This is a compilation of the significant local news in the 2024. It’s divided by subject matter, with a short summary of each topic, followed by links to RiverheadLOCAL’s coverage of the subject throughout the year.
Where a topic has been the subject of a large number of stories — this year and in years past — we include links to a topic page for that subject, followed by links to individual articles about the subject published in 2024.
There are 14 sections grouped by subject, followed by two collections of individual articles covering noteworthy news and stories about people in the local community.
For your convenience and ease of navigation, here’s a table of links to each of the subjects that appear below. A link back to this table is included at the end of each section narrative.
Check out our “10 most-read” lists at the 2024 topic page.
Comprehensive plan update completed
Riverhead Town completed an update to its comprehensive plan, which had been last updated in 2003. The Town Board adopted the plan and began to adopt new zoning to implement many of its recommendations. The update took more than four years to complete.
The first recommendations implemented by code changes centered on amendments to industrial zoning in Calverton to address community concerns about the scale and density of industrial development in the hamlet. The code revisions also addressed other issues, including recommended changes to the transfer of development rights program.
Links to our coverage:
Comprehensive Plan Update topic page
Public weighs in on proposed code changes to implement comp plan update recommendations (Nov. 22)
Fate of town’s $40 million EPCAL land deal now up to the courts
Calverton Aviation & Technology, an affiliate of the Alberta-Canada based conglomerate Triple Five Group, sued the town and the Riverhead Industrial Development Agency in January, seeking to enforce its $40 million contract with the town to purchase 1,644 acres of industrial land in the Calverton Enterprise Park.
The Town Board last year voted to terminate the contract after the RIDA declined to approve the company’s application for financial assistance to develop the project.
Simultaneously with filing the lawsuit, CAT’s attorneys filed a notice of pendency with the county clerk, which effectively prevents the town from transferring title to the property during the pendency of the litigation.
The town has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit and a decision on that motion is currently pending in the trial court.
Links to our coverage:
Calverton Aviation and Technology topic page
Attorneys argue Riverhead’s motion to dismiss lawsuit by Triple Five affiliate over EPCAL contract (Nov. 21)
Riverhead asks court to throw out EPCAL lawsuit (April 15)
CAT sues Riverhead Town, seeking to enforce contract in $40 million Calverton land deal (Jan. 8)
Riverhead Police Department has new leadership, more cops
The Riverhead Police Department ends the year with new leadership and more police officers than at any other time in its history.
The transformation began with the retirement of longtime officers, including some of the department’s top brass over the past few years, culminating with the retirement this year of longtime Chief of Police David Hegermiller and Captain Richard Smith.
Lt. Edward Frost, a 30-year veteran of the Riverhead police force, took the helm as chief on Aug. 1. Lt. Danielle Willsey was appointed captain of the department on Oct.1, becoming the first woman to attain that rank in the department’s history. Sgt. Brian Clements was promoted to the rank of lieutenant to fill the vacancy created by Willsey’s promotion. Officer Christopher Pendzick and Officer Karli Conyers were promoted to the rank of sergeant to fill out the department’s roster of eight sergeants.
A series of new hires puts the town police force at 100 officers, its highest number yet. The Town Board, led by Supervisor Tim Hubbard, a retired Riverhead police officer with 32 years of service as a Riverhead cop when he retired in 2014, has made increasing the department’s ranks a priority, committing to police spending of just under $20.5 million in 2025, which represents 31.6% of the total general fund spending in the budget.
Officials say the size of the town’s police department did not grow to keep up with the town’s population growth. Additional officers are needed to ensure public safety, officials say.
The Riverhead Police Department has assigned two police officers to work as school resource officers. Police Officer Eric Cohen is the SRO in Riverhead High School and Police Officer Kaley Castantine is the SRO in Riverhead Middle School. The town and the school district agreed upon a cost-sharing arrangement allowing the placement of the SROs in the schools.
