With their heartfelt nominations, our readers have always played perhaps the most important role in the selection process. Last year they helped us choose from a wide array of worthy recipients, including public officials, educators and volunteers who ensure our community remains a caring place.

This town is stocked with residents who work tirelessly to make the community special. We always have a growing list of people who are more than qualified to earn Times Review Media Group’s highest honor. That list can never be too long.

We want to hear about people such as the teacher who went above and beyond to help you become a better student or the business owner who never stops giving back to the community. We realize there are a great many people doing big things in their community who don’t seek the spotlight. As a result, the work they do is hardly noticed.

That’s who we’re talking about. We remind ourselves again of the American author and anthropologist Margaret Mead’s prescription on how to make a positive difference: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Do you know such a person? Let us know. Nominations can be emailed to editor@timesreview.com. Tell us why this person is deserving — and please be sure to give us your phone number so we can follow up. All correspondence will be kept confidential, so the person nominated doesn’t even have to know you are singling them out.

Nominations should be submitted before Dec. 1. We plan to announce our People of the Year in the Jan. 8, 2026, edition.

The post Editorial: Call for 2025 People of the Year Nominations appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

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

The post 2024 Businessperson of the Year: Gabriella Volpe appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

“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

The post 2024 Public Servants of the Year: Mike Zaleski and the Riverhead Highway Department appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

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

The post Mark McLaughlin: 2024 Community Leader of the Year appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

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

The post 2024 Educator of the Year: Dr. Patrick McKinney appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

“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.

We pride ourselves on honoring residents from diverse fields and all walks of life. We want to hear about your friends and neighbors, the teacher who went above and beyond to help you become a better student, the business owner who never stops giving back to the community.

The North Fork is stocked with residents who work tirelessly to make our community special. We always have a growing list of nominees who are more than qualified to earn this paper’s highest accolades. That list can never be too long.

On Jan. 4, 2024 — our first edition of the New Year — we’ll announce an educator, businessperson, public servant, community leader, sports person and overall person of the year. In addition, we’ll honor someone working in the local food, wine, hospitality, entertainment or agricultural industries with our Northforker of the year designation.

We realize there are so many people doing big things in this community who don’t seek the spotlight. As a result, the work they do and the gifts they bring often go unnoticed. 

That’s who we’re talking about, and that’s why we remind ourselves often of American author and anthropologist Margaret Mead’s advice on making a positive difference: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Do you know such a person? Let us know.

Nominations should be emailed to editor@timesreview.com. Please include a brief description of the nominee and the category you feel they are best suited to represent — and please be sure to give us your contact info so we can follow up.

All correspondence will be kept confidential, so the person nominated doesn’t even have to know you are singling them out. 

Nominations should be submitted no later than Dec. 7. 

The post Nominations open for our 2023 People of the Year appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Chosen by the editors of the Riverhead News-Review, The Suffolk Times, Shelter Island Reporter and Northforker, the honorees were each presented with their award during a cocktail reception at The Vineyards at Aquebogue in a return to pre-pandemic tradition.

The annual awards, which have been handed out since 1987, are given to leaders in local public and community service, education, business and sports.

