The Half Hollow Hills Newspaper 03/29/2012

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HALF HOLLOW HILLS Copyright © 2012 Long Islander Newspapers, LLC.

Online at www.LongIslanderNews.com

N E W S P A P E R

VOLUME FIFTEEN, ISSUE 2

LONG ISLANDER NEWSPAPERS TELECOMMUNICATIONS/MEDIA BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2 SECTIONS, 32 PAGES

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

MELVILLE

DIX HILLS

MonthsLater, WaterStillHot TopicInDixHills

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

Three months after contaminated samples forced a “boil water” order and chlorination for the Dix Hills Water District – as well as an outcry over how the news was shared with customers – the incident is still on residents’ minds.

Just before New Year’s Eve in 2011, three of 54 routine samples in the district came back positive for total coliform bacteria and triggered mandatory chlorination. Before chlorine was added to the system, 50 additional samples were taken, each of which came back clean.

“We believed and continue to believe that the problem was with the test sample and not the water supply and that at no time were residents’ health in danger,” officials said in the water district’s winter-spring 2012 newsletter.

Despite that belief, chlorination, which the town described as “minute,” continues. And it’s something residents aren’t happy about at all.

“It’s a big difference – a very big difference,” Sheila Saks, former president of House Beautiful Dix Hills Civic Association, said. “It’s a tasteable difference, a recognizable difference. People know we’re now on chlorine.”

In the newsletter, the town apologized to residents (Continued on page A13)

Go-kart enthusiasts from Nassau, Suffolk and parts of New York City race with Long Island Karting Association outside Nassau Coliseum every year.

Go-Karts Pick Up Speed Island-wide club hosts regular contests at Nassau Coliseum

By Mike Koehler mkoehler@longislandernews.com

A contingent of Long Islanders is proving that gokarting is more than just a leisurely childhood activity.

Founded more than 35 years ago, Long Island Karting Association (LIKA) is a nonprofit group that educates and schedules go-kart races. President Peter Monte, a Commack resident, said they have about 200 members, 70 of whom actually compete at their races.

“Go-kart racing started after World War II when a lot of the GI’s came back and were looking for something to do. They built these chassis and strapped these lawnmower engines on these carts,” Monte said.

“That’s where the whole sport started from. It’s evolved twenty-fold since then.”

These days, LIKA brings go-kart enthusiasts together and provides them with a place to race. Members used to race on a track in Westhampton, although the (Continued on page A13)

You Must Act Now To Stay ‘In The Know’ If you live in the communities of Dix Hills and Melville, you get your news from the Half Hollow Hills Newspaper.

If you don’t act now, you’re going to be left in the dark. Because unless you act now, the newspaper is going to stop coming to your door.

Think of it... you’ll no longer be in the know about government and politics, about important land use and development proposals, about what’s happening in your school district, and so much more.

Due to rising print and mail costs, the newspaper will no longer be free. While you can still subscribe to the print edition, we are also making the full newspaper available electronically to read on your computer or smart phone. Free copies will be

available at retail locations in your neighborhood.

We are making the newspaper available three ways: 1. PICK UP A COPY You can pick up FREE copies every week at locations that you visit regularly: libraries, banks, fitness centers, drug stores and numerous retail outlets. The list of locations will be printed in future editions as well as on our website www.HalfHollowNews.com. (If you have suggested locations, please let us know.)

2. GO DIGITAL Sign up to receive the paper electronically by going to www.HalfHollowNews.com. You will receive a weekly e-mail update with that week’s edition in an easy-touse electronic reader format or PDF. (iPad and iPhone users, choose PDF.) In both cases it is the full newspaper in the format you are used to reading.

Inside:

3. SUBSCRIBE If you wish to continue receiving the print version of the newspaper delivered to your mailbox, the subscription rate is $21 a year ($37 for two years; $56 for three years). Find a form inside this newspaper or send your check and subscriber information to Long Islander Newspapers, 149 Main Street, Huntington NY 11743.

Whatever method you choose, we will continue working hard to bring you the news you want to read. Act now to continue enjoying the Half Hollow Hills Newspaper.

Michael Schenkler Peter Sloggatt Publisher Associate Publisher Long-Islander’s Half Hollow Hills Newspaper

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HALF HOLLOW HILLS

Hills Joins Elite Asian Language Society School district’s Chinese program selected as one of top 100 in nation

By Stephanie DeLuca sdeluca@longislandernews.com

The Half Hollow Hills School District implemented a Chinese language course in their middle and high schools four years ago, and it is already being acknowledged as an exemplary program.

The school district has been accepted as a member of the third cohort of schools in the Asia Society Confucius Classrooms Network – a national network of 100 of the best Chinese language programs. The network serves as model sites for developing Chinese language courses and teaching in American schools. “[Superintendent Kelly Fallon] believes that world language is critically important and that our children can study globally,” said Francesco L. Fratto, director of world languages and English as a second language. “She really is a supporter of what we do in our district, and with her approval, it shows that she’s on board and the board of education is on board with this program.”

Asia Society's Confucius Classrooms Network partnered with Hanban Asia Society – the Chinese government agency spearheading the establishment of Chinese language programs overseas – to implement the program.

As a part of the Asia Society’s Confucius Classrooms Network, Hills will work with other teachers around the world and exchange ideas on teaching techniques for their students. Each Asia Society Confucius Classroom will be matched with a partner school in China to enhance language learning abilities.

“We use something called a Ning blackboard to communicate with one another and within that Ning blackboard we will be able to share lesson plans and share resources to become a model of excellence,” Fratto said.

The school district receives $10,000 a year for the next three years for its Chinese language program. Hills cannot use the money for any other purpose except for the program. Fratto said they’re planning to take the students on a trip to the Museum of Chinese in America in Manhattan on April 19 and will use funds from the grant towards the visit.

“I did some research and from data provided in 2008. Only 600,000 students studied Chinese in the United States,” Fratto said. “Our district, by doing this… we are really showing it’s a course that’s growing.”

Before being accepted into the network, Hills filled out a proposal regarding their Mandarin Chinese program that they started in 2008. They had to

The Half Hollow Hills School district was recognized as member of the third cohort of schools in the Asia Society Confucius Classrooms Network. demonstrate leadership within the district and prove their teachers were innovative and know how to integrate technology in the classroom.

“At Hills, we felt that Chinese is such an important language just like our other language courses,” Fratto said.

Currently, the district has implemented the course for grades 6-9, but Fratto said they will eventually spread through 12th grade, and even have Chi-

nese AP courses.

“We have two wonderful Chinese teachers,” Fratto said. “There are very few teachers out there who can teach Chinese and we’re fortunate to have found two Chinese teachers, who are also French teachers.”

Hills’ Chinese instructors Jennifer WuPope and Kris Rodulfo teach four classes each between both middle schools and high schools.

HALF HOLLOW HILLS

Hills Cuts Another $2.4 Million From Budget More reductions will be made throughout district, bringing total trimming to $9M

By Stephanie DeLuca sdeluca@longislandernews.com

Another $2.4 million will be cut from the Half Hollow Hills School District’s 2012-2013 budget, the board of education revealed at its March 16 meeting.

The board announced in January that it planned on making $6.8 million in cuts. However, after spending months projecting the budget and figuring out how much operating the district will cost in 2012-2013, officials had to go back to the drawing board and make incremental cuts in certain areas. New projections, district officials said, require over $9 million in reductions.

Anne Marie Marrone Caliendo, assistant superintendent for finance and facilities, said the reductions will be made based on declining enrollment. However, the district still plans to manage and maintain their academics, athletics and arts programs.

The district proposed eliminating the guidance counselor at the middle school level as a result of declining enrollment.

The employee to be excessed would be based on seniority as dictated by New York State Education Law. This will save the district $88,000.

Another central office managerial confidential position will be eliminated. The position being excessed has not been de-

termined. Originally the district planned to excess one personnel assistant position in the central office, saving them $100,000. However, the new reduction will save the district another $70,000.

Initially, the district planned to remove two clerical positions, saving $125,000, but due to the need for more reductions, an additional four positions will be eliminated. This totals $337,000 in savings.

Another reduction proposed regards the use of teacher substitutes, which was originally $330,000 in savings. The district made an incremental reduction of another $500,000, totaling $830,000.

An incremental $25,000 is also ex-

HUNTINGTON STATION

New Name For Mall Official

By Mike Koehler mkoehler@longislandernews.com

Construction will likely last for another 20 months, but Walt Whitman Mall owners Simon Property Group confirmed the shopping center’s transformation has begun.

Simon is in the process of expanding the mall along the Route 110 side and adding second floors in select areas. The project will add 72,000 additional square feet of rentable retail space.

Interior and structural work has already begun, Executive Vice President Thomas Schneider said. Construction, he said, will continue from the inside out until the work is finished in September 2013.

“We’re off and running,” Schneider said.

But the company’s website has already debuted the shopping center’s first change – a new name. The mall was rebranded Walt Whitman Shops in October.

Corporate Public Relations Manager Les Morris said the change was made to reflect the new shops that will call the mall home, as well as any exterior improvements.

“This new name denotes both the upscale look and feel of the renovation as well as paying homage to the history of the mall which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year,” Morris said.

The sign has not been replaced yet, although the spokesman said it was slated to occur before the winter holiday season.

The sign announcing you have arrived at the Walt Whitman Mall will soon be changed to reflect its new name, Walt Whitman Shops.

pected to be reduced from the athletic budget. Savings total $145,000.

The district receives state aid on textbooks and library books every year.

However, they usually purchase more than the aid amount. School officials announced they will reduce textbook and library book purchases to the amount covered by state aid, which trims off another $69,588.

The district is looking at another $68,200 to be cut from technology-related staff development provided through BOCES. Initially the reductions were $50,000. Another savings of $14,150 came from eliminating other BOCES programs. This brings the total to $132,350.

Aside from funding provided through contract, additional funding for travel and conferences for faculty and staff will be eliminated, saving $73,380.

Another $70,000 will be saved from cutting the allocation for student supplies across the seven elementary schools and $910,075 from equipment.

District officials said they will also have the transportation department do a series of routing efficiencies and modifications to save $350,000. They will also reduce any funding to advertise positions in newspapers, saving $20,000.

“At this point what we have is pretty close to a finalized proposed budget,” Marrone Caliendo said. “We’re not final yet, but at a good point.”

The proposed 2012-13 budget will be $221,918,299, which is lowest budgetto-budget increase in 15 years.

The budget will be adopted on April 19 at Chestnut Hill Elementary School.

From April 20 to May 11, the school board will go out and present the budget at PTA meetings and other forums.

AC TN OW

Three Ways To Stay In The Know

so yo ud on ’t m iss an iss ue !

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPA-

We are making changes to the way we distribute the Half Hollow Hills Newspaper to our readers. We know you love us... we are your eyes and ears on government, politics, school news, arts and culture in the Dix Hills and Melville communities. But to continue enjoying the Half Hollow Hills Newspaper, you need to act now and choose your method of delivery.

The newspaper will be available three ways.

1. PICK UP A COPY

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POLICE REPORT Compiled by Mike Koehler

Get Up Offa That Thing!

Just Leave Me Alone

Spoilt by the car clicker… My trusty Buick

big, cold glass – it helps you grow! Does a body good! Now, you’re digging around the dairy section does not have a remote car-door opener. You put for non-fat, skim plus because whole milk is loaded the key in the door, you turn the lock, and like magwith fat. Make up your mind, ic, an open door. But for one scientists – or at least until of my co-workers with his IN THE KNOW you know exactly what you’re new-fangled car, he got a little WITH AUNT ROSIE talking about, can you keep bit of a surprise. You see, one your yaps shut so I can enjoy of his family members accidentally took his car keys my big, juicy steak in peace? to work, leaving him with the trusty valet key – and no clicker. But after he half took the door handle Three cheers… So, you remember that last bit apart to even find the keyhole, he adapted pretty of good news I was hoarding? Now it’s time to spill well – except he didn’t like setting his car alarm off the beans. Our trusty editor, Luann Dallojacono, is every time he unlocked the door. It makes me yearn getting some national attention! She’s been selected for the days when if you wanted to change the TV as one of Editor & Publisher magazine’s “Publishing channel, you got off your duff and turned the knob.

Leaders: 25 Under 35” in its search for the future Another reason to buy local… So, this might be generation of newspaper leaders. They were looking for people who are “young, bright and capable of one of the yuckier items I’ve chronicled for you, but tackling whatever the changing newspaper climate here goes. You might have heard about something throws at them; people with business acumen to called “pink slime,” a ground beef additive that is lead through trying times and vision to implement created thusly. The typical beef production process new strategies to move their newspapers forward.” creates beef trimmings, consisting of fat and meat, With that awesome honor, the world will now know which are sent to special separation plants. There, what we already know in Huntington – that she’s a centrifuges separate the beef from the fat and the heck of a gal and a wonderful asset to Long Iscreation is treated in ammonia gas for additional lander Newspapers. Congratulations, Luann! safety. That stuff, called “lean finely textured beef ” formally, is then added to ground beef. Sound tasty?

Not so much. Granted, if you’re into the slime, it’s Opulence, thy name is… a Lexus stretch limoubecoming harder to get. Many schools, markets and sine. Seriously, who comes up with these ideas? fast-food chains are phasing out or entirely dropNormal stretch limos already symbolize power and ping pink slime from the menu. In the meantime, if wealth, except when you see regular folk step out you want to avoid the stuff, don’t buy anything that and realize they were just trying to ride the coatincludes lean, finely textured beef. Or, take the easitails… wait, I’m getting sidetracked. One of my er route for fewer headaches – start shopping at friends pointed one of these out to me the other your neighborhood butcher again. day, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.

Not just content to be a high-end luxury car, they It’s bad for ya… I read a story online – no, just made it even bigger so it’s harder to miss and the headline – a few minutes ago, and it blared: slapped the trademark “L” badge on the back. Trust “New study: All red meat is bad for you.” I didn’t me, Lexus, I didn’t miss it! Although I wish I had. even read the story, but it touched off one of my old (Aunt Rosie wants to hear from you! If you have comAunt Rosie resentments – stop changing the culiments, ideas, or tips about what’s happening in your nary goal posts on me, will ya? One week it’s good neck of the woods, write to me today and let me know for you, the next, it’ll accelerate the development of the latest. To contact me, drop a line to Aunt Rosie, c/o cranial warts. Take milk, for example – back in the The Long-Islander, 149 Main Street, Huntington NY day, you wouldn’t think twice about pouring out a 11743. Or try the e-mail at aunt.rosieli@gmail.com)

A Melville resident called Suffolk County police on March 22 about aggravated harassment. The complainant reported receiving harassing phone calls from an unknown man.

Robbery Target Punched In Face Suffolk police were dispatched to a New York Avenue parking lot in Huntington for a reported assault on March 23. The complainant said a group of men approached, punching him in the face and taking his money. The man was taken to Huntington Hospital for treatment.

That’ll Drop Home Values Suffolk police responded to Greenlawn about criminal mischief on March 22. The complainant reported a telephone pole on Park Avenue had been spray-painted by an unknown person.

Was It With Her? Suffolk police were dispatched to a Melville grocery store about a major theft on March 22. The complainant said her purse was stolen from a shopping cart; it contained credit cards, cash and a cell phone.

All In A Convenient Carrying Case Lloyd Harbor police contacted Suffolk County police on March 22 about a grand larceny. A lockbox containing cash and silverware had been stolen from a home earlier that month.

Some Thief...

A South Huntington store employee called Suffolk County police about an attempted shoplifter on March 19. The complainant said a male suspect attempted to steal assorted merchandise from the department store.

When security confronted him, he dropped the merchandise and fled.

Don’t They Have Computer LoJack?

Send a photo of your pre-school age child or your favorite pet along with a brief anecdotal background and we’ll consider it for “Baby Faces” or “Pet Faces.” For babies, include baby’s full name, date of birth, hometown and names of parents and grandparents. For pets, please include the pet’s name, age, hometown and breed, if applicable. Send to info@longislandernews.com or mail it to: Baby of the Week or Pet of the Week, c/o Long-Islander, 149 Main St., Huntington, NY 11743. Please include a daytime phone number for verification purposes.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK LUCY SUMNER

Suffolk police were called to a Huntington Station computer store on March 18 about a theft. A company employee reported a Macbook Pro was missing.