Links to our coverage:
‘Making history’ in Riverhead: First female police captain is sworn in (Oct. 1)
Riverhead swears in five new cops, boosting the ranks of full-time town officers to a new high (Dec. 7)
Riverhead’s new police chief is sworn in (July 31)
Town, school district agree on staffing of resource officers in high school and middle school (July 25)
Downtown Riverhead revitalization continues to be focus of attention for town government
Riverhead Town in June was awarded $24.12 million in federal transportation grant funding made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The town in its grant application allocated $14.6 million toward the $23.7 million projected cost of a new parking garage in the First Street parking lot, to shift parking from the riverfront. The town allocated $4.8 million for flood protection and $4.6 for streetscapes.
Plans for the development of the town square, including the construction of a hotel, playground and amphitheater, advanced. Concept designs for the playground and amphitheater were unveiled. The public still awaits a look at the final plan from Joe Petrocelli, the designated master developer of the town square. Petrocelli plans a 74-room hotel with 13 condominium units in a new building on the east side of the town square.
The town was awarded a $1 million RESTORE New York Communities grant from the state in July to assist with the cost of demolition and removal of the existing town-owned building at 127 E. Main St.
Plans for a 165-unit apartment building at 203-213 East Main Street, a now-vacant 1.4-acre lot between East End Arts and the Riverview Lofts apartment building, advanced with the approval in April of financial assistance for the developer of the $82 million project.
Links to our coverage
Downtown revitalization topic page
Riverhead scores $24 million US. Dept of Transportation grant
Town square project moves forward, with goal of construction bidding next year (March 22)
Action on town square project, downtown parking garage: April 2 Town Board wrap-up (April 5)
Sound-front resorts proposed, withdrawn after community blowback
When RiverheadLOCAL broke the news in July 2023 of a Westchester County developer’s plans for a luxury hotel and spa on Soundfront property in Riverhead currently zoned residential, town officials acknowledged having discussed zoning code changes with the developer’s representatives.
Last November, town officials unveiled a draft code to change the RA-80 zoning code to allow the development of the commercial uses on properties of at least 100 acres, where at least 70 acres would be preserved for agricultural uses.
Documents obtained in January and March through a Freedom of Information Law request filed in December revealed that the developer’s attorney and planning consultant were involved in writing the draft code, a practice town officials defended.
The code proposal generated widespread opposition from residents and from officials in neighboring Southold Town. The Greater Jamesport Civic Association started a petition drive in opposition to the proposal. Despite the agritourism use being added to both the comprehensive plan update and the environmental impact statement for the comp plan update, the Town Board removed the use from the comp plan update document just before adopting the plan.
Links to our coverage
Sound-front resorts topic page
Hubbard, town staff defend developer’s involvement in agri-tourism zoning code proposal (Feb. 2)
Agri-tourism resort proposal comes back to the Riverhead Town Board, with a warm welcome (June 6)
Riverhead and Southold town boards hold joint work session to discuss Sound-front resorts (July 16)
Civic group launches petition against resort uses on land along Long Island Sound (Aug. 15)
Town Board majority agrees to axe agri-tourism resorts from Riverhead comp plan, supervisor says (Sept. 3)
Island Water Park/Scott’s Pointe
2024 turned out to be a year of woes for the operator of Scott’s Pointe, an amusement and water sports park in Calverton that opened in November 2023 after being planned for more than 20 years.
Riverhead Town issued a stop-work order to the park’s operator, Island Water Park Corp., in June after town staffers caught wind of the social media post that showed cars and go-karts on an asphalt race track built on the property without town approvals. The company also built pickleball courts and converted storage space in its building into an assembly area without town approvals.
The operator was served with five justice court tickets for violating town laws for those actions, as well as for failing to install an emergency responder radio coverage system mandated by the fire marshal.
Supervisor Tim Hubbard called the acts “brazen.” He said the town should impose harsher financial penalties for violations connected to building without permission. “If we have to take them to court, we take them to court,” Hubbard said during the June 18 Town Board meeting. “We got to do what we got to do. This won’t be stood for anymore in a town while I’m here. I can’t stand that.”
