Riverhead News-Review staff writer Melissa Azofeifa, contributing editor Chris Francescani, and former digital content director Tara Smith were honored for their collective coverage of the killing and remembrance of Preston Gamble, taking third place in the narrative-crime and justice category. Our team reported on the 15-year-old’s still unsolved shooting death, attended the community’s candlelight vigil in the days following their loss and shared his mother’s story six-months after his death.

Alongside photographer Jeremy Garretson, Mr. Francescani also took home a first place award in the narrative-lifestyle feature category for a Southforker article exploring the history and current state of the dangerous commercial fishing industry, which the writer described as “America’s oldest industry and one of the nation’s last bastions of the man-versus-nature, hunter-gatherer tradition of our ancestors.”

Staff writer Nicholas Grasso was awarded first place in the narrative-arts category for his Northforker feature highlighting Paolo Bartolani’s Rites of Spring music festival, which implores North Forkers to rethink their notion of “classical” music and enjoy the arts in their natural environment and cultural landscape.

Rounding out Times Review’s trio of first place victories is former staff writer Victoria Caruso and photographer David Benthal’s Northforker creature feature touting the underrated monkfish. Ms. Caruso’s piece describes the fish as a “monstrous creature conjured from a dark fairy tale,” and took first place in the narrative-food and beverage category.

Southforker writer Emily Toy and photography Doug Young took third place in the narrative-food and beverage category. The feature documents Il Capuccino, a 50-year-old Sag Harbor Italian institution, which she describes as her family’s “old faithful.”

Contributing sports writer Michael Lewis was honored for his coverage of a Southold boys basketball victory that honored fallen player Dylan Newman. Mr. Lewis’ heartfelt document of an action-packed auditorium awash in green t-shirts, Dylan’s favorite color, took third place in the narrative-sports news category.

Congratulations to all for these major achievements, and thanks to all the readers who inspire the team to strive for excellence every day.

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Mr. Heuermann, 60, of Massapequa Park, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Riverhead Thursday before State Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei for the deaths of Ms. Taylor and Ms. Costilla. The latest charges expand the timeline of Mr. Heuermann’s alleged killings to nearly 17 years, and widen the radius of where he allegedly dumped remains by more than 40 miles. Mr. Heuermann was charged for the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Costello and Megan Waterman last July. In January, he was charged for the killing of Maureen Brainard-Barnes. The remains of those four women were recovered along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach between the fall of 2010 and spring of 2011. The time of their deaths range from July 2007 to September 2010.

Dozens of reporters from national and international news outlets crowded into a press conference following Mr. Heuermann’s arraignment, during which Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney stood alongside law enforcement personnel from the county police and sheriff’s departments, New York State Police and the FBI, all of which participated in the decade’s Gilgo Beach investigation that has intensified in recent months.

Despite the completion of the grand jury case involving the initial “Gilgo four,” law enforcement officials had pledged to continue investigating. “At that time, we said that we were going to continue to investigate this case, that the grand jury with regard to the ‘Gilgo four’ is over, but the case continues, criminal prosecution continues, the investigation continues,” Mr. Tierney said. “The investigation has been expanded to the bodies that were found on Gilgo and beyond. That’s what we said, and I think that has come to fruition today with these two new charges.”

The evidence linking Mr. Heuermann, a Manhattan architect, to the death of Ms. Taylor includes a male human hair discovered on a surgical drape found beneath her remains, eyewitness accounts of dark-colored Chevrolet pickup truck near the site of Ms. Taylor’s dismembered body that match a 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck Mr. Heuermann purchased and phone records.

In April, Gilgo Beach Task Force investigators along with K-9 units searched a densely wooded portion of Manorville where the partial remains of Ms. Taylor were discovered in 2003. Thursday morning, Mr. Tierney referred to the recent search of the “area of interest” as a “necessary investigative step.”

Two months ago, police also searched a wooded area in Southampton where Ms. Costilla’s body was found. Law enforcement originally suspected Ms. Costilla’s death was related to the murders of two other women, Colleen McNamee and Rita Tangredi. John Bittrolff is currently serving a 50-years-to-life prison sentence for the murders of those women, but was never charged with Ms. Costilla’s death. A recent DNA analysis of a male hair found on Ms. Costilla’s body excluded 99.96% of North America’s population as its source, but not Mr. Heuermann. A similar analysis in 2014 excluded Mr. Bittrolff as the source of the DNA evidence.

A handful of family members of Mr. Heuermann’s alleged victims attended the press conference Thursday. Attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing the families of some of the Gilgo victims, read a statement prepared by Ms. Taylor’s mother, Elizabeth Baczkiel.

“Jessica was loving and compassionate and so funny,” Ms. Allred read. “She loved to make people laugh; she could always make people laugh. She tried very hard in school … I miss how she called me ‘Mommy’ and ‘Mama.’ It’s a tragedy she never had children. Jessica would have made a great mother. She loved kids and loved working with them. She worked in the inner city with the kids in summer camp as an aide. She loved supporting kids and helping to take care of them.”

Following Ms. Baczkiel’s statement, Ms. Taylor’s cousin, Jasmine Robinson also spoke.

“This year has been 21 years since she was taken from us, longer than the chance that she got to be alive,” Ms. Robinson said. “I can’t express what this day means, after waiting and hoping for answers. I’m incredibly grateful to the entire task force for the dedication and integrity that they have provided and put into this investigation. I have full faith that they will continue to provide answers for other victims and their families.”

