The issue is dredging Case’s Creek, known locally as Dreamer’s Cove. Everyone agrees it should happen, but the question is — What happens to the sand?

The town says it’s too expensive to haul away, and the homeowners counter that they have no place to put it. They argue that without dredging, the estuary running north to the Main Road will become a mosquito breeding ground, ruining the environment and reducing property values. 

The argument has been going on since 2016, the last time the creek was dredged. Local residents say that even at high tide, the creek’s mouth is less than t3 feet deep, not enough to navigate a boat into Flanders Bay. They believe that dredging will also help prevent flooding during a storm and deepen the water, helping fish breed. 

 In 2015, the homeowners split the $600,000 cost of rebuilding the bulkhead, with the understanding that the town of Riverhead would dredge every few years. “The town forced us to spend more than a half million to rebuild the bulkhead, with the promise that they would dredge the creek,” said Anthony Terraciano, one of several homeowners on the waterway. Standing on the bulkhead at the eastern side of his property, Mr. Terraciano said the 10-foot-wide channel’s mouth is about three-quarters filled with sand. “When it’s low, people can walk across it.”

The town agrees the work should be done. In an April 15, 2024, letter to the director of waterways for Suffolk County, Riverhead Town engineer Drew Dillingham said, “Dredging Case’s Creek is essential for navigational safety in this area. The danger to boaters if this creek is not properly dredged would be tremendous.”

But what to do with the sand?

“It would be a major ordeal to truck it somewhere else,” Mr. Dillingham said recently. “Logistically, every feasible option has been exhausted. There’s no municipality that would pay to come to pick it up.”

The county says it’s stuck, too. 

“Over the last several years, Suffolk County Department of Public Works has worked diligently to identify a suitable disposable location for the dredge material from Dreamer’s Cove,” public works commissioner Charles Bartha said in a February letter to Riverhead Town Supervisor Timothy Hubbard. “At this time, there is no suitable disposable location identified for this project.”

Anthony Cravotta is president of the Ock-a-bock Homeowners Association, representing 11 homes on the private street south of Peconic Bay Boulevard.

“The town dredges all the nearby creeks east and west of here every two years, like Baywoods and Miamogue canal, but they don’t have an estuary there. It’s probably because the people there have boats,” said Mr. Cravotta.

Neighbors Dennis D’Alessandro and Ray Rieder said the Ock-a-bock Beach Association would take the sand, but that strip is too close to the canal, meaning the sand would just migrate back into the creek.

The homeowners in Simmons Point, just to the east, were approached several times about using the sand to replenish their beach, but each time, they declined, according to Mr. Dillingham. “We actually asked them three times in separate occasions,” he said, “They didn’t give us a reason. More time went … by, probably a year, and they said ‘No’ again.”

The upper part of the creek, north of Peconic Bay Boulevard, runs through 41 acres of town-owned wetlands, bordering the Golden Earthworm Organic Farm and the vineyards of Paumanok and Jamesport wineries. By the bay, there’s the Aqua Hotel, where a dock mostly sits on sand, even at high tide.

It’s estimated by the homeowners that the volume of sand to be dredged is worth $15-$50 per cubic yard, or approximately $100,00 to $250,000. 

It’s unclear what happens next. The state Department of Environmental Conservation has issued a dredging permit, but said in an email, “It is up to the permit holder to decide whether or not they wish to complete a project. If they don’t complete it during the permit’s time frame, they may have to apply for a new DEC permit.”

“The town has yet to find a suitable location,” said a spokesman for Riverhead Town Legislator Catherine Stark. “Residents can speak to the town’s trustees. The town has been trying to find a place for the spoils.”

As the search goes on, Mr. Terraciano and his neighbors are increasingly frustrated. “Maybe I should put it on Facebook Marketplace,” he said. 

The post Sand dispersal blocks dredging in Dreamer’s Cove appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Mr. Evans and Mr. Sapiane have lengthy careers in media and are being inducted separately for their accomplishments; Mr. Evans for his 30 years in radio and television as the senior meteorologist for WABC TV Channel 7 Eyewitness News, WPLJ radio 95.5 FM and 77 WABC radio with “Imus in the morning;” Mr. Sapiane is being inducted for five decades on the air at WLNG. The two teamed up in 2018 when Mr. Evans bought the station. 

