Friday, May 17, 2019
Vol. 79, No. 20
$1
Bethpage Park director manages PGA event
NEW VETERANS GAZEBO
BY GARY SIMEONE
Hempstead Town Councilman Dennis Dunne (2nd left) visited the new Levittown Veterans Gazebo on Bluegrass Lane, across from the Levittown Library. Councilman Dunne was joined by Levittown VFW Post 9592 Commander Matthew DeGregorio, Vice Commander Peter Stasinski, Donald Patane of Levittown and Les Rumel of Levittown.
Landmark Bethpage restaurant moves BY GARY SIMEONE
The Zorn’s of Bethpage’s 80-year-old landmark building closed for the final time earlier this month, moving their operations to a new location on the property. The American restaurant, which is an iconic symbol on Long Island, will now be housed in a smaller 8,000 square foot facility adjacent to the older building. “A new store with old beginnings. That is the slogan on our updated marquee,” said Merrill Zorn, president and CEO of Zorn’s
of Bethpage. “It’s definitely a bittersweet feeling because we didn’t want to leave, but our staff is excited about the opportunity of working in the new facility.” The new facility, which is much smaller than the original 25,000 square foot building, will be located on one acre of the four acre property. Zorn said that she plans to keep all of the staff from the original store and that there will be no change in the products being offered.
“That was the whole point of moving, that I’d be able to hold onto the over sixty employees who keep this whole operation running,” said Zorn. “They mean the world to me, as do my customers, who’ve been coming to me for generations.” Zorn’s great-grandparents started the tradition with Zorn’s Farm on Long Island in the early 1900s. Her grandfather, Peter Zorn, continued the legacy by opening the first retail store in Bethpage in 1940.
It is an exciting week for golf enthusiasts at Bethpage State Park as the 101st PGA championship is in full swing. The widely publicized event, which is expected to draw over 200,000 spectators, takes place May 13th through the 19th. Elizabeth Wintenberger, director of Bethpage State Park, is helping to manage and coordinate the event. “It’s obviously a very busy time, but we’re ready and prepared,” said Wintenberger. “There has been alot of planning that has gone into this going back three years.” The planning has included the build-out and construction along the park’s Black Course, where the professional golfers will ply their trade. The construction has included new gravel access roads for maintenance vehicles and the building of seating areas along the course. Wintenberger said that there are 3,600 volunteers working in shifts during the week and over 100 groundskeepers from all over the world. Their duties include everything from marshaling the holes on the course to working inside of the merchandise and food tents helping customers. “During the practice rounds, we’re able to fine-tune and plan for a lot of things before things really pick-up midweek. Early on we can get an idea of things like traffic flow patterns and possible security issues.” Wintenberger has a lot of experience working in the New York State Park system. She’s worked for over forty years, getting her first job as a seasonal employee at Jones Beach State Park in 1978 to working as a park director at Hempstead Lake State Park in 1990. She came to Bethpage in 2011, bringing her knowledge and experience to help run one of the most popular parks in the County. “Basically I’m in charge of the overall management of the maintenance and operation facility, which includes things like maintaining the grass and the golf course,” said Wintenberger. She said that after working 41 years in the agency, that the PGA championship is one of the highlights of her career.
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