Half Hollow Hills - 10/30/2014 Edition

HALF HOLLOW HILLS Copyright © 2014 Long Islander News

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VOL. 16, ISSUE 38

NEWSPAPER 36 PAGES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014 MELVILLE

Melville Dancer Ready To Dazzle Teen joins company for Radio City Christmas show

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

The Paramount Spotlight Roger Hodgson, former co-front man of Supertramp, is set to take The Paramount’s stage on Nov. 11 with his band.

Pull Up A Chair With Roger Hodgson

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

While The Paramount may have a policy against allowing its patrons to bring their own recliners to a show, Roger Hodgson wants his audience to be comfortable.

“People really feel like they’re in my living room and I’m signing to them personally,” Hodgson, the former co-front man of English rock band Supertramp, (Continued on page A30)

With each step Sarah Gavilla takes, the stage gets bigger and bigger.

Beginning her dancing career with the North Shore Studio of Dance in Huntington Station 10 years ago, the now 14-year-old once took the stage in the studio’s annual production of “The Nutcracker,” fulfilling the role of Clara – a young girl and main character of the show. Then, last year, Sarah took the stage in the same role, but this time for Eglevsky Ballet in Bethpage – where she’s currently a student – on the stage of the Tilles Center for Performing Arts in Greenvale.

Now, the Melville resident is set to take her largest stage yet.

“This past summer we found out that the Radio City Christmas Spectacular was having auditions for their role of Clara in the ‘Nutcracker’ scene of the show,”

Melville’s Sarah Gavilla performs as “Clara” in the 2013 Eglevsky Ballet production of The Nutcracker – a role she will continue to fulfill this year’s national tour of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

(Continued on page A31)

DIX HILLS

Police: Burglar Shot Into Bedroom A Dix Hills resident got the scare of a lifetime last Thursday when a would-be burglar kicked down the front door of their Arbor Lane home and fired a round through a bedroom door, Suffolk County Police said.

Police said that someone kicked open the door at approx-

imately 1:21 a.m. Oct. 23, and fled after firing and without stealing anything, police said.

Detectives are investigating the first-degree burglary complaint; first-degree burglary involves breaking into an occupied home. The Suffolk County Police Department’s Public In-

Fall Back

Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday November 2. Don’t forget to set the clocks back an hour, and change those smoke detector batteries, too.

formation Office said it is unclear where exactly the resident was in the house when the incident unfolded.

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800220-TIPS (8477). All calls will be kept confidential.

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MELVILLE

Tax Plan Approved For Affordable Development Town will require PILOT payments for upcoming Ruland Road community

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

Huntington’s town board signed off Oct. 21 to allow the developers building the long-awaited Greens at Half Hollow affordable housing offset, to be called Highland Green on Ruland Road in Melville, to make payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) on the development for the next 30 years.

Town spokesman A.J. Carter said Monday that the $118,000 payment – $1,000 per unit – will be made in lieu of $224,000 in property taxes.

However, residents would have been eligible under normal taxation for about $111,000 in STAR tax reductions, so the net collected would have been $113,000, Carter said.

Under the PILOT model, residents are not eligible for STAR or any other sort of tax relief.

New York State’s Private Housing Finance Law permits a local legislative body to “exempt qualifying real property from local and municipal taxes, including school taxes, other than assessments for local improvements, to the extent of all or a part of the value of the property included in the completed project.”

The town will collect the PILOT payment, which will then be dispersed to various taxing agencies; the Half Hollow Hills School District will get the lion’s share, Carter said.

The project, being built by the D&F Development Group, calls for 117 units, plus one superintendent’s unit, to be operated as a lim-

The town has approved a $118,000 annual PILOT payment for the Highland Green affordable housing project on Ruland Road in Melville, a rendering for which is pictured. ited-equity co-op community.

The Highland Green Residences project is a result of a settlement, reached by the Huntington Town Board and the Huntington NAACP in February, to build a 117-unit, limited equity co-op community on about 8 acres of Ruland Road’s north side.

The development is an affordable housing offset to the nearby Greens at Half Hollow senior community.

When the settlement was reached, an attorney for the Huntington NAACP described the model as a “sort of a hybrid between rentals and ownership.”

Limited-equity co-ops are designed to provide affordable home ownership opportunities with a lower initial outlay. Unlike a traditional co-op, there is no mortgage, and homeowners in this case become shareholders by paying the equivalent of two months’ maintenance fee up front.

Also, unlike a market-rate co-op, the organization sets rules as to when shares can be sold and how much they can be sold for.

In the settlement, the town agreed to clear the way for 72 one-bedroom,

39 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom limited equity co-op homes.

Homes will be set aside for individuals and families earning 50 to 80 percent of the Nassau/Suffolk median income. For a single person, that translates to a range of $37,100 to $59,300; for a family of four, $52,950 to $84,700. Honorably discharged veterans and physically handicapped individuals will receive preferences.

Construction is then expected to take about 18 months once groundbreaking occurs, either in the winter or spring of 2015.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A3

DIX HILLS

Feds Throw The Book At Child-Porn Convict

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

For the second time in six months, a judge has thrown the book at a Dix Hills man who was convicted of sexually abusing a child for two years and creating child porn in the process.

Thomas J. Carey, Jr., 36, was sentenced Oct. 24 by U.S. District Judge Denis R. Hurley at the United States Courthouse in Central Islip to 25 years in prison and lifetime supervised release following his conviction for sexual exploitation of a child.

“This sentence is fitting for a predator who destroyed the innocence of an 8-year-old child,” Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said as

she announced the senCarey Jr. pleaded guilty tence. “This sentence stands June 20 to videotaping as a strong warning to those himself molesting a child. who would abuse children Federal authorities arthat we will prosecute them rested Carey, then an unto the full extent of the law.” employed woodworker, in Joining her in the anJune 2009 after executing nouncement was James T. a search warrant on his Hayes, Jr., Special Agenthome following a tip from in-Charge, U.S. Immigra- Thomas Carey Jr. the Swiss National Police tion and Customs Enforceand Interpol, federal aument (ICE) of Homeland Security thorities said.

Investigations (HSI) in New York.

The warrant yielded equipment Previously, County Judge Barbara and digital cameras belonging to Kahn slapped Carey Jr. with a sen- Carey which contained 161 images tence of 15-to-life, with 20 years of of Carey molesting the minor bepost-release supervision should he tween 2007 and 2009, when the vicever be released, after he pleaded tim was 8 to 10 years old. guilty to predatory sexual assault Investigators determined that against a child, amongst other Carey Jr. created child pornography charges. That sentence came after in Suffolk County with a young male

child and had engaged in “a continuous course of physical sexual abuse” from November 2007 to June 2009, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said over the summer.

During that time, Carey Jr. engaged in “two or more acts of sexual conduct” with the child, which included “at least one act of sexual intercourse, oral sexual conduct, anal sexual conduct, or aggravated sexual contact,” according to county court papers.

In that case, he was also hit with concurrent sentences on counts of: a first-degree criminal sexual act, first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree sexual conduct against a child, three counts of use of a child in a sexual performance and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

MELVILLE

Oh, Deer! Residents Report Population Growth

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

Civic Association of Sweet Hollow President Alissa Taff has grappled with many issues in her time, but deer in her backyard is a whole new conundrum, and she says she’s not the only one in the Melville area with a similar observation.

Taff said about a month ago, around 2 a.m., she let her dog out to her backyard dog run, and then, the pup began “howling like crazy.”

“On the steps, there’s a deer staring at me on the deck,” she said. Not only did the deer spook her dog – and the generally unflappable Taff, no less – the surprise late-night guest also did a number to her fence during its retreat.

The seemingly burgeoning deer population – “the new members of the association who haven’t joined,” Taff quipped – was a topic of discussion at September’s Civic Association of Sweet Hollow meeting, where Taff and others began urging members to

email info@sweethollowcivic.org with details of any deer sightings of their own.

“Our health and safety is involved here,” she said, adding the prospect of Lyme disease spread by ticks on deer is another concern.

The goal is to compile sufficient data to force Suffolk County’s hand to come to their aid and take steps to control the population, Taff said.

“There are tons and tons of people are having problems with deer in their backyard – they don’t do anything,”

Taff said.

The civic leader said that two of the options presented to the community – a deer cull, in which hunting permits are sold – and pricey 8-foot tall deer fences, are both non-starters.

She urged the county to monitor the source of the deer migration more closely – she suspects West Hills County Park and wooded areas near the Tuxedo Hills community are sources. And, she urged the county to explore non-lethal population control options, such as those used out east.

DIX HILLS

Town: New Course Contractor To ‘Drive’ In Revenue

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

A Winter Garden, Fla. firm may soon be in charge of the care and operation of the Town of Huntington’s two municipal golf courses – a change which could s net the town nearly $200,000 next year.

The board will hold a public hearing on Nov. 5 to consider awarding a five-year contract, starting Jan. 1, 2015, to Integrity Golf Company to lease, operate and manage the golf course and food and beverage operations at the Crab Meadow Golf Course and operate and manage operations at the Dix Hills Golf Course, with three five-year options.

Integrity would take the helm from Kemper Golf, which had man-

aged the courses since 2004.

“The contract with Kemper is up, so the town put the contract out to bid, and Integrity was the winning bidder,” said town spokesman A.J. Carter.

The big difference, Carter said, is that under the new proposal, Integrity would handle more day-today operations. The town would still be responsible for maintenance.

“The town will have less to do, and will get some increased revenue as well as benefit from capital improvements that Integrity will foot the bill for,” Carter said.

Under the deal, Integrity would pay the town $62,000, or 10 percent of its gross annual revenue – whichever is greater – to run the town’s golf courses, with the baseline increasing $2,000 each year un-

til 2019. For the golf course and food and beverage operations at Crab Meadow, they’d pay $45,000/year the first three years and $47,250 in years 4 and 5, or 10 percent of gross revenue.

Integrity would also be required to annually commit $25,000, or 1.5 percent of collected revenue, whichever is greater, to capital improvements.

In addition to that commitment, Carter said Integrity has proposed building a grill room at the Crab Meadow Clubhouse; renovating the Dix Hills Golf pro shop; installing new carpeting; upgrading Crab Meadow’s locker rooms; installing new golf mats; and improving the Crab Meadow bar and overall lighting and painting.

“Integrity will also assume responsibility for utility costs and un-

dertake an extensive marketing plan that promises to drive revenue,” the town spokesman said.

The new operations model is reflected in the town’s 2015 budget proposal. The town’s anticipated revenue lines for golf cart fees, golf course merchandise, food and drink, merchandise and driving range sales are zeroed out to the tune of just over $1.2 million. However, in the new arrangement, the town zeroes out nearly $1.31 million in golf course administration expenses.

The town anticipates $100,000 more in golf fees, or $1.7 million, and an additional $20,000 in golf card fees, or $100,000, in the 2015 budget year.

The hearing, set for Wednesday, Nov. 5, is at 2 p.m.

A4 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014

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I Know What I Want For Christmas It no longer takes two… to hug. Have you Extended play… It’s playoff time, boys and heard about the “tranquility chair”? Invented by a girls! The Town of Huntington has collectively Japanese company, the chair’s upper half has arms kicked some posterior this sports that you wrap around you when you sit in it. It baseason, and several of our teams sically looks like they took a regnow find themselves in the postular ol’ chair and threw a giant season. Last week opened things IN THE KNOW cartoon puppet on the back of it. up for some, but the action is just WITH AUNT ROSIE The puppet fits over the back of starting to pick up steam now with the chair like a glove, and has husoccer, tennis, field hockey, volleyman-shaped arms that you wrap around you. “[The ball – and more to come. Be sure to keep up with chairs] are comforting for people who live alone – Long Islander News for coverage of their progress! they can talk to them and hug them,” a company spokesman reportedly said. Actual retail price: Fall back… It can’t hurt to offer a friendly re$419. But you can’t yet get it in America. Would minder: Before you go to bed this Sunday, Nov. you buy it? I mean, who doesn’t need a hug? (As a 2, make sure you turn your clocks back one hour side note, if you’d prefer a chair that feels like a to mark the end of daylight saving time. The slipper and are a fan of those UGG boots all the good news – earlier sunrises, which will make it girls seem to be wearing these days, an UGG Chair easier for me to get up in the morning. The bad retails for $2,500. It is so soft, I can’t even begin to news – I’ll want to snuggle up in bed sooner describe it. My niece, of course, wants one.) ’cause the sun’s going down at 5 from now on.

Check the crosswalks… You might need one of those comfy chairs if you plotz on the sidewalk, and if you ask me, it’s about time the Town of Huntington take a closer look at the condition of our crosswalks. Just the other day, I saw a man and woman crossing Wall Street at Main Street, and the poor woman went down with a very audible, startling thud. It appears she got her foot caught on a small “pothole,” if you’ll call it that, and then quickly hit the pavement. She was OK – I think her ego was bruised more than her body – but it just alarmed me that one of the busiest crosswalks in our town appears to be in such crummy shape. Imagine if someone my age took a dive on that thing! So, needless to say, we should definitely get someone down there to fix that crosswalk and start looking at all the others in town. Be our eyes and ears, if you would – you can report problem crosswalks directly to the town using Huntington At Your Service online, so we can get the worst ones fixed the fastest.

Vote… Election Day is just five days away from this writing, friends, and I urge you to make time in your day Tuesday to cast your ballot. All of your state representatives, including the Governor on down to your state assemblymen and senators, are up this year, as well as the important county comptroller’s race. We’ve provided a handy-dandy election guide in the middle of the paper so you can get a better sense of who’s on the ballot and where they stand on the key issues.

So do your homework and do your duty at the polls this Tuesday! How do I feel? Well… that’s between me and my ballot. As an aside – does anybody else really miss the old machines?

(Aunt Rosie wants to hear from you! If you have comments, ideas, or tips about what’s happening in your neck of the woods, write to me today and let me know the latest. To contact me, drop a line to Aunt Rosie, c/o The Long-Islander, 14 Wall Street, Huntington NY 11743. Or try the e-mail at aunt.rosieli@gmail.com)

POLICE REPORT Compiled by Danny Schrafel

‘Quiet – This Is A Li-BARY!’ Police were called to the Half Hollow Hills Community Library on Vanderbilt Parkway Oct. 23. At 3 p.m., someone called after witnessing a verbal dispute with a librarian there.

Sleep Tight Police were called to a Truxton Road home in Dix Hills Oct. 22 after someone chucked a rock through the rear sliding glass door the night before at 9:30 p.m.

There’s no indication that anything was taken after the door was smashed.

Full Of Gas A Brentwood man, 54, was arrested in Melville on grand larceny charges Oct. 21.

Police said the man, accompanied by an accomplice, attempted to steal fuel from tanks at the Steven Dubner Nursery on Half Hollow Road in Melville.

