HALF HOLLOW HILLS Copyright © 2014 Long Islander News
Online at www.LongIslanderNews.com
VOL. 16, ISSUE 44
NEWSPAPER 32 PAGES
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2014 MELVILLE
Dunkin’ Owner Sues Over Nixed Drive-Thru By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
Rock band Buckcherry, pictured, will be bringing its sound – and accompanying controversy – to The Paramount on Dec. 15.
Buckcherry Brings Controversy, Success To Stage By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
As the band that just this year put out its “F**K” extended play, Buckcherry is no stranger to controversy. Over its nearly 15year existence, Buckcherry has – along with the controversy – also found success in hit singles like “Crazy Bitch” and “Sorry.” On Dec. 15, Buckcherry will bring that success – and, yes, the controversy – to The Paramount with a show presented by 94.3 The Shark and also starring American Ice (Continued on page A23)
The owner of a Dunkin’ Donuts on Route 110 is steamed after the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) shot down their request for variances to add a drive-thru. Now the matter is in court. New Dough 1 LLC, owners of the Dunkin’ Donuts at 281 Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station near Melville, is suing the town to overturn the ZBA’s decision, following a unanimous Oct. 16 vote by the ZBA to reject the application. If New Dough 1 succeeds in court in proving the town was ar(Continued to page A23)
The owners of this Dunkin’ Donuts franchise are suing the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals after the board rejected variances needed to build a drive-thru.
MELVILLE
Jericho Turnpike Apartments Rejected By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
A proposal to convert the former Sun Ming property into a mixeduse building with six apartments above a retail store was rejected by the Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) last week. The board voted unanimously to reject the plans by architect Edward Dickman, arguing that the applicant failed to provide adequate proof to warrant a special use permit and assorted variances. The plan for the 1000 W. Jericho Turnpike property, which lies at the intersection of Jericho Turnpike and Round Swamp Road, called for demolition of the Sun Ming structure and an adjacent, vacant twofamily house, and for a two-story, 15,600 square-foot building to be
erected in its place. A Mystique Boutique would go downstairs, with six apartments above. “It’s obvious to all of us who are sitting here there’s got to be some marked improvement getting rid of this 1960s, Ming Dynasty rip-off and putting some used and useful building on this site and doing some site improvements,” ZBA Chairman Chris Modelewski said. But this, however wasn’t the ticket, Modelewski said, who added that the applicant failed to establish the necessity of dramatically overhauling the property. “It seems abundantly clear… that the current land uses, while the buildings themselves may be outdated, the current land uses are eminently reasonable and make sense within the context of this neighborhood,” Modelewski said.
During the hearing, civic leader Alissa Taff and others echoed Planning Board Chairman Paul Mandelik’s comments from last month. Then, he said the project was “not satisfactory” and out of character in the neighborhood. “The Civic Association of Sweet Hollow has many concerns… We view the proposed plan as inappropriate for the area and extremely dangerous,” Taff said, adding it would make “a big traffic mess” even worse if approved. Neighbor Steve Rossetti, whose home is nearby, said the proposal was “too far-reaching” for the surrounding neighborhood and Jericho Turnpike. He urged a more modest proposal for the site, and for the Town of Huntington to demolish the blighted restaurant and (Continued to page A23)
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014 • A3
DIX HILLS Photo by Steve Silverman
Ryan Pennington recently led a training seminar at the Dix Hills Fire District headquarters.
F.D. Hosts Training Seminar The Dix Hills Fire Department recently hosted a firefighters training seminar presented by Ryan Pennington, a leading authority on Heavy Content firefighting and EMS operations in the country. The seminar exposed students to the tactical challenges and techniques of fighting a structure fire
and handling an EMS incident inside a house with hoarder-type conditions. Pennington has lectured to and trained thousands of firefighters at fire departments across the United States and around the world. He was invited to Dix Hills by Chief Robert Fling, the newly elected fire chief.
More than 25 firefighters attended from the Dix Hills FD and as far away as Mattituck and New Jersey. The Dix Hills Fire Department is comprised of over 150 volunteer firefighters and EMTs who responded to more than 2,500 calls for assistance from the community this year.
DIX HILLS
Homeless Man, 31, Faces Burglary Rap A homeless 31-year-old man was charged with two counts of burglary after he allegedly broke into a Charter Court home in Dix Hills address twice in a week, according to Suffolk County police. Cops said that between 10:30 a.m. and 11:45 on Nov. 20, William Avvenire broke into the Charter Court residence, located near Otsego Park, and stole jewelry and a laptop computer. Five days later, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., he was back, taking jewelry, a DVD player, a flat screen TV and a laptop, police said. He is charged with two counts of burglary, a C felony, and was ordered held on $15,000 bail and $45,000 bond by District Court Justice Paul Hensley on Dec. 5. He had previously been issued a bench appearance ticket related to an Oct. 27 petit larceny arrest, according to online court records. Avvenire was due back in court after press time Wednesday on the burglary counts; he is due back in First District Court Jan. 7 on the petit larceny count. He is being represented by Legal Aid Society counsel in both matters. -SCHRAFEL
A4 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014
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POLICE REPORT Compiled by Danny Schrafel
Grateful For The Good Times
I Break Things Up And Steal Your Stuff
Dressed up dogs… I was able to pop by the up to keep us safe when disaster strikes our homes and businesses. Case in Northport Village Tree Lighting ceremony a point – one of our reporters couple of weeks ago and – aside from the beautold me of the 10 or so voluntiful tree and loads of citizens out to support it, teer firefighters who, while obof course – one of the greatest IN THE KNOW serving the Pearl Harbor dedithings I saw was of the canine WITH AUNT ROSIE cation Sunday afternoon, revariety: pups dressed up like sponded to the call of duty Santa and his elves! They were during the ceremony. When the just plain adorable. Normally I’m not on board firehouse siren went off, they with the whole, “let’s dress up our dog” thing, quite literally went running up Main Street, but this time it seemed like everyone involved which was closed to traffic, and kept running loved it – even the adorable pooches! Although until they got to the firehouse, where they that may have just been because they got the athopped in a fire truck and responded to the call. tention and affection of all those curious people Just goes to show you that a firefighter is never that walked past, snapping pictures and stopping really off the clock. for a quick scratch behind the ears. Plan ahead… I’m sure by now you have heard of the horrible tragedy that has unfolded in Northport, where a woman died in a house fire just a few days ago. Police suspect she perished when, after escaping the blaze, she went back in with hopes of rescuing her beloved housecats. Knowing the love and bond a pet can develop, I really can’t fault her for wanting to save them. In that spirit, I would urge all of the pet-caring set to have an escape plan ready should the unthinkable happen – cat carriers stationed strategically around your home so you can scoop your feline companions up quickly in an emergency, and likewise for your dogs. Perhaps an emergency supply of cat and/or dog food in the car should you have to escape in a hurry isn’t a bad idea, either. Not only is it good for them – it’s good for you, so you can escape all together, all at once. Always on duty… In times like these, it’s always good to remember the volunteers who step
Show me your headlights… With all the rain this weekend, I’m reminded of a familiar irritation, and it has to do with headlights, folks. Please don’t forget – if your windshield wipers are on, your headlights should be as well. I can’t begin to count how many people I saw on the road this weekend in the definitively icky conditions that were “driving blind” without their headlights on! Not only does it help you see where you’re going, it helps others see where you are, and all it takes on most cars is a flick of the wrist. Don’t be lazy, folks – do the right thing.
Two cars at gyms on Ruland Road were broken into Dec. 1. Police said that someone, at 6:30 p.m., broke into a car at the Eastern Athletic Club and stole a purse. A purse was also stolen 45 minutes later at Planet Fitness, after someone broke the window to get into a 2003 Hyundai Elantra.
Jewel Thief Strikes Police received a report Dec. 2 that a Truxton Road home in Dix Hills had been burglarized. While the complainant was out of town between Oct. 23 and Dec. 2, they said that someone pried open the home’s window and stole jewelry.
Have I Got News For You A crook attempted to burglarize the News Stand Deli in Melville last week. Police said that, sometime between 5 p.m. Dec. 1 and the next day, the front glass door had been broken, but the would-be burglar didn’t get in and didn’t take anything.
Full Of Gas (Aunt Rosie wants to hear from you! If you have comments, ideas, or tips about what’s happening in your neck of the woods, write to me today and let me know the latest. To contact me, drop a line to Aunt Rosie, c/o The Long-Islander, 14 Wall Street, Huntington NY 11743. Or try the e-mail at aunt.rosieli@gmail.com)
Suffolk County police were called to a Dix Hills gas station on Deer Park Avenue at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 3 after a woman, driving a 2011 BMW, is said to have stolen $45 of gas and damaged the gas pump as she fled.
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The contents of an unlocked car parked on Memas Court in Dix Hills were stolen overnight Dec. 1-2. Police said that sometime after 10 p.m. Dec. 1, someone opened up the 2014 Jeep and took a bag and eyeglasses found inside.
Crook Takes Their Time A Larkfield Road residence in Elwood was burglarized at 8 a.m. Dec. 3. Police said that someone got into the house through a rear door and stole watches, a bracelet and a shotgun from the house.
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014 • A5
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
By Luann Dallojacono ldallojacono@longislandergroup.com
For the first time in history, a living Nobel laureate has sold his prize. Geneticist James Watson, 86, chancellor emeritus of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, sold his Nobel Prize medal at an auction in New York City Dec. 4 for hammer price of $4.1 million to an anonymous bidder. Bidding at Christie’s auction house concluded in less than 10 minutes for the medal, given to Watson in 1962 for the Nobel Prize he shared with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins for their work in characterizing the double-helix structure of DNA. The auction opened at $1.5 million, with offers increasing in steady $100,000 – and for a brief moment, $200,000 – increments. “The bidding opened at $1.5 million and proceeded swiftly upward as a three-way battle between clients on the phone, until one bidder dropped out at the $3.8-million
mark,” said Francis Wahlgren, Christie’s international director of books and manuscripts. The remaining two phone bidders battled on until the hammer fell at just over $4 million. With the buyer’s premium added in, the final price for Watson’s medal was $4,757,000 – more than double the previous price for a Nobel Prize medal at auction. The Nobel Prize belonging to Crick, who died in 2004, was auctioned off last year for $2.27 million. Watson’s medal, minted at the Swedish National Mint and plated with 24karat gold, was initially expected to go for between $2.5 million and $3.5 million, according to a Christie’s statement. Watson, who attended the auction with his wife and son, said he plans to donate a portion of the proceeds to supporting scientific research, charity, and academic institutions including Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he lives, the University of Chicago, where he earned his undergraduate degree, and Clare College in Cambridge.
