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VOLUME SIXTEEN, ISSUE 20

2 SECTIONS, 52 PAGES

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2014 HALF HOLLOW HILLS

The Paramount Spotlight

Court Upholds School Closings Concerned citizens group’s attorney says residents weighing appeal Long Islander News photo/archives

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

The Go-Go’s return to The Paramount next Thursday, bringing back hits like “We Got The Beat.”

The Go-Go’s Bring Back The Beat

By Megan Connor info@longislandergroup.com

(Continued on page A12)

A lawsuit trying to overturn the closing of Forest Park, pictured, and Chestnut Hill elementary schools for the next school year has failed after the courts ruled in favor of the school district.

Long Islander News photos/archives

For one night only, music lovers can expect the sweet sound of Belinda Carlisle’s voice, the infectious melodies of songs like “We Got The Beat,” and maybe even some surprises – yes, The Go-Go’s must be coming to town.

Keyboardist Charlotte Caffey said her lips were sealed when it comes to revealing the big plans the band has for its July 3 show at The Paramount.

But she did hint at what Long Islanders can expect.

“I’ll let the audience see what we have in store, but we’re just excited to be on the road. We’re adding a few little twists and turns, maybe adding a couple of songs here and there that we haven’t played for a while,” she said.

The all-female American rock band, which formed in 1978, was the first all-female band to write their own songs and play their own instruments to top the Billboard charts. The group’s debut album, “Beauty and the Beat,” hit No. 1 and sold three million copies; it also earned a spot on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All

A State Supreme Court justice has upheld the Half Hollow Hills Central School District’s vote last fall to close two elementary schools.

The ruling, issued June 5 by State Supreme Court Justice Gerard Asher, “is a vindication” of the school district’s conduct, school board President James Ptucha said Monday, but hardly a happy occasion.

“Nobody wins. Nobody’s rejoicing. Nobody’s happy,” he said. “It’s an unfortunate situation, but thank God, we can move on.”

In a Feb. 20 lawsuit, 110 school district residents, under the umbrella of Citizens Concerned for Half Hollow Hills Children (CCHC), asked the court to throw out the school board’s Oct. 28, 2013 vote to close Chestnut Hill and Forest Park elementary schools for the 2014-2015 school year in the face of declining enrollment.

They also argued the district violated the Open Meetings Law by holding a special public meeting at 7:30 a.m. Oct. 24, 2013, which the plaintiffs argued was scheduled to diminish public participation, and by

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

$600K More For LIPA Tax Case Defense

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

(Continued on page A12)

As the tax certiorari lawsuit over the Northport power plant continues, the Town of Huntington nears the $1 million mark in defense costs.

Huntington has earmarked another $600,000 to fund its defense of a tax certiorari lawsuit against the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA).

The funds will pay the legal fees of Lewis & Greer, the firm defending the town against claims that the power plant in Northport has been grossly over-assessed, for the rest of 2014.

The town board voted unanimously to allocate the funds during its June 17 meeting.

Town spokesman A.J. Carter

IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

Free Concerts In Heckscher Park Start This Week A9

said Monday that the town has already spent $802,000 defending the lawsuit, which remains in the pre-trial stages.

According to the town, the large sum for outside counsel on the LIPA case is necessary because of “the complexity and magnitude of the tax certiorari proceeding.”

LIPA first challenged the Northport plant’s assessment in October 2010 and demanded a 90-percent reduction in the facility’s assessed value. The town has argued that LIPA’s original demand for such a drastic reduction would have a devastating (Continued on page A12)

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A2 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014

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POLICE REPORT Compiled by Danny Schrafel

Hands Off HA7

When You’ve Really Gotta Go

Another area code?…

play their final opening round game against GerAs Suffolk County grows, many at noon on Thursday, so be sure to tune in and it turns out we’re running out of phone numbers. Acsupport the red, white and blue – or at least visit our cording to a recent report, the phone companies are office and test our theory out! running out of 631 area code numbers to assign, and a new area code is needed. The question, then, is how For the future… A note to to implement it. Do you: go with the “overlay” apwhomever scribbled on our new proach, which would keep exbuilding’s wall the other day: isting numbers the same and IN THE KNOW while I am glad that you, Hayadd new customers to the new WITH AUNT ROSIE ley, indeed “made Mike’s night,” area code, but also shift to 10please refrain from scribbling digit dialing countywide? Or, do you draw a big, red said tidings upon our nice, line down the county, through Smithtown and Islip, clean brick walls in black marker. However, thank and say, “one side gets 631, the other gets the new you for using a black marker that appears not to be area code”? That remains to be seen; public meeting the most resilient to the elements, because your mesare coming to discuss that topic. While progress and sage to Mike has steadily faded as the weeks have growth require adaptation, I’ll be fine with whatever passed. they decide, just so long as they don’t touch our HA77000 telephone number. Seriously, I think we’ve had Civic participation… was at an all-time high last that number since telephones were invented. So leave week, as more than 100 residents spoke at the Huntthat alone, and you’ve got my vote for a new area ington Town Board meeting to voice their opinion on code, 10-digit dialing, whatever you want to do. the Seasons at Elwood senior housing community, Throwback motoring… As I was driving around proposed for the old Oak Tree Dairy site. This column isn’t the place for me to say how I feel about the town the other day, I saw a guy stick his arm out the whole thing, but it’s nice to see that citizens are acwindow, straight up in a 90-degree angle. I wontively getting involved early on in the process. If it’s dered for a minute what in the dickens he was doone thing that annoys me, it’s people who complain ing, and then I realized he was signaling a turn! I about something after that fact, but neglected to take suppose his turn signal was broken, so he went the an opportunity to do something about it beforehand! old-fashioned man-powered route in the interim. If you’re wondering, the 90-degrees, hand-up move Safe and sound… Long Island’s boating season is out the driver’s side window means he was turning full throttle, which means that all you Captain right. A simple activation of the ol’ Google finger Ahabs taking to the bays should keep one thing in should allow you to brush up quickly on the rest. mind: safety. I don’t want to hear about one accident this year out at sea, as the town has done a fantastic Tuning into the World Cup… One of the fellas job of keeping everyone up to speed on the latest in the office, whom I must stress is hardly the world’s safety guidlines and regulations that you should be biggest sports fan, shared with me an unusual perk of following anytime you head out to the water. Follow working at our new space on Wall Street – but I like all of those helpful tips this summer to ensure your it. He said to me that, if you’re working up here, beauty of a boat doesn't turn into the Titanic! there’s no need to watch the World Cup when the Americans are playing – just listen for the roars (and (Aunt Rosie wants to hear from you! If you have comgroans) coming from next door at Christopher’s, and ments, ideas, or tips about what’s happening in your you’ll be right up to speed. He told me he heard a gineck of the woods, write to me today and let me know ant roar when the U.S. went up 2-1 Sunday (albeit, the latest. To contact me, drop a line to Aunt Rosie, not too much noise was made when Portugal tied the c/o The Long-Islander, 14 Wall Street, Huntington NY game in the final seconds). For those of you who are 11743. Or try the e-mail at aunt.rosieli@gmail.com) a bit more into soccer, I’m told that the Americans

So much for knocking: The landlords of a Broad Hollow Road office building in Melville called the cops at 8:30 a.m. June 19 after they discovered someone had torn the bathroom door off the hinges. The bathroom, which is reserved for tenants, is typically accessed through a keypass system.

Flailing His Way To Jail A Jamaica, Queens man was arrested on burglary and other charges June 15 on Broad Hollow Road in Melville.

Police allege that, at 10:20 a.m., he burglarized a Hilltop Drive home in Melville and stole a female victim’s pocketbook, credit card, cash, laptop and cell phone. About 10 minutes later, he allegedly stole a wallet from a victim on Sweet Hollow Road. When he was arrested on Broad Hollow Road at 11:15 a.m., police said he resisted arrest by flailing his arms. He was also charged with criminal contempt for allegedly violating a court order.

Easy Money A thief who struck a vehicle parked in a Thornwood Drive home’s driveway had easy access to the vehicle on June 15, according to Suffolk County police. That’s because the motorist left their car unlocked. The thief took a pocketbook from the vehicle, which contained a debit card.

I’m Burnin’ Up A Melville man was charged with obstruction of governmental administration June 15 after he allegedly tried to douse an arson investigation, police said. At 4:05 a.m., police were attempting to conduct an arson investigation at Avalon Court Drive in Melville when the 44-year-old man allegedly attempted to prevent the officer from doing so.

Red, Red Wine A Dix Hills man was busted for DWI in his 2012 Mercedes-Benz after he blew a red light in the wee hours of the morning, Suffolk County police allege. The 40-yearold was driving on the South Service Road near Route 110 at approximately 12:30 a.m. on June 17 when he barreled through a steady red; police quickly pulled him over and say they found him to be drunk.

Driving Time Is Not Nap Time QUOTE OF THE WEEK SOSH ANDRIANO

Send a photo of your pre-school age child along with a brief anecdotal background and we’ll consider it for “Baby Faces.” Include baby’s full name, date of birth, hometown and names of parents and grandparents.

Send to: Baby of the Week, c/o Long-Islander, 14 Wall St., Huntington, NY 11743. Please include a daytime phone number for verification purposes.

A Melville man was charged with driving under the influence of drugs in Smithtown June 17. Police said they found the 29-year-old man sound asleep, with his head on the driver’s side door, his key in the ignition and the motor running at 3:26 a.m.

Watch Your Lockers

“That day was so crazy, we went through about 400 pounds of chicken, and around 8:30 I was down to my last 20 pounds… I called a restaurateur friend of mine.”

Taco Tuesday, ‘Torture Tuesday’, A6

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A Planet Fitness patron in Melville was robbed after someone cleaned out their locker at the Ruland Road gym in Melville. Police said that at 11 a.m. someone went into the ladies’ locker room, unlocked the complainant’s locker and stole their wallet, containing credit cards and other personal papers.

Who’s At The Door?

A Dix Hills home on Stonehurst Lane was burglarized June 20. Police said that the suspect chucked a brick through the rear sliding-glass door to gain entry. Once inside, they stole assorted jewelry.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014 • A3

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Second Try At CO Detector Law Long Islander News photo/archives

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

A revised proposal which would require carbon monoxide detectors in places of public assembly in Huntington is going back before the town board July 15.

The legislation follows the Feb. 22 death of Steven Nelson, a manager at the Walt Whitman Shops’ Legal Sea Foods restaurant. Nelson died in the restaurant’s basement as a result of a carbon monoxide leak that sickened dozens.

Councilman Mark Cuthbertson, who has sponsored both versions of the town law, said the board elected not to vote on his initial proposal, which would have required carbon monoxide detectors in all places of public assembly, and instead refile a new draft that addressed a “bunch of changes we needed to make.”

“We think we’ve come up with a tighter definition and a more workable solution,” he said.

Principal amongst those changes is a sharper definition of what exactly constitutes a “place of public assembly.” Under the new code, those are defined as spaces designed for the “gathering of 50 or more people” for civic, social or religious functions, recreation, eating and drinking or waiting for transportation.

Cuthbertson’s proposal would require

The Town of Huntington continues to tweak a proposed law requiring more carbon monoxide detectors in public places after the February death of a Legal Sea Foods employee due to a leak at the Huntington Station restaurant.

those places that meet the standard to have a carbon monoxide detection system installed by Jan. 1, 2015.

Following the Legal Sea Foods incident, local municipal agencies have acted swiftly to establish new standards.

The Northport Village Board voted May 6 to require carbon monoxide detectors in all places of public assembly.

And County Executive Steve Bellone and Suffolk legislators have already approved three laws pertaining to carbon monoxide detection since Nelson’s death. Legislators William Spencer (DCenterport) and John Kennedy (RSmithtown) cosponsored the Steve Nelson Act, which would require all county facilities to be equipped with carbon monoxide detectors, which was adopted April 29.

