2024-25 OnFocus Central Wisconsin Area Conferences: Conference and Team Links, Schedules Hear about top athletes and top teams in our area ********************************************** We welcome your stories! Contact us at [email protected] David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected] Bayport-Blue Point and Center Moriches faced off in a Suffolk baseball matchup on Tuesday Bayport-Blue Point starting pitcher Cooper Fuller delivers a pitch during a Suffolk baseball game on Tuesday Center Moriches JT Bonventre lines a single into leftfield during a Suffolk baseball game on Tuesday Bayport-Blue Point's Colin Most slides safely into second base on the steal against Center Moriches during a Suffolk baseball game on Tuesday Bayport-Blue Point's Tyler McKillop lines an RBI single to leftfield against Center Moriches during a Suffolk baseball game on Tuesday Bayport-Blue Point's Sam DaVore crushes a two RBI single to the outfield during a Suffolk baseball game on Tuesday Bayport-Blue Point's Cooper Fuller drives a double to centerfield during a Suffolk baseball game on Tuesday Bayport-Blue Point's Guytano Kiesel drives an RBI single through the infield during a Suffolk baseball game on Tuesday Bayport-Blue Point's Brendan Mattimore connects for a two RBI single during a Suffolk baseball game on Tuesday Center Moriches starting pitcher Joe Hiller delivers a pitch during a Suffolk baseball game on Tuesday The Newsday app makes it easier to access content without having to log in Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BayPort Credit Union is pleased to announce that Jonathan Harrell has been appointed Chief Information Officer Harrell will oversee BayPort's IT strategy ensuring its technology infrastructure supports the credit union's goals and drives innovation "We are thrilled to welcome Jonathan to our team His passion for technology and his innovative approach to problem solving and efficiency make him the perfect fit to lead us into BayPort's next chapter of growth and success," said Jim Mears Harrell's appointment to Chief Information Officer follows the recent retirement of Denise McRoberts after 16 years of distinguished service and faithful dedication to BayPort Harrell has more than 30 years of IT experience with specific expertise in operations Harrell most recently served as Vice President of IT with Langley Federal Credit Union he spent a distinguished 23 years with Regent University serving in various roles including Chief Information Officer Associate Vice President of IT; Director of Network Engineering and Media Services; and Manager of Networking Engineering Harrell holds a Master of Business Administration from Regent University and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Old Dominion University Harrell serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Volunteer Hampton Roads and is a member of 757CIO About BayPortIn 1928 12 shipyard workers from Newport News Shipbuilding formed an organization with a specific purpose as a low-interest source of loans and a trusted place to deposit money BayPort Credit Union is rated a Superior 5-Star Credit Union by Bauer Financial managing $2.6 billion in assets and servicing over 154,000 individuals and businesses with 29 branch locations across the Virginia Peninsula and Southside communities The BayPort Foundation is excited to announce that it has raised $142,734 at its fourth annual Charity Golf Classic event BayPort Credit Union has won in the Diamond Awards by America's Credit Unions' Marketing Financial Technology Financial Technology Computer & Electronics Banking & Financial Services Do not sell or share my personal information: Longtime Bay Port boys basketball coach Nate Rykal already believed at the end of this season that his Pirates will be a legitimate contender in the Fox River Classic Conference in 2025-26 That expectation is even higher now after the team recently added the Monroe brother duo of 6-foot-10 senior JJ Meyer and 6-8 junior JT Meyer The family is moving to the area after JJ and JT’s father was appointed as the pastor of First United Methodist Church in Green Bay and their mother was appointed as pastor of Sturgeon Bay UMC JJ and JT aren’t even the tallest members of their household. Jeff is 7-2 and played center for John Calipari at UMass from 1990 to 1995 Monroe went 17-9 this season before losing to Mount Horeb in a WIAA Division 2 regional Rykal was teaching a developing young leaders class during the week of the boys state tournament in March when Bay Port Associate Principal Jo Wiebel stopped by the room Wiebel wanted to know what Rykal was doing on that Friday Rykal told him he’d be in Madison at state as part of the WIAA broadcast That’s when Wiebel informed him about a couple 6-8 and 6-10 kids coming in to visit “I thought he was joking,” Rykal said. “I thought he was playing a trick on me. (Bay Port Principal Mike) Frieder put him up to it or something. That’s something Frieder would do Rykal eventually did get an opportunity to FaceTime with the brothers before they left for an AAU tournament He didn’t know anything about them before he was informed they would attend Bay Port “You get some reports from other coaches you know once they hear about it and they tell you what they think,” Rykal said I heard you are getting this guy.’ You get all sorts of different opinions from different people “The main thing is we need to make sure we do a good job getting the kids to get along when they get here and make sure we are all in it for the same thing We are all in it to try to win something and make this thing work all together.” It could end up being the second straight season an FRCC team gets a significant boost because of a transfer Ashwaubenon won 19 games and finished in a tie for third in the 10-team league after the addition of senior guard and Alabama commit Amari Allen 11.