What Happens In Strips Clubs Stays In Strip Clubs

“They don’t care how old you are; you had to do your chores before going to school. Girls had to take turns staying home one day a week to learn how to cook and even if you stayed home that day you still had to do your schoolwork.”

Suffolk police were contacted on March 18 by a Huntington Station gentleman’s club representative about aggravated harassment. The complainant said a former customer kept texting threats.

So Who Crashed On That Couch?

Northport Village police discovered unusual activity in woods along Laurel Avenue on March 15. A patrolling officer noticed a wooded area cleared out; a couch was also present. Police notified nearby school security. No further police action was necessary.

For Her, The Magic Is In The Penny, PAGE A6

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DIX HILLS

Scoring Goals And Sharing Smiles Soccer club collecting toys for hospitals

Hills West junior Matthew Stummer and his younger brother Benjamin with toys for hospitalized children. The Stummer family and other supporters plan to deliver the toys over the next few weeks.

By Luke Rousso info@longislandernews.com

Wondering how to make a difference in his community, Half Hollow Hills West junior Michael Stummer went to his younger brother with an idea. Jordan Strummer, a freshman at Hills West and part of the BWG Cosmos Soccer Club, gathered six of his fellow players at the academy to help.

Both brothers will be joined with their father, Steven, and the soccer players visiting three units at Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center with gifts on March 30.

They’ll also visit the Ronald McDonald House. In April, the group is expected to visit the Cancer Center for Kids at Winthrop University Hospital.

“I wanted kids in the hospital to know that there are other kids who are thinking about them and wishing them a speedy recovery, if possible. I wanted to come down with a few friends and brighten their day and let them have

some fun and laughs,” Matthew said.

The soccer players will visit the Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center with more than 250 toys, soccer balls, T-shirts and sweatshirts for the children, all donated by sponsors.

“We just completed one of our shopping sprees at Toys ‘R’ Us where we picked up some great toys for the hospitals to keep for the kids ages 1-18, to use now and into the future,” Matthew said.

Their father, a member of the Purestep Podiatric Sports Medicine and Surgery Group, is collecting unopened toys, DVDs, CDs, gift cards and cash at his offices in Northport, Plainview and Bellmore.

“My son and his friends are going to basically introduce themselves to the kids and play a game with them called ‘score a goal’ in which they must get the ball into the goal by any means possible, kicking, throwing, etc., to receive a gift,” he added.

For more information, contact Steven Stummer at 516-449-1842.

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 29, 2012 • A5

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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

For Her, The Magic Is In The Penny Former music teacher raises money to upgrade school in Sierra Leone

By Stephanie DeLuca sdeluca@longislandernews.com

“Blood Diamond” is not just a movie. It’s based on reallife events in West Africa’s Sierra Leone.

And although the country is rich in soil and minerals, very few people help the poor people who live there.

However, there is one person who is taking a proactive approach to helping the kids in her native country – Lucy Sumner, a former music teacher at Harborfields High School.

Sumner got involved with nonprofit organization The Magic Penny, which was created to provide financial support for educational, economic and agricultural programs in the town of Bompehtoke, located in Sierra Leone.

Sumner said she fundraises throughout the year for her hometown. The Magic Penny’s next event will be at the Watermill Inn in Smithtown on May 3 to raise funds to refurbish the outside of Gladys Caulker LeFevre School. The Magic Penny did construction to the old school in 2010, and it was completed last April.

“We have to pave the immediate area in front of the school because if we don’t, the kids will be bringing mud into the classrooms,” Sumner said.

For $70 a ticket, donors will be able to enjoy music, dinner, beer, wine and soda from 7 to 11 p.m. as well as gift baskets and 50/50 raffles. Sumner also plans to make a presentation on what The Magic Penny has done so far in Sierra Leone.

“The band [The Fabulous] Acchords will be performing oldies music, like ’60s and ’70s,” Sumner said. “It will be a great night to reminisce those vibrant years.”

Sumner said the cost of fixing up the immediate area around the school is $5,000. Any leftover money will go towards creating a playground for the kids and a garden.

Growing up in West Africa wasn’t so easy when Sumner was a child there. The only children who attended school were the ones who could afford to pay for it. Sum-

Former Harborfields High School music teacher Lucy Sumner is raising funds to refurbish the outside of Gladys Caulker LeFevre School in her native country of Sierra Leone. ner was fortunate enough to have a grandfather who was a chief in that town and paid for her education.

Sumner said her childhood days were filled with chores, school and homework.

“They don’t care how old you are; you had to do your chores before going to school,” Sumner said. “Girls had to take turns staying home one day a week to learn how to cook and even if you stayed home that day you still had to do your schoolwork.”

Sumner attended an American mission school in Sierra Leone. The principal, who was originally from Pennsylvania, made it possible for her to come to the United States on a scholarship. She moved here after graduating from high school and attended Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Penn., where she studied music education.

Sumner said music is something she was always passionate about.

“My aunt had a very beautiful singing voice back in Africa and she taught me,” she said. “We used to sing in church and be in competitions but she was very musically inclined so she encouraged me. I like to sing. I’m not

The school children in Sierra Leone were excited about the renovations of the school in 2009. like Mariah Carey, but I enjoy singing.”

While studying for her master’s degree in the United States, Sumner said there was a coup d'état in Sierra Leone. The army took over the government, and Sumner couldn’t go back to her country.

However, she established her life on Long Island and got married. Sumner has taught music education and orchestra throughout her 31 years in the Harborfields School District.

“Yes I did [make the right choice to come here],” Sumner said. “Being here was an adventure for me.”

Since the children in her hometown barely have anything, Sumner said she also collects school supplies. Donations can be sent to 24 El Dorado Drive, East Northport, NY 11731. For tickets and additional information call 631-486-3822 or visit www.themagicpenny.org.

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MELVILLE

Two Injured In Crash Photo by Steve Silverman

Firefighters work to help occupants involved in a crash on Bagatelle on Sunday.

A crash on Bagatelle Road left two injured on Sunday.

The Melville Fire Department responded to the crash site, at Bagatelle and the South Service Road of the Long Island Expressway, the afternoon of March 25.

The crash involved a Jeep Wrangler and Nissan Rogue, with the Jeep getting hung up on a guardrail. Fire officials said two occupants sustained non-life-

threatening injuries and were transported to Huntington and North Shore Plainview hospitals by Melville Rescue Squad ambulances.

About 30 firefighters and EMS personnel were on the scene with two engines, a heavy rescue truck, two ambulances, first responder, paramedic and fire police units, under the command of Chief Michael Carrieri.

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Opinion

Sen

d letters to The Editor, : Half Hollow H il ls N ewspaper, 149 M Huntington ain Street, , New Y or e-mail 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.’

Home Fit For A Hero A groundbreaking ceremony in Hunting- minute the community heard what had ton on Saturday will mark a special day in happened. The lieutenant was hailed as a this town’s history. hero and emotional support seemed to emBut unlike other, more conventional anate from behind every face. Then donagroundbreakings, this one will not involve tions from far and wide started pouring in. golden shovels marking the start of a pros- Fundraisers, shows, concerts and the like perous multi-million-dollar company; nor were dedicated to raising funds for conwill it begin the construction of a commu- struction on the Marine’s Huntington nity playground of playing fields. home, which would have to be altered due This groundbreaking will mark some- to Lt. Byler’s injuries. thing more powerful than that. It will be a That was some time ago, and thousands very tangible symbol of what can happen of dollars in fundraising and hours of volwhen you have the kind of commuunteerism later, the construcEDITORIAL tion is ready to begin. We can’t nity that Huntington has.

On March 31, Building Homes for think of a moment in recent Heroes will break ground on construction times that we have been prouder to call this to the home of Lt. James Byler, a Marine community home. The way every corner of who lost both of his legs and two fingers in this community has pitched in to help this 2010 after he stepped on an improvised ex- young man and his family (of which his plosive device while serving in Afghanistan. mother is a teacher in the Northport School The goal is to make Lt. Byler’s home hand- District and his brother is also in the servicap-accessible for when he returns from ice) is truly remarkable. To us, this is what the National Naval Medical Center in being part of a community is all about.

Bethesda, where he is learning how to masWe salute you, Lt. Byler, and all of the ter using prosthetic legs.

Huntington and Long Island residents The outpouring of support for Lt. Byler who are helping to make these renovations and his family was evident from nearly the happen.

ment unreservedly supported this critical initiative proposed by the Governor as the cornerstone of his legislative agenda this year and we will use it wisely to achieve justice.

THOMAS SPOTA

District Attorney Suffolk County

Delay Is Disappointing Editor’s note: The following was adapted from an enewsletter.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Asking For Your Vote DEAR EDITOR: As you may know, the Half Hollow Hills Library's annual budget vote and trustee election is Tuesday, April 3, 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. at the Dix Hills building.

The current board of trustees, working in conjunction with our library director and library staff, has put together a fiscally responsible budget for the upcoming budget year.

In a time when our county is bleeding red ink and school budgets go up every year, the library has continued to offer excellent service without a penny of increase in the operating budget. Our library should be applauded for their efforts.

In this year’s trustee election, it is my desire to join the library board and continue in the footsteps of the fiscally responsible current board of trustees.

As a son of an immigrant, my mother taught me how important the public library was as an equalizer for those less

fortunate. Free access to information at the public library was instrumental in my mother's success. With the expansion of where information is available, we must still remember that some people may not have the same access, and the public library still has a role as an equalizer.

With the advent of the Internet, Kindles, Nooks and iPads, the library will need to understand, embrace and adapt to these market shifts.

In no way is this a movement towards the end of libraries; instead it is an exciting opportunity for libraries to deliver information in new and interesting ways.

Lastly, as a father of three boys, I remember my sons being swept off to magical lands or historical places while the children's librarian read from her latest selection. I also remember this same experience when I was young and it is my desire that my sons will get to cherish these same moments when they someday become parents.

I humbly request on April 3,

HALF HOLLOW HILLS N E W S P A P E R

Serving the communities of: Dix Hills, Melville and the Half Hollow Hills Central School District.

Founded in 1996 by James Koutsis Copyright © 2012 by Long Islander Newspapers, publishers of The Long-Islander, The Record, Northport Journal and Half Hollow Hills Newspaper. Each issue of the The Half Hollow Hills Newspaper and all contents thereof are copyrighted by Long Islander, LLC. 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.

we all come out and vote to show our support for our library.

JACOB GOLDMAN

Candidate Half Hollow Hills Library’s Board of Trustees

DNA Law Is A Win DEAR EDITOR: The historic agreement to expand the DNA databank to require DNA samples be collected from defendants convicted of a felony or misdemeanor will make this county safer. I am confident this expansion will result in the apprehension of dangerous criminals because a DNA match often was the first link to the individual ultimately convicted of the crime. It is equally important to understand that the DNA databank samples can only be used to help identify and prosecute criminals, eliminate suspects in ongoing investigations and exonerate those wrongfully accused and wrongly convicted.

Suffolk County law enforce-

DEAR EDITOR: Another Department of Transportation rulemaking delay – the third – that would require a rear visibility standard to be set to help prevent child backover deaths is drawing criticism from KidsAndCars.org.

In 2010, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had proposed mandating rear view cameras for all vehicles with a generous phase-in period through 2014.

A final version of the rule was expected to be issued today [Feb. 29].

KidsAndCars.org, a national nonprofit child safety organization working to prevent injuries and deaths of children in and around motor vehicles, has already documented 11 backover deaths in just the first seven weeks of this year.

The Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act required a rear visibility rule to be set by Feb. 28, 2011, to improve visibility to enable drivers to see pedestrians - especially small children - immediately

Michael Schenkler Publisher

Mike Koehler Danny Schrafel Stephanie DeLuca Reporters

KidsAndCars.org

Peter Sloggatt Associate Publisher/Managing Editor

Luann Dallojacono Editor Ian Blanco Production/ Art Department

behind their vehicles. The Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) called for rearview cameras to be mandatory on all passenger vehicles by 2014.

In his Feb. 28 letter Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood notified Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) that “further research and data analysis is important to ensure the most effective and protective rule possible.” He said he anticipated that the department could issue the final standards by Dec. 31, 2012.

Safety groups and parents of children killed and injured in backover incidents call on auto manufacturers to continue adding rear view cameras to their vehicles in the interim.

Over 45 percent of 2012 models already come with rearview cameras as standard equipment. Consumers are demanding this safety feature and auto makers are advertising the advantages of these systems.

“Every day this rule is delayed puts children at risk. Today just about every cell phone you purchase today comes with a camera. Is it too much to ask to have a camera on our vehicles to save a life?” asks Janette Fennell, founder and president of KidsAndCars.org.

An average of two children a week die and 48 are injured in backover accidents, KidsAndCars.org reports. A backover incident typically takes place when a car is backing out of a driveway or parking space.

Blind zone education kits, including collapsible 28-inch cone and measuring tape, are available at http://www.kidsandcars.org/online-store.html.

Linda Gilbert Office / Legals

Susan Mandel Advertising Director Michele Caro Larry Stahl Account Executives

149 Main Street, Huntington, New York 11743 631.427.7000

Green Guide 2012 BUYING INTO INTO

THE FOODIES DO

THE THE

Local Farming

Wine And Chocolate

Inside Scoop

SHAREHOLDERS WANTED

AT XO RESTAURANT

LI CONFIDENTIAL

LI 2

• MARCH 29, 2012 • LONG ISLANDER LIFE

Going… Going… Green!

Clockwise from top left: Fox Hollow Farm in South Huntington owners Heather Forest and Larry Foglia, center and right, with their CSA farmer and manager Regina M. Dlugokencky, left; harvested carrots at Sunset Beach Farm in Sag Harbor; and solar panels on a Huntington home.

Cover photo: A farm worker carefully harvests the delicate mizuna for the shareholders at Sunset Beach Farm's CSA.

Michael Schenkler Publisher The official newspaper of the Town of Huntington; Half Hollow Hills School District; Harborfields Public Library District; South Huntington Water District; Cold Spring Harbor School District; Greenlawn Water District; South Huntington School District; Village of Lloyd Harbor; Village of Huntington Bay; and the Centerport, Cold Spring Harbor, Dix Hills, East Northport, Greenlawn, Halesite, Huntington, Huntington Manor and Melville Fire Districts.

Luann Dallojacono Editor Mike Koehler Danny Schrafel Stephanie DeLuca Reporters

Peter Sloggatt Associate Publisher/Managing Editor

Ian Blanco Production/ Art Department

Linda Gilbert Office / Legals Susan Mandel Advertising Director Larry Stahl Michele Caro Account Executives

Times are changing. Smart phones can tell you where to eat, how many calories are in the dish you pick, and then tell you what song is playing at the restaurant you’re at.

You can look up movie times (and trailers, and reviews, and actor bios) on these phones as well. An app can tell you who within a 5-mile radius of you has an apartment for rent. Almost anything you could ever want to know is on the Internet, and you can watch your nieces and nephews grow up through photos they post on Facebook. We could put together this newspaper from our living room, if we wanted to.

But when it comes to going green, it seems that a harkening back to the good old days of local produce has come along with these breakthrough technological changes.

Eating organic foods has become popular, and over the past few years, the “localvores” have been garnering more and more followers.

One trend in the buying locally movement is the emergence of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), where non-farmers can become shareholders in a local farm. Make an upfront investment and you will receive a season’s worth of fresh, healthy, local produce on a regular basis. CSAs will be the topic of an upcoming free fair this weekend, hosted by the Cinema Arts Centre, where residents can visit with Long Island’s CSAs, meet the farmers, and learn how to join.

CSAs are explored thoroughly in our Green Guide, this month’s issue of Long Islander Newspapers’ LIfe. Flip a little more and you’ll find more on ways to go green in the Town of Huntington, from the basics of solar energy to free services offered by the town.