Another, sponsored by Spencer, requires “front-line” county employees, like public health workers, nurses, rescue personnel and police and firefighters, to be equipped with portable detectors. The Suffolk County PD is due to issue a report to the legislature, due in early July, delineating how to best equip officers.

And Kennedy-backed legislation created a Commercial Building Carbon Monoxide Task Force.

The July 15 hearing on the town measure is set to begin at 2 p.m. at Huntington Town Hall.

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON MELVILLE

Police Hunt After Fatal Hit-And-Run

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

Police were still on the hunt Monday for the driver who fatally injured an 85-year-old pedestrian on Route 110 Friday night in a hit-andrun crash.

The victim, Robert Hosking, of Stiles Drive in Melville, was rushed to Nassau University Medical Center by the Melville Rescue Squad, where he died of his injuries the next morning, police confirmed.

Police said Hosking was hit by a car traveling southbound on Route 110 near West Lyons Street, about a block away from his home. Hosking succumbed to critical injuries, which authorities described as internal wounds and “multiple” fractures.

Authorities are looking for a green-colored car, which has damage to the passenger side front end, side view mirror and windshield – and the person who was behind the wheel and fled the scene after mortally injuring Hosking.

Anyone with information or who may have seen the crash is asked to call the Vehicular Crime Unit at 631-852-6555 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.

Report: Crime Down, Burglaries Up

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

While crime has dropped by nearly one-third throughout the Town of Huntington as compared to the first four months of 2013, there has been a slow but steady increase in the Second Precinct over the last two years, according to statistics released this week by Suffolk County Police.

Townwide, overall crime in the Town of Huntington has plunged 33.9 percent, from 941 incidents to 622, when comparing the first four months of 2013 to the first four months of this year.

During a similar window, violent crime has dropped by 34.38 percent, thanks to robberies dropping from 24 to 12 and aggravated assaults falling from 36 to 26.

Compared to the first four months of 2011, which was former County Executive Steve Levy’s last year in office, violent crime is down 14.29 percent and property crime is down 12.39 percent, for an overall 12.52 percent decline.

But burglaries have shown a stubborn, slow increase locally. When comparing statistics for the first month of 2011 and of 2012, burglaries decreased by 12.5 percent, from 112 to 98. But from 2012 to 2013, the number crept up by 8.16 percent to 106, and by another 13.21 percent, to 120, the following year. Overall, burglaries increased 7.14 percent since 2011.

However, other forms of violent crime have shown major decline, with robberies being cut in half and aggravated assaults returning to 2011 levels, at 26 incidents in the first four months of 2014.

Suffolk County Police Chief of Department James Burke said June 19 that violent crime has dropped dramatically, particularly in Huntington Station, because

of a focus on thwarting “apex criminals” who commit most of the crime in an area.

“Clearly in the Second Precinct, the area we focus on intently is Huntington Station,” he said.

Countywide, County Executive Steve Bellone said, crime is down across Suffolk by 19.38 percent in the first four months of 2014 as compared to last year, while property crime has dropped 7 percent. Overall crime is down 7.94 percent from year to year and 14.14 percent as compared to the first four months of 2011.

Bellone credited a shift toward datadriven “intelligence-based policing” for the overall decrease.

“We’re driving down these numbers, and the plan is working,” Bellone said.

“Because of intelligence-based policing, we’re preventing crime.”

County officials are also continuing to monitor the ShotSpotter acoustic gunfire detection system, which is used in 2 square miles of Huntington Station and Brentwood, and one mile each in Wyandanch, North Amityville and North Bellport.

Although the system’s effectiveness has been called into question, Burke said it helped officers crack a case in Huntington Station, where someone was shot in a basement. The fact that ShotSpotter did not activate, he said, provided an invaluable lead.

“The way it was played out by the players initially was that someone was shot outside as a result of some gang activity,” he said. “When we went back to ShotSpotter, we did not have an activation.”

With that information, police were able to “get them to cave in and tell the truth,” the chief said.

Bellone said that the system has “had effectiveness” and is one the county will continue to monitor and fine-tune.

“If at any point we think that this is not an effective tool anymore, we would phase it out. At this point, it’s been helpful in ways and we continue to believe in the promise of it,” Bellone said.

Police officials have also taken steps to improve the flow of information.

Precincts receive crime statistics daily as opposed to every 30 days, Burke said, and the flow of information helps officers identify and stop pattern crimes, committed by a particular person or group, and trend crimes, which indicate a particular type of crime being committed, but not necessarily by the same person. When a pattern or trend emerges, officers then study it, develop a strategy and implement it to break the chain.

Of 141 patterns and trends in 2012 and 2013, police have ended 95 of them through the arrest of 248 suspects, officials said.

The chief also noted that decentralizing the county gang units has also been helpful.

“We put those cops back in the precincts so they could work where they belong – where the gangs are, in the streets of our county,” Burke said.

The police department has also taken steps to improve the sharing of information across precincts, updated briefing practices for arrested persons, established a Narcotics Intelligence Tracking System, and launched daily command staff meetings regarding criminal activity.

“This way, all the resources are available and can be made available to these precinct commanders and detective squad commanders,” Burke said.

Police officials, however, are keeping an eye on shooting incidents, which officials said showed a small increase countywide, and focusing on providing new services for recently-released ex-prisoners in an effort to ward off recidivism.

A4 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014

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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Residents Sound Off On The ‘Seasons’ 360-unit senior housing proposal in Elwood draws record crowd for public hearing

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

A standing-room only crowd – featuring a record-setting number of speakers for one hearing – packed Huntington Town Hall on June 17 during a public hearing for Engel Burman Group’s proposal to build a senior housing community at Oak Tree Dairy.

The fireworks began even before the start of the hearing, which has been nearly two years in the making.

As Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone and Councilman Gene Cook entered the room, they were greeted by rallying cries for and against the development. Chants of “Seasons yes!,” followed by retorts of, “hell no!” filled the room, which was fairly evenly split between Seasons supporters and opponents.

For some, the wait to speak began bright and early. Wendy Stranieri, an Elwood resident who opposes the proposal, set up shop outside Huntington Town Hall around noon. Once inside, she held up handmade signs opposing The Seasons and sparred with Seasons supporters.

“Who paid for my sign? Nobody. Who paid for your sign? Engel Burman,” Strineri said.

“You get what you pay for,” a pro-Seasons speaker shot back.

But once the meeting began, the rally atmosphere calmed.

“We heard your cheering loud and clear.

That’s fine,” Petrone said at the start of the meeting. “But tonight will be orderly.”

Supporters argued the 360-unit, 55-andover lifestyle community will meet a growing regional need for senior housing, benefit the Elwood School District financially, and bring needed traffic improvements to Elwood Road. But opponents continued to object to the project’s density, reiterated skepticism over traffic studies and mitigation efforts, and turned a new focus on environmental conditions at the site.

Engel Burman analysts said the 360unit development has been well received and will bring economic benefits to the community.

“We’ve provided truthful information to the community, and we look forward to the town board issuing a favorable decision,” said Steven Krieger, a principal of the firm.

Martin Cantor, a former Suffolk County Economic Development commissioner and Engel Burman consultant, said the project will generate 750 new construction jobs, create a $140-million direct economic impact, and add $2 million to the tax base of the school district, which educates about 2,625 students and recently passed a $57-million budget for the 2014-2015 educational year.

Signs held high, supporters and opponents of The Seasons at Elwood make their presence known at Town Hall on June 17.

Cantor said the development would also bring $30 million in new household income, bring an “unheard of” 6.6 percent increase in the hamlet’s household income.

Michael Dawidziak, who was hired by Engel Burman to poll the community on the proposal, found strong support for senior housing in general and The Seasons in particular. A recent poll indicated a 51-21 percent spread in favor of The Seasons, with the remaining 28 percent undecided or having no opinion.

“That’s an astoundingly good number,” Dawidziak commented.

Opponents, however, reiterated concerns about the density of the project and skepticism over traffic mitigation strategies, and honed in sharply on potential environmental issues.

Several cited a June 12 letter from the Elwood school board to the town board, which cited “contamination of the soil on the subject property” and the “presence of heavy metals including arsenic and 44-DDT.” The letter also alleges Engel Burman did not properly review traffic impacts and the impacts on the district’s transportation system.

Attorney Lee Reynolds, a partner in the law firm of McCarthy & Reynolds, Engel Burman’s lead counsel in the application, said that the environmental objection is a red herring that would be addressed during site plan review.

“The school district’s letter recites the findings of the applicant’s environmental report. What it doesn’t mention is that contamination is typical of a redevelopment site, and will be cleaned up with the oversight of the proper agency,” he said.

Town spokesman A.J. Carter said that environmental mitigation efforts would be addressed later by the planning board, during site plan review if the zone change is approved.

School District Defends Input Elwood school board members and district leaders have been clear about their opposition to The Seasons, but one leader from a neighboring school district questioned the validity – and logic – of their stance.

Commack Board of Education President Peter Wunsch, a resident of East Northport, said the project would save Elwood residents on their property taxes.

“I wish there was space available for a project like this in Commack,” he said, and added that he saw “no negatives from a school board perspective.”

“I believe the Elwood school board’s opposition is extremely short-sighted,” he said.

The Long Island Builders Institute (LIBI) earlier this year filed a complaint with the New York State Department of Education, arguing that letters submitted by the school board opposing the development should be stricken and disregarded.

However, Elwood School District counsel Edward McCarthy said the district weighed in only because the town asked them to, and maintained their actions were appropriate and necessary to advocate for the welfare of students in district schools.

“We don’t have the final say, but we do have the right to articulate our concerns, especially when it comes to the educational mission of the district,” he said. “ If they vote to advance the zone change, he urged the town to make cleaning up the soil a condition of approval.

Opponents Push For Supermajority Hurdle Opponents of The Seasons are also hoping a new series of petitions would make it so a simple three-vote majority on the town board won’t be enough to ratify the zone change.

Preserving Elwood Now (PEN) President Jim Cameron said that the civic group filed a petition earlier in June, containing signatures from 100 percent of property owners who live or own land within 100 feet of the Oak Tree Dairy property. That’s more than enough, they argue, to require a “supermajority vote” to ratify the zone change. Town law requires 20 percent of property owners within the 100-foot range to affirm their opposition in a petition in order to force the four-vote margin.

The Town Attorney’s office is reviewing the petitions, Carter said.

Density Debate Continues Several opponents of the proposal floated new visions of what an acceptable level of density would be at the Oak Tree Dairy site.

Janice Lewis, a longtime Elwood resident who opposes The Seasons, proposed the construction of three, fully handicapped-accessible ranch homes per acre, or 111 total, which would allow the developer increased density that maintains the character of the community. Tom Van de Merlen, a founding member of PEN, said he and the civic group “could live with” 185 units on the site.

But Engel Burman attorney Michael McCarthy said the developer “has listened to the concerns of the community” on density by reducing initial plans for 482 units to the current 360-home proposal.

“As an age-restricted community, it will not have an impact on the school district but will provide a needed source of tax revenue,” he said.

Petrone pledged to “again convene the parties so they can continue to discuss this.” Those meetings follow a meeting that drew a total of 116 sign-ups to speak, a new record for any Huntington Town Hall hearing.

“Hopefully they’ll come to some to some sort of understanding,” Petrone said.

The town now has 90 days to vote on the proposal or pass a town resolution extending the period of time they have for consideration.

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www.LongIslanderNews.com Long Islander News photo/Arielle Dollinger

This Carriage Court home is a prime example of the types of blighted properties the town’s continually evolving blight law aims to eliminate.

DIX HILLS

Blight-Busing Legislation

By Arielle D. and D. Schrafel info@longislandergroup.com

When Councilwoman Susan Berland drove a camp bus for Park Shore Day Camp, years ago, she would drive through Dix Hills and past a dilapidated house on Carriage Court.