Say It, Don’t Spray It Police are investigating a criminal mischief complaint that came in after someone reported the walls of a Commack Road building had been spray-painted at approximately 3:45 p.m. Oct. 20.

Jewel Thief Police are investigating the burglary of a Lincoln Ave. home in Dix Hills Oct. 25.

Police said that, shortly before 7 p.m., someone busted in and stole jewelry.

That’s A Problem QUOTE OF THE WEEK DANIELLE KIMMINS

PICTURE THIS Remember The Cookies?

Members of R&B group The Cookies – one of its original members in the center – performed and answered questions at the Long Island Music Hall of Fame induction last week. The group hit a high note in the 1950s and 1960s.

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“It’s really the most fulfilling thing to see as a teacher – to have the work you’ve put into a young child as they grow pay off and have them bring it to the stage.”

A Dix Hills woman, 26, was charged with DWI Oct. 23. Police said that, at 12:20 a.m., she was pulled over on Wolf Hill Road behind the wheel of a 2013 Infiniti, where police discovered she was under the influence behind the wheel.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A5

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Ethics Board Ruling Doesn’t Sway Critics

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

An Oct. 20 ruling by the Town of Huntington’s Board of Ethics which determined Councilman Mark Cuthbertson did not violate the town ethics in his dealings with Oheka Castle owner Gary Melius failed to sway critics Oct. 21, some of whom demanded he be ousted from the board.

Cuthbertson’s dealings with Melius came under scrutiny after an Oct. 5 report in Newsday, which indicated he failed to reveal his relationship with Melius-related receiverships of foreclosed properties before sponsoring and voting for a zone-change resolution for Melius to build luxury condominiums near the castle.

“In retrospect, I agree with the Ethics Board that, while no conflict existed and no disclosure was required, it would have been more prudent to disclose the fact that a judge had appointed me to be a receiver on the same matter in which Mr. Melius had been appointed a property manager,” Cuthbertson said in a statement Oct. 20 released

Councilman Mark Cuthbertson listens to critics during the Oct. 21 town board meeting. as the board’s findings were made public. “I did not do so at the time, because I believed, as the Ethics Board found, that there was no conflict of interest which mandated disclosure.”

The board is chaired by Howard Glickstein, dean emeritus of Touro Law School. Members are appointed

by the town board to the unpaid positions and cannot be town officers or employees, hold any elected or appointed office or serve as officers of a political party.

Several critics at last week’s Huntington Town Board meeting, however, argued the Ethics Board’s decision was

tainted by outside influences.

Commack’s Nancy Gamby questioned the timing of the board’s findings, which were released one day before the town board meeting. Usually, she said, town ethics investigations take longer than that to complete.

“I have a problem that we have board-appointed people watching out for the ethics of the board,” Gamby said. “If nothing else, they should have been extremely thorough in their investigation.”

And Steven Spucces, president of the Greater Huntington Civic Group, continued to demand county, state and federal agencies launch an investigation into Cuthbertson, as he did in an Oct. 13 letter to U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch, and other law enforcement agencies.

“Part of the problem is that we have to clean house,” he said, urging other board members to support their call for an investigation.

An online petition posted by the Greater Huntington Civic Group demanding Cuthbertson’s resignation had 195 signatures as of Monday.

A6 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014

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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com

The chant was a steady one – “Stop the crime, stop the violence, they all matter” – as hundreds marched from Heckscher Park to Huntington Town Hall one hour before the start of the Oct. 21 town board meeting.

Community members marched for Maggie Rosales – the 18-year-old Walt Whitman High School student who was found lifeless and facedown on a Huntington Station street on Oct.12. As of press time on Oct. 22, police have given no updates and have made no arrests.

But this was about more than Maggie. This was also about Daniel Carbajal, 25, who was shot and killed outside a Huntington Station residence in July; this was about Luis Ramos-Rodriguez, 38, who was stabbed to death outside of a Huntington Station restaurant; this was about Sarah Strobel, 23, whose body was found in the woods of Froelich Farm preserve last October. Each of these is an unsolved homicide that

Long Islander News photos/Arielle Dollinger

Residents Demanding Action On

Last week’s Huntington town board meeting was disrupted multiple times by jeering and explosive confrontations between the town board and audience members. took place over the past year.

“We need to take back our town,” said Mary Beth Steenson Kraese, who helped to organize the march.

“It starts today.”

Picket signs in the hands of both

adults and children read “Demand Justice” and “Definition of Apathy?

Frank Petrone and the Huntington Town Board,” among other slogans and rhetorical questions.

When the marchers reached Town

Hall, they crowded around a podium outside.

The Guardian Angels, led by Curtis Sliwa, vowed to come back to Huntington Station to continue the volunteer gang-and-violence-

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Unsolved Crimes fighting efforts they started in 2010, after a rash of violent crimes led to the closing of the Jack Abrams School.

“We will never forget; we will never forgive; we will be with you, side by side,” Sliwa said.

Xavier Palacios, an attorney and Huntington school board trustee, escorted both Rosales’ and Carbajal’s fathers to the event.

“Maggie, Danny, and other young lives have been tragically lost to senseless violence on these streets and we are fearful that there is no end in sight,” Palacios said, noting that he was speaking on behalf of the Rosales and Carbajal families but also the Latino community of Huntington. “This rally is a proclamation that residents of Huntington stand together, united as a community in mourning and a community in desperate need of change. This gathering is also a declaration of frustration with how the issues of safety have been addressed in this town.”

In the Latin American community, Palacios said, many have come to Huntington in pursuit of “the American Dream.” Rosales’ parents came

to the United States more than 20 years ago, he said.

“We see our futures more so as Americans than we see it as anything else,” Palacios said. “But sadly, we don’t always matter. We’ve lost our children to these streets and our losses don’t seem to matter much.”

Jessica Benitez, who said she was a close friend of Rosales’, spoke of the fear throughout the community.

“I am afraid to walk out of my house, afraid that something would happen; afraid that something would happen to those whom I care about,” she said.

Tensions Flare At Board Meeting Following a deliberately peaceful and organized march, many of those who attended the town board meeting grew rowdy and impatient. Security guards allowed entrance to the meeting incrementally, keeping a line of attendees outside meeting room doors. Those who had signed up to speak during public portion (Continued on page A30)

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Retirement Sweetener OK’d

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

A new retirement incentive approved by the Huntington Town Board Oct. 21 would give town employees over the age of 55 a chance to retire from Town Hall with fully-paid medical benefits before a springtime deadline.

The deal, which follows an agreement with unions Local 342, Long Island Public Service Employees, Local 852 Town of Huntington unit and Civil Service Employees Association, would allow any employee who is 55 years old before and has worked for the town for eight consecutive years fulltime to resign before March 31, 2015 and receive full medical for themselves and their spouse.

The goal, town officials said, is to further reduce the town’s workforce through attrition.

According to a recent Fitch report, which upheld the town’s AAA bond rating, the town expects 15 to 30 of the approximately 700 town

employees to take the deal, saving the town about $1.5 million if all goes to plan.

“The goal, as the supervisor said in the budget message, is to use the savings as a result of the retirements to replenish the reserves the town has tapped into in recent years to stabilize taxes while maintaining services,” said town spokesman A.J. Carter.

The most recent retirement incentive is one of several that have offered fully-paid health benefits in hopes of wooing would-be retirees.

Carter said the town has recently offered an incentive that grants fully-paid health insurance for workers who leave their jobs no later than the first year they are eligible to retire without a penalty from the New York State Retirement System.

“This incentive results in a regular turnover of employees which results in savings for the Town because new employees are hired at lower salaries and lesser benefits,” Carter said.

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A7

A8 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 www.LongIslanderNews.com

Opinion

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Long Islander News Endorsements 2014

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

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.

In this week’s edition, readers will find a voter’s guide with information on candidates in races that will send representatives to Congress, the State Legislature and County Comptroller’s office. Our editors posed four questions to each candidate; their answers are printed as they were submitted. A guide to judicial elections is also included.

Our editorial board, based on this newspaper’s reporting and where possible, interviews with individual candidates, makes these endorsements: House of Representatives Steve Israel Steve Israel has power in Washington. The Democrat incumbent makes things happen for his district. Despite strong ties to the president, Israel is no Obama apologist.

On the health care act, he admits mistakes were made and says we have to change them. But getting any bill through Congress involves compromise. Israel’s attitude: take the half-full glass and work on the rest later.

Israel is far less compromising where constituent services are concerned. When he’s advocating on behalf of a constituent, he’s a pit bull, and there’s a fair number of veterans, senior citizens and others who will attest to that.

Israel is opposed by Republican Grant Lally. This is not Lally’s first rodeo – he ran against Gary Ackerman for the same seat twice in the 1990s. Despite experience in as a candidate, he is untested as an elected representative, and it’s a rare person who earns a place on the Congressional team as a rookie.

Steve Israel has earned your vote, and our endorsement.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo No one can call New York Governor Andrew Cuomo a shrinking violet. In his first term, Cuomo made good on promises made on the campaign trail, imposing the 2-percent property tax cap on municipalities and school districts; passing the marriage equality act; and establishing Start Up New York, a package of job-creating economic incentives for businesses; and delivering budgets on time. The

dogged determination and political savvy needed to move these initiatives is, in these cases, an asset.

Cuomo’s reported meddling in the work of the Moreland Commission he set up to root out political corruption is a disappointing low spot for the Democrat. But Republican challenger Rob Astorino brings little to the table with his plans to lower taxes and control government spending. Cuomo is already doing that and is in better position to continue. Minor party candidates, including Huntington’s Mike McDermott on the Libertarian line, are choices of protest.

With a note of caution over the Moreland Commission, Long Islander News endorses Cuomo.

lican who switched parties to run as a Democrat, is a high point of this election. The current, popular mayor of the Village of Sea Cliff, he brings a fresh energy and willingness to challenge the status quo. A business owner, he brings a can-do attitude and a penchant for problem-solving.

A third-party candidate, Gigi Bowman, is hyper-focused on health and environmental issues.

She brings passion to the race, but little in the way of practical ideas that might make it through the legislative process.

In the end, we’ll bank on Carl Marcellino’s institutional knowledge and experience to best serve the people of the district.

We endorse Carl Marcellino.

New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli As Comptroller, Tom DiNapoli brings a stellar track record to his bid for re-election. Taking over the role as the state’s fiscal watchdog from a predecessor who went to prison for corruption, DiNapoli, a Democrat, has restored the public’s faith in the office. He has increased the number of audits performed by his office and established the “fiscal stress test” for municipalities. At the same time he earned the state pension system top ratings from financial agencies. Republican Robert Antonacci, who brings a great resume with CPA qualifications, has made the race an issue over campaign finance reform. DiNapoli brings the record. We endorse DiNapoli.

Fifth Senate District John Flanagan As a longtime incumbent with experience in both the State Senate, and the Assembly, John Flanagan brings a lot to the table.

A leader in the State Senate’s majority party, Flanagan is cognizant of his constituents’ greatest concerns and works to control high property taxes by fighting to maintain education funding. He votes on the right side of several issues important to Long Islanders, including income tax reduction and a repeal of the MTA payroll tax.

Challenger Joseph Lombardi is little more than a name on the ballot, neither raising funds nor making public appearances.

We endorse John Flanagan.

Second Senate District Carl Marcellino Carl Marcellino, the Republican incumbent, is an experienced lawmaker seeking re-election to the Fifth Senate District seat. In his many years as a State Senator he has learned the ins and outs of the system and put that knowledge to work for the people of the district.

A former school teacher and administrator, he brings valuable insight into one of the most important issues of this election – education.

He has consistently fought to protect state aid to our schools. Marcellino understands that in a two-party system, compromise is often a part of winning.

Bruce Kennedy, a recent Repub-

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Feeney has not run a very active campaign. Although he brings the experience of many years in the public sector, Feeney offers no compelling reason for change.

We endorse Chad Lupinacci.

12th Assembly District Andrew Raia Andrew Raia is completing his sixth term as a NY Assemblyman. A lifelong resident with deep roots in public service, Raia got to know many new constituents in the last election cycle after redistricting put him in new territory. Apparently, his new south shore constituents are as satisfied as those he represents from the Town of Huntington, as Raia is running unopposed.

Raia continually plays an important role in a seemingly annual battle to maintain adequate state funding for our schools. His most important role is in service to his constituents, particularly members of the veterans and senior citizen communities. As advocate and troubleshooter, Raia has delivered.

We endorse Andrew Raia.

Suffolk County Comptroller Jim Gaughran After interviewing the two candidates we believe that both have strong points. Legislator John Kennedy has been in service to the County for many years and knows the systems he would be now responsible to audit. Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA) Chairman James Gaughran brings management skills honed as chairman of this utility. The two depart on the issue of merging the County Treasurer’s Office with that of the County Comptroller’s office: Gaughran is for; Kennedy is against. We at Long Islander News feel that Sufffolk County will not gain any additional control by having the functions headed by two different elected officials. In fact, we believe the merger will save money and should go forward. We also believe that while Kennedy did not have wrongful intentions when he hired his wife to work on his legislative staff, it is not a model of best governmental practices. Also at issue is a missed filing required under antinepotism laws that the legislator’s wife was on payroll. While this was not critical and it did not suggest

10th Assembly District Chad Lupinacci Republican Chad Lupinacci had big shoes to fill when he took over the seat formerly held by Jim Conte who died from cancer in 2012, and has done an admirable job working as a freshman in the minority.

Lupinacci first wet his feet as an elected official when he won a seat on the South Huntington school board, and brings a concern for education issues to his role as Assemblyman. He is concerned with fixing the missteps caused by a poor rollout of the Common Core curriculum by the State Education Department. He also has ideas for bringing jobs to the region, in particular to the 110 corridor.

Democratic candidate Dominic

malfeasance, it did demonstrate the lack of attention to process – the process that a strong Comptroller will heavily rely upon. Jim Gaughran has shown his attention to details and process in his work at the SCWA, which has recently had its AAA bond rating affirmed by Fitch.

Gaughran also outlined positive key steps that he believes would help the County run better though the proper use of budgeting and audits.

Based on Jim Gaughran’s past performance, view of the future and even-tempered demeanor, we believe he is the right person to lead the Comptroller’s office. Long Islander News endorses Jim Gaughran.

Ballot Propositions Voters in Suffolk will be asked to decide on five propositions.

Vote No on NYS Proposal on Redistricting: As proposed, the party in power appoints the “non-partisan” panel that would draw new district lines for reapportionment that follows the census. It puts the power in the hands of the majority party. Better to leave it to the judiciary, in whose lap it ultimately will land. Vote no.

Vote Yes to allow e-filing of bills in Albany: This proposal replaces an arcane section of law that requires printed versions of bills and amendments be in the hands of lawmakers for 72 hours prior to voting.

