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VOLUME SIXTEEN, ISSUE 14
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THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2014 HALF HOLLOW HILLS
The Paramount Spotlight
Hills Community Meets Its Candidates Long Islander News photo/Arielle Dollinger
Rusted Root makes it fourth Paramount appearance next Friday, May 23, performing with The Wailers.
RustedRoot ReturnsWith TheWailers By Peter Sloggatt psloggatt@longislandernews.com
They’re Pittsburgh guys, but there will always be an unbreakable connection linking Rusted Root to The Paramount. When The Paramount first opened less than three years ago, Rusted Root was the first act to play there. The concert served as a “softopening” for the Huntington concert venue, which gave management an opportunity to test technical systems and work out the kinks before going (Continued on page A15)
Seven of the eight candidates for the Half Hollow Hills Board of Education tried to convince community members why they should vote for them at a Meet the Candidates night on May 7. By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandernews.com
Seven of the eight candidates running this election season for spots on the Half Hollow Hills school board took the stage of the Candlewood Middle School Auditorium last week to answer community members’ questions as the May 20 election approaches. The candidates, save for Matthew Glaser, who said he could not attend due to an “unavoidable work conflict,” addressed questions about Common Core, school closures and a topic that became what seemed to be an unexpectedly-heated one – the possibility of recording to meetings
to post them online. Incumbent Diana Acampora said that the concept was “interesting” but, while she thinks it should be considered, she feels that education should be a “hands-on experience.” “The interaction that can be achieved from actually being in attendance is kind of like the difference between watching a sporting event on TV and actually being in the stadium,” she said. “It loses something in the translation.” First-time candidate Adam Kleinberg’s position in favor of posting meetings online was met with applause. “These incumbents had three years to enact something like this,” he said. “We’re
pretending like this is a new concept in 2014? Not only should we be putting the meetings online, our entire policy book should be online… Go on any other school district website, you’ll find their policy book; you won’t find it here.” And as far as “hands-on experience” goes, Kleinberg said that the sort of “hands-on experience” meeting-goers receive may not be ideal. “When somebody asks a question of the board at a public board meeting, and they’re met with blank stares, and somebody just staring at their attorney looking for the answers. I don’t think that’s the hands-on experience anyone of us is looking for,” (Continued on page A17)
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Town On Hook For Sex Scandal Bill Appellate court upholds ruling ordering town to pay Harbormaster’s legal fees By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com
The Town of Huntington could be on the hook for what could be a multi-million dollar legal bill tied to a lurid sex scandal that gripped Huntington in the early 2000s. A panel of judges on the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division’s second department ruled unanimously May 7 to throw out the town’s appeal of a May 9, 2012 order by State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Farneti. The ruling affirmed an arbitrator’s or-
der for the town to pay the legal fees of Harbormaster William Perks following his sexual harassment suit against former Huntington Councilwoman Susan Scarpati-Reilly. Town spokesman A.J. Carter said Monday that “special counsel is reviewing the decision and deciding how next to proceed.” Because of the unanimous ruling, the town does not have an automatic right of appeal to the Court of Appeals, New York’s highest state court, and justices on that bench must agree to hear the case if the town mounts a final appeal.
Should the Appellate division’s ruling stand, the amount due to Perks for services provided by his attorney, Northport-based Edward Yule, will then be determined. After the State Supreme Court ruling two years ago, Yule said in a Long Islander News report he’s owed $2.9 million, plus 9-percent interest since the arbitrator’s ruling was issued in February 2009, and he’s gearing up to fight for the town to pay him that sum. The case began more than a decade ago (Continued on page A14)
IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION
Recovering Addicts Talk About LI’s Drug Crisis A3
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A2 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014
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POLICE REPORT Compiled by Danny Schrafel
Sharpen Your Razors, Fellas
A ‘Brief’ Matter
To beard, or not to beard… that’s precisely the
service when you fly! Which, for a professional on the dilemma my pal Betty posed in a May 10 letter that I go, would be great so that he can keep in touch with the office, make good use of his was happy to receive (keep those letters coming, down time and the like. For airgang!). The topic came up in a lines, it’s another lovely thing larger discussion of fashion fads IN THE KNOW they can charge for – and what men fall for, and if you were WITH AUNT ROSIE airline doesn’t love that? I hope, wondering – Betty is certainly however, that complimentary team “not to beard.” She describes the evolution of earphones are included with men with beard in three phases: 1) they look like they said service; if I got stuck next to someone playing one have dirty faces; 2) then they seem to be too much trouble to shave, and finally, 3) it makes them look old- of those annoying videos on loop for their kid, I might er. As to the backwards ball caps – weren’t they de- just try to strap myself to the wing! What does the fox signed to keep the sun out of your eyes? If you wear say, anyway? Did we ever figure that out? ’em backwards, the point is lost, except that your neck Pedal to work… If your knees are a bit better than might not get sun-burnt. However, baseball catchers get a pass, she writes – they need to put them back- mine, consider getting on your bike and pedaling to wards so it doesn’t bump up against their mask. “When work the rest of this week. If you didn’t know, Counit comes to fads, the men are as bad as the women,” she cilman Mark Cuthbertson (he’s been a busy boy, hasconcludes. Are there others I should be keeping an eye n’t he?) sponsored Bike to Work Week starting this Monday, which winds up this Friday with national out for? Talk to me and let me know. Bike to Work Day. Turns out the League of American One-stop voting… Here’s an idea to chew on for a Cyclists have been promoting this event for 58 years, minute (and I’d like feedback on this one too. So de- and they’ve been hard at work promoting bicycles as a manding, I know!) Mark Cuthbertson at Town Hall is healthier, more economical and environmentally floating a new idea. Instead of having all of your spe- friendly (gotta go green!) way to get around. If you decial district elections – libraries, fire departments, wa- cide to take the plunge, don’t forget about the town’s ter supplies, sanitation and the like – on different days, Bicycle Locker Program, with safe, secure lockers why not do it all at once? That way, he argues, it will available at all four town LIRR stations. For informahelp voters keep track of elections that could affect tion on these bicycle lockers and/or anyone interested various important services they receive and turn out in in leasing one, contact the Town Clerk’s office at 631larger numbers to pick their representatives. I don’t 351-3206 or visit www.HuntingtonNY.gov. know about you, but I kind of like this – that way, I Cranky pants… Although, if you take your bike to know that I have to go vote on one day. Although, that work, you’ll have to deal with some seriously ornery means I’ll have a lot more candidates knocking on my door and plugging for my vote ahead of that unified drivers on the road. Is it just me? It seems like, in the date. Oh, and whatever happened to Steve Israel’s idea last couple of weeks, that motorists have been unusufor “election weekend?” These are all fine ideas, but ally surly, profane and impatient as they take to the ones that seem to get introduced so that a bunch of peo- streets of Huntington. Then again, it could be a result ple say, “What a great idea!”, then nothing comes of of the longest winter ever (or so it felt) working our them. At the very least, let’s explore these options and collective last raw nerve. Or, it could just be the fact see if they’ll help us get the pulse of the people when that my new office is on Wall Street, where I see every ill-tempered driver in town, and the crankiness hasn’t elections roll around. gotten worse – I’ve just become more aware of it. Wi-fi in the sky… Before you cluck your tongue (Aunt Rosie wants to hear from you! If you have comand tell me, “Of course, Ro, the wi-fi flies through the ments, ideas, or tips about what’s happening in your sky, silly,” I’m specifically talking about this new prod- neck of the woods, write to me today and let me know uct that some airlines are selling, and one of the boys the latest. To contact me, drop a line to Aunt Rosie, in my office bought for a trip out west he’s going on c/o The Long-Islander, 14 Wall Street, Huntington NY soon. Now, it turns out you can buy wireless internet 11743. Or try the e-mail at aunt.rosieli@gmail.com)
“Do we have a problem in our community? No question about it. We are also a very brave community. A lot of communities are very reluctant to admit there is a problem.”’
Yes!… I want to subscribe to The Half Hollow Hills Newspaper
A Dix Hills man was arrested on East Jericho Turnpike May 7 on assault and disorderly conduct charges. Police said that the man was being sought following a domestic incident at his home. When officers tried to put him into custody, he “violently resisted.” During the ensuing tussle, he caused an officer to fall to the ground, resulting in shoulder and knee injuries.
Stabbed In The Back A Huntington Station man was arrested May 5 on assault charges in Cold Spring Harbor. Police said the man stabbed someone in the back with a knife on Briarwood Drive in Cold Spring Harbor at 2:45 a.m., causing an injury that required medical attention.
Your Threat Is Duly Noted Police were called to a Half Hollow Hills school May 5 following an aggravated harassment complaint. Police responded to Carll’s Straight Path after a student reported receiving a threatening note from another student.
The Eyes Have It A Dix Hills resident called Suffolk County police at 2:20 p.m. May 7 after a dispute with a person she knew got physical. After exchanging words on Old Country Road, the complainant said, the person punched her in the eye.
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Pounding The Pavement
Two employees got into a tussle at a health-services organization’s Melville offices May 8. Police said that at 11:30 a.m., one female worker grabbed the other by the upper arm and shook her violently. Police received a harassment complaint two days later.
Drug Panel Focuses On Gateways And Hurdles, PAGE A3
NEWSPAPER
STATE
A Melville resident saw through a phone-scam attempted May 6. Police said the resident received a call shortly before 3 p.m., in which the caller claimed that their niece had been injured and that she would not be let go until someone wired a sum of money. However, the person who answered the phone declined to send money.
She Shook Me Cold
HALF HOLLOW HILLS
CITY
My Niece Is Fine – You’re A Crook
A burglary attempt came up short in Dix Hills May 9. Police said that at 10 a.m. that day, someone tried to pry open the front door of a Daly Road home. However, the ill-fated burglars did not make entry into the home.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK PRINCIPAL IRENE MCLAUGHLIN
Send a photo of your pre-school age child along with a brief anecdotal background and we’ll consider it for “Baby Faces.” Include baby’s full name, date of birth, hometown and names of parents and grandparents. Send to: Baby of the Week, c/o LongIslander, 14 Wall St., Huntington, NY 11743. Please include a daytime phone number for verification purposes.
Police are searching for a briefcase thief who ripped off a Dix Hills resident May 5. Police said that at 11 p.m., someone broke the passenger window on the 2012 Ford Explorer parked on Old Brook Road.
expires
A Huntington Station man was rushed to Huntington Hospital May 5 after being assaulted on East Fifth Street, police said. The victim said he was struck in the hand and knee with a hammer by a co-worker at 4:05 p.m.
Mail to: Long-Islander News, 14 Wall Street, Huntington, NY 11743
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014 • A3
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Drug Panel Focuses On Gateways And Hurdles dschrafel@longislandernews.com
When the panelists of the Northport Drug and Alcohol Task Force lined up for post-meeting pictures, there was a brief debate. Should we smile in the picture? As it turns out, there were two very good reasons to smile in the guise of a pair of 20-year-old recovering addicts. The two recent Northport High School graduates, Tom and Sarah – in the anonymous 12-step tradition, their last names were withheld – were clean and sober. Tom has 20 months under his belt, and Sarah 28 months in recovery. And both were sitting on a panel at the Northport Public Library, telling a packed room about how they got started on that road to near ruin. “It’s so difficult and so trying to help somebody when they’re in the throes of addiction,” Moderator Anthony Ferrandino, the Northport-East Northport School District’s drug and alcohol counselor, said. “The best plan, the best tool for [fighting] drug and alcohol addiction is prevention.” Tom and Sarah’s stories were some of the happy outcomes to emerge from what panelists described as an environment more prone to strangling recovery. The culprits, panelists said, were many – not enough beds for recovering addicts seeking in-patient treatment; pharmaceuti-
cal companies that have flooded the market with super-powered prescription narcotic drugs and opiates; insurance bureaucrats getting in between doctors and their patients; and cheap, plentiful heroin when opiate pills become too expensive for addicts. Pair that with the psychological makeup of a teenager, for whom defiance is normal, and you have a “perfect storm” on your hands, Steven Pinto, director of operations at The Life Center in Huntington said. “[The adolescent’s] biology is underdeveloped, they’re in a period of experimentation, and then we add the strongest narcotic on the planet. That’s why we’re seeing this progression move along very, very quickly,” he said. With talk of a raging addiction crisis running rampant, the panel instead focused on the so-called “gateway drugs.” Sarah said she first drank alcohol at age 14, and marijuana and tobacco soon followed. The same was true for Tom, who began smoking pot in the eighth grade, with alcohol and tobacco soon to follow. “Everything I did was to fit in with people. I just wanted people to like me,” Sarah said. From there, pills were right around the corner for both. Tom turned to Xanax and Vicodin as his drug use escalated. In 11th grade, he first took oxycodone, and he was
Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel
By Danny Schrafel
Panelists of the Northport Drug & Alcohol Task Force’s second panel discussion May 7 tackled the impact of gateway drugs on their journey toward recovery. From left: Northport drug and alcohol counselor Anthony Ferrandino; Debbie and her daughter Sarah; Tom and Northport High School Principal Irene McLaughlin; and Steven Pinto, director of operations at The Life Center in Huntington. Sarah and Tom are 20-year-old Northport High School graduates and recovering addicts. hooked, he said. His addiction grew so severe that he withdrew from senior year and went to rehab in February 2012. But after getting out of rehab, he began smoking pot again, and with no money for
pills, he began shooting heroin. Using heroin was the result of years of progression, but the fall came in the blink of an eye. (Continued on page A14)
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Town, County Continue To Tighten CO Laws By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com
As officials at Huntington Town Hall put the final touches on legislation to require carbon monoxide detectors in places of public assembly, their counterparts in Northport Village put a law on
the books last week. Trustees of the Northport Village Board voted May 6 to require carbon monoxide detectors in all places of public assembly. “Our fire marshals came in and he advised us to do that,” Mayor George Doll said.
