1. Riverhead homecoming game cut short by rowdy crowd

2. Trifecta for repeat offender

3. Preston Gamble shot and killed in Calverton

4. Fallout from devastating car-battery fire Orient

5. Ambitious entrepreneur’s latest venture

6. School administrators mired in controversy

7. Tesla Science Center goes up in flames

8. The trend that keeps trending: pickleball heads indoors

9. Wave of thefts cause turmoil at Tanger

10. International cuisine makes a mark on Main Street

The post Our most-read stories of 2023 appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Suffolk County police were called to the Calverton Hills condo complex the day of the shooting after a dispute broke out between two groups of teens. Suffolk County Police Det. Lt. Kevin Beyrer, head of the homicide squad, said on the day of the shooting that the altercation began as a fist fight. “The dispute erupted into gunfire and a teenage boy was killed,” he said.

Six months later, his mother shared her recollections of that fateful day with the News Review, “With this case, you’ve got kids as witnesses, who had probably seen [the shooter] for a split second,” Ms. Jones said. “It’s not like they were regulars … They’d been around for a couple days.”

Ms. Jones said the Suffolk County police detective assigned to her son’s case “is do- ing his job. But how long is the process?” she wondered. “That’s my only issue. I want to respect the investigation. I don’t want to see street justice. … People are hurting. I’m barely pushing through,” she said. “But I have to survive.”

The single mother of six said that when she heard the gunshot she initially froze, before a panic rose up inside her and she came rushing down the stairs, only to be met by family members and neighbors with the terrible news of that Preston had been shot.

Without going into detail, Ms. Jones assured a reporter that she knows who shot her son, and said the man lives in another part of Suffolk County.

She said Preston’s death has deeply affected her five other children.

“Everybody has mood swings,” she said, especially Preston’s stepbrother, who witnessed the shooting.

After his death, Preston’s friends and family devised a metaphor to help define his brief but colorful life. On a website dedicated to his memory, loved ones com- pare him to the light of the sun.

“Remembering Preston Charles Gamble: Sunrise June 30, 2007 – Sunset April 12, 2023.”

ORIGINAL REPORTING BY MELISSA AZOFEIFA AND CHRIS FRANCESCANI

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Today, Long Island’s 3,000 acres of vineyards produce more than a halfmillion cases of wine a year, with a reach that has conquered more than 26 states and about a dozen countries, not to mention countless wine lists in some of the most storied and selective restaurants in New York City and beyond.

“The Long Island wine industry is strong, vibrant and thriving. It’s growing, and that’s exciting,” said Kareem Massoud, president of the industry association Long Island Wine Country and a second-generation winemaker for Paumanok Vineyards, the winery started by his parents, Charles and Ursula Massoud, in 1983.

The names Louisa and Alex Hargrave are certainly familiar to those with knowledge of Long Island’s wine history. If the industry here has grandparents, they’re it — perhaps along with farmer John Wickham, who worked in the early 1960s with Cornell University’s Geneva-based research lab to find cold-sensitive vinifera table grapes that he could grow in our northeastern climate.

“There’s sort of this old narrative going around that Alex and Louisa were a couple of hippies who didn’t know what they were doing, flopped down and figured it out one way or another. The fact of the matter is
we came with a sensory goal — we actually came with an idea of a flavor and aroma and committing to a sensory experience that we wanted to achieve,” said Louisa Hargrave, whose grown son, Zander, is now the winemaker at Pellegrini Vineyards, not far from where his parents established Hargrave, now Castello di Borghese.

With the patient work of the pioneers, a wine region took shape. People like ex-pilot and dairy farmer David Mudd and his son, Steven — a couple of enterprising, agricultural smarties who came out to Southold from Missouri in the 1950s — planted vines for wine grapes in 1974 and ul- timately became the region’s gamechanging viticulturists.

