Sag Harbor Village police have arrested a pair of Ronkonkoma residents accused of stealing a man's checkbook in Sag Harbor and cashing checks for a total of $3,330.

Police said 22-year-old Nicholas Marino and 23-year-old Kathleen Danielson, who live together, stole the Capital One checkbook containing 19 blank checks on Dec. 5, 2012. They then endorsed 17 of the checks and cashed in, according to arrest reports.

They were arrested Thursday at the Suffolk County Police Fifth Precint then brought to Sag Harbor Village police headquarters to be processed and held overnight for arraignment.

When Marino was searched during his arrest, the two remaining checks, which had been reported stolen, were found in his possession, police said.

Marino was charged with grand larceny in the third degree and forgery in the second degree, both felonies, as well as two counts of criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, a misdemeanor.

Danielson faces 16 counts of second-degree forgery and one count of third-degree grand larceny.

According to the Sag Harbor Express, the pair was arraigned Friday before Justice Andrea Schiavoni, who ordered Danielson held in lieu of $40,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond, and Marino held in lieu of $30,000 cash bail or $40,000 bond. The Express reports that Schiavoni acted on the reccomendatoon of the Suffolk County district attorney's office, because the pair have a number of open charges in other jurisdictions.

Recent crimes and suspicious incidents reported to the Southampton Town Police Department through Feb. 10:

Identity Theft

• A Westhampton resident called police on Feb. 2 to report that someone used her TD Bank Visa debit card to withdraw $709 from various ATMs in Manhattan.

• A Quoigue resident notified police on Feb. 8 that someone used his TD Bank Visa debit card to withdraw $822 from various ATMs in New York City.

• A Speonk woman called police on Feb. 7 to report that someone used her TD Bank Visa debit card to withdraw $1,493 from ATMs in New York City.

• A Hampton Bays man called police on Feb. 5 to report that someone charged $1,184.34 at Walmart to a Capital One Bank Card in his name, but that he said is not his.

Petty Larceny

• A Riverside man reported to police on Feb. 7 that someone stole a cellphone from the front seat of his car, which was parked on Country Road 104.

• The manager of Rite Aid in Bridgehampton called police on Jan. 23 to report that a black male, about 6 feet tall and medium build, wearing a black hooded jacket entered the store and stole Prilosec, valued between $30 and $40. Police are investigating and have video surveillance.

• On Feb. 7, a Hampton Bays woman told police that while in Chase Bank someone stole $50 that was left in an envelope on a counter. She said she stepped away for a moment and when she returned the money was gone. Police said there are currently no suspects.

Leaving the Scene

• A Noyac resident called police on Feb. 9 after a black pick-up crossed over into his lane on Noyac Road, struck his car, then left the scene.

• A Southampton resident told police on Feb 8 that someone struck her car in the parking lot of Gators in Hampton Bays and then left without reporting the damage. Police report they are investigating video surveillance.

• A Hampton Bays resident told police on Feb. 4 that a FedEx truck swiped his car in Hampton Bays and then left the scene.

Burglary

• A Mastic man reported to police on Feb. 7 that sometime between Dec. 6 and Feb. 7 someone broke into a mechanic shop where he works at 192 Montauk Highway in Hampton Bays and stole $50 in cash.

Grand Larceny

• A Connecticut man reported to police on Feb. 6 that a mechanic stole his 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee after taking the car and agreeing to fix it at his home in Centereach. The victim said the mechanic previously worked at Sunoco and that he gave him $1,300 in cash to fix the car in Oct. 25. The victim said he has made attempts to get the car back to no avail.

• A Rhode Island man said that while in the Country Deli in Southampton on Feb. 5, he left a wad of $350 in cash on the counter along with several credit cards and a driver's license. When he returned, all the times were missing.

• A Mastic Beach man reported to police on Feb. 7 that sometime between Feb. 6 and Feb. 7 someone broke into a construction site in Bridgehampton and stole various tools, valued at $1,450.

Believe it or not, there is still time to get a dinner reservation in Southampton, Noyac, Bridgehampton, Sagaponack or Sag Harbor for Valentine's Day.

