HALF HOLLOW HILLS Copyright © 2014 Long Islander News
Online at www.LongIslanderNews.com
VOL. 16, ISSUE 46
NEWSPAPER 24 PAGES
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2014 HALF HOLLOW HILLS
Cancer Claims Hills ‘Hero’, 21 By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com
The Paramount
If it wasn’t already obvious, Jeff Mattson – lead singer and guitarist for Dark Star Orchestra, a Grateful Dead tribute band – made sure to point out that each of the seven members that make up the band, himself included, are self-proclaimed “Deadheads.” The music they grew up following is now the music Dark Star Orchestra blasts through their speakers when
At the beginning of what would become a best-friendship, Nikki Oliveri saw Cody Byrnes wearing a cowboy hat at the mall. That night, Byrnes asked Oliveri if he looked silly. “I told him he was the best looking cowboy out there,” Oliveri recalled last week. “And that is where we came up with our theme for homecoming… I was Jesse and he was Woody.” Half Hollow Hills High School East Class of 2011 graduate Cody Byrnes, 21, died last Thursday after battles with Ewing Sarcoma and leukemia. “A hero is defined as a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities,” Oliveri wrote in a Facebook post. “That’s what you were Cody Byrnes.” Byrnes’ Facebook wall was overtaken last week by posts from friends and family. Hills graduate Rachel Karmel, who wrote one of the many posts, told Long Islander News last week that she regrets not seeing him more frequently. “In kindergarten he was my first ‘boyfriend’ and we always used to joke about it,” she said.
(Continued on page A16)
(Continued to page A16)
Spotlight The Dark Star Orchestra, a Grateful Dead tribute band, will once again rock The Paramount Dec. 30-31.
‘Deadheads’ Rejoice: Dark Star Orchestra To Rock NYE By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
Cody Byrnes and best friend Nikki Oliveri share a laugh. Byrnes, a 21-year-old Hills graduate, died over the weekend.
DIX HILLS
Town To Close Traffic Law Loophole When is a no-left-turn sign not a no-left-turn sign? When it’s not enshrined in the town’s traffic code, that’s when. Now, as it relates to no left turn sign governing the Art League of Long Island’s driveway on East Deer Park Road, the town board is poised to button up that loophole. Steve McGloin, the town’s director of transportation and traffic safety, said Friday that the sign
had been posted for many years before the town discovered the omission. “Our investigation after [the Suffolk County Police Department] notified us that the sign was knocked down reveled that the restriction was never placed in the traffic code as is required by law,” he said. Town spokesman A.J. Carter said previously that the left-turn
prohibition protects both motorists queuing in the left lane waiting to make the turn; it also protects northbound traffic from cars crossing the two lanes of travel. Huntington’s town board will take up the matter on Wednesday, Jan. 14 during a public hearing scheduled for 2 p.m. that day. -SCHRAFEL
GET YOUR COPIES OF THIS EDITION AT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY
Hicksville, NY 11801 Permit No. 66 CRRT SORT
US Postage PAID STANDARD RATE
A2 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 • A3
MELVILLE
By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
A developer’s plans to construct a hotel on a 3-acre parcel along Route 110 near the Long Island Expressway in Melville are coming into focus. According to a Dec. 10 Town of Huntington Planning Department memo, the proposal for 500 Broad Hollow Road calls for a four-story, 160-room hotel of approximately 90,000 square feet – “narrow and deep due to the same shape of the lot,” Planning Director Anthony Aloisio writes in the memo. The property, just south of the Rubie’s Costume office complex, is developed; a vacant, one-story building stands on the site. Applicant OTO Development, doing business as Melville Hotel LLC, is seeking to change the zoning of the parcel from I-1 Industrial to C10 planned motel district in order to build a hotel – possibly a Hyatt
Place brand, attorney William Bonesso previously said. The zone-change application was filed at Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia’s office Nov. 10, according to Aloisio’s memo. Proposed amenities include meeting rooms and restaurant spaces for guests, but not in the capacity of a conference center or a catering hall. The applicant is also exploring a cross access driveway to a property neighboring to the north, which would give the hotel access to the South Service Road, according to the memo. Aloisio notes that the application would need to get the Zoning Board of Appeals’ blessing for parking, building height, lot size and building side yard setbacks. Wastewater would be handled by the Southwest Sewer District. Similar properties on Route 110 have more rooms, and are equally large or larger in the number of floors. The 302-room Hilton Long
Long Islander News photo/archives
4-Story, 160-Room Hotel Planned For Melville
Developers are proposing a four-story, 160-room hotel at 500 Broad Hollow Road, according to a Dec. 10 Planning Department memo. Island has five floors, and the 369room Melville Marriott has four. Bonesso previously said that there had been some debate over whether to go with three, four, or five floors on the hotel. Civic leaders objected to a five-story building, arguing it would set off an unwel-
come precedent for oversized development. They also raised concerns about traffic impacts. Bonesso said that a hotel will not exacerbate current traffic conditions, which he said peak in the morning and evening rush hours and during lunchtime.
DIX HILLS/MELVILLE
Cops Charge Two In String Of Burglaries 13 break-ins over two-month span included homes in Dix Hills and Melville By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
Photo/H2M
Two men broke into 13 homes across Suffolk County, six of them in the Town of Huntington, during a months-long burglary spree, police allege. One of the men charged, Wyandanch’s Jerrell Jeudy, 26, is also accused of ramming a car into a police cruiser shortly before officers cuffed the two men in East Northport. Police allege the spree began
Sept. 12, when Jeudy and Peter Hodgman, 23, of Huntington, broke into a Pine Acres Boulevard home in Dix Hills and stole jewelry. Also in the Half Hollow Hills area, they allegedly burglarized a home on Tree View Drive in Melville Nov. 4. Nearby, cops alleged, the duo hit a home on Chichester Road in West Hills at 5:50 p.m. Dec. 5, where they stole a laptop. Their alleged burglary spree is said to have come to an end on Wednesday, Dec. 17 with a trio of
burglaries in Northport. Cops said Jeudy and Hodgman broke into a Sea Cove Road home in Northport and two homes on Saltaire Place at approximately 7:55 p.m., stealing jewelry, an iPad and sunglasses. Police said they caught up to the men at the corner of Elwood Road and Saratoga Avenue in East Northport. There, Jeudy allegedly rammed a 2014 Hyundai Sonata into an unmarked cop car with its lights and sirens blaring at 8 p.m., then later resisted arrest.
