Half Hollw Hills Newspaper - December 27, 2012

HALF HOLLOW HILLS Copyright © 2012 Long Islander Newspapers, LLC

INSIDE Nursery Proposal Scrutinized

Online at www.LongIslanderNews.com VOLUME FIFTEEN, ISSUE 42

N E W S P A P E R

2 SECTIONS, 28 PAGES

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2012

DIX HILLS

Neighbors concerned about traffic, parking near Deer Park Ave. Half Hollow Hills photos/Danny Schrafel

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

PER S O N o f t h e y ea r

Proponents of a proposal by Tailgaters Inc., the owners of the Campanelli Garden Center, to construct three new buildings at their Deer Park Avenue nursery said the plan would eliminate on-the-street truck deliveries and make the property safer and more attractive. But neighbors argued approving the variances to allow the project to go forward would hurt their quality of life.

The proposal, which went before the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) Dec. 20, seeks to replace all existing structures of the property, except for four 12-foot by 20-foot mulch bins near the South Service Road, with two storage structures, of 3,852 square feet and 3,200 square feet on the east side of the property, and a 900-square-foot retail sales center.

Vehicles would be stored in the largest buildings to enhance and secure the property, Michael McCarthy, the applicant’s attorney, said.

Formal entrances would also allow

Attorney Michael McCarthy, representing Campanelli Nursery, explains proposed renovation plans to the Zoning Board of Appeals. However, neighbors on nearby Talon Way argue the proposal would have a detrimental impact. the nursery to be gated and fenced to prevent theft and vandalism, while improving aesthetics. In the retail center, the Garden Center would sell deciduous and evergreen trees and scrubs, perennials and annuals, mulch, topsoil, pottery for indoors and outdoors, statues, garden tools

and the like. No mulch or compost would be produced at the site, McCarthy said.

“The types of things this board has always been concerned about [are to ensure] that we don’t turn this into a contractor’s yard or create a noxious (Continued on page A18)

DIX HILLS

Wrestling With Sandy Hook Shooting Tragedy Half Hollow Hills community comes out to support fundraiser at East-West showdown jbirzon@longislandernews.com

Wrestling teams from Half Hollow Hills High Schools East and West were scheduled to compete in a non-league match-up on Dec. 19.

To some, the inter-district match was an opportunity to show support for the Dix Hills community, but to Hills West Head Coach Mike Patrovich, it was an opportunity to show support for the tragedy-stricken community of Newtown, Conn.

After securing support from both his team and Hills East Head Coach Bill Davey, Patrovich turned to Board of Education Vice President Frank Grimaldi to secure approval from administrators, and the fundraiser was on.

“None of us can begin to imagine what these families are going through but we can do our part to support them in anyway we can,” Patrovich wrote in an email publicizing the fundraiser.

Patrovich suggested the school collect

donations at the door and ran a 50/50 raffle at the match.

Grimaldi said the fundraiser collected over $500, with even more donations coming in later in the week.

Board of Education Trustee Eric Geringswald, along with nearly the entire board of education, came to the match to show their support for the cause. Geringswald, a Hills West graduate, said the fundraiser hit close to home for him because the aunt of shooting victim and hero Victoria Soto taught four of his nieces and nephews who reside in Connecticut.

“The world of education is a small world. We all experience similar things— what happened at Sandy Hook could have happened at any school in America and you have to be there for anyone going through a tragedy like this,” he said.

Board of Education President James Ptucha also attended the match. He said the fundraiser was a “tremendous thing to do,” and set a great example for other (Continued on page A18)

Half Hollow Hills photo/Jacqueline Birzon

By Jacqueline Birzon

Hills West’s Tyler Grimaldi pins down East’s Maleik Henry during the team’s Sandy Hook fundraiser on Dec. 19.

IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

What Made Headlines A3-11

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POLICE REPORT Compiled by Mike Koehler

So Much For Armageddon Last one to leave, turn out the lights… I hope

Litigate This!

Resolutions… Every year, it’s the same old thing.

your Christmastime was joyful for all, without inciI make them to break them. Is it my fault? Are my dent, drama or obvious acts of re-gifting. And obviresolutions just unattainously, if you’re reading this, able? Are things like “eat the world did not end, because IN THE KNOW healthier” and “read more” I wrote this on Dec. 21 and just too general to really dig WITH AUNT ROSIE you’re reading this now. It into? Maybe that is my probturns out this end-of-days proselytizing is a recurlem – I often lack specificity ring feature of global culture – and especially here in my resolutions. Well, not in America. And so far, we’re awfully bad at it. today! I can be specific. This year, instead of saying There’s a list of hundreds of days the end of the “eat healthier,” I am going to say, “lay off the whole world was supposed to happen online, and every milk” (this breaks my heart, because I find that single one has fizzled. So why do we keep buying inwhole milk and skim milk are not created equal to this rot? Beats the heck out of me. All I know is when it comes to coffee, but my stomach just can’t that the scientists are saying that you won’t have to take the thickness of it anymore). Instead of “read worry about the end of Earth’s habitability for quite more,” I am going to say, “Read one book by a local a while – oh, about 500 million years or so, when author once a month” (Book Revue has that wonthe level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is exderful section, you see, and I think Huntington’s pected to drop drastically. So live for today and forAlyson Richman is where I’ll start). Give it a try. get all that silly Armageddon stuff.

Where will specificity get you?

But one thing that would have survived…

Fruitcake! That time-honored holiday confection has become, I guess, what the kids would call a cult classic. Now, as I say every year, I’m not a fruitcake hater – I want to know how to put it to good use!

So if any of you have any clever means of preparing, serving and enjoying fruitcake (and no, building a bomb shelter with stacks of it doesn’t count, sweeties) let me know and I’ll share it with the gang.

P-U… Ever face this situation? A few days ago, one of the kids in our office had a meal that was so… aromatic, shall we say, that it got everybody’s attention. And by attention, we don’t mean in a good way. It smelled so…strongly, that about 15 seconds in, the boss man asked him to take it in the back and finish up his pungent fish lunch. Which brings up a question – if someone has a really, really stinky meal at work, is it right to ask him to move somewhere more remote to eat? Weigh in, folks – I’m curious to hear your feedback.

And until next we meet again… I want to thank you all for your support of our family of newspapers in 2012! You are helping us keep Walt Whitman’s legacy alive, and that, my friends, is a beautiful thing. Please accept my best wishes for a very happy, healthy new year filled with prosperity and joy as you’re surrounded by your loved ones.

2012 has most certainly not been without its complications (here in Huntington, between the Fourth of July boating accident and Superstorm Sandy, there was plenty to be sad about), but it also showed the strength of humanity and people’s ability to rise to the occasion. Here’s to a safer 2013.

(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, 149 Main Street, Huntington NY 11743. Or try the e-mail at aunt.rosieli@gmail.com)

Suffolk police responded to a Huntington law firm on Dec. 18 about criminal mischief. The complainant said someone threw a rock through the front window of their Elm Street business.

So, Who Started It? Suffolk police were called to Huntington on Dec. 18 about two teenaged females in a fight. Police found two females were assaulted by two other females on McKay Road. One victim was taken to Huntington Hospital for a headache.

Caller Demanding Money A Huntington Station resident called Suffolk County police to report a suspicious call on Dec. 17. The complainant said the caller told them their brother was in an accident and demanded money.

iTheft Suffolk police responded to a Melville office complex on Dec. 17 about a theft. The complainant said an unknown person entered a parked vehicle, making off with an iPad, iPod and credit cards.

Man Treated At Hospital After Assault Suffolk police responded to a possible assault in Huntington on Dec. 16. The complainant got into an altercation with a subject, and was attacked by other male subjects. He was treated at a local hospital.

Quite A Haul A Dix Hills resident called Suffolk County police on Dec. 16 to report a theft several days earlier. The complainant said a computer case, computer, mouse and chargers were stolen from a 2005 Dodge parked in the driveway.

Caller: Drunk Man Fighting Customers A Huntington Station man was arrested by Suffolk County police after allegedly fighting customers at a Huntington Station convenience store on Dec. 16. The complainant said the 40-year-old was intoxicated and punched another man in the face. The victim was taken to Huntington Hospital and the defendant was charged with assault.

Shouldn’t You Have Noticed That Earlier?

BABY FACES

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

Suffolk police were dispatched to Huntington Station on Dec. 15 after getting a report of an assault. The complainant got into an altercation with a male suspect on New York Avenue the day before. After going home and showering, the complainant found a laceration on their lip and went to Huntington Hospital for stitches to close the wound.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK COACH MIKE PATROVICH

Next Time, Leave The Windows Down

“None of us can begin to imagine what these families are going through but we can do our part to support them in anyway we can.”

Northport police arrested a Commack man and a Smithtown man for unlawful possession of marijuana on Dec. 15. Police observed a 2002 Saturn with illegally-tinted windows headed westbound on Fort Salonga Road. The 26-year-old Smithtown man was driving, admitting that a marijuana grinder in the center console was his. He also admitted to owning the marijuana cigarette in the arm rest. The 26-year-old Commack resident admitted a clear bag containing marijuana by his feet was his. The officer issued both a field appearance ticket in lieu of arrest; they are scheduled to return on Jan. 28.

Wrestling With Shooting Tragedy, PAGE A1

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER

2012 YEAR IN REVIEW

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 27, 2012 • A3

Canon Coming Into Focus

By Mike Koehler mkoehler@longislandernews.com

Largely seen as an infusion of jobs and tax dollars, Canon’s international headquarters in Melville is very close to opening for business.

2012 saw major progress on the 668,296 square-foot facility, which includes five stories of office buildings and two parking garages. Two separate, rectangular office buildings are connected through narrow passages and a lobby, flanked by a parking garage on each end.

The campus will serve as one of three global headquarters for Canon and the headquarters for Canon U.S.A. The groundbreaking ceremony occurred in May 2010. Cement was poured that fall, and Canon officials tightened the nuts on the first metal beam during a January 2011 ceremony.

But once the first beam was in place, the project slid into the background as real construction got underway.

The first bill County Executive Steve Bellone signed came in January 2012 as a deal for Canon to be sewered. The agreement will permit the company to pay the $15 per gallon of discharge rate present when Canon first bought the land for the first phase of the project, and the current $30 per gallon rate for the second phase.

County officials boasted that the deal would provide Suffolk $1,059,285 in revenue and not impact rates for residents already hooked up.

Four months later, the company opened its doors to Long Islander Newspapers as the first media tour since serious construction began.

At that point, nearly all of the structural work was complete. Large glass windows had been installed throughout all five floors and at least half of the walls had been drywalled.

The basement was a one-story maze of cinderblocks. When completed, it will house a large data center, HVAC equipment and electric substations converting power from two LIPA feeds for the building.

The first floor will house a print center, showroom for various Canon devices, conference rooms, fitness center for employees and cafeteria. The cafeteria will seat about 560 people and have a full, active kitchen on-premises.

Employee workspaces will occupy from the second floor up. Canon eschewed offices in favor of open workspaces with desks for most employees. Each floor would have a few offices in the corners of each floor. Furniture was expected to begin arriving in July and continue until the building is operational.

Both parking garages appeared to be nearly complete. They will house a combined 1,600 parking spaces, as well as 12 charging stations for electric cars. An additional 200 spaces will be available on ground level for visitors.

At the time, the surrounding grounds were dirt and mud bearing the marks of

heavy construction vehicles. However, Canon officials confirmed landscaping would be one of the final steps before opening. That includes trees, grass and shrubs around the building, a grassy courtyard in the center, ponds with fish out front and a tree-lined earthen berm along the neighboring house lines.

At the time, Canon officials continued to say the building would be open in the first quarter of 2013. Many employees from the Lake Success office would immediately make the move, although more would be hired in the years beyond. They also confirmed that plans allow for a future 200,000 square feet-extension could be added to the west end of the facility.

As of Monday afternoon, Canon officials verified that 90 percent of construction was complete.

“We look forward to becoming a fulltime member of the Huntington community, and were it not for all of the support we have received from various levels of government and the community, this project simply would not have been possible,” they said in a statement.

The imaging giant also made headlines this fall when they asked the Town of Huntington for permission to build wind turbines on the site. According to a proposed plan filed in July, they would have erected three 35-foot turbines 5010 feet from the northern property line and eight 16-foot turbines atop the northern parking garage’s (25-30 feet tall) northern wall. Canon pulled their

A large amount of construction took place at Canon’s new international and North American headquarters in 2012. The campus is expected to open for business early next year. request in October.

Company officials have since said they will evaluate their next steps in the process.

Dix Hills Water District Faces Bacteria Scare

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

The year 2012 did not begin pleasantly for customers of the Dix Hills Water District.

Right after Christmas 2011, coliform bacteria contamination was discovered in a pair of water samples taken on Dec. 27 and 28. According to state law, no more than 5 percent of samples collected during any month can contain coliform bacteria. Dix Hills had a total of 6 percent, and repeat samples for December exceeded the standard.

While town officials insisted they believed the water supply was always safe and that the sampling procedure caused the positive result, officials disinfected the system using calcium hypochlorite and implemented a boil water order, which was lifted New Year’s Day. The water supply contin-

ued to be treated with chlorine until the water district regained a chlorination waiver, which they held from the 1950s to 2007 and from 2009 to the end of 2011.

Following the incident, there was plenty of agitation to go around in the water district. Town officials announced they would fire the vendor that provided emergency robocall services because efforts to alert Dix Hills Water customers of the situation were thwarted by technical failures.

Residents, including Sheila Saks, who serves on the Dix Hills Water District’s Community Advisory Committee, blasted the town’s handling of the incident, calling it a “shameful, disgraceful and unprofessional” failure of oversight, communication and testing.

Residents said they noticed a tasteable difference in the water since chlorination began again.

“The water is the same run of the

mill in the other districts. We used to be the standout because we had a refreshing taste,” House Beautiful coPresident Joel Baden said at the meeting. “I would never say the water is unpalatable; it just doesn’t have the brisk, fresh taste.”

In May, the House Beautiful Civic Association dedicated its annual meeting to the Dix Hills Water system, a network of 17 wells which provide 33 million gallons of water a day to 34,350 people in 8,700 homes. At that meeting, engineers reinforced the belief that it was a “bad sample location” that resulted in the bacteria positive, and that state officials “took it to the extreme” in ordering the boil-water order. But Dennis Kelleher of H2M said that it would be a fight to get the no-chlorine waiver back.

“My hopes are not high we’ll get the waiver back,” he said, adding that Dix Hills and Greenlawn had been the on-

ly districts left with allowances to go without chlorine. “We think we’ll have a battle on our hands.”

Following the communication failure, House Beautiful began its own community alert system, and the town adopted the CodeRED engine to power its Huntington Alert system.

The town began using Emergency Communications Network’s CodeRED software Sept. 1, and an early test of the system to alert residents of a phone collections scam targeting Dix Hills residents went very well.

To sign up for Huntington Alert, visit http://huntingtonny.gov, click on the Huntington Alert icon on the home page and complete the sign-up form. If you don’t have Internet access, call 631-351-3044. If you are already signed up for Huntington Alert, there’s no need to re-register, unless you want to change call options or add information.

Where Is Dix Hills’ George Richardson?

By Mike Koehler mkoehler@longislandernews.com

A Huntington Hospital executive who disappeared this summer is still missing.

Vice President of Development George Richardson, of Dix Hills, went on vacation with his family to Montauk in late August.

In town for an extended weekend,

they checked in together at Hartman’s Briney Breezes Motel, located along Atlantic Ocean beaches.

The trip went well during the first three days, but when the family went to check out on the fourth day, there was no sign of Richardson, 50.

East Hampton Town Police said the man regularly went out for early morning walks before everyone else woke up. In fact, police said family

members last saw him around 1 a.m.

Standing 5’6” at 150 pounds with short gray hair, police said he was wearing glasses and an orange baseball hat when he left for his walk.

Police later referenced a missing boogie board as a clue. The family brought four, but only three returned to Dix Hills.

Police officials have not returned repeated requests for comment.

George Richardson went on vacation to Montauk in August and never returned.

The investigation is still ongoing.

2012 YEAR IN REVIEW

A4 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 27, 2012

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Superstorm Sandy Rattles East Coast

By Jacqueline Birzon jbirzon@longislandernews.com

Superstorm Sandy assaulted the eastern coastline on Oct. 29, at her worst leaving up to 90 percent of Long Island Power Authority customers in the dark and without heat. Nearly two months later, some Huntington residents are still grappling with the aftermath.

