The Riverhead Water District provided some updates last month on proposed electrical upgrade and water main extension projects taking place in the Riverhead region to combat groundwater contamination water district superintendent Frank Mancini discussed a $2.35 million plan for electrical improvements at Plant No located at northwestern corner of Fresh Pond Road in Calverton This particular plant, built in the mid-1980s, contains two wells, and all its electrical equipment is outdated and has “moved past its useful life,” Mr. Mancini said. The project would be undertaken at the sole expense of the Riverhead Water District and had a small fire there a couple of months ago inside one of the starter panels in our wells so I’ve got to get that up and running for the summer,” Mr this is the permanent solution to that.”  The project entails ripping out two old generators and installing one increasing to an 800-amp electrical service and implementing variable speed drive technology in the wells which will help get more water out of the ground during significant pumping and high pressure in the system With a little over $2 million being allocated for the electrical work, Mr. Mancini also noted that this specific site may be impacted by the U.S. Navy’s contamination cleanup efforts in the future.  the water district conducted an internal analysis and determined it would require roughly $250,000 to build a station to maintain the electrical infrastructure in case the Navy would ever require treatment of the facility “It would be terrible to have to rip all this out and replace it with new stuff,” Mr “It makes a difference from going from a 600-amp service to an 800-amp service that would accommodate any additional treatment in the future.”  7’s wells produce 20% of the water the district pumps and 40% of the water pumped toward the “high zone,” which runs from the northern half of Riverhead to EPCAL in Calverton Mancini said this site produces “phenomenal” water quality but is at risk for poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances — commonly known as PFAs — in the groundwater from the contaminated The Environmental Protection Agency announced the first-ever national regulations for so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water almost a year ago. The new regulations establish a national allowable limit on certain PFAS in drinking water. There are confirmed reports of PFAs migrating southeast into the Peconic River, however, Mr. Mancini said the contaminants have been detected at the northern side of the old Grumman property as well and could move northeast to Plant No. 7.  “These are extremely valuable wells to us, and we can’t wait any longer to do this type of upgrade,” Mr. Mancini said. “Although it’s far away, we are able to model these things out to a hundred years — we feel this could potentially impact us in 50 years, and we’ve been operating out of this site since the [1980s], so that’s 40 years.  “Maybe it won’t; the groundwater modeling is not absolute, but it’s something we should be aware of,” he continued. Mr. Mancini also said PFAs contamination can be managed, just as it has been at other sites on Long Island, and town officials have made some headway in urging the U.S. Navy to assis in this matter.  At the same Town Board meeting, Riverhead council members approved a 2,800-linear-foot water main extension for the Forge Road area in Calverton, which would extend service to 70 mobile homes and 14 single-family residences currently receiving potable drinking water from private wells. There has also been detection of contaminants or likely potential for contamination from PFAs, arsenic, iron and manganese in these private wells.  The total cost of the water main extension is approximately $1.52 million, with $1.18 million of this estimated total authorized through grant funding under the 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $335,000 coming out of the town’s Community Preservation Fund.  Each resident will be responsible for installing a dedicated private service line from the meter pit to their home, as well as paying for water meter costs, backflow prevention where appropriate and connection to internal plumbing.  Benjamin M. DeJesus of Riverhead died May 2, 2025. Sadly, John J. Sterzenbach passed away Thursday, May 1, 2025. A kaleidoscope of spring colors — periwinkle foxglove, purple velvety pansies, vibrant yellow begonias, and white- and salmon-hued impatiens,... Timothy J. Bonczyk Sr., formerly of Riverhead, passed away Oct. 22, 2024, at the Vista Hospice Center in Naples,... Leon Maurice Creighton of Greenport Village died Monday, April 28, at Stony Brook University Hospital. He was 53 years... With the birth of river otter pups at the Long Island Aquarium and possible sightings of otters at Marion Pond in... READ MOREDouble shooting on Calverton Heights Avenue leaves man BALTIMORE (WBFF) — A double shooting in West Baltimore left a man and a woman injured on Saturday night officers responded to the 2400 block of Calverton Heights Avenue for a reported shooting officers found a 36-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the body Officials said both victims are listed in stable condition ALSO READ | 18-year-old charged with attempted murder in 2023 shooting of teen girl Western District Shooting detectives responded to the scene and assumed control of the investigation Anyone with information is urged to contact Western District Shooting detectives at 410-396-2477 Those who wish to remain anonymous can utilize the Metro Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-866-7LOCKUP You can also submit an anonymous online text tip to Metro Crime Stoppers by visiting the MCS website Support us Riverhead Town has been billed more than $160,000 by a Hauppauge law firm hired to defend the town and the Riverhead IDA in a lawsuit seeking to enforce a $40 million land deal at the Calverton Enterprise Park Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman have billed the town a total of $161,759 for legal services the firm performed for the town as its special counsel between February 2024 and January 2025 according to invoices obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request.  The town and CAT are currently waiting for a Suffolk County Supreme Court justice’s decision on the town’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought with the hope of avoiding further legal proceedings and to remove a notice of pendency — which effectively prevents the town from selling or leasing the property until the lawsuit is over In a retainer letter sent by Certilman Balin partner Glenn Gruder to the town the firm estimated that work related to the motion to dismiss — including the preparation filing and possible argument of the motion — would cost the town $20,000 to $30,000 Gruder said in the letter that the estimates were “based upon our experience and the use of the Town Attorney’s Office to streamline certain functions…”  The letter said the firm “made no representation to the Town as to the total fees that may be incurred in this matter.” The town is “aware of the high cost and hazards of litigation and that despite our efforts on its behalf there is no guaranty of the outcome in the pending litigation matter,” the letter says Supervisor Tim Hubbard signed the retainer agreement with Certilman Balin on Jan. 31, 2024 after the Town Board interviewed four law firms The retainer letter said the firm would charge the town using discounted hourly rates for its lawyers and paralegals and would “endeavor to use personnel who bill at a lower rate” whenever possible.  “The discrepancy between the estimate and the actual cost is due to the evolving nature of litigation,” Gruder said in an email to RiverheadLOCAL New arguments to be made are discovered and/or revealed by legal research Unanticipated arguments made by the opposition have to be researched and addressed.”  there are other reasons that I cannot disclose based upon attorney-client privilege,” Gruder added “We stand by our motion papers and are hopeful that the Court will grant the motion to dismiss in its entirety.” If the case survives the town’s motion to dismiss the cost for Certilman Balin to continue to defend the town would continue to grow Discovery and depositions for the case could cost the town from $35,000-$50,000 and a post-discovery motion from $25,000-$40,000 according to estimates in the retainer letter according to an estimate in the retainer letter Hubbard did not return an email Tuesday requesting comment for this article before it was published The email included a question asking whether the bills from Certilman Balin will require the Town Board to increase its budget for outside legal services and a question asking if the estimate and actual billing amounts being so far apart would change whether the town continues to retain the firm Town officials have had good things to say about Certilman Balin. After the conclusion of oral arguments in front of a judge in November Riverhead Town Attorney Erik Howard said the town’s special counsel “did an excellent job preparing for this.” Howard said he was “confident” the judge would “issue a fair decision” in the case Riverhead Town in 2018 entered into a contract with CAT to sell and develop 1,644 acres of the Calverton Enterprise Park Roughly 1,000 acres of the land sold to CAT would have been preserved and maintained as a habitat for wildlife The land is part of a larger tract previously owned by the Navy and operated by the Northrop Grumman Corporation as an aircraft design and testing facility The rest of property conveyed to the town by the Navy which was mostly developed with industrial buildings The Riverhead Town Board voted unanimously to cancel the contract with CAT in October 2023 That decision came after the Riverhead IDA denied CAT’s application for financial assistance to develop the property allowing the Town Board to cancel the contract under the terms of a letter agreement between the town and CAT in March 2022 In addition to the town and its community development agency Certilman Balin is representing the Riverhead IDA The IDA is a separate government agency from the Town of Riverhead established by the state legislature although its board members are appointed by and “serve at the pleasure” of the Town Board The IDA’s mission is to attract new businesses to the town using financial assistance and incentives like tax exemptions Riverhead IDA Executive Director Tracy Stark-James declined to comment when asked whether the IDA plans to reimburse the town for any of what it’s paid Certilman Balin for representing the IDA.  The survival of local journalism depends on your support. We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community. Support RiverheadLOCAL today. Get fresh local news straight to your inbox every day Suffolk County officials are calling for the contaminated former Grumman site in Calverton to be designated a federal Superfund site to speed up remediation Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said the site has been contaminated for decades by polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) which are now seeping into the Peconic River Navy — which contracted with the 6,000 square-foot Grumman site to build fighter jets — has done little to help with the cleanup "This is a need that's been waiting 30 years almost since they turned over this site in 1996,” Romaine said “You think they would have returned and swept up the mess they created.” A spokesperson for the Navy did not respond to a request for comment “This site is in the wrong program,” said Adrienne Esposito executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment That is designed for active Superfund sites EPA… and the New York State DEC [Department of Environmental Conservation] to put this site in federal and state Superfund programs more remediation efforts and certainly more community input.” An EPA spokesperson said groundwater remediation is being conducted under the authority of the DEC and that the EPA is coordinating with the state on the cleanup “EPA typically does not list sites on the Superfund National Priorities List if they are being addressed under the RCRA hazardous waste program,” Molly Vaseliou Navy has agreed to test private wells near the former Grumman Plant at EPCAL for the toxic chemicals known as PFAS after years of advocacy from residents and with help from U.S Riverhead Town officials announced this week The Navy will hold an open house to discuss the sampling on Wednesday at the Residence Inn Long Island at 2012 Old Country Road in Riverhead The Navy will also hold a Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) meeting on Thursday Members of the public can also attend the RAB meeting virtually via Microsoft Teams or telephone residents can inquire if their property is within the designated sample area and schedule an appointment to have their drinking water well tested and talk one-on-one and ask questions of project team members from the Navy the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Department of Health Project maps explaining current environmental work at the property will also be on-hand The RAB meeting on Jan. 23 will also include a poster session from 6:15 to 8 p.m. Information about both meetings, and the login information to attend virtually is available on the Navy’s website PFAS is an acronym for a family of thousands of different perfluorinated chemicals that have been used since the 1950s in many household and industrial products due to their stain and water repellent properties and are now present virtually everywhere in the world because of the large amounts that have been manufactured and