Today, the address is one on a list of Huntington homes that are “blighted” – a term assigned to houses that are not receiving proper upkeep.

“It’s a beautiful court. Everybody’s house is well-manicured, taken care of, and then you have this house,” Berland said.

“The house is falling apart; the lawn was disgusting.”

If the owner, who is a pastor at the Upper Room Ministries, does not take care of the vacant house, the town will take over, Berland said.

“Really, the owners have a responsibility to their neighbors not to create this environment which they have created,” she said. “It’s really affecting the residents… I came up with the blight legislation and this house really is quite up there on the blight scale.”

The owner could not be reached for comment.

The town board voted unanimously last week to approve legislation to add “vacancy” to the list of criteria used to determine whether or not an unkempt house qualifies as “blighted.” “[Blight qualification] has to do with the condition of the house itself, and the property surrounding it,” Councilwoman Susan Berland said. “The vacancy itself should add points, because a lot of the time when it’s a foreclosure and it’s vacant, we want the banks to start moving and doing what they’re supposed to do.”

The legislation adds a 30-point penalty to the blight ordinance for vacant homes and businesses.

Under the town’s blight ordinance, passed in 2011, violations are assessed on a scale from 5 to 50 points. The more severe a violation, the more points assigned. An excess of 100 total points earns a house the “blighted” label.

Berland said that the vacant property laws were inspired by a Dec. 12, 2013 fire in a vacant home on East 20th Street in Huntington Station, where two Huntington Manor firefighters were injured during the response.

The law will go into effect once it is filed with New York State’s Secretary of State.

The same night, the town board also vot-

ed to create a vacant building registry, aimed at keeping a closer eye on unoccupied properties.

The blighted property registry, also spearheaded by Berland, requires the owner of any property where nobody has lived or done business for more than 120 consecutive days to register with the town’s Public Safety department for a $250 annual, nonrefundable fee per parcel.

A one-time hardship waiver on the registration fee is available. Should a parcel’s owner refuse or fail to register, the owners could be fined from $1,000-$15,000 for each parcel they fail to register.

Berland’s blight ordinance established a distressed properties registry aimed at remediating dilapidated homes and commercial buildings. Once on the blight registry, residential programs are assessed a $2,500 “registration” penalty, and businesses are charged $5,000. From there, property owners can enter restoration agreements with town hall to correct the blight. If that doesn’t work, the town can come in and fix the blight themselves, then bill the property owner on their tax bill.

In the most severe cases, the town can get an administrative ruling officer’s consent to tear down the property.

Berland is not done with her blight-busting legislation. She said Friday that new legislation aimed at cracking down on graffiti is currently in the works.

The house on Carriage Court already has a long list of violations, totaling 125 points, according to Berland’s aide, T.J. Hatter. Violations include having boarded windows, doors, entryways or exits; having broken or unsecured windowsl and having excessive litter or debris.

Michael Warmoth, who lives on Ford Place around the corner from the house, said that the home’s owner told him years ago that he was planning on knocking down the structure and rebuilding. But that has not happened.

“Seven years ago he bought the house, and it’s just sat there,” Warmoth said.

According to Warmoth, the house has seen vandals on more than one occasion.

The windows have been broken, the copper pipes have been ripped out, and the plywood on boarded-up windows has been ripped off, he said.

The shed is leaning. The barn is rotted.

“We’ve seen rats in it. I’ve chased kids out of there I don’t know how many times.

There’s beer bottles all over it,” Warmoth said. “It’s in a very nice neighborhood, except for that one house.”

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014 • A5

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Taco Tuesday, ‘Torture Tuesday’

Whale’s Tale makes over 4,000 in one day, in marketing plan that brings boom to the bar Long Islander News photo/Arielle Dollinger

By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com

The tacos that Long Islander News described in a May Foodie article to “look like party rooms, dressed in fried onion and guacamole streamers” have been popular menu choices from the inception of The Whale’s Tale’s “Taco Tuesdays” four seasons ago, according Sosh Andriano, owner of the casual Northport restaurant on Route 25A. Each season, he said, the low-key dockside restaurant breaks records for the number of $2 tacos it sells on the third day of the week.

Two years ago, the record hovered around 2,000 in one day. Last season, the record jumped to 3,200, with an hour-and-a-half wait for takeout. On June 17, the staff made 4,273 tacos.

“Torture Tuesday is what we all jokingly call it,” said Andriano, a Hawaii native and graduate of Northport High School.

The effort took 31 people working at once, Andriano said: two guys managing the parking lot, five guys prepping, 10 guys cooking, seven servers, and multiple managers and bar tenders.

“That day was so crazy, we went through about 400 pounds of chicken, and around 8:30 I was down to my last 20 pounds,” he said. “I called a restaurateur friend of mine.”

Andriano borrowed 80 pounds of chicken to make it through the night. The restaurant gets food deliveries daily now.

During the off season, Andriano added 8 or 9 feet of equipment, he said, in an effort to add flatbreads to the menu and to focus on the restaurant’s new dockside delivery program. On Tuesdays, that new equipment turns into a takeout station to avoid further backup.

“Every year in the off season, I manage the business like a coach would manage a football team,” he said. “Our off season allows us to look at what was successful… and where we can improve.”

With the use of the takeout station, last Tuesday’s busiest wait was around two and a half hours.

“As exciting as it is, all of it is worth noth-

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The Whale’s Tale staff broke its own record last week when 4,273 tacos were made in one day. ing if we can’t manage it correctly and make sure that people are safe, to make sure that the food is coming out properly,” the restaurant owener said. “I don’t want to compromise the brand by just slopping things together.”

There is a method. Andriano and his crew come in at 8 a.m. to start prepping. The kitchen is stocked with Red Bull on ice, for its workers.

“The kitchen probably consumes two cases of Red Bull on a Tuesday,” Andriano said.

Though the atmosphere is easy-breezy, the work is serious. Hired staff is required to complete 40 hours of training before beginning work.

“If one of the 31 people makes a mistake on that night, they could throw a cog in the wheel that we would never be able to recoup from,” he said. “We just don’t have room for error.”

The number-one seller is the Fish Taco, with the Filet Mignon taco and the new-this-

season Korean Steak Taco coming up behind it. Typically, tacos are $8.50 or $9.50 per pair.

Production is about the rotation, Andriano said. Food comes in, food is prepped, food is handed out.

On his computer, he puts together a product mix report – the report takes the previous three weeks of supply orders, adds them together and divides to find the median. Andriano then orders supplies accordingly.

“The weather last week was just perfect,” he said. “Taking that into consideration and just being so plugged into this business and just knowing it, I was pretty much dead on.”

Save for the chicken borrowing and a couple of produce runs.

Most of the revenue on a Taco Tuesday comes not from tacos, Andriano explained.

At $2 a piece, the tacos are sold almost at cost. About two-thirds of the Tuesday revenue comes from the bar.

“The two-dollar tacos is a marketing thing for us,” he said.

And, he said, he thinks that people come more for the novelty of the day than for just the tacos.

This season, Andriano has also been brewing his own beer. The entire first-run of his brew was gone in a week and a half. By the end of next week, he will have 14 barrels of the next summer brew.

The taco record is not quite enough to bring complacency to The Whale’s Tale. Andriano said the restaurant will launch its breakfast program this weekend.

In Business, You Are What You Write

By Mindy F. Wolfle info@longislandernews.com

The business, professional and not-for-profit worlds pay ample attention to networking, obtaining the necessary training and credentials, looking for the next big opportunity, and, of course, making or raising money. Yet, when it comes to professional writing skills, there is often a serious lack of the fundamentals learned back in elementary school. Who can blame anyone for neglecting subject and predicate, verb tenses, split infinitives, capitalization, and when to use a comma or a semi-colon?

With the addition of social media, texting, 140-character Tweets and our race to get every thought down before losing the reader’s attention, “proper” grammar falls to the wayside. Do your business emails look and sound professionally written? The answer may be seldom or never. We are so used to the casualness of present-day communications that we forget emails have taken the place of the more formal memo or business letter.

Please don’t get me started about emoticons and exclamation points. Refrain from using them – no matter how tempt-

ed you are – in the context of business writing. =) !!!!!

Business communication encompasses far more than emails, letters and memos.

Marketing materials and advertising are designed to instill confidence and name recognition in a product or service. Websites serve a similar function, in addition to acting as a conduit for timely information and evergreen articles. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter – among other social networking sites – allow website information to be broadcast to a wider audience, as well as sharing posts, links and other news with the potentially vast internet universe of followers. Whoever thought the written word could travel the globe in a nanosecond?

Have you ever received an email with a long chain of comments, only to find information inappropriate to share with all recipients? (Please don’t hit “Reply to all.”) Many a career has been upended by the careless use of emails. Paper communications can be torn up, shredded and thrown into the fireplace. Not so with the internet and certainly not when emails make their way into the “wrong hands.”

And speaking of emails, how often do you hit send, rather than picking up the telephone? If one trend has done more to

ruin communications, it’s emails. And this is coming from an admitted email addict. I once worked with two professionals – whose offices were next to each other – who solely communicated via email and sticky notes. I love the written word, but this was to the point of absurdity.

Getting back to writing skills, let’s embrace the basics. Good writing is a competence that cannot be underestimated.

Both within the workplace and when communicating beyond the cubicle, office, automobile, Starbucks, laboratory, classroom, dining room table – or wherever you work – your messaging reflects the substance of you and your business or organization. To quote Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “The written word has this advantage, that it lasts and can await the time when it is allowed to take effect.”

Mindy F. Wolfle, a board member of Women Economic Developers of Long Island and a member of Public Relations Professionals of Long Island and the Social Media Association, is president of Neptune Marketing LLC, chief marketing officer of Armao LLP, and an instructor of business writing and not-for-profit marketing in Hofstra University’s department of continuing education.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014 • A7

In Boating Biz, Sea Tow Keeps Vessels Afloat awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

Huntington’s boating season is in full swing, and Sea Tow hopes to keep those boaters afloat.

“We have a huge recreational boating community here in Huntington, so it’s a super high traffic area,” said Mike Lagenbach, eight-year owner of Huntington’s Sea Tow – a franchisor onwater assistance service. “If the boaters have any problems, we tow them right back home.”

While Sea Tow maintains services across the United States, Lagenbach is in charge of keeping an eye on Huntington Bay, Cold Spring Harbor, Centerport, Northport Bay and Oyster Bay with his three rescue vessels – including his new Almar 28-foot Rigid Aluminum Inflatable Vessel (R.A.I.V.), which he acquired in April.

“The new boat is high speed, and we needed it to handle the volume of boats that come through the area,” Lagenbach, 33, of Huntington, said.

It has all the latest technology, like a radio directional finder that helps pinpoint people using their VHF. In almost any condition, it does 40 knots at top speed and cruises at 30 knots, he added in a press release.

Technology like the R.A.I.V. allows Sea Tow to service boats within 30-40 minutes of them placing a distress call – if even that long, Lagenbach said. Over a typical weekend, Lagenbach will receive 10-12 calls per day of boats in need of a tow, or sometimes even in emergency situations – such as a sinking ship – which Sea Tow works with the Coast Guard to address.

“A lot of the times [boat problems] are not in the control of the owner,”

Lagenbach said. “Boats aren’t perfect…

People think, ‘Oh I’m not going to need help,’ [but] stuff goes wrong all of the time.”

Members of Sea Tow pay a yearly subscription – much like AAA – where they are charged $169 for Sea Tow’s “Gold Card,” providing boaters with complete on-water aid for boats owned, rented, chartered, leased or borrowed. However, while members take priority over all other calls, even those who are not subscribed can request assistance – but at a higher cost.

Subscription or not, there’s no denying that Sea Tow is one of many factors keeping boaters safe and sound through Huntington’s busiest boating season, from Memorial Day through Columbus Day. “[The boating season] is certainly in full swing,” Jackie Martin, commodore of the Greater Huntington Council of Yacht and Boating Clubs, said. “What we’re hoping to accomplish this year is to keep everyone safe and allow them to have the best possible season.”