They’re also accused of burglarizing a Rochelle Lane home in Fort Salonga Nov. 5 and residences in St. James Oct. 23, Kings Park Nov. 11 and 14, Nesconset on Oct. 30 and Hauppauge Oct. 30 and Nov. 15. All told, Jeudy and Hodgman face 12 counts of burglary, a C felony, and one count of third-degree burglary, a D felony. Jeudy is also charged with resisting arrest and reckless endangerment, both misdemeanors.
MELVILLE
MoustacheCropRaises $2,600ForFoundation Staff of H2M architects + engineers in Melville raised $2,600 in November for the Movember Foundation. The H2M team page, hosted by Movember’s website, was responsible for $1,880 of the total amount. An additional $500 was donated by the firm, and $220 was collected at a company event in support of the cause. The Movember Foundation is committed to changing the face of men’s health. By challenging men to grow mustaches, it hopes to spark conversation and raise funds to combat prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems.
A4 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
POLICE REPORT Compiled by Danny Schrafel
Hugs And Candy Canes
Push Comes To Shove
in a fire; and the quadriplegic girl who digs deep Merry Christmas… to all my friends who inside herself each day to find the are celebrating. May your Christmas mornings strength to get into the boxing be filled with good spirit, gifts from that jolly club. And that’s just a few of the fellow Santa Claus and a grand stories that should remind the breakfast with all of your loved IN THE KNOW rest of us of how lucky we are. ones! Remember, ‘tis the seaWITH AUNT ROSIE Do you have food on the table? son of giving and spending Do you have a roof over your time with those loved ones. So, whoever those head? Were you able to hug people may be, make sure you get your tushies someone you love today? Do you have your out there to see them, sing some carols and enjoy health? Remember, a little perspective is somewarm cups of hot chocolate. times all it takes to turn your day around.
‘Time’ to get a watch… With the New Year almost upon us, it appears that it might be time for a tune-up of the old clock in downtown Huntington village. Don’t worry – everything’s working fine; nothing’s shorted out. It just seems, though, that someone forgot to set the thing back an hour when Daylight Savings Time ended? Do your Aunt Rosie a favor and get that thing set to the correct time before 2015 rolls around, would ya? A little perspective… If you’re anything like me, you complain about the little things and the big things alike: ouch, my shoulder hurts; ugh, my parking spot is too far away; oh no, I spilled coffee on myself; oh my goodness, I’m so tired (that one’s my favorite). Any of these utterances constitute “the worst day ever” for some of us – and how lucky are we if that is true! One of the great joys of working for a newspaper is that I am constantly reminded of what is going on outside my own little life, and usually the result is some good old perspective smacking me in the face. In the past month, we wrote about the charity whose soon-to-be-donated food stock was stolen right before Thanksgiving; that poor Northport man who lost his mother and his home Send a photo of your pre-school age child along with a brief anecdotal background and we’ll consider it for “Baby Faces.” Include baby’s full name, date of birth, hometown and names of parents and grandparents. Send to: Baby of the Week, c/o Long-Islander, 14 Wall St., Huntington, NY 11743. Please include a daytime phone number for verification purposes. Or email info@longislandergroup.com
HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER Yes!… I want to subscribe to The Half Hollow Hills Newspaper
NAME
(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) QUOTE OF THE WEEK ROB CONTE
“When we first opened, I told my employees – and I still tell them this – listen, ‘They can buy that game anywhere; they can buy that system anywhere, including the internet. So what’s the different between us and them? Service.’”
STATE
ZIP
Check One: 1 Year ❑ . . . . . . $31 2 Years ❑ . . . . . . $54 3 Years ❑ . . . . . . $77
Items were stolen from within a pair of cars parked on Jacobs Path in Melville sometime between Dec. 15 and Dec. 16. Police said that, sometime after 6:30 p.m., clothing was stolen from an early 2000s Toyota, and cash was stolen from a 2006 Lincoln Navigator sometime after 1:15 a.m. Dec. 16.
Punch-Out A landlord-tenant dispute got physical on State Place in Dix Hills at 1:29 a.m. Dec. 14. Cops said that during the dispute, the tenant punched a hole in the wall.
Infinitely Irritating Police are searching for the person who broke into a car parked on Ebbtide Lane last weekend in Dix Hills. Police said that someone went into the 2013 Infiniti, which was parked in the home’s driveway, sometime between 2:20 a.m. Dec. 12 and a call to cops Dec. 15, and took sunglasses and a pair of iPods.
Jacked! A Dix Hills man got a most unpleasant surprise on Bagatelle Road Dec. 15. After parking his vehicle at the location, he came out at 7:15 p.m. to discover that someone had jacked up his car and stolen a rear tire off of his 2002 Ford Windstar minivan.
No Coupons Needed Police are searching for the person who took a five-fingered discount at Pathmark on Old Country Road in Dix Hills Dec. 17. Cops said the person stole three bags full of groceries.
Senior Citizens: 1 Year ❑ . . . . $26.50 2 Years ❑ . . . . . . $46 3 Years ❑ . . . . . . $64
Payment Method ❑ ❑ Check
❑
❑
PHONE E-MAIL
Sticky Fingers
Playing ‘N’ Trading In The Village, PAGE A11
Please add $10 per subscription, per year for addresses off Long Island. Sorry, no refunds.
