PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO | The Mattituck branch will close before next spring, bank offiiclals said.

The Suffolk County National Bank branch in Mattituck will soon close its doors.

Suffolk Bancorp, the parent company of SCNB, will shut down the branch by March 2014 and will move to sell the land next year, said bank president and CEO Howard Bluver.

The Mattituck branch is one of four put on the chopping block Thursday in an effort to make the bank more “efficient and nimble” and to protect the “best core deposit franchises.”

“Following these actions, we will continue to have the premiere branch system in Suffolk County, consisting of 24 branches situated in key locations throughout the entire county,” Mr. Bluver said.

He said the company would save $2.4 million per year in expenses by closing the Mattituck branch, as well as locations in Port Jefferson Station, Manorville and Montauk Harbor.

Last month, SCNB closed branches in Water Mill and Middle Island; the Water Mill building is already under contract to be sold, earning the bank roughly $400,000 profit in the sale.

Mattituck’s branch will go on the market sometime next year, Mr. Bluver said.

The locations were picked for closure following an analysis of the company’s branches by an outside consultant, Mr. Bluver said. The bank will close the branches in stages, allowing the company to “talk to [its] customers on an individual basis” about the moves, he said.

Mr. Bluver also announced a new 544-square-foot branch staffed by three employees will be built in Garden City.

psquire@timesreview.com

CARRIE MILLER PHOTO | Marratooka North Farm, an 18-acre farm off Main Road in Mattituck.

Southold Town has received federal grant funding to help preserve Marratooka North Farm, an 18-acre farm on Main Road in Mattituck.

The town has been awarded a state Farmland Protection Implementation Grant of $530,500 to be used toward buying the farm’s development rights – ensuring the farm remains in agriculture.

The town has spent a total of $1.138 million for the development rights. That’s a figure that includes the federal grant money, with the remaining $607,900 coming from the town Community Preservation Fund, said Melissa Spiro, land preservation coordinator for the town.

Southold Town’s land preservation office applied for the grant in 2008 and was able to close on the deal in July, Ms. Spiro said.

The now third-generation farm grows holiday plants, perennials and annuals in greenhouses, containers and in the field.

Grant funding is provided through the state Environmental Protection Fund and administered by the State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Long Island Farm Bureau Farm executive director Joe Gergela said, “we’re at the point where every piece of farmland that is able to be protected is critical. There is still a lot of land in Suffolk that isn’t, and every piece of land is important to the future of agriculture.”

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | Love Lane Sweet Shoppe owner Jackie Wilsberg paired up with Really Good Jams of Cutchogue at Saturday’s Taste North Fork festival.

Love Lane in Mattituck was crowded with visitors for day one of the Veterans Day weekend Taste North Fork event on Saturday.

Participating merchants will be donating a portion of their profits to benefit veterans.

Taste North Fork continues all weekend. Check back tomorrow to see photos from Greenport’s festivities.

Fore more information on Taste North Fork, check out northforker.com.

ROBERT O’ROURK PHOTO | Mattituck freshman Melanie Pfennig, shown here during the division championship, was the top finisher for Mattituck at the state championships today.

Mattituck freshman Melanie Pfennig ran 20 minutes, 1.6 seconds to finish 48th overall in the Class C New York State Championship race Saturday morning at Queensbury High School. Pfennig ran the top time for the Tuckers, who finished 10th as a team.

Pfennig’s time was good enough for 20th in the team scoring.

She was followed by junior Kaylee Bergen (21:05.4), sophomore Mia Vasile-Cozzo (22:10.7), sophomore Audrey Hoeg (22:13.2) and Tiana Baker (22:48.4) for the team scoring. Freshman Sascha Rosin finished in 23:01.7.

Southold senior Katie Connolly ran in the Class D race and finished in 22:05.6

In the boys Class C race, Mattituck sophomore Lucas Webb finished 83rd overall in 17:59.5. Freshman Matt Heffernan ran 18:52.3.

Four Southold boys competed in the Class D race. Junior Jonathan Rempe ran the top time in 17:32.8, followed by freshman Owen Klipstein (17:40.6), Jeremy Rempe (18:53.9) and junior Gus Rymer (19:48.6).

A South Setauket woman was arrested Friday night after her vehicle was observed crossing the double yellow lines on Main Road in Mattituck, Southold Town police said in a press release issued Sunday afternoon.

Marie Connolly, 50, was headed westbound near Wickham Avenue shprtly after 11 p.m., when she was pulled over, police said. She failed several roadside sobriety tests, police added.

Ms. Connolly was transported to police headquarters where she was held for arraignment on a driving while intoxicated charge, police said.

SURVEILLANCE PHOTO | Suffolk police said Paul Tromblee of Manorville has been identified as the man in this surveillance photo. He is charged with nine counts of armed robbery.

UPDATE 4:30 p.m.: Southold Town police announced Sunday afternoon that Paul Tromblee, the 35-year-old Manorville man arrested in connection with nine armed robberies across Suffolk County, will also be charged with last Tuesday’s robbery at GameStop in Mattituck.

