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VOLUME SIXTEEN, ISSUE 1

20 PAGES

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2014 DIX HILLS

The Paramount Spotlight

PD: Graveyard Thief Robbed Banks dschrafel@longislandernews.com

Jim Breuer returns to Long Island with two performances at The Paramount March 8.

He’sFarFrom ‘HalfBaked’

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

For “Saturday Night Live” alum and “Half-Baked” star Jim Breuer, his upcoming March 8 stand-up performances at The Paramount mark a welcome return to the Valley Stream native’s backyard.

And when you perform in your backyard, it means his hometown fans will get a show like nobody else around the country will.

“For the first 25 minutes, I’m talking off the top of my head because I know everybody in the room,” Breuer said Friday. “It’s literally like having a family reunion.”

Want proof that Long Island gets Jim? He added a second performance – a late show at 11 p.m. – to (Continued on page A19)

He’s twice been convicted of robbing banks. Now, just three weeks out of prison on parole, Suffolk County police allege Dix Hills’ Max Schneider and two others desecrated Pinelawn Memorial Park with hopes of feeding their heroin habit.

Schneider, 24, was one of three arraigned Friday on grand larceny and other charges stemming from allegations that they stole more than $53,000 worth of bronze graveside vases from Pinelawn Memorial Cemetery and sold some for scrap to buy drugs.

“It’s of sentimental value to people,” Det./Lt. Robert Edwards, commanding officer of the First Squad Detectives, said of the cemetery vases. “To these three individuals, who are heroin addicts, it’s only a way for them to get money.”

Officials said Nicholas Giambalvo, 27, also of Dix Hills, struck Pinelawn four times – on Oct. 1 and 16 and Feb. 5 and 6. Schneider allegedly accompanied him Feb. 5 and 6, and Elizabeth Dono, 27, of North Babylon, is said to have taken part on Feb. 5.

Before he was arrested Feb. 6, Schneider was released on parole three

weeks earlier on Jan. 17 after spending 11 months in prison following a Dec. 3 bank robbery in West Babylon, according to online state prisoner records. He was previously arrested in March 2011 in connection with a string of bank robberies in Babylon, North Babylon, West Babylon, Commack, Deer Park, West Islip and Lake Grove. Schneider was busted on the Long Island Rail Road in March 2011 en route to New York City from Huntington.

Police officials said the suspects sold the vases, which the cemetery sells to the families for about $500, to a scrap metal shop for $10-$25 apiece. They typically made off with about 20 to 25 of them a run after using an axe-like tool to chop them off of their base.

Giambalvo and Dono, whom First Precinct Det./Sgt. Marco Giudice identified as a couple, are also accused of stealing copper pipe from a vacant North Babylon home in December.

Edwards said police have recovered about 90 of the vases, which were on display at a press conference at the First Precinct on Friday.

Justin Locke, the cemetery’s president, said in a statement Friday that Pinelawn will pay to replace any vases that are not recovered.

(Continued on page A19)

Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel

By Danny Schrafel

Det./Lt. Robert Edwards, the commanding officer of the First Squad Detectives, holds one of nearly 90 vases recovered by police after they were stolen from Pinelawn Memorial Park.

HALF HOLLOW HILLS

$23K In Fake Hills Checks Cashed School district expects to be fully reimbursed

By Jacqueline Birzon jbirzon@longislandernews.com

The Half Hollow Hills School District expects to be fully reimbursed after an unknown person cashed $23,000 worth of phony checks in the school district’s name, administrators said Monday.

The suspect allegedly generated 15 fake checks that were cashed at a Bank of America branch in Flushing, Queens between July and November 2013.

Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Facilities Ann Marie Marrone-Caliendo said Feb. 10 the district will be reimbursed for the loss as well as the 10 hours of legal fees incurred during the investigation process.

District officials have been working with the police department to uncover

information tied to the thefts, which administrators believe was done by an outside party who is not affiliated with Half Hollow Hills schools.

The school district is in the process of terminating their account with Bank of America, Marrone-Caliendo said. The assistant superintendent emphasized the that the district’s authentic checks are safe and said the suspect did not gain access to the district’s confidential check stock or computer system.

“Truly, it was [a matter of] someone having sat at a computer with a high-tech printer that created checks that are clearly not [authentic]… It was created by someone with ill intent,” Marrone-Caliendo said.

Most checks appear to have been prepared by the same person, Marrone-

Caliendo said, but she added that discrepancies in spelling and appearance make it unclear whether or not the fraud was a solo job.

The district, she said, was not involved in approving the fake checks. Rather, the burden of providing faulty payment fell on the bank, which ultimately supplied the suspect with the cash.

Some parents at Monday’s board of education meeting were frustrated to learn about the scam months after district officials became aware of it, but the assistant superintendent said it was a regular business operation. “[You are finding out about] It now because we just received the reimbursement check. The district was aware of it, and my office has been working on it for months,” Marrone-Caliendo said.

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MELVILLE

For The Love Of Scouting – And Chili, Too dschrafel@longislandernews.com

Everybody’s got an opinion about chili, and 16 entrants tried to woo the crowd at the Huntington Elks Lodge to their way of thinking on Saturday as they raised money to make this summer brighter for kids in need.

The Nickolas Demidovich Memorial Fund’s third annual chili cook-off raised thousands of dollars that will be used to send local Boy Scouts who otherwise couldn’t afford it to summer camp.

Melville’s Peter Demidovich, exalted ruler of the Huntington lodge, said the event was inspired by the memory of his late father and his devotion to scouting.

Nickolas was the committee chair of Troop 106, which is sponsored by the Huntington Elks, from the mid-1980s until he died in 2006. He was also an Elk in the latter years of his life.

“After he passed away, people donated money… They made it out to Troop 106,” Demidovich said.

Instead of keeping the money for general Boy Scout expenses, troop leaders launched a foundation in 2009 to help cover summer camp costs. Last year the foundation sent a dozen kids to Boy Scouts summer camp by picking up the $600-$700 bill. More money will come in this July through an annual pancake breakfast.

“It’s quite a bit of help for people who are struggling,” he said. “It’s a lot of money.”

The elder Demidovich always loved to eat, Peter recalled, and he got the idea for

a chili cook-off during a real estate convention when one of his colleagues discussed a chili party he held every year.

Last year, Mother Nature had her way and dumped snow on Long Island right before the contest. But with clearer skies in 2014, a full roster of 16 was on duty and dishing out their best – spicy, sweet and everything in between – as well as the stories behind their recipes.

Dix Hills’ Mike Terrone was one of the hardy souls who slogged through the snow to participate last year. He got his start making chili just a few years ago with Boy Scouts Troop 106, and was a hit this year with a sweet and hot recipe. The key? Diced mangos.

“It goes so well with the heat,” he said.

“Mangos and the habaneros.” The judges agreed – the panel, including Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci, WBAB afternoon drive personality Fingers, and this reporter, named his best overall.

Chris McKeown came prepared with delicious chili – and a container of Tums.

“I’m going to be popular by the end of the night,” he quipped.

Turns out he was, but for another reason – he won the people’s choice title for best overall.

John Tramposch’s entry reflects a lifestyle change. The Exalted Ruler of the Islip Elks Lodge said he adapted his traditional recipe after being diagnosed with diabetes eight years ago.

“At first I was very depressed, and I said, ‘You know what? I’ve got to learn to eat within my means’,” he said.

Meanwhile, East Northport’s David Nodell may have driven the farthest for

Long Islander News photos/Danny Schrafel

By Danny Schrafel

Why pair puppets and chili? Why not? Jack Stein introduces his sidekick Sleeezyanna. ingredients – he hunted the deer he used in his recipe during a recent Midwest hunting trip.

Others turned to the bar for a base.

Huntington resident Gigi Bowman’s recipe for Irish Chili, crowned with mashed potatoes, calls for 45 oz. of Guinness – “Guinness is good for cooking,” she explained. And Jim Ruppert’s “Jack Daniels XXX Rocky Mountain Badass Chili” pays homage to where he dreamed up the recipe as well as a key libation in the recipe.

Melville’s Jack Stein, who is a longtime chili chef, instead called in reinforcements – a saucy puppet named Sleeezyanna who will appear at the lodge’s ventriloquist’s show in late

Dix Hills’ Mike Terrone was the judge’s pick for best in show with sweet and hot concoction.

March. Why bring the flirtatious puppet to the event?

“Well, she cooked it,” he teased. “And ventriloquism really goes with anything.”

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014 • A3

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Winter White Costing Town Green Huntington has spent $1.4 million so far on winter weather Photo by Ross McTyre

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

The piles of white are costing municipalities across the state tons of green, and it’s no different in the Town of Huntington.

After three snow storms this year, the Town of Huntington had already spent $1.4 million of its $1.8 million snow budget for 2014 as of Feb. 3, town spokesman A.J. Carter said Monday. The fund covers snow removal as well as materials needed to respond to winter weather, like salt, sand and brine.

“In terms of the number of storms, this is the worst winter we’ve had in a long time,” he said.

Another 6 inches of snow were forecasted for Wednesday, as of press time.

Should the snow fund be depleted, the town has a contingency fund of about $1 million, which is funded by unspent snow funds from years past, Carter said. Should that be depleted, the town can then turn to a $5-million highway fund balance.

Villages in Huntington have been hard hit as well. Northport Village Mayor George Doll said that the evidence arrives every two weeks when the board approves their highway department payroll. So far, the village has spent almost

Snow plows make their way down Oakwood Road after the Feb. 2 snowstorm. all of its $76,000 snow budget and will likely dip into the $200,000 contingency reserve to handle snow removal services

for the balance of the season.

“The budget is probably shot,” Doll said.

Snow removal on Asharoken Avenue and portions of Bevin Road in Asharoken Village is handled by the Town of Huntington. From there, beach clubs and residents coordinate plowing efforts on private roads, Village Clerk Nancy Rittenhouse explained.

Asharoken paid the town a little more than $7,000 for snow plowing in 2013, and Rittenhouse said Monday that she requested a year-to-date expense projection from Huntington Town Hall. With the snowy pace so far, costs could go up in 2014, she said.

“It may be adjusted based on the recent occurrences of the snowfall,” she said of the contract.

However, timing helped keep costs from climbing even higher. The most recent storms, which occurred in the daytime during the workweek, snarled morning commutes but saved the town on overtime expenses, Carter said.

Even with the early wave of snow spending, Carter said the town is on solid ground for the rest of the season and will not have to borrow to keep the roads clear.

“We’re still in 2014 budgeted money and there are two other places to go for [snow removal] money… without having to do what the other towns have been forced to do, which is bond,” he said.

HALF HOLLOW HILLS

School Board Discusses Common Core Delay Superintendent explains how move by Regents would affect Hills students

By Jacqueline Birzon jbirzon@longislandernews.com

Responding to pressure from parents in its school district, the Half Hollow Hills Board of Education announced Monday it would adjust the district’s longstanding sit-and-stare policy to allow students who refuse state tests to read while exams are administered.

