Once again, the editorial board who made these selections was proud to present the awards and spend time with so many who make Riverhead a wonderful community to live and work.

Photos by Ana Borruto

Community Leader of the Year

Starting with the 2024 Community Leader of the Year, Mark MK McLaughlin, who has been referred to as “an exemplary employee” by his boss Jodi Giglio and an “amazing guy” by Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard and who even won Riverhead Chamber of Commerce’s Business Person of the Year last year, Mr. McLaughlin said he has put his all into everything he does since he recovered from a medical event in 2020.

Educator of the Year

For being a morale-booster and advocate for his Riverhead Charter School students in the face of adversity, his hands-on approach, innovation and achievements made without a blueprint, Patrick McKinney was named Riverhead News-Review 2024 Educator of the Year. He said he plays just a small role in Riverhead Charter School’s success, highlighting the work by the teachers, staff, students, parents and administrators.

Sportspeople of the Year

Being a PAL coach is selfless. It takes time out of your life. Results are earned only through hard work and dedication. Building a football program from the ground up isn’t for everybody but Riverhead has the right people in place leading the way. For their efforts in and dedication toward the PAL football program, Rasheen Moore and Mike Heigh have earned the nod as 2024’s Riverhead News-Review Sportspeople of the Year. In their speeches they assured us that what they’ve accomplished is only the beginning.

Public Servants of the Year

Town Councilman Ken Rothwell was thrilled to hear that Riverhead Highway Department Superintendent Mike Zaleski and his staff were being honored with the Public Servants of the Year award for 2024.

“He loves where he works and lives, and he wholeheartedly deserves this recognition but I know that Mike would not accept this alone.”

In his remarks, Mr. Zaleski shared what his 31 years working in the department have meant to him.

2024 Businessperson of the Year Gabriella Volpe of Caruso’s was unable to attend the ceremony. Executive editor Brendan O’Connor accepted on her behalf.

People of the Year

The resumption of Riverhead’s annual Polish Fair was in large part thanks to the hard work of two community leaders: Polish Town Civic Association president Kevin Davis and Tom Najdzion, president of the Riverhead Polish Independent Club, which runs Polish Hall. For working together to revive the long running festival, the duo was honored as the News-Review’s 2024 People of the Year.

Click here for the Suffolk Times 2024 People of the Year speeches.

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Former Riverhead football standouts Mike Heigh (2003) and Rasheen Moore (2008), who both won championships as members of the Blue Waves, have turned to coaching to try to rebuild a football program that hasn’t had a winner since the school cut sports after a failed budget vote during the COVID-19 lockdown. 

On Nov. 10, the 11-and-under Blue Waves, coached by Moore, and the 10-and-under Blue Waves, coached by Heigh, took the field in their league championship — scheduled to play one after another at the Pulaski Street Sports Complex. The 10u team defeated West Islip, 28-0, and the 11u team finished the season with a 22-6 victory over West Babylon. The games drew a massive crowd; parents, alumni, teachers and coaches all wanted to see these kids compete at a high level.

“Riverhead football has always been a staple of our community,” Heigh said following the championship. “It’s hard when we’re losing at the top. It amplifies everything. That’s why we’re doing the work here and trying to teach our traditions that I grew up with. I really believe that in time, the community will be there to back our kids soon enough.”

Heigh and Moore impact the kids from as early as 7 years old, and the results of all the effort they’ve put in are finally coming to fruition. 

“This is big for the program,” Moore said after watching both teams win their championships. “When you can get two age groups back to back to produce seasons like this it bodes well for our future. It’s a first step in the right direction to winning the community back.”

Both Heigh and Moore played under legendary coach Leif Shay, who coached Riverhead’s varsity football team to four Suffolk County championships in his 24 years of leadership. And Shay had nothing but great things to say about his two former players.

“Both Heigh and Moore demonstrated great leadership ability when they wore the blue and white,” Shay said. “They are men built for others and they truly understand what it means to be great fathers, sons and leaders in their community. I am proud of the men they have become and I look forward to seeing the men they help create.”

When you think about PAL coaches, usually one of them has a kid on their team, and that’s what drives their motivation to help. But neither Heigh nor Moore has a kid on the team; they’re driven by the desire to rebuild a program that gave so much to them.

“I took it personal when I saw kids leaving the district to play football in other towns,” Heigh said. “We need to keep our talent here, and it starts with having the parents buy in. They’re buying in at the PAL level. Once it trickles down to varsity, things will turn around here.”

Jack Shields, whose son Ryan has played for both Heigh and Moore, couldn’t believe how dedicated they were when he first entered him to play football at age 7. It was a bumpy road at first, but it was a road that eventually led to a championship. Right after COVID, the 7-year-old team didn’t have a coach, and Heigh was slated to coach his own son in his last year of PAL football. He ended up sacrificing that year with his son to coach Ryan Shields and the other kids. It just shows the type of person he is.

“I’ve helped coach over the years, so I would say I have a lot of the behind-the-scenes knowledge of what’s going on here,” Shields said. “Mike’s son hasn’t been in the program for years now, but he continues to put all his effort into building this. He’s almost become like a figurehead of the entire program. He’s committed to the development of the program and the development of the kids as football players and young men. Even as young as 7, Mike always showed them a toughness that really resonated with the kids.”

Transitioning from Heigh to Moore as the kids progress, gives them a different touch. Heigh is more of a play-with-your-heart type of coach, whereas Moore is less outspoken and more skills-driven. It’s a perfect 1-2 punch. And, at the end of the day both bleed blue-and-white.

“These coaches volunteer three nights a week and every Sunday for the better part of four months [to] give these kids the best experience possible,” Shields said. “They never miss a practice. They don’t have a child in the program and our boys were always the last team out there. … That just shows their dedication and their commitment. They weren’t just out there because they volunteered, they’re out there because they’re committed to better the children and go the extra mile.” 

Shields sees firsthand how Heigh and Moore have shaped every child that has suited up in a Blue Wave uniform. They have tremendous pride in wearing that uniform to school. It’s a pride that has been lacking for quite some time in Riverhead sports.

“I played football in high school and college,” Shields said. “The inspiration that both of them have provided — the strength, the courage, the motivation — it made me want to go out and play. When I started to see Ryan buy in, develop and grow, it made me buy in, develop and grow. I want our kids to have tough coaches. I want them to be challenged. I bought into the philosophy. I bought into their approach. And even though I didn’t grow up here, I’m proud to be a Blue Wave.”