This was to assure that the legislators had time to read amendments before voting. The spirit of the law remains important; the method, less so. Vote yes.

Vote No on school technology bond issue: Rule number one on floating bonds is that the repayment period should not extend beyond the life of what’s being purchased.

Much of the technology which would be bought under this billiondollar bond issue would be obsolete within five years, with another 15 remaining on the life of the bond.

Moreover, it asks areas of the state which have kept up with technology purchases to bail out those which have not. Vote no.

Vote Yes to merge treasurer and county comptroller offices: Merging the offices of the county Treasurer and Comptroller will save money and there’s no compelling reason both need to be run by elected officials. Vote yes.

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www.LongIslanderNews.com THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A9

Life&Style Finding The Paranormal In Real Haunted Houses Long Island ghost hunters search for spirits turns into business and books

By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com

It was not until he started working as a paranormal investigator for Keriann Flanagan Brosky – author of two ghost hunting books that include stories of Huntington haunts – that Joe Giaquinto began to call himself a medium. He realized that he could see orbs moving around rooms, hear voices through white noise, smell perfume or tobacco in rooms devoid of perfume and tobacco.

Today, Giaquinto speaks with spirits and hunts for ghosts – hobbies fortified by the occasional bump in income that his part-time business produces. At his day job, he works with computers; on nights and weekends, he traverses the realm of the supernatural.

The business runs primarily on referrals and events. Giaquinto typically aims to break even, he said, and will do private readings for people at their homes or will sell tickets to those who want to experience a live investigation.

“It is a business and it’s expensive,” he said, noting that the activity that is “fun” for him costs both money and time.

First, he does anywhere from five minutes to several days of research.

He then assembles a team, vetting prospective team members to ensure that there are no “crazies.” There are gas and travel and sometimes advertising costs. And then, when the research and investigation phases come to their conclusion, Giaquinto takes the evidence back to the lab to write up a report for his client.

“When the investigation’s done, everybody goes home, they had fun,” he said. “Then my work starts.”

The business end of what Giaquinto said was really a hobby makes it possible for him to continue to investigate, he said, creating “sort of a breakeven scenario.”

He allows ticket-holding guests to join him for the investigation in an effort to “give the public an opportunity to experience what we were experiencing,” but also for insight.

“I liked the idea of having fresh minds and eyes and ears coming in,” he said. “Everyone has different skills

Joe Giaquinto and Keriann Flanagan Brosky find and write about Long Island’s ghosts. for tuning in.”

Average ticket prices range from $15 to $40; some are free.

“Keriann and I… we fondly say we’re not trying to prove or disprove anything,” he said. “In this business, so much stuff is sort of circumstantial evidence and is very subjective phenomena. You could experience something and I might not, and we could be standing right next to each other.”

Flanagan Brosky got involved in ghost hunting research while researching Huntington’s history. In 2006 and 2008, she published her two “Ghosts of Long Island” books.

“What better way to learn local history than through a ghost story?” said the historian, who writes about ghosts with what she said is an emphasis on preserving local history.

There is the ghost in the Peace and Plenty Inn in West Hills, Huntington’s oldest residence. Built in 1680 and run as a tavern, ownership of the inn has changed often – in Flanagan Brosky’s opinion, more a result of the necessary upkeep than of the presence of the ghost of a former inn owner.

There is the ghost of East Point, 3 acres along East Shore Road in Huntington Bay. Her name was Hetty

Green, known as “the witch of Wall Street,” Flanagan Brosky said.

“She was a very prominent woman, but a very angry and nasty woman, too,” she said. “It’s said that Hetty died in a screaming match in the house; she broke a blood vessel in her neck.”

A woman who lived there told Flanagan Brosky that she had awoken to the sound of a woman walking in a taffeta dress and saw the shadow of Hetty.

There is St. Andrews-by-the-Sea in Halesite, which looks to be a church but is actually a residence.

“A lot of people who have gone in there, they feel like there’s someone’s watching them or someone’s behind them,” she said.

The history of the North Shore means that it tends to have more ghosts than the south shore, Flanagan Brosky said.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a person coming back and haunting,” she said. “It could be residual energy that’s left behind and it has left an imprint in time.”

The village of Cold Spring Harbor seems to her to be in the running for the “top haunted town of Long Island,” she said; and Huntington is a bit of a “hot spot” in general.

But, as far as she can tell, the ghosts are not quite scaring people away.

“People aren’t running for their lives, with blood dripping down walls and pans flying across the room,” she said. “Sometimes you’ll hear a door opening that isn’t really opening or some steps or some whispering.”

And from her perspective, any problems the real estate market might have selling a haunted house does not seem to have any relation to the haunting.

“There have been occasions that people got so used to their ghost or their spirit in the house that they were upset when they had to move,” she said. “Really, every house has a spirit or two, in my opinion.”

When hunting for ghosts, Giaquinto gathers evidence as if he were proving a court case, he said; he looks for several pieces of evidence to support one idea.

To date, Giaquinto has done about 200 investigations. The investigations do not look like those on ghost-hunting television shows, he said.

“These guys, they go in there, they’re cursing at the spirits, they’re [throwing things at them, trying to be ‘macho men’],” he said. “I take a very human approach… You should go in there to try to solve a problem.”

For Giaquinto, there is no sense of competition within the ghost hunting community, he said.

There are skeptics, he conceded.

The skeptics are not allowed on his team.

“You have to have your feet on the ground,” he said, “But if you’re overly skeptical, what happens is the spirits don’t come through anyway… It’s like you’re being rude to them so they’re not going to talk to you.”

Giaquinto is “just the messenger,” he said. He finds and relays information.

“It’s not about me, see?” he said. “If it’s about you – you, Mr. Ghost Hunter – then you’re always worrying about competition and someone stealing this and taking a person from your group.

But if you make it about doing this work to help people and help the universe to be better, then it’s just whoever’s there, if it’s not me someone else is going to do it.”

A10 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014

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ELECTIONGu Steve Israel Incumbent (D, I, WF)

Grant Lally (R, C)

What is your response to those who say, “If Obamacare is such a success, why have my rates and out-of-pocket expenses increased so much?”

With ISIS continuing to wreak havoc in Iraq at the time of this writing, what steps should the United States be taking to address the rise of this terrorist group?

The rollout of the Affordable Care Act was a disaster and I have strongly criticized the administration for it. Now, we must work to fix the parts of the law that are not working while strengthening those that are working.

However, repealing the Affordable Care Act would take us back to the days when insurance companies could provide lifetime caps, people were denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition, or women were charged more than men. I’m proud that 47,000 of my constituents received a rebate check from their insurance company and 133,000 of our seniors now have free preventative care services and I will never support a law to take these benefits away. I have fought for fixes including one preventing volunteer firefighters from facing unnecessary red tape.

I supported arming Syrian rebels at the outset of the civil war because I feared that terrorists would fill a vacuum, which is what has occurred. Now, we must prepare for a multi-front, multi-layered approach to defeating ISIL. First, we need coalition resources to blunt their momentum and stop their advance. Second, we must apply pressure to contain them. Then, we must be aggressive in degrading their operational capacity.

Due to the mandates and taxes that Obamcare imposes, millions of Americans are losing their insurance and paying more money in healthcare expenses. We need to replace the Obamacare disaster with market-based reforms like expanding health savings accounts, allowing individuals to purchase insurance across state lines, and enacting commonsense tort reforms that discourage junk lawsuits and unnecessary defensive medical procedures. Obamacare is hurting Americans, and it needs to be replaced by a system that improves quality while reducing costs.

The continued beheadings of American citizens by ISIS requires a swift and forceful response from the United States. The president and Congress need to send a strong message that this type of brutality against American citizens anywhere in the world will not be tolerated. First, the President should work to assemble a coalition of Sunni Arab countries to take the lead on a ground invasion of ISIScontrolled territory in order to conquer the terrorist group.

Meanwhile, the U.S. should provide the Sunni-led ground coalition with air support, taking out key ISIS targets, military compounds, and weapons systems.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A11

uide 2014 Home to a large and active boating community, the issue of boating safety hits home here, especially following the July 4, 2012 death of three local children on the water. What steps will you take to promote safer boating, cleaner waters and an enhanced recreational experience?

What are your thoughts on term limits for U.S. Congressmen?

Our community still grieves the July 4, 2012 tragedy, and that is why I’m working to increase boating safety while maintaining our community’s strong recreational traditions. I introduced legislation that would provide federal grants to states for boating safety classes and require that all boats up to 45 feet display capacity limits so all boaters know if the boat they are on is overloaded.

Every two years, Americans have the right to determine whether their Member of Congress should be term limited, and I support the voters' right to make that decision.

I grew up boating on Huntington Harbor and our local waterways. I know firsthand the importance of strong safety standards and robust enforcement, to ensure that our boaters can enjoy Long Island’s signature waterways in a way that is safe both to them and their fellow boaters.

I support limiting members of Congress to four two-year terms, and Senators to two six-year terms. Public service should not be a career, but a temporary opportunity to serve one’s constituents. Political careerism discourages politicians from making tough choices that might threaten their careers. We need term limits because politicians should be forced to live under the laws that they write.

Experience & Commitment To Public Service

“Re-Elect Judge Steve Hackeling” DISTRICT COURT JUDGE

VOTE REPUBLICAN VOTE ROW “B” FOR

WALTER LONG District Court Judge

Walter D.Long,Jr.

District Court Judge Steve Hackeling has over 30 years experience as a judge and in the private law practice and service to the Huntington Community.

Republican and Independence Candidate

MEMBER OF: Suffolk County Bar Association Pro Bono Award 1997 Historic Preservation Award (Vanderbilt Museum) Nature Conservation/North Fork Environment Council Award for Outstanding Commitment for Open Space Preservation (1998) American Cancer Society Fight for Clean Air Award (1995) American Red Cross Certificate of Appreciation for Community Service (1998) Northport Youth Center and Huntington/Cold Spring Harbor Soccer Coach Eatons Neck and St. Hugh’s Basketball League Coach Huntington/Cold Spring Harbor and Northport PAL Lacrosse Coach EXPERIENCE • • • •

District Court Judge Presiding Judge Third District Presiding Officer Suffolk County Legislature Huntington Town Councilman

Walter Long, who earned two Purple Hearts serving as a Marine in Vietnam, has served as an Assistant District Attorney and believes in family values, hard work and dedication to the Huntington community.

WALTER LONG - EDUCATED

J.D. - St. John's University Law School B.A. - LIU C.W. Post - Criminal Justice Half Hollow Hills Schools

WALTER LONG - QUALIFIED & EXPERIENCED

Private Practice (current) - 32 yrs Trial Litigator - Homicides, Personal Injury, Traffic Tickets, Civil, Contract Issues, Matrimonial, Family Court Assistant District Attorney - Bronx County - 4 yrs Member, Law Guardian Panel of Suffolk County Member, Suffolk County Bar Association

WALTER LONG - DEDICATED TO COMMUNITY

Vietnam War Veterans of Foreign Wars - Life Member, Past Post Commander and Former Judge Advocate, Suffolk County Council AMVETS - Lifetime Member Loyal Order of the Moose - Member of the General Assembly NYS Mock Trial - Advisor - 10 yrs Central Islip Legal Eagles Advisor, 2010 County Champions

WALTER LONG - DEDICATED TO FAMILY Former Marine Walter Long is the father of three adult children and grandfather to three beautiful grandchildren

United States Marine Corps - Rifleman, Paid For By Friends of Walter Long

On Election Day - November 4th Cast Your Vote with Confidence for WALTER LONG District Court Judge

A12 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014

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ELECTIONGu Comptroller

Where do you stand on combining the comptroller’s office with the treasurer’s office?

What steps will you take as county Comptroller to root out and eliminate government waste?

I support it because it saves $1.2 million annually, improves efficiency through consolidation of functions, coordinated monitoring of finances, and improved cash flow analysis, and could improve the County’s credit rating.

Create a Waste and Fraud Unit that 1) establishes an anonymous hotline that all Suffolk County residents, including county employees, can call to report incidents of waste and fraud; 2) creates a Medicaid Fraud Unit that will bring tax dollars back to the county by working with the federal and state government, and Suffolk DA to investigate and penalize offenders; and 3) increases transparency and reduces fraud in contract agencies. I will conduct an audit of government perks, such as vehicles and cell phones, in Suffolk County, looking for places we can reduce take home vehicles and make sure that assignments are done efficiently.

James Gaughran (D, I, WF)

I am opposed to the merger, as it would eliminate important checks and balances associated with a $2.6-billion annual county budget. Budget review has estimated a possible $560,000 [in savings], but acknowledges that the three positions eliminated would have to be replaced with three other employees. The case management and land redemption functions are not synonymous with the audit function. The elimination of an elected Treasurer would weaken fiscal oversight and controls.

John Kennedy (R)

I would strengthen requirements for comptroller approval of all county contracts prior to execution. As a direct result of my questioning and investigation, I was able to stop an illegally procured computer software contract by the County Director of Information technology, Don Rogers. I will increase the number of audits undertaken, and will reduce contracting out.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A13

uide 2014 In your opinion, what is the comptroller’s proper role in ensuring county government operates efficiently?

Tell voters why you are best qualified to be their next Comptroller.

The comptroller should act as an independent fiscal watchdog that ensures that every tax dollar is spent legally and efficiently. The Comptroller should provide the legislature, as well as the county executive with the necessary tools to make smart, effective budgeting decisions.

I will be an independent fiscal watchdog that will protect tax dollars by rooting out waste and fraud. Having spent the last 30 years protecting Suffolk families, whether as a local attorney or public servant, I’ve always put people over politics. As a Huntington Town Council member, I wrote one of the toughest ethics laws in New York State, and as a Suffolk County legislator, I strengthened the county’s whistleblower laws. As chairman of the [Suffolk County] Water Authority, I refused a taxpayer-funded car and cell phone, and saved millions by improving efficiency and reducing staff by 7 percent, without any layoffs. As comptroller, I will freeze my salary and refuse taxpayer funded perks, because I know its taxpayer money.

State law and the county charter designate the County Comptroller as the chief fiscal officer of Suffolk County. It is the comptroller’s job to examine, audit and verify all books, records and accounts kept by various unites, officers, departments and entities paid from county funds. The comptroller is also responsible for the county's capital and cash flow borrowing, revenue anticipation notes, and sewer district borrowings. In addition, the controller verifies, approves and processes the county payroll.

I have been a legislator for the past 10 years and have never voted for a general fund tax increase. I have a Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Capital Budgeting from Adelphi University and a JD from St. John’s University. I was the official examiner of title for the Suffolk County Clerk’s office, and managed a staff of 130 employees. I have a detailed working knowledge of government gained from my 39 years of experience. I am the better candidate.