Superintendent Kelly Fallon also addressed how the New York State Board of Regents’ looming decision on whether to delay enforcing measures related to the Common Core standards would affect students in the her district.

The Regents committee proposed Mon-

day that requirements tied to the Common Core standards be postponed until 2022, providing relief to teachers and students who, prior to the Regents board’s announcement, would have to earn a higher score on the exam to graduate.

If the proposal is adopted, high school students set to graduate in 2022 would be the first cohort to face Common Core-infused Regents algebra and English language exams, 12 years after their implementation in 2010.

The changes also call for a delay in uploading selected student data to the cloudbased inBloom portal to address privacy and security concerns shared by stakeholders throughout Long Island and the state.

“We were hoping for some more significant changes that did not happen, but we will be reviewing these modifications and it is our hope that as we continue to speak to our elected officials that they begin to recognize that…these stringent guidelines surrounding things such as assessments and APPR are really not necessary in a district such as Half Hollow Hills,” Fallon said Monday.

Parents in the Half Hollow Hills district launched an anti-Common Core website using social media, with members calling for an overhaul of the curriculum and arguing their children are the victims.

Under the Regents proposal, local standardized tests would be eliminated for stu-

DIX HILLS

Sagamore Advocates’ Final Push

By Jacqueline Birzon jbirzon@longislandernews.com

Sagamore Children’s Psychiatric Center advocates will make their final push to dissuade Governor Andrew Cuomo from closing the Dix Hills treatment facility when stakeholders on Friday host a rally promoting their effort to preserve the center’s 54 in-patient beds.

The two-hour rally, scheduled to take place from noon-2 p.m. on Feb. 14, will include members of the State Assembly, Senate and a plethora of parents and mental health employees who oppose the New York State Office of Mental Health’s (OMH) plan to close the facility in July.

The planned rally takes place one and a

half months before the governor finalizes his 2014-2015 Executive Budget. Sagamore advocates like Dr. Dennis Dubey, former executive director of the center, hope that is a large enough window to affect change at the state level.

“The effort is still there. There’s definitely a lot of growing legislative support, but… you don’t want to believe what you hear until it’s official. We’re still fighting for the fact that we need – the kids need – all 54 beds,” Dubey said.

Local assemblymen and senators, including Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci (R-Huntington Station) and Assemblyman Andrew Raia (R-East Northport) submitted a letter Jan. 15 signed by 17 of their colleagues expressing a shared

“concern” over how Sagamore’s potential closure will impact children and their families.

Cuomo has already announced that three upstate treatment centers – the Greater Binghamton Health Center, Elmira Psychiatric Center and the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center – are safe from the OMH chopping block. Administrators plan to close treatment centers throughout the state and consolidate them into 15 Regional Centers of Excellence (RCE).

According to OMH Acting Commissioner Kristin Woodlock, the RCE plan stems from budget inefficiencies and an overall need to reshape the way NewYork approaches mental health treatment.

dents in grades K-2 used to determine teacher evaluations and would allow students with “severe disabilities” who do not qualify for alternate assessments to be tested “at their instructional level rather than their chronological age level, and allow English language learners to be tested in their native language” for the first two years they are exposed to Common Coreguided state exams.

Hills Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education Mary Rettaliata said that while administrators and teachers in the district have been proactive in addressing the changes related to the Common Core, the adjustment has not been “easy work.”

“It is work that requires us to look at instruction in a different way, time in a different way, and requires us to spend more time on a topic or subject than we used to.

We don’t want to lose sight of the fact that we want high standards for our kids and for them to be exposed to great instruction,” Rettaliata said.

The changes, if adopted, would also cap the instructional time that can be used for local assessments to inform teacher evaluations in classrooms grades 3-8 to 1 percent.

The Regents board proposal, drawn up by six members of the committee, was scheduled to be presented before the entire Regents board on Feb. 11 for approval.

Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday blasted the board’s recommendations, which he said came “too late” for concerned parents and students.

“Today’s recommendations are another in a series of missteps by the Board of Regents that suggests the time has come to seriously reexamine its capacity and performance. These recommendations are simply too little, too late,” Cuomo said in a statement.

A4 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014

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‘Snow’ More Wintry Mix, Please Enough already… It’s been a long time since I’ve on Deer Park Avenue. It could save me a bundle of money and a load of aggravation if I end up dodging been so grateful for “cold” and “dry” in the winterone of those tire-eating potholes. If you see a bad one time. That’s right – after a week of snow, wind and on a town road, give the highslush, we finally caught a break around these parts as way department a call. With as a big, nasty blizzard pushed out IN THE KNOW many miles of roads as they to sea over the weekend. Trusty WITH AUNT ROSIE have, Pete and the gang would me – I’ve been through some certainly benefit from a few pretty awful winters, but I was friendly pointers to steer them younger then. One more major wallop in a week’s toward the trouble spots. span, and I think you might have seen a cartoon of Walt on our cover with a sign that said “Boca or A new symphony… Don’t get me wrong – we Bust.” There is, after all, just so much that a gal can love our new digs at 14 Wall Street in the heart of tolerate… beautiful Huntington village. The view is great, the best food on earth is all around us and, much to the Watch your rear… While we’re on the issue of boss’ relief, there are five wonderful coffee joints snow, be extra-careful when you’re pulling out of within walking distance. There’s also musical enterparking spaces or navigating side roads for the next tainment – and by musical entertainment, I mean a little while. Thanks to Mother Nature (hi, Mom!) symphony of cranky drivers honking their little hearts freezing all the snow-boulders in place for the time out, as if that will make traffic move any faster. I being, the municipal lots are… well, really, really tried to honk my way to faster driving as a kid – it snug, to put it politely. So do your Aunt Rosie a favor didn’t work. Now I try to take it easy and enjoy the and remember that you don’t have nearly as much ride – after all, you’ll get there just as slowly, but room as you do during warmer days to back your car with your blood pressure intact. out of your spot. Backing into a person’s car is no way to meet your neighbors. Trust me on that one.

Spring cleaning… With spring cleaning around Buy a step-stool… And if you’re zipping around the corner, don’t throw your shoes out – give them away. Starting March 1, Northport’s Anita Thomas town with a pile of snow on your car’s roof, I have will be collecting gently-worn shoes at various locathis urge to kick you in the knees. Sorry if I’m a little tions throughout Northport. She’s hoping to collect blunt here, but I’m still sore about when I got an ava20,000 pairs for the Soles4Souls Foundation, which lanche of snow on my car last week after some ninaims to fight poverty by distributing clothing and compoop who was in a hurry neglected to clear their shoes to impoverished parts of the world while reduccar. Do the right thing and drive around without a ing waste by keeping shoes out of the trash. Anita did snow-capped car. And if you’re about to say, “There 12,000 last year. If we can pool 20,000 pairs, oughta be a law…” well, someone tried – ol’ Jon Soles4Souls will send her a tractor-trailer to haul Cooper suggested making it a ticketable offense a them back to their Nashville headquarters. So if few years back, but only for commercial vehicles. there’s a warm snap and you’ve got the urge to clean, Now can we finish the job and get the rest of us unhang on to your shoes a little while longer and put der the law? You don’t have to give out fines – just them to good use! pull folks over and say, “Clean your car, please” and hand ’em a brush.

Pothole fever… With all the snow – and the salting, brining and plowing that follows – it seems like our thoroughfares have broken out with a nasty case of the potholes. I’ve been trying to take it slow in order to give myself plenty of time to maneuver around some of the worst examples that I’ve seen, especially

(Aunt Rosie wants to hear from you! If you have comments, ideas, or tips about what’s happening in your neck of the woods, write to me today and let me know the latest. To contact me, drop a line to Aunt Rosie, c/o The Long-Islander, 145 East Main Street, Huntington NY 11743. Or try the e-mail at

POLICE REPORT Compiled by Danny Schrafel

I Don’t Always Steal Beer, But When I Do, I Prefer Dos Equis A 30-year-old man from Huntington Station was arrested Feb. 4 on petit larceny charges. According to police, he stole steak and a six-pack of Dos Equis beer from the King Kullen supermarket on West Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station at 5:25 p.m.

Shovel This!

Two out-of-towners were arrested Feb. 3 after they allegedly solicited their shoveling services without first getting the proper peddler’s permit from the town clerk.

Police said that at 2:05 p.m., the 31-year-old man from Lynbrook and 25-year-old woman from Ronkonkoma knocked on the front door of a private home on Wolf Hill Road and offered to shovel their walk for a fee. Shortly thereafter, someone called the cops and the duo was arrested.

Through The Back Door Again?

A Dix Hills home was burglarized Feb. 1. Police said that someone entered through the rear sliding door of a Norma Lane home at 4:50 p.m. and stole jewelry.

Well, That Wasn’t Too Bright After leaving the keys in the console, a 2002 Toyota Camry was stolen from the parking lot of an office building at 145 Pinelawn Road in Melville on Feb. 6. The incident occurred at 9 p.m., according to police.

Smash And Run A car’s rear window was broken at 10 p.m. Feb. 6. The vehicle was parked on Burrs Lane in Dix Hills. Police did not have a description of the type of vehicle that was damaged.

That’s Some Right Hook A man called Suffolk County police Feb. 2 after he was allegedly sucker-punched at Otsego Park in Dix Hills. He told cops that at about 3 p.m. the day before, someone walked up to him and punched him in the right side of the face.

Dancin’ Fool BABY FACES KAITLYN ELIZABETH RUSSELL

QUOTE OF THE WEEK JACK STEIN

Dance clothing was stolen from the unlocked trunk of a 2009 Ford Mustang parked on Old East Neck Road in Melville on Feb. 5. A thief made off with luggage from the trunk at about 4 a.m., which contained the clothing.

Their Benz Is Gone In A Flash A Lloyd Harbor resident left their keys in their unlocked, brand-new Mercedes Benz – and somebody stole it right out of their driveway. Police said the incident occurred at 10 p.m. Feb. 4. They received the call the next day.

Say It, Don’t Spray It Proud father Jamie Russell poses with his newborn daughter, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Russell, and new friends, members of the Huntington Community First Aid Squad, who helped the Russells deliver their baby girl at their Huntington Station home last Thanksgiving.

Police responded to a vandalism complaint in Dix Hills on Feb. 4. A Lamb Place resident called the cops after someone spray-painted her fence the night before at approximately 6 p.m.

“Ventriloquism really goes with anything.”

For The Love Of Scouting – And Chili, Too, PAGE A2

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER

An Off-Roading Twerp He took it off road and onto their front lawn. Cops were called to New York Avenue in Melville at 8 a.m. on Feb. 2 after someone who was driving a quad on the road decided to take the vehicle onto their grass, wrecking part of their lawn in the process.