Business owners have until July 1 to have them installed – a short, but reasonable window, the mayor said. “These are not sophisticated pieces of machinery – they’re relatively simple,” he said. Northport’s law and similar town legislation sponsored by Councilman Mark
DIX HILLS
Fed Charges Local Man In $30M Scam By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com
A Dix Hills man is one of six accused of taking part in a $30-mllion mortgage fraud scam during the height of the mid2000s real estate boom. Manjeet Bawa, 46, of Dix Hills, turned himself in May 7 on conspiracy to commit bank fraud charges. Authorities allege he played a part in artificially inflating the prices of 19 Long Island homes so he and five others could float inflated mortgages, which were then sold to banks and other investors. While authorities allege the six would enrich themselves by pocketing the illicit windfall, investors got hosed when the loans went into foreclosure. That’s when they discovered the homes were worth much less than they were told. Loretta Lynch, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said May 3 that the charges are a “prime example” of corruption that helped burst the real estate bubble and throw the nation into recession in the
2007-2008. “Instead of using their skills in banking, the law, and investing to assist individuals pursuing the American dream, the defendants cooked up a sophisticated scheme that defrauded lenders and then fed toxic debt to the investigating public at large in the secondary mortgage market,” Lynch said. According to the indictment and court papers, between 2003 and 2008, defendant Aaron Wider, 50, of Copiague, operated a New York State licensed mortgage bank in Garden City, which issued residential mortgages to borrowers. His firm did not have the assets to fund these loans, but relied on funding from other banks and financial institutions, commonly known as “warehouse lenders.” Authorities allege Wider, Bawa and two other co-defendants conducted a series of phony same-day sham transactions, called “flips,” and produced piles of phony paperwork to cover their tracks as they artificially jacked up the home prices by as much as 80 percent. Then, they’d submit fraudulent loan
applications to the warehouse lenders. Once the seller was paid the true market price, the six would divvy up the surplus funds netted through the inflated mortgage, and then sell the mortgages on the secondary market, authorities said. While those mortgages appeared attractive on paper, investors learned the truth around 2007 or 2008, when all 19 mortgages ultimately went into foreclosure and the true value was discovered. George Venizelos, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, said the case should send a “clear message” to future fraudsters. “Mortgage fraud poses a threat to our financial systems and to our economy,” he said. If convicted, the defendants each face up to 30 years in prison. The U.S. Attorney’s office is also seeking the forfeiture of 19 residential properties tied to the scam or up to $30 million. Bawa was released on $250,000 bail after pleading not guilty. His attorney, Westbury-based Neil Greenburg, would not comment on the case.
Cuthbertson are inspired by the Feb. 22 death of Steven Nelson, a manager at the Walt Whitman Shops’ Legal Sea Foods restaurant. Nelson died in the restaurant’s basement as a result of a carbon monoxide leak that sickened dozens. “There definitely seems like there’s a gap there that should be addressed,” Cuthbertson said. Some experts argue the town and village’s laws don’t go far enough. Neal Lewis, director of the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College, argued argued that towns across Long Island have already adopted stronger legislation and said Huntington should follow suit. But Cuthbertson said that the town must evaluate the impacts of more sophisticated screening, and stressed that the current legislation will have a large impact quickly. “We have to look at how feasible it is to require it, what the expense is,” he said. County Executive Steve Bellone and Suffolk County legislators have already approved three laws pertaining to carbon monoxide since Nelson’s death. One requires “front-line” county employees, like public health workers, nurses, rescue personnel and police and firefighters, to be equipped with portable detectors. The Suffolk County Police Department is due to issue a report to the county legislature, due in early July, delineating how to best equip officers. A second law, sponsored by Legislator John Kennedy (R-Smithtown,) creates a Commercial Building Carbon Monoxide Task Force. Spencer and Kennedy cosponsored a third bill, the Steve Nelson Act, adopted April 29, which requires all county facilities to be equipped with carbon monoxide detectors. Cuthbertson said he is hopeful his town proposal will go to a vote June 17.
A4 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014
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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com
A public hearing is finally in the forecast for The Seasons at Elwood. The Huntington Town Board voted 4-1 May 6 to schedule a hearing on the 360unit, 55-and-over age-restricted condominium community, proposed to be built on 37 acres currently comprising the Oak Tree Dairy on Elwood Road. Supervisor Frank Petrone, who sponsored the resolution to set hearing for 7 p.m. on June 17, said that after more than two years years and three revisions, the time has come to formally hear the proposal. “I think it’s important to do the public hearing, if for no other reason, to push the issue with everyone, get them to sit down, and come up with a resolution to this,” Petrone said. Steve Krieger, a partner of Seasons developer Engel Burman Group, said the firm was pleased to have a date on the calendar. “We look forward to additional meetings with members of the community and the members of the town board to bring this to successful fruition,” Krieger said. In what has become a familiar scene at Huntington Town Hall on town board meeting day in recent months, supporters and detractors alike of the proposal packed the house on May 6. Citing the recent cancellation of the Harley Avenue Primary School kindergarten assembly and the Elwood School
District’s status as one of three on Long Island with half-day kindergarten, 23-year Elwood resident Wendy Strineri said the 55-and-over community could provide a shot in the arm for district tax revenues. “How can the Town of Huntington help Elwood? The Town of Huntington can actively pursue smart development,” she said. One speaker argued that those in opposition have a lot of bark, but very little bite. “If the goal is to have seniors leave Huntington for Florida… then you should listen to this vocal group that appears to be very small,” said David Rosen, a member of a group dubbed 55 and Better For Elwood. “I
believe there are many more people who are in favor of this project.” Elwood resident Heather Mammolito submitted a petition with more than 1,000 signatures opposing The Seasons, and stressed that opposition is not rooted in an aversion to senior housing, but the size of this proposal in particular. “It’s the density, not the 55-year-olds who are going to move in there. Even 360 [units] is a lot,” Mary Jane Mackey, president of the Elwood Taxpayers Association, added. Asked by Councilman Gene Cook, who opposed setting the hearing, if density
Left: Residents show their opposition to the 360-unit Seasons at Elwood proposal during a Huntington Town Board meeting May 6. Above: Engel Burman Group’s Cheryl Silberman collects signatures in support of The Seasons at Elwood. could be reduced, Engel Burman Group’s attorney Michael McCarthy said it remains an open topic. “We’d like to have a conversation. We just don’t know who we’re having the conversation with and what the number is,” McCarthy said. Cook, however, said he has “real problems” with the proposal. “I’d like to see The Seasons get something here, but they have to bring the density down quite a bit,” he said.
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‘Seasons’ Hearing On The Horizon Comments on senior condo plan to be heard in June
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SOUTH HUNTINGTON
Day With WWII Vets Makes Major Impact By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com
For the 116 veterans who departed MacArthur Airport May 3, it was a golden opportunity to see the memorial dedicated to their service in World War II. But for two people from the South Huntington community, the opportunity to accompany those men to their memorial was a life-changing experience. Eagle Scout Thomas Ciravolo, a Walt Whitman High School senior, and Whitman Principal Kathleen Acker served as guardians for World War II veterans Santo “Sandy” Squillacioti, 92, and George Carbain, 89, respectively, on a tour of Washington D.C. war memorials, highlighted by a visit to the World War II memorial. The trip, held biannually, was arranged by Honor Flight Network, which, since 2005, has transported over 100,000 World War II veterans to Washington, D.C. to see the World War II memorial, which was dedicated in 2004. Time is of the essence in their efforts. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 640 World War II veterans die each day, and officials at the Honor Flight Network pledge to transport as many of those surviving men, free of charge, to see the memorial. Guardians pay their own way, but in Ciravolo’s case, the Suffolk County Principal’s Association picked up the bill, Acker said. Ciravolo and Acker arrived at MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma in the wee hours of the morning for a 6 a.m. flight to Washington, D.C. The time in transit was hardly “down time” – it was a
Whitman senior Thomas Ciravolo and Principal Kathleen Acker served as Honor Flight Network guardians May 3 for World War II veterans Santo “Sandy” Squillacioti, seated, and George Carbain to Washington D.C. to see the war memorial for the first time. chance to talk to their companions and absorb every morsel of knowledge they could. That included how Squillacioti, a paratrooper, jumped from open-sided planes throughout the war. “It was like talking to a walking history book,” Ciravolo said. “It sunk in information about the war better than the textbooks at school… He really told me what he did and behind-the-scenes stuff. It was really, really cool.” After several transfers, they landed in Washington, D.C. at 9:20 a.m., and the whirlwind tour began.
The group saw the World War II memorial, of course, but also monuments dedicated to Iwo Jima and the Air Force, and they saw the changing of the Color Guard. Everywhere they turned, there were crowds thanking these men for their service. “It brought out a lot of emotion for them to see it. They grinned from ear to ear,” Acker said, adding that Carbain told her that “he’s never shaken so many hands in his life, and he’s not running for office.” During an hour-long bus ride from Dulles International Airport to Arlington National Cemetery, there was “mail call,”
a nod back to the bimonthly deliveries of mail from home during the war. This time, however, the sacks were filled with letters from friends and family members, giving thanks for their service. “He had a letter from a niece in Washington that he hadn’t talked to in years. It was really a profound way to spend that hour,” Acker said of Carbain. As the day wound down, the magnitude of what was happening – and the fact that they’d been up since about 3:30 a.m. – began to sink in. But there was one final shot of adrenaline to be had when they returned to Long Island: countless wellwishers lined up to provide one final hero’s welcome as throngs of flag-waving, poster-toting revelers, including elected officials, girl scouts and families just hoping to say “thank you” converged on MacArthur. “We’re thinking, it’s almost melancholy. It’s over,” Acker said of the plane ride home. “When we got off the plane, they queued us up and you kind of hear noise in the distance. Walking through those gate into the lobby – oh, my gosh. The cheering, the number of people, the posters, the honor guard. I can’t tell you.” For Acker, who has three World War II veterans in her family, the day changed her life. “I’ll never be the same,” she said. “It was that much of an impact on me to escort a veteran, who gave so much of himself for his country, to a memorial put in his honor that he’s never seen before.” “It was a privilege to give back to somebody who served this country,” Ciravolo added.
HUNTINGTON VILLAGE
Walking And Talking ‘Smart Growth’ Vision Long Island tour series highlights Huntington village projects nents were drawn up.
Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel
By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com
If you saw a small group of Huntington residents hoofing it around Huntington village May 3, they weren’t just walking to take advantage of long-awaited sunshine and warmth. They were getting a first-hand view of smart growth as it blossoms in Huntington village. The walk was one of six simultaneous Smart Growth Saturday events on Long Island sponsored by Vision Long Island. The Paramount was an ideal place to start, said Bob Fonti, Suffolk chairman of the Long Island Regional Business Council, because it represented one of the “largest investments in community downtown revitalization in Huntington.” “Huntington village is a destination, but you have to know the journey,” Fonti said. Smart Growth Origins As it turns out, the initial spark for smart growth advocates in Huntington village came not from a grand vision, but irritation over the appearance of a movie theater in the heart of Huntington village at the corner of Wall and Gerard Streets. “If you don’t like it, do something about it,” Ron Stein recalled being told. So he did, helping to launch Vision Huntington, which eventually became Vision Long Island. In February 2000, Vision Huntington, which became part of Vision Long Island the next year, packed 500 into the former IMAC theater for a charette tasked with charting the smart-growth revitalization of the Gerard Street municipal lot and surrounding area. High-flying plans for a pedestrian plazas and twin parking garages with mixed-use residential and commercial compo-
Roundabouts Are The Rage Although some of Vision Long Island’s most ambitious plans went by the wayside, others emerged. A roundabout at Clinton Road and Gerard Street dramatically calmed the flow of traffic. “You pretty much took your life in your hands [at that intersection],” said Elissa Kyle, sustainability director for Vision Long Island. “They would be going 45 mph – if you were lucky.” Apartments Go Up, Up, Up A recommendation for apartments over retail is now proliferating throughout the village. A three-story building currently being constructed by Heatherwood Communities on Gerard Street will have retail on the first floor and apartments two stories above. The same concept is true at the so-called “ice house” apartments, where Peter Pastorelli is hoping to build a mixed-use building with retail in place of the former Losquadro Ice House on Stewart Avenue. Retail is planned for the first floor with 26 apartments above. A third proposal, currently before the Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals, would add two stories and 14 apartments to a commercial building on New York Avenue near Gibson Avenue.
Elissa Kyle speaks to Vision Long Island members, including Huntington Conservation Board Chair Joy Squires, during Vision Long Island’s “Smart Growth Saturday” tour of Huntington village.
Make Way For The Hotel Plans to construct the 54-room Hotel Huntington at 227 Main St., using the former Huntington Town Hall building as the anchor, also advanced at Tuesday’s town board meeting, when the council issued a certificate of approval for the project. The project’s historic roots highlight smart
While Huntington seems to be on its way in the world of smart growth, there’s always something to do. Walking up Clinton Street near a recently reconfigured municipal lot, Kyle said the design could still use some fine-tuning, like curb cuts for wheelchairs and strollers and wider sidewalks along the Clinton Street lot side of the road. “It’s the details,” she said.
growth’s push for preservation. “Nothing creates a sense of place more than a community’s historic character,” Stein said.
