Mr. Zaleski played Santa for the fifth straight year with the hope of helping every student in need receive a gift during the holiday season. As a 31-year member of Riverhead’s highway department, Mr. Zaleski said he is happy to use his longtime municipal status as a platform to give back to those in need. He was reelected highway superintendent this November.

“It’s really a good thing,” Mr. Zaleski said. “And I’m very humbled, because every year it grows more and more.”

His son Ryan attended school in Riverhead, and Roanoke Avenue Elementary principal Thomas Payton left an indelible mark on Mr. Zaleski as an attentive school administrator. 

“Mr. Payton would literally wait for my son and walk him in to school every day,” Mr. Zaleski said. “So I never forgot something like that.”

The principal keeps a list of local children in need throughout Riverhead’s grade schools—including Aquebogue, Riley Avenue, Roanoke Avenue and Phillips Avenue—and helps distribute the toys throughout the district. 

“[They] make sure all of the children in need get something,” Mr. Zaleski said. 

Roanoke Avenue Elementary School assistant principal Andrea Lopez told the Riverhead News-Review the school is “extremely grateful” for Mr. Zaleski’s generosity. When dropping off toys Monday afternoon, Ms. Lopez couldn’t help but notice the big smile on Mr. Zaleski’s face.

“Receiving all of this for our families and our parents, it really makes their holiday,” she said. “It’s the most gracious thing that he could do. You know things are tight nowadays, and it lifts up the spirits of everybody and makes that bridge between our school and the community that much tighter.”

When collecting the toys, Mr. Zaleski asks that people donate a variety of toys for students in grades 1 through 4—dolls, trucks, board games, paint sets, you name it. This year, roughly 500 toys were donated by community members with the help of Riverhead Moose Lodge 1742, All Suffolk Car Clubs and Fink’s Country Farm.

The toy donation is accompanied by an annual 5K that Mr. Zaleski runs—something residents are likely familiar with from his years of running in town. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Zaleski ran a 5K to support healthcare workers and has run several others in support of local food banks since. 

Mr. Zaleski consistently goes above and beyond for his community, with over a decade of educational, interactive elementary school visits displaying highway department equipment like snow plows and dump trucks. His efforts earned him and the Riverhead Highway Department the Riverhead News-Review’s 2024 Public Servant of the Year award. 

“It’s just all ‘do good to feel good,’” Mr. Zaleski said of his efforts. “That’s basically my motto.”

The post Riverhead Highway Santa delivers 500 toys for students in need appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Long Ireland Beer Company, a fixture at 817 Pulaski St. since 2011, will be closing its doors on Dec. 31. 

The brewery’s owners announced the decision Saturday, Dec. 13 on social media, expressing sadness and thanking the beer-quaffing public for its support over the past 14 years.

“We have worked endlessly these past years trying to stay afloat, trying to provide a fun and welcoming atmosphere, trying to brew consistently good beer,” the post reads on Facebook. “Even with all of our hard work and dedication — we have come to the reality that it just isn’t enough.”

Suds-loving pals Dan Burke and Greg Martin began brewing beer together in their free time on March 1, 2009. They enjoyed it so much that they quit their day jobs in the heating and air conditioning business and spawned Long Ireland Beer Company two years later.

The pair said New Year’s Eve will be the brewery’s “final hurrah,” adding that they “plan to go out partying as only we can.” 

“Over the next couple of weeks we hope you’ll join us in the tasting room and help us say goodbye on a high note. We have a few fun events left, so if you’ve ever raised a pint with us, made a memory here, or felt like part of our extended beer-loving family — now’s the time to come by and see us,” the post reads.

The company publicly discussed its financial struggles in May, citing declining sales and rising expenses, saying it was difficult to survive and warning that its future was uncertain.

Last month, the company posted an update, saying the community responded and showed immense support. Nonetheless, it wasn’t enough to keep the doors open.

News of the closure prompted an emotional response on social media, drawing nearly 200 comments, many accompanied by crying-face emojis.

“This makes me so sad. We love Long Ireland and have come to feel very ‘at home’ there. We will miss you all so much. We wish you the best of everything going forward,” Ruth Taylor Driscoll wrote.

Irish Crossroads, an Irish gift shop in Sayville, thanked Long Ireland for being “such an important part of the Long Island Irish scene.”