“It came as a kind of surprise because I do what I do because I like doing it. I’m not in it for any other reason. I never looked for accolades,” Mr. Sapiane said. He was 16 when he first turned on a microphone. At the time, he was a junior at Westhampton Beach High School and did his homework while the records were playing on WAPC in Riverhead. In 1975, the Westhampton Beach native went on the air at WLNG; this December marks 50 years of Mr. Sapiane’s voice on the station. In 2008, after DJ Paul Sidney passed away, Mr. Sapiane became president of WLNG. Mr. Sidney was already an inductee; WLNG will now be home to three hall of famers, a rarity in the radio world.     

For Mr. Evans, the induction creates a feeling of gratitude, humility and accomplishment. “If you knew where I came from and how I got to New York City, you’d say there’s no way.” Mr. Evans caught the broadcasting bug when his grandfather, a Methodist preacher, delivered his devotion on the local radio station in a small town in Mississippi. “I was 7 or 8 and I wanted to be the guy behind the control board. I bugged the station for a job and they hired me to do pickup work and help at remotes.” 

Mr. Evans is now the owner, program director, chief meteorologist and Morning Show co-host at the vintage radio station. He’s well known for forecasting the weather from interesting locations around the world such as water skiing behind the Circle Line around Manhattan, atop Mount Washington in New Hampshire when it was hundred degrees below zero, under water at the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead and in the vineyards of the East End. Mr. Evans is also a 20-time Emmy Award winner and five-time NY Times best-selling author.

“It’s an honor to be inducted,” Mr. Evans said. “Radio has always been my greatest love along with television and I always look forward to entertaining the listeners, making sure they got the weather, a little laugh and then they go about their day with a little more sunshine in their step.” 

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She’s standing nine feet tall, carved out of a locust tree in Andrea Rubino’s backyard in Riverhead.

“I had a situation with that tree in my backyard,” Ms. Rubino said. “It was dumping a lot of leaves and branches all over my property, my deck and my neighbors’ property. Rather than take it down and having a stump there, I thought of creating a work of art.” 

In June, she contacted Wading River wood carver Rich Anderson, who works out of a Manorville shop. Some of his creations can be seen on top of the posts on Riverhead’s boardwalk along the Peconic River. 

The chainsaws at Ms. Rubino’s house began buzzing in July. To sculpt, he donned protective gear like headphones, Kevlar chaps for his legs, heavy duty work gloves, a hat and safety glasses; he said that “using a chainsaw is dangerous,” especially when “pushing the tool in a way that it was never designed to be used.”

The hardwood tree, squeezed in between her white fence and evergreens in the corner of her property beside her deck, was reduced to about 10 feet. It took the 66-year-old Anderson about five days in early July, with the temperature hovering around 90, to sculpt the mermaid.

He worked with both large and small chainsaws, oiling the machines to chisel the wood into the stuff of myth. He alternated between a dime-size tip at the end of the saw to carve the detailed mermaid’s scales, and a larger chainsaw to do the rest. 

Mr. Anderson also used a flame on her “to bring out the texture of the wood and burn off little fibers. It’s a Japanese technique to remove residue, which seals off the wood and preserves it. You can see her scales and hair so much better.” 

“He was very sweet and patient, and he wanted to make me happy. It’s exhausting work,” said Ms. Rubino. The proud owner said she always liked mermaids. “It’s much prettier than just having a stump. Even if Rich does another mermaid, it won’t look like mine.”  

The completed mermaid’s trunk is about 18 inches in diameter. She’s smiling, with her right hand poised on her left hip. Row upon row of intricately carved scales cover her lower body; her russet brown locks cover her torso. 

The final step was paint and polyurethane, a coating that protects the work of art for about six years — after which, it would need to be recoated. He said Ms. Rubino’s statute can last 20 years on the ground with maintained upkeep. Pressure treated wood was placed at the bottom of the mermaid’s tale to stop termites from munching away at the mythical lady. 

A sculptor for decades and a former art teacher in Port Jefferson for close to four decades, Mr. Anderson began focusing on his craft while working for his father-in-law’s Long Island wood and coal business. 