For their efforts in and dedication toward the PAL leagues, Heigh and Moore have earned the nod as 2024’s Riverhead News-Review Sportspeople of the Year.

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Ms. Volpe’s parents, Renato and Lidia Caruso, came to the U.S. in 1969 with modest ambitions: to make some money and then return to Sicily. They came with two suitcases to stay with family, work a while and then go back. Initially, they pursued tailoring, making custom suits and doing alterations — just as they had in Italy. Lidia was not thrilled with living in Riverhead, having grown up in a larger city. Riverhead was much more rural than it is now, and she was upset because they had come from a bustling city in Sicily. 

The couple did the best they could for the first few years. Eventually, Renato and his brother John ended up working for another gentleman at a restaurant in the location that would become Caruso’s. According to family lore, the owner took a liking to Renato, and the brothers bought the restaurant, renaming it Caruso’s. Around the early ᾽80s, John left and Lidia took his place. For the next 20-odd years, Lidia was the cook and Renato made the pizza.

As is often the case in family businesses, Ms. Volpe ended up working for her parents at Caruso’s as soon as she could do the work, beginning at age 13. She sometimes fantasized about getting a job somewhere else, away from her family, but never acted on it. After high school, she left for college and returned to help over the summer breaks. She got her master’s and began teaching Spanish. Still, the restaurant exerted a pull on her, and she helped out when she could. 

When her father fell ill, Ms. Volpe stepped in to manage Caruso’s. At the time, she was also working for the Riverhead school district to try and get back into teaching. She credits her staff for helping her during that transition. 

Julio Guevara, Caruso’s current pizza man and manager, has worked for both Renato and his daughter. “It wasn’t the way it is right now,” he said. “Everything [changed] to the credit card machines, cameras, everything she did, like a 360. [I manage] the staff in the front and helping to be loyal to her over there, because it’s not easy, you know, with all these people.”

Updates like accepting credit cards and working with food delivery services have modernized the business. Ms. Volpe has also made changes to the décor to give the interior a simpler aesthetic. The mural of the boats is still in place. Next to it hang some accolades from local publications and a pizza paddle celebrating the restaurant’s 50th anniversary.

Watching Ms. Volpe move from supporting her father into running the restaurant pushed Mr. Guevara to step up his game as well. “I like the challenge. It was good,” he said. “It makes me grow, learn, because I know she’s tough, she does other stuff, so we both was learning and going forward.”

The work she began as a teen helped Ms. Volpe build deep bonds with her community. Many customers came back because they heard that Ms. Volpe had taken over. They remembered her from when she worked there as a kid. There are also new faces, and she works hard to forge new connections; she makes a point of knowing patrons’ names and what is going on in their lives.

This bond with the community is constantly on display at Caruso’s. “This is one thing. Our customers are very the best. Like, seriously, they like us. They look for her,” said Mr. Guevara. “We’re very lucky with the customers, and they’re very nice.”

Ms. Volpe also works hard to give back to the Riverhead community, sponsoring a car in both the adult and youth races at Riverhead Raceway, raising funds for the wrestling team and donating pizza to a homeless awareness campaign, the Moose Lodge, local choirs and Pizza Fridays at the school. 

 Ms. Volpe’s warmth is something she fosters among her employees as well. “There is nothing more pleasant that when you get somewhere and someone give you a smile. That’s what we try to remember,” said Mr. Guevara. “People come, and we make them feel welcome.”

Caruso’s hopes to open a second location in the near future to continue to spread the hospitality the restaurant has become known for. Ms. Volpe has been looking on both the North and South forks for the ideal location. 

For her dedication to family and community and her tireless commitment to hospitality, the Riverhead News-Review has chosen Gabriella Volpe as its 2024 Businessperson of the Year.

Previous Winners

2023: Luis Siguencia
2022: The Suffolk
2021: John and Otto Wittmeier
2020: Jerry Dicecco Jr. and Jonathan Perkins
2019: Beth Hanlon
2018: Anthony Meras
2017: Irwin Garsten
2016: PeraBell Food Bar East
2015: Jim and Barbara Cromarty
2014: Riverhead’s craft brewers
2013: April Yakaboski
2012: Richard Stabile
2011: Dennis McDermott and Kayleigh & Tahir Baig
2010: Dee Muma
2009: J. Gordon Huszagh
2008: Ray Pickersgill
2007: Ray Maynard
2006: Jack Van de Wetering
2005: Jeff Hallock and Dr. Frank Arena
2004: Massoud Family
2003: Andrew Mitchell
2002: Christine & Peter Loew, EastEnders Coffee House
2001: Jan Burman
2000: Fred Terry
1999: Jim Bissett, Joseph Petrocelli
1998: Swezey’s Department Store
1997: Pat Frankenbach
1996: Chip Cleary
1995: Ed Merz
1994: Bill Talmage
1993: Joe Fischer
1992: Liz Strebel
1991: Barry Barth
1990: Bobby Goodale
1989: Mike Kent
1988: Stan Hagler

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“He’s one of the hardest working elected officials on the East End of Long Island. He genuinely cares about his town, loves where he works and lives, and he wholeheartedly deserves this recognition,” he said. “But I know that Mike would not accept this alone. He would tell you that it belongs to all the employees that work with him.”

Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard said the town’s highway department is exemplary.

“They really bust their chops out there,” he said of the staff. “I give those guys a lot of credit. They are out there in all conditions and everything else. And Mike does a lot with the few people he’s got.”

Mr. Hubbard said the highway department is constantly assisting other departments. “It’s very refreshing to see — whether it’s loaning equipment to another department or just going out and doing work for them that would make it a lot easier than if they tried to do it themselves with their own equipment,” he said.

Trisha Yakaboski, Mr. Zaleski’s friend and campaign treasurer, said his love for Riverhead is evident in everything he does.

“He treats every street in this town like it’s the road that he or his parents live on,” she said. “When he goes running, he picks up trash. He’ll move branches out of the street.”           

The son of a Riverhead cop, Mr. Zaleski has been working for the highway department for 30 years — the last three of them, he’s been the superintendent. With a team of 40, it’s second only to the police department in size.