Copyright © 2012 by Long Islander Newspapers, publishers of The Long-Islander, The Record, Northport Journal and Half Hollow Hills Newspaper. Each issue of the The Long-Islander and all contents thereof are copyrighted by Long Islander, LLC. 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.

newspapers

149 Main Street, Huntington, New York 11743 631.427.7000

LONG ISLANDER LIFE • MARCH 29, 2012 •

LI 3

Buying Stock In Homegrown Veggies Growth of CSA farms on LI provides new way to eat green and buy locally Photo by Erin Bullock

A family selects their weekly share items from their CSA distribution site at Mud Creek Farm in Victor, N.Y.

By Stephanie DeLuca sdeluca@longislandernews.com

Most people run to the grocery store to buy their veggies because it’s quick and convenient. Others, however, are buying into the Community Supported Agriculture movement.

To encourage adopting a healthy lifestyle as well as buying locally, farmers across New York State are participating in a series of free Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) events, one of which will be held in Huntington this weekend.

CSA is becoming a popular trend for consumers to purchase their local vegetables right from the source – farmers. Residents can go to farms that participate in CSA at the beginning of the season and purchase a certain number of shares on the farm.

A share usually consists of a box of vegetables. Some farmers may have other products for sale such as eggs or fresh bread. For a membership price, consumers will get a weekly share of the farmer’s produce throughout the farming season.

“One thing that is unique is that it’s an opportunity to get the freshest vegetables that are usually picked the day of or the day before distribution and it’s not being flown across the country,” said Kristina Keefe-Perry, CSA education and outreach associate of the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA-NY).

NOFA-NY – a nonprofit of farmers, gardeners, consumers and businesses united

in creating a sustainable regional food system – was founded in 1983 by an alliance of farmers in the northeast area. The organization is the oldest organic farming association in New York. NOFA-NY is one of seven state chapters that support organic farming in the northeast.

To support local farmers, NOFA-NY will be hosting its second annual Community Supported Agricultural Fair Series.

During the events, residents can meet area growers and learn about their farms, products and CSA. NOFA-NY received a grant to host the series for three years. The nonprofit is hoping to promote regional food, publicize local CSAs, and encourage consumers to enroll in a local CSA. “We’ve had a great feedback from farmers and consumers,” Keefe-Perry said.

The series of fairs will take place all over New York, including here in Huntington.

The Cinema Arts Centre is hosting the free event on March 31 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Over 20 CSA farms have been invited to participate. Some confirmed attendees include Quail Hill Farm of Amagansett, Fox Hollow Farm in South Huntington, Sofia Garden in Amityville, Crossroads Farms at Grossman’s in Malverne and Invincible Summer Farms in Southold.

“The fair is like a trade show where all of the exhibitors are farmers…and consumers can compare different CSAs side(Continued on page LI 10)

4 LI

• MARCH 29, 2012 • LONG ISLANDER LIFE

Solar Energy Is A Bright Idea Financial incentives make sun-powered systems green and fiscal sense LIfe photos/Mike Koehler

By Mike Koehler mkoehler@longislandernews.com

Anyone with a south-facing roof who plans to stay put for eight years and has enough money to cover the initial price tag could benefit from a solar energy system.

Many homeowners and commercial property owners are hesitant of taking advantage of solar energy, said Sail Van Nostrand, owner of East Northport-based installer Energy by Choice. But the Greenlawn resident claims the blow to the wallet isn’t actually that bad.

“This is a tough economy. I don’t pretend to think it’s not,” Van Nostrand said.

“We don’t want to buy clean energy if it’s more expensive than dirty energy. We just forget about the dirtiness.”

Harnessing the sun’s rays, the owner argued, can substantially reduce or almost completely eliminate electricity bills.

He’s right, Huntington resident David Jackson said.

Jackson, who installed solar panels on his Hartland Avenue home by another company over the past two years, has seen his energy bills drop. Paying LIPA $2,500 one year, his most recent annual LIPA bill was $300. During the stretch of July to August when the thermometer climbed and his air conditioner was switched on, Jackson said he paid just $81.

“It’s wonderful. My electric bill is down to almost nothing. I produce all my own electricity,” he said. “It makes a huge difference.”

Solar energy can be harnessed in two forms: concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) cells. CSP involves using lenses and mirrors to turn sunlight into a narrow beam of concentrated heat used in conventional power plants. While these are not uncommon, PV systems are how homeowners individually benefit from solar power.

There are also different options for homeowners and commercial landlords.

Solar electric systems consist of multiple panels that generate electricity; solar hot water systems use just one or two panels that heat a tank of water.

Van Nostrand recommended installing both systems, although he said the solar hot water systems actually offset more carbon dioxide.

These systems use solar panels to heat a water-glycol mixture in pipes below the panels. That mixture then transfers the heat to the water tank, providing hot water without the need for other fuel. It works exceedingly well in the summer, Van Nostrand said, when the sunlight on an afternoon can heat the entire tank to 140 degrees. But even the reduced sunlight in the winter can heat the tank to 95 degrees, up from the 55 degrees coming out of the ground, and requiring less other fuel to finish the job.

“I’m still saving, just not as much as I would on a summer day,” he said.

The owner added that anyone burning oil for hot water could recoup their expenses within six years and anyone using electric heat would recover the initial spending within three years. Natural gas, he admitted, is very efficient and not recommended with a solar hot water system.

Jackson had his system installed in May 2011 and expects to recover his expenses in six years. He’s seen his 80-gallon water tank heat up to 135 degrees, helping

Huntington resident David Jackson spent only $19,142 to install $63,134 worth of solar energy equipment on his home. reduce the need for oil. It’s also helped him make smarter, more environmentallysavvy decisions.

“I saved laundry days for sunny days.

Eighty gallons of hot water is a lot of hot water,” the homeowner said.

The hot water’s more popular cousin is solar electric. These systems cover much of a roof in panels that turn sunlight into DC electricity. That energy is fed through inverters, which change it into AC electricity that’s used in homes and businesses.

The newly created electricity can then be used or it can actually make money through net metering.

Van Nostrand described solar panels as similar to silicon computer chips, noting there are three different types of panels.

Thin film uses less silicon but creates the least electricity.

“It doesn’t have a place on Long Island or New York because we tend to have large amounts of consumption and small amounts of roof,” the business owner said.

Crystalline modules are also common, made primarily of refined silicon. These are the standard option, while high-efficiency crystalline modules are a third choice. These panels create up to 30 percent more energy than their standard counterparts, but cost 15 percent more.

In all three cases, Van Nostrand said, stationary solar panels are installed. The best candidates as far as Long Island properties go are south or southeast facing roofs at a 33 degree pitch. The energy created runs through wires down the side of the property, into inverters and into a special LIPA meter that runs backwards.

Jackson has 42 solar cells generating nearly 10,000 watts atop his roof. The power is channeled through three inverters, into his house and into the meter.

His installers said there was no maintenance on the solar electric, the homeowner added, and the water-gylcol solution needs to be replaced every four or five years in the hot water system. The solar panels were guaranteed for 25 years, the inverters for 15 years and the workmanship for 10 years.

Jackson said his choice was influenced by both environmental and financial factors, noting “I have a daughter who’s going to inherit the planet.” However, Van Nostrand said most of his clients admit that saving money is the primary factor, with being green an additional perk.

This display at Town Hall shows exactly how much energy solar panels on the roof are being created at any time.

“If you ask them about the environmental attributes, it’s, ‘Oh, that too,’” he said.

Not unlike a state-of-the-art cell phone, solar systems are expensive on their own.

Jackson’s hot water system cost $9,900, the first phase of the solar electric system cost $29,154 and the second phase cost $24,080.

Fortunately, a number of rebates, credits and other financial incentives do exist that can devour more than half of the initial price tag.

Since the early 2000s, LIPA has hosted the Solar Pioneer Program for homeowners; it was expanded to commercial customers in 2009. Vice President of Environmental Affairs Michael Deering said the utility provides rebates based on the amount of wattage. Under the program, a homeowner can receive as much as $17,500 from LIPA. “It helps our customers, helps our economy, helps LIPA and improves our environment,” Deering said.

He also said 4,900 residential and commercial systems were installed across Long Island using the program, with many of them going in within the past few years alone.

“What we’ve seen each year is the number of installations increasing as the costs decrease,” Deering said.

New York State rewards implementing solar systems with a 25-percent tax credit off the net cost – capped at $5,000, Van Nostrand added, while the federal gov-

ernment will allow for a 30-percent tax credit.

For Jackson, those cost-saving measures and small rebates from the installers knocked down the total $63,134 cost to $19,142.

“If the federal, state and LIPA rebates were not in place, I never would have done this, because it would have been way too expensive,” he said.

If the financial incentives and prospects of aiding Mother Nature weren’t enough to get local property owners to commit, the Town of Huntington installed solar electric systems across the town.

Chief Sustainability Officer Terese Kinsley said a 28-kilowatt system on the Town Hall Annex was installed in April 2011; a 12.6-kilowatt system was installed on the South Parking Garage at the Huntington LIRR station in February for electric cars; and an 8-kilowatt system was installed at the Business Incubator last summer.

Kinsley said the Town Hall system will produce more than 34,000 kilowatt hours a year, offsetting 22 metric tons of carbon dioxide. She wouldn’t specify how much money it would save the town – somewhere less than 10 percent – but Kinsley did admit it was more of a show-and-tell project than cost-cutting measure.

“We did this as more of a pilot project for town residents so they can see solar in action. It’s more of an educational tool,” she said.

LONG ISLANDER LIFE • MARCH 29, 2012 •

LI 5

Going Green, All Year Round Town sponsors expo, free home energy surveys for eco-friendly lifestyles

Visitors to last year’s Earth Day Expo at Town Hall learn about green energy, composting, recycling and other ways they can reduce their environmental impact.

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

For town residents looking to incorporate some new, environmentally friendly habits into their lifestyles, Huntington has plenty of ways to make it happen all year long.

Anyone looking for a green living crash course can get started with the third annual Family Earth Day Expo, sponsored by Supervisor Frank Petrone and Councilman Mark Cuthbertson, on April 21. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Town Hall’s parking lot, located at 100 Main St., becomes a clearinghouse for all things eco-friendly.

“Children and parents alike will definitely have the opportunity for a lot of ‘hands-on’ fun at this event,” Cuthbertson said. “In recognition of Earth Day, it is equally important to be able to show families across Huntington how easy it is to protect kids from harmful chemicals and pesticides, how to make homes and cars more energy efficient and how to save money in the process.”

Covanta will sponsor a Plug In To E-Cycling program for the collection of electronic waste like old cell phones, pagers, radios, stereos, computers, laptops, fax machines and TVs. “By now, everybody knows that their unwanted electronic items shouldn’t just be thrown into the trash, but many people don’t know exactly how to get rid of them,” Petrone said. “Our annual Plug In to E-Cycling Day helps people clean out their attics and closets while helping to preserve the environment.”

It’s especially important not to throw out e-waste with the rest of your garbage, Terese Kinsley, the town’s chief sustainability officer, stressed, because of the materials used to manufacture them. Residents can drop off electronic waste at the town Recycling Center on New York Avenue in Huntington any time the facility is open; businesses, which are prohibited by a new state law from throwing out e-waste with the rest of their garbage, can do so by appointment.

“Most electronic equipment contains heavy metals like cadmium and mercury,” she said. “That’s basically the problem with the electronics, and it’s a waste of the metal where this stuff could be recycled

and reutilized.”

Prolonged exposure to cadmium, either through cigarette smoking – the most common cause – phosphate fertilizers and municipal waste incineration is a risk factor for developing heart disease; and exposure to mercury causes a plethora of health ailments.

Boaters will also have the chance to drop off shrink-wrap used for winterizing their boats, and Shred-It will destroy unwanted personal documents and recycle the resulting paper waste.

Once visitors have unloaded their unwanted gadgets, papers and shrink-wrap, visitors can peruse the Green Showcase, sponsored by Jonathan’s Ristorante, for more ideas of things they can do at home to reduce their environmental impact.

Those include: adding residential solar energy, composting and organic gardening.

Each will be demonstrated.

Solar energy installation in the town is fast-tracked through the Long Island Solar Unified Permitting Initiative, a partnership with the Nassau and Suffolk County Planning Commissions and LIPA. Rebates are also available from LIPA, Kinsley added.

But before installing solar panels, residents should get a Huntington EECO Homes energy efficiency survey. The program, which is managed by not-for-profit LI Green, will offer Huntington residents free efficiency consultations through October. LI Green technicians conduct energy surveys and identify low-cost, high-impact improvements.

After the low-cost improvements are done, LI Green refers residents to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to enroll in the Green Jobs-Green New York Better Buildings energy efficiency audit and lowinterest financing program, which gives qualified homeowners a free comprehensive Building Performance Institute home energy audit and up to $13,000 in low-interest retrofit financing.

About 600 homeowners have taken advantage of EECO Homes, while 500 of those have taken the next step to apply to NYSERDA. EECO Homes is an effective clearinghouse for families looking to go green in a big way, Kinsley said.

“In the town, the first step would be to go through EECO homes because they can

Got an old computer to dispose of? Bring it to the Earth Day Expo April 21 or drop it off at the Town’s recycling center on New York Avenue in Huntington. direct them to everything that’s available,” the chief sustainability officer added. “If you go through that, you’ll need a smaller solar system because you’d be consuming less energy.”

Throughout the town, other tools are available to help residents. With the recent boom in electric cars on the market, EV

owners can plug in at the Huntington Train Station near the south garage while they’re at work. A special permit – a step up from the current hybrid parking permits, which exempts owners from parking meters – is in the works so the charging stations can be reserved exclusively for electric cars, Kinsley said.

6 LI • LONG ISLANDER LIFE • MARCH 29, 2012

Nonprofit Teaching Flower Power

By Katherine Vibbert info@longislandernews.com

With the coming of the warm, breezy spring months, many ecologically minded individuals aid the community through events like spring clean-ups and recycling programs.

Going green in Huntington has never been more accessible, with activities and initiatives facilitated by the Starflower Experiences, a nonprofit dedicated to environmental awareness.

Laurie Farber founded the ecological

group in 1989 in order to provide the community with opportunities to educate individuals about the environment around them, and teaching them how to live in harmony with earth’s life systems.

Helping people understand the role they play in the ecological dynamic of their community is also important.

“It’s about living in harmony with nature and understanding how things work, which makes you feel more connected with the earth,” Farber said.

Primarily based in Huntington Bay, the organization offers a variety of differ-

ent events and resources, such as “Work Days” at Manor Farm in Huntington, community yard sales, environmental fairs, and Green Living Seminars. A new program being offered, titled “Nature’s Way,” is open to young children during the summer and educates them on the relationship between the plant and animal communities.

On June 2, which is National Trails Day, the organization will participate in a trail cleanup at Berkeley Jackson County Park to repair trails by cleaning up litter, cutting back bushes, and most impor-

At last summer's Earthkeepers session through Starflower Experiences, trainees fill a “munch tray” as they learn about the environment. tantly, Farber said, ridding the trail of graffiti.

Taking place on every second Thursday of the month, with the exception of July and August, the Green Living Seminars are designed to teach individuals about lessening their impact on the earth and applying creative solutions to everyday ecological concerns. Past seminars have included lessons on how to maintain environmental conservation on a budget, and how to turn ordinary waste into valuable soil for one’s garden.

The most recent Green Living Seminar, titled “Edible Landscaping,” wel-

“It’s about living in harmony with nature and understanding how things work, which makes you feel more connected with the earth,” — LAURIE FARBER, Founder, Starflower Experiences comed master gardener Eileen Anders.

She taught individuals how to create a gardens bursting with edible plants such as fruit and nut-bearing trees, berry bushes, herbs, and edible flowers that are pleasing to both the eye and the mouth.

“We had a really good turnout, and people were interested in the subject and got to interact with each other and network, which was great,” Farber said.

These sessions run from 7-9 p.m. at the Melville Branch of the Half Hollow Hills Library, located at 510 Sweet Hollow Road.

