🌱 Riverhead Daily: New Ass't Superintendent Vote + Port Paws Dog Fest

Hello, everybody! Diane Witek here in your inbox this morning to walk you through all the most important things happening in town. Follow along for the latest news.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 67, low: 51.

Here are the top stories today in Riverhead:

1. Riverhead Board of Education will vote on hiring new assistant superintendent, whom Superintendent Augustine Tornatore hired last year while at Liberty K-12 School District in Newburgh. Rodney Asse did “a fantastic job” at Liberty as its business official, Tornatore said, and has “a good reputation.” (Subscription: Riverhead News Review)
2. Beech trees across Long Island, New York and the Northeast have been decimated by a newly discovered tree disease. The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is asking residents to report signs of the blight so the state can track its spread. The disease has now been found in eight states and in Canada. The department asks residents who spot the striped, diseased leaves to take photographs of the leaves, bark and the entire tree and submit to foresthealth@dec.ny.gov. (Patch)
3. Roughly 18 million children under the age 5 are the only group in the United States not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine until Pfizer-BioNTech announced on Monday, that "three modified doses of its COVID-19 vaccine offer strong protection for children ages six months to five years." (Subscription: Newsday)
4. On Friday, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that under an August 2021 agreement with United Healthcare, $13.6 million has been paid to New Yorkers who had been denied health care coverage. A federal lawsuit was filed against United for illegally denying coverage of outpatient psychotherapy for thousands of members. (Patch)
5. The first time in village history, Port Jefferson will host a festival that’s all about doggies. The Port Paws Dog Festival in Port Jefferson Village on July 23 and 24 will "celebrate dog ownership and showcase registered canine competitors in a Dog Docks aquatic competition." (Greater Long Island)

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From my notebook:

• RiverheadLOCAL: "Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps celebrated National EMS Week with an open house at its headquarters Sunday. Tap the link in our bio for the full story." (Instagram)
• Spirit's Promise Equine Rescue Program: "Important update: We will not be offering tours again until the spring of 2023. We plan to revamp our program to be able to offer even better tours next year. In the meantime, please visit us for our upcoming events!" (Facebook) (Website)
• RiverheadLOCAL: "The new expansion is set to increase critical care capacity by more than 75 percent and implement a dual-bay trauma unit, additional cardiac response services, and a dedicated pediatric treatment area, incorporate advanced radiology capabilities." (Instagram)
• RISE Life Services: "Help us help the community by donating to our food pantry! Learn more about our food pantry program at https://riselifeservices.org. #foodpantry, #communityfoodpantry, #riverhead." (Facebook) (Website)
• Suffolk County Sheriff's Office: "Sheriff Toulon, Undersheriff Catalina and the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office have some tips for boaters as we kick off the unofficial start to summer. Link to information in video: https://parks.ny.gov/recreation. #memorialday." (Facebook) (Website)
• The Suffolk Theater: "'Good Things' are happening this Saturday when BoDeans comes to town! Get your tickets!" (Instagram) (Website)

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• Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services — (Visit Website)
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Events:

• 40th Season Kickoff (May 28)
• The Hampton's Classic Car Show (May 29)
• The Shavuot Dairy (May 29)
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Gigs & services:

• Reiki Energy Therapy. "It's like a magic elixir that makes me feel whole again" (Details)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you around.

— Diane Witek

About me: Impassioned Writer, Website Designer, Social Media Marketer and newly proclaimed Baker. Lover of nature and animals of all kinds.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Riverhead Daily? Contact me at diane.witek@patch.com