Half Hollow Hills Newspaper - March 22 20012

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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 1

LONG ISLANDER NEWSPAPERS TELECOMMUNICATIONS/MEDIA BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 24 PAGES

THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012

DIX HILLS

MELVILLE

Land Swap In Park/BAPS Deal One Step Closer

216-Day Ride Boosts Charity Grad, 24, heads to California and back for terminally ill kids

By Stephanie DeLuca sdeluca@longislandernews.com

Residents of Melville are one step closer to seeing Sweet Hollow Park become a reality.

The first leg of a complex proposal which combines building senior housing, a park and the relocation of house of worship for the BAPS was approved last Tuesday by the Huntington Town Board.

But even in its early stages, a question of density – and how it should be interpreted – has emerged.

By a 4-1 vote March 13, the board approved plans to allocate $1.325 million to purchase the 8.1-acre Meyers Farm property from the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam (BAPS), a major organization within the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism. The entire parcel, which is to become Sweet Hollow Park, would have 3 acres designated for recreational use; the remaining 5

Taking only a bag of clothes, a sleeping bag, a mat and a few electronics, a Half Hollow Hills East graduate hit the open road to raise funds for sick children.

John Nitti, 24, of Dix Hills, began his journey to bike across the country on Feb. 27 to raise money for the Marty Lyons Foundation, a nonprofit established in 1982, by professional football player Marty Lyons, to grant wishes for chronically and terminally ill children.

“The foundation has been a part of my family for a long time. I’ve been volunteering for them since I was a little kid at the golf outings so that was an easy decision for me to do it for that cause,” he said.

According to Nitti’s website, biketrip2012.org, the Dix Hills resident will bike 9,550 miles across 37 states in 216 days. After he reaches the California coast, Nitti will bike his way back to New York. The finish line will be in Little Italy in Manhattan, where he will have a homecoming dinner with his family.

Due to inclement weather, Nitti’s parents drove him to Wilmington, N.C. to begin his journey. From there he traveled south through Charleston, S.C.; Savannah, Ga.;

(Continued on page A17)

(Continued on page A17)

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

Starting a seven-month journey to raise money for sick children, John Nitti of Dix Hills dips his bike in the Atlantic Ocean. He will do the same when he hits the Pacific Ocean.

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.

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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A2 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012

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MELVILLE

‘Blink, And Be Fit’: New Gym Opens Door Emerging fitness brand launches fifth location with Melville Chamber ribbon cutting

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

Blink Fitness, a growing chain of affordable, fun and accessible fitness centers, opened its Melville location Tuesday afternoon.

The 17,000 square-foot space at 121 Broadhollow Road (Route 110) is equipped with 50 different weight machines, grouped by the area of the body it focuses on. A free weights area includes dumbbells as heavy as 90 pounds, and a mat area, dedicated to functional movements and abdominal training, is stocked with medicine balls, exercise balls, jump ropes, elastic cables and half-ball BOSU balance trainers.

With bright, cheerful colors and a happy-go-lucky, fun attitude – “clean up for the next person – it’s good karma,” one sign reminds patrons – Blink is a nonthreatening environment with plenty of options for clients of all fitness levels.

“A lot of people are novices when they come and join the gym, so we try to give them a lot of opportunities to work out,” Anthony Cicchesi, Blink’s area manager, said. “We preach: Come in and have a great workout.

Even if it’s 10 minutes, we want you to feel better and healthier.”

Blink is also designed for customers of all price points. Memberships are inexpensive, and personal training runs about $30 per half-hour.

“We wanted to give fitness to the other 85 percent of the population that doesn’t experience fitness,” Cicchesi said. “For $15-$20 a month, we’re fun and friendly. We focus in on that, we focus in on the people, and we keep it super clean.”

For those seeking to go it alone, there are three “workout menus” available for members. Each includes a

Blink Fitness gets a warm welcome from the Melville Chamber of Commerce at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday morning. workout plan designed by a personal trainer to either tone muscle, build muscle or burn fat and calories.

“They’re little menus people walk around with, and it shows you step-by-step how to work out,” Cicchesi said.

The Blink brand is relatively new, having opened its first gym in NoHo (North of Houston Street) in Manhattan on Broadway and Lafayette about a year ago. A week later, they opened their doors in Yonkers, and quickly followed with Paramus, N.J. The Melville location – the chain’s fifth – opened its doors officially on Tuesday at noon. The Melville Chamber of Commerce,

joined by Huntington Councilman Mark Mayoka and Councilwoman Susan Berland, welcomed Blink to the neighborhood with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and breakfast gathering on Friday morning.

“We’re very pleased that they’ve moved into the neighborhood,” Melville Chamber president Mike Deluise said. “It’ll be a positive addition to the community.”

The Melville facility will employ 15-20 people, Cicchesi said, and will be open 5 a.m.-11 p.m. MondayThursday; 5 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, and 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday.

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Renovations to local Marine’s home expected to begin at the end of the month

By Stephanie DeLuca sdeluca@longislandernews.com

The moment the Byler family has been waiting for is almost here – an extension to their house to make it handicap accessible for their son, U.S. Marine James Byler.

Building Homes for Heroes is anticipating a March 31 groundbreaking on the family’s Huntington home. They’re planning to have a ceremony to kick off the project.

“With James’ home, I’m sorry it’s been

delayed as long as it has but it’s time to rock and roll and get going,” Andrew McClure, chief operating officer of Building Homes for Heroes, said at a meeting at Huntington Town Hall March 8.

James Byler, 26, lost both of his legs and two fingers in 2010 after stepping on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.

There are many renovations in store for the family. Currently, their home has a single-car garage, which they will be widening so that James can pull out of his car with

either his wheelchair or on his prosthetic legs. They’re also putting a ramp in the garage that leads into his bedroom.

“The architect found a way to do this without changing the look of the house which is really is amazing,” James’ mother, Janet, a teacher at Northport High School, said. “My neighbors have been wonderful.

It will definitely makes James’ life easier and make me happier.”

Inside the home, James’ bedroom will be transformed into a suite, with a seating area and a handicap accessible bathroom.

MELVILLE/SOUTH HUNTINGTON

Green Light For Wolf Hill Road Work

By Mike Koehler mkoehler@longislandernews.com

More than $60,000 in spending for Wolf Hill Road improvements was recently approved by Huntington Town Hall.

The funding is for two separate projects, Director of Transportation and Traffic Safety Stephen McGloin said, that are not connected.

One resolution approved paying Johnson Electrical Construction Corp. $34,859.66 for “additional work.” McGloin said they hired the company to rebuild traffic signals for four intersections and installing a wireless communication system for eight intersections.

The project was initially priced at $483,505.

When that work was done, the town realized they need to add additional communications equipment and handicapped ramps between Crandon Street and Winthrop Drive.

“We usually put in a contingency amount, which we didn’t in this one. It was an oversight. We had to go back to town hall to get additional money,” McGloin said.

The traffic signal project, he added, was started when a traffic study ended in 2007 with recommendations to coordinate signals and have them meet federal standards.

The Town of Huntington is also engaged in an agreement with L.K. McLean Associates for sidewalk and curb work along Wolf Hill Road between Old Country Road and Melrose

Road. The town board recently approved spending $29,956.58 for engineering and surveying services.

Sidewalks along the north side of the street, McGloin said, are inconsistent and in various conditions. The goal of this project is to create one contiguous sidewalk.

“We’re probably going to advertise it sometime around August this year. It depends on how quickly we move. We may actually start construction before the end of the year,” the director said.

He added that the second project was created after receiving a state DOT grant for safer streets and traffic calming. The town signed a grant agreement back in October 2010, agreeing to spend at least $69,300 in exchange for $277,200 in federal money.

He will also have an additional entrance built on the side of James Byler his house.

“This house is what I call ‘handi-crap’ accessible. We never thought anyone had trouble but it’s on a very steep hill. I’m hearing his plans and it makes feel like I want to cry,” Janet said. “I’m usually the one who’s helping people. This is amazing and something we couldn’t have done.”

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

Many companies are involved in the project including the general contractor RockFish; lead electrician Craig Electric; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning

by Hammond Heating and Cooling; lead plumber Steve Berleth and Sons; head architect Matt Korn Architecture; Tom Abraham Little Neck Development Group for the interior work; The Laurel Group for landscaping; Hudson Window & Door; and Data Carpet.

The community outreach has been constant, with residents from across the island pitching in to help. Huntington Councilman Mark Mayoka also played an active role by holding events and fundraisers for the Byler family.

Chad Gottlieb, technology consultant for Building Homes for Heroes, said there are still items that are needed for the family’s home, if anyone is looking to donate. Some of those items include kitchen cabinets, hardwood flooring and cement.

James is currently in therapy at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, formerly known as the Walter Reed Medical Center, and still on active duty.

Photo by Mike DiRenzo

New Home Will Be Built For A Hero

AC TN OW

Three Ways To Stay In The Know

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012 • A3

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

FREE copies will be available at locations that you visit regularly -- libraries, banks, drug stores, fitness centers and numerous retail outlets throughout the community. The list of locations is in formation and will be posted in the newspaper and on our website.

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Sign up to receive the paper electronically to read on your computer by going to www.HalfHollowNews.com. You may opt to receive a weekly update that provides a link to an electronic reader, or you can get the full newspaper delivered to your inbox in PDF format. In both cases it is the same format of the newspaper you are used to reading.

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Too Soon To Work On My Tan? better grip on it. Then I drove past what appeared In like a lamb… After a bit of a rocky start to the to be a playpen sitting in the grass median of Deer month, March is shaping up to be absolutely delightful Park Avenue over in Dix Hills. I say appear because – sunny, warm and tranquil! I got further confirmation I was focused on keeping a of the splendid climate as, for the safe distance from the car in first time this year, I witnessed IN THE KNOW front of me, but the colorful numerous people running WITH AUNT ROSIE contraption caught my pearound town in their sundresses, ripheral vision. I can only shorts and light clothing. It sure beats a few weeks ago hope it is trash, because if a when we had one of the last really bitter cold snaps in parent had their baby in the middle of a highway… recent memory. Now, as some of you, my loyal readers well, let’s just not go there. may know, my winter clothing pile is continuing to get smaller and smaller. Pretty soon I’ll be down to a pair of gloves, earmuffs and my big, fluffy jacket with the faux fur on the hood. After all, a girl can’t be unprepared, especially the way this season’s been going.

Soak up the sun… In the meantime, I hope you’ve been taking advantage of the extra sunlight as spring approaches. Not only did we gain an extra hour of daylight, but the days have also been getting longer ever since the winter solstice on Dec. 22. It’s nice to have a little extra morning I can spend planting, but my body just isn’t used to Daylight Saving yet. I’m groggy in the morning and not ready for bed when bedtime rolls around. Hopefully the additional vitamin D will have me up and ready to really enjoy these beautiful days before long.

One small gesture… can make a big, big difference. Just ask South Huntington native Laura Carino-Schroff, who is featured in this week’s paper.

When she was a successful magazine executive in the 1980s, she met a homeless boy who asked her for spare change so he could eat. Instead, she took him to lunch, and they’ve spent the last 25 years learning from each other. She became his mentor, and by helping him get his life on track, she not only changed his life, but the lives of many others in his family. Check out her story in her best-selling book, “An Invisible Thread,” which may be headed to the movies soon. Want to find out more? Flip over to the story in this week’s paper and get in the know!

Strangest thing… Littering is a very well known and ongoing issue, but I thought we were getting a

Doing better? Now maybe I just don’t understand the whole economy since I’m no math whiz, but does anyone else have a beef with all of these government and business types proudly announcing the economy is getting better? Perhaps it really is and it just needs time to filter down to us, but the situation is still pretty bleak for my family, friends, neighbors and myself. Aunt Rosie is lucky to have a stable home, but there are still plenty of bills to pay. Filling up the old Buick has also become a rather painful exercise, as various experts are publicly saying gas prices will likely continue to rise. I can’t even escape it when I hit the stores for an afternoon – all of my favorite mom-and-pop shops are feeling the pinch and are forced to pass some of it along to us. Maybe some of that luck of the Irish from St. Patrick’s Day will rub off on us and turn it all around. Otherwise, I’m worried we’ve only hit a false bottom.

When will it end?... The Republican primary derby, that is. We’re already in March, and I can’t make heads or tails or who’s pulling ahead. All I can tell you is that it’s gotten very nasty in a hurry, and that’s sad. Running for President should be a competition of ideas – who can offer the best vision for our country’s greatest days ahead – but this year, it’s become a name-calling contest, I fear. Do us all a favor and elevate the discourse to something worthy of the Presidency, guys. nt Rosie wants to hear from you! If you have comments, ideas, or tips about what’s happening in your neck of the woods, write to me today and let me know the latest. To contact me, drop a line to Aunt Rosie, c/o The Long-Islander, 149 Main Street, Huntington NY 11743. Or try the e-mail at aunt.rosieli@gmail.com)

POLICE REPORT Compiled by Mike Koehler

Who Was Driving It? Suffolk police contacted a Huntington Station resident on March 16 after his vehicle was involved in a Melville crash the day prior. Police said the driver involved in the accident fled the scene. The complainant said the unregistered vehicle had been parked in his driveway and was removed without his knowledge.