used many of them tend to stay in the environment for a very long time Soil and water contamination of many types at the site known by the Navy as the Naval Weapons Reserve Plant (NWRP) Calverton has been under scrutiny for more than four decades and has been found to have made its way down to the groundwater The harm caused by PFAS has only recently been recognized by regulatory agencies Environmental Protection Agency setting a limit of 4 parts per trillion of six perfluorinated compounds in public drinking water supplies in April of 2024 That standard does not apply to private drinking water wells Department of Defense has its own policy to take action if PFAS levels associated with its facilities are found in excess of 12 parts per trillion 13 that the sampling will take place thanks to “Senator Charles E Schumer’s intense advocacy,” which “included a letter in December of 2024 calling for the Navy to restart testing of the area near the former NWIRP Calverton site This development marks a major step in Senator Schumer and the town’s efforts for additional sampling of private wells safety and welfare of Riverhead residents.” “Clean drinking water is absolutely essential for all our residents,” said Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard who urged people who live in the impacted area to have their water tested “Senator Schumer has and continues to help the Town champion this cause We are very pleased that the Navy will undertake additional testing for PFAS in the Calverton area to assure our residents have clean safe drinking water.” The Beacon is able to provide all of our content online free of charge thanks to support from our readers Be a vital part of keeping our community informed Splish Splash water park introduces "Neon Nights," a nighttime event with illuminated attractions For the first time, Splish Splash water park in Calverton will be open at night Visitors will walk through lighted-up trees on their way to ride the designated water slides and enjoy a pulsing colorful LED light show while in the Kahuna Bay wave pool Friday and Saturday evenings from July 11 to Aug "We looked for something new to add to our event lineup People have never experienced these attractions at that time of day It’s really a nighttime glow event," says Mike Bengtson the water park has added special events such as Father’s Day Flop (with belly flop and other competitions for dads) Winter Wonderland (during which Santa visited the park) and Shark Week (with a shark character walking the venue) so people should purchase tickets in advance online "We’re going to try to keep it very exclusive for those guests," he says Pricing has not yet been announced; guests should check the website for pricing when tickets go on sale on May 7 Season pass holders may get free or discounted admission depending on their pass tier Made for Long Island parents to find local By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy Splish Splash will also add two new luxury cabanas in front of the wave pool called Paradise Pavilion and Hang Ten Hideaway The water park will also open a new playground this season Splish Splash kicks off its 35th season on May 24 Splish Splash, 2549 Splish Splash Dr., Calverton, splishsplash.com The Newsday app makes it easier to access content without having to log in Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months A five-day carnival could come to Calverton this summer — and possibly many summers to come — if Riverhead Town gives it the green light Dreamland Amusements is proposing to stage the carnival from June 25-29 on an unused grassland between Middle Country Road and Peconic Ice Rinks The Stony Brook-based company produces several events on Long Island and other locations on the east coast including the Bald Hill Fair in Farmingville and the Long Island Fun Fest in Brentwood “We are strictly a family event — that’s just what we want We want families to make memories,” Dreamland Amusement Manager Jaclyn Shoup told the Town Board at its work session Thursday all the way up to people who want to puke,” she added Dreamland Amusements was brought to the board by Victor Prusinowski a business consultant and vice chairman of the Riverhead Republican Committee The company was looking for a location out east and he thought the park was “a perfect location,” he said.  Town officials expressed support for the proposal “I would be interested in looking to see this go forward,” Supervisor Tim Hubbard said This year’s carnival would run for five days but Shoup said the company hopes to expand it into an annual 10-day event if it proves successful seeing how the community likes it,” she said whose department oversees the Calverton park said he’s “amenable to having it there” as long as it doesn’t create problems for residents at the park is just the parking and logistics of the parking,” Coyne said Visitors attending the carnival would park on part of the grasslands The plan Shoup presented to the board shows parking areas in the town’s parking lot and on land south of the carnival grounds.  The company will need an agreement with the town to use the land and a special event permit to hold the event There was no discussion about how much the company would pay the town to use the land “The only thing we want the town to do here is enjoy and make money and not have to worry about any costs,” Prusinowski said The carnival will also need a potable water source; the company can tap into fire hydrants on Middle Country Road at a per-day rate set by the Riverhead Water District Assistant Recreation Program Coordinator Ashley Schandel told the Town Board The event draws a “maximum of 1,500 people for a day,” Shoup said She said staff has stopped entry into the carnival before if crowds get too big to manage The company hires its own security and parking attendants and has paid for police at the event before and that’s something that we can talk about Dreamland Amusements would move in starting June 23 and be off the property by June 30 Town officials said the event could help draw more people to Veterans Memorial Park and to Peconic Ice Rinks MD (WBFF) — An unidentified male was found dead in the 100 block of South Calverton Street at approximately 10 a.m. according to the Baltimore Police Department The victim's body was taken to the Medical Examiner's office where the cause of death and the male's identity are being investigated Stay with FOX45 for updates on this developing story A 60-megawatt/120-megawatt hour Tier II lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage (BESS) facility first proposed in 2022 to be constructed at 104 Edwards Ave in Calverton is advancing after a previous moratorium paused its development.  the developer of the EC Battery Energy Storage Project is requesting a special permit to build on the 1.66-acre parcel where all existing structures would be demolished or removed including the Long Island Farm Bureau’s headquarters administrative director for the LI Farm Bureau said although he couldn’t speak on the project itself the organization is aware of the ongoing situation and is considering its next steps if their headquarters is to be removed special trade contractor and cabinet manufacturer a Long Island Power Authority substation the facility will hook up to and some residential areas also surround the property The proposed BESS facility will consist of utility-scale lithium-ion phosphate battery cabinets as well as power conversion systems with closed coupled transformers switch gear and a 138kV step up transformer to aid in the interconnection to the LIPA/PSEG-LI transmission grid.  Almost every compliance standard has been met although the plan does require a little more “fine tuning” and clarification in other areas “This is designed to sustain and promote the deployment of renewable energy sources will make the environment cleaner and improve quality of life,” Mr “A lot of LIPA’s infrastructure is very antiquated and this is designed to strengthen and harden that — increasingly and this will be really critical to deploy in anticipation of those events.”  confirmed at the April 17 Town Board work session that the site plan has met the code requirements for the Calverton Industrial Zoning Use District and Tier 2 battery storage systems The system is not located in an avoidance area all fencing and lighting requirements have been met and the site plan has been referred to the town’s fire marshal The Planning Department has recommended that the development be an Unlisted action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act Riverhead Town is pursuing lead agency status in the SEQRA process and has elected to begin a coordinated review with involved agencies including the Suffolk County Planning Commission the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation the New York State Historic Preservation Office Riverhead Water District and PSEG Long Island.  The only other lingering concerns are the need for more details on the applicant’s request for a buffer around the entire site of five feet rather than the recommended 10 feet; a sound study on the potential noise generated from the systems; updates on decommissioning costs; and clarification on combustible vegetation clearing.  One of the state fire code recommendations A few concerns emerged from conversations with Riverhead Fire District commissioners one being the proximity of the proposed battery energy system to the adjacent fuel oil storage facility.  the Riverhead Fire Department currently does not have the appropriate equipment to handle this type of emergency The applicant said they are willing to train local first responders and the developer committed to donating $100,000 to the fire district to purchase a hazmat response vehicle.  Mr. Losquadro said continuous training would be extended to the Jamesport, Manorville and Wading River fire departments as well. Paul Rogers, co-founder of Emergency Safety Response Group assured the Town Board that BESS technology has evolved and these previous fires were due mainly to outdated systems The individual battery cabinets the developer is proposing help with compartmentation for risk management “My ultimate goal is to make sure the firefighters are safe — not too worried about the property as much as I am about the firefighters,” Mr “We’ve had discussions back and forth about overall battery energy storage and how they are coming and moving forward — it’s an ongoing discussion The Riverhead Fire District also recommended a staging area be created that would allow the Riverhead Fire Department to stage equipment in the event of an emergency They also requested the staging area have a cabinet with a shutoff and emergency information.  The other conditions the Suffolk County Planning Commission outlined were for the applicant to implement full containment of stormwater on site to prevent heavy metal runoff from the battery beyond the property and into the groundwater.  Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard acknowledged that residents will be “very concerned” and “have fears” about this project but he encouraged the community to reach out to the town’s planning department staff and fire marshal with any questions.  There is a lot of information available on BESS systems,” Mr It’s just a matter of the way energy is being developed [and] making sure we have enough for everybody to use … we want to make sure it’s done in absolutely the safest way it can be.”  A kaleidoscope of spring colors — periwinkle foxglove Leon Maurice Creighton of Greenport Village died Monday With the birth of river otter pups at the Long Island Aquarium and possible sightings of otters at Marion Pond in.. Cleanup of the former Northrop-Grumman facility in Calverton should be taken over by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency and made a priority cleanup site under the superfund program which is leading the cleanup of the property has moved too slowly in addressing pollution at and around the former manufacturing and testing facility 11 letter to Acting Secretary of the Navy Terence Emmert “This has resulted in inadequate protection of the public’s health of the local environment and the Peconic River,” he wrote He wrote that there needs to be a plan to clean up areas that contain ”unacceptable levels of contamination” by chemicals. Romaine said the former Navy facility, which is a federal and state superfund site, should be evaluated by the EPA and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for inclusion on the national priorities list — the designation given by the EPA to sites most seriously in need of long-term cleanup. Read Romaine’s letter below. Soil and groundwater samples containing chemicals linked to adverse human health effects including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) 1,4 Dioxane and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been found in and around the former Grumman site Romaine said at a press conference Friday that there has so far been no response from the Navy to his letter Romaine copied Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin — the area’s former congressman — Sen Nick LaLota and State Department of Environmental Conservation Acting Commissioner Sean Mahar on the letter who said he would help in the effort to clean up the site Romaine said the pollution has put the county “at a breaking point.”   “The time for action is well past due,” he said “This Navy has not moved forward to protect the residents They haven’t cleaned their room — and my mother told me So they left and did not clean up and did not come back and do what they were supposed to do.” “And that’s why we have a number of environmental leaders and governmental leaders saying to the Navy: do the right thing Don’t leave us like you left Bethpage,” he said He added that the Navy has not shared its testing data with the Suffolk County Department of Health and said the Navy should allow the department to take samples of their wells “Think about this water quality and think about a mother who’s bathing her newborn in it Think about a mother whose child is drinking this water,” Romaine said and particularly when they don’t share the information with the Suffolk County Health Department who’s responsible for public health in this county The press conference and letter comes on the heels of a meeting of the Calverton Restoration Advisory Board last month when new maps and data released by the Navy as a part of the cleanup process of the property showed groundwater polluted with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — a group of synthetic chemicals linked to adverse human health effects like cancer and nicknamed “forever chemicals” because of how slowly they break down over time — migrating towards the Peconic River PFAS chemicals are found in many products and are prevalent in a firefighting foam that was used at the site Navy officials in charge of the cleanup investigation will now evaluate the fate and transportation of PFAS migration in the environment; perform risk assessments to determine the human health risk and ecological risk of the pollution; and determine chemicals of concern potentially requiring cleanup But the Navy refused calls from Restoration Advisory Board members to remediate the pollution while it continued its investigation Riverhead Town officials were at the press conference Riverhead Water District Superintendent Frank Mancini said the Navy should give the town $2 million to complete a water main extension to homes near River Road Homes in the area have private water wells polluted with high levels of PFAS which Mancini said were likely polluted by polluted groundwater migrating off of the former Grumman site Speakers at the press conference also criticized the DEC for not putting enough pressure on the Navy to remediate the site a DEC spokesperson said it “is overseeing the comprehensive investigation of the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant (NWIRP) Calverton site through the agency’s regulatory authority under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and State Superfund (SSF) programs.” “The Navy is investigating the nature and extent of contamination of PFAS and potential source areas both at Calverton and off-site,” the statement said “DEC will continue to work with state and federal partners and the community to ensure a comprehensive investigation and cleanup.” A spokesperson for the Navy secretary was not immediately available for comment Riverhead Town’s first recreational marijuana shop is open for business.  located in the Calverton Commons shopping plaza at 4462 Middle Country Road It plans to celebrate its grand opening on Saturday raffles and giveaways and a “ticket blitz” by My Country 96.1 from 1 to 3 p.m. Beleaf partner Michael Reda said in a phone interview today The Calverton shop is the company’s second location Beleaf opened its first location in Brooklyn on Sept Not everybody going into a dispensary wants everybody to see their business and know what they’re doing So where we’re situated and where we’re located I think it’s an excellent location for that,” he said It’s also convenient for people coming from points west “We’re very happy with the response and feedback that we’ve been getting here,”  he said “Everyone that’s come into the store has been happy with it — the design Personal service is very important to the company I want to try and build relationships with everyone that comes in and hopefully the bud tenders know what they like so it’s easier to make recommendations,” he said you get in line and you’re another customer I want it to be a more personal experience.” Reda said Beleaf is seeing a lot of the medical patients from Columbia Care coming in “We’re going to try and cater to them,” he said Those customers tend to be looking for topicals and products for pain relief if we don’t have something in inventory or we don’t have something a customer is looking for specifically I want to be able to get it in house and be able to service and offer products for every customer’s specific needs,” he said There’s an exciting variety of products on the market Opening a store in Calverton is like coming home Beleaf’s three owners grew up on Long Island and he and another partner grew up in East Moriches “So it’s really nice to be doing something out east.” Reda said being able to give back to the community is “near and dear” to the owners “We’re trying to find the correct fit for us” to support local community organizations “Whether it’s a local animal shelter or local housing or a food pantry we’re looking to set stuff up on a quarterly basis We’re doing the same thing in Brooklyn to kind of give back to the community and also have donation bins out in the store for customers if they feel the need or willing to donate to the specific cause that we’re working with for that quarter.” Reda stressed his appreciation for the Town of Riverhead “for going above and beyond and making the process as smooth as possible.” He said town officials processing their applications “went out of their way to try and help us correct things as quickly and easily as possible.” Beleaf Calverton is open seven days a week: Sunday from 12 noon to 8 p.m. It offers online ordering for express pickup at in-store kiosks and it plans to launch a delivery service in the near future Reda said the My Country 96.1 “ticket blitz” Saturday will include ticket giveaways to these events:  The radio station will also give away 12 pairs of tickets to the My Country 96.1 Secret Holiday Show at Mulcahy’s in Wantagh “We’re off to a great start and look forward to continuing to grow.” The town’s second recreational cannabis dispensary will also celebrate its grand opening on Saturday which already operates a dispensary in Farmingdale A firm time for the ceremonial ribbon-cutting has not yet been finalized The Riverhead Town Board on Tuesday approved borrowing by the Riverhead Water District to finance the upgrade of the electrical systems at its plant in Calverton that produces nearly one-quarter of the water pumped by the water district every year was built in the 1980s and all of its electrical equipment is past its useful life and must be replaced to ensure the functionality of the plant’s two wells according to Riverhead Water District Superintendent Frank Mancini.  “These are extremely valuable wells to us,” Mancini said “and we can’t wait any longer to do this type of upgrade.”   The plant supplies about 40% of the water pumped “toward the high zone,” or the northern half of the town and 20% of all water pumped by the district annually The town will issue bonds of $2,350,000 to raise the capital for the necessary improvements which were detailed in a map and plan prepared by water district consulting engineers H2M The Town Board held a public hearing on the plan and the proposed borrowing on Feb There was a “small fire” at the plant a couple of months earlier that burned inside one of the starter panels of the wells “I’ve got to get that up and running for the summer,” Mancini said The electrical system rehabilitation project will include the installation of variable frequency drives on the well pumps updated electrical controls that fully integrate with the district’s control systems The variable speed drive on the wells will “help us get more water out of the ground when we’re pumping a ton and high pressure is occurring in the system,” Mancini said The electrical service will be upgraded from 600-amp to 800-amp service to provide adequate electric service to meet future demands especially if a treatment system must be installed at a later date.  The plant currently produces water of “phenomenal quality,” Mancini has said but he wants to be prepared to deal with any future contamination Because of its location northeast of known groundwater contamination at the former Navy site in Calverton Plant 7 is “at risk from a site that’s pretty far away but that’s how the groundwater moves on Long Island,” Mancini said.  Mixed-use building on East Main Street and Prospect Place: The board approved an excavation permit for the developer of a two-story mixed use building on the northeast corner East Main Street and Prospect Place The site plan of the Fisher Organization was approved by the Planning Board in June will provide eight rental apartments on the second floor and ground floor commercial space The plan requires the excavation and exportation of 2,851 cubic yards of material New Highway Department maintenance barn in Wading River The Town Board authorized an agreement with the Raynor Group engineering firm for the construction of a new highway maintenance barn at 94 Sound Avenue in  Wading River The engineering services will cost an estimated total of $58,000 The planned 3,200-sqaure-foot prefabricated building will be used for storing equipment and will also provide a lounge area and bathroom for highway department crew members ‘Streetscapes Project” on East Main Street The board authorized an addendum to an agreement with VHB for the preparation of an updated right-of-way survey for the streetscapes project on East Main Street at an additional cost of $16,000 The board dopted a local law amending the “Excavation and Grading” chapter of  the town code to increase  the fee charged by the town for materials exported from or imported to a site from $2 to $3 per cubic yard The board set the following permit and license fees by resolutions pursuant to town code amendments adopted at the last meeting authorizing these fees to be set by resolution rather than by local law amending the town code: Riverhead Police are seeking information about the theft of a 2025 John Deere 325G Compact Track Loader stolen from a dealership on Edwards Avenue in Calverton Employees at United Ag & Turf on Edwards Avenue called police this morning at about 9:30 a.m to report that the track loader had been removed from within the fenced-in property by an unknown person or persons according to a press release issued by the Riverhead Police Department this afternoon Riverhead Police detectives responded to assist in the investigation An investigation determined the equipment was removed from the location on Thursday after the location was closed for business Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Riverhead Police Department at (631)727-4500 The Riverhead Planning Board is soliciting public comment on a draft scoping statement for review of the proposed mixed use development at 4365 Middle Country Road in Calverton called “Calverton Hamlet Center,” consists of a nine-lot subdivision of a roughly 16-acre parcel on the north side of Middle Country Road according to the draft scoping statement prepared by the applicant,TJOC Real Estate Holdings.  The subdivision will create seven single-family residential lots one lot for the construction of an on-site sewage treatment plant The proposed mixed-use building is a two-story building providing 30,000 square feet of retail and/or office space and 6,647 square feet of apartment space on the first floor and 44,588 square feet of apartment space on the second floor for a total of 36 one-bedroom residential apartments The draft scoping statement [read it below] was prepared by the applicant’s representatives at the direction of the Planning Board the scoping statement is the blueprint for environmental review of the proposed action determined last month requires an environmental impact statement to identify its potential significant impacts and determine how the impacts can best be mitigated The Planning Board scheduled a hearing for public comments on the scoping document on Thursday The scoping statement contains a description of the proposed action site plan drawings and architects’ renderings It also broadly identifies potential significant adverse impacts of the proposed development —including impacts on natural resources such as water resources vegetation and habitat —and impacts on human environmental resources such as traffic impacts and historic and archaeological resources.  The draft scoping statement also outlines the content of the draft environmental impact statement for the project The DEIS will discuss potential significant adverse impacts in detail and analyze measures by which the impacts can be mitigated.  Pope and Voorhis of Melville will prepare the DEIS.  