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Pickles, anybody? Ten-year-old Dillon Leibowitz stands behind a barrel full of crunchy bread-and-butter slices ready for sampling at Northport’s winter farmer’s market Saturday.

MELVILLE

Foodies Take Shelter At Winter Market

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

Tucked away in a little alley along Northport’s Main Street, a new wintertime farmer’s market gives shoppers seeking fresh produce, bread, cheese and more respite from the cold and a chance to try something new on Saturday mornings.

There, at the Local Eats – Farm to Fork Market, Melville’s Mark Leibowitz and his 10-year-old son Dillon rolled out the barrel to introduce shoppers to Guss’ Pickles as father and son offered up an array of pickles, pickled peppers and other savory treats. With their stand right at the front door, Dillon kept busy offering samplers to new visitors during the morning.

Now in their third week in the Northport market, Leibowitz said it’s going “very well.” It’s their first-ever foray into a farmer’s market – normally, they sell their pickles to supermarkets and restaurants.

“They contacted us – and my son loves it,” Mark said. “It’s a nice way to spend an afternoon together as a father and son.”

Lee Holcomb, who owns the space at 60 Main St. used for the market and operates a sign business in the rear of the storefront, said he opened his doors to the vendors after their previous space at the St. Paul’s Methodist Church became unavailable.

“I had the space available, and I love the farmer’s market in the summertime,” he said. “So I asked some of the vendors, and

they said, ‘Yeah – that’d be great.’”

While truck problems kept a green-grocer away this past Saturday, the storefront, which once was home to the Spy Shop, was filled with purveyors of breads, cookies, empanadas, infused oils, pickles and goat cheese made the trip to Northport to showcase their products.

Candy maker Annie Wetzel, of Huntington Station, got in touch with Northport Chamber of Commerce Corresponding Secretary Dorothy Walsh and soon set up shop with an array of brittles, caramels and jellies that are nut-free, soy-free and gluten-free. She also does not use artificial colors or flavors, high-fructose corn syrup or preservatives. She’s now working on expanding the line to include nougats.

“It’s all made fresh and sold fresh at the markets,” she said of her line, which she formally introduced last year.

A snowy winter hasn’t helped in the opening year, Holcomb noted, but business has been growing steadily.

“This is a brand new market, and it’s a little bit slow,” Wetzel said. “We’re hoping as people get used to the fact that it’s here and it becomes part of their daily routine, they’ll come and we’ll get a little busier.”

“The weather has been a little trying,” Huntington’s Dustin Triesch, of the upstate Coach Dairy Farms, said. “That didn’t help sales, but there are people who come in, loyal customers, and its’ very nice to see people on a weekly basis.”

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014 • A5

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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

LaunchPad Blasts Off, Sparking Tech Hub Technology incubator opens doors, welcomes tenants Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

Officials cut the ribbon Feb. 5 on the LaunchPad high-tech business accelerator, which they hope will serve as the staging ground from which new technology-driven businesses can take off.

As elected officials, including County Executive Steve Bellone and Councilman Mark Cuthbertson, toured the 8,522 square-foot, second-story shared workspace at 315 Main St. in Huntington, entrepreneurs from a half-dozen startup firms were hard at work.

Tyler Roye, CEO of eGifter, the incubator’s anchor tenant, partnered with Andrew Hazan and LaunchPad Long Island, which also has a similar facility in Mineola, to create the downtown business hub which Roye estimates can accommodate 10 to 15 startup businesses.

“What we’re trying to do is fill the void in the ecosystem for start-ups,” Roye said.

“We’re hoping to see the LaunchPad Huntington model help provide a framework for mentorship that increases the likelihood that our startups will succeed.”

“My goal is to help create a world-class startup ecosystem on Long Island, and Huntington is a key ingredient in that plan,” Hazan added.

Bellone, who toured the site with Industrial Development Agency (IDA) chairman Anthony Manetta and IDA board member Steven Rossetti, of Huntington, said the grand opening is a “key moment” in efforts to build an

From left, Ming Chan and Farjad Fazli, founders of Immersive Ubiquity, feel right at home in their new trappings in the village. innovation economy in Suffolk County.

The IDA approved a five-year, $150,000 tax incentive package for the incubator in July, and has a desk in the facility. The Long Island Software and Technology Network (LISTNet) also has an office in the incubator.

“This is exactly what we need to do in order to be competitive in attracting that young, creative class that is essential to build an innovation economy,” Bellone said.

Opportunities for capital and professional development should be ample at the new incubator, officials said. Angel Dough Ventures has created a fund to underwrite at least $250,000 in seed funding for select Huntington and Mineola-based LaunchPad startups. LISTNet, St. Joseph’s College and Accelerate Long Island also plan to hold regular events at the facility.

Huntington’s Farjad Fazli, co-founder of Immersive Ubiquity, which develops apps

for wearable and gesture-based technology like Google Glass and XBox Kinect, said he learned of the new incubator during a threemonth stay in LaunchPad Mineola, and is about to move into their new incubator space.

The new space combines the comforts of home with an urbane flair, he explained.

“Huntington is more convenient location... It’s a nice, happening downtown area,” Fazli said.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014 • A7

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Change Made At Town Attorney’s Office Deputy Thelma Neira out; Tom Glascock to assume role March 1

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

A new deputy town attorney will be coming to Huntington Town Hall March 1.

The town board voted 4-1 Feb. 4 to appoint Tom Glascock, of Huntington, an attorney with Forcelli Curto Deegan Schwartz Mineo & Terrana LLP in Uniondale, to serve as the town’s deputy town at-

torney starting at the beginning of the month. He will replace Thelma Neira, who has worked for the town for more than two decades.

“I can’t thank the supervisor and the town board enough for this opportunity,” Glascock said.

Councilwoman Tracey Edwards, who sponsored the resolution to hire Glascock, praised both the incoming and out-

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Board Plugs Apartment Loophole Higher burden of proof for applicants

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

The Huntington Town Board took quick action last week to close what has been described as a loophole in Huntington’s accessory apartment code.

The town voted unanimously to enact the legislation only minutes after a Feb. 4 hearing on the matter. The code change requires applicants for accessory apartment permits to submit additional documentation to establish proof of ownership.

“When you find that there is a possible opening in the system that people try to play, it’s important to close that opening as quickly as you find it exists,” Councilwoman Susan Berland, who sponsored the bill, said.

Berland said the law was inspired by a spate of landlords who gave their renters 1-percent ownership of a home so that they could apply for and get a permit to add an accessory apartment.

Town code only allows accessory apartments in owner-occupied residences.

Lauri Mailloux, who lives on Lincoln Place in Huntington, said that a home on Park Avenue “is a prime example” of what can go wrong when an absentee landlord is able to have an accessory rental.

“The tenant of the accessory apart-

ment was suddenly on the deed and the main house began to have a revolving cast of tenants,” she said. Problems with garbage, weeds, dead trees and an unregistered car parked on the front lawn, she added, soon followed.

The amended code now requires applicants to present a copy of the property’s most recent recorded deed, all covenants and restrictions on the property and proof of residency when applying for a permit. That documentation could include: a last owner search performed by a licensed abstract company, income tax returns, homeowner’s insurance policy or declaration sheet, updated utility bills, mortgage statements and all leases. In addition, all owners of the property must acknowledge the application through an affidavit.

The law also empowers a hearing officer or the zoning board of appeals to step in to investigate and make a determination when an applicant’s ownership stake in the property is in doubt.

The proposal also extends the owneroccupied classification to include those who hold a life estate interest in the property.

Berland said the law is crafted to balance cracking down on apartment scofflaws with ensuring that families who legitimately give their adult children part-ownership in a home are not unfairly punished.

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going deputies.

“Thelma Neira and Tom Glascock are great people and great attorneys, and I wish them both well,” she said.

Neira, of Huntington, said Monday that she found out about the town’s decision to replace her Feb. 3, one day before they hired Glascock. However, Supervisor Frank Petrone said that the opportunity for Neira to work for the town in a new role remains.

“Whatever that will be, we haven’t really fully executed that,” he said.

Neira, a longtime town employee who has nearly 22 years under her belt including tenure as Town Attorney, seems to be taking the sudden news in stride.

“It’s never good losing a job, but I don’t really have any animosity,” she said.

While Neira’s response has been muted, Councilman Gene Cook’s has not – he voted against Glascock’s hiring and criticized the board for how it was handled.

Before the vote, Cook said he learned of plans to hire Glascock at the last minute, did not have an opportunity to interview him, and felt the move was unfair to Neira.

“The way we treat our employees – it’s a sad state of affairs,” Cook said.

Describing the situation as a personnel matter, Councilwoman Susan Berland declined to comment. But Councilman Mark Cuthbertson said Glascock’s background will benefit the town.

“Collectively, everyone thought Tom had a skill-set that would be needed in the coming years in negotiations with Renaissance and projects like that,”

Thomas Glascock Cuthbertson said.

Glascock first did legal work for the town’s Economic Development Corporation, where the opportunity for something larger presented itself.

“I found work with the town with the EDC and was asked if I was interested in the position [of deputy town attorney],” he said. “We had some very positive meetings and I was extended an offer.”

Glascock serves on the town’s Huntington Station Revitalization Task Force; is a member of the executive committee of the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce; serves on the board of the Huntington Arts Council; and is a trustee of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum.

With a March 1 departure looming, Neira said she will be busy wrapping up casework until then, and has high hopes for her successor.

“He’s a very nice person, and I’m sure he’ll do a good job,” she said.

A8 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014

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Opinion

Se

nd letters The Editor to: , Half Holl ow Hills N ewspaper, 14 W Huntingto all Street, n, New Y or email us ork 11743 at info@long islanderne ws.com

‘Not the types set up by the printer return their impression, the meaning, the main concern.’

Save Sagamore Center The New York State Office of Mental families will rely on less intensive social Health plans to close Sagamore Children’s services that in some cases will simply be inPsychiatric Center in Dix Hills this summer adequate. Families without a choice will face as part of a consolidation plan. Patients of long travel times that limit opportunities to the 54-bed facility, which serves children visit and participate in therapies. Their chilages 9-17, would be moved to a regional fa- dren – already vulnerable – will be further cility in either Queens or Bronx counties. isolated.

That plan is opposed by mental health adThe same geographic considerations that are vocates, with growing support from local practical in upstate communities cannot be apstate legislators, who are concerned that the plied here. If they are, children will suffer. move to save New York State Unfortunately, mental health money is not in the best interest of EDITORIAL care advocates do not have a voice the children the facility serves. as powerful as other constituenChildren served by Sagamore are placed cies facing budget cuts. However, their arguthere for treatment of severe psychiatric dis- ments are sound, and the clock is ticking. orders, including deep depression, debilitat- The consolidation savings are a part of the ing anxiety and psychosis. Patients may have governor’s 2014-2015 budget, which must a history of suicide attempts, self mutilation, be adopted by April 1. social isolation, substance abuse and exploThe quote “No man stands so tall as when sive behavioral outbursts. They require in- he stoops to help a child” applies here. New tense treatment therapies.