PAID FOR BY THE FRIENDS OF PAUL SENZER

A14 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014

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ELECTIONGuide 2014 State Senate (District 5)

Georgina “Gigi” Bowman Libertarian Party

Bruce Kennedy (D, WF)

Carl Marcellino Incumbent (R, C, I)

The recent implementation of Common Core educational standards has been widely criticized. What will you do as an elected official to ensure a smoother Common Core implementation from here on out?

I don't want to see a smoother common core implementation; I want to see a full repeal of this unconstitutional entity.

We can work within our own state and create our own standards that don’t include a one-size-fits-all curriculum.

The overreach of the federal Government is doing nothing to help our children or to create a better educational system. Always follow the money. This is not being done for the betterment of our children.

Common Core was implemented without proper training of teachers, and with inadequate time to prepare students. This has done nothing but cause stress for our teachers, parents, and students. This curriculum should be tested in all schools over time, soliciting the input of school personnel and parents, and should be implemented under the control of the school districts before any student records or teacher evaluations are based on its standards.

Fixing the disastrous rollout of Common Core has begun. The twoyear moratorium on using test scores to evaluate students and teachers was a good first step, but now we must force the Education Department to start listening to the teachers, students and parents. I will continue to fight to adapt the program to the needs of those who are in the classroom.

Under New York State’s tax levy cap, some schools, such as the Elwood School District, are weighing whether to cut programming to adhere to the cap in future budgets, or asking voters to pierce the cap.

What steps should be taken to alleviate the “cap pressure” districts are facing?

Every year there is another reason why the taxes must be raised with threats of cutting programs. Well, we "aint' seen nothing yet", if we don't repeal Common Core the cost hasn't even been factored in to what it will cost the taxpayers in the future. To save money, start with the cost of administration.

Elwood SD pays out $1.8 million plus in salary and benefits to 11 administrators. Government is too big and Long Island cannot sustain these costs any longer.

The tax levy cap is ultimately a feel-good measure that accomplishes nothing.

Unfunded mandates are increasing at a rate more than six times the 2 percent increase allowed by law, and there is no way to prevent the increase without eliminating local municipalities fund balances & increasing borrowing. Local municipalities can’t cap what they can’t control, and thus we need to focus on capping costs. As I have proven as Mayor, that does not mean you need to cut services. The state should provide assistance with cost reductions for local districts, and provide Long Island districts with their fair share of funding. According to the latest report by our Stae Comptroller, NYS spending increased by 3.3 percent this past year which exceeds the tax cap.

School Districts should continue to make the case for areas that should be exempt from the cap for legislative review. I am open to making changes to provide districts with flexibility for uncontrollable costs.

Another way to help districts is to find meaningful mandate relief and pair it with continued increases in state aid. The 2014-15 State budget delivered a $125 million increase.

We can and should do more.

Home to a large and active boating community, the issue of boating safety hits home here, especially following the July 4, 2012 death of three local children on the water. What steps will you take to promote safer boating, cleaner waters and an enhanced recreational experience?

What will you on a state level to help our downtowns economically?

We have enough laws on the books that are not enforced. Creating new laws is not always the answer, especially those that require taxpayer funding. People need to take pride and responsibility in their communities and education is key.

If you want to help downtowns economically don't make it harder to shop locally by having unreasonable parking restrictions, which recently happened in Huntington. People have stopped shopping locally and have gone to larger retail stores simply for the free parking.

We see stores closing down in communities all over the state. People don’t have expendable money because they are excessively taxed, it is hurting businesses. We cannot sustain this much longer. We need to cut costs and we can begin by lowering the cost of legislative expenses. The office expense for one senator is no less than $800,000 per year.

Each year hundreds of lives are lost, thousands are injured, and millions of dollars of property damage occurs because of preventable recreational boating accidents on U.S. waterways. I would promote public awareness campaigns for boat operators and passengers that focused on vessel checks, boating safety courses, and general water safety concerns. Additionally, I would ramp up enforcement of BUI laws.

In the Village of Sea Cliff, we revitalized our downtown by bringing together the arts and business communities, encouraging growth & direct investment, and created new jobs as a result. We collaborated with officials of both parties to obtain funding for infrastructure projects that create jobs, clean up the environment, and help our local businesses thrive. As a state senator, I will help secure funding for infrastructure projects, and lower taxes and regulatory burdens for small businesses to make it easier for new start-ups and existing businesses to expand.

Following the tragedy, I held a hearing to hear from members of the boating community to learn how New York could move forward in protecting those on its’ waters. We issued a report outlining a number of suggestions that will make our waterways safer. One major change that came out of the hearing was the new law that will increase the number of operators that will be required to attend the boating safety course. Going forward, I will continue to fight for my bill, S.4628 that will create a boating safety education fund.

The best way to help our downtowns is to continue to find ways to improve the fiscal health of our State’s business climate. By creating jobs and reducing the tax burden on existing and prospective new businesses, we can help our communities succeed and grow. We also need to invest State dollars in a state-of-the-art transportation infrastructure that will make it easier to get people to work shop and visit our downtown areas across Long Island.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A15

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ELECTIONGuide 2014 Education, Finances Key In Fifth Senate Race

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

The race to represent the New York State Senate’s Fifth District pits a longtime incumbent against a village mayor who switched parties over same-sex marriage and a realtor whose crusade against the establishment began after tragedy struck her family.

State Senator Carl Marcellino, a Syosset Republican who has been a State Senator since 1995, said he is seeking a new two-year term to continue “doing what’s important” – making New York more affordable for seniors and young people and

staving off efforts by other states to poach businesses from New York.

He argues the state, in collaboration with Governor Andrew Cuomo, has accomplished that by closing a $10-billion deficit and through the START-UP NY program, which offers incentives to start, relocate or expand to several tax-free zones in New York. Marcellino argues, however, that should be retooled to help businesses already in New York State.

Marcellino said his leadership of the Council of State Governments, which he will assume in January, has showed him that “our problems are all the same” and display a need

Propositions: Environment, Education, Govt. Consolidation In addition to selected candidates for elected office, Huntington-area voters will be faced with five ballot questions – three from the state, and two from Suffolk County.

Proposal 1 – which aims to create redistricting reform – would establish a redistricting committee to determine lines for legislative and congressional districts, subject to adoption of the commission’s plan by the Legislature and approval by the Governor.

Currently, that’s the legislature’s task. If ratified, the proposal would, beginning each decade starting in 2020, create a 10member redistricting commission.

Eight members will be appointed by the four state legislative leaders (the Assembly majority and minority leaders and the State Senate majority and minority leaders), and the remaining two members will be appointed by the eight legislatively appointed members; the last two appointees cannot, in the preceding five years, have been enrolled in either of the two major political parties in New York State.

Meanwhile, Proposal 4 on the ballot, a county measure, would, if approved, eliminate the office of Treasurer on the final day of 2017 and combine the department with the County Comptroller’s of-

fice in one unified department.

Proposal 5 on the ballot would create a $29.4-million program in Suffolk County earmarked for environmental restoration and protection projects, including land purchases aimed at protecting groundwater.

Those funds would be drawn from the Assessment Stabilization Reserve Fund balance; the proposal would mandate the county to begin replenishing those funds starting in 2018. Those funds could be used to fund sewer infrastructure, sewage treatment plants and the installation of enhanced nitrogen removal septic systems throughout the county.

Proposal 3 would allow the state to bond up to $2 billion to finance classroom technology enhancements, security systems and high-speed internet connectivity; expand pre-K and replace classroom trailers with brick-andmortar construction.

The remaining ballot measure deals with more technical functions of county government.

Proposal 2 on the ballot would allow lawmakers to electronically distribute a state legislative bill to satisfy constitutional mandates that laws be on a lawmakers’ desk three days before a vote.

The ballot measures will appear on the rear of your ballot when you vote on Nov. 4.

Gigi Bowman

Bruce Kennedy

for regional problem-solving on issues like electronic waste recycling.

And although he agrees that Common Core educational standards were rolled out poorly – a point he said that has led to “many head-butting sessions” with state education leaders – he argues they should continue to be phased in and corrected.

“I believe in standards and increasing standards – we are in a competitive world,” Marcellino said. “But what it was… was poorly spelled out by state education.”

But his opponent, Sea Cliff May-

c le e e R

r u to

Carl Marcellino

or Bruce Kennedy, argues Common Core needs to be put on hold until the state has the resources in place to implement it correctly.

“Fire [State Education Commissioner John] King and start from scratch,” he said. “Get a fresh set of eyes on this. Get your biggest opponents of Common Core that are educated and are smart, and you get them in a room and have a discussion.”

Kennedy got into the race with a bang over the summer. Initially slated to run as a Republican for State (Continued on page A31)

New York State

ASSEMBLYMAN

Andrew Raia

Proven and Committed

Leadership

The Raia Record in Albany • Fighting Against Increased Taxes and Electric Rates • Fighting Crime • Protecting Our Environment • Caring for Our Seniors • A Quality Education for Our Children

Fighting for the Change That Long Island Deserves REPUBLICAN-INDEPENDENCE-CONSERVATIVE PARTIES

VOTE November 4

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A16 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014

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ELECTIONGuide 2014 State Assembly

Chad Lupinacci Incumbent (R, I, C) 10th Assembly District

Andrew Raia Incumbent, Unopposed (R, I, C) 12th Assembly District

The recent implementation of Common Core educational standards has been widely criticized. What will you do as an elected official to ensure a smoother Common Core implementation from here on out?

At this point, I think that the most effective way to ensure a smoother implementation is to put our focus on the professional development of our teachers and equitable funding for our public schools. We must ensure that our teachers are both fully trained and work in an environment that is not restrained due to burdensome unfunded mandates.

While everyone supports higher standards for our children to remain competitive in the world economy, the implementation of Common Core Standards must be amended. Excessive testing and unfair teacher evaluations stifle the learning process for our children. My colleagues and I have introduced the APPLE Plan which would not only delay the implementation of Common Core for two years, but also amend the standards to ensure we are implementing a program which is conducive to students’ education.

Under New York State’s tax levy cap, some schools, such as the Elwood School District, are weighing whether to cut programming to adhere to the cap in future budgets, or asking voters to pierce the cap.

What steps should be taken to alleviate the “cap pressure” districts are facing?

Our public schools here on Long Island must fight for our fair share of state education funds every single budget cycle. I have been successful in rallying my colleagues in the legislature to make sure much-needed funds come back to the communities that contribute so much to the public coffers. If there is an area that needs more work, it is the elimination of unfunded mandates; this is an issue to which I remain fully committed.

I have worked with members of the Elwood school board to introduce Assembly Bill A4254 to restore Foundation Aid to specifically aid school districts such as Elwood. Additionally, while Long Island educates 17 percent of New York State’s students, it only receives roughly 13 percent of the state’s education funds. Ensuring Long Island receives its fair share of state aid, eliminating the burdensome Gap Elimination Adjustment, and decreasing unfunded mandates placed on our schools will provide great relief even under the property tax cap.

I believe the best means of addressing this issue is through education. We have a wonderful resource in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, which has flotillas throughout the state. Last year, I helped organize a Vessel Safety Check & Boating Awareness Day. The U.S. Coast Guard, both active and auxiliary, were on hand to not only inspect vessels, but to answer a wide variety of questions and concerns of the participants. With respect to our water quality, I have become educated on the threats posed by various pollutants, particularly nitrogen, and I will make sure Albany addresses this appropriately.

The cleaner our waters are, the healthier we are, and this will ultimately enhance our recreational use of this invaluable resource.

In response to this terrible tragedy on July 4, 2012, I worked with the Greater Huntington Council of Yacht and Boating Clubs to introduce Assembly Bill A8280 which would amend the NYS Navigation Law in reference to boating standards, educational requirements, and age requirements for operating a motorized water craft in marine/tidal waters. While the fight for this legislation goes on, I am hopeful we will ensure safety in our waterways.

Home to a large and active boating community, the issue of boating safety hits home here, especially following the July 4, 2012 death of three local children on the water. What steps will you take to promote safer boating, cleaner waters and an enhanced recreational experience?

What will you on a state level to help our downtowns economically?

On the state level, I will continue to fight for meaningful incentives to not only bring new businesses to our downtowns, but for existing ones to stay.

Some of the best incentives are tax rebates and keeping the neighborhoods free of crime and other hazards.

I have sponsored many initiatives including the Small Business Improvement Act of 2011, which designated significant economic development projects such as micro-enterprise education grants, the county main street matching grant infrastructure fund and the downtown development initiative grant program fund. I intend to support similar plans during the upcoming legislative session.

Additionally, the New York State Regional Economic Development Councils work with localities to implement strategic economic development plans.

Dominic Feeney (D) 10th Assembly District

Editor’s Note: Mr. Feeney is running against Mr. Lupinacci. Mr. Feeney did not respond in time to participate in this edition’s election guide.

Check our website at www.longislandernews.com for up-to-date election information.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A17

ELECTIONGuide 2014 District Court Judge Vote for three Patricia Grant Flynn (D, C, I, WF) Born and raised in Brentwood, my family owned a business, and my family lived above the business. My father, Michael J. Grant, was elected to the first Suffolk County Legislature in 1969. I attended Notre Dame of Maryland University, Baltimore, Maryland and Touro Law School (top 15 percent of my class). I graduated law school in December 1984 and was admitted to the Bar in 1985.

I have been married for 32 years to Robert J. Flynn, Jr., a local attorney. We have resided in Northport since 1982 raising our three children. My father-in-law was the late Robert J. Flynn, the former Supervisor of the Town of Huntington, who was instrumental laying the foundation for the Huntington we know today.

After admission to the New York Bar, I was employed for six years as an attorney in the Suffolk County District Court where I worked on every type of criminal proceeding imaginable.

Thereafter, in private practice, I handled landlord/tenant matters, town code violations and civil matters in district court. In 2006, I became an Assistant Town Attorney in Huntington. In this role, I have worked tirelessly on quality of life issues facing town residents, specifically the implementation of the blight program to help rid the town of deteriorating houses.

I am proud of the role I play in helping to keep Huntington the beautiful Town it is today.

I am a member of the Suffolk County Bar Association and have been a volunteer judge for the SCBA high school

moot court competition, Tr u s t e e - N o r t h p o r t - E a s t Northport Library Board of Trustees, Religious Education teacher, and Suffolk County Community College Paralegal Advisory Board Member.

I believe I have established a reputation as an honest and intelligent person. My experience as a hardworking attorney working on District Court matters for 29 years and as an active member of my community has led me to pursue my dream of becoming a judge.

Steve Hackeling Incumbent (R, I, Green) H o n .

S t e v e Hackeling brings over 30 years of experience as legal experience as a judge and an attorney in prior practice to the bench, as well as service to Huntington township.

The former town councilman and Suffolk County Legislator, who served as the body’s presiding officer, first made his way to the District Court bench after being appointed in 2002.