An opportunity to learn about the nonprofit is coming up on March 31, Starflower Experiences will hold its annual fundraiser at Gloria Dei Church in Huntington Station. Admission is free, and there will be a live a band and auction of items including a tour for two on the North Fork with Vintage Tours, a flight in a historic WW II plane, a Natures Shapes surf board, family ‘staycation’ opportunities and an evening at a local live community theater.

To get a complete list of Starflower Experience events, explore the website at www.starflowerexperiences.org.

LONG ISLANDER LIFE • MARCH 29, 2012 •

LI 7

Life&Style Bullying Topic Of One-Act Festival Three-day showcase to feature more than 25 comedies and dramas

By Stephanie DeLuca sdeluca@longislandernews.com

Bullying has been a hot topic across the nation, with incidents of crime and even suicide making headlines. The Northport One-Act Play Festival will address the subject this weekend.

The third annual Northport One-Act Play Festival will be hosted by St. Paul’s United Methodist Church from March 30 to April 1. The festival will showcase a combination of more than 25 comedies and dramas.

Jo Ann Katz, the founder of the Northport Reader’s Theater, co-founded the festival with playwright Michael Casano.

“Two years ago was the first year,” Katz said. “Last year was very successful. The Saturday matinee performance was about distractions while driving.

Again students wrote plays and acted in them. It was an interesting event and we had a panel of experts in the field for a discussion.”

The matinee performances on March 31 will showcase six plays written, directed and acted primarily by teenagers. The oneacts will explore the issues about different types of bullying and the impact it has on a child, families and the community.

Saturday’s matinees are free; however, donations will be accepted to benefit The Bully Project – a collaborative effort among four charitable foundations dedicated to transforming communities into places where empathy and respect are valued by everyone.

“The issue of bullying really has blossomed and our timing is right [for the play],” Katz said. “I know there are many

Actors rehearse “The Interview,” written by the late Douglas MacLeod, showing Saturday night as part of the Northport One-Act Play Festival. programs in schools.”

Katz noted that the administration in Patchogue Middle School has folders in the hallways in which students can anonymously put a piece of paper if they see bullying so administrators know what’s going on in the school.

The Saturday matinee program will also feature a musical performance by singer Marla Lewis. Her song “Leap of

Faith” was part of a children’s compilation album entitled “All About Bullies…

Big and Small!” and won a 2012 Grammy Award for Best Children’s Recording.

Teenager and author Jaime Isaacs, who was a victim of bullying, will participate in a discussion panel following the performance. She worked with former Legislator Jon Cooper to pass a bill on cyberbullying and recently released a book,

“In Jamie’s Words,” in which she shares the experiences she and her brother have faced in elementary and middle school.

“The purpose is to get teens and their parents to come and open that discussion rather than just keeping it in,” Katz said.

“I think we’ve all experienced it at one point in our life.”

Friday night’s performance will feature plays reflecting the theme “Accentuate the Positive.”

To pay homage to the late Douglas MacLeod, a Long Island author and playwright and a public relations manager for Newsday, the troupe will produce his play, “The Interview,” for Saturday night’s performance. The evening’s plays fall under the theme of “The Human Condition.”

To keep in the spirit of April Fools Day, Sunday’s performances will feature comedy shows.

“We’re thankful to St. Paul’s because they’re always so great and we want to acknowledge the people who donate their time and help out in the production,” Katz said.

Performances will take place at St. Paul’s The Playhouse at 270 Main St. in Northport. Admission is free for Saturday’s matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets for each of the other shows are $2 or an all-festival pass is available for $50. Evening performances for March 30 and 31 start at 7:30 p.m. There will be a matinee show on April 1 at 3 p.m.

Reservations are recommended and can be made at www.brownpapertickets.com by searching for Northport One-Act Play Festival, or contact northportplays@gmail.com or 631-223-8053.

Young Artists Taking Over Heckscher

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

For the 16th year, the Heckscher Museum of Art is inviting talented high school artists to the museum as part of the “Long Island’s Best: Young Artists at the Heckscher Museum” exhibit. And Long Island’s high school students practically beat down the doors to get involved.

On view from March 31-April 22, a diverse selection of works from 52 public and private high schools in Nassau and Suffolk counties will be on display. Each student’s submission must be based on a piece that was on view in the museum during the 2011-2012 school year.

A record-high 328 students entered the juried show, said Joy Weiner, director of education and public programs. Curator Lisa Chaliff selected approximately 80 of those entries to be displayed in the museum. Prizes will be awarded in several categories, including Best in Show, which will be announced on March 31 during

the opening reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m. All works will be on view on the Museum’s Website www.heckscher.org.

“The exhibitions we have on view were very engaging and exciting for the students,” Weiner explained, when asked about the strong turnout.

Nina Muller, the museum’s director of external affairs, also credited the museum’s School Discovery Program. The Long Island’s Best exhibit is the flagship event of the museum’s arts in education program, which integrates experiences in the museum and the art classroom setting. Through close observation, discussion and hands-on activities, students learn to make connections between art in the museum galleries and their own creative experiences.

“There’s a lot of support from the art teachers that are participating in school discovery… it’s a combination of increased awareness because of the museum’s and schools’ efforts,” she said.

Developed by Heckscher Museum art

educators, who partner with art instructors from participating schools, this is the only juried exhibition on Long Island that offers high school students the opportunity to show their work in an art museum. The exhibit is sponsored in part by Inna Gellerman, DDS, who does orthodontics for adults and children.

The museum also receives support from the Town of Huntington.

The museum is open Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Huntington Township residents get in free on Wednesday after 2 p.m. and Saturdays before 1 p.m. Proof of residency is required. For more information, call 631351-3250.

Walt Whitman High School senior Philip Gladkov’s “The Rise of Consumerism,” a mixed media creation, is one of more than 300 entries in the Heckscher Museum of Art’s 16th Long Island’s Best: Young Artists at the Heckscher Museum exhibit. His art teacher is Verna Amakawa.

LI 8

• MARCH 29, 2012 • LONG ISLANDER LIFE

The

Foodie SECTION

XO: A Love Affair With Creativity Foodie photos/Danny Schrafel

By Danny, Stephanie & Linda foodie@longislandernews.com

Jason Kitton, the owner of XO Restaurant, Wine and Chocolate Lounge on Wall Street, tell us his culinary goal is to make a big impression.

“We like to take traditional dishes and put a twist on it,” he said. “Do something different that people haven’t seen before and get the ‘wow’ factor going.”

Mission accomplished.

At every turn, Kitton, who, at age 25 has been involved in nearly every aspect of the restaurant business, and executive chef Christopher Lano impressed us with their innovative New American cuisine, an eye for freshness and a sense of adventure that reaps big rewards.

XO is a “leap-year baby,” having opened the doors of its new home on Feb. 29. After rebounding from a fire that knocked them out of their former Clinton Street address, XO moved into the former Osteria Toscana on Wall Street. The split-level space allows XO to maintain a warm, jazzy dining room accented by brick and wooden finish on the first floor and a sultry, dimmed and candle-lit lounge with couches and cocktail tables in hues of chocolate brown and red.

We started our meal with a sumptuous spread of appetizers. Moist Jumbo Lump Crab Cake ($14), served atop a red pepper fennel slaw and red chili crab sauce, beautifully complements the milder crab cake and brings out the best in both. Crisp Pulled Pork Dumplings ($10) are a satisfying fusion of Asian and Southern staples with tangy barbecue glaze and Asian slaw. If you’re a tuna lover, keep an eye out for super-fresh trio of tuna topped with black truffle peelings; “Fire and Ice,” with seared, peppered tuna with blood orange sorbet; and tuna tartare topped with red caviar.

If you like cocktails, you’ve come to

XO Café owner Jason Kitton prepares a Chocolate Espresso Martini for our table, a libation that will delight chocoholics and java junkies alike. the right place. Kitton says their Chocolate Espresso Martini ($12) is one of the most popular, and for good reason – the smooth and sweet yet potent concoction will satisfy coffee and chocolate fanatics alike. One of the ladies in our group said her go-to cocktail is a Pomegranate Martini, and she said XO’s, a simple libation of Absolut Citron, pomegranate liqueur and lemon juice, was one of the best she’s ever had.

After our first round, a surprise plate – a special sampler of Red Chile Shrimp served atop a dollop of rich sour cream, paired with cold Pineapple Crab and Jalapeno soup – illustrates XO’s willingness to take chances and think outside the box. Keep an eye out for the Thai-inspired shrimp and snap it up when you can, because it’s spectacular. The beguiling soup marries flavors and big chunks of tender crab in ways that never crossed our minds.

(Continued on page LI 11)

XO’s generous $24.95 prix-fixe dinner menu includes juicy crab cakes, paired brilliantly with tantalizing, peppery sauce.

LONG ISLANDER LIFE • MARCH 29, 2012 •

Side Dish DINE HUNTINGTON.COM

By DineHuntington.com Foodie@longislandernews.com

PASSOVER TO GO: European-style market Iavarone Bros. (7929 Jericho Turnpike, Woodbury Village Center, Woodbury 516921-5400 www.ibfoods.com) offers an athome four-course meal for Passover. The menu of traditional and kosher Passover favorites includes matzo ball soup, choice of starters, main courses and vegetables plus dessert. The menu includes starters: Gefilte fish with horseradish sauce, chicken liver; main course: beef brisket, boneless Bell & Evans turkey breast or herbroasted chicken; sides: haricots vert almondine, roasted red potatoes, potato latkes, carrot tzimmes, matzo-encrusted spinach and artichoke casserole; dessert: home-style macaroons, fresh fruit bowl.

Enough for 10-12 people, the package is $299 plus tax and orders for delivery or pick-up must be made two days in advance. Call 1-877-423-6637.

EASTER ON WHEELS: If Easter is your holiday, Iavarone Bros. has a similar package with menu choices built around a main course of roasted boneless leg of lamb with lemon, garlic and fresh herbs; boneless stuffed pork loin with prosciutto, provolone, parsley and Locatelli Romano; Chicken Iavarone with sautéed peppers, artichoke hearts, mushrooms and capers; or glazed spiral cut ham.

A DEAL FOR ANGLERS: Nader’s Fish on the Run (217 New York Ave., Huntington 631423-6300) has made its presence known as a destination for diners seeking fresh, simply prepared seafood and fish and chips in a flash. But if you want to take your fresh

fish up another notch, Nader has a deal for you. It’s simple – you catch it, they cook it for $4.95. If you’re not heading out on the fishing boat any time soon, there’s still lots to choose from, and be sure to check out the new entrees on Nader’s menu.

Mike Maroni of Northport’s Maroni Cuisine on “The Today Show.”

MARONI HONORS: Grenville Baker Boys and Girls Club will honor Mike and Maria Maroni, proprietors of the legendary Maroni Cuisine in Northport, at its annual June Dance on Saturday, June 2. Mike Maroni, whose mama’s meatballs beat Bobby Flay’s in a Food Network-televised throwdown, is the creative force in the kitchen, and Maria is the charming and beautiful “front-of-the-house” at Maroni Cuisine.

They’ll be giving back to the community helping to raise funds for the Grenville Baker Boys and Girls Club, which provides over 1,600 young people with knowledge, skills and the guidance they need to pursue their dreams. For information on the dance, go to www.gbbgc.org.

The

Foodie SECTION

News and reviews from the restaurant capital of Long Island

CALL 631-427-7000

LI 9

LI 10

• MARCH 29, 2012 • LONG ISLANDER LIFE

CSA programs leading to growth of local greens LIfe photo/Stephanie DeLuca

residents how to make a green smoothie.

There may also be other food demonstrations on how to cook with their vegetables.

“If I had a choice between organic food and local food, I would choose local because if I’m going to eat something, I know who the farmer is and I could ask questions,” said Zoubeck, who noted there are nearly 27 CSA farms currently on Long Island.

The Sky Café will be open, selling organic popcorn with organic butter as well as organic coffee, milk and more.

There will also be free movies to go

“If I had a choice between organic food and local food, I would choose local because if I’m going to eat something, I know who the farmer is and I could ask questions.”

— SUZZANNE ZOUBECK, Green Thumb CSA Huntington coordinator Heather Forest and her husband Larry Foglia have been owners of the Fox Hollow Farm in South Huntington for the last 45 years. This is the first year they are participating as a CSA farm.

(Continued from page LI 3)

by-side to find the one that’s right for them,” Keefe-Perry said.

Heather Forest, who has owned Fox Hollow Farm for the last 45 years with her husband Larry Foglia, decided to clean out their perennial fields and start growing vegetables for others beyond their family and neighbors.

“We’re a brand new CSA in Huntington and I think it’s going very well,” Forest said. “[The community] is excited to hear about us.”

Residents have a chance to become a member and purchase either a half share or full share of produce for the season. Each farm has different dates for what they consider “seasons.” Fox Hollow’s season runs for 22 weeks from June 4 to Nov. 1. A half share, which Forest said feeds one or two people, runs for $400. A full share runs

$750 and feeds a family of three or four.

Every week, Fox Hollow has between six and 10 items for share holders to choose from. The farm’s soil is enriched with compost, well-matured organic matter, and they do not use pesticides on their crops, Forest said.

“It’s eating locally, which is basically what we’re really hoping is that people don’t have to drive far to come and get their vegetables,” she said.

David Intonato, owner of the soon-to-be open The Purple Elephant Specialty Foods and Market, said sometimes farmers start off with the right intentions but vegetables can get overproduced and will go to waste.

“Some people like that – they know what they’re getting – but for me I like the freshest [vegetables] that are picked that day,” said Intonato.

In Intonato’s newest business, located in Photo by Erin Bullock

Farm workers harvest lettuce for that afternoon's CSA distribution at Mud Creek Farm in Victor, N.Y.

Northport, he noted that he works with K.K. Haspel, the owner of The Farm in Southold, to bring in the freshest ingredients into his store.

At the Long Island CSA fair, residents will have a chance to meet with the farmers and learn the basics of being a shareholder, such as share price, growing season and varieties of vegetables. Membership information and forms will be available.

Other organizations attending the event are Edible East End, Healthy Planet, Slow Food Huntington and the Weston A. Price Foundation.

Suzanne Zoubeck, Green Thumb CSA Huntington coordinator, said the organizations will be giving out free items. She also noted Healthy Planet will be showing

Clever, And Green!

John Simmons, a junior a student at Cold Spring Harbor High School Mr. Healy’s Engineering and Design class, was inspired by Japanese sculptor, Harashi, who loved skateboarding as much as Simmons does. When Harashi’s broken skateboards began to pile up, he created sculptures out of them rather than throwing them away. This inspired Simmons to do the same, and he is in the process of designing a bench out of his old skateboards.

along with the day’s theme. “The Real Dirt on Farmer John,” which will be shown at 10:15 a.m., is a film about the community supporting agriculture. “Farming the Future: Farm Life on Long Island,” which will be shown at 11:45 a.m., is about farmers – past, present and future – and what’s currently going on with them on Long Island. Zoubeck said they’re both great films.

“It’s a place where people are getting together and having a good time. There will be free movies and interesting people,” she said. “It’s a great place to get involved if people are into health eating, supporting local farmers, current trends and see what’s up with cooking. It’s not a bad place to be on a Saturday.”

For more information about NOFA-NY call 585-271-1979 or visit www.nofany.org/csafair.

LONG ISLANDER LIFE • MARCH 29, 2012 •

LI 11

XO’s flair for adventure

Dressed in peanut sauce, Pulled Pork Dumplings are one of several menu items that marry the Asian and Southern flavors.

Sea Bass is crispy on the outside, juicy and mellow on the inside and good all over. Just make sure to save room for the enticing sweet-pea lobster risotto.

(Continued from page LI 18)

The entrees kept the “wow” moments coming. Tender Grilled Skirt Steak ($24) in a savory coffee barbecue sauce is served atop rich mashed potatoes and garnished with sweet and crunchy Portobello fries. Juicy Chilean Sea Bass ($30) is paired with satisfying sweet-pea risotto with big chunks of lobster. SesameCrusted Big Eye Tuna ($32), with roasted fennel and a Wasabi Orange Aioli, was another big hit at our table.