Along with Sea Tow patrolling the waters, rescuing boats in need, Martin and the Town of Huntington have sought to educate boaters on safety needs and how to properly maintain a boat with events like “Safe Boating Week” – which took place in May – and free boating safety courses offered by the town for residents every spring.

“We’re hoping that people will be aware, courteous and obey the rules,” Martin, of Centerport, said. “There are a lot of different folks out there – paddle boarders, kayaks, open water swimmers, etc. We all have to share the water, we all have to be aware of one another, [and] it’s very important to be safe.”

However, with large-scale boating events on the horizon like the Huntington

Photo by Jeremy Frechette Photography © Sea Tow

By Andrew Wroblewski

Huntington boaters should be on the lookout for Sea Town Huntington’s newest addition to its rescue fleet, the Almar 28-foot Rigid Aluminum Inflatable Vessel (R.A.I.V.), which debuted in April.

Lighthouse Music Festival in August and, of course, Fourth of July next week, the town and council have done their best to ensure that further safety measures are put into place.

“One addition we’ve added is an additional bay constable, which means we’ll now have five people available to patrol the waters,” Martin said. “We’re also adding patrols after Labor Day for the first time, meaning we’ll continue to patrol through September. Since we got off to a late start this year and people are only just now starting a boat again [and] they might stay out there longer.”

The council also offers an incident report, available for download on its website, for any boaters or residents that may have witnessed an incident and would like to have it anonymously reported.

But, never fear, if you’re out on the water and can’t possibly get online to fill out the report and then mail it to the Harbormaster’s Office, then Lagenbach and his fleet at Sea Tow will always be available to give you the hand you need.

“Problems can be easily avoided if you have the right safety equipment,” Lagenbach said. “And, of course, if you become a Sea Tow member.”

Long Islander News photo/Arielle Dollinger

Keys, Please? Valet Parking Begins In Downtown

By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com

Huntington resident Elyse Weigers was one of 110 drivers who handed their keys to the valet on Friday.

Parking in Huntington village on a Friday or Saturday is now one less thing to worry about for visitors and residents: the town launched its free valet parking pilot program last Friday.

Huntington has brought in parking company LAZ Parking to park cars for free on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m., in the New Street lot. Cars pull in across from 30 New St. According to Town Spokesman A.J. Carter, LAZ reported that it parked 110 cars on Friday and 135 on Saturday. With the warm weather, the town was crowded both nights, with a comedy show at The Paramount on Saturday.

“Having all the spots filled in the town is a great thing,” said Councilwoman Susan Berland, noting that filled spots means that people are spending money in the area.

Currently, the valet lot – a portion of the larger municipal parking lot – can accommodate 215 cars. If the pilot program is a success and there is demand for it, town officials said, the program will expand and use a larger portion of the lot.

Real estate broker Elyse Weigers, of Huntington, said she had read about the program, but had not realized that it was happening “now.” While looking for a place to park on Friday, she noticed the valet service and handed over her keys.

“If it keeps me from having to circle for hours and be late for my lunch date, then I’m for it,” she said. “And I hope it works, because it’s so sorely needed.”

Plainview resident Anita Ovberg came into town on Friday to return a pair of shoes. She, too, noticed the valet parking.

“I think it’s a tremendous convenience for people in this community,” she said, noting that she may be more willing to come to Huntington with the new parking convenience.

Robert Amporful, LAZ Parking’s senior director of operations, said the service had parked 16 cars by 12:23 p.m. on Friday. The program had begun three and a half hours earlier.

A New Jersey resident, Amporful said that valet parking of the sort is offered at malls in Jersey. And, he said, he was expecting “a whole lot” more people to use the service in Huntington village as the opening day hours wore on.

A8 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014

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Opinion

Sen

d letters to The Editor, : Half Hollo wH 14 Wall Str ills Newspaper, eet, Huntingto n, New Yo rk 11743 or e info@long mail us at islandergro up.com

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

No Excuses On The Water Boating season is in high gear, and that council, as well libraries and nonprofits, have means stepped up vigilance on the water. done their part to educate boaters on new reguWe are approaching the two-year anniversary lations - many times, even providing free trainof that terrible Fourth of July in 2012, when ing and safety checks. The town has also added three children were killed in a boata bay constable and will be adding ing accident. Since then, safety ad- EDITORIAL patrols after Labor Day for the first vocates and lawmakers have worked time. to make the water a safer place, passing severThey are doing their part. Now you have to al new laws pertaining to licensing and regula- do yours. There is no excuse for being unpretion. pared on the water this year. If you’re a boat Anticipating an adjustment period for boats, owner, put safety first, and you might save a groups like the town and the local boating life.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

How About Some Studios?

DEAR EDITOR: Mixed-use apartments are definitely a step in the right direction for downtown Huntington, however more emphasis should be for affordable studio apartments. Major downtown villages on Long Island are getting into smart growth.

Senior citizens, young singles, or couples would be satisfied with affordable studio apartments. They should be built in areas around Route 110. Bus and taxi transportation is plentiful, as well as the L.I.R.R. As far as parking is concerned, most people who rent or buy into this type of housing like to walk to everything, as they do in the villages of lower Manhattan.

Huntington village has a great nightlife for the young, plus culture, entertainment, restaurants, bars, events, Heckscher Park, etc.

What it needs is the people to support them.

A studio apartment could have a lobby on the first, our street level, instead of stores, eliminating the need for more parking and competition for more stores. The lobby could be a community space for the apartment residents.

Areas outside of the immediate Route 110 corridor should not be where these apartments should be built, such as the Oak Tree [Dairy] site. This parcel should be for single-family homes, where people would have to drive.

Downtown Huntington is a miniature of neighborhoods like the west village, or Chelsea in Manhattan. That’s why Huntington village is referred to as “The Little Apple.”

NICHOLAS PASCALE Huntington Station

Silencing A Silent Killer Editor’s note: The following was adapted from a press release.

DEAR EDITOR: [I] announced [June 18] that the Senate gave final passage to legislation [I] sponsored that will require all restaurant and commercial properties in New York State to install a carbon monoxide detecting device.

In February of 2014, a carbon monoxide leak tragically killed a Long Island restaurant manager, Steven Nelson, and sickened nearly 30 people at Legal Sea Foods at the Walt Whitman Shops in Huntington Station. The carbon monoxide poisoning came from a malfunctioning water heater flue pipe in the basement of the establishment.

Unfortunately, too often it takes a tragedy to spur the passage of common sense laws.

Such a tragedy occurred back in February. A carbon monoxide detector could have saved his life.

“What happened at Legal Sea Food in February was an unfortunate tragedy and I hope that passage of this legislation will

prevent others from experiencing such a loss. As we saw earlier this month at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Carle Place, these incidents are more common than we may have expected, and by requiring carbon monoxide detectors in businesses, we can provide patrons a better warning system. I am tremendously pleased to see the legislation has now passed both houses and will have a positive impact on our community very soon,” said Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci.

Under current New York State law, everyone or two-family home, condominium, cooperative and each unit of a multiple dwelling must have a working carbon monoxide detector, restaurants and other commercial buildings where excluded.

This legislation will help prevent another senseless and avoidable death. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. These simple detecting devices warn us against this deadly colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. My thoughts remain with the Nelson family and hope their story serves as a wakeup call for everyone to get a carbon monoxide detector today.

The legislation will be sent to the Governor for his signature.

CARL L. MARCELLINO State Senator Fifth District

Victory For Waterways Editor’s note: The following was adapted from a press release.

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

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

Peter Sloggatt

N E W S P A P E R

Associate Publisher/Managing Editor

Copyright © 2014 by Long Islander News, publishers of The Long-Islander, The Record and Half Hollow Hills Newspaper. Each issue of the The Long-Islander and all contents thereof are copyrighted by Long Islander. None of the contents or articles may be reproduced in any forum or medium without the advance express written permission of the publisher. Infringement hereof is a violation of the Copyright laws.

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND U.S. Senator (N.Y.)

Correction In a June 5, 2014 report covering the grand opening of Akkseum in Northport village, the name of Axel Yberg’s company was misspelled in the headline and article.

James V. Kelly Publisher/CEO

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

Founded in 1996 by James Koutsis

ing water for millions of families.

Final passage of this legislation is a major step toward protecting our local waterways from harmful algal blooms, strengthening our local economies and preserving the natural beauty of New York’s waterways for generations to come.

After Senate passage of the legislation in February, the legislation was amended by the House of Representatives.

The Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act expands an Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia to include the Centers for Disease Control. It would require this Task Force to establish a national program, develop a national action strategy, and promote the development of new technologies for mitigating harmful algal blooms and hypoxia conditions and report on hypoxia.

DEAR EDITOR: A member of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, [I on June 18] announced final Congressional passage of the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act, bipartisan legislation that can help prevent the spread of harmful algal blooms in New York State waterways.

The bill now heads to President Barack Obama for signature.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a problem across New York, and have resulted in the closure of beaches and lakes, as well as damage to fish habitats off the coast. The occurrence of bluegreen algae is monitored by New York State, and in 2013, the Department of Environmental Conservation issued blue-green algae notices for 76 lakes across the state. [I] co-sponsored and pushed for a vote on this measure as part of her broad effort to protect New York’s water bodies from toxic contamination and invasive species. After a modified version of the bill passed out of the House of Representatives, the final bill was passed out of the full Senate yesterday and is now headed to the president’s desk for signature.

New York’s vast water systems help drive our economy, offer miles of recreation, attract tourists, and provide clean drink-

Danny Schrafel Arielle Dollinger Andrew Wroblewski Reporters

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014 • A9

Life&Style PERFORMING ARTS

49th Summer Arts Fest Begins This Week

By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com

As construction on the Chapin Rainbow Stage comes to a halt for the summer season, the Huntington Arts Council is preparing for the opening of its 49th Annual Huntington Summer Arts Festival: a summer-long performance series featuring more than 40 free shows.

The 50-year-old institution brings performers to the Rainbow Stage in Heckscher Park six days each week during the summer at no admission cost to the general public. This year's performances start on Thursday, June 26.

Opening week will feature performances by the Huntington Men's Chorus, a festival regular, as well as singer-songwriters Garland Jeffreys and Jimmy Webb and Israeli-born Ethiopian singer Ester Rada.

Performances start at 8:30 p.m., with the exception of Tuesday performances – Tuesdays are “Family Series” nights, with performances beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The Huntington Men's Chorus will take

its spot as the festival opener on June 26.

A denizen of the Rainbow Stage, the 100member chorus has spent its summers performing for Huntington since 1949, according to a Huntington Arts Council press release.

Garland Jeffreys takes the stage on Friday, June 27, with songs from what the Arts Council calls “his considerable back catalog.” Jeffreys, who released his “Wild In The Streets” in the early 1970s, is on his “creative second wind,” festival organizers said in a press release.

“Garland's work merges musical styles from rock and R&B to reggae and dance music with the passionate sensibility of an urban poet,” the release reads.

Saturday night's performances will begin with guitarist and singer Peter Calo, who will open for singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb. Webb writes all of his own music and lyrics and serves as chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

“Web...charms his audience with his music and storytelling, full of humor and humility,” the release continues. “He

Hitting the stage opening weekend for the Summer Arts Festival is singer-songwriter Garland Jeffreys on Friday, June 27. shares his story of how a 16-year-old farm boy found himself a star in Hollywood surrounded by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Glen Campbell, Elvis and more.”

On Sunday, Ester Rada will perform her regular combination of Ethio-Jazz, urban-funk, neo-soul and R&B. The Huntington Community Band is a

series regular, and will continue performances each Wednesday from July 2 through July 30.

“Family Series” performances will start on July 1, when Plaza Theatrical Productions presents “Beauty & The Beast.”