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014 • A7 Photo by Steve Silverman
DIX HILLS
FD Breathes Easier With Grant ‘Micro-grant’ award funds purchase of breathing apparatus By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com
Leaders of the Dix Hills Fire Department let out a huge sigh of relief last week as New York’s U.S. Senators announced that the department would receive nearly $25,000 for the purchase of new, state-ofthe-art rescue gear. The $24,974 “micro-grant,” awarded through the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters competitive grant, is the first awarded anywhere in New York State. The district also stands to recoup about $2,000 in grant writing fees. Larry Feld, a commissioner of the Dix Hills Fire District, said the district already purchased four self-contained breathing apparatus units in January to meet state law requirements, so the money can go right into district coffers to offset the expense. “It’s something we can put back into the [tax] cap, and something we possibly [would have] put off, we can get now,” he said. One possibility, the commissioner said, is replacing the district’s 12-year-old thermal imaging search cameras; new ones cost about $30,000. The board of commissioners will make the final call, however, when it finalizes the budget in June. Under the state program, micro-grants are awards that have a federal share of less than $25,000. Only fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations are eligible to choose micro-grants, and they can be earmarked for equipment, modification to facilities PPE, training, and wellness and fitness. “First responders are our primary line of defense – they safeguard our residents and protect our property. It’s crucial that we provide our fire departments support to
MELVILLE
Fall Festival Rules Set By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com
The rules governing parking for F&W Schmitt’s Farm’s annual Fall Festival in Melville have been set in stone by the Huntington Town Board. Ahead of the iconic seasonal scare’s 20th anniversary, the town board voted unanimously May 6 to ratify permanent parking rules for the event on an undeveloped 5-acre parcel adjacent to the farm. Previously, since 2008, those rules had been adopted on a temporary basis and renewed each season. Per the proposal, the lot can only be used for overflow parking for the Fall Festival from Sept. 16 to Oct. 31. Some of the 11 covenants now govern when school buses can park and where they can unload students, how cars are parked, and when the overflow field closes and must be emptied by. Others establish buffers around the property, require Schmitt’s Farm to have four uniformed parking attendants on site at all times during the Fall Festival, and restrict where portable toilets can be placed.
purchase the equipment they need to do their jobs to the best of their ability,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said. “It’s our responsibility to ensure our first responders have the most up-to-date equipment to serve our communities,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) added. “The new breathing equipment will help the Dix Hills Fire District upgrade their emergency response equipment so that their firefighters can respond to emergencies in the community more efficiently and effectively,
and help save more lives.” According to the Dix Hills Fire District, 800 fire and 1,600 medical emergencies are responded to each year by 175 volunteers, who serve a 25 square-mile coverage area containing more than 27,000 residents. Meanwhile, the district is awaiting word on a second federal grant from FEMA, administered through the Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. District officials
The Dix Hills Fire Department received a nearly $25,000 federal grant to pay for new breathing apparatus, officials announced last week. remain optimistic they’ll receive good news about an award sometime toward the end of June, Feld said.
A8 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014
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Opinion
Sen
d letters to The Editor, : Half Hollo w Hills Ne wspaper, 14 W Huntingto all Street, n, New Yo or email us rk 11743 at info@long islanderne ws.com
‘Not the types set up by the printer return their impression, the meaning, the main concern.’
Cast Your Vote In New York State, school and library district The school budget vote and trustee elections budgets are virtually the only spending plans on are Tuesday, May 20, and due in part to the Half which residents get to vote directly. In govern- Hollow Hills school board’s decision to close ment and the myriad of municipal taxing dis- two schools for the next school, there is a tricts that exist, we elect representation and en- crowded field of candidates. Eight in all are vytrust them with the power to vote yes or no on ing for three seats on the school board. their budgets. If the voters are unhappy with School taxes account for the lion’s share of their representatives’ decisions, they can vote every taxpayer’s bill. And while the public gets them out. the final word, the spending plan results from School district spending is directly voted on countless hours, many contentious ones, on the by the people. And while voters also choose the part of school board members. people who will craft that district’s Candidates were profiled in last spending plan, the voters in the district EDITORIAL week’s issue and this week’s edihave the ultimate say. tion includes coverage of a recent In recent years, with the adoption of a manda- Meet the Candidates night at Candlewood Midtory 2-percent cap on property tax levies, school dle School. Additional resources can be found districts have kept tax increases minimal. But on the school district’s website. running a school district within the constraints Take the time to learn about the candidates, of a spending cap is increasingly difficult, and learn about the budget, and cast your vote May often leads to some unpopular decisions. 20.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Candidate Support DEAR EDITOR: I write to express my strong support for Adam Kleinberg in the May 20 Half Hollow Hills Board Election, and I urge the community to strongly support him as well. Mr. Kleinberg brings a wealth of experience in dealing with the diverse issues facing school boards today, and this will serve to benefit the Half Hollow Hills community as a whole. During his career as an attorney, he has worked closely with numerous superintendents and boards of education to help solve their problems. Mr. Kleinberg will bring that experience and problem solving skill to the Half Hollow Hills community if elected. However, more important than his work experience is his temperament and judgment in dealing with the challenging issues facing the community. Mr. Kleinberg understands that only through transparency and open government can the district come together as one and heal after the tumultuous past couple of years. Finally, and most importantly, the students of Half Hollow Hills will benefit the most by bringing a fresh perspective to the board of education. Mr. Kleinberg’s
plan to refocus the priorities of the district on expanding curriculum will help our students not only academically, but throughout their careers. ANDREW VINELLA and JENNIFER SHERVEN Dix Hills
360 Condos On 37 Acres DEAR EDITOR: A short time ago residents received a newsletter from The Seasons at Elwood. Six important points were addressed and it is important to add some “food for thought” about them. Point 1: The newsletter states it has reduced the number of homes. The property is zoned for the residence per acre which is what the Master Plan recommends. At a minimum 6 acres of this property will be needed for roads, country club and its parking, walking paths and dog park. This doesn’t even address the area needed for guest parking. But assuming only 6 acres are needed, that leaves only 31 acres for 360 homes which is almost 12 homes to an acre. This means the density of this property would be 12 times more than the Master Plan recommends. Point 2: The newsletter states this new design increased the curb appeal of the home. Most of the
homes will have parking spaces instead of a lawn within a few feet of the front door. Where is the curb appeal in that? Point 3: The newsletter states that the new design created more green space throughout the community. At present this plan has approximately 32 acres of green space being replaced with housing for 360 families with 12 homes to an acre. Point 4: The newsletter states it has added garages to many of the homes. Only 22 buildings, each having four homes, have garages. The rendering of the four-unit villa with garages shows four driveways and no cars parked in them. Now imagine as many as eight cars parked in front of them. It will look like a small parking lot. Point 5: The newsletter states it has added a second entrance and exit from the property. This highdensity community will bring an estimated additional 540 cars and you can expect that these 360 families would have at least 200 cars coming with visitors and people providing services to them. That is a daily total of 1480 additional cars going and coming on Elwood Road. Each car uses up 22 feet of road space which equals 32,560 feet which is slightly more than 6 miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic. To put it into perspective that is three
Peter Sloggatt
N E W S P A P E R
Associate Publisher/Managing Editor
Copyright © 2014 by Long Islander News, publishers of The Long-Islander, The Record and Half Hollow Hills Newspaper. Each issue of the The Long-Islander and all contents thereof are copyrighted by Long Islander. None of the contents or articles may be reproduced in any forum or medium without the advance express written permission of the publisher. Infringement hereof is a violation of the Copyright laws.
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HALF HOLLOW HILLS Serving the communities of: Dix Hills, Melville and the Half Hollow Hills Central School District. Founded in 1996 by James Koutsis
posite them, there would just be another ranch home on the other side of the fence. There would be yard space to entertain family and friends and have a garden. Although the condo owner and homeowner would each pay property taxes only the condo owner would have to pay homeowner association fees in addition to property taxes. A sewage treatment plan requires maintenance as does the common grounds. Snow removal would be required because with the heavy snowfalls we have had in the last two years where do you put the snow that has been shoveled? Three ranch homes to an acre designed for the handicapped is how this property should be developed. The town board would demonstrate that it is more closely conforming to the Master Plan which was against high density development of this property and also taking the concerns of the community into account. The surrounding community would not see their neighborhood radically change in appearance and the roads could handle the increased traffic that this much smaller development would produce. It is doubtful that young families would buy these homes because they are designed for the physically handicapped senior citizen so there would not be school age children entering the school system. The owners who wish to sell the property would find little resistance to this type of development and they would have their names praised for leaving the area in better condition than they found it. A good name is a priceless possession.
times the distance of Elwood Road from Jericho Turnpike to Clay Pitts Road. The only conclusion that can be reached is to say no to this requested downzoning. If this property is to be developed as a senior citizen community, then let us come to a compromise and make it really suitable for senior citizens to live there for as long as they wish. To accomplish this, envision three ranch homes to an acre. Each home would be easily accessible by wheelchair. All doorways and hallways in the home would accommodate large wheelchairs. The home would have two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and a two-car garage. The main bathroom would be totally handicapped accessible to a person in a wheelchair. It would be spacious enough for an attendant to assist the senior citizen. As people live longer and some with handicap conditions, the elderly especially are trying to reduce living expenses. The family unit may include two widowed sisters, or two friends who wish to share living expenses. If a third bedroom is needed for a live in attendant, half the garage space could be converted to a third bedroom. An assisted living facility costs over $4,000 a month. A nursing home can cost $12,000 to $15,000 a month. Two people sharing the cost of an attendant in their own home would cost far less, and they would have the pleasure of living at home. Quality of life would be better because each home would have a deck that could be reached from the bedroom and living room. There would be privacy because no two-story condo would be op-
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014 • A9
Life&Style HISTORY
Town Clerk Exhibit Eyes Hess Estate’s Past Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel
By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com
During a presentation about the historic Bellas Hess Estate in Huntington Station by historian Alfred Sforza, Barbara Kelly Johnson, the granddaughter of the Hess family of Huntington, took the microphone to regale the audience in stories of her childhood on the sprawling estate best known as The Cedars. The owner, Harry Bellas Hess, was president of the National Bellas Hess Company, a mail order business which made cloaks and suits. The Cedars was torn down in the 1950s and part of Huntington High School was erected on the property. Hess built in Huntington Station, historians said, so that his family could enjoy the benefits of country living while being close enough to the train so he could commute to New York City. In more recent years, portions of the sprawling estate became the Big “H” Shopping Center and the campus of Huntington High School. An exhibit on the estate was formally opened to the public last week, in the Huntington Town Hall lobby outside the town clerk’s office, on the occasion of Municipal Clerks Week 2014.
Barbara Kelly Johnson, the granddaughter of the Hess family of Huntington, joins Huntington Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia in unveiling a new exhibit about the historic Bellas Hess Estate in Huntington Station.
HISTORY
Meet Mary Clark deBrabant, Mr. Vanderbilt’s Neighbor By George Wallace info@longislandernews.com
Visitors to the historic Gold Coast haunts of the elite residents of the early 20th century North Shore of Long Island will be quite familiar with the Vanderbilt mansion in Centerport. Less well known, however, are the stories of some of the neighbors of the Vanderbilts – among them the unusual Mary deBrabant, nee Mary Clark, daughter of the colorful Senator William A. Clark (1839-1925) of Montana, also known as the Copper King. Resident of a mansion immediately to the north of the Vanderbilt Rococo estate, Mary was the favorite daughter and heiress of one of the dozen richest men in America during his era – and possesses a personal narrative quite as fascinating as her better-known father. Three times married, Mary joined her father in leaving her mark in places as widespread as Montana, Colorado, Arizona, New York City – and Centerport. Old Senator Clark was no slouch when it came to making his presence known. Clark, who was born in Pennsylvania and studied law at Wesleyan University in Iowa, fought for a short time during the Civil War. Thereafter, he worked in the Colorado quartz mines before finding his way to Montana. There, he drove mule teams of supplies to mining camps and, watching opportunity, began purchasing foreclosed mine operations, building an
empire that resulted in vast local influence and widespread holdings. In fact, Las Vegas was founded as a site for his company's railroad Salt Lake City-Los Angeles operations. Before he was done, he was to be declared the Copper King and one of the dozen richest men in America. In 1896, he also founded the Los Alamitos Sugar Company in Orange County, Calif. He purchased 8,139 acres of ranch land and leased an additional 20 square miles for growing sugar beets to support the factory. Opening on July 19, 1897, this sugar factory was the first of its kind in Orange County. Clark was also politically ambitious. His political career and tenure in the young state of Montana included being the outright winner of a battle between copper millionaires over where the state capitol would be located (Clark backed Helena). The Montana copper king used his local political ascendancy to gain the post of U.S. senator in 1899 – at that time, a position appointed by the state's own assembly. But in a sequence of events which are still talking points for some people today, he was stripped of the position and had to resign the next year when it was revealed that he had bribed his way to the appointment. Undeterred, Clark succeeded in being appointed by the governor to fill his own unserved term – an audacious act which is said to be the only occasion of its kind in American history.
Like many rich people of his day, Clark made a splash in Manhattan, having a mansion built for himself on Park Avenue. The location was 77th and Park, looking over Central Park. The date was 1904, and it was Lord, Hewlett & B Hull who built an extravagant house for the Clark Family that was declared by Colliers Magazine to be a dwelling more suited to P.T. Barnum, a “compromise between a state building and a Hindu temple.” New Republic said, “Decent people were indignant and considered it an affront to the city and to themselves.” Mark Twain weighed in on the place himself, thusly: “I have never seen anything of the sort that could remotely approach the complacency of this coarse and vulgar and incomparably ignorant peasant's glorification of himself.” Enter Mary Clark, the senator's beloved daughter, and one of the principle heirs to an estate worth at least $200 million in 1925. Mary went through husbands like some people go through automobiles, it seems – she had three of them. The first was Dr. Everett Mallory Culver, whom she divorced in 1904 after about 12 years, under the cloud of a suit against her by the wife of a Greek newspaperman named Solon J. Vlasto, for “alienation of affections.” Vlasto, it seems, was a recent émigré who went from being a lamp oil merchant to the founder of the Greek language newspaper Atlantis. As editor of the paper, he was somewhat of a
notorious figure, involved in various lawsuits for libel and at least one case where he was publicly horsewhipped at the Waldorf Astoria. But he was revered in the Greek community, in part because the paper would hand out dictionaries to that nation's immigrants as they disembarked in New York harbor. Senator Clark's reaction to Mrs. Vlasto’s suit was sharp and stinging, saying it was an attempt to extort money from the family, and the case was later withdrawn. Within a year, Mary had remarried. Husband number two was Charles Potter King, a New York lawyer originally from Maine, and a Harvard grad, with residence in Paris. They maintained a home in Manhattan at 7 E. 51st St. Ten years later, she divorced him, too. But a few years later – 1925 – Mary married her third husband, Marius deBrabant, of Los Angeles, who was affiliated with Senator Clark’s railroad company as an assistant traffic manager. They maintained a home on E. 51st St., as well as a place in Los Angeles, and the couple built a North Shore nest of their own in Centerport, right next to William K. Vanderbilt's ostentatious Spanish Rococo mansion. They named the Norman-influenced architectural gem Plaisance. Plaisance was sold off in 1943. Today, the deBrabant mansion is only a memory – the only evidence of it is the servants’ quarters at the corner of Gina Drive, and the name of the local beach association.