In a bail application released Thursday morning, prosecutors for the first time linked the killing of Valerie Mack, whose remains were also found both near Gilgo Beach and in Manorville, to Mr. Heuermann. The court document outlines the task force’s digital discoveries, including a word document labeled “HK2002-04,” which the Gilgo Beach Task Force considers Mr. Heuermann’s blueprint to “plan out” his “kills.” The word document features the phrases “DS-1, Mill Rd.” and “DS-2, ??????” under a heading labeled “DS” which is thought to be an “acronym for ‘dump site,’” according to the court document. Partial remains of both Ms. Taylor and Ms. Mack were discovered in “the vicinity of Mill Road” in Manorville and along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach.

During Thursday’s press conference, Mr. Tierney said it would be “fair to say,” Mr. Heuermann is a suspect in Ms. Mack’s death, but he is not facing charges in her killing at this time.

Following the press conference, Mr. Heuermann’s defense attorney, Michael J. Brown, said his client was “horrified” by the new charges related to his alleged fifth and sixth victims. The attorney added that he only learned of the suspected planning document and other new discoveries yesterday morning, and said he must “explore and examine the evidence.”

Mr. Heuermann’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 30.

“It’s two additional murder charges, the allegations were obviously very disturbing today,” Mr. Brown said. “But I haven’t seen anything. We’ll do the best to review it and prepare a defense.”

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Mr. Stanley donned a hard hat and a tool belt Monday morning to work alongside about a dozen similarly dressed volunteers at the site of his forthcoming three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,080-square-foot home across from the Riverhead Fire Department. 

For the past 11 years, Mr. Stanley has lived in a studio apartment in Wading River. He sought an opportunity to own a home through Habitat for Humanity after learning one of his seven younger siblings would no longer be able to house their youngest brother, Russell James Stanley, 55, who has Down syndrome and is now temporarily residing with family in Connecticut. Mr. Stanley wants a home of his own to provide stability for his brother, who goes by “Rock,” after his adoration of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and keep him out of a group home.

“We’re gonna build him a home here; I’m building him a home here,” Mr. Stanley, 70, said Monday morning. “When you look at what’s happening on Long Island, there’s no way I could build a house for me and Rock or even buy a house for me and Rock, not with my income, not with my resources. This makes it happen for me and Rock. I’ve never had a place to live before that was mine, never owned anything … I couldn’t do this without these [volunteers]. What they’re doing, it’s amazing.”

Habitat for Humanity of Long Island, a local chapter of Habitat for Humanity International, builds between six and eight homes for individuals and families in need on Long Island every year with the help of various corporate sponsorships and volunteers. Once Mr. Stanley’s home is complete, he will be responsible for a 30-year mortgage, with Habitat for Humanity of Long Island holding a second mortgage.

“This home, it represents so many different things,” Jimmy Jack, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Long Island, said before the crowd of volunteers Monday. “It represents security. It represents sustainability. It represents a home of love. All of you here, we’ve got incredible hands and incredible hearts. Today, you’re going to use your hands and your heart to build a home for Dave and his brother.”

Many of Monday morning’s laborers were executive-level employees from financial, housing and construction companies sponsoring his new home.

“It’s something that we’ve wanted to do for quite some time,” said Maryellen Ferretti, one of three retail market managers from TD Bank who volunteered Monday. “We’re thrilled that TD Bank is partnering with Habitat for Humanity to do this. And the fact that it’s [for] a veteran, and also he’s supporting his brother, is like [Mr. Jack] said, it’s a triple win for us.”

Mr. Stanley stood side-by-side with other volunteers Monday morning to help raise the first wall of his new home, which he hopes will be completed by March 2025. The Brooklyn-born, future Riverhead resident served the U.S. Air Force as a photo processing specialist 1972 to 1976. He was stationed in Udon Thani, Thailand, for a portion of his service, where he processed photographs of future targets obtained by reconnaissance aircraft. After he was discharged, he worked various jobs until he was forced to retire from the construction trade after a cancerous portion of his left lung was removed in 2017. On Monday morning, he said he was clear to lift up to 25 pounds and hammer away at the Riverhead job site. That work counts toward the 300 hours of “sweat equity” Habitat for Humanity requires of him in exchange for his affordable home. 

“A day like today, we’re out for five and three-quarter hours. I’ll be exhausted tomorrow,” Mr. Stanley said. “It’s gonna be a tough one, but I still do it; I like doing it a lot. In fact, I actually think I’m finding a home and something to do … I’ll continue to volunteer with Habitat after this is all over. The people are amazing, the goal is magnificent [and] they’re doing a great job.”

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Among the four bills the bipartisan coalition wants enacted is “Chelsey’s Law,” named for Chelsey Murray, who fatally overdosed from fentanyl mixed with heroin in 2022. She was 31. The bill is the latest iteration of a “Death by Dealer” statute, which policymakers and antidrug advocates have pushed both for and against in recent years. Chelsey’s Law would amend the state penal code to charge drug dealers with manslaughter, provided the dealer had reasonable grounds to know their product contained fentanyl, “the driving force and common denominator” behind the more than 400 overdose deaths in Suffolk County in 2022, according to the district attorney’s office. Preliminary counts for 2023 estimate that one Suffolk County resident died of a drug overdose for every day of the year, according to chief assistant district attorney Allen Bode.

Following a press conference outside the district attorney’s Hauppauge office, Mr. Bode explained that a drug sale can typically put a dealer behind bars for around 10 years.

“For manslaughter, we can get 15 years, that’s what we’re looking for, but not for every dealer,” he said. “If you sell something and you don’t know that it’s deadly and death [is the result], you should be sentenced for a drug sale. But when you know it’s going to be deadly, you should face those consequences.”