The big finish, however, comes in a pot with a Lazy Susan at the base. Fondue is

a major staple of the dessert menu. Perfect for sharing with friends, it’s something we highly recommend. The S’mores version ($21) is warm, chocolaty bliss.

Needless to say, we’re already planning a return visit. Kitton told us the PanSeared Duck ($26), with sweet potato mash and a chocolate cherry reduction, is another customer favorite. The lobster, shrimp, garlic, red chile and tomato spaghetti ($24), one of six pasta dishes on the menu, looks like another knockout that we’ll have to try on a return visit.

Explore the menu with a generous $24.95 prix-fixe menu all night SundayThursday and until 6:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; or enjoy a cocktail during Happy Hour from 5-7 p.m. and Ladies’ Night on Thursday.

XO Restaurant, Wine & Chocolate Lounge 69 Wall St., Huntington village 631-549-7074 www.xowinebar.com Atmosphere: Jazzy dining; cozy lounging Cuisine: New American Price: Moderate-Expensive Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 5-11 p.m.

Friday & Saturday: 5 p.m.-2 a.m.

Sunday: 4-10 p.m.

A Place To Call Your Own...

The Chateau hosts only one event per day

Discount Packages Available For

Call now as dates are booking fast!

The Chateau at

Coindre Hall ,

Dessert is meant for sharing at XO, and S’mores Fondue simply cannot be missed.

www.lessings.com

Huntington, New York 101 Brown’s Road 631-751-0339

@

@

Sweet 16’s, Anniversary Parties & Birthday Celebrations

LI 12

• MARCH 29, 2012 • LONG ISLANDER LIFE

THURSDAY Shed The Meds/Wellness Fair Bring your expired or unused medication to the South Huntington School District’s Health and Wellness Fair on March 29, 4-8 p.m. in the Walt Whitman High School lobby at 301 West Hills Road, Huntington Station. Also learn more about various health and wellness topics, as well as services available in the neighborhood.

Calendar O M M U N I T Y

Flag Box Tour The Greenlawn American Legion, Post #1244 will be bringing its mobile “Old Glory” flag collection box to the following locations: Commack High School, One Scholar Lane, through March 30; Wood Park School, 15 New Highway, April 2-15; Sawmill Intermediate School, 103 New Highway, April 16-20; Commack Middle School, Vanderbilt Parkway, April 23-27; Rolling Hills School, 25 McCulloch Drive, April 30-May 4; Hubbs Administration Bldg., May 7-11.

Women Inspiring Women For four Thursdays – April 12, 19, 26; May 3 – join the Women’s Center of Huntington and explore values, relationships, dreams and hopes, 7-9 p.m. $10 members/$15 non-members, per session. 631-549-0485.

Where They Can’t See You Cry In her candid and uplifting memoir, “In the Water They Can’t See You Cry,” international swimming star Amanda Beard reveals the truth about coming of age in the Olympic spotlight, the demons she battled along the way—alcohol abuse, drug abuse, bulimia, cutting and depression—and the newfound happiness that has proved to be her greatest victory. She will appear at Book Revue on April 5, 7 p.m., 313 New York Ave., Huntington. Tammy Walsh, founder of the Northport Community Book Club (Northport Drug & Alcohol Task Force), will moderate a conversation.

More On The Lincoln Assassination The North Shore Civil War Roundtable will host a lecture by one of its own members, Valerie Protopapas, who will discuss “The Gray Ghost and the Lincoln Assassination: Colonel John Mosby’s Involvement in the Death of Abraham Lincoln.” The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. on April 5 at the South Huntington Public Library, 145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station. 631-757-8117.

Townwide Fund Gala The Townwide Fund of Huntington will celebrate 50 years of supporting Huntington notfor-profits at an anniversary gala fundraiser at Oheka Castle on April 19, honoring those who have made significant contributions to the fund’s success. The party begins at 6 p.m. with piano music and cocktails, followed by a full night of celebration. The night will culminate with a live auction by Clark Gillies, former Townwide Fund Honoree and former Captain of the New York Islanders, of a “Weekend at Oheka” which will include golf, spa, and a hotel suite for two at the landmark castle. $200 per person/table of 10 for $2,000. www.townwidefundgala.org.

FRIDAY Little Women The Huntington High School Drama Club presents Louisa May Alcott’s classic story “Little Women” on Friday, March 30, 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 31, 2 and 7:30 p.m. $10 general admission; $5 students/staff/seniors. All tickets may be purchased at the door. The high school is at the corner of Oakwood and McKay Roads. 631-673-2106 or www.hufsd.edu.

Northport One-Act Play Fest “Combating Bullying” will be the focus of the student-written plays presented during the third annual Northport One-Act Play Festival, which takes place at The Playhouse at St. Paul’s, 270 Main St., Northport, from Friday, March 30, to Sunday, April 1. Saturday’s 2 p.m. matinee performances are free, and donations will be accepted to benefit The Bully Project. The audience will have the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion following the performances. Evening performances ($20) by other playwrights start at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and reflect the themes “Accentuate the Positive” and “The Human Condition,” respectively. The theme of the 3 p.m. matinee show on Sunday is “April Fool.” Reservations may be made at www.brownpapertickets.com (search for Northport One-Act Play Festival), or by contacting NorthportPlays@gmail.com or 631223-8053.

“Pinkalicious Party” on Saturday, March 31, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Children ages 3-7 can drink pink drinks, eat pink foods, and make pink crafts.

• “Costa Rica, Model of Conservation” on Tuesday, April 3 is an introduction to the people, culture, government, terrain, and ecology of the Central American country. Michael Fairchild will give you a first-hand account, including the festivals, its capital city, San Jose, and the fragile beauty of Costa Rica's rain forests. 7-8:30 p.m.

Commack Public Library

Broadway Stars Share Stories The Broadway Concert Series continues at the John W. Engeman Theater At Northport on Saturday, March 31 at 8 p.m. Hear stories shared by performers Matthew Hydzik (West Side Story, Grease), Anastacia McCleskey (Priscilla Queen of the Desert), Clifton Oliver (The Lion King, In the Heights, Wicked), Catherine Porter (Next to Normal) and Melissa van der Schyff (Bonnie and Clyde). $50. 350 Main St., Northport. www.johnwengemantheater.com. 631-261-2900.

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

• Enjoy a lively program of music, toys, and games for toddlers. A parent or adult caregiver must remain with the child during this program. Meets Mondays through April 23. 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

• Hop into spring with Judy Wilson. Listen to a bunny tale, do a bunny craft, and see some adorable baby bunnies on Saturday, March 31, 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Ages 3-pre-K.

Deer Park Public Library 44 Lake Ave., Deer Park. 631-586-3000. www.deerparklibrary.com.

• The next session of “Cooking with Charlie” on Wednesday, April 4 explores recipes for spring.

Elwood Public Library

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Egg Hunt

World’s Largest Lego Model

Hippity hop over to Cold Spring Harbor Park for Daniel Gale Sotheby International Realty’s egg hunt March 31, 12-2:30 p.m.

The 12 synagogues of the Central Suffolk Jewish Alliance, with a grant from UJAFederation of NY, present a Suffolk-wide Jewish Community event: “Building the World’s Largest Lego Model of Jerusalem,” April 1 at the Commack Jewish Center, 83 Shirley Court, Commack, 12:30-3:30 p.m. A professional architect will help children ages 8-10 construct a 16-foot by 16-foot model of the Old City of Jerusalem with over 50,000 Lego blocks.

Children must be pre-registered to attend at www.CentralSuffolkJewishAllliance.org. Bring a non-perishable food item for a local food pantry.

1,500 Eggs At Stake Local children can fill their baskets in the name of charity for the 13th year when Walt Whitman Shops hosts its annual Simon Youth Foundation Easter Egg Hunt on March 31.

Children ages 3-9 can register at 8:30 a.m.; the event will begin at 9. Plastic Easter eggs, filled with candy and toys, will be hidden in the center’s common area. After the hunt, kids will be treated to an appearance by the Easter Bunny, face painting, balloon creations and temporary tattoos. Tickets are available at Simon Guest Services. $5 per child; proceeds benefit the Simon Youth Foundation.

Easter Egg Hunt Meet the Easter Bunny and hunt for Easter Eggs, too, on March 31, 11 a.m. All are welcome to search for eggs, bid on an ‘Easter Basket’ raffle, make a craft, and hear the Easter story at the Evangelical Covenant Church, 203 Cedar Road, East Northport (between Larkfield and Townline Roads). Free.

631-368-1562.

Create Something Great Portledge School and the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center co-sponsor the second Create Something Great Recycled Sculpture Contest on March 31. The public may view students’ sculptures designed around the theme of animals, birds and reptiles made out of recycled and/or reusable materials.

Following the awards reception, wildlife experts will do an up-close “meet and greet” with nocturnal animals. The event is from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the school, 355 Duck Pond Road, Locust Valley. www.portledge.org/createsomethinggreat.

Coffeehouse/Auction Fundraiser Starflower Experiences will hold a coffeehousestyle auction fundraiser March 31 to support its education for the earth, 7 p.m. at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Huntington Station. Free.

Enjoy some coffee and listen to music while bidding on interesting experiences and items, including a tour on the North Fork and a flight in a historic World War II plane. www.starflowerexperiences.org. 516-938-6152.

‘Lettuce’ Entertain You Visit with Long Island Community Supported Agriculture groups March 31 at a CSA Agriculture Fair at Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington, which will promote regional food, publicize local CSAs, and encourage consumers to enroll in a CSA near them. Learn the basics such as share price, growing season and varieties of vegetables. Event includes cooking demonstration by Bhavani Jaroff of iEatGreen and free movies: “The Real Dirt on Farmer John” at 10:15 a.m. and “Farming the Future: Farm Life on LI” at 11:45 a.m. Admission is free.

Presented by NOFA-NY. 585-271-1979. www.nofany.org/csafair.

MONDAY Aging And Saging Deal with changes in your life with a splash of empathy and humor at the Aging and Saging support group. Meets Mondays except holidays from 10 a.m.-noon at the Women’s Center, 125 Main St., Huntington. 631-549-0485. $10 members, $15 non-members, per session.

TUESDAY Caregiver Support Group Conducted by Jewish Association Serving the Aging, a caregiver support group meets April 3, 6-7 p.m. at The Bristal, 760 Larkfield Road, East Northport. RSVP recommended; contact Patricia Damm at 631-858-0100 or pdamm@thebristal.com. This group is intended for but not limited to family members and friends of those who suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease and other memory impairments.

WEDNESDAY Kids Rock Out Portledge Lower School will welcome the popular children’s band, Princess Katie and Racer Steve, April 4, 8:40 a.m. Their songs deal with issues that children face on a daily basis and incorporate positive themes and important lessons that children should learn about bullying, telling the truth, sharing and respect. Free, open to all. 355 Duck Pond Road, Locust Valley.

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

• Having trouble with email? Want to learn how to use the Internet? Need personalized help? Call and make an appointment with an expert. Appointments available Mondays and Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and Tuesdays at 3 p.m.

• Watch Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of FBI head J. Edgar Hoover in “J. Edgar” on Friday, March 30, 1 p.m.

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

• In “Families Recovering From Divorce: Communication Problems” on Friday, March 30, 7 p.m. in Dix Hills, Neil Grossman will help unveil what causes communication breakdowns and the best ways to respond and re-establish appropriate communication.

Register at www.FamiliesRecoveringFromDivorce.org.

• Learn about the culinary, medicinal, celebratory and natural body care uses of weeds and wildflowers on Wednesday, April 4, 7 p.m. in Dix Hills.

Harborfields Public Library 31 Broadway, Greenlawn. 631-757-4200. harborfieldslibrary.org.

• Teens in grades 6-9 can share their writing experience with writer and local author Teresa Tomasino on Friday, March 30, 5 p.m.

• A counselor from the Suffolk County Office for the Aging will be available to discuss Medicare services, prescription drug programs, long-term care insurance and more on Wednesday, April 4, 1 p.m.

Huntington Public Library Main Branch: 338 Main St., Huntington. 631427-5165. Station Branch: 1335 New York Ave., Huntington Station. 631-421-5053. www.thehuntingtonlibrary.org.

• Artist Lisa Ahronee Golub’s “A Visit to the Bronx Zoo” is on display at the Station branch through April 27. Raised in Rome, Italy and Geneva, Switzerland, Golub came to the United States to attend Wellesley College, and later settled in Huntington.

• Don’t worry if you’ve never exercised, or if you stopped exercising for some reason. Get moving again Friday, March 30, 10-11:15 a.m. with exercises designed to loosen joints, improve overall strength and mobility, and promote cardiovascular health.

Tips For Business Owners Serious about growing your business? LeTip members are respected professionals who understand how to give and get tips to increase everyone's bottom line. Join them every Wednesday, 7-8:30 a.m. at their weekly morning networking meeting. For more information, contact Dave Muller, 631-831-1921.

RSVP a must.

AT THE LIBRARIES Cold Spring Harbor Library 95 Harbor Road, Cold Spring Harbor. 631-6926820. cshlibrary.org.

• Fans of Victoria Kann’s books will love the

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

• The library continues its new daytime Film Classics series with movies starring “Classic Villains.” All movies are on Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. in Northport. “The Searchers” (1956) shows March 29; and “Rio Bravo” shows April 5.

• Michael Libresco-D’Innocenzo, professor of history at Hofstra University, on Thursday, March 29, 7:30 p.m. in Northport will explore significant national and international developments. All attending the program are welcome to share their views.

(Continued on page LI 13)

LONG ISLANDER LIFE • MARCH 29, 2012 •

(Continued from page LI 12)

On The Hunt

South Huntington Public Library

Good at finding hidden mutli-colored eggs? Then this Saturday is for you. Get your fill at several Easter egg hunts on March 31: Hippity hop over to Cold Spring Harbor Park for Daniel Gale Sotheby International Realty’s egg hunt, 12-2:30 p.m., or meet the Easter Bunny and hunt for eggs, too, 11 a.m. at the Evangelical Covenant Church, 203 Cedar Road, East Northport (free, 631-3681562). Kids can also fill their baskets as Walt Whitman Shops hosts its annual Simon Youth Foundation Easter Egg Hunt. Children ages 3-9 can register at 8:30 a.m.; the event will begin at 9. After the hunt, kids will be treated to an appearance by the Easter Bunny, face painting, balloon creations and temporary tattoos. Tickets are available at Simon Guest Services. $5 per child; proceeds benefit the Simon Youth Foundation.

145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station.

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

• The South Huntington Library will host a Local Author Fair on Saturday, March 31 from 1-4 p.m. Come and see what your neighbors are writing! More than two dozen authors scheduled to attend.

• “Ups, Downs & Detours” on Sunday, April 1, 2:30 p.m. by Township Theatre Group will feature several one-act comedies, including “The Grammarians” by Marvin Waldman, in which a couple's love of proper grammar creates marital discord; “Domestic Violence” by Frederick Stroppel, about a “perfect” wife; and a trio of plays by Bonnie Corso.

THEATER and FILM Bare Bones Theater at the Posey School, 57 Main St., Northport. www.barebonestheater.com. 1-800-838-3006.

• In Sam Shepard’s dark comedy “True West,” two brothers’ sibling rivalry is both terrifying and hilarious. Runs for six performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, April 1214 and 19-21 at 8 p.m. $20.

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

• Join legendary star Isabella Rossellini and restaurateur Martin Butera on Sunday, April 1, 5 p.m. for an evening of film, food and lively conversation featuring a screening of the classic movie “Big Night,” starring Tony Shalhoub and Stanley Tucci, followed by a discussion with Rossellini and a tasting of the film’s featured dishes. Fundraiser for the Digital Cinema Campaign. Members $100/public $125.

• A fundraiser for Kanatsiohareke, a traditional Mohawk community in Fonda, N.Y. will be held Sunday, April 1, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Experience Mohawk ceremony, spirituality, song and dance, stories and history, and watch a screening of “Unseen Tears: The Impact of Native American Residential Boarding Schools in Western New York.” $20.

