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VOL. 71 NO. 3
JANUARY 21 - 27, 2026
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Town formalizes sports field permit policies By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent
Photo courtesy of James Carbone
Alleged Gilgo killer Rex Heuermann appears in front of Judge Tim Mazzei alongside his attorney Michael J. Brown at Suffolk County Court in Riverhead Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026.
Heuermann seeks dismissal of 1993 murder charge By LUKE FEENEY lfeeney@liherald.com Accused Gilgo Beach killer Rex Heuermann has maintained his innocence since his arrest in July 2023 — and now, his defense team is asking a judge to toss out one of the murder charges he faces. Heuermann, 62, originally from Mass-
apequa Park, appeared before state Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei in [Riverhead] on Jan. 13, as his attorneys filed a 178-page omnibus motion seeking multiple forms of legal relief. Among them: dismissal of a second-degree murder charge in the 1993 death of Sandra Costilla and inspection of grand jury minutes to determine whether CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
Amazon warehouse plan signals new chapter for Sunrise Mall By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent
After more than 50 years as a retail anchor for the South Shore, the Sunrise Mall in East Massapequa may soon be heading into a major transformation. A site plan under review by the Town of Oyster Bay’s Planning and Development Department outlines a proposal to demolish a portion of the mall and construct a 150,348-square-foot Amazon warehouse and delivery facility. The
project would also include a vehicle fleet service building. The proposed Amazon site would cover 26.7 acres of the mall property, which sits just east of Route 110. A source in the town said the plan is in the review process and that no construction is expected before 2027, as the plan requires a full environmental review, building plan evaluation, public hearings and input from local stakeholdCONTINUED ON PAGE 13
At its Jan. 12 meeting, the Oyster Bay Town Board adopted formal policies and procedures governing the allocation of permits and the safe use of town athletic fields and facilities. The policy states that “the purpose of recreational sports programs is to encourage and develop a love for sports, and to provide residents of all ages the opportunity to participate in a safe and positive environment.” Under the guidelines, priority for field and facility use is given to town programs, followed by school district programs, resident-based youth sports groups, resident-based adult sports groups, nonprofit organizations and, lastly, forprofit groups. The policies also outline procedures for obtaining permits and mandate safety rules for organizations granted access to town facilities. Joseph Pinto, the town’s parks commissioner, said the action formalized policies that had already been informally in place. “With the increased use of town park facilities over recent years, this was a good time to formalize all protocols under one written set of policies and procedures,” Pinto said. He noted that increased field usage is largely the result of park upgrades and improve-
Courtesy Town of Oyster Bay
Town Parks Commissioner Joseph Pinto ments, particularly the conversion of many natural grass fields to artificial turf. Chris Brooks, a Massapequa International Little League official, said he did not anticipate any issues with the changes. “The Town of Oyster Bay has always been extremely responsive and fair when it comes to the needs of the Massapequa International Little League,” he said. “I would suspect that all youth athletic organizations who obtain permits to use Town facilities would feel the same.” Greg Dietrich, president of the Massapequa Youth Football program, agreed. “I don’t think that the new policy impacts the Mustangs or other local nonprofits too CONTINUED ON PAGE 13