“One day, he said, ‘Carve something that people can recognize,’ so I carved a bear from a 4-foot-high pine tree that we had to cut down because it was blocking the view to the river.”

Soon after, the bear led to more carved bears, eagles, angels and owls and then Mr. Anderson started attending carving competitions. 

“It’s an art form and it’s worldwide now,” he said. “I competed for a number of years in the tri-state area. I also used wood carving as a teaching tool. I did a demo every year for my students and showed them how as a practicing artist it applied to what they were doing.”  

All of Anderson’s work is secured by word of mouth. He doesn’t have a web page and is not on social media. “I’m retired now six years, and I’m more than busy. The work hasn’t let up,” he said.

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It took two days to get there and two to get back, but in between were four days that made it the trip of a lifetime.

I’ve traveled quite a bit — Egypt, Iceland, Britain and Kenya among the destinations. In the last few years, I’ve focused on cold climates and nature. I’ve always been fascinated by Antarctica because it’s so remote, quiet, clean — and I’m a big fan of Ernest Shackleton, the Polar explorer.

I had wanted to go to Antarctica for decades but was afraid of the tumultuous Drake Passage, considered to be the most treacherous waterway on earth. 

But last September, I said to myself: You’re not getting any younger. Go for it.

So I booked the trip for January, summer in the southern hemisphere with temperatures in the 30s. It would be four days in the Antarctic peninsula aboard a ship carrying only 200 travelers. 

After a nine-hour flight from New York and an overnight stay in Buenos Aires, I flew another three hours to Ushuaia, the southernmost tip of Argentina, where boats headed for the great white continent sail across the Drake. After a one-night stay there, we were off, guided by the knowledgeable young staff of the Intrepid Travel Company.

The Drake Passage lived up to its reputation. The good ship Ocean Endeavour was rocking and rolling, and at 2 a.m. I woke up, feeling quite nauseous. I had plenty of company. Most of the other passengers were also seasick.

We stayed in our cabins, alternating between trying to eat, running to the bathroom and sleeping after taking “the little white anti-nausea pill” the staff gave us. By nighttime I was fine.

Recovered, I headed up to meet my “gals,” five single women, world travelers, bonding over the same table at mealtimes. Every day began with a televised rundown of the coming activities. It was put together by crew members who had already ventured out onto the ice to ensure the landing would be safe, free of crevices and full of penguins.

After breakfast the first day, all 200 of us were divided into groups of eight to 10 people with names reflecting the natural world around us — orca, leopard seal, chinstrap penguin, gentoo penguin and so on. 

Everyone was dressed for the expedition. For me, that meant four layers of socks under my heavy rubber knee high boots, three layers of T-shirt, sweater and sweatshirt, topped off with tour-provided light and heavy parkas, two pairs of waterproof insulated gloves, an 8-pound life preserver, and finally, a hat and scarf.

Our group — the minke whales — were helped into a Zodiac boat by the strong and upbeat staff, then off into the Antarctic peninsula. 

The first day, it was snowing beautifully in Antarctica. I was like a kid catching the snowflakes on my tongue. We trekked along the rocky coastline, obeying instructions to avoid the penguins (who looked like they couldn’t care less anyway) and taking in the towering snow-covered mountains, some as high as a 40-story building.

Each of the four days, it was Zodiac in the morning and again in the afternoon. After a break for lunch and maybe a nap, it was back onto the icy water, searching for breaching whales, getting close to seals lying on icebergs or just taking in the stunning landscape. 

One day the crew announced it was time for the polar plunge. One hundred twenty seven of the 200 on board signed up. Tethered to the boat, each jumped in for about 10 seconds into the 30-degree Antarctic water, then quickly clambered back on board to warm up in a cozy white terry cloth robe. (I didn’t partake.)  

Once each day was over, there was a cocktail hour with a video recap of what we saw. Posted on a big screen were the best pictures and video from the passengers, whether they were funny, awe-inspiring or educational. At the end of the trip, I had taken close to 300 pictures.

After four days and eight Zodiac trips, we headed back north across the unusually calm Drake Passage, hardly a wave in sight. Then it was back to Buenos Aires and back home.

I think the top of the world is next on my bucket list — the Arctic. After all, I now have most of the cold weather gear.