ORIGINAL STORY: A Manorville man was arrested Saturday in connection with the armed robbery of the Hess gas station on Edwards Avenue in Calverton and at least eight other incidents, Suffolk County police said.

PAUL TROMBLEE

Paul Tromblee, 35, may still face charges in relation to other armed robberies in the county, police said. Southold Town Police said last week that the suspect in the other area robberies may have been responsible for the armed robbery of the GameStop store in Mattituck last Tuesday, though Mr. Tromblee has not yet been charged in connection with that incident.

Det. Lt. Edward Reilly of the Suffolk County Police Department said Sunday that detectives are working with Southold police, who he said still believe Mr. Tromblee is responsible for the Mattituck robbery.

Currently, Mr. Tromblee stands charged with eight counts of first-degree robbery and one count of third-degree robbery. He is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip Sunday, Suffolk police said.

Since Oct. 26, gas stations in Calverton, Mastic, North Babylon, St. James, Dix Hills, and Bohemia as well as Jamba Juice in Stony Brook, Kissed by the Sun Tanning in Islip, and CVS Pharmacy in Lake Ronkonkoma were robbed by an armed suspect who demanded cash after pretending to purchase merchandise, police said. Utilizing video surveillance as well as tips, including information received via Crime Stoppers, Pattern Crime Unit detectives identified the suspect as Mr. Tromblee. He was located by detectives while driving on Sunrise Highway in Brookhaven around 3 p.m. Saturday.

The Hess gas station — barely in the jurisdiction of the SCPD – was robbed Oct. 30, after a man pulled a handgun on a store clerk, demanding cash from the register about 7:45 p.m.

Mohammed Kahn, the clerk at the Calverton Hess, told the News-Review on the night of the incident that the robber walked straight up to the register and demanded cash, first giving him the impression that the act was a trick.

“I was looking to him like he was joking,” Mr. Kahn said at the time.

Detectives are continuing to investigate if Mr. Tromblee is responsible for similar incidents that occurred recently. Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. Police said all calls will remain confidential.

gparpan@timesreview.com

GARRET MEADE PHOTO | One of Mattituck’s captains, Laurel Bertolas, holding up the third Long Island championship plaque the Tuckers have won in four years.

LONG ISLAND REGION CLASS C FINAL | TUCKERS 25, 13, 17, 25, 25, FROGS 14, 25, 25, 21, 22

Given the circumstances and given how much was at stake, a strong case could be made that the Mattituck High School girls volleyball team never experienced the sort of pressure that it did on Sunday.

For the Tuckers, the difference between triumph and failure was so slight that they shuddered at the thought of how close they had come to what would have been the end of their season. Instead, they rejoiced at the exciting prospect of a trip to Glens Falls.

For the third time in four years, the Tuckers clinched a place in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Championships. Just how they did it, though, was particularly gripping.

After falling behind, two games to one, Mattituck recovered to pull out a thrilling, if not particularly well-played, Long Island Region Class C final against Carle Place.

What the match may have lacked at times in consistent play was more than made up for by drama. Mattituck, playing with its back to the wall after falling into a hole, emerged a 25-14, 13-25, 17-25, 25-21, 25-22 winner for its third Long Island championship.

Mishits and passing errors were prominent down the stretch by both sides before a kill by Shannon Dwyer made the score in the decisive fifth game 24-22. Then, when Carle Place was unable to handle a ball on match point, the happy Tuckers mobbed each other on the court at St. Joseph’s College’s John A. Danzi Athletic Center. On the other side of the net, the Frogs looked crushed.

Later, one of the beaming Mattituck captains, Laurel Bertolas, was presented with the championship plaque, which she raised high over her head and those of her teammates for all to see.

With the triumph, Mattituck (10-7) earned the right to compete in the state tournament that will be held Nov. 16 and 17 at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

Mattituck’s advancement was by no means assured. The Tuckers had also defeated Carle Place in a Long Island final in 2010 to reach their first state tournament. That match was completed in four games, and was not nearly as intense as the one on Sunday.

Things started off well for Mattituck. The Tuckers’ first server, Emilie Reimer, took 15 of the team’s 24 serves in that opening game. Although Carle Place (16-3) cut Mattituck’s lead to 13-12 at one point, the Tuckers never trailed and pulled away.

But the Tuckers seemed to lose something after that opening game. Reimer served only twice in the second game, and that wasn’t a good sign for Mattituck. And then Carle Place took the third game, putting Mattituck on the brink of elimination.

A service ace by Dwyer closed out the fourth game, setting up a dramatic showdown in Game 5.

How close was it?

On paper, Carle Place actually held advantages in just about all the major statistical categories: aces (14-10), assists (34-27), kills (36-24). The Frogs even outscored the Tuckers in total points, 107-105.

But the Tuckers had the on-court leadership of Dwyer to rally around. The senior middle hitter put down 15 kills and had 6 blocks. Many of her kills came off sets by Bertolas (20 assists). Meanwhile, Reimer was steady at the service line, going 29 for 30.