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists while being named the Gatorade boys basketball player of the year for Wisconsin The Meyer brothers should help replace the size Bay Port is losing with the graduation of both 6-7 forward-center Mondes Kelly and 6-8 forward Maddox Cornette The two combined to average 25 points and 10.2 rebounds for the Pirates this season “It could be a huge factor in things that happen whose team last won the FRCC in 2020 and hasn’t been to state since making back-to-back trips in 2008 and 2009 JT Meyer had big sophomore season for MonroeThe younger Meyer brother doesn’t turn 16 until the end of June but already was one of the best players in the Rock Valley-Valley Conference this season JT was a key figure in Monroe winning the league championship despite the loss of star guard Logan Taylor who missed all but two games after tearing an Achilles tendon He averaged 10 points and 6.6 rebounds and was second on the team in 3-point shooting JT was third in voting for the league’s player of the year an honor that went to teammate Mekhi Brown High school football: After bizarre experience at Green Bay Preble, Mark Jonas named coach at Oconto Falls Perhaps what stands out most is his dedication He often would get a ride to school from Monroe coach Brian Bassett at 5:45 a.m He really had a great relationship with all of his teammates on and off the court great personality and just rolls with everything that you throw his way “He came in three to four times per week in the fall and would work on the shooting guns and was always looking to improve his game.” JT often was around the perimeter and shot 3s at the start of the season but Bassett and his coaching staff were able to convince him to work more in the interior “He became really efficient and our go-to guy down the stretch of the conference season,” Bassett said “Strong interior presence with good post moves worked hard on his left hand during the season … Handles the ball well for his size and can take guys off the dribble and use a variety of moves on the way to the basket He is also a very good passer on the perimeter “My biggest concern for JT is the speed of the game in Bay Port's conference although every day he comes in and shoots you can see his body starting to mature and he is becoming more explosive He still needs to work on his foot speed.” JJ Meyer offers another large presence for Bay PortThe older Meyer brother averaged 13 points and 4.8 rebounds this season Rykal can’t recall having a 6-10 player on his roster since he was hired at Bay Port in 2005, mentioning that 6-8 forward and 2018 graduate Jack Plumb was perhaps the tallest JJ has shown the ability to run the floor well in transition and improved his moves around the rim by the end of the season it is just getting him to focus on improving,” Bassett said Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Jeff spent over 30 years at Andersen Windows before retiring A dedicated member of the Bayport Fire Department for more than two decades Jeff served his community with bravery and selflessness as a volunteer firefighter He was also a proud member of the Son's of the American Legion Jeff's true passions included cheering on the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings showcasing his unwavering loyalty to his favorite sports teams.  A celebration of Jeff's life will be Sunday Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors A longtime local builder who helped develop industry standards steps in on parcel with troubled history A new housing development taking shape in Bayport would use the open land once eyed by GreenHalo Builds the troubled home-building company that collapsed in 2023 when it was revealed to be little more than a debt-ridden shell plagued by allegations of shoddy construction and unfinished homes a builder with decades of experience and hundreds of completed homes has laid out a plan that calls for 35 houses and at least 30 multi-family units on the parcel east of Stagecoach Trail near Barker’s Alps Park Pratt Homes President Leonard Pratt and his representatives told the City Council they would take two to three years to build houses on the 28-acre parcel before the project would move into a second phase that would see multi-family housing rise in the center of the development Bayport Mayor Michele Hanson said she was initially concerned that the developer might focus only on the first phase and leave the multi-family project unfinished “I’ve had several conversations with Len and I have confidence that he does quality work and that he cares,” Hanson said “But it is concerning because he doesn’t normally do multi-family but after hearing the conversation [at the meeting] he is dedicated to finding a builder that matches his same level of quality and care.” told the council that Pratt Homes would agree to a stipulation that the last 10 building permits of Bayhaven’s first phase be released only after a viable plan for the multi-family housing is brought forward “It forces us to be committed to finding that,” he told the council The company is already in talks with several builders Pratt also hired architect Pete Keely of Collage Architects to design some preliminary ideas of what the multi-family housing could look like Showing those plans to the council earlier this month Keely said the second phase could be a single three-story apartment building or a series of townhomes depending on how many units get built If an apartment building is the final decision Kelly said his design would include numerous setbacks and angles to prevent the construction of something that looked like a brick wall A multi-family project of at least 30 units must be built on the site to meet the city’s comprehensive plan requirement of five dwellings per acre Pratt said the site could hold a maximum of 70 units The Bayhaven development would require cutting down 273 of the 701 trees on the site according to plans shared with the City Council The developer would plant 279 replacement trees after construction is finished He filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection and had at least 46 creditors, according to court records. In August, the trustee reported that she had found no assets available for distribution over and above that exempted by law and the case was closed Nov. 15. Pratt Homes, based in Vadnais Heights, was founded in 1973 and has built hundreds of houses in the Twin Cities. Founder Lowell Pratt worked with the state Department of Commerce in the early 1990s to draft home construction standards, and was granted the first builder license in the state, according to the company website. Some of their latest projects include Laurel Ridge in Scandia, the Villas at the Royal Club in Lake Elmo, and the Villas at Spring Farm in North Oaks. The Bayport project’s final plat must come back before the City Council for final approval, but city administrator Matt Kline said a significant amount of work remains before that can happen. Once it does, the developer can start installing infrastructure for utilities and roads and then apply for building permits for individual houses. The council voted unanimously this month to allow both the annexation request and the comprehensive plan amendment required for the project to move forward. “Welcome to Bayport,” Hanson told Leonard Pratt. Matt McKinney writes about his hometown of Stillwater and the rest of Washington County for the Star Tribune's suburbs team.  