ADDRESS CITY
Moving on… Diana Cherryholmes – what a wonderful-sounding last name, by the way – is leaving the Huntington Arts Council. She’s been executive director of the council for 16-and-a-half years! Gosh, so much has happened under her watch. As you’ll read in this paper, she is leaving to work for Suffolk County as director of film and cultural affairs. I think it’s great that she’ll be working for an even wider audience, but Huntington sure will miss her. She told one of our reporters that she will still be around, though. She’s even joined the arts council as a member! How strange that must be for her, to be just a member of an organization she once ran. But she will be an incredible member. Life changes and this is definitely a big life change for her and for the Town of Huntington! But she’s built quite the foundation for us – now we just have to build upon it.
An argument got out of hand Dec. 14 on Deer Park Avenue in Dix Hills. Police were called at 6 p.m. after a verbal dispute escalated and the complainant was pushed to the ground. No injuries were reported.
CREDIT CARD NO.
expires
Mail to: Long-Islander News, 14 Wall Street, Huntington, NY 11743
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 • A5
MELVILLE
Nurse Charged After Patient, 92, Injured Attorney general alleges Huntington Hills ex-employee made illegal maneuver, lied By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
A certified nurse aide injured a 92-year-old Huntington Hills Center patient, then lied in an effort to cover it up, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has alleged.
Claudia Desulme, 32, a former employee of the Huntington Hills Center for Health and Rehabilitation in Melville, allegedly moved the woman from her bed to a wheelchair on Dec. 18, 2012 without the assistance of another staff person, as required by the resident’s care plan. The 92-year-old woman, de-
scribed by Schneiderman as suffering from dementia and other ailments and who “is totally dependent on others for care,” suffered a laceration to her right leg. Desulme and another aide, who was not charged, allegedly bandaged the wound and did not report it. According to the complaint, when
questioned by nursing home staff, Desulme lied “multiple times”; she claimed another aide assisted with the transfer and said the patient was not injured. Schneiderman vowed to crack down on caregivers “who hurt patients, who ignore the law and safe(Continued to page A22)
MELVILLE
Suffolk Police Probe Rash Of Car Break-Ins At Local Gyms By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
Cops are searching for the person or persons responsible for breaking into as many as seven cars in a 35-minute spree at three Melville area gyms last week. According to police, it all began at 5:30 a.m. at Planet Fitness, located at 25 Ruland Road. There, police said someone broke into a 2008 Chevy Avalanche through the rear driver’s side door and stole a wallet, containing multiple
credit cards. They also hit a 2014 Infiniti at that time, getting in through a driver’s side window and snagging a pocketbook containing personal papers and a credit card. Later, at 6 a.m., three more cars were broken into in the lot of Eastern Athletic Club, located at 100 Ruland Road. A wallet, containing credit cards and paperwork, was stolen from a 2007 Toyota Camry; a black gym bag and iPad were stolen from a 2014 Lexus; and a jacket was stolen from a 2012 Toyota Prius. In each case, the suspects are believed to have gotten in by
smashing a front window. The thieves completed their spree on Broadhollow Road at Blink Fitness at 6:05 a.m., police said, where they broke into a 2002 Jeep and stole a credit card and debit card. They also allegedly broke into a Volvo convertible from which they took a debit card, credit card and cash. Later, at 10 p.m., a Planet Fitness patron reported a handbag had been stolen from their 2014 Jeep after someone broke in through a (Continued to page A22)
A6 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
HALF HOLLOW HILLS
Hills Officials Consider Bumping Up Security By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com
The Half Hollow Hills Board of Education at its Dec. 15 school board meeting discussed potentially implementing several high-tech security options – considerations made feasible by state aid to the district. The security presentation was unrelated to recent anonymous threatening emails targeting Half Hollow Hills High School East, Superintendent Kelly Fallon confirmed, though district officials and Suffolk County police addressed the threats during the same meeting. Through the Smart Schools Bond Act, the district expects to receive $2.7 million, which could be used for such improvements as security enhancements, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Facilities Anne Marie Marrone Caliendo said. Proposed security enhancements include additional security guards both inside and outside district buildings, as well as several more high-tech options – a monitoring station at which guards could screen security camera footage 24 hours a day, a “smart
badge” system through which students and teachers could scan into the buildings, and a visitor management system. The fully-staffed monitoring station would cost an estimated $400,000. The “smart badge” system would cost an estimated $75,000, with the visitor management system coming in at $300,000 and the student tracking system at $200,000. The district is also exploring such options as installing gates and security kiosks at parking lot entrances, installing “lock-down” devices on interior doors to keep doors locked during the school day, installing a panic onebutton lock-down system that would allow for remote and instant lockdown in a building. Currently, the schools have security guards present during school hours, constant video surveillance, patrol guards at district facilities and an anonymous school safety reporting system. Temporarily, additional guards have been placed at student-occupied buildings during and after school hours, additional patrol guards at district facilities and “instantaneous ac-
A slide from Assistant Superintendent for Facilities and Finance Anne Marie Marrone Caliendo’s presentation explains that the district has three concerns to address in ensuring permanent security changes. cess to emergency incremental security guard coverage through an outside firm,” has been made available, Marrone Caliendo said during the Dec. 15 presentation. Students’ bags are checked, at the discretion of the Suffolk County Police, she said, and bomb-sniffing dogs are brought in if the police or administration deem it necessary. When Board of Education Trustee David Kaston questioned the worth of having a student tracking system, Marrone Caliendo explained that the system would make it so that individuals who did not belong in the school but appeared to be high-school-aged
could not easily enter the building. Trustee Frank Grimaldi said the board needs to find the answers quickly. “I’m saying that we need to probe this quickly,” Grimaldi said. “Get as much information as quickly as we can, because we’re going to be voting on a budget in four months, five months. I don’t want to wait 18 months before we start doing something.” The immediate concern, Fallon said during the meeting, is to provide extra security guards for the high school buildings – two for the outside, one for the inside.