RIVERHEAD NEWS-REVIEW

CHRIS FRANCESCANI PHOTOS

2022 Person of the Year: The Rev. Bohdan Hedz
2021 Person of the Year: Anthony Harris

2022 Community Leader of the Year: Marylin Banks-Winter
2021 Community Leader of the Year: Kelly McClinchy

2022 Educator of the Year: Rose Horton
2021 Educators of the Year: Dena Tishim and Laura Nitti

2022 Sports Person of the Year: Bob Finan
2021 Sportsperson of the Year: The Riverhead athlete

2022 Public Servants of the Year: Steve Shauger & Kristy Verity
2021 Public Servant of the Year: Dawn Thomas

2022 Business of the Year : The Suffolk
2021 Businesspeople of the Year: John and Otto Wittmeier

THE SUFFOLK TIMES

CHRIS FRANCESCANI PHOTOS

2022 Person of the Year: Erica Steindl
2021 Person of the Year: Gabby Stroup

2022 Community Leader of the Year: Rena Wilhelm
2021 Community Leader of the Year: Rev. Natalie Wimberly

2022 Educator of the Year: Cindy Goldsmith-Agosta
2021 Educator of the Year: Melanie Douglass

2022 Sports Person of the Year: Jovan Booker
2021 Sportsperson of the Year: Dylan Newman

2022 Public Servant of the Year: Carolyn Peabody
2021 Public Servant of the Year: Charles Sanders

2022 Businessperson of the Year: Fred Schultz
2021 Businessperson of the Year: Paul Romanelli

SHELTER ISLAND REPORTER

CHRIS FRANCESCANI PHOTOS

2022 Person of the Year: Lisa Shaw
2021 Person of the Year: Laurie Fanelli
2020 Person of the Year: Brett Surerus

NORTHFORKER

CHRIS FRANCESCANI PHOTO

2022 northforker Person of the Year: Ian Wile
2021 northforker Person of the Year: Stacey Soloviev

The post Celebrating Times Review Media Group’s People of the Year appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Choosing the recipients is a painstaking process. It takes several months to compile all the information on the worthy nominees and then narrow it down to just a handful of winners from among them. But the effort pays off every time when we see their genuine thanks and joy at being honored.

People of the Year is a tradition that dates back more than three decades — one that has grown in recent years. 

As we near the end of 2022, it’s time to start thinking about deserving candidates for this year’s awards. And once again, we’re asking the community for help in identifying nominees.

With their nominations, our readers have always played perhaps the most important role in the selection process.

In January, we’ll name an educator, businessperson, community leader, public servant, sports person and overall person of the year. In addition, we’ll honor someone working in the local food, wine, hospitality, entertainment or agricultural industry with our northforker of the year designation.

Historically, our winners represent a wide range of the communities we cover. Last year, we honored the operations director of North Fork Animal Welfare League, a businessman who organizes multiple community events, the athletes in Riverhead who persevered through a missed year and a Greenport educator who has mentored hundreds of students, among others.

We realize there are a great many people doing big things in their community who don’t seek the spotlight. As a result, the work they do goes largely unheralded. These are the folks we’re talking about. Do you know such a person? Tell us about them.

Nominations can be sent to editor Joe Werkmeister at P.O. Box 1500, Mattituck, NY 11952. Or you can email him at joew@timesreview.com. Please include People of the Year in the subject line.

Please send nominations by Wednesday, Nov. 16.

Tell us why the person or group you are nominating deserves recognition — and please be sure to include your phone number and email so we can follow up.

The post Editorial: Last call for People of the Year nominations appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Choosing the recipients is a painstaking process. It takes several months to compile all the information on the worthy nominees and then narrow it down to just a handful of winners from among them. But the effort pays off every time when we see their genuine thanks and joy at being honored.

People of the Year is a tradition that dates back more than three decades — one that has grown in recent years. 

As we near October, it’s time to start thinking about deserving candidates for this year’s awards. And once again, we’re asking the community for help in identifying nominees.

With their nominations, our readers have always played perhaps the most important role in the selection process.

In January, we’ll name an educator, businessperson, community leader, sports person and overall person of the year. In addition, we’ll honor someone working in the local food, wine, hospitality, entertainment or agricultural industry with our northforker of the year designation.

Historically, our winners represent a wide range of the communities we cover. Last year, we honored the operations director of North Fork Animal Welfare League, a businessman who organizes multiple community events, the athletes in Riverhead who persevered through a missed year and a Greenport educator who has mentored hundreds of students, among others.

We realize there are a great many people doing big things in their community who don’t seek the spotlight. As a result, the work they do goes largely unheralded. These are the folks we’re talking about. Do you know such a person? Tell us about them.

Nominations can be sent to editor Joe Werkmeister at P.O. Box 1500, Mattituck, NY 11952. Or you can email him at joew@timesreview.com. Please include People of the Year in the subject line.

We will accept nominations through Friday, Nov. 18.

Tell us why the person or group you are nominating deserves recognition — and please be sure to include your phone number and email so we can follow up.

The post Editorial: Nominations sought for 2022 People of the Year appeared first on Riverhead News Review.