Dix Hills Performing Arts Center Five Towns College, 305 N. Service Road, Dix Hills. Box Office: 631-656-2148. www.dhpac.org.

• “Captain Jack” performs the greatest hits of Billy Joel and other top artists on Saturday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. $35/$30.

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

• The Broadway Concert Series continues Saturday, March 31 at 8 p.m. Hear stories shared by performers Matthew Hydzik (West Side Story, Grease), Anastacia McCleskey (Priscilla Queen of the Desert), Clifton Oliver (The Lion King, In the Heights, Wicked), Catherine Porter (Next to Normal) and Melissa van der Schyff (Bonnie and Clyde). $50.

weekends. 631-462-5400. www.ArtLeagueLI.net.

• Featuring the work of three renowned, innovative printmakers from the metropolitan area, “Bebout, Johnson, Welden: Mixed Media Prints” will be on view through April 29.

LIU Post Campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. www.tillescenter.org. 516-299-3100.

• Pop culture icon Florence Henderson will showcase her musical and dramatic talent on Friday, April 13, 7:30 ($52) and 9:30 p.m. ($42). This debut performance in the Cabaret at “Club T” series will feature “America’s Favorite TV Mom”, sharing anecdotes and songs from her starring roles on Broadway.

AUDITIONS One-Act Play Festival Auditions for the “It Happened One Act” Play Festival will be held Monday, April 2, 7-7:30 p.m. The Minstrel Players of Northport is looking for men and women 18-70. Rehearsals will either be on Sunday afternoons, Monday or Tuesday nights. Performances will be on Saturday, July 21 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 22 at 3 p.m. at Houghton Hall theatre at Trinity Episcopal Church located at 130 Main St. in Northport Village. Bring a resume and a headshot. For more information, call 631-732-2926 or visit www.minstrelplayers.org.

MUSEUMS & EXHIBITS Art League of Long Island 107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills. Gallery hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

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: $5 adults, $4 seniors/students, and children under 5 are free. 631-427-5240. www.waltwhitman.org.

• “The Spirituality of Poetry: From Walt Whitman to Mary Oliver – The Reading & Writing of Poetry,” facilitated by Annabelle Moseley (WWBA Writer in Residence 2009), takes place the last Sunday in March, April, May and June, 1-3 p.m. $10 (due at first session).

runs through April 30.

• The fourth Annual Got Talent? Long Island, an epic contest showcasing 20 finalists, is March 30 at the Dix Hills Performing Arts Center, Five Towns College, 7:30 p.m. Jen Chapin takes the reins as co-host along with Salvatore Valentinetti.

Huntington Center for Performing Arts

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.

• For the April 1-29 show, Elizabeth Ehrlichman shows watercolors and prints in “Fruitful”; Barbara Grey shows watercolors and collage work in “Ancient Visions”; and gallery artists show a variety of styles and themes in “My Choice I.” Reception Sunday, April 15, 3-6 p.m.

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.

• Learn about the Town of Huntington’s role in the Civil War in an exhibit at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Building.

310 New York Ave., Huntington. 631-271-4626. www.huntingtoncenteronline.com.

• Long Island Ballet Theatre (formerly Huntington Ballet Theatre) presents two free performances on March 31, 5 and 7 p.m..

The evening will feature recording artist and violinist Innesa, a native of the Ukraine, joined by dancers. Flamenco dancer Sophia Akhund, a Huntington resident, also takes the sage. Christopher Fleming’s “Connick Suite” set to the music of Harry Connick Jr. provides an American style of jazz and swing. Music provided by the Suzuki Violin Ensemble.

Reservations required. Fundraising dinner reception after the performance ($25). liballettheatre@yahoo.com, 631-271-4626.

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery

LaMantia Gallery

The Paramount

1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor. Open seven days a week, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday and Sundays until 6 p.m.: $6 adults; $4 children 3-12 and seniors over 65; members and children under 3 are free. 516-692-6768. www.cshfha.org • Features New York State's largest collection of freshwater fish, reptiles and amphibians housed in two aquarium buildings and eight outdoor ponds.

127 Main St., Northport Village. 631-754-8414. www.lamantiagallery.com.

• The gallery welcomes back Edward Gordon and introduces Daniel Del Orfano.

b.j. spoke gallery

Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor. Museum hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $4 adults, $3 seniors, $3 students 5 -18, family $12; military and children under 5 are free.

631-367-3418. www.cshwhalingmuseum.org.

• “Right Whales: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,” is on display until Labor Day 2012. Thought to be on the brink of extinction, right whales are among the rarest animals on earth.

fotofoto Gallery Tilles Center For The Performing Arts

$3 children under 12. Museum tour, add $5 per person. 631-854-5555. www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

• The Arena Players Children Theatre presents the children's classic “Pinocchio” at the Vanderbilt Museum Carriage House Theater, running through April 7. Performances are Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for children, and children under 3 are free. Reservations are highly suggested. Call the Arena Players at 516293-0674 or visit ArenaPlayers.org.

MUSIC & DANCE

Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum John W. Engeman Theater At Northport

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14 W. Carver St., Huntington. Gallery hours: Friday 5-8 p.m., Saturday 12-8 p.m., Sunday 12-4 p.m. 631-549-0448. www.fotofotogallery.com.

• Dis-Integration by Lois Youmans and Femme

by Lauren Weissler now on display.

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.

• “A Way with Words: Text in Art” presents art that includes words, lettering, or numbers as subject, design element, or to convey information. On display through April 15.

• The 16th annual “Long Island’s Best: Young Artists at the Heckscher Museum” exhibition, on view March 31-April 22, features a diverse selection of works by art students in grades 9-12 from more than 52 public and private schools throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

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.

• “Nature’s Bounty” at the Art-trium Gallery

Huntington Historical Society

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

• “Earth, Fire and Light,” the works of Hugh McElroy and Richard Vaux, is on display until April 28. This show of recent works represents the pit-fired clay sculptures by McElroy and the nature inspired archetypal lightscapes created using powdered carbon

by Vaux.

Northport Historical Society Museum 215 Main St., Northport. Museum hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 1-4:30 p.m. 631-757-9859. www.northporthistorical.org.

• “History Takes a Vacation,” an educational series, runs Tuesday, April 10-Thursday, April 12, 9:30 a.m.-noon, for students in grades 2-6. $20 per day for members/$25 per day for nonmembers/$50 for all three days for members/$65 for non-members. Register by April 3.

Ripe Art Gallery 67 Broadway, Greenlawn. 631-807-5296.

Gallery hours: Tuesday - Thursday 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday 2-9 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. www.ripeartgal.com.

• On display through March 29 is “Mainframe,” digital paintings by ZIG.

Suffolk Y JCC 74 Hauppauge Road, Commack. 631-4629800, ext. 140. Tuesday 1-4 p.m. Admission: $5 per person, $18 per family. Special group programs available. www.suffolkyjcc.org.

• The Alan & Helene Rosenberg Jewish Discovery Museum provides hands-on exhibits and programs for children 3-13 years old and their families, classes and camps.

Now on exhibit: The Alef Bet of Being a Mensch. “Zye a mensch” is a Yiddish saying that means "be a decent, responsible, caring person,” infusing both the best blessing and the best that an educator can wish for his students.

Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport. Museum hours: Tuesday-Friday, 12-4 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 12-5 p.m.; closed Mondays except for holiday weeks. Grounds admission: $7 adults, $6 seniors, students, and

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

• The Paramount’s “Comedy Series” continues Thursday, March 29, 8 p.m. $15.

• Jazz greats Rick Braun and Richard Elliot kick off a new jazz music series March 30.

• “Fountains of Wayne” takes the stage Friday, May 11.

VOLUNTEERING 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.

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

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.

Send us your listings Submissions must be in by 5 p.m.

10 days prior to publication date.

Send to Community Calendar at 149 Main Street, Huntington, NY 11743, or e-mail to info@longislandernews.com

LI 14

• MARCH 29, 2012 • LONG ISLANDER LIFE

P U Z Z L E CRYPTOQUIP

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MDABLJC. Today’s Cryptoquip clue: O equals T ©2012 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Answer to Science Of Flight

P u bl i s h e d M a r c h 2 2 , 2 0 1 2

ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S CRYPTOQUIP CELEBRATED FAST-FOOD GUY WHO WAS NOTORIOUS FOR SAYING BAD THINGS ABOUT PEOPLE: COLONEL SLANDERS. Published March 22, 2012 ©2012 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

PA G E

PREMIER CROSSWORD / By Frank A. Longo

“ISLE SAY!”

LONG ISLANDER LIFE • MARCH 29, 2012 •

Looking For J. Taylor Finley The folks who operate the Huntington School District’s website don’t like to leave any loose ends hanging. They are also school history aficionados. So, when they couldn’t close the proverbial “book” on legendary teacher and administrator J. Taylor Finley, it bothered them.

Huntington High School senior Michael Lambui, a history buff, has pitched in several times to help locate the mortal remains of some of the district’s long departed major figures. For many J. Taylor Finley months the website operators and Lambui were stymied whenever they tried to obtain photos of Finley’s final resting place. They had a copy of an obituary that stated Finley was buried in the family plot at Pompton Plains Reform Church Cemetery in New Jersey, but after putting out a request, a volunteer responded, stating, “I searched the entire cemetery and could not find the grave.”

Nine months of frustration followed as the Huntington School District’s “detectives” continued their search.

Then one of the searchers located Finley’s son, James, a retired Huntington High School teacher who still resides in the district. James Finley said he delivered the cremains of his parents to the Pompton Plains Reform Church Cemetery himself.

A message to the cemetery’s chairperson produced information on Finley’s burial plot. With that in hand, a volunteer found the family plot and responded with a photo. Case closed!

It’s Tebow Time

Grad Opens Kenyan Clinic Kelly Potter is a long way from home. The Huntington High School Class of 2004 member has moved to Kenya and, along with a local doctor there, opened a community medical clinic to serve people desperately in need of good care.

Potter earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Connecticut and has become very comfortable in foreign settings.

“On my recent trip to Africa, I volunteered at a hospital in Nairobi, Kenya,” Potter said.

“After a few months, the head doctor, Ishmael Oyango and I decided to open our own clinic in the rural town of Sori, an area in dire need of medical assistance. Thus, the Keru Community Health Clinic arose from a need to provide essential medical services to the population underserved by Kenya’s central government.”

The Keru clinic offers services at a true grassroots level and helps address the needs of disadvantaged members of the Sori community. Clients include orphaned children, widows, unemployed youths and the general community that languishes in poverty and struggles with a variety of medical concerns.

“Few Kenyans have the opportunity to purchase medical insurance, leaving families dealing

LI

with huge hospital bills whenever an illness, disease or emergency arises,” Potter said. “High prices at private hospitals are beyond the reach of the poor, unlike Keru Community Health Clinic, where patients will pay a small and affordable fee.”

The clinic’s main priority areas are primary health care p r o g r a m s , HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis prevention programs, guiding and counseling programs, environmental training programs, family planning programs and prenatal care programs.

“On Feb 19 there was a free medical camp where we carried out a de-worming program for children ages 3-12 years old,” Potter said. “The turnout was amazing and we managed to

Confidential

Jim Conte (second from left, back row) “Tebows” with his Assembly colleagues to welcome the newJets quarterback.

Within days of “Mile High Messiah” Tim Tebow signing with the New York Jets, ‘Tim-sanity’ has hit sporting goods stores across the state, and – wait for it – the New York State Assembly.

That includes Huntington Station’s Jim Conte, who joined about 20 of his colleagues in welcoming Tebow to New York the only way one should – by taking a knee and “Tebowing,” a nod to the young quarterback’s prayerful moments on the field.

“Today I joined my Assembly colleagues in welcoming Tim Tebow to the New York Jets,” Conte wrote on Facebook March 22. “All he does is win!”

And with the state budget deadline fast approaching, a little winning is something we could all use in our lives.

‘Mythbusters’ Getting Nowhere Fast The hosts of “Mythbusters” are hoping to turn a former Huntington resident’s wacky imagination into another success.

Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman premiered their show “Unchained Reactions” on March 18.

Based on the zany designs of Rube Goldberg, two teams are pitted against each other to design an elaborate chain-reaction based on a pre-determined theme. Both machines are judged

by Hyneman, Savage and a guest judge.

In the very first episode, teams created contraptions based on the concept of heavy vs. light. Along the way, the hosts added a mystery ingredient of piano, which one team used as a pendulum to

crush televisions and the other team rolled a bowling ball down.

Goldberg was born in California to an engineer and initially followed in his father’s footsteps.

But after six months, he became a sports cartoonist for a San Francisco newspaper. A year later he moved onto another California paper, before headed to New York just three years out of college.

Goldberg also created several of his own cartoons, some involving excessively complex contraptions to accomplish a simple task. Despite his death in 1970, the concept is still used in various media and his name was accepted as an adjective for accomplishing something simple through complex means in 1931.

LI 15

help 298 local children.”

Potter hopes her friends and Huntington community members find a way to support this new initiative of hers.

“The one City Council hospital is a shell, which is poorly managed, understaffed and lacks essential drugs,” she said. “The Sori community relies solely on two clinics, which cannot meet the demands of their current health needs. Successful completion of this project will enable us to administer to the large number of needy people in the community.”

Those who would like to contribute to Keru Community Health Care can go to www.PayPal.com and donate to KeruHealthCare@gmail.com.

Rosie Gets Cancelled, Turns Focus To Wedding Oprah Winfrey canceled ComOprah canceled Rosie’s show, but the Commack native is taking the mack native Rosie O’Donnell’s vanews in stride. riety/chat show after a five-month run plagued by low ratings, format changes and reports of backstage Love At First Sight strife, last week.

After coming out of the gate with 500,000 viewers on the premiere – not bad for an upstart cable network, even with Ms. Winfrey at the helm – ratings took a precipitous dip and stayed low. A mid-season format swap, in which Ro ditched the classic variety show format for an intimate, oneon-one chat show a la early Tom Snyder, didn’t light the ratings on fire, either.

Rosie seems to be taking the news in stride. Instead of lamenting the cancellation, Rosie has been focusing on tying the knot with fiancée Michelle Rounds. After the news broke, Ro tweeted: “on the way to taste wedding cake There must be something about the red paint on this sign - sunny beautiful in NYC - st patoutside a house on New Street that this moss-like plant tys party people in the streets - stay finds attractive. present – xxx”.

LI 16

• MARCH 29, 2012 • LONG ISLANDER LIFE

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

www.LongIslanderNews.com

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 29, 2012 • A9

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Cheers For Our Award-Winning Editor Long Islander Newspapers’ editor is a member of a very exclusive group.

In its search for the future generation of newspaper leaders, “Editor & Publisher” magazine has selected Luann Dallojacono as one of its “Publishing Leaders – 25 Under 35” winners.

The magazine was looking for individuals who are “young, bright and capable of tackling whatever the changing newspaper climate throws at them; people with business acumen to lead through trying times and vision to implement bold new strategies to move their newspapers forward.”

A feature article on Dallojacono and the other winners will appear in the April issue of the magazine.

“This a national publication read by those in the newspaper industry from single-title weeklies to global media giants,” said Long Islander Newspapers Associate Publisher Peter Sloggatt. “The world will

now know what we already know: Luann’s a wonderful asset to our company.”

Dallojacono, 26, has been editor of Long Islander Newspapers since July 2008. She started with the company as a reporter in August 2007 and was quickly promoted to oversee full production of the chain’s four weekly publications and monthly special editions.

A graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, she is constantly finding ways to apply her unique, global perspective on news to community journalism.

“Not only is this an amazing honor for Luann – and our company – but I can attest that she is an amazing person and journalism leader,” said Long Islander Newspapers Publisher Michael Schenkler. “I've been doing this a long time and with many papers, and Luann is one of those rare individuals who comes along, impresses you from the get go, and then

keeps on impressing you with every single paper, every single week.”