The draft scoping document is embedded below for viewing and downloading, and can also be viewed and downloaded on the Town of Riverhead website here The Calverton Restoration Advisory Board will meet on Jan A poster session will be held from 5:30 to 6 p.m. providing an opportunity for attendees to engage in discussions and gain insights into the topics of the meeting The meeting takes place from 6:15 to 8 p.m or virtually through the free webinar tool Microsoft Teams Virtual attendees will be able to join the webinar up to 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting • Online: https://tinyurl.com/CALRABJan2025 • Event Passcode: 2os6Dd7R (case sensitive) Nearly all private drinking water wells sampled as a part of an expanded testing area surrounding the former Northrop-Grumman plant in Calverton did not contain harmful “forever chemicals” above the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency The only exception was one well sampled in 2019 which tested “slightly elevated PFAS levels” above the EPA’s maximum contaminant levels The resident associated with the well opted to decline re-sampling For per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — a group of synthetic chemicals linked to adverse human health effects like cancer and nicknamed “forever chemicals” because of how slowly they break down over time — the EPA has set a maximum contaminant level of 4 ppt for the most common compounds PFAS is found in many different industrial processes and consumer products including firefighting foam used to extinguish fires involving fuels “Although these preliminary results are encouraging we will carry out a comprehensive quality control review of all collected data and will consult with NYS [Department of Environmental Conservation] and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) before final results are released to the public,” Addison Phoenix the Navy’s project manager for the remediation of the site “The Navy remains dedicated to safeguarding the health and well-being of its neighbors and will continue investigating emerging chemicals in and around former [naval weapons plant in] Calverton The Navy announced expanded testing of private drinking water wells surrounding the property in January Contamination of soil and water at the former Grumman site in Calverton a Naval Weapons Reserve Plant operated by the Navy contractor from the mid-1950s until 1996 has migrated off-site and is suspected to have contaminated private residential drinking water wells and surface waters The expanded testing area included more homes south groundwater previously tested in the expanded area south of the property were found to contain PFAS chemicals above the Department of Defense’s action levels — which are three times more than the EPA’s maximum contaminant levels The Navy will continue testing within the sampling area Residents within the sampling area who have not yet had their drinking water tested can call (800) 906-9339 to request and schedule a sampling appointment Sampling is not required if the home’s drinking water is supplied by the Riverhead Water District Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said the EPA should take over the clean-up of the former Navy property and make it a priority site under the superfund program That announcement came a few weeks after the Navy revealed new data and maps showing groundwater polluted with PFAS migrating off of the former Grumman site towards the Peconic River a former congressman for eastern Long Island urging the EPA to preserve the maximum contaminant levels for PFAS contaminants “Millions of people on Long Island may no longer be protected if the federal MCLs are weekend or rescinded,” Romaine wrote Navy has agreed to test private drinking water wells near the former Grumman facility in Calverton for PFAS Navy representatives will be on hand at an open house in Riverhead on Wednesday evening 22 to discuss the sampling and schedule appointments with property owners.  known as “forever chemicals” are harmful substances linked to deadly cancers and immune and developmental damage to infants and children the EPA said in a press release announcing the rule PFAS — shorthand for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are synthetic chemicals used for a variety of purposes in many different industrial processes and consumer products They are also found in firefighting foam used to extinguish certain types of fires The chemical compounds are among the most persistent in existence – meaning they don’t break down and they can accumulate over time — and contaminate everything from drinking water to food They are found in the blood of virtually everyone The Navy should fully remediate the contamination to meet the current standards executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment and a member of the Calverton Restoration Advisory Board The advisory board serves as a liaison between the Navy and the community Water sampling will take place within a designated area It did not describe the designated sampling area in the release People attending the open house will be able to inquire if their property is within the designated area The community has demanded the Navy conduct additional testing for drinking water wells especially in light of EPA’s recently released drinking water standards of 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS Navy representatives at the last Calverton advisory board meeting in November announced the Department of Defense had established its own “action level” for PFAS cleanup of 12 parts per trillion three times the recently established federal EPA’s drinking water limit Military adopts ‘action level’ policy for PFAS cleanup that’s 3 times federal EPA standard Chuck Schumer agreed and stepped in to help make this happen “There is nothing more important than the public knowing what is in their drinking water,” Esposito said She called the announcement “a tremendous relief.”  “We now know that there is no safe level of these dangerous chemicals Residents deserve to know what is in their water Good data is essential in assessing the risk of groundwater contamination and crafting a comprehensive remediation plan to restore clean water for Calverton community members.” Esposito thanked Schumer for working with the Navy to ensure that additional testing for PFAS chemicals occurs.  The open house will take place at the Residence Inn at 2012 Old Country Road The Navy today also announced it has scheduled a Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) Meeting for Thursday A poster session will be held prior to the Jan The public is invited to attend the RAB in-person or virtually through the free webinar tool Microsoft (MS) Teams The webinar login information is as follows: Online: https://tinyurl.com/CALRABJan2025 Get important news about your town as it happens Get the top stories from across our network Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from daily updates Authorities are asking for help in locating a missing teenager according to the New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse She is believed to be in the Calverton area Anyone with information is asked to contact 1-800-346-3543 Share this story by clicking the Facebook icon below Romaine and community leaders hold a news conference to ask the federal government to remedy contamination throughout the former Grumman site known as Enterprise Park at Calverton (EPCAL) and the surrounding area Navy show forever chemicals are heading straight for the Peconic River from the former Grumman plant in Calverton prompting calls from county officials to declare the property a Superfund site to accelerate cleanup efforts Grumman developed fighter jets at the remote 6,000 acre site for decades until closing in 1996, leaving behind a variety of contaminants including solvents frustration is mounting over what one environmental activist described as a “lethargic” process “We are at the breaking point,” Suffolk County Executive Edward P Romaine said at a news conference at county headquarters in Hauppauge Friday flanked by Riverhead Town officials and residents “The Navy has not moved to do what it’s supposed to do Romaine is leading an effort urging the state Department of Environmental Conservation and federal Environmental Protection Agency to designate the property a Superfund site provide more oversight and include more input from the public Advocates at Friday’s news conference also called on the Navy to swiftly clean up per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances share private well testing results with the county Department of Health Services and provide funding to connect more homes to the public water supply These requests were spelled out in a letter Romaine sent to the Navy and other federal agencies on Feb Navy officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday the Navy released data that shows contaminated water is migrating off the site from a former fire training area toward Swan Pond High concentrations of PFAS in that area may be linked to firefighting foams once used there Groundwater maps provided by the Navy show the chemicals were detected at 2,050 parts per trillion south of the training area moving toward the river. Last year, the EPA set maximum contaminant levels for PFAS at 4 parts per trillion for drinking water a stricter requirement than New York State’s prior standard of 10 The chemicals are nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they do not break down naturally Exposure to the man made chemicals over time has been linked to decreased fertility according to Suffolk County Health commissioner Dr In 2023, the state Department of Health warned against eating fish caught in Peconic Lake and the Peconic River because of PFAS contamination said the Navy began investigating PFAS nine years ago and has not presented a remedial cleanup plan “The Navy is supposed to be protecting the public Last month, the Navy announced it would expand private well testing to better understand the extent of the contamination Riverhead Water District Superintendent Frank Mancini has asked the federal agency to contribute $2 million to extend public water to homes on River Road and install wells to provide early detection of PFAS movement toward town water wells Kelly McClinchy of Manorville has long advocated for clean drinking water in the area which is nearly a reality in her neighborhood of about 64 homes as the Suffolk County Water Authority continues an ongoing project She said the Navy should “step up” and take responsibility by providing clean water to the remaining residents who draw water from private wells that may be contaminated Though McClinchy and her neighbors have relied on bottled water for drinking and cooking she said residents must still shower and wash clothes and dishes with tap water Trump's influence on NY's future .. Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV Get more on these and other NewsdayTV stories A boisterous crowd of supporters of Scott’s Pointe an adventure park that includes an indoor surf pool and aquapark at the former Navy-owned property that contained the Grumman plant in Calverton 22 to urge the Riverhead Town Board approve a site plan for work that had already been done on the property without permits Pictured Above: Supporters of Scott’s Pointe at the Jan Eric Scott (second from right) did not speak at the hearing Riverhead Town recently reached a settlement with Island Water Park Corp. the corporation operating Scott’s Pointe requiring Island Water Park to pay a $50,000 penalty for building pickleball courts a go-kart track and a second-floor catering hall on the property without permits the town agreed to process the amended site plan The supporters who turned out included many people who said they were members of law enforcement who take their families to Scott’s Point Many of the 30-plus speakers in favor of the application said the park’s owner made them feel at home and treated them like family Dominic Scotto said he remembered 40 years ago he’d told him of his dream to open an amusement park 99.9 percent of human beings would have walked away,” he said “What this guy’s been through is unbelievable “This is one of the best places on Long Island that I’ve been to,” said Matteo Detrano of Freeport “I think it’s great for the community I’m going to be spending a lot more time there and maybe getting a job there over the summer James Bissett of Center Moriches said he takes his four kids and his friends to Scott’s Pointe on a regular basis “My father built the aquarium (in downtown Riverhead) and struggled with many things,” he said “It’s hard to get @$%& done You have these hard-working men who have the courage to do these things.” recently purchased property for his business at the Enterprise Park at Calverton “I’ve been in this town 24 months as a refugee from Brookhaven,” he said “We left regulation and headache… We’re experiencing the same headaches I see Eric go through on a daily basis into that property and still have no C of O [Certificate of Occupancy] 20 months later… Rules get broken because people’s backs are to the wall and they don’t have a choice I brought 100 jobs to the doorstep of Riverhead.” Ferrari said he had his company Christmas party at Scott’s Pointe under a tent because Riverhead wouldn’t let the facility use its catering hall but we didn’t complain because it was the right thing to do,” he said He added that if he had tried to build an orphange in Riverhead While most of the speakers in favor of the application were from points west a handful of Riverhead residents and environmental advocates urged the Town Board which is the lead agency on the project under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) to require the project to undergo an extensive environmental review They were met with sotto voce heckles from the crowd throughout the evening “They all drive Subarus,” grumbled one man shoulder to shoulder with other supporters who nodded in agreement with him after hearing the SEQRA argument several times The State Environmental Quality Review Act includes safeguards against a development loophole known as “segmentation,” in which developers attempt to avoid having to prepare an extensive General Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) by proposing large projects in phases Many who spoke against the application urged the town board to require that a GEIS be prepared The Calverton site includes the most extensive grasslands left in New York State the high point in the underground aquifer — Long Island’s source of drinking water — where water flows downgradient to the north spreading potential contamination further and in more directions than if it had not stood on the groundwater divide This has been of consistent