HALF HOLLOW HILLS
Another Threat At Hills East By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com
Less than 24 hours after police made a computer trespass arrest as a result of the ongoing investigation into three anonymous threatening messages targeting Half Hollow Hills High School East, the school district informed parents via email that it had received a fourth threat. The threat was received by the district at 7:46 p.m. on Dec. 16, according to an email sent to parents at 10:05 p.m. the same night. It is the fourth to target High School East since November. The next day, Superintendent Kelly Fallon said that there was “no additional information to report.” On Nov. 6, the school district and the Suffolk County Police Department each received threatening
emails from an anonymous sender; both threats targeted High School East. On Dec. 3, the district received another threatening message and sent students home at 9:30 a.m. Police said that day that they found “nothing suspicious” after searching the school. The 16-year-old student arrested for computer trespass Dec. 15 has not been charged in relation to the threats, Suffolk Police Deputy Inspector William Read said. The arrest followed the execution of a search warrant on the student, and police have yet to determine whether or not that individual sent messages that threatened the school in November and December. The investigation is ongoing, Read stressed. A police officer has been assigned “to maintain a presence” at Hills East, he noted.
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
DIX HILLS
Locals Hit Sewer ‘Jackpot’ By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
Nineteen homeowners will soon be the first recipients of advanced septic wastewater treatment systems in Suffolk County. The recipients, who include Catherine and Jeffrey Lang of Dix Hills, were chosen by lottery during the Dec. 15 meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature. More than 130 homeowners applied. The septic systems are expected to be installed by April 2015, and have a value of approximately $15,000. Homeowners will receive free installation, monitoring and maintenance for five years. County Executive Steve Bellone said that the lottery and pilot program are part of a larger campaign in Suffolk County, called the Reclaim our Water initiative, to solving water quality problems. The Reclaim Our Water initiative aims to improve the county’s water quality, restore the region’s natural storm barriers by eradicating nitrogen pollution by means of sewering targeted areas and implementing
Legislator Steve Stern pulls the names of Catherine and Jeffrey Lang Dec. 15; the couple will receive a new, advanced septic wastewater treatment system, valued at $15,000. advanced on-site wastewater treatment systems. The county, Bellone said, has more than 360,000 unsewered homes, which are a major source of nitrogen pollution.
MELVILLE
County To Assume Control Of Greens Sewer System By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
A decision to create a new sewer district is the latest step in settling a debate over who should control a waste treatment plant serving The Greens at Half Hollow in Melville. Suffolk County legislators voted unanimously Dec. 15 to create a new sewer district – the county’s 26th – encompassing about 1,300 homes, most of which are located in The Greens at Half Hollow. “That now begins the process of Suffolk County creating a new sewer district… and the start of the transfer of the ownership and operational responsibility to Suffolk County,” Legislator Steve Stern (DDix Hills), whose district contains the Greens, said. The issue of ownership came to a head this summer, when the developer, The Greens at Half Hollow LLC, announced plans to abandon the sewer treatment plant, essentially to turn responsibility for its operation over to the county.
Jack Solomons, a longtime member of the Greens Homeowners Association board, told the Huntington Town Board on Dec. 9 it should have never gotten that far, and that the county should always have had control of the facility based on a Sept. 12, 2000 resolution approving the zoning for The Greens. County spokesman Justin Meyers said that in 2012 the county was approached by Greens residents saying that the private company running their waste treatment plant was charging too much for sewers, so the county reset the rates to lower ones. However, the private operators shot back and sued the county in early 2013, arguing those new, lower rates were untenable for them. They threatened to abandon the sewer plant in mid-July, which would have forced the county to take it over. Should the county ultimately take it over, Meyers said that the county will set new rates “based on what the cost of running the facility is,” and Greens residents would pay those rates to operate the system.
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 • A7
A8 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Opinion
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
Send letters to:
The Edito r,
The Half Hollow H ills Newsp 14 W aper, Huntingto all Street, n, New Y o rk 1 1743 or info@lon email us at gislanderg roup.com
‘Not the types set up by the printer return their impression, the meaning, the main concern.’
We’re On The Same Team It’s an intense time for police and com- tion home in October. These cases and the munity relations. protests they brought have shed light on a Two police officers were assassinated in wider spectrum of issues, including race Brooklyn over the weekend for no appar- relations, police use of force and the grand ent reason other than the fact that they wore jury process. the uniforms of the NYPD. The senseless In the case of Huntington Station, Magand brutal killings follow mounting ten- gie Rosales’ killing also brought cries for sions over a grand jury decision not to in- police to pay greater attention to a comdict a police officer involved in the choke- munity that has long felt neglected. The hold death of Eric Garner in fact is, Maggie Rosales’ death July, and violence in Fergu- EDITORIAL was a catalyst that brought imson, Missouri, that followed a mediate response from town grand jury decision not to indict police in and county officials. It also shed light on at the August shooting of Michael Brown least one aspect of the Second Police there. It should be noted that in Ferguson, Precinct’s ongoing efforts to maintain the young man, according to evidence pre- strong relations with the community it sented, reached in and punched the officer serves. In an effort to further strengthen poin his squad car and tried to grab the offi- lice and community relations, the Town of cer’s gun (in fact the young man’s blood Huntington hired former Suffolk Police was found on the weapon). In the tragic Chief of Detectives Dominic Varrone as a case of Garner, force was used to arrest consultant to look at ways the police can him when he did not comply with the offi- better serve the Huntington Station comcers’ instructions during the arrest process. munity. Varrone was previously commandWhile we can get into arguments on both ing officer at the Second Precinct when sides of the grand juries’ decisions in both successful anti-gang initiatives were put in cases, the fact remains that there is friction place. All of this was achieved without Al between the police force and some of the Sharpton, without Eric Holder, without communities they serve. Calls to overturn burning buildings or looting stores, without a grand jury’s decision, burning buildings, CNN or a Nightline report. Rather, it was turning to violence, or assassinations are through a healthy dialogue between the out of control, fueled by a press that wants community and the people who are reto get higher ratings. It is Yellow Journal- sponsible for protecting us. ism at its worst. While tensions seem to be exploding all Locally, we experienced tensions as well around us, it’s important to remember that after Walt Whitman High School student we’re all on the same side, and that the best Maggie Rosales was stabbed to death on way to achieve our common goals is with the street not far from her Huntington Sta- ongoing and open dialogue, not conflict.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Tax Bills Are In The Mail DEAR EDITOR: [I] would like to advise all
taxpayers that all 2014-2015 real estate tax bills have been mailed. If a bank or mortgage company does not pay your taxes and you have not received a tax bill,
please contact the tax office immediately, at 351-3217. Failure to receive a tax bill does not waive penalty or interest charges. Those individuals who
purchased property after March 1, 2014, and those who have recently satisfied a mortgage, should be aware that the tax levy covers the period Dec. 1, 2014 through Nov. 30, 2015. They should contact the tax office if they have not received a bill. First-half tax payments are due by Jan. 12, 2015 (because Jan. 10 is a Saturday); second-half tax payments are due by June 1, 2015 (because May 31 is a Sunday). Payment hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Please note: The tax office is closed Dec. 2425, 2014 and Jan. 1, 2015. Please visit our website at http://huntingtonny.gov for information regarding property taxes, payment options (including credit cards and e-check) and payment hours. Senior citizens currently receiving a senior exemption pursuant to §467 of the real property tax law (income less than $37,400) related to their principal residence and senior citizens currently receiving enhanced STAR have until June 5, 2015, to pay their second-half tax. [I] further advise that according to the taxpayer’s bill of rights all property owners, including those with a mortgage escrow account will receive a copy of their 2014-2015 property tax bill in December. ESTER BIVONA Receiver of Taxes Town of Huntington
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.