Photo/Christie’s Images Ltd. 2014
DNA Pioneer’s Nobel Prize Medal Fetches $4.1M
James Watson, pictured in 2008 in his office at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, is selling his Nobel Prize medal. “I look forward to making further philanthropic gifts… so I can continue to do my part in keeping the academic world an environment where great ideas and decency pre-
vail. I also intend to direct funds to the Long Island Land Trust and other local charities I have long supported,” Watson said in a Christie’s (Continued on page A10)
A6 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014
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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON DIX HILLS
Warriors Double Their $25K Gift Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel
By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
A $25,000 gift by the Cow Harbor Warriors doubled in value after a California-based charity matched its gift to the Semper Fi Fund. At Huntington Town Hall Dec. 4, the Cow Harbor Warriors donated $25,000 to the Semper Fi Fund, which provides immediate financial assistance and lifetime support to post-Sept. 11 wounded, critically ill and injured members of all branches of America’s armed forces and their families. That sizable check, however, immediately doubled in value to $50,000 because the Cow Harbor Warriors’ donation is being matched dollar-for-dollar. All of this plays a part in meeting the Semper Fi Fund’s “10 for 10 Challenge,” a 10th year anniversary program of the foundation which aims to raise $5 million in donations, which would become $10 million thanks to a matching grant from the California-based Bob & Renee Parsons
Leaders of the Cow Harbor Warriors present on Dec. 4 a $25,000 check to the Semper Fi Fund in the Veterans Plaza at Huntington Town Hall. Foundation. “Hopefully we can continue to raise awareness [of] exactly what the Semper Fi Fund is doing. They’re a great organization, and we’re just so happy to be able to work with them and partner with them,” said outgoing Cow Harbor Warriors president Rocco Donnino. Elizabeth O’Connell, race manager for the Semper Fi Fund,
who was on hand to accept the check, thanked the Cow Harbor Warriors for “believing in our mission.” The Cow Harbor Warriors’ $25,000 donation marks the last of three major gifts drawn from fundraising derived from its Cow Harbor Warrior Weekend. Previously, they donated $25,000 to Paws of War, which trains rescued dogs to become service dogs for veterans being treated for PTSD and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI), and the Northport VA Medical Center. “We are honored to assist the Semper Fi Fund in carrying out its mission to provide care and financial support for those courageous veterans who need a helping hand when returning home from the battlefields,” said incoming Cow Harbor Warriors president Don McKay. “The ability for us to assist these outstanding organizations would not be possible without our caring volunteers and generous sponsors.” Founded in 2012, the Cow Harbor Warriors is dedicated to honoring and enabling tristate area veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars by raising funds and awareness for organizations that advance wounded warriors past their visible and invisible injuries and help other veterans in need. The group’s annual Cow Harbor Warrior Weekend is their flagship event and invites wounded warriors and their families to Northport for a weekend of recreation, celebration and appreciation.
Warriors Pass Baton In 2015 By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
As the Cow Harbor Warriors announced their final major gift of 2014, they also reflected on a change in leadership will commence in the New Year. Rocco Donnino, a co-founder of the group who has been president of the nonprofit since 2012, will pass the title over to Dix Hills’ Don McKay, the Town of Huntington’s director of parks and recreation. Donnino, who had led the Cow Harbor Warriors since its nascent days in January 2012, said McKay, who has served on the charity’s board of directors for the last two years, will take the helm when the calendar rolls over to 2015. Donnino said he will remain active in the organization. “For us, we couldn’t think of a better person,” Donnino said of McKay. McKay’s roots in Northport run deep. A native of Eaton’s Neck who graduated from Northport High School in 1983, McKay worked as a reporter for The Observer before becoming an aide to then-Councilman Steve Israel.He also worked as the town’s public information officer before assuming his role in parks and recreation. The outgoing president said McKay has been deeply involved in the nonprofit since the get-go. “He’s really been involved since the first time we came up and presented our idea to the Town of Huntington,” Donnino said. “Don’s been integral in all the decisions we’ve made... just in terms of networking, it’s a perfect step into how we’re going to move into 2015.” McKay praised Donnino’s “tireless work” on behalf of the organization and said he was excited to take the wheel. “It’s a true honor,” McKay said. “This group of volunteers has gone above and beyond the last three years… What we’ve done is truly amazing, to honor and enable our veterans.” Plans for the group’s efforts in 2015 are still being developed, McKay said. But he hopes a factor in their success this past year – the generosity of Huntington residents – will remain a constant. “The Northport-Huntington community always steps up when people are in need,’ he said. “Our success is based on these overwhelmingly and numerous generous supporters.”
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014 • A7
DIX HILLS
Hills HS East The Target Of Another Threat By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com
Half Hollow Hills High School East was once again the target of a “potential threat of violence,” police confirmed last Wednesday. The Dec. 3 threat that resulted in
early dismissal of all students comes nearly one month after the district and police received a separate set of emailed bomb threats from an anonymous sender. Suffolk County Second Precinct police officers responded to the high school early that morning to investi-
gate “a potential threat of violence” and found “nothing suspicious,” police said. Students’ backpacks were checked when they arrived at school and police cars were stationed outside. According to a district email sent to parents at 7:16 a.m., the threat was sent directly to the Suffolk County
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Don’t Be A Parking Grinch If you illegally park your car in a handicapped parking space or a fire zone this holiday season, don’t be surprised to receive the proverbial lump of coal by way of a big, fat ticket. That’s because the town has stepped up code enforcement efforts to ensure shoppers and others adhere to the rules during the holiday
rush, Councilman Mark Cuthbertson announced last week at the Walt Whitman Shops. “They [the spots] are not reserved for lazy people but rather for those who genuinely need to be close and benefit from a shorter walking distance,” Cuthbertson said. Parking in a fire zone hampers first responders in an emergency re-
Councilman Mark Cuthbertson announces a crackdown on illegal parking during a press conference at the Walt Whitman Shops Dec. 3. sponse and complicates evacuations, the councilman added. Fines for those caught parking illegally in a marked fire zone or handicapped parking stall start at $230 for a
first offense. Anyone with questions or seeking to apply for a disability parking permit can call the town’s Handicapped Services department at 631-351-3232.
Police Department, who then alerted the district. “At this time, the school district has not been advised of the specifics of the statement,” the district email reads. A second email, sent at 8:53 a.m., informed parents that the school would dismiss students at 9:30 a.m., “due to the threatening statement made towards High School East.” “All other buildings will remain open and follow a normal schedule,” the email reads. “We will continue to work with the Suffolk County Police Department as they continue their investigation and we will communicate any new or additional information to you as quickly as we receive it.” Police have not yet made an arrest in a Nov. 6 case, which involved bomb threats to the high school. Emailed threats provoked bag checks, heightened security and an extension of the first quarter marking period, a November email told district parents. Superintendant Kelly Fallon said last week that she could not comment on the threat because the district had been instructed not to do so.
A8 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014
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Opinion
Send letters to:
The Edito r, The Ha lf Newspap Hollow Hills er, 14 W Huntingto all Street, n, New Y ork 11743 or email us at info@lon gislanderg roup.com
‘Not the types set up by the printer return their impression, the meaning, the main concern.’
Uncharacteristic Decision The Town of Huntington has a com- potential economic harm that a lack of prehensive planning document which it parking will have on the downtown area adopted in 2008. Horizons 2020, as it is has yet to stop the zoning board from aptitled, contains recommendations that proving parking variances needed by are used to guide its policymakers and property developers. (In one recent case, decision-makers in future planning and a member of the zoning board asked how land use decisions. the board could turn down this most reOne of the findings of the studies that cent variance when it had previously produced this master plan is – and there’s granted all the others.) no surprise here – that there That same zoning board last is a shortage of rental hous- EDITORIAL work turned down a developing in the Town of Huntinger’s request for a special use ton. Numerous studies have pointed to a permit needed to build apartments over a similar lack of housing – especially af- retail space on Jericho Turnpike at fordable housing – as a major reason Round Swamp Road. The building was young people are leaving Long Island for proposed to replace the vacant, pagodaareas of the country more hospitable to- style Sun Ming restaurant. The board’s ward young, working professionals. rationale for turning down the applicaThey call it the “brain drain” and it is a tion was that it didn’t fit the character of major threat to the economic health of the existing neighborhood. the region. Unless the existing neighborhood can Horizons 2020 recommends many be characterized by pagodas, we don’t remedies aimed at increasing the amount get it. Here’s an opportunity to replace of rental housing, and thus reversing the an outdated, vacant and rundown buildbrain drain. Among them is the develop- ing – a pagoda! – with tax-generating rement of second- and third-floor apart- tail space and needed apartments. Inments over existing retail and commer- credibly, the board said no. cial spaces, already allowed under cerThe decision is against the town’s own tain zoning classifications. stated goal of increasing rental housing Property owners have enthusiastically stock, and for a reason that doesn’t realtaken up the recommendation in down- ly stand up to scrutiny. When did pretown Huntington, so much so that many serving the character of a commercial are now concerned that the influx of so Jericho Turnpike neighborhood become many new residents will aggravate the more important than preserving that of village’s existing parking crunch. The downtown Huntington?