Sandy tragically took the life of Lloyd Harbor resident and father John Miller, 39, who was loading his family into his car to bring them to a neighbor’s home when a tree fell, killing him on impact.

Residents reported up to two weeks of power outages, with some out for nearly 20 days in the Dix Hills area.

Communities island-wide slammed LIPA’s response to outages, and CEO Michael Hervey resigned. Governor Andrew Cuomo made an example of East Northport resident and former Director of Emergency Management Steven Kuhr, who was released of his duties after allegations he abused his authority by sending workers to remove a tree from his property.

While there were no other fatalities in the town, residents were exposed to trying living conditions, faced with cold temperatures and a nor’easter on Nov. 7 that covered felled trees with snow. Town Hall, the Huntington Library, Walt Whitman High School—which at the height of the storm took in 160 residents as a Red Cross shelter— and other community hubs transformed into multi-use charging and warming stations for powerless residents.

To add insult to injury, a gasoline shortage lasting approximately three weeks further disturbed the sensation of normalcy residents yearned for after the storm. Gas stations in the area were either completely devoid of gasoline or had fuel but no electricity to pump it from the underground tanks. Gov. Cuomo implemented an odd/even gas rationing system, in which residents were assigned specific days to wait on gas lines, for a one week period that ended Nov. 16.

Public school districts in the Town of Huntington

Long gas lines and trees leaning on homes were common sights after Superstorm Sandy rocked Huntington on Oct. 29. closed up to eight days, and some for longer, in light of the storm and the nor’easter. To make up for lost time, all eight districts in the town elected to cancel their February break to meet the required 180 days of instruction.

Local businesses were also impacted by the disaster, and those with a stake in the food industry faced difficult challenges. Many food shops lost their frozen products and were forced to dispose of items that went bad, while others prepared for the storm and transported items out of the main freezer and created makeshift, generator-run devices that kept food at safe temperatures. Other food business owners found creative ways to attract business, some turning to headlamps and gas stoves to make coffee and simple meals to accommodate hungry customers.

Some retail businesses said they experienced a huge lag in business the month after the storm. Earlier this month Beltrami owner Ben Youdim said that business was much slower than previous years, and began doubling seasonal discounts on items to attract shoppers. Just three weeks

later on Dec. 21, Youdim reported business was booming, so much so that one day they were unable to assist the high volume of customers that were pouring in the door.

The Town of Huntington, however, was largely spared the same destruction seen in places like the Rockaways, Long Beach, and the Jersey Shore, where homes literally washed away. Volunteers from across the country have taken up residence in these places to help continue to build back parts of Long Island, New York and New Jersey.

Tree debris can still be found littered on some streets in the town. As of Dec. 18, Highway Superintendent Bill Naughton said storm cleanup will continue to the end of the month. A process that Naughton hoped to complete

by Dec. 21 has since been revised, as Naughton estimates the Town will collect over 500,000 cubic yards of debris by the time pickup is complete. The superintendent said his office underestimated the amount of waste, and said debris was seven times greater than the mess caused by Hurricane Irene.

Tragedy On The Water

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

A traditionally high point of the summer season became one of the year’s darkest hours when a boat filled with Fourth of July revelers capsized in Oyster Bay Harbor off of Lloyd Neck, killing three children on board.

Twelve-year-old David Aureliano of Kings Park, his cousin, 11-year-old Harlie Treanor of Huntington Station, and Huntington’s Victoria Gaines, a family friend who was days away from turning 8 years old, died in the tragedy.

Nassau County Police Department Inspector Kenneth Lack said as many as 27 adults and children were on the vessel when it capsized as they were returning to Huntington Harbor in heavy traffic after a fireworks display at the Dolan family’s Oyster Bay complex. The first calls reporting the vessel had capsized between Center Island and Lloyd Neck came in around 10 p.m. July 4.

All were thrown overboard except the three children, who were in the cabin.

Civilian good Samaritans hauled victims into their boats and to land for treatment until rescue personnel arrived on the scene. Adults on the boat who were thrown overboard scrambled to free the three children trapped in the cabin, as did professional divers.

Lack said investigators considered four main factors in their investigation: the possibility of vessel overcrowding, wakes thrown off by other boats in the crowded channel, the impact of a thunderstorm

that occurred shortly before the boat capsized, or mechanical failure.

After the children were laid to rest, Victoria’s parents, Lisa and Paul Gaines, set out to strengthen local and state boating laws. At a state hearing Aug. 8, led by State Senator Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset,) the Gaines family urged lawmakers to adopt “Victoria’s Law,” a package that would require occupancy limits to be posted on all pleasure boats; create a boat operating license and security requirements in congested waterways.

“Please make this happen so we can make our waterways safer so something like this never happens again,” Paul Gaines said after the hearing, choking back tears as he and his wife tightly clutched framed pictures of their daughter in their hands. “I cannot stand the thought of the loss of my daughter’s life being in vain.”

Already, there has been movement to that end. U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer has taken up the challenge of reforming federal law to require occupancy limits to be posted on all pleasure boats, regardless of size. At the local level, Legislators Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills,) Lynne Nowick (RSmithtown) and Thomas Barraga (RWest Islip) won passage of legislation that requires operators of pleasure vessels registered in Suffolk County to have passed a boating safety course and have proof of taking that course in their boat.

After the legislation was signed in mid-October, Paul Gaines said the family has been working closely with State Senators Charles Fuschillo (R-Merrick)

Lisa Gaines holds her head earlier this summer as she listens to testimony during a hearing about boating safety. Her daughter, Victoria Gaines – her picture stands on the table – was one of three children killed in a horrific Fourth of July boating disaster, along with 12-yearold David Aureliano and 11-year-old Harlie Treanor. and Majority Leader Dean Skelos (RRockville Centre) to require all state boaters to earn a safety certificate before operating a powerboat.

Within six months of Fuschillo’s proposal being enacted, all boaters under 18 would be required to have a boating safety certificate. After a year, all boaters who were not registered boat owners when the law became effective would be included, and after two years, all boaters would be required to have a safety certificate. Written tests in lieu of classes would be offered for experienced boaters. Anybody seeking to register, re-register or have a boat transferred to them will also be required to have a boating safety certificate.

In addition to seeking reforms to local and state laws, Lisa Gaines has immersed herself in charitable and memorial efforts.

She is spearheading fundraising efforts to build a memorial playground at Washington Primary School, with a fundraiser at Neraki in Huntington scheduled for Jan. 27. During their Dec. 18 town board meeting, Huntington officials also gave the goahead to establish Victoria’s Garden, which will include a bronze statue and several plantings, at Heckscher Park’s playground. The mother was putting the finishing touches on launching the Victoria’s Love Children’s Foundation, a children’s charity powered by the credo, “Turning Pain Into Promise.”

“I am suffering so badly that I need to do something,” Lisa Gaines said earlier this month. “I needed to make something positive come from this horrible pain…

Now I can help on a much larger scale to make an impact.”

2012 YEAR IN REVIEW

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 27, 2012 • A5

BAPS Land Swap Nearing Completion

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

For a proposal that has been in the works for over a decade, the land-swapping deal that will bring Sweet Hollow Park to fruition and create 261 units of senior housing and a Hindu temple to 18 acres on Deshon Drive in Melville made great strides in 2012.

The Huntington Town Board got the process started in March, when the approved $1.325-million to buy the 8.3-acre Meyers Farm parcel, located near Old Country and Round Swamp Roads, from the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) sect of Hinduism, land they purchased in 2003 to build a temple. However, civic leaders, the town and the BAPS later agree to find an alternate site for the temple so the Meyers Farm parcel could be preserved as parkland.

Then, in mid-June, the Huntington Town Board approved a zone change from I-1 Industrial to R3M Garden Apartments on the 18-acre parcel in mid-June and transferred 5 acres of development rights from Meyers Farm to 25 Deshon Drive.

That will permit the BAPS temple to be built on 5 acres, while allowing Deshon Partners to construct The Club at Melville on the remaining 13 acres at full R3M density, or 14.5 units per acre. The Meyers Farm property, now stripped of development rights, becomes Sweet Hollow Park.

Supporters of the proposal argued the

Hundreds packed Town Hall in mid-May to weigh in on a zone change that would allow a proposed senior community on Deshon Drive in Melville, pictured in an aerial rendering, inset. The proposal also opens the door to a new temple for the BAPS and a town park at Meyers Farm. complex plan would accomplish three goals – affordable housing for seniors, parkland for an underserved Melville neighborhood and a new home for a patient religious institution.

“This is a win,” said Alissa Taff, president of the Civic Association of Sweet Hollow, in mid-May “We’re gaining affordable senior housing… and it will preserve 8.3 acres of very precious parkland in a very wise manner so it can be enjoyed by not only the Sweet Hollow area but all of Huntington.”

But critics, most notably Councilman Gene Cook, argued the plan would result in transferring development rights pur-

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chased by the town to a private developer, thereby subsidizing a developer with taxpayer dollars and allowing them to “downzone” a portion of Melville.

“I have so many issues with it,” he said in May. “It’s not the right thing for Huntington.”

But now, the proposal appears to be in the home stretch. Huntington’s Planning Board approved site plans for The Club at Melville during their Nov. 28 meeting, setting the stage for a series of transactions that will result in the Town owning Meyers Farm and the BAPS owning 5 acres at Deshon Drive.

The units will range in size from 900

to 1,200 square feet, with the majority around the 1,200 square-foot mark. The most affordable units will cost about $212,000, while the middle tier is to be approximately $318,000 and the top tier $365,000. Per a covenant attached to the property, the units must remain affordable.

Civic leaders and town officials joined the BAPS in blessing the site of the new house of worship on Deshon Drive. Anthony Aloisio, the town’s planning director, said the BAPS are working on a final plan. And Deshon Partners attorney Morton Weber said he expects groundbreaking in the early spring.

2012 YEAR IN REVIEW

A6 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 27, 2012

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A Hero’s Home Is Transformed

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

The Huntington home of U.S. Marine Corps Captain James Byler, a Huntington High School grad who was gravely wounded during the war in Afghanistan, transformed in the middle months of 2012, as a national organization dedicated to making wounded warriors’ homes handicapped-accessible worked their magic.

Byler was nearly killed in October 2010 in the Northern Helmand Province of Afghanistan. While leading his platoon patrol, he lost both legs and fingers on each hand after stepping on an IED. Building Homes For Heroes, Councilman Mark Mayoka, town officials and the community officially kicked off construction March 31 with a groundbreaking ceremony in bitterly cold, wet conditions.

About five and a half months later, renovations, powered by nearly $300,000 in cash and donations, were complete. This time, the sun was shining, and the neighbors were back in force to welcome the young soldier, now 27, home.

“We say to you, Captain James Byler: God bless you, and welcome home!” his pastor, Rev. David Aldridge of Huntington’s Central Presbyterian Church, said Sept. 15.

U.S. Marine Corps Captain James Byler, his mother, Janet, dad, Phil, and Col. Willy Buhl stand at attention during a parade minutes before his home, overhauled by volunteers led by Building Homes For Heroes, is dedicated Sept. 15.

The goal was to create an atmosphere of serenity at the home, and, as Congressman Steve Israel said, paraphrasing former British Prime Minister Lloyd George, make Huntington a fit place for heroes to come home to. But as the community unveiled their sign of immense gratitude to Byler, he returned the

favor in equal measure.

“I’m a product of you. I’m a product of my community,” he said. “Thank you for raising me, thank you for welcoming me home, and thank you for continuing to be the wonderful people you are. It is a beautiful life – I am lucky. It’s a wonderful life.”

Target Takes Over Undeveloped Lowe’s Land Retail chain pays $33.25 million for 18 acres

By Mike Koehler mkoehler@longislandernews.com

Residents found out this year that a Target store is in the works for Jericho Turnpike at the site of the former Huntington Townhouse.

Lowe’s Home Improvements spent $35 million to purchase the former Huntington Townhouse. After investing two years and untold moneys razing the building and preparing the site, the corporation pulled the plug in 2012.

Lowe’s sold the 18-acre property on East Jericho Turnpike to Target this fall.

Suffolk County records show Target paid $33.25 million, which included $133,000 in county taxes.

Lowe’s stopped construction on Oct. 26, 2011 after a study completed earlier that month prompted corporate to aban-

don several proposed stores. Target closed on the land in late September and Lowe’s contractor, Racanelli Construction Group, vacated in early October.

The home improvement chain purchased the land in June 2008 with intentions of demolishing the 148,000 squarefoot Townhouse to make way for a 103,000 square-foot store and 26,500 square-foot garden center.

Demolition crews razed the catering hall installed retaining walls, completed environmental cleanup and partially leveled the ground last summer before the home improvement chain killed the project last year. The store had previously been scheduled to open in 2012 and create 125 new jobs.

Target’s plans were being reviewed the town’s Planning Department.

Lowe’s sold this 18 acres of Huntington Station land to Target for $33.25 million, almost $2 million less what they paid for it before razing the Huntington Townhouse and leveling the ground.

Huntington Lighthouse Celebrates Centennial

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

Save Huntington’s Lighthouse Founder Janis Harrington embraces Pam Setchell, president of what became the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society, June 16, during the beacon’s 100th anniversary celebration.

In May, Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society President Pam Setchell said, “It’s going to be a good year.” And right she was.

The Lighthouse turned 100 this year on June 16 and the organization celebrated the centennial with a bash on the harbor. In September, they continued the party with their biggest-ever Lighthouse Music Fest on Labor Day weekend, and kicked off the holidays with their third annual lighted boat parade in Huntington Harbor.

Each event contributes to ensuring the lighthouse remains standing tall for years to come, because the dollars raised get the lighthouse ever closer to a major milestone. The preservation society kicked off the year with great news from New York State in May, learning they

would be eligible for a $250,000 matching grant from the Department of Parks and Historic Preservation. If they were able to raise $250,000 within a certain period of time, they’d receive the same from the state.

So far, they’re off to a great start, pulling in about $100,000 of the quarter-million target by year’s end, and they have about a year left before their fundraising deadline. Once they reach their target, the combined funds are to be dedicated to repairing the lighthouse’s ailing riprap, the large granite boulders which protect the beacon’s foundation.

If you’re still wondering how to celebrate the century mark for a lighthouse, Setchell has an idea – for 2,500 close friends to send $100 to the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society. That alone, she explains, would cover the terms of the grant and ensure the riprap is repaired.

2012 YEAR IN REVIEW

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 27, 2012 • A7

DA: Boyfriend Pulled Fast One On Cops Say he begged Sophia Anderson to take DWI blame after he drove through house Photo by Steve Silverman

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

After a red Mercedes-Benz convertible dragging a 30-foot tree and a lamppost crashed through the Huntington home of two sisters in their 90s, Brooklyn’s Sophia Anderson was arrested May 28, accused of drunk driving.

But on Sept. 19, prosecutors shifted the blame for the spectacular, destructive crash to her ex-boyfriend, setting the stage for one of the most bizarre criminal cases of the year.

Following an independent investigation by the Suffolk County DA’s office, prosecutors indicted Anderson’s thenboyfriend Daniel Sajewski, and accused him of driving through the house and convincing Anderson to lie to cops and say she was the driver. DWI charges against Anderson were dropped, but she still faced prosecution, accused of lying to police.

“The defendant said to Sophia Anderson, ‘You have to do this for me. You have to say you were driving. I can’t afford to get into any more trouble,’” District Attorney Thomas Spota said at the time. “The defendant’s worries and concerns… that particular evening that he couldn’t afford to get into any more trouble turned out to be just the opposite.”

The drunken car crash that destroyed this Huntington home in mid-May took a surprise twist in September when cops arrested Daniel Sajewski, inset left, accusing him of convincing his girlfriend, Sophia Anderson, inset right, lie to cops.

Before the crash, Spota said, Anderson, Sajewski and friends were drinking heavily and using cocaine at Sajewski’s parents’ home until 4 a.m., when they

ran out of beer. The crash happened when the couple was on the way back from the Halesite 7-Eleven with more beer, Spota said. Sajewski allegedly

pleaded with Anderson to tell police she drove the red convertible, top-down, through the home of 96-year-old Helen Indiere and her 94-year-old sister, Virginia Bennert.

