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VALLEY STREAM HERALD — May 8, 2025
HERALD NEIGHBORS
Holden Leeds/Herald photos
Valley Stream’s centennial celebrations kicked off last Saturday with a moonlit dance party at Arthur J. Hendrickson Park, attracting hundreds of residents despite early rain.
Valley Stream celebrates 100 years in style By JUAN LASSO jlasso@liherald.com
Valley Stream residents danced under the stars last Saturday as the village celebrated its centennial with a moonlight dance party at Arthur J. Hendrickson Park — a festive and wellattended kickoff to a year of events marking 100 years of incorporation. Despite early rain and clouds, the skies cleared just in time for the evening celebration, themed around “Dancing Under the Moonlight.” Mayor Ed Fare and village staff welcomed hundreds of attendees to a night full of music, food, and surprise attractions, highlighted by the ceremonial ribbon-cutting for a newly constructed gazebo at the lakefront. Former mayors George Donnelly and John DeGrace joined current officials for the occasion. “We lucked out with the weather,” Fare said, noting the moon’s timely appearance after a cloudy day. “It was just beautiful — the kind of night where everyone was smiling and meeting neighbors they’d never seen before.” One surprise feature wowed the crowd: a glowing “100” strobe-lit float in the center of the lake, drawing attendees for Instagram-worthy photo ops. Other hits included a live performance by the band Hocus Pocus, a retro photo booth at the community center, and a swag bag packed with centennialthemed keepsakes — including a history book, a commemorative coin, and hand sanitizer.
A surprise floating “100” strobe-lit display on the lake became a popular photo op.
Mayor Ed Fare praised the village staff and Centennial Committee for their hard work in organizing the event, which included careful planning for weather and logistics. The celebration was as much about community spirit as it was about a herculean logistical task. Fare praised the tireless efforts of village staff and the 14-member Centennial Committee, who coordinated parking, shuttle trolleys, food service, and weather contingencies with precision. “It’s one thing to plan these events, but it’s the employees who really make them happen,” he said.
Guests embraced the occasion with festive attire, many dressing in styles from decades past. The casual, friendly atmosphere created an unexpected highlight for the mayor: “I must have met 50 or 60 people I’ve never met before,” he said. “That’s what this is all about.” The event also sparked excitement for the village’s centennial parade, scheduled for Sept. 27. But for now, resi-
dents are still glowing from the success of a night that brought generations together to honor their shared hometown — and proved that, in Valley Stream, these are the good old days of today. Arthur J. Hendrickson Park holds a special place in Valley Stream’s history, serving as a central hub for community events for decades. The park, named after the former village trustee and local leader Arthur J. Hendrickson, has long been a venue for celebrations and public gatherings. One of the park’s standout features is the iconic gazebo, originally built in 1962, which residents will be able to walk on its newly refurbished foundations for years to come.
May 8, 2025 — VALLEY STREAM HERALD
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Bridging ecology, equity and community Continued froM PAGe 1
den is part food source, part living classroom for students, part ecological refuge and preservation space, and not least a monument to the joys of growing one’s own delectable veggies and fruits. Raju Rajan, cofounder of ReWild, describes the garden’s design as rooted in the “CROWN” principles—an acronym that encapsulates the group’s philosophy: Compost, Refuse, Organic, Water-wise, and Native. “We’re not just growing food,” Rajan said. “We’re recycling kitchen and yard waste into soil. We’re refusing wasteful plastic and growing organic produce. We’re conserving water through a bioswale that captures rain runoff and recharges our aquifer. And most critically, we’re planting native species— deep-rooted, resilient plants that invite pollinators and sustain biodiversity.” Each bed is assigned either to an individual grower or to a communal plot whose harvest will be donated to families in need. ReWild plans to install smart irrigation systems to maximize water efficiency. For now, volunteers hand-water rows of produce with hoses coiled around the fencing. The garden’s placement was strategic. Rain runoff from an adjacent wall now funnels into a gently sloped basin planted with native grasses and wildflowers, transforming what was once a drainage problem into an ecological asset. It didn’t happen overnight. Sabatino and a small group of advocates began seeking space for the project nearly five years ago. They consulted with Cornell Cooperative Extension, applied for state grants, and spent months lobbying the village for land. When they first laid eyes on the lot, it was overgrown and forgotten. “It was blighted,” Sabatino recalled. “But we said, if this is what we’ve got, we’re going to make it work.” They did. With ReWild spearheading design and outreach, the garden secured donations for fencing, infrastructure,
Christina Rivera/Herald photos
Mayor edwin fare and Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages held the ceremonial scissors to formally celebrate the completion of Valley Stream’s new community garden. and educational signage. Local high school and middle school students will help maintain the plots while learning about sustainable agriculture and native ecosystems. “This isn’t just about vegetables,” said Rajan. “It’s about building climate resilience. It’s about empowering communities to grow, literally and figuratively.” And the work isn’t finished. “We’re going to need continued support—grants, donations, garden parties, whatever it takes,” said Michaelle Solages, whose office marshaled for the seed money to launch the project. “This is just the beginning of the journey.” The garden isn’t expected to come to its full bloom until another two to three years, but in due time it is destined to flourish into a well-designed green space in quiet defiance against climate uncertainty, food insecurity, and even disconnection.
Girl Scour troop 2165 got a lesson in gardening from rewild garden designer dianna facci, who was the key architect in shaping the look and feel of the community green space. Girl Scouts dug into the dirt to prepare a core part of the Valley Stream’s green space, which helps slow and clean stormwater runoff.
A new community garden in Valley Stream will cultivate fresh greens for two dozen garden members but also grow heart greens for area pantries. Solages watched as volunteers Phoebe Kingman, 9, Willla Gologor, 8, and 11-year-old Mila Gologor tended to the space.