Mr. Bode pointed to text messages as proof that a dealer had reasonable grounds to know they were dealing a deadly substance. Such evidence could have been used to charge Jaquan Casserly, 34, of Holbrook — who last month, pleaded guilty to selling Ms. Murray a deadly mix of heroin and fentanyl — with drug-induced manslaughter. According to the district attorney’s office, a search of Mr. Casserly’s phone indicated that “he arranged to meet [Ms. Murray] on Aug. 17, 2022, offering to sell her ‘fetty mix,’ a street term used to describe a mix of fentanyl and heroin.” However, on May 8, 2024, Mr. Casserly was sentenced to 10 years for the sale that resulted in Ms. Murray’s death, because there is currently no legal pathway to charging a drug dealer with manslaughter.

Fentanyl, its human cost and legal efforts to hold those who deal it accountable for fatal overdoses have weighed heavily on the East End in recent years. In August 2021, five North Fork residents and a Shelter Islander fatally overdosed over a three-day period after using cocaine laced with fentanyl. Two Riverhead men and one Greenporter are currently facing federal charges related to the incident. According to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office, one of these conspirators, Marquis Douglas of Riverhead, who on Nov. 2 pleaded guilty to “conspiring to distribute controlled substances and the distribution of controlled substances resulting in death,” faces up to life in prison.

However, drug-related cases in lower courts have resulted in less stringent sentences. In a 2019 case centered on Lawrence Yaccarino, a Riverhead man who died in 2018 of an overdose, Suffolk County assistant district attorney Tanya Rickoff argued that dealer Lashawn Lawrence of Greenport knew he sold heroin laced with fentanyl. Suffolk County Court Judge Anthony Senft acquitted Mr. Lawrence of manslaughter and sentenced him to two to four years on a fourth-degree conspiracy charge.

In January, Mr. Tierney kicked off a public campaign for Chelsey’s Law. Alongside parents of those who lost children to fatal overdoses, he urged lawmakers to sign the bipartisan legislation package introduced by Assemblyman Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills) and state senators Dean Murray (R-Patchogue), Anthony Palumbo (R-Riverhead) and Steven Rhoads (R-Massapequa). The following month the Riverhead and Southold Town Boards authorized supervisors Tim Hubbard and Al Krupski to support Mr. Tierney’s campaign with letters of support. The four bills have the public support of all Suffolk County supervisors.

“[Chelsey’s Law] is a bill that says if you’re dealing fentanyl and someone dies, you can be charged with manslaughter,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said Friday. “It’s a common-sense bill … It’s time to say to those who deal in fentanyl, ‘You’re dealing in death’ and if you deal in death, we’re going to make sure you pay a price for that.”

Ms. Murray’s mother and father, Gene and Sue Murray, were among the parents of five children who died of overdoses who gathered on the steps outside the district attorney’s office.

“This isn’t about my daughter’s name,” Mr. Murray said. “It’s about all the thousands of people that fentanyl has killed, the drug dealers that get [away] with a slap on the wrist to start selling again and the thousands of people this may save in the future.”

Here on the North Fork, the East End Drug Task Force — comprising officers from the East Hampton, Riverhead, Southampton, Southold, Suffolk County and New York State police departments, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration — has battled drug sales for decades. As a detective in the early ’90s, Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley served on the task force. Back then, he said, the largest cases pertained to the distribution of crack cocaine. Fentanyl, he said, became a concern for his department in the last five or so years “when we started getting intel from different people on the street, where it became an issue and where it became a little bit more widespread, being cut into cocaine and other substances.”

The chief said the Southold Police Department currently has one officer assigned to the task force, which enables various agencies to share personnel as a case builds in a particular township over a span of several months. In December, the East End Task Force arrested a Greenport couple at their home, where officers allegedly discovered fentanyl and cocaine stored alongside items such as ice cream cones and brownie mix. And in April, following a task force sting operation, in April Riverhead police made three arrests related to cocaine sales they allege occurred within the La Perla Restaurant and Bar.

“Drugs and alcohol use and driving while intoxicated are some of [the Southold Police Department’s] bigger concerns,” Chief Flatley said. “We take the drug-related information that we get and the complaints of people that are selling very seriously. It takes a top priority when we’re looking to address [a drug-related] issue because, obviously, we don’t want to get into a situation like we did [in 2021].”

Among the other three bills Long Island parents and elected officials demand state lawmakers pass is a request to reduce the amount of fentanyl dealers must possess to be held on bail. Currently, state law allows local district attorneys to ask for bail if a dealer is apprehended with a minimum of 8 ounces of fentanyl — enough to kill 113,410 people, according to Mr. Tierney’s office. Those arrested with less are arraigned and released without bail.

“Get hold of the lawmakers and tell them [the bail bill] is a common sense issue,” Mr. Murray urged those in attendance at Friday’s press conference. “Who are they protecting? The dealers? Or are they out to protect the lives of people in their constituency that really need these laws.”

Another bill in the legislative bundle would designate xylazine, a tranquilizer veterinarians and farmers administer to large livestock, as a controlled substance. Like fentanyl, xylazine has been abused as an adulterant in other illicit street drugs.

“The medical examiner is finding [xylazine] in 18% of the autopsies they conduct in Suffolk County. People are dying of combinations of xylazine and fentanyl … Narcan is not effective on xylazine.”

The fourth bill proposes that the families of those who die from a drug overdose be entitled to compensation through the New York State Office of Victims Services. Among other crimerelated out-of-pocket expenses, these families would be eligible for reimbursements to cover the cost of counseling services or funeral expenses.

“The time is up,” Mr. Bode said Friday. “Time has been a-wasting since January, when we went up to Albany with District Attorney Tierney. There’s [11] days left in the session, and Albany needs to do something. The session may be ending, but this crisis is a year-round crisis, and it will continue if something is not done.”

