Top News

Letters: Memorial Day events on the Island and more
State bill aims to decrease hazing, drinking and drug use at colleges
Island voters overwhelmingly approve school budget, give newcomer to board most votes
Joe Theinert and Jordon Haerter named to state's Veterans Hall of Fame
Island splits from the North Fork under new county redistricting plan
POLL: How did you vote on the school budget?
School vote on Tuesday: budget, three board seats to be decided
This week in Shelter Island History: from the Reporter's files
Scholars study slavery through Sylvester Manor archives at NYU
Tall Ships: Made from old U-boats, Unicorn runs with all-female crew

Sports

Gym chairs still out of reach, Colligan halfway to fundraising goal

May 12, 2012

Shelter Island JV baseball team is 5-1; coach hopeful for winning season and varsity status next year

April 28, 2012

Island's Olympic sailor finishes second in Hyeres, France World Cup regatta

April 27, 2012

Education

State bill aims to decrease hazing, drinking and drug use at colleges

May 16, 2012

Island voters overwhelmingly approve school budget, give newcomer to board most votes

May 15, 2012

Q&A: Big city girl on exchange from China

May 12, 2012

Business

Eklunds will reopen Chequit this season as sale remains in the works

May 11, 2012

Hospital picks Mills firm's men as honorees for its 2012 golf classic

April 27, 2012

'Bigfoot' baler now assisting farm and marina recycling efforts

April 14, 2012

Community

Perlman alumni concerts are announced

May 13, 2012

Garden Column: Growing your own — starting seeds from scratch

May 13, 2012

Don Young is saving energy in his green dream car

May 13, 2012

Obituaries

Obituary: E.Y. Clark

April 26, 2012

Obituary: Elizabeth Yvonne (E.Y.) Clark

April 23, 2012

Obituary: Harold Olson

April 18, 2012

Real Estate

Town grants Tarlow permit for house larger than code limit

April 10, 2012

Native plants will keep birds and bees in your backyard

March 27, 2012

Dougherty calls for help opposing bid to halt county open space programs

February 10, 2012

Opinion

Letters: Memorial Day events on the Island and more

May 17, 2012

Column: Not as easy as it looked on television

May 12, 2012

Suffolk Closeup: Media scourge on Rupert Murdoch

May 11, 2012

Riverhead Blues Festival may be revived for 2012

JOHN NEELY FILE PHOTO | Performers at the 2010 Blues Festival.

Shelter Island blues fans who missed the Riverhead Blues Festival, which did not take place last summer, should get ready to mark their calendars for its revival.

The 2012 edition appears to have the three votes necessary to gain approval from the Riverhead Town Board, which is expected to vote on the matter at a 2 p.m. meeting Tuesday, Feb. 7.

Vince Tria, the secretary of the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall, which runs the event as their major fundraiser, said they plan to hold it on June 16 and 17 in the riverfront parking lot in downtown Riverhead. They moved it from the customary mid-July date because the weather is too hot in July and because it would be competing with Patchogue’s Great South Bay Music Festival, which also is in mid-July, Mr. Tria said.

Vail-Leavitt didn’t hold a Blues Festival last year, after having staved off an attempted takeover of the festival the year before by the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce, which was backed by the Business Improvement District and Supervisor Sean Walter.

This year, everybody says they support the festival, but it still may just barely have enough votes to pass Tuesday.

The Town Board discussed the matter with Mr. Tria at the Thursday Town Board work session.

Supervisor Sean Walter and Councilman Jim Wooten said they’ll support the festival. Mr. Wooten said he’s troubled by the fact that the festival, which is a paid admission event, fences off public property.

Councilman George Gabrielsen was undecided and Councilwoman Jodi Giglio said she can’t support it unless their insurance is in place, which at this point, it is not.

Councilman John Dunleavy wasn’t at Thursday’s work session but he was following along on the News-Review’s live blog of the meeting and posted a comment saying he supports the festival so long as they get their insurance in before the event. Mr. Walter later called him to confirm that.

Town officials have said they will give Vail-Leavitt more time to get their insurance in, which the town code section on special events requires be in place 120 days before the event. Mr. Walter said he will give them up to 30 days before the event.

Ms. Giglio said she didn’t vote for the Polish Festival or the Country Fair last year because the promoters of those festivals didn’t have their insurance in place before the vote. She said she wants to be consistent.

Mr. Tria said that if they cannot get the insurance, then they won’t host the event.

Mr. Dunleavy said last month that he will be on vacation in Florida in February but will fly up to Riverhead for the regular Town Board meeting, where items are voted on.

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