Run On Purses At Supermarket Suffolk police responded to a Dix Hills supermarket on March 16 about a reported theft. A customer told the responding officer that her purse and everything inside was taken from her shopping cart while she was inside the store.

Slasher Hits Three Tires A Huntington Station resident called Suffolk County police on March 15 to report damage to her car. The vehicle was parked in her driveway the day before, when a known man slashed the tires with an unknown instrument. Three tires were damaged.

It’s Not Even In The Water Yet Suffolk police were dispatched to a Huntington Station home on March 15 about damage to a boat. The complainant said someone broke the windows of his boat, which was sitting in the yard of the single-family home.

Resident Looking For Jewelry Thief A Huntington Station resident contacted Suffolk County police on March 15 about a theft. The complainant said jewelry was missing from a jewelry box in the bedroom. Police found no signs of a burglary.

Train Station Robbers Strike Suffolk police were dispatched to the Huntington LIRR station on March 14 about a robbery. The complainant said three unknown subjects approached him.

Brandishing a knife and gun, they stole his money, stabbed him in the upper arm and punched him in the face.

Cops: Woman Pocketed Wine PICTURE THIS PHOTO BY ALEX VANSANTVOORD

QUOTE OF THE WEEK MAURICE MAZYCK

A 21-year-old Brooklyn woman was arrested by Suffolk County police on March 13. Police allege the woman stole a bottle of wine from a New York Avenue liquor store in Huntington Station. She was charged with petit larceny.

All Bark But No Bite?

An East Farmingdale firefighter gives a thumbs-up at the Huntington St. Patrick’s Parade.

Got a photo you’d like to share? Send it to info@longislandernews.com under the subject “Picture This.”

“Laura used to ask me, what did I want to do when I grew up. I was 11 years old, and my only dream was to become a drug dealer…

Once Laura came into my life, I changed my whole life.”

‘Hometown Hero’ Returns To Whitman, PAGE A10

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Northport Village police were called to Main Street on March 13 about a report of two dogs attacking a man and his dog. The responding officer determined no attack occurred and that one dog had gotten loose and began barking at another dog and its owner. Police issued the dog’s owner a summons for a loose dog.

Probably A Sign Of One Too Many Suffolk police responded to a Huntington village bar about criminal mischief on March 12. After bar staff asked two men to leave, one punched and broke a front glass window before fleeing on foot.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012 • A5

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Redrawn Districts Are Close To Current Lines

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

New state legislature district lines poised for Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s signature will keep Huntington Township in two assembly and two senate districts.

The 10th Assembly District, represented by Assemblyman Jim Conte (R-Huntington Station) since 1988, will cover approximately 75 percent of the Town of Huntington. The new 12th district, which will replace the current 9th district represented by Assemblyman Andrew Raia (R-Northport), will cover the remaining 25 percent of Huntington and dip south into Islip and Babylon.

Under the new proposal, Conte’s district becomes an entirely Suffolk County ward by pulling out of Oyster Bay and giving the 10th more of Huntington and Dix Hills and all of Huntington Bay and Elwood. The 12th district, which supplants the current 9th, shifts eastward and south into Brentwood.

“It’s pretty much the same district – just a little swapping,” Raia said.

The new district lines, which Cuomo has said he will sign off on, are a compromise which aims to alleviate what local Democratic and Republican analysts decried as a shameless attempt at gerrymandering that would have split Huntington into three assembly districts, two of them running nearly coast-to-coast.

The population base of the 12th district would have flipped to the south shore, and the end effect would have been to badly diminish Huntington’s voice in Albany, analysts warned.

“The goal from the beginning of the process was to make sure that Huntington wasn’t butchered up and you didn’t have these north-south districts that didn’t serve the community and didn’t serve the representative who was going to be there in the future,” Conte said. “I think we were able to convince the assembly majority that the drawing of our lines was a little bit fairer.”

The initial drawing of a long, serpentine 12th district drew the most attention – and the most public outcry. Many, including Supervisor Frank Petrone, wrote letters asking for a second look, and many more came to public hearings to voice their concerns.

“I’d like to thank everybody who testified not on my behalf, but on behalf of the district,” Raia said.

A first step was also taken toward enacting a constitutional amendment to establish a 10-member independent redistricting commission. Lawmakers

Assemblyman Jim Conte’s 10th district lines, from left: as it stands today, as was initially proposed, and what the governor plans to sign off on. The 10th will pick up more of Dix Hills. must pass the amendment again before Jan. 30, 2013. If they do that, as they have promised, it will then go on the ballot for statewide approval by the voters. Both houses passed the amendment as part of a marathon overnight session from March 15 into the wee hours of the next morning, during which pension reform, expansions to the state’s DNA database and casino gambling changes were also ratified.

“This agreement will permanently reform the redistricting process in New York to once and for all end self-interested and partisan gerrymandering,” Cuomo said March 15. “With the legislature agreeing to pass this historic constitutional amendment twice by a specified date, and passing a tough statute that mirrors the amendment, we have taken a major step toward finally reforming the state's broken redistricting process.”

A number of safeguards are designed to prevent partisanship from infecting the commission and to ensure the state’s diversity is reflected in its membership.

The commission must also hold “extensive public hearings” and make draft plans readily available to promote transparency, and legislators will not be able to amend plans submitted by the commission unless the initial proposal and a revised model are both rejected. To approve the district lines, a simple majority in both houses is needed if the speaker of the assembly and the president of the senate are from different parties; howev-

er if they are both in the same party, a two-thirds majority will be needed.

If state legislators fail to adopt the constitutional amendment a second time, a backup legal statute would ensure a redistricting commission would be created just like the constitutional amendment calls for, but with two exceptions. Under the statute, if one house fails to adopt the amendment, its leaders would forfeit their appointments to the commission to the governor. And the statute would limit the lawmakers

to make amendments to district lines only if they affect less than two percent of the population in any district.

While Raia said the redrawing of the 12th district shows “the process works,” he believes the districts could be even more compact and contiguous, and looks forward to an independent redistricting commission taking the wheel.

“Do I want to roll the dice again in 10 years? Not that I’m going to be there…” he asked. “It really should be drawn by an independent commission.”

A6 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012

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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Town’s Hearing On Bamboo Attracts Dozens

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

Residents from all corners of the town came to Huntington Town Hall March 13 to weigh in on a proposal to regulate the maintenance of bamboo.

The hearing was in reference to legislation sponsored by Councilwoman Susan Berland that would require property owners to prevent bamboo on their property from spreading to another parcel. A first violation would carry a $300$3,000 fine for every day the violation exists; the third and subsequent offenses would cost a homeowner $500-$5,000.

Mary Jarrett, of Northport, came out in support of Berland’s proposal.

“I understand why a lot of people love it. But – it’s kind of like children,” she said. “If you have it, you need to accept the responsibilities that come with it. I have children – the law expects me to completely be responsible for them and everything they do.”

Phyllis Hussain, of East Northport, said her neighbors’ bamboo planting from years ago continues to be a major nuisance. She cannot walk barefoot in her backyard, she said, because of the possibility of stepping on a spike that may have grown overnight.

“Although the neighbors and the original plants are long gone, since 2001 I’ve been cutting, pulling, digging and chopping the bamboo that has invaded my yard, and I continue to do so. I will be chasing bamboo for the rest of my life,” she said.

But Huntington’s George Burns, who said he suffered extensive property damage as a result of spreading bamboo, wanted the town board to go further and ban its sale in Huntington. Whatever the town board passes should be strictly enforced, he added.

“To me, if you can’t enforce a law, it’s not a law – it becomes good advice,” he said.

Eatons Neck resident Stuart Mass added that bamboo has destroyed his underground water system, buckled his driveway, taken down a fence in a paddock where he keeps a horse and took down two trees.

“I can’t grow anything on that whole 150-foot piece because this stuff is so invasive that it just destroys everything in its path,” he said. “I’d like to have a law passed where all bamboo is banned; if not, at least if it’s on your property, you must keep it 8 feet from the property line.”

Others raised concerns about the financial burden regulations could place on homeowners who “inherited” bamboo when they purchased their houses; there are no exemptions in the proposal that would grandfather existing bamboo in.

Several residents added that the legislation could be the first step down a “slippery slope” of over-regulating plants on a person’s property.

Huntington resident Robert Lifson, who said he has an ongoing bamboo problem with his neighbor, said individual towns should aim higher and seek comprehensive legislation.

“I would ask the town board, based on the hearing tonight, to work with our state legislators to see that the state takes the action to restrict the bamboo in question and more importantly, whatever assistance any level of government can give me in helping me take care of my problem in eradicating what transgresses on my property would be greatly appreciated,” he said.

A pair of experts from The Nature Conservancy in Cold Spring Harbor suggested the town board is likely speaking about Phyllostachys aureo and Phyllostachys aureosulcata, an aggressively-spreading group of plants commonly known as yellow grove bamboo. Dwight Andrews, a certified arborist and committee member of the Long Island Invasive Species Management Area Scientific Review Committee, acknowledged bamboo is “very difficult to control” once established. However, he continued to say that it is important for legislation to correctly identify what exactly should be regulated so that the regulation is not overly broad.

“I don’t disagree that there are some issues with bamboo. However, bamboo is a common name,” he said. “It is not a specific botanical name… If there are problem plants, let’s talk about the problem plant.”

Berland argued that regulating bamboo collectively would not be a problem under her legislation because it only speaks to controlling the spread of the plant. If a certain type of bamboo does not spread, it would not run afoul of the law, she noted.

Half Hollow Hills photo/Danny Schrafel

Many advocate in favor of regulations to keep plant from spreading

Huntington Station’s John Klaggers shows pictures of spreading bamboo to members of the Huntington Town Board.

“If you’re planting something and it’s not going onto someone else’s property, that’s not a bamboo that’s going to be regulated,” she said.

Supervisor Frank Petrone said he would arrange a meeting with town officials and experts on bamboo to hammer out any bumps in the legislation.

The councilwoman said she is still absorbing the diverse feedback, but said the overall comments showed “an overwhelming number of people recognize something needs to be done.” The councilwoman said she would be meeting with the Town Attorney’s office to review points raised at the hearing to see if any changes can or should be made to the law.

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www.LongIslanderNews.com Half Hollow Hills photo/Danny Schrafel

Attorney Michael McCarthy explains to hundreds of residents the proposed Seasons at Elwood, a 482-unit senior condominium development that would be built on the Oaktree Dairy site.

ELWOOD

Oakwood Dairy Condos Pitched Preliminary plans call for 482 units; include nearly $1M in traffic mitigation upgrades

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

The potential traffic impact of building an age-restricted community on the 37acre Oaktree Dairy property in Elwood was the hottest topic of last Wednesday’s Elwood Taxpayers Association discussion.

Plans by Garden City-based Engel Burman Group, which built The Bristal in East Northport and specializes in housing for seniors, call for 482 units on the 37 acres, resulting in approximately 13 units per acre in two-story buildings.

The 55-and-over community will be called the Seasons at Elwood.

The average selling price for the 1,300square foot, two-bedroom, two-bath condos, ranges from $435,000-$500,000.

Every second-story apartment will include an elevator. The Seasons would also feature a clubhouse with a gym, billiards room and a card room. An indoor pool is also planned, along with outdoor pools, a tennis court and a jogging track around the perimeter of the complex.

Attorney Michael McCarthy, who led the presentation, said the Seasons would generate, by “very conservative measures,” nearly $1.7-million a year in property taxes for the Elwood School District, as compared the $110,000 paid currently by the Oaktree Dairy. It would also add $745,000 to the district’s assessed value, largely closing a 5-percent drop in the past seven years. The Seasons would also be a more suitable fit for the neighborhood, he added, as compared to an industrial dairy that exists as a nonconforming use in the R-40 Residential zone.

“You’re obviously looking at an industrial use, a manufacturing use smack-dab in the middle of a residential zone with all of the nuisance and noxious things that go on with a manufacturing facility,” McCarthy said. “The ability to provide an age-restricted community and much-

needed housing in the Town of Huntington eliminates that use and all of the issues that go with it.”

Current plans call for a single access point located on Elwood Road between Hammond and Shelby Drive. The front gate would also have a traffic signal. According to existing studies, the heaviest traffic comes out of an age-restricted community from 9-10 a.m. and from 5-6 p.m. Responding to skepticism over how many 55-and-older residents will actually be retired and not contributing to rushhour traffic, Engel Burman principal Steve Krieger said the average age of their Seasons at East Meadow community is 68.

“It’s not when everybody else is going to work, going to school, doing some of the shopping,” engineer and Elwood resident Robert Eschbacher said. “Many of the people that live in these are retired.

They don’t have to be out there commuting with everybody else and if they’re doing some shopping, they don’t want to be out there when the roads are busiest.

They can wait until later on. That helps in the morning.”