concern from environmentalists as Scott’s Pointe excavated the property to build a lake for the water park The area’s siting atop the groundwater divide has also proved challenging for the U.S which is charged with cleaning up the contamination from its use of the property before it was given to Riverhead to be used for economic development in the 1990s Group for the East End Director of Conservation Advocacy Jennifer Hartnagel said the way the applicant has proceeded “segments the action’s overall environmental impact” and urged the town to require the Environmental Impact Statement “It has nothing to do with whether you like this facility or not,”she said Cindy Clifford of Riverhead said the project “may be about the kids but it’s also about the credibility and reputation of the Town Board,” adding that the applicant “has a history of operating outside the requirements of the town,” and has fallen short in the job creation it had promised when applying for tax abatements from the town’s Industrial Development Agency she attempted to solicit applause from the audience “This was all built with without permits and it is why we are all here,” said Karen Kemp of Calverton “There’s a growing trend in Riverhead where a developer builds first and then begs forgiveness.” Karen….” came a chorus from the crowd in the room Claudette Bianco of Baiting Hollow said the creation of the lake involved “sand mining done in secret in the middle of the night Trees were removed,” adding that work on the buildings was done without electrical or building department inspections “The owner has violated multiple processes,” she said “To allow the segmented process to continue allows the applicant to undermine the SEQRA process.” She added that if the town board does not declare the project a “Type I Action,” setting the stage for requiring the Environmental Impact Statement,” it will “give tacit approval to an unauthorized uninspected and potentially harmful development They’re making fools of all of us.” The DEC had granted Island Water Park a mining permit during the construction of the pond but issued violations of that permit last year requiring the company to stop using the property for recreation while the mining permit was active Gary Detrano of Freeport said the “women he’d heard speak were spewing blatant fantasy,” and “the way they speak it sounds like they’re being paid.” He added that he’d known Eric Scott for 25 years and had been involved with financing Scott’s Pointe “Anybody that knows anything about the processing of applications knows that if if you build something you go for an as-built permit,” he said I remember the day Eric bought this property There were a lot of obstacles that had to be overcome for a long time.” “Five different women are the only ones against it,” said Jeremy Bergen who said he has a young son and wants to provide him with recreational opportunities “They’re older and they don’t care Let them go about their business and sip their tea at home.” John McAuliffe of Riverhead reminded the board that their responsibility is to “the voters and citizens of Riverhead but the people who have to live with your decisions are the residents of Riverhead,” he said “It should go through the proper review.” A woman in the back of the room shouted “Clock It!” as he finished talking who had worked with kids from jail and as a school resource officer said all problem children he’s met are bored “There’s nothing for them to do We’re giving them an opportunity to come to a place where they’re protected and having fun with their family,” he said adding that he takes his three kids to the park on a regular basis “There are a lot of police officers in this room,” he said adding that police officers don’t give tickets to everyone they catch speeding “There’s such a thing as discretion If people are doing right for the community Ronnie Giovelli of Deer Park added that the Scott family is very patriotic and is always “giving stuff away to veterans.” when violations at the park first came to light last year there “was outrage in the community.” He added that he thinks it’s important that the town send a message that businesses should protect Long Island’s aquifer and follow the rules “If he had come through the permit process this all could have been dealt with,” he said “The town needs to enforce its rules.” we’ve had enough of you,” came a catcall from the crowd as Mr The Town Board held the public hearing open for written comment for 10 days Town Clerk James Wooten said at the start of the meeting that he’d received 78 communications supporting Scott’s Pointe along with a petition with 80 signatures and an online petition with 1,045 signatures in favor of the application and “three opposing viewpoints.” Wooten’s attention to Riverhead Town Hall Riverhead NY 11901 or emailed to wooten@townofriverheadny.gov The Riverhead Planning Board has initiated formal review of a development proposal on Middle Country Road in Calverton that would subdivide a roughly 16-acre vacant parcel into 10 lots and develop the commercially zoned portion of the site with a two-story mixed-use commercial building providing about 30,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and 36 one-bedroom apartments on the upper floor The Planning Board assumed lead agency status and issued a positive declaration pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) meaning the proposal will require expanded coordinated environmental review to identify its potential significant impacts and determine how the impacts can best be mitigated The board also directed the applicant to prepare a draft scope of review The proposal consists of two separate but related applications by TJOC Real Estate Holdings: the land subdivision application creating 10 lots and a site plan application for the development of the five-acre lot fronting Middle Country Road that would be created by the subdivision.   undeveloped site is located on the north side of Middle Country Road in Calverton between J&R Steakhouse and Miloski’s Poultry Farm approximately 475 feet west of Fresh Pond Avenue lying partly in the Hamlet Center Zoning District and partly in the Residence B-40 Zoning District  The commercial development is proposed for a five-acre lot fronting Middle Country Road located within the Hamlet Center Zoning District Nine other proposed lots would be created on the remaining acreage which lies in the Residence B-40 Zoning District Seven of the proposed lots are about 40,000 square feet each and designated for single-family residential development about 31,000 square feet would be set aside as a recharge basin for drainage purposes adjoining the commercial parcel on the north is the proposed site of a wastewater treatment facility with the capacity to treat 15,000 gallons per day MORE COVERAGE:  Planners discuss mixed-use development and residential subdivision on 16 acres in Calverton Two subdivisions of agricultural land in Jamesport gained approval from the Riverhead Planning Board at its meeting last week.  One subdivision split a 41-acre parcel having road frontage on both Sound Avenue and Manor Lane into three lots Lot one is a 2.2-acre parcel improved with a single-family home; lot two is a 33.24-acre parcel which has been preserved by the purchase of development rights by the County of Suffolk earlier this year; lot three is a 5.7-acre parcel located in the Agricultural Protection zoning district The other subdivision split a 5-acre vacant parcel at 139 Sound Avenue also having road frontage on both Sound Avenue and Manor Lane Lot one is a 2.4-acre parcel and lot two is a 2.6-acre parcel Granted a 90-day extension of a land subdivision approval granted to DeLalio Sod Farm LLC on March 7 2024 that split a 52-acre industrially zoned lot at 422 Edwards Avenue in Calverton into two parcels.  The subdivision was granted in connection with Riverhead Solar 2 a New York State reviewed renewable energy project located within the Industrial A Zoning Use District Riverhead Solar 2 is a proposed 36 megawatt commercial solar energy production facility on 275 acres along Edwards Avenue Delalio Sod Farm intends to retain the smaller will be made part of the Riverhead Solar 2 project The subdivision approval required the Planning Board chairperson to sign a final map within 180 days from the adoption of the resolution approving the subdivision but the applicant is still working on satisfying the conditions of the approval according to the resolution adopted last week.  Last week’s resolution did not indicate which conditions of approval have not been satisfied There were six conditions set forth in the March 7 approval resolution all but one of which were routine or administrative tasks or minor amendments to the subdivision map The remaining condition of the subdivision approval was an approval of the subdivision by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services.  The new tests expand previous efforts to remediate contamination stemming from the 6,000-acre former Grumman site Navy has agreed to a new round of testing private drinking wells in the shadow of a former Grumman plant in Calverton The Navy is seeking permission from property owners in its sampling area to test drinking wells for poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances a class of manmade “forever chemicals” that have been linked to cancers developmental disorders and other health impacts The Navy is holding an open house at the Residence Inn Long Island East End in Riverhead on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m for residents to get more information and schedule water testing appointments Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency issued new regulations for PFAS in drinking water supplies setting maximum levels at 4 parts per trillion But in October, Navy officials announced it would adhere to a Department of Defense standard of 12 parts per trillion in order to prioritize cleanup in the most contaminated areas prompting outcry from the community and calls for funding public water connections “There is nothing more important than the public knowing what is in their drinking water,” said Adrienne Esposito executive director of the Farmingdale nonprofit Citizens Campaign for the Environment A Navy map shows expanded testing boundaries south and east of the former Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant where Grumman tested fighter jets from the 1950s until it closed in 1996. Officials believe the contamination stems from firefighting foams used at the site The sampling area is “one mile in the direction that groundwater flows away” from PFAS detection sites Property owners are eligible if they live within the boundary and draw water from a private well the Navy tested 16 private wells near the site but the results did not exceed contamination limits triggering further action Detections of PFOA and PFOS were found in 13 of 16 wells ranging from 0.15 parts per trillion to 11.2 parts per trillion PFOA and PFOS are two of the most common types of PFAS chemicals Chuck Schumer wrote a letter urging the Navy to commit to an “overdue and dire need” for more groundwater testing in Calverton as well as monitor movement of chemicals toward public supply wells nearby Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard said he was "pleased" to hear about additional testing "Clean drinking water is absolutely essential for all our residents," Hubbard said Dozens of homes in the area, though not all, have since been connected to public water supplies, including 64 in Manorville where connections are currently underway If PFAS detections are at or above the Department of Defense standard of 12 parts per trillion the Navy has pledged to provide an “enduring solution such as a whole house treatment system or connection to public water,” according to its website Testing will begin as soon as Thursday and the results are typically available within 30 days Results will be shared with the state Department of Environmental Conservation the state Department of Health and will be available online JLL Capital Markets facilitated the sale of 901-931 Burman Boulevard a mission-critical industrial asset in Suffolk County Hotels & Hospitality and Capital Markets PR Your browser doesn't support speech synthesis MORRISTOWN, N.J., Jan. 15, 2025 – JLL Capital Markets announced today the $15.25 million sale of 901-931 Burman Boulevard a 189,631-square-foot industrial facility in Calverton The JLL Suburban Tri-State Capital Markets team worked on behalf of the seller the two-tenant property boasts features such as 48-foot clear heights oversized drive-in doors and ample outdoor storage space The 20-acre site provided additional land for development ideal for future last-mile distribution to the North Fork and Hamptons JLL Capital Markets is a full-service global provider of capital solutions for real estate investors and occupiers The firm's in-depth local market and global investor knowledge delivers the best-in-class solutions for clients — whether investment sales and advisory The firm has more than 3,000 Capital Markets specialists worldwide with offices in nearly 50 countries For more news, videos and research resources, please visit JLL’s newsroom The KABR Group (“KABR”) is a vertically integrated private equity real estate firm responsible for the investment KABR has acquired over six million square feet of development rights and industrial and distribution properties KABR leverages its competitive advantages and reputation to capitalize on real estate inefficiencies and development real estate investments in the New York metropolitan area Corniche Capital is a leading opportunistic investment firm in both the private