In the days following the crash, Anderson’s attorney urged prosecutors to take another look. When Indiere questioned Sajewski as to who was driving, Spota said he pointed at Anderson. But during the independent probe, prosecutors said the story that Anderson was the driver quickly unraveled, thanks to physical evidence, medical examinations at Huntington Hospital, eyewitness account and DNA samples.

About 10 days after the accident, Sajewski and Anderson were in Brooklyn with friends, and the friends said Sajewski admitted to driving. Every time the two met, Sajewski would frisk Anderson for recording devices and take the batteries out of her cell phone, Spota alleged.

Anderson was indicted on charges of obstructing governmental administration and conspiracy, both misdemeanors. She is cooperating with the DA’s office and has agreed to testify against Sajewski, Spota said. She also moved back in with her parents, her attorney, John Loturco said, got a new job and entered treatment for alcohol abuse.

2012 YEAR IN REVIEW

A8 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 27, 2012

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In Memoriam

suddenly on June 12. He was just 18.

“Adam was a kind a generous soul who despite his short years had a wisdom that only adults can have,” said Brother Gary Cregan, principal of the Catholic high school in South Huntington.

The Huntington native played lacrosse for the Friars and was an attackman on the Loyola men’s lacrosse team.

David Deutsch, with students at the charity gala his battle against ALS helped inspire eight years ago.

David Deutsch, ‘AMND’ Inspiration David Deutsch, a Northport-East Northport School District biology teacher who, after being diagnosed with ALS-Lou Gehrig’s Disease, became an inspirational figure in the fight against the disease, died Jan. 25. He was 43.

Deutsch gave up teaching in February 2005, but about a year before that, a group of Northport High School students organized Hoops for ALS, a basketball tournament that raised $25,000 for research. Students later expanded their fundraising efforts and created nonprofit A Midwinter Night’s Dream (AMND).

They held their first gala at Oheka Castle in January 2005. Since then, the charity has raised more than $2.5 million.

“He was the foundation of AMND. The students still visited him every year.

There’s an outpouring of support. There were thousands of students David touched,” said Don Strasser, the Northport High School Chemistry teacher who also serves as the nonprofit’s CEO. “Everyone always tells you not to ‘sweat the small stuff,’ but the largest lesson I learned from Dave was to remember not to ignore the small stuff. To pay attention to the details of life and more importantly, to appreciate them,” Alyssa Knudsen, AMND’s director of social media, added.

Garrett Hall, Save-On Hardware Manager Garrett J. Hall, the longtime manager of Huntington’s Save-On Hardware and a major figure in the Huntington Manor Fire Department, died Jan. 26 at home with his family by his side. He was 77.

Born in Brooklyn, he was raised and educated there before moving to Mineola. He later moved to Huntington, where he was the manager of Save-On Hardware for more than 40 years. He worked with his father-in-law, Harry Bifulco, who owned the store for more than 50 years.

Hall, known by friends as Garry, joined the Mineola Fire Department as a young man. When he moved to Huntington, he joined the Huntington Manor Fire Department, and was an active, proud member for 45 years. He was their treasure for more than 30 years and a member of Hose Company No. 1.

Adam Pomper, St. Anthony’s Grad

Adam Pomper

Adam Pomper, a 2011 St. Anthony’s High School graduate and lacrosse player at Loyola University Maryland, died

Noel Mohammed, Beloved Mail Carrier Every Saturday morning, Huntington’s Noel Mohammed would visit Pulitzer & Panetta Creative Studio on Gibson Avenue on his mail delivery route.

Usually he would drop off the mail during a teenagers art group, and over time, the girls developed what became a traditional greeting for him.

Noel Mohammed “Every Saturday, he’d come in, and they’d sing him the ‘Blue’s Clues’ mail song,” studio co-director Susan Panetta said.

The Saturday morning ritual and many other similar routines along his Huntington mail route came to a violent end in the early morning hours of June 16 when Mohammed, 44, was stabbed to death. His stepson, Matthew Hubrins, is the accused killer.

Describing his slain brother as a “gentleman” and a “man of God,” his brother, Chad, said Noel was a minister and elder at Visions Torches of Life Ministry in Wyandanch, the community in which he grew up. In addition to his spiritual devotion, Noel was an “insanely huge baseball fan” who also played the sport.

Huntington Postmaster Patricia Bifulco remembered Mohammed, who worked as a mail carrier for 18 years, as a great guy who always went the extra mile, was always smiling and always had a kind word for whomever he encountered.

Vaughan Spilsbury, Community Advocate In the midst of the Great Depression, Vaughan Spilsbury’s parents cared for the needy stricken by the Great Depression when they knocked on their door. It was a lesson, her family and friends said, that she carried throughout the rest of her life, Vaughan Spilsbury and by doing so, inspired others to follow her lead.

Spilsbury, of Huntington Bay, died July 2. She was 82.

She was on the board of directors for 47 years at the Family Service League and served in nearly every available role. She and her family were deeply involved with St. John’s Church in Huntington, and Spilsbury was a founding member of the Townwide Fund of Huntington, an early

figure in Leadership Huntington, and involved with the Huntington Choral Society, Huntington Interfaith Homeless Initiative and countless other organizations.

She was also elected to the Huntington Bay Village Board as a trustee and later, the mayor.

“My cousin said, ‘Vaughan was the epitome of a great mother and a fabulous community leader,’” her son, Ford Spilsbury, said after her death. “She was one who believed that her home was open to all and that she would do whatever she could to make people’s lives better prior to meeting her.”

munity service was bringing the Visiting Nurse Services Hospice House in East Northport, the first free-standing hospice outside a hospital, to fruition.

He was an active, sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous for nearly 41 years who reached out to recovering alcoholics from all walks of life, became an EMT with the Greenlawn Fire Department at age 70 and was the athletic booster-inchief for his 10 grandchildren.

John McCusker John McCusker, a longtime Huntington Bay resident who built a presence in both the financial and philanthropic worlds of Long Island, died July 5 at the age of 73.

McCusker built a successful financial career and devoted himself to community service and his family in Huntington.

In 1968, they moved to Huntington where together they started a family and became deeply involved in the community. In 1975, he began to earnestly pursue a lifelong commitment to community service when he joined the Family service League Suffolk County board and later became treasurer. In 1979, McCusker joined the board of Huntington Hospital, where he was an active member for the rest of his life and chaired the board from 1990-1993.

McCusker was also elected to serve three terms on the Huntington Bay Village Board, where he earned respect for his gentlemanly ways, fairness and financial acumen.

Arthur Goldstein, Veteran Attorney Huntington’s Arthur Goldstein became a community fixture, and not just through his expertise in the courtroom.

Friends recall a man who exuded kindness, class and civility, which he parlayed into philanthropy and community activism with a focus on the underserved.

Goldstein, of Huntington, died Aug. 20. He was 79.

After becoming the Town Attorney in 1968, he went into private practice in 1970 on West Carver Street in Huntington. Remembering his father as a visionary, Ron recalled how Arthur joined two other men and launched the Gurwin Jewish Rehabilitation Center in Commack, which has grown to serve hundreds of residents. Later, he was instrumental in helping secure funding to launch the Dolan Family Health Center.

“He didn’t just didn’t sit back and let other people do it,” Ron said. “He was on the forefront of doing things.”

John “Jay” Walsh, Hospice House Pioneer John “Jay” Walsh, a longtime Northport attorney and Greenlawn resident who was instrumental in the creation of the Visiting Nurse Service Hospice House, died July 31. He was 78.

Born on Main Street in Northport in January 1934, Walsh moved to Greenlawn in the mid-1960s, his son-in-law John Rieger said. Focusing on real estate law, he built a successful law practice in his boyhood hometown of Northport and practiced law for 30 years. His family agreed his crowning achievement in com-

Jim Conte

Jim Conte, Huntington Station Assemblyman Assemblyman Jim Conte, who represented Huntington Station in the New York State Assembly for nearly a quarter century, died Oct. 16 at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan after battling T-cell lymphoma. He was 53 years old.

“He was just a tremendous advocate for his constituents,” Huntington GOP chair Toni Tepe, whom Conte succeeded in the New York Assembly in 1988. “He was a true family man and a friend to all who knew him.”

A lifetime resident of Huntington Station, Conte was a Huntington High School graduate who later earned his bachelor’s degree from SUNY Stony Brook in economics and political science.

He interned with then-State Senator James Lack in the mid-1980s before working with Senator Martin Knorr, then-Assemblywoman Rettaliata-Tepe and Suffolk County, as a liaison between the county and state.

Conte won a special election in March 1988 to complete Tepe’s term after she was elected Supervisor. But during that campaign, Conte fell ill and was hospitalized with a kidney ailment; his first transplant followed the next year. What the public did not learn at the time, his brother said, is how grave his condition was, but he bounced back, survived the health scare and won the election.

During his life, Conte, who received two kidney transplants, was one of the leading advocates for organ and tissue donation programs. He authored several laws to promote increased organ donation in the state and helped create a Gift of Life Trust Fund and a statewide organ donor registry. Governor George Pataki appointed him in 1997 to serve on the New York State Transplant Council, and Conte also served on the boards of several not-for-profits promoting organ donation.

“Above all else, Jim will be remembered for his kindness and genuine concern for the well-being of others, and with his passing, our state has lost a true public servant and a man of integrity and character,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

N r SO ea R eY PE th of

M i k e D e L u i s e Businessman and Community Advocate

LI 2

• DECEMBER 27, 2012 • LONG ISLANDER LIFE

Celebrating A Marketing Wizard Mike DeLuise has made a career of promoting others. It’s time we turned the tables.

The business community knows Mike well for his active role as president of the Melville Chamber of Commerce. At the chamber, he is known for his constant attention to members and the economic health of the business community.

He brought a career’s worth of experience to the Melville Chamber, having previously worked in marketing and development positions in higher education and before that as a partner in an advertising and marketing firm.

Join us in this tribute to Mike – Long Islander Newspapers’ Person of the Year and the subject of our cover story in Long Islander LIfe, a monthly section included as a supplement to our communitybased weekly newspapers: The Long-Islander, The Record and the Half Hollow Hills Newspaper.

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

Luann Dallojacono Editor Mike Koehler Danny Schrafel Jacqueline Birzon Reporters

Peter Sloggatt Associate Publisher/Managing Editor Ian Blanco Dan Conroy Production/ Art Department

Marnie Ortiz Office / Legals Susan Mandel Advertising Director Larry Stahl Michele Caro Account Executives

Copyright © 2012 by Long Islander Newspapers, publishers of The Long-Islander, The Record and Half Hollow Hills Newspaper. Each issue of the The Long-Islander and all contents thereof are copyrighted by Long Islander, LLC. None of the contents or articles may be reproduced in any forum or medium without the advance express written permission of the publisher. Infringement hereof is a violation of the Copyright laws.

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149 Main Street, Huntington, New York 11743 631.427.7000

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FRIEND

MIKE DE LUISE LONG ISLANDER NEWSPAPERS’ PERSON OF THE YEAR - 2012

H2M congratulates atulates Mik Mike e DeLuise on being named “P “Person of the Y Year”!

www.h2m.com

164 Main Street, Huntington, NY 11743 celebrating 80 years of building communities

To learn more about your Chamber of Commerce, call 631-423-6100 or go to www.HuntingtonChamber.com

LONG ISLANDER LIFE • DECEMBER 27, 2012 •

LI 3

Vision In His Early Career Moves

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

If he had followed his first passion in life, you probably wouldn’t be calling Mike DeLuise “chairman.” You might be greeting him as “Father.”

“All my young years, I thought I was going to be a priest,” he said.

Born in Brooklyn in 1950, DeLuise was educated in the Catholic school system.

From an early age, he was determined to make a difference in some way.

DeLuise studied at the Cathedral Preparatory Seminary in Brooklyn, known informally as “Cathedral College,” for three years before deciding the priesthood was not for him. Ultimately, he earned his undergraduate degree at New York University, graduating in January 1971. “[It] was a completely different world, but it was cool,” he said. “I was going to NYU in the end of the 1960s… There were the demonstrations, the Weathermen were blowing up buildings. It was living through history.”

At NYU, he took odd jobs to pay the bills, driving a truck for a drycleaner, working for a printer and the like. During

his junior year at NYU, show, and he ends up bewhile he was attempting to coming a Broadway producmap out his future – and nail er,” DeLuise explains. down one job – he took a “Within a few years, I had – part-time gig in 1970 with and they just handed me all The Blaine Thompson this stuff – I started to deAgency, a firm that handled velop relationships with all promotions for Broadway these people.” productions. When he gradAmong those accounts uated a year later, he took a was Ticketron. As he prefull-time job with the pared to work on the acagency and put in the hard count, another of his tradework to blaze his own path. mark behavioral traits set “I was a young guy, and I As a young man, Mike himself up very well for a would do anything,” he said. DeLuise, in an undated pho- new opportunity.

“So they gave me the ac- tograph, studied for the “I went in and said, ‘Tell priesthood for three years at me all about it,’” he said. “It counts nobody else wantthe Cathedral Preparatory ed… The accounts that I got Seminary in Brooklyn. really wasn’t a computerwere the New York Philharized ticketing company – it monic, the Joffrey Ballet, was made to look that way. the American Museum of Natural History They said, ‘Nah, you don’t understand. and a lot of the off-Broadway shows.”

The technology’s not there – it’s not going With hard work to prove his worth at the to work.’” vaunted agency, DeLuise began to see reShortly thereafter, he met leaders of the sults. The accounts that nobody wanted Shubert Organization, and DeLuise set out proved to be diamonds in the rough, and to craft a truly computerized ticketing prosowed the seeds to build his network. gram. He originally planned to sell it to the “What happens to an off-Broadway League of New York Theaters, but when show? A producer does an off-Broadway they passed on it, Bernie Jacobs, president

of the Shubert Organization at the time, tasked DeLuise with the job.

DeLuise quit Blaine Thompson to start his own firm, DeLuise, Hirschman & Holley, in 1976. While providing marketing services for his clients, he also spent the next two years developing the Shubert Ticketing System. The idea was to make it faster to sell tickets, but easier, cleaner and simpler to track. The company is now a nationwide network, and sold nearly 12 million tickets, totaling over $1 billion, in 2006.

“It was so much easier to buy a ticket,” he said. “We cut out scalping… It basically took the ability to steal away, and it worked very well.”

By the mid-1980s, though, DeLuise was looking for a new adventure in his career.

At the time, he was working with David Merrick, the producer of Broadway’s “42nd Street.”

“He was a very difficult guy to work with. He had a lot of emotional problems.

A brilliant man,” he said. “But he was a very big client, and the responsibility of chasing him and all his craziness, we finally couldn’t put up with anymore and got out of the business.”

Presidents And Pride Bloom At Hofstra

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

After stepping away from entertainment marketing in the mid-1980s, Mike DeLuise was trying to figure out his next step when he was offered a job as director of Public Relations for Hofstra University.

He took the job, but admitted he expected it to be a transitional period at the time.

“I was an entertainment person. I had this inflated ego about the things I did. It was very showy,” he said. “I said, ‘I’m just going to do this for a while.’”

“A while” turned out be nearly two decades leading the public relations department at Hofstra University. In 1990, he was elevated to assistant vice president, and in 1999 a vice president after leaving the University for a year and a half. Later, he completed his career in higher education with a six-year stint as the vice president for Development and External Affairs at Dowling College.

“It was the best job I ever had,” he said of Hofstra University.

DeLuise said he hit it off quickly with then-President James Shuart, who, besides being a college president, was “a brilliant guy when it came to marketing – the way I thought of marketing.”

“No matter what you call it, you need a holistic approach. It’s not just the ad you put in the paper or your logo… It’s a culture that goes right to the core of an organization,” he said.

To that end, under DeLuise’s direction, the university took efforts to revitalize campus culture with weekend activities, the Hofstra Pride marketing campaign and selective placement of published advertisements. The campus replaced chain-link fencing around its Uniondale campus with estate fencing to make the property more inviting and attractive. Hofstra was one of the first universities to partner with MTV, and C-SPAN left the halls of Congress for the first time to cover a Presidential conference at Hofstra.

