News Briefs: March 28, 2025
A rundown of this week’s News Briefs from in and around Riverhead found under Announcements in the Riverhead News-Review newspaper.
Area scholarship opportunities
State Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R – New Suffolk) has announced four 2025 scholarships offered by the New York Conference of Italian American State Legislators. Two recognize academic excellence and the other two honor athletic achievement; each is worth $3,000.
Residents of the 1st Senate District who are either enrolled as high school seniors preparing to attend college or are currently enrolled in college can apply. To be eligible, applicants must maintain 3.0 GPA, show active involvement in community service and extracurriculars, demonstrate financial need and, for the athletic awards, participate in organized sports. Italian American ancestry is not a requirement for consideration.
Applications must be sent to nyiacsl.org/apply-for-scholarship-form before Sunday, March 30, 2025. Winners will be revealed in April and celebrated at a special event in Albany.
2025 community service scholarship applications
The Greater Jamesport Civic Association is accepting applications for its 2025 Community Service Award Scholarships, which this year honor talented local artist and devoted community member Patricia Kelly-Derenze. Up to three $1,000 scholarships will be given in her name to qualified and deserving high school seniors who plan to continue their studies in college or an equivalent program. Student criteria can be found at greaterjamesportcivic.org/ scholarship. Students can apply online at that site or email their applications to [email protected].
Keeping in touch with seniors
Riverhead Town offers the SKIT (Seniors Keeping in Touch) phone program, in which seniors can receive morning check-in phone calls on a daily basis.
To register, contact the Riverhead Senior Center, 631-722-4444, and schedule a time for a senior volunteer to call.
Stroke support offered
A stroke support club will meet virtually and in person the fourth Tuesday of every month at Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead. Sessions, which are free, begin at 4 p.m. Call 631-548-6422 for more information.
Veterans Day Giveback contest now open
Applications for the 13th annual Veterans Day Wedding Giveback at Becknock Hall are now open. The contest is open to all current and former military personnel who want a chance at winning a North Fork dream wedding on Nov. 9, 2025. Entries must be submitted on brecknockhall.com by April 5. The winning couple will be chosen based on the number of years served, special military honors and each couple’s personal love story by a panel of Peconic Landing members with military ties.
PBMC offers free colorectal cancer screening
Peconic Bay Medical Center is holding a no-cost colorectal cancer screening event Saturday, March 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at New Jerusalem Church, 177 Doctor’s Path, Riverhead. The screening will be conducted via Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT), a sensitive test that looks for signs of cancer in a person’s stool. No prior registration is necessary, and there are no eligibility requirements. Uninsured patients are welcome and will be seen free of charge, Insurance information will be collected from those who have coverage; annual screenings are fully covered by insurance for those over 45 at no cost to them.
Splish Splash is hiring
Splish Splash Water Park in Calverton is preparing to reopen for the 2025 season and is currently seeking both new hires and rehires. Positions including lifeguards, food and beverage services and park services are available. Candidates as young as 14 are invited to apply online and are eligible to earn up to $20 per hour. A series of job fairs at the park will begin on Saturday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those interested in applying online and learning more about the upcoming job fairs can do so now at splishsplash.com/employment.
