton Town police, since Mr. O’Brien’s brother lives in that town, but police there were unable to locate him.

gparpan@timesreview.com

Greenport’s Darius Bolling (2) tries to stop Shoreham-Wading River’s Dan Hughes, one of three 11-point scorers for the Wildcats. (Credit: Garret Meade)

WILDCATS 58, PORTERS 22

Two high school boys basketball teams heading in different directions crossed paths Saturday and started the new year the same way they ended the old one.

Shoreham-Wading River ushered in what promises to be a good year for the Wildcats with a 58-22 trouncing of Greenport in a non-league game in Shoreham. It was the eighth straight win for the Wildcats (8-1, 3-0 Suffolk County League VI) and the sixth straight loss for the Porters (2-7, 1-4 League VIII).

The difference between the teams was noticeable from the start. The Wildcats made their first five field-goal attempts, scored the game’s first 16 points and held a commanding 19-2 lead before the second quarter was seven seconds old.

Darius Bolling popped in a jumper for Greenport’s first points 3 minutes 58 seconds into the game. The Porters didn’t score again until Brendan Walker sank a pair of free throws 1:12 into the second quarter.

The Wildcats scored 12 straight points to create a 30-point margin at 41-11. Later, a 16-0 burst gave them their largest lead at 58-18.

The scoring balance that Shoreham-Wading River coach Kevin Culhane likes to see was in evidence. Jonah Caldwell, Dan Hughes and Jason Curran put up 11 points each as 10 Wildcats made the score sheet. The Wildcats’ bench surpassed Greenport’s total output by 2 points.

Curran made the most memorable basket of the day. After grabbing a defensive rebound in the waning moments of the third quarter, he rushed the ball down the court and pushed an off-balance 3-pointer at the buzzer ending the quarter. Swish! It went in.

It was that kind of a day for the Wildcats — and that kind of a day for the Porters.

Point production remains a problem for the Porters. A big problem. The game saw them mark their lowest point total for the season. They are averaging 40.6 points per game.

The Porters shot 23 percent from the field. In the first half, they went 2 of 16 on field goals.

Bolling was the team’s top scorer with 7 points.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Al Edwards, center, was presented with a plaque during a pregame ceremony that included Greenport coach Ev Corwin, right, and assistant coach Rodney Shelby. (Credit: Garret Meade)

FIRST SETTLERS 53, PORTERS 38

Coach Al.

That’s what his players called him. It was at once a sign of respect for the iconic Al Edwards and recognition of his personable nature.

Edwards achieved a lot in his 34 years as the Greenport High School boys basketball coach. During his time in charge of the Porters, they won 383 games, 12 league championships and 10 Suffolk County titles. They reached the New York State final four three times, playing in the state Class D final in 2009.

Before he entered the coaching profession, Edwards made quite a name for himself as a player, a natural scorer who collected 2,117 points when he played for the Porters. As a New York Daily News All-American, he went on to play for East Carolina.

Edwards, whose retired No. 33 jersey hangs in Greenport’s Richard “Dude” Manwaring Gymnasium, was among those in the first class inducted into the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame. He became the face of Greenport boys basketball.

Tuesday night Greenport said thank you to Edwards, who retired in 2013. It was Al Edwards Night, and the popular figure was once again on the court, this time to receive accolades and a plaque in a pregame ceremony. Edwards, wearing a yellow shirt with a purple tie and black pants, was joined at midcourt by the current Porters coach, Ev Corwin, and assistant coach Rodney Shelby. They presented Edwards with a plaque in recognition of his service to the program. And then fans rose to their feet and gave Edwards a standing ovation.

The plaque read: “Al Edwards; Player; Coach; Mentor & Friend; Thank you for a lifetime of service to the Greenport Community.”

Edwards then took a seat in the bleachers and watched as the Porters were beaten by Southold, 53-38.

The First Settlers (7-2, 5-0 League VIII) spoiled Greenport’s purple-out by winning their third straight game and for the seventh time in eight games.

Southold never trailed as back-to-back 3-pointers by Greg Gehring spotted the First Settlers a 14-4 lead. That lead later stretched to 26-8 with a 12-0 run.

Greenport (2-8, 1-4) managed to trim its deficit to 9 points by halftime, but Southold pulled away from there, and the Porters suffered their seventh loss in a row.