Riverhead Police Chief Ed Frost works frequently with the highway superintendent. 

“He’s a great person,” he said. “He does a lot of things for the town, and a lot on his own. He really goes out of his way.”

Mr. Rothwell said Mr. Zaleski is both a leader who empowers his employees and an innovator.

“Every single highway worker in the town of Riverhead brings knowledge to the table, and Mike understands that. He’s like, ‘Hey, if you guys can do this, show everybody, show me your forte, or what you can do,’” Mr. Rothwell said. “Mike gives people the opportunity to excel in that highway department as a group under his leadership, and his staff likes it … because it allows them to excel on their own.”

In one staff-driven department project, Mr. Zaleski worked with David Arteaga — a highway department worker, professional photographer and drone pilot — to create an innovative video showcasing the highway department’s equipment.

Mr. Rothwell said Mr. Zaleski has been “phenomenal” in managing his limited department budgeting.

“The man was left with a lot of long overdue, dilapidated equipment, some of it that really, quite frankly, looked like it should be put on a flatbed and hauled out of there,” the councilman said. “He has restored a lot of it, put a lot of it back to work, and repurposed a lot of equipment. He basically took all the leftover equipment around the highway yard and built his own striping truck.”

Mr. Rothwell is most impressed with Mr. Zaleski’s problem-solving skills.

“He built an overhead wash system to wash all the trucks,” he said. “That’s a major safety issue completely resolved by Mike. You had guys trying to climb on top of vehicles in the wintertime, trying to spray out salt with ice conditions and so forth, or … let it sit and then the equipment rusts. It rots, it gets damaged. So Mike and the highway department workers as a team built this whole overhead wash station … and they won a statewide award for it.”

Last fall, the Riverhead Highway Department won a state Department of Transportation ‘Build a Better Mousetrap’ Award for designing and constructing the new washing station. Previously, Mr. Zaleski’s department won a Northeast AAA Community Traffic Safety Award, among others.

He also developed a policy to strengthen filled potholes, according to colleagues. Previously, the highway department would “patch” potholes by filling them with asphalt material to repair localized damage. Under the current administration, potholes are “milled,” meaning a machine is used to grind down a larger section of the road to a specific depth, before applying a whole new layer of asphalt to the area, strengthening the damaged section of road. 

Ms. Yakaboski said Mr. Zaleski is as fastidious at home as he is at work.

“You should see his yard. It’s a meticulous yard. You could play golf on his yard. His grass is amazing — it’s almost obnoxious,” she said, laughing.

She said the highway superintendent has a soft spot in his heart for kids and cats, and that every year, he looks forward to his department’s massive toy drive for underprivileged Riverhead kids. “Truly, he would do anything to make any child smile,” she said. “He buys [McDonald’s] Happy Meals for himself for lunch, and I swear it’s so he can give away the toy. I’ve seen him hop back in his truck because he ran into somebody who might have their kid in the backseat, and it’s ‘Oh, I have something for him.’”

She said when he stops by her daycare facility, “it’s the same thing: ‘How many kids do you have?’ And he is going to count out his stockpile of McDonald’s toys. He’ll tell you he gets Happy Meals because it’s the perfect amount of food. I will tell you, it’s because he wants the toy so he can give it to a kid.”

For more than a decade, Mr. Zaleski has been representing the department in visits to local elementary schools. He and staffers bring equipment like snow plows and dump trucks to teach first graders about the highway department. The visit includes safety-oriented coloring books on topics like snow safety.   

“He’s definitely Riverhead, through and through” said Roanoke Avenue Elementary School principal Thomas Payton. “And you can see it when he’s talking with the kids. They’re in awe, and they’re listening to what he’s got to say, and they’re so excited that he’s here … You could just see how much he loves what he does.”

Over the summer, Mr. Zaleski decided to expand his annual school presentation into a full-blown highway department event.

“We had well over 100 kids here this year, and next year he wants to make it bigger and better,” said Joan Mottern, Mr. Zaleski’s administrative assistant. “He’s going to have a sand pile for the kids to play in.”

Ms. Yakaboski said that several years ago, Mr. Zaleski began running 5k races — and quickly became addicted, both to the racing itself and the fundraising.

“He does probably close to 20 [races] every year — all over the island. He does breast cancer races. He does the [Run for] Briggs race, the Run for Ridley. And God forbid he hears of a race for a child with cancer. If there’s a spaghetti dinner somewhere supporting somebody, he’s there.”

She said he’s less a Good Samaritan, more a great one.

“You know those bumper stickers, ‘I break for’ this or that? Mike’s would be too big for a bumper because he literally stops for anybody. There was a[n injured] baby deer he came upon once and he was calling up all the wildlife centers. He stops for turtles. He stops for injured birds … He always stops to help.”

For all these reasons, Mr. Zaleski and his team are The Riverhead News-Review’s People of the Year.

Previous Winners
2023: Diane Wilhelm
2022: Steve Shauger & Kristy Verity
2021: Dawn Thomas
2019: Allen Smith
2018: Dashan Briggs
2017: Richard Ligon
2016: Tom Lateulere
2015: Susan Wilk
2014: Carl James
2013: Dennis Cavanagh
2012: Ed Romaine
2011: George Woodson
2010: Robert Brown
2009: Barbara Grattan
2008: Liz Stokes
2007: Michael Reichel
2006: Gary Pendzick
2005: The Riverhead Ambulance Corps
2004: Richard Wines
2003: Ken Testa
2002: “KeySpan Coalition”
2001: Ed Densieski
2000: Judge Richard Ehlers
1999: Barbara Blass
1998: Vicki Staciwo
1997: Lenard Makowski
1996: Buildings & Grounds
1995: Jack Hansen
1994: Jim Stark
1993: Rick Hanley
1992: Lawyer Jackson
1991: Andrea Lohneiss
1990: Monique Gablenz
1989: George Bartunek
1988: Patricia Tormey

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Friends, colleagues and local officials say he is Riverhead’s most enthusiastic cheerleader.

Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard called him an “amazing guy … For someone who isn’t from Riverhead, he has adopted Riverhead as much as Riverhead has adopted him. It’s phenomenal how he’s taken to the town like it’s his own — and it really is at this point. I think that’s a fantastic thing for him.” 

The supervisor also said Mr. McLaughlin is a true believer in Riverhead.  