For the full performance schedule, see www.huntingtonarts.org or call 631-271-8423.

HISTORY

Dana And Ginger Lamb: Real Life Indiana Jones Photo/Enchanted Vagabonds

By George Wallace info@longislandergroup.com

Looking at them, the glamorous couple from Fort Salonga – he with his Cary Grant grin, she with her beauty queen looks – may well have fit the image of the intrepid world traveling adventurer.

But the look scarcely seemed to betray the academic heritage of their families.

And in fact, theirs was a marriage of both glamour and substance.

Dana Storrs Lamb, a Princeton graduate, was the great-grandson of the founder of the University of Connecticut.

As for “Ginger,” nee Helen Tweedy, she was the daughter of a Yale divinity professor, and distinguished herself in her studies at Vassar. Such was the background of the couple who called Fort Salonga home for many years, and became one of the best known “travel writing” couples of their age.

All this while, Dana pursued a career in the world of Manhattan brokerage, and his wife pursued civic leadership at home.

Born in Brooklyn, a descendant of Augustus Storrs (confidante of HenryWard Beecher, a pillar of the Plymouth Church and founder of Storrs Agricultural College, later UConn) and the son of George BB Lamb, Dana Lamb authored a handful of books on angling. He was a president of theAnglers' Club of NY, director of the Atlantic Salmon Association, and a founder of the Quebec-Labrador Foundation.

Helen was remembered as the daughter of Yale professor Henry Hallam Tweedy, and “one of the sophomore beauties” of Vassar who carried “the daisy chain” as a

Ginger and Dana Lamb, in a photo from their adventure travel book “Enchanted Vagabonds,” went on great adventures when not at home in Fort Salonga. mark of that status. For many years from her home along Kohr Road in Fort Salonga, she supported the Smithtown Country Club and countless horse shows and community benefits.

But beyond that, their names were once household words for courage, travel and great writing.

It seems that, in 1933, young newlyweds Dana and Ginger Lamb set off to sail a homemade kayak from San Diego to the Panama Canal. Armed with plenty of panache, and the lordly sum of $5, they journeyed 16,000 miles through sharks, storms and mangrove swamps on a voyage into danger which resulted in a best-sell-

ing book entitled “Enchanted Vagabonds.”

The Lambs shot through mountainous surf, landed on fabled islands, lived through violent storms, weathered nearly a dozen fatal wrecks, were upset in a traffic jam of whales, got caught in quicksand, were trapped inside an extinct volcano, and got lost in a shark-infested lagoon.

Then, armed with only their wits and an old machete, they survived malaria, fought off Indians, cut their way through a jungle, and avoided flesh-eating insects, all in the name of love and adventure.

In the early 1950s, they set off again to explore Central America in search of a “lost city.” Traveling by foot, horseback,

dugout canoe, Model-T Ford, and antique airplane, the Lambs trekked across the western edge of Mexico, crossed the Sonora Desert, then ventured into the jungles of Chiapas, where they claimed to have discovered a lost city which they named Laxtunich.

For more than 2,000 miles, the authors traveled in search of clues to this ancient riddle. They encountered a series of adventures that even their hardened souls were not prepared for. They were attacked by animals and insects. A close friend died a mysterious death. After finding a clue to the lost city, they were brought up short by the Barrier Cliffs, a giant wall of stone which they traveled through, not over, with the aid of some primitive wooden torches.

Upon returning to his typewriter, Dana again shared the fire of adventure travel with the Lambs’ readers, ensuring another well-received book. This tale also resulted in the making of a feature documentary entitled “Quest for the Lost City.”

At his death, Dana Lamb (1901-1986) was hailed as a “broker and sportsman” for his work at the investment company Ingalls & Snyder, as well as his leadership in angling circles and his extensive writings on the subject, once declaring, “I fish neither to be fed nor famous... My record fish are caught in dreams that take me back to shaded waters... to cast with reverence and grace.”

Too long forgotten, Dana and Ginger Lamb represent some of the best travel writing in an age that boasted Richard Halliburton and Lowell Thomas.

A10 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014

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Foodie photos/Arielle Dollinger

e i d o Fo THE

SECTION

DINEHUNTINGTON .COM

Elegance At Blackstone

By Arielle and Mike info@longislandergroup.com

General Manager of Melville’s Blackstone Steakhouse, Dodo Tecusan, right, presents sushi along with server “Johnny V.”

The Kobe Beef “Hot Stone” appetizer, above, brings to the table both meat and an activity – diners cook the meat themselves.

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Crème Brulee, right, tastes as good as it looks.

The waitress leads the way. When she arrives at a large rectangular table set for two, within a wrap-around booth that could easily seat six, she pulls the table out and into the aisle for ease of sitting.

She waits for guests to take their seats and then replaces the table.

At Melville’s Blackstone Steakhouse, this sort of service matches both clientele attire and the prices next to menu items.

Its ownership, Anthony Scotto Restaurants, also owns steak-and-sushi establishments Rare650 in Syosset and Insignia in Smithtown.

A server brings an iPad to the table so that diners can scroll through photos of menu items, including specialty drinks.

With the tap of a finger, a photo of a martini turns into a several-line listing of the drink’s ingredients.

A champagne flute filled with bubbling magenta liquid contains a matching magenta flower, resting gracefully at the glass’ bottom. Called “The Gatsby,” the drink consists of Double Cross Vodka, St. Germain Liqeur, raspberry nectar, hibiscus flower and Prosecco.

Named the “Liquid Cupcake,” a milky white concoction of Zing Red Velvet Vodka, Godiva White Chocolate liqueur and cream possesses the power to truly liven up a birthday party, despite its sweet and innocent name.

“We’re a modern steakhouse,” said General Manager Dodo Tecusan. “We’re a very nice mixture of light fare and steakhouse fare.”

One special this past Saturday night was an example of a dish on the lighter side – giant grilled shrimp served over watermelon and arugula, sprinkled with feta cheese and drizzled with a light and tangy dressing.

The Kobe Beef “Hot Stone” appetizer ($29) brings to the table both meat and an activity. Thinly-sliced slabs of beef, laid out on a rectangular dish, sit next to a Japanese hot stone grill. The waiter places two pieces of the beef on the hot stone, over a still-lit fire, and leaves the rest for the diners to cook with a pair of wooden tongs.

From the sushi bar came the Volcano Roll ($37) – an eight-piece roll that is as much a visual spectacle as it sounds. One of the most popular sushi orders, according to Tecusan, the Volcano Roll incorporates king crab, pepper tuna, avocado and honey wasabi sauce. And fire. The eight pieces encircle an open flame, created of a small mound of salt-like substance. The flame extinguishes itself.

And then come the entrees.

As if dressed up for a subdued version of a tropical luau, the Crispy Skin Scottish Salmon ($38) is garnished with the same variety of magenta flower resting at the bottom of The Gatsby. Beside the perfectly pinkish piece of fish, served on a bed of spinach, is a small pile of cherry tomato salad.

The Filet Mignon ($49) is not quite as pretty, but it is not supposed to be.

Despite a charred exterior, its insides are a perfect pink. Cooked to medium, as ordered, there is a tenderness to each bite.

The accompanying mashed potatoes are a perfect complement – soft and smooth, they blend harmoniously with the juices from the steak.

There is simply no room in the stomach for dessert after so many courses, but it is nearly impossible to refuse the dessert menu.

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Creme Brulee is dangerous. Carmelized, sprinkled with miniature chocolate chips and decorated with two triangular portions of its namesake cookie, the oval-shaped ramekin is half empty before the diner realizes it. And then it is completely empty, and all that is left is a culinary memory.

The Blondie Bottom Banana Cream Pie is an equal threat. The banana cream and whipped cream topping are sweet but not too sweet, thanks to the slices of bananas and the Blondie crust that forms the foundation of the dessert. The marshmallows on top are a nice surprise – literally, due to the restaurant’s dim lighting.

Blackstone opened on July 18, 2005, Tecusan said. It will celebrate nine years next month with a week-long rotation of anniversary specials, including dishes that are no longer on the restaurant’s regular menu.

The establishment’s executive chef typically changes the menu twice a year, to account for seasonal changes. The summer menu – rolled out about two weeks ago – features a larger selection of “lighter fare” than the winter menu does.

On the fish menu at Blackstone is a fresh Hawaiian cut of the day; it changes every day or so.

“We try to change with the times,” Tecusan said, noting that the trend across Long Island right now is the modernized steak house.

Originally from Romania, Tecusan worked on cruise ships for “a long time” and eventually received his first Long Island job offer from Tony Scotto.

Tecusan took the job, at Chateau Briand, and in 2005 ended up starting work at Blackstone.

Blackstone Steakhouse 10 Pinelawn Road, Melville 631-271-7780

Atmosphere: upscale Cuisine: Steak and sushi Price: expensive Hours: Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:30-3:30. Dinner: MondayWednesday: 3:30-10 p.m.; Thursday, Friday: 3:30-11 p.m.; Saturday, 4-11 p.m.; and Sunday, 4-9 p.m.

www.LongIslanderNews.com

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014 • A11

Side Dish www.facebook.com/dinehuntington

DINEHUNTINGTON .COM Long Islander News photo/Luann Dallojacono

VEGAN ‘TOAST’: Good news for folks keep-

ing vegan who want to enjoy fine dining.

Toast and Co. (62 Stewart Ave., Huntington 631-812-0056 www.toasthuntington.com) has just rolled out a new vegan menu, complete with options that promise to be as tasty as they are wholesome. Options, including vegan waffles topped with fruit and coconut whipped cream ($11.95), heirloom tomato “BLT” ($11.95) and chickpea “tuna” salad ($10.75), brings something special to the table whether you’re visiting for breakfast or lunch.

BELLY UP TO THE SANDBAR: It looks like

things are getting moving on Reststar’s Sandbar Restaurant in Cold Spring Harbor. The long-vacant Charlotte’s Bistro location space on Route 25A has been fenced off, and a rendering of the new concept is posted prominently outside 55 Main St. for all to see. We can’t wait to see what the Reststar gang whips up, and we’re also sure the merchants along Main Street in Cold Spring Harbor are also eagerly awaiting the influx of new shoppers that a third Main Street eatery can bring.

We’ll keep you posted as construction progresses.

‘IDEAL’ LIVE MUSIC: Our favorite cheese

shop is testing out the waters of bringing live music into the mix. On June 20, diners at Ideal Cheese and Wine Cafe (308

Huntington’s Jillian Rae plays an acoustic set at Ideal Cheese.

Main St., Huntington, 631-923-3434, http://idealcheeseandwinecafe.com) had a helping of music from Huntington singersongwriter Jillian Rae alongside their cheese and meat flights, sumptuous grilled cheese sandwiches, and top-notch wine selections. Jillian, a teenager whose cover of “Counting Stars” by One Republic has more than 95,000 views on YouTube, played an acoustic set, wowing customers with her voice and guitar.

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Judges rules in favor of school district (Continued from page A1)

going into executive session before their regularly scheduled Oct. 28, 2013 meeting.

But Asher ruled that neither act violated the law.

“Here, the record establishes that the Board often faces legitimate reasons to enter into executive session at the beginning of its regular meetings, that it had a legitimate reason to do so on Oct. 28, 2013 and that it proceeded to give public notice of the earlier start of the public meeting as soon as practicable,” Asher writes. “The record establishes that the Board did not conduct any business involving the anticipated school closings in said executive session.”

Attorney Raymond Keegan, who represents the CCHC group, said his clients are contemplating an appeal. They have 30 days to file after they receive notice from

the school district that they received the judgment.

“The clients are disappointed because they know that the testimony of the board members was tainted, so they don’t believe that the decision was correct,” he said.

The two sides in particular are disagreeing over Asher’s ruling specific to his view of the district’s adherence to the Open Meetings Law. In one portion, Asher ruled that, “while the petitioners’ contention that a more specific enunciation of the reasons for going into executive session would better serve the intent of the Open Meetings Law is correct, the record reflects that the issues discussed were appropriate” under the law.