York State needs to take another look at its By closing the door on a local treatment plan, and for the sake of a community of option, New York State runs the risk that fragile children, keep Sagamore open.

Letters to the editor are welcomed by Long Islander News. We reserve the right to edit in the interest of space and clarity. All letters must be handsigned and they must include an address and daytime telephone number for verification.

Personal attacks and letters considered in poor taste will not be printed. We cannot publish every letter we receive due to space limitations.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Do You See A Pattern Here?

DEAR EDITOR: Huntington failure to vote on the settlement of the Ruland Road litigation on the terms it had already agreed upon and had so advised the court is a repetition of a tactic it has used before in this case, where the Town settles the case, advises the court it has done so, and then backs out of the agreement. Here, it has the unfortunate consequence of opening the settlement to a new level of discrimination as it seeks to exclude minorities and other families with children who must have rentals because they cannot afford the down payment and higher monthly costs of ownership.

The town’s actions block affordable family housing from being built in most of the township.

When the Matinecock Court case was filed, 70 percent of the black

population lived in six of the town’s 48 census tracts, while 30 of the tracts had less than 1 percent of the black population. Segregation has grown since then. By far the greatest area of Huntington has been placed off-limits to minorities and other families with children who wish to live in a lessimpacted area. There is no order to that effect and nothing in writing to explain it.

The practice of exclusionary zoning has become the town’s policy, keeping these families from a decent place to live.

How can it be? Researchers and writers refer to it as the Jim Crow law of the North (see Wikipedia).

Huntington’s answers to the following questions would help all of us understand how it has taken twelve years to reach this impasse: • Why did the town advise the developer that the 1,300 senior-only Greens project would not be approved unless he changed his application for two-and-three bedroom af-

fordable rental units on Ruland Road to all one-bedroom units?

• Why did the town limit the family housing on Ruland Road to one-bedroom units but approve two-bedroom units for 200 senior-only units at the Greens?

• Why did the town sit on the developer’s original application for Ruland Road for more than a year, direct him to change it to all one-bedrooms and then act on the Greens rezoning the day after it received the one-bedroom application, in a hearing that did not allow for written public comment?

• Why did the town issue building permits and occupancy certificates on 200 belowmarket-rate Greens homes in violation of their own law requiring that they be held back until they were also issued for Ruland Road?

• Why did the town refuse to use its own planning board’s need-based formula for the bedroom mix on Ruland Road, providing 29 three-bedroom

units instead of the six agreed upon?

Up to now 117 families have been denied a decent place to live for more than 10 years.

ROBERT W. RALPH President Fair Housing in Huntington Committee, Inc

Spending Money To Do The Wrong Thing?

DEAR EDITOR: Can anyone tell me why the Huntington Town Board refuses to settle the lawsuit brought by the NAACP to build 117 rental units at Ruland Road, especially considering: • The town lost a lawsuit fighting affordable rental units and has already spent at least $400,000 in legal fees on this battle.

• There were 27 speakers for rental units and 5 against at the Dec. 10 Board Meeting which considered settlement of the lawsuit.

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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Founded in 1996 by James Koutsis

• Housing, planning and development experts agree that there is a need on Long Island for rental housing and that financing for ownership units has dried up.

• There were over 450 residents vying in a lottery for the chance to win an affordable apartment in the new AvalonBay complex.

I wonder if the town board is playing the cynical game of demanding ownership units knowing a builder will not be able to get financing, and therefore nothing will ever be built. On the other hand, there is a builder ready and waiting to build the rental units.

I for one do not want to have one more taxpayer dollar spent to “do the wrong thing” and prevent low and middle income young professionals, families and seniors from being able to rent decent affordable housing in the Town of Huntington.

Danny Schrafel Jacqueline Birzon Kristen Schultheiss Reporters

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014 • A9

Life& Style ART

‘Rabble-Rousers’ Exhibit Piques Interest

By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandernews.com

Within the muted teal walls of Huntington’s Heckscher Museum of Art lives a collection of paintings that appear quiet and subtle. Like an owl perched on the branch of a tall and sturdy tree, the exhibit is calm and unthreatening. But, also like the wise old owl, these powerful paintings have seen times of social and political triumph and turbulence. At night, after all, an owl swoops swiftly from its resting branch to devour its prey.

The Heckscher currently features its “Rabble-Rousers: Art, Dissent, and Social Commentary” exhibition – an arrangement of works from the museum's permanent collection.

“A lot of it looks very tame today, and it’s hard to understand, how that would've been challenging or controversial,” Heckscher Museum of Art curator Lisa Chalif said. “Certainly you have to understand the context and when the artist was working.”

Chalif, a Huntington resident and art historian, has been with the museum eight years, and its curator for five. Her goal with this exhibition was to display works that either had not yet been seen by the public or had not been seen in a long time.

There is May Stevens’ “Big Daddy, Paper Doll,” which questions the true distance between butcher, policeman, soldier and executioner, each an authority figure who delivers death.

There are Larry Fink’s photographs, including his Gatsby-esque “English Speaking Union, New York City,

George Grosz’ “Untitled (Man and Woman).”

December 1975,” which compare the lifestyles of the wealthy and the not-sowealthy, revealing the inherent social hierarchy in big cities.

There is George Grosz’s “I Was Always Present,” a colorful chaos of oranges and reds, which serves to represent the artist's anxieties about the Nazi party and foretells societal destruction.

There are Robert Rauschenberg’s “Monkey Chow,” “Calf Startena,” “Rabbit Chow” and “Mink Chow” – an almost ironically whimsical series of mixed-media works reminiscent of dairy farms and branded by the red-and-white checkerboard pattern of Purina pet food bags.

Northport residents Nadine Dumser and Liddy Latter happened upon the exhibition last week during one of their occasional visits to the museum.

“It's quite a mix of different things," said Dumser, who was interested to see

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Nautical Notes: Little Lighthouse That Was

By Henrietta Schavran Residents of the Huntington area are familiar with the two nautical landmarks that form a gracious entrance to Huntington’s waters: The Lighthouse at Eaton’s Neck, and the Lloyd Harbor Light (Huntington Lighthouse). The former is operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, which stands guard at Eaton’s Neck, and the latter stands at the entrance to Huntington Harbor. Besides its primary role to guide mariners safely into the harbors of Huntington and Lloyd Harbors, the Huntington Lighthouse is also home to events such as the Labor Day Lighthouse Music Festival, as well as tours; both events are run by the Huntington Lighthouse

Preservation Society.

Did you know that prior to 1912, when the Lloyd Harbor Light was built, another lighthouse existed on the northern tip of land at the entrance to Huntington Harbor? The waters around the entrance to Huntington and Lloyd Harbors, especially at high tide, hid rocks and shoals that created dangerous and treacherous navigation hazards for mariners.

In the 1840s, the U.S. Government purchased a 5-acre strip of the northern peninsula of Lloyd Harbor on which it constructed a lighthouse. The light keeper’s dwelling was an 11-room, two-story wooden house, to which was added a light tower.

In the multi-sided light chamber, a great lamp, fueled by a special coal coil, cast light beams across Huntington Bay and across portions of Long Island Sound as far west as Oyster Bay.

Northport residents Nadine Dumser and Liddy Latter were surprised to see that most pieces in the “Rabble-Rousers: Art, Dissent, and Social Commentary” exhibit would probably not be considered shocking in today's society. the varying representations of “people dissenting.”

“It's really different and not what you'd expect,” she said.

Latter echoed her sentiment. While the two acknowledged that the theme in the room revolved around individuals taking rather outrageous action, they were surprised to see that nothing represented in According to old records, the lighthouse was first lit on Nov. 15, 1857 and it functioned until it was officially closed in 1925. Robert McGlone was its last official light keeper. He lived with his wife and five children on the property.

In 1900, tragedy struck when Mrs. McGlone and their sixth child died during childbirth. Nonetheless, he continued his position as light keeper and entrusted the care of his five children to a widow, Mrs. Augusta “Gussie” Harrington. Mr. McGlone became the first light keeper of the new lighthouse in 1912. Mrs. Harrington, who later became light keeper of the new lighthouse, continued to live in the old lighthouse until she retired in 1925.

In the next two decades, the old lighthouse became an abandoned symbol of a once-valuable maritime aid to commercial and pleasure vessels entering the two harbors. It was a popular place for boaters to visit and have picnics on the beach. Races and other water sports were conducted at the site. Campers, hunters and fishermen used it as well.

In 1947, the old lighthouse was destroyed by fire, and, according to old records, the structure collapsed on Feb. 20, 1965.

Nothing remains of the old lighthouse but bits of the original foundation that slowly are crumbling away, leaving only

the art actually seemed too outrageous in today's age of Tweeting and “twerking.”

“Maybe at the time it was shocking, but now it doesn't seem like it's shocking in any way,” Latter said.

“Rabble-Rousers” will be open until March 16, when the museum will close for two weeks in preparation for its “Long Island's Best” exhibition.

a precious memory of a once elegant symbol of Huntington’s nautical history.

Henrietta Schavran, a native New Yorker and Huntington resident, has a Ph.D. from NYU and has been a businesswoman, historian, writer and lecturer. She is Flotilla Commander, Coxwain and Instructor in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and enjoys sailing her sailboat with family and friends.

A10 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014

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Foodie photos/Danny Schrafel

www.facebook.com/dinehuntington

e i d o Fo THE

SECTION

DINEHUNTINGTON .COM

The Purple Elephant In The Room

By Arielle & Danny foodie@longislandernews.com

Through the brown curtains and past the hanging beaded string with its tiny elephant adornments, customers will find a counter and kitchen filled with both vegan and omnivore-friendly cuisine. Here at Northport’s Purple Elephant Market Café, in its third season, every menu item is free of GMOs, antibiotics and hormones.

First come the drinks. There’s the selection of organic, sustainable, biodynamic wines, or the $10 mixed drinks. And then there are the Coco Cream Dream, a simple but seemingly serendipitous union of Coconut TY-KU Sake and Boylan’s AllNatural Cream Soda; the Bloody Geisha, a concoction of tomato juice, wasabi, soy sauce, lime juice and sake, garnished with a celery stick and a lime; and the Warm Apple Pie, a Mason jar filled with fresh hot apple cider, cranberry juice and hot sake.

The menu is extensive. Patrons sitting in

David and Yvonne Intonato, father and daughter, own and work at Northport’s Purple Elephant Market Cafe – a restaurant with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free menu choices, as well as options for omnivores.