“He’s just positive,” he went on. “He’s a positive guy. And it’s so refreshing to talk to somebody like that. He wants nothing but the best for the town — from the Anti-Bias Task Force to the Town Square to anything he can do to help people in need. He ran ‘Huddle for [the] Hunger’ football [fundraiser] up at Stotzky Park. That was a lot of fun up there. He helped run Restaurant Week. He’s got a great attitude. Every time I’m dealing with him, he’s full of energy — full of enthusiasm about the town.”

Last summer, Mr. Hubbard, Ms. Giglio and other local officials went to Citi Field in Queens to see Mr. McLaughlin sing the national anthem at a Mets game.

“For somebody from your hometown do that — it was absolutely amazing,” said Mr. Hubbard.  

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, Mr. McLaughlin’s journey from new guy in town to his current multiplicity of roles was not without challenges. The pandemic shut down the Islip Terrace music studio where he worked, compelling him to move and start a new life in Riverhead.

But nearly as soon as he arrived, the veteran entertainer, who toured for years with hip hop artist Flo Rida as his opening act, came down with a life-threatening case of COVID-19. The virus attacked his kidneys and put him in Peconic Bay Medical Center for three weeks. He survived the episode and learned a valuable lesson, he said in a 2022 interview: “I proved to myself that, you know what? I could do anything.” 

Local leaders agree.

“Mark has been wonderful,” said Kristy Verity, executive director of the Downtown Riverhead Business Improvement District. “He’s really put in a lot of volunteer time just out of the goodness of his heart.” 

Downtown Riverhead BID president Sean Kenna said, “I think Mark is very, very intuitive when it comes to diversity within the town. He’s not cookie cutter. He puts himself out there in different avenues —  with the Chamber of Commerce, with the BID, with Jodi, with the Town Board … Honestly, I feel like this guy doesn’t sleep.”

Liz O’Shaugnessy, executive director of the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce, recently awarded Mr. McLaughlin the chamber’s 2024 Business Person of the Year.

“I’m a big Mark fan,” she said. “Since I’ve met him, shortly after he moved to Riverhead three or four years ago, I’ve just watched his star rise. He’s such a hard worker, and he really is very giving of himself. And I love to see all the good things that are coming his way because of it.”

One of Mr. McLaughlin’s biggest fans is his boss, Ms. Giglio.

“I take pleasure in supporting Mark because he is such a great human being,” she said in an interview. “He really has his act together and learns very quickly. And I’m not the easiest person in the world to work for, because I expect results. I’m pretty demanding when I want things to be done and I want [the staff] to prioritize and do things in certain order. He picks right up on it, and always has me in his mind when he’s in the office. I’m so proud to have him work for me.”

Ms. Giglio said she could see a future in local politics for someone like Mr. McLaughlin. “I started out in my political career with the Riverhead Business Alliance, and I see Mark doing the same things that were that I was doing before I was elected. He’s doing a great job, and I think that he’s an asset,” she said.

Ms. Giglio recalled being at a county police benefit “and there was no one to sing the national anthem, so I asked him. And he sang at the benefit and now he’s invited to every police benefit to go and sing the national anthem.”

She said Mr. McLaughlin is a great liaison to her Assembly district.

“He is an exemplary employee,” Ms. Giglio said. “He is compassionate to my constituents’ needs, and is able to communicate that to all of the governmental agencies that we deal with to help our constituents. So he’s really been a complete asset to me and to my office.”

For all these reasons, Mr. McLaughlin is The Riverhead News-Review’s Community Leader of the Year.

Previous Winners
*The award was previously called Civic Person of the Year

2023: Kate Fullam
2022: Marylin Banks-Winter
2021: Kelly McClinchy
2020: Lillian Pennon
2019: The McMorris family
2018: Charlene Mascia
2017: Ron Fisher
2016: Dwayne Eleazer and Larry Williams
2015: Tony Sammartano
2014: Thelma Booker
2013: Vince Taldone
2012: Georgette Keller
2011: Nancy Swett
2010: Rich Podlas and Chuck Thomas
2009: Tom Gahan
2008: Keith Lewin
2007: Open Arms and Bread & More Inn
2006: Mike Brewer
2005: Sid Bail
2004: Kathy Berezny
2003: Jill Lewis
2002: Chrissy Prete
2001: Joe & Gloria Ingegno
2000: George Klopfer & Lt. Col. Anthony Cristiano
1999: Louise Wilkinson
1998: Charles Ramsey, Gwen Mack
1997: Judy Jacunski
1996: Peter Danowski
1995: Sherry Patterson
1994: Barry Barth, Bobby Goodale
1993: Arnold Braunskill, Don Owen
1992: Bernice Mack
1991: Judy Weiner
1990: Nancy Gassert, Gwen Branch
1989: Betty Brown
1988: Paul Baker

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Aside from making sure they complete their homework or study for crucial exams, these students overcame countless other obstacles thrown their way, such as learning through the COVID-19 pandemic, lacking resources, lacking space and ongoing community opposition to the charter school. 

Despite all of that, the school did celebrate a few wins this year, most notably the thirteen seniors who made history for being the Riverhead Charter High School’s first-ever graduating class. Of course, this momentous achievement is attributed to the years of hard work and dedicated from these former 12th-graders.

However, it is just as important to recognize the school leaders who helped foster their growth, fuel their motivation and unlock their full potential to achieve whatever they set their minds to. In the eyes of his colleagues, Riverhead Charter School principal Patrick McKinney checks off all of these boxes and is a true champion for all students.

Riverhead Charter School Superintendent Raymond Ankrum said Mr. McKinney has made a “transformative” impact on the school with his innovative ideas, problem-solving skills and staunch belief that all students deserve a quality education. 

“Dr. McKinney embodies the qualities of an exceptional educator,” said the superintendent. “His selflessness shines through in his unwavering dedication to students’ best interests — he is a true innovator, constantly seeking new and effective ways to engage students and foster their growth.” 

Mr. McKinney, the current founding high school principal, has been with the Riverhead Charter School since its humble beginnings. He previously served several other roles including founding elementary teacher, chair of the humanities department, director of curriculum and instruction, and both the elementary and middle school principal. 

In the six years they have worked together, Nick Timpone, director of academics, said he has witnessed Mr. McKinney, 36, put his doctorate in educational innovation to good use. 