The Tuckers had to contend with the fierce swing of Carle Place outside hitter Courtney Mulcare. Mulcare, a senior, put away 17 kills. Carle Place also received 22 assists from Patricia Acipreste and another 11 from Brianna DeMeo. DeMeo was a 22-for-23 server.

bliepa@timesreview.com

PAUL TROMBLEE

A Manorville man who police say is responsible for a string of robberies across Suffolk County – including one at a video game store in Mattituck – remains held on $100,000 cash bail and is due back in court on Friday.

Paul Tromblee, 35, was arrested on Saturday and was seen in First District Court in Central Islip on Sunday.

Suffolk County police announced the arrest on Saturday, and Southold Police later said, “additional charges for Tromblee are forthcoming regarding the Game Stop robbery in Southold Town.”

Online court records indicate that Tromblee is being held on $200,000 bond or $100,000 cash bail. Currently, Mr. Tromblee stands charged with eight counts of first-degree robbery and one count of third-degree robbery.

Since Oct. 26, gas stations in Calverton, Mastic, North Babylon, St. James, Dix Hills, and Bohemia as well as Jamba Juice in Stony Brook, Kissed by the Sun Tanning in Islip, and CVS Pharmacy in Lake Ronkonkoma were robbed by an armed suspect who demanded cash after pretending to purchase merchandise, police said. Utilizing video surveillance as well as tips, including information received via Crime Stoppers, Pattern Crime Unit detectives identified the suspect as Mr. Tromblee. He was located by detectives while driving on Sunrise Highway in Brookhaven around 3 p.m. Saturday.

Southold Police announced shortly after the Mattituck GameStop robbery that a link between the incident and the others further west were likely evident.

During the Mattituck robbery, which occurred last Wednesday, a man reportedly entered the store and “displayed what appeared to be a handgun,” getting away with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to a police statement. No one was hurt in the robbery, police at the scene said.

Detectives are continuing to investigate if Mr. Tromblee is responsible for similar incidents that occurred recently. Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. Police said all calls will remain confidential.

jpinciaro@timesreview.com

JIM ELLIS PHOTO | Mattituck’s Laurel Bertolas (13) and Shannon Dwyer (20) crash the net for a block attempt in the Tuckers’ match against Eden this morning at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

The Mattituck girls volleyball team is competing in the Class C state final four in Glens Falls this morning. The Tuckers will play six games in pool play, two against each opponent. The teams with the two best records after pool play advance to the state finals tomorrow.

Suffolk Times sports editor Bob Liepa is providing updates from Glens Falls:

Millbrook secured the other spot in tomorrow’s Class C final by eliminating Mattituck from contention. The Blazers won, 25-10 and 25-12, as Audrey Ouimet knocked down 5 kills and Meredith Dignan added 9 assists in the two games. Brittany Keenan went 12 for 12 serving, with 5 aces.

Shannon Dwyer had 3 kills and 1 block for Mattituck.

The result leaves Mattituck facing Voorheesville in two games for what is essentially a fight for third place. Both teams are 0-4.
Update: Mattituck dropped the first set against defending state champion Eden, 25-4 and the second game, 25-11 to fall to 0-2 in pool play.

Mattituck’s first two games were humbling. Eden breezed, 25-4 and 25-11, as Heather Holscher, Kaley Ballou and Meghan Ballou put away 5 kills apiece. Lainy Pierce provided the Raiders with 16 assists, 4 service aces and 1 dink.

The first game was so rough for the Tuckers that they served only five times, and Eden’s Kaley Ballou didn’t get to serve once.

After falling behind in the second game by 9-2 and then 14-4, Mattituck strung together 5 straight points, prompting Eden coach Stephen Pierce to call timeout.

Do you believe in miracles?

Not this time. Eden returned to form after the timeout. Samantha Burgio served strong down the stretch, registering 5 aces among the final 9 points her team ran off.

Eden served 45 for 49 in the two games; Mattituck went 14 for 16.

Eden went on to take two games from Voorheesville, 25-11 and 25-13, to secure a place in tomorrow’s final.

1st Update: At 7:48 a.m., the teams marched into the arena to the playing of Olympic-themed music and cheers of fans.

Mattituck has a tough schedule against Eden, Millbrook and Voorhessville. Eden has won four straight state championships, six in the last seven years, and a record 10 state titles, a remarkable record. Mattituck was 0-12 in its previous two appearances in the NYSPHSAA Championships.

Public-address announcer:

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Glens Falls and the 2013 girls volleyball championships.”

Nicole L’Hommedieu of Mattituck was presented a Sportsmanship award.

Mattituck’s first match is against defending state champion Eden. In the first match, Millbrook won the first two games over Voorheesville, 25-15 and 25-14.

Mattituck has a tough schedule against Eden, Millbrook and Voorhessville. And the Tuckers’ first two games were not going to be easy against Eden. It could be argued that Eden has the most successful girls volleyball program in New York State. Eden has won 14 successive sectional titles, four straight state championships, six in the last seven years, and a record 10 state titles, a remarkable record.

JIM ELLIS PHOTO | Mattituck’s senior setter, Laurel Bertolas, right, has company at the net during one of her team’s games against Millbrook in the NYSPHSAA Championships at Glens Falls Civic Center.

NYSPHSAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

High school girls volleyball teams don’t reach the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Championships by accident. To make it to Glens Falls, they have to be good. Real good.

Unless one saw the caliber of competition that Mattituck faced Saturday in the Class C pool, it would be hard to appreciate what the Tuckers were up against. Eden. Millbrook. Voorheesville. One was tougher than the next.

To put it in perspective, consider this: Voorheesville was 20-0 going into the state tournament. That sparkling record was ancient history by the time the Blackbirds were defeated in their first four games on Saturday.

Yes, Eden and Millbrook are that good.

Mattituck knew it faced a tough schedule of round-robin games at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The Tuckers knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and it wasn’t.

Mattituck’s fourth loss of the day, and second to Millbrook, eliminated the Tuckers from contention for tomorrow’s final. By the time Mattituck took the court for its first game against Voorheesville, both teams were 0-4 and fighting for third place in the four-team group. Eden and Millbrook had already secured the places in the final. As if to show it meant business, Eden won all six of its games, including an impressive 25-15, 25-8 sweep of Millbrook.

The Tuckers, making their third appearance in the state tournament in four years, have never won a game in the competition, and try as they did, they really didn’t come close on Saturday. They lost all six of their games — an 8-pointer being the closest — yet could still head home feeling good about having it made it this far in the first place. The Tuckers have an 0-18 career record in state tournament games.

Right off the bat, Mattituck had a tough challenge against Eden. It could be argued that Eden has the most successful girls volleyball program in New York State. Eden has won 14 successive sectional titles, four straight state championships, six in the last seven years, and a record 10 state titles. The Raiders had a 33-5-1 record (including tournaments) before they reached Glens Falls. It’s a remarkable record.

Mattituck’s first two games were humbling. Eden breezed, 25-4 and 25-11, as Heather Holscher, Kaley Ballou and Meghan Ballou put away 5 kills apiece. Lainy Pierce provided the Raiders with 16 assists, 4 service aces and 1 dink.

The first game was so rough for the Tuckers that they served only five times, and Eden’s Kaley Ballou didn’t get to serve once.

After falling behind in the second game by 9-2 and then 14-4, Mattituck strung together 5 straight points, prompting Eden coach Stephen Pierce to call timeout.

Do you believe in miracles?

Not this time. Eden immediately returned to form after the timeout. Samantha Burgio served strong down the stretch, registering 5 aces among the final 9 points her team ran off.

Eden served 45 for 49 in the two games; Mattituck went 14 for 16.

Eden went on to take two games from Voorheesville, 25-11 and 25-13, to secure a place in tomorrow’s final.

Millbrook secured the other spot in the final by eliminating Mattituck from contention. The Blazers won, 25-10 and 25-12, as their serving gave Mattituck trouble. Millbrook served for 14 aces to Mattituck’s 2.

Audrey Ouimet knocked down 5 kills and Meredith Dignan added 9 assists for Millbrook in the two games. Brittany Keenan went 12 for 12 serving, with 5 aces.

Shannon Dwyer had 3 kills and 1 block for Mattituck.

Dwyer and fellow senior Laurel Bertolas are the only two remaining players from Mattituck’s 2011 team that played in the NYSPHSAA Championships.

Voorheesville served for 15 aces and had only 1 service error to finish the Tuckers’ day, 25-15 and 25-5.

Libby Bjork (14 assists, 4 aces, 1 kill) paced Voorheesville, which also received 7 kills each from Caroline Bablin and Tori Hargrave.

The Tuckers’ numbers for the day said as much about the high caliber of competition they faced as anything else. Mattituck’s three opponents outscored them in six games, 150-59. In addition, the opponents held 50-13 advantages in both kills and assists. They totaled 43 aces against Mattituck, which mustered only 3.

bliepa@timesreview.com

CYNDI MURRAY PHOTO | Love Lane business owners donated a portion of their proceeds from the first-ever Taste North Fork event to benefit the family of fallen Shelter Island Solider Joseph J. Theinert.

There was wine, oysters, music and more during the first-ever Taste North Fork event this Veterans Day weekend, but the merchants on Love Lane in Mattituck never lost sight of the real meaning behind the holiday.

Amid the festival activities, local businesses owners were also busy collecting funds for the construction of the Strongpoint Theinert Ranch, a center that will enable veterans to reintegrate, reconnect and plan their futures after returning home from war.

There is a personal connection for the business owners on Love Lane, as many are longtime friends of Chrystyna Kestler, who began the effort to build the ranch along with her husband, Frank, in honor their son First Lt. Joseph J. Theinert, who died in Afghanistan in 2010 protecting his troops from explosive devices.

The Kestlers are donating the land for the 1,100-acre ranch in Magdalena, N.M.

On Tuesday, a group of eight Love Lane businesspeople presented Ms. Kestler with a check for $1,300 for the project. The money is a portion of the proceeds from the Taste North Fork weekend and will go toward the design of the ranch, Ms. Kestler said.

“I’m overwhelmed, these shops owners are my friends,” Ms. Kestler said. “When Joe was killed they showed up at my house and were so supportive and they still are. It was unexpected and a lovely surprise because we’re trying to build this rehabilitative ranch and this will really help.”