“Pioneers on L.I. for sure, great beer, great vibes, great people! I’m so sorry this (is) the end, I had hoped for a different outcome. Thank you for years of support,” wrote Paul Leone, executive director of the New York State Brewers Association.

Others echoed the sentiment.

“A second family to me, and a second home to many,” wrote Stevie Czelatka. “Sorry to see this. Long live Long Ireland!”

The post Long Ireland Beer Company closing after 14 years in Riverhead appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

“We haven’t had numbers like this since like 2019,” Mr. Benedetto said. “Now, there’s three to four guys competing for a varsity spot. The last few years, it was, if you fit the weight class, the spot was yours. You can’t breed competition until you have numbers.”

That competition and drive directly translated to results on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Andrew Peers Memorial tournament at Walt Whitman High School. After a non-league match against Rocky Point on Friday, Dec. 5, didn’t go as well as they hoped, Riverhead dominated on Saturday.

“Great bounce back from Friday,” Benedetto said. “They wrestled through positions and wrestled to win. Need to keep the momentum going.”

The Blue Waves won the entire event, totaling 270 team points. The win featured five champions, including Jayden Glennerster (110-lbs), Kamel Coaxum (132), Luis Manuel Delacruz (150), Colby Baran (165) and William Stackevicius (190). Riverhead had nine total finalists.

“These kids are hungry,” Benedetto said. “They really want to do well. Before, maybe we had two or three guys that wanted to do well. Now the whole team wants it. They’re all pushing each other and it’s a great sight to see.”

Many wrestlers came back to the program after taking time off. Baran, who has mainly focused on golf, is back after taking a year off. Kevonte Newsom is back for his senior year after taking two years off. 

“I think part of it is seeing the success of all the other sports like basketball, softball and baseball,” Benedetto said. “Once kids see that attention, they want it too. Wrestling is one of those only sports that you can shine on an individual stage. Winning in wrestling is unmatched.”

Another major part of the wrestling resurgence, Benedetto said, is the recruitment at the middle school level. There are talks of reviving the Riverhead kids’ wrestling program. 

“It’s a great effort by middle school coaches,” he said. “We have a ton of freshmen in the program. Joe Gianotti is relentless at Pulaski Street as a phys-ed teacher, just breaking kids down and not leaving them alone until they sign up to wrestle.”

The current struggles in wrestling at Riverhead are directly related to the numbers. It’s hard to argue otherwise. Riverhead has a rich history of wrestling, having produced eight all-state wrestlers and dozens of county champions over the years.  

“If we have to forfeit every other match because we don’t have someone at that weight class, it’s tough to win,” Benedetto said. “It’s tough to keep the kids motivated knowing we don’t have a chance every night. We’re ahead on the scoreboard and then we have to forfeit three weight classes, and all of a sudden we’re behind.”

Now there are wrestle-offs in practice constantly. Spots are decided by what’s shown in practice. Every weight class is earned. Two of the best wrestlers in the program, Zach Gevinski and Christopher Ramos, are in the same weight division.

“Those guys are going to make themselves better every day in practice,” Benedetto said. “Let them decide who is the better wrestler for that starting spot. It’s only making them better and our program better, seeing competition like that. There’s nothing wrong with Riverhead taking first and second in the county for a given weight class.”

With the numbers hopefully on the up-and-up for the years to come, Benedetto has one main focus this season. 

“Get everyone a few tough, hard-fought wins,” Benedetto said. “Once they realize that the hard work translates to success, the sky is the limit. Wrestling is a slow, grinding progression. Winning a tough, 5-4 decision when the stakes are the highest is something everyone needs to feel. It’s a feeling that can’t be replicated. If we get them to feel like a few times, they’ll be chasing that feeling for the rest of their career.”

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Flash forward 24 years later and, effective Dec. 1, Ms. Edwards was officially named director of health, physical education and athletics at Riverhead Central Schools.

“When I saw the position open up, I knew I had to throw my hat in the ring,” Ms. Edwards said. “When you love athletics and you love education and you love being around kids, there’s no job better. It’s my dream job. And most importantly, Riverhead is home.”

After a lengthy interview process in the spring with Bob Hagen, Riverhead’s new superintendent of schools, and the board of education, seeing her phone ring with his name plastered on the screen this summer instantly brought mixed feelings.