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Speak Up In 2015 DEAR EDITOR: Please speak a little louder. Great things are about to happen on Long Island. In the coming months you will
be hearing about very real plans to build a magnificent future for those of us who live, work and do business here. Business, community and government leaders are meeting as you read this to address the challenges and
opportunities we face. The work they are doing is important. Actually, it is essential. With a focus on smart planning, they are volunteering a great deal of time and expertise looking at solutions to transportation,
traffic, housing, environment and many quality of life issues that effect life and business. If we do not come up with good solutions to the challenges we are faced with, our community will suffer and lose the remarkable edge we maintain as a model and lifestyle other regions envy. Here’s where you come in. There are many possible ways to address the possibilities for creating a better future for Long Island. Experts suggest what they feel are the best ways to move forward. They add to their expertise by reaching out to members of the community. They listen and hear what people want, what obstacles they face and what dreams they have that will offer them a better tomorrow. A serious problem is all too often only a small handful of residents and businesses shout their ideas while the majority of the stakeholders remain silent. It is a pity these silent stakeholders, the majority of us who live, work, do business and go to school on Long Island, keep our mouths shut. Without our input we are going to be stuck living somebody else’s dream. Throughout 2014 and for several years prior I have been proud to sit on several boards and committees that are working to build a better tomorrow for all of us. Tackling the areas of bus rapid transportation, environmental issues community and economic development I
HALF HOLLOW HILLS
Peter Sloggatt
NEWSPAPER
Associate Publisher/Managing Editor
Serving the communities of: Dix Hills, Melville and the Half Hollow Hills Central School District. Founded in 1996 by James Koutsis Copyright © 2014 by Long Islander News, publishers of The Long-Islander, The Record and Half Hollow Hills Newspaper. Each issue of the The Long-Islander and all contents thereof are copyrighted by Long Islander. None of the contents or articles may be reproduced in any forum or medium without the advance express written permission of the publisher. Infringement hereof is a violation of the Copyright laws.
have seen how sincere those we have placed in leadership positions are about their dedication to making life as good as possible not only for us but also for our children and our children’s children. Without any political influence, our County Executive Steve Bellone has led the charge with hands on involvement regarding these most important issues. Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Shaffer and Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone are both remarkable in providing leadership, access to their offices and personal involvement in the process. With non-partisan support from New York State and federal officials it looks like everyone in government is working to build a great future for Long Islanders. As we begin the New Year you will soon be approached to offer your personal thoughts and suggestions about what we can do to make for a better tomorrow. We will be seeking your ideas regarding life and business along the Route 110 corridor. How can we plan a community of your dreams? Your input is essential. Please. If you only make one resolution for 2015, resolve to speak up. Make your voice heard. If you are silent today you may very well be living someone else’s dream tomorrow. MIKE DELUISE President Melville Chamber of Commerce
James V. Kelly Publisher/CEO
Danny Schrafel Associate Editor Arielle Dollinger Andrew Wroblewski Reporters NEWS
Pat Mellon Peter T. Johnson Megan Conroy John Emig Account Executive
Luann Dallojacono Editor Ian Blanco Art Department / Production
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014 • A9
Life&Style ART
Heckscher Welcomes ‘Experimental Photography’ By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com
Arranged on white walls at the Heckscher Museum of Art, photographs that look like paintings and etchings and drawings live next to frames displaying splashes of light and objects abstract and concrete. The exhibition is one of experimental photography – an art form within the photography field that is represented by the sect of photographers who practice “non-traditional” methods. The Heckscher opened its “Modern Alchemy: Experiments in Photography” exhibition on Dec. 6. The two-gallery show begins with 20th-century works and travels up to present-day digital work, with the most recent works on display being images captured on the iPhone, Curator Lisa Chalif said. “It really traces from the traditional darkroom all the way up through the digital,” she said. Works that will likely be “more unusual for more of our visitors,” she said, can be found in the second gallery, which is focused on contemporary photographers. A vertically-displayed roll of photographic paper stands as one room’s centerpiece. The creation of artist Mariah Robertson, the paper has been intentionally splattered with developer and fixer and then put through various processes that produce color and line. On the far wall are Klea McKenna’s 57 deconstructed paper airplanes, each made of a chromogenic photograph that was exposed to the California sky in airplane form over a 12-hour period. According to Chalif, there is “a lot of attention be-
ing paid” to experimental photography – a bout of attention that, Chalif said, she thinks is the result of both the influence of digital technology on the field of photography and the societal bombardment of images. “I just think the number of images that we see on a daily basis everywhere – you know, on our computers, on social media – I just think that the explosion of images that we see daily, all the time, has sort of caused a reappraisal of… ‘what is photography,’” Chalif said. Experimental photography, as Chalif described, is “not created according to the traditional processes or the traditional use of the photographic materials.” “That may – may, but I don’t think necessarily does – involve an element of chance,” she said. “That is, you may not know what your end result will be.” In putting the exhibition together, Chalif spoke with many artists. One of those artists, she confirmed, was Huntington resident Andreas Rentsch. “Andreas and I had many discussions about experimental photography because he knows a great deal about it and he creates works in the field,” Chalif said. “He did share his knowledge with me, which was great.” Rentsch has two works in the exhibition – a Polaroid from his “Entangled with Justice” series and a video, “The Wanderer.” As curatorial assistant Kerrilyn Weiss mentioned, many artists in the field of photography today are using the same techniques as such artists as Man Ray, whose work also appears in the exhibition. “People are used to traditional photography and
Huntington artist Andreas Rentsch has two works on display in the exhibition, including this Polaroid from his “Entangled with Justice” series. images of recorded…observed nature, observed life… things that could be directly seen,” said Weiss said. “And this is something completely different.” The works in the show represent “the opposite of traditional photography,” Weiss said, noting that many of the pieces were created without the use of cameras. The exhibition will remain open until March 15, 2015. The museum is located inside Heckscher Park at the corner of Main Street and Prime Avenue in Huntington.
LEISURE
3D Printing Brings High-Technology To Hills Library By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com
For 50 cents per half hour of printing, Half Hollow Hills residents can now print three-dimensional objects at the Dix Hills branch of the Half Hollow Hills Public Library. The library has been offering public use of the fifth generation MakerBot since October. By appointment, library cardholders can choose designs and print objects to take home with them, said Internet Services Librarian Ellen Druda. “We’re trying to make a connection between the library and technology,” Druda said of the library’s decision to bring in the printer. “It’s in the news and people hear about it on TV and
everything else and they’re curious, and this was something that we could put in there and kind of open up their eyes to this new technology.” The machine is also part of the library’s effort to bring engineering technology and the arts together “in a less formal setting than in a school.” Druda compared the library addition to past years’ additions of Wi-Fi and Internet, saying that this is “along that same trajectory of introducing technology at the library.” To have the technology at the public library, Druda said, is also a way for community members who are not students to learn about the machine. The library has seen interest from train hobbyists and jewelry designers. “People want to make replacement
parts; machine replacement parts, game pieces that have broken,” she said. As reported by Long Islander News earlier this year, the Elwood Public Library is another to have hosted a 3D printer. Elwood had the Makerbot Replicator 2 on loan. “We just wanted to show the public a new technology that they probably have heard about but they’ve never seen in action,” said Susan Goldberg, library director, in April. “People just stare at it; it’s just a really fascinating thing.” The Suffolk Cooperative Library system had purchased several printers to lend out to libraries in Suffolk County. The library could purchase a printer of its own for $2,200.
The Elwood library did not purchase the printer, Jeanne Huggard, head of information services, confirmed on Monday; but the printer will be returning to the library. “We are slated to have it for the month of December,” Huggard said. While public library participation in 3D printing seems a relatively recent phenomenon, 3D printing is not so new. The MakerBot company, its website says, was founded in 2009; and MakerBot is only one competitor in the 3D printer market. “We understand that this kind of technology is moving along at an extremely rapid pace,” Druda said. “Five years from now, this will look totally ridiculous. But we understand that and we’re jumping on board anyway.”
A10 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014
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Watson’s Nobel Prize medal sells for $4.1 million (Continued from page A5)
statement. However, Watson also told the Financial Times on Nov. 28 that his income had fallen following controversial remarks he made in 2007, which forced him to retire from his position as chancellor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he served as director and president for many years prior.
“Because I was an ‘unperson’ I was fired from the boards of companies, so I have no income, apart from my academic income,” he told the Financial Times. No stranger to controversy, Watson sparked a media storm in 2007 when he told London’s The Sunday Times that he was “inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa” because “our social policies
are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours – whereas all the testing says not really.” He said his hope is that everyone is equal, but that “people who have to deal with black employees find this not true.” He soon after apologized and said there is no scientific basis for such a belief. Watson could not be reached for
comment. He was 25 years old at the time of the discovery, made in 1953, which paved the way for breakthroughs in genetics and advancements in medicine that continue today. Watson saw an X-ray diffraction pattern of crystalline DNA for the first time when he met Wilkins in 1951, according to the Nobel Prize’s official website. Changing the direction of his research toward the structural chemistry of nucleic acids and proteins, Watson went to the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge because “it was really the best place in the world then for X-ray crystallography,” he told a TEDTalk audience in 2005. There, he met Crick. “He was 35. I was 23. And within a day, we had decided that maybe we could take a shortcut to finding the structure of DNA. Not solve it like, you know, in rigorous fashion, but build a model, an electro-model, using some coordinates of, you know, length, all that sort of stuff from X-ray photographs,” Watson said at the TedTalk. The rest is, quite literally, history. Bidders on Dec. 4 also vied for Watson’s handwritten notes for his acceptance speech at the 1962 Nobel Prize banquet ceremony in Stockholm, which went for a hammer price of $300,000, and his manuscript and corrected drafts for his Nobel Lecture, which were sold for a hammer price of $200,000. Including buyer’s premiums, the historic papers sold for $610,000. Virtually all of Watson’s papers are in the collection of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory archives, according to Christie’s. When the hammer fell at last year’s auction for a letter written by Crick to his son describing the historic discovery, the final bid was $6 million – more than three times its pre-sale estimated value. It holds the world record for any letter sold at auction, according to Christie’s. “These historic prices, as well as the strong prices achieved for Dr. Watson’s Nobel acceptance speech and lecture manuscript, demonstrate the growing strength in the market for the iconic pieces related to the early understanding and development of the implications of DNA and its growing relevance today,” Wahlgren said. Watson told the Financial Times he hopes the publicity surrounding the sale of the medal would give him an opportunity to “re-enter public life.” He would also like to buy a David Hockney painting, he said.