It was not just good for the students, but

Hofstra University’s series of Presidential Conferences brought many living former heads of state to the college campus, including Bill and Hillary Clinton in 2005, pictured with Mike DeLuise good business sense, DeLuise explained.

“What we realized at the college was, we were crazy if we didn’t worry about retaining our students and keeping the dropout rate as low as you can and the transfer rate as low as you can,” he explained. “If you’re going to my college – for me to get someone like you is very expensive. To keep you happy is not that expensive.”

Amidst his public relations career, he also made time to advise a sorority. Anita Ellis, now the director of Off-Campus Living and Commuter Student Services at Hofstra, met DeLuise in 1986 right after he started his new job.

“I’ll never forget his first office. It was in the basement of Weller. Mike DeLuise was one of those people that really reached out to students,” she said. “He made an effort to get to know students, and that’s when I decided he should be someone that needs to get involved with my sorority.”

DeLuise came to the late-night meetings with cookies baked by his daughters. Ellis and DeLuise have been friends ever since, and DeLuise said that’s been the case with

about 70 to 80 of the ladies he met advising the sorority.

“A lot of them, over the years, besides going to their weddings or meeting their kids when they are born, I helped them career-wise by giving a little bit of advice,” he said. “And in return, as I get to be an older man, they give me the advice that I need. It’s a win-win for everybody.”

During his tenure, the campus also gained international attention for its series of Presidential conferences. Previously, Hofstra had focused on FDR, Harry Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower, but the Hofstra series continued to living presidents, including Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George Bush and Bill Clinton.

It was a magical time for history buffs, all pulled together on a shoestring budget.

“The conferences we did then – it was a different time. Now, very often, if you do one of those things, everybody who’s a speaker wants to get paid or whatever,” DeLuise said. “We almost had no budget to do our conferences at Hofstra, and they got international publicity.”

DeLuise, with former British Prime Minister Baroness Margaret Thatcher, in 2000.

Other heads of state made their mark on the Hofstra stage as well. Baroness Margaret Thatcher’s record as British Prime Minister was examined during a conference in 2000, and was highlighted by a debate with Congressman Peter King on the topic of Northern Ireland.

“We called Peter King and said, ‘We’re doing this conference. Would you like to do it?’ He said, ‘What do you mean? I’m not a fan.’ I said, ‘How would you like to be on a panel with Margaret Thatcher and talk about Northern Ireland?’” DeLuise recalled.

While recording history, the series made some of its own, too – for Watergate buffs and students alike.

“For the Nixon conference, H.R. Haldeman and John Erlichman hadn’t seen each other in years. This was the first time they were coming together, and everybody wanted to interview them,” DeLuise said.

“We worked it out so the only interviews were being done by students, so the Time magazine reporter had to watch the students interview Erlichman. It was great for the students, and we never lost focus on our real job.”

LI 4

• DECEMBER 27, 2012 • LONG ISLANDER LIFE

Bringing About The Birth Of A Chamber

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

Mike DeLuise’s role in the Melville Chamber of Commerce started with a lunch meeting about traffic on Route 110.

That meeting set the stage for an organization entering its 12th year advocating for Melville and its neighboring communities.

Back in the early 2000s, Jim Tsunis Sr.’s Nickel’s restaurant was hurting, as was neighboring Cirella’s, DeLuise explained, because the traffic on 110 was such that it took too long to get there. They first met at Nickel’s, then headed down to the Sweet Hollow Diner to discuss the problem.

“Whenever we had lunch, he always had some kind of an idea,” DeLuise said. “He owned Nickel’s, which is now the Rosewood Inn. He said, ‘Look at the traffic on 110. What can we do to take care of this?’

He thought I would call somebody, and he had this plan of how you could rework the traffic.”

At first, he did, and reached out to the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce. At the time, the Huntington Chamber, then led by Dennis Sneden, was in a period with its sights set on becoming an islandwide business partnership.

“So we started calling around. We called Albany, told them the story and said, ‘What do we do?’” DeLuise recalled.

The suggestion came from Albany – start your own chamber because nobody’s covering that area anyway. DeLuise recalled being told that he was “crazy” to take on such a thing. But Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone, who first met DeLuise in the mid-1990s through Hofstra University, saw an immediate synergy and a need.

“I was looking to build the 110 corridor,” Petrone said. “There was an immediate match. I saw an immediate need for the chamber. He founded the chamber, and he built it.”

Melville Chamber President Mike DeLuise, left asks former Suffolk County Economic Development Commissioner Yves Michel a question during a meeting in 2011. Sitting next to him is Melville Chamber Director Ted Macaluso and Chairman Mark Catapano; DeLuise and Macaluso go back to the formation of the Chamber.

Ted Macaluso, one of the original members of the Melville Chamber and the organization’s executive director, said their original goal was to have a presence for businesses of all sizes.

“It slowly came to fruition over those first couple of years, and thanks to Mike’s help, sitting at a diner with a bunch of people and getting this word out that we need something here as a presence, kind of kicked it off there,” Macaluso said.

“The whole idea was to get some of that construction down on 110 started,” DeLuise said. “It took a long time. We might have helped initiate it, but that was the reason.”

Along the way, they had a hand in some major regional accomplishments, like the reopening of the Republic Airport train station and the repeal of the MTA commuter tax.

“My feeling is as a team, we might be at the beginning of it, but we stayed back and

let everybody else take the credit,” DeLuise said.

By staying volunteer-driven and nonpartisan, the Melville Chamber can be the “loud voice and the squeaky wheel” without fear of reprisal.

“By being a volunteer, I don’t have any elected official I owe my soul to,” he said.

‘I don’t have any company that says, ‘If you don’t do this…’”

Now, the chamber has set its sights on improving north-south transportation along the 110 corridor, an effort in which they are teaming with Petrone and Babylon Supervisor Richard Schaffer.

“We want to do more,” he said.

Members, like attorney Leslie Tayne, whose law firm has been part of the chamber for about a year, said DeLuise’s interest in each member’s business is a major draw.

“He made time to come meet with me, talk to me, learn what the business’ goals are. He took the time to come here and learn about the business and me as this person in the community,” she said.

“When we had our official grand opening in this office, Mike attended,” added Craig Levy, of Community National Bank.

“Basically, anything he could do to help, he’s the first one to help.”

DeLuise also has a knack for pulling people together who can benefit from knowing each other.

“From the first time I met him, he was fascinating. Mike is just one of those people – there’s no one he doesn’t know,” Paul Anthony, the sales manager for WALK Radio, said. “He’s a networking guru… with Mike, it’s not six degrees of separation. It’s usually one or two.”

His attention and thoughtful approach has helped develop deep affection for the longtime chairman.

“I think the world of Mike. It’s an honor to know him,” Levy said.

DeLuise: Station Makes Chamber Stronger

By Mike Koehler mkoehler@longislandernews.com

As its president, Mike DeLuise is the face of the Melville Chamber of Commerce. But he’s also a familiar face in Huntington Station.

DeLuise is a member of the Huntington Station Action Coalition NOW, a community-based organization to improve and promote the beleaguered neighborhood.

“It’s everyone from people who work for the town to people who work in community service. You’re dealing with real estate, you’re dealing with community groups, you’re dealing with police. You’re dealing with everyone who has an investment in the community,” he said.

Making progress one step at a time, DeLuise expects Huntington Station will emerge as a culturally diverse, well-educated and business-friendly community.

When Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone formed the coalition in 2011, he tapped DeLuise and town spokesman A.J. Carter to chair the Coalition Awareness Committee.

“He has a good pulse not only on people, but on how to get things done,” Petrone said of DeLuise.

Both the supervisor and his spokesman raved about DeLuise’s extensive background in communications and public rela-

tions. He began as an account executive managing advertising for museums, theater and musicians, and spent nine years as president of his own marketing firm, 17 years supervising communications at Hofstra University and six years overseeing communications at Dowling College. While at Hofstra, he helped launch the Chamber in 2001.

“I think the chamber is fortunate to have him and the Town of Huntington is fortunate to have Mike,” Petrone said.

Carter said their job with Action NOW is both to keep the 130 people involved with all nine subcommittees up to date and to let the public know what the neighborhood has to offer.

“One of the missions of the Action Coalition is not only to do good things, but to tell people about it,” the town spokesman said.

DeLuise described the job as sharing “the good news of what’s going on with everyone in the community.”

Emphasizing the grassroots level, their subcommittee has looked into creating presentations Action NOW can display at community gatherings, a video “travelogue” showing off the best parts of Huntington Station and a virally disseminated video featuring community members singing different parts of the same song.

Carter said he and his co-chair talk frequently, although Superstorm Sandy im-

pacted their monthly subcommittee meetings.

Sandy also delayed their latest efforts.

The brainchild of DeLuise, Action NOW is looking to begin tours of Huntington Station. These tours, DeLuise said, show off the different facets of the neighborhood and its potential. They were originally slated to start this fall; they should now begin this spring.

“What we’re hoping to do in the com-

munity are tours of Huntington Station to show you what it was like and what it’s like now and what it will be in the future,” DeLuise said.

The chamber president has also used Huntington Station for his chamber business, Carter said, including having meetings in the neighboring community.

“It helps me as the president of the Melville Chamber if Huntington Station does well,” DeLuise said.

Mike, Congratulations on a Job Well Done Jerome Hehir, CPA

Treasurer, Melville Chamber Of Commerce

LONG ISLANDER LIFE • DECEMBER 27, 2012 •

The President At Home

By Jacqueline Birzon jbirzon@longislandernews.com

It is difficult to describe a man who has genuinely and selflessly devoted his life to the betterment of others. Those who know him well describe Mike DeLuise – husband, father, friend and mentor – as a strong, creative, hardworking and compassionate individual whose positive approach to life set the stage for a lifetime of achievements through implementing change.

His wife, Victoria, describes her husband as someone who talks the talk and walks the walk. After 41 years of marriage, she said her husband is someone who continues to evolve and grow as a person.

“He’s always evolving,” she said. “He’s not someone who stays set in their ways.

He’s always coming up with new ideas, trying new things and going outside of his comfort zone.”

She described DeLuise’s passion for photography as one of his main creative outlets, and that his creative side was always an inspiration to his daughters growing up.

Childhood friend Vincent Martusciello, who met DeLuise during high school, said his friend’s fun-loving attitude and generous spirit set the groundwork for their lifelong friendship. Martusciello has fond memories of spending time at the DeLuise home when the boys were in school, and said DeLuise’s parents were exceptionally warm and inviting towards their guests.

Chris Bryan, lifelong friend and DeLuise’s best man at his wedding, also remembers the DeLuise home as a place where he was always treated well. Bryan described DeLuise as an “honest” person who “has always been a mover and a shaker.” He said DeLuise is not only generous with his resources, but is also generous with his talents and his time.

Danielle and Nicole, DeLuise’s daughters, can certainly attest to their father’s all-encompassing generosity both when they were growing up and in the present day.

Danielle, his oldest daughter, said throughout her life her father has always been an incredible mentor. She recalls having talks with her father when she was younger, and the solace he provided by simply listening to her problems and responding with learned insight. Danielle noted that her father never simply preached to her; rather, he demonstrated respect for her by sharing his own experiences and stories during difficult times in his life.

While she was a student at Hofstra and her father an employee, Danielle said it astounded her how many of her peers turned to her father for advice during turbulent times in their life.

When asked to describe her father in three words, Danielle replied “[He’s] a mentor, funny, and strong, [but my] my dad’s really an entire afternoon conversation over coffee.”

DeLuise’s younger daughter, Nicole, said her father is one of the hardest workers she knows. Growing up, she recalled her father teaching her the life lesson of “all you need is enough.” Nicole said that lesson became her mantra, carrying it with her throughout her adult life.

“I remember [even as a child] that when he thinks something is funny, [hearing] his genuine laugh is one of the best feelings in the world. I almost look away [from what

Congratulations Mike On Being Named

2012

“Person Of The Year” This photo of the DeLuise family was taken

by Barbara Bush's photographer when Nicole, Victoria, Mike and Danielle visited their home at the Naval Observatory when Geroge Bush was vice president.

The honor is certainly well deserved!

David Gustin

Mike and his daughters, Danielle and Nicole. we are watching] and just look at him. It’s sometimes more enjoyable just seeing him laugh,” she said.

Town of Huntington spokesman A.J. Carter described his friend and colleague as “innovative, creative and caring,” and said DeLuise’s devotion to the Melville Chamber of Commerce epitomizes his dedication to his community. Carter noted that DeLuise’s expansion of the chamber beyond the confines of Melville and into Huntington Station exhibits his mission to help as many people as possible.

During his 34 years of residency in the Dix Hills area, DeLuise has become close friends with several of his neighbors.

Bert Anania, a neighbor, described DeLuise as a “wonderful neighbor, a family man and an overall great person.”

Neighbor and close friend Michael Sher said DeLuise is a “fantastic, authentic person,” who never fails to offer his help to anyone who needs it. Sher recalled a time when DeLuise invited him to a Melville Chamber of Commerce event, and for the first time saw his neighbor – this down to earth, humble man – assume his role as the “mayor” of the town.

“It was amazing. He was bringing people together and helping them solve their problems. I just sat there and watched; it was like he’s the mayor! But he’s just a regular guy, a special guy with special qualities that people gravitate to,” he said.

Community National Bank congratulates

Mike Deluise

Long Islander Newspapers Person Of The Year for 2012 NY metro’s fastest growing commercial community bank!

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• DECEMBER 27, 2012 • LONG ISLANDER LIFE

2012: A Year Of Innovative Dining Foodie SECTION

The year 2012 brought another year of fine dining to the Long-Islander Foodies, and we noticed that everyone really tried to find their niche by doing something different. We tried some new places, visited old favorites, and successfully packed on the pounds when the food called for it.

Now we review with you the highlights from a year of munching.

The

Huntington Social For a nod to where Americans got their illicit cocktails from 1920-1933, look no further than Huntington Social (330 New York Ave., Huntington village, 631-9232442, www.huntingtonsocial.com), which tips its hat to the legendary speakeasy.

Huntington Social’s menu features seasonal American fare by award-winning chef Christopher Lee. Our favorites include: Apple Chestnut Ravioli ($12), the Huntington Social Aged Burger ($18) with white cheddar, thick-cut smoked bacon and a citrus-infused “special sauce,” and melt-in-your-mouth Pork Tenderloin ($27). The feast continues with a decadent dessert selection. The bar works its magic too with themed drinks.

50 Years For The Clubhouse For 50 years, The Clubhouse in Huntington has been the place for steaks. Owner Jeffrey Bies has been the proprietor of The Clubhouse (320 East Jericho Turnpike, Huntington, 631-423-1155, www.clubhousesteaks.com) for nearly 30 years. His parents, John and Geraldine, opened The Clubhouse in 1962.

The wine list has been a regular on

Itlain Pancakes at Two Blondes and a Stove are fluffy, light and full of zest with strawberry-lemon marmalade in between each layer of the stack.

The Clubhouse is the “place for steaks” for a reason. Owner Jeffrey Bies shows us a pair of prime cuts – he’s holding a Long Bone Colorado Rib Eye, next to a classic Porterhouse.

Chef Charlie Labartino whips up some golden dishes. Our favorites include: the Lobster Claw Cocktail ($18) served with a Cajun remoulade; Bacon-Wrapped Sea Scallops ($13); any of their steaks, and Geraldine’s pecan pie.

“Wine Spectator’s” Award of Excellence since the mid-2000s, and in 2005, The Clubhouse was named one of the country’s Wine-Friendliest Restaurants.

Two Blondes And Their Stove When you eat breakfast at Dena Fenza’s Two Blondes and a Stove (28 Clinton Ave., Huntington village, 631-673-1300,

www.twoblondesandastove.com), you’ll probably feel like you want to kick off your shoes when you sit down. Then you remember it’s not your kitchen.

Chef Michael Hansen’s meals are all tummy-warming good. Our favorites from the year include Italian Pancakes ($9.95) with strawberry lemon marmalade between each one; and Pesca Frenchie ($10.25), Challah French toast encrusted with amaretto cookie crumbs. Omelets round out the breakfast menu, which is served all day. Lunch offers an array of simple and satisfying wraps, salads and soups. Cooking classes are also offered.

XO: A Love Affair With Creativity Jason Kitton, the owner of XO Restaurant, Wine and Chocolate Lounge on Wall Street, and Executive chef Christopher Lano impressed us when they opened Feb. 29 with their innovative New American cuisine at XO (69 Wall St., Huntington village, 631-549-7074, www.xowinebar.com).