Anticipating concerns over traffic and density, the Engel Burman Group has pledged to invest about $1 million in traffic improvements along Elwood Road if the project is approved.

Following preliminary traffic studies conducted by Eschbacher, Engel Burman agreed to widen and rebuild sidewalks near the entrance to the Elwood-John Glenn High School/Middle School campus entrance; install flashing school speed limit beacons to remind motorists of the 30 mph zone near the school; and replace the traffic signal controllers on the road, which date back to 1980, with modern sensors that are more traffic sensitive, responsive and “talk to each other” to facilitate orderly traffic flow.

“The signal at Burr doesn’t know (Continued on page A17)

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012 • A7

A8 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012

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Opinion

Sen

d letters to The Editor, : Half Hollow H il ls N ewspaper, 149 M Huntington ain Street, , New York 11743 or e-m info@long ail us at islanderne ws.com

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

The Art of the Deal With a vote taken at the last town ment rights from the Meyer’s Farm propboard meeting, a compromise deal has erty, the developer will be able to build at been struck that will give the Melville a higher density. community new parkland; give a reliThe deal that was ultimately worked out gious group a site for a new temple; and solved three problems. It preserved the give a developer favorable terms for farm for parkland purposes, allowed crebuilding senior housing. ation of affordable housing for seniors, and It’s a complex deal that ends a years-long secured a home on which the temple could negotiation process, and it’s a win-win sit- be built. It was a complex and creative souation all around. The Melville communi- lution with a lot of moving parts, and in the ty needs the parkland; it’s an area that’s end a compromise was struck to satisfy all underserved in terms of recrethe involved parties. ational facilities. The Meyer’s EDITORIAL That said, we have one critiFarm property presented a good cism: A deal this complex waropportunity, but had been bought by a re- rants greater transparency. As much as this ligious group for a temple site. Ultimately, compromise satisfied all concerned – and a deal was worked out so that the develop- local civic leaders were involved from the er of a proposed senior housing complex start – residents deserve to know the full would provide property for the temple to story before a vote comes up. Anything less be built. Through a transfer of develop- could seem suspect as a back-room deal.

Letters to the editor are welcomed by Long Islander Newspapers. We reserve the right to edit in the interest of space and clarity. All letters must be handsigned and they must include an address and daytime telephone number for verification. Personal attacks and letters considered in poor taste will not be printed. We cannot publish every letter we receive due to space limitations.

and children).

Yes, I oppose the construction of the mosque because its religious officials will display the same failure to publicly and vigorously condemn the crimes of their own government as their Christian and Jewish colleagues have for 40 years.

Thank you for your kind attention.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

War On God? DEAR EDITOR: May I please respond to Senator Kristen Gillibrand’s remarks printed in this newspaper.

You want debates on the economy – OK, let’s talk plainly about this.

We are not going to solve the economic problem by ourselves. We need God! But we’ve turned our backs on God by abortion and contraceptives.

We have got to turn back to God almighty. God is the creator of heaven and earth, the entire universe and every form of life; we have no right to destroy what he has created nor interfere with his creating life.

Abortion/contraceptives/etc. have a ripple effect on society and we’re seeing that in so many ways; probably including the economic mess we’re in.

Nevertheless, you can’t fix a car by rotating the tires if the engine is damaged. You want to fix the economy? Fix the engine (stop offending God by abortion and contraceptives).

Furthermore, those of us, who are trying to be faithful to our precious Catholic faith, do not want to be forced to go against it (as the H.H.S. mandate would force us to do). I want to express thanks to the

Republican party, who are trying to protect us, whatever that percentage figure is, as I found it interesting that the figure of 99 percent was given for American women using or have used contraceptives since I doubt anybody has ever actually taken a “head count;” and, I can’t see how you can call abortion and contraceptives health care.

What about the innocent baby destroyed? How is that health care? What about the link between contraceptives and abortions causing cancer? How is that health care?

In closing, I would like to say let’s help women – let’s really help women. Let’s spare them the pain and anguish they suffer after abortion. Let’s let them know about the opened arms at pregnancy crisis centers, share with them the knowledge of the link between abortion and contraceptives with cancer. Also, some people don’t know that the pill has been found to be an abortifacient [a substance that induces abortion]. Let’s give women and men the best – Let’s give them God! One nation under God! God bless you Senator Kirsten Gillibrand!

God bless America!

FRANCES CAROL MANOS

Dix Hills

HALF HOLLOW HILLS

Mosque Leaders May Not Protest Government DEAR EDITOR: In a recent issue of your newspaper, you reported the controversy over a proposed mosque for this area.

If I may offer my opinion, I oppose the mosque if its clergy will exhibit the same pattern of indifference in the face of our government’s record of crimes against humanity that has characterized our community’s Christian and Jewish clergy. I cannot recall any public, organized protests or campaigns from our pastors, priests, ministers or rabbis over the past 40 years against mass murders in which our government has been the perpetrator (e.g. the slaughter of 3.2 million Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian men women and children, or the slaughter of more than a hundred thousand Iraqi civilians, and the contamination – for thousands of years – of their country with radioactive debris from depleted uranium munitions) or the facilitator (e.g. providing the Guatemalan and Salvadorian governments with military equipment and munitions that for decades were used to murder hundreds of thousands of men, women,

ALAN BIEBER

Dix Hills

Big Tobacco Knows The Game DEAR EDITOR: [March 8]’s release of the U.S. Surgeon General Report yields troubling news for those who have hoped to prevent tobacco addiction in our nation.

Smoking tobacco continues to kill 1,200 people – daily.

For every smoker that is killed by their addiction, the tobacco industry is replacing them with two new smokers under the age of 26, a trend that should alarm everyone.

Big Tobacco knows how to peddle their products to unsuspecting youth. More than a million dollars an hour is spent to market tobacco products in this country. Nearly 1.5 million kids will try their first cigarette this year, with 75 percent of these children continuing to smoke into adulthood even if they intend to quit within the next few years.

Unfortunately, despite public support for funding to the

Michael Schenkler Publisher

New York Tobacco Control Program, our legislators in Albany have routinely reduced funding to this vital program.

In the past four years, New York has cut funding for tobacco prevention programs by 52 percent, from $85.5 million to $41.4 million. While the state’s fiscal crisis caused budget cuts across state programs, the tobacco control program experienced disproportionately larger cuts than those endured by almost any other state program. New York currently spends less than 2 cents of every dollar in tobacco tax and settlement revenue to fight tobacco use.

This new report from the U.S. Surgeon General emphasizes that the states that are the most effective at combating the influx of new smokers are funding their prevention program at, or near, CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)-recommended levels. However, New York now ranks 20th in the nation in funding our program, spending just 16 percent of the recommended $254.3 million.

I encourage all New Yorkers to visit www.yourethecure.org to learn more about ways to stop the continued cuts to the NY Tobacco Control Program.

We need to tell Albany to spend our tax dollars wisely, and preventing tobacco addiction is proven to be a winning fiscal strategy.

NANCY BROWN

CEO American Heart Association

Peter Sloggatt Associate Publisher/Managing Editor

N E W S P A P E R

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012 • A9

Life&Style FILM

Isabella Rossellini Ready For ‘Big Night’ Actress co-hosts fundraiser and film screening at cinema with Butera’s Restaurant

By Jamie Weissman info@longislandernews.com

The Cinema Arts Centre is on to something big.

On April 1, film star Isabella Rossellini and restaurateur Martin Butera are coming together at the Huntington centre for an evening of food and film, featuring a viewing of “Big Night.”

For the past year, the Cinema Arts Centre has been working with Butera, owner of Butera’s restaurant, to create a special event for the screening of “Big Night,” the story of two Italian brothers who plan a special event to save their restaurant. Along the way, events unfold that test their values and the strength of their brotherhood.

“The idea of the Big Night event had been something that I thought about for quite some time. It never really materialized until the past year when I really said we should go ahead and do it,” Butera, a Cinema Arts Centre board member, said.

After a screening of “Big Night,” guests will be treated to a reception in the Cinema Art Centre’s Sky Room Café. Food representing dishes from the movie will be served. The food will be catered by Butera’s and paired with wines from Bottles & Cases. Some dishes include a scallop risotto, antipasto, cured meats, and spaghetti and meatballs.

The event will also serve as a fundraiser.

“Butera’s is going to be doing this completely. We’re donating our time and food

Isabella Rossellini, right in “Big Night,” co-hosts a screening of the film and food event sponsored by Butera’s Restaurant at Cinema Arts Centre April 1. to this event so that the cinema can benefit entirely,” Butera said.

Rossellini, an Italian actress, is the daughter of Oscar-winning actress Ingrid Bergman and director Roberto Rossellini.

“Isabella Rossellini is a great friend of the Cinema Arts Centre. The cinema is close to her heart. I know that she is coming not because we asked her but because she truly cares,” René Bouchard, Cinema Art Centre’s director of development, said.

The Cinema Arts Centre is hosting this event as a fundraiser for the Digital Cinema Campaign. Proceeds will help the Cinema Arts Centre purchase digital projection equipment so they can continue screening films.

“Sometime in 2013, film distributors are not going to be sending films out on stock anymore, so the cinema has to have projectors,” Bouchard said.

Since 1973, the Cinema Arts Centre has hosted programs seven days a week and shown films on their three screens.

Today, they have 8,000 members.

The Cinema Arts Centre has hosted similar events in the past, including films about fair trade chocolates and sustainable farming.

The “Big Night” event is open to the public. Tickets are $100 for Cinema Arts Centre members and $125 for non-members. The event begins at 5 p.m. There is limited seating.

“I think the event is a great combination of film and food. The film is really wonderful. I am glad to do this to help the cinemas. This is something we really enjoy and that’s the benefit for me,” Butera said.

“I think this is a great way to begin supporting the campaign. It’s a wonderful event and it is being put together by people who really love the cinema,” Bouchard added.

To purchase tickets, visit www.cinemaartscentre.org/event/big-night/ or call 631-423-7611.

PERFORMING ARTS

‘Got Talent? Long Island’ Prepares For Finals 20 finalists will showcase their gifts at Dix Hills Performing Arts Center

By Emaad Khwaja info@longislandernews.com

The upcoming “Got Talent? Long Island” contest will give one participant a chance to perform at the 47th Annual Huntington Summer Arts Festival in Heckscher Park.

Hosted by the Huntington Arts Council, the fourth annual event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on March 30 at the Dix Hills Performing Arts Center.

The event acts as a variety show, but the show puts 20 aspiring artists against each other for a grand prize package including $1,000 in cash, a $2,000 scholarship to Five Towns College, head shots and guaranteed appearances. It also serves as a fundraiser for the Huntington Arts Council.

Last year, 86 people auditioned to be part of the final round. This year, more than 100 people have auditioned. Hopefuls previously filled out an application and either performed at one of two live auditions at the performing arts center or submitted a DVD to the Huntington Arts Council.

Finalists were selected as the highestscoring performers on a standard scale and were notified by the judges late last month.

A variety of acts will be at the show, ranging from comical routines to song recitals. Finalists this year come from many towns across Long Island, including: Dix Hills, Centerport, Commack, East Northport, Huntington Station and Wheatley Heights.

A number of celebrity judges will gauge the finalists at the upcoming event.

“We have John Platt, who is from WFUV radio, Donna McKenna, a casting agent, Robbie Oliver, who hosts another competition in the city, and Glenn Gambowa, a pop music reporter for Newsday,” said arts council Executive Director Diana Cherryholmes.

Cherryholmes also said the event “has grown in the number of people that attend the program and the quality of artists seeking entry.”

General admission for tickets purchased before March 30 will be $35 to all non-members, while Huntington Arts Council members will receive a $5 discount. Walk-in admission will be $40.

Ryan Taliercio of Centerport brings his skills with strings as one of 20 finalists in the Huntington Arts Council’s “Got Talent? Long Island” competition.

A10 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012

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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

The Road To A Best-Seller

‘Hometown Hero’ Back At Whitman Author Laura Schroff talks about the impact of simple gestures

By Danny Schrafel

dschrafel@longislandernews.com

dschrafel@longislandernews.com

The story of Walt Whitman High School graduate Laura Schroff and Maurice Mazyck, an 11-year-old panhandler she bonded with after an encounter on the streets of Manhattan, is chronicled in a best-selling book.

Schroff, who graduated from Whitman in 1970, got her start in publishing through an advertising sales position with Travel Agent magazine, which she parlayed into a job at USA Today. By 1986, she was doing well, living in a high-rise apartment, but she felt something was missing in her life.

A walk down the street in Manhattan showed her exactly what that was.

“One day, on a Monday, I came outside my building to go for a walk, and a young boy had his hand out,” she recalled. “He had burgundy sweats on.

He said, ‘Excuse me, lady. I’m hungry.

Do you have any spare change?’”

Schroff said no and began to walk away. But by the time she reached Broadway, what he said struck her. She went back and told the boy she didn’t want to give him change. But if he was hungry, she’d take him to McDonald’s.

He accepted, and “that was the beginning of a 25-year relationship and bond that grew between the two of us.”