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“Veterans Day is to honor all veterans; Memorial Day is set aside to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives in service to our country,” said Vietnam War veteran and Cutchogue resident Jack Gibbons. “A lot of people look upon it as a holiday, but to me it’s a time to reflect on those who made the ultimate sacrifice because they love the country and they love what the country stands for.”

For Charles Sanders, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, member of the New York Army National Guard and former commander of the Southold American Legion post, the meaning of Memorial Day is encapsulated in a painting that hangs above his desk in the Southold Town Assessors’ office, which depicts the first wave of Allied troops landing on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944.“A picture says a thousand words,” Mr. Sanders said. “If I think I’m having a crappy day, I look up and I see this picture. That’s what Memorial Day is about: never forget.”

In recognition of this year’s Memorial Day, we asked some local vets to share stories of the fallen fellow service members they will be remembering — and saluting — today.

Charles Sanders, U.S. Marine Corps, 1991-98, New York Army National Guard 2008-present, remembers Donald Wagner, pictured

Mr. Sanders still remembers the man who welcomed him into Griswold- Terry-Glover American Legion Post No. 803 in Southold more than two decades ago: Donald Wagner. “He served in the Korean War and spent his whole life very humble,” Mr. Sanders recalled. “He was very old-school, an incredible gentleman … He’s the grandfather you wished you had, a super cool guy.”

Mr. Wagner served in the U.S. Army as a member of the 45th Infantry Division during the Korean War. According to his 2020 obituary in The Suffolk Times, he received a commendation for meritorious service in communications. Following the war, he worked for New York Telephone for three decades and served as a lifelong member and past president of the Telephone Pioneers of America, a nonprofit comprised of hundreds of thousands of telecommunications employees co-founded by Alexander Graham Bell in 1911.

Mr. Sanders described Mr. Wagner as “quiet, humble, gracious [and] a good listener” who volunteered at weekly bingo nights and attended “every event” at the American Legion. It was Mr. Wagner’s consistent presence and dedication to the Legion that inspired Mr. Sanders to not only join and become an active member, but to rise to the rank of commander and bolster its community presence.

“Being around Don, I thought ‘I’ve got to contribute,’” Mr. Sanders said. “He’s part of that generation that thinks about service more than they think about themselves. They’re not just trying to climb the corporate ladder. They wanted to enjoy themselves after the war, but they also really contributed back to the community … He signals to you how you need to behave.”

Perhaps above all, Mr. Sanders remembers Mr. Wagner as a friend. Before he died in 2020 at age 91, Mr. Wagner got to attend Mr. Sanders’ wedding, where he danced with the bride, Alina Sanders.

“He made my wife feel like gold,” Mr. Sanders said. “She came to the North Fork and didn’t know anybody when we got married. He made her feel extremely welcome when we would go to Legion events. My wife became very fond of him. After his wife passed and we came to visit him at Peconic Landing, he said ‘you guys are special guests’ and broke out a bottle of Champagne.”

Tom Najdzion, U.S. Army, 198589, New York Army National Guard 1989-2008 remembers Richard Klekocinski, pictured

Richard Klekocinski passed his love of racing, mechanics and service to the U.S. Army down to his nephew, Tom Najdzion, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 2476 in Riverhead.

“He was a mechanic in the service, as well as I was,” Mr. Najdzion said of his uncle, who was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1969. “We kind of had the same job skills. [We were both] ‘63 Bravos’ which is a light wheeled vehicle mechanic and power generator mechanic … [We repaired] bigger trucks, what we call a ‘deuce-and-ahalf’ [the M35 cargo truck].”

Mr. Klekocinski was stationed in Germany and Vietnam during his two years in the service.

“I know he was driving a deuce-anda- half and he told me he got hit with [a rocket-propelled grenade] and it kind of blew up the truck,” Mr. Najdzion said, recalling a harrowing war story his uncle shared with him. “He was okay, they got out of the truck. The Viet Cong ambushed them on this one convoy and he got hit. That’s part of the military.”

Mr. Klekocinski was born in Speonk but was a fixture at Riverhead Raceway, where he competed in the modified car divisions.

“We would go on Saturdays to Islip [Speedway] and Riverhead Raceway,” Mr. Najdzion recalled. “His thing was trying to get to the big time. Everybody had a dream of going to the races in Daytona with the big guys in NASCAR.”

Mr. Klekocinski’s dream was tragically cut short when he was killed in a motor vehicle accident in 1977 at age 26.

“I kind of fell into his footsteps,” said Mr. Najdzion, who was 10 years old when his uncle died. “I pursued [racing] on my own … I did my four years of active duty [from 1985-89], and when I came home in the ’90s, I used to work for Trux in Riverhead and we had a race car [sponsored] through the business.”

Jack Gibbons, U.S. Navy, 1965-67 remembers George Sullivan, pictured

Mr. Gibbons understands the firsthand how Vietnam veterans were treated received when they returned home.

“It was a difficult time for veterans to come home and experience the reception that we often got,” he said. “I understood that the war wasn’t popular, that didn’t bother me, but it was conflicting being proud of my service to the country and experiencing the turmoil of the anti-war protests. It was not easy … I thought I was unique, but after talking to other veterans, when we came back, it was like we didn’t belong, we didn’t fit in. That didn’t leave me until I met my wife. Falling in love with her and starting a family, that’s what really resolved the issue as well as it can be resolved.”

Mr. Gibbons hopes to rectify this history. Earlier this week, he launched a campaign to officially honor George Sullivan, a longtime Southold Town receiver of taxes who died in 2020 at age 75. Mr. Sullivan was a Marine Corps veteran who lost a leg after being hit by enemy fire during the Vietnam War.