The post One woman’s long, icy voyage to Antarctica appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A Calverton company, 10th Street Motocross, is proposing the 15-acre project at 2822 River Road, about a half-mile west of Edwards Avenue. Dan Duffy Sr. who, with his son Dan Jr., is the company’s owner, said he’s hopeful their plan will get the necessary approvals.

Motocross is off-road dirt bike racing held on small tracks, often featuring jumps, hills and obstacles. “We feel confident that we’ll get the okay,” Mr. Duffy said. “Everyone seems to love it and we’re addressing noise mitigation.” 

There are several more laps to go, however.

Greg Bergman, senior planner for the town, said several government agencies have to sign off first. They include the fire marshal, the county’s Planning Commission and health services department, and the Town Board.

“If no agency objects, the Town Board can make a determination there are no significant impacts,” Mr. Bergman said. He said he is recommending the town bring in an acoustic consultant to see if noise reduction plans are adequate.

Mr. Duffy said the plans include a berm that’s 14 feet tall and 500 feet long, as well as an acoustic fence between the parking lot and the track. He added that they’ll be planting certain vegetation in the berm that also absorbs sound.

“We’ve tested it, and it falls well within the noise limits of the town,” he noted. “The town will have their expert take a look at our findings to verify them.”

Mr. Duffy said there shouldn’t be any traffic impact because the races take place only on weekends and the racers don’t all show up at the same time. He said there are nine houses between the proposed track and the Long Island Expressway on River Road, and four houses within 1,000 feet of the track. 

“I wouldn’t be doing all this if I wasn’t confident about staying within the noise limits,” he said.

Asked whether the town is behind the project, Riverhead Councilman Bob Kern said, “I have not heard anyone expressing any problem with it. They do have to go through environmental review, but I’m in support of recreation for young people.” 

Charlotte Van Cott, 75, is hoping the new track opens soon. A Cold Spring Harbor resident, Ms. Van Cott said there are no tracks near her, so she’s traveled to Mr. Duffy’s other track in Ronkonkoma.

“It’s really fun and if I don’t fall, it’s even better,” she said. “I’m a grandma! There are some very good women riders and some of the little kids on minibikes are fearless.”

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Rotarians Wally and Jean Mahoney enjoy the Uncorked festivities. (Credit: Deborah Wetzel) Under the tent at RGNY for the 2025 Riverhead Rotary (Credit: Deborah Wetzel) Rotarian Bill Sannok relaxes during the Rotary Uncorked fundraising event at RGNY. (Credit: Deborah Wetzel) (Credit: Deborah Wetzel) Sheila Barrila and her daughter, Melina, enjoy the Uncorked fundraising event at RGNY. (Deborah Wetzel) Tijuana Fulford, executive director of the Butterfly Effect Project and one of the evening’s beneficiaries. (Credit: Deborah Wetzel) Jean Bauer of Jamesport enjoys the Riverhead Rotary’s 2025 Uncorked event. (Credit: Deborah Wetzel) Kristin Cafiero, director Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck, another beneficiary of the donations made at the Riverhead Rotary Uncorked fundraiser. (Credit: Deborah Wetzel) Jacob Phillips, chief of Riverhead Ambulance Corp., the third beneficiary of the Riverhead Rotary Uncorked event at RGNY. (Credit: Deborah Wetzel) Gina Muzio and her husband, Chris Adams, enjoy the Riverhead Rotary Uncorked event. (Credit: Deborah Wetzel)

Now in its 18^th year, the event raises thousands of dollars. This year, the Butterfly Effect Project in Riverhead (BEP), which was targeted with online racist messages and threats over the telephone in February leading to the cancellation of an annual fundraiser, was one of three nonprofits that will benefit from the event.

First time co-chair of the event, Tom Lennon said, “The Butterfly Effect Project has had a rough year, and we thought this would help them.” Co-chair Sherry Patterson agreed. “When we saw what happened and they had to cancel their fundraiser, we had to step up and help them.” 

Approximately 30 North Fork restaurants shared space with breweries and wineries filling the outdoor tent and the air-conditioned barn. Riverhead’s Pastaria Barila Restaurant owner Sheila Barrila, toting her 5-month-old Melina, said, “We love Rotary and it’s also for the cause. And my husband loves to feed people!” Past chairman Pat Wiles estimated the evening would bring in $50,000. “We felt empathy toward the Butterfly Effect Project. We like them and what they’re doing.”