The industry’s success came thanks to the Mudds; to Cornell Cooperative Extension and dedi- cated grower-researchers like Alice Wise; to early risk-takers like the Hargraves, Lyle Greenfield of Bridge- hampton Winery, Ray Blum of Peconic Bay Vineyards, Bob Kohler of Osprey’s Dominion, Pindar’s Dr. Dan Damianos, Kip Bedell, Jerry Gristina, the Bidwell family, Bob Palmer, Ralph and Pat Pugliese and the Massouds. The later ’80s and early ’90s saw the scaffolding of a burgeoning wine region click into place, expanding to include Wölffer, Pellegrini, Lieb, Lenz, Jamesport Vineyards, Macari, Diliberto (now Terra Vite), Martha Clara (now RG|NY), Shinn Estate (now Rose Hill), Laurel Lake (now Ev & Em), Raphael, Channing Daughters and Sherwood House.

Small-label spinoffs from wine-makers came up through the ranks of many of these storied spots or through the island’s genius customcrush facility, Premium Wine Group, founded by forward-thinking wine- maker Russell Hearn.

“I can count the number of times over the last five years that I have run into someone who turns up their nose at Long Island wine. That has gone down exponentially,” says Shelby Hearn Ulrich, now also general manager for her family label, Suhru Wines.

ORIGINAL REPORTING BY AMY ZAVATTO

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Riverhead boys golf. After putting together another undefeated season in the league and winning their con- ference championship, Riverhead set its sights on their first Suffolk County title in school history. The top six golf- ers were separated by only a stroke or two. The starting lineup was Colby Baran, 36.88 scoring average; Mark Gajowski, 37.22; Griffin Sumwalt, 38.11; Zach Timpone, 38.22; Jaxson Hubbard, 38.44; and Luke Richard, 39.

Riverhead softball. The Blue Waves topped North Babylon and advanced to quarter-finals in postseason play thanks to Riverhead’s sophomore ace Mya Marelli. She struck out 16 while allowing just three hits in a 3-0 shutout of North Babylon in the second round of the Section XI Suffolk County Class AA playoffs.

Riverhead boys track and field.

Riverhead’s Angelo Confort took the county title in 55-meter hurdles and ran a personal best 7.69 seconds. During the race, he was clearly ahead of the other competitors from start to finish and was going to win.

SWR girls soccer. After graduating eight of their starters from the 2022 Suffolk County championship team, there were massive holes that needed to be filled for Shoreham-Wading Riv- er’s girls soccer squad. Key holdovers Grace Hillis, Bella Sweet and Morgan Lesiewicz, along with the talented players around them, outpaced last year’s effort and brought home the program’s first Class A Long Island Championship since 2019. Top per- formers this year: Mia Mangano, 9 goals, 5 assists; Olivia Pesso, 4 goals, 9 assists; Grace Hillis, 7 goals, 5 assists; Shealyn Varbero, 7 goals, 2 assists; and Morgan Lesiewicz, 32 saves.

SWR football. Shoreham-Wading River punched its ticket into Suffolk County Championship with a big comeback finish after scoring 18 consecutive points in the fourth quarter to win 36-35. Something just began to click in that fourth quarter. Trailing by 17 points, the Wildcats’ offensive scheme of option-style football, suddenly changed to more of a drop back and pass. “They were playing zero coverage trying to stop the run,” Aden Smith said. “That left opportunities for us down the field and we took advantage.”

SWR field hockey. Behind first-year coach Kim Hannigan, the team went on an unprecedented run to start the sea- son, surging to a flawless 10-0 record before finally losing 4-0 to Eastport-South Manor on Oct. 4. Top perform- ers this season: Maddi Herr, 16 goals, 9 assists; Sophia Minnion, 7 goals, 8 as- sists; Haylie Abrams, 8 goals, 5 assists; Katie Monaghan, 7 goals, 5 assists; Maggie Anderson, 56 saves. Their suc- cess earned them the No. 3 seed and a first-round home playoff game in the Section XI “B” Bracket.