“He started talking about how much of a great candidate I was and saying all these nice things about me,” Ms. Edwards said. “Listening to all this, I was waiting for the ‘but.’ I had already programmed myself to accept not getting the position that I didn’t realize, there was no ‘but.’ He just offered me the job.”

After graduating from Riverhead in 2001, Ms. Edwards starred for Springfield College in softball, playing catcher. She smacked 26 home runs in her collegiate career, which set a school record at the time. Following her playing career, she coached at the college level in the Boston area before coming back to Long Island.

“My whole family is here,” Ms. Edwards said. “Family always pulls you back, and that’s exactly what keeps me here today.”

Ms. Edwards accepted a position to coach Pierson in softball and field hockey. During her time there, the field hockey team won a New York State Championship for the first time in school history, and the softball team made it to the state championships three years in a row.

“It was a crazy time because once we started getting success in softball and field hockey, other teams started following suit,” she said. “Baseball started getting good, soccer, every sport wanted that taste of success. At that point, winning becomes the expectation, which is exactly the mentality I want to bring to Riverhead.”

In 2013, Ms. Edwards got an opportunity to head into the administrative field, accepting the assistant athletic director position at McGann-Mercy, a private school in Riverhead. That assistant tag didn’t last long as she fully took over the program shortly after. She held the position until the school closed its doors in 2018.

“While I was at Mercy, I realized this is the job I was meant to do,” Ms. Edwards said. “The opportunity to make an impact on kids across the board and give them a true chance at success was so fulfilling. I wanted nothing more than to do it again.”

She decided to go back to school and received her master’s degree in physical education from Adelphi University. Edwards then accepted a teaching job at Wantagh while being the assistant softball coach for a few years before most recently heading to East Hampton High School to coach their softball team. 

“No matter where I went, I always wanted to come back home,” Ms. Edwards said. “I live in Riverhead. I was born in Riverhead. This was always my end goal.”

When Hans Wiederkehr, Riverhead’s interim athletic director, first heard of the hiring and met Ms. Edwards, he knew instantly she was the right person for the job. 

“Energy,” Mr. Wiederkehr said. “If you don’t have energy in this position, you’re done. And if it’s not positive energy, it’s even worse. She has the energy, and she legitimately wants the best for Riverhead athletics. It’s not just talk. Nobody wants this more than her.”

Mr. Wiederkehr will stay on board to help with the transition and to build off of what’s been done already. The main focus has been on youth sports. In partnership with the booster clubs, youth sporting opportunities have skyrocketed in Riverhead.

There’s football, soccer, basketball, lacrosse — anything youth-related, it’s been started. Most recently, there’s been an emphasis on kid wrestling taking root again.

“Our buildings are full with kids’ sports every day of the week,” Mr. Wiederkehr said, showing off a detailed sheet on his desk. “Parents have stepped up. There’s many volunteers that are committed to turning things around, and both of us are committed to helping do that.”

Another thing Ms. Edwards plans on tackling is the playing fields. 

“We want to make this place pristine and top-notch like our athletes deserve here,” she said. “We’re working hard with the grounds crew to clean this place up. Every day, we have a new project.”

To Ms. Edwards, the budget cuts excuse is gone. There are no more excuses. Riverhead will succeed.

“The fact of the matter is I care,” she said. “This is my home. I know all these long-time Riverhead families. I want the best for this town, and I believe in this town. Riverhead athletics is changing. We’re already seeing major progress. All I want to do is foster that success and make it an expectation.”

The post Riverhead hires Melissa Edwards as its new athletic director appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

The money will help markets improve infrastructure, boost marketing and add delivery options. The program, funded in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget, is intended to strengthen the state’s local food supply chain.

This round adds a requirement that recipients set aside part of their awards for sub-grants to farmers markets or vendors in their region through an open application process. Organizations can apply for between $100,000 and $200,000, explaining how they will distribute the funds to market locations.

A second track — offering $200,000 in direct grants to farmers markets without the sub-grant requirement — will be announced in the coming months. State officials say the two-tiered structure is meant to reach smaller markets.

“We learned during the pandemic that we needed to have a reliable food system right here at home,” Mr. Ball said in the Dec. 4 announcement. “Through three rounds of this program, we’ve seen progress on projects that are helping our farmers and producers reach more consumers.”

The Department of Agriculture and Markets supports more than 400 farmers markets, 250 farm stands and 10 mobile market operators statewide. Round 3 awards, totaling more than $1.12 million, were announced earlier this year.