and public sectors The business activities are divided between two main business units: real estate and private equity Our investing objective is to generate out-sized returns with both current income and long-term capital appreciation through equity and debt investments We seek to maximize returns and mitigate risk through our rigorous analyses and creative deal structuring insights and opportunities from global commercial real estate markets straight to your inbox Calverton residents and water quality advocates at a meeting with representatives from the U.S Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Conservation on Oct A federal agency's decision to prioritize chemical cleanup at wells where contamination is three times the new federal limit has prompted calls for swifter action and money for public water at the former Grumman plant in Calverton Navy officials told members of an advisory board overseeing the Navy’s remediation at the Grumman site that it would adhere to a standard of 12 parts per trillion for poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water — three times the EPA limit set by the Department of Defense The Environmental Protection Agency in April set stricter standards requiring utilities to limit “forever chemicals” in drinking water linked to cancers developmental damage and other health problems The human-made chemicals are commonly found in firefighting foams and do not break down naturally The limit of 4 parts per trillion exceeds current state standards for contaminants in Long Island drinking water The Department of Defense said its parameter “prioritizes action where PFAS levels are the highest, rather than delay action at these locations while ongoing remedial investigations continue,” according to a September memo But frustrated residents say the move will only delay cleanup action and asked the Navy for $2 million to pay for public water extensions to homes near the facility The Navy is responsible for cleaning up the 6,000-acre former Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in Calverton Navy testing from 2016 showed PFAS, in groundwater at the site. Private drinking wells east on River Road also detected PFAS in 2018 and 2019 Navy engineer Addison Phoenix said a review of the data from private wells on River Road show “no exceedances” of the Department of Defense guideline superintendent of the Riverhead Water District “You do have detections above [4 ppt] in private wells right now on River Road that you guys know your plume is causing,” he said at the meeting ‘It hasn’t hit our action level.’ But you just made the action level up.” Navy spokesman David Todd said the highest result detected was 11.2 parts per trillion That well was retested in 2019 with a result of 2.15 parts per trillion While the Navy has acknowledged the plume is traveling south and southeast toward the Peconic River Todd said “It is unknown currently if the plume is migrating eastward toward River Road.” Last year, state health officials warned against eating fish caught in the Peconic River due to PFAS contamination At the meeting, Mancini and other town officials asked the Navy for $2 million to connect 28 homes on River Road to public water while their investigation goes on. Riverhead Town has grants to cover most of the $6.9 million project and said the funding will close a gap the Navy budgeted approximately $1.9 million for the site Phoenix said the latest Department of Defense policy doesn’t allow them to take action “We’re still figuring out that problem,” she said of the contamination “It is just a little bit more of an elaborate process here because of how many contamination sources we have.” The Navy is abiding by the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response an arcane process involving extensive investigations and studies before remediation can begin the water is still contaminated,” said Dawn Thomas who leads community development in Riverhead “So put the pipe in … and then you can take as much time as you want to figure it out because we know that people won’t be suffering.” Navy officials said testing will continue this fall and updates will be given at the next advisory meeting in January 19 meeting approved a Riverhead Water District extension to serve residents in the Forge Road area of Calverton where private drinking water wells are contaminated or likely to be contaminated by PFAS Approximately 70 mobile homes located in three mobile home parks and 14 single-family homes will be served by the extension which will cost the water district an estimated $1.52 million The town received just under $1.2 million in federal grant funding under the 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will allocate $335,000 from its Community Preservation Fund to pay the remaining cost of the extension Residents are responsible for the installation of their private service lines and the cost of their meters as well as connections to internal plumbing.   Navy’s consultants are beginning to test private wells for the emerging contaminant PFAS this week in neighborhoods surrounding the Navy’s former property in Calverton and they’re urging residents within the testing area to schedule an appointment Residents who have private drinking wells in the area are asked to call 1-800-906-9339 to set up the testing which will be conducted by the Navy’s contractors The consultants will ask the owner of the property to sign a Right of Entry Agreement and respond to a questionnaire and an adult will need to be present at the time of the scheduled appointment who helped residents schedule testing at an open house at the Residence Inn in Riverhead Jan Tam said there are about 60 homes in the proposed testing area east and north of the property now known as the Enterprise Park at Calverton (EPCAL) as long as they are able to have the owner of the property sign the Right of Entry Agreement While Resolution Consultants plans to do most of the testing this coming week they can also make appointments for later this winter adding that two professional water samplers will spend less than an hour taking water samples preferably from a source as close as possible to the well Water testers will follow health and safety precautions requested by residents The water will then be sent to a lab for testing with results expected within 30 days of the sampling the project manager for the Navy’s cleanup of the site said potential treatment plans for the water will be considered after the testing results are complete but any resident whose water has more than 70 parts per trillion of PFAS will be provided with bottled water in the interim Treatments could include in-house systems or connection to public water While the Navy has been working on numerous sources of contamination at the site over the past three decades since the property was given to Riverhead Town for economic development safety standards for PFAS are still being developed 70 ppt had been considered the national standard for the maximum amount of PFAS allowed in drinking water since 2016 when understanding of the harm caused by the compounds was in its infancy New York State set a lower standard of 10 ppt in 2020 Environmental Protection Agency set a goal last year of reducing that amount to 4 ppt in public drinking water supplies while the Department of Defense set a standard of 12 ppt last fall for the most common PFAS chemicals in areas surrounding its historic use of the compounds There is currently no standard for PFAS in private wells The most common historical use of products containing PFAS is in firefighting foam used to put out fires involving fuels like gasoline and jet fuel They are commonly found in the groundwater surrounding airports throughout the country where they had historically been used for firefighting training and at sites of aircraft crashes and automobile accidents After gathering nearly 400 samples from testing wells at the EPCAL property the Navy has identified 11 likely PFAS release areas which include fire training areas and sites of crashes that have occurred during the property’s history as a Grumman flight testing site a geologist working on the project for Resolution Consultants The consultants are prioritizing cleanup of areas that pose the greatest risk to human health and the environment Exposure to PFAS has been shown to cause numerous health problems that are still being researched including increased risk of certain types of cancer pregnancy complications and increased risk of thyroid disease and liver damage will be closed to through-traffic from 8 p.m March 2 for a railroad grade crossing upgrade by the MTA Riverhead Highway Superintendent Mike Zaleski said The road will be accessible for local traffic only which is still cleaning up pollution at the former Grumman site in Calverton is conducting a community survey seeking feedback on site cleanup and remediation activities The survey, consisting of seven questions, can be completed online here.  To submit the survey to the Navy, it must be downloaded and emailed to NAVFAC_ML_PAO@navy.mil printed and mailed to: NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs Office The survey is part of a formal five-year review mandated by the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response The law requires the periodic review when hazardous substances or contaminants remain onsite “above levels that allow for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure.” The site was occupied and operated by Navy contractor Grumman Corporation (later Northrop Grumman) from the1950s to the 1990s The company assembled and tested military aircraft and equipment there for the Navy clean-up and remediation at the former Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in 1986 Grumman’s operations at the site polluted soil and groundwater with a variety of chemical contaminants CERLCA requires the Navy to clean up and remediate the site an obligation that continues even though most of the land within the NWIRP was transferred by the Navy to the Town of Riverhead in 1998 Navy contractors have been removing contaminated soils monitoring groundwater pollution and developing a final remediation plan for the site the Navy disclosed it has identified a number of new “areas of concern” on the site where contaminants More PFAS contamination detected inside the Calverton Enterprise Park, Navy investigators say known as “forever chemicals,” are harmful substances linked to deadly cancers according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.  PFAS contamination has been confirmed in groundwater at the southern border of the former aerospace manufacturing site where the Navy has a fence-line monitoring system in place The chemicals have also been found in private residential drinking water wells south and east of the site State maximum contaminant level of 10 parts per trillion.  The Navy has maintained it is not bound by the state drinking water limits for PFAS It has also refused to take responsibility for cleaning up off-site contamination in general the EPA issued a final rule setting strict federal drinking water limits for five PFAS chemicals Community members were anxious to discuss how the new rule would affect cleanup at the Calverton site.  The Navy has not yet committed to any particular course of action regarding PFAS cleanup at the site When the Calverton Restoration Advisory Board the Navy’s community liaison and advisory group for the site asked that the issue of PFAS cleanup be on the agenda for a previously scheduled May 7 advisory board meeting the Navy’s project manager for the Calverton site  told the board the Navy could not discuss PFAS cleanup at the May 7 meeting because it was waiting for the Department of Defense “to issue policy” on how new federal drinking water standards will be incorporated into the cleanup program for the Calverton site.  The Navy had to “adjust” the meeting date in light of the new EPA rule Navy Project Manager Addison Phoenix wrote in an email to advisory board  members The Restoration Advisory Board asked that the postponement be brief and that the Navy reschedule the meeting in June The Navy responded in July saying it hoped to schedule the meeting later that month But the advisory board never heard anything further The board wrote to the Navy representative earlier this month to again ask that the meeting be scheduled It got a response last week informing it that the Navy plans to hold a Restoration Advisory Board meeting on Oct 29 at Riley Avenue Elementary School.   But PFAS is still not on the meeting agenda DOD [Department of Defense] PFAS policy has not been issued at this time so this topic has not been added to the agenda,”  Navy Restoration Supervisor Bryan Revell wrote in an Aug 29 agenda will include “a presentation on buried drums at the former NWIRP Calverton as well as an update on the current Long Term Monitoring program,” Revell wrote.  This was apparently added to the agenda in response to a letter from the Restoration Advisory Board to the Navy in June expressing the concern of local residents about Grumman’s practice of burying barrels of waste citing recently discovered buried barrels at the company’s former Bethpage site The Restoration Advisory Board asked the Navy to provide an update on what has been done to identify areas at the Calverton site where drums may have been buried The board asked whether there have been ground-penetrating radar studies in these areas and whether there are any suspect areas that warrant consideration for further investigation The board urged the Navy “to use ground-penetrating radar as well as subsurface drilling and sampling to determine if any barrels containing toxic chemicals are buried under or around the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in Calverton in areas that have not been evaluated.”  