A10 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014
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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Sailing Into Energy Efficiency Atlantic Marine Electrical Services begins project to electrify live-aboard sailboat Huntington Businesses By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com
Forget chugging along with a diesel engine – once a Huntington marine electrical company is through with a sailboat at the Atlantic Marine Boatyard, the vessel will be silently powering its way through the open waters. Staring on Monday, Aaron Bleeker and Charlie Marino, co-owners of Atlantic Marine Electrical Services, began installing an electric propulsion system in place of an existing diesel engine on a 54foot live-aboard sailboat through a serial hybrid system. “You’ve got an electric motor that drives the boat. The batteries power that electric motor,” Bleeker explained, noting a small diesel generator, already existing on board, is used to power the battery charger. With the new system in place – Atlantic Marine Electric hopes to be done by week’s end – the boater’s range will increase dramatically as compared to a typical diesel engine. Simply put, he can now sail a whole lot further while using much less diesel fuel, which is good for the environment and good for the sailor’s bottom line, too. “His range with that generator is going to be thousands of miles instead of hundreds,” Bleeker said. “He can probably cruise about three or four hours without the generator on at all if he wants.” The system, produced by longtime engine builder ELCO Motoring, which has specialized in electric propulsion systems since 1893, is largely a no-muss, no-
Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel
Spotlight On
fuss system once it’s installed. Getting a hulking diesel engine out of a tight engine room, on the other hand, is a bit of an undertaking. “You can see very quickly what it’s all about from the technical standpoint; it’s a great system,” Bleeker said. “The best part is there’s no maintenance. There’s nothing to do but go, and it’s silent.” With green energy becoming more popular and fuel prices increasing, Bleeker said more boaters are taking advantage of lighter-weight battery technology to power their boats with electricity. Their foray into electric-powered sailboats is right in line with the firm’s mission statement. Incorporated in 2003 and located at the Atlantic Marina on West Shore Road in Huntington, Atlantic Marine Electrical Services aims to provide boaters with top-notch service fueled by “years of experience, hunger for the latest training and technology, and old fashioned pride in our work to ensure that our customers have nothing short of a positive boating experience.” The company specializes in an array of lighting for boats and RVs, as well as accessories like dimmers, switches, LED bulbs and more. Custom products, like security services, gyro stabilizers and other equipment, are also available. “At Atlantic Marine Electrical Services, we believe that the customer always comes first and that boating should always be safe and fun,” the owners write on their website.
Atlantic Marine Electrical Services 135 W Shore Rd, Huntington, NY 11743 631-470-4085 www.atlanticmarineinc.com
Firefighters Sharpen Skills In Challenge Melville Fire Department volunteers tore into a Ford Focus station wagon Saturday during the Chuck Varese Memorial Vehicle Extrication Tournament at Steers Park in Northport. The tournament attracted 21 teams from multiple Long Island fire departments. The seventh annual event is a tribute to fallen firefighter Charles “Chuck” Varese, who was killed April 15, 2008 while riding his motorcycle by a driver under the influence of drugs. Not only is the tournament an ongoing tribute to the young man, but a valuable opportunity for volunteers to sharpen their vehicle-extrication skills, which could prove crucial one day. His father, Robert “Beefy” Varese, said last week in an interview that the idea for the extrication tournament began in 2007, when a group of friends in Northport and East Northport sought to launch an event to build camaraderie amongst fire departments.
Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel
MELVILLE
Aaron Bleeker and Charlie Marino, owners of Atlantic Marine Electrical Services, get to work Monday in the cramped engine quarters of a 54-foot sailboat. They’re replacing the hulking diesel engine with an electrical propulsion system, which will greatly improve the vessel’s fuel efficiency.
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014 • A11 Photos by Len Marks Photography
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
30 Young Professionals Honored Waterside Against a waterfront backdrop, 30 professionals under the age of 30 were honored by the Huntington Chamber of Commerce for their professional achievements and community contributions. Competition was stiff for this year’s “30 Under 30, Celebrate Long Island’s Young Professionals” awards, held May 6 at the Crescent Beach Club in Bayville. The honoree pool was as diverse as it was impressive, with award-winners coming from all different sectors, from business and government to professional and nonprofit. “All of the honorees, they’re not even 30 yet, and what they’ve accomplished is incredible,” said Jennifer Cassidy, co-chair of the chamber’s Young Professionals Committee. “We talk about it all the time – how are we keeping young people on Long Island? How are we recognizing them? It’s great that there’s a group bringing them together to celebrate them for a night.” “Goumba Johnny” Sialiano, a radio host, comedian and former professional football player, kept the crowd laughing as he announced each honoree.
This year’s 30 Under 30 winners take a moment for a photo with Huntington Chamber Young Professionals committee co-chairs Jennifer Cassidy and Anuj Rihal.
The 2014 30 Under 30 Winners Mahnaz Abnoosi, Cerini & Associates Daniel Akeson, Jerome Stevens Pharmaceuticals Kristen Aliano, MD, Long Island Plastic Surgical Group Joseph Alicata, NYS Assemblyman Brian Curran’s Office Christopher Ambrosio, NPD Group Andrea Bonilla, Source the Station/ Renaissance Downtowns Patrick Boyle, Supervisor Tom Croci’s Office John Callegari, Long Island Business News Matthew DePace, American Arbitration Association Bernadette Kasnicki, Farrell Fritz Christine Dougherty, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. Sylvia Glaz, Precipart Group, Inc. Grace Heaphy, Grace Music School Jenna Herzog, Have a Heart Children’s Cancer Society Lisa Innella, Camp Abilities Long Island Jessi Kleinmann, SilvermanAcampora Dawn Marie Kuhn, Town of Islip Department of Environmental Control Cooper Macco, SilvermanAcampora Fiorella Penaloza, Briarcliffe College Kaitlyn Pickford, The Safe Center LI Adam M. Rafsky, Farrell Fritz Frank Rampello, Farmingdale College Kathryn Rieger, H2M Architects and Engineers Sean P. Rogan, Office of Legislator Kevin McCaffrey Timothy Rothang, Office of Legislator Kate M. Browning Nicole Russo, Office of State Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb Jeanette Scott, Mercer Elana Sissons, LI Cares-The Harry Chapin Food Bank Lee Somers, Prescription PR Alyson J. Terwilliger, Sheehan and Company, CPA PC
“30 Under 30” alumnus Courtney Bynoe, honoree Jeanette Scott, alumnus Stephen Murphy, honoree Bernadette Kasnicki, and alumnus Luann Dallojacono all serve on the Family & Children’s Association Associate Board.
“Goumba Johnny” kept the crowd laughing as the event’s MC.
Previous “30 Under 30” winners Anuj Rihal, Matthew Sanchez and Jesus Torres enjoy the view at the Crescent Beach Club.
Huntington Chamber Young Professionals co-chair Jennifer Cassidy, left, and chamber cochairman Bob Bontempi, right, accept a proclamation from Garret Armwood, aide to Congressman Steve Israel, who honored the chamber for its efforts and programs catered to young professionals.
Jennifer Field, honoree Matthew DePace of the American Arbitration Association, James DePace, Thomas DePace, Al DePace and Deborah DePace.
A12 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014
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DINEHUNTINGTON .COM
‘Melting Pot’ Of Asian Fusion By Arielle and Jackie foodies@longislandernews.com
Ting Owner Yu Mei Zheng, 28, holds a plate of sushi at the restaurant’s grand opening in October 2012. Foodie photos/Arielle Dollinger
In the Chinese language, the word “Ting” refers to a pagoda – a Chinese structure beneath which neighborhood residents gather to spend time together and relax. In the context of Huntington, the word refers to the most recent of a string of Asian fusion restaurants to inhabit 92 East Main St., where Asianstyle architecture now marks Ting. According to owner Yu Mei Zheng, 28, the restaurant is the embodiment of its namesake. “If you come here on a Friday, Saturday night, you’ll find your neighbors here,” she said. “Everyone knows everyone.” Having grown up a native of the restaurant world, born to parents who have now been working in the restaurant industry for
two decades, Zheng took the space that was once called Dao and Legacy and turned it into Ting. Ting’s menu, she said, was created systematically, based on research. But it is not without its color. “It’s basically a melting pot of everything,” she said. “A lot of restaurants that only did Chinese or only did Japanese, they’re pretty much phasing out.” Ting, therefore, combines trendy
The Wonton Sushi Tacos are served in a set of three – one salmon tartar, one tuna tartar and one yellowtail tartar. American ingredients with more traditional Japanese sushi style in an effort to create what Zheng calls “modern (Continued on page A14)
The “Spring of Paris” roll ($16) consists of king grab, tuna, salmon, lettuce, cucumber and avocado, in a rice paper wrap with a sweet chili sauce topping.
The Tuna Pizza ($14) is a sushi bar appetizer consisting of crust topped with mozzarella, raw tuna, avocado, sliced cherry tomatoes, drizzles of spicy and wasabi mayo, tobiko, and a sprinkling of leaves and petals.
Half Hollow Hills Chapter
LeTip of Half Hollow Hills is a business networking group with one member per business category. We meet weekly over breakfast to build relationships and exchange quality leads. If you are a business professional looking to expand your sales, attend one of our meetings as a guest. You’ll have a chance to meet other business professionals and see how we work.
LeTip of Half Hollow Hills Business Networking Group Tuesdays between 7-8:30 am Dix Hills Diner 1800 E. Jericho Tpke, Huntington www.letipofhalfhollowhills.com
DIRECTORY OF 10 LE TIP OF HALF HOLLOW HILLS MEMBERS FRANK ARDITO Payroll Zuma Payroll (631)682.4866 fasrdito@zumams.com
NEIL LEVIN Chiropractor Dr. Neil Levin, DC (631)651.2929 drneil@drneillevin.com
KEVIN LAWRENCE Medicare Specialist Senior Health Plans (516)524.8863 srhealthplans@gmail.com
JAMES MOOERS Traditional Chinese Medicine James Mooers, Lac (516)982.4989 jamesmooerslaclmt@gmail.com
JONAS WAGNER Realtor LI Finest Homes (631)676.1888 jwagner@lifinesthomes.com
CRAIG LEVY Business Banker Community National Bank (631)773.1140 clevy@cnbny.com
SAMANTHA TUTOLI P/C Insurance Brian Gill State Farm Agency (631)549.9444 samantha@briangill.com
FRANK GARGANO Trusts & Estates Attorney Gargano Law Group (631)486.2970 frank@garganolawgroup.com
RAY MASCOLO Dentist Mascolo Dental (631)368.8617 cptmasc14@aol.com
GENE WHITE Funeral Director Moloney Funeral Homes (631)672.6324 ewhite@moloneyfh.com
JOIN THE LIST... LE TIP OF HALF HOLLOW HILLS IS SEEKING BUSINESS MEMBERS IN SEVERAL CATEGORIES. CALL FRANK GARGANO (631) 486.2970
VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.LETIPLI.COM/CHAPTERS/HALF HOLLOW HILLS
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DINEHUNTINGTON .COM ALMOND MILK HEAVEN: And speaking of
Herrell’s Ice Cream now makes vegan frozen treats on premises. VEGANS SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM: Many
restaurants now make it easy for the vegans in the room to have a decent meal, but sometimes dessert is just too tricky, and your party either calls it a night early, or your vegan friend has to watch you devour that dairylicious after-dinner treat. In Huntington village, there is a remedy for this: Head over to Herrell’s Ice Cream shop (46 Gerard St., Huntington, 631-6731100 www.herrells.com), where the crew recently started making almond-milkbased frozen treats. Chocolate, peanut butter and hazelnut, as well as a few more, are among the offerings – which, we have to say, are delicious, creamy, and a morethan-adequate substitute for those trying to stay away from cow’s milk. We’re hoping a vegan-version of their fabulous hot fudge is soon to come… Hey, we can dream, can’t we?
our vegan friends (or those of you just staying away from dairy), a little coffee and cheese shop we Foodies frequent has something pretty special behind the bar: almond milk! Ideal Cheese & Wine Café (308 Main St., Huntington, 631-923-3434 idealcheeseandwinecafe.com) is the only place around (that we know of, at least) to serve almond milk lattes, cappuccinos and the like. It’s a nice alternative to soy milk. Special thanks to Chelsea for accommodating those of us with unique dietary needs! SPRING SPECIALS: As if we needed any
special reason to go to Honu Kitchen & Cocktails (363 New York Ave., Huntington village 631-421-6900 www.honukitchen.com) they’ve gone and given ’em to us. Spring specials include: $25 surf ‘n’ turf Tuesday, featuring a 6 oz. filet mignon and 6 oz. lobster tail; a $49, three-course Wednesday prix-fixe wine dinner; halfprice wine Wednesday by the glass in the bar; a monster four-hour happy hour on Thursdays, featuring $5 cocktails from 59 p.m. and passed hors d’ouevres in the bar from 5-7 p.m.; and Friday happy hour from 5-7 p.m., also with $5 cocktails and passed appetizers. On Friday, be sure to call ahead if you have 8 or more guests, and the first drink’s on the house.