“It’s difficult for me to imagine that someone whose courage is unimpeachable, and whose sacrifices in service to our country and town, equally unimpeachable, has not received some permanent testament to his honor,” reads a portion of the letter Mr. Gibbons mailed to David DeFriest, commander of the Southold American Legion. “We have honored others who have served this town, and rightly so, but to overlook Mr. Sullivan’s contributions and sacrifices is just wrong. I suggest a proper way to honor Mr. Sullivan would be to name some public, town-owned property in his honor, perhaps the Southold Town Beach could be renamed the George M. Sullivan Town Beach, with a suitable plaque noting his contributions to town and country.”

Mr. Sullivan received his commission in the U.S.Marine Corps in June 1966.Six months later, he was assigned to ground forces in the former Republic of Vietnam and assumed command of a rifle platoon stationed with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment in Dông Hà. On March 17, 1967, he led a mission to rescue the crew of a downed helicopter. Amid a firefight, he was wounded in his shoulder,arm and both legs,injuries that required multiple operations, including the amputation of his left leg. For his leadership and selflessness in battle, he earned both a Purple Heart and the Navy Cross — the country’s second-highest military honor.

“It’s just below the Medal of Honor; it’s a very rare honor to receive that medal,” Mr. Gibbons said. “I’ve often wondered why the town hasn’t recognized his service, both to the country and the town, by naming something after him. He’s one guy I think should really be remembered as a hero.”

Mr. Gibbons, a Mattituck High School history teacher for more than three decades, connected with Mr. Sullivan through his daughter, Megan Collins, a guidance counselor at the high school, but only talked to his colleague’s father on a handful of occasions.

“To be honest, we were pretty much on the opposite sides of the political spectrum,” he said. “We talked back and forth a couple of times about politics and our service to the country. I’ve always respected him. When someone receives the Navy Cross, it grabs your attention if you served in the military. It’s a real high honor, one that is given only to those who have demonstrated incredible courage.”

Bill Sanok, U.S. Army, 1962-64, remembers Leon Jasinski, pictured

Like many volunteers who have served the Riverhead Fire Department during the past six decades, Bill Sanok remembers Leon Jasinski as “all-around gentleman” who served in the Army during World War II.

“In the last couple of years I was able to meet with him over coffee, and I asked him about his service,” said Mr. Sanok, a longtime Riverhead Fire Department volunteer and army veteran who served during the Cold War between the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. “He grew up on a farm on the South Fork, so he drove tractors … [Allied Armored Groups] were a couple of days removed from the Battle of the Bulge, and they called on anybody that knew how to drive tractors or other equipment to step up. They drove day and night to get to Belgium. They were going over narrow bridges, just hoping they wouldn’t get caught in accidents cause they were trying to get to the scene of the real fighting.”

Mr. Jasinski’s stories were not limited to his time overseas. Mr. Sanok recalled how the World War II veteran was “quite athletic” and loved playing baseball, including on the Bridgehampton White Eagles with famed local slugger Carl Yastrzemski, who would go on to play for the Boston Red Sox.

Mr. Jasinski volunteered with the Riverhead Fire Department for 64 years. When it came to this community service, Mr. Sanok described his friend as “a real dedicated individual” who showed no shortage of patience when teaching children fire safety. In his later years, Mr. Sanok, who learned to read sheet music and played harmonica and accordion, helped revive the fire department’s marching band.

“He and his daughter [Barbara] were working hard to keep the band going,” Mr. Sanok recalled.

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“I think about who we’re honoring,” Ms. Casale said of what runs through her mind as her feet hit the pavement. “On a day like today when the weather isn’t the best, we say that our heroes, our angels up above, are showing us tears of joy that we’re moving our mission in the right direction.”

Each day during her eighth annual Team EVA “Every Veteran Appreciated” week, Ms. Casale, 59, of Glen Cove, ran a marathon to raise money and support for veterans across Long Island. Her first race kicked off at Huntington Town Hall Monday morning, and her final marathon ended in downtown Glen Cove. Throughout her journey, she stopped at hundreds of “points of honor,” specific locations dedicated to veterans, from VFW posts to renamed streets and bridges, where she placed flowers and flags. 

Calverton’s Warrior Ranch, a nonprofit which offers equine therapy to veterans and first responders, as well as their families, was Ms. Casale’s last stop after a long Thursday journey. She gifted the haven for both heroes and retired race horses a check for $2,500.

“It is an incredible honor to me,” Eileen Shanahan, the founder and president of Warrior Ranch, said of Team Eva’s third annual stop at the nonprofit. “I admire Eva Casale tremendously, I think what she does is amazing. I think it is needed to get the word out to the public. It needs to be at the forefront of the American people’s mind that freedom isn’t free … Eva is now educating people about that. The fact that she comes here to Warrior Ranch, this is like my favorite event. I think Eva is incredible and it just means the world to me that she makes this one of her stops.”

Several elected and other government officials presented Ms. Casale with proclamations, including Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard. Mr. Hubbard applauded Ms. Casale for drawing attention to the needs of veterans and supporting the Warrior Ranch.

“The work that the Warrior Ranch does here is incredible — how they help soothe the veterans, EMS workers, police officers,” said Mr. Hubbard, who holds an affinity for horses and horseback riding. “Nothing’s better than a horse. [For first responders] to be around them, to help them face their everyday pressures, we’re blessed to have this in our township.”

The supervisor added that he is thankful that the Warrior Ranch served a Riverhead Police Department officer who “was in a bad accident.”