The town did indeed take the park operator to court, seeking an order to temporarily shut down Scott’s Pointe until the property gets in compliance with town law and to remove the unlawfully built go-kart track and pickleball courts. It seeks a financial penalty of at least $100,000. Scott’s Pointe has remained in operation while the lawsuit is pending.
The next court appearance is scheduled for April 23, but town officials have said they are in settlement discussions with the company.
Meanwhile, Island Water Park pleaded guilty to the town code violations in Riverhead Justice Court and paid $5,700 in fines.
The company has applied for an amended site plan approval to legalize the go-kart track and other amenities already built at Scott’s Pointe. Town officials have initiated the environmental review process for the application, but declined to set a hearing pending settlement discussions. Island Water Park Corp. is also amending its application for IDA benefits.
The unauthorized construction also caught the attention of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which issued a notice of violation to Island Water Park Corp. and owner Eric Scott in late June. The DEC said in its notice that the asphalt track and parking lot built by the operator violated its mined permit plan. The DEC also ordered the business to cease use of the inflatable aquapark and other public recreation in its groundwater-fed, man-made pond; the business was not allowed to recreate in the pond while the mining permit used to excavate it was still active, the DEC said.
But Island Water Park Corp. did not stop recreation activities in the pond, according to the DEC, which issued tickets to Scott and Island Water Park on July 3. The DEC charges will be administratively adjudicated by the state agency, a DEC spokesperson said. No further information has been provided by the DEC in response to requests for status updates.
Links to our coverage
Scott’s Pointe issued stop-work order, cited by town for building race track without approvals
Hubbard: Scott’s Pointe building race track without approvals was ‘brazen,’ increase in fines needed
State DEC orders Scott’s Pointe to halt use of aquapark and ‘public recreation’ in lake
Riverhead asks court to temporarily shut down Scott’s Pointe and remove go-kart track in lawsuit
Scott’s Pointe operator pleads guilty to Riverhead code violations, pays $5,700 in fines
Scott’s Pointe operator accepted solid waste during construction at site, state records show
Riverhead allowed Scott’s Pointe to open without groundwater monitoring agreement town required
Peconic Ice Rinks up and running for first year of operation
The Peconic Hockey Foundation celebrated the grand opening of the domed indoor ice rink in November 2023 and has now logged more than a full year of operation at Veterans Memorial Park in Calverton. Peconic Hockey added an outdoor dek rink at the site this year.
The nonprofit hockey organization built the domed link on town-owned land last year and, according to its contract with the town, has donated the facility to the town and operates it under an agreement with the town.
The contract required the town to pay for utility hookups to the site, provide bathrooms and a parking lot for the rinks and reimburse Peconic Hockey for electricity, gas and water up to an annual total of $150,000, plus an increase based on the consumer price index.
The town built the parking lot and continues to finish site work there and is working to construct a permanent bathroom facility adjoining the rink. The site was spruced up with the planting of cherry blossom trees dedicated to veterans.
The town has so far allocated roughly $1.7 million for the ice rinks, cobbling together funds originally set aside for other purposes because the main funding source counted on by officials has not yet come through.
The town has allowed the rink to operate with a temporary certificate of occupancy since last November because there is no fire hydrant located within 400 feet, as required by state fire code. A water main has to be extended about 1,000 feet from Middle Country Road to the site, a task that’s the responsibility of the town, according to its contract with Peconic Hockey. Extending the water main to supply a fire hydrant within 400 feet of the domed rink will cost around $170,000, Riverhead Water District Superintendent Frank Mancini said. The source of funding for the extension remained unclear.
Residents are supposed to receive several free skating and hockey lessons over the course of the year, as well as free weekly public skating sessions, and resident discounts on certain programs, according to the town’s contract with the rink operator. But Peconic Hockey and town officials acknowledged in October that those programs had not taken place. Officials said a “learning curve” for both Recreation Department staff and Peconic Hockey was largely responsible and the town supervisor said the availability of discounts and free access had been poorly marketed and said that would change.