Over the year, we’ve come to know a few favorites: Crisp Pulled Pork Dumplings ($10), Tender Grilled Skirt Steak ($24), and juicy Chilean Sea Bass ($30). And oh yes, the chocolate cocktails and homemade truffles.

Making Friends At The Whale’s Tale The Whale’s Tale (Rear of Britannia Marina, 81 Fort Salonga Road, Northport, 631-651-8844, www.whalestalenpt.com) is a delight, whether you’re sitting by the water or having a drink in the bar that never feels crowded – even when it is.

(Continued on page LI 7)

LONG ISLANDER LIFE • DECEMBER 27, 2012 •

Side Dish DINE HUNTINGTON.COM

By DineHuntington.com Foodie@longislandernews.com

WHAT ARE YOU DOING… New Year’s Eve? There no shortage of options in this town, from a quick bite on your way to a party to over-the-top elegant. They don’t call us the dining capital of Long Island for nothing, after all. For that over-the-top experience, Prime – An American Kitchen and Bar (117 New York Ave., Huntington 631-385-1515 restaurantprime.com) serves its regular menu up until late-night seatings after 9 p.m. when you can enjoy a four-course prix-fixe dinner for $125 per person. DJ after 10 p.m. with dancing and champagne toast at midnight included.

Long Island Psychic Theresa Caputo with Ideal Cheese’s Chris Binetti.

CELEBRITIES LIKE CHEESE: Gosh, it was a star-studded week at Ideal Cheese (278 Main St., Huntington village 631-923-3434 idealcheesehuntington.com). First Long Island’s favorite television psychic Theresa Caputo stopped in while filming an episode in town and declared herself to be a huge fan of their cheeses. Then actor Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) dropped in as well.

HE’LL MAKE YOU HAPPY: Last time we spoke of Jimmy’s Happy Sushi (340A West Jericho Turnpike, Huntington) we published the wrong number for his restaurant. And that’s a shame – Jimmy Yeh and his staff are wizards with sushi, and we feel bad that we made it harder for you to discover that. Hopefully, many of you who tried the wrong number went to Google and found Jimmy, but for those of you who didn’t – call him at 631-9233777. His impressive menu boasted A-to-Z named rolls – and then some – crafted with fresh, delicious ingredients, some of them unique, to boot. He’s sure to have something sweet, spicy or savory to make any palate very happy indeed. He’s great for on the go or dining in alike, so be sure to check him out when you’re in his neck of the woods.

PANERA GIVES BACK: Panera Bread’s Pink Ribbon Bagel campaign raised more than $30,000 this year to benefit several local breast cancer organizations. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Panera bakers hand twisted thousands of cherry vanilla bagels into the iconic “pink ribbon” shape to raise funds for prevention and a cure.

Among the beneficiaries of funds raised were Prevention is the Cure, which seeks to increase awareness of environmental links to cancer and promote a precautionary health model; the Breast Cancer Research Program at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory where innovative breast cancer research is being performed; and Adelphi Breast Cancer Hotline & Support Program whose goal is to educate, support, empower and advocate for breast cancer patients. Panera Bread – which ias soon to open a Huntington Village location – recently presented each of the groups with a check for nearly $8,500 to help advance their work, and a check for $5,200 was also given to Gilda’s Club New York City which creates welcoming communities of free support for everyone living with cancer.

The Foodies do 2012 (Continued from page LI 6)

The seafood-heavy menu is affordable – the regular menu entrees top out at $17.

We love: the Bang-Bang Shrimp ($8.95), Bucket O’Mussels ($9.95), Surf and Turf tacos ($8.25), Northport Shellfish Stew ($16.95), and anything from the Fresh Grill section.

Porto Fino’s Village Corner Since establishing themselves on the corner of New York Avenue, the owners of Porto Fino Ristorante (395 New York Ave., Huntington, 631-673-1200, http://portofinohuntington.com), have made a name for themselves offering casual family dining with an extensive menu of Italian classics, gourmet pizza and pizettes, panini, and classic entrees.

Our favorites included: Mussels Mandolino ($11.95); Veal Portofino ($18.95), a blend of veal medallions sautéed in sweet marsala and wine sauce; whole Branzino; and anything from the woodburning oven.

Marry The Night At La Notte The crescent moon is shining bright for La Notte Ristorante (15 New St., Huntington village, 631-683-5595, www.lanotteristorante.com).

Owner Joseph Competiello, an East

Northport resident, teamed up with Executive Chef Joseph Cacace, to pair oldworld favorites and Nuvo Italian cuisine.

Having opened late in 2012 in Huntington village, our favorites so far include: the addictive Potato & Zucchini Chips ($10), Parmigiano “Sformata” ($10); Strozzapreti with Lamb Ragu ($18); and tender Pan-Roasted Double Pork Chop ($27).

Jellyfish Blooms On The Harbor It felt like we were waiting forever for Ralph Colamussi’s restaurant to open, and now that is has, we are swimming in foodie happiness at Jellyish (441 E. Main St., Centerport, 631-262-0300, www.eatatjellyfish.com).

Dine at the “Jelly Bar” for clams and oysters, sushi and old-fashioned soda fountain beverages. Or for a more formal setting, dine in the Veranda. Anywhere you go, the detail in the design is extraordinary.

When it comes to sushi, we suggest: Strawberry Heaven ($10), a classic spicy crab roll with sweet strawberries and mango puree; Kiss of Fire ($14) and Lobster Roll ($31). For entrees: Simply Grilled New York Strip ($38) is melt-in-yourmouth tender; Wild Striped Bass ($27) and Lobster Cantonese & Pork Belly ($34).

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• DECEMBER 27, 2012 • LONG ISLANDER LIFE

The DeLuise Way: It’s All About Us

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

Mike DeLuise’s holistic approach to marketing and public relations centers on core values of equality and teamwork – which he credits his father, Charles, with instilling in him at a young age.

Charles DeLuise, a U.S. Army veteran of World War II who was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge, shared a bit of wisdom with his son when the precocious lad told him one day that he wanted to have all the money in the world.

“Mike, if you had all the money in the world, who would buy something from you?” DeLuise recalled being told.

That message shapes how his son, now 61, views the world.

“You can’t be the only survivor – but it’s almost that what we set ourselves up to be,” he said.

Guided by that light, he’s not shy about sharing his frustration with the current state of affairs. Although he’s been involved in many successful things in the last 40 years, he wouldn’t dare take primary credit. He explains that he isn’t a believer in being too proud of oneself, and he doesn’t mind standing back and helping out.

“I consider it a team that made it work.

That’s where I think they’re missing things now – you have to be the No. 1 company, the No. 1 family,” he said.

“Parents today, their kid has to be the No. 1 student, and the other problem is that we don’t take responsibility except if somebody wins.”

Melville Chamber Executive Director Ted Macaluso said DeLuise is one of the very few people who doesn’t take any accolades.

“It’s all about everybody else except for him. That’s what I love about the guy,” Macaluso added.

Hard work is essential, and DeLuise cites the example of his niece, Jessica Massa, who wrote a book called “The Gaggle”

Mike DeLuise argues there are simple steps toward success in life – ones that Colin Powell likely followed en route to becoming a general – work hard, plan ahead, take personal responsibility and embrace success as a team, not an individual. and launched a website on dating in the modern world. She did her homework and prepared well, her uncle said, but that doesn’t seem to be the norm.

“Today, everybody wants to be a reality star. They’re not willing to put in the time.

They think they’re going to turn the camera on, and in 15 minutes, they’re going to win the lottery and be the No. 1 star in America,” DeLuise said. “You need to put

a foundation together and make it work.”

Most of the legwork for that foundation comes from simple rules.

“I guarantee if you follow the rules – and they’re all basic rules – it’ll happen,” he said. “You’re going through a gauntlet, and you have to be able to get around that stuff to get to the other side… If you’re going to sit there and let yourself be hit all the time, you’re going to fail. You have

to stand up and make it to the other side, and there are right ways to do that.”

And being nice, he stressed, is not a shortcoming.

“Am I thick-headed? Maybe. But, people tend to say, ‘he’s a nice guy’ [about people] and look at that as a weakness. I don’t think so,” DeLuise said. “What good does it do for me to destroy you?”

A Morning With Tony Bennett

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

During the earlier stages of his public relations career, Mike DeLuise had plenty of encounters with some of the biggest stars in the world in the realms of Broadway and popular music. One stint with stardom included doing promotions for Stevie Wonder, who was at the peak of his powers in the mid-1970s and had just released “Songs In The Key Of Life.”

DeLuise also recalled the day he received a phone call from Colonel Parker, Elvis Presley’s manager, and worked with Billy Joel – a “really good guy” – at Hofstra University.

“There are so many times I said, ‘Why am I here?’ – You pinch yourself every day,” he said.

But during his tenure at The Blaine Thompson Agency in the mid-1970s, one person he worked particularly closely with was legendary crooner Tony Bennett. Any time Bennett performed at Lincoln Center or Carnegie Hall, DeLuise would handle his promotions.

Two stories about his time working with Bennett immediately jumped to mind.

“He owed us $5,000, $10,000 for the advertising he was doing,” DeLuise said. “He said, ‘I’m going to be at Carnegie Hall.

Why don’t you come backstage and I’ll give you the check before the concert?’”

In a three-piece suit and holding an attaché case, DeLuise went to the backstage door through the phalanx of police, and doors kept opening for him. Police officers opened door after door for him, much to his amazement.

“Next thing I know, he’s just finished rehearsing ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco,’ and he looks and goes, ‘Mike?

How the hell did you get here?’ He had the check in his pocket – you talk about those days before security – and I walked right out.”

When Bennett was appearing in New York City, DeLuise said the singer favored promotional posters on construction sites, so the young promoter got in touch with John Moran, who quickly went to work. Moran also knew where

Bennett lived on the Upper East Side, and told DeLuise to print three oversized posters, which he planned to post on a construction site opposite his building.

The next morning, DeLuise’s phone rang at the office. It was Tony Bennett.

The singer asked what DeLuise was doing – having his morning coffee at the office.

“You’re going to have it at my house,” Bennett replied. “Come on up.”

DeLuise hopped into a cab and went up to Bennett’s apartment, where he received a brash, enthusiastic greeting.

“You’re a genius!” DeLuise recalled being told. “I said, ‘What did I do?’ He said, ‘Come in here.’ As I walk through his apartment, he had a room that was full of all his paintings – all over the place. I look out the window, and there’s this giant poster.”

After Bennett asked if he liked his artwork – he paints under his birth name, Anthony Benedetto – DeLuise pointed out one in particular, wondering if he might leave his apartment with it.

“Oh my God – that’s my mother. That’s the only one you can’t have,” Bennett told

DeLuise. “It’s the only one you can’t have.”

“But he never offered to give me another one,” DeLuise added.

Asked by Bennett if there was anything else he needed, DeLuise asked for a glass of scotch, which the singer brought out on a short, leaded glass. Then, he asked for a telephone.

“So I dialed. It picked up and I went, ‘Ma, I’m in Tony Bennett’s apartment. He grabs the phone from me and he goes, ‘Ma, it’s Tony Bennett,’” DeLuise said.

Mother DeLuise was not convinced.

“And my mother said, ‘Michael, quit sh*tting me.”

Finishing his story, DeLuise laughed and threw his hands up.

“God’s honest truth!” he exclaims.

LONG ISLANDER LIFE • DECEMBER 27, 2012 •

LI 9

Overcoming Melville’s Unique Challenge

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

Looking ahead to the future of the Melville Chamber of Commerce, Mike DeLuise believes they have a challenge that it, and its community, must meet in order to thrive.

“We’re called a chamber of commerce, but in our neighborhood, we need something that’s a little bit different,” he said.

The Melville Chamber enjoys strong representation amongst the area’s law firms and banking institutions, and government officials have been “really good about working with us,” DeLuise said.

And the overall membership is unique because it ranges from huge multinational corporations like Canon, to the small, mom-and-pop bagel shop with a handful of employees.

Those disparate forces must meld, he argued, for the chamber to speak in one voice to bring change to the community.

“With some of the bigger companies, we need involvement and participation in the chamber from some of the senior-level people. We need an intermingling of some of the young executives to make it all happen,” DeLuise said. “We need to make changes – whether it’s public transportation, environmental, or making the area look better. It can’t be political. It has to be that the community itself speaks as a voice.”

Even though some of the larger Melville-based businesses might feel they don’t belong in a local chamber – especially those that are based elsewhere – DeLuise said their input is vital, too – and

Two Brooklynites together: Mike and Vicky DeLuise with U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. The well-connected Mike DeLuise says he will continue to bring parties together through the Melville Chamber. they are truly local.

“Their employees work here, they live here – they have to make a positive change in their community,” he said.

To spur that dialogue and consensus building, he suggested a return of something called the “no-name committee,” which were monthly gatherings hosted by

former Long Island Business News owner Paul Townsend. DeLuise was a participant, and he said those meetings were invaluable brainstorming and networking opportunities.

“The no-name committee was a bunch of people I have no right to even be near – they were the senior people at Grumman, the senior people at North Shore Hospital, the senior people at some of the banks,” DeLuise said. “And once a month, we would get together for a Dutch treat, and they would talk – talk about what we could do to make Long Island a better place. And that’s what we need to do.”

For a group like that, it’s more than a monthly coffee klatch – it’s a chance to sow the seeds of progress.

“It’s sitting around and making a positive difference and some change, and not worrying about, ‘Is this politically correct, what we have to do?’ It’s doing what’s right, and that’s, I think, the challenge we have – how do we get those people to participate in this?” DeLuise said.

“I wish I could get a company like Henry Schein involved with us. They could really add so much to the community.”

To make that happen, all must feel welcome and be able to benefit from being a part of the chamber.

“We need to make sure everybody feels all-inclusive and that it’s not just something that’s out there to build a wall around us,” DeLuise said. “There’s no walls – anybody from any other chamber, whether it’s on Long Island or beyond – comes and says we need help, we’re going to try to help them.”

We congratulate Mike DeLuise on his selection as Long Islander Newspapers

2012 Person of The Year Congratulates our Friend and Colleague, Mike Deluise President Melville Chamber of Commerce On His Achievement as

Person of the Year 2012.

Long Island

Manhattan

445 Broad Hollow Road Melville, NY 11747 Tel: 631-393-6220

245 Park Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10167 Tel: 212-922-9545

www.hba-law.com Attorney Advertiseing

Our business community and Long Island at large have benefited tremendously from his many contributions and continued commitment to the region’s economic development.

Jerry S. Siegel JASB Management Inc. (Jointly Achieving Successful Business) 516-364-1116, Ext. 21 www.jasbmanagement.com

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• DECEMBER 27, 2012 • LONG ISLANDER LIFE

THURSDAY Vigil For Sandy Hook Victims

An interfaith “BYOC” (bring your own candle) vigil to spread light, love and awareness for the children, families, schools, emergency service providers and all of the Newtown, Conn. community will be held: Thursday, Dec. 27, 4 p.m. in the Huntington Town Hall Board Room, 100 Main St., Huntington, and move to the front lawn for candle lighting. Reverend Moore of St. John's Episcopal Church in Sandy Hook plans to attend. Call Michael Raspantini at 631-9884669 with any questions.

Calendar O M M U N I T Y

FRIDAY Concerts with a Touch of Theater

Holiday Lights Festival

The 2nd annual Newsday Holiday Lights Festival is every weekend (Fri.-Sun.) through Dec. 30, 6-10 p.m., 235 Pinelawn Road, Melville. Visitors can enjoy more than 1,200 feet of illuminated holiday light displays including 58 brand new exhibits, as well as carnival games, crafts, photos with Santa, and full-size ice skating rink. Presented by Bethpage Federal Credit Union and Lord & Taylor. $4-$8 ($1 of which goes to Newsday’s Help-A-Family campaign). Visit www.bethpagefcu.com/community/events.aspx.

Ridotto, Concerts with a Touch of Theater, presents BulgarianAmerican pianist Nadejda Vlaeva performing works by Saint-Saens, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, and Liadov on Sunday, Jan. 6, 4 p.m. at The Huntington Jewish Center, 510 Park Ave., Huntington. www.ridotto.org.