News & Politics Minnesota’s kindergartners have been below the recommended 95% threshold for years and more parents are getting exemptions for the MMR vaccine Where are children most vulnerable to infectious spread Hennepin County is highlighting salvage businesses in May to encourage residents to reuse construction materials and limit what gets sent to landfills Conservative board members had questioned the content of the books and curricula prompting criticism from the teachers union 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fifth straight year BayPort Credit Union has won in all four award categories in the 2024 Social Responsibility Awards sponsored by the Virginia Credit Union League BayPort won first place in the Louise Herring Award category for launching Get My Rate a new loan technology that enables local consumers to learn their potential loan rate pre-qualification for auto or personal loans without affecting their credit score BayPort recognizes the need for financial education from a trusted local source directly contributing to economic growth and social development BayPort is the first financial institution in the country to implement the Get My Rate pre-qualification tool powered by its Credit Score and Reporting provider In the Desjardins Adult Financial Education Award category BayPort won second place for launching strategic initiatives to promote financial education among members and the community Building on its longstanding history as Newport News Shipbuilding Employees Credit Union BayPort hosted a series of ongoing virtual and in-person education workshops for shipyard Employee Resource Groups BayPort enhanced its Virtual Wellness Series and continued participation in the national industry Financial Literacy Month and America Saves Week series In the Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award category BayPort won second place for the Cash for Class work-based learning programs in high schools and grants up to $1,000 to K-12 educators and supporting staff BayPort won third place for reaffirming their commitment to local education and workforce development by announcing the second $500,000 transformational grant called Accelerating Change Together The BayPort Foundation partnered with three leading companies to address the region's skilled labor shortage by supplying the essential funding necessary to create a strong workforce pipeline BayPort is also recognized for its annual philanthropic and corporate giving of more than half a million dollars as well as staff volunteerism and fundraising with legacy nonprofit partnerships managing $2.4 billion in assets and servicing 152,000 individuals and businesses with 29 branch locations across the Virginia Peninsula and Southside communities BayPort Credit Union is pleased to announce that Jonathan Harrell has been appointed Chief Information Officer Awards David's journey began on a farm where the values of hard work and community were instilled in him from an early age David proudly served his country in the United States Navy where he laid the foundation for a life dedicated to service and leadership earning a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin followed by a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Minnesota David made an indelible mark on the lives of countless students as an Elementary Teacher and Principal at Marine and Bayport Elementary Schools within District 834 in Stillwater His passion for education and commitment to nurturing young minds were testament to the deep love he had for his community David continued to share his infectious spirit and work ethic in various roles—working at Sears in the Mall of America and eventually retiring from Ace Hardware at the age of 82 Todd (Tami) Graham and Troy (Shari) Graham; step-children Eric (Jeaneen) Halverson and Keri Halverson; 27 grandchildren 34 great-grandchildren; other family and friends Stillwater with visitation 2 hours prior to the service memorials are preferred to the Bayport Public Library David's funeral is available to view in three parts: Livestream for David Graham Part One Livestream for David Graham Part 2 Livestream for David Graham Part 3 Bradshaw Celebration of Life Center - Stillwater 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The BayPort Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of its 2025 Scholarship Program offering $100,000 in tuition assistance to local students and working professionals in their educational pursuits The program is open to members of all ages Twelve distinct scholarships are available and 36 will be awarded to member students attending a university Recipients will receive financial support ranging from $1,000 to $8,000 BayPort's scholarship opportunities for high school seniors include the Beard Bennett Memorial Scholarship awarded annually to six high school seniors and the Student-Run Credit Union (SRCU) Member Scholarship awarded annually to six high school seniors attending a participating BayPort SRCU program school Undergraduate or graduate students are invited to apply for the Directors Scholarship and the Rowe Family Scholarship BayPort has scholarships supporting Virginia Peninsula Community College students including the Donald I BayPort also recognizes the importance of workforce development particularly for those involved in vocational or skilled trades The Tuition Booster Scholarship aids full-time working professionals The Wright Family Scholarship and the Wiatt Memorial Apprentice School Scholarship are available to Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School apprentices or graduates Applications for the 2025-2026 academic year are accepted until March 31 For more information and to apply for one of these scholarships, please visit bayportcu.org/foundation About BayPort FoundationBayPort Foundation is the charitable arm of BayPort Credit Union and was established to extend the credit union's philosophy of "people helping people." The Foundation is an extension of the credit union's charitable giving BayPort Credit Union commits more than half a million dollars in annual corporate donations and pays all the Foundation's overhead to ensure that 100% of the Foundation donations support its mission Education Not For Profit Corporate Social Responsibility WAVY.com A local farm needs help picking their strawberries the city of Virginia Beach experienced a tragedy when police officers Cameron Girvin and Christopher Reese were shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop A dispatcher who was working that night spoke with 10 On Your Side about the moment the call came in A Chesapeake family is thanking the community after getting support following a house fire last month dispatchers received reports of a house on fire off of Country Mill Run Road at approximately 12:10 p.m Moyock Fire Department and Navy Regional also responded to help with water supply and fire extinguishment two recent child drownings in Chesapeake remind all of us that water safety should be top of mind A bill concerning Flock cameras and the data they hold was just signed into law by Virginia Gov The law is meant to regulate the data and add restrictions