“He’s a brilliant person, his intellect is just unbounding,” Mr. Timpone said. “He’s been having to run a high school in that tight space and he’s making it work in so many amazing ways — he’s very calm, he’s always thinking about it, he’s always asking questions, always talking to people and coming up with solutions.” 

He added that even when confronted by public pushback, Mr. McKinney keeps a cool head, can shrug off any negativity and keep putting “one foot in front of the other.” 

Mr. McKinney also gives the term “open-door policy” — a literal meaning, as he doesn’t have an office. Like many educators at the charter school, his office is the hallway. Although it may seem strange from an outsider perspective, for Mr. McKinney, it allows him to be constantly connected and present with his students. 

Even when frustrations arise, he reminds himself that he gets to come into work and work with kids every day, and “it doesn’t get better than that,” Mr. Timpone said.

“We had a senior leadership meeting talking about how it’s important to have an open-door policy and I said ‘Patrick, you don’t even have a door,’ and he said: ‘I never have, and I never will,’” Mr. Timpone said. “He knows so much about every kid. He’s been with these kids, too, because he was their middle school principal as well. He’s had a relationship with these kids, he already knows the parents, so it gives him an advantage in that sense.”

Terrell Dozier, the high school’s dean and student counselor, said Mr. McKinney is someone who will always make sure everything is taken care of. For example, if a teacher is absent and the school can’t find someone to substitute, Mr. Dozier has seen the principal step in and teach a class himself.

As the founding principal, Mr. McKinney did not have a predecessor to turn to and had to build success “from scratch,” Mr. Dozier said. 

“We are the blueprint and he’s the mastermind behind it,” he said. “He’s not just here just being the principal; he’s being whatever is needed for our school and for our students to be successful.” 

And Mr. McKinney’s support for his students doesn’t end after graduation. In fact, with 26 seniors expected to graduate from the charter school this year, Mr. McKinney and Mr. Dozier are working on building their alumni support services program to further guide their students on how they can apply what they learned at the charter school in the post-grad world.

For being a morale-booster and advocate for his students in the face of adversity, his hands-on approach, innovation and achievements made without a blueprint, Patrick McKinney has been named our 2024 Educator of the Year. 

Previous Winners
2023: Shoreham-Wading River Central School District’s Special Education Department
2022: Rose Horton
2021: Dena Tishim and Laura Nitti
2020: Kimberly Benkert and Robert Brandi
2019: Sal Loverde
2018: Ed Meier
2017: Felicia Scocozza
2016: Melissa Haupt
2015: Robert Shilling
2014: Greg Wallace
2013: Keri Stromski
2012: Jeff Doroski
2011: Jim Schaefer
2010: Stacy Tuohy
2009: Laura Grable
2008: Vincent Nasta
2007: Marion Dorman
2006: Theresa Drozd
2005: Frank Rotenberg
2004: Kevin McAllister
2003: Leif Shay
2002: Bob Jester
2001: Jean Lapinski
2000: Pat Rose
1999: Pat Snyder
1998: Carol Masin
1997: L. Custer, J. Greenberger
1996: Terri Peters
1995: Jim Roth
1994: Tim Hubbard
1993: Dot Moran
1992: Dorothy Lipsky
1991: Willie Patterson
1990: Audrey Stupke
1989: Ray McKieghan
1988: Stanley Krouse

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“This is Polish Town, USA,” said Town Councilwoman Joann Waski, who ran a booth selling beer at the fair for years. “It’s kind of like St. Patrick’s Day — everybody’s Polish for the Polish Town Fair. And then after the fair, there’s dancing, and it turns into something even greater, where Polish Hall brings a Polish band in and everybody comes out and does the polka.”

The resumption of the tradition last summer is in large part thanks to the hard work of two community leaders: Polish Town Civic Association president Kevin Davis and Tom Najdzion, president of the Riverhead Polish Independent Club, which runs Polish Hall at the corner of Marcy Avenue and Pulaski Street.

For years, Mr. Davis’ mother, Katherine “Kay” Davis, was president of the civic association and the point person for organizing the Polish Town Fair each summer.

“When she passed away [in 2022], the civic kind of fell apart,” Ms. Waski said. “So Kevin, along with his sister, Karen, and other members of the community came together and put the civic back together … with a whole new board. But several years went by with them not being able to have [the fair], and Polish Hall stepped in and did their thing. Two years ago, [RPIC] expanded it to go down to Pulaski Street, and they slowly started to build it back. Then Tom and Kevin joined together this year and brought it back to what it was, and they did a great job.”

She described Mr. Davis as a true friend to many.

“He’s a wonderful person,” said Ms. Waski, whose sister-in-law, Karen Waski, is Mr. Davis’ sister. “He is always available. Whenever you need something, you know that you can call Kevin and he’ll be right there to help you. His wife is a retired Riverhead police officer and they’re great members of the community.”

In the early 1900s, the 15-block Polish Town neighborhood was settled by Polish immigrant fleeing religious persecution. Mostly agricultural workers, the new Americans were drawn to the North Fork’s verdant landscape and many farms.

Some of the early immigrants came together to form a Polish fraternity, “Towarzystwo Polskie Rzymsko – Katolickie Bratnies Pomocy pod Opieka Sw. Izydora, Patrona Rolnikow,” or “The Polish Roman Catholic Society of Fraternal Assistance under the Patronage of St. Isidore, The Patron of Farmers,” according to Riverhead’s town website. In 1906, they build St. Isidore’s, the oldest Polish Roman Catholic church on Long Island. Across the street, Polish Hall was incorporated in 1907, and then rebuilt in 1925 following a fire.

“The modest homes in Polish Town were made of clapboard, and the shops were one story buildings where Polish was spoken,” according to town historians. “You could shop for clothes, food and anything else you needed without speaking a word of English.”

In 1929, Cemetery Street was renamed Pulaski Street, in honor of General Casimir Pulaski, who died in 1779 fighting for American independence during the Revolutionary War.

Lisa Dabrowski, host of “Polka Time” on WRIV 1390, said Mr. Najdzion puts his heart into everything he does.

“As past-president of the Riverhead Polish Hall’s Ladies Auxiliary and as a former member of its board of directors, I’ve seen, first-hand, the countless hours and the incredible efforts of both Tom and — I do have to say, right alongside him — his wife, Keri, and the positive contributions they’ve made to the community,” said Ms. Dabrowski. “Whether it’s events and fundraisers held at Polish Hall, or his involvement with local veterans’ organizations, himself being a veteran, Tom’s heart is in it. You can see he truly cares and wants to get it right.”