Citing an advisory opinion in Goetschius v. Board of Education of Greenburgh Eleven Union-Free School District in 1996, Asher wrote that while

“the reasonableness of conducting meetings at 7:30 a.m. is in our view questionable,” the opinion allows for exceptions based on circumstances and that the Open Meetings Law does not specify when meetings must be held, and that the district’s special 7:30 a.m. meeting was, “in essence, a continuation of the Oct. 21, 2013 work session meant to increase, rather than decrease, the participation of the residents of the school district.”

Asher also ruled that the school board did not violate the Open Meetings Law by meeting with Chestnut Hill Elementary School parents in January 2013 because it did not conduct public business or convene with a quorum of members.

In sum, the district acted “in a manner consistent with the spirit, if not the letter, of the Open Meetings Law” and denied the parents’ demand for lawyer’s fees because

the petitioners “failed to establish that the Board engaged in a pattern or practice of violating the Open Meetings Law,” Asher ruled.

Keegan framed the decision as one in which the district was found to have violated the Open Meetings Law, but was allowed to close the schools anyway. Ptucha, however, said Keegan’s interpretation is “dead wrong.”

“The interpretation that we got was, ‘We understand that you may not have followed it to the letter of the law, but you followed it in the spirit of the law’,” he said.

“The board’s decision to close two schools was a well-founded decision. They did not conduct anything illegally in Executive Session and the court found no violations of the Open Meetings Law,” Half Hollow Hills School District Attorney Jack Feldman said Monday.

LIPA lawsuit costing town more than $800,000 (Continued from page A1)

impact on taxpayers in both the town and specifically, the Northport-East Northport School District, which also sued LIPA in 2011 for breach of contract.

Huntington town officials and the school district’s legal counsel have said that if LI-

PA were successful in court, Northport-East Northport School District residents would be walloped with a 60-percent increase in school taxes. Residents across the town wouldn’t be spared, either, and would endure a double-digits town property tax hike in their own right, town officials said.

In June 2013, the utility company presented the town with a settlement offer, which entailed a 50- to 60-percent reduction in the assessed value that would have been phased in gradually starting in 2015. However, Town Supervisor Frank Petrone rejected that offer, arguing it would still saddle

residents with an unacceptably devastating spike in taxes.

At the same meeting, the town also moved an additional $600,000 from appropriated fund balance to its judgments and claims account, a “routine” move to ensure funds are available to settle lawsuits, Carter said.

The Go-Go’s take ‘Vacation’ at Paramount (Continued from page A1)

Time. The band’s top hit singles include “We Got The Beat,” “Vacation,” and “Head Over Heels.”

Caffey said she couldn’t be more excited to return to The Paramount, taking center stage just two years after they first graced the Huntington village music venue.

“We always have such a great time when we’re on the East Coast, and it’s been amazing. We always talk about how lucky we are because our East Coast fans are so great,” she said.

The summer show, according to Caffey, is sure to promise the perfect combination of irresistible energy and laid-back vibes.

“We’re kind of known for our summer

tours. This one will be just as fun as all the other times, if not more,” she said.

That’s why Caffey said the song “Head Over Heels” is one of her favorites to play for the crowd; it fits right in with the mood of the show.

“My favorite song changes all the time.

I love playing ‘Head Over Heels.’ There’s just something so energetic and fun.

There’s something about that song that I love playing live,” she said.

The group is now a quartet, composed of Carlisle (vocals), Jane Wiedlin (guitar, vocals), Caffey and Gina Schock (drums), after last year’s departure of bassist Kathy Valentine.

But what some fans might not know

about Caffey’s musical background is the work she did outside of the group. While in the band, Caffey attended college as a piano major, not for rock music, as one might expect, but for classical piano. She said her classical background and work in The GoGo’s isn’t as separate as one might imagine.

“Simultaneously, while I was in The GoGo’s I was a classical piano major. There was a weird dichotomy of classical and rock music, for sure. But sometimes in writing for The Go-Go’s and even in the way I play, the classical gets in there,” the keyboardist said.

Caffey admitted that although The GoGo’s have experienced incredible accomplishments in the past, there is something

completely new they can soon check off their to-do list: a musical.

“Our songs, our catalogue, will be used in a musical based on the songs of The GoGo’s called ‘Head Over Heels,’ featuring a book by Tony Award-winner Jeff Whitty. It’s being workshopped for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s 2015 season, on its way to Broadway. It’s such a huge honor,” she said.

Although it will be a while before fans are able to rock to the beats of The GoGo’s on Broadway, the band returns to The Paramount Thursday, July 3. Tickets are $45-$75. For more information, visit www.paramountny.com or visit the box office at 370 New York Ave. Laura Stevenson opens the show.

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Rock & Metal Treasures, based in Huntington Station, creates angel-themed necklaces with a rock and glam flair.

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Jewelry From The Heart Spotlight On

Huntington Businesses

By Megan Connor info@longislandergroup.com

At first glance, the intricate detail and unique beading attracts people to Deborah Poretto’s necklaces. They admire the artistic mélange of rock and glam. But as Poretto reveals the inspiration for her angel themed necklaces, there isn’t a dry eye in sight.

Rock & Metal Treasures, based in Huntington Station, began as a nonprofit fundraiser for a cause near and dear to Poretto’s heart.

“My friend was a paramedic for New York City. In 2011 I found out that she got cancer from working the days and weeks after 9/11. She always talked about angels protecting her, so I started making and selling jewelry. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate way to raise money in her honor,” Poretto said.

Poretto’s friend is now cancer-free, but

Poretto has not stopped making her angel necklaces. She turned it into a business.

“I’m currently based in Huntington Station, working from home. But my dream is to open up a store here. Especially since the town is being revitalized, there are so many empty storefronts that could be used for businesses like mine,” she said.

Poretto is already connecting with her community members, even as she works from home. Earlier this month, her business was featured in The Pop-Up Diva’s event at Station Sports, designed to give entrepreneurs a chance to shine.

“People really have a connection with angels. I get so many letters from people telling me how my work touches them and helps them through their own grieving process,” she said.

Community members sticking together through the roughest of times is what Rock & Metal Treasures is all about, Poretto said.

That’s why when she sees tragedies like the 2012 Fourth Of July boating accident that killed three children – two from the Town of Huntington – she sends pieces to the grieving family.

“They all responded and it was so touching how much they appreciated my small gift, how much it really affected them,” the business owner said.

Find Rock & Metal Treasures Jewelry on RocknMetalTreasures.etsy.com.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014 • A13

A14 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014 THURSDAY Family Dynamics And Autism Family Service League and The Family Center for Autism present a free workshop for parents of children on the autism spectrum with guest speaker Adam J. Holstein, psychoanalyst and behavior therapist, on June 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Marcum, LLP, 10 Melville Park Road, Melville. Registration is required and space is limited. Call 516-355-9400.

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Calendar O M M U N I T Y

Winter In Summer The town’s Movies on the Lawn program kicks off June 30 in Heckscher Park with Disney’s “Frozen” (PG). This animated feature takes us on an epic adventure with fearless Anna, Kristoff and a hilarious snowman named Olaf in a race to find Anna’s sister, Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom in eternal winter. Come early for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Jonathan’s Ristorante. Movie begins at darkness (8:30-9 p.m.). Pack lawn chairs. If it rains, the movie will be shown at James H. Boyd Intermediate School, 286 Cuba Hill Road, Elwood at 7:30 p.m. www.HuntingtonNY.gov.

631-351-3112.

FRIDAY Music By The Water Enjoy music by the water at Northport Village Park on Friday evenings (weather permitting), at 7 p.m., May 23-Aug. 29. Entrance is free, and lawn chairs and blankets are suggested. If you’re an aspiring singer, get ready: July 18 is open mic night.

Red Is For Passion

SATURDAY

Rain or shine June 28-29, visit the communications site at West Hills County Park, 100 Round Swamp Road, Huntington and see 21st century amateur radio in action and learn how to communicate when landline and cell phones go down. Demonstrations on Saturday from 28 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sponsored by the Larkfield Amateur Radio Club. www.larkfield.org.

Find Your Center Find inner peace in an ongoing weekly class for beginners and newcomers every Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at Dipamkara Meditation Center, 282 New York Ave., Huntington. 631549-1000. www.MeditationOnLongisland.org.

MONDAY Winter In Summer The town’s Movies on the Lawn program kicks off June 30 in Heckscher Park with Disney’s “Frozen” (PG). This animated feature takes us on an epic adventure with fearless Anna, Kristoff and a hilarious snowman named Olaf in a race to find Anna’s sister, Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom in eternal winter. Come early for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Jonathan’s Ristorante. Movie begins at darkness (8:30-9 p.m.). Pack lawn chairs. If it rains, the movie will be shown at James H. Boyd Intermediate School, 286 Cuba Hill Road, Elwood at 7:30 p.m. www.HuntingtonNY.gov. 631-351-3112.

Fresh Eats The Northport Farmers' Market begins its seventh season running every Saturday until Nov. 22, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., rain or shine. Located in the Cow Harbor parking lot at the foot of Main Street, it overlooks beautiful Northport Harbor.

Italian Cultural & Heritage Festival An Italian Cultural and Heritage Festival, sponsored by the New York Commission for Social Justice, will take over the Historical Brush Barn in Smithtown on June 28, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., featuring Italian musical entertainment, a market place, wandering minstrels, cultural presentations and art and literature displays, an Italian car show, cooking demonstrations, folk dancers and a puppet show. For more information, contact Charlie Lucie at 631-499-8684 or email at chaslucie@gmail.com.

Live Music Live local bands take over Finley's of Greene Street, 43 Greene St., Huntington, every Saturday night at 11 p.m. Join in the fun and food!

SUNDAY

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

• Enjoy art? Diana Berthod’s quilts and multimedia paintings inspired by her beloved equines will be on display through July 30.

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

• Enjoy a friendly game of bridge or mah-jongg in the Community Room every Friday, from 15:30 p.m.

• Join the library’s weekly Thursday showing of newly released films; all movies begin at 2 p.m.

Deer Park Public Library

Love the color red and enjoy living it up? The Red Hat women are looking for new members who enjoy going places and making new friends. Their motto: Fun, Frolic and Friendship. 631-271-6470 or flarpp@yahoo.com.

Amateur Radio Field Day

Play your heart out at an acoustic open mic night every Wednesday at Caffe Portofino, 249 Main St., Northport, 7-10 p.m. www.facebook.com/cafportopenmic.

Join business professionals at BNI Executive Referral Exchange’s breakfast networking meeting every Wednesday, 7-8:30 a.m. at the Dix Hills Diner, 1800 Jericho Turnpike, Dix Hills. 631-462-7446.

The Huntington Arts Council’s 49th Annual Huntington Summer Arts Festival begins Thursday, June 26 and runs through Sunday, June 29. Featuring the Huntington Men's Chorus, legendary artists Garland Jeffreys, Jimmy Webb and emerging talent Ester Rada, performances will start at 8:30 p.m. at the Chapin Rainbow Stage in Heckscher Park, Huntington. These and all festival concerts this summer are free admission and open to the general public. www.huntingtonarts.org.

A Country Hoedown Fundraiser will be held at the Huntington Fire Department, 1 Leverich Place, Huntington, June 28 from 6-11 p.m. Join in a BBQ, live country music with the Grand Central band, line dance lessons, live auction, raffles and more. Tickets are $35, available at Rookies Sports Bar, Southdown Pizza or online at www.huntingtonhoedown.brownpapertickets.com. Call Tom at 516 375-2897 for further info.

Open Mic Night

Power Breakfast

Free Concerts In The Park

Hee-Haw!

cation and more. For more information, or to schedule a private tour or visit the next open house, call 631-656-2110 or go to ftc.edu.