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014 • A11
The Best Of
2014
e
e
HUNTINGTON WHO’S T? THE BES
Wow – was it just us, or did this year fly!? It’s crazy to think how soon it will be 2015! With that said, we wanted to give you, our valued readers, the opportunity to vote for which Town of Huntington small businesses you thought were the best businesses of 2014! To cast your vote, log onto our website (www.longislandernews.com) and click on the tab titled “Best of 2014!” You will see a list of categories (e.g. “Best Italian Restaurant,” “Best Hair Salon,” “Best Pizza Parlor”). After entering your name and e-mail address, enter in your top choice for each category, based on which Town of Huntington businesses are your favorites! Nominations open Dec. 11 at noon and close New Year’s Day at noon. After the nomination period closes, we will tally up the top five contenders for each category, and then let you know how you can pick from those for your top “Best of 2014!” candidate for each category. So don’t wait – let us know who you think are the “Best of 2014!” today!
news 14 WALL STREET, H U N T I N G TO N
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A12 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014
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BUSINESS Author Talks About ‘Getting Off The Street’ Long Islander News photo/Arielle Dolinger
By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com
One of many who realize that the Wall Street environment is not the environment in which they belong, Charles Massimo left New York City’s financial district in the early 2000s to create his own Deer Park-based investment firm. His debut book, called “Getting Off The Street – Sane Investment Advice from one of the Nation’s Leading Wealth Managers,” is less about his physical escape from Wall Street, and more about an escape from the attitudes and motivations of typical Wall Street money managers. “Investing should make you feel empowered,” he said at a Monday night book signing in Huntington. There, Massimo explained why he decided to leave Wall Street. He had entered “the business” in an effort “to make a difference in people’s lives,” he said. When he realized that he was not doing that at other firms, he decided to start his own. “I think when I was graduating college, pretty much everyone said, ‘You’ve got to go to Wall Street to get a job,’” Massimo told Long Islander News before the signing. “I was too young to understand too much more of it at that time.” He arrived in the financial district in 1984 and, today, can say that he has been “in and around Wall Street” for nearly three decades. While on the street, he watched as firms gave clients advice that he knew was not in their best interest. “I found that a lot of the advice that many clients get are just really kind of hype and misinformation,” said Massimo, of East Setauket. “A lot of the time,
Charles Massimo smiles at his book signing with his wife, Stella, and 15-year-old daughter, Elaina. the advice they get is geared more toward helping the firm make money.” There is conflict, Massimo explained. “Are they recommending their product because it makes money for the firm, or are they recommending the product because it’s truly in the best interest of the client?” “Unfortunately, too many times, the firm comes before the client,” he said, noting that he was trained to make money for the firm and rarely found himself in discussions about the client’s interests. Now a veteran of the Street, Massimo is telling those who read his book that there are a few ways to make investing simple. First, he says, it is important that each investor focus on his or her own behavior.
“Like anything in life, if you behave badly, your returns are going to be bad,” he said. Then, he says, investors must focus on things that are under their control. “We can’t control the directions of the market or the economy… but [what] you can control is how much you pay for your investment advice, how well you diversify your portfolio, and how you allocate assets within your portfolio.” Trying to time the market or find the next Google are strategies that he said most often prove unsuccessful. “I’m just really trying to get to the audience to kind of help them get through all that clutter that’s out there and all the things that they hear,” he said. “And create a very simplistic approach to investing.” Investment is not about having money, he explained; it is about “discipline and habit,” constantly putting away small increments and gradually building. “I think the first thing is just start, just do it,” he said. “Don’t worry about the particulars of how to do it; honestly, I would just do it, as much as you can now… it’s amazing how much money accumulates.” Meanwhile, some of the money that Massimo accumulates from book sales will be turned into investment of a different form. The father of 15-yearold triplets – two boys and a girl – said that he will donate some of the money to not-for-profit Pal-OMine Equestrian, which offers a program for individuals with disabilities. His two sons are on the autism spectrum, he said, so he is “very close” to Pal-O-Mine. He will also donate some of his profits, he said, to the Choroideremia Research Foundation, Inc. – a foundation that researches the retinal degenerative disease that has affected two sons of a longtime client of Massimo’s.
Amid Changes, Dolan Center Campus Set To Evolve Long Islander News photo/archives
By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
Huntington Hospital’s Dolan Family Health Center will be getting a new neighbor next year. That’s because North Shore-LIJ Imaging at Huntington is being built adjacent to the current home of the Dolan Center on Pulaski Road in Greenlawn. The imaging center is a separate entity from Dolan and will be administered by the North ShoreLIJ Health System, which includes Huntington Hospital. Among the services that will be provided at the upcoming $12-million, 10,750 square-foot center include: low-dose CT, 3T MRI, X-ray, ultrasound and digital breast tomosynthesis – 3D mammography associated with better cancer detection and lower recall rates. Services provided will be able to serve all pa-
Huntington Hospital is relocating its radiology department to new space next to the Dolan Family Health Center in Greenlawn. tients looking for imaging, including those receiving cancer treatments. The Huntington Planning Board signed off on the plans Nov. 12. “It’s really excellent for all of us
that have to get images every once in a while,” said town Planning Board director Paul Mandelik. “This way the appointments are more rapidly made and we can get our assess-
ments quickly.” Already, the parking lot has been reconfigured to create drop-off space and “they’ve added some additional landscaping amenities to make the area more attractive,” Anthony Aloisio, the town’s planning director, told the board. The doors are expected to open in June 2015, said Cynthia Kubala, vice president for imaging services for the North Shore-LIJ Health System. The Dolan Center site was an ideal choice. “We combine academic-level medical care and a competitive, patient-centered experience when developing new ambulatory locations,” she said. “This new imaging center at Huntington has excellent support from Huntington Hospital, local physicians and addresses the need for these services in this area. We (Continued to page A13)
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014 • A13
BUSINESS ‘Over The Moon’ For Toys And Sports Long Islander News photo/Andrew Wroblewski
Spotlight On
Huntington Businesses By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
Years ago, when the economy crashed, Joel Dennett needed to find a constant that would keep his business thriving. That constant was toys. Combined with another constant – sports – Dennett has been in charge of Cow Over The Moon Toys & Sports Memorabilia ever since, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. “It’s a great mix because when children are three, four, five, six years old, they’re buying toys, they want toys. As they get older and starting growing out of that, they get into sports,” Dennett, of Melville, said. “It became very interesting because it’s a toy store where fathers like to come in with their kids because, sure, ‘Go look at the trains and I’ll go see the sports items.’” Having two constants that are sure sellers is a great way for a store owner to stay happy – that, and opening said store in a town that is very near to his heart. “This is my town. I love this town,
Owner Joel Dennett is pictured with just a few of many authentic pieces of sports memorabilia that Cow Over The Moon Toys & Sports Memorabilia offers in Huntington village. I love being here,” he said. “I would walk here years ago and say to my wife, ‘Someday I want to open a store here.’ I didn’t know what kind of store… But when the opportunity came along I did [it].” Now operating at 282 Main St., Cow Over The Moon has granted Dennett’s wish and he’s been able to turn it into one of the town’s most respected and renowned toy stores and sports shops. “Our reputation is excellent… It’s
the most important thing we cultivate,” he said. Part of that, he said, is reflected in the store’s sports selection. Everything Cow Over The Moon sells – ranging from jerseys and baseballs to trading cards and plaques – has been authenticated thanks to Brian Drucker, an associate of Dennett, who specializes in authentication. “He’s an unbelievable expert… He really does know his craft,” Dennett said.
Along with the signed memorabilia, Cow Over The Moon also offers sporting equipment, figurines and plenty of other sport-related merchandise to its customers. Of course, it’s all worked into the shop’s behemoth selection of toys – like board games and Barbie dolls or action figures and play sets – that offers kids of all ages a chance to find the perfect item. But they’re not just toys to Dennett and his staff; at Cow Over The Moon, Dennett doesn’t just want to make a sale, he wants to provide the customer something beneficial. “[Our customers] love us because when they give that gift, their kids like it, their grandchildren like it – they know they can come in and get true advice,” he said. “There are many things we tell people not to buy; we want them to make a sensible purchase. It’s not just buying, it’s your reputation. We want people to know that this is the place to go.” In short, what Dennett said is if you’re looking to give a gift this holiday season that will send your youngster over the moon with joy, then Cow Over The Moon is the place to go.
Cow Over The Moon 282 Main St., Huntington 631-424-1796 www.toysonmainstreeet.com
Changes loom large as county dollars shrink (Continued from page A12)
think about things like ease of finding the location, parking, and coordination of services. The Dolan Center meets all of these criteria.” North Shore-LIJ Imaging has been lauded for excellence. It’s the first practice in New York State and seventh in the nation to be designated by the American College of Radiologists (ACR) as a Diagnostic Center of Excellence, and has a long history of being accredited as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence. North Shore-LIJ Imaging is the largest group of sub-specialized, fellowshiptrained radiologists on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Dolan Center, which opened in 1995 as a publicprivate partnership with the county to provide low-cost medical services, is
weathering change of its own. Dolan is Long Island’s only freestanding, charitably supported, hospital-owned primary care center for the medically underserved. Last year, the Dolan Center logged nearly 31,000 patient visits – a number that continues to climb each year, hospital officials said. As center administrators and North Shore-LIJ leaders grapple with the start of a four-year county funding step-down for its Dolan Family Health Center and continues to face growing competition from urgent care centers, the center is diversifying. On Nov. 20, the center announced it had become a PatientCentered Medical Home as recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Dolan was
awarded a three-year, level three designation – the highest level of recognition available. That recognition, which recognizes the Dolan Center for using evidence-based, patient centered processes that focuses on highly coordinated care and long term, participative relationships, also opens up opportunities for up to $300,000 in new revenues in each of the next three years, said Joseph Volavka, senior administrative director of the Dolan Center. New revenue is key for the Dolan Center moving forward. A four-year step-down of nearly $2.5 million in county funding begins in the 2015 budget. Then, county funding will decrease by 25 percent, and by the same sum in 2016 and 2017. The
Dolan Center would receive no county funding starting in 2018. “It doesn’t pick up everything we’re going to lose in 2015, but it does help,” Volavka said. “There are other ways and other strategies to mitigate the loss, actively working hard to find new solutions.” The NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model of primary care that combines teamwork and information technology to improve care and patients’ experiences and reduce costs. Each patient’s care is overseen by clinician-led care teams that coordinate treatment across the health care system. Research shows that medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower costs and can improve patient and provider reported experiences of care.