Diane Tucci agreed that community service is a central part of Mr. Najdzion’s life.

“Tom volunteers in a lot of different organizations. So it’s not just Polish Hall, where he’s the president, but he’s also the commander at the VFW in Riverhead. He serves on multiple volunteer committees for the town of Riverhead, which includes the Veterans Advisory Committee and the Anti Bias Task Force,” said Ms. Tucci, who has worked on marketing for Polish Hall. “The idea is to really bring back more Polish heritage and having a thriving, vibrant place for the community to gather. Having that vision for advancing Polish Hall and making sure it survives is so important.”

Among the new initiatives Mr. Najdzion and his wife Keri are spearheading is live music on Saturday nights in the basement bar and bowling alley, which has been rebranded “Ziggy’s Place,” in honor of Zbigniew “Ziggy” Wilinski, the longtime Polish Hall president who passed away in 2021.

“From my point of view, seeing how dedicated he is to Polish Hall, how he spends countless hours there — meeting with people, running events, cleaning up afterwards and always fixing things — he’s definitely stepped into Ziggy’s shoes.”

For all these reasons, Mr. Davis and Mr. Najdzion are The Riverhead News-Review’s 2024 People of the Year.

Previous Winners
2023: John McAuliff
2022: The Rev. Bohdan Hedz
2021: Anthony Harris
2020: Dr. Lawrence Walser
2019: Det. Brian Simonsen
2018: The Students of Mercy High School
2017: Byron Perez
2016: Tijuana Fulford
2015: Steve Beal, Kevin Burgess, Anthony Chiaramonte and J.R. Renten
2014: The Shoreham-Wading River football team
2013: Michael Hubbard
2012: Denise Lucas
2011: Laurie Nigro, Amy Davidson
2010: Linda Hobson
2009: Chris Kempner
2008: Riverhead Blue Waves
2007: Maureen’s Haven
2006: Sister Margaret Smyth
2005: Alan Shields
2004: Phil Cardinale
2003: Vince Tria
2002: Bryan Tressler
2001: Annie Jackson
2000: Judy Young
1999: Members of the First Congregational Church
1998: Eileen Miller
1997: Vinny Villella
1996: Vic Prusinowski
1995: Pat Stark
1994: Sonny Okula, Jim Kane
1993: Jack Van de Wetering
1992: Bobby Goodale
1991: Joe Janoski
1990: Robert Tooker
1989: Jim & Connie Lull
1988: Jesse Goodale

The post 2024 People of the Year: Kevin Davis and Tom Najdzion appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Honorees and their guests joined the Times Review Media staff along with newly elected town supervisors Al Krupski and Tim Hubbard to share stories and express their thanks and gratitude to the entire North Fork community during a cocktail reception at The Vineyards at Aquebogue.

The annual awards, which have been handed out since 1987, recognize leaders in local public and community service, education, business and sports by the editorial staff of The Suffolk Times, Riverhead News-Review, and Shelter Island Reporter newspapers as well as the Northforker and Southforker lifestyle brands.

“The best part of our People of the Year awards reception is when we hear directly from the award recipients themselves because they are so impressive and mean so much to our community,” said Times Review Media Group publisher Andrew Olsen. “As journalists we are incredibly honored to tell their stories.”

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Supervisors Al Krupski and Tim Hubbard at the 2023 People of the Year award reception. (photo credit: Jeremy Garretson) Diane Wilhelm accepts the Public Servant of the Year award. (photo credit: Jeremy Garretson) John McAuliff accepts the 2023 Person of the Year award on behalf of EPCAL Watch. (photo credit: Jeremy Garretson) Luis Siguencia accepts the award for 2023 Business Person of the Year. (Jeremy Garretson photo) Kate Fullam, executive director of East End Food, accepts the 2023 Community Leader of the Year award. (photo credit: Jeremy Garretson) Caitlin Gould and Tracy Von Eschen accept the 2023 Educator of the Year award on behalf of the Shoreham-Wading River special education department. (photo credit: Jeremy Garretson) Paolo Bartolani accepts the Northforker of the Year award for 2023. (photo credit: Jeremy Garretson)

When John McAuliff took a lead role in the campaign opposing a controversial development proposal at Enterprise Park in Calverton, he brought a lifetime’s worth of activism to the table. John has been working since the early 1960s to promote reconciliation and healing and build commonality all over the world. A Peace Corps vet who went to Mississippi for 1964’s Freedom Summer voter registration campaign, John went on to champion post war reconciliation in Southeast Asia, and more recently in Cuba. As his wife Mary eloquently described him to us, John “believes fiercely in this country, and in its democracy, and in what it can be. He wants to help America be good, be right, live up to its values, its morals, its ideals.”

“I was by no means singly responsible [for EPCAL Watch],” Mr. McAuliff said upon receiving his Person of the Year award Thursday. “I just had the biggest mouth … it was the [local news] publications that helped turn what we were doing into a community sentiment.”

Since taking the helm as executive director at the East End Food Institute, now known as East End Food, Kate Fullam has worked tirelessly to realize the organization’s top goal of creating a more sustainable and equitable local food ecosystem. For her remarkable efforts connecting farmers and food producers directly with the community, Ms. Fullam was named Riverhead News-Review’s 2023 Community Leader of the year.

The educators at Shoreham-Wading River Central School District’s special education department, have experienced plenty of “aha” moments—both big and small— when they realize this is the profession they were meant to pursue. Whether it’s students showing off their talents on stage, scoring their first-ever points on a basketball court or learning to cook meals for their families, these are all significant accomplishments. These teachers are not only educators, but advocates, motivators, sources of comfort and their students’ biggest cheerleaders.

“I work with the most amazing educators; I agree that they deserve this,” Tracy Von Eschen, SWR’s director of special education, said upon receiving the 2023 Educators of the Year award on behalf of the department. “I’m so grateful to the children we have the honor of educating.”