A veteran of the event, 89-year-old Wally Mahoney of Riverhead, has been attending Uncorked for at least a decade. “You have to support them, the Butterfly Effect, because they’re good people. It’s just terrible what happened a few months ago.” His daughter Jean, a Southold Rotarian, said the hate messages are “a crime and it was against women.”

A Rotarian for 50 years, Bill Sannok of Mattituck, credited with being the brainchild of the event, said, “The first year we raised $7,000. Second year $17,000 and the third year $25,000. It takes a few years to get up to speed. The raffle is our biggest money maker.”  He added that what happened to the Butterfly Effect in February was “scary.”

BEP founder and Executive Director Tijuana Fulford said, “The idea of cancelling our fundraiser meant we were letting down a community of children. It was heartbreaking. We also didn’t have the opportunity to celebrate our 10^th anniversary. It was overshadowed by this. This event tonight is special because you’re opening a door of access for us to be seen by people and it’s such a prestigious group.” 

Jeanne Bauer of Jamesport, attending her fifth Uncorked feels, “It’s not pretentious. It’s for the people who live in the community.” 

Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck in Center Moriches was also a beneficiary of the fundraiser. Director Kristin Cafiero said it was an honor. “Without this, our camp could not operate.”  She said the money would cover food and fees for nearly 550 special needs kids this summer.  

The third recipient was the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corp. Chief Jacob Phillips thinks UnCorked is an incredible event. “We are honored to be a recipient. It will go towards our equipment and T-shirts.” 

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Up from Washington, D.C., for the event, the Marine Corps silent drill platoon performed a pre-show breakdown in their dress blues, with all 24 chanting “Drill is life” and “My everything or my nothing,”  as the bleachers in the football field started filling up with NJROTC members and roughly 175 students. 

Jeremy Garretson photos

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Hundreds of students were on hand for last week’s NJROTC demonstration at Riverhead High School. (Credit: Jeremy Garretson)

Riverhead High School Principal Sean O’Hara welcomed all in attendance. “I want to thank all the branches of the armed forces for hosting this amazing event,”  he said.

Next up to the mic was Major Travis Bird, who runs the armed forces recruitment office in New York City. “We’re celebrating Memorial Day with you,” he said. “Self-sacrifice is what makes our country great. Thank you to those who chose a life of service.  Now let’s honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice by holding a moment of silence.”

Maj. Bird then congratulated the class of 2025, which elicited boisterous cheers from the students. The Marine Corps drill team was up next, dazzling many in the audience with their precision, detail and teamwork as they stood proudly in a row and one by one, spinning their rifles as the band played a repertoire of patriotic tunes.

Four military helicopters suddenly buzzed toward the field. As the roar grew closer, the excited crowd jumped to their feet, clapping. The Marine Corps Band, which traveled to the North Fork from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, welcomed the choppers by playing “The Star Spangled Banner.” Many of those in attendance saluted or placed their right hand on their heart. When the choppers landed, the stands quickly emptied as the enthusiastic kids rushed to get a closer look. Several teachers brought their classes outside to see the helicopters up close.

For 16-year-old Aldolfo Lopez, the electronics and hardware on the choppers is what interests him most. “I might go into the military because the benefits are good and they help you after you leave,” he said.

Genesis Arizaga, 14, was impressed by the display. “It’s so cool to see something you don’t see every day, to see how helicopters work,” she said.

“It’s pretty cool to see the choppers in person,” said Elaina Schreiber, 15, who remembers seeing her grandfather’s blueprints when he worked as a manufacturer of airplane landing gear. She plays tenor and baritone sax along with the violin and is thinking about joining the military band.

The NJROTC and the school district were thrilled with the turnout despite the cold and cloudy conditions. Among the 90 or so NJROTC members decked out in their khaki uniforms and garrison caps was 16-year-old Kaleb Gatto.

“I hope the students are thinking the Marines are cool and maybe I’ll get involved,”  he said.

Matt Andrzejewski, 17, who hopes to attend the United States Naval Academy, said, “Some people don’t know what it’s like and this event gives them perspective.” 