Hackeling received his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and went on to earn his J.D. from Albany Law School. He went into private practice in 1983 as an attorney in the firm Macco, Hackleing and Stein.

In his private life, Hackleing is a recipient of the Suffolk County Bar Association’s Pro Bono award in 1997; a Historic Preservation award from the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum; and the Nature Conservation/North Fork Environment Council Award for outstanding commitment to open space preservation in 1998.

Hackeling has also been honored by the American Cancer Society with its Fight for Clean Air award in

1995, and has been recognized by the American Red Cross with its certificate of appreciation for community service in 1998.

The judge is involved in the Northport Youth Center and serves as a Huntington/Cold Spring Harbor soccer coach; is a coach in the Eaton’s Neck and St. Hugh of Lincoln basketball leagues and is a lacrosse coach for the Huntington/Cold Spring Harbor and Northport PAL leagues.

Paul Hensley Incumbent (C, D, WF) Hon. Paul H e n s l e y, first elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2008, is running for re-election on the Conservative, Democratic and Working Families lines.

Judge Hensley is the current president of the Suffolk County District Court Judges Association. He was voted Judge of the Year in 2013 by the Suffolk County Criminal Bar Association, an association of prosecutors, judges and defense attorneys. Judge Hensley is rated in the top 10 judges in the New York.

He is known for handling a tremendous volume of criminal and civil cases as an attorney in private practice, prosecutor and District Court judge. Judge Hensley is a former prosecutor and has 28 years of legal experience. He has been found “Qualified” by the Suffolk County Bar Association, their highest rating. He has also been found “Qualified” by the Independent Judicial Qualification Committee for the Tenth Judicial District.

He has been married to Frances Radman for 24 years, and they have two children, Victoria and Elizabeth.

Walter D. Long, Jr. (R, Green) I’m running for District Court Judge in the Town of Huntington. After graduating

Half Hollow Hills High School, I joined the U n i t e d S t a t e s M a r i n e Corp and served in Vietnam where I received two purple hearts. I attended St. John’s Law School and after graduating, I was hired as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office where I served for four years. I started my own law business in 1981 and continue it today. I am a trial attorney and have tried cases from traffic tickets to homicides. I’ve tried 150 criminal cases in the first 10 years of practice, most being major felonies. My practice now includes personal injury, civil, matrimonial and family court trials. I was also selected to be on the Law Guardian Panel in Suffolk Family Court.

With the ever-expanding specialty courts, i.e. Drug Court, Domestic Violence Court, Mental Health Court and Veterans Court, the role of District Court Judge must be flexible and commensurate with these demands. I have defended clients in every aspect of both the District and Family Court, and feel confident that this experience will work to the advantage of the public, the courts and the Town of Huntington.

I am a member of the Suffolk County Bar Association. The majority of my civic work is related to veterans’ issues. It gives me insight into the problems handled by Veterans Court, which I would like to participate in if elected.

I have counseled my clients for 33 years and have helped and assisted them with their cases and argued their causes before the very court for which I seek election. I feel that this experience qualifies me to seek this position, and I ask you to elect me District Court Judge on Nov. 4.

Jim Matthews (D, C, I, WF) I am a candidate f o r District Court Judge, and I am asking for your vote on Election Day, Nov. 4. I have been a practicing attorney for 32 years and believe my job has been to serve my clients, to try my best to resolve their legal need in the best way possible for the least cost, always returning phone calls.

You deserve a judge who will treat everyone with respect, listen to all of legal arguments with an open mind and render a fair and just decision.

Like many of you, I worked my way through college and law school while my parents worked very hard to support our family. I know the importance of working hard and doing the best I can.

I have served as Huntington Town Attorney, Northport Village Attorney, and have appeared before the state and federal courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States, on behalf of my diverse clients, both corporate and personal.

I am committed to my family and my community.

My wife, Tricia, and I have been married for 28 years.

We have three children, Kelsey, 20, Julie, 17, and Aidar, 11. I am a volunteer at my church, Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in Centerport. I have served as Grand Marshal of the Huntington Hiberians’ St. Patrick’s Day Parade and have volunteered as a soccer coach for over 10 years. As Huntington Town Attorney I authored laws to restrict pornographic adult uses in the town and to start the town’s landmark open space preservation program.

I believe in our community and want to do my part to make it a better place for all of us and for the next generation.

(Continued on page A18)

A18 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014

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HALF HOLLOW HILLS

National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists Honored Many academically talented Half Hollow Hills seniors earned the rank of semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program, and now compete for one of the $2,500 scholarships awarded in the spring to National Merit Finalists.

Semifinalists are chosen based on the scores they received on the 2013 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), taken in 11th grade. The nationwide pool of semifinalists represent less than on percent of all U.S. high school seniors.

Students from Half Hollow Hills High School West were: Alexander Bass, Rose Bender, Liana He, Sabrina Kim, Brandon Nomberg and Joshua Wende.

Students from Half Hollow Hills High School East were: Grant M. Berland, Judy M. Chen, Justin T. Estreicher, Jacob S. Goldberg, Zachary Goldstein,Anja S. Kenagy, Suzanne M. Norris, Heesu Shin, Jenny T. Truong, JoannaY. Wang, Akash Wasil and Michelle M. Zhao.

National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalists are honored at the Oct. 20 Half Hollow Hills school board meeting.

Your guide to judicial races (Continued from page A18)

Paul Senzer (R, Green) I’m an experienced citizen judge in Northport Village with a 20-year track record in Huntington’s busiest local criminal court. Sharing concurrent jurisdiction with the District Court, I preside in cases prosecuted by the Suffolk County District Attorney, set bail, issue orders of protection, conduct jury trials and hold the guilty accountable for criminal misconduct when warranted.

I am proud to have been endorsed for District Court by the New York State Troopers PBA and to have earned a rating of “Highly Qualified” in 2014 from the New York State Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission.

Local voters know me as fair, impartial and unbiased – a totally independent free agent, untethered to any organized party. They have returned me to office six times since 1994 and I take their solemn trust, their judgeship and my role in the community seriously.

As a sitting judge, I am not permitted to participate in political activity and have never been a committeeman, party official or member of any political club. When it comes to electing a judge, that’s a good thing – especially now. In 2013, I received a merit appointment to serve as a trial judge at the county

level – one of the first judicial hearing officers at Suffolk’s new Traffic Agency in Hauppauge. There, I conduct hundreds of pro se and attorney trials with all levels of law enforcement – state, county and local. In both judicial venues, the parties I meet are sometimes in custody, often in turmoil and really don’t want to be in court. In all cases, my goal is to do substantial justice, to elevate and not demean, to preside with humility, to let lawyers do their jobs and give people a fair shake – especially our young people, many of whom need a firm push and a little judicial encouragement to go on and lead productive lives.

Family Court Judges Vote for one

numerous presentations concerning the procedures and practices of the Sex Offense Court and has been an invited participant at national conferences held by the U.S. Department of Justice and the National Judicial College.

Judge Kahn previously served as a Court Attorney in the Law Department of the Supreme Court in Queens County. She is an honors graduate of Queens College of the City University of New York and obtained her law degree from Boston University School of Law. Professional memberships include the Suffolk County Bar Association and the Suffolk County Criminal Bar Association.

Supreme Court Judges Vote for any six

Barbara Kahn (D, R) Judge Barbara Kahn has been a member of the judiciary for the last 18 years. She was first elected to the District Court from the Town of Huntington in 1996 and was reelected to a second term in 2001.

In 2005 Judge Kahn was elected to the County Court and for the past seven years has been the presiding judge of the Sex Offense Court for Suffolk County. She has given

Sandra L. Sgroi Incumbent Judge (D, R, C, WF, I) I am running for re-election to the New York State Supreme Court, having been first elected to the position of Supreme Court Justice in November of 2000.

Prior to assuming the Supreme Court bench, from 1997-2000 I served in the position of District

Court Judge, elected from the Fourth District, Town of Smithtown.

From 1992-1997 I served as a councilwoman for the Town of Smithtown, having been elected to two terms, and from 1984-1996, I served as an Assistant Town Attorney, and then Town Attorney for Smithtown, the first woman appointed to that position.

In October of 2009 I was appointed by then Gov. David Paterson to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Second Judicial Department, where I currently serve as an Associate Justice.

I have been found “Qualified” by the Suffolk County Bar Association and “Highly Qualified” for the position of Supreme Court Justice by the NYS Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission.

I am a member of the New York State Bar Association, Suffolk County Bar Association, Suffolk County Women’s Bar Association, Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York, National Association of Women Judges and the Association of Supreme Court Justices of the State of New York.

I reside in St. James with my husband, Joseph.

I am a Past President of the Smithtown Rotary Club and former member of the Smithtown Veteran’s Youth Program.

I am endorsed by the Suffolk County Correction Officer’s Association.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A19

A20 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014

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By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

For years, Greenlawn’s Brian O'Keefe has worked on the managerial side of the car business. But, long before that, O’Keefe had a passion for a different type of business: delis. “[Before cars] I was in the deli business since I was 11 years old… I just like the business; it’s nice, it’s fun,” O’Keefe, former owner of Huntington Park Deli through the 1990s, said. “I just got tired of [cars]… And lo and behold here we are.”

Now, O’Keefe has taken back to his deli roots in the form of Harbor Provisions, found in Centerport at 109 Mill Dam Road. Formerly V & F Meat Center and Country Market, O’Keefe prides his shop on offering a little bit of everything.

“Whatever you need you can come in here and get… [And] if my customers have suggestions of things they want me to get, I will get them,” O’Keefe said. “It’s an all-in-one market… We have produce, all market stuff like groceries, a deli department and a butcher department.”

Beer is also on the menu, with cans and bottles currently available from several vendors and only more to come,

Long Islander News photo/Andrew Wroblewski

BUSINESS Down By The Harbor, Good Food Is A Provision

Brian O'Keefe, owner of Harbor Provisions – formerly V&F Market – smiles for a picture in his one-stop-shop on Mill Dam Road in Centerport. said O’Keefe.

A stone’s throw away from Centerport Harbor, Harbor Provisions has come into, what O’Keefe said is, a welcoming neighborhood.

“It’s a perfect small town… like a ‘Mayberry R.F.D.’ type of thing,” he said. “Everybody is so close knit, they look out for each other and I like that… just a tight community setup.”

To help service that community, not only does Harbor Provisions offer a cozy, homey environment in which you can sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee, but it’s also a perfect spot for breakfast, lunch and dinner. With specials – like a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich with a small coffee for $2.99 or a “Hero of the Day” with a small salad and 16 oz. ice tea or

lemonade for $4.99 – offering a great variety, for a low price, Harbor Provisions always hits the spot.

And with Thanksgiving approaching, O’Keefe said he and his crew can even take care of all the hectic cooking that usually accompanies the holiday season.

“We offer catering for all occasions, big parties, small parties – I can put a wait staff together and get that set up for you at any time,” he said.

“Turkeys… 6-foot heroes, fruit and veggies platters… Everything is here.”

Along with his chefs and staff, O’Keefe has kept his business in the family. His wife, Carolyn, works the books and “behind the scenes” aspects, but steps in on the weekends as a cashier; their 9-year-old daughter helps, too. It’s a “family oriented business,” he said.

Open Monday through Saturday, from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sundays from 8 a.m.-5 a.m., no matter the meal, Harbor Provisions will make sure it tastes great.

Harbor Provisions 109 Mill Dam Road, Centerport (631) 421-7264

Is Your Business A Good Corporate Citizen?

By Mindy F. Wolfle info@longislandergroup.com

Giving back to the communities in which we live and work is not just a mantra. It is at the core of what is known as “corporate social responsibility” or CSR, the obligation of an organization for how its decisions and activities have an impact on society, the environment and its own prosperity, known as the “triple bottom line” of people, planet and profit.

Some years back, I was among those attending the presentation of a prominent economist. When it was time for questions from the audience, I stated that at the crux of my business was the concept of giving back. His reply to me was terse: that business exists entirely to make money. He couldn’t have been more wrong in his exclusion of the better good of our world, both locally and globally.

As stated by Gail Monaco, the senior director of corporate philanthropy at Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York, “We benefit greatly from the corporate social responsibility activities of considerate businesses, on the local chapter level

as well as nationally. We cannot stress enough the impact and value of CSR efforts on nonprofit organizations such as ours and on communities large and small. We strive to provide a variety of CSR opportunities to ensure that companies and organizations of all sizes can participate and reinvest in their communities,” she said.

Meaningful examples of CSR support at MakeA-Wish, she said, include corporate sponsorships of fundraising events such as the nonprofit’s recent Walk for Wishes in Eisenhower Park; encouraging and empowering employees to give of their time and skills as volunteers; or holding Lunch & Learn presentations at corporate workplaces to educate employees on the nonprofit’s mission and ways to become engaged.

My colleague, Nina McCann, who directs marketing and public relations at Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo & Terrana, LLP, provides us with insights from the business side of the equation.

“Responsible citizenship reflects our commitment to the kinds of principles our clients and our community are implementing and supporting. A clean, healthy work environment makes your employees happier and more productive during the

day,” she said.

With LEED Silver certification, the firm is both an advisor and consumer of sustainable building processes.

“This initiative has also benefitted organizations and causes the firm has supported over the years, including United States Green Building Council of Long Island and Sustainable Long Island,” McCann added.

So, what does it all mean? Becoming a good corporate citizen takes no more than a vision of what your business can do to improve the earth and its people. No initiative is too small; your unique contribution makes all the difference for your employees, your community, your reputation, and indeed, your bottom line.

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 Vishnick McGovern Milizio, LLP, and an instructor of business writing and not-for-profit marketing in Hofstra University’s continuing education program.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A21

BUSINESS The ‘Art’ Of The Public-Private Partnership More than ever, municipalities and businesses team up, to each’s benefit

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

A year ago this November, the former home of the South Huntington Public Library, at the corner of Depot Road and North Melville Road in Huntington Station, lay fallow – a vacant property owned by the South Huntington School District.

On Saturday, it was a hub of patriotism, art, music and dance as the Spirit of Huntington Art Center hosted a celebration to dedicate a mural of George Washington’s 1790 visit to Huntington, which now hangs on the former library’s exterior wall.

It’s all thanks to a public-private partnership between the art center, South Huntington School District leaders and several carefully chosen businesses that have now set up shop in portions of the

24,000 square-foot building.

South Huntington Superintendent Dave Bennardo said public-private partnerships are the wave of the future, especially as municipalities grapple with an unforgiving state tax levy cap.

“What happens is you need more creative partnerships,” Bennardo said.

“You want to build services… but you also know there’s a limit to how much you can keep going back to the taxpayer. These partnerships enable you to grow your programs without burdening homeowners, and it’s the way to go.”