Argentine Tango Classes Experience the subtle communication between partners as you learn the passionate dance known as the tango. Come dressed to impress (but be comfortable) for classes on Monday nights, 7-9:30 p.m. at Spirit of Huntington Art Center, 2 Melville Road North, Huntington Station. 631-470-9620 or email noconintended@gmail.com. Suggested donation: $10 per person/$15 per couple.

TUESDAY Preventing Falls The Gurwin Jewish ~ Fay J. Lindner Residences hosts a special program, in conjunction with the Huntington YMCA and the Centers for Disease Control, to assist seniors who are at risk for falling. Gurwin’s assisted living community (50 Hauppauge Road, Commack) will host Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance, a 12-week course designed for seniors, combining low-impact postures and movements with stretching and breathing exercises.

The program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at the Residences beginning July 1. The course is free but participation is limited. To register, call Cheryl Silberman at

631-715-8268 or email csilberman@gurwin.org.

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

• Through a grant from New York State, the library offers Google Nexus 7 tablets for borrowing. Browse the web, download a book, play games and more with just a touch of your finger. Tablets can be checked out for two weeks on an adult Deer Park library card.

Elwood Public Library Free Mommy And Me Class Sing! Stretch! Dance! Play! Enjoy a fun-filled class that includes parachute play and bubble play and meet other Jewish moms at The Chai Center in Dix Hills. The free class takes place Tuesdays at 10 a.m. For children ages 6-36 months. Pre-registration required by phone or online: 631-351-8672. www.thechaicenter.com.

Free Help For Vets Every Tuesday from 12-4 p.m. is “Military Appreciation Tuesdays,” when Long Island Cares specifically assists veterans, military personnel and their families at the Hauppauge and Freeport emergency pantries. Appointments can be made by contacting jrosati@licares.org.

WEDNESDAY Family Festival The St. Anthony’s Family Feast & Festival at 20 Cheshire Place, East Northport, June 2529. Free admission lets you enjoy fireworks on Wednesday and Saturday, exciting rides, a magic show, an international food court, an entertainment stage, petting zoo and Las Vegas table games. Get your fill at the Zeppole Eating Contest on Friday. Visit http://saintanthonyofpadua.org for more information.

Beach Barbecue The East Northport Chamber of Commerce’s 20th Anniversary Celebration Barbecue is at Crab Meadow Beach on July 9, 6:30-9 p.m., rain or shine, with catering by Fireside Caterers and DJ music by Good Vibrations. $15 per person/kids under 12 $5. RSVP by July 7 to 631261-3573 or enptcc@aol.com. No walk-ups.

Are all welcome.

Check Out Five Towns Do you qualify for a scholarship? Five Towns College in Dix Hills invites you to stop by during Spring Enrollment Days every Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to find out if you qualify. New and transfer students welcome for on-the-spot evaluations. Application fees will be waived. Five Towns College focuses on audio recording technology, music, music business, theatre arts, filmmaking, mass communi-

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

• Join the library’s weekly Friday afternoon movie. It all starts at 1 p.m.

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

• Have fun doing jigsaw puzzles and playing other mind-sharpening games in a relaxed atmosphere on Tuesdays, July, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2-4 p.m. in Dix Hills. Check out the library's Memory Care Collection of books, DVDs and puzzles.

• Cleaning closets? Donate easy board games and puzzles at either building.

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

• An AARP Smart Driver Course will be held Monday, June 30 and Tuesday, July 1, 6-9 p.m. $20 members/$25 non-members.

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.

• Create the dough and place mozzarella, tomatoes and fresh basil on top, then bring home this tasty goodness and bake.

Saturday, June 28, 1:30 p.m. at the Huntington Station branch.

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

• Catch the flick “The Monuments Men, ” about an unlikely World War II platoon given the task of rescuing masterpieces from Nazi thieves, on Friday, June 27, 1:30 p.m. in Northport.

South Huntington Public Library 145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station.

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

• Vintage Bliss celebrates music that never goes out of style, featuring vocalists Vincent Roccaro and Susanne LoFaso and their band

(Continued on page A15)

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014 • A15

(Continued from page A14) performing songs from Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Motown and the great ladies of jazz, on Friday, June 27 in a free 7 p.m. concert in the outdoor garden.

DONATIONS WELCOME Bare Bones Presents “Quartermaine’s Terms” “Quartermaine’s Terms,” a humorous drama

by British playwright Simon Gray that peeks into the hilarious, although sometimes devastating, personal challenges that confront a group of teachers in a private ESL school, plays June 20-29 at Bare Bones Theater, 57 Main St., Northport. barebonestheater.com.

631-606-0026.

THEATER and FILM Bare Bones Theater 57 Main St., Northport. barebonestheater.com.

631-606-0026 • “Quartermaine’s Terms,” a humorous drama

by British playwright Simon Gray that peeks into the hilarious, although sometimes devastating, personal challenges that confront a group of teachers in a private ESL school, plays June 20-29.

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

• Screenvision and Lincoln Center present “The Nance” on Sunday, June 29, 7 p.m., recorded Live at Lincoln Center. Directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien, “The Nance” stars Tony Award winner and Golden Globe nominee Nathan Lane (The Producers, The Birdcage). $20 members/$25 public.

John W. Engeman Theater At Northport 350 Main St., Northport. www.johnwengemantheater.com. 631-261-2900.

• “Plaza Suite” shows through July 13. Tickets are $55.

• Children’s show “Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” plays Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. through July 13. Tickets are $15.

Township Theatre Group At the Helen Butler Hall Theatre at Dominican Village, 565 Albany Ave., Amityville. 631-2139832. www.townshiptheatregroup.org.

AUDITIONS Northport Symphony Orchestra The Northport Symphony Orchestra seeks new members in all sections. Repertoire ranges from Baroque through classical and romantic to early 20th century. Music Director Richard Hyman is an award-winning music educator and composer. Rehearsals are on Wednesdays from 7:30-9 p.m. usually at East Northport Middle School. Email info@northportorchestra.org to arrange an audition. Website: northportorchestra.org.

MUSEUMS/EXHIBITS Art League of Long Island 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.

• “A Seduction of Color: The Paintings of Mary Abrams” opens Saturday, June 28. A reception for the artist will take place the following day, Sunday, June 29, 3-5 p.m. Comprising landscapes, harbor views, still life paintings and intimist interiors, the exhibition will be on view through July 13.

b.j. spoke gallery 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.

• Eileen Shaloum’s “Between The Lines,” new works of collage and paintings, and John Macfie’s “My Imagination,” recent acrylic paintings, are on view through June 28.

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor. Open seven days a week, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday and Sundays until 6 p.m.: $6 adults; $4 children 3-12 and seniors over 65; members and children under 3 are free. 516-692-6768. www.cshfha.org.

• Have a sweet treat with friends at an ice cream social on Saturday, June 28, 4-6 p.m.

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

• Save the date for the Hawaiian Luau on Saturday, July 19, 7-11 p.m.

• Enjoy the “Summer Splash Kickoff,” when summer craft stations, scavenger hunts, and exploration tables will be featured all week at the museum, from June 30-July 3, 2-5 p.m.

Northport Historical Society Museum

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.org.

• “Under the Influence,” a student exhibition, is on display through June 29.

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

• “Window Shopping Through Time” is a recreation of 10 stores that were located on Main Street and Woodbine Avenue spanning about 100 years, from the 1880s’ Morris City Grocery with their fresh produce and dry goods to the 1980s 5&10 with their ribbon and toys.

Gallery Thirty Seven

Ripe Art Gallery

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

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

1028 Park Ave., Huntington. TuesdayThursday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday, 2-8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. www.ripeartgal.com.

631-239-1805.

• Phetus has been on the premises of RIPE, creating new works for the First Day of Summer kickoff event on Saturday, June 21, entitled “Stripped.”

fotofoto Gallery

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. 631-3513250.

• “Rhythm & Repetition in 20th Century Art,” on view through Aug. 10, focuses on artists who use repeated shapes depicting natural, manmade, or abstract forms as a method to organize their compositions.

Holocaust Memorial And Tolerance Center Welwyn Preserve. 100 Crescent Beach Road, Glen Cove. Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Sat.-Sun.: noon-4 p.m. 516-571-8040 ext. 100. www.holocaust-nassau.org.

• The permanent exhibit explains the 1930s increase of intolerance, the reduction of human rights, and the lack of intervention that enabled the persecution and mass murder of millions of Jews and others: people with disabilities, Roma and Sinti (Gypsies), Jehovah’s Witnesses, gays and Polish intelligentsia.

Huntington Arts Council Main Street Petite Gallery: 213 Main St., Huntington. Gallery hours: Monday - Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Art in the Art-trium: 25 Melville Park Road, Melville. Gallery Hours: Monday Friday 7 a.m.-7 p.m. 631-271-8423. www.huntingtonarts.org.

• The opening reception for the “Masters Show” is Friday, June 20, 6-8 p.m.

Huntington Historical Society Main office/library: 209 Main St., Huntington.

Museums: Conklin Barn, 2 High St.; Kissam House/Museum Shop, 434 Park Ave.; Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Building, 228 Main St. 631-427-7045, ext. 401. www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

• Exhibit “The Times They Were A-Changing – 1960s & Huntington’s Response” on display at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Building.

• Hop a boat and tour the Van Wycks-Lefferts Tide Mill, built in 1795, throughout the spring and summer: July 14, 1 p.m.; July 28, 12:30 p.m.; Aug. 11, 11:45 a.m.; Aug. 22, 1:45 p.m.; Sept. 8, 10:30 a.m. $10 members/$15 non-members. Reservations required.

127 Main St., Northport Village. 631-7548414. www.lamantiagallery.com.

• Following the success of their display of exclusive featuring never-before-seen Dr. Seuss artwork, the gallery displays a permanent collation of estate-authorized art.

Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci’s Huntington Station district office is an official drop-off site for Cell Phones for Soldiers. To help the troops call home by donating your old cell phone, stop by or mail your phone to 1783 New York Ave., Huntington Station, 11746. 631-271-8025.

VOLUNTEERING Cosmetologists Wanted Hospice Care Network is seeking New York State-licensed cosmetologists to provide 2-4 haircuts per month for community members facing life-limiting illnesses. Download an application at www.hospicecarenetwork.org or call 516-224-6423.

Be A Museum Docent The Huntington Historical Society is currently seeking volunteers to train to become Museum Docents at the historic David Conklin Farmhouse Museum. The museum is located at 2 High St. in Huntington village and is a fascinating interpretation of the Colonial, Federal and Victorian time periods. No experience required – an interest in local history is a plus.

Training is provided. Call 631-427-7045 ext 403.

Seeking Volunteer Advocates The Family Service League’s Ombudservice Program of Suffolk County is seeking volunteers to train as advocates for nursing home, adult home and assisted living facility residents to help ensure they receive quality care and their rights are protected. 631-427-3700 ext. 240.

Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport. Museum hours through April 15: Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, 12-4 p.m. Grounds admission: $7 adults, $6 students with ID and seniors 62 and older, and $3 children 12 and under. Mansion tour, add $5 per person. 631-854-5555. www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

• The planetarium’s new show, “Black Holes: Journey into the Unknown,” has regular showings on Tuesdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.

• Most summer Thursdays (July 10, 17 and 24; Aug. 7, 21 and 28; Sept. 4), the Vanderbilt offers Midsummer Night Dances in the Celebration Tent on the Great Lawn. The evenings, from 6:30-9:30 p.m., feature ballroom and other types of dancing, with an emphasis on a different step each week.

Professional instructors are on hand to demonstrate techniques. The evening includes light dinner fare. Admission: $30 at door; $25 in advance; $160 for season ($20/dance).

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. April admission: $5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 students, and children under 5 are free. 631-427-5240, ext. 114. www.waltwhitman.org.

• Schedule at a time convenient for your group for high tea and transport yourself back in time as your group experiences High Tea in a private gathering house at the Birthplace. $25/person. 631-427-5240, ext. 113. educator@waltwhitman.org.