For 18-year-old Zuleika Herrera Rodriguez, the day long program means “interacting with cadets who can answer questions and dissolve stigmas because people have great stories about how their branch has benefitted them. Everyone who attends can learn about a different career.” 

Commander David A. Chiaro said the goal of the NJROTC program is to teach students personal responsibility, maturity and promote community service.

“It’s important we are in the high school and across the nation. Today’s event started at Riverhead high school in 1976, and we expect to have 220 [NJROTC] students next year. The interest is growing and we have a diverse bilingual population,” he said.

Comm. Chiaro believes interest has grown because he and Chief Don Decker make themselves available almost 12 hours every day. “We have mentoring for the kids. We also do college prep and help them obtain a scholarship for the military. They can see what types of opportunities are there for them.”

He sees a lot of interest in the drill team as well.

“It probably gives them something different from regular high school. It might be the ‘cool’ factor or just the thought of being part of a team or a unit,” he said.

Decker pointed out that the program focuses on leadership and working as a team. “They want to hang out with kids who are interested in the same type of things. Our members have a better graduation rate, attendance record and high grades. And they also have a good time.” Last year, local NJROTC members went to Norfolk and spent four days onboard a US Navy carrier.

The cadets recently volunteered to help at the Riverhead Rotary Garden Festival at Tanger; Chief Decker said they also help veterans, participate in the annual Tunnel to Towers 5K Run in New York City and conduct drill demonstrations at senior centers. “It’s definitely a plus getting their community service for college applications; it’s also camaraderie and teamwork.” According to Chief Decker, the NJROTC membership is currently 60% Hispanic with slightly more that half made up of female students, and includes roughly 10% of thehigh school population. To help make the program more accessible, Chief Decker began using peer translators for students who are English language learners.  “We do encourage them to use their English language skills every day,” he said. “We changed the program in small ways to make sure they feel welcome.”

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After several challenging years, precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic and followed by the loss of their Southampton commercial kitchen, the non-profit that has brought farmers, food processors and the community together with a focus on promoting local food sustainability and security, will soon begin construction on a new permanent home and commercial kitchen at the intersection of County Road 105 and Route 25 in Riverhead.

The goal of the new Food Hub is to have a farmers’ market open indoors during the winter, with a space for educational programs and a storefront featuring offerings from local farms and food producers.

“The plan right now is that the whole right side of the building will be for the market, education and events,” said Marci Moreau, the non profit’s executive director since July. “The [grant] funding, which is a great announcement, has given us so many opportunities to promote local farmers, get out there, and help the community, schools and increase access to food. I’m excited. So many people have been waiting for the commercial kitchen.”

Reflecting on the setbacks, Ms. Moreau said she feels that for East End Food, this is the ultimate comeback story: “When I first started as executive director, they were in the midst of so many changes that it was like the perfect storm. This is a story of persistence, grit, resilience and most importantly, commitment to the East End.”

In the state press release announcing the grant, Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard said, “This program not only helps provide local jobs, but promotes the use of local agricultural products. It’s a big win for the community. Thank you, Governor Hochul!”

Ms. Moreau is gearing up to start hiring staff. “This is a great opportunity for jobs in the area. We want to have a quality team,” she said, adding that in the next few weeks, the design for the shared commercial kitchen goes before the Town Board. “We will be bringing back all of our farmers and food producers.”

In the fall, the 5,000 square foot former Homeside Florist building at 139 Main Road was connected to municipal water, a $120,00 project. The water main hookup was just one of many challenging delays, funding issues and permit holdups.

“We’re basically now able to go full steam ahead,” Ms. Moreau said, noting that the grant will allow East End Food to begin construction and complete the purchase of the building. “So, it’s cementing East End Food as an asset to the North Fork — an asset to sustain our regional food system.”

Another important focus of the non-profit’s mission is providing food for schoolchildren. Ms. Moreau explained that the organization is in the midst of meetings with six school systems in the region, including Riverhead, to integrate North Fork farm-grown food into meal plans and onto children’s cafeteria trays.

“While we’re doing that, it’s also generating a food system that is fueled by community, equity and sustainability which is the power of food,” Ms. Moreau said.