If barrels are found make that information available to the community Concern about the health impacts of conditions at the site and around the former Grumman plant led Rep Nick LaLota (NY-01) to write a letter to New York State Commissioner of Health James McDonald this week asking the state health department to undertake a comprehensive study for the Calverton community including a detailed review of cancer rates and other potential health impacts in the area Read the letter here. LaLota noted similarities between Grumman’s operations at its Calverton site and at its Bethpage site — and between the impacts of the Navy contractor’s operations on the environment in both locations “Calverton has a documented history of environmental contamination including the presence of trichloroethylene (TCE) and other hazardous substances in the groundwater,” LaLota wrote.  “Given the parallels between these two sites and the precedent set by the DOH’s decision to reexamine health outcomes in Bethpage it is both necessary and prudent to extend a similar study to the Calverton area,” LaLota said in the letter this study should review updated data from the New York State Cancer Registry taking into account the latest trends and geographic considerations over the past decade,” he wrote Such a study will provide “much-needed transparency for the residents of Calverton,” LaLota wrote and will “ensure that any necessary public health interventions or remediation efforts are informed by the most current and comprehensive data available.” 27 letter was also signed by nine state and local elected officials Riverhead Supervisor Tim Hubbard and Riverhead council members Ken Rothwell Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo.—The Calverton Park Police Department is disbanding, according to its social media page “It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye,” said Chief Sean Gibbons it was necessary for the city to disband the Calverton Park Police Department.”  “alleging the city has violated residents’ constitutional rights by illegally towing their vehicles from private property—such as people’s homes and driveways—without giving the owners a meaningful opportunity to be heard as is required by the Due Process Clause of the U.S Chief Gibbons said he is proud of the department and commends them for showing heart and concern to the community during difficult times He said his department helped the residents “live their best lives.” Spectrum News reached out to Chief Gibbons for additional information but have yet to hear back.  The Florissant Police Department agreed to provide police services to the residents of Calverton Park “I am certain that they will fulfill the duties that you expected of us with the same professionalism and respect you have grown to rely upon.” This would be a first for the Florissant Police Department—to provide police services to another municipality.  The Restoration Advisory Board (RAB)for the former Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant (NWIRP) in Calverton will hold its next meeting on Oct The meeting is scheduled to start at 6:15 p.m There will be an open house session prior to the meeting This session will feature informational displays and representatives from the Navy and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) The Residence Inn located at 2012 Old Country Road in Riverhead or virtually through the free webinar tool Microsoft  Teams Virtual attendees can join the webinar up to 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting If you’re using the Microsoft Teams application please allow time for downloading to your computer or mobile device If you do not wish to download the application you can choose “Continue in Browser” to access the meeting Join the meeting now +1 332-249-0605,,272223523# United States (877) 286-5733,,272223523# United States (Toll-free) Tenant key: aecom@m.webex.com More info Not Street drag racing event at the Calverton Enterprise Park witnessed a junior drag racing tournament with the largest prize pool in National Hot Rod Association history The tournament drew junior drag racers from across the East Coast — and even one from Ohio A prize pool of $26,000 was generated through donations collected by Bill Madden a drag racer from East Islip who set out to raise money for the event Madden ended up collecting more than he expected from local businesses and others supportive of drag racing growing what was an initial contribution of $1,000 from him and his son So many people couldn’t wait to jump in to help these kids out.” “It wound up $26,000 was the biggest junior drag race purse ever in the history of the National Hot Rod Association,” promoter Pete Scalzo said between the ages of 6 and 17 competed in the event and the top racers in the two age classes took home thousands of dollars There were over $5,000 given at the event in gift cards and door prizes Madden said families spectating the event were abuzz about getting involved in junior drag racing He said he and Scalzo have already started planning a junior dragster event for events next year Madden said drag racing is another attraction to bring families into Riverhead akin to the Long Island Aquarium and Splish Splash water park “And the fact that we can do it again on Long Island And the Town of Riverhead has really opened their doors for us to make this happen.” Sunday’s event capped off the third consecutive year of Race Track the event expanded this year to include go-kart racing and drifting RiverheadLOCAL photos by Emil Breitenbach Jr The community rallied once again to celebrate Andrew McMorris and raise awareness about impaired driving at the annual Andrew’s Top Gun Run on Saturday which would have been Andrew’s 19th birthday Thousands of runners and supporters met on the runway at the Grumman property in Calverton Photos courtesy of the Andrew McMorris Foundation The race is organized by the Andrew McMorris Foundation in partnership with Strong Island Running Club Finishers received challenge coins inscribed with “Together we run Andrew,” and a picture of Andrew in his scout uniform The New York State Department of Transportation will resurface a deteriorated stretch of Middle Country Road (NY-25) in Calverton starting next summer — two years earlier than originally planned has prompted numerous complaints to Riverhead Town officials The resurfacing was originally scheduled to start in summer 2027; it will now start in summer 2025 with a tentative completion date of summer 2026 The DOT’s website has been updated with a new project complete date of July 2026 The resurfacing project will span the roadway between the Manor Road and Route 25A intersections “I am thrilled to report to my constituents and our emergency services personnel about the incredible work our NYSDOT team is doing by prioritizing this essential project,” Giglio said in a statement Friday announcing the change “The repaving of Route 25 is not just about improving our roads; it’s about ensuring safer more efficient transportation for our residents emergency responders and local businesses.” “A project of this magnitude being accelerated means fewer delays safer route for everyone who relies on it,” she said “I am deeply grateful this is being treated with the urgency it deserves and I look forward to seeing it completed ahead of schedule.”  A separate DOT project is under construction at the intersection of Middle Country Road and Edwards Avenue to realign Edwards Avenue widen Middle Country Road and add left turn lanes; the project is scheduled to be completed this fall and upcoming events right to your inbox with our daily newsletter Belief owner Mike Reda brings the first legal dispensary to the North Fork The North Fork’s first recreational cannabis dispensary, Beleaf (4462 Middle Country Road Patrons new to recreational dispensaries can expect a warm reception with individual “budtenders” available to assist and answer questions.  and then one of the budtenders will come out and speak to them,” says co-owner Mike Reda That’s why once someone’s familiar with the store we do have the express kiosk [for self-service] If someone wants to come in and order real quick and then just proceed to the counter But if someone’s looking for a more educational experience or recommendations Beleaf offers a wide selection of tinctures There are also cannabis-infused sparkling waters which are available off the shelf and chilled.  Beleaf offers both customized assistance via “budtenders” and self-serve options one of the more unique products Beleaf will be offering is a line of cannabis-infused teas by Harney Brothers of Millerton Each flavor has a different recommended application Reda touts the convenience of the store to points west where a dispensary might not be readily accessible Customers can be in and out without dealing with excessive traffic because we’re able to service a lot of towns west of us — Wading River Manorville — They don’t have to go all the way into [Downtown] Riverhead to get to us You’re alleviating that whole traffic issue of going into Riverhead.”  the Town of Riverhead has made the process of getting the store up and running as smooth and straightforward as possible.  “[We will be] welcoming people to the Beleaf family out in Calverton,” says Reda “We’re excited to be a part of the community on the East End not just another number that walks in the store We want to build relationships with everybody and eventually know everyone’s name and know what products they prefer You’re not just going to be waiting on line.” If you like your meal with a water view (and who doesn’t?) Family Fun at Harbes Farm Harbes Family Farm (715 Sound Ave. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Site made in collaboration with CMYK A second hockey rink is now open at the Peconic Ice Rinks in Calverton.  is made out of sports court material and will be used primarily for dek and roller hockey programs which also includes the year-round indoor ice rink at the town-owned park.  just started youth and adult roller hockey clinics on the outdoor rink an outdoor multipurpose sports court material, he said Soon the rink will transform into a second ice rink for the winter months “We’ll have ice by the end of November or early December through March “We’re gonna have some public sessions maybe a holiday event,” Tamburino said of the outdoor rink in the winter “Some of our travel teams will do some practices and games outside “The rest of the year we’re gonna have dek hockey leagues roller hockey leagues — youth and adult.” he said “And we might even throw out some other sports down the road as well to make it more of a multi-purpose facility.”  The rink was used in August for roller hockey clinics and tournaments during an event Tamburino organizes called “Hockey is Hockey.” It is currently in the soft opening stage Construction is still underway on locker rooms for the outdoor rink The programs at the Peconic Ice Rinks are run by the Peconic Hockey Foundation a nonprofit organization that purchased and donated both the ice rink and the street rink to the town under an agreement to site the facilities at Veterans Memorial Park The organization was founded by Wading River residents in 2016 to grow hockey on the East End and has the backing of people in the hockey community including New York Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky Information on how to register for events at the rinks can be found on peconicicerinks.com Recreational marijuana is finally on its way to Riverhead The first two recreational dispensaries in the Town of Riverhead are hoping to open this fall on Old Country Road in Riverhead and on Middle Country Road in Calverton is looking to set up a second shop at 1871 Old Country Road a vacant commercial building on the corner of Route 58 and Kroemer Avenue.  a dispensary chain with a store in Brooklyn is setting up a shop in the Calverton Commons at 4462 Middle Country Road.   Both sites comply with Riverhead’s recreational cannabis zoning laws according to letters from a town planner to the state obtained through Freedom of Information Law Both buildings are currently undergoing renovations said that the dispensary will be a “one stop shop” for cannabis in eastern Suffolk County and hopes to be open before Thanksgiving the dispensary in Riverhead will be the largest pot store in New York “We’re going to be doing delivery out there as well just like we are in Farmingdale,” Singh said “Delivery is going to be pretty big over there,” he said “And it’s gonna be free same day delivery The original Strain Stars in East Farmingdale was the first recreational dispensary to open on Long Island. Towns and villages receive 3% of the 13% state sales tax for dispensaries in their jurisdictions; Babylon Town has so far collected more than $1.8 million from cannabis sales from Strain Stars, which opened in July 2023, and another dispensary, according to Newsday said he hopes to open the Calverton location by the end of next month “We’re going to have every single product offering available,” he said Riverhead Town is one of four towns on Long Island that allows recreational dispensaries After a bill to opt-out of marijuana sales failed in 2021 town officials created and passed restrictive zoning laws that left almost all commercial properties in town unable to host dispensaries — delaying the potential for any shops to open within the town.  