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Foodie photos/ Arielle Dollinger
A14 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014
Melville’s Jewel Sparkles Bright By Arielle Dollinger foodies@longislandergroup.com
Past scattered trees dressed in white lights is the entrance to Melville’s Jewel – a colorful oasis hidden within an office building whose remaining floor space is home to corporate suits. From the three-year-old restaurant’s ceiling hang bubble-esque spheres of white and yellow and auburn. Lights behind the far wall change color – red, blue, green, white – and the yellow light of the kitchen is visible from the dining room through a glass wall. Menu listings at Jewel are straightforward; descriptions consist of the names of several key ingredients. Labeled simply “Crab,” the jumbo lump crab salad ($21) is served in cylindrical form. The crab salad makes up the bottom layer, beneath the green of avocado and cucumber, topped with greens. Similarly light and fresh is the Raw Tuna Pizza ($18). The crust wears only the colors pink and green – pink for the raw tuna, and green for stripes of wasabi aioli and sprinklings of micro greens and scallions. Not so much “heavier” as it is “heartier,” the Butternut Squash
Lasagna ($24) is earthy and hearty in the way that one might expect any dish highlighting the yellow vegetable to be. The golden lasagna’s stratified layers are flavored by basil, Romano, mozzarella, ameretti and bechamel. The Duck Breast ($34) arrives wrapped in bacon and plated with duck confit fried rice, the rice dotted with pistachios, dried fruit and tiny pieces of bacon. Dessert options include banana cream pie in a jar – served in a tiny
Jewel’s chef and owner, Tom Schaudel, poses in front of his kitchen during a Saturday night dinner rush.
(Continued on page A15)
Found in the appetizer section of the menu is The Raw Tuna Pizza is fresh and flavorful. the crab salad.
The banana cream pie in a jar is served with whipped cream and caramel drizzle.
The duck breast is served with rice dotted with pistachios, fried fruit and tiny bits of bacon.
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014 • A15
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Side Dish
Huntington Historical Society
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DINEHUNTINGTON .COM CHOCOLATE FETTUCCINE: A little co-
Museum Shop
coa powder goes a long way. This fettuccine al cacao (chocolate fettuccine) - made fresh at Mr. Sausage (3 Union Place, Huntington 631-2713836 mrsausagefinefoods.com) - was on the specials menu over the weekend at Jonathan’s Ristorante (15 Wall St., Huntington 631-549-0055 www.jonathansristorante.com). An expert at pairing flavors, Chef Tito served it in a lamb ragu.
434 Park Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743
EXTENDED HOLIDAY HOURS WEEKENDS: Saturdays and Sundays, December 13, 14, 20 and 21, 6-9 PM
Sal Baldanza in the early stages of making fettuccine al cacao, which Chef Tito put in a lamb ragu at HEY, SANTA – Huntington’s Winter Jonathan’s. Farmers Market at the Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School will welcome jolly ol’ St. Nick on Dec. 14. Bring the kids, peruse fresh produce and do a little holiday shopping with local crafters. The winter market continues in the gymnasium every Sunday through April 26; doors open at 9 a.m., so you can give the gift of wholesome local produce all winter long. LITTLE TOKYO – We often hear Hunt-
ington is the dining capital of Long Island. Hard to argue that point, but did you ever think it might be the Japanese cuisine capital, too? To wit – our friends at the ZBA (from which you can get quite a lot of inside skinny on
new restaurants if you pay attention to their actions) a week ago approved variances for a new Japanese joint called MoCA, at 369 New York Ave., right next door to Meehan’s and Acacia. A cocktail bar, 80 dining seats, and seven-seat sushi bar are planned for the fourth MoCA – there are Woodbury, Hewlett and Forest Hills locations – and their attorney, Tom Abbate, says the space will be “visually stunning” with “absolutely outstanding food.” So, we did the math in our heads – once MoCA opens, Huntington-area residents will be able to order Japanese cuisine from a different restaurant every night of the week.
Jewel by Tom Schaudel (Continued from page A14)
mason jar and topped with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle – and pistachio gelato sandwiched between slices of pistachio cake, plated alongside a tiny root beer float. Jewel’s menu, designed by chef and owner Tom Schaudel and his kitchen partner, Michael Dean Ross, changes four times a year. “The season really decides,” Schaudel said of what makes it onto the menu. Portion sizes are sensible and not intimidating. “What we tried to do was build a restaurant for Long Islanders, by Long Islanders, really,” said Schaudel, whose first restaurant venture was Huntington’s Panama Hatties. “We try and use as much local stuff as we can and represent the wineries as best we can and you know, we’re all from here.” Schaudel started working in restaurants in 1968, as a dishwasher
at a steak restaurant in Westbury. A guitar player, Schaudel would play Beatles songs as a child – and then he heard Jimi Hendrix. “Jimi Hendrix is the reason I’m a chef,” Schaudel said. “I was chasing that ‘Foxy Lady’ tone, I kept blowing up my amplifier, my father wouldn’t give me any more money to fix it so I had to get a job; so I wound up as a dishwasher.” The rest, he said, is “the rest.”
Jewel, by Tom Schaudel jewelrestaruantli.com 200 Broadhollow Road (Route 11) Melville 631-755-5777 Atmosphere: upscale Cuisine: steak, seafood, pasta Price: moderate-high Hours: Monday through Friday: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. Saturday: 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sunday: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
WEEKDAYS: Tuesday and Wednesday, December 16 and 17, 4-7 PM These hours are in addition to the Museum Shop's regular hours: Mondays, Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 PM, consignments on Tuesday mornings, 9:30 AM-12 PM. The Museum Shop will be closed from December 22, 2014-January 5, 2015 It will reopen on Tuesday, January 6, 2015
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A16 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014
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Toy Drive Still Spreading By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
A ray of sunshine is once again breaking through the winter clouds thanks to a holiday toy drive currently underway. For the eighth year, Victoria Plumitallo – known best perhaps as “Sunshine” – is teaming up with her family and the Dix Hills Fire Department to conduct the Sunshine Toy Drive. The effort began when Victoria, now a 16-year-old junior at Half Hollow Hills High School West, was a fourth-grader. Assisted by her parents, Dix Hills Fire Commissioner Mike Plumitallo and his wife Hope, the toy drive has provided thousands of needy children in the area with toys during the holiday season. The drive, which became a certified not-for-profit organization earlier this year, has expanded its reach as far as Freeport and Roosevelt on the south shore of Nassau County, along with its local beneficiaries at agencies in Wyandanch and Madonna Heights in Dix Hills. This year’s initial collection, however, is going a bit slower than usual, Hope said. “It always goes a little slow and it all seems to come together in the end,” she said. “We just have to hope we’ll get that last push in the end.” There’s still some time to help the cause. Toys will be given away right before Christmas, in a unique boutique-like setting in which parents can choose gifts for their children and have them wrapped in a full-service setting.
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The Plumitallo family is continuing their efforts t tured: Mike Plumitallo last year closing the traile Key to the success of the annual drive is the support of neighboring fire departments and schools throughout Half Hollow Hills and beyond, as well as business sponsors. Together, they help provide toys for hundreds of children. After eight years of hard work, seeing the results of the gift of giving keeps the Plumitallo family coming back for more, doing more
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014 • A17
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to bring holiday cheer to needy children with the eighth annual Sunshine Toy Drive. Picer after picking up toys at West Hollow Middle School. and looking forward to grander plans for the future. “The gratification that you get for being a part of this is so magical,” Hope said. “When you see these people and the look on their faces and how thankful they are and knowing when they tell you their stories the difference it makes… it’s really unbelievable.” New children's toys, clothing
items and non-specific wrapping paper can be left at the Dix Hills Fire Department Headquarters at 115 East Deer Park Road, just north of the Northern State Parkway. Donations may be brought to the drop box at the firehouse around the clock. For more information on how to donate, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/sunshinetoydrive or call Hope at 516-807-4044.
Brazilian Waxing and Skin Care We want to let all our loyal customers know, how much we appreciate your support over the last three years.
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A18 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014
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Lending A Helpful Paw To Needy Pets By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
Supporters of the League for Animal Protection’s second annual Giving Tree decorate with ornaments dedicated to their four-legged friends past and present. Inset, a closer look.
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The non-profit agency that works to benefit the homeless cats and dogs up for adoption at the town’s animal shelter raised thousands of dollars as they rang in the holiday season. And all it took was about 200 repurposed Chobani yogurt cups, turned into festive, colorful bells hanging from the Huntington-based League For Animal Protection’s second annual set of Giving Trees outside the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter in East Northport. They lit the uniquely-appointed tree Saturday night, as a jazz quartet played and sup-
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Members of the Jazz Messengers quartet perform.
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014 • A19
Long Island’s Premier Decorative Paint Boutique
Offering workshops & events porters snacked on cookies and hot chocolate. Debbie Larkin, who serves as the league’s president, said that while the numbers were a bit down from last year’s draw, “it’s still an incredible amount.” “It’s a great way to get the people out and give back to the community,” she said. Ornaments were sold for $10 apiece, and donors had the choice of honoring their pet or paying tribute to a pet that has passed away. All funds raised support the League for Animal Protection, which provides care for the dogs at the town
shelter and wholly operates the cat shelter, which they created decades ago in partnership with the town. The holiday season offers a handful of fundraising opportunities. Fort Hill Nursery, which provided the two Giving Trees, recently hosted a Santa photo session a weekend earlier, where pets could have their photos taken with ol’ St. Nick in exchange for $10 from their human companions. The all-volunteer organization relies on support from the public to provide services, Larkin said. “Everything is from the generous people who support us,” she said.
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A20 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014
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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Honoring Silver Scouts
County Legislator Steve Stern honors Cadette Girl Scouts receiving their Silver Award pins, the highest honor a Cadette can earn. More than 30 Huntington-area Cadette Girl Scouts received their Silver Award pins at a special ceremony at John H. Glenn High School in Elwood. The girls, from seven troops representing Elwood, Greenlawn, Huntington and Dix Hills, achieved the highest honor a Cadette Girl Scout can earn, completing 50 hours of service, completing a Cadette Journey and creating a sustainable project dedicating to community improvement and helping those in need. These projects included creating a vegetable garden
and donating the fresh produce to Island Harvest, assisting local animal shelters and construction of a “Ga-Ga” pit in West Hills County Park. Legislator Steve Stern honored the girls that night. “I am proud to honor these fine young women and to honor their dedication to community, service and to the ideals of Girl Scouting,” Stern said. “I am sure they will continue to make their families, the Girl Scouts and our entire community proud. I wish them every success in the future.”