Most of the approximately 80 member farmers and food processors who left the Hub during Covid are expected to return, Ms Moreau said. “The sabbatical we had to take was because of the hurricane of challenges. Now we can execute and deliver on our mission,” she continued. “It’s almost like hey, East End, we’re back and better than ever, and this will be a really powerful sustainable community.” 

East End Food Project director Kayla Barthelme, who is also a member farmer, said the organization and the Hub are crucial for farmers to connect and expand their businesses. Her Mattituck garden grows medicinal herbs which, when produced in the commercial kitchen, become value added products to various teas, salves and tinctures.

“It’s one thing to grow really good produce, but building a successful business doesn’t always come easy,” Ms Barthelme said. A lot of farmers rely on the Hub to process their food. Otherwise, if they don’t sell it at the farmers markets or supermarket, it would wind up as compost.” 

Accessing the commercial kitchen to process their products helps create shelf stable food, and the indoor Hub will allow for year round sales in person and online.

“This is a real game changer. It gives us the opportunity to establish a world-class location in Riverhead,” said Board Chairperson Andrew Mintzer. “We’ve had our challenges, primarily because we lost our lease at the facility in Southampton college. It completely shut down our ability to produce food. We have had a wonderful track record over the last 15 years. Now, we will own the building so we can control our own destiny. This is a re-start for us.” 

For now, the market will continue operating indoors at Twin Fork Beer Co. on Raynor Avenue in Riverhead, as it has since last June. Ms. Moreau credited the member farmers for keeping it running, but she wasn’t quite ready to pinpoint an exact opening date for the new hub.

“Once the grant is released in a few weeks and we get our TCO [temporary certificate of occupancy] from the town, that will allow us to use the education and farmers market space,” she said. “Then our goal is to have the kitchen open by the end of the year.”

The post ‘Full steam ahead’ for East End Food thanks to $5M state grant appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

After the ceremony began with the Pledge of Allegiance, a lone bagpiper played “Going Home.” Kimberly Pokorny, past president of RVAC, who said Ms. Behr is still one of her best friends 20 years later, organized the memorial service.  “On this day, they answered the call to serve the community they loved,” Ms. Pokorny told to the crowd. “We miss you, radio numbers 339 [Ms. Behr] and 503 [Mr. Stone]. Let’s have a moment of silence to reflect on their service, as the flag is lowered to half-mast.” 

Leading the attendees in a prayer of remembrance, Chaplain Richard McKay said, “Let’s share a quiet moment together in prayer with hearts that still grieve.”

During the wreath laying that followed, the parents of Ms. Behr and Mr. Stone stood next to the memorial dedicated to their late children as other family members placed blue and white roses there.

“We gather to celebrate two extraordinary individuals who paid the costs and consequences of this calling,” Ms. Pokorny said as the tribute continued. “Our Heidi is not forgotten because her spirit never left us. And Bill’s legacy is his strong presence in chaos. He had deep strength and compassion.”  She then urged everyone to look up as a Suffolk County Police Department helicopter made a circular flyover. “Let’s honor them from the ground and above.”

“It’s very difficult. There are so many memories,” said 92-year-old Dorothy Behr, Ms. Behr’s grandmother. “It’s always there in the background,” said her father, John Behr, a member of the Cutchogue Fire Department. “But I appreciate what Heidi’s brothers and sisters do to remember her.”

“Many people come up to me to say Heidi answered the call and took care of them. They say how sweet she was and that’s nice to hear,” said Ms. Behr’s mother, June Behr, adding that her daughter’s son, Jared, who was only 14 months old at the time of the accident, “is a constant reminder that she lives on.”

Mr. Stone’s mother, Anne Stone, said that several ambulances on Long Island have been named after her son, who she said will always be “Billy Boy” to her. “The world is missing out on a wonderful person,” Ms. Stone said.

Scores of EMTs, volunteer firefighters and other first responders from Riverhead, Cutchogue, Flanders, Central Islip and Hauppauge were on hand to pay their respects.

Ms. Behr and Mr. Stone had been riding in the back of the ambulance tending to a cardiac patient en route to Central Suffolk Hospital (now Peconic Bay Medical Center) on May 3, 2005. The ambulance driver reportedly swerved to avoid a dump truck that was turning left off Main Road. The driver and the patient, who were both strapped in, survived the crash.