According to OpenTable.com, as of noon on Wednesday, these seating times are still available.  But if you want a reservation, don't procrastinate any longer — these seats are going fast.

red|bar brasserie, Southampton Village

This Hampton Road restaurant opens its doors for Valentine's Day.

There are many seatings time still available, according to OpenTable, including 6:30, 8:30 and 9 p.m.

Visit opentable.com or call 631-283-0704.

The Plaza Cafe, Southampton Village

Chef Doug Gulija's Plaza Cafe is booked 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., but reservation times are available at 5:15, 5:45, 9 and 9:15 and more.

Visit opentable.com or call 631-283-9323.

75 Main, Southampton Village

Southampton hot spot 75 Main has a three-course Valentine's Day prix fixe for $39 — and the ala carte menu is also available.

There are many seatings time still available.

Visit opentable.com or call 75 Main at 631-283-7575.

Sant Ambroeus, Southampton Village

Sant Ambroeus in book between 6:30 and 7, but you can make a reservation for earlier or later.

Visit opentable.com or call Sant Ambroeus at 631-283-1233.

The Coast Grill, Noyac

Brian and Stacy Cheewing's Coast Grill, overlooking Wooley Pond, has many reservation times available.

Visit opentable.com or call The Coast Grill at 631-283-2277.

Almond, Bridgehampton

Chef Jason Weiner is preparing four courses of pomegranate for a prix fixe dinner.

There are many seatings time still available, according to OpenTable, including 6:30, 6:45, 7, 7:15 and 7:30 p.m.

Visit opentable.com or call Almond at 631-537-5665 to make a reservation.

Old Stove Pub, Sagaponack

Located on Montauk Highway, the revived Old Stove Pub serves Greek cuisine.

There are many seatings time still available, according to OpenTable, including 6, 6:30, 7, 7:30 and 8 p.m.

Visit opentable.com or call Old Stove Pub at 631-587-3300.

Muse in the Harbor, Sag Harbor

Visit opentable.com or call 631-899-4810.

The Bell & Anchor, Sag Harbor

Visit opentable.com or call 631-725-3400.

Page at 63 Main, Sag Harbor

Visit opentable.com or call 631-725-1810.

Old Man Winter will strike Southampton again on Wednesday night.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Suffolk County from 5 p.m. Wednesday until 6 a.m. Thursday as another winter storm passes through the tri-state area.

The snow should start falling throughout the late afternoon on Wednesday and pick up during the evening before the storm quickly leaves the area by early Thursday morning.

Storm accumulations will be light in general, as the National Weather Service expects 3 to 5 inches to fall in Southampton.

Winds should remain lighter than the Feb. 8 blizzard — 10 to 15 miles per hour with gusts up to 25 miles per hour. Winds will still be strong enough to reduce visibilities to as low as a half-mile and possibly have white-out conditions for periods.

Roadways could be covered in snow or ice for the Thursday morning commute and the National Weather Services warns that motorists should expect delays. 

BookHampton on Main Street in Southampton Village has closed, but lovers of paperbacks and hardcovers have no need to fret — the store will reopen at its new location on Hampton Road Presidents Day weekend.

The 96 Main Street store shut its doors in January. The new shop at 16 Hampton Road will share a building with a Town & Country Real Estate office. The building was formerly the site of Hampton Homecare, but it since underwent a major renovation and facelift by architect John David Rose.

In the meantime, BookHampton's East Hampton, Mattituck and Sag Harbor locations are open for business.

In addition to classic books, new releases, and novels and nonfiction by local authors, BookHampton also carries a variety of newspaper and magazines, many of which will be hard to come by in Southampton Village until the reopening this weekend.

Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone every day with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here.

The blizzard couldn't put a damper on the Katy’s Courage Skat-a-thon this weekend.

The second annual event, held at the Buckskill Winter Club in Wainscott, raised $13,500 on Sunday, one day after a winter storm dumped about a foot of snow on the South Fork. It was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was postponed due to the snowstorm. 