Wishing all a Happy & Healthy Holiday Season Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce supports local businesses townwide. Show your suport for your community by shopping locally during the holiday season and all year long.
www.HuntingtonChamber.com
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014 • A21
Happy Holidays
P O SH Y L L A C O L
from Huntington Village Business Improvement District
h t r o f
s y a d e holi P
Huntington Village Business Improvement District reminds shoppers to Buy Locally, because money spent in the community stays in the community. When you do your holiday shopping close to home, it helps create a stronger, healthier economy where it counts the most – in your own backyard.
We’re working hard to improve parking in Huntington Village. For a map of public parking spaces and to learn more about the multi-meter parking, visit www.huntingtonny.gov/parking-map
A22 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014
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OPEN HOUSES
Want to get your open houses listed? Get your listings for free on this page every week in Long Islander News papers. Call Associate Publisher Peter Sloggatt at 631-427-7000 or send an e-mail to psloggatt@longislandergroup.com. Town Huntington Greenlawn Commack Melville Centerport Northport Dix Hills Huntington Greenlawn S. Huntington Huntington Melville Dix Hills Huntington Centerport Huntington Dix Hills
MELVILLE
DIX HILLS
DIX HILLS
20 Chateau Dr Bedrooms 4 Baths 2 Price $424,000 Taxes $12,215 Open House 12/13 1:00pm-2:30pm Douglas Elliman Real Estate 631-758-2552
28 Wagon Wheel Ln Bedrooms 4 Baths 3 Price $849,000 Taxes $17,110 Open House 12/13 2:00pm-4:00pm LAFFEY FINE HOMES 631-547-5300
33 Arcadia Dr Bedrooms 4 Baths 3 Price $489,000 Taxes $11,094 Open House 12/14 1:00pm-3:00pm Douglas Elliman Real Estate 516-354-6500
Address Beds 87 Bayberry Dr 3 28 Gates St 3 21 Wyoming St 3 20 Chateau Dr 4 260 Jefferson St 3 20 Harborview Dr 4 28 Wagon Wheel Ln 4 257 Spring Rd 3 1 Northgate Dr 4 8 Edison Dr 3 73 Abbott Dr 3 5 New Dorp Pl 5 33 Arcadia Dr 4 164 Nassau Rd 3 31 Forest Dr 3 67 Old Town Ln 4 7 Parkwood Ln 5
Baths 2 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4
Price $350,000 $399,000 $399,900 $424,000 $449,000 $799,000 $849,000 $419,900 $439,000 $449,950 $479,000 $479,000 $489,000 $499,000 $544,900 $689,000 $724,900
Taxes $7,129 $9,772 $10,229 $12,215 $11,766 $9,102 $17,110 $10,956 $10,779 $5,144 $7,127 $12,524 $11,094 $16,790 $10,852 $13,226 $15,668
Date 12/13 12/13 12/13 12/13 12/13 12/13 12/13 12/14 12/14 12/14 12/14 12/14 12/14 12/14 12/14 12/14 12/14
Time 12:00pm-2:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 12:00pm-2:00pm 1:00pm-2:30pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 2:00pm-4:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 12:00pm-1:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 11:00am-1:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm
Broker Signature Premier Properties Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Pagano Properties Douglas Elliman Real Estate Coldwell Banker Residential Daniel Gale Agency Inc LAFFEY FINE HOMES Douglas Elliman Real Estate Douglas Elliman Real Estate Douglas Elliman Real Estate RE/MAX Beyond Douglas Elliman Real Estate Douglas Elliman Real Estate Coldwell Banker Residential Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Realty Connect USA LLC Douglas Elliman Real Estate
Phone 631-673-3700 631-673-2222 631-423-8033 631-758-2552 631-673-6800 631-692-6770 631-547-5300 631-549-4400 631-499-9191 631-549-4400 631-862-1100 631-543-9400 516-354-6500 631-673-6800 631-673-2222 888-236-6319 516-759-0400
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014 • A23
Buckcherry ready to rock The Paramount stage (Continued from page A1)
Age and Saviour. Founded in 1995 by lead singer Josh Todd, Buckcherry originally hails from Anaheim, Calif. where Todd met lead guitarist Keith Nelson. The duo hit it off and starting making music. They eventually recruited – now former – bassist Jonathan Brightman and Devon Glenn to form what they would call Sparrow. Due to legal concerns,
the group changed its name to Buckcherry and found its first commercial success with its first, self-titled release, which peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Heatseekers chart in 1999 and was also certified gold in both Canada and the United States. Today, Todd, Nelson and newcomers Stevie D. (guitar), Xavier Muriel (drums) and Kelly LeMieux (bass) are Buckcherry, and the band will arrive to
Dunkin’ drive-thru suit (Continued from page A1)
bitrary and capricious in its decision, the town would be forced to allow the drive-through and a 149 square-foot expansion to the existing store. Chairman Chris Modelewski, however, was not concerned last week. “They’re going to lose,” he said bluntly Dec. 4 after telling the board of the lawsuit. Melville-based attorney David Altman, who represented the applicant at the ZBA hearing, declined to comment when reached Monday. In its ruling, the board rejected the proposal by New Dough 1, ar-
guing their plans would create dangerous conditions for pedestrian and vehicular travel and would have required too large of a parking variance, amongst other “substantial” variances. “A grant of the requested relief would set a negative precedent affecting similarly situated properties along the Route 110 corridor, particularly in the immediate area where the lots tend to be smaller in size than in some other areas along Route 110,” the ruling reads. “The board finds that a grant of the requested relief in this case would trigger a detrimental change in the pattern of development in the area.”
The Paramount next week. The show – which promises to be a true rock ’n’ roll show – hopes to build upon the band’s latest release, “F**K,” and its tracks like “Say F**K It” – an “amped up” version of Icona Pop’s “I Love It” – and “Somebody F**ked With Me.” Yes, all of the titles of the songs on the record contain that word. The release – the band’s seventh studio effort – contains the same blazing guitar riffs and sing-along lyrics that the band became known for back in 2006 with its third studio album, “15,” which spawned hits like “Crazy Bitch,” “Next 2You” and “Sorry” – the band’s highest charting single yet on
the U.S. Hot 100 chart, where it reached No. 9. Buckcherry will be joined by American Ice Age – a hardcore rock band from Long Island – and the metal band from Franklin Square, Saviour. American Ice Age, formed in 2006, boasts members and ex-members of Long Island hardcore bands and has cited bands like AC/DC, Metallica and Slayer as its inspiration. Saviour, a band for more than 30 years now, keeps its faith in heavy metal with influences like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. Doors open at 7 p.m. on Dec. 15. Tickets are $15-40 at www.paramountny.com or the box office.
Apartment plan nixed (Continued from page A1)
two-story home in the meantime. “I would not mind seeing a high-end retail store that would be scaled down in its size to be able to properly accommodate parking and mitigate some of the major traffic concerns that our community has,” he said.
Neighbor Kenneth Wilensky, of Round Swamp Road in Melville, agreed. “I miss the Chinese restaurant. Great place. I miss the character that’s there. It’s a mom and pop area on Jericho Turnpike,” he said. “Sun Ming was great… what’s wrong with keeping what’s there?”
fxtáÉÇ
Hofstra University Friday December 19 2pm* & 7pm Saturday December 20 12pm & 5pm Sunday December 21 12pm & 5pm
The * is all tix for 2 pm show are $20
Ticket pricing:
$40 adult $35 senior/child For Information call: 631-462-0964
A24 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014
THURSDAY Narcan Training Class
Train for an emergency at a countysponsored Opioid Overdose Prevention Program-Narcan Training Class on Thursday, Dec. 11, 7-8:30 p.m. at the Northport Public Library, Community Room, 151 Laurel Ave., Northport. The training will enable participants to recognize an opioid overdose, administer intranasal Narcan and take additional steps until EMS arrives. Contact by Dec. 5: Anthony Ferrandino, anthony.ferrandino@northport.k12.ny.us. Participants will receive a certificate of completion and an emergency resuscitation kit that includes one dose of nasal Narcan.
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Calendar O M M U N I T Y
Play your heart out at an acoustic open mic night every Wednesday at Caffe Portofino, 249 Main St., Northport, 7-10 p.m. www.facebook.com/cafportopenmic. Original songs only.
Bring your family to the Northport Historical Society for readings of some favorite holiday stories on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. The evening will also feature cookie decorating and hot chocolate. $5/family for members; $10/family for non-members. Advance registration is required; call 631-757-9859. or stop in at 215 Main St., Northport.
Adult Enrichment Programs
The Harborfields Alumni and Community Education Foundation hosts adult enrichment programs: Beginner Bridge, Wednesdays through Dec. 17 (6:30-8:30 p.m.); Crop Paper Scissors Adult Workshop, Dec. 13 (9 a.m.-12 p.m.). Info and tickets at www.hacef.org.
FRIDAY SeniorNet Free Open House
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!
Lunch With Santa
Have an exquisite lunch and get your photo taken with Santa at the Harbor Club at Prime on Saturday, Dec. 13. Seatings at 11:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. $40 adults/$15 children. Food stations include sliders, sushi, pasta and salad, with premium open bar and passed bites. 95 New York Ave., Huntington. 631-271-5600. harborclubatprime.com.
SUNDAY Find Your Center
Find inner peace in an ongoing weekly class for beginners and newcomers every Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at Dipamkara Meditation Center, 282 New York Ave., Huntington. 631-549-1000. www.MeditationOnLongisland.org.
Power Breakfast
Menorah Lightings Chabad of Huntington Village hosts its annual Hanukkah at Town Hall celebration Wednesday, Dec. 17. Join in lighting a giant 6-foot menorah. Program will include dignitaries and politicians along with an amazing performance by Huntington’s very own Akiva the Believer. There will be music and festivities for the entire family combined with chocolate Hanukah Gelt, dreidels and jelly doughnuts. 6 p.m. at Huntington Town Hall, 100 Main St., Huntington. 631-2764453. www.Chabadhv.com/Hanukkah. Also, join The Chai Center for an evening of free family fun on Dec. 17 at 5 p.m. Enjoy entertainment by comedic jugglers “The Gizmo Guys”, hot potato latkes, donuts and a Grand Menorah Lighting at 501 Vanderbilt Parkway, corner of 231 (Deer Park Ave) Dix Hills. The event is free but an RSVP is required by Dec. 12. RSVP by phone at 631351-8672 or on the web at www.thechaicenter.com/chanukahevents. ry of the Holocaust through his own harrowing personal experiences as a young child. The event is Monday, Dec. 15, 7 p.m. at the Elwood Public Library, 1929 Jericho Turnpike, Elwood. 7 p.m. Registration is required. Call the library at 631-499-3722.