SWR boys soccer. The team stayed undefeated through the first 10 games of the year. They looked unstoppable — winning on lopsided scores game after game. But the month of October wasn’t as kind. The Wildcats lost three games in a row to Center Moriches, John Glenn and Hampton Bays before finishing the season with a 6-0 victory over Southampton. Top performers: Sam Palmer, 7 goals, 8 assists; Alex Makarewicz, 9 goals, 4 assists; Andrew Stiene, 5 goals, 1 assist; Nick Worthington, 4 goals; Kyle Rose, 79 saves.

SWR girls volleyball. After an up-and-down season, Shoreham-Wading River snuck into the playoffs with some key victories down the final stretch. The senior-heavy group had the experience necessary to be a factor in the postseason. Behind foreign exchange student Giorgia Balza, who hails from Italy, the Wildcats had a formidable front line to give any op- ponent problems.

SWR lacrosse. For the first time since 2019, the Shoreham-Wading River boys lacrosse team was crowned Suffolk County Class C Champion, with a 10-7 victory over the No. 1 seed Mount Sinai in a classic David vs. Goliath moment. The cards were stacked against them. But their will to win, their desire to be great and their abil- ity to play as one bled through their

veins as it was David that eventually emerged victorious.

SWR girls basketball. The Shoreham-Wading River girls hoops squad soared to their first Suffolk County title in school history, defeating No. 2 Kings Park, 63-56, in the Section XI Class A championship at Stony Brook University. On the biggest stage, under the brightest lights, senior GraceAnn Leonard put together her best performance of the year, scoring a season-high 27 points in the championship game.

SWR wrestling. Three Shoreham-Wading River wrestlers — eighth-grader Gavin Mangano, Chris Colon and Joe Steimel — earned the top spots on the podium in the Section XI Division II county championships. Mangano went on to place second in the state championship.

ORIGINAL REPORTING BY MICHAEL HEJMEJ

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It didn’t stop number 11 from putting together one of the most memorable seasons in Long Island history. With one game remaining, Ré had tallied 31 goals to lead all of Long Island.

Since Ré lost two years of school soccer because of the COVID-19 pandemic and a failed school budget, she didn’t make her varsity debut with the Riverhead girls soccer team right away. Despite that, she still struck for a team-high 25 goals her first season.

As the team’s top scorer, she remained humble. “I think I could have done better, but that’s always me,

like I always want to improve and I always want to do better,” she said.

“I’ve just never seen anyone match her footwork,” said Riverhead var- sity coach Kasey Mandery, who has coached for 12 years at multiple levels. “She draws a lot [of attention] from the other teams … Every game she goes out and plays the full 80 minutes with- out ever stopping, without ever coming out. She’s very reliable and she’s a great role model for younger girls.”

On scoring a goal, Ré said: “I want more.”

“I’m feeling good about it,” she continued, “but like I said, I just want to keep doing better, but not only for myself, but for the team and the program as well. So it’s not only about me, it’s about just like for the program as well.”

In November, Ré signed to play at West Virginia University.

ORIGINAL REPORTING BY MICHAEL HEJMEJ

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The nonprofit LGBT Network, along with Greenport business own- er Lori Panarello, organized the June 23 event “North Fork Pride,” which featured a colorful parade through Greenport Village followed by a street fair and tea dance.

Ms. Panarello had contacted Rob- ert Vitelli and Brian Rosen of the LGBT Network earlier in the year.

“That was a very serendipitous moment because at that moment we really knew that we kind of found each other,” said Mr. Vitelli, who explained that the LGBT Network had wanted to bring Pride to the North Fork for some time but never had a local source to help. Ms. Panarello solved that problem.

“This kind of openness and change coming to our community is so important. It’s been a long time coming,” said Colleen Stellato, an LGBT Network volunteer.

Next year, the plan is to make it bigger. The LGBT Network wants to start planning earlier and do some more fundraising, they said.

The June event was warmly received, despite rain earlier in the day that threatened to cast a pall over the proceedings.