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014 • A13
A14 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014
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Asian fusion creates colorful palate at Ting Asian” cuisine. There are cheese and truffle oil; the menu includes a Mini Burger Bento ($14) and an Oven Roasted New Zealand Rack of Lamb ($29). There are appetizers like Tuna Pizza – a round flatbread-like crust topped with mozzarella, raw tuna, avocado, sliced cherry tomato, generously-sprinkled tobiko, drizzled spicy and wasabi mayo and assorted leaves and petals – and Wonton Sushi Tacos with crunchy yet delicate shells and tartars of tuna, salmon and yellowtail. But the sushi rolls, Zheng said, are often most attractive to people because they are “glamorous.” The Sex on the Beach ($14) combines shrimp tempura with spicy tuna, white tuna, avocado, tobiko, spicy mayo and eel sauce. The Playboy ($13) consists of spicy salmon, peppered white tuna, avocado, crunchies, toboki, Thai chili and wasabi mayo sauce. The Spicy Girl ($14) is spicy tuna topped with spicy yellowtail and wasabi tobiko. “Everyone that orders the Sex on the Beach roll always giggles a little bit,” the owners said. Perhaps of less traditional aesthetic pleasure in the realm of sushi is the roll called “Sandwich” ($14) – an arrangement of spicy salmon, spicy tuna and avocado in
Foodie photos/Arielle Dollinger
(Continued from page A12)
sesame soy paper, topped with spicy mayo and wasabi mayo. The roll is not a roll at all – it is cut into triangular pieces and looks like a sandwich cut in half – but its flavors are just as cohesive as its appearance. The sushi and the restaurant’s other options, including Chicken and Broccoli, General Tso’s Chicken, Lo Mein and Pad Thai, are prepared in separate locations within the establishment. There is the sushi bar, and then there is the kitchen. The head chefs in charge of each section have been in the business for about 15 years each, Zheng said, and the head kitchen chef has invested much of his time in creating the best sauce recipes. “We have something for everyone almost,” Zheng said.
Ting 92 East Main St., Huntington 631-425-7788 Tingrestaurant.com Atmosphere: upscale, sophisticated Cuisine: Modern Asian fusion Price range: Moderate Hours: Mon-Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri. 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sat./Sun. 12-11 p.m.
The “Sandwich” roll ($14) looks like a sandwich but is actually spicy salmon, spicy tuna and avocado between layers of sesame soy paper. The roll is topped with spicy and wasabi mayo.
Vacant home registry tied to blight laws (Continued from page A5)
fined from $1,000-$15,000 for each parcel they fail to register. The vacant property penalty is steep on the blight scale, as it should be, Berland said. “The consensus between the Town Attorney, Public Safety and myself is that the abandoned structures can lead to so many other things that it should be a big point total. It should be higher up on the list,” she said. The town’s blight ordinance, passed in
2011, established a blight registry aimed at remediating dilapidated homes and commercial buildings. Once on the blight registry, residential programs are assessed a $2,500 “registration” penalty, and businesses are charged $5,000. From there, homeowners can enter restoration agreements with town hall to rectify the blight condition; if that doesn’t work, the town can come in and fix the blight themselves, then bill the property owner on their tax bill. In extreme cases, the town can get an administrative ruling officer’s consent to
tear down the property. The board approved two such cases – one in East Northport and another in Huntington Station – on May 6. Larry Feld, a commissioner of the Dix Hills Fire District, said the intensified focus on vacant properties will help keep firefighters safe. Berland said that the proposed law was inspired by a Dec. 12, 2013 fire in a vacant home on East 20th Street in Huntington Station that left two firefighters with minor injuries. “We can program it in the alert field in
our computer so when we’re responding, we’ll know it’s an abandoned house and we’ll know there are possible hazards,” Feld said. Those hazards, he said, could range from general dilapidation to holes in floors, squatters, debris, blown-out windows or partial structure collapse. “It’ll change our whole tactic in the way we approach an interior fire. We’ll put our guard up,” he said. The proposed law will be the subject of a public hearing on June 17.
Addicts talk truth about region’s drug crisis (Continued from page A3)
“Everything I regained in those four months of rehab from my parents, I lost immediately,” he said. “I had my best friend, basically in tears, begging me to stop. I said, ‘I can’t stop… I want to, but I can’t.” He stopped using in August 2012 and has been clean ever since, he said to applause. Likewise, Sarah first tried pills at age 15. That quickly escalated to ecstasy and then cocaine, which resulted in the first of her two stays in a psych ward. After her second stay in the psych ward, Sarah moved back in with her mother, and she began attending 12-step meetings with
the desire to become sober. But she relapsed with a fellow recovering addict and discovered heroin. Within a week, she was shooting up. When her mother, Debbie, sought a long-term, in-patient rehab for her daughter, beds were few and far between. As she searched for a facility that would admit her daughter, she also had to “go through hoops” to get her into a 28-day facility, all the while watching her daughter like a hawk until she could be admitted. Then, there was the matter of finding a residential facility for long-term care – and getting her insurance to cover the treatment.
“With the insurance companies – she’s too young, she’s too old, she’s not in withdrawals; we don’t take insurance. I ran into a million different obstacles,” she said. Meanwhile, from the front lines of the drug war at Northport High School, Principal Irene McLaughlin said her vantage point is just as heartbreaking. McLaughlin said she’s called countless parents, called the police after students were discovered in possession of drugs – everything but heroin and cocaine, she said – and crafted case-by-case responses to drug cases. She said that she views every incident as an opportunity for an intervention, to help “her” kids get back on track. McLaughlin meets with neighboring
principals three or four times a year, and they share stories about experiences in their buildings. For McLaughlin, there is no other choice. The consequences are too dire not to fight. “We share our similar experiences, and trust me when I tell you, there are many meetings where people leave the meeting because our kids are dying,” she said. She became silent, choking up before applauding Northport’s willingness to openly discuss the crisis. “Do we have a problem in our community? No question about it,” she said. “We are also a very brave community. A lot of communities are very reluctant to admit there is a problem.”
Court won’t over turn ruling on attorney fees (Continued from page A1)
when an alleged affair between the harbormaster and councilwoman broke into the spotlight. Perks claimed said he and the married Scarpati-Reilly consummated the affair consensually more than 200 times. The salacious accounts were soon splashed on the pages of New York City tabloids and The New York Times.
Perks claimed he tried to break it off with Scarpati-Reilly in 1998 after he got into a relationship, but Scarpati-Reilly allegedly threatened his job if he ended the affair. Following a physical altercation on an oil platform in Cold Spring Harbor on Feb. 28, 1999, Scarpati-Reilly contacted police and the town attorney, and Perks contacted his boss, former Department of Maritime Services Di-
rector Jody Anastaisa. Perks argued the Town Attorney’s office refused requests to represent him in November 1999, and that’s when he turned toYule.That December,Yule and Perks’ union, Local 342 Long Island Public Services Employees, filed a grievance against the Town of Huntington. While that grievance was denied, he then filed a demand for arbitration with the NewYork State Employment
Relations Board (PERB) in August 2000. Following a wave of litigation, the arbitrator ruled in February 2009 that the town breached a collective bargaining agreement by not paying Perks’ legal fees. Farneti signed off on the order in February 2012, finding that Perks acted reasonably in seeking outside counsel. Perks remained in his post as harbormaster until he retired in 2007.
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Address Beds Baths Price Taxes Date 9 Leeds St 3 2 $315,000 $8,543 5/17 2 Lowell Ave 4 2 $329,000 $9,039 5/17 2516 New York Ave 3 2 $439,000 $13,600 5/17 14 Anchor Ct 4 2 $459,000 $9,903 5/17 14 Anchor Ct 4 2 $459,000 $9,903 5/17 19 Frost Ln 3 2 $479,000 $10,819 5/17 38 Copperdale Ln 4 3 $545,000 $16,731 5/17 51 Hillside Ave 4 3 $549,000 $8,411 5/17 132 Bay Rd 3 2 $579,000 $12,263 5/17 163 W Rogues Path 4 4 $599,999 $17,157 5/17 2 Valley Ln 3 2 $615,000 $5,941 5/17 77 Laurel Hill Rd 4 3 $826,081 $19,745 5/17 34 Locust Ln 4 3 $899,000 $13,186 5/17 89 Asharoken Ave 4 3 $935,000 $11,614 5/17 551 Mckinley Ter 4 5 $1,699,000 $25,805 5/17 5 Koster Ct 2 1 $264,000 $6,707 5/18 7 Tuscan Ct 3 2 $319,000 $8,547 5/18 22 Little Plains Rd 3 2 $335,000 $8,539 5/18 10 Hollis Pl 4 3 $349,000 $9,415 5/18 30 Piermont Ct 2 1 $379,000 $6,656 5/18 9 Chimay Ct 3 3 $389,000 $10,956 5/18 39 Cornehlsen Dr 3 2 $399,990 $11,076 5/18 84 Woodbury Rd 2 2 $409,000 $8,937 5/18 110 Olive St 4 3 $410,000 $9,316 5/18 9 Osage Dr 4 3 $425,000 $11,629 5/18 5 Hilton Ct 4 3 $429,900 $10,507 5/18 12 Pierre Dr 5 3 $449,000 $11,583 5/18 6 Pinewood Dr 3 2 $449,000 $9,296 5/18 3 Rowley Dr 2 2 $449,000 $8,697 5/18 41 Normandy Dr 3 1 $449,000 $8,437 5/18 3 Fuller St 3 2 $499,000 $11,834 5/18 7 Talman Pl 4 3 $499,999 $12,291 5/18 7 Gerrymander Dr 3 2 $519,000 $11,683 5/18 16 N Ketay Dr 5 2 $519,000 $12,890 5/18 8 Greenwich Ave 4 2 $529,000 $11,904 5/18 126 La Rue Dr 3 2 $539,000 $12,559 5/18 15 Crescent Beach Dr 4 2 $589,000 $11,139 5/18 25 Bennett Ave 3 2 $589,000 $10,580 5/18 12 Ellen Pl 4 3 $619,000 $13,700 5/18 11 Williamsburg Dr 4 3 $639,000 $17,672 5/18 10 Monfort Dr 3 2 $639,000 $13,156 5/18 10 W Shoreham Dr 4 2 $650,000 $13,505 5/18
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014 • A15
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Rusted Root returns to Paramount (Continued from page A1)
live with their grand opening concert. Since then, the concert hall has hosted so many top names it feels like they’ve been open forever. And Rusted Root has returned not once, not twice, but three times, almost qualifying them to The Paramount home in the same way that Billy Joel – a fellow alumni of the Paramount stage – gets to call Madison Square Garden home. Of course, home for this acoustic/world/rock band, known for its African/Latin/Native American drumming-inspired percussion, is Pittsburgh. A city with industrial roots and a primarily blue collar population, Pittsburgh gave the band its start, lead singer and songwriter Michael Gablicki said. That start goes back to 1988 when Gablicki dropped out of college to devote himself to writing music. In late 1999, the members of the band got together, starting to rehearse. They won a battle of the bands competition, the Pittsburgh Rock Challenge, and began performing locally. “We’re a great live band. That’s always been our foundation,” Gablicki said, adding that they built their reputation by widening their circle of performance ven-
ues. “Mostly we got into cars and starting performing outside of Pittsburgh. That’s how we grew our fan base.” Rusted Root is a high-energy performance band that fuses roots music and world rock. A concert is a can’t-sit-still experience. Their rabid fan base and highoctane performances got Rusted Root bookings as a favorite supporting act with some big names… really big names. They toured the world playing alongside Dave Matthews Band, Carlos Santana, the Allman Brothers Band and the Jimmy Page and Robert Plant reunion tour. “We’re really blessed to have performed with some great musicians,” Gablicki said. “We did two tours with Santana, before Supernatural. He said, ‘Hey, come up and do a song with us.’ We ended up doing seven songs – and we only knew about two of them.” Santana and the band improvised through the ones they didn’t know, and “throughout the tour took me backstage to his dressing room to teach me stuff I wasn’t picking up on guitar,” Gablicki said. Rusted Root has the beat of a drum – many drums – at its heart. When the band first formed, Gablicki said, there were several African drumming groups per-
forming around Carnegie Mellon and the Pittsburgh area. “I was trying to get a feel for that energy, and after a while it became a part of everything I write,” Gablicki said. He sees it as a universal language, almost a life force. “It’s thunder – that pulsating music and the way the music churns the soul. It gets people dancing but it’s more than that. I don’t know if it’s the African drumming part or the songwriting, but I have had people coming up after a show and telling me it’s changed their life,” Gablicki said. Although the world became their stage, it’s always back to Pittsburgh to recharge. The city’s spirit accounts for the band’s tenacity, Gablicki said. “Being from Pittsburgh I think gives us our work ethic. We’ll work at it ’til our fingers bleed,” he said. He added that the home crowd has been a part of the music. “We’re based in Pittsburgh because there was as group of fans willing to support us. The fans give us feedback… let us know what’s working or not,” Gablicki said. “Rusted Root is a community.” For a new album due out later this year, Gablicki has changed the way he
writes music. “Normally I would bring songs to the band and we would all sort of play on it. On this one, I decided I’m going to work out more, lay down some schematics before I bring it to the band,” he said. The result is a sound that’s more organic, and perhaps less drum-driven. “I’ve started presenting the ‘blueprints’ to the band and they’re excited,” Gablicki added. Fans can expect to hear two or three new songs on Rusted Root’s upcoming tour with reggae legends The Wailers. One of the first stops on the tour is at The Paramount in Huntington, next Friday, May 22. “We’re doing nine shows with them and I’m excited. I listened to The Wailers and Bob Marley as a kid. It was something so different, yet universal. It was something that inspired me to try something different,” Gablicki said. “I think we’re going to get a different audience. We’re looking forward to big crowds, and there’s a big buzz out there about Rusted Root and the Wailers playing together.” Tickets range from $20 to $45 at the box office, 370 New York Ave., Huntington, or at paramountny.com.
A16 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014 • A17
Meet Your Half Hollow Hills School Board Candidates
Diana Acampora, Incumbent
Craig Gardy
Adam Kleinberg
Paul Peller, Incumbent
Platform: Acampora said her goal is to improve the student experience. “If reelected, I will remain committed to working collaboratively with Administration and the community, to not only maintain Half Hollow Hills’ high quality of education, but also improve experiences for all students, in an effort to make our graduates college and career-ready with 21st century skills.”
Profession: Litigation Attorney Platform: Wants to improve transparency in budgeting through potential strategy of releasing quarterly reports, as does a corporation. “I want to really institute some truth in budgeting and let the community actually know where we stand in our budget.”
Profession: Attorney Platform: “I really feel that there has not been the appropriate amount of transparency in the recent board decisions… I want to make sure that what the board is saying they’re going to do matches the information before them and what they’re actually doing.”