A not-for-profit organization created to honor Katy Stewart, a North Haven resident who died at the age of 12 from hepatoblastoma, a rare form of pediatric liver cancer, Katy's Courage raises money for pediatric cancer research and bereavement counseling. The foundation seeks to support families through scholarships, donations and a long-term investment in creating a childhood bereavement center on the East End. 

Katy was a seventh-grader at Pierson Middle School when she died on Dec. 30, 2010. Many of the girls from her class were at the event helping out. 

More than 100 skaters attended the event, which also included a bake sale.

Katy’s favorite color — pink — decorated the winter club in the form of ribbons, streamers and "Katybug" logos. Seventy-five pink flags were flying high, along with pink balloons, and there was a big pink heart and a "Katybug" logo painted on the ice. 

Did you or your children attend the Skat-a-thon on Sunday? Leave a comment if you support Katy's Courage.

With playoffs kicking off this week, Southampton High School has three teams competing.

The Mariners boys varsity basketball team hosts Wyndanch Thursday at 5 p.m. for a Class B semifinal. Admission is $4.

The winner will go on to face either Babylon or Center Moriches on Feb. 20 at Patchogue-Medford High School.

On Saturday, the Mariners wrestling team is headed to Center Moriches High School beginning at 9:30 a.m. for the Division II tournament. Admission is $6.

On Feb. 19, the girls varsity basketball teams heads to Eastport-South Manor High School. The Lady Mariners' opponent will either be Center Moriches or Mattituck, depending on the outcome of a match-up Friday night.

Tuesday's game begins at 7 p.m. and admission is $6. The winner will be the Class B Champion for Section XI.

"We hope you can come out and cheer on the Mariner teams as they start their journey through the playoff season!" the school district's website states.

Join in cheering on the Mariners by leaving a comment below.

The Parrish Art Museum and the African American Museum of the East End invite the public to a free screening Friday night of a rarely seen one-hour interview with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The interview, produced by Arnold Michaelis, was filmed in King's Atlantic home in December 1965, according to the Parrish. Cinematographer George Silano, a resident of North Haven and the only surviving member of the film crew, will introduce the film. The Parrish states that Silano tracked down the film at the University of Georgia, which holds Michaelis' media archive.

In the interview, King speaks on the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, and the film also includes an interview with his wife, Coretta.

The interview was also screened in January at Rogers Memorial Library as part of a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Brenda Simmons, a co-founder of the African American Museum of the East End, recently interviewed Silano on her LTV show "Voices of Wisdom." Watch part one and part two of the interview on YouTube.

The MLK interview screening begins 6 p.m. Friday at the Parrish Art Museum on Montauk Highway in Water Mill. Call 631-283-2118 or click here to reserve a seat

A 33-year-old Sag Harbor man caught driving drunk Wednesday night had three kids with him, according to police.

Southampton Town police said Miguel Saldivar was driving north on Sag Harbor Turnpike when he was pulled over for speeding. That is when police say they found Saldivar was intoxicated, with two 10-year-olds and a 13-year-old in the vehicle.

The children were released to family members and Child Protective Services was notified, police said.

Saldivar was arrested at 8:14 p.m. and charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child passenger less than 16 years old. The charge is a felony under New York State's Leandra's Law, which increases DWI penalties when children are among the passengers. Saldivar was additionally charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, and speeding, a traffic infraction.

Police held Saldivar overnight Wednesday for arraignment Thursday morning at Southampton Town Justice Court.

Update 2 p.m.: Southampton Town Police Sgt. John Boden said an accident was reported at County Road 39 and Tuckahoe Road at 7:35 a.m.

No further details were available, but Boden said it appears that two vehicles were involved and no injuries were initially reported when then call came in.

Update 9:30 a.m.: An accident on County Road 39 Thursday morning near the Tuckahoe Road intersection was cleared up by 8:30 a.m.

The accident slowed traffic for eastbound drivers; even after the scene was cleared, traffic crawled for a time.

Police were unavailable to offer details on the accident.