Peconic Ice Rinks mailed a free pass to Riverhead households in December good for one free admission to a public skate session or one free learn-to-skate trial class or one free learn to play hockey session. The mailer also contains a schedule of two-hour public sessions from Dec. 22 through Jan. 25. The pass is good through Jan. 31. It does not include skate rental.
Town officials are generally enthusiastic about the rink facility at the municipal park, brought about by a public-private partnership with the nonprofit organization based in Wading River.
Links to our coverage
A second hockey rink opens at Veterans Memorial Park in Calverton (Oct. 2)
‘We haven’t gotten our money’s worth’: Ice rink falls short on benefits for Riverhead residents (Oct. 26)
Ice rink costs add up: Riverhead Town has allocated $1.7 million for ice rink project so far (Dec. 12)
Riverhead’s first retail pot shops open their doors
Nearly nine years after a medical marijuana dispensary opened in Riverhead, the first two retail shops licensed by the state to sell marijuana to the general public celebrated grand openings here in late November and early December. Beleaf is located in the Calverton Commons shopping plaza on Middle Country Road in Calverton. Strain Stars, which bills itself as a marijuana superstore, opened its 14,000-square-foot retail store on Route 58.
Links to our coverage
Riverhead Town’s first two recreational pot shops look to open this fall in Calverton and Riverhead (Sept. 19)
Beleaf, Riverhead Town’s first marijuana shop, now open in Calverton (Dec. 2)
Marijuana ‘superstore’ opens in Riverhead (Dec. 8)
Riverhead Central School District news
Administrative restructuring continued this year under the leadership of Interim Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich.
The district now has a superintendent and three assistant superintendents: an assistant superintendent for business, an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction and an interim superintendent for human resources. All three slots are currently filled by interim appointees, paid on a per diem basis.
The interim administrators agreed to stay on for the 2024-2025 school year, while the school board conducts a search for a new superintendent of schools. The board has contracted with Eastern Suffolk BOCES to lead the hiring process, which got underway in November. The school board hopes to have a new superintendent hired in March.
The district has a roster of directors who oversee various aspects of general administration — security, pupil personnel services, technology, registration and student services, elementary education, fine arts, humanities, STEM, health/physical education, ENL services/community outreach/DEI and guidance.
Riverhead school district voters approved a $20.4 million operating budget for the 2024-2025 school year. Voters also re-elected trustee Brian Connelly of Riverhead and elected newcomer Kelly Freeborn of Baiting Hollow in an uncontested election for two open seats on the board of education. Voters also approved a referendum authorizing the school board to appoint a student representative to the school board, as a nonvoting member.
The district hired a new district clerk, Dawn Bozuhoski of Riverhead, after longtime district clerk Lisa Rheaume resigned for a position in another school district.
The school board elected trustee James Scudder of Riverhead as board president and trustee Virginia Healey of Wading River as its vice president for the 2024-2025 school year.
The board named Riverhead High School senior Annabelle Dunn, the elected president of the student body, as the board’s first student representative.
The school board in May voted to suspend the Regents exam weighting policy for the 2024-2025 school year. The current district policy weighs a student’s Regents exam score in required courses as 20% of their final course average, although the policy was temporarily suspended and replaced with a “do no harm” policy during the last two school years because of concerns about pandemic-related learning loss. No decision has yet been made on a final policy regarding how Regents exam scores will or will not be factored into a student’s final grade.
The school board has postponed until 2025 a decision on whether to participate in a state initiative aimed at encouraging school districts to share resources, including potentially staff and coursework. The proposal sparked controversy among some who voiced concerns that the regionalization initiative will result in loss of local control.
Riverhead Middle School and Pulaski Street Intermediate School each got new principals this year. Kellyann Parlato, an assistant principal at the Middle School was named principal as of Oct. 1, replacing Joseph Pesqueira, who left the district for a job as a middle school principal in Kings Park. Laura Arcuri, an assistant principal at Roanoke Avenue Elementary School, was appointed principal of Pulaski Street Intermediate School, filling the position being vacated by Patrick Burke, who took a position as principal of Mattituck-Cutchogue High School as of September.