The Town Board relaxed those laws slightly earlier this year, but those in the cannabis industry said the amendment would not be enough to bring businesses into town One business looking to be licensed asked the State Office of Cannabis Management for an opinion on whether the town’s zoning is “unreasonably impracticable” and in violation of the 2021 law that legalized recreational marijuana in New York In addition to compliance with zoning rules dispensaries must abide by security and odor management requirements under town law Marijuana can only be sold to people 21 and older Suffolk County officials have requested a comprehensive health study for the Calverton area to determine how chemical contamination from military contractor Northrop Grumman has impacted residents' health "This study should review updated data from the New York State Cancer Registry taking into account the latest trends and geographic considerations over the past decade," U.S Representative Nick LaLota (R-NY) and Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine wrote A health department spokesperson said they’re evaluating the request and noted that "cancer evaluations cannot provide a direct causal link between identified cases of cancer and any particular environmental exposure." said the study will provide updated information and transparency for the public Grumman operated two major facilities on Long Island — one in Bethpage and one in Calverton — and we're now learning some lessons from what went on in Bethpage and how the company's operations there have contaminated the water supply of nearby neighborhoods," LaLota said as we look to the company's other sites in Calverton we want to ensure and anticipate as much as we can any issues." Newly discovered chemical drums of toxic waste in Bethpage Community Park have riled residents and renewed concerns about whether soil and water contamination have been properly remediated Northrop Grumman had used the facilities to assemble and test Navy aircraft for decades leading to underground plumes of chemical contamination The Navy is responsible for the cleanup in Calverton and is holding its next meeting of the community advisory board on Oct 29 at Riley Avenue Elementary School in Calverton The North Fork’s first recreational cannabis dispensary, Beleaf, located at 4462 Middle Country Road with individual “budtenders” available to assist and answer questions they’re going to be greeted and then one of the budtenders will come out and speak to them,” said co-owner Mike Reda That’s why once someone’s familiar with the store But if someone’s looking for a more educational experience or recommendations which are available off the shelf and chilled one of the more unique products Beleaf offers is a line of cannabis-infused teas by Harney Brothers of Millerton Reda touts the store’s convenience for patrons from points west Manorville — they don’t have to go all the way into Riverhead to get to us You’re alleviating that whole traffic issue of going into Riverhead.” According to Mr. Reda, the Town of Riverhead has made the process of getting the store up and running as smooth and straightforward as possible “[We will be] welcoming people to the Beleaf family out in Calverton,” said Mr “We’re excited to be a part of the community on the East End and eventually know everyone’s name and know what products they prefer You’re not just going to be waiting on line.” Dreamland Amusements carnival company is looking to bring a multi-day family fun festival to Veterans Memorial Park in Calverton this summer business consultant and vice chairman of the Riverhead Republican Committee Ashley Schandel of the Riverhead recreation department and Dreamland Amusement manager Jaclyn Shoup discussed the proposal with the Riverhead Town Board at an April 17 work session The event would be a revival of the original Suffolk County Fair that started in Riverhead in the early 1900s Dreamland Amusements would need approval for use of the property — specifically the area in front of the Peconic Ice Rink This includes a special event permit from the town and a potable water source.Otherwise the company itself handles all other logistics for the festival as well as a final cleanup of the property when the festival ends It has also paid for police at previous events “I think Jaclyn’s family and the company every time we had a question about something they had an answer and a solution,” Ms “They seem super organized and have it covered — [they] don’t need anything from us.” the festival would tentatively be held Wednesday Among Dreamland Amusement’s most notable previous events are the Great New York State Fair the company is also behind the Long Island Fun Fest Bald Hill Fair and The Empire State Fair at the Nassau Coliseum The proposed Calverton carnival would be similar to the annual Strawberry Festival in Mattituck and Ms Shoup said she anticipates a maximum of 1,500 people would attend in just one day Wristbands would be $35 for all-day access and single tickets would also be available The company also offers discount packages for families “It’s a first-class organization … the reason I thought of in front of the ice rink is I think it blends in with what we’re trying to achieve up there to make that a full-service fully integrated recreation facility that we got from the government and I thought this would fit in naturally,” Mr Town officials discussed how the carnival can aid in promoting both Veterans Memorial Park and the Peconic Ice Rink The only concern raised involved the logistics of parking but town officials agreed it could be figured out “I would be interested in looking to see this go forward I would be interested in seeing a more finite plan,” Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard said Shoup said that if the community positively responds to the carnival and it turns out to be successful the goal is to expand it to an annual 10-day event “We are strictly a family event; we want families to make memories … we have rides for 2-year-olds “We do really steep discounts online prior to the event that we heavily promote through mailings Facebook and Instagram posts to give families the opportunity to make this an affordable event for them.” The Riverhead Charter School is looking to buy property on the east corner of Middle Country Road and Fresh Pond Avenue in Calverton to site a new high school The Riverhead Charter School Board of Trustees has authorized Superintendent Raymond Ankrum to execute a sales contract to purchase property at 4314 Middle Country Road in Calverton for $4.11 million according to minutes of the charter school board’s July 17 meeting.  The charter school is looking to purchase 13.7 acres of land closest to Middle Country Road for the construction of its high school Ankrum said in an interview Wednesday. The property on that corner is currently a 111-acre parcel and would need to be subdivided While most of the parcel is in the agricultural protection zone which has 1,175 feet of frontage on Middle Country Road which allows as-of-right the construction of schools Although approved by the charter school’s board Ankrum said the contract to buy the land has not yet been executed.  The school building will be able to hold roughly 500 children and include the development of ball fields and other amenities The land is a little more than a mile and a half away from the school’s main campus at 3685 Middle Country Road The charter school is currently teaching its high school students at the campus of the former Northville School on Sound Avenue which the charter school renovated in 2022 and is renting But the schoolhouse is quickly becoming cramped and does not have space for other amenities like athletic fields The corner of Fresh Pond Avenue and Middle Country Road although one will be installed just east of the intersection to accommodate the development of a new industrial park being built by HK Ventures.  Several residents of the area, as well as Ankrum, objected to the location of the new industrial park at a public hearing last year with the main concern being that the development would exacerbate already dangerous traffic conditions at the intersection.  While the charter school continues to plan for the construction of a larger high school — a process officials expect to take around three years — it is looking for the town to green-light a stop-gap measure: the addition of three temporary trailers in the backyard of its current high school to accommodate more students Two of the trailers will be used as classroom space while the third will be an office space for the school’s administrators which currently operate in the hallways of the old Northville schoolhouse charter school representatives told the Town Board during a hearing Tuesday In addition to approvals from the Planning Board the charter school needs the Town Board’s permission according to Riverhead Town officials.  the Town Board grilled Riverhead Charter School officials with questions about how they planned to use the new space particularly focusing on concerns related to class sizes the attorney representing the charter school in the proceeding said there are currently 154 students and 24 faculty members at the school “They’re kind of outgrowing their space,” Farrell said Farrell said the use of the site was already authorized to be a school “The special use permit has already been granted at this location for school use so the board has already made a determination that this is an appropriate location for this type of use,” Farrell said the buildings are permitted as accessory buildings by-right.   we’re here to seek the board’s approval for the special permit because that is what the Planning Board has determined that we’re required to do,” Farrell said “To the extent that we need the special permit I just want to remind the board that the courts have historically held that schools and churches enjoy special treatment with respect to zoning because they are presumed to have a beneficial impact on the community.” The trailers won’t have a significant impact on the community There is going to be a “miniscule” increase in bus traffic and students are not allowed to drive to the school “[W]e’re not going to turn away students that have been with the charter schools since the beginning and tell them they have to go start high school at another place,” Farrell said This is where they’re going to finish out their education are they going to do this in cramped classrooms or are they going to be able to expand and have additional space to provide the proper learning environment for these students?” Farrell said only 130 students would be taught in the main school building with another 48 students being taught in the trailers The charter school expects a maximum of 180 students on the entirety of the campus Council Member Ken Rothwell said the charter school’s plan would “circumnavigate around the maximum occupancy and add additional trailers.” Farrell disagreed with that characterization “I don’t think anybody said anything about circumventing the maximum occupancy at all,” he said.   you’re increasing the capacity of the overall school,” Rothwell said which is not increasing the capacity of the existing building,” Farrell said “That has nothing to do with the fire marshal The fire marshal would have a separate inspection of these facilities and would determine the capacity of them.” The comments from the public and from the Town Board during the hearing questioned the apparent failure of the charter school to plan long-term for the increased enrollment of the school very sorry for the students that are a part of this,” Council Member Joann Waski said “because I think the charter school is a great school and a great opportunity for a lot of children — and these children were failed It was not by this Riverhead Town Board; it was by the charter school.”  Ankrum said the responsibility falls on him for “poor planning.”  Rothwell also asked during the hearing how the charter school would handle the students enrolled if it was not allowed to put the trailers on the site.  Ankrum said he hasn’t thought about that scenario but that the charter school can make the current space they have “work.” “But having portable access would be a great deal of relief for us,” he said.  Ankrum said the charter school would be amenable to conditions on the special permit that would cap the number of students at the site or require the trailers to be removed after a certain time period Putting the trailers on the site was not the charter school’s original plan and is only a temporary measure The original plan was to build a new high school on land adjacent to the current school to increase the school’s capacity Ankrum announced in November that the charter school was purchasing roughly 72-acres of farmland next to the Northville schoolhouse to build a new secondary school campus. The full buildout would have included a high school, a middle school and athletic fields, he said. The plan faced sharp opposition by some local residents the Riverhead Board of Education and the Riverhead Central Faculty Association the school district teacher’s union.  The charter school dropped its plans to build on the farmland after stiff opposition and intense debate including “direct attacks on our students,” which affected charter school students’ “psychological safety,” the charter school board president said in a letter at the time The Riverhead Charter School was established in 2001 as a K-6 school and has expanded with subsequent charter renewals. In 2022, the school’s charter was renewed and expanded to allow the school to add grades 11 and 12 The school can enroll up to 1,244 students by the 2026-27 school year — a nearly 400 student increase from its previous charter students in grades nine and 10 shared the building with K-8 students at the charter school’s campus in Calverton