The Purple Elephant Market Café’s Vegan Mac Attack ($17) is mac n’ cheese with a kick – vegan mac n’ cheese, combined with grain sausage and black truffle oil, drizzled with sriracha sauce and topped with roasted jalapeno. cushy brown leather-ish booths or smaller tables along a purple wall order dishes marked with (V) for vegan, (VG) for vegetarian or (GF) for gluten free.

Kale and market vegetables under an

apple cider vinaigrette and garnished with hemp seeds, the vegan and gluten-free Kale Case Salad ($8/10) tastes better than it sounds. The Vegan Mac Attack ($17) is incredible and confusing to the non-vegan, who is probably not entirely sure what the non-cheese is made of but will accept it because it tastes so good. The vegan mac n’ cheese is combined with grain sausage and black truffle oil, drizzled with sriracha sauce and topped with roasted jalapeno.

The Vegan “Burnt Ends” Quesadilla ($16) is sweet and savory, made with “chicken” and vegan cheese, served with avocado and pico de gallo.

For meat eaters, among the many

options are the chili and meatballs, each made with grass-fed beef. The chili has a spicy kick to it, but it is not overwhelming.

Its meat component is balanced by brown rice and scallions.

The meatballs ($10) are served with one of four sauces – classic Italian, wild mushroom ragout, spicy Guajillo chile, or pesto sauce – and over a bed of mashed potatoes, organic linguini, vegan mac n’ cheese, salad, or broccoli. (There’s a $3 sharing charge.)

The family-run establishment is run by David Intonato and his wife, Erin. Their daughter, Yvonne, works there as well.

(Continued on page A11)

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Northport’s Purple Elephant (Continued from page A10)

“My idea always was just to give people clean, whole food and still have it taste good,” David Intonato said.

Having trained as a chef for about 20 years, he decided to use his knowledge of cooking and the food industry to create well-rounded options for Long Islanders.

Intonato himself made a life change six years ago. Weighing in at 200 pounds, he learned from his wife’s vegan lifestyle and started doing yoga and eating a vegetarian diet. Three years ago, he went vegan.

The Bob Marley enthusiast has now lost weight, started feeling healthier and created a restaurant and market with what he hopes is a “loose and fun” atmosphere and “good clean, good food with a light vibe.”

With an ever-changing menu and a set of regular customers who recognize frequent modifications to decor, it definitely seems like he’s achieved that.

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014 • A11

Side Dish www.facebook.com/dinehuntington

DINEHUNTINGTON .COM THE ART OF FOOD: A talented shutterbug has won herself a cocktail party for 25 in a recent contest hosted by Besito Mexican (631-549-0100 www.besitomexcian.com).

Lauren Palladino, 27, of Syosset, won the Share the Love contest, which began in July 2013. The rules were simple – share a photo that expresses what you love about Besito, and the top vote-getter wins the prize. Lauren’s photo, “Sunday Funday,” a shot including a pomegranate martini – her favorite Besito cocktail – won top honors.

I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE HAVING FOR DINNER:

Head over to Porto Vivo (7 Gerard St., Huntington 631-385-8486 www.porto-vivo.com) Feb. 26 for dinner and a reading with psychic medium Christopher Allan.

The $100 p.p. all-inclusive dinner and reading event includes unlimited wine and beer, tax and gratuity. Seating is very limited, so call ahead.

IT’S A LARK – Hopefully the Elks whetted

The Vegan “Burnt Ends” Quesadilla ($16) is sweet and savory, made with “chicken” and vegan cheese, served with avocado and pico de gallo.

Yvonne Intonato holds samples of three of the Purple Elephant Market Café’s mixed drinks – the Bloody Geisha (front), the Warm Apple Pie (left) and the Coco Cream Dream (right), each $10.

your appetite Saturday for chili – because on March 23, The Lark Pub & Grub (93 Larkfield Road, East Northport www.thelarkpubandgrub.com) will host its own chili cook-off to support the League for Animal Protection in Huntington. $10 at the door is your ticket to array of topnotch chili from 1-5 p.m. Put out the fire with a selection of more than 50 craft beers available at the pub.

IT’S A BALL, TOO: A new concept in take-

Lauren Palladino’s photo, “Sunday Funday,” won her a Besito cocktail party for 25. away dining is coming to Campari Ristorante (225 Main St., Northport 631-7576700 www.campariristorante.com), and it’s a ball. No, really – it is! Campari just introduced the Take-Out Ball concept in Northport Village. Reminiscent of the old ball-game or Cinderella, the name offers up an over-the-counter quick lunch that is filling and won’t break the bank. Choose from either classic meatball, chicken sundried tomato basil, pancetta lamb, falafel, salmon artichoke, special fish or special veggie balls and order them with your choice of six sauces in a box, in a salad with four choices of greens, or on your choice of three breads and three veggies.

All of this and it’s just $7 – so try it out, tell Danyell the foodies sent ya and have a ball!

A12 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014

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CAMP &EDUCATION ASK THE COLLEGE COUNSELOR How important is the college admissions essay?

By Daniel Kalina info@longislandernews.com

How important is the college admissions essay? Moreover, what does an admissions officer look for in a college application essay?

Your application essays are among the most important parts of the college application, and with excellent reasons. It is your unique opportunity to show admissions officers why you deserve a seat in next year’s class. A well-written creative essay that gets you noticed will most definitely help to improve your chances for admission. According to Harry Bauld, a former Ivy League admissions officer and author of “On Writing the College Application Essay,” admissions officers are looking for “you. It's that simple.

There’s no formula, no trick, no strategy.

Just being yourself in an essay means understanding your readers and the unique form in which you are writing.” You need to come alive on the page as a real person instead of applicant number 1942.

Recently, the New York Times reported that as legions of high school seniors polish their college applications, plowing through predictable essay topics about their lives and goals, they might also run across something like this: “Tell us your favorite joke and try to explain the joke

without ruining it.” A small but growing number of select colleges have turned to “creative” supplemental questions like that one, which is part of this year’s application to the University of Chicago.

Consider this one from Brandeis University: “You are required to spend the next year of your life in either the past or the future. What year would you travel to and why?” This year’s most-discussed question, from Tufts University, was about the meaning of “YOLO,” an acronym for “you only live once,” popularized by the rapper Drake. Then there is the somewhat traditional prompt from the University of Delaware: “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” –Winston Churchill. Tell us about a time you took a risk, failed, and were able to pick up the pieces and learn from the experience.”

Such colleges feel that these types of questions set them apart. Although the applicant is given a choice of subjects, some topics are closer to the traditional ones. Some of the more competitive colleges are trying to determine if certain high school students are more likely to be high achievers than independent thinkers. “Out-of-the-Box” essay questions offer a way to determine which of the A-student, high-test-score, and multiextracurricular applicants can also show

a spark of originality.

More than 500 colleges and universities, many of whom are considered the most elite colleges, use the Common Application. The Common Application contains fairly standard essay questions (even with the new prompts). Many schools require their own supplemental applications with more writing exercises.

Andrew Flagel, senior vice president for students and enrollment at Brandeis, in describing the use of the supplemental essays, tells us, “In the day of the Common App, there’s such a sense of sameness in applying to the different schools, so we’re trying to communicate what’s distinctive about us and determine what’s distinctive about our applicants.”

High school and independent counselors agree “off-the-wall” questions are much more of a challenge for students getting a late start and feeling the pressure of an application deadline. November deadlines are usually slated for early admissions and January for regular admissions, so let’s get started. Savvy juniors know that the earlier a college applicant starts drafting his or her essay, the more prepared they will be.

Students who plan to use the Common Application, a form that allows students to apply to multiple colleges and universities simultaneously, are advised to keep the

following essay prompts in mind. “Topic of Your Choice” has been eliminated.

• Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

• Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you and what lessons did you learn?

• Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

• Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?

• Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

This past October it was reported that The Common App would still be a stickler for essay lengths. The maximum has increased to 650 words for 2014. (The previous limit was 500 words.) The web-only application will not accept essays with fewer than 250 words.

Some tips for a great essay: • Begin by brainstorming ideas for your (Continued on page A13)

HUNTINGTON OPEN HOUSES Town Huntington Sta S. Huntington Huntington Sta Huntington Huntington E. Northport Commack Huntington E. Northport E. Northport Dix Hills Dix Hills Centerport Dix Hills Dix Hills Huntington Lloyd Harbor

Want to get your open houses listed? Get your listings for free on this page every week in the Long Islander News. Call Associate Publisher Peter Sloggatt at 631-427-7000 or send an e-mail to psloggatt@longislandernews.com.

DIX HILLS

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014 • A13

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Address Beds Baths Price 16 Devonshire Pl 4 1 $399,000 25 Leeds St 3 1 $325,000 10 Sanford St 3 2 $327,900 8 Youngs Hill Rd 3 3 $799,000 17 Nathan Hale Dr 1 1 $275,000 354 Clay Pitts Rd 3 2 $335,000 6 Johnson St 3 1 $369,000 3 Spring Ct 2 3 $515,000 20 Wendy Ln 3 2 $549,000 3 Eunice Dr 4 3 $569,000 6 Carriage Ct 4 4 $669,000 29 Bonaire Dr 5 3 $795,000 73 Laurel Hill Rd 4 3 $865,000 10 Kendrick Ln 5 5 $879,000 3 Filomena Ct 5 4 $899,000 7 Landing Rd 4 5 $989,000 5 Merrymeeting Ln 5 4 $1,395,000

Taxes Date $8,547 2/13 $9,138 2/15 $9,911 2/15 $18,041 2/15 N/A 2/16 $11,669 2/16 $9,404 2/16 $13,508 2/16 $12,810 2/16 $11,739 2/16 $13,649 2/16 $19,993 2/16 $14,985 2/16 $20,410 2/16 $17,853 2/16 $19,238 2/16 $26,390 2/16

Time Broker 11:00am-1:00pm Signature Premier Properties 2:30pm-4:30pm Realty Connect USA LLC 12:00pm-2:00pm Realty Connect USA LLC 1:00pm-3:00pm Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc 12:30pm-2:30pm Douglas Elliman Real Estate 1:00pm-3:00pm Douglas Elliman Real Estate 1:00pm-3:00pm Coldwell Banker Residential 2:00pm-4:00pm Douglas Elliman Real Estate 2:00pm-4:00pm Douglas Elliman Real Estate 2:00pm-4:00pm Coldwell Banker Residential 1:00pm-3:00pm Realty Connect USA LLC 1:00pm-3:00pm Realty Connect USA LLC 1pm-3pm Coldwell Banker Residential 1pm-3pm Signature Premier Properties 12:30pm-2:00pm Douglas Elliman Real Estate 1:00pm-4:00pm Daniel Gale Agency Inc 12:00pm-2:00pm Daniel Gale Agency Inc

Phone 631-673-3700 888-236-6319 888-236-6319 631-757-4000 631-549-4400 516-795-3456 631-941-3100 631-549-4400 631-499-9191 631-754-4800 888-236-6319 888-236-6319 631-673-6800 631-673-3700 631-499-9191 631-427-6600 631-427-6600

You open the door...We’ll bring ’em in!