GARRET MEADE FILE PHOTO | Mattituck pitcher Cameron Burt fired 70 strikeouts in over 59 innings last year for the Tuckers. He signed a letter of intent to play for Queens College.

Cameron Burt was reluctant to put on the Queens College baseball cap that had been placed in front of him. The problem, he said, was the cap was too big for his head.

The cap may not have been a good fit for Burt, but apparently the college is. Burt made Queens College his college of choice, signing a letter of intent to play for the Knights, an NCAA Division II team.

“I love the campus,” the Mattituck High School senior said after a signing ceremony at the school on Tuesday afternoon. “It’s beautiful.”

Burt had also considered St. Thomas Aquinas College (N.Y.).

As part of the deal, Queens College will get a hard-working, talented pitcher, who enjoyed a splendid junior season in which he led the Tuckers to a 15-9 record. The 59-plus innings Burt pitched are the third-most for a single season by a pitcher in Mattituck history, and the 70 strikeouts he recorded rank fifth in team history.

“We couldn’t have ended up where we were without him,” Mattituck coach Steve DeCaro said. “If he’s pitching through five or six innings every time, if he can do that, then that cuts down on the number of relievers that we need, and that also helped us out last year, too.”

Burt went 6-3 with a 1.52 earned run average. The right-hander issued 33 walks and gave up 36 hits. Batters hit a measly .164 against him.

“I think for the number of innings that Cam pitched and the amount of time that he was on the mound, to have that type of ERA is incredible,” Mattituck’s athletic director, Gregg Wormuth, said. “It just shows that he also has longevity.”

Most memorable, perhaps, was a no-hitter that Burt pitched against Center Moriches. He lost the game, 1-0, with a walk and three wild pitches bringing across the game’s only run.

“His record doesn’t really show what he did,” DeCaro said, “even though he had a really good record, but he was the guy pitching against the number one guys in our league, and we had some really good number one guys in our league last year.”

Queens College’s new coach, Chris Reardon, a former pitcher for the Knights, said Burt, one of five recruits, is a “great match” for his team. “We’re very excited to have him coming to Queens College next year,” Reardon said. “For us it was really important as a coaching staff to get players who are able to grow. In Cameron, we see so much talent there that we think he’s just starting to scratch the surface as a pitcher. Three years down the road, with some work, he could be a professional prospect.”

Reardon said Burt has above-average control of three pitches. “I tell you, he could be a good one,” said the coach.

Wormuth, a former catcher for Cortland State, said he would have liked to have caught for Burt. “He’s a pitcher, as opposed to a lot of high school guys who are throwers,” said Wormurth. He added: “I think he’s got really good stuff. He’s got good command on the mound. He’s got good presence on the mound. He understands the game, and I think he’s just going to get better.”

Burt’s ability to mix pitches is an asset, particularly his slurve, which paralyzes right-handed batters. More than a few batters have walked away from the plate, frustrated after seeing Burt’s pitches dance in the air like Wiffle balls.

“No one’s pitch moves quite like Cameron’s,” Mattituck catcher Brian Pelan said. “All his breaking balls, they always just lock up on the knees. They can’t catch on to it.”

Burt, who was an All-League choice last year, has more than a strong arm, though. DeCaro said Burt has a good head on his shoulders, is coachable, open-minded and listens to his pitching coach, Gene Roechler, and Pelan, who calls the pitches. “His progress is just a straight line going right through the roof,” said DeCaro.

A former catcher and reliever before making his way into the starting rotation, Burt is a workhorse with a passion for pitching. “I love it,” he said. The pitching mound, he said, is “the only place on the baseball field where I feel 100 percent comfortable.”

The Tuckers are looking at a good situation. This coming spring they will welcome about 10 pitchers, including three starters — James Nish, Marcos Perivolaris and their ace, Burt.

Burt pitched over the summer and in the fall with the Mattituck Ospreys. He said he is healthy. “I’m getting stronger every day,” he said.

As well as Burt’s junior season went, he said he had an even better summer. “I improved tremendously,” he said.

Burt was joined in the signing ceremony by his parents, Clay and Elizabeth, as well as many of his teammates and friends, some of whom recorded the event with cameras.

Pelan said Burt signing with Queens College is “remarkable. He’s worked as hard as anyone I’ve ever known to get there, so he definitely deserves it.”

Asked how he felt during the ceremony, Burt replied: “It felt good. It felt like I’m ready to do some big things with baseball.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

JENNIFER GUSTAVSON PHOTO | The car accident scene in Mattituck shortly Friday afternoon.

Four people suffered minor injuries and were sent to the hospital Friday following a car crash at the intersection of Love Lane and Main Road in Mattituck, Southold Town police said.

A 90-year-old man driving with his wife in a Toyota SUV made a left onto Main Road and crashed into a Saturn sedan shortly before 12:30 p.m., police said. A woman was driving the Saturn and had two passengers, including a female passenger and a 1-year-old boy, who police said wasn’t injured, police said.

Police said the four victims were taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center and treated for minor injuries.

The Mattituck Fire Department also responded to the call and volunteers were diverting traffic away from the scene as of 1 p.m.