631-385-0373. $10 students/$18 seniors/$20 adults.

SATURDAY Live Music

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

SUNDAY 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.

MONDAY See The Light

Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia has organized an exhibit of Huntington Lighthouse artifacts and memorabilia to celebrate its centennial anniversary of The Huntington Lighthouse.

The display includes correspondence between the Lighthouse Establishment and Lighthouse Keeper Robert McGlone, and an original painting of the lighthouse, which will be auctioned. On display in the Town Hall lobby, 100 Main St, Huntington, MondayThursday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Friday, 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. www.huntingtonlighthouse.org. 631-421-1985.

TUESDAY New Year’s Day Polar Swim

What better way to ring in the New Year than with a cool dip in Northport Bay? Join Boy Scout Troop 410 and the Northport Fire Department Smokeaters on Jan. 1, 2013 at noon at Northport Village’s Steers Beach on Eaton’sNeck Road (next to Asharoken Beach) to celebrate the New Year and help raise money for the Northport Food Pantry.

Swimmers are invited to collect as many sponsors as possible, at $5 each. www.t410northportny.org. Hot cocoa and snacks by Copenhagen Bakery. Heaters and fuel by Lewisy Heating.

Free Help For Vets

Every Tuesday from 12-4 p.m. is “Military Appreciation Tuesdays,” when Long Island Cares specifically assists veterans, military personnel and their families at the Hauppauge and Freeport emergency pantries.

Appointments can be made by contacting jrosati@licares.org.

WEDNESDAY Power Breakfast

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

Vanessa Hollingshead and Jessica Kirson.

John W. Engeman Theater At Northport

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

• Celebrate the holiday season with a thrilling new twist on the holiday classic “A Christmas Carol.” Michael Wilson’s adaptation is a creative re-telling of Dickens’ classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge. Sponsored by North Shore LIJ and running through Jan. 6. $65.

• Christmas has been cancelled! Or at least, it will be if Santa can't find a way to guide his sleigh through a fierce blizzard. Fortunately for him, there's “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” showing as part of the Youth Theater Series, Nov. 24-Jan. 6 on weekends and special dates. $15.

The Minstrel Players of Northport

At Houghton Hall - Trinity Episcopal Church, 130 Main St., Northport Village. 631-732-2926. www.minstrelplayers.org.

• Submissions are now being accepted for “It Happened One Act” play festival. Deadline is Jan. 15, 2013. Visit the website for more information.

Tilles Center For The Performing Arts

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

• The Cashore Marionettes brings the celebration of life for which master puppeteer Joseph Cashore is renowned to Tilles Center Sunday, Jan. 6, 2 p.m., with “Simple Gifts.”

MUSEUMS & EXHIBITS AT THE LIBRARIES Cold Spring Harbor Library

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

• On display through Jan. 31 in the art gallery is the work of the Cold Spring Harbor School District’s adult ed art class.

• Kids can enjoy snack and a movie, “Ice Age 4: Continental Drift” on Saturday, Dec. 29, 23:45 p.m.

Commack Public Library

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

• Students in grades 6-12 can enjoy dinner and a movie, “Men In Black 3,” on Thursday, Dec. 27, 6-8 p.m.

• Long Island Blood Services hosts a blood drive on Friday, Jan. 4, noon-6 p.m.

Supplies are needed desperately after Sandy. 1-800-933-2566. Free pair of gloves and scarf for all donors.

Deer Park Public Library

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

• Chef Charlie returns to do a program especially for kids on Thursday, Dec. 27, 7 p.m.

• Children can make a New Year's noisemaker on Saturday, Dec. 29, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Elwood Public Library

3027 Jericho Turnpike, Elwood. 631-4993722. www.elwoodlibrary.org.

• During regular operating hours, Project Hope Crisis Counselors from the Family Service League will be on hand through Saturday, Dec. 29 to provide free, confidential services which include: public education, crisis counseling, and referrals to anyone who was impacted by Superstorm Sandy.

Half Hollow Hills Community Library

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

• The library is forming a Chamber Music Ensemble led by Mr. Stanley Stock, retired music teacher and is looking for musicians.

For more information and to register, call 631-498-1229.

• Kids in grades 1 and up can make a one-ofa-kind snowglobe on Friday, Dec. 28, 10:30 a.m.

Harborfields Public Library

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

• Stop by the gallery this month to see the quilts handcrafted by members of the Huntington Quilters Guild.

• Students in grades 6-12 can enjoy pizza and a screening of “The Amazing Spiderman” on Friday, Dec. 28, 1 p.m.

Huntington Public Library

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

• “New Paintings” by William Pardue at the Main Art Gallery wanders over a range of themes, styles, and mediums. On display through Dec. 29.

• Carlos Manjares explains the process of becoming a citizen, prepares you for the citizenship interview and reviews U.S. history and government for the examination on Thursday, Dec. 27, 6:30 p.m. at the Station branch.

Northport-East Northport Public Library

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

• On display in the East Northport gallery, “Masks in the Sea of Faces” by former LongIslander graphic artist Sheauwei Pidd shows off her love of colors and mood, as well as movement.

• Catch Disney’s “Brave” on Friday, Dec. 28, 1:30 p.m. in Northport.

South Huntington Public Library

145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station.

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

• Young adults can create melting snowmen out of buttercream, fondant and assorted candy decorations on Thursday, Dec. 27, 3:30 p.m.

• Representatives from Project Hope at Family Service League will be on hand in the library lobby through Dec. 30 to provide information, referrals and educational materials to people of all ages who have been affected by Superstorm Sandy.

T

THEATER and FILM

Cinema Arts Centre

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

• Catch opera on the big screen. Showing Thursday, Dec. 27 at noon, “La Traviata” is a fascinating production of Giuseppe Verdi’s thrilling adaptation of the Dumas novel “La Dame Aux Camellias.” Showing Saturday, Dec. 29 at noon, “The Merry Widow” is a dazzling new production of Franz Lehar’s classic operetta about a wealthy widow and her countrymen’s attempt to keep her money in the principality by finding her the right husband. Each showing is $10 members/$15 public.

Dix Hills Performing Arts Center

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

• After the winter break, the Wild Women of Comedy return Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m., featuring comic duo MEL & EL, and comediennes

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.

• On display through Dec. 29 in the Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery is the Members Exhibition, Part Two, featuring over 130 pieces of paintings, drawings, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, mixed media, and photography.

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery

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

• Help celebrate the hatching of the baby trout on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2 p.m.

Heckscher Museum Of Art

2 Prime Ave., Huntington. Museum hours: Wednesday - Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., first Fridays from 4-8:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission $68/adults, $4-6/seniors, and $4-5/children; members and children under 10 free. 631-351-3250.

• “Mirrored Images: Realism in the 19th and 20th Centuries” explores the various realist movements. On display through March 24.

• “Modernizing America: Artists of the Armory Show” focuses on American artists who participated in the Armory Show and explores the impact of European Modernism on American art in the early years of the 20th century. On display through April 14.

Holocaust Memorial And Tolerance Center

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

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

• The new permanent exhibit explains the 1920s 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.

• An exhibit of photographs and artifacts honoring Abdol-Hossein Sardari, the Iranian envoy stationed in Paris who rescued thousands of Jews from the Nazis, is on display through December.

Huntington Arts Council

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

(Continued on page LI 11)

LONG ISLANDER LIFE • DECEMBER 27, 2012 •

• “Bold,” featuring artists that grab the viewer with their unique and striking artwork at the Art-Trium, runs through Feb. 25.

• “Still Life” is now on display in the main gallery.

(Continued from page LI 10)

New Year’s Day Polar Swim What better way to ring in the New Year than with a cool dip in Northport Bay? Join Boy Scout Troop 410 and the Northport Fire Department Smokeaters on Jan. 1, 2013 at noon at Northport Village’s Steers Beach on Eaton’s Neck Road (next to Asharoken Beach) to celebrate the New Year and help raise money for the Northport Food Pantry. Swimmers are invited to collect as many sponsors as possible, at $5 each. www.t410northportny.org.

Hot cocoa and snacks by Copenhagen Bakery. Heaters and fuel by Lewisy Heating.

LaMantia Gallery

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

• Robert Finale presents captivating landscapes and Richard Johnson displays exquisite paintings of the human face and form.

9 East Contemporary Art

9 East Carver St., Huntington. Gallery hours: Wed.Sat., 3-8 p.m. or by appointment. 631-662-9459.

• To celebrate the first anniversary of the gallery, the exhibit “99: A Collection Of Original Small Works” on view through Jan. 20.

Northport Historical Society Museum

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

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

Ripe Art Gallery

67 Broadway, Greenlawn. 631-807-5296.

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

• Women’s clothing store Rexer-Parkes presents a special showing of paintings by Ripe Art Gallery artist Maxine Jurow titled “Black Velvet” through February 2013. 35 Gerard St., Huntington.

SPLIA

Headquarters: 161 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor. Joseph Lloyd Manor House: Lloyd Lane and Lloyd Harbor Road, Lloyd Neck.

631-692-4664. www.splia.org.

• SPLIA presents “Rescuing the American Townscape from its Own Recent History,” a lecture by author James Howard Kunstler at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s Grace Auditorium, One Bungtown Road (off of 25A), on Sunday, Jan. 6, 3 p.m. $20. SPLIA will also be presenting its Howard Sherwood Award for exceptional achievement in preservation. Reservations required.

Suffolk Y JCC

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

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

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

Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium

180 Little Neck Road, Centerport. Museum hours: Tuesday-Friday, 12-4 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 12-5 p.m.; closed Mondays except for holiday weeks. Grounds admission: $7 adults, $6 seniors, students, and $3 children under 12. Museum tour, add $5 per person. 631-854-5555. www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

• Twilight Tours of the Vanderbilt are being offered through Friday, Dec. 28, 7-9 p.m.

• The Arena Players Repertory Theatre will present “Cheating Cheaters” by John Patrick from Dec. 28-Jan. 20 at the museum's Carriage House Theatre. On Dec. 31, the Players will offer a special, reservedseat New Year's Eve performance and celebration. See the show at 9 p.m. and enjoy wine, champagne, coffee and dessert. $50 per person, $75 per couple.

Call 516-293-0674.

MUSIC & DANCE The Paramount

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

• Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra rings in 2013 with shows on Dec. 30 and 31.

• Tickets now on sale for the Saturday, Jan. 19 concert “A Diva, A Comedian & Broadway for the Children of Huntington Station.”

Ridotto

Concerts with a Touch of Theater. at The Huntington Jewish Center, 510 Park Ave., Huntington. www.ridotto.org. 631-3850373 • Bulgarian-American pianist Nadejda Vlaeva performs works by Saint-Saens, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, and Liadov on Sunday, Jan. 6, 4 p.m. $10 students/$18 seniors/$20 adults.

DONATIONS WELCOME Comfort-A-Family

Suffolk County Legislator Steve Stern, Island Harvest, veterans organizations homeless advocates are collecting new or gently used comforters. Donations for “Comfort-A-Family” can be dropped off at 1842 East Jericho Turnpike, Huntington, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. until Jan. 15. 631-854-5100.

AID & ASSISTANCE Help After Sandy

Touro Law Center has opened a legal hotline at 631-761-7198 that is staffed Monday-Friday 9-6 by law students and attorneys from the bar associations. Bilingual and Spanish-speaking lawyers are available thanks to the Hispanic Bar Assn.

Emergency Home Repair Program

Are you “underwater” on your mortgage but making payments on time? Do you need an emergency repair on your home, but can’t get a home equity loan because you are underwater? You could eligible for up to $5,000 for emergency home repairs if your income does not exceed 120 percent of the HUD median income for Long Island ($129,000 for a family of four). Apply to the Emergency Home Repair Program. Call Susan at Housing Help Inc., 631-754-0373.

VOLUNTEERING Be A Friend Of The Bay

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

Be A Host Family

Huntington Sanctuary is seeking families or individual adults to become Host Homes, which provide temporary shelter to youth between ages 12-17 who are experiencing a family crisis. Contact Jennifer Petti at 631-2712183 for more information.

Helping Furry Friends

Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center is looking for volunteers who want to make a difference in the lives of animals. Free training provided. Visit www.littleshelter.com or call 631-368-8770 ext. 204.

Walt Whitman Birthplace

If you are interested in literature or history, the Walt Whitman Birthplace has fascinating and rewarding part-time volunteer positions available. Free training provided. 631-427-5420 ext.114.

Friends At Home

Looking to earn some community service hours while changing a life? As part of the Friends@Home program, a project of The Ariella's Friendship Circle at the Chai Center in Dix Hills, visit a child with special needs in an environment they are most comfortable: their

own homes. Together, bake cookies, play games, create arts and crafts, read books and more. Contact Nati or Sara at 631-351-8672 or fcchaicenter@gmail.com

Helping Runaway Kids

Share your ideas and opinions on how Huntington Sanctuary, a program of the Huntington Youth Bureau, can help youth ages 12-21 who run away or who are at risk of running away. The group’s advisory board meets one Thursday a month at 6 p.m. Call 631-2712183.

LI 11

Two-day training course provided by the organization. ependleton@hospicecarenetwork.org or 516-832-7100.

Thrifty Hands Needed

Huntington Hospital Auxiliary’s Community Thrift Shop needs volunteers for merchandise pricing and floor work on Monday afternoons, Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

631-271-3143.

Seniors Helping Others

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program offers volunteer opportunities throughout Suffolk County ranging from tour guides and soup kitchens to hospitals and mentoring for energized adults 55+. Training, travel reimbursement and liability insurance are included. 631-979-0754.

SOCIAL/SUPPORT/12-STEP GROUPS Alcoholics Anonymous

With their first meeting in Huntington opening in the late 1940s, Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope so that they may stay sober and help others to recover from alcoholism. Call (631) 654-1150 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Sat., or visit http://www.suffolkny-aa.org for information and a meeting list.

Narcotics Anonymous

Suffolk County’s Helen Keller Services is looking for volunteers to visit blind who are homebound to socialize and aid in reading mail, possibly provide transportation. 631-424-0022.

Narcotics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who meet regularly and share their experience, strength and hope to stay clean and help others seeking recovery from addiction. Meeting list at http://sasna.org, or call 631-689-NANA (6262).

Help American Red Cross

Overeaters Anonymous

Eyes For The Blind

The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization that provides relief to victims of disaster and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. The Suffolk County Chapter is looking for volunteers to assist in emergency shelters, at fires and natural disasters, with veterans, at community events or at the office. Free trainings provided.

631-924-6700 ext 212.

Held every Monday, 10 a.m.-noon, at St. Elizabeth’s Church, 167 Wolf Hill Road, Melville, an Overeaters Anonymous (OA) group meets in the adjacent building, Living Waters Spiritual Center, in the downstairs meeting hall. Free babysitting available. 631271-4455; 631-475-5965 for additional meetings in OA’s Suffolk region.

Nicotine Anonymous

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

Trying to quit smoking, dipping or chewing tobacco? You don't have to do it alone. Nicotine Anonymous – Ann’s Hope, a 12-step program of recovery from nicotine addiction, meets every Wednesday, 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Huntington Hospital. New members welcome at any time, but meetings on the third Wednesday of each month feature a special welcome.

Time For Meals On Wheels

Eating Disorders Support Group

Seeking Volunteer Advocates

Meals On Wheels of Huntington is in need of men and women to be volunteers, who work in teams, delivering midday meals to shut-ins.

Two hours required, one day a week.

Substitutes also needed to fill in when regular drivers are unavailable. There is also a pressing need for nurses who can volunteer to screen potential clients. Times are flexible.

631-271-5150.

Nursing/Rehab Center Needs Help

Our Lady of Consolation, a 450-bed nursing and rehabilitative care center located at 111 Beach Drive in West Islip, is seeking compassionate individuals willing to volunteer their time as transporters, Eucharistic Ministers, office assistants, recreational therapy assistants and spiritual care companions.

Volunteers needed seven days a week, days and evenings. Age 14 and older only. 631-5871600, ext. 8223 or 8228.

Be A Day Care Provider

Little Flower Day Care Network is recruiting for those interested in becoming registered New York State Child Day Car providers. Must be 18 years or older. Call 631-929-600 ext. 1239 to arrange for an appointment in your home with a day care social worker.