How loved ones spend their last days in Medicare and Medicaid supported facilities is top of mind for local members of Congress who represents voters in Virginia's first congressional district said he went through this with his parents Newport News police responded to a home on Cedar Avenue and found a toddler unconscious on a mattress with paramedics arriving soon after and pronouncing him dead before medical efforts could be made Zai-Twond Perry was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and felony child abuse the father's side of the family of 20-month-old Khaza Lindsay-Holliday has been in an uphill battle to get answers about what happened to him Financial Educator from BayPort Credit Union joins Coast Live to discuss the many scholarship opportunities available to students in Hampton Roads through The BayPort Foundation Paid for by BayPort Credit Unionwww.bayportcu.org These RTGs will be Port Houston’s first “one-over-six” stacking units raising the standard and expanding the hybrid fleet to 46 Port Houston’s second-largest crane acquisition Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is set to begin construction of the Beltway 8 Dredged Material Placement Area for Project 11 in May Port Houston recently submitted a letter of intent (LOI) to USACE for a feasibility study on Project 12 the next deepening project for the Houston Ship Channel In January, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced that the Port of Houston Authority received almost $25 million in grant funds One month later, Port Houston’s container volumes were down 5 per cent year-to-date (YTD), but general cargo is up 9 per cent, fueled by strong lumber and plywood volumes Kalmar has completed a repair project for a ship-to-shore (STS) crane leg at the Nhava The Port of Rotterdam Authority has introduced Carbonbid a sustainability initiative that allows companies to Arkas Line has added a second company-owned vessel to the USA Express Service (USX) Moller—Maersk (Maersk) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) Chittagong the first privately-owned container terminal in Bangladesh DP World is set to implement OneStop Modal and the OneStop Vehicle Booking System (VBS) A Longwood Middle School fifth grader engages in a practice session of the computer-based English Language Arts test in 2017 Schools on Long Island were impacted by a breakdown in the computerized testing system Tuesday A breakdown in computerized state English testing hit schools on Long Island and elsewhere in the state early Tuesday though technical glitches were resolved later that morning some local school authorities described the testing postponements as disruptive Superintendent Todd Winch said that about 1,600 students in grades three through five were preparing to take the tests in English language arts around 9 a.m. when his system received notice that testing was postponed because it changes the plans that everybody has for that day at a moment's notice," Winch said is that some districts now must decide whether to hold make up tests later this week or after spring break State tests in both English and math are taken over two-day periods so some students could see their testing periods split over several weeks Get the latest updates on how education is changing in your district By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy Temporary breakdowns were also reported in Bayport-Blue Point as well as in the city of Albany and its adjacent suburb of Bethlehem Due to differences in local class schedules some students found themselves cut off in the middle of testing while others had tests temporarily canceled just before they began a spokesman for the state's Department of Education described the technical glitches as "localized" and said they affected about 10% of schools statewide Tuesday that technical problems had been resolved and that the system was again functioning at full capacity "We apologize for the inconvenience to those students and school personnel," O'Hare added O'Hare said the corrective action was taken by a private contractor that administers tests for the department is a non-profit educational services organization headquartered in Portland "It's important to note that tens of thousands of students have successfully completed their tests without issue," O'Hare wrote "With six weeks allocated for testing we remain confident that all students will have the time and opportunity to complete their assessments."  ELA tests are taken annually statewide by more than 900,000 students in grades three through eight That includes more than 110,000 students on Long Island State testing in both English and math is conducted in April and May but some districts use a combination of digital and paper exams Full computerization statewide is due to be in place by spring 2026 Patrick’s Day Parade marched through Montauk Highway on Sunday Greater Long Island photographer Eric Micallef was on the scene capturing the day’s best moments Tap here to see what’s happening 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fifth consecutive year BayPort is honored with three awards in the Public Relations BayPort is one of nine credit unions in Virginia and only three in Hampton Roads to have won BayPort is pleased to be the only credit union in Virginia to win three Diamond Awards this year attributing its continuous success to its marketing department's in-house creative and promotional efforts a strategic partnership involving BayPort and three leading companies based in Hampton Roads The award acknowledges BayPort's in-house development of all ACT Grant communications these public relations efforts resulted in 43 news media promotions including 21 TV features and 22 website articles The 2024 ACT Grant was awarded to the Newport News Public Schools' New Teacher Institute program aimed at enhancing support for first- and second-year teachers and investing in Career and Technical Education and English as a Second Language instruction This engaging and interactive contest combined financial education with friendly competition BayPort provided holiday budgeting tips on social media platforms (Facebook and X) and encouraged users to participate to win family-friendly holiday prizes The campaign featured 47 posts that generated nearly 15,000 impressions which has become a cherished holiday tradition in Virginia Beach This year's event was particularly successful attracting over 4,000 participants dressed as Santa The race route runs beneath the BayPort Credit Union Holiday Lights at the Beach on the boardwalk due to the cross-promotional efforts of BayPort and race partner J&A Racing more than $3,500 in registration donations were raised for the BayPort Foundation The Diamond Awards are the most prestigious annual competition in the credit union industry This year's competition