Friday, December 18, 2020
Vol. 80, No. 51
Central Nassa
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A gents of the Month
November 20 20 Doris Kason an Suzanne Col d on Licensed R. E. Salespersons
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Thousands of oysters restock harbor
Christmas popup franchise has its roots in Levittown BY GARY SIMEONE
Town of Oyster Bay officials, with members of conservancy groups, with some of the oysters that were placed in Oyster Bay harbor. The Town of Oyster Bay, along with The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, and Friends of the Bay to provide an early holiday gift to Mother Nature as 50,000+ surplus commercially-grown oysters were entered into the harbor. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shuttering of local restaurants for long periods of time, commercial oyster growers have been faced with a larger than normal surplus of mature oysters. Rather than discard these perfectly healthy bivalves, they will be placed in protected areas of Oyster Bay Harbor, where they will help naturally clean and filter local waterways while
spawning additional shellfish to help build back the depleted Oyster population. “Rather than land on dinner plates, these oysters are headed into the harbor due to the lack of demand at local restaurants during this public health pandemic,” said Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “By placing these oysters in protected areas of the harbor, we strengthen the resiliency of our waterways and boost shellfish reproduction. These oysters will also help to naturally absorb wave action for shoreline stabilization while cleaning and filtering local waterways and spawning additional
shellfish to help build back the depleted the oyster population.” This project partners the Town with the Pew Charitable Trust and the Nature Conservancy as part of their Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration (SOAR) Project. Under this initiative, more than 100 shellfish companies will be supported during these tough times, and over 200 critical shellfish farming jobs will be preserved across the country, all while simultaneously planting over five million oysters across seven states! In addition to all the environmental benSee page 15
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What would the Christmas holiday season be without the colorful lights, decorations, ornaments and all of the presents under the tree. A Christmas popup store franchise that originated in Levittown has made it easier for customers to do all of their holiday shopping in convenient locations. The franchise is called Everything Christmas, and the very first store location was opened in Levittown in 2007. “My wife and I worked in retail for a number of years, and after noticing all of the popup Halloween store models every year, we decided to open our own Christmas-themed location,” said Howie Franks, founder and CEO of Everything Christmas. He and his wife Pam opened their first store in the shopping center on Hempstead Turnpike that houses the King Kullen grocery store, Domenico’s Italian Restaurant and Dortino’s Bakery. “We had owned a discount store in Suffolk County for a number of years, and with the rent and all the other expenses, it was tough making ends meet,” said Franks. “My wife and I both love the Christmas holiday, and seeing that’s it’s always the busiest and most profitable season of the year, we opened a store that only sold Christmas themed items .“ After opening the first location thirteen years ago, the husband and wife team have opened four stores in different locations every year. They began franchising the Everything Christmas brand name five years ago. Last year, there were multiple store locations not only on Long Island, but in other states around the country, including New Hampshire, Minnesota and North Carolina. Franks said that he chooses stores with bigger square footage that have gone out of business or moved locations, similar to the Halloween store models. “We usually take over bigger stores because of all of our inventory and the merchandise we hold” said Franks. “This year, we’ve moved into a location previously owned by a Pier 1 Home Goods store, a clothing store that went out of business and an old pharmacy location.” The popup stores that have “popped up” on Long Island this See page 15
Syosset HS fall play to be streamed PAGE 10 Students and staff kick up school spirit PAGE 6