Ms. Panarello would not be deterred, as she declared before Pride kicked off: “It will not rain on our parade.”

ORIGINAL REPORTING BY MELISSA AZOFEIFA AND JULIA VASILE-COZZO

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Rumors crescendoed from whispers to blasts on social media as time went on without an answer to the big question. While the Science Center claimed to be committed to transparency, a Nov. 30 Facebook post offered no news on the cause, only word that an emergency restoration fund campaign had been launched and gushes of thanks to the hundred or so firefighters and EMTs who responded to the blaze.

Although it was a near-disaster for the organization, which has been working to transform the last standing laboratory of famed scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla into a museum and science center, good news came of it: The building still stands.

Marc Alessi, executive director of Tesla Science Center, said at the post- fire press conference that a rough estimate of $3 million now needs to be raised for repairs — in addition to the $6 million the organization was short on pre-fire projects, for a total of $9 million. He quipped that any Tesla buff would understand why those particular numbers were notable. (Google “Tesla 3-6-9 theory.”)

Besides the historic buildings not being reduced to rubble, the organization is using the fire to rally the troops. Word has spread far and wide, and well wishes have arrived on social media from as far as Australia. At the press conference, politicians from every level of government pledged support for the rebuild. With the fire-damaged areas closed to the public, the organization went ahead with its annual holiday tree lighting on Dec. 6.

The enthusiasm and positivity shown by the community in the aftermath of the fire “warmed our hearts and illuminated the Tesla Science Center with a spirit that is truly unbreakable,” said a Facebook post after the tree lighting. But comments on said post reveal that longtime supporters are growing disillusioned with the organization to which they’ve devoted their time and money for years.

The fire occurred Nov. 21 and, to date, no statement about its cause has been made. In a Dec. 15 tele- phone interview, Mr. Alessi said the organization is still awaiting the report from the Brookhaven fire marshal and Suffolk County detectives. “We’re not allowed to disturb the site until insurance companies do their investigations, which should be done soon,” Mr. Alessi said. He said the roof will be rebuilt from scratch, as the steel girders that support it were deemed damaged beyond repair by the fire. The brick walls will need to be treated with polyurethane to stanch damage done by the water used to put out the fire.

Mr. Alessi said that although the fire set the organization back with work on the laboratory, they are mak- ing progress on other projects on the property, where a house is being renovated into a visitor center. Mr. Alessi said that they removed a slab of concrete and are waiting for Brookhaven Town building permits to begin renovations. He said it will have a small exhibit space and classroom on the first floor and office space upstairs. “We will finally be able to welcome people onto the property,” he said, adding that it will just be an appetizer for what the lab will be when completed. The visitor center is due to open in late 2024.

Supporters of the Science Center also have a new way to join the mission to rebuild: Bricks for Nik. According to a Facebook post, an initiative launched mid-December offers personalized paving bricks in three sizes that will eventually be used to construct an 1,800-square-foot patio adjacent to the visitor center.

With 43 days left in the emergency fire restoration campaign on Indiegogo, more than $56,500 has been pledged by 394 backers. Another unclaimed perk — available for $50,000, the highest donation possible — gets you a two-year stint on the group’s advisory council and a lifetime Science Center membership. The majority of backers, 262 of them, have opted to donate $25 for a digital thank-you letter, expected to be mailed in February.

ORIGINAL REPORTING BY ANGELA COLANGELO

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The vote came on the heels of the Riverhead Industrial Development Agency’s decision to deny CAT’s request for tax incentives, citing its failure to adequately demonstrate “the viability of a financially successful project.” According to Riverhead officials, the 2018 agreement with CAT gave the Town Board the authority to declare the original contract null and void based on the IDA’s denial.

Fears of a cargo jetport being built at EPCAL were sparked during an IDA meeting last fall when residents interpreted a CAT engineer’s statement as an admission that the site would ultimately operate as an air cargo hub.

The EPCAL site includes two large runways.