They got into the habit of meeting once a week for a meal, and she began packing him lunch every day in a brown paper bag “When kids go to school and they have their lunch in a brown paper bag, that means that someone cares about them,” Schroff recalled him telling her.

Under her tutelage, Mazyck, would graduate high school and college, start a successful construction business and raise a family of seven. In 1997, their story was featured in a Good Housekeeping article, and an overwhelming response followed.

Her friends urged her to write a book, but Schroff did not pursue it until retiring from Time Inc. in 2007. She wrote in Florida for six months before returning to New York City. In October 2009, she made the decision to pitch the book. She met Alex Tresniowski through a contact at People magazine, and they began collaborating on “An Invisible Thread.” The book was submitted to an agent in May 2010, who signed on within the week. They ultimately signed with Howard, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

After hitting the shelves in November 2010, “An Invisible Thread” was an instant hit. A week later, it made The New York Times’ best-seller list.

“You could have knocked me over with a feather,” Schroff said.

A paperback version of the book is on the way in August, and the response so far has been overwhelming.

Hollywood may soon be calling – Los Angeles-based Amber Entertainment is developing a movie version of “An Invisible Thread.”

While many respond to the pair’s story, Schroff ’s past of growing up with an alcoholic father has also resonated.

“When you’re going through this, you think your family is the only dysfunctional family, and it’s really helping to bring to the forefront that there are a lot of families out there that are dysfunctional,” she said.

Huntington native Laura CarinoSchroff walked across the auditorium stage at Walt Whitman High School to receive her high school diploma in 1971.

Last Thursday, she returned to tell Whitman students about how a seemingly simple gesture of kindness toward a preteen panhandler blossomed into a lifechanging relationship for both of them.

Schroff, who wrote the New York Times best-seller “An Invisible Thread” about the unique relationship, told students during the lunchtime assembly about her experience, the importance of mentoring and how one person can have a larger impact than they ever imagined.

“People would say to me all the time, ‘Gosh, Maurice is so lucky to have met you. I would say, ‘You don’t understand – I was so lucky to have met Maurice,’” she recalled.

After graduating Whtiman in 1970, Schroff was a successful figure in publishing working with USA Today by 1986.

That year, she met an 11-year-old boy, Maurice Mazyck, who was panhandling in Manhattan. Instead of giving him money, she offered to take him to McDonald’s. They got into the habit of meeting once a week for a meal, and the relationship blossomed into a life-changing experience for both.

For Schroff, it helped her appreciate the smaller things in life, even after enduring a tumultuous childhood herself with an alcoholic, abusive father. For Maurice Mazyck – the 11-year-old who became “the son she never had” – that first simple gesture had a ripple effect that benefited countless lives.

“Laura used to ask me, what did I want to do when I grew up. I was 11 years old, and my only dream was to become a drug dealer,” Mazyck told the students. “That’s all I knew. I had no one to look up to, and once Laura came into my life, I changed my whole life, and now I’m changing the lives of my children.”

Now a father of seven and owner of a

Half Hollow Hills photo/Danny Schrafel

By Danny Schrafel

As Maurice Mazyck looks on, Congressman Steve Israel presents Whitman graduate Laura Schroff a Hometown Hero award last Thursday. construction business, Mazyck has three of his uncles working with him. Each used to be a drug dealer.

“Her coming into my life changed their lives and their children’s lives. She didn’t make a difference to one person – she made a difference to a family,” he continued. “And if you knew my family, she made a difference to a community. And if you knew my community, it’s almost to the world.”

Congressman Steve Israel (D-Dix Hills) presented Schroff with a Hometown Hero award in recognition of her courage and willingness to lend a helping hand. It illustrates to students, he stressed, that anyone can begin making an impact through simple gestures. He referenced the story of a little boy throwing starfish back into the ocean, a popular allegory for ordinary people doing their part to make the world better.

“I know that I’m not going to be able to improve every school in the United States, but if I can improve school for one student in one classroom, one student and one classroom at a time, I’ve made a difference,” he said.

Renee Ortiz and Kevin Thorbourne,

who chair Israel’s Young Professionals Task Force, urged students to get involved at a young age and make their voices heard now.

“There were things that would go on and I would say, ‘How come we didn’t get any input on that as students?” Ortiz, of Central Islip, said. “I felt a very strong need to have input on the things that directly affected me and my education and my community.”

Thorbourne, a Huntington Station resident who founded the Young Leaders mentoring program, urged the students to get involved in community service. Not only does it improve their neighborhood, it helps them in the long run, as well.

“If you show you’re doing a lot of community service, it gives you an extra edge in getting into those colleges,” he said.

Israel might have sweetened the pot a little himself by offering the students a deal – and an opportunity to put a congressman on the spot. Israel said if he heard back from Thorbourne that the students were getting involved in community service, he’d come back to Walt Whitman High School and do whatever job they gave him for the day.

THEATER

Curtain Rising On ‘La Cage Aux Folles’ The bonds of family are put to the test in the musical comedy classic, “La Cage Aux Folles,” showing at the Dix Hills Performing Arts Center for the next few days.

La Cage Aux Folles (French for “the bird cage”) tells the story of Georges, the owner of a glitzy nightclub in SaintTropez, and his partner Albin, who moonlights as the glamorous Chanteuse Zaza. Georges’ son brings his fiancée’s conservative parents home to meet the flashy couple.

“This production will appeal to anyone who loves good music and a good laugh,” said Sandy Hinden, executive director of the Dix Hills Center. “It truly is a Broadway-style production without the often big production of heading into Manhattan for the evening. Tickets will surely sell out quickly for these performances.”

“La Cage Aux Folles,” with a book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, the composer/lyricist of “Mame,” and “Hello, Dolly!”, runs Thursday-Saturday, March 22-24, at 7:30 p.m.,

and Sunday, March 25 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 or $15 for seniors. The production is directed by Bob Stern, a theater professor at Five Towns College.

Based on the 1973 play of the same name by Jean Poiret, “La Cage Aux Folles” was originally produced on Broadway in 1983, and won six Tony awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book. The 2004 Broadway revival won the Tony Award for Best Revival. The classic returned yet again to the Broadway stage in 2010, and garnered 11 Tony awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.

In 1978 there was an Italian-French film adaptation of the play, co-written and directed by Edouard Molinaro. In 1996 the American film version, “The Bird Cage,” opened to rave reviews. It was directed by Mike Nichols, written by Jean Poiret and Francis Veber, and starred Robin Williams, Nathan Lane and Gene Hackman.

The Dix Hills Performing Arts Center is located at Five Towns College, 305

Dix Hills Performing Arts Center’s production of “La Cage Aux Folles” starts tonight.

North Service Road in Dix Hills. For more information and ticket sales, contact the box office at 631-656-2148 or visit www.DHPAC.org.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012 • A11

A12 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012

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Raise Your Glass To Captain Lawrence

By Danny & Mike foodie@longislandernews.com

Rookies Sports Club in Huntington village will welcome Captain Lawrence to their esteemed eatery on March 27. But who exactly is the good captain, and what’s he doing in Huntington?

For starters, he isn’t an actual captain – Captain Lawrence is a brewery in Pleasantville, N.Y., and restaurants up and down the east coast have hosted beerpairing dinners featuring their cuisine and the Captain’s brews. An expert from the brewery is always on hand to explain the pairings to diners.

That same scene is scheduled to unfold at Rookies this upcoming Tuesday, and for a place that carries 40 bottled beers

The Captain Lawrence dinner shows off Rookies classics along with some new dishes, like the diverse and delicious Shrimp and Mandarin Salad, to be paired with Liquid Gold.

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The

Foodie SECTION

Captain Lawrence Beer Dinner At Rookies Sports Club March 27, 7 p.m.

4 Courses for $49.95 (gratuity not included) RSVP at 631-924-0424 www.rookiesny.com and runs 16 taps, always with an eye on local breweries and craft beers, it’s a perfect fit. It’s also giving Rookies a chance to showcase some new menu items.

The four-course, $49.95-a-head event starts with “Hoppy Hour” at 7 p.m., featuring Rookies’ fried mozzarella and pigs in a blanket, each $7.95 on the regular menu. Those will be paired with samples of Imperial IPA, a bold, hoppy brew bursting with the classic citrus and pine aroma of Americangrown hops.

Shrimp and mandarin salad is the first course, with crunchy walnuts, mandarin oranges, cranberries and woodgrilled, peppery shrimp tossed in balsamic vinaigrette. The dish will be paired with Liquid Gold and its aromas of orange, spice, and green grass with a clean malt-dominated flavor and subdued bitterness.

Next up is a trip to Dixie thanks to pulled pork minis with sweet potato fries, sweet and spicy morsels which, topped with a dash of slaw and an expertly-toast-

Rookies’ teriyaki and ginger-marinated Skirt Steak is the main course for the Beer Dinner, but instead of mashed potatoes and vegetable medley, you’ll be served home fries and sautéed spinach. The steak is paired with Brown Bird Brown Ale. ed bun, gives it unexpected texture. Savor that with Pale Ale, an aromatic brew with notes of citrus and pine, noticeable bitterness and a malty backbone for balance.

The main course is a teriyaki-ginger marinated skirt steak with home fries and

sautéed spinach. That will be served with smooth and malty Brown Bird Brown Ale, which emphasizes the malt over the hops.

Last, but certainly not least, are chocolate espresso cupcakes with crumbled pretzels paired with espresso stout.

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Side Dish DINE HUNTINGTON.COM

By DineHuntington.com Foodie@longislandernews.com

WAXING ON WINE: Veteran wordsmith Alan Wax of Dix Hills has launched his own blog and possibly a new genre of journalism. Wax, a former Newsday reporter, will write about wines, beers and drinks in his new blog called “Corks, Caps & Taps.” The blog (www.corkscapsandtaps.com) will feature news from the drinks world, tasting notes and coverage of industry events, along with articles on craft beer and spirits, and occasional items on food and dining. Wax has waxed on these subjects for Wine Spectator, Wines & Vines, Wine Business, Beer Connoisseur magazine, American Brewer, Beer The Magazine, Long Island Magazine and Long Island Business News.

I LOVE OLIVE OIL: Olive oils from The Crushed Olive (278 Main St., Huntington 631-423-1500 and 133 Main St., Stony Brook, thecrushedolive.com,) were to star in an Olive Oil Dinner at Mirabelle Restaurant at Three Village Inn (150 Main St., Stony Brook 631-5845999 lessings.com) earlier this week.

Among the dishes on Chef Guy Reuge’s six-course menu were a lemon-braised artichoke and black olive tapenade, foie gras, olive oil-poached Scottish salmon, aged balsamic short ribs, slow-cooked loin of veal and for dessert, olive oilscented chiffon cake.

SPEAKING OF OLIVE OIL: One of the Foodies’ favorite food blogs – the Dolce Vita Diaries (www.dolcevitadiaries.com) – is devoted entirely to olives, olive oil and the Italian culture of food. Author Jason Gibb’s most recent post, “Five Facts About Extra Virgin Olive Oil,” shares some of his olive oil wisdom, including our favorite (which for the record is number three), that “there is no olive oil that improves with age. Old olive oil is bad olive oil.”

The

Foodie SECTION

Olive oil from The Crushed Olive was to star in Chef Guy Reuge’s dinner at Mirabelle.

NEW CHOICES AT ROOKIES: Now in its fifth year, Rookies’ menu has evolved, but the core staff, including the kitchen workers and many of the waitresses and bartenders, is still on board today. So too do its abundance of big-screen TVs and proliferation of personal TVs in each booth.

The menu’s general structure – apps, wings, pizza, salad, sandwiches and a few entrees with a deep burger menu – remains. But new items are sprinkled throughout, including Baked Mac & Cheese ($7.99); cheeseburger, BLT and CLT (chicken, lettuce and tomato) flatbread pizzas ($9.99); the Huntington Hangover ($14.99), with a bacon cheeseburger between two grilled cheese sandwiches; and a shrimp and mandarin salad, with crunchy walnuts, mandarin oranges, cranberries and wood-grilled, peppery shrimp tossed in balsamic vinaigrette.

News and reviews from the restaurant capital of Long Island To Advertise Call 631-427-7000 Read past reviews online at www.LongIslanderNews.com

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012 • A13

A14 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012

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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Getting Into The ‘Orange Zone’ Spotlight On

Huntington Businesses

By Stephanie DeLuca sdeluca@longislandernews.com

With spring in the air, Orangetheory Fitness in East Northport opened in the nick of time for the “getting in shape” season.

Elyse Pedersen and her husband, Chris, of Commack, are the area developers for the Orangetheory Fitness franchise, which has locations in Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota and Florida, where it originated. The franchise is owned by the Ultimate Fitness Group, LLC, which also owns Massage Envy.

Orangetheory Fitness offers only classes, in which students go through a series of cardio and strength training workouts led by a floor trainer and head coach. The couple first heard about Orangetheory Fitness two years ago when the franchise owners were first testing out the gym in Florida.