Christmas Cheer DEAR EDITOR: Being at the Christmas festivities in the village [last month] was an exhilarating experience. It was definitely reminiscent of being at the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center, on a very mini scale... The crowds of people, the residents of apartments looking out windows opposite Starbucks, pretzel vendors, horse and buggy rides on Gerard Street, the band on Wall Street, children performers signing. To top this off, the blaring sound of the decorated fire trucks. You could close your eyes and transform yourself as if you were at the Channel Gardens at Rockefeller Center. Added to all this, who did I see seated at a table outside Almarco Restaurant, but Supervisor Frank Petrone. Mr. Petrone, to me, could pass for the late actor James Gandolfini who starred in “The Taking of Pelham” 1 2 3. I am sure Mr. Petrone would make a great mayor, if he were mayor of New York City. It would be nice if every Christmas, the tree is placed in an alley on Wall Street, as perhaps Finnegans Way. Where the tree is this year will be a three story building as Huntington grows into a slightly bigger “little apple.” NICHOLAS PASCALE Huntington Station
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
14 Wall Street, Huntington, New York 11743 631.427.7000
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 • A9
Life&Style LITERATURE
Art Imitates Life In Congressman’s Novel By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
Steve Israel, the Congressman from Huntington, has in the past said a vociferous reading habit with helping him keep his sanity in the oftendysfunctional surroundings of Washington D.C. Turns out, putting pen to paper has played a role, too. Those efforts have produced Israel’s first novel, “The Global War On Morris,” a political satire on the Simon & Schuster imprint which, in many cases, is not ripped from the headlines per se, but a bird’s eye view of a Congressman, formed into a novel that’s due out Jan. 6. Writing has always been a release, Israel said. “I would sit in these meetings and hear the most absurd things,” he said. “Rather than agonize over them, I decided to write about them.” That started as blog entries and as essays for The New Yorker and the Huffington Post; those works set the foundation for his third book and first novel.
Instead of using his insider view of policy formation to pen “a very boring policy book,” he said, Israel instead decided to deploy them as the underpinning for what he hopes is a “very entertaining parody,” using milquetoast Morris Feldstein, a pharmaceutical salesman from Great Neck, as his vessel for a story set amidst the war on terror, circa 2004. “Everything in this book was driven by reality, which, in itself, was comedy. We just blended the two together,” Israel said. The spark for the novel, the congressman said, came from a House Armed Services Committee hearing in 2004, at which a general revealed that the Pentagon had accidentally spied on a group of elderly Quakers in Florida who were planning a peaceful anti-war rally, mistakenly believing they were terrorists. That turned out to be the first acknowledgment of the NSA’s infamous wiretap program. Two years later, Israel started writing. “I came out of that hearing with the story – an innocent guy, who just
tries to lay low his entire life, whose biggest agony is the Mets’ pitching rotation, is suddenly accidentally identified by the federal government as Public Enemy No. 1,” Israel said. In this case, Morris’ life was torn asunder after NICK, a government supercomputer which chains together all the strands of Morris’ life and deems him America’s newest super-villain. Look for appearances – and actual statements from – former President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and others, since much of the book is inspired by actual places and events. Already, a second novel by Israel, tentatively titled “Big Guns,” a satire of the gun lobby, is also in the works. Simon & Schuster has green-lighted it; the Congressional Ethics committee has to clear his contract with the publisher, like they did with “Morris.”
Congressman Steve Israel’s first novel, “The Global War On Morris,” hits bookshelves next week. In the meantime, Israel will speak about and sign copies of the book at the Walt Whitman Birthplace, at at 246 Old Walt Whitman Road, from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11. For more information, call 631-427-5240.
