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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On his cue, Andrew let the ball fly. 

Swish. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Previous Winners

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Previous Winners

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

The post 2023 Businessperson of the Year: Luis Siguencia appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Ms. Fullam knows food in ways that most don’t—what farm to table really means and where the holes exist that can create a disconnect between people and food, leading to food waste and food deserts. As a member of the Southampton Town Planning Board, Suffolk County Food Policy Council, Long Island Regional Economic Development Council and New York State Food Procurement Advisory Group, she works everyday to help farmers sell more goods and ensure everyone has access to quality, healthy food.

For her efforts to boost community health overall and for her experience bringing community members together, Ms. Fullam is Riverhead News-Review’s 2023 Community Leader of the year.

“As Executive Director of East End Food, Ms. Fullam uses her platform to advocate for systemic changes that promote sustainability and equity in the local food system,” said East End Food Outreach Manager Miranda Capriotti. “In a relatively short time, Ms. Fullam has transformed the organization from a reactionary food distribution program to a dynamic institution that addresses the needs of everyone participating in the local food system.”

Bob Hatton, associate director of East End Food has worked with Ms. Fullam since July of 2018 when she hired him on as Operations Manager. “Kate is an incredible leader for this organization and the local community. She has a clear, long-term vision for East End Food to increase the impact of our mission and she is working hard to get us there.”

A big project she championed in 2023 was relocating the East End Food Hub from the campus of Stony Brook University in Southampton to 139 Main Road in Riverhead. Plans include a space for a farmers market, demonstration spaces for nutrition education, a shared community kitchen, a food processing area and warehouse as well as cold storage for aggregation and distribution of locally sourced food.

“East End Food Hub is a transformative initiative that will shape the future of our community’s food ecosystem,” Ms. Fullam said at the groundbreaking of the Riverhead facility in July. “This groundbreaking ceremony symbolizes our commitment to building a sustainable, inclusive and resilient food system that empowers local farmers, launches small businesses and connects everyone to local food.”

At the time of the groundbreaking, the renovation cost was estimated at $3 million, and East End Food had already secured $1.3 million in grants and private donations to start construction. Food Hub site tours were given at the Saturday East End Food Market since November to give the community the chance to see the progress and drum up the rest of the financial support needed to finish the project. 

On a Food Hub tour in December given by East End Food Event Coordinator Kayla Barthelme, the rooms were laid out, the walls were up and the electricity was installed. The space is expansive, especially the room slated to house permanent market stalls for food producers. 

Even more impressive were East End Food’s services outlined during the tour. Ms. Barthelme detailed how a local food producer could use the commercial kitchen on site to make branded goods or work with East End Food’s production staff to scale recipes and make the goods for them. 

With so many people involved from the East End Food team to vendors to construction companies, Ms. Fullam’s plate is full. Mr. Hatton said she has what it takes to handle all the moving parts. “She also has the ability to zoom in on smaller details when needed to support our staff but favors a more hands-off supervisorial approach to increase staff empowerment. She has a very strong work ethic and a passion for affecting positive change in the broader community. She also has a lot of empathy for individuals (whether they be staff, farmers, market vendors, and other stakeholders) which allows her to see issues from multiple angles and drives her to be flexible and adaptable as needed.”

Ms. Capriotti agreed. “Beyond her impressive professional achievements, Ms. Fullam stands out as a compassionate leader,” she said. “She excels at connecting with others on a personal level, ensuring that everyone she engages with feels genuinely heard. This quality sets her apart, fostering a positive and inclusive work environment where collaboration thrives.”

Ms. Fullam brings her passion for food, community health and the environment to her work at East End Food. “We’re impacting the environment, the economy and equitable access to food, which leads to a healthier community,” she said in  a previous interview. “It’s an essential piece to make sure agriculture survives, people stay healthy and resilient.” 