Argentine Tango Classes
Experience the subtle communication between partners as you learn the passionate dance known as the tango. Come dressed to impress (but be comfortable) for classes on Monday nights, 7-9:30 p.m. at Spirit of Huntington Art Center, 2 Melville Road North, Huntington Station. 631-470-9620 or email noconintended@gmail.com. Suggested donation: $10 per person/$15 per couple.
TUESDAY Free Mommy And Me Class
MONDAY Memories of the Holocaust
Mordechai Miller, a resident of Elwood, will speak from the heart about the histo-
Chabad of Huntington Village hosts its annual Hanukah at Town Hall celebration Wednesday, Dec. 17. Join in lighting a giant 6-foot menorah. Program will include dignitaries and politicians along with an amazing performance by Huntington’s very own Akiva the Believer. There will be music and festivities for the entire family combined with chocolate Hanukkah Gelt, dreidels and jelly doughnuts. 6 p.m. at Huntington Town Hall, 100 Main St., Huntington. 631-276-4453. www.Chabadhv.com/Hanukkah.
Open Mic Night
‘Season's Readings’ In Northport
On Dec. 12, award-winning, not-for-profit SeniorNet will hold its free winter semester registration Open House and Reception for people 50 years and older. Classes start Jan. 5, 2015. Guests can tour the modern center and review course choices whether in computers or today’s tech gadgets with our friendly allvolunteer faculty. Light refreshments served. For information, call 631-4706757. Snow date is Monday, Dec. 15.
Light The Menorah At Town Hall
Sing! Stretch! Dance! Play! Enjoy a funfilled class that includes parachute play and bubble play and meet other Jewish moms at The Chai Center in Dix Hills. The free class takes place Tuesdays at
10 a.m. For children ages 6-36 months. Pre-registration required by phone or online: 631-351-8672. www.thechaicenter.com.
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 Huntington Station, Hauppauge and Freeport emergency pantries. Appointments can be made by contacting jrosati@licares.org.
WEDNESDAY Grand Menorah Lighting
Come join The Chai Center for an evening of free family fun on Dec. 17 at 5 p.m. Enjoy entertainment by comedic jugglers “The Gizmo Guys”, hot potato latkes, donuts and a Grand Menorah Lighting at 501 Vanderbilt Parkway, corner of 231 (Deer Park Ave) Dix Hills. The event is free but an RSVP is required by Dec. 12. RSVP by phone at 631-3518672 or on the web at www.thechaicenter.com/chanukahevents.
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. 631-4627446.
AT THE LIBRARIES Cold Spring Harbor Library
95 Harbor Road, Cold Spring Harbor. 631-692-6820. cshlibrary.org. • Tonito Valderrama’s exhibit “Flight of Higher Learning” features two birds in flight, soaring in the upstairs stairwell of the library. Made from recycled bamboo blinds and rice paper, Valderrama’s work expresses the complex relationships between humankind and nature. On display through Jan. 15, 2015. • Bhavani Jaroff will demonstrate how to create three international dishes using the same three ingredients and a wok in a demonstration on Thursday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. $5.
Commack Public Library
18 Hauppauge Road, Commack. 631499-0888. commack.suffolk.lib.ny.us. • Enjoy a friendly game of bridge or mah-jongg in the Community Room every Friday, from 1-5:30 p.m. • There is a teen activity on Thursday, Dec. 16 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Come and make a candy house! For teens grades 6-12.
Deer Park Public Library
44 Lake Ave., Deer Park. 631-586-3000. deerparklibrary.org. • Through a grant from New York State, the library offers Google Nexus 7 tablets for borrowing. Browse the web, download a book, play games and more with just a touch of your finger. Tablets can be checked out for two
(Continued on page A25)
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014 • A25
Northport Historical Society Museum
weeks on an adult Deer Park library card.
(Continued from page A24)
Elwood Public Library
3027 Jericho Turnpike, Elwood. 631499-3722. www.elwoodlibrary.org. • Watch the library’s weekly Friday afternoon movie at 1 p.m.
Half Hollow Hills Community Library
Dix Hills: 55 Vanderbilt Parkway. 631421-4530; Melville: 510 Sweet Hollow Road. 631-421-4535. hhhlibrary.org. • 3D printing is here! Watch the MakerBot in action for 50 cents of printing for each 30 minutes. For more information, call the Adult Reference Desk.
Harborfields Public Library
31 Broadway, Greenlawn. 631-757-4200. harborfieldslibrary.org. • Chef Barbara Sheridan will host a delicious holiday tea on Monday, Dec. 15, 7 p.m. $5.
Huntington Public Library
Main Branch: 338 Main St., Huntington. 631-427-5165. Station Branch: 1335 New York Ave., Huntington Station. 631421-5053. www.thehuntingtonlibrary.org. • Op-Ed Fridays are weekly at the main branch. Stop by from 2-5 p.m. and discuss your thoughts on a changing world. Registration is required and light refreshments will be served. • Teens in grades 6-12 can come to the station branch and make gingerbread houses on Dec. 17 from 6-7 p.m.
Northport-East Northport Public Library
Northport: 151 Laurel Ave. 631-2616930. East Northport: 185 Larkfield Road. 631-261-2313. www.nenpl.org. • On Dec. 17, children in grades K-5 can make creative and unique gift wrapping! Northport branch, siblings are welcome.
South Huntington Public Library
145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station. 631-549-4411. www.shpl.info. • Make a gingerbread house on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 6:30 p.m. • Sign up now for the Thursday, Dec. 11 cupcake decorating class with Jess from Blondie's Bake Shop.
THEATER & FILM Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave., Huntington. www.cinemaartscentre.org. 631-423-7611. • Join film historian Philip Harwood for a trip down the Yellow Brick Road to explore the fascinating career of one of the most influential actors in Hollywood history, Judy Garland, at the studio that boasted “more stars than there are in heaven” on Monday, Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. $10 members/$15 public.
John W. Engeman Theater At Northport
350 Main St., Northport. www.johnwengemantheater.com. 631-261-2900. • The iconic holiday classic “A Christmas Story – The Musical” plays through Jan. 4.
Cosplay City! The Art League of Long Island hosts Inbeon Con on Dec. 13, a day of engaging activities and family-friendly fun at Inbeon Studios’ event for artists and by artists. Workshops and panels will cover everything from character/creature design to self-publishing. There will be cosplay contests where one can win free prizes for best costume, as well as cosplay photo shoots. The event runs from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. $25 at the door. Children under 10 free with adult ticket. 107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills. 631-462-5400. www.ArtLeagueLI.net.
The Minstrel Players of Northport
Houghton Hall theatre, Trinity Episcopal Church, 130 Main St., Northport. 631732-2926. www.minstrelplayers.org. • The Minstrel Players of Northport perform “A Christmas Carol” on Friday, Dec. 12 and Saturday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. $20 adults/$15 seniors/children. Group rates available.
AUDITIONS/SUBMISSIONS Northport Symphony Orchestra
The Northport Symphony Orchestra seeks new members in all sections. Repertoire ranges from Baroque through classical and romantic to early 20th century. Music Director Richard Hyman is an award-winning music educator and composer. Rehearsals are on Wednesdays from 7:30-9 p.m. usually at East Northport Middle School. Email info@northportorchestra.org to arrange an audition. Website: northportorchestra.org.
MUSEUMS/EXHIBITS Art League of Long Island
107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills. Gallery hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. weekends. 631-462-5400. www.ArtLeagueLI.net. • Paintings, drawings, collage, photography, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, and fiber arts, all handcrafted by student and professional artists will be shown in two parts to accommodate the display of more than 200 works of art. Part Two is on display Dec. 17Jan. 4. • Inbeon Con on Dec. 13 is a day of engaging activities and family-friendly fun at Inbeon Studios’ event for artists and by artists. Workshops and panels will cover everything from character/creature design to self-publishing. There will be cosplay contests where one can win free prizes for best costume, as well as cosplay photo shoots. The event runs from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. $25 at the door. Children under 10 free with adult ticket.
Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum
279 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor. 631-367-3418. www.cshwhalingmuseum.org. • The year-long exhibit “Sea Ink: American Sailors and Tattoo Art” explores the culture and significance of nautical tattoos and their historical origins from sailors’ lives at sea. The
exhibit features an array of tattoo artifacts, antique machines, early inking tools and Sailor Jerry flash art.
Heckscher Museum Of Art
2 Prime Ave., Huntington. Museum hours: Wednesday - Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., first Fridays from 4-8:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission $6-8/adults, $46/seniors, and $4-5/children; members and children under 10 free. 631-3513250. • Celebrate the spirit of the holiday season at the museum on Friday, Dec. 12 and enjoy sweet treats, light bites and festive beverages, view the current exhibitions. Listen to the Five Towns College Vocal Jazz Ensemble perform joyful holiday selections, traditional favorites, and tuneful pop songs at 6 p.m.
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.holocaustnassau.org. • The permanent exhibit explains the 1930s increase of intolerance, the reduction of human rights, and the lack of intervention that enabled the persecution and mass murder of millions of Jews and others: people with disabilities, Roma and Sinti (Gypsies), Jehovah’s Witnesses, gays and Polish intelligentsia.
Huntington Arts Council
Main Street Petite Gallery: 213 Main St., Huntington. Gallery hours: Monday Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Art in the Art-trium: 25 Melville Park Road, Melville. Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-7 p.m. 631-271-8423. www.huntingtonarts.org. • The annual juried still life show “Inanimate” shows Dec. 11-Jan. 5, with an opening reception Friday, Dec. 12, 6-8 p.m.
Huntington Historical Society
Main office/library: 209 Main St., Huntington. Museums: Conklin Barn, 2 High St.; Kissam House/Museum Shop, 434 Park Ave.; Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Building, 228 Main St. 631427-7045, ext. 401. www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org. • Exhibit “The Times They Were AChanging – 1960s & Huntington’s Response” on display at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Building.
215 Main St., Northport. Museum hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 1-4:30 p.m. 631-7579859. www.northporthistorical.org. • “Window Shopping Through Time” is a recreation of 10 stores that were located on Main Street and Woodbine Avenue spanning about 100 years, from the 1880s’ Morris City Grocery with their fresh produce and dry goods to the 1980s 5&10 with their ribbon and toys.