Ms. Casale, a distance runner since age 15, ran her first “Every Veteran Appreciated” ultra marathon in 2016 after meeting several Gold star parents whose children died serving the nation. Through the eight races to date — 2020’s was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic— she has raised more than $200,000.

A few hours and a few miles prior to her Thursday terminus, Ms. Casale and her team stopped at Calverton National Cemetery. In stark contrast to the celebratory barbecue and spectacle at Warrior Ranch, she solemnly placed roses on the graves of more than 30 veterans. On Friday, the runner whose father and brother served in the armed forces, visited and placed flowers at more points of honor on the East End, including the Lance Corporal Jordan C. Haerter Veterans’ Memorial Bridge in Sag Harbor, as well as the Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base and VFW Post 5350, both in Westhampton.

By her side throughout this past week were members of “Team Eva,” which included support drivers who led and followed the runners, as well as organizers who planned and mapped out the weeklong 184-mile trek. The team also included four fellow runners who joined Ms. Casale for all seven marathons. Several members of the various communities through which they passed during the week joined in the runs as well.

“We’re in pain and we’re cold and freezing, but this is temporary for us,” Kevin Arloff, who ran all seven races alongside Ms. Casale, said at Warrior Ranch after Thursday’s bleak sky and dampness gave way to sunshine and calm. “Soldiers that have fought for our country, are still fighting for our country and the ones that have and passed, that’s the ultimate sacrifice they’ve made. We can make this small little sacrifice and run in the rain in their honor.”

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Rockin’ for the Homeless XV will electrify the Polish Hall in Riverhead on Saturday, April 20 at 6 p.m. Butterfly Cody Experience, Who Are Those Guys and Gene Casey and the Lone Sharks will perform the benefit for Maureen’s Haven Homeless Outreach. Tickets include dinner, dancing and a chance at the door prize. The night will also feature a cash bar and a Chinese auction.

“It’s gotten larger over the years; I remember a couple years back they oversold,” said Marty Attridge, the lead vocalist and one of two guitarists of Who Are Those Guys, a local band that has played Rockin’ For The Homeless since it’s inception. “We love doing it. The community gives to us all year long, so we like to give back … We never really have a setlist, we kind of just feed off what the crowd wants. We do try to keep it upbeat because people love to dance.”

For the first time in the event’s 15-year history, Maureen’s Haven is the official organizer of the event. The Riverhead-based nonprofit will share some of the proceeds with John’s Place, the Mattituck-based organization that founded Rockin’ for the Homeless. John’s Place provides overnight shelter and meals at the Mattituck Presbyterian Church to unhoused persons Thursday nights in conjunction with Maureen’s Haven’s emergency winter shelter program, which runs November 1 through April 30.

As Dan O’Shea, the executive director of Maureen’s Haven explained, John’s Place recently “came under the umbrella” of Maureen’s Haven.

“[Rockin’ for the Homeless] was traditionally a John’s Place event, and they officially gave it to Maureen’s Haven this year,” Mr. O’Shea said. “We’ll be carrying that torch moving forward, and we will be continuing to do that in partnership with the folks of John’s Place. They’re still very much a part of the Maureen’s Haven family. They help in our shelter program; they volunteer throughout the year; and they’re a wonderful, wonderful organization, a wonderful group of supporters. Starting this year for the 15th annual event, this will officially be branded as a Maureen’s Haven event, and we’re totally grateful; it’s an amazing gift.”

Services like those Maureen’s Haven provides have become even more crucial after the COVID-19 pandemic saw workers furloughed and rents skyrocketed.

“Pre-pandemic, we would average about 225, 250 individuals per year [who would] use a range of support services,” Mr. O’Shea said. “When the pandemic first hit that number spiked up to about 400, and that number has remained pretty consistent since the start of the pandemic. In 2023, we provided direct support services to approximately 450 individuals, and this would be throughout the entire East End.”

Tickets for the 15th annual Rockin’ for the Homeless at the Polish Hall, located at 218 Marcy Avenue in Riverhead, are available for $50 plus applicable fees through eventbrite. The event runs from 6 to 10 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

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According to a Riverhead Town Police Department press release, members of the agency, the East End Drug Task Force and Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney’s office executed a search warrant at La Perla Restaurant and Bar, located at 65 East Main Street at approximately 8 p.m. on Feb. 29. Police said they coordinated a six-month undercover narcotics investigation after receiving “community complaints of illegal drug activity within the restaurant.” Officers arrested Christopher Contreras, 33, of Coram, on three counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, a Class B felony, for cocaine sales that occurred within La Perla Restaurant Bar. James Wicks, 32, a Bohemia resident, was also arrested and charged with two counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, a Class B felony, related to cocaine sales within the restaurant.

Police additionally announced that on April 4, La Perla manager Eliseo Quintanilla, 43, of Manorville, was arrested and charged with second-degree criminal nuisance for maintaining a premises where persons gather to engage in unlawful conduct, a Class B misdemeanor.

“I am very happy that the investment of resources in the East End Drug Task Force is paying off with successful investigations,” Mr. Tierney said. “I would like to thank the Riverhead Police Department and all our other law enforcement partners for their hard work.”

When asked about the three arrests, La Perla owner Gabriela Montoya said Mr. Contreras and Mr. Wicks are not employed at her establishment, and that she does not know them. Regarding the arrest of Mr. Quintanilla, Ms. Montoya said “I don’t know about his arrest … I go into the restaurant, I don’t see anything wrong in there.

“I haven’t heard from him in two weeks,” she added of the restaurant manager. “He just works there part-time.”

Riverhead News-Review attempted to reach Mr. Quintanilla by phone.

Police said the New York State Liquor Authority was also present while police executed the search warrant and “will address possible violations of Alcoholic Beverage Control Law.”

