Riverhead celebrates National Night Out poster contest winners: Town Board wrap-up Aug. 1

Riverhead Town officials celebrated the winners of the annual National Night Out poster contest during Tuesday’s Town Board meeting.

Kids from ages five to 12 participated in the contest, which kicks off the annual crime prevention and community building campaign. National Night Out was celebrated on Tuesday evening with block parties around town.

“There’s a lot of campers and a lot of hard work went into the winner’s posters,” RPD Lt. Edward Frost said. “And it was, as usual, very hard to pick out winners.” 

The winners were:

Nine to 12 years old:

• Kaitlyn Witt, 1st place
• Zariah Hamilton, 2nd place
• Steven Edwards, 3rd place

Seven and eight years old:

• Christopher Valverde, 1st place
• Leah Eastwood, 2nd place
• Kahmari Hobson, 3rd place 

Five and six years old:

• Violet Howard, 1st place
• Leon Sawicki, 2nd place
• Abigail Sazo, 3rd place

The winners received prizes donated by the Long Island Aquarium, Moes, Dairyland and the Riverhead Police Benevolent Association, as well as a certificate from the Town Board.

In other action at its Aug. 1 meeting, the Town Board:

• Authorized a labor contract between the town and the Riverhead Police Benevolent Association that provides for a total wage increase of 14% over a four-year period. Read more here.
• Held a public hearing to extend the Riverhead Water District’s boundaries and water main to properties along Forge Road south and southwest of Kroemer Avenue. The properties include 65 mobile homes and 14 single family homes currently receiving contaminated drinking water from private wells, according to the resolution setting the hearing. The project cost is approximately $1,185,000, which will be covered by federal bipartisan infrastructure law funds distributed through a state grant received by the town.
• Ratified the promotion of site plan reviewer Heather Trojanoski to the position of planner.
• Authorized legal action against the owners, tenants and occupants of 3795 Middle Country Road in Calverton in the attempt to stop an alleged illegal use/maintenance of the property.
• Started the environmental review for the special permit application of the Jamesport Manor Inn (Dimon Estate). The application is a Type I action pursuant to the town requirements for environmental review.
• Approved the expenditure of community benefit funds received by the developer of the Calverton Solar Energy Center to the refurbishment of jets on display at Grumman Memorial Park, restroom facilities at Veterans Memorial Park and to other park projects in the town. The solar facility operated without a certificate of occupancy for almost eight months, resulting in the funds being delayed. Read more here.
• Ratified an application for an Empire State Development grant that would fund half the cost of a feasibility study for a recreational complex at Veterans Memorial Park.
• Set a public hearing regarding an alleged unsafe structure located at 16 Doris Avenue in Riverhead. The hearing will be held Sept. 6 at 2 p.m..
• Set a public hearing on an amendment to the town code governing special permits to change the process for posting a public hearing notice at the subject property. The hearing will be held Aug. 15 at 6 p.m..
• Set a public hearing on an amendment to the town code governing fire safety permits to remove the statutory fees for permits and allow the fees to be set by resolution of the Town Board. The hearing will be held Aug. 15 at 6 p.m..
• Held public hearings on local laws to prohibit parking on certain lengths of Peninsula Path and Twomey Avenue.
• Held a public hearing on a local law to impose mandatory surcharges in town justice court to certain town code violations. Read more here. 
• Held a public hearing on a local law to ban the sale of uncertified lithium ion battery products, electric scooters and e-bikes within the town. Read more here.