Ripe Art Gallery
1028 Park Ave., Huntington. TuesdayThursday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday, 2-8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. www.ripeartgal.com. 631-239-1805. • The gallery hosts a juried photography competition titled “What Is A Portrait,” curated by Ruben Natal-San Miguel. Opening reception on Saturday, Dec. 13, 7-10 p.m. Showing through Jan. 17.
Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium
180 Little Neck Road, Centerport. Museum hours through April 15: Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, 12-4 p.m. Grounds admission: $7 adults, $6 students with ID and seniors 62 and older, and $3 children 12 and under. Mansion tour, add $5 per person. 631854-5555. www.vanderbiltmuseum.org. • The planetarium’s new show, “Black Holes: Journey into the Unknown,” has regular showings on Tuesdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Walt Whitman Birthplace
246 Old Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station. Hours: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Admission: $6 adults, $5 seniors, $4 students, and children under 5 are free. 631-427-5240. www.waltwhitman.org.
MUSIC & DANCE Five Towns College Performing Arts Center
Five Towns College, 305 N. Service Road, Dix Hills. Box Office: 631-6562148. www.dhpac.org. • Saturday, Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m.: Gary Lewis & The Playboys bring in the season with “Celebrating the Holidays Together.” $40-$60. • Sunday, Dec. 14, 2 p.m.: Enjoy a winter concert with the FTC Concert Pops. $10.
The Paramount
370 New York Ave., Huntington. 631673-7300. www.paramountny.com. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. • The Daughtry Acoustic Trio plays with special guest Adam Ezra Group on Sunday, Dec. 14. Tickets: $40-$85.
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A26 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014 • A29
HALF HOLLOW HILLS
Nine Hills West Lax Athletes Sign Letters Of Intent
Nine Half Hollow Hills High School West students – also lacrosse athletes – pose for a picture after signing their National Letters of Intent on Dec. 3 to the schools they’ll eventually play lacrosse for. The students are Jeremiah Sullivan, New York Institute of Technology; Ryan Ozsvath, Stony Brook University; Joe Caputo, The University of Tampa; Joe Cipoletti, Sacred Heart University; Justin Cerniello, Sacred Heart University; Malcolm Flynn, St. John's University; Matt Benincasa, Stevenson University; Mike McCarthy, Siena College; and Jenn Casadonte, the University of Notre Dame.
T-Birds work on chemistry (Continued from page A32)
test – the team’s first of the year – where the Thunderbirds fell 57-45. Hills East’s senior captain Justin Fackler – whom Basel expects big things from this year – was held to just 9 points in the setback. Instead, D'Nathan Knox, a junior, came off the bench to provide Hills East some offensive firepower with his 12 points. “He’s coming off of the bench right now so he’s still finding his way,” Basel said of Knox. “But I’m expecting him to become a major contributor.” Along with Knox, Basel also holds high expectations for Fackler, whom he’s coached at the varsity level for three years. Standing at 6foot-4, Fackler was one of the Thunderbirds’ second or third scoring options last season – but he’s not settling for that over the 20142015 season. “Last year he was the garbage guy – he did all the little things like rebounding. But he wasn’t our first, or even second, scoring option last year,” Basel said. “He just did his job, but now, it’s his turn to step up.
I expect him to average a doubledouble… In a lot of ways, how he goes is how this team is going to go.” On Monday at press time, Hills East was preparing for its annual contest with rival Half Hollow Hills High School West, which was set to tip-off on Tuesday. While the game finished after press time, Basel expected it to be a highly contested, yet friendly matchup – one that he uses as a focal point for his team to look back on and remember the levels of intensity, in terms of play, that it brings. “Last year we beat them, the year before they beat us in overtime – they’re always close games,” Basel said. “The level of play gets amped up… The kids know each other well and they’re good on and off the court with the intensity.” After the showdown of the Half Hollow Hills, the Thunderbirds are now looking forward to their matchup with Lindenhurst, at home, on Friday. Hills East and the Bulldogs will tip off at 4:15 p.m. in what will be the first regular-season game of the year.
HISTORY
Pearl Harbor’s Memory Looms Large
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Long Islander News photos/Danny Schrafel
A30 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014
By DannySchrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, “never forget” has become a national motto. In the case of the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor that launched the United States into World War II, Northport and leaders of the American Legion never forgot. They exhibited that as they observed the 73rd anniversary Sunday of what has been characterized as the first terrorist attack to be launched from abroad onto American soil. The day of remembrance began with an interfaith service at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, followed by a procession down Main Street to the harbor-front World War II memorial. There, past Legion Commander Jim Mahoney, the ceremony’s master of ceremonies, again credited Northport’s Michael O’Donohoe, now the county’s commissioner of jurors, and the late Sonny Dolci, also a past Legion commander, for starting the ceremony after feeling that “nothing was done to really recognize the sacrifice that was made nearly three-quarters of a century ago.” “For a day to live in infamy, there must be a memory of the event and its importance,” Northport Deputy Mayor Henry Tobin said. Northport American Legion Commander John Cooney said the attacks came as families across America prepared for the holidays. Those included East Northport’s Frank Minnock, who was at Pearl Harbor when the sneak attack unfolded. “At 7:55 that morning, 353 Japanese fighter planes, bombers and torpedo plans attacked Pearl Harbor, without any warning or declaration of war,” he said. The attack killed 1,177 and wounded thousands more. The assault led to the United States entering World War II. “Tokyo made a calculated decision that a devastating attack at Pearl Harbor would cause Americans to lose heart and seek a compromise peace with Japan,” Cooney said. “They were wrong.” Keynote Speaker Chief Warrant Officer Mark Stauffer, commanding officer of the Eaton’s Neck Coast Guard dispatch, paid tribute to the extraordinary courage exhibited by ordinary men in a time of crisis “Not everything that happens in your world reflects your goodness and grace. You have given us freedom to choose, and with that freedom, sometimes, we choose to do evil,” Rev. Kristina Hansen, of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, said in an invocation. “Today, we remember a time of great evil in our world… we also remember those who stood their ground against great evil, those who fought here at home and on the battlefront to ensure evil would not prevail.”
The U.S. Naval Sea Cadets march in full dress uniform during the procession.
Pearl Harbor veteran Frank Minnock.
Chief Warrant Officer Mark Stauffer, Commanding Officer of the Eaton’s Neck Coast Guard dispatch, delivers a keynote address.
The color guard emerges from St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and presents the colors.
Members of the Northport High School Tour Choir perform during the ceremony.
The Northport Pipe and Drum Band marches On Main Street.
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014 • A31
A32 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 11, 2014
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HillSPORTS BOYS BASKETBALL
Colts Look To Extend Season Well Into March By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
When Bill Mitaritonna, head coach of the Half Hollow Hills High School West boys basketball team, sits down to make his team’s schedule every year, he ensures that he extends it well into March. On March 14, 2015, the Suffolk County boys Class AA championship game is scheduled to tip off. During the Colts’ last three seasons, the boys failed to make it out of the second playoff round and ended their season in February. Needless to say, the boys and Mitaritonna aren’t happy about it. “For me, it’s unacceptable,” he said. “The last two years we’ve ended February break weekend – so I’m not happy with that, and neither are they.” This year, the Colts have travel plans to go along with their calendar – they want to get upstate again, a place where they haven’t been since 2011, to compete for a New York State championship. With a high-energy, well-balanced and athletic squad, Mitaritonna started that journey on Tuesday when they welcomed rival Half Hollow Hills High School East for the Colts’ first non-league matchup of the season. The game occurred after press time, but the 15-year head coach undoubtedly wished to use that depth to best the Thunderbirds – which beat the Colts a season ago. “We absolutely love the mix of players that we have this year,” Mitaritonna said. “We have a nineman rotation, but really anyone on the team can go in and fill a sport because they’re just good – they’re good players.” Jake Willinger is one of the guys Mitaritonna will be bringing off of the bench as a long-range threat that can deliver clutch shooting in tough situations. Another key contributor, Curtis Weingard, a senior two-year varsity player, is a sharp-shooting combo guard that stands at 6-foot-2 and has a
Long Islander News photo/Andrew Wroblewski
Team has expectations of an extended, championship-winning season
On Saturday, during a scrimmage with Cold Spring Harbor, head coach of the Hills West boys basketball team Bill Mitaritonna, center, gives his team a pep talk between periods. knack for sharing the ball. “He’s a very unselfish player and because of his unselfishness it rubs off on everyone,” Mitaritonna said. “He sees the court like no one we’ve had in a long time… He’s going to be one of the leaders this year and he looks great.” Weingard is one of the six seniors on Hills West’s roster this season along with Owen Clark, Cody Clarson, Jonathan Faraci, Josh Koval and Justin Leonard. The Colts have nine players that have
already endured at least one year of play at the varsity level. This is one of Hills West’s best perks, Mitaritonna said. “We have a ton of varsity experience… I think that’s our greatest strength,” he said. Being athletic doesn’t hurt either – on Saturday, as the Colts welcomed Cold Spring Harbor for a pre-season scrimmage, the boys ran up and down the court with ease, knocked down jump shots and made the tough rebounds.
“This year we have good height, good shooters, great passers… It’s a good combination for success,” Mitaritonna said. “Our defense is going to be high energy and putting pressure on the ball – and a part of that is we can run out of it and we always like to run.” After the showdown with the Thunderbirds, the Colts welcome Deer Park today at 4 p.m. for another non-league contest before opening up the regular season at North Babylon on Dec. 15.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Thunderbirds Nailing Down Chemistry By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
Last season, Half Hollow Hills High School East couldn’t have asked for a better boys basketball season. The Thunderbirds, awarded the No. 3 seed in the Suffolk County playoffs, lost just two games on their way to a 20-2 overall record. The success was
obviously welcomed by Head Coach Peter Basel, but most of those who were able to bring Hills East that success have since graduated. But Basel hasn’t, and this season he’s working with a new group of hoops athletes, and the group is working on its chemistry – team chemistry, that is. “A lot of these guys didn’t play
many minutes last year,” Basel said. “We’re just trying to work on our chemistry and experience right now. This is a pretty skilled team, but they just haven’t logged the minutes at the varsity level yet.” On Dec. 5, that lack of experience came to light with a loss to Commack in a non-league con(Continued on page A29)