Profession: Doctor Platform: Wants to “continue to be an advocate for the students, for excellence in education.” “There are many similarities and parallels that are going on in the healthcare industry as well as the education.”
Betty DeSabato, Incumbent
Stephanie Gurin
Alan Lacher
Matthew Glaser
Platform: To provide for “an education of excellence and opportunity” for students, with limited tax increases for the area’s residents.
Current Half Hollow Hills PTA Council President Platform: “With the closure decisions behind us, I want to help refocus the community on cultivating an environment where students and education are the number one priority.”
Profession: CEO at Custom Computer Specialists, Inc. Platform: “I’ve spent the last 10-plus years helping school districts, including Half Hollow Hills, to implement technology and process to improve operational performance, maximize funding and increase collaboration and communication with students and parents.”
Platform: “I think we really need to establish how we want to communicate with the community.” Wants to record meetings or increase use of social media.
Hills candidates present platforms (Continued from page A1)
Kleinberg said. Kleinberg also said that part of keeping people informed and keeping operations transparent is use of social media, which he believes is important. Current board member Paul Peller, M.D., said that this board has been probably “the most transparent board in this community” since he moved into the district. He is not against recording the meetings, but said that “most people are available to come to the meetings” in the evening, when most meetings are held. Fellow incumbent Betty DeSabato said that, if the cost is acceptable and there is community demand, the meetings should be recorded. Candidate Craig Gardy said that there is no reason the meetings should not be taped. Candidate Stephanie Gurin, though, noting that broadcasting the meetings would be a positive move, said she thinks there should be a newsletter to inform the community of during district meetings of all varieties. Following the panel discussion, community member and district parent Larissa
Stolyar said she was in favor of transparency. “I think the board should be transparent. I think they should have their meetings out in the open, and we should know what’s going on,” said Stolyar, whose kindergartner and third-grader attend Forest Park Elementary School, which, along with Chestnut Hill, will be closed next school year due to declining enrollment. A group of women discussing the meeting outside of the auditorium, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the event did not allow for enough time for a full discussion about the issues. One said that too much time was spent talking about Common Core – a fact, she said, which is already nearly concrete in its existence and qualifications. “It needed to be more about the future,” another woman said. In a phone interview with Long Islander News, Glaser commented on several of the issues discussed during the event. “I’m a strong proponent of taping the sessions,” he said. “If you look on YouTube or you check any, many other school district sites, videoing and putting
online school board meetings is routine for a lot of places.” Glaser suggested the possibility also of posting an audio recording along with PowerPoint presentations posted on the site. The event ended at 9 p.m. sharp, and a list of unasked questions remained about balancing personal and professional lives, reducing costs while mandating high educational standards, and making changes or adding funding to the STEM program. Acampora had the most passionate closing statement, going over her allotted time to implore community members to vote the incumbents back into service. “The candidates who are calling for transparency have no history of service to this community,” she said. “Now suddenly they want to manage a school district that they don’t know, and control a budget that they very clearly don’t’ understand, possibly because we closed an elementary school. Where were they before this?” Half Hollow Hills residents can vote in the general election, as well as the budget, on Tuesday, May 20.
Hills Schools Budget Recap The Half HolloHills Central School District has again proposed a budget that falls within the state property tax levy cap. This year’s budget-to-budget increase of 2.61 percent, according to the district’s budget brochure, is the district’s lowest in 18 years. The proposed 2014-2015 budget is $234,216,849, a $5,961,933 increase from the prior year’s budget. It allows for the continuation of the district’s educational programs as well as the restoration of such positions and funds as additional psychologist support at Candlewood Middle School, coach and assistant coach positions, and full-time assistant principals in each elementary school. After much debate, the budget includes a line for a project that is set to bring a generator to High School East. In an effort to equip the district with a potential Red Cross shelter in the case of a natural disaster, the board has decided to use a one-time potential FEMA reimbursement of $400,000 to install a generator that would power the school. The district must first spend the money to receive the FEMA reimbursement. District residents can vote in the general election on May 20.
A18 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014 THURSDAY Share Your Life
Every Thursday except holidays, “Caring and Sharing,” gives women a chance to share joys and concerns and in turn receive support and confidentiality. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $10 members/$15 non-members, per session. Advance registration: 631-549-0485.
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Calendar O M M U N I T Y
More Than Just Zeppole…
The St. Francis of Assisi Festival and carnival begins next week at 29 Clay Pitts Road in Greenlawn. Enjoy games, food, raffles, entertainment and rides Thursday, May 15, 5-10 p.m.; Friday, May 16, 5-11 p.m.; Saturday, May 17, 1-11 p.m.; and Sunday, May 18, 1-9 p.m.
FRIDAY BINGO!
Perry Como Lodge 2846 hosts Bingo on May 16, 7:30 p.m. at the St. Philip Neri Parish Center, 15 Prospect St., Northport. $3 admission. Call Charlie Sorrentino at 631-261-1989 for more information. Proceeds will be shared with St. Philip Neri Church. Prizes total $1,000 with an additional seventh game 50/50 prize. Snacks and refreshments available.
Pianist And Tenor In Concert
Pianist Ken Noda, musical assistant to James Levine on the Artistic Administration of the Metropolitan Opera, and tenor Anthony Kalil, in the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at The Metropolitan Opera, perform May 16, 6 p.m. in the Grace Auditorium of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, One Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor. Tickets sold at the door for $20. Call 516-367-8455 to reserve seats.
SATURDAY Staying Safe On The Water
The Second Annual Huntington Safe Boating Week is May 17-24, sponsored by the Greater Huntington Council of Yacht and Boating Clubs. Visit huntingtonsafeboatingweek.com for more information. • The week kicks off with a Nautical Market and Fair at Mill Dam Park at Huntington Harbor on Saturday, May 17 at 10 a.m. On Sunday, May 18, boaters can have their vessels checked for safety and soundness for free at several waterfront locations. • Boaters and their families can take free classes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, May 19-21, covering chart reading, handling boating emergencies, using GPS and VHF radio. Register by calling the Huntington Harbor Master’s office at 631-351-3256. • History buffs can attend a presentation titled “Gwendoline Steers: Anatomy of a Disaster,” on Tuesday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Huntington Library. • “Meet the Commodores on Thursday, May 22, at the Huntington Yacht Club.
Family Fun Extravaganza!
Camp Alvernia in Centerport hosts its sixth annual Family Fun Extravaganza Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18, 1-6 p.m. with games and boat rides in a true carnival setting. There will be a BBQ, carnival games, prizes and boat rides. For more information, call Ariel at 631-261-5730 or at ariel@campalvernia.org.
Meet Your Lifesavers
The Huntington Community First Aid Squad hosts an open house on May 24, 1-4 p.m. at its headquarters, 2 Railroad St., Huntington Station. Free blood pressure screenings, ambulance and building tours, equipment
Family Service League House Tour
Family Service League hosts its 64th Annual House Tour on May 21, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. This year’s House Tour features a wide array of well-appointed homes showcasing some of the North Shore’s finest architecture. Guests can complete this afternoon with a gourmet lunch at Harbor Club at Prime, where over a dozen boutiques will showcase this year’s latest fashions, accessories and home decor. Tickets are $60 in advance with an option to include lunch for an additional $35. Call 631-427-3700, ext. 255 or email jsandler@fsl-li.org.
Check Out Five Towns
Do you qualify for a scholarship? Five Towns College in Dix Hills invites you to stop by during Spring Enrollment Days every Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to find out if you qualify. New and transfer students welcome for on-the-spot evaluations. Application fees will be waived. Five Towns College focuses on audio recording technology, music, music business, theatre arts, filmmaking, mass communication and more. For more information, or to schedule a private tour or visit the next open house, call 631-656-2110 or go to ftc.edu.
Hard Luck Café
Larry Kolker, an American roots musician with a post-modern edge who grew up in Huntington, shares a bill with Scott Cook, a prairie balladeer from Alberta, Canada, during the Folk Music Society of Huntington’s monthly Hard Luck Café series at the Cinema Arts Centre (423 Park Avenue, Huntington) on May 15. The 8:30 p.m. concert in the Cinema’s Sky Room will be preceded by an open mic at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for Cinema Arts Centre and FMSH members; $15 for non-members. For more information, visit www.fmsh.org or call 631-425-2925.
WEDNESDAY
Meet With A Senior Advocate
Staying Safe On The Water The Second Annual Huntington Safe Boating Week is May 17-24, sponsored by the Greater Huntington Council of Yacht and Boating Clubs. Visit huntingtonsafeboatingweek.com for more information. • The week kicks off with a Nautical Market and Fair at Mill Dam Park at Huntington Harbor on Saturday, May 17 at 10 a.m. On Sunday, May 18, boaters can have their vessels checked for safety and soundness for free at several waterfront locations. • Boaters and their families can take free classes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, May 19-21, covering chart reading, handling boating emergencies, using GPS and VHF radio. Register by calling the Huntington Harbor Master’s office at 631-351-3256. • History buffs can attend a presentation titled “Gwendoline Steers: Anatomy of a Disaster,” on Tuesday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Huntington Library. • “Meet the Commodores on Thursday, May 22, at the Huntington Yacht Club. demonstrations, and Silver Alert program information. In addition, learn about hands-only CPR and Operation Child Safety (child ID).
An Evening Of Celtic Music
Enjoy an evening of Celtic music, a benefit the St. Anthony’s High School Celtic Friars Pipe Band, featuring the band itself along with the Four Leaf Clovers, Inishfree School of Dance and the Friar Choir, on May 17, 7 p.m. at St. Anthony’s High School, 275 Wolf Hill Road, South Huntington. $20 in advance/$25 at the door.
East Woods Spring Fair
The Spring Fair at East Woods School, featuring carnival rides, games, live music, a flower sale, and an estate sale, is Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at 31 Yellow Cote Road, Oyster Bay. www.eastwoods.org.
Live Music
Live local bands take over Finley's of Greene Street, 43 Greene St., Huntington, every Saturday night at 11 p.m. Join in the fun and food!
SUNDAY Find Your Center
Find inner peace in an ongoing weekly class for beginners and newcomers every Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at Dipamkara Meditation Center, 282 New York Ave., Huntington. 631549-1000. www.MeditationOnLongisland.org.
MONDAY Fore!
The Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce’s 30th Annual Golf Outing is June 2 at the Huntington Crescent Club, 15 Washington Drive, Huntington. Visit huntingtonchamber.com for more information.
Argentine Tango Classes
Experience the subtle communication between
partners as you learn the passionate dance known as the tango. Come dress to impress (but be comfortable) for classes on Monday nights, 7-9:30 p.m. at Spirit of Huntington Art Center, 2 Melville Road North, Huntington Station. 631-470-9620 or email noconintended@gmail.com. Suggested donation: $10 per person/$15 per couple.
Red Is For Passion
Love the color red and enjoy living it up? The Red Hat women are looking for new members who enjoy going places and making new friends. Their motto: Fun, Frolic and Friendship. 631-271-6470 or flarpp@yahoo.com.
TUESDAY Visit With The Attorney General
Interested in hearing about important issues that impact you? Attend New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman’s Community Forum on May 20, 6:30 p.m. at the Suffolk County Community College Brentwood Campus, 1001 Crooked Hill Road. He and his staff will provide updates on a variety of issues including environmental protection, labor rights, civil rights, health care and consumer fraud and protection. Registration is not required. For information, call 212-416-6044.
Free Mommy And Me Class
Sing! Stretch! Dance! Play! Enjoy a fun-filled class that includes parachute play and bubble play and meet other Jewish moms at The Chai Center in Dix Hills. The free class takes place Tuesdays at 10 a.m. For children ages 6-36 months. Pre-registration required by phone or online: 631-351-8672. www.thechaicenter.com.
Free Help For Vets
Every Tuesday from 12-4 p.m. is “Military Appreciation Tuesdays,” when Long Island Cares specifically assists veterans, military personnel and their families at the Hauppauge and Freeport emergency pantries. Appointments can be made by contacting jrosati@licares.org.
The Suffolk County Office for the Aging brings senior advocates to the Town of Huntington assist seniors with information gathering, completion of eligibility or recertification applications and referrals to appropriate community agencies. Catch them at: Huntington Nutrition Center, Wednesdays, May 28 and June 25, 9 a.m.-noon; Paumanack Village I & II (Greenlawn): Tuesdays, May 27 and June 17, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Paumanack Village V & VI (Melville): Tuesday, June 10, 9 a.m.-noon; and South Huntington Library: Thursday, May 22, 10-11:30 a.m. Appointments are encouraged; drop-ins welcome. 631-853-8200.
Open Mic Night
Play your heart out at an acoustic open mic night every Wednesday at Caffe Portofino, 249 Main St., Northport, 7-10 p.m. www.facebook.com/cafportopenmic.
Power Breakfast
Join business professionals at BNI Executive Referral Exchange’s breakfast networking meeting every Wednesday, 7-8:30 a.m. at the Dix Hills Diner, 1800 Jericho Turnpike, Dix Hills. 631-462-7446.
AT THE LIBRARIES Cold Spring Harbor Library
95 Harbor Road, Cold Spring Harbor. 631-6926820. cshlibrary.org. • Lisa Argentieri's solo exhibition “No Boundaries” of watercolor and acrylic paintings is on display through May 28. • Discover how to utilize Windows 8.1 in this hands-on experience, and come away more comfortable with using the latest touch device in this free program open to the public on Thursday, May 15, 11:30 a.m. Call to register.
Commack Public Library
18 Hauppauge Road, Commack. 631-4990888. commack.suffolk.lib.ny.us. • Commack Public Library is holding a Thursday afternoon movie at 2 p.m. on May 15. • On Saturday, May 17, babies and their parents or caregivers will get down and boogie from 9:30-10:15 a.m.
Deer Park Public Library
44 Lake Ave., Deer Park. 631-586-3000. deerparklibrary.org. • Through a grant from New York State, the library offers Google Nexus 7 tablets for borrowing. Browse the web, download a book, play games and more with just a touch of your finger. Tablets can be checked out for two weeks on an adult Deer Park library card. • Get in your pajamas on Thursday, May 15 from 7-7:45 p.m. for story time, for children grades K-2 with an adult.