School districts and local government alike are getting in on the publicprivate partnership act in growing numbers. Huntington and South Huntington schools have worked closely with Huntington Station-based TEQ, a professional development and tech(Continued on page A31)

South Huntington Superintendent Dave Bennardo and New Media CEO Michael Kitakis have penned a unique public-private partnership that puts a once-vacant library building to use in Huntington Station.

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e i d o o F THE

SECTION

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A22 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014

DINEHUNTINGTON .COM

Porto Vivo Dazzles

By Arielle & Daniel foodies@longislandergroup.com

The distinctive characteristics of Huntington’s Porto Vivo are the details of its atmosphere.

Menus come on iPads in leather-like cases, save for the paper list of specials.

Just past the door hang futuristic lighting fixtures, the candlestick-like lights framed by a cage of metal rectangles.

The sinks – in the women's bathroom, at least – are surrounded by glittering stone seas colored topaz and beige.

Porto Vivo opened in 2009, when a Gerard Street antiques warehouse became a multilevel restaurant.

Its creator, Joy Mangano, is also the inventor creator of a dynasty of handy Home Shopping Network products, including “Huggable Hangers.”

The Porto Vivo menu features typical Italian pizzettes and pastas, as well as a slew of complex options.

A foil to a list of pasta dishes rich and heavy with cream, the Ahi Tuna Tartare "B.L.T." appetizer ($13) is fresh and lemony, a result of the presence of East Asian citrus fruit Yuzu. A cube striped green – the avocado puree – and pink – the raw tuna and diced tomato – is textured by shredded Romaine lettuce and well-done pancetta.

The Crispy Gnocchi ($15), served in a lobster Bolognese, is made in-house with ricotta cheese.

Less doughy than the traditional gnocchi, the appetizer holds true to the “crispy” in its name.

The Buffalo Mozzarella Tortelloni ($22), served in a shallow pool of truffle crema, dotted with peas, sprinkled with parmesan shavings and garnished with pancetta, is soft and creamy. Each piece is a cheese-filled pillow. The cheese, made of the milk of water buffalo, is moist, more fluid than may be expected.

The Pan Seared Salmon ($27)

looks like a scene from the depths of a forest. A piece of pink fish is surrounded by greens and pancetta, bordered on one side by crispy olive oil-poached fingerling potatoes and on the opposite side by a smear of purple mustard.

The Lobster Raviolo ($26) is a dish that combines sheep's milk ricotta, smoked mozzarella, egg yolk, asparagus and shaved black truffles. When one takes fork or knife to pasta piece, slicing into its center, the egg yolk pours onto the plate.

One of Porto Vivo's desserts is a won-

Pictured: Chef Joseph Balbo and manager, Ben, in the chic restaurant.

The Crispy Gnocci, in lobster Bolognese, earns its name – it is less doughy and crispier than the traditional gnocchi. derful Chocolate Soufflé ($13), which requires 30 minutes of prep time; it is everything a dessert 30 minutes in the making should be.

Warm and moist at its core, the soufflé is well worth the caloric intake.

The Creme Brûlée ($9), served in a different flavor each day, was vanilla last Friday night. With a thicker consistency than the typical creme brûlée, like a sort of stiff pudding, and a vaguely minty aftertaste, the dessert is not quite traditional.

Also erring on the side of the untraditional is the Tiramisu ($10).

A narrow rectangular dish serves as the backdrop for three circular displays: a tiny cup of coffee, a pile of strawberries underneath a whipped cream cap and a raspberry drizzle, and a glass of Mascarpone and cake that wears a crisscrossed Lady Finger garnish.

Even when dessert is over, the restaurant is vibrant with live music coming from the mid-level bar, and an environment heavy with dark wood is illuminated by glowing yellow light.

Pan Seared Salmon is a work of art.

Porto Vivo 7 Gerard Street, Huntington 631-385-8486 Atmosphere – Upscale but cozy Cuisine – Italian Price – Moderate/high Hours – : Monday: closed; TuesdayThursday: 4:30-10 p.m.; Friday: 4:30-11 p.m.; Saturday: 2:30-11 p.m.; and Sunday: 2:30-9 p.m.

Tiramisu at Porto Vivo does not quite look like the traditional version of the dessert.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A23

A24 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014

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Side Dish www.facebook.com/dinehuntington

DINEHUNTINGTON .COM FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR: Reward yourself af- join in, just remember – sign-in’s at 7;

ter a long week with half-priced sushi in the bar areas from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and live acoustic music from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at one of the top happy hours on the water.

Catch the sunset at Prime – An American Kitchen & Bar (117 New York Ave., Huntington, 631-385-1515 restaurantprime.com).

Nov. 7: Live music by Richie Goomba and Cosmo; Nov. 14: Live music byThe Moonlighters.

performances begin a half-hour later.

Bring your instruments, bring your appetite for fabulous pastries and coffee, and remember – original songs only.

GET A GRAVY POT: Whether you call it

sauce or gravy, Mascali Restaurant (277 Larkfield Road, East Northport, 631-757-2404, www.mascalirestaurant.com) has a deal for

Who doesn’t love halfprice sushi at Prime for Friday Happy Hour?

ROCK ON: Congrats

to Toby Tobias, who has turned Northport’s Caffe Portofino (249 Main St., Northport 631-262-7656 www.caffeportofino11768.com) into a hub every Wednesday night for live original acoustic performances. They marked the one-year anniversary of that special open mic night on Oct. 22, and they’re marching on boldly into year 2. If you’d like to

you. For $39.99, a Sunday Gravy Dinner Pot’s got all you need to serve 4-5 people. The stainless steel pot includes homemade tomato sauce, one beef braciole with pignoli nuts, two pork braciole, three sausage, meatballs and 2 pounds of fresh-cut, homemade semolina pasta. Available seven days a week. ($30 refundable cash deposit on the pot.)All the deliciousness and none of the work!

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A25

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

Town Commack Melville E. Northport Huntington Sta Commack Huntington Sta Centerport Northport Northport Huntington Melville Commack Northport E. Northport Huntington E. Northport E. Northport Huntington Huntington Centerport Centerport Huntington Greenlawn Huntington Huntington Huntington Melville

COMMACK

HUNTINGTON STATION

MELVILLE

12 Roberta Ln Bedrooms 3 Baths 2 Price $402,500 Taxes $10,533 Open House 10/30 12:00pm-1:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-941-3100

168 Pidgeon Hill Rd Bedrooms 2 Baths 2 Price $499,000 Taxes $8,034 Open House 11/1 12:30pm-2:30pm Better Homes & Gardens RE AS631-427-0010

1 Vista Ln Bedrooms 5 Baths 4 Price $929,500 Taxes $19,901 Open House 11/2 12:00pm-2:00pm Douglas Elliman Real Estate 516-921-2262

Address Beds 12 Roberta Ln 3 4 Legends Cir 6 212 Cedar Rd 4 27 Nevinwood Pl 4 12 Dovecote Ln 4 168 Pidgeon Hill Rd 2 18 Marys Ln 3 86 Locust Ln 4 75 Locust Ln 5 37 Clark St 5 24 Suydam Dr 3 22 Kings Park Rd 3 62 Burt Ave 3 66 Catherine St 4 12 Queens St 3 17 S Mansfield Ln 5 29 Caton St 4 34 Cedar Dr 3 11 Glenna Little Trl 3 31 Forest Dr 3 235 Mckinley Ter 3 9 Blue Grass Ct 5 111 Darrow Ln 6 33 Green Meadow Ln 3 31 Brookhill Ln 4 175 Huntington Bay Rd 3 1 Vista Ln 5

Baths Price 2 $402,500 7 $2,395,000 2 $299,000 3 $459,000 2 $465,000 2 $499,000 3 $525,000 4 $799,000 5 $1,299,000 2 $359,000 2 $385,000 3 $434,999 1 $449,000 3 $479,000 2 $489,000 3 $499,900 2 $499,999 2 $510,000 2 $529,000 3 $544,900 2 $568,900 3 $579,000 3 $639,000 2 $779,000 3 $789,000 4 $849,000 4 $929,500

Taxes $10,533 $36,316 $13,494 $13,642 $11,758 $8,034 $12,015 $15,007 $18,596 $11,704 $11,821 $13,523 $6,849 $9,996 $8,391 $13,527 $11,790 $10,476 $8,074 $10,852 $11,018 $17,364 $15,287 $16,135 $17,489 $17,239 $19,901

10/30 10/30 11/1 11/1 11/1 11/1 11/1 11/1 11/1 11/2 11/2 11/2 11/2 11/2 11/2 11/2 11/2 11/2 11/2 11/2 11/2 11/2 11/2 11/2 11/2 11/2 11/2

DateTime 12:00pm-1:30pm 12:00pm-1:30pm 12:00pm-2:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 12:00pm-2:00pm 12:30pm-2:30pm 12:00pm-2:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-4:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 12:00pm-2:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 12:00pm-2:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 2:00pm-4:00pm 2:30pm-4:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 12:30pm-2:00pm 12:00pm-2:00pm

Broker Coldwell Banker Residential Realty Connect USA LLC Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Coldwell Banker Residential Coldwell Banker Residential Better Homes & Gardens RE AS Coldwell Banker Residential Signature Premier Properties Signature Premier Properties Realty Connect USA LLC Coldwell Banker Residential Douglas Elliman Real Estate Realty Connect USA LLC Douglas Elliman Real Estate Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Realty Executives North Shore Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Signature Premier Properties Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Douglas Elliman Real Estate Douglas Elliman Real Estate Douglas Elliman Real Estate Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Realty Connect USA LLC Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Phone 631-941-3100 888-236-6319 631-567-8500 631-673-6800 631-863-9800 631-427-0010 631-754-4800 631-673-3700 631-673-3700 888-236-6319 631-863-9800 631-499-9191 877-647-1092 631-549-4400 631-673-2222 631-499-4040 631-499-1000 631-673-2222 631-673-3700 631-673-2222 631-549-4400 631-549-4400 631-261-6800 631-673-2222 877-647-1092 631-427-1200 516-921-2262

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A26 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014

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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Changes Coming To Rental Proposal Revised plan removes penalties for tenants; new hearing set for December Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

Proposed legislation aimed at requiring owners of rental houses in which they do not live to submit to a yearly inspection to get a permit from Huntington Town Hall is being revised, the measure’s sponsor said during a town board meeting Oct. 21.

Councilwoman Tracey Edwards said the revised proposal will eliminate fines that could have been levied against tenants who live in an unregistered rental home.

It’s a change supported by the Huntington Township Housing Coalition, which also called for a six-month grace period for landlords to get their homes up to code, 10 business days to complete an inspection, and 15 days to have an application filed and approved.

“Otherwise, it’s good legislation and it’s long overdue,” said Richard Koubek, the organization’s president.

Edwards also said the proposed minimum first-offense penalty for brokers and landlords will be reduced by $100, to $150. Due to the extent of the changes, a second public hearing for the legislation will be held in December.

Under the amended proposal, a permit for a “class I” home, classified as a one- or two-family house and buildings providing up to three dwelling units, would cost $475 per property, per year. A “class II” home – which includes multi-family residential buildings of four or more units, hotels, motels, bed-and-

Huntington Station’s Rich McGrath speaks in favor of new regulations proposed to govern rental housing during last week’s town board meeting. breakfasts, boarding houses and all other multi-unit residential buildings – are $750 each.

Currently, Edwards said, owneroccupied accessory apartments are also subjected to those inspections and higher fees. However, owners of rental homes do not have to have routine inspections and must pay only $75 to place the home on a town registry. The councilwoman argues her proposal would creatr greater parity between the two in

town code.

Landlords who rent homes without a permit would be subject to escalating fines and possibly jail time; Edwards’ proposal would also make it illegal for real estate agents to list or show rental properties that do not have a permit, and brokers who show and rent illegal apartments are also subject to fines. Under the code, permits and renewals will not be issued until the property complies with town code.

Huntington Station’s Rich McGrath, who served on the Huntington school board for 15 years and has long been a vocal critic of illegal housing, argued that Edwards’ proposal would benefit the Huntington Station community by cracking down on absentee landlords.

“The landlords will say, ‘I have rights, I have rights.’ You know whose rights I care about? I care about the tenants; I care about the guy next door who put all his money in the house; I care about the street; I care about the neighborhood,” McGrath said.

Properties owned by the government, the Huntington Housing Authority and any affordable housing unit for which a plan has been or is being filed with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are exempt.

Several speakers at the packed town board meeting decided to wait until December to weigh in. Hundreds were in attendance following a rally sparked by the stabbing death of Maggie Rosales, an 18year-old Walt Whitman High School senior.

“Nothing matters except how these people feel for Maggie,” realtor Jasmine LoFaro said, to applause. “If you only took a little time aside before this meeting, this would have been all been taken care of.

And all the others that we lost this year in Huntington Station… my heart breaks for her. I don’t even know her. And I can’t even care about real estate or rentals right now.”

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Pushback, Praise For $189M Town Budget Plan

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

A proposed tax increase in Supervisor Frank Petrone’s 2015 town budget was met with some pushback during a town budget hearing Oct. 21.

Petrone’s nearly $189-million proposed town budget for 2015 calls for a 2.9-percent tax increase, which, paired with other savings, calls for maintaining town services at current levels.

The tax increase would amount to about $65 per Huntington home on average; an anticipated tax rebate to

taxpayers in municipalities that have continually adhered to the state tax cap is expected to soften that increase some.

But Jim Darcy, a construction worker and electrician, said more taxes will force him and others out of Huntington just like they did his parents. He called for the town to cut spending before raising taxes and fees.

“I’m barely affording to live here.

I’ve lived here all my life. I’m retiring next year – I’ve got to leave Huntington and go south because I can’t afford $1,000 a month in taxes,” he said. “It’s out of control. The government’s out

of control. Federal, state, all the way down to you. Spending has to stop…

I would like to know where I could go to find out where you’re spending our money.”

Another speaker pushed the town for more details on the $2.1 million in proposed roadway restoration spending earmarked in a bond for the town highway department.

Meanwhile, Martin Targett, president of the Dix Hills Soccer Club, praised the town for including $2 million in proposed funding for Burr’s Lane Park, which will include a pair of turf fields built on the site of the for-

mer Erb Farm in Dix Hills. The park and field house would allow for weeklong access to bathroom facilities and storage and allow for more consistent field schedules that are unobstructed by school activities.

The combination, he said, would enrich the lives of children throughout the town.

“What the building and the development of the Burrs Lane project will bring to this community and to the Dix Hills Soccer Club is a place to call home for the majority of our activities, something that this club has been lacking,” he said.

www.LongIslanderNews.com

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A27

Long Islander News photos/Arielle Dollinger

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Debbie Gibson, the youngest person to write, produce and perform a No. 1 hit song, attended the event with Dr. Rutledge.

Darryl “DMC” McDaniels received the Harry Chapin Award this year.