“We just love the concept. We love the idea of bringing strength training and cardio. A lot of classes, they give your cardio or strength training,” Elyse said. “We love the healthy lifestyle and we want our children to see us involved in a healthy lifestyle and bring them into a healthy lifestyle.”

In the Coral Springs, Fla. studio, Elyse said, a man entered a national weight-loss challenge. He won, losing 59 pounds in six

weeks, through Orangetheory Fitness. Elyse and Chris decided they wanted to bring that success to Long Island.

Elyse noted that while the staff was training here in New York, they were beginning to shed pounds as well.

“The proof is in the class,” she said. “I pushed myself, and you just feel great.”

The “Orangetheory” name is rooted in heart rate. During the class, each person wears a heart rate monitor, and everyone’s heart rate is posted on a TV screen. The background color of each person’s square changes according to their heart rate. The goal is to get into the “orange zone.”

The physiological theory behind Orangetheory is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, which is an increased rate of oxygen intake following strenuous activity to burn fat. Orangetheory Fitness uses this concept to push gym-goers’ bodies to the best of their ability and get in the orange zone. Those who work harder can reach the red zone.

At the end of each class, the trainer goes through each individual’s heart rate pattern over the course of the hour, and gives them pointers on how they can get more out of their workout.

There are a maximum of 24 participants in each class. Participants split into two groups and complete four intervals of exercise for 30 minutes, and then switch groups. Half of the group power walks, jogs or runs on the treadmill, and the rest of the class alternates between rowing machines and strength training.

“We’re on the treadmills for about 25 minutes, and on the treadmill we’re starting at base pace. Everyone is starting at a

Elyse and Chris Pedersen opened Orangetheory Fitness on March 16. pace where they would be able to talk to the person next to them, something where they’re comfortable,” Elyse said. “Through that time we’re going to be doing pushes.

What that is, is that we’re going up 1 or 2 percent [on incline or speed].”

While on the rowing machines, participants are using 60 percent legs, 20 percent upper body and 20 percent core. The machines are filled with water, which gives the person the feeling of actually rowing. Elyse noted this is one of the best full-body, no-impact exercises that exists.

After warming up, those on the rowing machines move to the floor where they use free weights, SPT bands, medicine balls and a Reebok deck, for step exercises. Each trainer develops his or her own program.

The Commack couple opened the fitness center’s doors on March 16. This is the first Orangetheory Fitness in New York.

Marlene Casseroy, of Deer Park, said

although she still wants to go to her current gym, she also wants to incorporate Orangetheory Fitness into her workout routine.

“I’ve never done anything like this before so I enjoyed the class,” Casseroy said. “I think I would [come back] and try and fit it in my schedule.”

Julie Goldbaum, of Dix Hills, added, “I love it and I don’t work out. I’ve been here three times and I’m going to sign up.”

Elyse said the first class for a new client is free. Packages range from $59 to $159 monthly. Customers can also buy a certain number of classes and use them at their leisure. These packages never expire.

Orangetheory Fitness 4000 Jericho Turnpike, East Northport 631-499-4500 www.orangetheoryfitness.com

HUNTINGTON OPEN HOUSES

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OPEN HOUSE

Sunday March 25th, 2:00 – 4:00pm 305 Little Plains Road, Huntington, NY 4 BR, 3.5 BTHS, 300’ private drive SD #1. MLS# 2475254. $778,000.

Edie Esposito, LAB, c.516.946.8082 MELVILLE

147 Rivendell Ct Bedrooms 3 Baths 3 Price $879,000 Taxes $12,900 Open House 3/25 1-3 pm Realty Connect USA 888-758-9872

MELVILLE

136 Cranberry Ct Bedrooms 4 Baths 3 Price $799,000 Taxes $12,446 Open house 3/25 2:30-4:30 pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 631-499-9191

MELVILLE

1 Mathews St Bedrooms 3 Baths 2 Price $479,000 Taxes $12,941 Open House 3/25 2 - 4 pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-6800

Town S. Huntington Dix Hills Lloyd Harbor Dix Hills Huntington Sta Huntington Huntington Commack E. Northport Dix Hills Huntington Sta Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Fort Salonga S. Huntington Dix Hills Northport Dix Hills E. Northport E. Northport Greenlawn Melville Centerport E. Northport E. Northport Huntington Huntington Eatons Neck Northport Eatons Neck Northport Melville Northport Huntington Huntington Eatons Neck Huntington E. Northport Fort Salonga Huntington Huntington Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Huntington Dix Hills Melville Northport Dix Hills Huntington Melville Northport Melville Dix Hills Dix Hills Asharoken Northport Huntington Bay Asharoken Lloyd Harbor Huntington Bay Eatons Neck Huntington Bay Lloyd Neck

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Address Beds Baths 7 Eckert St 3 2 66 Stonehurst Ln 3 2 5 Pippin Ln 7 5 822 Deer Park Rd 3 2 75 Biltmore Cir 3 3 20 Gibson Ave 2 1 6 Homesite Ct 4 2 3 Sugarwood Ln 3 1 8 Diane Ct 3 2 35 Priscilla Ave 3 1 10 Coe Pl 4 2 133 Christine Dr 2 2 146 Christine Dr 2 2 148 Christine Dr 2 2 158 Christine Dr 2 2 138 Christine Dr 2 2 140 Christine Dr 2 2 145 Christine Dr 2 2 173 Larry Ln 2 2 137 Christine Dr 2 2 139 Christine Dr 2 2 136 Christine Dr 2 2 142 Christine Dr 2 2 151 Christine Dr 2 2 135 Christine Dr 2 2 141 Christine Dr 2 2 1 Tanyard Pl 4 2 19 Craig Dr 3 2 495 Wolf Hill Rd 4 4 19 Locust Rd 3 3 8 Talisman Dr 5 4 26 Kalmia St 3 2 505 5th St 4 2 10 Chauser Dr 3 2 4 Elderwood Ln 3 2 59 Oakdale Rd 4 3 22 Upland Dr 3 2 506 4th Ave 5 3 4 Sixpence Ct 3 2 16 Rogers Ave 4 3 72 Eatons Neck Rd 3 2 17 Horseshoe Dr 3 2 9 Abbington Pl 4 2 9 Abbington Pl 4 2 1 Mathews St 3 2 12 Carlisle Dr 3 2 20 Bartlett Pl 5 4 2 Harvest Hill Ln 4 3 8 Norfolk Dr 4 3 257 Nassau Rd 4 4 37 Verleye Ave 4 3 9 Hastings Dr 5 4 167 Flower Hill Rd 5 2 174 Woodbury Rd 4 2 24 Sleepy Hollow Ln 3 3 60 Buttonwood Dr 4 3 17 Buckingham Dr 4 3 301 Little Plains Rd 4 3 2 Wagon Wheel Ln 4 4 136 Cranberry Ct 4 3 2 Duffy Ct 4 3 12 Serene Ct 5 4 61 Chichester Rd 5 6 147 Rivendell Ct 3 3 80 Nautilus Ave 5 3 11 Treeview Dr 5 4 3 Burnham Ln 6 6 1 Dupont Ct 6 5 242 Asharoken Ave 3 3 27 Essex Dr 3 3 162 Bay Ave 5 4 9 Kew Ct 5 4 9 Van Wyck Ln 7 11 24 Woodland Dr 8 5 124 Old Winkle Point Rd2 3 110 Crescent Beach Dr5 5 5 Cordwainer Ln 5 5

Price $409,000 $549,990 $1,495,000 $300,000 $315,000 $345,000 $345,000 $359,000 $399,900 $429,000 $449,000 $469,990 $469,990 $469,990 $469,990 $479,990 $479,990 $479,990 $479,990 $489,990 $489,990 $499,990 $499,990 $509,990 $520,990 $520,990 $524,000 $549,000 $699,000 $895,000 $899,000 $320,000 $379,000 $379,990 $410,000 $419,000 $439,000 $439,000 $439,000 $450,000 $459,000 $469,000 $475,000 $475,000 $479,000 $479,000 $529,000 $559,000 $599,000 $599,000 $625,000 $639,900 $699,000 $699,000 $739,000 $749,900 $769,000 $775,000 $799,000 $799,000 $799,500 $859,000 $867,500 $879,000 $895,000 $899,000 $1,150,000 $1,200,000 $1,395,000 $1,459,000 $1,549,000 $1,699,000 $1,799,000 $1,995,000 $2,250,000 $2,295,000 $2,295,000

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012 • A15

Taxes Date $10,083 3/22 $14,740 3/22 $26,554 3/22 $6,169 3/24 N/A 3/24 N/A 3/24 $8,675 3/24 $10,302 3/24 $8,196 3/24 $6,763 3/24 $10,951 3/24 N/A 3/24 N/A 3/24 N/A 3/24 N/A 3/24 N/A 3/24 N/A 3/24 N/A 3/24 N/A 3/24 N/A 3/24 N/A 3/24 N/A 3/24 N/A 3/24 N/A 3/24 N/A 3/24 N/A 3/24 $14,756 3/24 $10,068 3/24 $17,154 3/24 $10,533 3/24 $16,548 3/24 $6,068 3/25 $8,258 3/25 $8,456 3/25 $9,426 3/25 $12,234 3/25 $5,254 3/25 $5,004 3/25 $11,109 3/25 $10,538 3/25 $10,089 3/25 $6,379 3/25 $10,457 3/25 $10,457 3/25 $12,941 3/25 $11,623 3/25 $11,878 3/25 $13,131 3/25 $9,705 3/25 $17,736 3/25 $13,097 3/25 $17,383 3/25 $16,946 3/25 $7,329 3/25 $15,334 3/25 $18,413 3/25 $16,790 3/25 $19,993 3/25 $19,311 3/25 $12,446 3/25 $12,376 3/25 $18,082 3/25 $25,429 3/25 $12,900 3/25 $13,604 3/25 $14,875 3/25 $19,716 3/25 $24,635 3/25 $13,863 3/25 $21,645 3/25 $18,395 3/25 $18,132 3/25 $33,849 3/25 $31,681 3/25 $32,199 3/25 $28,551 3/25 $38,051 3/25

Time Broker 1pm-2:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 1pm-3pm Coldwell Banker Residential 12:30pm-2:30pm Signature Premier Properties 12pm-2pm Coldwell Banker Residential 12pm-2pm Coldwell Banker Residential 1pm-3pm Signature Premier Properties 1pm-3pm Signature Premier Properties 12pm-2pm Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc 1pm-3pm Realty Connect USA LLC 2pm-3:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 2:30pm-4:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 12pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 12pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 12pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 12pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 12pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 12pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 12pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 12pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 12pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 12pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 12pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 12pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 12pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 12pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 12pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 1pm-3pm Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc 11am-1pm Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc 12pm-2pm Coldwell Banker Residential 1pm-4pm Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc 2:30pm-4:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 1pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 2pm-4pm Century 21 Northern Shores 1pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 2pm-3:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 12pm-12pm Daniel Gale Agency Inc 1pm-3pm Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc 12pm-2pm Signature Premier Properties 1pm-3pm Daniel Gale Agency Inc 1:00pm-3:00pm Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc 1pm-3pm Coldwell Banker Residential 12:30pm-2:30pm Signature Premier Properties 2pm-4pm Century 21 Northern Shores 2pm-4pm Century 21 Northern Shores 2pm-4pm Coldwell Banker Residential 1pm-3pm Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc 1pm-3pm Daniel Gale Agency Inc 12pm-1:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 1pm-3pm Coldwell Banker Residential 1pm-3pm Coldwell Banker Residential 1pm-3pm Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc 2pm-4pm Anastasio Assoc, REALTORS 2:15pm-4pm Adelaide Byers Real Estate 2:30pm-4:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 12pm-2pm Coldwell Banker Residential 2:30pm-4:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 2:30pm-4:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 2:30pm-4:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 2:30pm-4:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 2:30pm-4:30pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 1pm-3pm Coldwell Banker Residential 2pm-4pm Coldwell Banker Residential 2:00pm-4:00pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 1pm-3pm Realty Connect USA LLC 1pm-3pm Century 21 Northern Shores 1pm-4pm Realty Connect USA LLC 2pm-4pm RE/MAX Beyond 2pm-4pm Coldwell Banker Residential 1pm-4pm Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc 1pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 2pm-4pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 1pm-3pm Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc 1pm-3pm Daniel Gale Agency Inc 1pm-3pm Daniel Gale Agency Inc 1pm-3pm Century 21 Northern Shores 1pm-3pm Daniel Gale Agency Inc 12pm-2pm Daniel Gale Agency Inc

Phone 631-673-4444 631-673-4444 631-673-3700 631-673-6800 631-673-6800 631-673-3700 631-673-3700 631-499-1000 888-758-9872 631-673-4444 631-673-4444 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-757-4000 631-673-2222 631-673-6800 631-757-4000 631-673-6800 631-499-9191 631-547-5300 631-543-9400 631-673-4444 631-692-6770 631-673-2222 631-673-3700 631-427-6600 631-427-1200 631-754-4800 631-673-3700 631-547-5300 631-547-5300 631-673-6800 631-757-7272 631-427-6600 631-673-4444 631-673-6800 631-673-6800 631-499-1000 631-549-5800 631-261-6700 631-673-6800 631-673-6800 631-673-4444 631-673-4444 631-673-6800 631-673-6800 631-499-9191 631-754-4800 631-673-4444 631-549-4400 888-758-9872 631-547-5300 888-758-9872 631-862-1100 631-499-0500 631-757-4000 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-757-4000 631-692-6770 631-427-6600 631-547-5300 631-427-6600 631-692-6770

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A16 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012

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FILM

Cinema Celebrates Women’s History Three films in festival highlight struggles and triumphs of women around the globe

Participants as the 2010 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in San Francisco, as seen in “Pink Ribbons Inc.,” directed by Lea Pool and showing at the Cinema Arts Centre this month in honor of Women’s History Month.