No other details about the accident were immediately available.

jennifer@timesreview.com

Paul Tromblee

A 35-year-old Manorville man accused of pulling off 10 armed robberies in Suffolk County, including one in Calverton and one Mattituck, was doing so to support a heroin addiction, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.

Paul Tromblee pleaded not guilty in county criminal court Friday to nine counts of first-degree armed robbery and one count of third-degree robbery. He was then held on $250,000 cash bail or $500,000 bond by Suffolk County Court Judge John Iliou.

Mr. Tromblee is accused of displaying a firearm and demanding money from clerks in 10 different robberies from Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 to get money to support a heroin addiction, said assistant district attorney Tisha Burrows, the prosecutor assigned to the case.

“He admitted that orally and in writing,” Ms. Burrows told a reporter outside the courtroom following Mr. Tromblee’s arraignment on the indictment, which was handed up by a grand jury on Monday.

Mr. Tromblee, who has been in custody since his Nov. 9 arrest, wore green pants and a green T-shirt in court, exposing a sleeve tattoo on his right arm.

A number of his relatives were present, although none spoke in court or afterward when asked for comment by a reporter.

“After having met with many of his family members, I would say the allegations are out of character for Mr. Tromblee,” said Steve Politi, Mr. Tromblee’s attorney. He said there also are about a dozen character-reference letters supporting Mr. Tromblee from people outside his family.

“He has no criminal convictions,” Mr. Politi said of his client. “He’s a dad. He has an 8-year-old boy and he’s very loved by his family.”

Ms. Burrows said Mr. Tromblee began a pattern of robberies starting last month at small stores in which he would walk up to the counter and pretend to buy something, like a bottle of water or a beverage. When the clerk would open the register to make change, he would display a gun and demand money, often asking the clerk to lift up the register draw to make sure there was no money left under it, she said.

Many of the robberies were caught on surveillance videos, she said.

In an interview outside the courtroom, Ms. Burrows said Mr. Tromblee admitted to using a BB gun in the robberies, although no weapon has been recovered. She said whether he had a BB gun or a real gun would not affect the charge of first-degree robbery because he allegedly said during the robberies that he had a gun.

Judge Iliou said he believed the $250,000 bail demanded by the prosecutor was low, and he said that given the amount of Upstate jail time Mr. Tromblee potentially faces on these charges (25 years), and the allegation that he was doing the robberies to support a heroin addiction, he felt Mr. Tromblee did present a flight risk.

He then approved the $250,000 cash bail and $500,000 bond amounts, and set a return court date of Dec. 18.

Mr. Tromblee also faces a separate charge of possession of a hypodermic instrument, stemming from a Nov. 9 arrest by Suffolk County police in regard to an Oct. 30 incident.

The robberies occurred at gas stations in Calverton, Mastic, North Babylon, St. James, Dix Hills, and Bohemia, as well as Jamba Juice in Stony Brook, Kissed by the Sun Tanning in Islip, CVS Pharmacy in Lake Ronkonkoma, and Game Stop in Mattituck.

The Calverton robbery was at the Hess station by the LIE entrance ramp off Nugent Drive.

tgannon@timesreview.com

GARRET MEADE PHOTO | Will Gildersleeve, a junior, is the senior member of Mattituck’s talented three-headed back court.

A former guard himself, Paul Ellwood appreciates good guard play. So, when discussing the three talented guards he has on his Mattituck High School boys basketball team, a happy grin creases the coach’s face. He knows what he has and he likes it.

What the Tuckers have are three quality guards who are basically interchangeable. All of them can play point guard and all of them can play shooting guard. And, to top it off, none of them are seniors, which means they will be around for a while. That’s a luxury for a small school.

“It’s like baseball, you can’t have enough pitching,” Ellwood said. “In basketball, you can’t have enough guards, so it’s not a problem.”

The guards in question are junior Will Gildersleeve, sophomore Joe Tardif and sophomore Parker Tuthill. Gildersleeve and Tardif started a lot of games for the Tuckers last year. Gildersleeve was All-League honorable mention, and Tardif was the runner-up for the League VII rookie of the year award. Tuthill, meanwhile, had what Ellwood called “a great year on JV.”

Gildersleeve may be the most physical of the three. Ellwood expects Gildersleeve to force teams into foul trouble. Tardif has blazing speed and can bring the Tuckers fast transition points. As for Tuthill, Ellwood, who has coached Mattituck since 2003, said, “He’s incredibly skilled, maybe the most skilled guard I’ve had since I’ve been here in terms of handling the ball.”

Another guard, Jon Dwyer, is good enough to play for the varsity team but has been assigned to the junior varsity team. “There’s just not enough room,” explained Ellwood.

The last time Ellwood saw this type of talent in his back court was during the 2010-11 season when he had Connor David and twins Steve and Tom Ascher playing for him. That team won a Long Island championship.

“I guess you could say we’re lucky, but definitely a plus for us,” Gildersleeve said before Monday’s night’s practice.

In order to maximize his back-court strength, Ellwood is adjusting his offense accordingly. He said he has done a lot of reading on offenses and installed some offenses he never used before, including a four-guard offense that Jay Wright used at Villanova.