10 Kendrick Ln Bedrooms 5 Baths 5 Price $879,000 Taxes $20,410 Open House 2/16 1pm-3pm Signature Premier Properties 631-673-3700

Increase traffic at your next open house.

Call your sales representative today. (631) 427-7000

The importance of the college essay (Continued from page A12)

your essay will “jump out” at them!

essay. Remember that the goal of brainstorming is the development of ideas – so don't rule anything out at this stage. As Pam Proctor, author of “The College Hook” explains, “you’ve got to set yourself apart. You’ve got to get a hook. Probe into your passions and interests and find the essence of you.”

• This is a competitive process. The college wants to learn how you would fit into their community and why you want to be in that school... The essay is critical here.

• College readers will not take more than 5-30 minutes to read an entire application... You need to lead with your hook so

Do: 1. Follow directions from the application, ie. word count.

2. Grab the reader right away with a dynamic and captivating hook. This is where your thesis is stated.

3. Write an outline: introduction, body, conclusion. Refer to your leading statement in the conclusion.

4. Use details; they make your essay come alive. Being specific in your essay is OK. 5. Write your own essay... Be assured that your writing will be compared to your

SAT/ACT writing sample!

6. Use your best writing style.

7. Be accurate re: grammar, style, spelling and syntax.

8. Tell a story...your own personal story.

9. Focus on yourself. Use your own voice.

10. Be creative without getting carried away. Match the creative to the fit of the school.

11. REVISE. REVISE. REVISE. Proofread before you hit send!

12. Save a hard copy of the finished essay

as “writer’s block;” there are only writers who won’t get started. Take control and run with the ball!

2. Plagiarize – overuse of copy and paste from the website.

3. Restate your résumé and avoid the question.

4. Make it an expanded check list 5. Force-fit an essay from another question.

6. Exceed the word count.

7. Use clichés – use your own words 8. Write in the passive.

Don’t: 1. Procrastinate. There is no such thing

Daniel Kalina is an education consultant based in Commack.

DIX HILLS

Money spent in the community

Swastika Suspect Sought

stays in the community.

ItStarts

Here BUY LOCALLY

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and the Suffolk Police Hate Crime Detectives Unit are searching for a suspect who spray-painted anti-Semitic graffiti in a residential neighborhood.

According to police, at least one person spray-painted swastikas and “Jewish” stars on several road signs in the Dix Hills area, and singled out a Ryder

Avenue home, where the suspect sprayed a large swastika on the outside of the home’s garage.

The vandalism occurred sometime between Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m. and Feb. 4 at 7 a.m., police said. The suspects are wanted on criminal mischief charges.

-BIRZON

A14 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014 THURSDAY Break Out The Red

Join the Townwide Fund of Huntington at the Valentine’s Eve Red-Tie Gala on Feb. 13 at Oheka Castle, for an elegant and magical evening of romance, dance and honoring people with big hearts. The gala event is open to the public. Tickets are $200 per person. Visit www.townwidefund.org.

www.LongIslanderNews.com

Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.

Calendar O M M U N I T Y

Every Thursday except holidays, “Sharing Our Lives” at the Women’s Center of Huntington, 125 Main St., Huntington, gives women in the later stages of life 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.

How Do They Make That Piano?

Witness how a Steinway & Sons piano is hand-chiseled and shaped when master carver Santé Auriti performs his unique talent before visitors at the Walt Whitman Shops in the Saks Fifth Avenue wing on Feb. 15, 1-4 p.m.

This rarely seen demonstration will showcase the beauty of a hand-carved Steinway Louis XV, presented by Steinway Used Piano Gallery of Long Island in Melville. Auriti, a native of the agricultural region of Abruzzi, Italy, has enjoyed an illustrious 30+ year career with Steinway & Sons.

FRIDAY Have A Heart…

Enjoy dinner, dancing and an open bar at Huntington-based Have a Heart Children’s Cancer Society’s Valentine’s Day masquerade at the Crest Hollow Country Club on Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $75. www.haveaheartcharity.org.

SATURDAY How Do They Make That Piano?

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.

Visits From County Senior Advocates

The Suffolk County Office for the Aging has released its Winter 2014 Senior Advocate Schedule for Huntington. County representatives will provide seniors assistance with food stamps, Medicare savings programs, Medicaid applications, Heating Emergency Assistance Program (HEAP) applications, and more at the following times: Huntington Library, Monday, March 10, 10 a.m.-noon; Huntington Nutrition Center, Wednesdays, Feb. 26 and March 26, 9 a.m.-noon; Paumanack Village I & II (Greenlawn), Tuesdays, Feb. 18 and March 25, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Paumanack Village V & VI (Melville), Tuesday, March 11, 9 a.m.-noon; and South Huntington Library, Thursday, March 27, 10-11:30 a.m. 631-853-8200.

MONDAY 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 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

THEATER and FILM Bare Bones Theater

Share Your Life

Witness how a Steinway & Sons piano is handchiseled and shaped when master carver Santé Auriti performs his unique talent before visitors at the Walt Whitman Shops in the Saks Fifth Avenue wing on Feb. 15, 1-4 p.m. This rarely seen demonstration will showcase the beauty of a hand-carved Steinway Louis XV, presented by Steinway Used Piano Gallery of Long Island in Melville. Auriti, a native of the agricultural region of Abruzzi, Italy, has enjoyed an illustrious 30+ year career with Steinway & Sons.

featuring Mark Brier and fellow comedians who will tell jokes, anecdotes, do impressions and more on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m.

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.

WEDNESDAY 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.

• Children of all ages can make a fun Valentine's Day craft on Friday, Feb. 14, 3:30 p.m.

Commack Public Library

18 Hauppauge Road, Commack. 631-4990888. commack.suffolk.lib.ny.us.

• The monthly Lego builders club meets Tuesday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m., using more than 8,000 pieces. Construct whatever you wish and your creations will be displayed in the library. For grades K-4.

Deer Park Public Library

44 Lake Ave., Deer Park. 631-586-3000. deerparklibrary.org.

• Through a grant from New York State, the Deer Park Library is happy to offer 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.

Elwood Public Library

3027 Jericho Turnpike, Elwood. 631-499-3722. www.elwoodlibrary.org.

• Take an Empire Safety Council driver’s safety program on Saturday, Feb. 15, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Cash or Check for $35 payable to Empire Safety Council required for registration.

Half Hollow Hills Community Library

Dix Hills: 55 Vanderbilt Parkway. 631-4214530; Melville: 510 Sweet Hollow Road. 631421-4535. hhhlibrary.org.

• Find out more about “What’s the #Hashtag?” and other social networking tools on Thursday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m. in Dix Hills.

• Join the Wheatley Heights Mother’s Club & Concerned Fathers Association as they celebrate the achievements of African Americans on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2 p.m. in Dix Hills.

57 Main St., Northport. www.barebonestheater.com. 631-606-0026.

• Bare Bones presents David Lindsay-Abaire’s Tony Award-nominated comedy-drama “Good People” for nine performances on Feb. 1316; 21-23; and March 1-2. Evening performances are at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. on Feb. 16 and 23 and March 2.

Reserved seating tickets are $25.

Cinema Arts Centre

423 Park Ave., Huntington. www.cinemaartscentre.org. 631-423-7611.

• The film that sealed Audrey Hepburn’s reputation as an all-time fashion icon and set the bar for every New York fantasy/romantic comedy to follow, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” screens on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Then, enjoy chocolates, confections, champagne, wine and live music by harpist Skyla Budd. Take home a long stem rose courtesy of Main Street Nursery and have a romantic photo taken. $15 members/$20 public.

John W. Engeman Theater At Northport

350 Main St., Northport. www.johnwengemantheater.com. 631-261-2900.

• “Other Desert Cities” is the story of a once promising novelist who returns home after a six-year absence to celebrate Christmas with her parents, former leading Republicans, and her eccentric liberal aunt. When the novelist announces she is about to publish a memoir focusing on an explosive chapter in the family's history, the holiday reunion is thrown into turmoil. Shows through March 9.

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

Harborfields Public Library

31 Broadway, Greenlawn. 631-757-4200. harborfieldslibrary.org.

• Harborfields High School students will be at the library on Monday and Thursday afternoons, 4-6 p.m., when school is in session to assist with homework for kids in grades 3-8.

• Meet with an AARP tax counselor on Friday, Feb. 14, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for free income tax preparation.

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.

• “Hot Off the Press,” an exhibition of 40 prints by 20 contemporary artists from Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE), the esteemed fine art print publisher in Bay Shore, opens Feb. 23 with a reception from 3-5 p.m. and is on display through March 30.

Huntington Public Library

b.j. spoke gallery

Main Branch: 338 Main St., Huntington. 631427-5165. Station Branch: 1335 New York Ave., Huntington Station.

631-421-5053. www.thehuntingtonlibrary.org.

• Comedian and Historian Peter Bales takes a lighthearted look at the American Presidency.

Through the use of anecdotes and funny stories, the audience will take a trip down memory lane and maybe even learn a thing or two as Professor Bales proves that American History can be both entertaining and fun on Sunday, Feb. 16, 3-5 p.m. at the main branch.

Northport-East Northport Public Library

Northport: 151 Laurel Ave. 631-261-6930. East Northport: 185 Larkfield Road. 631-261-2313. www.nenpl.org.

• A point/insurance reduction driver’s safety course will be held Saturday, Feb. 15, 9 a.m.3:30 p.m. in Northport.

South Huntington Public Library

145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station.

631-549-4411. www.shpl.info.

• Laugh the night away at a comedy showcase

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.

• The Artists’ Choice exhibition compares and contrasts artists’ interpretations of subject matter and styles, as gallery members invite artists they respect and admire to show with them. On display through March 2.

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery

660 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.

• Every day in February from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., visitors can practice tying fishing and boating knots at hands-on learning stations throughout the hatchery. On Sundays, specific instruction on different knot tying techniques will be given from 1-3 p.m.

(Continued on page A15)

Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.

www.LongIslanderNews.com

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014 • A15 at 516-931-5036 or jatlas1@optonline.net.

(Continued from page A14)

Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum

279 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor. 631-3673418. www.cshwhalingmuseum.org.

• Check the website for camps held during the February school break.

Don’t Hibernate. Help

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP SUFFOLK) needs adults 55+ to help in organizations throughout Suffolk County. Dozens of opportunities available in this federally funded program for just about any interest or skill. Visit www.rsvpsuffolk.org or call 631-979-9490 ext.12 for more information.

Gallery Thirty Seven

12b School Street, Northport. www.gallerythirtyseven.com.

• Visit Northport’s newest gallery and check out the resident artists.