ARTS
Arts Council Chief Stepping Into County Film Role Diana Cherryholmes accepts position as director of film and cultural affairs By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com
For over a decade, Huntington Arts Council Executive Director Diana Cherryholmes’ daily routine has included a drive into Huntington and a noontime walk around the village. That routine will change next month, when Cherryholmes starts work in Hauppauge as director of film and cultural affairs for the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development. After 16-and-a-half years, Cherryholmes has officially resigned from her position at the arts council. Her last day is Jan. 2, 2015. “I immediately joined the arts council as a member,” she said. During her time as executive director, Cherryholmes aided in such
initiatives as creating mer Arts Festival in the Main Street Petite Heckscher Park; the feelGallery in 2001, estabing of watching someone lishing satellite gallery discover art. space in Melville, cre“That’s the motivation ating the Sparkboom to keep everything going, program to showcase is seeing that excitement young artists, and when that light bulb comes working with the Hunton in someone’s eyes,” she ington Union Free said. “They’re learning School District to desomething new, and it’s revelop a summer arts enally, really exciting.” Diana Cherryholmes richment program. Though Cherryholmes “Whatever success I is leaving her title in Hunthave is shared with many other peo- ington, she is not leaving Huntington. ple,” Cherryholmes said, noting that “I’m not going away, I’m not work for a nonprofit is never done in moving, and I’m behind the arts isolation. “I can’t claim it as mine; council,” she said. “I didn’t invest it’s always shared.” this time with this organization to She remembers favorite moments abandon it.” that came amidst the “successes” – As Cherryholmes worked through the day Billy Joel came to the Sum- her 16th year at the council, the or-
ganization celebrated its 50th anniversary. “I think the Huntington community has this asset that they really should take advantage of,” Cherryholmes said. “The Huntington Arts Council and Town of Huntington have this very unique partnership. The town and the community of Huntington were instrumental in the creation of the Huntington Arts Council.” A change in leadership could mean positive change for the council, Cherryholmes said. “I see this also as a great opportunity for the arts council, and look forward to seeing them grow and move forward as an organization,” she said. Cherryholmes said the council has not yet determined her replacement.
A10 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
BUSINESS ‘Northport Students Mean Business’ By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com
Northport’s students sure mean business when it comes to filling gaps in their school budget. The Northport High School Academy of Finance has officially created charitable 501(c)3 organization Northport Students Mean Business Inc., District Superintendent Marylou McDermott confirmed – a development that makes the group the second 501(c)3 in the Northport-East Northport School District. “I’m a person who believes that financial literacy is extremely important for all students,” McDermott said. “So we are absolutely delighted that they have now become a 501(c)3 because we only look at it as helping more and more students.” Some of the money that will come from the 501(c)3, McDermott said, will go toward helping students to obtain scholarships and internships. John C. DeFalco, treasurer of Northport Students Mean Business and a partner at Brightwaters CPA firm Sheehan & Co., said that the push to create a 501(c)3 arm of the academy of
Students in the Northport High School Academy of Finance have created a 501(c)3 to be the fundraising arm for the business program. finance program was a result of budgetary cuts. “We were running into some hurdles with getting corporate donors to sponsor the program, especially when the economy kind of worsened a number of years ago,” DeFalco said. “We found it kind of necessary to look to other sources to kind of keep the standard of the program up to par.” The 501(c)3 status will be used to facilitate fundraising activities, he said.
“Basically our goal is to go out there, try to raise some money and put it back into the program,” he said. The organization wants to introduce better, more practical software to the business classroom, he said; it wants to attract speakers and offer subsidies for students. It wants to reinstate a field trip that was once a part of the program and has “dried up” because of budgetary cuts. Northport High School’s A Midwin-
ter Night’s Dream was the first to achieve 501(c)3 status. The group, formed in 2004 after a Northport teacher was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, raises money for ALS through events including its annual gala dinner. DeFalco estimated that the effort to make Northport Students Mean Business a 501(c)3 was one that began about two years ago. “We were trying to work in concert with the district to kind of gain their approval, and that occurred a couple of months ago that we were able to work with the district’s attorney and the superintendent to get their approval to move ahead with it, make sure that there were no conflicts,” DeFalco said. According to McDermott, the district’s concern was making sure that it was legally allowed to go through with the process. The road to 501(c)3 designation is one that is inherently complicated, McDermott said. “If you complicate that by adding it to a school district or a group of students, you know, you just want to be sure that everything is done perfectly correctly,” she said.
Planting The Marketing Seed – Even In Turbulent Times We ended our last article by stating, “Stay resilient, focus on relationship building and envision “the big picture.” Marketing through turbulent times need not break the bank; in fact, some of the most effective marketing techniques can be implemented with little or no designated marketing budget. Here are just three ways to achieve your goal.
one-time endeavor. You will want to post news and information on a regular basis; weekly, at the minimum. Again, your student assistant can work with you on these postings. Original content, links to relevant articles and tidbits are all appropriate for reaching out on social media. Repurpose each item by posting on multiple sites. Facebook and Pinterest are prime locations for sharing images and photos. Show your workplace and your people. “Every picture tells a story,” to quote Rod Stewart.
Social Media Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube… and the list is seemingly never-ending. If you’re not using social media, you are yesterday’s news. Even if you don’t consider yourself computer-savvy, creating Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages don’t require a great deal of technical expertise. In fact, you might wish to engage a high school or college student to handle the task for you. For a small fee, students can provide you with great bang for the buck. Creating these pages is more than a
Public Relations A press release goes a long way to bringing attention to your business. These days, press releases are emailed to local and national news and media outlets. You’ll find templates on the Internet; additionally, several universities offer continuing education programs that cover the how-tos of marketing and public relations. Students taking public relations and marketing courses in undergraduate programs often seek internships. They receive training in college and apply that knowledge to
By Mindy F. Wolfle
your business. It’s a win-win situation for both. Contact any one of Long Island’s fine institutes of higher learning for additional information. You can also reach out to an organization such as Public Relations Professionals of Long Island (prpli.org) or the International Association of Business Communicators-Long Island Chapter (iabc-li.org) to engage a marketing professional. Networking The best way I know to market your business is through networking. As has been noted previously in this column, there are dozens of networking opportunities – from Great Neck to Montauk – at which you can make your business a known entity to potential referral sources and clients. You are the face of your business and you want to become recognized as someone who can become a trusted associate. Start with your own professional organization and expand from there. Chambers of Commerce, business and other professional organizations, alumni associations,
not-for-profit events, breakfasts, lunches, dinners – just like social media, the list is just about endless. Think “synergy” and you’ll find the right venues for you. A Final Note Reach out to colleagues and ask what about their marketing successes and failures. Clearly, not every technique works for everyone and every business. But there is always something to be learned from the experiences of others. Seeds planted in your head will surely grow into thriving marketing initiatives if they are cultivated and given the proper amount of attention. Mindy F. Wolfle, a member of Women Economic Developers of Long Island, Public Relations Professionals of Long Island and the Social Media Association, is president of Neptune Marketing LLC, chief marketing officer of Vishnick McGovern Milizio, LLP, and an instructor of business writing and not-for-profit marketing in Hofstra University’s continuing education program.