More than a quarter-century of distinguished service to the Town of Riverhead came to a close last month at a spirited, jam-packed retirement party for Diane Wilhelm, Riverhead’s beloved longtime town clerk. Everybody at the party talked about Diane’s kindness and humility, her easy laugh and her absolute mastery of a job that demands a wide portfolio of knowledge. For her decades of service to Riverhead, her sincere joy in helping others and her reliably great sense of humor, Ms. Wilhelm was named Riverhead News-Review’s 2023 Public Servant of the Year. 

“Thank you so much for this honor; I’m completely overwhelmed,” Ms. Wilhelm said. “I want to congratulate all the award recipients this evening … We are very very lucky to have all these people in our community who do such wonderful things.”

Luis Siguencia, owner of Golden Jalapeños Café in Calverton, was honored as 2023’s Business Person of the Year for his years of giving back to veterans and those in need within the community. Since opening Golden Jalapeños in 2014, Mr. Siguencia has offered free Thanksgiving meals to families in need. “He’ll help anyone, and he tries to hire people that can use the help,” one friend and fellow volunteer said.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Siguencia remarked how deeply impacted he was when learning of the valiant efforts of U.S. veterans while studying for his citizenship test. He never forgot that and decided to give back, especially to vets, whenever and however he can.

Troy and Caryn Albert of Wading River have been working to bring ice hockey to the East End since 2015, when their son first began playing. On November 25 of last year, eight years after the initiative began, the Ed Westfall Arena opened in Calverton. For their efforts, their ingenuity and their commitment to make this dream a reality for hockey lovers across the region, Mr. and Mrs. Albert are The News-Review’s 2023 Sports People of the Year. 

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More party pics celebrating the 2023 People of the Year. (photo credit: Jeremy Garretson)

For sharing his vision, passion and talent, and bringing The Rites of Spring Music Festival to life, Paolo Bartolani was named 2023’s Northforker of the Year.

“I don’t want to talk about me; I want to talk about the Rites of Spring Music Festival,” Mr. Bartolani said upon receiving his award. “Our goal is to bring music and outstanding musicians close to the community. We are constantly looking for new partnerships. We are so honored and so proud to be part of this community.”

The post Celebrating the News-Review’s 2023 People of the Year appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

His peers and special education teachers involved in the district’s Unified Basketball Team were determined to make that happen — they just needed to get a bit creative. 

“In our craziness, we ordered a slingshot on Amazon,” said Caitlin Gould, a special education teacher at the high school. 

“Two students would hold it, [Andrew] would put the basketball in, they’d pull it back and then he’d let go,” said special ed faculty colleague Matthew Millheiser. 

With support from Ms. Gould and Mr. Millheiser, Andrew worked with a physical therapist to strengthen his arms and was included in the daily basketball games so he could get some practice. 

Ms. Gould said the able-bodied students did not hesitate to offer to push Andrew’s wheelchair around on the court during a game. 

“Even the teams we played were always so wonderful at letting the game stop to have him take shots,” she said. “Our team rallied around him every time.” 

 In May, with only three games left in the season, Andrew was getting down to the wire to score his basket. During a competition at East Hampton High School, he positioned himself on the court in front of the hoop. His peers gathered around him and two students pulled back the slingshot bands. 

On his cue, Andrew let the ball fly. 

Swish. 

He made the shot — and the crowd went wild. Andrew absolutely beamed as students jumped in jubilation around him. 

“The other team was crying, we were all crying, our students were crying,” Ms. Gould said. 

For Mr. Millheiser and Ms. Gould, this was their “ah-ha” moment as educators — validation as to why they are in this profession to begin with. 

These moments are not few and far between at Shoreham-Wading River, whether it’s students showing off their talents on stage, learning to cook meals for their families or celebrating when a nonverbal student uses their iPad to communicate. In the eyes of a special education teacher, these are all significant accomplishments. 

“Just to see the audience’s faces at the end — in disbelief about how much our students can do and how talented, how capable they are,” Mr. Millheiser said. “Being able to put them on that stage and give them the tools to show off what they can do — because most of their life is all about what they can’t do — is incredibly rewarding.”

For Jennifer Simicich, a third-grade special education teacher at Wading River School, helping children with intellectual disabilities and special needs is something she always “gravitated to.” 

She has a master’s degree in special education, but started out as a math teacher at Miller Avenue School in 2007. When she transitioned to third grade and a spot opened to co-teach with one of her best friends in the special education department, she jumped at the chance. 

“Aha” moments for Ms. Simicich can be a student figuring out a math problem on their own or finishing a writing assignment they are really proud of — the daily “little successes” that put a smile on their face, she said. 

She also finds gratification in split-seconds of sweetness. She recalled one little girl in her class who gave her an unexpected hug. 

“We have such a great relationship, where they can come to me with anything and I’m going to be there to help them, either tying their shoe or writing a persuasive essay, it’s not just academics,” she said. “Sometimes, I’m an emotional shoulder to lean on — my students are only 8 and 9 [years-old] , so I’m kind of like a surrogate parent for a few hours of the day. It’s just so rewarding.” 

The impact all the teachers and staff of the district’s special education department have on their students resonates far beyond the classroom. They are not only educators, but also advocates, motivators, sources of comfort and their students’ biggest cheerleaders, which is why they are the Riverhead News-Review’s 2023 Educators of the Year.

The department’s director, Tracy Von Eschen, said the program provides a variety of services and has made “incredible strides” this year in expanding its peer mentorship initiatives across all school levels. 

Ms. Von Eschen said the “crown jewel” of that program are the high school RISE classes — including Spanish, art, theater,and physical education courses in which general education students take a leadership role and assist special education peers in the curriculum. 

Some other notable accomplishments the department achieved this year include opening a new school store at the high school for the first time in 20 years.

Known as “The Den,” the retail shop is run by both typical peer partners and students with disabilities, who work together to sell spirit apparel, snacks and supplies.

“This is an actual workplace environment; it just happens to be inside of our building. It’s just amazing that we’re able to provide that for them,” said Frank Pugliese, principal of Shoreham-Wading River High School. “There is nothing [these educators] won’t do. They are here for our students; there is no other priority, there is nothing else that matters to them.” 

A transition coordinator was also hired this year to assist district students and their parents in meeting post-secondary goals. 

Ms. Von Eschen said it’s rare for her to be sitting in her office for a full day. She is often walking through the high school or visiting other district schools, popping into two or three classrooms a day to make sure the teachers and students have the resources they need to succeed.

