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Denise Civiletti

Denise Civiletti, editor and copublisher of RiverheadLOCAL is a lawyer, journalist, news junkie and digital media maven. To send Denise an email, click here.
town board video screenshot

Here we go with the gaslighting again

by Oct 26, 2025
Riverhead Town officials are denying a vote that authorized demolition at 127 East Main Street — despite video and public documents proving otherwise. In this column, Denise Civiletti exposes how the Town Board tried to gaslight the public and shift blame to the press.

The political ‘silly season’ just got sillier

by Oct 1, 2025
The first candidates forum of Riverhead’s 2025 "silly season" took place with three empty chairs where the derrières of the Republican incumbent Town Board members would have been parked in more ordinary times.

Local officials seeking re-election should attend civic group ‘meet the candidate’ nights

by Sep 25, 2025
There’s been a lot of talk about the need to “dial it back” and engage in civil discourse. Our Town Board members stood together and prayed for this on Sept. 11. Attending meet-the-candidate forums is their chance to put those words and prayers into action.

We must all ‘look in the mirror’

by Sep 14, 2025
The assassination of Charlie Kirk may go down in history as a turning point for our country. It may lead to political violence like we’ve not seen since the Civil War or it may lead us to “disagree better.” The choice is ours. Heed the words of Utah Gov. Spencer Cox.

The pandemic gave new meaning to gratitude

by Nov 24, 2022
Column: Coronavirus changed so many things about our world and how we live our lives. It deepened my gratitude for the people we now call essential workers.

It’s the ‘dog days’ of summer on Long Island. When did ‘hazy, hot & humid’ forecasts turn into all these advisories...

by Aug 7, 2022
Column: "It’s summertime on Long Island. It’s hot and humid and there are too many annoying mosquitos. It's been this way for as long as I can remember. Is this something to worry about now?"

Today’s Supreme Court decision is about more than abortion — and it should worry us all

by Jun 24, 2022
Today, Justice Thomas said the quiet part out loud. The reasoning of the Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade can be applied to the right of same sex couples to marry, or have private consensual sex, or even the right to buy contraceptives. They are rooted in a legal doctrine Thomas said is “demonstrably erroneous” and the Court has a duty to “correct” them.

No more ‘thoughts and prayers’

by May 26, 2022
Opinion: No, gun control laws won’t prevent all gun violence. And yes, every mass shooter is by definition mentally ill. But focusing on one of these to the exclusion of the other is as effective as “thoughts and prayers” are for healing the hearts of grieving parents, siblings and other family members of the 19 little children and their teachers whose bodies were shredded by hundreds of rounds of bullets in a Texas classroom this week. It does next to nothing. And that's exactly what the gun lobby wants.

Celebrate with caution this holiday season

by Dec 7, 2021
COVID isn’t done with us yet, and try as we might, we can’t just wish it away. Follow CDC guidelines for masks & social distancing. Take a home rapid test before gathering with friends and family. Please be careful.

A town for sale: Why campaign cash matters

by Oct 29, 2021
Riverhead is up for sale. We’ve seen the amounts raised and spent on Riverhead elections trending upward for a...