The Riverhead Blue Waves varsity softball team Riverhead Blue Wave softball team had a record-breaking 20-2 season under Coach Richard Vlacci, Suffolk County Softball Coaches Association 2024 Coach of the Year. The team was undefeated (19-0) in League 1 to capture the league title.
Links to our coverage
Changes to school district administrator roles approved (Jan. 17)
Interim administrators to stay on another year: Riverhead school board wrap-up (March 25)
Riverhead school board suspends Regents Exam weighting policy for 2024 (May 20)
Riverhead school budget passes 62% to 38% (May 21)
Riverhead High School student joins the school board; Aug. 27 meeting wrap-up (Aug.28)
New principal for Riverhead Middle School (Sept. 11)
Riverhead school district starts superintendent search, aiming to hire in March (Nov. 13)
Riverhead school officials seek public input to find next superintendent (Nov. 27)
Southampton Town establishes Riverside Sewer District and Riverhead Town files lawsuit suit to block it
Southampton Town this year established the Riverside Sewer District, adopting a map and plan for the district, and approved the construction of a sewage treatment plant to serve the district. Southampton’s actions followed a State Environmental Quality Review process, including an environmental impact study and a series of public hearings. Site investigations and preliminary engineering are now underway. Full funding for the project has been secured.
The sewage treatment facility is essential to the development proposed in a Riverside revitalization plan adopted by the Town of Southampton in 2015 and necessary for the buildout of high-density, mixed-use development in the Riverside hamlet pursuant to Riverside Overlay District zoning also adopted by Southampton Town in 2015 to implement the revitalization plan.
Riverhead Town has sued to block Southampton’s plans. At the heart of Riverhead’s objection to the Riverside Sewer District is that its boundaries do not take in the Evans K. Griffing County Center complex, the Suffolk County Criminal Court and Suffolk County Correctional Facility, which are all located in Riverside, in the Town of Southampton.
The county facilities have been served by the Riverhead Sewer District since they opened in the late 1960s. Riverhead allocates 100,000 gallons per day of its sewage treatment plant’s capacity for the county facilities and says it needs that capacity in order to provide sewer connections to the West Main Street corridor in downtown Riverhead, in furtherance of Riverhead’s downtown revitalization goals. The Riverhead sewage treatment plant is at capacity, Riverhead says in its complaint.
Riverhead argues in its lawsuit that Southampton Town violated the State Environmental Quality Review Act and the NYS Green Amendment in establishing the district. Riverhead has asked the court to order Southampton Town to amend its environmental analysis to consider including the county center, court and jail facilities in the Riverside Sewer District.
Riverhead also asks the court to require Southampton to analyze the potential significant adverse environmental impacts on Riverhead and the Riverhead Central School District resulting from future development in Riverside if the Riverside sewage treatment plant is built. Riverhead claims circumstances have changed significantly since the environmental analysis was conducted for the adopted 2015 Riverside action plan and overlay district.
Riverhead Town in its lawsuit blames overcrowding in the Riverhead Central School District on “the very substantial increase in Riverside’s low income predominantly Hispanic population.” The Riverhead Central School District boundaries encompass the communities of Riverside, Northampton and Flanders.
Riverhead also complains that with the adopted 2015 Riverside Revitalization Action Plan, Southampton is concentrating “the vast majority of low income/affordable housing” in the town “in the Riverside neighborhood, thereby substantially increasing its low income population as well as its racial and ethnic minority concentrations.” Riverhead Town and the Riverhead school district will bear the burden of the development, Riverhead argues.
“All of the negative social and environmental impacts associated with intensive future development of Riverside will be exported into Riverhead far more than into the balance of Southampton. Put simply and colloquially, when Riverside sneezes, Riverhead catches the cold,” the complaint states.
Southampton Town has filed a motion to dismiss Riverhead’s lawsuit, arguing that it complied with all requirements of state law, that Riverhead’s suit is time-barred, as it was filed beyond 30 days of the district adoption, a statutory time limit imposed by state law, that Riverhead lacks standing to bring the action, that it failed to name Suffolk County as a necessary party to the action, and that it failed to state a cause of action under the Green Amendment. Riverhead has until Jan. 20 to respond to the motion to dismiss, according to a schedule agreed on by the parties and filed with the court on Dec. 16.