“When you let the kids be creative, it’s fun to watch,” Ellwood said. “It’s fun for the kids and it’s harder for the other team to defend. The key is they have to make good decisions and not force it, and use their teammates.”

Ellwood expects a lot of kickouts for 3-point looks, but he likes the instincts of his guards. “All three of them like to attack the basket, which is good,” he said. “They don’t settle for the three. A lot of times guards these days are happy to just sit outside and shoot a three. So we’ve been stressing attack the basket, the three is always going to be there. We’d rather attack first and shoot second. It gives us a better look.”

The running style seems to suit the guards just fine.

“We play the best when we just don’t run an offense, we just fast break points,” said Tuthill, who is Gildersleeve’s cousin. “That’s the best way to keep a fast-paced game. Let the other team adjust to that.”

Tardif smiles at the mention of fast-paced play, but he also understands the importance of gaining possession of the ball in the first place. “We have to make sure that we rebound,” he said. “Rebounding and defense are the first thing, then scoring will come after that.”

Gildersleeve said: “I think we’re like a guard-built team. I mean, all of us are fast so that’s how hopefully we’ll get most of our wins this year, by outrunning teams. The whole idea this year is we want to run fast break. We don’t really want to have set offenses, just beat the teams down the court and outwork them.”

Babylon and Southampton are seen as League VII’s two powers this coming season, but Ellwood said the league is strong and a case can be made for seven of the league’s eight teams getting into the playoffs. He said, “If you’re not loaded with guards, you’re going to struggle in this league.”

The Tuckers should be covered in that area.

bliepa@timesreview.com

RACHEL YOUNG PHOTO | Goldberg’s Famous Bagels is scheduled to open in Mattituck at the site of the former North Fork Bagel Co.

North Fork bagel lovers, rejoice: Goldberg’s Famous Bagels is coming soon to Mattituck Plaza on Main Road.

The store will move into the space formerly occupied by North Fork Bagel Co., which shut down in July after it was issued a stop-work order by the state for reportedly failing to secure Workers’ Compensation coverage.

A representative for Goldberg’s Famous Bagels could not immediately be reached for comment. The company currently has 11 stores in New Jersey, as well as one store each in Southampton, East Hampton and Montauk.

Last month, it was announced that Goldberg’s Famous Bagels would also be a tenant in the former Woolworth building on East Main Street in downtown Riverhead. That location is slated to open in January, said Barry Brown, an applicant for the proposed Riverhead store.

The proposed Goldberg’s in Riverhead will have 16 seats, three employees and be open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mr. Brown said. The bagels will be made on site.

ryoung@timesreview.com

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | Runners and walkers in the eighth annual Mattituck-Cutchogue Turkey Trot.

Over 940 people braved the bitter cold Thursday morning to participate in the Mattituck-Cutchogue Teachers’ Association’s eighth annual Turkey Trot 5K run/walk.

Sixteen-year-old Everest Crawford of Gloucester, Mass. finished in first place.

Proceeds from the Thanksgiving Day race will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in honor of the Morgan West, Olivia Menard Fund and MCTA Senior Scholarship Fund.

PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO | Southold superintendent David Gamberg.

First, Greenport Superintendent Michael Comanda said he’ll retire at the end of the school year. Then it was announced that Southold Superintendent David Gamberg will lead both districts.

Now, less than a week later, Mattituck-Cutchogue Superintendent James McKenna has announced he’ll also retire in July.

So is it possible that Mr. Gamberg could serve as the chief of all three local high school districts?

He says there’s not a chance, even if that taxpayers’ dream scenario has been buzzing on the North Fork rumor mill this week.

Mr. Gamberg said he’s focused solely on becoming Greenport and Southold’s superintendent for the next two years.

“I wish him all the best,” he said of Mr. McKenna. “I’ve enjoyed working with him and congratulate him on his retirement.”

Anne Smith, Mattituck-Cutchogue’s assistant superintendent and elementary school principal, who started in the district in 1996, could be a leading candidate to replace Mr. McKenna but declined to discuss the possibility in any detail.

“The Board of Education has the full responsibility and oversight to determine leadership decisions,” Ms. Smith said. “I don’t know what the board’s direction will be. Right now, we’re focused on Jim’s retirement and celebrating his achievements.”

School board president Jerry Diffley said after Thursday’s meeting that he doesn’t believe sharing a superintendent with a neighboring district is feasible since Mr. Gamberg has already signed on to be Greenport’s next superintendent and Riverhead School District Superintendent Nancy Carney is responsible for more than 5,000 students. Mattituck has about 1,400 students.

The school board is looking to work with BOCES to initiate a superintendent search within the next few weeks, Mr. Diffley said.

jennifer@timesreview.com 

JENNIFER GUSTAVON PHOTO | James McKenna in his office Monday.

If you ask Mattituck-Cutchogue School District superintendent James McKenna to describe running a school district, he compares it to being an orchestra conductor.