By Jasmine Weber info@longislandernews.com

Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre has been a haven for women filmmakers since its creation. Forty years ago, when women were first becoming involved in the film industry but their productions were not always welcome in normal multiplexes, Cinema Arts opened its theaters to those female artists who reached out to them and gave them a place to preview their creations.

“We’ve been doing women’s film from way back when women started doing movies in the ’70s and they started learning how to use the equipment. At that time women didn’t really have a way to show their work because they didn’t have an opportunity to show them in normal film festivals,” said Cinema Arts Director Charlotte Sky. Cinema Arts is currently working with a number of organizations that benefit women, like “Women Make Movies,” Women’s Fund of Long Island, Huntington League of Women Voters and L.I. Women’s Agenda, to discover and host women’s films. To celebrate Women’s History Month this month, in association with the International Women’s Film Festival, three films are being shown at Cinema Arts based on the struggles and triumphs of women across the globe.

On Wednesday, March 21 at 7 p.m., the documentary “Pray the Devil Back to Hell,” directed by Gini Reticker, was shown. The film is about Liberian women who encouraged an end to their country’s civil war through prayer and peaceful protest. They used their anti-violent tactics to coerce the Liberian government to come to an agreement and end the gruesome war.

It was followed by a panel discussion co-presented by Huntington League of Women Voters and L.I. Women's Agenda.

“The Fix: An Addict’s Passage from Hell to Hope” will be screened on Tuesday, March 27. The film follows three

“We’ve been doing women’s film from way back when women started doing movies...

They didn’t have an opportunity to show them in normal film festivals.”

— CHARLOTTE SKY, Cinema Arts Centre director drug addicts and uncovers their journey into drug use, exposing all and showing how they ended up where they did – in the drug courts of eastern Long Island.

The filmmaker, Jacqui Lofaro, Judge Deborah Kooperstein, and program participant Jacquie Gettling will all be present at the screening, reception, and following discussion. It will be co-presented by Women’s Fund of Long Island. The reception begins at 6 p.m., the film is screened at 7 p.m. and a discussion will commence at 8 p.m. Tickets are $9 for members and $13 for nonmembers.

Léa Pool’s “Pink Ribbons” describes the so-called “culture” around breast cancer and will be presented on Wednesday, March 28. It asks questions the filmmaker believes have been previously overlooked, such as, “With foundations like Susan G. Komen for the Cure, what are the donations being used for?” It delves into the role foundations like these have had on breast cancer research and the search for a cure.

Pool’s film will be screened at 7:30 p.m. followed by a discussion and reception.

Tickets are $9 for members and $13 for non-members.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.cinemaartscentre.org, at the box office at 423 Park Ave., or by calling Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012 • A17

Town OKs funds to buy farm (Continued from page A1)

acres would be preserved to protect a watershed area.

Purchasing the property is a first major step in a plan that includes the development of Sweet Hollow Park, finding a home for the BAPS and developing for-sale affordable senior housing.

“We’ve been working with the community for years to acquire Meyers Farm. To finally be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel is a great thing,” Councilwoman Susan Berland said.

“I am thrilled. The whole community is thrilled,” Alissa Taff, president of the Civic Association of Sweet Hollow, said. “If you add up all the pieces it works great – there’s affordable senior housing, a new home for the BAPS that they love and a park.”

The Meyers Farm preservation and BAPS relocation is tied to Lincoln Equities’ proposal to rezone an 18-acre, light industrial parcel at 25 Deshon Drive in Melville to R3M-Garden Apartments in order to build 261 affordable, ownership senior apartments on the tract formerly owned by Newsday. According to conceptual plans, the BAPS would build their new temple on 5 acres at Deshon Drive, using development rights transferred from Meyers Farm. In exchange for allowing the BAPS to build a temple, the developer is petitioning the town to build the 261 units on the remaining 13 acres.

The proposal has opened up a debate on how the density of the Deshon Drive parcel should be calculated and whether it is appropriate. Councilman Gene Cook said the end result would yield a “downzone” in Melville.

“They can do 14 units per acre; they want to 20 units per acre,” Cook said.

Councilman Mark Cuthbertson, however, said the deal

would meet three major needs – affordable housing for seniors, finding a suitable home for the BAPS and preserving a major parcel in Melville, which is mostly built out.

“This is a result of some really creative efforts by the civic community, our business community and our Town Attorney’s office in order to do something we’ve been trying to do for 10 years – buy Meyers Farm and make it a park for an area of our town that that is completely unserviced by parks,” Cuthbertson said.

But Cook rebutted that taxpayers could cause problems in the future and that taxpayers would object to using money from the Environmental Open Space and Park Fund “to buy open-space land, and then for us to move the rights of that land to another property to downzone Huntington.”

While Supervisor Frank Petrone called the proposal “a first and a plus” for the community that sets a good example for flexible, cooperative resolution of zoning issues, Cook stuck to his guns and voted no.

Mort Weber, an attorney representing Lincoln Equities in the proposal, argued Cook’s analysis is flawed because the density should be calculated based on the whole 18 acres. In addition, the entire plan prevents a total of 13 acres – 5 at Deshon Drive and 8 at Meyers Farm – from ever being developed.

“It’s incorrect to think of it as 20 units to the acre because there are other elements here,” Weber said.

Cuthbertson and Huntington spokesman A.J. Carter both said the proposal would not create zoning precedent.

“To have precedent you have to have something that is going to reoccur in that form in the future. I defy anybody to tell me you’re going to have something with that many moving parts that’s going to occur again,” Cuthbertson said.

Members of the Town Board debate a proposal to allocate $1.35-million toward the purchase of Meyers Farm in Melville. The purchase is the first step toward a complex deal that would allow the BAPS to build a new temple, Lincoln Equities to develop senior housing and the Town to preserve the farm as Sweet Hollow Park.

The next step, Carter said, is to apply for a zone change to R3M Garden Apartments from the current Light Industrial zoning. Weber said Lincoln Equities is preparing a site plan for the project.

The Meyers family sold the farm to the BAPS in 2003, but neighbors had been hoping to preserve the space as a park. Following meetings with the BAPS, civic leaders and the town, an agreement was reached to find an alternative site, and the BAPS prepared to move to the current location of Canon’s North America headquarters as part of a senior housing development plan.

Following several lawsuits, the Holiday Corporation, which purchased the land from Roger Tilles, sold to Canon in 2007, which is currently building their 700,000-square-foot North American headquarters.

Biker goes cross-country to raise money for charity (Continued from page A1)

Pensacola, Fla. and Mobile, Ala. As of March 16 he was in Pearlington, Miss., and the following day he made his way to New Orleans, La. “This is just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me because once I have a job and once things get going in the career field I won’t get an opportunity to take seven months and do something like this,” Nitti said.

Nitti’s father, John, who is on the board of the Marty Lyons Foundation, said he was nervous about his son’s journey but supported him since the trip is for a good cause.

“Originally he was trying to get a few other people but because of injuries – one hurt his knee and another couldn’t get off of work – so knowing he was going alone created some concern,” the father said.

“We were very proud of the fact that he’s trying to do it for the foundation, so you couldn’t help but endorse the whole idea.”

The Dix Hills native mapped out his day-by-day schedule on his website so that he knows he has a specific goal to reach every day. He said having a goal and the support from his friends and family is his motivation to make it across country.

“I’ve been sticking with the schedule 100 percent,” Nitti said. “There’s potential for bad weather and I might have to stay in and fall off the schedule but I’m going to give everything I can to try and stay on track.”

Nitti noted he has raised about $2,000 over the course of three weeks.

Before leaving, his training consisted of biking on a stationary bike for six weeks.

He said the first few weeks on the road were tough, dealing with the rain and wind but he’s enjoying it more each day.

“Now I’m starting to feel in shape finally,” he said. “But the first three weeks on the trip was conditioning because no matter how much you do on a stationary

you can’t really prepare for the road, and doing 60 miles a day, there was just no way to completely prepare for that.”

Nitti wasn’t supposed to leave on this journey alone. His friend from Cornell, Joe Manganelli, would have begun the trip with him but had to delay his start due to a snowboarding injury. He is expected to meet up with Nitti later on in his trip.

However, Nitti isn’t alone on his adventure. Through couchsurfing.org, a website where community members offer a place for others to stay for the night, Nitti has met local residents willing to give him a place to stay.

“Last night I stayed with a family of farmers in Mississippi and they had this farm in the backyard and they were beekeepers too,” he said. “They were nice and friendly people.”

Nitti’s father said knowing he is staying with strangers caused a bit of concern, but he knows his son has met many nice people along the way.

Every single day, Nitti runs into people who are interested and asks questions about the trip and the foundation. On March 16, he met a woman whose daughter has a brain tumor and bought his lunch for him. She also said she would make a donation to the foundation.

Nitti said he’s going to mix it up between coach surfing and staying at motels, hotels, camp grounds and free camping sites such as firehouses.

“It’s a sense of pride and you’re always proud of your kids’ accomplishments definitely more than your own, and by taking this initiative and seeing reactions of people, it’s very heart warming knowing he’s doing it for such an incredible cause,” his father said.

Nitti played football during his high school years at Hills East. After he graduated in 2006 he went on to play at Cornell, from which he graduated in May 2011 with a business degree. Once he returns, he hopes to possibly get a job in finance.

Condos planned (Continued from page A7)

what’s happening with the signal at Cedar or Clay Pitts. They all kind of do their own thing,” Eschbacher said. “If you’re traveling at the correct speed, you will be able to go through all of these hitting the greens.”

Traffic projections factor in Matinecock Court, a 177-unit affordable housing complex to be built on the corner of Pulaski and Elwood Roads, he added, and a leftturn lane for southbound traffic and a right-turn lane for northbound traffic will limit traffic backups caused by turning motorists.

“It means one less unnecessary stop for everybody else that’s traveling along there and really enhances safety for everyone,” Eschbacher said.

Focusing mostly on traffic, residents peppered Eschbacher, McCarthy and

Krieger with concerns about specific trouble spots on Elwood Road, the location of tennis courts and pools on the property, and the impact on neighboring residents. McCarthy said those comments will be incorporated into plans as the proposal develops.

“We haven’t done the full-blown study yet and that’s good,” McCarthy said, emphasizing that the proposal is in its preliminary stages. “There will be a fullblown report and we will make that report accessible.”

The meeting attracted more than 200 people. McCarthy said he anticipates a follow-up meeting with the Elwood Taxpayers Association.

“We need to provide them more information,” McCarthy said. “We’re willing to step up and answer the difficult questions for the community.”

Money spent in the community stays in the community.

ItStarts

Here

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A18 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012 THURSDAY Flag Box Tour

The Greenlawn American Legion, Post #1244 will be bringing its mobile “Old Glory” flag collection box to the following locations: Burr Intermediate School, Burr Road, March 19-23; Commack High School, One Scholar Lane, March 26-30; Wood Park School, 15 New Highway, April 2-15; Sawmill Intermediate, 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.

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Calendar O M M U N I T Y

Torah Living

A Psychic Night featuring medium Josephine Ghiringhelli to benefit the Melville-based Leukemia & Lymphoma Society March 22 at Ladakins, 714 Montauk Highway, Moriches.

Event features buffet dinner and soft drinks starting at 6 p.m. and a group reading at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $60. Call Andrea at 631-3997137 or Ladakins at 631-878-1919.

WEDNESDAY 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.

Breakfast And Business

Piano Recital

Charlie Albright, winner of the prestigious 2010 Gilmore Young Artist Award and 2009 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, will play a piano recital March 23, 6 p.m. in the Grace Auditorium of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, One Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor. $20.

Call 516-367-8455 to reserve seats.

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.

‘Anything Goes’ At Hills East

What happens when a well-intentioned stock broker chasing the already engaged love-of-hislife befriends a semi-dangerous gangster and one of the hottest sinners in town - all on a cruise ship? “Anything Goes,” the iconic 1920s Cole Porter classic, is coming to Half Hollow Hills’ Eugene Orloff Auditorium, presented by the Hills East Players. Reserve your seats for the two performances, Friday, March 23 and Saturday, March 24 at 8 p.m. at Half Hollow Hills High School East, 50 Vanderbilt Parkway, Dix Hills. Visit www.hillstickets.com or call 631592-3100.