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

• Laugh the night away at “An Evening with Comedian Robert Klein,” Saturday, July 5, 7:30 p.m. $40 get you a night with this international star’s first appearance here. For more than 40 years, he has entertained audiences and he continues to have an acclaimed career in comedy, on Broadway, in television and film.

The Paramount LaMantia Gallery

Help The Troops Call Home

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

• Drive-By Truckers and The Hold Steady take the stage Saturday, June 28. $30.

• Go back to the ’80s with Jessie’s Girl on Friday, July 11. $15, $20, $25.

Artistically Gifted Needed The Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Commack is seeking artistically gifted volunteers to partner with residents in a new program, “heART to heART” aimed at helping people with varying levels of cognitive ability express themselves through art. Contact Judie at 516-931-5036 or jatlas1@optonline.net.

Don’t Hibernate. Help The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP SUFFOLK) needs adults 55+ to help in organizations throughout Suffolk County. Dozens of opportunities available in this federally funded program for just about any interest or skill. Visit www.rsvpsuffolk.org or call 631-979-9490 ext.12 for more information.

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

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

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

10 days prior to publication date.

Send to Community Calendar at 14 Wall Street, Huntington, NY 11743, or e-mail to Calender@longislandergroup.com

A16 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014

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2. Subscribe for Home Delivery Get the print version delivered to your home at a cost of just $21 a year. Use the coupon inside this paper; or call with your credit card: 631-427-7000.

3. Pick up your FREE copy FREE copies will be at locations that you visit regularly libraries, supermarkets, drug stores, banks, fitness centers and other retail outlets throughout the community.

Pick up your FREE copy at these and other locations throughout the community

COMMACK ROAD American Community Bank ANC Food The Everything Bagel Deli Beer Smoke

100 Commack Rd, Commack 134 Commack Rd, Commack 217 Commack Rd, Commack 223 Commack Rd, Commack

JERICHO TURNPIKE Commack Lucille Roberts New York Sports Club The Cutting Edge Hair Design Mozzarello’s Pizza Stop & Shop Bagel Boss Dix Hills Diner The Critic’s Choice Deli Stop & Shop Desi Bazar Brooklyn Pizza Ruby Salon Dunkin’ Donuts Roy’s Deli Golden Coach Diner Bagel USA

6534 Jericho Tpke, Commack 6136 Jericho Tpke, Commack 6065 Jericho Tpke, Commack 1957 E Jericho Tpke, East Northport 3126 Jericho Tpke, East Northport 1941 Jericho Tkpe, Commack 1800 E jericho Tpke, Dix Hills 1153A E Jericho Tpke, Huntington Station 1100 E Jericho Tpke, Huntington Station 905 E Jericho Tpke, Huntington Station 881 E Jericho Tpke, Huntington Station 822 East Jericho Tpke, Huntington Station 795 East Jericho Tpke, Huntington Station 669 East Jericho Tpke, Huntington Station 350 W Jericho Tpke, Huntington Station 573 W. Jericho Tpke, Huntington Station

DEER PARK AVENUE Dix Hills Fire Department Bethpage Fed’l Credit Union

580 Deer Park Ave, Dix Hills 1350-35 Deer Park Ave, North Babylon

Nelly’s Deli Grocery Gigi’s VIP Deer Park Nails Inc Tony’s Pizza Deer Hills Delicatessen Park Avenue Barbers

1737 Deer Park Ave, Deer Park 1747 Deer Park Ave, Deer Park 1749 Deer Park Ave, Deer Park 1829 Deer Park Ave, Deer Park 2122 Deer Park Ave, Deer Park 2150 Deer Park Ave, Deer Park

OLD COUNTRY ROAD/SWEET HOLLOW ROAD Dix Hills Hot Bagels 703 Old Country Road, Dix Hills Half Hollow Hills Library 510 Sweet Hollow Road, Melville ROUTE 110/BROADHOLLOW ROAD Deli Beer Cigar Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station Dunkin Donuts 281 Walt Whitman Rd, Huntington Station Berry Healthy Cafe 350 Walt Whitman Rd, Huntington Station Marios Pizza 1 Schwab Rd #17, Melville International Haircutters 439 Walt Whitman Rd, Melville Bethpage Fed’l Credit Union 722 Walt Whitman Road, Melville Roast 827 Walt Whitman Rd, Melville PIDGEON HILL RD South Huntington Library HAUPPAUGE RD Commack Public Library VANDERBILT PKY Half Hollow Hills Library

145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station 18 Happauge Rd, Commack 55 Vanderbilt Pky, Dix Hills

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P U Z Z L E CRYPTOQUIP

NCMOOHN KMSMHHMB OABI M YA P V M E U M H C IPX SKA NMB ABCX C H E V V KG C H I K V GOV AE SGHIKVO: “VHBX YMUYGCCO.”

Today’s Cryptoquip clue: Y equals B ©2014 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Answer to National Replacements

P u bl i s h e d Ju n e 1 9 , 2 0 1 4

ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S CRYPTOQUIP WHENEVER GAMBLERS WAGER MUCH MORE THAN THEY COULD EVER AFFORD TO PAY, THAT’S ONE OF MY BET PEEVES. Published June 19, 2014 ©2014 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014 • A17

PA G E

C L A S S I F I E D S

A18 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014

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

DEADLINE is Friday at 2 p.m. All Categories TELEPHONE: (631) 427-7000, FAX: (631) 427-5820 HOURS: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Address: Long Islander Newspapers, Inc., Attn.: Classifieds, 14 Wall Street, Huntington, NY 11743

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Contents of homes, businesses, vehicles and real estate.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014 • A19

HillSPORTS BASEBALL

Colt Awarded Suffolk County Silver Slugger Senior slugger and pitcher was a force at the plate for Hills West this season Long Islander News Photo/Andrew Wroblewski

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

Even the greatest athletes say they have room for improvement.

“I still have a lot to learn,” Tom DiGiorgi, of the Half Hollow Hills West baseball team said. “[College] is another step and I think I need to be able to get my mind set better.”

While DiGiorgi, a pitcher and first baseman for Hills West, views himself as still having room to improve in the future, the Suffolk County Baseball Coaches Association believes the senior is still deserving of some admiration today.

On June 17 at the annual All-County Awards Banquet in Holbrook, DiGiorgi was awarded Suffolk County’s Silver Slugger Award – typically given to the best offensive player in the county.

“The award is well deserved,” Tom Migliozzi, head coach for Hills West said.

“Not many guys are able to hit for both power and average like he was able to.”

This season, for Hills West, DiGiorgi batted .532 with 6 homers, 32 RBIs and 25 runs scored. DiGiorgi credited his ability to maintain a consistent average while still putting up big numbers in other offensive

Senior Tom DiGiorgi, a pitcher and first baseman for Half Hollow Hills West, batted .532 with 6 homers this season and was rewarded for that on June 17 with Suffolk County’s Silver Slugger award. categories to his decision to focus on contact rather power.

“If I try to hit home runs, I strike out,” he said, so the slugger focused more on

hitting the ball up the middle, aiming for line drives and eliminating “monster shots.”

“Coming into the season I knew I had to

carry a big load for the team,” DiGiorgi said. “Coach Migliozzi trusted me [and] with Luke Stampfl winning the award [in 2012 for Hills West], I knew his shoes had to be filled.”

DiGiorgi did just that – and, by the way, his fastball touches 94 mph.

“I like pitching because I feel like I can control the entire game,” DiGiorgi, who won four games for the Colts this year, said.

A dual-threat both at the plate and on the mound, DiGiorgi will take his talents to St. Petersburg College in Florida this fall where he hopes to keep his bat in the lineup while also earning a spot in the Titans’ rotation or bullpen.

“I’ve always pitched and hit so Coach Migliozzi talked to the coach down there and he wants to see me hit,” DiGiorgi, who earned a full scholarship to the two-year state college, said. “Maybe I’ll be able to be a DH [designated hitter] or pinch hit.”

With DiGiorgi standing as one of six Colts set to graduate this weekend, the team – which fell in the Suffolk County Class AA championship to West Islip in May – will look to retool next year behind its 12 rostered juniors that are set to return next season; most of whom started for this year’s team.

HUNTINGTON Photo/Ed Mulholland/HBO

Algieri Wins World Title Huntington boxer defeats Provodnikov to take home world championship

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

If the “Theme from Rocky” had blasted through the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 14, not one of the 6,128 people that filled its seats would have been surprised.

That’s because Huntington’s spiritual doppelganger of Sly’s classic underdog, Chris Algieri, defeated Ruslan “the Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov in a split decision, earning Algieri the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight championship belt.

“This has been a surreal week for me,” Algieri (20-0) said in the ring after the fight, with the belt draped over his shoulder. “I showed the boxing world who Chris Algieri is.”

In a battle of the “Italian Stallions,” Algieri was thought of by many as the heavy underdog – thanks, in part, to Provodnikov’s reputation as a heavy hitter with the ability to overcome his opponents by sheer force. On Saturday, in Provodnikov’s first fight as the WBO’s newest light welterweight champion (140 lbs.) – a title earned after defeating American Mike Alvarado last October – his reputation preceded him as the Russian immediately came out firing.

“Even the shots I was getting hit with in

the first four rounds, they were few and far between,” Algieri, who has fought several times during Star Boxing events at The Paramount in Huntington, said.

“They were big, but they were lunging shots. He caught me on the end of the punches [and] really the only punch that hurt me was that first shot.”

That first shot sent Algieri tumbling to the canvas for the first time in his professional boxing career as Provodnikov (233) laid an absolutely devastating blow to the right side of his head, almost immediately causing his eye to swell. Seconds later, Algieri’s knee hit the deck yet again as he collected himself, looking for an escape from a Provodnikov, who looked poised to send the 30-year-old Greenlawn native packing early.

But both times Algieri tasted the floor, he popped back up, gave referee Harvey Dock a smile, and kept on boxing – for 11 more rounds.

“I felt like after the knockdown I was really trying to land that big punch,” Provodnikov said through a translator after the fight, which headlined HBO’s “Boxing After Dark.” “I have to admit, runners are not my style. He’s just jabbing and touching me. I can’t feel any of that – it’s not my style. I like guys who stand there and fight me. This is the worst style for me. I thought I was close in the fight but it happened the

Chris Algieri, the “Pride of Huntington,” raises the World Boxing Organization’s junior welterweight championship belt after defeating Ruslan Provodnikov at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 14. way it happened.”

Algieri danced around the ring for a large portion of the fight, fending off the Siberia native’s blows while landing quick, calculated jabs of his own. Although Algieri’s tactics weren’t the flashiest, he undoubtedly out-boxed Provodnikov as he threw more (993-776) and landed more (288-205) total punches, resulting in a 29- to 26-percent advantage in Algieri’s favor.

“Yeah, I did [think I was winning the fight],” Algieri said afterwards.

All of this and Algieri couldn’t even see out of his right eye by the 12th round, he said. That crowning blow by Provodnikov ultimately resulted in a nice, “juicy” shiner for “the fighting pride of Huntington;” but not one that kept him out of the fight.

“I saw him coming forward and I knew

the eye probably looked pretty bad… like a nice juicy steak,” Algieri said. “I saw in his eyes when he was ready to throw that left hook so I was able to evade [it].”

With the ringside doctor constantly evaluating Algieri round after round, it’s a good thing he was able to avoid that hook as it might have proven disastrous for his title chances.

Ultimately, though, two judges ruled in favor of Algieri, with the final judge siding with Provodnikov, earning Huntington’s own a WBO championship.

“It’s funny,” Algieri said when asked what he has in store next. “I haven’t thought past this day or this moment for months. I don’t even know what June 15 looks like.”

Well, Chris, today is June 26, and it looks like you’re a world boxing champion.

A20 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JUNE 26, 2014

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