Separately, Riverhead and Suffolk County are in court over rates the town is charging for treatment of out-of-district waste. The most recent agreement between the Riverhead Town and Suffolk regarding wastewater from the county’s Riverside facilities expired in 2017. Suffolk County sued the Town of Riverhead in 2021, an action that remains pending.
Links to our coverage
Riverside Sewer District topic page
Riverside revitalization topic page
Riverhead Town authorizes lawsuit against Southampton, hoping to stop sewer plant in Riverside (July 10)
Riverhead sues Southampton to block Riverside sewage treatment plant (Aug. 22)
Riverhead Charter School expansion
Riverhead Charter School began the development process for a middle school, high school and athletic fields on Middle Country Road and Fresh Pond Avenue in Calverton.
The campus will hold roughly 700 students and 55 faculty/staff, according to charter school officials. Charter school administrators have said the school’s student population is quickly running out of space; the school added more grades and is enrolling more students after it was granted an expanded charter in 2022.
Riverhead Charter School had planned to build the new campus on vacant farmland on Sound Avenue in Northville, next to the existing charter high school, a rental property. The high school has outgrown the space at the school and is using portable classrooms to accommodate its growing population in the interim. Area residents objected to the location, joined by Riverhead Central School District faculty and staff who oppose any charter school expansion. The Riverhead Charter School board of education decided to pursue other locations, settling on property in Calverton located at the corner of Middle Country Road and Fresh Pond Avenue.
The charter high school graduated its first senior class this year.
Links to our coverage
Residents organize against Riverhead Charter School plan for new high school on Sound Avenue (Feb. 13)
Charter school superintendent fields community’s questions on Sound Avenue high school proposal (Feb. 21)
Facing stiff opposition, Riverhead Charter School drops plans for Sound Avenue farmland (March 19)
Speakers opposing private schools on industrial land dominate comp plan hearing (May 21)
Riverhead Charter School looks to buy property in Calverton for new high school campus (Aug. 23)
Voters approve sales tax hike to fund sewer and septic projects
The enactment earlier this year of an amendment of the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act, to effect a 50-50 split of new tax revenues among wastewater treatment facilities and individual septic system projects, teed up passage by the county legislature and a voter referendum at the general election in November.
Suffolk voters overwhelmingly approved the ⅛-cent county sales tax increase to support the water quality restoration fund, in balloting Nov. 5. The measure passed 72% to 28%.
The new sales tax is expected to generate nearly $3 billion from 2025 to 2060, the length of time that would be authorized by passage of the referendum.
Links to our coverage:
County officials announce deal on 1/8% sales tax hike to fund septic systems and sewer expansion (Feb. 7)
1/8% sales tax hike will be put to voters in November general election (July 8)
Peconic Bay Medical Center continues growth
The Riverhead hospital, part of the Northwell Health System, completed an expansion and upgrade of its emergency department this year and celebrated the grand opening of the new emergency room and trauma center in May.
The hospital announced two multi-million dollar gifts this year targeted for the establishment of a center for women and infants and a neurosciences center.
Longtime hospital benefactors Emilie and Michael Corey of Riverhead made a $10 million contribution to support the development of the hospital’s planned Center for Women and Infants. In honor of their milestone donation, the facility will be named the Emilie Roy Corey Center for Women and Infants.
Bill and Ruth Ann Harnisch of Southampton gave $5 million to support the development of a neurosciences center by Peconic Bay Medical Center. The center will increase care options for stroke patients in eastern Suffolk, the hospital said. More than $1.7 million was also raised for the neurosciences center during the hospital’s annual gala this year.