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 • A11
Huntington video game shop offers digital fun for everyone Spotlight On
Huntington Businesses By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
Chances are you’ve heard the word “Nintendo” at one time or another. The company, founded in Kyoto, Japan, made its splash in the United States with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), released on Oct. 18, 1985. From there, after selling 34 million units in the U.S. alone, “Nintendo” became a household name – and, today, Rob Conte is capitalizing on that nostalgia with Huntington’s Play N Trade. “What differentiates us from our [competitors] is that we sell all games, all systems,” Conte, owner of the 303 Main St. shop, said. “We go all the way back to Atari and all the way forward to PlayStation 4.” At Play N Trade, Conte and his
staff offer customers retro games, accessories and peripherals dating all the way back to that ’80s classic, the NES, and continuing on for every generation of gamer – like those who grew up with the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Game Boy, Xbox and more. “We get a lot of retro players here,” the owner said, “[and] what I’ve found here is that the customer, when they walk into my store and buy a console, is more loyal to me than if they bought their console at [a big-box store].” Conte has built that loyalty up, he said, through service. When he first took over the location in the heart of Huntington village, he knew that he had to appeal to patrons’ overwhelming desire for service. “When we first opened, I told my employees – and I still tell them this – listen, ‘They can buy that game anywhere; they can buy that system anywhere, including the internet,’” he said. “‘So what’s the difference between us and them? Service.’ We have to be standing out there talking with the customers and making the
service difference.” No matter if it’s a mother or grandfather buying a game for their youngster, or a teenager looking for that elusive Nintendo 64 power cable, Conte and his staff live and breathe service. After spending just five minutes in the store, it becomes apparent that any customer that needs help, gets it – any customer who needs guidance, gets it. “No matter the place… they like to be served, they like to be taken care of and that’s why they come down here [to the village],” Conte said. “That’s what makes our village… unique.” Along with the games and service, Conte also offers customers a place to play. For $5, any customer can sit down with a game and play it for a set amount of time – albeit a loosely monitored one, Conte said. Weekly “Super Smash Bros.” tournaments are hosted in the back of the store and birthday parties are also common – with pizza, soda, paper goods, games and more included. “That’s another differentiator [for us],” Conte said.
Long Islander News photo/Andrew Wroblewski
BUSINESS Playing ‘N’ Trading In The Village
Owner Rob Conte behind the counter at Huntington’s Play N Trade.
Huntington Play N Trade 303 Main St., Huntington 631-629-4711 www.facebook.com/ HuntingtonPlayNTrade
Bridgehampton Bank Buys Community National Takeover includes CNB’s branches in Melville and Huntington By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
An upcoming merger will bring Community National Bank into the Bridgehampton National Bank fold next year, and with that, a new banking option will come to Huntington patrons. The $141-million merger, in which Community National Bank will be purchased by Bridge Bancorp, was announced Dec. 15, and is expected to close by May 2015 and result in a 40branch, islandwide network. The combined network of banks, said Claudia Pilato, the vice president of marketing for Bridgehampton National Bank (BNB), will result in the Community National Bank brand name being retired, and those 11 branches, including one in Huntington and another in Melville, becoming Bridgehampton National Bank. Among its 29 locations, many located east of Huntington, Bridge-
hampton National already has a branch in Melville. Bridgehampton National also operates dozens of surcharge-free ATMs in central and eastern Suffolk. While Pilato said it’s too soon to say exactly what new products will be coming to Community National Bank customers, patrons of both banks can expect greater banking flexibility from Montauk to Manhattan. “By being part of BNB they’ll have much more access to a larger network of branches, ATMs and services,” she said, nothing that there’s currently “very little overlap” between the respective banking company’s locations. A community-focused approach to banking, Pilato said, will continue. “We really believe in servicing the communities that we serve… We have a long history of being very involved
in the communities we serve,” she said, adding they support Long Island Head Start, local food pantries and other efforts. Under the terms of the deal, shareholders of Community National Bank will receive 0.79 share of Bridge Bancorp for each share of Community National Bank. Based on Bridge Bancorp’s closing stock price on Dec. 12 of $25.35, the transaction implies a per share value of $20.03 – an aggregate estimated value of $141 million. Community National Bank currently operates in Nassau, Suffolk, Queens and Manhattan, with total assets of $945 million, including $750 in loans, funded by deposits of $826 million. The new combined entity will have $3.2 billion in total assets, $2.6 billion in deposits and 40 branches in the Long Island-greater
New York Metro area. The merger is part of an effort by Bridge Bancorp to expand in Nassau County and New York City. “Community National Bank’s strong commercial banking expertise and presence in rich lending markets will accelerate our growth and enhance profitability – our combined institutions will be one of the largest community banks operating on Long Island,” said Bridge Bancorp President and CEO Kevin M. O’Connor in a statement. Stuart H. Lubow, Community National Bank’s President and CEO, said he looks forward to combining their forces. “The merger will allow us to offer broader and enhanced services to our customers,” he said in a statement. “Furthermore, Bridge’s culture and community focus is consistent with our own and we are confident this merger will benefit the customers of both institutions.”
www.LongIslanderNews.com
www.facebook.com/dinehuntington
e i d o o F THE
SECTION
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
Foodie photos/Danny Schrafel
A12 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014
DINEHUNTINGTON .COM
The Sun Rises On 110 Japan By Danny & the Foodies foodies@longislandergroup.com
What started as a realization that Huntington Station and Melville lacked a true Japanese-hibachi restaurant set the gears in motion to create 110 Japan, which marries both in a sprawling property along Walt Whitman Road. After a year and a half of work, the restaurant opened on Sept. 25; one side is fine dining, the other is more festive, family-oriented hibachi. They employ three music zones and sounddampening construction to ensure one does not disrupt the other, general manager Sonny Lin explained. And they’ve done a yeoman’s job transforming the former nosh-til-you-drop Best Buffet into a cool, comfortable big room dining experience that is hip and chic, yet homey. While the sign says sushi and hibachi – and 110 Japan excels at both – there is plenty more to dazzle diners. Take the 110 Japan Homemade Bisque, for instance. In seafood guise ($7) it’s a peppery medley of shrimp scallops and a hint of chili in an orange-hued broth, juxtaposed playfully with an unexpected dollop of sweet, light whipped cream. The familiar aroma of soy wafts upward from a gorgeous plate of falloff-the-bone Miyazaki Short Ribs ($13), available on the Fusion Hot Tastings section. But there’s another great surprise to be had there, too,
This sushi and sashimi platter is one of many artful designs to emerge from the sushi bar at 110 Japan.