Applications are due by Feb. 4, 2026, at 3 p.m. A webinar about the program is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 11, at 12:30 p.m. More information is available on the department’s website.

The grant program is part of broader state investments in agriculture, including Nourish New York, the 30% New York State Initiative for school meals and the Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program, which will provide $50 million over five years for regional cooking facilities.

To find out eligibility criteria and how to apply, click here.

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Andrew Mitchell, PBMC’s former chairman and CEO, still vividly remembers those nights.

“There are many patients today who’ve gone through heart attacks and been brought to the hospital,” Mr. Mitchell said. “They’re alive today because of what Stanley did.”

Early years and the path to medicine

Growing up in Cape Town, South Africa, medicine wasn’t something Dr. Katz ever imagined for himself. He recently celebrated his 79th birthday, but still recalls wanting to be what many boys dreamed of: a professional soccer player.

“Medicine was the last thing on my mind, because I would get queasy in biology class and passed out at my cousin’s bris,” the silver-haired surgeon recalled in a sit-down with the Riverhead News-Review. “But then I desperately wanted to get out of South Africa. It was, at the time, Apartheid era.”

Many of his friends were taking the medicine route for the same reason — a path out of the country. One was already in a program, and when Dr. Katz tagged along to observe a lab, he surprised himself. He didn’t pass out. That realization nudged him toward medicine.

After graduating from the University of Cape Town and interning in Israel, Dr. Katz came to the United States at 26. He spent his 20s and 30s training at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx. He then directed the cath lab at what’s now NYU Langone Hospital in Mineola for nine years before being recruited in 1991 to North Shore University Hospital as chief of cardiology — a position he held for 26 years.

When Dr. Katz started at North Shore in 1991, the hospital was performing 100 stent procedures a year. A decade later, that number had grown to 3,000.

A pilot’s mindset

Outside the operating room, Dr. Katz has another passion: flying. For years, he has piloted a multicolored, four-seat Cirrus out of Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach, a hobby he picked up in his 50s.

He sees a familiar rhythm between the cockpit and the cath lab.

“When I’m doing a procedure, I’m looking at the monitor, but I’m also looking at the EKG and the blood pressure, and I’m listening to the patient’s respiration,” he said. “It’s the same with aviation. You have to be multitasking and monitoring many different parameters all at the same time. There’s a certain risk-taking with flying and the same with interventional cardiology.”

For him, it’s not the thrill but the problem-solving discipline that connects the two.

Coming to the North Fork

In 2016, on the verge of turning 70, Dr. Katz was told the hospital where he worked wanted to move toward younger leadership. Around the same time, PBMC was in talks to join the Northwell system. He knew Mr. Mitchell, who hoped the merger would bring the hospital its first cardiac catheterization lab.

The two spoke, and Dr. Katz expressed interest in coming out himself to help make that a reality. They had dinner, discussed the opportunity and Dr. Katz was hired that year.

“I think what he really set out to do, and what he accomplished, is … establish a standard of care that the people on the East End of Long Island deserved,” said Mr. Mitchell, who retired as CEO in 2022 and has since helped raise millions of dollars for the hospital.

The cath lab first opened in an interim operating room on the second floor in 2017, before plans began taking shape for the permanent home of the program: the Kanas Regional Heart Center.

Mr. Mitchell still recalls watching Dr. Katz sit overnight with patients, just as he had done decades earlier — a hallmark of his approach.

“One of the things that I believe really makes a difference in the care of the patient is if they have some kind of medical advocate, because they don’t know enough to ask the right questions,” Dr. Katz said. “So when I take care of a patient, I act as their advocate. I spend time going over everything with them so that I earn their trust.”

Building programs and raising standards

Once the program got going, it grew quickly and gained credibility. In 2023, PBMC’s cath lab was ranked as one of the top 100 labs in the country — out of more than 1,700 nationwide.

Since Dr. Katz came aboard, the hospital has also built a credible electrophysiology program — putting in pacemakers and defibrillators — and expanded its interventional cardiology capabilities. PBMC became a level three trauma center in 2017, and its next goal is becoming thrombectomy-capable for strokes.

Looking ahead, Dr. Katz would like to see PBMC become a tertiary hospital, where heart surgeons can perform open-heart procedures. That would eliminate the need to transfer patients west of the medical center.