“I make an effort to be in every one of our schools as often as possible — the forefront of what I do is supporting students and supporting the teachers so that they can support their students,” she said. “I am beyond proud to say that the Shoreham-Wading River community has raised young people ready to support one another, to lift each other up and celebrate each other’s differences through meaningful interactions and friendships.”

Gerard Poole, superintendent of the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District, said the proof of the special education department’s dedication is in the results: the June 2023 graduation rate for students with disabilities was 97%, all graduating students with all graduates receiving at least a Regents diploma and more than 20% of them earning  Regents diplomas with advanced designations. 

“Maybe that’s why it’s called special education because these are a special group of people that lead that work in our school district,” Mr. Poole said. “Our staff is really the heart and soul of our special education program — without them, we don’t have any successes.” 

Previous Winners

2022: Rose Horton
2021: Dena Tishim and Laura Nitti
2020: Kimberly Benkert and Robert Brandi
2019: Sal Loverde
2018: Ed Meier
2017: Felicia Scocozza
2016: Melissa Haupt
2015: Robert Shilling
2014: Greg Wallace
2013: Keri Stromski
2012: Jeff Doroski
2011: Jim Schaefer
2010: Stacy Tuohy
2009: Laura Grable
2008: Vincent Nasta
2007: Marion Dorman
2006: Theresa Drozd
2005: Frank Rotenberg
2004: Kevin McAllister
2003: Leif Shay
2002: Bob Jester
2001: Jean Lapinski
2000: Pat Rose
1999: Pat Snyder
1998: Carol Masin
1997: L. Custer, J. Greenberger
1996: Terri Peters
1995: Jim Roth
1994: Tim Hubbard
1993: Dot Moran
1992: Dorothy Lipsky
1991: Willie Patterson
1990: Audrey Stupke
1989: Ray McKieghan
1988: Stanley Krouse

The post 2023 Educators of the Year: Shoreham-Wading River Central School District’s Special Education Department appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Mr. Siguencia and his family, of Flanders, opened Golden Jalapeños Café in 2014. For almost a decade, he’s been giving back to the community in this way, which is why he was chosen as Riverhead News-Review’s 2023 Businessperson of the Year.

“If I had money I would do it all the time,” Mr. Siguencia told the News-Review in a 2019 interview. “But I do it once a year.”

Ms. Lezama echoed that sentiment in a recent phone interview.“We would love to be able to give more back but this is as much as we can do,” she said. “We’re just happy that at least that day, we can be able to share one hot meal for people, it’s just this wonderful thing.”

Golden Jalapeños Café’s social media posts feature a thank-you message to all the community members who volunteered for the giveback this year, held both in Calverton and at their new location in Yarmouth, Mass., which opened just six months ago.

After Kathy Kruel’s mother died three years ago, Thanksgiving was challenging for her because it was her mother’s favorite holiday. The day became easier for her after she and her husband, Tommy, began volunteering at the Thanksgiving givebacks.

“He’ll help anyone, and he tries to hire people that can use the help,” she said. “He’s just an all-around great guy.”

Mr. Siguencia immigrated to the United States from Ecuador at 14 years old. In 1992, he started working as a dishwasher at Bartolinos in Astoria, Queens. Before the year had passed, he’d worked his way up to a line chef position and by 1994, he was top chef. 

He then attended the Culinary Academy of Long Island to perfect his craft. He spent 14 years as head chef at World Pie in Bridgehampton. His specialties are Italian and French cuisines. He mastered Tex-Mex with the help of Ms. Lezama, who is from Mexico and specializes in Spanish cuisine. His menu now includes all different styles of food.

The annual Thanksgiving giveback initiative is a family affair for Mr. Siguencia.

“I want to teach my kid to do the right thing,” he told the News-Review in 2019. “I got my daughter; I hope one day she’ll be doing the same. The kids grow up the way we teach them. The way my parents taught me to be is the way I turned out and I hope my daughter does, too.”

The family also serves free meals at Westhampton’s 106th Rescue Wing each year on Sept. 11, Ms. Lezama said.

Ruth Budd, a customer of Golden Jalapeños Café, was floored when she learned of his selflessness.

“I found out that he was donating meals to the staff at the hospital. He was donating to numerous places during COVID for the essential workers that had to work,” she said. “He also made donations to the ambulance departments in Riverhead and Flanders; he’s very giving to the community.”

Ms. Budd also volunteers at Mr. Siguencia’s Thanksgiving giveback events.

“It’s been great to see how thankful people are and how it makes his family feel,” she said. “He really enjoys giving to his community.”

Jill Tapia travels from Laurel to Calverton to support Mr. Siguencia and his business.

“From what I’ve observed, he’s an extremely generous man,” she said. “Just this past Thanksgiving, I don’t even know how many turkeys he cooks or how many he gives out to people, but no one is ever turned away to come and have a hot meal on his behalf.”

Ms. Lezama thanked the community for supporting Golden Jalapeños Café, which she said makes it possible to give back in this way.

“We’re really blessed that we can do this,” she said. “I just hope that people will keep supporting us so we’ll also be able to [continue] with our journey, keep doing it.”

Previous Winners

2022: The Suffolk
2021: John and Otto Wittmeier
2020: Jerry Dicecco Jr. and Jonathan Perkins
2019: Beth Hanlon
2018: Anthony Meras
2017: Irwin Garsten
2016: PeraBell Food Bar East
2015: Jim and Barbara Cromarty
2014: Riverhead’s craft brewers
2013: April Yakaboski
2012: Richard Stabile
2011: Dennis McDermott and Kayleigh & Tahir Baig
2010: Dee Muma
2009: J. Gordon Huszagh
2008: Ray Pickersgill
2007: Ray Maynard
2006: Jack Van de Wetering
2005: Jeff Hallock and Dr. Frank Arena
2004: Massoud Family
2003: Andrew Mitchell
2002: Christine & Peter Loew, EastEnders Coffee House
2001: Jan Burman
2000: Fred Terry
1999: Jim Bissett, Joseph Petrocelli
1998: Swezey’s Department Store
1997: Pat Frankenbach
1996: Chip Cleary
1995: Ed Merz
1994: Bill Talmage
1993: Joe Fischer
1992: Liz Strebel
1991: Barry Barth
1990: Bobby Goodale
1989: Mike Kent
1988: Stan Hagler

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