(Continued on page A19)
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014 • A19
Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium
(Continued from page A18)
Elwood Public Library
3027 Jericho Turnpike, Elwood. 631-499-3722. www.elwoodlibrary.org. • On Friday, May 16, it’s game time from 12:30-4 p.m. with Mahjong games. • Lego Club meets Wednesday, May 21 at 4:15 p.m. for children in grades K-5. Legos will be provided for play.
Visit With The Attorney General Interested in hearing about important issues that impact you? Attend New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman’s Community Forum on May 20, 6:30 p.m. at the Suffolk County Community College Brentwood Campus, 1001 Crooked Hill Road. He and his staff will provide updates on a variety of issues including environmental protection, labor rights, civil rights, health care and consumer fraud and protection. Registration is not required. For information, call 212416-6044.
Half Hollow Hills Community Library
Dix Hills: 55 Vanderbilt Parkway. 631-4214530; Melville: 510 Sweet Hollow Road. 631421-4535. hhhlibrary.org. • The Dix Hills branch hosts Mother Goose Craft Time from 3:30-5 p.m. For families with children 3 and up. • The Melville branch hosts Little Sprouts Story Time for children ages 3-5. Plant flowerbeds and enjoy stories and activities on Wednesday, May 21, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Harborfields Public Library
31 Broadway, Greenlawn. 631-757-4200. harborfieldslibrary.org. • May 2014 featured artist Annie ShaverCrandell’s show, “A Collection of Views: Landscapes, Cityscapes and Interiors,” is on display May 1-29.
Huntington Public Library
Main Branch: 338 Main St., Huntington. 631427-5165. Station Branch: 1335 New York Ave., Huntington Station. 631-421-5053. www thehuntingtonlibrary.org. • A Smart Driver Course (formerly AARP Mature Driving) will be held TuesdayWednesday, May 21-22, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the main branch. $20 AARP members/$25 non-members. • Published author Terry Tomasino leads a Writers Workshop Series incorporating guided imagery and other exercises into poetry, short stories and other written works to encourage young writers to explore and express themselves in written form. Saturday, May 17, 10:30 a.m.
Northport-East Northport Public Library
Northport: 151 Laurel Ave. 631-261-6930. East Northport: 185 Larkfield Road. 631-2612313. www.nenpl.org. • Learn about the many tasks your Android phone can perform, such as taking pictures, accessing email, using the calendar to list appointments, playing music, and more on Thursday, May 15, 4-5:30 p.m. in Northport. • The Northport Arts Coalition, in cooperation with the Library, presents an evening of song with fingerstyle guitarist Bob Westcott, Wednesday, May 14, 7 p.m. in Northport.
South Huntington Public Library
145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station. 631-549-4411. www.shpl.info. • Kids can visit the library Saturday, May 17, 2:30-3:30 p.m. for a Superhero story, craft and snack. • Pianist Amber Liao takes the listener on a fascinating tour of Eastern Europe on Sunday, May 18 at 2:30 p.m. Her program, full of energy, dance and rhythm, includes "folk" influenced music by Bela Bartok, Szymanovski, Janacek and Enescu.
THEATER and FILM Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave., Huntington. www.cinemaartscentre.org. 631-423-7611. • Swashbuckling movie icon Douglas Fairbanks stars in this 1924 classic film adventure about a slippery and stylish burglar who dares to fall in love with the daughter of the Caliph. “Thief Of Bagdad” screens with live organ accompaniment by MoMA’s Ben Model in the Anything But Silent series on Tuesday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. Children under 12, $7/Members $9/Public $14.
John W. Engeman Theater At Northport
350 Main St., Northport. www.johnwengemantheater.com. 631-261-2900. • The classic musical “The Music Man” is now on stage. • The beloved children's books written by Jeff Brown in 1964 comes to life in “The Musical Adventures Of Flat Stanley,” showing on weekends through May 18.
AUDITIONS & SUBMISSIONS Northport Symphony Orchestra
The Northport Symphony Orchestra seeks new members in all sections. Repertoire ranges from Baroque through classical and romantic to early 20th century. Music Director Richard Hyman is an award-winning music educator and composer. Rehearsals are on Wednesdays from 7:30-9 p.m. usually at East Northport Middle School. Email info@northportorchestra.org to arrange an audition. Website: northportorchestra.org.
MUSEUMS/EXHIBITS Art League of Long Island
107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills. Gallery hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. weekends. 631-462-5400. www.ArtLeagueLI.net. • More than 70 artists and craftspeople will show and sell original works of art and handmade crafts such as paintings, photographs, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, woodwork, glasswork, wearable art, and more at the Fine Art & Craft Fair at Heckscher Park in Huntington on Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The event will also feature live art demonstrations by Art League instructors, family-friendly hands-on activities, food vendors and live music. Free admission.
b.j. spoke gallery
299 Main St., Huntington. Gallery hours: Monday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. 631-549-5106. www.bjspokegallery.com. • May brings Ilene Palant’s solo exhibition of sculpture and photography titled “Naked Stones & Intimate Landscapes” and a member exhibit that fills the rest of the gallery. Both exhibitions on display May 1-31.
Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery
1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor. Open seven days a week, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday and Sundays until 6 p.m.: $6 adults; $4 children 3-12 and seniors over 65; members and children under 3 are free. 516-692-6768. www.cshfha.org.
Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum
279 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor. 631-3673418. www.cshwhalingmuseum.org. • Save the date for the Hawaiian Luau on Saturday, July 19, 7-11 p.m. • Dance it up in honor of World Turtle Day on May 17, 12-3 p.m. Meet live turtles and celebrate with DJ Mike on the mic, face painting, and lots of craft stations. Dress in green for door prizes!
fotofoto Gallery
14 W. Carver St., Huntington. Gallery hours: Friday 5-8 p.m., Saturday 12-8 p.m., Sunday 12-4 p.m. 631-549-0448. www.fotofotogallery.org. • “Whisper Loudly,” photographs by Patricia Beary, is on display through May 25. Beary presents compelling images from European cemeteries. • “Tulips,” photographs by Holly Gordon, is also on display through May 25.
Gallery Thirty Seven
12b School Street, Northport. www.gallerythirtyseven.com. • Visit Northport’s newest gallery.
Heckscher Museum Of Art
2 Prime Ave., Huntington. Museum hours:
Wednesday - Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., first Fridays from 4-8:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission $68/adults, $4-6/seniors, and $4-5/children; members and children under 10 free. 631-3513250. • “Rhythm & Repetition in 20th Century Art,” on view through Aug. 10, focuses on artists who use repeated shapes depicting natural, manmade, or abstract forms as a method to organize their compositions.
Holocaust Memorial And Tolerance Center
Welwyn Preserve. 100 Crescent Beach Road, Glen Cove. Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun.: noon-4 p.m. 516-571-8040 ext. 100. www.holocaust-nassau.org. • The permanent exhibit explains the 1930s increase of intolerance, the reduction of human rights, and the lack of intervention that enabled the persecution and mass murder of millions of Jews and others: people with disabilities, Roma and Sinti (Gypsies), Jehovah’s Witnesses, gays and Polish intelligentsia.
Huntington Arts Council
Main Street Petite Gallery: 213 Main St., Huntington. Gallery hours: Monday - Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Art in the Art-trium: 25 Melville Park Road, Melville. Gallery Hours: Monday Friday 7 a.m.-7 p.m. 631-271-8423. www.huntingtonarts.org. • The Got Talent? Long Island competition is May 31 at the Dix Hills Performing Arts Center. Tickets on sale now.
Huntington Historical Society
Main office/library: 209 Main St., Huntington. Museums: Conklin Barn, 2 High St.; Kissam House/Museum Shop, 434 Park Ave.; Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Building, 228 Main St. 631427-7045, ext. 401. www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org. • Exhibit “The Times They Were A-Changing – 1960s & Huntington’s Response” on display at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Building. • Hop a boat and tour the Van Wycks-Lefferts Tide Mill, built in 1795, throughout the spring and summer: May 15, noon; May 26, 10 a.m.; June 11, 10 a.m.; June 25, 10:15 a.m.; July 14, 1 p.m.; July 28, 12:30 p.m.; Aug. 11, 11:45 a.m.; Aug. 22, 1:45 p.m.; Sept. 8, 10:30 a.m. $10 members/$15 non-members. Reservations required.
LaMantia Gallery
127 Main St., Northport Village. 631-754-8414. www.lamantiagallery.com. • Following the success of their display of exclusive featuring never-before-seen Dr. Seuss artwork, the gallery displays a permanent collation of estate-authorized art.
Northport Historical Society Museum
215 Main St., Northport. Museum hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 1-4:30 p.m. 631-757-9859. www.northporthistorical.org. • “Window Shopping Through Time” is a recreation of 10 stores that were located on Main Street and Woodbine Avenue spanning about 100 years, from the 1880s’ Morris City Grocery with their fresh produce and dry goods to the 1980s 5&10 with their ribbon and toys.
Ripe Art Gallery
1028 Park Ave., Huntington. TuesdayThursday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday, 2-8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. www.ripeartgal.com. 631-239-1805. • STANKO returns for the third time with his newest collection of paintings, titled “Life Is For Fun,” on display through May 17.
180 Little Neck Road, Centerport. Museum hours through April 15: Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, 12-4 p.m. Grounds admission: $7 adults, $6 students with ID and seniors 62 and older, and $3 children 12 and under. Mansion tour, add $5 per person. 631-854-5555. www.vanderbiltmuseum.org. • The planetarium’s new show, “Black Holes: Journey into the Unknown,” has regular showings on Tuesdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Walt Whitman Birthplace
246 Old Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station. Hours: Wednesday-Friday, 1-4 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. April admission: $5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 students, and children under 5 are free. 631-427-5240, ext. 114. www.waltwhitman.org. • Schedule at a time convenient for your group for high tea and transport yourself back in time as your group experiences High Tea in a private gathering house at the Birthplace. $25/person. 631-427-5240, ext. 113. educator@waltwhitman.org.
MUSIC & DANCE Dix Hills Performing Arts Center
Five Towns College, 305 N. Service Road, Dix Hills. Box Office: 631-656-2148. www.dhpac.org. • Christina Fontanelli sings her life story in “From Bagels to Bocelli: The Musical Journey of My Life” on Sunday, June 1, 2 p.m. $25$30.
The Paramount
370 New York Ave., Huntington. 631-673-7300. www.paramountny.com. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. • Go back to the ’80s with Jessie’s Girl on Friday, July 11. Tickets: $15, $20 & $25. • Joan Rivers will hold nothing back when she visits on July 25 as part of The Paramount Comedy Series. Tickets are $40-$110.
DONATIONS WELCOME Help The Troops Call Home
Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci’s Huntington Station district office is an official drop-off site for Cell Phones for Soldiers. To help the troops call home by donating your old cell phone, stop by or mail your phone to 1783 New York Ave., Huntington Station, 11746. 631-271-8025.
VOLUNTEERING Cosmetologists Wanted
Hospice Care Network is seeking New York State-licensed cosmetologists to provide 2-4 haircuts per month for community members facing life-limiting illnesses. Download an application at www.hospicecarenetwork.org or call 516-224-6423.
Be A Museum Docent
The Huntington Historical Society is currently seeking volunteers to train to become Museum Docents at the historic David Conklin Farmhouse Museum. The museum is located at 2 High St. in Huntington village and is a fascinating interpretation of the Colonial, Federal and Victorian time periods. No experience required – an interest in local history is a plus. Training is provided. Call 631-427-7045 ext 403.
Seeking Volunteer Advocates
The Family Service League’s Ombudservice Program of Suffolk County is seeking volunteers to train as advocates for nursing home, adult home and assisted living facility residents to help ensure they receive quality care and their rights are protected. 631-427-3700 ext. 240.
Send us your listings Submissions must be in by 5 p.m. 10 days prior to publication date. Send to Community Calendar at 14 Wall Street, Huntington, NY 11743, or e-mail to info@longislandernews.com
A20 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014
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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Special Olympics Draws More Than 600 Athletes
Josh Shoulton, 18, took the center circle of the winners’ podium to accept a first-place medal. By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandernews.com
Megan Schaefer, 13, won medals in the softball through and long jump events.
When Ken Walker and his wife decided to take up tennis, they found themselves without anything to occupy their daughter, Sabrina. The bought a tennis trainer from Modell’s – a tennis ball attached to a string attached to a brick – and left it with Sabrina on the court next to theirs. Now 41 years old, Sabrina is one of hundreds of Special Olympians who compete each year in the event that invites athletes with intellectual disabilities to compete for both fun and shiny medals. And Ken is the director of the Special Olympics tennis program. “They have [tennis] practices every Sunday for an hour and a half, and they start the third week of September and they play all the way through, until June,” Ken Walker said. “And she never misses a
practice, because I’m the director.” The program’s players were about two dozen of the over-600 athletes with intellectual disabilities participating in the year’s Special Olympics on May 4. Commack High School welcomed the athletes, as well as volunteers and spectators. There are fields and food and dashes and dancing; here are hugs and hurdles; there are stories of struggle and triumph. Each year, the athletes compete in tennis matches, track and field events and javelin throws, among other activities. Commack High School welcomed over 600 athletes on Sunday, as well as volunteers and spectators. Megan Schaefer, 13, won medals in the softball through and long jump events; the
Friends Jeffrey Dowler, Jacob Guggino and Ross Perlow smile with their medals after a tennis match at the Special Olympics, held May 4 at Commack High School. medals would travel with her to school the next day. James E. Allen student Josh Shoulton, 18, took the center circle of the winners’ podium to accept a first-place medal after the 15-meter speed dash. Last year, he won medals in both the dash and the turbo javelin throw. “You gotta keep on keepin’ on,” he said. “I just wanted to be a good sport.”
And then there are the coaches, who often volunteer for months to train the athletes in preparation for the event. Jefry Rosmarin has coached his own children in sports in schools he describes as “affluent,” but is now heavily involved with the Special Olympics tennis program. “What you get back in terms of what you invest is so much greater here,” Rosmarin said.
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Happy Sweet 16 !