Mentorship and legacy

PBMC president Amy Loeb, who succeeded Mr. Mitchell, credits much of the hospital’s cardiac program growth to Dr. Katz’s influence. She said he commands deep respect, and that it’s clear from speaking with him how patient-centered he is. She describes him as an extraordinary individual.

Alongside his clinical work, Dr. Katz has made it a priority to mentor the young doctors who work beside him.

“One of Dr. Katz’s famous sayings that I love is, ‘Just say yes,'” Ms. Loeb said. “What he has taught those coming behind him is to have that mentality that you must figure out how to find a ‘yes’ for patients. He’s probably trained more interventional cardiologists on this island than anyone else. His fingerprints are literally all over this island and country.”

The post How Dr. Stanley Katz transformed cardiac care on the North Fork appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

It was a tremendous turnaround for the program, but entering into a new season, Riverhead is looking to build on that success and prevent a year-two hangover.

“The main thing is, I need the kids to understand that it’s a new season,” Fabian said. “Just because we had success last year doesn’t mean we are obligated to have the same success this year. We still have to have the same mentality of playing hard for the whole 32 minutes, every game.”

This year presents a major hole in the lineup. Riverhead lost two of its stars to graduation in Liam Lennon and Deshawn Watkins. Lennon was the team captain and voice of the team. He provided size, heart and hustle. He led by example. Watkins was a threat to score every time he stepped on the court. He averaged 16.1 points per game and scored as many as 41 points on one occasion.

“Those are big shoes to fill,” Fabian said. “Those guys were leaders on our team. We have a lot of talent returning, and everyone is going to have to chip in to have success. We need our top guys to be the leaders this year.”

Three starters return to the unit from last year. Peter Lagnena is entering his final year as a Blue Wave and in scrimmages thus far has been lighting up the net from deep. The shooting guard averaged around 12 points per game last year and is going to be stepping into a major role this season.

“We’re doing our best to put the best product on the floor,” Lagnena said. “We’ve all been working hard all off-season, trying to get better and blend together as a team. We’re truly a family on and off the court.”

Anaiis Mitchell, who has been the facilitator at the point guard spot since his freshman year, will need to take on the scoring load in his junior season. He’s shown flashes of his ability to get inside and finish strong at the rim — occasionally throwing down dunks in transition. He scored as many as 21 in a game last season. 

“I’ve always been a pass-first point guard,” Mitchell said. “I love to get everybody involved in the offense. But losing two of our big scorers, we all need to get more aggressive, including myself. I think we got a lot of great players this year and can find the same success if we believe in ourselves.”

In the off-season leagues, Landon Zaleski stepped up as a major contributor in the scoring column. He routinely scored 20 points a game by hitting outside jumpers and finding his way into the paint. A junior this year, Zaleski will be a major part of this offense and defense. 

Two transfers headline this year’s team. Josiah Rodney, who previously played at Riverhead before transferring to Southampton last year, is back this year. In his senior season, he’ll be able to score with the best of them and provide that key player inside for crucial rebounds. Arnezz Rountree, a guard from Bellport, will round out the starting five for Fabian. He’s got scoring ability, hustle and bounce.

“We definitely missed Josiah last year, so we’re thrilled he’s back with us,” Fabian said. “We expect him to be a major contributor. He can score off the ball and run the floor well. Arnezz is a flat-out true basketball player. He’s got a motor. He’s long. He’s lanky. He’s fast, and he works really hard.”

A major change this year has been the interest level in basketball in general. This year, the varsity team has 16 players and the JV team has 18. 

“The buzz is back in school,” Lagnena said. “People want to be on a winning team. I think last year showed what we can do and more want to be a part of it.”

Fabian couldn’t go deep in his bench last year and had to rely on the starters to play big minutes. In big games, the starting five would stay out the entire 32 minutes, barring foul trouble. By the end of the game, legs were gone, but they pushed through.

“We truly have depth now,” Fabian said. “I don’t mind going 9 or 10 deep in a game now. It’s going to be a massive difference in our ability to finish games. I have confidence in all the guys on the team.”

Also expected to be major contributors who played big minutes last year are Jack Bartolo and Sentrell Hires. The rotation is still being worked out, but everybody will have a role.

“Our job as returners is to make everyone feel comfortable,” Mitchell said. “The faster we can get a feel for what everyone’s role is going to be, the faster we’ll be able to find success. We did a great job this off-season figuring out what we have. Now we just need to put it all together.”