Liam Walker, who became only the second Southold boy to score 1,000 career points the day before, raised that tally to 1,012 points with a 12-point effort. The active senior guard was a flurry of activity, and even lost his right sneaker while dribbling during one memorable sequence in the fourth quarter.

Gehring also had 12 points and Shayne Johnson scored 10. Pat McFarland was impressive as well, grabbing a team-leading 9 rebounds to go with his 8 points.

Tyshe Williams had a double-double for Greenport with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Darius Bolling added 8 points.

As one might expect of a contest between rival schools located only four miles from each other, the game had intensity, and technical fouls — four of them.

Greenport’s John Drinkwater and Southold’s Matt McCarthy both picked up their fourth personal fouls with technicals in the second quarter. Drinkwater was later assessed his fifth and fouled out with 4 minutes 50 seconds left to play.

Rare double technicals were whistled at 4:41 of the third quarter; Southold’s Alex Poliwoda and Greenport’s Alex Perez were the culprits.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Greenport Harbor Brewing Company co-owners John Liegey (left) and Rich Vandenburgh at their booth during the beer festival this summer. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch, file)

“If you build it, they will come.”

Considering it worked for Kevin Costner in “Field of Dreams,” Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. co-owners Rich Vandenburgh and John Liegey figure it can work for them as well. In fact, it already has. 

Since opening the doors to their second brewery in Peconic in July, business has been “better than we could have expected,” Mr. Vandenburgh said.

The owners have always had a vision of what the craft beer business could be on the North Fork. There were no breweries when the doors of Greenport Harbor’s first tasting room opened in summer 2009, but once it did, an emerging market for Long Island craft beers quickly developed. There are now four breweries from Riverhead to Greenport — and the industry is growing.

In the six months the new tasting room has been open, it has quickly become a destination for craft beer drinkers.

• The complete list of 2014 winners

In recognition of their dedication to exceptional vision — creating a beer destination amid dozens of wineries — Mr. Vandenburgh and Mr. Liegey are The Suffolk Times’ 2014 Business People of the Year.

Mr. Vandenburgh and Mr. Liegey had sought a space to grow their operation since about a year after opening their first tasting in the former Star Hose Company firehouse on Carpenter Street in Greenport. In June 2012, the dream took shape when construction began on the 13,000-square-foot facility on Main Road in Peconic.

After two years of working through financial hang-ups and the town’s site approval process, the duo succeeded in opening the $4 million facility at the former Lucas Ford dealership.

“The journey was challenging. But like most journeys that you take, once you get to where you hope to be, the road behind you is something you don’t necessarily focus on,” Mr. Vandenburgh said in December, reflecting on the year.

The Peconic operation is capable of producing 18 times more beer than Greenport Harbor’s original location.

Now that the brewery is up and running, Mr. Vandenburgh said they will continue their efforts to establish the region as a destination for craft beer in 2015.

“What the North Fork has done with the wine, we want to be one of the forerunners that makes the beer experience here equally attractive,” he said.

With that in mind, Greenport Harbor hopes to open a 150-seat restaurant at the new tasting room later this year — another first for the craft beer business on the North Fork. Greenport Harbor is also leading the way on the agricultural aspect of the industry, being the first brewery in the area to plant its own local grains for its beer.

Before it was purchased by Greenport Harbor, the long vacant three-acre Peconic property was considered an eyesore by many in the community. However, with the brewers’ investment, the facility has become a bright spot in the small hamlet, especially in the eyes of neighboring business owners.

“[The Greenport Harbor brewery] has definitely improved the area,” said Sarah Nappa, owner of Provisions Ingredients and The Winemaker Studio, both located on Peconic Lane. “Obviously the more things, the better. It is better to have stores full than to have things empty — especially when they were dilapidated like that dealership was.”

And the new location is not just a meeting place for beer lovers to grab a drink. The brewery also serves as a gathering place for community organizations.