saw a record-breaking 1,400 submissions and associations from 42 states earning distinctions for their outstanding work About BayPortIn 1928 About America's Credit UnionsAmerica's Credit Unions is the unified voice for not-for-profit credit unions and their more than140 million members nationwide America's Credit Unions provides strong advocacy empower and advance credit unions and the people and communities they serve About CouncilsCouncils is a member-led collaborative community of credit union leaders providing vibrant peer interaction new ideas and innovation to foster professional development while advocating for the overall success of the credit union movement There are eight Councils with a network of more than 8,000 credit union professionals 2024 at 11:57 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}La Pizzetta Gourmet Market is a 'one-stop shop for homemade authentic Italian food.' (Courtesy of Lou Mondi)BAYPORT NY — A new gourmet market and eatery opened today in Bayport on Middle Road where Zucchini Natural Market was until it closed in August La Pizzetta Gourmet Market is celebrating with grand opening specials until 8 p.m. The Italian market is the newest foray for the Mondis an Eastport family with deep roots in Long Island's restaurant world The Mondis have owned and operated numerous local eateries including Luigi's Main Street Pizza in Eastport the community can expect a "huge menu" of classic Italian dishes and shelves of specialty Italian items traditional grocery stores don't keep in stock We want it to feel like you’re stopping at Nonna’s house to pick up dinner," Mondi told Patch "My family has been in the restaurant business on Long Island for almost 40 years She added that her family wanted to "bring convenience to Bayport." "You can come by on the way to work to pick up coffee Stop by to pick up dinner on your way home and also pick up some specialty ingredients to cook at home the next night," she said "There’s not many places nearby that give you the opportunity to do all of that." La Pizzetta Gourmet Market is located at 578 Middle Road in Bayport Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Picture this: You swing by for a cappuccino in the morning and by dinner you’re walking out with a hot tray of baked ziti — and maybe some imported olive oil That’s how Tori Mondi describes La Pizzetta Gourmet Market a new Italian takeout spot and specialty shop her family opened this past fall who’ve been in the pizza and restaurant game on Long Island for nearly 40 years “We have shelves of specialty Italian items that you may not always find at a regular grocery store,” Mondi told Greater Long Island The idea for La Pizzetta had been simmering for years The Mondi family has deep roots in the local food scene having previously owned Luigi’s Main Street Pizza in Eastport and Piesano’s on Shelter Island But they always wanted something a little different — a spot that blended old-school Italian takeout with a neighborhood market feel “We’re no-frills Italian food,” Mondi said “We want it to feel like you’re stopping at your nonna’s house to pick up dinner.” and called it La Pizzetta — which means “little pizza.” La Pizzetta Gourmet Market is open seven days a week from 8 a.m There’s also a market section filled with imported Italian goods — think canned tomatoes And the coffee? Locally roasted by Hampton Coffee Company, another Long Island favorite. “We want to be that one-stop shop in Bayport,” Mondi said. “We want to be a go-to for catering. We can cater any size party or event.” Top: Owner Lou Mondi with his daughter at La Pizzetta Gourmet Market 2025 at 7:54 am ETThe house went up in flames on Tuesday afternoon (Courtesy of Bayport Fire Department)(Courtesy of Bayport Fire Department)(Courtesy of Bayport Fire Department)BAYPORT NY — Firefighters extinguished a house fire on Long Island Tuesday afternoon The Bayport Fire Department responded to a house fire at the corner of Suydam Lane and Middle Road in Bayport around 12:45 Second Assistant Chief Brandon DeMulder confirmed the structure was fully involved in flames and requested additional resources "A total of seven neighboring fire departments assisted Bayport Fire Department in battling the blaze with Community Ambulance providing EMS support," officials said No injuries were reported and the home was confirmed to be unoccupied at the time of arrival The Suffolk County Arson Squad is investigating the cause of the fire and this time Please log in with any of the following accounts: ASICentral Don't have an account? Sign Up Enter your email address and we'll send you directions to change your password Enter your email address and we'll send you your username a global provider of personalized products in a range of categories also purchased NorthCape – a firm that specializes in custom outdoor covers a Connecticut-based provider of print and promotional products solutions which offers more than 10,000 customizable products to consumers and businesses 1 that it has acquired a majority stake in Optamark which provides products like customizable signs outdoor furniture covers and home decor items across 11 brands also announced that it made a 100% acquisition of NorthCape a Chicago-based firm that specializes in custom outdoor covers Financial terms of the deals were not announced but Group Bayport said that Optamark and NorthCape will continue to be led by their current CEOs which noted that the acquisitions extend its reach in the promotional products and outdoor furniture and cushion categories also plans to hire additional staff to support forecasted growth “It’s our vision to power limitless expression through customized products for businesses “In adding these two strong category leaders to our portfolio we offer our customers even more options to express themselves at home and at work.” Optamark CEO Tarang Gosalia heralded the new partnership saying his firm is excited to make the most of the advantages that Group Bayport’s vertically integrated approach offers “We’ve always loved helping businesses establish and grow their brands,” Gosalia said in a statement “Our team will leverage Group Bayport’s resources and deep market expertise to better serve our clients while still delivering the products and services they have come to rely on.” A company bio says that Optamark was founded more than 30 years ago as a boutique printing shop the company describes itself as a brand management agency that provides merch and print solutions Group Bayport’s 11 house brands include BannerBuzz The company employs more than 2,000 people around the world It has served over 1 million customers in 42 countries Subscribe to ASI's industry-leading newsletters.All the award-winning content from ASICentral and Print & Promo Marketing Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter You have been successfully added to our mailing list keeping you up-to-date with our latest news 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BayPort Credit Union announced the $25,000 sponsorship of Newport News Public Schools' Office of Youth Development Family and Community Engagement division for the 2024 to 2025 academic school year This division of Newport News Public Schools provides research-based programs and initiatives to increase family and community engagement The division's Family Empowerment Series is a quarterly program and will be used to address critical issues affecting families BayPort is an official sponsor of the series which includes programs such as Your Mental Health Matters held in October 2024 and Wellness Wins in May 2025 Two youth empowerment conferences have been held under BayPort's sponsorship The More Than a Princess Girls' Empowerment Conference was held in November 2024 and the RISE Male Empowerment Conference was held in February 2025 Both events were well attended with over 1,400 students participating "We are incredibly grateful for BayPort Credit Union's generous $25,000 sponsorship which directly supports our mission to empower students and engage families Their commitment to our youth development and family engagement initiatives makes a meaningful impact in our schools and community This partnership allows us to expand critical programs that uplift and inspire our students ensuring they have the resources and opportunities needed to thrive," said Dr BayPort's remaining funds will be used to establish a youth development grant that will be made available to schools to cover expenses associated with meaningful school-based youth development projects There will be a process for requesting the grant which will start at a maximum of $300 to support the 40+ schools "BayPort is honored to make this contribution to Newport News Public Schools We are committed to ensuring the overall health and wellbeing of our local community by ensuring local kids and their families are empowered and engaged," said Jim Mears Newport News Public Schools' Office of Youth Development Family and Community Engagement division prioritizes decision making and effective communication with the community. BayPort supports their mission in creating a culture that engages every student and their family Children NY —The Bayport-Blue Point PTA and PTSA have announced this year’s winners of the PTA Reflections a program that garners over 300,000 student submissions of original works of art for a student-created theme each year increase confidence and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful in school and in life the theme was "Accepting Imperfection," a concept created by Paige Opaska from San Antonio who won the 2022 Reflections Theme Search Contest Reflections invites students in pre-K through grade 12 to create theme-based artwork in the categories of dance choreography Primary Division (Grades K-2)Music Composition Category: Bayport-Blue Point QB Cooper Fuller takes the keeper in for a touchdown against Miller Place in the Suffolk Division IV championship game on Thursday In the week leading up to their eventual Long Island Class IV championship win over Seaford last November Bayport-Blue Point football coach Mike Zafonte said “it takes a village” to achieve what the Phantoms have There have been old faces and new during their last few years of dominance but winning has remained a constant for the Phantoms BBP collected more hardware to add to its growing trophy case Thursday night as the top-seeded Phantoms defeated No in the Suffolk Division IV championship at Stony Brook’s LaValle Stadium BBP claimed its third consecutive county title and 34th straight victory and to stay on top is even harder,” Zafonte said No one thought we were going to pull this off Senior quarterback Cooper Fuller ran for 243 yards and five touchdowns on 25 carries Junior Colin Most had two interceptions and senior Dylan Spano had a forced fumble and a sack BBP (11-0) has not lost in more than three years Their last defeat was to Shoreham-Wading River Now with eyes on its third straight Long Island Class IV crown BBP will meet the winner of Friday’s Nassau Conference IV final between Plainedge and Wantagh in the LIC at noon on Nov “It exceeded (my expectations) by much more than I can even imagine,” Fuller said of this season Fuller thrived behind an offensive line of (from left to right) Ryan Bachmore with Fuller’s 2-yard touchdown run giving it a 7-0 lead 6:05 into the game Miller Place (8-3) answered with a gutsy 18-play 73-yard drive that included six third-down conversions and quarterback Shane Kiernan completing 7 of 10 passes for 74 yards Braeden Murphy took a direct snap for a 1-yard touchdown run to tie it at 7 with 10:37 left in the second quarter Collin Reyer’s 30-yard touchdown run with 6:29 left in the first half and Fuller’s 3-yard scoring run 5:11 later gave BBP a 21-7 lead who was firing to the end zone on third-and-6 from the BBP 27 at the 1-yard line with 35 seconds left in the second quarter to secure the Phantoms’ 14-point halftime advantage “We just had great preparation all week,” Most said Spano forced Gavin Peterson to fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half and BBP recovered it at the Miller Place 4 Fuller ran in for a 4-yard touchdown to give the Phantoms a 28-7 lead Fuller ran for a 12-yard touchdown with 8:10 left in the third quarter to extend BBP’s lead to 35-7 Murphy’s second 1-yard touchdown run and a two-point pass from Kiernan to DJ Williamson cut it to 35-15 with 1:26 left in the third quarter Fuller and Sean Coffey each had 48-yard touchdown runs and Miller Place’s Jayden Meadows had a 12-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and you feel like you really were a part of something great “Every guy here is a part of something great.” — The Bayport Foundation has launched its 2025 scholarship program which will give $100,000 in tuition assistance to students and working professionals in the area for their educational needs The scholarships — twelve in total — are available to high school seniors college students and working adults of all ages pursuing additional education Recipients can earn from $1,000 to $8,000 in financial support Two of the scholarships offered are the Beard Bennett Memorial Scholarship and the Student-Run Credit Union Member Scholarship — both awarded to six high school seniors Applications for next school year (2025-26) are accepted through the end of March For more information and to apply for one of these scholarships, please visit bayportcu.org/foundation Bay Port girls soccer coach Brooke Mraz has been around long enough to know that what happens during the season doesn’t always matter come playoff time They went 11-7-1 during the regular season in 2023 and finished fourth