Community News, January 30

Tuckahoe School second graders in Antoinette Counihtn's and Rebecca Dansereau's classes recently visited The Long Island Science Center in Riverhead to participate in a program called The Rock Cycle. The students are learning about things that can change the surface of the earth.

A postcard, circa 1910, shows the railway going onto Long Wharf at just about the same spot where the rail section was found by workers excavating.

East Quogue Elementary School's sixth grade held its annual Egyptian market recently and, from left, Cooper Daniels, George Purkis, Matthew Dunkirk and Aidan Judd were dressed for the occasion.

Hampton Bays students, including Nico Carone, Keira Nappi and Adriana Tapfer, honored U.S Air Force veteran John Constantine Dekas during a flag ceremony on January 24.

Hampton Bays High School senior Gabrielle Caine is the founder of Harmony Healing, an organization of student-musicians who perform in senior citizen centers.

The Father Joseph Slomski #7423 chapter of the Knights of Columbus held its annual Freethrow Championship on Friday night at the Westhampton Beach Middle School gym. Of the 40 contestants, both boys and girls ages 9 to 14, seven are moving on to the Suffolk Championship at St. Cyril Methodist Church in March.

The Father Joseph Slomski #7423 chapter of the Knights of Columbus held its annual Freethrow Championship on Friday night at the Westhampton Beach Middle School gym. Of the 40 contestants, both boys and girls ages 9 to 14, seven are moving on to the Suffolk Championship at St. Cyril Methodist Church in March.

While excavating old material as process of renovating Long Wharf this past week, a crew from job contractors Chesterfield & Associates, Inc. unearthed a 58" section of curved railroad rail, which is believed - and is most likely to have been - part of the railway line that was extended out onto Long Wharf in 1901 to facilitate delivering coal directly through chutes from coal cars to steamboats moored on the Wharf. The section is show here near where it was found. MICHAEL HELLER

Quogue Village Police Officer William A. Gladding, right, is presented with the Southampton Kiwanis Club Police Officer of the Year Award from Quogue Village Police Chief Christopher Isola at Atlantis Banquet and Events in Riverhead on Friday evening. This is the Kiwanis Club's 50th annual ceremony recognizing local law enforcement in their individual departments. SONDRA ROSANTE

Isla Panton and Chloe Lucyk sold tickets at the door during the Pancake Breakfast held to benefit the Pierson Robotics Team at the Sag Harbor Fire Department firehouse on Sunday. MICHAEL HELLER

J.J. Murray serves up hash browns as his pals Colby Wilson and Truman Yardley handle the pancakes, eggs, sausage and bacon duities during the Pancake Breakfast held to benefit the Pierson Robotics Team at the Sag Harbor Fire Department firehouse on Sunday. MICHAEL HELLER

Sag Harbor Village Police Department Officer David Hansen, right, is presented with the Southampton Kiwanis Club Police Officer of the Year Award from Sag Harbor Village Police Chief Austin McGuire at Atlantis Banquet and Events in Riverhead on Friday evening. This is the Kiwanis Club's 50th annual ceremony recognizing local law enforcement in their individual departments. SONDRA ROSANTE

Southampton Town Police Detective Robert Stabile, right, is presented with the Southampton Kiwanis Club Police Officer of the Year Award from Southampton Town Police Chief Steven E. Skrynecki at Atlantis Banquet and Events in Riverhead on Friday evening. This is the Kiwanis Club's 50th annual ceremony recognizing local law enforcement in their individual departments. SONDRA ROSANTE

Southampton Elementary School students posed with Sammy the Snowman, the centerpiece of a friendship initiative at the school. From left,Assistant Principal Jeremy Garritano, kindergartners Katherine Choy, Eleanor McGowin and Jack Brody, and teacher Sara Drohan.

Southampton High School senior Isabella Ellams has been recognized by the Rotary Club of Southampton as the Rotary Student of the Month for January. Isabella earned the honor for her dedication to her studies and school community. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Chess Club, Integrity Club, Varsity Club and SADD club and participates in the International Spanish Academy. A multisport athlete, she captains the varsity tennis team, plays softball and runs track and field. Outside of school, she enjoys surfing, skateboarding, photography and the culinary arts. She plans to attend college on a pre-med track in the fall.

Southampton High School marine science teacher Gregory Metzger spoke to third- and fourth-grader about his research on sharks.

Employees of Southampton Town's highway and parks and recreation department participated in a two-hour staff training on workplace diversity. The town plans to extend the training to all town employees in the future. The training was developed by the Southampton Town Affirmative Action Task Force, in conjunction with the Human Resources Department, and the National Coalition Building Institute to educate town managers, supervisors and staff on the importance of diversity, and how a more diverse workforce can enhance the overall success of the town’s mission to provide excellent municipal government services.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5350, Westhampton Beach, held a Teacher and Student Awards ceremony on January 23. Three teachers were selected as Teacher of the Year. Students from four local schools were also honored for their essays in the Voice of Democracy and Patriots Pen competition. The winning teachers Kelly Russell from Westhampton Beach Middle School, Steve Piliero from Hampton Bays Elementary School, and Jennifer Halsey of Hampton Bays High School, are flanked by, left, VFW Co-Chair Korey Williams and Post Commander William Hughes.

Westhampton Beach Police Department Officer Mark Yakaboski, right, is presented with the Southampton Kiwanis Club Police Officer of the Year Award from Westhampton Beach Police Chief Trevor Gonce at Atlantis Banquet and Events in Riverhead on Friday evening. This is the Kiwanis Club's 50th annual ceremony recognizing local law enforcement in their individual departments. SONDRA ROSANTE

Patricia DeCicco’s kindergartners at Westhampton Beach Elementary School learned about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 17. Following the discussion, the students, including, from left, Genesis Lopez Castellanos, Raiden Komarovskij and Evelyn Bennett, designed posters depicting what they learned about the civil rights leader.

Westhampton Beach fifth graders performed “Joust” for their school’s annual musical production.

Susan Berdinka, technical services librarian at the Westhampton Free Library, presented Commander Thomas Hadlock with the American Legion Post 834 Hometown Hero book during the culimination ceremony for the Hometown Heroes Program.

To provide her Spanish language students with an opportunity to make international connections and put the language they are learning to use, Spanish teacher Marica Illiano started a pen pal project. For the project, all 60 of her Spanish 2 students at Westhampton Beach Middle School have been writing letters to students studying English in Barcelona.