“I think that this is good governance,” John McAuliff, head of opposition group EPCAL Watch, said. “We had some doubts about it. And we were not easy with this process, because it seemed so closed to public input. I’m glad of the conclusion. But I think for the sake of the town, and the governance of the town, and how we go forward, that we cannot forget the process that got us here.”

And the saga may continue, as CAT, a subsidiary of the global conglomerate Triple Five, has formally requested that the town reconsider its decision to cancel the contract. A CAT spokesperson issued a statement that read: “The facts, the law and the record will demonstrate that CAT Triple Five has the legal right to develop this property.”

ORIGINAL REPORTING BY CHRIS FRANCESCANI

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When their son began playing hockey in 2015, Troy and Caryn Albert came up with an ambitious idea: to build an ice rink on the East End. “We realized there was no rink for kids on the North Fork and we said, ‘Let’s do this,’” Ms. Albert said.

They formed the Peconic Hockey Foundation. Donations from the New York Islanders, Riverhead Building Supply and other local businesses followed and ultimately an October 2022 agreement to donate the rink back to the Town of Riverhead in exchange for operating rights pushed the $2.3 million project across the finish line.

“Caryn and Troy worked for years to raise the funding and the Islanders Children’s Foundation was a major contributor,” said Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky during the opening cer- emony.

It’s estimated that more than 250 youngsters will be skating at the rink every week as members of one of the area’s 12 travel teams. The arena will be offering skating and hockey classes for children and adults as well as hockey leagues.

The indoor rink is expected to generate $1 million in revenue each year for the East End economy while creating up to four full-time management positions and 50 part-time jobs. There’s also an adjacent outdoor practice rink dedicated to Barbara Williams, a long-time skating coach.

ORIGINAL REPORTING BY TIM GANNON AND DEBORAH WETZEL

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Mr. Tornatore previously requested a leave of absence from Oct. 6 to Oct. 23, which the Board of Education approved at a hastily called special meeting on Oct. 5. A source close to district administration confirmed that Mr. Tornatore’s leave request followed an incident in which he “verbally berated” a Riverhead Central Faculty Association official that same day, resulting in that person being rushed to the hospital.

William Galati, the district’s executive director for secondary education, grants and student outcomes, served as interim superintendent until Oct. 29. Cheryl Pedisich took over as interim superintendent Oct. 30 and will serve through June 30, 2024.

Marianne Cartisano assumed a new role as acting assistant superintendent for business, replacing Rodney Asse. Christine Peters was appointed to succeed Mr. Asse as assistant purchasing agent for the district.

A previous shake-up in the district involved Lori Koerner, assistant su-

perintendent for human resources and elementary education. She was put on home assignment following an incident involving Rodney Parrish, secretary to the superintendent, who reported her to the Riverhead Town Police Department for harassment.

According to a police report, Mr. Parrish was with Ms. Koerner on Sept. 22 at the district office when Mr. Parrish stated that Ms. Koerner “got out of her seat, charged around her desk, then grabbed him on his shoulders with both of her hands, turning him and pushed him backwards.” Shortly afterward, Mr. Parrish texted Mr. Tornatore about the incident.

Mr. Parrish did not press charges. Ms. Koerner now is working on school grounds again at a location “away from central administrative offices.”

Incidents involving students have also been prevalent. On March 28, a Riverhead High School student was assaulted, robbed and stabbed on his way home by five individuals wearing ski masks. Three days later, a 14-year-old student was arrested after bringing more than a dozen bullets to school, prompting a lockdown.

The first incident of the 2023-24 school year occurred just three days in, on Sept. 8, when a student sprayed another with pepper spray. Multiple people needed medical treatment.

At a Sept. 9 football game, four cousins between the ages of 5 and 7 were called a racial slur by a high school and a middle school student, as well as a third out-of-district student. Their great-grandfather, Robert Brown, brought the incident before the Board of Education.

Drawings of swastikas at both the middle and high school in November.

ORIGINAL REPORTING BY THE NEWS-REVIEW STAFF

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