An award-winning writer, Dallojacono has garnered several New York Press Association (NYPA) Better Newspaper Contest awards for her work. She has led Long Islander Newspapers to eight NYPA awards since she joined the company.

Dallojacono has strong ties to the Huntington community and was excited to return to it after graduating from college. She was born in Huntington Hospital and is a 2003 graduate of St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington.

In addition to her work at Long Islander Newspapers, Dallojacono serves on the advisory board of Huntington Sanctuary, an agency that works to help runaway and at-risk children. She was recognized at the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce’s Celebrate Long Island’s Young Professionals “30 Under 30” event in 2010.

Long Islander Editor Luann Dallojacono has been recognized as a leader in the industry.

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Picturing (And Clicking) The Perfect Portrait CLIX studio welcomes families, children and pets to their new Jericho Turnpike store Half Hollow Hills photo/Mike Koehler

Spotlight On

Huntington Businesses

By Mike Koehler mkoehler@longislandernews.com

A mother and jill-of-all trades at a portrait studio, Tracy Gorman decided to capture her own version of the industry.

Gorman owns CLIX Portrait Studios in Huntington Station.

“It’s about the experience. It’s not just about getting good pictures,” she said.

“You walk in the door and your family.”

CLIX is a corporation that has a different focus on the industry, something that attracted the Plainview woman when she first discovered the company online in 2005.

“I fell in love with the concept,” she said.

After spending months reaching out to corporate, applying for loans, finding a location and preparing her store, she opened the doors to her franchise on Nov. 1, 2006.

Unlike traditional photography studios, Gorman described her store as more intimate, creative and safe. Customers can come into the studios for a fun family picture, hire the company to shoot corporate events or anything in between. They’ve even snapped pictures at past Half Hollow Hills Relay for Life events.

“We have some people that come in and all they want is very posed stuff.

We’ll do it, but we enjoy doing the other stuff as well,” the owner said.

In most cases, clients come to the store. Appointments are recommended, she said, although walk-ins will be accommodated so long as the location’s sole studio is not in use. Not only do customers book a date and time when they call in advance, Gorman added, but they also give her staff an idea what they’re

Tracy Gorman and her staff pose in front of the trademark CLIX door backdrop. shooting and the staff can offer advice.

Almost anything goes in one of her CLIX shoots. Customers can have any number of subjects in the picture, strike a serious or funny pose, use props, change backdrops, bring different clothes, etc. In fact, Gorman said her staff will swap backdrops during each session – most lasting 20 minutes.

“We’re going to shoot with different backdrops so they have different options,” she said.

Gorman also revealed her photographers click away while their subjects are in between pictures and preparing for the next shot.

“We’re not necessarily waiting for the perfect smile. We are shooting those candid moments when they’re being silly.

Our photographer has been known to crawl on the ground with the kid,” the owner said. “We like to get fun pictures as well as posed portraits.”

Pets are also welcome at CLIX as the

final appointment of the day – due to possible allergic reactions – or all day on the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

“We’ve shot bunny rabbits, hamsters, dogs, cats,” she said. “A lot of families do it, they just can’t find a lot of places that will accommodate it.”

Once an average portrait session ends, CLIX has 40-60 pictures for customers to peruse. But patrons aren’t limited just to the different shots; Gorman noted her staff can digitally tinker with each picture to get it just right.

Packages of prints start at $66, while high-resolution images on a CD start at $56. All sittings include a $9.95 session fee, although buying a $40 membership in the CLIX Club includes two years of unlimited sittings, 10-percent off all studio purchases and a free portrait sheet.

“Once they’re done, most of the time they leave with their purchase. The only exceptions are a really busy day or they’re ordering something above and beyond

being able to deliver in one day,” she said.

While parents review their options, Gorman said, children can play in a separate area designated for them. And if her employees are available, they’ll join the kids in building blocks, reading books or coloring.

CLIX Portrait Studio is typically open six days a week. While the day-to-day business is closed Sundays, they are hosting their Covergirlz runway parties. An idea Gorman brought to CLIX management when she signed on, these parties include a 40-minute modeling pre-shoot for the birthday girl one day and a runway party for everyone another day. The birthday girl walks away with a portfolio from her pre-shoot and everyone gets a contact sheet from the main event.

Covergirlz parties are popular with young girls; Gorman said they’ve snapped glamour shots for 5-year-olds and teenagers. The price for these parties starts at $425 and can climb into the thousands, depending on the number of kids attending.

Gorman said they’ve been great for business.

“There was one party where we got five calls the next day from people at the party,” she said, adding another girl’s family hired them for two consecutive years.

But business has not been great, the owner admitted. Looking promising shortly after the doors opened, the 2008 recession nailed her studio, since portraits and photographs are not necessities. Even in 2012, Gorman said it’s still an uphill battle to make it.

Location was also an issue. Their first location was in a two-story building along Route 110 south of the Walt Whitman Mall, but they were facing away from the road. They relocated to a strip mall on Jericho Turnpike in November.

“A lot of people are just learning about us driving down Jericho Turnpike,” the owner said.

CLIX Portrait Studio 601 West Jericho Turnpike (631) 425-2900 www.clixlongisland.com

A10 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 29, 2012

www.LongIslanderNews.com

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

HUNTINGTON OPEN HOUSES Want to get your open houses listed? Get your listings for free on this page every week in the Long Islander Newspapers.

Call Associate Publisher Peter Sloggatt at 631-427-7000 or send an e-mail to psloggatt@longislandernews.com.

DIX HILLS

14 Parsons Dr Bedrooms 4 Baths 3 Price $749,000 Taxes $14,593 Open House 3/31 12pm-2pm Daniel Gale Agency Inc 631-427-6600

MELVILLE

7 W Lyons St Bedrooms 3 Baths 3 Price $365,000 Taxes $8,200 Open House 4/1 12pm-2pm Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc 516-575-7500

Town Huntington Sta Huntington Sta Commack Huntington Huntington Commack E. Northport Greenlawn Huntington Commack Greenlawn Huntington Huntington S. Huntington Dix Hills Northport Fort Salonga Fort Salonga Dix Hills Asharoken Huntington Sta S. Huntington S. Huntington Dix Hills S. Huntington Commack Melville Huntington Sta S. Huntington E. Northport Greenlawn Commack Melville Melville Northport Melville Fort Salonga Northport S. Huntington Melville Huntington Dix Hills Melville

Address Beds Baths Price Taxes Date 12 Wyoming Dr 3 2 $379,999 $9,769 3/29 2310 New York Ave 3 1 $249,900 $8,898 3/31 424 Townline Rd 4 1 $319,000 $9,610 3/31 5 Grange St 3 1 $319,000 $5,038 3/31 20 Gibson Ave 2 1 $345,000 N/A 3/31 166 Melanie Way 2 2 $349,000 $7,890 3/31 31 Meadow Haven Ln 4 2 $359,000 $9,439 3/31 5 Aspen Ave 3 2 $374,900 $9,944 3/31 16 Mulberry Dr 4 3 $499,000 $13,530 3/31 35 Shinbone Ln 5 3 $535,000 $11,652 3/31 24 Manor (North) Rd 5 4 $589,000 $14,709 3/31 7 Merriwood Ct 4 3 $595,000 $16,327 3/31 36 Gristmill Ln 3 2 $599,000 $11,186 3/31 53 State Pl 4 3 $699,000 $5,468 3/31 14 Parsons Dr 4 3 $749,000 $14,593 3/31 1 Nautilus Ave 4 3 $849,000 $10,744 3/31 29 Timberpoint Dr 5 4 $849,900 $12,024 3/31 3 Amanda Ct 4 3 $999,999 $22,153 3/31 10 Red Maple Ln 6 5 $1,379,000 $26,455 3/31 35 Bevin Rd 6 4 $1,395,000 $13,556 3/31 124 11th Ave 3 2 $260,000 $5,474 4/1 252 Melville Rd 2 1 $279,000 $7,162 4/1 2 Rushmore St 3 1 $323,000 $8,899 4/1 32 Kenmore St 4 2 $339,000 $7,972 4/1 18 Sprucetree Ln 3 1 $350,000 $8,741 4/1 13 Rensselaer Dr 3 2 $359,000 $10,853 4/1 7 W Lyons St 3 3 $365,000 $8,200 4/1 3 Birchtree Pl 3 2 $399,000 $9,056 4/1 7 Eckert St 3 2 $409,000 $10,083 4/1 721 3rd Ave 5 3 $419,000 $9,635 4/1 165 Clay Pitts Rd 3 2 $439,000 $9,230 4/1 1 Diellen Ct 3 2 $449,000 $12,287 4/1 1145 Savoy Dr 2 2 $449,000 $4,174 4/1 18 Goldfield St 4 3 $449,000 $12,165 4/1 17 Horseshoe Dr 3 2 $449,000 $6,379 4/1 41 Ross Ave 4 3 $469,000 $9,691 4/1 9 Talmadge Rd 3 3 $489,000 $10,951 4/1 151 Maple Ave 4 2 $489,000 $8,155 4/1 5 Longwood Dr 3 2 $539,000 $17,346 4/1 5 Lou Ct 5 3 $544,500 $10,344 4/1 5 Cyril Dr 4 3 $549,000 $14,564 4/1 66 Stonehurst Ln 3 2 $549,990 $14,740 4/1 4 Inwood Pl 5 3 $549,999 $10,074 4/1

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 29, 2012 • A11

A12 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 29, 2012

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HUNTINGTON

A New Outlet For Gay Seniors

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

Sitting at a table in the Huntington Senior Center March 15 following a presentation by the center’s gaystraight alliance, Huntington resident Bob Titus, now 87, said he began his life anew at age 65.

Titus knew he was gay since he was very young, “but in those days, it was a psychopathic disease and you were put in an insane asylum,” he said. For decades, Titus said he took steps in an effort to reverse or at least suppress his sexual orientation.

He joined the Army to try to “straighten myself out.” A suicide attempt landed him in the VA Hospital, where he endured electroshock therapy. Following the guidance of the Catholic Church, he married a woman and “lived like brother and sister” with his wife for 30 years.

“And nothing changed me,” he said.

After his wife passed away, a friend took him to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, which is well known for its gay-inclusive atmosphere. That was the beginning of a new chapter of his life in which he came to accept his sexuality and met his partner of 22 years.

“I came out like a bolt of lightning. Once you admit it, it’s OK,” he said. “All of my neighbors know on the street where I live. I’ve been there for over 60 years. Nobody has anything against this at all – no prejudice at all.”

Titus, along with dozens of other Huntington seniors, had just listened to a panel discussion presented by the senior center’s gay-straight alliance (GSA), which is sponsored by the Town of Huntington’s Department of Human Services and Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE-LI). The panel, which included SAGE-LI representatives Roy Schmitt and his husband John O’Hara, of Lynbrook, and former Suffolk County Legislator Jon Cooper, touched on what it means to grow up gay and why the GSA is important to the center.

Believed to be the first of its kind, the Huntington Senior Center’s GSA came about after Irene Tsikitas, the director of adult and senior services for SAGE-LI and moderator of the panel, made a presentation before the Suffolk County Office of the Aging.

“We thought this would be something positive to bring back to our center and that’s how it was initiated,” Jillian Guthman-Abadom, director of the town’s Department of (Continued on page A13)

Roy Schmitt speaks to seniors at the Huntington Senior Center March 14 about the importance of the facility’s new gay-straight alliance.

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Renovations For Byler Home Ready To Go Photo by Mike DiRenzo

By Stephanie DeLuca sdeluca@longislandernews.com

The day the Byler family has been waiting over a year for will finally arrive on Saturday.

A groundbreaking ceremony to begin construction on Marine Corps Platoon Leader First Lieutenant James Byler’s home will be held March 31 at 10 a.m.

Residents who wish to come are being asked to arrive at 9:30 a.m.

Huntington Councilman Mark Mayoka, who played an active role by holding events and fundraisers family throughout the year, and Building Homes for Heroes President Andy Pujol will lead the event. A parade will march down Broadview Drive to the family’s Huntington home.

“We’re just so proud of everyone on Long Island who donated their time and money to make James’ home more comfortable for him,” said Chad Gottlieb, technology consultant for Building Homes for Heroes. “It’s the least we can do.”

A complete revamping of the home of Marine James Byler, pictured at a Huntington parade last year, will begin Saturday.

Building Homes for Heroes invited the local Little League, boy and girl scouts, and other groups to take part in a small ceremony in front of the family’s home.

There will also be guest speakers. Light refreshments will be served, and Building Homes for Heroes t-shirts will be given out.

There are many renovations planned to help make the Byler home handicap accessible for James, who lost both legs and two fingers in 2010 after stepping on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. The home’s single-car garage will be widened so that James can get out of his car with either his wheelchair or on his prosthetic legs. A ramp will also be built in the garage that leads into his bedroom.

James’ bedroom will be made into a suite, with a seating area and a handicap accessible bathroom. An additional entrance will also be built on the side of his house.

The estimated cost for the foundation and excavation of the project is approximately $11,500.

James’ father, Phil, said he is grateful for all the support from the community and can’t wait for the renovations to get started for James and his brother John, who is an Army captain serving in Afghanistan.

“I’m looking forward to it because it

will mark the start of making this a much, much, much better place for James and John when they return,” James’ father, Phil, said. “Many thanks to Building Homes for Heroes and Mark Mayoka for getting involved.”

Building Homes for Heroes, a nonprofit organization that helps severely wounded and disabled veterans and their families rebuild their homes, has spent the last year raising funds and awareness for the Byler home.

“We’re hoping to revive the project which will take about three months and we’re hoping that when people learn about what we’re doing Saturday, they will continue to step-up and donate money and/or materials or trades to the job because we still need certain skills,” Gottlieb said.

James, who graduated from Huntington High School, is currently in therapy at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, formerly known as the Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and still on active duty.

HALF HOLLOW HILLS

Library Budget Stays Flat, Two Vie For Seat

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

Going green has helped the Half Hollow Hills Community Library save lots of greenbacks.

The budget for the library system, which maintains buildings in Dix Hills and Melville, stayed flat from year-toyear at $7,219,116.

In the proposed 2012-2013 budget, the community library would reduce its utilities costs by $21,000, from $170,660 to $149,660, or about 12.5 percent. Library Director Michelle Lauer-Bader credits much of that to a 46-kilowatt solar panel on their roof, which was installed as part of a roof renovation using state library grants and LIPA rebates. The library also uses gas for heating, which offers more stable prices than oil.

“We’ve been doing a lot of environmental kind of things. The most recent was putting up the solar panel last fall, which

went operational in October,” she said.

A new printing contract for their seven-edition newsletter also brought in significant savings, as did bidding out mailing house services such as sorting, folding and delivering mail to the post office.

Labor costs remained relatively flat, library officials said. While the salaries portion reduced by $92,500 from year to year to $3,752,500, benefits, including pensions and health care, soared by more than $156,000, to $1,715,826. LauerBader said the salary savings is a result of several retirements and backfilling those positions, when appropriate, with parttime workers.

In addition to voting on the budget, Hills Community Library taxpayers will select a new trustee to fill an open seat on the board in a five-year term.

Jacob Goodman, a 12-year resident of the Hills community, is the cofounder and operator of Energy Tax Savers, which focuses on energy efficiency and tax sav-

ings for buildings. A published author and recognized speaker on the topic, he chairs the Huntington Town Task Force on Renewable Energy. In his free time, he coaches his sons’ soccer teams.

He said his mother taught him at a young age how libraries give all residents, especially the less fortunate, access to knowledge and how it was instrumental in her success. In the age of Wikipedia and smart phones, the public library remains vital and will evolve to serve the public in the 21st century, he said.

“With the expansion of where information is available, we must remember that some people may not have the same access, and the public library still has a role as an equalizer,” he said.

His challenger, Dix Hills resident John Sonta, a 23-year library patron, brings with him a multifaceted background. After earning his degree at Rutgers University, Sonta played two seasons of professional baseball before doing a 16-month

tour in Vietnam. After a 35-year career with General Motors, he retired as a vice president of vehicle fleet sales; he currently leads a small company that supplies vehicles – primarily the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Hospital System – to Long Island company employees.