Voice For The Children

Parents for Megan’s Law and the Crime Victims Center are seeking volunteers to assist with general office duties during daytime hours.

Candidates should be positive, energetic and professional with good communication skills.

Resume and three references required. 631689-2672 or fax resume to 631-751-1695.

A Loving Touch

The Hospice Care Network is seeking licensed massage therapists who are passionate and committed to making a difference for their new complementary therapy program, which will provide services at Franklin Medical Center in Valley Stream, Peninsula Hospital Center in Far Rockaway and the Hospice Inn in Melville.

Huntington Hospital hosts a confidential, professionally-led support group open to people with eating disorders, their families and friends on the first Sunday of each month, 10-11:30 a.m. in the One-South Conference Room.

Sociable Singles

The Singles Division of the Y JCC hosts weekly discussions for singles over the age of 55 on the first and third Thursdays of each month, 35 p.m. Free for members, $4 for non-members.

631-462-9800.

Jewish Dating

The Dix Hills Chai Center is offering to help Jewish singles who are tired of Internet dating and the bar scene find their soul mates. In a personalized and confidential environment, thoughtful matches will be arranged. Visit www.thechaicenter.com or call 631-351-8672.

Women In Transition

Experiencing a loss or life-changing event?

Meet other women and discover your inner resilience. Group meeting Thursdays from 78:30 p.m. in Centerport. 631-242-6133.

Women’s Cancer Support Group

The Suffolk Y JCC, located at 74 Hauppauge Road, Commack, is offering an ongoing support group for women dealing with the trauma of breast and ovarian cancer. The group meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month at 7:15 p.m. Crisis counseling available.

Free. 631-462-9800, ext. 129.

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

10 days prior to publication date.

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

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• DECEMBER 27, 2012 • LONG ISLANDER LIFE

Congratulates

Mike Deluise

A Community Treasure Long Islander Newspapers Person of the Year - 2012

2012 YEAR IN REVIEW

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

www.LongIslanderNews.com

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 27, 2012 • A9

Major Milestones For Huntington Station Photo by Steve Haber

By Jacqueline Birzon jbirzon@longislandernews.com

For years, community activists, town officials and civic organizations have advocated for improvements to the Huntington Station area. In 2012, residents began to see the materialization of changes to the downtown physical landscape, including the installation of Station Sports, a pedestrian plaza, and the opening of Renaissance Downtown’s New York Avenue office, along with their Source the Station outreach initiative.

Station Sports, owned and operated by private developer Brad Rosen, opened its doors in January, with the outdoor portion, which includes a mini golf and batting area, opening in March. During his first year in Huntington Station, Rosen said the summer was his busiest time, mostly attracting crowds from out of town for children’s birthday parties. He found business during the winter months was relatively slow, and said once he observes trends this winter he will consider making Station Sports a seasonal operation, closing in mid-November and re-opening mid-March.

“So far I’m very happy with the results and we’re looking forward to next year. We’re bringing people in who live outside the Station, which is what the whole thing was about,” Rosen said.

Huntington Station also witnessed the development of a pedestrian plaza between Olive and Henry Streets off Route 110, just north of the train station. Presented earlier this year, the town first removed asphalt and concrete from the 17,000 square-foot area to allow for the installation of concrete sidewalks and began installing paved walkways and decorative street lighting from Olive Street to Pulaski Road.

While the project was interrupted by Superstorm Sandy, Special Assistant to Supervisor Frank Petrone for Economic Development Joan Cergol said the plaza is substantially complete. Steve Haber, the landscape architect for the plaza, said workers are finishing up masonry work, have paved the driveway and are completing speed tables, or raised bumps in the road that will serve as pedestrian walkways.

Landscaping will occur in early spring, and four large sculptural limestone benches will be installed by crane.

The benches, designed and sculpted by Colorado-based artist Madeline Weiner, are community-inspired and

The sculpture circle with seat wall portion of the Huntington Station pedestrian plaza, between Olive and Henry Streets off of Route 110, is shown mid-construction. The project is slated for completion by Spring 2013 after landscaping and benches are installed. will be installed after landscaping is complete, Haber said. The benches, titled “Generations,” follows a storytelling theme that pays tribute to Huntington Station’s musical heritage, Cergol said. The special assistant noted the importance of civic spaces relative to downtown redevelopment.

“It’s going to be a signature piece for Huntington Station because we really don’t have anything like this anywhere in the town,” Cergol said.

“It will be like a centerpiece,” Haber added.

In late spring, private developer Renaissance Downtowns signed an agreement with the town to be the Station’s master developer. VP of Development and Planning Ryan Porter said the organization kicked off their crowd-sourced placemaking campaign, a unique grassroots effort to include local stakeholders in the development process, in June.

In mid-July, the developer strengthened its physical presence in the community with the grand opening of their 1266 New York Ave. office, home to their Source the Station outreach initiative. Within only six months of opening, Renaissance’s outreach program attracted a membership of over 500 residents, said outreach liaison Erika Forland.

Through member meet-ups and speaking with civic organizations, Porter said Renaissance has reached some “critical goals in a very short period of time,” receiving enough feedback to commission feasibility studies for four public retail destinations including a book shop, café and performance space, a railroad station retail cluster, a fresh fruit and veggie stand and a restaurant row; one public destination idea, “The Centre at Huntington Station;” and two potential downtown living ideas, including attainably priced homes for young people and apartments/condos above storefronts. The developer assesses feedback through the number of votes or “likes” an idea on the Source the Station website receives.

Forland said Renaissance will allow members to continue to vote for an additional retail destination, which needs over 50 “likes,” and an additional public destination, which requires a minimum of 75, early next year.

Porter said that from an outreach standpoint, the process over the last 6-9 months—even with setbacks from Sandy—could not have gone any better.

“I was extremely impressed with the efforts and passion of the Source the Station membership to still achieve such an important campaign accomplishment,” he said. “We’re pretty excited about the passion we harnessed.”

Renaissance will present development strategies by the first quarter of 2013 and continue conducting a general analysis of revitalization opportunities throughout the Huntington Station corridor. Porter said the developer has until April to present ideas for submission to the town board, and noted Source the Station’s presence will continue to be a force of change in the community.

Other accomplishments in 2012 for Huntington Station included improvements to Gateway Park, the Huntington Station Rain Garden, phase two of streetscaping, improvements to the Housing Authority, improvements to Whitman Village and the winter farmers’ market being moved to Jack Abrams. Cergol said the town is eyeing 1345 New York Ave., the closed market next to the Station library branch, as potential space for a dollar store.

“There’s been a lot of activity from all quarters of the community, and with all that activity and attention to Huntington Station everybody’s getting very enthusiastic and excited,” she said.

New Faces Emerge In A Turbulent Political Year

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandernews.com

New players on the political scene have made their mark in 2012 and beyond after a political season that was paused several times by tragedy and devastation.

Moderately New District Lines Earlier in the year, state officials pondered – and quickly tossed, under threat of a veto by Governor Andrew Cuomo – dramatically redrawn Assembly districts, which was ultimately scrapped in favor of moderately altered maps reflecting the population’s southern and eastern creep.

Quiet State Elections While few state officials serving Huntington faced a serious challenge this election, the 10th LD was the most seriously contested. In March, Assemblyman Jim Conte was preparing for a campaign against Huntington Station attorney Joe Dujmic, in the 10th Assembly District.

But on July 16, Conte bowed out of the race, citing growing health concerns. He had been battling T-cell lymphoma since the spring, and decided to leave politics to focus on his health. Chad Lupinacci, an attorney, professor and South Huntington school board trustee, stepped in to run for Conte’s seat. Conte succumbed to cancer on Oct. 16, 2012, at age 53.

Just weeks later, the campaign cycle was again paused by Superstorm Sandy, which blanketed the area with devastation. But on Election Day, the 10th LD seat remained Republican, after Lupinacci secured a comfortable 10point victory that the Huntington GOP dedicated to Conte’s memory.

Financial Factors On Town Level At the town level, money was often a motivating factor for conflict. Early in the year, the town board sputtered out of the gate in efforts to restore deep cuts to arts and human services organizations. While arts cuts were restored in January to 90 percent of the previous year’s allocation, human services organizations had to wait until February. The 2013 budget proposal was highlighted by conflict over a proposal to raise permit fees at the Huntington train station’s parking garage by $550 a year and $25 in all other lots. Ultimately, that proposal was rolled back to just a $25, acrossthe-board permit fee increase, paired with increased fines and plans to restructure the town’s parking fee structure.

Midyear, conflict reared its head again, as efforts to refinance $24-million in municipal bonds issued from 2002-2005 were temporarily halted when Councilmen Gene Cook and Mark Mayoka abstained from a vote. The plan, which was originally estimated to save the town

about $700,000 in interest payments, did nearly three times as well and resulted in a $2-million savings.

Cook Clashes Cook, the first Independence party member ever to serve on that board, quickly made waves in 2012. After clashing with Supervisor Frank Petrone over then-Comptroller Tracy Yogman’s departure, the town board agreed to formally request a state audit of the town’s books be performed in mid-April. By June, the state announced such an audit would take place, and is currently underway.

Highway Super Skirmish Cook also played a role in mid-August negotiations with Highway Superintendent William Naughton and Supervisor Frank Petrone that led to a proposal that would have asked voters to deecide whether the Highway Superintendent’s position should remain elected, or be appointed by the Huntington Town Board, being scuttled.

Days after numerous elected Highway Superintendents from across Long Island joined Huntington residents in blasting the proposal on Aug. 14, Naughton and Petrone agreed after an Aug. 17 meeting they would work together to save up to $3 million by sharing services, facilities and technology

without cutting blue-collar labor.

Town Attorney Departs And Huntington Town Attorney John Leo learned he would be trading in his spot on the Town Board dais for a seat on the bench of the State Supreme Court.

Leo was one of six candidates who earned 14-year terms on the State Supreme Court’s 10th District bench. At the time, Leo credited the victory to tireless campaigning, excellent ballot positioning – he was right next to the winning Obama/Biden line – and strong turnout in Democratic strongholds. He’ll join former Town Councilman William Rebolini on that bench in January.

With 2012 in the books, much is at stake in the New Year, especially in local politics. Each of the town’s three Suffolk County Legislature seats will be up. In the first split-ticket incumbent race since 2005, two town board seats, currently held by Democrat Mark Cuthbertson and Republican Mark Mayoka, are up, as is Supervisor Frank Petrone’s seat. Whichever party wins two of those three seats will retain – or gain – control of the Huntington Town Board. And the Highway Superintendent’s post will be up for grabs once again, a race town board watchers are keeping a close eye on with expectations of fireworks.

A10 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 27, 2012 www.LongIslanderNews.com

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Opinion

Send

letters to: The Editor, Half Hollow Hills News paper, 149 M Huntington ain Street, , New Yo or e-mail us rk 11743 at info@longis landernews .com

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

Lessons For Tomorrow In this final issue of the year, we take a look If there is any good to come of the appalling at some of the top stories and events of the events, it will come because they have opened year. Every year has its high points and lows discussions that could achieve meaningful ones, and some years simply are more mem- gun control in this country. orable than others. It’s the lessons that we Reflecting on the events of 2012, we cannot learn over the course of the year that are im- ignore the devastation brought by Superportant. storm Sandy. As damaging as it was, HuntLessons learned from the events of this ington Township was largely spared from the year? Life is precious, even more so when it is kind of damage that is going to continue to aftaken from the young, who have so many fect some of the island’s South Shore commuyears ahead of them. nities for years to come. We were reminded, We learned that first from the traghowever, that there is much to ic Fourth of July accident in which EDITORIAL be grateful for no matter how three young children drowned when bad things get. Even after 10 a boat crowded with children and adults cap- days without power, one had only to think of sized as they returned from a night enjoying those in other communities who had lost fireworks. We were reminded just last week their homes entirely. when, to the horror of the world, a gunman With lessons learned, we look ahead to mowed down 20 children and a half dozen 2013 with renewed gratitude and respect. adults on a rampage through the Sandy Hook Let’s not squander the lessons learned this Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. year: time is short, life is precious.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Getting The Help You Need DEAR EDITOR: It’s been about six weeks since Superstorm Sandy hit our community, and we are just beginning the long recovery process. As home and small business owners continue to assess their damages and rebuild, it is vital that federal agencies involved with the recovery have boots on the ground.

That’s why I asked the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to send Disaster Relief teams to Northport this past Tuesday.

The event attracted over 30 people and enabled business owners and home owners alike to get direct answers from the agencies in charge. Many were also given follow up contacts, to make sure they received guidance throughout the recovery process, instead of being derailed by busy signals and red tape. I’m grateful to the SBA and FEMA, not only for answering the call for help – but for going beyond the news coverage and showing up on Long Island to see for themselves.

During the storm I visited

Northport’s Village Hall, and I know that it was one of the harder hit areas in my district.

In order to ensure that Northport and other communities get the help they need, elected leaders from all levels of government need to work hand in hand with the SBA and FEMA. I want to thank the Town of Huntington, the Northport Village Board of Trustees, Mayor Doll, and Asharoken Mayor Greg Letica, for their assistance in ensuring that every Northport resident who suffered during Sandy has the resources they need to make a full recovery. I look forward to continuing to partner with local governments and federal agencies in the efforts to rebuild Northport and all of New York.

If you or someone you know was affected by Sandy and is not receiving the help they need, please call my district office at 631-951-2210.

STEVE ISRAEL

Member of Congress

Why I Support The Seasons DEAR EDITOR: I read with consternation the

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

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

Founded in 1996 by James Koutsis Copyright © 2012 by Long Islander Newspapers, publishers of The Long-Islander, The Record, Northport Journal and Half Hollow Hills Newspaper. Each issue of the The Half Hollow Hills Newspaper and all contents thereof are copyrighted by Long Islander, LLC. None of the contents or articles may be reproduced in any forum or medium without the advance express written permission of the publisher. Infringement hereof is a violation of the Copyright laws.

letter sent by the three men, James Cameron, Tom Van De Merlen and Richard Ward, cofounders of another NIMBY group called Preserving Elwood Now. It seems that they are concerned about having seniors living in their backyard but were fine having a factory there.

Excuse me if I see something else behind their concerns.

I have been a resident in the Elwood School District for 43 years and my three children all went through the schools and graduated from John Glenn.

They all three went on to fine colleges and now have good careers. I would like to see our school district continue this trend.

Every year those of us who had children in school would keep trying to get a library in our district to no avail. We would lose year in and year out and one year when we managed to get it on the ballot the budget was voted down. We had to join a library in another district so our children could do research for their various papers. We finally did get a library when the state stepped in and said it was illegal to pay to join a public library. It seems that there is an element in our district that only knows one word: NO.

The Elwood School District is very small and has no industry to help pay the school taxes.

Last year many courses had to be cut for lack of funds. Our students are the ones who suffer when it comes time to apply to colleges when their transcripts are not as filled as the neighboring schools. I see the Seasons at Elwood [community] as a way of increasing our revenue without adding new students as seniors do not attend public schools, at least to my knowledge anyway.

Now, because of the demographics all across Long Island, housing has become a huge problem, not only for our adult children who cannot afford to live in our community but also for the seniors who have lived in the Huntington area and want to remain but cannot maintain their homes, which have become too large for them. These men stated that Seasons will encourage seniors to sell their homes in order to move into the complex thereby selling their homes to young families with children who will then go to our schools.

First of all, Elwood, as I said, is a tiny district and having more children would be a blessing. Secondly, these same seniors who would be looking to move into the Seasons would still be selling their homes but would be looking elsewhere and as a result there still would be more children for our schools.

The difference would be that these seniors would be staying in our community with their dollars going to our merchants, restaurants, etc. Their tax dollars would benefit our community as well. In my experience seniors, and by the way 55-yearold people are hardly “old” by

Michael Schenkler Publisher

Mike Koehler Danny Schrafel Jacqueline Birzon Reporters

BARRY REISS

Elwood

Peter Sloggatt Associate Publisher/Managing Editor

Luann Dallojacono Editor Ian Blanco Dan Conroy Production/ Art Department

today's standards, are good neighbors, they don't make noise, they are respectful of property, they drive carefully and they have more disposable income than younger people.