Safe Boating Week Arrives
M’Yad L’Yad, which serves the disabled, the elderly and others in need, celebrated its 16th anniversary at its Spring Celebration by honoring Dr. Gerald Thurer, Cantor Sandra Sherry-Pilatsky and Cantor Richard Pilatsky. Thurer, one of the founders of the Dix Hills Jewish Center and the Suffolk Y JCC, and his wife Diane were integral in the creation of M’Yad L’Yad. Sherry-Pilatsky, the organization’s co-vice president, has served at Temple Beth El in Huntington for 22 years; she was the first female clergy in Huntington. Pilatsky is on the clergy team at North Shore Synagogue in Syosset and is a board member for M’Yad L’Yad. Above, Councilwoman Susan Berland presents the three honorees with proclamations.
Safe Boating Week will soon take to the waters in the Town of Huntington. The second annual Town of Huntington Safe Boating Week, which kicks off May 17 with a Nautical Market and Fair at Mill Dam Park May 17 and concludes with Meet the Commodores night at Huntington Yacht Club May 22. A free boating safety course was held
Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel
DIX HILLS
May 10 at Huntington Town Hall. Pictured, Councilwoman Susan Berland presents a proclamation May 6 to leaders of The Greater Huntington Council of Yacht and Boating Clubs to officially mark the week of events. For more information, visit www.huntingtonsafeboatingweek.com.
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014 • A21
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DEER PARK AVENUE Dix Hills Fire Department Bethpage Fed’l Credit Union
580 Deer Park Ave, Dix Hills 1350-35 Deer Park Ave, North Babylon
Nelly’s Deli Grocery Gigi’s VIP Deer Park Nails Inc Tony’s Pizza Deer Hills Delicatessen Park Avenue Barbers
1737 Deer Park Ave, Deer Park 1747 Deer Park Ave, Deer Park 1749 Deer Park Ave, Deer Park 1829 Deer Park Ave, Deer Park 2122 Deer Park Ave, Deer Park 2150 Deer Park Ave, Deer Park
OLD COUNTRY ROAD/SWEET HOLLOW ROAD Dix Hills Hot Bagels 703 Old Country Road, Dix Hills Half Hollow Hills Library 510 Sweet Hollow Road, Melville ROUTE 110/BROADHOLLOW ROAD Deli Beer Cigar Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station Dunkin Donuts 281 Walt Whitman Rd, Huntington Station Berry Healthy Cafe 350 Walt Whitman Rd, Huntington Station Marios Pizza 1 Schwab Rd #17, Melville International Haircutters 439 Walt Whitman Rd, Melville Bethpage Fed’l Credit Union 722 Walt Whitman Road, Melville Roast 827 Walt Whitman Rd, Melville PIDGEON HILL RD South Huntington Library HAUPPAUGE RD Commack Public Library VANDERBILT PKY Half Hollow Hills Library
145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station 18 Happauge Rd, Commack 55 Vanderbilt Pky, Dix Hills
A22 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014
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HillSPORTS BASEBALL
Colts Step Up To Plate In Playoffs Team finishes regular season with three-game sweep, earns No. 2 playoff seed Long Islander News photos/Andrew Wroblewski
By Andrew Wroblewski info@longislandernews.com
While the youth of the Half Hollow Hills West baseball system prepare for next month’s annual summer baseball clinic, the Colts of the this year’s varsity team prepared for their first game of the 2014 Suffolk County Class AA playoffs. Hills West (12-3) finished its regular season last week by wrapping up a threegame series sweep against Copiague (114) on Friday with a 7-2 win. The win solidified the Colts’ place as the No. 2 seed in the Class AA playoffs and helped give the team a momentum boost heading into the first round. “It’s most important for the hitters – that they’re confident heading into the playoffs,” Tom Migliozzi, head coach of Hills West, said regarding his team’s mental state. “Psychologically, it’s an advantage.” Against Copiague, Hills West was fueled by senior Tom DiGiorgi who finished the game with 3 runs and an RBI, all the while going 4-for-4 on the day. DiGiorgi has been huge for Hills West all year – he has a .532 batting average and clocked 6 home runs during the regular season – and Migliozzi expects the same success from DiGiorgi as the playoffs begin. “He’s extremely important to this team,” Migliozzi said on Monday. “He can do a lot more than hit; he’s a great base runner, he can bunt – he does it all.” The Colts were to face No. 15 North
Kenny Schiotis, Hills West’s senior shortstop, gets ready in the field in a game last month against West Babylon. Babylon (10-8) on Tuesday at Hills West in a round-one playoff game that occurred after press time. Unlike Hills West, North Babylon ended its season on hard times by dropping three games to Smithtown West (15-3). However, despite North Babylon’s recent skid, the Colts cannot take the game lightly, as Migliozzi is “going in blind.” “I haven’t seen them play at all this year,” Migliozzi said of North Babylon. “You just can’t worry about what they’re doing and have to do your own thing.” Baseball Booster Club Preps For Summer While Hills West’s playoff lives are uncertain, there is a certainty that
Migliozzi’s Colts Baseball Booster Club will be held for the eighth straight year this summer. The camp, which takes place at Hills West High School, is open to kids who will be entering grades 1-8 in September 2014. There are two separate sessions – one running from June 30-July 4 and another from July 7-11 – that focus on the fundamentals of baseball, “while having fun,” according to Migliozzi. Registration costs $135 per child for one week, with a discounted price of $240 per child for two weeks. More information – including how to register – is available by calling 631-834-2599.
Senior first baseman for Hills West, Tom DiGiorgi takes a lead off of second base in a game against West Babylon last month.
BASKETBALL
Hills Hoops Camp Puts ‘Fun In Fundamentals’ By Andrew Wroblewski info@longislandernews.com
What’s one of the best ways to be successful? Mirror those who already are. “Back in 2002 Walt Whitman basketball was having a lot of success so I approached their coach and asked him what he’d been doing,” Bill Mitaritonna, Half Hollow Hills West’s varsity boys basketball coach for the last 15 years, said. “He told me he had been running a summer clinic.” Starting that summer, Mitaritonna began Hills West’s first ever summer basketball clinic – made available to kids entering grades 3-10. Since then, the Hills West boys varsity team has won three Suffolk County Class AA championships (’08, ’10, ’11) and two Long Island Class AA championships (’10, ’11). Along with that, kids that came up through Mitaritonna’s system as they grew up have made a name for themselves at both the college and professional levels.
Tobias Harris, 21, current NBA player for the Orlando Magic, is the most prominent example of such players. The 2010 high school grad attended Mitaritonna’s clinic in his youth and helped Hills West to its 2008 and 2010 championships. In just 12 years, Mitaritonna’s strategy has undoubtedly paid off. “It’s really a family tradition,” Mitaritonna said of the clinic, which runs for three weeks during the summer. “There is a real generation-to-generation aspect of Hills West basketball and you can see that with all of the kids we have that come back to help out after they’ve graduated, like [Harris].” The clinic is broken down into three different sessions; two weeks for boys and one week for girls. The first boys sessions runs from July 14-18, the second from 2125; the girls runs from July 28-Aug. 1. Sign-up forms are available on the clinic’s website (http://bit.ly/1l3hTXb) and are due by June 20. The registration fee for one session is $175 per child, with a discounted price of $325 per child for those who
would like to attend two sessions. “We put the ‘fun’ in fundamentals,” Mitaritonna said of the clinic, which he runs with the help of the Hills West Basketball Booster Club, a not-for-profit organization. “We don’t want to make a basketball a job, we want to make it fun.” Each of the three sessions covers the same fundamental aspects of basketball: dribbling, passing, shooting, defense, and team play. The Hills West gymnasium will serve as host to the campers, but only if the school’s budget passes on May 20. If the budget does not pass, there will not be a clinic, Mitaritonna said. Last year, the clinic achieved record success, drawing more than 100 campers across its three weeks. Mitaritonna hopes to have similar success this year. “We’ve really been able to do a good job of spreading the word through the website,” Mitaritonna said. “That’s important because as a coach you really need to get these kids to buy into what you’re selling as soon as possible.”
Current NBA player, and Hills West alum, Tobias Harris visits one of the boys sessions of the Hills West summer basketball clinic in 2011.
The only page to turn for complete coverage of the: HALF HOLLOW HILLS EAST THUNDERBIRDS and HALF HOLLOW HILLS WEST COLTS
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014 • A23 Long Islander News photo/Andrew Wroblewski
HUNTINGTON
Mariano Mania! Famous Yankee visits 1,000 fans in Huntington By Andrew Wroblewski info@longislandernews.com
One hour, three hours, nine hours; at a Huntington bookstore on May 6, time was just a number. “The wait is nothing,” said Paula Censori, of Kings Park, who waited in line outside Book Revue from 11:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. to meet former New York Yankee, Mariano Rivera. “I go down to spring training every year so I’ve waved to [Rivera] before, but I’m thrilled to actually get to take a picture with him and say hello.” Censori was one of 1,000 fans who formed a line snaking through the twofloor bookstore – and eventually spilling out onto Main Street – as they patiently waited for Rivera to arrive and greet them. “I came here to see Mo; it’s going to be amazing,” Anthony Dovi, of Northport, who arrived around 3 p.m., said while standing in line. “I’ve only been here for a little while, but I wanted to get in line so that I can get a good spot.” While Rivera was originally scheduled to arrive at 7 p.m., many fans were surprised when the future Hall of Famer strolled in 15 minutes early and soon
began taking pictures one-by-one with those 1,000 fans who purchased a presigned copy of his debut book, “The Closer.” The book, which was released on Tuesday, details Rivera’s life from his childhood in Panama to his final days as a New York Yankee in 2013. Rivera is the current Major League Baseball all-time leader in saves, with 652, and helped lead the New York Yankees to five world championships over his 19-year career. Fans hadn’t gotten the chance to read Rivera’s book yet, but meeting him was a highlight in and of itself. “To be honest with you, my heart was racing,” said Richard Bory, of North Babylon, seconds after he met Rivera. “He’s the greatest closer of all time. I grew up my whole life watching him so it was really a surreal moment to actually meet him in person, shake his hand, and have that moment of intimacy with him.” Other fans were left watching from the sidelines as the book sold out before Rivera arrived, but they were able catch a glimpse of “the Sandman” by looking up to the second floor where Rivera stood taking pictures with fans. Hundreds of fans shuffled in and out of the first floor,
smartphones in hand, trying to snap a picture of Rivera and grab his attention. Rivera acknowledged the crowd – which occasionally broke out into chants of “Mariano! Mariano!” – with several waves and smiles. “I made it out here to see one of the best, the living legend himself, Mariano,” said Peter Sarian, of Plainview, who was unable to buy a copy of the book before it sold out. “Growing up, he was one of my heroes, so it was absolutely still worth it to come here since just breathing the same air as him is pretty cool.” But soon the closer was gone, and the crowd dissipated. While Rivera’s time was up, some fans were just grateful to be a part of the experience. “I came here to see Mariano Rivera but they blocked it off so I’m just excited to be here and to be around the crowd,” said Bernadette Flaherty, a die-hard Yankee fan who was unable to meet Rivera. “It was totally worth it just to be around the fans.”
Former New York Yankee Mariano Rivera, who has 652 saves to his name, smiles at some of the fans who purchased a presigned copy of his book, “The Closer.”
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Getting Ready To Run For Chris Scherer Seventh annual East Northport race pays tribute to fallen Marine Long Islander News photo/archives
By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com
A Memorial Day weekend tradition will soon take to the streets of East Northport for the seventh year – hopefully with a few less raindrops than last time around. Scores of runners will again take to “The Grid” residential community May 24 for the annual Christopher G. Scherer “I Did The Grid” race, a tribute to an East Northport Marine corporal who was killed in battle July 21, 2007 in the province of Al Anbar, Iraq, felled by a single bullet from the gun of an enemy sniper. Those runners will take to the streets, even if it’s raining, as hundreds proved last year when they ran despite the cold, wet conditions. The event is rain or shine for one simple reason: “Marines don’t get rain days,” Chris’ father Tim Scherer said. “It puts you in their shoes for a moment,” he added. Beginning at Pulaski Elementary School, where a field of flags will be installed May 23, runners and walkers will round the course’s 31 turns with the names of four service members on their bibs. Once they cross the finish line, they ring a bell for each name. All funds raised support the Semper Fi Fund, which funds three Christopher G. Scherer scholarships at Northport High School, and the Cpl. Christopher G. Scherer Leave No Marine Behind Project, which sends requested supplies to the East Northport man’s fellow Marines in the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, as well as care
The seventh annual Christopher G. Scherer “I Did The Grid” race will kick off – rain or shine – the morning of May 24, and there’s still plenty of time for runners of all levels to sign up. packages to local soldiers serving overseas. With more soldiers returning home from war as the missions in Afghanistan and Iraq draw to a close, the Scherer fund has also shifted focus to aid veterans suffering post-traumatic stress by sponsoring service dogs for veterans in partnership with VetsDogs in Smithtown. So far, the foundation has sponsored four dogs, Tim Scherer said. “As they withdraw troops, the one thing we focus on more is helping sponsor service dogs for wounded warriors,” he said. Seven years after his son’s death, the pain
hasn’t subsided, but it is allayed somewhat through service. The Scherer family has focused in particular on being there for other Gold Star families facing the same tragic news the Scherers did in 2007. “We were told early on, you always try to help the next person who unfortunately faces this,” Tim said. “It never gets better, but you try to live with it. How we try to live with it is try to help veterans’ families.” The four-mile competitive run begins at 8 a.m. Runners must be able to complete a 12-minute mile to register, which costs
$35. A one-mile fun run follows at 9 a.m., which costs $20 to sign up for. A four-mile recreational run-walk is $35 and begins at 9:30 a.m. One change runners should be aware of for this year pertains to packet pick-up procedures. Instead of picking up packets Friday night at sponsor Adams Cyclery’s shop, all pick-ups – from 6-8 p.m. the day before and before race time Saturday – will happen at the Pulaski Road School. For more information about the race and the Christopher G. Scherer Semper Fi Fund, visit www.cplchris.com.
A24 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MAY 15, 2014
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