“I really love the fact that we are getting inquiries from people who want to hold a meeting or function there because it to me it is a cool space and it is consistent with the idea of keeping it a public house where one night we have a Cub Scout meeting and another night we can have a Whitebread organizational meeting,” Mr. Vandenburgh said. “We are totally invested in the community.”

cmurray@timesreview.com

Previous Winners

2013 — Charlie Manwaring

2012 —Jill Schroeder

2011 — Shelley Scoggin

2010 — Peconic Landing

2009 — Rocky DiVello

2008 — John Romanello

2007 — North Fork Press/Academy Printing

2006 — Soundview Restaurant and Inn

2005 — Joe Frohnhiefer

2004 — Dan Damianos

2003 — The Arcade

2002 — Kate McDowell

2001 — Mattituck Chamber of Commerce

2000 — The Harbes Family

1999 — Sue Rempe

1998 — Bob Scott

1997 — Jackie Copas

1996 — Richard Mullen

1995 — The Claudios

1994 — Jeff Strong

1993 — The Hargraves

1992 — The Rowsoms

1991 — Mark Middleton

1990 — John Wickham

1989 — Ray Terry

1988 — Dave LeFreniere

1987 — Linda Livni

Claudio’s in Greenport. (Credit: Tina Volinski)

Claudio’s restaurant, the Greenport treasure that has served North Forkers since the village’s days as a whaling town through Prohibition and into modern times, has hit the market. 

Co-owner Bill Claudio explained the decision to northforker.com: Click here.

First he went to sleep in her bed. Now he’s spending the night in jail. 

A homeless man was arrested for breaking into a home on Main Street in Greenport Tuesday after he was found sleeping in a woman’s bed, Southold Town police said.

The woman reported returning home at 1 p.m. following a dentist appointment to find Germain Mendoza, 44, had fallen asleep after first drinking a beer he found in her refrigerator.

The woman called police and Mr. Mendoza was charged with criminal trespassing and petit larceny. He is expected to be arraigned Wednesday morning, police said.

Mr. Mendoza was previously arrested on trespassing charges Dec. 30 after police said he fell asleep on a North Ferry boat and refused to leave.

I know we’re already 15 days into it, but this is my first opportunity to wish everyone a happy new year. I hope 2015 has started off well for all of you. 

The old year ended on a wonderful note for our family. My nephew and his wife, Marcus and Jaclyn Tooker (Marcus is the son of my sister-in-law Cindy and her husband, Matt), became the proud parents of Miles Lucas on Dec. 31. Miles weighed seven pounds, six ounces and is now resting comfortably at home in Wilmington, N.C., under the watchful eye of big brother Grayson. His great-grandparents are Greenport’s Marie and Jim Dinizio.

The Greenport PTAs will host Yankee Doodle Circus Sunday, Jan. 25, with shows at 1 and 4 p.m. Mike Naughton and company will dazzle you with awe-inspiring feats of daring. Advance purchase tickets are $14.75; buy one adult ticket and two free for children and teens. Prices at the door are $18 for adults and $6 for children. Buy tickets online at GetCircusTickets.com.

Congratulations to Pat and Richard Walkden, who celebrated 50 years of marriage Dec. 26. They marked this momentous occasion with a party for family and friends at Lombardi’s on the Sound.

Birthday wishes go out to Mark Berry on the 15th; Brian Quillin, Jacob Thorp, Faith Bullock and my cousin Tony Bondarchuk on the 16th; Jim VanBrunt and Carol Burch Kannwischer on the 17th; Hezikah Mangham on the 18th; Sean Ryan and Elise Webb on the 19th; Kathy Petroski, Lois Mellas McClure and my nephew Kris Navarro on the 20th; Jason Barkley, Callie Bubb, Danny Tuthill, Ashley Santacroce and Kara Manwaring on the 21st; Regina Cartselos, Paul Quarty III, Philip Staples, Brian McLaughlin and Morgan McElroy (who turns 2) on the 23rd; Jack Skrezec and Corissa Owens on the 24th; another cousin, Annemarie Chouinard, and brothers Oscar Aguilera and Joe Miranda on the 25th; Alex Williams, Brian Richter, Ted Allen and Heather Parker on the 26th; Jamie Dinizio-Sledge, Miguel Torres, Steve Smith and Cyndi Bofinger on the 27th; and Lindsay Corwin, Ralph Mims Jr. and Nancy McAllister on the 28th.

The happiest of anniversaries is wished to our best friends, June and Pete Harris, as they celebrate 42 years together on Jan. 28.