Previous Winners

*The award was previously called Civic Person of the Year

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 2023 Community Leader of the Year: Kate Fullam appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

“Diane has been a treasure,” Supervisor Yvette Aguiar said in an interview, describing Ms. Wilhelm as one of the warmest and most talented professionals with whom she has ever worked. “The entire community loves her.” 

Ms. Wilhelm was appointed town clerk in November 2008 then elected to the office a year later. Prior to that she served as the town’s records management officer, registrar of vital statistics and marriage officiant.

“She’s like the most amazing person ever,” said colleague Carol Del Vecchio, a senior account clerk in the town clerk’s office. “She’s very dedicated to the town, to the employees and to the people of the town. She’s very caring and understanding. She’s always trying to help everyone. She goes the extra mile above and beyond everything.”

Deputy town clerk Juliann O’Neill said that when Ms. Wilhelm is not working, she’s an active longtime volunteer in Riverhead, including with Riverhead Townscape, the nonprofit organizers of the Riverhead Country Fair, and at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church. 

“Whenever there’s a need for any kind of volunteer work,” Ms. O’Neill said, “she will be one of the first to put her hand up and help.” 

During her tenure, Ms. Wilhelm has digitized much of the town’s records, including minutes of Town Board meetings that stretch back to 1792 and are now available on the town’s website. 

“That’s as far as you possibly can go, because the town was founded in 1792,” Ms. Wilhelm told Riverhead News-Review last year. 

The huge project was realized with a $60,000 grant she sought and received from the New York State Archives, which funded a complete review, purge, index and cataloging of archived records. 

The clerk’s office also began accepting credit cards under Ms. Wilhelm. 

Ms. Wilhelm was an active member of the Nassau/Suffolk Town Clerks Association and the New York State Town Clerks Association, where she served as district director from 2013 to 2016. Through the state clerks association, Ms. Wilhelm earned certification as a registered municipal clerk. 

Deputy town supervisor Devon Higgins said that Ms. Wilhelm is both a friend and a role model. 

“She is an absolute gem. I’ve been working with her only for four years, which — certainly relative to other folks here at Town Hall — is not as long. But I can tell you, she was my first friend at Town Hall. She has a heart the size of Texas. And when I tell you she is probably one of the most helpful people in Town Hall, I mean that — whether you’re a constituent, whether you’re a fellow employee, whether you’re Joe Blow off the street, it doesn’t matter. She just is absolutely always willing to help and be of service. And I think that’s one of the reasons why she has been such an effective town clerk, because she truly, truly cares.” 

Ms. Higgins added that Ms. Wilhelm is also a trusted counselor.

“She had two giant chairs in her office, in the old [Town Hall on Howell Avenue] … I used to joke with her that was my therapy chair. And I would sometimes go in and say, ‘Okay, I’m here for therapy.’ We joke and she’d say, ‘Okay, what’s going on?’ We would joke, but she sort of is the matriarch in some ways, sort of the wise, kind of calming presence that everybody looks to now and again.” 

Receiver of Taxes Laurie Zaneski has risen through the ranks with her friend, Ms. Wilhelm. 

“We both started as deputies to our elected officials. So I was the tax receiver’s office’s deputy. She was in the clerk’s [office] … then Diane and I ran [for office] together, and we’ve been running together ever since. 

“Our first year we were both opposed. And then after that the Democrats and the Republicans were like, ‘Diane, so well-known and loved. Laurie’s so well-known. We’re not going to run anyone against them because it’s a waste of the committee’s money.’ So Diane and I have been like, running buddies ever since.”

Others said Ms. Wilhelm’s passion for helping people springs from her humility.

“She is one of the most humble people I know,” deputy receiver of taxes Lisa Richards said in an interview at Ms. Wilhelm’s retirement party. “She wasn’t going to come here tonight, because this was going to be about her and she didn’t want the attention. She’s just a really great person.”

For her decades of sterling service to Riverhead, her sincere joy in helping others and her reliably great sense of humor, Diane Wilhelm is the Riverhead News-Review’s 2023 Public Servant of the Year. 

Previous Winners

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

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