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 631-223-8053.

SATURDAY Voices Of Faith For Peace

The Voices of Faith for Peace free musical

The Huntington Camera Club meets March 27, 7:30-9:30 p.m. for Meet the Artist Night, when selected members will display and discuss their images and the process they used to create and process these images, at the Huntington Public Library, 338 Main St., Huntington. www.huntingtoncameraclub.org.

Senior advocates will assist seniors with food stamps, Medicare savings programs, Medicaid applications and Heating Emergency Assistance Program (HEAP) applications, as well as answer questions and make additional recommendations and referrals on several days: Huntington Nutrition Center on Wednesday, March 28, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.; Paumanack Village I & II (Greenlawn) on Tuesday, March 27, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; South Huntington Library on Thursday, March 22, 1011:30 a.m.

Psychic Night

FRIDAY

Shutterbugs Unite

Visits From Senior Advocates

Join The Chai Center for a weekly dose of thought-provoking practical applications for today’s living based on the weekly Torah portion on Thursdays, 7-8 p.m. On March 29: Back to life – recovering from life’s challenges.

501 Vanderbilt Pkwy, Dix Hills. $7 suggested fee. RSVP required. 631-351-8672. mail@thechaicenter.com.

The Melville Chamber of Commerce’s Breakfast Series continues March 22, 8:30-10 a.m., at the Greenway Plaza Office Park, Conference Room, Lower Level, 145 Pinelawn Road, Melville. www.greenwayoffice.com. RSVP at 631-777-6260 or info@melvillechamber.org.

Hauppauge Rd, Commack, will host a night with numerologist Lois T. Martin on March 27, 7-8:15 p.m. Meet with this noted psychic/numerologist for an evening full of numbers! Spot readings will be offered for entertainment purposes only.

Pay at the door: $12. Call Michelle Herman, LMSW, at 631-462-9800 x139.

A Free Night Of Music And Dance Long Island Ballet Theatre (formerly Huntington Ballet Theatre) presents two free performances on March 31, 5 and 7 p.m. at Huntington Center for Performing Arts, 310 New York Ave., Huntington. 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. www.huntingtoncenteronline.com. event on March 24, 1-4 p.m. will celebrate the UN’s season of nonviolence. Fourteen different faith traditions from multiple communities will chanting a simple chant/prayer from their tradition for 10 minutes each, totaling 2.5 hours of continuous sacred sound. Sponsored by Gathering of Light Multifaith Spiritual Fellowship held at St. Lawrence of Canterbury Church, 655 Old Country Road, Dix Hills. Bring toiletries or nonperishable food for local shelters.

Starflower Power

Find out about Starflower Experiences’ summer programs at an open house March 24, 1-4 p.m. at Manor Farm, 210 Manor Road, Huntington.

516-938-6152, www.starflowerexperiences.org.

Knights of Columbus Membership Drive

The Fr. Thomas A. Judge Knights of Columbus will host a membership drive at St. Philip Neri Church in Northport March 24-25. Contact Membership Chairman Ed Perillo at 631-7548606. There will also be an open house for all prospective members and their families at the Knights of Columbus hall located in the Hewitt Square Shopping Center (Pulaski & Larkfield Roads) in East Northport on Wednesday, March 28, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Self-Defense Workshop

Tigress Personal Fitness of Bayville and Kicks Karate of Oyster Bay are partnering up for a “Pretty PowerfulTM Self Defense” workshop for women. The seminar, designed to empower women with simple, easy-to-remember and highly effective self-defense techniques, will be held Saturday, March 24, noon-1:30 p.m. A portion of the $30 program fee is being donated to Moms Who Kick Inc., a charity benefiting breast cancer research and promoting healthy lifestyles. Attendees will receive a free week of karate classes at Kicks Karate. Ladies ages 12 and older are encouraged to register online at www.TigressPersonalFitness.com.

‘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.

SUNDAY Happy Birthday Bach

The Northport Symphony Orchestra will celebrate Johann Sebastian Bach’s 327th birthday on March 25, 1:30-4 p.m. with NYASTA, the New York Chapter of the American String Teachers Association. To join them, visit www.northportorchestra.org/bach.asp to download the sheet music, then grab your instruments and music stands and head over to the Central Presbyterian Church in Huntington.

MONDAY

AT THE LIBRARIES Cold Spring Harbor Library

95 Harbor Road, Cold Spring Harbor. 631-6926820. cshlibrary.org.

• Extend your St. Patrick's celebrating for a week and join the Bob Morris Irish Band for traditional Irish music Saturday, March 24, 2-4 p.m.

• Knit and crochet on Monday, March 26, 10 a.m.-noon with Yarn Forward, a group whose handmade creations are for charity and just for fun. All experience levels welcome. Meets second Saturday and fourth Monday. yarnforwardcharity@gmail.com.

Commack Public Library

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

• Long Island filmmaker Richard Altomonte will screen his film, “Dangerous Intimacy: The Untold Story of Mark Twain's Final Years,” on Monday, March 26, 7-8:80 p.m. The documentary, based on Karen Lystra's book of the same title, tells how the famous author was duped by an unscrupulous secretary, Isabel Lyon, who wanted to marry him.

• 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.

Deer Park Public Library

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

• A defensive driving class will be held March 24, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $25 fee.

Leg. Spencer’s Listening Tour

Suffolk County Legislator William Spencer, representing the residents of the 18th Legislative District, will host several community meetings in the next few weeks to give constituents an opportunity to share their concerns or issues.

Meetings of the “Listening Tour” will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on: March 26, Dolan Family Health Center, 284 Pulaski Road, Greenlawn; and April 18, Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center, 74 Hauppauge Road, Commack.

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

• Join Robert Moriarty, for a presentation and discussion on “The Painful Knee: Operative and Non-Operative Solutions 2012” Thursday, March 22, 7 p.m.

• Ellen Spector from Star Jewelry and Crafts will show you how to create a bracelet made of crystals and glass pearls on Wednesday, March 28, 7 p.m.

Aging And Saging

Half Hollow Hills Community Library

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 It’s In The Numbers

The Singles Division of the Suffolk Y JCC, 74

Elwood Public Library

Dix Hills: 55 Vanderbilt Parkway. 631-421-4530; Melville: 510 Sweet Hollow Road. 631-421-4535. hhhlibrary.org.

• Saturday Zumba at Melville, taught by certified instructors Michelle Medina and Susan Beltrani, begins March 24 and runs through May 5.

Registration for the one-hour class, starting at 10:30 a.m., begins March 17. $24 for six classes.

• Trained AARP counselors will provide free

(Continued on page A19)

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assistance in completing your income tax forms on Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-2p.m., through April 10 in Dix Hills. Bring your W-2 and 1099 forms, last year’s tax statements, and other supporting documents. No appointment is necessary.

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012 • A19

(Continued from page A18)

Good For A Laugh The Paramount’s Comedy Series continues with another hilarious evening of non-stop laughter on Thursday, March 29, 8 p.m., featuring top comedians from Long Island, NYC and around the globe, Rich Walker, Maria Walsh, Erik Rivera, Stevie G.B., Johnny Huff and special guests. Hosted by Paul Anthony of the Long Island Comedy Festival. $15. 370 New York Ave., Huntington. 631-6737300. www.paramountny.com.

Harborfields Public Library

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

• Friends of the Harborfields Public Library will hold its Blow-out Book Sale Saturday, March 24, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. All hardcover books are $1, and paperbacks are 50 cents. Additional specials will be posted at the sale.

• Harborfields High School students will be available to assist children in grades 3-8 with their homework on Monday, March 26, 4 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.

• Everyone is invited to sit in on rehearsals of the New Horizons String Orchestra on Friday mornings. 9:30 a.m.-noon.

• 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.

Northport-East Northport Public Library

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

• Join tour guide extraordinaire Art Zuckerman as he takes you to some of New York City's best-kept secrets. One of the museums on our tour will be the Anne Frank Center. Lunch will be at Pietrasanta. Bus leaves from the William J. Brosnan building at 8 a.m.

Tuesday, March 27, and returns at 6:30 p.m. $80, payable by checks only. Register in person at the Northport branch.

• 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. “High Noon” (1952) shows March 22; “The Searchers” (1956) shows March 29; and “Rio Bravo” shows April 5.

South Huntington Public Library

145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station.

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

• The Friends of the South Huntington Library have partnered with the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport to offer discount tickets to performances. Library patrons can save $5 per ticket, and in turn, the theater will donate $10 to the Friends of the Library. Use the promo code SHPL. • 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.

THEATER and FILM 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.

• The 1924 adaptation of J.M Barrie’s classic about children who travel to Never Never Land where they join forces with Peter Pan and Tinkerbell to save the Lost Boys from Captain Hook, “Peter Pan” screens with live accompaniment by MoMA’s Ben Model as the “Anything But Silent Series” continues on Sunday, March 25, 1 p.m.

Dix Hills Performing Arts Center

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

• Musical comedy classic “La Cage Aux Folles” runs Thursday to Saturday, March 2224, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 25 at 2 p.m. La Cage Aux Folles (French for “the Bird Cage”) tells the story of Georges, the owner of a glitzy nightclub in Saint-Tropez, and his partner Albin, who moonlights as the glamorous Chanteuse Zaza. When Georges’ son

brings his fiancée’s conservative parents home to meet the flashy couple, the bonds of family are put to the test. Tickets are $18 or $15 for seniors.

John W. Engeman Theater At Northport

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

• “The Sunshine Boys” is now playing. This laugh-out-loud comedy follows two faded vaudeville legends, Lewis and Clark, as they reunite to perform their old act one last time.

The only problem is they can't stand each other. $50.

• In “Pinkalicious,” a girl can't stop eating pink cupcakes despite warnings from her parents.

Her pink indulgence lands her at the doctor's office with Pinkititis, an affliction that turns her pink from head to toe. Showing Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. through March 25. $15. Part of the Youth Theater Series.

Star Playhouse

At the Suffolk Y JCC, 74 Hauppauge Road, Commack. 631-462-9800 ext. 136. www.starplayhouse.com.

• Don’t miss “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Shows Sundays, March 25 and Saturday, March 24.

Tilles Center For The Performing Arts

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

• Grammy Award-winning artist Herbie Hancock visits with his band on Saturday, March 24 at 8 p.m. Herbie will be joined on stage by bassist James Genus, guitarist Lionel Loueke and Trevor Lawrence Jr. on drums. Tickets are $77, $57 and $37. The performance is sponsored by Megan and Daniel de Roulet.

• Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts’ “First Class,” the inaugural show of works by students of Usdan’s 2011 Portfolio Preparation Track, will be presented at the Atrium at Tilles Center through March 27.

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. 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 from March 24-April 29 in the Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery with an opening reception on Sunday, March 25, 3-5 p.m.

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.

Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum

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.

• Adults, families, and kids can discover the artistic side of being at sea at “An Afternoon of Art & Music” on Sunday, March 25, 2-3:30 p.m.

Watch Scrimshander Ed Cortez at work carving scrimshaw, enjoy nautical tunes of the band Sampawam's Creek, and watch artist Guy De Marco squeeze a ship into the bottle.

Create your own scrimshaw to take home.

Free with paid admission; Members free.

RSVP.

fotofoto Gallery

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

• A group exhibition will benefit North Shore Holiday House for underprivileged girls.

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.

• “Coming of Age in America: The Photography of Joseph Szabo” is the first museum retrospective of this Long Island photographer whose work presents a dual portrait of adolescence on Long Island and summers on iconic Jones Beach. On display through March 25.

• “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.

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 runs through April 30.

• The 4th Annual Got Talent? Long Island, an epic contest showcasing 20 finalists, is March 30, 2012 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 Historical Society

299 Main St., Huntington. Gallery hours: Monday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. 631-549-5106. www.bjspokegallery.com.

• The EXPO 31 Winners Show is on display through March 26.

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.

• The society is sponsoring a trip to the Italian lakes and Greek islands, featuring a sevennight eastern Mediterranean cruise Oct. 3-14, 2012.

• “Celebrate the Conklin Centennial” on Saturday, March 24 at Coindre Hall, 101 Browns Road, Huntington, 6:30-10:30 p.m. $110 members/$125 non-members.

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery

9 East Contemporary Art

b.j. spoke gallery

1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor. Open seven days a week, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday

9 East Carver St., Huntington. Gallery hours: Wed.-Sat., 3-8 p.m. or by appointment. 631-

662-9459.

• “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.

• “50 years of Preserving and Celebrating Northport's History” honors the society's founders and their concerns and activities.

• Dining series “A Taste of Northport” continues at the historic Tim’s Shipwreck Diner, 46 Main St., on Wednesday, March 21, 7:30 p.m. The railroad dining car which now serves as the home of Tim’s has been at its current location since 1912 when it was brought from the Northport train station along the trolley tracks.

Seating is limited to the first 50 people with paid reservations to the event. $25 members/$30 non-members.

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 starting March 10 is “Mainframe,” digital paintings by ZIG.

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 $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.

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).

MUSIC & DANCE Huntington Center for Performing Arts

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.