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

Southold Town Police arrested an East Marion man last night after they said he was driving the wrong way near the intersection of Main Road and Route 48 in Greenport. 

According to police, 34-year-old Jevemai Hernandez-Lune was driving northbound in the southbound lane of travel on Main Road at 11 p.m. when he was pulled over.

Police said Mr. Hernandez-Lune had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath when he was pulled over, had bloodshot glassy eyes, slurred speech and was unsteady on his feet. He allegedly failed a pre-screen breath test and was held overnight for a morning arraignment.

Mitchell Park Marina. (Credit: Cyndi Murray, file)

No mass assembly permit? No problem.

As the Greenport Village Board members continue to debate whether mass assembly permits should be issued for events at Mitchell Park that are not village-sponsored, they agreed informally to exempt large boater groups, which bring in big revenue for the marina, from the need to obtain permits for gatherings in designated areas of the park. 

For years, a handful of such organizations, like the United States Power Squadron, have docked 30 to 40 boats at the marina and used the park to gather under tents. Those events bring in roughly $15,000 in revenue annually for the marina, Trustee David Murray said Tuesday night.

“The park is there for the marina to prosper and we want to accommodate these groups,” he said.

Boating groups were previously allowed to set up anywhere in the park, but they will now be restricted to a certain area near the marina office, away from the carousel.

“The big tent depriving other people use of the park is a problem,” said Trustee Mary Bess Phillips.

Trustee Julia Robins also voiced concern that the events may block access to public restrooms and the marina office.

Village attorney Joe Prokop said the boaters would have to allow public access to those facilities during and restrict the size of any tents to no more than 40 feet by 80 feet.

“I think that is a good compromise,” Ms. Phillips said.

Mayor David Nyce is vacationing in Mexico until the end of the month, but the four other Village Board members told marina manager Jeff Goubeaud that they supported him booking boating events to keep the marina profitable.

cmurray@timesreview.com

As of 4:20 p.m. Monday:

• The Southold School District has announced classes are cancelled for Wednesday.

• Greenport schools will also remain closed Wednesday.

• Mattituck-Cutchogue schools are closed Wednesday.

• New Suffolk school will be closed Wednesday.

• Bishop McGann-Mercy will be closed Wednesday.

• Oysterponds School will be closed Wednesday.

Check back with suffolktimes.com for up-to-date weather details, including school closings and event cancellations. 

The North Ferry line stretching down Wiggins Street in Greenport in July 2013. (Ambrose Clancy photo, file)

Almost a year has passed with no action to reroute North Ferry traffic in Greenport and a meeting Friday between the ferry company’s general manager and Railroad Museum officials appears to be unrelated to any change.

The GM, Bridg Hunt, called it “a classic case” of people drawing conclusions with incomplete information.

The meeting was set at the request of Railroad Museum officials who recently told Greenport Village that it no longer should be involved in a lease agreement of that property.

Village administrator Paul Pallas said the discussion is unrelated to a traffic rerouting plan and admitted since the idea dropped off the radar last summer, he hasn’t “given any thought” to any change in the traffic pattern.

He predicted that Mr. Hunt’s meeting would be “administrative” in nature.

“I’m not sure there’s even smoke there — it’s not even smoldering,” Mr. Hunt said about any proposal to reroute ferry-bound traffic in Greenport.

North Ferry personnel are often assigned to control the Greenport line because of congestion during the peak season — from Memorial Day through Labor Day — because traffic congestion results from vehicles legally entering the line from Wiggins Street and illegally from Third Street.

On occasion, when the Third Street line becomes long enough, it can back up to Front Street — a main village roadway. Sometimes Southold Town police get involved in helping to direct the summer traffic of people heading to Shelter Island or cutting across the Island to reach the Hamptons.

The problem is not entirely the fault of those drivers on Third Street, many of whom are using GPS devices that direct them to head south on Third Street. No signs appear at Front and Third Street to inform drivers to proceed to Sixth Street to access Wiggins Street to join the ferry line. The only signs are at Sixth and Front streets and those are visible only to eastbound traffic — and small enough to be easily missed.

With Memorial Day a few months away, Mr. Pallas said Greenport could decide to enhance signage to redirect drivers to the correct access point for North Ferry or look for other ways to improve traffic flow.