County Executive Steve Bellone spoke of the importance of the Long Island Music Hall of Fame museum coming to Wyandanch.

Billy Joel Band guitarist Russell Javors poses for photos on the red carpet.

Billy Joel Band guitarist Russell Javors poses for photos on the red carpet.

MUSIC

Paramount Hosts LI Music Hall of Fame Gala

By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com

The Paramount saw a slew of musicians last Thursday night when the venue hosted the Long Island Music Hall of Fame Red Carpet Fundraising Gala – an event that, along with performances by The Billy Joel Band, Jen Chapin and Run D.M.C.’s Darryl McDaniels and the induction of a new class of honorees, came with the announcement that the hall of fame’s museum would make its home at the Wyandanch Long Island Rail Road station.

“I really associate Long Island

with the arts, for me,” said inductee and singer/songwriter Debbie Gibson, a former Lloyd Neck resident known to be the youngest person to write, produce and perform a No.1 hit. “I was never without a stage to perform on [on] Long Island.”

Another former Long Island resident, McDaniels received the Harry Chapin Award.

“What I like about Harry is he said, ‘Don’t just give them free food; teach them how to feed themselves,’” McDaniels said.

McDaniels and Jen Chapin had the crowd on its feet with their rapfolk performance of her father’s

“Cat’s in the Cradle.”

Billy Joel Band members guitarist Russell Javors, the late bassist Doug Stegmeyer, saxophonist Richie Cannata and drummer Liberty DeVitto were each honored as inductees this year, with the surviving members of the band playing together for the first time in 25 years.

Their performance ended the gala with powerful performances of “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” “Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)” and “You May Be Right.”

Also inducted were record company executive Clive Davis, hip-hop

artist Kurtis Blow, music producer Steve Thompson, concert promoter Ron Delsener, lyricist Gerry Goffin and music educator Steven A. Schopp, who was recognized as the Music Educator of Note.

County Executive Steve Bellone spoke of the importance of the museum coming to Wyandanch, which will be “an affirmation of the fact that Wyandanch has risen.”

“We’ve been working on [the] Wyandanch Rising [project] for many years now,” he said, noting that the “cultural arts institution” would be another step in an area “renaissance.”

A28 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014

THURSDAY Red Is For Passion Love the color red and enjoy living it up?

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

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Calendar O M M U N I T Y

Huntington Costume Parade

Join business professionals at BNI Executive Referral Exchange’s breakfast networking meeting every Wednesday, 78:30 a.m. at the Dix Hills Diner, 1800 Jericho Turnpike, Dix Hills. 631-462-7446.

AT THE LIBRARIES Nightmare On Main Street Cold Spring Harbor Library It’s time for a “Nightmare on Main Street,” a Halloween-themed student art exhibit at the Huntington Arts Council’s petite gallery. It opens Thursday, Oct. 30 with a reception from 6-8 p.m. at 213 Main St., Huntington. Wear a costume! On display through Nov. 10. 631-271-8423. www.huntingtonarts.org. Pictured: unnamed pieces by Carmenn Matassa, 10th grade; Kate McHugh, 12th grade.

Steinway Artist Has New Book Meet Carol Montparker, Steinway artist, who will be signing copies of her new book, “The Composer's Landscape,” on Saturday, Nov. 1, 4 p.m. at the Steinway Used Piano Gallery, 505 Walt Whitman Road, Melville.

One Man Show “James Joyce: For All Those Who Hide Away,” a Short Night’s Odyssey from “No to Yes” by Joseph Beck, stars Ed Dennehy. Showing Oct. 31-Nov. 16 at the Conklin Barn, 2 High St., Huntington.

Tickets at brownpapertickets.com/event/850607.

Holiday Craft Fair Get started on your shopping early this holiday season when 40 vendors come to the Harborfields Public Library on Friday, Nov. 7, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 8, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 31 Broadway, Greenlawn. Sponsored by The Friends of the Harborfields Public Library.

SATURDAY Christmas Craft Fair St. Anthony’s High School, 275 Wolf Hill Road, South Huntington, hosts its annual Christmas Craft & Vendor Fair on Nov. 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. with more than 150 vendors, food and raffles. 631-271-2020.

Fresh Eats The Northport Farmers' Market is in 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.

Open Mic Night

Power Breakfast

Restless Souls Haunted House The Restless Souls Haunted House is a tell-tale of the season Friday, Oct. 31 and Saturday, Nov. 1, 6-10 p.m. at West Hills United Methodist Church, Huntington. $5 admission.

Reslesssouls.hauntscheduler.com.

WEDNESDAY 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.

Original songs only.

FRIDAY Calling all ghouls, goblins, and other Halloween creatures! Grab your goodie bags and trick-or-treat in Huntington village as the Town of Huntington sponsors its Annual Children’s Halloween Costume Parade, starting at Gerard Street on Friday, Oct. 31 at 4:15 p.m.

Children of all ages (and their parents or guardians) are welcome to dress in costume and walk in the parade. Meet in front of the Huntington Post Office at 4 p.m. The Huntington Business Improvement District in cooperation with village merchants will be sponsoring its “Safe Trick-or-Treat” program where merchants throughout the town will pass out candy. 631-351-2877.

families at the Hauppauge and Freeport emergency pantries. Appointments can be made by contacting jrosati@licares.org.

fortable) 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.

Adult Enrichment Programs

SUNDAY C.S. Lewis Scholar Meet Clara Sarrocco, speaking on “C. S. Lewis, Reluctant Convert.” Sarrocco is the long-time secretary of the New York C.S. Lewis Society. She speaks on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2-4 p.m. in the library at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, 440 West Neck Road, Huntington. For directions or other information, call 631-423-0483 ext. 141 or email libraryweb@icseminary.edu.

The Harborfields Alumni and Community Education Foundation hosts adult enrichment programs: Beginner Bridge, Wednesdays through Dec. 17 (6:30-8:30 p.m.); Crop Paper Scissors Adult Workshop, Nov. 15, Dec. 13 (9 a.m.-12 p.m.); Feng Shui/Bagua Treasure Mapping, Nov. 6 (7-9 p.m.); Intro to Intensati, Nov. 5, 12 (10-11:30 a.m.). Info and tickets at www.hacef.org.

TUESDAY

Find Your Center

Death In America

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. 631-549-1000. www.MeditationOnLongisland.org.

Mount Holyoke College President Lynn Pasquerella, Ph.D. discusses how the biology and concept of death is handled in the American health care system.

Grace Auditorium, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, One Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

The Pumpkin Patch Is Open The Pumpkin Patch is open at Union United Methodist Church at 1018 Pulaski Road in East Northport. Pumpkins, pumpkin treats and pumpkin-themed crafts are available through Oct. 31, Saturdays from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday-Friday from noon-6 p.m. 631261-1303.

MONDAY

95 Harbor Road, Cold Spring Harbor.

631-692-6820. cshlibrary.org.

• Professor Don Parker will discuss the public relations and propaganda that led to the U.S. involvement in World War I, followed by a lighter presentation on humorist James Thurber, New Yorker columnist and illustrator, on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2 p.m. Advance registration is suggested.

• Tonito Valderram’s exhibit “Flight of Higher Learning” features two birds in flight, soaring in the upstairs stairwell of the library. Made from recycled bamboo blinds and rice paper, Valderrama’s work expresses the complex relationships between humankind and nature. On display through Jan. 15, 2015.

Commack Public Library 18 Hauppauge Road, Commack. 631499-0888. commack.suffolk.lib.ny.us.

• Enjoy a friendly game of bridge or mah-jongg in the Community Room every Friday, from 1-5:30 p.m.

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

Deer Park Public Library 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 funfilled 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.

Live Music

Argentine Tango Classes

Free Help For Vets

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!

Experience the subtle communication between partners as you learn the passionate dance known as the tango.

Come dressed to impress (but be com-

Every Tuesday from 12-4 p.m. is “Military Appreciation Tuesdays,” when Long Island Cares specifically assists veterans, military personnel and their

3027 Jericho Turnpike, Elwood. 631499-3722. www.elwoodlibrary.org.

• Watch the library’s weekly Friday afternoon movie at 1 p.m.

Half Hollow Hills Community Library Dix Hills: 55 Vanderbilt Parkway. 631421-4530; Melville: 510 Sweet Hollow Road. 631-421-4535. hhhlibrary.org.

• 3D printing is here! Watch the MakerBot in action for 50 cents of printing for each 30 minutes. For more information, call the Adult Reference Desk.

• The library is currently forming a Chamber Music Ensemble led by Mr.

(Continued on page A29)

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A29 • 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.

(Continued from page A28) Stanley Stock, retired music teacher and is looking for musicians. For more information and to register, call 631498-1229.

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

• Larry Elman, HIICAP Counselor for the Suffolk County Office for the Aging, is available on a first-come, first-served basis to discuss Medicare Services and more on Wednesday, Nov. 5. 1 p.m.

Huntington Arts Council

Huntington Public Library Main Branch: 338 Main St., Huntington.

631-427-5165. Station Branch: 1335 New York Ave., Huntington Station. 631421-5053. www thehuntingtonlibrary.org.

• Op-Ed Fridays are weekly at the main branch. Stop by from 2-5 p.m. and discuss your thoughts on a changing world. Registration is required and light refreshments will be served.

Northport-East Northport Public Library Northport: 151 Laurel Ave. 631-2616930. East Northport: 185 Larkfield Road. 631-261-2313. www.nenpl.org.

• Joe Sledge, Public Affairs Officer at the Northport Veterans Administration Medical Center, will describe health care benefits and other services available to veterans. The presentation will benefit veterans of all eras of military service, and may also be helpful to the families of veterans, on Thursday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m.

South Huntington Public Library 145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station. 631-549-4411. www.shpl.info.

• The Friends of the Library are co-hosting their annual Big Band Veterans Tribute on Sunday, Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. featuring the toe-tapping sounds of the Swingtime Big Band. South Huntington cardholders can get free tickets.

THEATER/FILM Bare Bones Theater 57 Main St., Northport. barebonestheater.com. 631-606-0026.

• A long overdue family confrontation unfolds with poignant humor against the backdrop of World War II in Neil Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers.” The show runs through Sunday, Nov. 2.

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

• The new digital restoration personally approved by Cinematographer Dean Cundey, John Carpenter’s slasher classic and holiday staple “Halloween” starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis comes to the CAC for a spooktacular Halloween night in CAC’s monthly Freaky Friday Night Series on Friday, Oct. 31 at 11 p.m. $6 members/$11 public.

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

• The theater presents “Evita,” one of the most passionate and colorful musicals

The Game’s Afoot The Minstrel Players of Northport present the Long Island premiere of Ken Ludwig's 2012 Edgar Award-winning play for Best Mystery, “The Game's Afoot,” a follow-up to Ludwig's "Postmortem" which the Minstrels staged a few years earlier, takes the stage Saturday, Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. $15-$20. at Houghton Hall theatre, Trinity Episcopal Church, 130 Main St., Northport. 631-732-2926. www.minstrelplayers.org. in theater history. Performances run through Nov. 2.

• Take your children to a magical land, “The Wizard of Oz,” Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. through Nov. 2. $15.

The Minstrel Players of Northport.

Houghton Hall theatre, Trinity Episcopal Church, 130 Main St., Northport. 631732-2926. www.minstrelplayers.org.

• The Long Island premiere of Ken Ludwig's 2012 Edgar Award-winning play for Best Mystery, “The Game's Afoot,” a follow-up to Ludwig's "Postmortem" which the Minstrels staged a few years earlier, takes the stage Saturday, Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. $15-$20.

AUDITIONS/SUBMISSIONS Northport Symphony Orchestra The Northport Symphony Orchestra seeks new members in all sections.

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

MUSEUMS/EXHIBITS Art League of Long Island 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.

• Sit in on a free three-hour preview session with Instructor Michelle Palatnik on Atelier Art Portfolio Prep for High School & College, Saturday, Nov. 1, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

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.

• Three exhibits are on view from Oct. 28-Nov. 23: Mary Abrams – a memorial solo exhibit of her never before displayed drawings and works in process; Cindy Schecter – Reflections from the Small Woods; and Exteriors/Interiors – a members-themed exhibit. Reception: Saturday, Nov. 1, 2-5 p.m.

Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum 279 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor.

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

• The year-long exhibit “Sea Ink: American Sailors and Tattoo Art” explores the culture and significance of nautical tattoos and their historical origins from sailors’ lives at sea. The exhibit features an array of tattoo artifacts, antique machines, early inking tools and Sailor Jerry flash art.

Gallery Thirty Seven 12b School Street, Northport. www.gallerythirtyseven.com.

• Through November: Paul Catalanotto polished Fresco artworks; MONDAYS ceramics by Jennifer Fiore and Nina Lalli; John Clement - large-scale, painted steel public sculpture.

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 $6-8/adults, $46/seniors, and $4-5/children; members and children under 10 free.

631-351-3250.

• The Long Island Biennial, a juried exhibition that offers Long Island's contemporary artists an opportunity to share their work, is on display through Nov. 30.

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.

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.

• “Nightmare on Main Street,” a Halloween-themed student art exhibit, opens Thursday, Oct. 30 with a reception from 6-8 p.m. at the Main Street gallery. Wear a costume! On display through Nov. 10.

Huntington Historical Society Main office/library: 209 Main St., Huntington. Museums: Conklin Barn, 2 High St.; Kissam House/Museum Shop, 434 Park Ave.; Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Building, 228 Main St. 631427-7045, ext. 401. www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

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

LaMantia Gallery 127 Main St., Northport Village.

631-754-8414. www.lamantiagallery.com.

• In honor of the 75th anniversary of Dr. Seuss’s second book, “The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins,” a special “Hats Off to Dr. Seuss!” exhibition has been mounted. Audrey S. Geisel, the widow of Dr. Seuss, has opened up the estate’s legendary “hat closet” to allow the public a peek at Dr. Seuss’s hat collection. On display Nov. 8-30, with a special public event Saturday, Nov. 8, 12-6 p.m.

Northport Historical Society Museum 215 Main St., Northport. Museum hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 1-4:30 p.m.

631-757-9859. www.northporthistorical.org.

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

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

10 days prior to publication date.

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

A30 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014

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Residents want answers after violent crimes (Continued from page A7)

first heard updates from Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Suffolk Police Chief James Burke.

Bellone’s introduction was met with boos.

“It’s a moment of opportunity to say, ‘What else can we be doing?

How else can we come together?”

Bellone said.

Burke’s speech, also, was interrupted by several individuals shouting out criticisms.

“It’s our job to strive to prevent crime from happening,” Burke said; but when it does happen, the police have an obligation to elected officials, to the victims’ families and – the “ultimate obligation” – to the victims themselves, he added.

The meeting became one freckled with heckling sessions, as town board members sat calmly and informed their audience that public

portion was to follow routine town board business.

When that time came, the alreadybubbling anger seemed to have reached its boiling point.