Riverhead opens its season on Thursday, Dec. 4, in a non-league home game against Ward Melville at 4:30 p.m.

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Eddie Bedell, 18, has officially been part of the scouting world since he was in first grade. He started in a troop in Riverhead that his mom, Emily, led before heading to Wading River and East Hampton, ultimately finishing his scouting tenure with a troop in West Islip. Despite what the paperwork may say, Mr. Bedell was truly a scout from birth. He was meant for this — it was in his blood.

“My family has always been big into scouting,” Mr. Bedell said. “My mom got the highest rank in the Girl Scouts. My grandpa was a pack leader in East Hampton. All my uncles were in scouting. It was inevitable that I would follow in their footsteps.”

Over the years, Mr. Bedell worked hard to earn badges every time he attended a camp. Attaining Eagle Scout wasn’t always something he desired, but as the badges started to pile up and he grew older, it became apparent that the highest rank was within reach.

There are numerous requirements to be considered an Eagle Scout. One of them is that a scout must earn at least 21 merit badges in total, with 14 of them specifically tied to Eagle Scout requirements. Some of these required badges include personal fitness, communication, family life, first aid and even cooking. During his time with the scouts, Mr. Bedell earned 34 badges.

“The badges are really geared towards your interests, which I thought was super cool,” he said. “But the required badges definitely challenged me, including the one that had me conquer my fear of public speaking. Everything you do in Scouts translates to the real world. You learn so much and truly become a well-rounded individual.”

A scout also has to serve in a leadership position for at least six months, demonstrate Scout Spirit, attend a Scoutmaster conference, complete a significant community service project and then take part in a final Eagle Scout board of review.

Mr. Bedell took his time deciding what to do for the community service project was something. His intention was to leave a lasting impact on the town he grew up in.

“I wanted to do something at Aquebogue Elementary School,” Mr. Bedell said. “I had so many great memories there as a kid. Some of the best teachers I ever had were in that school.”

His first idea was to create a raised garden bed, but that was shut down because of it being a potential tripping hazard. While walking around the playground at Aquebogue, Mr. Bedell noticed that the picnic table by the trees that was there when he was a child had become dilapidated. Creating a new table became the first part of his contributions to Aquebogue.

“I wanted something that would last long, so I used composite,” he said. “I also made it wheelchair accessible because I feel like people with disabilities aren’t seen enough. I made it octagon-shaped, so now they can pull right up to the table and have someone to the left and right of them.”

Mr. Bedell was also inspired to make a bench in commemoration of his favorite teacher, Keri Stromski, who was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer and passed away at age 48 in 2021.

“I was always very close with the Stromskis,” he said. “She was a teacher in Aquebogue, but I was also in Troop 161 with her son. I wanted to honor her. She loved Winnie-the-Pooh in her classrooms, so I chose a Winnie-the-Pooh quote.“

Mr. Bedell’s bench that sits by the back of the school reads, “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” 

It’s a quote that he took and held on to his entire life.

Eagle Scout has to be reached before the scout’s 18th birthday. Mr. Bedell got all the requirements completed a week before he turned 18.

“It was a long road with a lot of steps and paperwork, but I’m glad I stuck with it and reached Eagle,” he said. “It’s a major achievement, and I’m proud to be able to say that I did it.”

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The residents are concerned about having a cannabis growing operation in proximity to where children reside and where elderly people with respiratory illnesses may be exposed to odors. They also worry that the facility will precipitate a loss of property values and impact the environment. Other issues include increased traffic and noise pollution.

“We’re simply stating that it is a poor location, considering what has developed around that family farm,” said Toqui Terchun, president of the Greater Calverton Civic Association. 

A network of representatives have stood in for the applicant, Brother Bear Canna of Syosset, in both meetings with the town and an information session held at Windcrest East, a development that neighbors the property.

“I’ve never seen an owner stick a face in there and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to be your neighbor.’ And are those owners going to be the operators? And if they’re not, who are those people? So fundamentally, this doesn’t feel like a neighbor,” said Ms. Terchun.

Diane Gaudiosi, Windcrest East resident, has been vocal about the potential impacts of the growing operation on her community. She is on the team representing the 126 senior households in Windcrest. Many of the residents are in their ’80s and ’90s, with one who has reached 106 years old: Ms. Gaudiosi’s mother, who lives with her.