The investigation is ongoing and any persons with additional information are urged to contact the Riverhead Police Department 631-727-4500 x 312 all calls will be kept confidential.

This is a developing story. Please check back with Riverhead News-Review for updates.

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Mattituck Fire Department chief Jim Cox, along with first assistant chief Bobby Haas and second assistant chief Steven Ficner responded to a call regarding a brush fire on Marratooka Road. The three chiefs, along with Southold Town Police officers, quickly discovered the blaze was actually a burning vehicle in the heavily wooded area.

While waiting for backup, Mr. Haas and Mr. Ficner donned their gear and battled the blaze with fire extinguishers. Once the first engine arrived, the crew started dousing the blue 2010 Ford Explorer — at that point fully engulfed in flame — with water pumped from a nearby fire hydrant. A second engine followed, and its crew stopped the the brush fire from spreading into the nearby residential area.

Mr. Cox said it took the department between 60 and 90 minutes to fully extinguish the blaze.

“Every time we put the car out it would light back up,” Mr. Cox said. He added that the damage to the surrounding woods was “very minor” with burning contained to “leaves and brush on the ground, [and] a couple of the trees right in the vicinity of the car.”

The emergency response required more than 20 members of the Mattituck Fire Department and approximately 10,000 gallons of water to extinguish, which from the chief’s perspective, made the fiery scene “pretty uneventful.”

“It was about normal,” Mr. Cox said. “You get an the scene, things are a little hectic in the beginning, then it pans out.”

According to Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley, the vehicle operator, Philip Norkelun, 76, of Riverhead, “reported that [he was heading] southbound on Marratooka Road when an animal ran out in front of him, causing him to swerve into the driveway of a [home]. He struck and damaged some of the [homeowner’s] shrubs. [Mr. Norkelun] said he was trying to put the car in reverse and get off of the guy’s yard and the vehicle caught fire. He said that he jumped out of the passenger window before the vehicle became fully engulfed in flames.

“As [officers] were talking to [Mr. Norkelun], they realized that he’s got bloodshot eyes and he’s a little unsteady on his feet and he had the oder of an alcoholic beverage,” Mr. Flatley continued. “They ended up doing field sobriety tests and arresting him for DWI.”

Mr. Cox said Mattituck Fire Department personnel transported Mr. Norkelun to Peconic Bay Medical Center for “just for precaution.”

Mr. Flatley said there is currently no investigation regarding how the vehicle fire began last Tuesday.

Mr. Norkelun was arraigned and released. He is due to appear at the Southold Town Justice Court April 5 at 9 a.m.

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In the past two decades, numerous craft breweries have opened on the East End. While a few have since closed or shifted gears, there are even more home brewers who hope to soon join the party. 

But the regional industry is a different world today compared to 15 years ago, when two powerhouses that are still going strong — Long Ireland Beer Company in Riverhead and Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. — arrived on the scene. They were the only acts in town on the North Fork. Their nearest competitors were Patchogue’s Blue Point Brewing Co. and Southampton Publick House, which stopped selling its own brews at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Since those early days, what feels like countless breweries have opened in the region, especially in Riverhead, a gateway to both forks. Brewers who have always been distributors and marketers are now hospitality and entertainment specialists who depend not only on their customers, but their competitors to build and maintain a vibrant local craft brewing scene. With so many newcomers and changes to the very nature of the game, some are asking whether the industry on the East End and around the nation can continue to expand  or if the bubble is about ready  to burst.

“The discussion on the national level, pre-COVID-19, went from ‘There’s plenty of runway ahead of us’ to ‘It’s a maturing marketplace, and yes, there’s more competition, but don’t worry, you can still make a living ,’ ” said Rich Vandenburgh, a founder and co-owner of Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. and current president of the New York State Brewers Association, a 21-year-old promotional and legislative advocate for the state’s breweries and related businesses. “Now, it’s, ‘Welcome to the world of being just another business out there fighting to survive.’ ”

While it seems only logical to question whether such a saturated industry that has grown from a novelty to a driving force in the local economy can sustain itself, brewers here on the East End recognize the changing tides, but are not sounding any alarms just yet.

“We’ve kind of always had an attitude that a rising tide floats all boats, and that we’re happy to have these neighbors here,” said Dan Burke, who co-founded and co-owns Long Ireland with Greg Martin. “I have my regular customers and I have people visiting the North Fork. They’re not going to just stop and have beer here … They’re gonna bounce around a little bit.”

Regardless of change, exceptional beer remains a brewery’s key to survival. Burke and Martin began learning the tricks of the trade and brewing their own beers at a friend’s brewery in Connecticut and ferried kegs back to Long Island for self distribution. Over the years, Burke  said he and Martin have crafted upwards of 60 brews, including their flagship Celtic Ale and specials such as their Pumpkin Ale and Hooligan Irish Stout. Currently, Long Ireland is for sale, but not because times are tough. After nearly two decades in the industry, Martin hopes to exit the business, but Burke said he will remain involved in its next chapter, which could possibly see new owners dust off some old recipes Long Ireland’s fans have been craving.

“I am super enthusiastic about the future Long Ireland Beer Company, and for a blend of nostalgia and innovation,” Burke said.

SPREADING THE CHEERS

Vandenburgh and his partner John Liegey opened Greenport Harbor in 2009, and their first few years in business marked a period of substantial growth. In those days, it was distribution that brought in the big bucks.

“We were distributing throughout Long Island, we were distributing into New York City,” Vandenburgh said. “We agreed to some partnerships where we distributed our beer up to Albany, where there were places where they thought it was a great local New York beer [even though we were] hours away. The number of breweries was growing, not only in the state, but nationally, but we were still considered local within a 600-mile circle, and we enjoyed that; it was great.”