Friends At Home

Looking to earn some community service hours while changing a life? As part of the Friends@Home program, a project of The Ariella's Friendship Circle at the Chai Center in Dix Hills, visit a child with special needs in an environment they are most comfortable: their own homes. Together, bake cookies, play games, create arts and crafts, read books and more. Contact Nati or Sara at 631-351-8672 or fcchaicenter@gmail.com

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. 631-351-3250.

• “Rabble-Rousers: Art, Dissent, and Social Commentary”, on display until March 16, features works from the Permanent Collection by artists who challenged traditional aesthetics, politics, and social norms. Highlights include prints by Whistler, Rauschenberg, John Sloan, Larry Rivers, and May Stevens; photographs by Larry Fink and Garry Winogrand; and paintings by William Beard and George Grosz, among others.

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.

• “Pieces of Yesterday”, an exhibit celebrating Black History Month and featuring paintings of the ’60s, is on display through March 3.

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.

• Grab your favorite tea cup and sign up now for the Huntington Historical Society’s fourth annual “Tea with Dolly and Me” on Thursday, Feb. 20 and Friday, Feb. 21. Spend the afternoon in the beautifully decorated Conklin Barn with your favorite doll and make an oldfashioned toy while munching on tea and fruit juice, finger sandwiches, fruits and yummy sweets. Call for reservations.

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.

9 East Contemporary Art

9 East Carver St., Huntington. Gallery hours: Wed.-Sat., 3-8 p.m. or by appointment. 631662-9459.

• A unique winter invitational exhibition, “CLAY / PAPER 2014” presents works in clay or on paper by 30 professional artists. On display through March 16.

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

Be A Friend Of The Bay

Classic Theater, Down To Its ‘Bare Bones’ Bare Bones Theater presents David Lindsay-Abaire’s Tony Award-nominated comedy-drama “Good People” for nine performances on Feb. 13-16; 21-23; and March 12. Evening performances are at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. on Feb. 16 and 23 and March 2, at 57 Main St., Northport. www.barebonestheater.com. 631-6060026. Reserved seating tickets are $25. and toys. Opening reception Sunday, Feb. 16, 2 p.m.

Ripe Art Gallery

1028 Park Ave., Huntington. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday, 2-8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. www.ripeartgal.com. 631-239-1805.

• Ripe Art Gallery is pleased to present their Eighth Annual Valentine’s Day Group Show.

This year’s theme in “A RIPE Circus.”

Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium

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 Arena Players Repertory Company presents “Murder in Green Meadows” by Douglas Post at the Vanderbilt Carriage House Theater, running through Sunday, Feb. 16.

This exciting thriller spins a web of deception, sex and murder as two suburban couples discover their darker sides. Performances are at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $20 on Friday and Sunday, and $25 on Saturday. Call 516-2930674. Visit www.ArenaPlayers.org.

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.

Admission: $6 adults, $5 seniors, $4 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.

• Copperline plays Friday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $25-$35. A James Taylor tribute band, Copperline will recreate many of the legend’s greatest hits and even some of his more obscure songs that made him the country’s preeminent folksinger of the late ’60s folk era and beyond.

The Paramount

370 New York Ave., Huntington. 631-673-7300. www.paramountny.com. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

• The Paramount Comedy Series presents Whoopi Goldberg on Saturday, April 26.

Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 14 at 10 a.m.

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. 631-2718025.

Supplies For Little Shelter

Suffolk County Legislator Steve Stern is collecting supplies for The Little Shelter Animal Adoption Center in Huntington. The shelter is in need of pet treats, cat and dog toys, kitty litter, cleaning supplies, such as laundry detergent, glass cleaner, paper towels and garbage cans, dog food and wet cat food, AA batteries and bedding. Donations can be dropped off at: 1842 East Jericho Turnpike, Huntington, NY, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. until March 1. 631-8545100.

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.

Friends of the Bay is in need of volunteers who can help convert water quality data, which is currently kept in an excel sheet, into a Microsoft Access database. Assistance is also needed with ArcView GIS, to configure maps of the watershed. Call 516-922-6666 or email info@friendsofthebay.org.

Be A Host Family

Huntington Sanctuary is seeking families or individual adults to become Host Homes, which provide temporary shelter to youth between ages 12-17 who are experiencing a family crisis. Contact Jennifer Petti at 631-271-2183 for more information.

Helping Furry Friends

Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center is looking for volunteers who want to make a difference in the lives of animals. Free training provided. Visit www.littleshelter.com or call 631-368-8770 ext. 204.

Walt Whitman Birthplace

If you are interested in literature or history, the Walt Whitman Birthplace has fascinating and rewarding part-time volunteer positions available. Free training provided. 631-427-5420 ext.114.

Helping Runaway Kids

Share your ideas and opinions on how Huntington Sanctuary, a program of the Huntington Youth Bureau, can help youth ages 12-21 who run away or who are at risk of running away. The group’s advisory board meets one Thursday a month at 6 p.m. Call 631-2712183.

Eyes For The Blind

Suffolk County’s Helen Keller Services is looking for volunteers to visit blind who are homebound to socialize and aid in reading mail, possibly provide transportation. 631-424-0022.

Help American Red Cross

The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization that provides relief to victims of disaster and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. The Suffolk County Chapter is looking for volunteers to assist in emergency shelters, at fires and natural disasters, with veterans, at community events or at the office. Free trainings provided.

631-924-6700 ext 212.

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.

Artistically Gifted Needed

The Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Commack is seeking artistically gifted volunteers to partner with residents in a new program, “heART to heART” aimed at helping people with varying levels of cognitive ability express themselves through art. Contact Judie

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

A16 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014

www.LongIslanderNews.com

P U Z Z L E CRYPTOQUIP

WTZRU FSAKR AI E T I Y F, R S U EAARGNXX BANBS KURTKIUY RA RSU NKBNYU RSZIDZIM SU’Y MUR SZF WTNKRUK GNBD. Today’s Cryptoquip clue: S equals H ©2014 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Answer to Hoo’s Hoo

P u bl i s h e d Fe b r u a r y 6 , 2 0 1 4

ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S CRYPTOQUIP WHEN YOU FORCE SOME MORAYS TO SPEND A LONG PERIOD OF TIME IN A FRIGID WAITING ROOM, ARE YOU COOLING YOUR EELS? Published February 6, 2014 ©2014 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

NEW CRYPTOQUIP BOOKS 3 & 4! Send $3.50 for one book or $6.00 for both (check/m.o.) to Cryptoquip Classics Books 3 and 4, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475

Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.

PA G E

Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014 • A17

HOW TO GET YOUR HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER 1. FREE Digital Subscription Sign up to get the newspaper to read on your computer or smartphone by going to www.HalfHollowNews.com.. An e-reader version or PDF format will be delivered to your inbox weekly.

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A18 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014 • A19

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

The Cottage That Candy Built Huntington Businesses

By Jacqueline Birzon jbirzon@longislandernews.com

The colorful cottage, located behind the bright yellow picket fence on East Main Street in Huntington, is a symbol that childhood dreams really do come true.

Lisa Hodes’ career shift from corporate to candy cottage nine years ago marked the start of a new chapter in not only Hodes’ life, but that of a 19-year-old staple of the Huntington community called Sweetie’s Candy Cottage.

For the past nine years, Sweetie’s Candy Cottage has thrived under Hodes’ stewardship. Since buying the confectionary cottage in 2003, Hodes has continued to build her business from the ground up, incorporating a wealth of business savvy into a product, and community, she believes in.

“I have a passion for this, and I wanted a nice mix of business and things I love, like candy. It was important for me to surround myself in a certain friendly, family-oriented environment. In general, it was my goal to affect the quality of my own life and everybody who walks in here,” Hodes said.

According to the shop owner, the business didn’t always cater to both adults and children. In fact, Hodes said, older customers are often pleasantly surprised to find that Sweetie’s not only carries products that are kid-friendly; the store is also chockfull of pre-wrapped gifts and holiday edibles, and makes custom, candy-

Long-Islander News photo/Jacqueline Birzon

Spotlight On

filled centerpieces.

“We have stuff you’ll never find anywhere else; we don’t just carry your plain coconut cluster,” Hodes said.

Much of Sweetie’s success over the past several years is credited to the creativity of Hodes and her staff. Oftentimes, the cottage confectioners put together their own custom recipes and put a unique twist on traditional candy favorites.

Custom creations found at Sweetie’s include their amazing, rich-but-not-too-rich “Better Than A Cupcake Peanut Butter” candy, a mini sandwich made with two small chocolate chip cookies sandwiched together with icing and coated in a hard peanut butter chocolate shell, topped with peanut butter chocolate chips; “Salted Health Nut Bark;” “Chocolate Pizzas;” “Oreo Peppermint Bark;” and “Dark Chocolate S’mores Clusters.”

The quaint cottage also carries timeless candy classics that many larger stores have stopped carrying, including Jawbreakers, Chuckles, Necco Wafers, Rock Candy and Charleston Chews.

But the candy doesn’t simply sell itself, Hodes explained. In an economy that doesn’t always favor the plight of the small business owner, Hodes turns to her creativity, her loyal customer base and the entire Huntington community to keep the candy cottage running smoothly.

“Our motto is to keep costs low and to pass it on to my customers. It doesn’t always work to my benefit, but it’s a good policy to have. We have a nice partnership with the community, and it’s so uplifting to serve customers who leave here with a smile, thanking me…

It’s such a gift,” Hodes said.

But don’t let the small size of Sweetie’s fool you— 70 percent of the store’s top-selling chocolate is made in house. That’s right; Hodes and her close-knit circle of employees produce a bulk of their delicious, colorful cocoa right behind the counter of the small East

Lisa Hodes and her crew at Sweetie’s Candy Cottage are ready for Valentine’s Day. Main Street store.

In addition to toys, candy packages and boxes of chocolate, Sweetie’s offers holiday Easter bunnies, Santa’s and even candy bouquets for both boys and girls.

The cottage recently began selling items, wholesale, Hodes said.

Sweetie’s Candy Cottage 142 E. Main St., Huntington (631) 423-7635 www.SweetiesCandyCottage.com

Pinelawn theft suspect a convicted bank robber (Continued from page A1)

“Pinelawn Memorial Park considers it a fundamental part of its mission to safeguard and secure the graves and memorials of the deceased, and will continue to work with Suffolk County Police Department when such issues arise,” he said.

Edwards said that if the scrap yard that bought the vases knew they were stolen, they too could face charges.

“We’re still trying to look at the scrapping angle of it,” he said.

First Precinct officers rushed to Pinelawn, located on Wellwood Avenue in Farmingdale at approximately 12:15 p.m.

Feb. 6. Cemetery staff called the cops

after they spotted Dono’s 2010 Volkswagen Beetle, which police said had been used in the graveyard theft the day before.

“Pinelawn had some surveillance cameras set up and they were able to capture images of the suspect vehicle,” Giudice said. “They knew what they were looking for.”