Southampton Fire Department Second Assistant Chief Chris Brenner said firefighters were not called to the accident scene.

Original:

A motor vehicle accident that occurred around 8 a.m. Thursday has caused eastbound traffic on County Road 39 to crawl.

The slowdown begins west of the Shinnecock Canal and continues for at least a mile.

This story ill be updated as more details become available.

A man had to be extricated from his SUV Thursday morning after the impact of a collision with a pickup truck pinned him in the vehicle, according to North Sea Fire Department Chief William Rosko Jr.

Rosko said the fire department was called at 7:30 a.m. to the intersection of Noyac Road and Mullen Hill Lane, where a white Chevrolet pickup truck and a green Jeep Cherokee had struck each other.

The accident was nearly head-on, Rosko said. He explained that the technical expression is an "offset front-end impact."

The impact made it impossible to open the driver's side doors on the Jeep, Rosko said, so firefighters used the 'Jaws of Life' to remove the two doors, and the pillar between the doors.

Southampton Volunteer Ambulance removed the man from the Jeep on a backboard for transportation to the hospital, Rosko said, adding that the victim was conscious and stable. 

Rosko said the driver of the pickup truck was out of the vehicle before he arrived at the scene. Noyac Road was closed between Roses Grove Road and Glen View Drive until about 8:15 a.m.

Rosko said the cause of the accident was not clear.

Editor's Note: The following information was supplied by East End police departments. A criminal charge is only an accusation and does not indicate convictions.

A roundup of recent notable arrests elsewhere on the East End:

RIVERHEAD

• Three men and one woman were arrested and charged with reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon on Wednesday after police said they shot at a Riverhead home where children were inside.

According to Riverhead police, on Wednesday at 8:53 p.m., police units in the Roanoke Avenue area heard what sounded like "rapid gunfire" coming from the area of 3rd Street.

One of the units, police said, observed what appeared to be a tan Ford Taurus leaving the 3rd street area; the officer followed the car.

A traffic stop was initiated on Peconic Avenue and police found four occupants in the vehicle. Empty shell casings were found in the roadway in front of the home, police said.

For more on the story from Riverhead Patch, click here.

WESTHAMPTON-HAMPTON BAYS

• Seven area residents reported to cops over the weekend that someone stole their TD Bank debit card information and withdrew money from various ATM machines in New York City.

In Westhampton Beach, four Westhampton Beach residents made individual reports to Westhampton Beach police. The residents, who all use the Westhampton Beach TD Bank, claimed that various amounts of money were taken from their accounts, between $502 to $1,021.

Similar reports were made to Southampton Town police.

NORTH FORK

• Brendan Corbley, 26, of Cutchogue was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated and first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, both felonies, and failing to maintain a lane of traffic on Feb. 3 at 4:57 p.m., after police stopped him on traffic violations on Route 25 in Mattituck, police said. Corbley was arrested and his vehicle was seized due to a prior DWI conviction, police said.

EAST HAMPTON

• Christopher M. Forsberg, 40, of Montauk, was arrested and charged with drunken driving, a felony due to a prior conviction, and resisting arrest, a misdemeanor, in Montauk on Feb. 1.

Police reportedly saw Forsberg's Subaru pull out of a parking lot and make a left onto West Lake Drive at a high rate of speed, and then drive off and onto the roadway, just after 11 p.m. Police pulled the vehicle over near Duryea Avenue and Forsberg appeared intoxicated, they said. Field sobriety tests that were administered had to be stopped for his safety, according to a police report.

However, when Forsberg was placed under arrest, he refused to get into the patrol car, dropping to the ground, kicking and rolling around, police said. The officer tried to move him, but he "went limp several times," according to his arrest report. Two additional officers were called to the scene and he was taken into custody. At headquarters, Forsberg complained of chest pain and displayed "psychotic behavior," the report said. He was transported to Southampton Hospital for evaluation, and released.

In the morning, Justice Catherine A. Cahill arraigned him and released him on $350 bail.

Goodbye "Gangnam Style," hello "Harlem Shake."