Distribution was especially important during Long Ireland and Greenport Harbor’s early days. For many years, tasting rooms in New York were quite literally for tasting; they could only serve samples of their brews to customers, who could then purchase cans to drink at home. This changed when then-governor Andrew Cuomo signed the 2014 Craft Act, which permitted micro and farm breweries to sell their beers to patrons by the pint. With this law in place, tasting rooms’ profit margins skyrocketed and a welcome wagon was rolled out for more breweries and tap rooms. According to the Brewers Association, a national industry trade group, New York State was home to 75 craft breweries in 2011. That number has since multiplied nearly sevenfold, and by 2022 New York State was home to 504 breweries. .

Experienced brewers and newcomers alike recognize they must keep experimenting with new brews while maintaining brewer-tested, drinker-approved offerings on tap.

“I think it is important to make sure that you have a core lineup that is true and consistent and always available,” Vandenburgh said. “And then you can kind of gamble on the edges, do interesting things that are unique — limiteds, one-offs— but aren’t necessarily going to be the mainstays for you. If you can nail down what that combination is, that’s probably the best recipe for success.”

Like their recipe books, Burke and Vandenburgh have faced growing  competition on  the East End since 2009. Twin Fork Brewing Co., ubergeek (formerly Mustache Brewing Co.), North Fork Brewing Co., Tradewinds Brewing and the recently shuttered Peconic County Brewing, all opened since the 2014 Craft Act was passed — and that’s just in Riverhead. 

As to why brewers flocked there, Burke pointed to former town supervisor Sean Walter and other elected officials, who he described as “pro-business,” as well as an underground secret to success.

“Building a brewery, you want to be in a sewer district,” Burke explained. “For every gallon of beer you produce, you’re producing about eight gallons of sanitized wash water, [including from] cleaning all the equipment … We kind of developed a wastewater management system that all the breweries that have come in after us use. It’s a dilution tank that then bleeds off into the sewer district at a gallon-per-minute, so we’re never overwhelming them.”

By the time brothers Pete and Dan Chekijian opened their Twin Fork Brewing Co. tasting room in 2020, after six-years distributing brews, the nature of a tap room had radically changed. Music defines Twin Fork’s brand, with brews bearing names like the Legato Stout and their flagship Chromatic Ale. The motif is quite appropriate within the East End’s craft brewing scene, in which live music is a key driver of success. For the past several years, industry veterans and newcomers alike have realized they are now in the hospitality industry — whether they set out to be or not. Among countless promotional events, they draw customers and boost tap room revenue through live entertainment, trivia nights, karaoke and hosting fundraisers.

Vandenburgh said public and private events at Greenport Harbor’s Peconic location, such as their popular annual chili cookoff, now generate  “at least 50%” of revenue. For the Chekijians, private events like the bridal showers and rehearsal dinners for which they rents out their space have been a key revenue stream since the  tasting room’s inception. Over at Long Ireland, Burke hosts what he described as “drinking ideas,” including an annual “Pintwood Derby,” a more raucous version of a classic Boy Scout Pinewood Derby.

Each brewery has its share of followers who flock to events or pop in on slower weeknights, but their ranks pale in comparison to the legions who are broadly devoted to craft beer. 

Like punk rock, craft brewing has something of a DIY vibe, and the East End scene is particularly vibrant and successful because it has several venues, all of which local fans and travelers from farther west can visit in a single day.

“They’re not necessarily loyal to a brand, like if your dad was a Chevy guy, you’re a Chevy guy and your kids are going to be Chevy guys,” Burke explained of craft beer devotees. “They’re loyal to the independent nature of the business. We all do different things, but we share customers.”

But zooming out, its clear the sheer volume of breweries has diminished  one sector of many  breweries’ portfolios: distribution.

“We were still having great [wholesale] success on Long Island and in New York City, but year after year, there were more breweries entering the marketplace,” Vandenburgh  explained of his experience in the years after he moved the brewery’s base of operations to Peconic in 2014. “That 600-mile circle of what was considered local started to get smaller and smaller … We were competing with the newer little guys that were starting to pop up in the Albany area and upstate. They were more local than we were. They had a following and may have had a small tasting room, so it was a lot easier for those guys to win the battle for the tap handle in those restaurants and bars than it was for us.”

But other local brewers, including Twin Fork, are still finding broader success.

“We’re actually spreading much farther,” Pete Chekijian said. “My brother is negotiating some distribution contracts in the northern Hudson Valley, up into the Great Lakes area, up in Syracuse.”

While achieving widespread distribution and brand recognition is much harder these days, some home brewers are still frothing with anticipation at the chance to enter the East End scene. Among them is Lindsay Reichart. She and her partner, Gunnar Burke, started brewing more than a decade ago and have  been canning Springs Brewery offerings, including the Lazy Lightning IPA and the Radio Radio pilsner, for two years. After her father retires later this year, she hopes to take over his auto body shop and convert it into a tasting room of her own. She will join Kidd Squid Brewing Company and Westhampton Beach Brewing Co., which opened on the South Fork in recent years. From her perspective, those neighboring establishments “don’t feel like competition.”

“It’s interesting because when we started thinking about this, there weren’t really many breweries on the South Fork,” she said. “The beer culture in Riverhead was still small, and there was Greenport [Harbor] and Montauk [Brewing Company]. Things have evolved … I think having all these different breweries enriches the culture and the respect for these fermentation practices … In Germany, every town has a different brewery that’s doing a different thing and providing a different perspective. I think on the East End, where everything has turned into this fancy Hamptons thing, beer can be this social condenser that is very accessible and really brings people together.”

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