When police arrived, they found Giambalvo and Schneider in the car, but when an officer tried to stop them, Giambalvo allegedly turned the Beetle into a battering ram, hitting the gas to plow through a locked metal gate.

Giambalvo and Schneider were arrested in Massapequa following a brief chase, police said.

Giambalvo faces four counts of thirddegree grand larceny as well as unlawfully fleeing an officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and resisting arrest. Schneider is charged with two counts of third-degree grand larceny counts and resisting arrest. Dono was charged with one count of third-degree grand larceny.

Giambalvo and Dono also face burglary charges.

While being transported to court Friday, Giambalvo had noticeable cuts on his face; police blame those wounds on the pair of car crashes he was involved in. His attorney, Central Islip-based Christopher Brocato, could not be reached for com-

ment by press time Monday.

“He did resist arrest, but the injuries were basically from the car crash. His car got pretty well beaten up,” Edwards said.

Dono’s attorney, Forest Hills-based Dennis O’Sullivan, said they are “in conversations with the district attorney’s office.”

“Her story will come out,” he said.

Schneider is being held on $51,000 cash and $152,000 bond, and was due back in court after press time on Feb. 11.

Giambalvo was held on $17,000 bail/$34,000 bond, while Dono was held on $10,000 bail and $30,000 bond. All three were due back in court on Feb. 11 after press time.

SNL alum aiming for laughs at Paramount (Continued from page A1)

keep up with demand.

“It’s the first time I’ve had to add another theater show – it’s very flattering,” he said. “I take that as my Long Island homecoming.”

Breuer, 46, brings with him to the Paramount stage two decades of standup experience. He’s one of Comedy Central’s 100 greatest stand-up comics of all time, boasts a three-year stint on one of television’s most iconic shows, and earned an invite from Dave Chappelle to co-star in the cult classic stoner comedy “Half-Baked” in 1998.

Growing up in Valley Stream – he lived on the county line between Nassau and Queens until he was 19 – Breuer’s blue-collar upbringing instilled a discernible edge in his brand of humor.

“Blue-collar knows how to complain and laugh and deal with hurt,” he said.

“Everyone around me was hilarious – when I need my laughs, I go to my old friends, my relatives. They’re still the funniest people in the world.”

Hearing Steve Martin on a record was a transformative moment for the young Long Islander.

“I was blown out of my mind that a comedian was on a record, that it was a job that you stand up in front of people, do funny things and they laugh,” Breuer said.

After touring comedy clubs for several years, Breuer settled in on the New York comedy club circuit. Back in New York for seven months, Breuer landed a two-season gig on the nationally syndicated “Uptown Comedy Club.”

When he got that job, Breuer knew he

was right where he belonged.

“That’s when I knew I was going to do well in this industry as a stand-up comic,” he said.

Later he appeared on ABC’s “Home Improvement” before his big break – joining the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1995. His character Goat Boy became a fan favorite, and he earned notice for his impression of actor Joe Pesci.

“It’s everything – it’s exciting, it’s stressful. It’s like going on a thrill ride,” he said. “Sometimes you want off, sometimes you want the thing to never end, sometimes you want to scream.”

These days, Breuer calls New Jersey home. He tours and serves as a consulting producer on AXS TV’s uncensored weekly comedy series, “Gotham Comedy Live.” He hosted its third season premiere

Jan. 9 and is to emcee the season finale.

Initially drawn to the network by a music blend boasting guitar sessions by some of Breuer’s favorites, like Metallica, Slash of Guns ‘N’ Roses and Fleetwood Mac, the unique feel of the network’s programming is what sold him.

“They make you feel like you are there, and that’s what they do with Gotham Comedy Live. I love it,” he said.

And if you actually are in the room to see Breuer March 8, he promised to leave nothing in the bag for his triumphant return to his boyhood home.

“I’m going to beat the snot out of that place. It’s going to be so much fun,” he said.

Tickets for Breuer’s performances are $20-$59.50. For more information, visit http://paramountny.com.

A20 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 13, 2014

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HillSPORTS TRACK

By Miya Jones info@longislandernews.com

While the winter track season has come to a close, several runners will have the opportunity to “start” all over again at the state and national championships after several athletes sprinted to the top at last weekend’s state qualifier tournament.

Half Hollow Hills East’s Sam Chimezie won first place in the 55-meter hurdle, competing the jump in 7.68 seconds at the Feb. 8 qualifier at Suffolk Community College in Brentwood.

The Half Hollow Hills West track team was also a big contender in several events and will be sending a handful of strong, distinguished competitors to the national meet.

At Saturday’s qualifier, senior shot put thrower Oyin Adewale earned first place, having secured her spot early in the season with an impressive 42.02-foot throw.

Adewale, however, was the only member of the girls team to qualify for states at the Feb. 8 tournament.

The girls 4x200 relay team, including junior Kayla Hodge and Alyssa Jean and sophomores Alexis D’Alessandro and Leeyan Redwood, locked in a fifth place win with an overall time of 1:51.54 minutes.

“It was awesome the way we were all there to support each other and hang out together. It really helped me get through the four hours in between prelims and finals,”

D’Alessandro said.

According to Redwood however, the spring season will be “10 times better” for the girls’ state championship berth.

“We already know from the winter season that we have skills and talent, and now in the spring it will be our chance to hone in on those skills,” Redwood said after the relay.

Freshman Victoria Antoine came in 17th place in the 600-meter run, outrunning almost half of the other 32 other contestants with a time of 1:44.12. Junior Deja Wilson soared over 4-11 feet in the high jump, earning 13th place out of the 25 total contestants.

The boys team was able to send several runners to states, including their 4x200 relay team, who completed the track in 1:33.89 minutes. The team is made up of seniors Gabe Agbim, Josh Connor, and Bryce Johnson, and junior Kory Fitzgerald.

Johnson will also travel to the state championships for the 300-meter dash after running a time of 36.26 seconds.

Along with the 4x200 team, other runners who will participate in the state championships is junior Dante English, who secured his spot after jumping 22-00.50 feet in the long jump.

Although senior Travis Ng did not make it to the state champs, Ng gave a strong performance in the pole vault, leaping over

Half Hollow Hills West’s Alyssa Jean, Alexis D’Alessandro, Leeyan Redwood and Kayla Hodge proudly hold up plaques after their combined time earned the foursome fifth place in the 4x200 relay at Saturday’s state qualifier while Gabby Barone holds up a golden baton for her performance.

Hills West’s Opata Mat-Kole and Jarried Redwood with a Smithtown West opponent during the Feb. 8 state qualifier at Suffolk Community College.

12-01.00 feet, just short of the 13 feet requirement for states.

Coach Jim Christian, who has been coaching for 30 years, said he was humbled by how well his runners excelled under the mounting pressure of the state tournament.

“The best part of the meet was seeing

our athletes rise to the occasion and run personal best times in a high stake competition,” Christian said.

The state championship meet will be held March 1 at Cornell University. The Half Hollow Hills track members also hope to make their mark at nationals to cap off the 2014 winter season.

BOYS SWIMMING

Diving Into A Championship Defense Combined swim team looks to capture eighth county title in a row

By Jacqueline Birzon jbirzon@longislandernews.com

A school of 47 fish in a big ocean, the undefeated Half Hollow Hills winter boys swimming team (10-0) will look to defend their eighth consecutive Suffolk County title on Saturday after earning their eighth straight League I championship at Sachem East.

According to head coach Jason Wiedersum, all of the Half Hollow Hills divers performed extremely well at the Feb. 7 League I Championships, including junior John Natalone, whose stellar performance earned him first place in the diving competition.

Half Hollow Hills literally blew the competition out of the water, defeating all nine other teams with an overall score of 539.

Three swimmers who participated in all 12 events placed among the top eight in each category. Senior captain Michael Mattera earned first place in the 500meter freestyle and placed third in the 200 IM. Freshman Alex Park won first place in the 200-meter freestyle and 100-meter back.

Applying a strategy of “whatever lineup gets us a win,” Wiedersum said modestly

that despite Half Hollow Hills’ legacy of success, there’s “really no secret” to a successful high school swimming and diving program.

However, having a consistent lineup of year-round swimmers always helps. More than half of the swimmers on his winter roster participate in the competitive, yearround team, rounding out anxieties surrounding off-season performance.

“The more year-round swimmers on the team, the more success you’ll see,” Wiedersum said. “The most important consideration for the coaching staff is not necessarily wins, however. We are constantly preaching ‘Win with class.’ The team gets together at the beginning of the year and sets goals, and they include things like winning league and county titles, but they also finish with sportsmanship. This is a very high priority for the team.”

And since 2006, the team, made of swimmers from both Hills high schools, has raised the bar and continues to raise it higher and higher each season.

The most significant testament to the winter swim teams success, Wiedersum said, was witnessing the resilience of a handful of younger swimmers who made earning last year’s county cham-

pionships possible.

“Our only hope of maintaining a winning streak came on the backs of very young and inexperienced incoming middle school and freshman classes. It just so happened that this was the most talented group of incoming swimmers I’ve ever had. They provided depth and versatility that allowed us to squeak by many teams and… I cannot over state the importance of having a strong diving team,” Wiedersum said.

While diving only accounts for one event out of 12, the coach said, it can be the most important factor in determining which way the scale will tip for any given team.

Standout divers — whose skills Wiedersum attributes to the dedication of diving coach Chris Blumenstetter — include juniors Alex Cohen, Natalone, Lawrence Wolf-Sonkin and freshman Max Gerber.

Mattera qualified for the state championships in the 200 IM, 100 back and the 500 freestyle, and junior James Gordin locked in a spot at states in the 50, 100 and 500-meter freestyle. Half Hollow Hills’ “rising star,” park, also nabbed the opportunity to compete in the state tournament, and will participate in the 200 IM

and 100 Back.

Other athlete swimmers who Wiedersum said are on the “verge” of making it to the state-wide competition include the 200-meter medley team of Mattera, Gordin, sophomore Justin Chang and freshman Daniel Lee; while the coach also expects his 200-meter freestyle relay foursome of Gordin, Chang, Park and eighth-grader Dylan Chang.

In addition, Widersum has high hopes for his 400-meter freestyle relay composed of Mattera, Gordin, Park and Chang.

Several swimmers whom the coach expects will make it to state “very early in their high school career” include Justin Chang, Lee, and eighth grade swimmers Ethan Tack and Dylan Chang.

This week, the Half Hollow Hills winter boys swimming team has been gearing up for the coveted county championships this weekend. The diving competition is scheduled to take place on Friday at Hauppauge High School and the swimming relays are set for Saturday at Suffolk Community College in Brentwood. The state championships, Wiedersum said, will take place Feb. 28-March 2 in Rochester.

Photos by Miya Jones

Hills Clears Hurdles At State Qualifier T-Birds track star wows at relay with victory