The Paramount

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

• The Paramount’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.

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

A20 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012

www.LongIslanderNews.com

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012 • A21

BOYS BASEBALL

T-Birds Hope To End ‘Drought’

InTheirOwnWords What do you do to prepare yourself before each game?

Head coach says pitching staff will take the team far this season Half Hollow Hills photos/Stephanie DeLuca

By Stephanie DeLuca sdeluca@longislandernews.com

The Half Hollow Hills East baseball team hasn’t made the playoffs in a number of years, but head coach Tim Belz has faith that this is the group that’s going to do it.

“They’re doing very well. We’re working very hard. As you can see, they’re really into it. They’re a different group than we’ve probably had in the past five years,” said Belz, noting their attitude has changed a complete 180 from last season. “They’re very hungry kids so it’s been fun practices every day so far.”

The boys ended their 2011 season 3-15 in the league, but since the team has many new players this year, the coach is hoping the Thunderbirds will have the chance to make the playoffs.

The coach said the team lost about 11 seniors to graduation last year. However, last season there were more sophomores playing than seniors. This year’s team in League III is comprised of predominantly juniors. There are also eight seniors, three of whom were on the junior varsity team last year, and one freshman, Richard Villa. Belz said Villa, who plays catcher and first base, is big for his age and good player.

Belz acknowledged his top three pitchers, Stephen Woods, Michael Ceperano and John Gallo.

Woods throws about 88 miles per hour and is a Division I prospect who has been recruited by a number of schools, including St. John’s University.

Ceperano, who throws about 85 miles per hour lefty, was an All-League player last year who has been on the varsity team since his freshman year. Belz said he has also been recruited by major Division I programs as a first baseman and a pitcher.

Gallo is a transfer from St. Anthony’s High School. He’s a 6-foot 5-inch junior who throws about 84 miles per hour.

“We have a very good pitching staff and I think that’s why we’re going to have a very good season,” Belz said.

The coach said junior Louis Sileno is a good catcher for the Thunderbirds. He also highlighted Mike Parziale as a great player who was All-League last year and is an All-League wrestler.

Parziale will be playing college baseball for Old Westbury or Molloy next year.

Belz gave credit to the team’s captains, senior Justin Ashley, who plays second base, and senior Joe D’Alessandro, who plays outfield and second base. The coach also highlighted seniors Kelvin

7

“I clear my mind from school and everything. I get in my own zone.”

21 Pitcher Michael Ceperano warming up his arm for the season

Michael Parziale Senior Right Field

Michael Ceperano Junior Firstbase/pitcher

“Before games I just like to be loose, listen to music and just have fun.”

11

John Gallo Junior Pitcher

“Before a game I like to relax and listen to some Adele and get ready to go.”

The Hills East Thunderbirds running drills at practice.

Martinez, who plays infield, and Jake Gneiser, who plays outfield, as hardworking kids.

“The kids are great and they work hard. We have a good group here,” Belz said.

Belz said the competition is tough this season. Some of the teams to beat are East Islip, Smithtown East and Smithtown West. In the series opener last year, the Thunderbirds were slaughtered 11-1 by Smithtown West.

Some of the other contenders on this year’s schedule are Centereach, Whitman

and Newfield. The Thunderbirds had their first scrimmage against Bay Shore and John Glenn March 16 and 17. Belz said those are strong teams and are very good match-ups for Hills East.

The boys’ first league game kicks off on March 27 at home against East Islip.

“I think we’ll definitely make the playoffs. We haven’t been in the playoffs for about four years so there’s been a drought and I hope this group is going to do it,” Belz said. “Our first goal is to make the playoffs and the second goal is to win the league.”

22

Stephen Woods Junior Third base/pitcher

“I go into the locker room, clear my mind and get ready to go to practice and I just do my job there.”

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

Check Your Heart Before It’s Too Late

By Noah Sosnick info@longislandernews.com

Free heart screenings open to the public, courtesy of the Heart Screen New York foundation, will be provided at Walt Whitman High School at the end of the month.

The screenings, which are scheduled to take place in the South Gymnasium from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on March 31, are designed to save lives through early detection. The screenings will be available to

anyone between the ages of 12-24, as a screening is the only way to detect some heart problems.

Karen Acompora, president of the Louis J. Acompora Heart Foundation and mother of the late Louis Acompora, believes screening youth is extremely important. The foundation is named after her 14-year-old son who died from a heart condition after a lacrosse ball struck him directly over the heart during a game in Northport.

“It is important because at a child’s

checkup they are not checked for heart diseases. The first symptom is usually sudden cardiac arrest. Athletics often bring on the sudden cardiac arrest,” Acompora said.

Her foundation is an affiliate of Heart Screen New York.

The screenings will include full comprehensive heart exams, which consist of an ECG (electrical test), a heart physical and an echocardiogram of the heart.

“Eleven cardiologists, several cardiac

nurses and many medical students from local hospitals will be there,” Karen Acompora said.

She added that education will be an important part of the screening event.

“There will be CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation] and AED [automatic external defibrillator] training as an educational component,” she said.

Registration for screenings can be completed through email at heartscreennewyork@gmail.com or by calling 631-754-1091.

C L A S S I F I E D S

A22 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012 • A23

HillSPORTS BASEBALL

Mets Offer Aspiring Pitcher Hope Dix Hills native looks to overcome injuries, family deaths in quest to play pro ball

By Mike Koehler mkoehler@longislandernews.com

John Mincone isn’t ready to toe the rubber at Citi Field quite yet, but he could be before too long.

The 22-year-old lefthander from Dix Hills signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets on March 12.

Mincone spoke with Long Islander Newspapers earlier this week as he drove to the Mets spring training camp at Port St. Lucie in Florida. He isn’t scheduled to report until April 14, but the pitcher is putting himself up for a month so he can make a good impression and get some work in at the team’s facilities.

“I want to show up early to show I’m there to work for them,” he said.

The road from aspiring youth to professional ballplayer has been rocky for the Dix Hills native.

He found some success at the high school level. A member of the Half Hollow Hills East JV squad his freshman year, Mincone earned a varsity letter for the next three. But the starting pitcher was forced to undergo elbow surgery during the 2005-2005 school year, his sophomore year. Coincidentally, the surgery was performed by Mets team doctor David Altcheck.

“I threw pretty hard when I was younger and he said that’s probably what it was from,” Mincone said, noting his fastball touched 95 mph.

Rehab took time, and he could not pitch deep into a game until the 2006 Empire State Games, when he was part of a gold medal team. Mincone subsequently starred in his senior year, named the best pitcher in Suffolk County before he graduated in 2007.

The Dix Hills native played ball while attending James Madison University in 2008 during his freshman year.

He finished the season with a 1-3 record, 8.86 ERA and 1 save in 21.1 innings. Transferring to Suffolk Community College for his sophomore year, he also played ball for the Sharks.

But his life would change forever in 2009 when the Chicago Cubs drafted Mincone in the 11th round with the 350th overall pick. What should have been the beginning of a beautiful thing was actually the beginning of a difficult point in his life.

Mincone was assigned to the Arizona League Cubs that year, a Rookie-level affiliate and the bottom of the entire minor league system. He found some success, finishing 2-0 with a 3.12 ERA in three games, although the pitcher missed some time with fraying on his rotator cuff.

He entered spring training healthy in 2010 and was promoted to the Boise Hawks, the Cubs Short Season-A affiliate. The opening day starter, he earned an 0-3 record and 4.18 ERA in six games before a freak accident damaged his ACL and meniscus during a game in July.

“There was a little swinging bunt between me and the first baseman. He called me off and I stopped jogging. I

heard four pops in my knee, I went down and that was it,” Mincone said.

Rehab sent the Dix Hills native back to Arizona, where he spent several months recovering. But in January 2011, his phone rang with an unwanted surprise – his father’s cancer had relapsed. Mincone came back to Long Island to help with the family since his father was physically limited.

He returned to the Cubs healthy enough for spring training in 2011, albeit not completely recovered. As fate would have it, that mattered little as the organization cut him after just two days.

Mincone pitched some for the Long Island Storm as his knee continued to heal. He left Long Island in July for Chicago when he signed with the Windy City Thunderbolts – a team in the independent Frontier League. In one month, he earned a 1-2 record with a 4.61 ERA though six games.

But after one game in July, Mincone found a voicemail from his mother. His father had “an episode,” but she said he should stay with the team. On July 29, she called back with a different message: Come home now.

The athlete’s father, Joseph, a volunteer coach with the Half Hollow Hills Hawks and an attorney with a firm in Melville, died on Aug. 13, 2011. He was 50.

In addition to grieving, the aspiring ballplayer found himself an integral part of the family’s day-to-day life. He drove one brother to SUNY Binghamton to play golf and another brother to Pennsylvania for a different tryout.

“I couldn’t go back, there was way too much family stuff to do,” Mincone said. “It’s been a rough two years.”

Mincone, however, is hoping his luck has changed for the better. For the first time in years, he said his body feels completely healthy.

“I feel great, excited for this year,” he said from the road.

His latest signing also means something special to the pitcher. His father passed along his passion for New York’s underdog professional ball club to his son; Mincone is a lifelong Mets fans.

“It’s a huge honor. I know my dad would be so proud.

He was a Mets fan through everything,” he added.

The Mets don’t expect Mincone to arrive until next month, which is when he’ll learn exactly where the organization wants to send him. He speculated it could be with the Savannah Sand Gnats, the Mets Class-A affiliated team, and was hopeful he could land with the St. Lucie Mets, in High-A ball.

But no matter where he ends up playing, one thing is likely – his days as a starter are numbered. The Dix Hills native said team scouts told him he could be much more effective as a lefty specialist out of the bullpen.

Throughout his professional career, Mincone has only made a few relief appearances, although he admitted they were some of his best performances. Noting the dif-

ference between a starter owning a game and a reliever coming in with no margin for error, he was willing to do whatever the team asked.

“If they think that’s what can possibly get me to the big leagues, then I’ll do whatever the team needs to win,” Mincone said.

The pitcher may also see some friendly faces when he arrives in Florida, despite being new to the organization. Mincone knows Mets Dix Hills native John Mincone farmhands Steve Matz is anxious to continue his baseand Cam Maron. Matz, ball career with the New York a pitcher, was drafted in Mets organization. the second round of the 2009 draft out of Ward Melville and Maron, a catcher, was drafted in the 34th round of the 2009 draft out of Hicksville. Maron, who also grew up in Huntington, surprised many with his offensive ability last season; he was named the organization’s best player with their Short-A affiliate. Matz, on the other hand, missed most of 2010 and all of 2011 recovering from Tommy John surgery.

“I worked out with them over in Garden City during the off-season of my first years of professional baseball,” Mincone said. ”It’ll be nice to know some people down there.”

But unlike his early years, Mincone has dialed his fastball down some. Once sitting comfortably in the mid90s, the pitch now comes in between 88-92 mph. He also throws an 88 mph sinker, a straight changeup, splitfingered changeup and his trademark curveballs.

“I throw two curveballs. One I can move 12-6 straight up and down. The other is more slurvish,” he said. “I’ve always considered my curveball my best pitch.”

All of his pitches tend to have movement, which he believes can help him be more effective against difficulty lefty hitters.

With nearly a full month until he actually joins his next team, Mincone is set to get to work. But before he arrived in Florida, the local pitcher offered a few words of advice to other aspiring ballplayers.

“Listen to your coaches. Listen to your parents. They have it right,” he said, adding that he watched Philadelphia Phillies starter Cole Hamels get pitching advice from his father during a recent World Series. “Keep at it.

It’s never going to be easy.”

PRO FOOTBALL

Victor Cruz Coming To Town

By Mike Koehler mkoehler@longislandernews.com

Victor Cruz abruptly took the New York Giants by storm last season, continuing to shine through their Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots.

The star wide receiver is scheduled to appear at Cow Over the Moon Toys & Sports on April 1 as the first of hopefully many celebrity visits to the Huntington village store.

“We wanted to bring an athlete to the

store, something we thought the community would like. We set our sights on Victor Cruz as he’s the most popular athlete in the metropolitan area right now,” store owner Joel Dennett said.

Cruz will be in the store from 2-4 p.m., signing autographs and taking pictures.

Dennett cautioned that he does expect a large turnout and Cruz will only be signing a limited number of items. He urged customers to sign up in advance.

That includes paying a registration fee – $95 for a picture or mini-helmet or

$125 for a jersey, football or full-sized helmet. For an additional $10, they’ll also include a certificate of authenticity.

As of Friday afternoon, Dennett said more than 100 people had already preregistered.

While customers will be permitted just one autograph with each registration, they will also be permitted to take a photo with Cruz. Dennett said other party members will be allowed to join in the registrant’s picture.

The store will also accommodate fans

who cannot make the event in person. Dennett said registered customers can leave their item Victor Cruz to be signed.

Cruz will sign it and the store staff will shoot a keepsake photo of him with the item.

Anyone looking to sign up is asked to call the store at 631-424-1796.

A24 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 22, 2012

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