Without the musicians, there would be no performance, Mr. McKenna says. He’ll also tell you he doesn’t do anything special and just takes people’s ideas to figure out a way to make things happen. It’s a district’s staff, teachers, students and residents that are the true force behind a school’s success, he says.

Following a 41-year career in education, including 25 in Mattituck, Mr. McKenna has decided to pass the baton.

At the conclusion of his monthly report during last Thursday’s regular school board meeting, Mr. McKenna, 62, said he’s decided to retire to spend more time with his wife and family.

“I’d like to think I did the very best I could during the time that I was here at Mattituck,” said the superintendent, whose voice was hoarse and who fought back tears as he struggled to talk. “This is a great, great district. You should be proud of what you have here and I’m glad to have been a part of it.”

Although Mr. McKenna has already submitted his letter of intent to retire in July, the school board isn’t set to vote on it until its Dec. 12 meeting.

After school board president Jerry Diffley praised Mr. McKenna for his dedication and hard work, the audience of about 70 people gave him a standing ovation.

“We will sorely miss Mr. McKenna,” Mr. Diffley said. “He is Mattituck-Cutchogue. He’ll always be Mattituck-Cutchogue. He lives and breathes blue and gold.”

A Flushing native, Mr. McKenna began his teaching career at Massapequa High School in 1973, at age 21.

“That’s when I started wearing a tie,” he recalled. “I had to wear one every day because I was teaching intermediate algebra to juniors and the hall monitor once said to me, ‘Can I have your hall pass, son?’ ”

Mr. McKenna later taught math in Southampton, where he currently lives, from 1977 to 1987 and then worked as an assistant principal in the Riverhead Middle School for two years before coming to Mattituck in 1989 as the high school assistant principal and later principal. He became the district’s ninth superintendent in 2006.

When asked why he decided to become an administrator, Mr. McKenna said he wanted an opportunity to help school operations run more efficiently.

“As a teacher, you kind of have a vision of how you think things could be better,” he said. “Then you’ll say, ‘Why not? Walk your talk.’ ”

Mr. McKenna said he’s proud of the supportive atmosphere he says he’s helped create for teachers as superintendent, as well as enhancing the dialogue between the school and community through an increasing number of public forums at the school. He also highlights passage of the capital improvement bond about eight years ago as an achievement. While Mr. McKenna and the district have had to make tough decisions by cutting costs in to maintain student programs, the superintendent said he’s pleased budgets have passed throughout the economic downturn.

“I’ve said to people, and I know some don’t want to believe it, but we have literally run Mattituck-Cutchogue on a dollar and a dream,” he said. “We really have done fabulous things without spending a lot of money.”

Mr. McKenna said he believes the time is right to retire when education is at a crossroads and the new standards aren’t something he’ll be able to see through to the end.

“I think it’s time for someone to come in and see it through,” he said. “We’ve begun some progress on it.”

Last year, Mr. McKenna and the school board agreed to halve the superintendent’s scheduled raises for the next two years. Although he was to receive yearly pay hikes of 3.5 percent for each of the next two years, they reached a new four-year deal in April 2012 with raises of 1.75 percent in each of the next four years. Mr. McKenna will also pay 20 percent of his medical insurance premiums, up from 15 percent. His salary for the 2013-14 school year is $190,988, according to his contract.

jennifer@timesreview.com 

PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO | The Mattituck branch will close before next spring, bank officials said.

To the Editor: 

The Mattituck Chamber of Commerce is very saddened to hear about the closing of the Mattituck branch of Suffolk County National Bank.

SCNB has been in Mattituck for 26 years and plays a vital role in the community.

Janet Stewart, the branch manager, has been an incredible asset to the Mattituck Chamber of Commerce and, therefore, the entire Mattituck community. As both a general chamber and board member, Janet has strongly represented SCNB with enthusiasm, encouraging and educating on the importance of local banking and business within our small business community.

For 15 years, Janet has served as chairperson for the Mattituck Street Fair. She has worked tirelessly for years with dedication and an eye for improving the event and its profits, growing it into the Chamber’s largest fundraiser of the year and one of the most popular events on the North Fork. The event is also incredibly well-known and attended by vendors and visitors from all across Long Island, allowing tourism and small business to prosper with this promotion outside of our small North Fork region.

Janet’s enthusiasm spreads to her amazing staff, who, in turn, have also spent many hours of their own personal time volunteering to make sure local North Fork businesses (also their bank customers) are involved and well-represented each year at the event.

Janet and the staff at SCNB Mattituck have repeatedly represented their business with information and vigor at every event. Their easy and pleasant personalities, wit and knowledge of the industry have given Suffolk County National Bank a reputation of being Mattituck’s genuinely local bank.

With SCNB’s plans to push west in the near future, it seems the bank is leaving the people of the North Fork behind with only one branch, hence forgetting the people who helped build SCNB and sustain it through hard financial times.

The Chamber will not support a bank that does not feel Mattituck is important enough to maintain an office and current staff.

When the bank closes, so will the Mattituck Chamber of Commerce’s account.

We implore SCNB to reconsider this decision and offer the opportunity to present to the Mattituck Chamber of Commerce at a member meeting, should the company so wish.

Mattituck Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors

Brooke Dailey, President