in the Fox River Classic Conference but they ended their year by earning a trip to the WIAA state tournament They went 16-1-2 and won the FRCC championship only to get bounced in a regional semifinal by an Appleton West team that finished with a losing record but we did graduate 10 seniors,” said Mraz it’s one thing to reflect a bit momentarily and kind of understand that’s part of sports games don’t always go the way that you had planned regardless of talent and potential and previous results but the lesson for those players moving forward is that you can’t take any moment Mraz didn’t immediately move on after the loss to Appleton West She’s one of those introspective coaches who pondered what she could have done better in those moments to produce a different result But she also knew it’s never good to dwell too long on the past it can become far more detrimental than productive The Pirates have closed the book on last season They had won their first four games entering a contest at Stevens Point on April 15 Appleton East and Wisconsin Rapids by a combined 9-1 8 in Division 1 by the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association in its first poll 3 in D3) as the only local teams in any of the four divisions to be ranked The Pirates already have been dealt some serious adversity Not only did they lose their top two scorers from last season with the graduation of Mallory Herber and Sydnie Thomson but they also must go without their third top scorer after senior forward Natalie Squire tore an anterior cruciate ligament in a knee Bay Port also is without junior Macie Brosteau a star midfielder who is expected to be out until next month with an injury More girls soccer: Here are 25 players to watch in the Green Bay area They still have a returning first-team all-conference talent in midfielder Morgan Fitt not to mention a potentially dominant scorer in freshman forward Ava Nagel Bay Port has gone to state six times in program history A window to return to the big stage has opened “But I do think we also have great veteran leadership It’s a willingness to be a bit flexible and vulnerable at the beginning of the season to see what our options are “It’s a willingness to ask players to step up into other roles that maybe played a different position previously It’s moving athletes around to really find the best chemistry to be able to produce those goal-scoring results in terms of players who are more than capable of kind of growing and building in this system.” Bay Port features trio of promising rookiesMore than 65% of Bay Port’s roster is freshmen It has three freshmen in Nagel and defenders Gabby Schmidt and Maize Wempe It’s not overly common for rookies to play on varsity under Mraz — even more so to earn a starting spot — but she always takes those she believes gives the team the best opportunity to be successful Nagel started her prep career with a goal against Waunakee and followed with the only score of the game at Neenah She is giving off the same vibes her older sister Mraz has known about Ava since she was in grade school She will never forget attending the graduation party for former Bay Port player Erika Hess in 2018 and seeing little Ava Nagel working on perfecting her shot on a practice goal in the yard She knew Nagel would be a force to be reckoned with at some point “Because of her experiences — she has played on top tier teams at the club level — she has that experience in bigger moments,” Mraz said and I think she loves the game so much that any moment is not too large or too small for her “I don’t think she will be fazed by those moments She is not the type of player who minds taking on a leadership role or if you are in your 40s like us old folks That might be what makes this squad special Not every team accepts young players with open arms “We have a really awesome group of upperclassmen senior and junior leadership They have all tapped into this idea that we are going to embrace these underclassmen and know that they bring significant value to our team “They have done a really good job of not making our underclassmen feel like underclassmen I have had teams in the past where the seniors felt a little bit off-put by the potential that a younger player could come in Bayport-Blue Point's Cormac Love (20 points 3 steals) drives around Glenn's Sam Voege in the first quarter of Suffolk A quarterfinals on Tuesday Opposing defenses know what they will be up against before they face Dylan Craig and Cormac Love but that does not make it any easier to prepare for the Bayport-Blue Point senior duo entered Tuesday’s Suffolk Class A boys basketball quarterfinal against Glenn as Long Island’s leading scorer at 28.3 points per game “We’ve been facing a triangle-and-two all year and they can’t stop them,” BBP coach Charlie Peck said I think probably one of the best combo of guards in Suffolk County.” three steals and two blocks to lead the No “It’s the best thing ever,” Craig said of playing with Love I couldn’t ask for a better two-guard to play with and finish out my senior season here We’re excited for what’s coming up and we’re ready to get back to work tomorrow.” Glenn coach Charly Rogener noted how difficult it was to prepare for Craig “He was the whole base of what we were preparing for I thought Justin Govan did a good job at the beginning Kameron (Napoleon) did a good job in the second half but he just — he gets in the air pretty well Searching for its first county title since 2015 2 Mount Sinai (19-2) in the semifinals at 4 p.m “It hurt a lot losing last year,” Love said Junior guard Jason Mascia scored 26 points cut its deficit to 37-35 with 3:51 left in the third quarter and trailed 43-39 entering the fourth But BBP opened the fourth quarter on a 9-2 run and held at least an eight-point lead for the final 5:33 “Amazing,” Craig said of playing with this year’s team “I wouldn’t trade it for any other senior season I could have.” Lily Castka of Bayport-Blue Point competes in second singles during the NYSPHSAA girls tennis team championship against Byram Hills at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing on Friday It was a sensational season by every measure for the Bayport-Blue Point girls tennis program conquered every obstacle and arrived at their sport’s promised land the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center nothing is promised in the state tournament and after a resounding victory in a Friday morning semifinal Bayport-Blue Point finally ran into a hurdle it could not clear in the afternoon The Phantoms’ season-opening streak of 20 consecutive wins ended against Byram Hills of Section I with a 4-1 loss in the Division II (small schools) title match on Friday Sophomore Lily Castka quickly posted a 6-1 All three of the Phantoms doubles team suffered straight set losses and Emilia Romano battled the Bobcats’ Jenna Klynerman through three sets before falling Byram Hills (16-2) is state champion for the third time in four seasons Bayport-Blue Point (20-1) won its fourth straight Suffolk County title and first Long Island championship and decimated Oneida in the semifinal while dropping a total of only seven games The Phantoms advanced further this season than any girls tennis team from Suffolk “They were champions before they ever stepped on the court — one match does not define a season ,” BBP coach John Selvaggio said “We went farther than any team from our county has gone and I could not be more pleased with our season And I believe the leadership at the top of this team has set it up for future success.” but they should know I look up to them,” Romano said I’m proud of how far [the senior] class brought this program over the years and I see great things for it ahead.” was designated for the tournament sportsmanship award Of the eight players in the starting lineup Friday Selvaggio said there are high-ceiling seventh graders who are in the pipeline and will join this now-experienced group Bayport-Blue Point played loose in the semifinal win Romano and Castka each lost only one game in capturing singles wins The team of sophomore Evie Romano and Volpe put up a 6-0 6-2 victory at first doubles and senior Leah Richardt and junior Danielle Oleksiak won at second doubles Leila Rogers and Jordana Heller — the eighth-graders who played consequential roles in winning the county and Island title matches But Byram Hills proved to be the better team; it’s only losses this season were to state Division I champion Horace Greeley “I'm very proud of this team,” Castka said “Everyone who's here deserved to be here and everyone took a part in being able to be here.” Bayport-Blue Point's Aubrie Eisfeld moves the ball in the third quarter during a Suffolk lacrosse game against West Islip on Thursday at Bayport-Blue Point This specific play was never practiced before but the Bayport-Blue Point girls lacrosse team puts itself in these types of situations every day The Phantoms’ practices include drills where players can’t hold the ball for longer than a few seconds coach Ryan Gick gave Aubrie Eisfeld the opportunity to take those skills from practice into game action Eisfeld launched a pass near the goal across midfield to Ava Meyn scooped the ball on a bounce and finished for one of Bayport-Blue Point’s 11 goals in an 11-4 home victory over West Islip in Suffolk Division II girls lacrosse play on Thursday (Coach Gick) kind of threw it at us and it worked I knew we were able to work together and get the job done.” I was really excited to do it because it’s something different,” Meyn added Gick said he likes to challenge the girls so they are ready for anything that could happen in a game “It’s stuff that we just get good at because of the way we practice,” Gick said “And some of it is just the skill level of our kids Eisfeld was on the receiving end of a more impromptu long pass situation right before halftime which Eisfeld caught and scored on as time expired in the first half to break a tie at two “I was just hoping somebody caught it and Aubrie just happened to be there,” Brown said I just chucked it as far as I could and hoped for the best.” Eisfeld and Meyn each had three goals and Kailey Bruckner added two goals Francesca Tofano had three goals and Ava Obloj added two assists for West Islip (1-1 2-0) carried its momentum into the second half as it outscored West Islip so everyone was hyped up and went into the second half knowing this was our game now,” Brown said “We were going to keep building on the lead we had Bayport-Blue Point ended the contest on a 7-1 scoring run including scoring all four goals in the fourth quarter “I have all the faith in the world in our kids,” Gick said “They show every day at practice they are capable of handling tough situations and new things thrown at them at the last second and they executed.” Owen O'Brien covers high school and college sports for Newsday He's also covered professional teams such as the Mets Jets and Giants since graduating from the University at Buffalo Activating this feature will stop all interaction and design based motions and animations on the site for the duration of your visit Activating this feature will create a focus area on the screen that will follow your mouse to eliminate distractions The projects consist of three construction packages: one to add 660 feet to the east end of the wharf system (Wharf 2); a second to add 1,000 feet to the west end (Wharf 6); and a third to add another 1,000 feet to the west end (Wharf 7) The Wharf 7 project includes a west mooring location that consists of a drilled shaft bulkhead to provide for a significant grade separation between the dredge elevation and the mooring point.   The scope of work includes dredging design and integration and tie-in to the existing wharves Revisions to the tangent wall were included to allow efficient tie-in into the existing wharves The design includes an innovative use of lightweight foamed concrete behind the wharf to reduce landside settlement and reduce the lateral load on the wharf.  Jacobs’ design development phase included a structure type selection study to compare performance characteristics and construction costs between an open wharf configuration (the selected option) and a relieving platform configuration Particular attention was given to mooring design with Jacobs performing a dynamic mooring analysis to assess the effect of passing vessels in the adjacent Bayport Channel.  Jeff Ely was integrally involved in the design of these projects Structural analysis utilized STAAD Pro software for structural analysis and L-Pile software to capture soil-structure interactions to incorporate into the STAAD model A full wharf STAAD model was developed with the deck being represented by plate elements and the drilled shafts being represented by beam elements with equivalent sections fixed at a calculated depth to approximate shaft performance below the top of soil The tie-back wall’s anchorage was also incorporated as beam elements anchored by spring elements Detailed coordination with geotechnical engineering was required to ensure accurate modeling of the soil-structure interactions optimizing use of materials and minimizing foundation construction costs.  Construction for Bayport Wharf 2 was completed in 2018 Bayport Wharf 6 is scheduled to complete construction this year and Bayport Wharf 7 is anticipated to begin construction this year Construction phase services for Wharf 2 included STS gantry crane offload structure capacity analyses Jacobs was contracted with the Port to update the design and plans for larger cranes and vessels add a 2,400-square-foot stevedore services building Those updates were then carried forward into the Wharf 7 design.