The comparison to Orchard Park is a huge stretch. If Orchard Park had been condominiums and no movie theater I think it might have been approved. That was for rentals only, included a movie theater and planned on having two exits onto Manor Road a two lane country road that clearly would have had to have been expanded and who knows how many houses would have been condemned to make room. Also, that project was an open community and so more children would be going to our schools, which I am coming to find out is a terrible thing according to these men, and would not have brought in the tax dollars Elwood so sorely needs.

One thing is certain: Oak Tree Dairy is going to sell, and if this project is rejected we will probably just have more one-family homes with more children and less tax money flowing into our community.

Elwood needs the money to keep our schools going and providing the excellent education it has always. It is clear to me that those in our community that are against Seasons are being short sighted. Everyone gets old, and they will too. If they so love this area then they might want to stay in a smaller place when they get to be seniors. If Seasons is here then they will have that opportunity.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 27, 2012 • A11

Life&Style NEW YEAR’S EVE

Rock In 2013 With Dark Star Orchestra

By Hannah Sarisohn info@longislandernews.com

Need something fun to do this New Year’s Eve, just four days from now?

Look no further than The Paramount theater in Huntington village. Join Grateful Dead cover band Dark Star Orchestra (DSO) to rock in 2013 with a guaranteed night of good music and a good time.

For the past 15 years, DSO has captivated fans across the globe with their ability to recreate the Grateful Dead’s sound, set lists and concerts. Each DSO concert is modeled after an original Grateful Dead set list, although every fourth concert the band composes a set list of their own.

DSO guitarist and Long Island native Jeff Mattson said he is eager to be part of the local music scene once again. DSO has previously performed at The Paramount, as well as at the Westbury Music Festival.

“DSO has a loyal Long Island fan base,” said Mattson.

“Rob, the keyboarder, is also from Long Island, so we’re both always excited to play our hometowns.”

According to Mattson, DSO expects New Year’s Eve to be a unique, memorable concert for both the band and audience. However, the band is keeping the set list for both the Dec. 30 and 31 concerts a secret.

Mattson encourages both those who have never heard the Grateful Dead and full-fledged Dead Heads alike to attend the New Year’s Eve concert and get a taste of the

Grateful Dead cover band Dark Star Orchestra is coming back to The Paramount, this time for a New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Eve eve show.

DSO experience.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” said Mattson. “I’m proud of my band, and happy to play for my friends,”

Tickets for both performances are $48 apiece and can be purchased online at www.paramountny.com or at the theater’s box office at (631) 673-7300.

ART/HISTORY

Heckscher Opens Select Pieces To Highest Bidder Auction of cannons, Native American artifacts part of ongoing collection refinement dschrafel@longislandernews.com

The Heckscher Museum will be back on the auction block soon, offering a pair of ceremonial cannons and a collection of Native American artifacts to the highest bidder.

The Huntington Town Board approved the sale during its Dec. 18 meeting, and also cleared the Heckscher to lend a long-stored mineral collection to Stony Brook University. Because the items were donated to the museum prior to 1954, prior to the formation of the nonprofit corporation that currently oversees the Heckscher Museum’s collection, the town owns the items and has final say over their sale or loan.

These sales would be the second and third such sales, respectively, that the museum has done since reaccredidation.

The first, an Egyptian painted votive linen dating back to around 1200-1300 B.C., sold for $782,500 at auction in June of this year.

While the cannons have some value, it’s not to the level of the Egyptian artifacts which blew through an $80,000$120,000 appraisal. Anecdotally speaking of the Native American collection, “we’re talking hundreds of dollars per item,” Museum Director Michael Schantz said. If the cannon auction goes well, they could net up to $20,000 as a pair.

“These are not extraordinary pieces at all. There are collectors who collect just about everything, so these things do have

value, but the value is not like the Egyptian piece we sold,” he said.

All money netted at auction will be put aside for the Town of Huntington to purchase art for the museum’s permanent collection.

Schantz said the items slated to be deaccessioned have not been used in decades, and harken back to the museum’s heyday as a “European cabinet,” which, in museum speak, is “very often a very idiosyncratic collection collected by one individual,” he said. The Native American collection, he said, includes arrows, paint pots, some moccasins and a beaded belt, for instance.

Schantz said the auction of the Native American artifacts and ceremonial cannons are in line with recommendations made by the American Alliance of Museums during the Heckscher reaccredidation process to “identify and deal with the non-art and ethnographic objects” in storage.

“Those items were on display in glass cases throughout the museum. But that ceased to be the case many, many years ago, and since then, the institution has been more focused in its mission,” he said. “From a best practices standpoint and simply from a good housekeeping standpoint… the Alliance’s recommendation is we really need to look at the items being stored and not being used because they are consuming space that we could use for the fine arts collection.”

With space at a premium in costly, climate-controlled storage facilities, freeing

Photo/Heckscher Museum of Art

By Danny Schrafel

As the Heckscher Museum of Art continues to refocus its collection, a pair of ceremonial cannons and their Native American artifacts will both be going on the auction block. up space for pieces more in line with their mission would be “terrific,” he said. But pulling collections together – the Native American selection, for instance – can be a challenge. The Native American selection, he noted, are “so digested in the storage hall that we’re piecemeal finding these things that have been stored.”

“It’s an extraordinarily tedious, laborious process to place these items move them out of our possession,” he said. “If you actually consider the square footage, these things are costing us money, yet we’re not using them and we don’t intend to use them.”

At the same meeting, the town also gave its blessing for the long-term loan of the town-owned mineral collection to the Department of Geosciences at Stony Brook University. It too has been unused for decades, but could be put to good use

by Stony Brook, which boasts a top Earth Science program.

“They could be used and used for public use at the University. We are not equipped to do that. There are a thousand little specimens down there,” Schantz said. “They’ll be used for educational purposes for the first time in 50 years or so.”

A12 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 27, 2012

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

Answer to MOVINGTENPINS

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ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S CRYPTOQUIP IF A PLAINTIFF DECIDES TO DECREASE THE AMOUNT HE’S SUING FOR, I SUPPOSE THAT’S LITIGATION MITIGATION. Published December 20, 2012 ©2012 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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PA G E

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WHAT THEY ALL HAVE

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 27, 2012 • A13 Half Hollow Hills photo/ Mike Koehler

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Bite Into Something Sweet Spotlight On

Huntington Businesses

By Mike Koehler mkoehler@longislandernews.com

There are three bakeries in downtown Northport, plus several other stores that sell baked goods. But to Jesse Gerlitz, there is no competition in town.

Gerlitz is part of the family that owns Quintessential Cookies, and he sees them as one of a kind.

“I don’t consider anything the competition. We’re our own type of bakery. The other type of bakeries do their own things. It’s different products,” the manager said, adding that he’s even offered to help other bakeries should they need it.

“You have to support local business.”

As its name may imply, Quintessential

Cookies doesn’t churn out loaves of bread, bake dozens of cakes or mass produce pies. They like smaller sweet treats.

The list includes brownies, cupcakes, pecan bars, quick bread, and of course, cookies.

Some of their specialties are photo or logo cookies and cupcakes. Bakery staff can take a photograph, company logo or other image and place that on top of a baked good. Running $2.50-$3.75 per cookie or cupcake, Gerlitz admitted it may be a little pricey, but makes a nice gift.

“We can take cake orders, but it’s not really our specialty,” he added.

For a while, decorated cookies were the store’s top seller. Quintessential only decorates by hand and uses royal icing, which Gerlitz said looks nicer than butter cream and dries harder. Each 3.5-inch cookie runs $3-$4.50.

“We can do a decorated cookie for any occasion,” the manager said.

But more recently, cake pops have taken over as the No. 1 seller. A small piece of cake on a stick, dipped in chocolate

Wrestling for Conn.

(Continued from page A1)

schools in the country to follow.

Trustee Betty DeSabto said the event was “wonderful” and said she attended the event to show support for her district.

Davey said the community turnout was much larger than most games, and he was impressed by the continuing generosity of community members in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.

“It was really nice to see people from our community contributing to help out during the tragic incident that occurred,” Davey said.

Hills East came out victorious in that match, defeating West 51-30. East established a sizeable lead in the beginning of the night, with wrestlers in lower weight classes scoring points and setting the stage for a T-Birds victory.

Eighth-grader Philip Spadafora and

junior Chris Martinez defeated their Hills West counterparts in the 99 pound weight class. In the 106 pound weight class, sophomore Jack Scurti pinned down his opponent with 45 seconds left in the third period. Junior Michael Macchia came through for East with a big win, pinning down West’s returning league champion Austin Rutella in overtime. At 126 pounds, Chris Krause lost to the Colts’ potential All-County wrestler Chris Reilly. All-State Hills West wrestler Tyler Grimaldi defeated East’s All-County wrestler Maleik Henry 12-3, a match Davey described as a “real struggle.”

“Everybody kind of did their job and didn’t give up big team points. It was an all-around effort by the entire lineup,” he said. “West has been pretty overpowering over East [recently] so it was nice to see some support from the East side of town.”

Neighbors on nursery (Continued from page A1)

use for the neighbors,” McCarthy said, adding that the property has been a nursery since the early 1950s.

Paved ingress and egress driveways feeding into MacNiece Place would facilitate counterclockwise circulation of traffic on the property and allow for on-site deliveries, traffic consultant Wayne Muller, of RMS Engineering, said. Currently, deliveries are made roadside on a 4-foot gravel strip along MacNiece, which Muller said is “not necessarily the most desirable situation.”

While supporters argued the concept would improve the property and mitigate truck impacts, residents on Talon Way, a side street off of MacNiece, raised concerns.

Since the property changed hands in 2011, Talon Way resident Joseph Miklos said activity there has increased to the detriment of the neighborhood.

“There are trucks delivering stock – trees, bushes, shrubs – all the time. When they do so, they virtually close down MacNiece because there’s no place to put the trucks,” he said.

Miklos was one of several neighbors who complained about cars parking in front of Talon Way homes for extended periods, and said he expected parking to continue to overflow on Talon Way during peak seasons. Responding to a question from Zoning Board Trustee Carol Gaughran, Miklos said he was skeptical that tractor-trailers would be able to make a clean left-hand turn from MacNiece into the nursery.

Other residents said trucks with stock have parked on Talon Way and crossed MacNiece in forklifts to make deliveries to the Campanelli property. But nursery owner John Campanelli said they do not allow deliveries from Talon Way, and anyone doing that has possibly mistaken their nursery for Angel Plants, which is located south of the Campanelli nursery.

“I unload the trucks, my son unloads the trucks. I don’t want myself or my son trying to get across MacNiece in a forklift or a payloader. It’s not safe,” he said.

Chairman Christopher Modelewski and the ZBA tabled the application pending receipt of site plan revisions to clarify the functioning of the exit driveway.

and topped with a little something extra like sprinkles, they sell for $1.50-$4.

While the Northport shop sells plenty of basic cake pops, they also offer a wedding variety – two-tiered wedding cake on a stick. Gerlitz said customers frequently think they stole the idea from Starbucks.

But the manager said Quintessential Cookies introduced them first, when they opened in 2010.

“That was one of the new products we brought along with us,” he said.

Quintessential Cookies originally opened in the early 2000s, Gerlitz said, before his family acquired the business.

Hailing from Westchester, the family saw it as a business and opportunity, while Gerlitz, unemployed and fresh out of school with a sports management degree, needed a job.

“The next thing you know, I graduated and there’s nothing out there. Now I’m one of the owners of a bakery,” he said.

When the family took over, the manager said, they renovated the store and expanded into new products. They also expanded their market.

Quintessential Cookies shipped product throughout New York State when Gerlitz started. Now, he said, they get calls from as far as Texas, Washington state and California. Their new 800 number doesn’t stop ringing with orders from across the country.

“We ship a lot out west and down south,” Gerlitz said.

Orders being shipped to other parts of the country are wrapped tightly. Based on the distance, they’re either shipped overnight or 2-3 day priority. Either way,

Quintessential Cookies co-owner and manager Jesse Gerlitz takes a moment from the holiday rush to pose in his shop. the manager said their preservative-free products arrive fresh for several days.

“We want to be known throughout the country. Our goal is to expand one day into another store. We just want to get our name out there. We’ve been doing a lot more local advertising. We’ve been trying to do a little here and there, advertising outside of New York,” Gerlitz said.

However, the bakery does draw a fair amount of local business. Quintessential sees substantial walk-in traffic during the warmer months and gets extra customers before, during and after shows at the neighboring John W. Engeman Theater.

Quintessential Cookies 256 Main St., Northport 631-262-0633 www.qcookies.com

A14 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 27, 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 27, 2012 • A15

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A16 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 27, 2012

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HillSPORTS BOYS BASKETBALL

Undefeated Hills West Riding High

By Jacqueline Birzon jbirzon@longislandernews.com

Just two weeks into league play, the Half Hollow Hills West boys varsity basketball team (2-0) remains an undefeated force on the court.

Attributing their success to “good chemistry,” Coach Bill Mitaritonna said the team’s strength comes from the play-

GIRLS BASKETBALL

T-Birds Soar Into Victory

By Jacqueline Birzon jbirzon@longislandernews.com

Junior Ross Greenfield takes a foul shot during a scrimmage earlier this season.

BASEBALL

Colt To Play Ball With Fordham Half Hollow Hills High School West senior Luke Stampfl signed a Letter of Intent for Fordham University recently. This 6’3” student athlete will be playing baseball for the Division I Rams.

Stampfl has amassed many athletic titles throughout his high school career as a batter, pitcher and shortstop. He broke the record for the best batting average (.513) in Hills West history, was twice-named All-League, and in his junior year, was titled All-County, won the Silver Slugger Award for being the best hitter in Suffolk County, and earned the title of Team MVP. Sophomore year, he was the recipient of the Coaches Award.

As a High Honor Roll student, Stampfl is a member of National Honor Society and Business Honor Society. Other extra-curricular activities include Future Business Leaders of America, Athletes Helping Athletes, and Varsity Club.

Photo by Felice Kristall

The Half Hollow Hills East girls basketball team has established its presence in the ranks of League II, winning their first league game of the season by scoring twice as many points as their opponent.

Before the Lady T-Birds took flight in their first league win, they faced a tough non-league loss at Whitman on Dec. 18.

Whitman has proven to be a challenging competitor in League II this winter, coming out of their game against Hills 61 overall and 2-0 in their league.

Hills lost to Whitman 31-47.

The Lady T-Birds faced off at home on Dec. 20 against Central Islip and established a clear lead from the get-go, leading 22-0.

The Musketeers scored one meager point on net during the second period, while Hills maintained a 31-point lead until the third period. Islip fought back but not hard enough, and Hills took home their first league win 53-25.

Julia Gnieser led the team with 17 points and Kristen McKenzie scored 10 points and had 13 rebounds throughout the game. Mischa Rivers came through with 6 points on net and 3 rebounds, and Danielle Lulley scored 5 points for Hills.

Hills East, now 1-2 in their league and 3-3 overall, enters a two-day tournament on Dec. 27 and 29 at Northport, with tip-off set for 3 p.m. and 10 a.m., respectively. Their next league game of the season and first game of the New Year is set for Jan. 3 at Connetquot, starting at 6 p.m.

ers’ competitive drive and dedication to the sport. Prior to entering league play, the team held five scrimmages to prepare them for the season, and their league record demonstrates that practice time served them well.

After their Dec. 13 win (56-50) against Bellport, the Colts put their Hauppauge opponents down on Dec. 20 winning 5950.

Captain Jamir Blackman demonstrated excellent offensive play, scoring 31 points for Hills West. The secondhighest scorers of the game were co-captains Terry Harris and Marcus Solomon. Harris, a starting point guard whom Mitaritonna described earlier in the season as an unselfish player, demonstrated his ability to share the ball during game time, scoring 9 points and assisting with 8 rebounds. Solomon also scored 9 points, but no rebounds. Junior forward Ross Greenfield scored 4 points, as did senior Steven Gurin, who just came off of an injury this season.

The undefeated team is slated to play a non-league game against Brentwood on Dec. 28, with tip-off set for noon. The Colts will tip off the New Year on Jan. 3 at West Babylon, with game time scheduled for 5:45 p.m.

At Half Hollow Hills High School West, Luke Stampfl signs his Letter of Intent to play baseball at Fordham University, surrounded by his parents, and standing left to right: Athletic Director Joseph Pennacchio, Varsity Head Baseball Coach Tom Migliozzi, and Guidance Counselor Lisa Kesten.