But at the moment, there’s nothing brewing related to a traffic reroute on either side of the water, both men confirmed.

When a plan emerged last spring, it called for ferry-bound traffic to head south along Sixth Street to Wiggins Street, then to turn right at Fourth Street and proceed in front of the Railroad Museum and into the line that would be accessed by opening up fencing that currently separates the museum from the ferry line.

That plan, too, engendered criticisms with concerns that the new route would just move the congestion a few blocks, but still result in a logjam — this time at Wiggins and Sixth Street.

Railroad Museum president Don Fisher even penned a Guest Spot in a May 2014 edition of The Suffolk Times calling for the plans to be scrapped.

That plan would have required permission from the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which oversees the Long Island Rail Road and owns the land.

jlane@timesreview.com

Greenport Fire Chief Harry Breese (right) addresses the Village Board at Wednesday night’s meeting. (Credit: Paul Squire)

As a corner of the roof at the Greenport firehouse on Third Street began to leak Wednesday night, Fire Chief Harry Breese pitched three “ball park” ideas to the Greenport Village board on how to fix the building.

But for Mr. Breese and his fellow firefighters, one of the three seemed to make the most sense: tear down the old firehouse and build a new one in its place at the same location for roughly $7.1 million.

Wednesday night’s meeting was the result of an October discussion between the Fire Chief and the Village Board about how to repair the aging building, as well as months of work by the Melville-based engineering firm H2M.

Mr. Breese mentioned the leaking roof, inadequate space for firefighters and frequent termite infestations as problems that have plagued the current firehouse.

He described the other two options presented — a $1.9 million upgrade package or a $3.8 million addition — as being “band-aids” on the bigger problem of having a lasting firehouse.

“Eventually this place is going to be have to torn down,” he said. “We’re looking 20, 30 years down the road.”

The Fire Department came before the board to show all three proposals before exploring any further.

Since the Fire Department’s budget is included in the village’s annual budget, it would need Village Board approval. The Fire Department would have to cover the debt taken to finish the project by taking money out of its budget, village officials said.

Deputy Mayor and Village Trustee George Hubbard Jr, who led the meeting in Mayor David Nyce’s absence, said mistakes made decades ago have led to the current problems at the firehouse.

When the current firehouse was built, the remains of the old structure were thrown into the ground and buried instead of being properly disposed of, Mr. Hubbard said. That has made the termite problem difficult to solve, as the bugs crawl up from the remains.

Mr. Hubbard said that though the building is aging, the increase in village taxes needed to support the project would be staggering.

“We could easily double village taxes in one year,” he said. “That could be very difficult to sell to the public.”

The overall cost of the project, taking into account construction, engineering costs and debt payments, could reach about $13 million, according to Village Treasurer Robert Brandt Jr.

Mr. Brandt said the fire department was currently paying off $150,000 per year related to a previous purchase of two new pumper trucks. That debt service will expire in 2017, he said.

Mr. Hubbard suggested the firefighters look into grant funding to cover most of the cost.

Village Trustee Mary Bess Phillips also suggested speaking to legislators, telling the fire department to “be creative.” Both she and Mr. Hubbard said the board would be willing to work with the firefighters once they come back with a concrete proposal to replace the firehouse.

“We need to know what you want to do … and then it has to be a cooperated effort between all of us,” Ms. Phillips said.

“Is the general consensus that you guys want a new building?” asked Village Trustee David Murray.

Board of Wardens member Joe Barszczewski said the consultant engineers’ reports show it would be more expensive to constantly make repairs to the current building than to simply start over.

“In the long run it’s more economical to go with a new building than to try to fix the ills that are here right now,” he said. “I don’t think it started out as let’s knock [it down] … It looks like it’s the better way to go.”

After the firefighters left, the board’s regular meeting continued. But the meeting was briefly delayed, after the constant patter of water hitting a plastic bag under one of the roof’s leaks became too distracting.

As Village Administrator Paul Pallas adjusted the jury-rigged solution to catch the melting snow, Mr. Hubbard smiled.

“Do [the firefighters] need a new building?” he joked. “I think they did that on purpose. It’s a setup.”

“They’re out there with the hose right now,” Mr. Murray quipped.

psquire@timesreview.com