The popular video craze has exploded in the past few days. A YouTube search brings up more than 26,700 results for the latest video craze, including one made at Ross Upper School in East Hampton.

Students at the Ross School — an elite private institution that also has a school for lower grades in Bridgehampton— made their own 30-second "Harlem Shake" video in the senior lounge.

The video starts with a sole dancer standing on a desk flailing his arms and wearing a jet fighter helmet. Students reading, studying and talking are apparently oblivious to him being there — then it jump cuts to the room full of dancing students, all in costumes.

USA Today reports Harlem Shake video uploads have skyrocketed in the past few days — more than 4,000 are being posted a day.

The Ross School video was posted to YouTube Wednesday and by Thursday at 4 p.m. there were 5,718 views.

The video link is making the rounds on Facebook. Bridgehampton resident and model/actress Christie Brinkley posted it to her fanpage, saying,  "Have you guys heard of the newest internet trend the Harlem Shake? Well here's my son's schools rendition of it, directed by one of his best friends, Ben Sosne."

Some are expressing dismay that video could be deleted from the Internet. A YouTube user commented, "Don't let them take it down! We worked so hard on this."

Brinkley commented on her Facebook page, "... they did it on their own, after school!"

So what exactly is the "Harlem Shake"? According to UPI.com, the roughly 30-second video productions typically start with just one dancer gyrating to DJ Baauer's 2012 "Harlem Shake" soundtrack. Then, when the bass line kicks in, a whole group of people — often in costumes and frequently helmets — join in a dance that can best be described as chaotic.

If the video does not play on your device, click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Young Artists and Writers Project, or YAWP — formerly known as the Young American Writers Project — has a week-long workshop beginning Monday for middle and high school students on winter break.

Sponsored by Stony Brook Southampton's MFA in Creative Writing and Literature, YAWP's workshops will pair professional writers and teens for five-day retreats in creative writing, according to a YAWP statement.

The program runs Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

"Student writers will develop and hone their fiction, poetry and personal essay skills in order to discover the most powerful ways to express their ideas and to have them heard," a YAWP statement reads. "By week’s end, each student will have several pieces of completed work to submit or publish."

The program will be held at Stony Brook Southampton's Chancellors Hall.

Works created during the week will be eligible for publication in the YAWP Ezine and for presentation at “Sounding Our YAWP” in late April.

Students will have another oppurtunity to sign up for a YAWP creative writing workshop in March.

To sign up, visit youngamericanwritersproject.com or email william.chandler@stonybrook.edu.

Are you born to sell? Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit? Want to join a team that works hard and knows how to have fun?

In that case, you may want to work for Patch! We’re hiring a Regional Publisher for the Long Island, Queens and Brooklyn area, so we're looking for a great person with advertising sales experience to join our team!

As a Patch Regional Publisher, you’ll be managing a regional team of field sales representatives, working closely with local advertisers.  You’ll know your own Patch platform (and others) backwards and forwards so you can present complete advertising solutions.

As the Regional Publisher, you will attend chamber and trade functions, get involved in community groups, head up charitable efforts, and maintain a highly visible presence in the business community.

Combining superior sales expertise with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and ability to ‘close’ deals, you will ultimately sell Patch advertising inventory, champion Patch’s unique business model, and support the company’s long-term vision and success.

It is essential that applicants for this position know the communities and surrounding areas well, and is familiar with the social media world.

Also key is someone who loves to see small businesses succeed.

Interested?  Click here to learn more

If you're not familiar withPatch, here's a primer: We are a network of more than 850 hyperlocal news sites, staffed by professional journalists and advertising professionals who go out of our way to make life ridiculously easy for our readers by giving them local news and a place they can learn and share information about their community.

Patch also has other openings in a variety of areas across the country. Check out the listings atwww.patch.com/jobs.

Old Man Winter has packed a whallop in recent days — and after last weekend's blizzard, which dumped around 1 of snow on Southampton, more of the white stuff is expected Saturday.

According to David Wally, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Upton, as of Friday morning, Saturday's snow forecast appears to be "a light event."