Links to our coverage
PBMC celebrates completion of expanded emergency room and trauma center (May 25)
PBMC announces $10 million gift and naming of the Emilie Roy Corey Center for Women and Infants (July 6)
Peconic Bay Medical Center earns coveted ‘Snail of Approval’ award from Slow Food East End (Aug. 5)
$5 million gift advances PBMC’s plan for neurosciences center in Riverhead (Sept. 23)
PBMC settles healthcare workers contract, averts strike
Peconic Bay averted a looming strike by some 400 healthcare workers last winter. The New York State Nurses Association, which represents nurses and other healthcare workers, including imaging, laboratory and pharmacy workers at PBMC, issued strike notices and members of the bargaining unit voted to authorize a Feb. 21 walkout if no agreement could be reached.
The union demanded pay parity with other hospitals in the Northwell system, complaining that PBMC healthcare professionals were the lowest paid on Long Island.
The contract deal resulted in healthcare workers’ wage increases from 18% to 20% over the three-year contract period, and a staffing ratio of one nurse to seven patients, with stronger staffing enforcement, as well as protection of members’ healthcare and pension benefits.
Nurses and healthcare workers at PBMC vote overwhelmingly to authorize a strike (Feb. 1)
PBMC nurses announce tentative contract deal ahead of strike deadline (Feb. 16)
Peconic Bay Medical Center opens new simulation lab for staff education and training (May 13)
Other noteworthy news in 2024
People across Riverhead donned protective glasses and ventured outdoors on the afternoon of April 8 to witness a historic sight: the solar eclipse that captivated millions of Americans from Texas to Maine.
Did you feel that? A 4.8 magnitude earthquake rocked northern New Jersey on April 5, sending tremors and rattling nerves in New Jersey and beyond. It was felt across Riverhead and throughout the Northeast.
4.8 magnitude Earthquake hits in New Jersey, felt across Riverhead and the northeast (April 5)
Riverhead Police officers pulled three people from a burning home on Newton Avenue on Monday, Aug. 5. Sgt. Giuseppe Rosini, Police Officer John Dahlem, Police Officer William Leon and Police Officer Matthew Suprina were honored with lifesaving awards for their heroic action.
Riverhead Police officers pull three people from a burning home on Newton Avenue (Aug. 5)
Officers honored with life saving awards for rescuing residents from burning home Aug. 5 (Aug. 26)
“I went through three water district superintendents. I went through four town supervisors. We were told for 20 years that we will never see public water here.”- Ron Martz of Manorville, as contractors for the Suffolk County Water Authority, working in cooperation with the Riverhead Water District, began installing water mains to bring public water to a remote corner of Riverhead Town relying on private wells polluted with a variety of contaminants, from MTBE to PFAS.
Firefighters from 18 departments battled a large brush fire on the Long Island Sound in Baiting Hollow Nov. 9. Firefighting operations began shortly after midnight and continued throughout the night, with firefighters struggling to gain and keep control of the blaze about a mile north of Sound Avenue, a task made tougher through the night by darkness, gusty winds and difficult terrain, including a large, deep ravine on the north end of the property, which made access treacherous.
Firefighters from 18 departments battle large brush fire on LI Sound in Baiting Hollow (Nov. 9)
Community news this year
Tin City: The story of Riverhead’s forgotten slums (Feb. 29)
To fight mental health stigma, this Riverhead student athlete shares her own struggles (March 15)
‘The secret’s in the sauce’: At Polish Town pizzeria, it’s made with love (April 23)
A home for Ukrainians on eastern Long Island, Riverhead church turns 100 (April 25)
Poetry Street, ‘where everyone has a voice,’ turns 10: Its founders and hosts reflect on the journey (June 27)
Riverhead’s Polish Fair, which debuted in 1975, makes a comeback after four-year hiatus (Aug. 18)
LI Expressway overpass named in honor of fallen NYPD Det. Brian Simonsen, Jamesport native (Aug. 30) In October, family members, friends, police, and elected officials took part in a ceremony dedicating the overpass as ‘Det. Brian Simonsen Memorial Bridge’ (Oct. 29)
Building Riverhead’s football community from an early age: PAL program takes a new approach (Sept. 8)
Alek Lewis contributed research and writing for this compilation.
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.