Sonta said libraries helped set his life on the right track as a teenager, and it’s his time to give back. He currently works with Books for Soldiers and other organizations that supply active duty soldiers with literature around the world.

“After corporate life, I now have time to devote myself, as a trustee, to one of society’s most underrated gifts: the public library system,” he said.

The library vote is scheduled for Tuesday, April 3 from 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. at the Dix Hills Building, 55 Vanderbilt Parkway, Dix Hills, 11746. For more information or to get an absentee ballot, call 631421-4530, ext.

350, or visit hhhlibrary.org.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 29, 2012 • A13

Go-kart club builds interest in Huntington (Continued from page A1)

owner sold the property, which is now home to an assisted living facility. The group was forced to move to the parking lots of Nassau Coliseum.

Sixteen races are scheduled between May 13 and Nov. 18, with a few practices and tune-ups along the way. Racers are divided by age group and engines. The youngest racers putt along in karts that top out at 35 mph, preteens’ karts jump up to 70 mph and older racers’ karts can hit 80 mph.

There are several additional classes, including a division for go-karts with transmissions. Those rides top out around 125 mph.

“It’s a pretty demanding sport,” Glenn Staudigel, of East Northport, said. “If you like to go fast and you like the handling, cornering… It’s a real adrenaline rush.”

Back when he started, Staudigel said LIKA attracted racers in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Now 56 and a 14-year member, Staudigel said the core has trended younger.

“Now the whole thing has shifted to the little guys. That seems to be where it is now. You have a host of teenagers and you’ll have people in their 20s riding around,” he said.

Staudigel attributed the change to veteran members getting their children involved. A father of two sons, the East Northport man said he’s taken a back seat as they raced over the years.

Geordie Lambros, of Eaton’s Neck, described LIKA as an opportunity for father-son bonding, although membership lists do include daughters, mothers and other women. Lambros, 45, joined LIKA in 2011 along with his sons, 6 and 8.

“I have two boys. I’ve been a motor-

head, car enthusiast my whole life. It was about spending time with my kids.

I’m the coach, crew chief, captain.

There’s nobody else besides me for them,” Lambros said.

He knew nothing about go-karts when the family signed up last year, but the Eaton’s Neck father said he can disassemble and reassemble their six karts in his sleep after spending a full season with LIKA. Members are also apt to lend a hand or a part to get karts running.

“It’s competition, but yet it’s still a very social club,” Lambros said. “My little boys, they have 20 new friends that, aside from their friends at school and neighbor, all they want to do is go to the track and meet up with their friends.”

Staudigel said membership also entails getting to races early so they can open a storage trailer on location and

set the track up. After a long day of racing, members also disassemble and pack the track back into the trailer. Gokart racers are also restricted to riding around the Coliseum parking lot on race days.

“It would be nice to have our own track and be able to use it any time we wish, the way it used to be. That would be fantastic if it could ever happen,” he said. “What would be nice if the powers that be in Suffolk County or Nassau County could find a piece of property where we could have a track of our own.”

In the meantime, the club’s first inseason monthly meeting is scheduled for May 7 at Bertucci’s Pizzeria & Restaurant in Melville. The first race is scheduled for May 13.

For more information, visit the club online at www.likaonline.com.

New precautions, meeting after water incident (Continued from page A1)

for communication snags in getting word out about the Dec. 2011 incident. After the “boil water” order was issued, the district implemented its emergency notification plan, through which the notice was sent to 10 media outlets, including the Half Hollow Hills Newspaper. The town also attempted to place a “robocall” with Dix Hills Water District customers, but the outside agency contracted to handle the system encounted technical difficulties and was unable to place the call. The town then began hand-delivery of “boil water” notices to residents, which many complained never came.

“The town apologizes for the delay in getting this information to its residents,” the newsletter read. “The town will be implementing steps to ensure this communication system failure never happens again.”

At the time, Supervisor Frank Petrone said as a result of the failure, the town would find a new vendor. Town spokesman A.J. Carter said Huntington is

under contract with the current vendor through mid-summer and will continue to use them “while we continue the process of evaluating potential replacements.”

In the meantime, the water district followed up by testing the town’s emergency alert robocall system with a targeted call to Dix Hills Water District customers on March 8. This test went much more smoothly, Carter said.

Saks affirmed his statement.

“As far as I know, everybody said they got a call,” she said.

One remaining obstacle, however, is customers with unlisted phone numbers.

The town said residents who have an unlisted number should visit http://huntingtonny.gov and click on the Huntington Alert icon to sign up for the calling list.

While Saks said she is pleased with the newsletter message and the robocall test, she still wants the Dix Hills Water District to have its own website, like surrounding water districts.

“For 59 years, the Dix Hills Water District has been in service and we don’t have

Gay seniors welcomed (Continued from page A12)

Human Services, said. “It’s been positive.

It’s not a large number of people that are participating in the group, but it is being enjoyed by some of the members of the senior center.”

Another key, Cooper said, was to show that gay families are little different from their heterosexual counterparts.

“We have the same fears and the same concerns and the same life issues as anyone else, as any of our straight neighbors raising kids,” Cooper, a father of five with his husband, Rob, said. “We also have to pay property taxes. We also have to worry about influences on our kids of drugs and smoking and everything else they deal with.”

The GSA had to clear some early hurdles in January when the town received a “letter of concern” about the group.

“It was kind of indicative of an absence of information,” Guthman-Abadom said.

“The concerns were related toward HIV and exposure to that as opposed to other matters.”

The town stood by the club and responded with an HIV/AIDS awareness presentation “because that issue was kind of getting mixed in with the group that we were having,” she added.

Considering the images of gay people many seniors grew up with, providing a safe place for the GLBT community in their golden years is especially important, Schmitt said. A teacher by trade, he married a woman and lived in fear of being outed. Over time, he opened up to his “school family.” But when he was promoted to the position of principal – a distinct honor, to be sure – he went back into the closet. After retiring, he started to come out again, but went back into the closet when he volunteered for a senior center that his daughter operated.

“There were comments being made, people who didn’t understand, people who probably had never really interacted with a lot of gay people, were making remarks that made me feel very, very uncomfortable. I ended up not volunteering anymore,” he said.

At this point in his life, Schmitt said it crucial for him not to hide who he is, but it’s been hard to find his niche in senior centers. But to be sure, acceptance is something that is growing – just look at his church’s wedding announcements.

“Our anniversary was listed with all the other marriage anniversaries in the newsletter. It makes us so proud,” he said.

a website,” Saks said. “We should be able to post our messages efficiently and easily.

You shouldn’t have to go through a lot of hoops to get information.”

Carter said any website will be under the umbrella of the Town of Huntington’s website revamp.

“The Dix Hills Water District is not a separate entity; it is part of the town and its commissioners are the town board,” he said. “As the town’s website undergoes its redesign – a process that is ongoing – Dix Hills Water will have its own page on the town website.”

With concerns about chlorine still present, House Beautiful will be digging into the topic at their annual meeting on May 17. “Our Most Important Resource: Water” – featuring special guest speaker Dennis Kelleher, the senior vice president and director of the Water Resources division from H2M – is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Half Hollow Hills Community Library in Dix Hills.

“We’re very pleased that he accepted the invitation because of how much he knows about the situation,” Saks said. “We couldn’t get a better speaker.”

C L A S S I F I E D S

A14 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 29, 2012

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THE LONG-ISLANDER • THE RECORD • NORTHPORT JOURNAL • HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 29, 2012 • A15

DANCE

Wranglerettes Hook Championship Honors

The Hills West Wranglerettes dance team on the shores of Myrtle Beach after winning grand champion trophies in hip-hop and modern dance.

Half Hollow Hills High School West’s dance team is at it again, winning champion trophies in three national competitions.

At the EDA Big Apple National Classic competition, which Hills West hosted on Feb. 11, the team earned jazz and modern champion trophies.

At the Contest of Champions held in

Disney World March 1-5, the team took home a grand champion trophy in hiphop and one for the Best In Category.

Coach Lucille Kenney was also honored for attending this competition for the past 20 years.

A week later in Myrtle Beach at the EDA Nationals, a two-day competition at

the Alabama Theater, the team took home grand champion trophies in hip hop and modern dance.

To finish off the year, the team has been chosen to compete in the second MSG Varsity Talent Show, which airs Sunday, April 15 at 8 p.m. Eight teams from the tri-state area have been chosen. The top

School Notebook

Compiled by Luann Dallojacono

Half Hollow Hills West students are the winners of the UCP Suffolk Trivia Challenge. They are pictured with their adviser Jim Diver (left) and event moderator Lawrence Levy (right).

With “The Challenge” host Jared Cotter, center, is Hills East’s quiz team: from left, academic adviser Patrick Breig, Isaac Vingan, Aaron Schwartz (captain), Abhinav Patil, Harshil Mattoo and Puja Bansal.

West Wins Trivia Challenge Half Hollow Hills West students know their trivia.

The team won United Cerebral Palsy Association of Suffolk, Inc. (UCP)’s annual Trivia Challenge Finals, held at the UCP Suffolk Children’s Center in Commack.

During the 2011-2012 school year, more than 1,000 students from 14 schools across Suffolk County raised over $20,000 for the agency by participating in its annual Trivia Challenge Competition. This year’s challenge was made possible through the support of returning sponsor Astoria Federal Savings.

four vote-getters, based on viewers’ selections at MSGVarsity.com, move on to the next level.

“I have a young team this year, as I lost nine seniors last year, thus I didn’t know what to expect. But the team rose to the situation and gave great performances,” Kenney said.

Participating students took the Trivia Challenge test in teams of four at their individual schools. Each team was asked 100 questions ranging from academics to pop-culture and collected pledges based upon each correct answer. Incentive prizes were awarded to students according to the amount of money raised.

Of the participating schools, six competed for the title of 2012 UCP Suffolk Trivia Champions. The championships were on March 7-8.

This year, students from Accompsett Middle School, under the supervision of Elyses Chanin and Roger Smith, took first place in their division. Half Hollow Hills West’s team, advised by Jim Diver,

captured the championship title in the high school division.

In addition to taking home a trophy for its school, each winning team member was awarded a medal for participating in the finals.

Former radio personality and current director of community relations at the Long Island Power Authority, Tracy Burgess-Levy returned as moderator for the middle school division. A new UCP Suffolk board member, TV commentator, past Newsday columnist and current executive dean for the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University, Lawrence Levy moderated the high school division.

Hills East Accepts ‘The Challenge’ Half Hollow Hills High School East’s quiz team is buzzing in all the right answers.

The team – represented by Isaac Vingan, Aaron Schwartz (captain),

Abhinav Patil, Harshil Mattoo and Puja Bansal (alternate), under academic adviser Patrick Breig – won the first round of MSG Varsity’s “The Challenge” quiz show. Their second-round match-up was against North Babylon on March 26, with results coming in after press time.

“We got off to a great start with so many close games in the first round and expect the competition to heat up as we head towards the championship rounds,” said Theresa Chillianis, MSG Varsity’s general manager. “We love the support displayed by the schools and communities as they vie for the tri-state championship.”

Back for his third season as host of “The Challenge” is Jared Cotter, host of “MSG Varsity’s Talent Show” and a popular semi-finalist from “American Idol.”

The show tests competing teams on their knowledge of history, arts and literature, current events, math, and science in front of a live studio audience.

“The Challenge” includes 192 high schools from the entire tri-state area. A new matchup can been seen every Sunday through Friday at 6:30 p.m. on Cablevision’s iO TV, Channel 14.

Participating schools advance through a series of elimination rounds, with one school in each region being crowned regional champion and winning $2,500 for their school. The winning teams from each region go on to “The Challenge” Championship where they square off in a tri-state showdown. The school awarded the title of Tri-State Champion will receive $10,000 in prize money, and each student participating in the final “Challenge” championship game will receive $500.

A16 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 29, 2012

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HillSPORTS GIRLS LACROSSE

‘Lax Rats’ Plan To Finish Business Hills’ girls lacrosse team confident they’ll be in the playoffs once again Half Hollow Hills photos/ Stephanie DeLuca

Hills’ girls lacrosse team is getting ready to finish their business from last year’s playoffs round.

By Stephanie DeLuca sdeluca@longislandernews.com

Although Half Hollow Hills’ varsity girls lacrosse team didn’t survive the playoffs last year, they plan to finish their business this season.

“One of our major goals this year is to get back to the playoffs and make it further than we did this year,” head coach Lori Graham said.

Last season, the team finished 13-4 in league play and sixth out of 23 teams in Suffolk County. It was the first time the girls lacrosse team has made the playoffs in the history of the program.

“I’ve been coaching there 12 years and this is the first time that we’ve been in the top five in two years,” the coach said.

“It has to do with these girls who are constantly playing lacrosse all year long and playing together.”

The girls won in the first round of the playoffs against Sachem North (10-7), but fell short in the second round against West Islip (11-10) in overtime.

“We actually were wearing T-shirts with the quote on our back ‘unfinished

business’ because the year before that [in 2010] we missed the playoffs by onetenth of a point, so they were excited, not about not making it, but excited that this year they have some unfinished business,” the coach said. “When we won our playoff game, I bought T-shirts that said ‘all business.’”

Fortunately for the Hills girls, this year’s team has many returning champs with three seniors, three freshmen, one sophomore and 13 juniors from both Half Hollow Hills high schools.

On this year’s lineup there are three returning seniors: Brittany Smith, Caitlin Caiazza and Marissa Schatz.

The coach said the team is looking for defense leadership from Smith and Caiazza, while Schatz will help on the offensive end.

Returning junior Alexis Maffucci was one of Hills’ leading point scorers with 30 goals and 40 assists. Graham said they look to her for leadership in the attack area.

“She’s one of those kids who is an allaround kid,” the coach said. “She’s a great passer, great shooter. She just does

The varsity girls practice their drills to take on the competition for the season. it all so she’s going to be a major part of our team this year.”

Graham said the team looks to midfielders and returning juniors Nichole Doran and Sara Matzelle to control the ball transition.

“We want to play fast-paced games and have fast breaks in the attack,” she said. “Sara takes most of our face-offs and she does a great job. Last year she won 65 percent of our face-offs so we’re looking for her to continue that this year.”

The team’s only sophomore is Jenn Casadonte. The coach is looking for her to become a big part of the midfield area.

On the defensive end, there’s Gina Dolisi, who is one of the returning defenders with the most caused turnovers.

Junior Julia DiMaria tore her ACL and will be out for the rest of the season but will return next year.

Hills won its first league game on March 23 against Smithtown East, 13-7.

The girls ended the first half of the game with a 6-4 lead. After a quick pep-talk, during which the coach told the girls to control the ball and stop turning it over

In Their Own Words 9

Brittany Smith Defense Senior

“We work hard every day and at every game and if we keep doing this we’ll have a great season.”

Maffucci 32 Alexis Junior “Our team’s greatest strength is our communication. We are a loud and energetic team, which shows on the field.

to the other team, the girls managed to take Graham’s advice.

“In the second half the girls stepped up their defense and only gave up two goals, which is a huge thing,” the coach said.

Maffucci scored 2 goals and had 4 assists while attacker Cara Pascarella had 3 goals and 2 assists. Goalie Jillian Rocco made 7 saves.

Graham said the girls’ experience has benefited from the Dix Hills’ PAL program, where most of the girls on the team have been playing together since the third grade. She also noted she spent the last 10 years rebuilding the program into what it is today and hopes that other students who see Hills’ success wish it to continue.

“They are one of the best groups that I’ve ever had the opportunity of coaching,” she said. “I called them lax rats because they just want to come into the field every day. They’re just so excited… they’re coachable. They just have this desire to want to win…They just love the game and it’s great to have a group of girls that care so much.”

What is the team’s greatest strength this season?

Attack

Caiazza 22 Caitlin Senior

Schatz 12 Marissa Senior

“We all bring something different to the field and work well together.”

“Even though there have been a lot of injuries we all came together and worked through our injuries.”

Defense

Attack