The snow, he said, will be sparked by a "close call" with a coastal storm that is expected to move off the eastern seaboard Saturday afternoon and into the evening.

"Right now, it's expected to pass far enough to the east or south to spare the region any significant snowfall," Wally said. 

Light rain and snow are expected Saturday morning, changing over completely to light snow in the afternoon, with the potential for several inches to fall that are associated with a strong cold front.

As of Friday morning, Southampton is expected to see 1 to 3 inches, with temperatures dropping from the mid 30s Saturday afternoon to the 20s Saturday night.

Wally urged residents to monitor weather reports. "The real uncertainty is with the offshore storm Saturday into Sunday," he said. "A little shift to the west could have the potential for more snowfall." 

In his final State of the City address Thursday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a citywide ban on plastic-foam food packaging, a non-biodegradable polymer environmentalists have derided for years

As reported by The New York Times, the ban will include polystyrene takeout boxes, cups and trays.

“Something that we know is environmentally destructive, that is costing taxpayers money, and that is easily replaceable, is something we can do without," Bloomberg said.

In 2011, Southampton Village became the first municipality on New York State to ban plastic shopping bags, and the second on the East Coast. Environmentalists pushed for the Southampton Town Board to adopt the same ban, but a board majority decided to pursue awareness and recycling instead.

A polystyrene packaging ban has not been brought to the table in either Southampton town or village, but Bloomberg's move shines a national spotlight on the product that is popularly, though erroneously, called Styrofoam.

Bloomberg said polystyrene, which does not biodegrade and is "virtually impossible" to recycle, currently adds up to $20 per ton to the cost of recycling, because it has to be seperated. Eliminating it altogether could save the city millions of dollars per year, city officials said.

Fort-Greene-Clinton Hill Patch reports that some small business owners disagree with the proposal, saying the costs to use alternative packaging will hurt profits. 

Are you for or against banning plastic-foam packaging in your town or village? Tell us why in the comments section below.

SOUTHAMPTON, NY -- Andrew "Gumbo" Hurley said that after the Newtown, Conn. school shooting in December, the fact he owned an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle sickened him.

In January, the 55-year-old who's been a gun owner since he was 14, decided to do something about it. In an interview Friday, Hurley said he called his friend from Barefoot Productions to come to his Water Mill workshop and film him smashing the AR-15 into pieces. The 3-minute video was then posted to YouTube Jan. 19 and has gleaned more than 2,000 views.

"Being a civilized man, I'm not too sure it has any relevance in my life," Hurley says to the camera in the beginning of the video, as he shows off the rifle. "I bought it, I don't know how many years ago, just because I thought it was cool. But now, after all of the events that have unfolded in our country, with shooting innocent children and women, I realize it ain't cool. It ain't even nice. Look at it; it's ugly. It has one purpose — but to kill people. It just disturbs me that I even own a gun like this."

He said Newtown and other recent mass shootings have taught him that "any nut" can get a gun. "No nut's gonna get this gun," he said before breaking out the sledgehammer.

Hurley told Patch that in the 10 or 12 years he owned the AR-15, it was only fired off 20 times. "Me and my friend each took 10 shots with it," he said.

Before the AR-15, he owned then sold an AK-47 he never used, he said. “I thought I was cool buying the thing.”

After posting the video to YouTube, he said, anonymous commenters called him an "idiot," a "moron," and a number of other names that can't be repeated in polite company. “They acted like I just destroyed a crucifix or swung a baby around into a wall,” Hurley said, adding, “I smashed it into a million pieces and I felt good about it. It was liberating to say the least."

He admitted that during filming, a piece of the gun flew off and hit him in the head. He said he stopped the bleeding, took off his sweatshirt, and resumed smashing the AR-15.

Hurley, a former hunter, said he still owns a shotgun for skeet shooting and two old guns, but he doesn't think people need AR-15s and AK-47s. "It's disturbing that people feel they need to be armed against the government," he said.

Hurley said he is an avowed liberal who enjoys talking politics, but he doesn't typically get politically involved beyond voting.

If the video does not play on your device, click here to watch it on YouTube.