“There is so much power in this room, people. So much,” said Huntington resident Aragorn Batsford, waving in the air the papers on which he had been taking notes throughout the meeting. “I can’t even express how disappointed I am.”

Huntington Station resident Jim McGoldrick said that he lives across the street from the spot on Lynch Street where Rosales’ body was found. According to McGoldrick, police arrived at 11:30 p.m. but the investigative team did not arrive until almost six hours later.

“I asked the detective why they haven’t covered or blocked the body of Maggie from our community after eight hours,” McGoldrick said, to

Hodgson at Paramount (Continued from page A1)

said. “I have the best job in the world, making people happy, taking them away for two hours.”

Hodgson and his four-piece band will look to do just that on Nov. 11 as the crew comes to The Paramount for a one-night-only, two-hour show that will feature all of the hits that the Englishman brought to fame with Supertramp.

“If you’re a fan of Supertramp, you’ll love the show since it’s basically my half [of the songs],” Hodgson said, rattling off names of iconic songs like “The Logical Song,” “Dreamer,” and “Breakfast in America” – all of which he composed and sung through the 1970s. “The set list gives everything they want and more… All of the songs have really stood the test of time, and I never get tired of singing them.”

The fall tour for Hodgson will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Supertramp album, “Crime of the Century,” which was certified gold in the United States and will see a rerelease on Dec. 8.

The Paramount is one of seven stops on his tour. Hodgson said he looks forward to seeing what the venue is all about.

“This will be my first time in Huntington… But I expect a great New York loving,” Hodgson, who has played eight different instruments over his career, said. “The crowds [in New York] don’t hold back… But this band is great, it’s

an incredible show. Now that I’m older and wiser I have a real connection with the audience.”

Intimacy with his audience, Hodgson said, was something he lacked during his time with Supertramp. His role with the band ended in 1983 in pursuit of a solo career that spawned three studio albums, also to be featured during his Huntington show.

Now though, he said, he plays to a much “richer” and “deeper” experience, one that has had people coming away with feelings that they can’t get enough of; “It’s really uplifting,” he added.

“I’m a very blessed man… Providing a wonderful escape – that’s what music does,” Hodgson, 64, said. “That’s what my intention is with this show.”

At The Paramount, Hodgson said he looked forward to what he expects will be a close connection with the audience – along with some other perks of the venue. “[An intimate playing environment –] that’s exactly what I like – and good acoustics,” he said. “People are floored by the level of sound that we’re able to churn out through modern technology… It sounds great.”

To experience all of Hodgson’s hits and more, doors open at 7 p.m. and the show will begin at 8 p.m.

Tickets are available from $40-$120.

Visit www.paramountny.com or the box office at 370 New York Ave., Huntington.

gasps from his audience. “I was told it would contaminate the crime scene.”

McGoldrick, who met privately with Councilman Eugene Cook, Supervisor Frank Petrone and the town’s public information officer, A.J. Carter, publicly resolved to be at every town meeting from now on.

“I will make sure Maggie gets her justice,” McGoldrick said.

Kraese, who had addressed the crowd after the march, took to the podium to ask the town: “Tell us: What are you going to do differently now?”

“Our children are now afraid to go to school,” Kraese said. “And their parents are afraid to send them.”

Seth Cannon, Rosales’ pastor at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Huntington Station and a resident of East Northport, said that some members of his congregation are now afraid to travel to church at night.

“The members of our congregation do not feel safe [since Maggie passed away],” he said.

A group of girls who said they were close friends of Rosales stood behind the microphone several times during the meeting, as a

group.

“Seeing that empty seat in front of us and in lunch just breaks my heart,” said Jackie Benitez. “We are teenagers, just like Maggie was, and it could’ve been one of us.

Several who were on the list of speakers during public portion decided not to discuss their respective issues after seeing the community’s outrage about Maggie, deciding that their issues seemed trivial now.

After leaving the meeting room, Maggie’s father, Cesar Rosales, said that he thinks the number of people who attended his daughter’s funeral and the night’s events was a result of an epiphany in the community. The community has arrived at this moment in which they are recognizing that there are people dying on the streets, he said.

Before his daughter’s death, Rosales said, he was not concerned about the area in which his family lives.

“On these streets, previously, I hadn’t [heard about] problems. The problems I’d heard about were on the side of the train station, 11th Street, the [Jack Abrams school],” he said, in mixed Spanish and English.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A31

Ballerina ready for national stage with Radio City (Continued from page A1)

Christine Gavilla, Sarah’s mother, said. “She made it through a bunch of rounds, through all of the cuts until the end… the final cut where they said, ‘We’ll notify you if you’ve been selected.’ Then, in July I received a phone call.”

The call would end up being one the Gavilla family will never forget.

Sarah was cast as Clara in the national tour of the show.

Along with the New York show at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden Entertainment also puts on the Christmas Spectacular in Omaha, Neb. and Houston, Texas.

Sarah will perform in the latter two

shows, as they run through Nov. 13Nov. 30 and Dec. 5-Dec. 28, respectively.

“I’m really excited to start,” Sarah said. “When I was little I used to go to the Radio City shows a lot, probably four or five times, and I loved it. I feel like I might be a little nervous since this will be the biggest stage and biggest audience I’ve ever had, but I think I’ll be able to get over the nerves.”

Christine echoed her daughter’s words, saying that she is “absolutely thrilled” that Sarah was given this opportunity while adding that it’s “a dream come true.”

“There’s only a short time that you can perform this role… It’s a once-

Public-private partners (Continued from page A21)

nology firm that has been a key partner in launching the Jack Abrams and Silas Wood STEM programs.

The Harborfields School District also recently opened the door for direct support of extracurricular activities by businesses by reviving a banner program, which allows businesses and families to sponsor a banner for a specific organization that will receive the lion’s share of the donation. A smaller portion is earmarked for a general activities fund.

And one of the Town of Huntington’s largest initiatives – brick-andmortar revitalization of Huntington Station – is powered by a partnership with for-profit developers Renaissance Downtowns.

In the case of the former library, the building had been empty since Huntington Fine Arts picked up and moved to Greenlawn. Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci, a former member of the South Huntington school board, said the board considered selling the building, but decided against it – a “wise choice,” he said Saturday.

The arrangement has also allowed the Spirit of Huntington Art Center to grow after moving in last November.

The move came after its former home, a converted gas station at the corner of 25A and Park Avenue in Huntington village, became unavailable. At that station, the work of founder Erich Preis began when he started painting on the building a mural honoring the late Len Totora Jr., a Korean War veteran and owner of L&L Camera in the village. He followed with a second work commemorating George Washington’s 1790 visit to Platt’s Tavern, setting the stage for an art center to grow from within.

All of Preis’work is dedicated to the memory of his college roommate, Michael Noeth, who “taught me everything I know about art.” He was killed at the Pentagon during the Sept.

11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Preis’ subsequent work to support homeless veterans with the late Len Totora Jr. and his efforts at the Spirit of Huntington Art Center, which includes services for special-needs children and adults, has been done in Noeth’s honor.

When Pries first recommended the library property to New Media CEO Michael Kitakis, also active in the Spirit of Huntington center, he thought the building was unattainable.

But rather than ask Spirit of Huntington for money, Bennardo and the district allows the center to pay through in-kind extracurricular services. After starting with middle-school students, Spirit of Huntington is offering a highschool portfolio program, providing South Huntington students the guidance they need as they develop art portfolios in traditional and digital media alike.

“What’s so unique is no one’s ever worked so closely from a school district with businesses in the community to offer assistance, training and support,” Pries said.

Other for-profit entities, such as Kitakis’ New Media firm, SAT tutors Dream Tree Academy and Video Design Software, producers of television news ticker software, pay rent to the district, but also contribute by offering internships and tutoring services.

And that, Bennardo said, is what the partnership is all about.

“It’s one thing getting rent. It’s another thing staying in the educational mold and building these community friendships,” the superintendent said.

in-a-lifetime experience for her,” Christine said. “For me, there is nothing greater in life than to see my children happy, and she is so happy that it makes me thrilled for her to have this experience.”

Director of North Shore Studio of Dance Danielle Kimmins, of Huntington Station, taught Sarah during her time at the studio and will also be making the trip down to the Omaha show.

“It’s really the most fulfilling thing to see as a teacher – to have the work you’ve put into a young child as they grow pay off and have them bring it to the stage,” Kimmins, a former Rockette, said. “I couldn’t wait to book a ticket… I’m so excited for

her. I’ve only ever encouraged her to follow her dreams and I’m thrilled to see her do that.”

Taking a break from her studies at St. Anthony’s High School where she’s a freshman, Sarah and her mother will begin their journey tomorrow when they travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C. for the rehearsal process. In her time away from the school though, she and the other kids cast in the show will have their own private tutor who will keep them up to date with the school work they’d be missing.

As for the shows, tickets are available for purchase at www.radiocitychristmas.com with prices ranging from $30.50-$137.50.

Education, finances issues in Fifth SD race (Continued from page A15)

Assembly, he was dumped from the ticket after word got out that he had performed same-sex marriages as mayor – a deal-breaker for Conservative leadership in the race. The lifelong Republican later switched parties – and races – and came into the State Senate bid as a Democrat.

What remains, he said, is a blend of fiscally-conservative, socially-progressive leadership, paired with an emphasis on sound team-building efforts.

“The whole sense of the community is one of unity,” he said.

“I honestly believe this could be done in a grander scale.”

Marcellino’s second challenger, Huntington’s Georgina “Gigi” Bowman, who is running under the Libertarian banner, framed her bid for public office as a mission to “awaken people to what is going on in their country.”

She is calling for Common Core to be repealed and replaced

Money spent in the community stays in the community.

with state standards, and wants to make deep cuts to government spending and common-sense reforms.

Her political advocacy, she said, began after tragedy struck her family in 2003. Then, her daughter, Kati, committed suicide. Bowman blamed her death on taking SSRI medications prescribed to her to treat depression.

“Because of this tragedy, I began investigating why this had happened, which led me to where I am today – a political activist who feels they must speak up about Corporatism, Lobbyists and how entities like Big Pharma and Monsanto have affected our personal lives through our food system, our mental and physical health, and our pocket books,” she said. “Our quality of life has been infringed upon and I feel we must make more people aware of what is happening, so that we have the manpower to stop it.”

Polls open at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014 • A33

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GIRLS SOCCER>>COMMACK 2, HALF HOLLOW HILLS EAST 0

Lady Thunderbirds Eliminated By Cougars

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

Coming into the 2014 season, Half Hollow Hills High School East girls soccer Head Coach Matt Mayo had one goal: For his team to make the playoffs. The postseason had eluded the Thunderbirds (10-6) for two straight seasons, but this year – after finishing third in League II – Hills East broke the drought and was rewarded with a cross-town matchup against No. 7 Commack (11-3-2).

While No. 10 Hills East fought hard, they fell at Commack High School on Monday 2-0.

“Commack came out fired up…

It was a tough game,” Mayo said.

“This wasn’t the type of soccer that we’re capable of.”

The two goals came from Commack’s Sydney Pasquarella; one in the first 10 minutes of the game and the other with just 00:01 remaining in the first half – “a dagger,” Mayo said.

“Overall this season was a huge step forward,” he said.

Despite the first-round exit, the Thunderbirds can still hold their heads high. Twice Hills East

Long Islander News photos/Andrew Wroblewski

Girls break postseason drought, but fall in first round of the playoffs

Thunderbirds senior Christina Bellero had an incredible season; the striker netted 20 goals and will attend St. John’s University next fall. defeated playoff teams during the regular season: 3-2 over No. 6 Lindenhurst (12-4) and 2-1 over No. 12 Smithtown East (11-4-1).

Senior leadership was a key to Hills East’s success; of the 20 girls rostered this season, 10 were seniors.

One senior, Christina Bellero was outstanding as she netted 20

goals and 4 assists this season. The striker finished tied for third on Long Island in total goals scored.

“I can’t say enough about Christina. She stepped it up in every possible way,” Mayo said of his senior – noting that she’s set to play for St. John’s University next fall. “Scoring 20 goals is an amaz-

ing accomplishment… [And] obviously we’re going to miss her.”

Meredith Koval, another senior, was also productive for the Thunderbirds on offense – she netted 2 goals while dishing out 6 assists.

But that doesn’t mean talent isn’t brewing in Hills East’s underclassmen.

Junior goalkeeper Mackenzie Kagan was stellar in net as she amassed four shutouts this season.

“Mackenzie is a solid goalkeeper and really intelligent player,” Mayo said. “We’ll be lucky to have her back next season as a leader… with a bright future.”

Samantha Francucci, another junior, played a quarterback role for the Thunderbirds as she assisted her teammates 4 times – along with scoring 1 goal of her own.

Next year, Hills East will look to make back-to-back playoff appearances once the 2015 soccer season rolls around.

“The playoffs were an amazing accomplishment this season,” the head coach said. “Getting that kind of respect is hopefully something that will continue for us next season.”

GIRLS SOCCER>>HAUPPAUGE 1, HALF HOLLOW HILLS WEST 0

Colts Hang Tough But Can’t Knock Off Eagles After stellar season. No. 13 Hills West falls in the first round of the playoffs

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

After finishing the regular season fourth in League III, the Half Hollow Hills High School West girls soccer team found itself with a first-round playoff matchup against No. 4 Hauppauge (13-2-2) – the League IV champion. The No. 13 Colts (10-6) took on the Eagles Monday at Hauppauge High School and, while they fought hard, the girls from Hills West just couldn’t manage to net a goal; they fell 1-0.

The loss marks the third straight season with a first-round exit from the playoffs for the Colts.

Hauppauge’s Keri McCarthy scored the lone goal in the Eagles’ win.

Looking back at the season as a whole, Hills West was a team dominated by senior leadership. Of the

Angelique Chatpar was one of 14 seniors that led Half Hollow Hills High School West this soccer season.

28 girls rostered by Hills West this season, 14 of them will be graduating in June.

One of those seniors, Arianna

Sabatino led the Colts in scoring this season with 9 goals and an assist. Arianna’s sister, Olivia Sabatino – also a senior – netted 5

goals and 2 assists. Second in points on the team (9) was Jennifer Casadonte, a senior midfielder, who scored 5 goals and dished out 4 assists. Hills West senior goalkeeper, Joanna Musacchia, contributing to four shutouts over the season’s 16 games.

Hills West does have some young bucks climbing the ranks, though; Gianna Cokinos – a sophomore forward – led all Colts underclassman in points (5) with her 3 goals and 2 assist. Backup goalkeeper, Taylor Sachs, a junior, made the most of her chances in net as she did not allow a goal over her three appearances.

With 13 juniors set to return next year as seniors, the Colts will look to bounce back and snap that trend of first-round exits come soccer season.

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A36 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 30, 2014

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