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HALF HOLLOW HILLS Copyright © 2010 Long Islander Newspapers, LLC.
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N E W S P A P E R
VOLUME THIRTEEN, ISSUE 14
LONG ISLANDER NEWSPAPERS TELECOMMUNICATIONS/MEDIA BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 24 PAGES
THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2010
DIX HILLS
DIX HILLS
Too Late To Save Her Son
Taking The Field In Memory Scarpati Soccer Tournament announced in tribute to Hills grad By Mike Koehler mkoehler@longislandernews.com
State finally funds guiderail system By Mike Koehler mkoehler@longislandernews.com
State officials are proudly announcing the installation of a new, safer guiderail system along the Wantagh State Parkway, but the news is bittersweet for a mother who lost her son on that road. “It’s a known issue, but I guess you need a certain quantity of blood before people act,” said Lynn Scarpati, of Dix Hills. Matthew Scarpati was killed when an allegedly drunk motorcyclist drove off the parkway and struck the 19year-old as he was changing a bicycle tire last summer. The Department of Transportation (DOT) announced last week that a contractor was expected to begin in(Continued to page A21)
A soccer tournament created by Danny Silver through hours of hard work is expected to raise thousands of dollars in memory of Matthew Scarpati. But for Silver, a sophomore in college, the loss of his best friend still tears at his heart. “The hardest part for me is that I have to write an e-mail when I ask for donations. You have to write 19-year-old Matthew Scarpati was killed. Writing it over and over, and it takes a mental toll,” Silver said. “It’s easy to get caught up in the logistics. But every time you have to ask for a donation, you have to remember that your best friend is gone.” Scarpati of Dix Hills, who was attending the University of Buffalo, was killed last July when an allegedly drunken motorcyclist collided with him along the Wantagh State Parkway. He had stopped to replace a flat tire on his bike when the accident occurred; friends said he was off the bike path so others could go by. A bicycle enthusiast, he had only recently discovered the bike path. His routes often brought him close to speeding cars, friends said, so he wasn’t concerned about pedaling next to the parkway. But as much as Scarpati loved riding,
Matthew Scarpati with a cutout of his soccer idol, Cristiano Ronaldo. Nearly a year after Scarpati was killed changing his bike tire on the Wantagh State Parkway, his friend has planned the first Matthew Logan Scarpati Memorial Soccer Tournament, expected to raise thousands on June 12. he equally enjoyed playing soccer. He played on club teams, as well as the Half Hollow Hills East varsity team for three years. Thinking of his friend’s passion for the sport last fall, Silver brainstormed what would become the First Annual Matthew Logan Scarpati Memorial Soc-
cer Tournament. Scheduled for June 12 at Half Hollow Hills East, early plans called for both club teams and the general public to compete in different age groups during a two-day tournament. Those complex plans were (Continued on page A21)
DIX HILLS
Entrepreneur Tapped For GOP Post Businessman Robert McBride to head Suffolk Republican Chairman’s Club By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com
Dix Hills resident Robert McBride has been picked to serve as president of the Suffolk County Republican Committee’s Chairman’s Club.
A Dix Hills resident and entrepreneur has been tapped to lead the Suffolk County Republican Chairman’s Club. Party Chairman John Jay LaValle named Robert McBride president of the organization, which works to fundraise for the Suffolk County Republican Party in administrative and campaign capacities. “Robert McBride has given generously of his time and resources over many years to support Republican initiatives,” LaValle said. “As president, we expect Robert to guide and re-energize the club and the Suffolk County Republican Committee. We are fortunate that we will have his formidable organizational and con-
sensus-building skills. ” A resident of Suffolk County for more than 20 years, McBride currently lives with his wife, Marion, in Dix Hills. They have three grown children – KatieAnn, Robert and Sean. As leader of the Republican Chairman’s Club, his main task is to generate support for the Suffolk County GOP. Members sign up and pay $300 in membership dues; those funds go to the committee’s housekeeping accounts, which cover operational expenses. As a nod to their support, the members of the Chairman’s Club typically have greater access to party leaders, Huntington Republican Committee Chair Toni Tepe said. McBride is vice president of Park Strategies, a company that counsels
clients in the real estate, pharmaceuticals, investment banking, healthcare and other industries. He co-founded the organization with former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D’Amato (R-NY). McBride began his entrepreneurial career in 1982 when he bought All Island Transportation. There, he oversaw the taxicab fleet’s expansion from 26 vehicles to more than 400 cars. After selling All Island in 2000, McBride directed operations, mergers and acquisitions as the Northeast Regional Manager for Coach USA, the largest ground transportation company in the world. In 2002, he opened a ground transportation company in Denver, Colo., which currently operates the largest “green” vehicle fleet in the state. (Continued on page A17)
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