Jake Phillips, chief of the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps, said Ms. Behr was a single mom taking care of her son and a very active volunteer. “Every time I get into an ambulance, I think about it,” he said. “There were a lot of policy changes because this was such a traumatic event in the State of New York. Now, we make sure people in the back of the ambulance are wearing seat belts.”

Ms. Pokorny, who has been working as an RVAC volunteer for nearly 30 years, remembered that neighboring first responders came to their aid following the accident, “They stepped up and covered our district for us,” she said.

The ceremony ended as the bagpiper played “Amazing Grace.”

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Organized by the Riverhead Rotary, the festival runs all week until Mother’s Day, May 11, at Tanger Outlets from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. While the focus is beautifying gardens, the gardenias, sculpted lavender plants, petunias, marigolds and many more varieties available provide several charities on the North Fork with thousands of dollars in funding. 

“This is the 29^th year and it gets bigger every year,” said Dr. Rajesh Patel, a member of the Riverhead Rotary’s Garden festival committee and a private practice pulmonologist in Riverhead. “Everything from flowers to flats are donated. We start working months in advance — getting permits for the big tent, going out to local growers and nurseries, coordinating the deliveries and setting up the entire project.” 

The Rotary has roughly 50 members who work in shifts during the eight days of the garden festival, and volunteers from the Riverhead ROTC and Timothy Hill Ranch pitch in too. Last year, the event raised $250,000, proceeds that go to the Rotary, Peconic Bay Medical Center and Operation International, of which Dr. Patel is a member.

“Operation International has been in existence for 27 years providing free medical missions in 29 countries to perform major surgery in all specialties: dental, EMT, neurosurgery and gynecology to name a few. We were just in Laos in March and we performed 100 surgeries,” said Dr. Patel. 

He said the Rotary will also use the proceeds to support East End community projects such as food pantries, Toys for Tots, scholarships and Christmas and Thanksgiving baskets to the needy.

“For all the people who come and buy even a single plant, it touches someone’s life and that’s a wonderful thing. It changes someone’s life for the positive and their livelihoods,” Dr. Patel said. 

Pushing a cart with an oversized bright red geranium and two peonies, Greg Brown came all the way from Sag Harbor as he’s done for five consecutive years. “They’ve got good deals and I want to support the health facilities,” he said. Gesturing to his plants he kidded that “the perennials look great now, but if the deer are hungry, the plants might get eaten — but they’ll come back next year even stronger!”

Gardening-lover Maureen Karpilovsky of Calverton was loading up her cart too.

“I donated $200 to the Rotary, so that gives me $300 in Rotary dollars to spend here,” she said. Ms. Karpilovsky also said the red and dark pink mandevillas she bought are going to be gifts for her daughters-in-law come Mother’s Day.

Spending the day at the festival with his “nana and papa,” 12-year-old Avery Masem of East Northport had his eye on the rhododendrons. “I like having my hands in the dirt,” he said.

The first woman president of the Riverhead Rotary in the 1980s and a current Rotary garden committee member, Sherry Patterson said the festival is the first sign of spring for plant-lovers.

“We get people who come every year as we’re transitioning into the warmer weather. The raffle tickets go very quickly, everything is reasonably priced and I think people feel good knowing they are supporting the Rotary,” she said.

Pulling it all together is a major undertaking. The tables get set up Thursday night, and the trucks start coming in the Friday before the opening, loaded with donations from as far away as New Jersey.

“Joe Van de Wetering started it all with Central Suffolk Hospital 29 years ago. Then his brother Jack asked the Riverhead Rotary to take it over when the hospital no longer had the manpower to run it, and we’ve been doing it ever since. Jack, who is 84, actually flies to New Jersey to bring Snowflake ice cream and Briermere’s pies to the nurseries where the big truckloads come from as a thank you to the people who are loading the trucks,” said Ms. Patterson. She said that he also does that with many of the local nurseries. 

One volunteer who has seen it all come together many times is Judy Barth, a festival volunteer for 28 years.

“I like the people here. I’m the veteran. It’s just what I do because I can!” she joked. The former owner of a gardening business on what is now Wendy’s in Riverhead, “this event gives me my yearly fix of retail gardening!”

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