Ms. Gaudiosi said that many of her neighbors are living with serious respiratory illnesses and that the impact of marijuana odors is not well understood.

“Many of the seniors here have emphysema, COPD [and] asthma. Absolutely no health study has been done on the impact of cannabis odors on seniors with respiratory disease,” she said.

Another factor is the buffer of woods the applicant plans to leave between the new facility and the residential area. The patch of trees may provide cover in the summer months, but for most of the year, the building will be visible.

“There are only about 12 feet of trees between their property and our senior community. And during the winter, when trees lose their leaves, residents will have an unobstructed view of a monstrous industrial factory building,” said Ms. Gaudiosi. “The remaining area consists mainly of scrub oak and grass, but the applicant site plans suggests that a dense line of trees exists between the properties, which is very misleading.” 

Ms. Terchun agrees, noting the environmental cost of running such a large, 24/7 operation.

“They call it a greenhouse, but it really looks like a warehouse. It doesn’t look like a greenhouse. And it has an electrical system, HVAC system [and] water. They all have power requirements. Those things are going to be of particular concern, because those impacts are potentially great,” Ms. Terchun said.

The size of the building makes its proximity to the residences an issue when it comes to reselling. Also, it would be difficult, if not impossible, for many of the seniors to relocate at this stage of their lives. 

“For people to come and wanting to buy homes here, they’re going to ask, ‘What is that monster structure over there?’ and they’re not going to buy. Our values will go down, and our retirement savings will go down,” said Ms. Gaudiosi.

Larry Levy, property manager at Foxwood Village, another of the local developments, voiced his concerns at the planning meeting. He had many of the same concerns, citing noise, traffic and a drop in property values. 

“My company said that I can go take a drive. I want to personally go and smell, and listen, and get a feel for it. Because if I go there and there’s nothing, it’s an agricultural use, I get it,” said Mr. Levy.

Ultimately, residents want to continue living in the type of environment they have now, where the rural character of Calverton is preserved.

“It’s not like they bought next to an airport and now they want the airport to close,” Mr. Levy said. “They bought in a farm type area, you know, a very rural area.” 

Riverhead News-Review reached out multiple times to Larry Davis of Patchogue, the attorney representing Brother Bear Canna, but was unable to reach him for comment.

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Riverhead Boys Basketball

Riverhead Girls Basketball

SWR Boys Basketball

Head Coach: Kevin Culhane (18 years)

Last Season: [10-10] (5-9 League VI), missed playoffs

Key Returnees: Zach Makarewicz, 11, guard; Tyler Lievre, 10, guard; Max Boerum, 12 forward; Carter Baumeister, 12 forward; James Cook, 12, guard

Key Losses: Dylan McClelland, Jack McInnis

First Game: Friday, Dec. 5: Westhampton Beach at Shoreham-Wading River, 6:30 p.m.

“Out of all the years I’ve coached here, I think this team may have one of the best in terms of talent,” coach Kevin Culhane said in the summer. “I’ve had some great teams, but if we can put it together like I think we could, we might have a special year and surprise a few teams.”

The Wildcats can score with the best of them. Any one of their starting five is capable of making a major contribution on the scoreboard. They’ll rely on the hot hand on a game-by-game basis.

SWR Girls Basketball

Head Coach: Chris Coster (first year)

Last Season: [18-2] (14-2 League VI), Suffolk County Class A Semifinals Loss

Key Returnees: Kady Keegan, 12, guard; Anabel Keegan, 12, forward; Shealyn Varbero, 11, guard; Leslie Jablonski, 12, guard

Key Losses: Alyssa Bell, Grayce Kitchen, Morgan Lesiewicz

First Game: Thursday, Dec. 4: Mattituck at Shoreham-Wading River, 4 p.m.

For the first time in two decades, Shoreham-Wading River girls varsity coach Adam Lievre will no longer be on the sidelines. Lievre coached the team to the school’s first Suffolk County championship in 2023 and was close to winning another in subsequent years. He decided to step away from the team to spend more time with his two sons — one of whom (Tyler) plays on the boys varsity team. Chris Coster steps into a polished program and will try to continue the legacy Lievre leaves behind. 

Losing one of their best scorers, Alyssa Bell, to graduation, the Wildcats will need to fill the scoring gap left behind to remain competitive. Shoreham-Wading River always retools and rebuilds year after year.  Their athletes always shine when the lights are the brightest.

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