Make no doubt about it – 110 Japan takes their fish seriously, as this décor in the vestibule clearly shows. when it hits your taste buds thanks to a 24-hour braised miyazaki beef in Korean galbi sauce with a lot of pop and tongue-tingling spice. More conventional, yet undeniably delicious, are the Rock Shrimp Tempura plate ($9) off the appetizers menu – baby rock shrimp morsels, lightly breaded and fried, are tossed in a spicy, creamy sauce that will have
Braised miyazaki beef short ribs start with the scent of soy and finish with the tang of Korean galbi sauce.
Homemade seafood bisque is full of great, flavorful surprises. you licking your fingers. Amidst the muted surroundings, the sushi bar shines like a beacon, and sushi chefs there are hard at work spinning traditional favorites and modern classics. A traditional sushi and sashimi platter ($25) is anchored with a dozen slices of fresh, raw fish displayed with flair atop shaved ice illuminated from below and buttressed by a half-dozen equally delicious sushi and a spicy tuna crunch roll. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, but the classics bode well for the rest. You won’t go wrong with dessert, either – New York Style Cheesecake ($7) is rich and creamy, topped with a drizzle of warm caramel. There’s also a deep bar menu to dip into, including about a dozen sake selections; we enjoyed the Kurosawa Jun-Mai Kimoto ($18, 300 mL), a dry, earthy sake that is sweeter when sipped cold; creamier when warm. It’s served in a champagne glass. With the three-month anniversary arriving today, Christmas Day, Sonny and the 110 Japan team have big plans. They’re hoping to build a nighttime clientele who will stay and dance
As if a slice of New York Cheesecake wasn’t good enough, this slice came with holiday tidings. the night away after dinner; keep an eye on Facebook for developments on that front. Outdoor dining on a large patio is also envisioned. Already, it’s a great spot for a working lunch – follow 110 Japan on social media, and you’ll get free WiFi access during your visit. They also hope this will be the first of seven restaurants, each bearing a different Japanese fortune god in each logo. With their debut effort in Huntington, they’re off to a great start in achieving those lofty goals.
110 Japan 179 Walt Whitman Road Huntington Station 631-673-6666 110japan.com Atmosphere: Modern and inviting Cuisine: Asian fusion, sushi and hibachi Price: Moderate-expensive
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Side Dish www.facebook.com/dinehuntington
DINEHUNTINGTON .COM SAKE IT TO US: You’ve heard of Wine
Down Wednesdays, but how about Sake Down Tuesdays? At Nisen Sushi (5032 Jericho Turnpike, Commack, 631-462-1000 www.nisensushi.com) sakes by the bottle are 50-percent off during happy hour, from 5-7 p.m. And fear not: They have Wine Down Wednesdays as well, when bottles are half-off. SPREAD THE LOVE: Just like their
treats, our friends at Copenhagen Bakery (85 Woodbine Ave., Northport 631-7543256www.copenhagenbakery.net) are the sweetest. The crew donated 80 gift cards to the Northport Food Pantry for $25 each recently. Now that’s the holiday spirit! DON’T FORGET TO VOTE: Have you
voted in Long Islander News’ “Best of Huntington” contest yet? Know where the best burger is? Best sushi? What about the best steak? Make sure your opinion on the best restaurants in town is heard! Head to www.longislandernews.com, click on the “Best of Huntington” banner and cast your vote!
Eddie and Allison Nobre, pictured with a bit of feathery décor for the new home of their Chicken Coop restaurant. BUILDING A NEW COOP: Were the rest
of you lot as bummed out as we were when The Chicken Coop closed down on Gerard Street a few months ago amidst a heap of construction? So were we. It was snug as all getout, but oh, that grilltisserie chicken! Good news, Coop fans – we’re told “construction is starting soon” on a new location, and the plans are filed at Town Hall. Now Eddie and Allison are promising two new wrinkles to the Coop experience – lots more seating, both indoor and out, as well as a dedicated parking lot. The new space is to be on East Main Street in Huntington – look for the chickens in the window, and you’re in the right place. Needless to say, we’re counting down the days and weeks ‘til the grand re-opening – when you’ve had the Eddie Bang Bang, there’s only so long you can go before the craving becomes unbearable.
SEASONAL SPIRITS: One of our
favorite things about Honu (363 New York Ave., Huntington, honukitchen.com, 631-421-6900) is the seasonal cocktails, with many liquors homemade right in the restaurant. Head there for Happy Hour and you can try them all for only $5 each! One of the newest on the menu is “Irish Sin,” made with Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, Sin'namon Vanilla Simple Syrup, hand-pressed local apple cider and orange. They say it’s guaranteed to warm you up on a cold winter night.
Honu’s “Irish Sin” cocktail.
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 • A13
A14 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
Resident Has A ‘White House’ Christmas By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com
As the holiday season tiptoes closer and then breaks into a run, designers overtake the White House. The lead designer brings in a team to help. There are crafters making Portuguese Water Dog Bo Obama’s fur of black silk for a replica; there are crafters attaching crystals and berries to door molding. Mary Schlotter is one of those designers. Schlotter and her daughter, Krishtia McCord, run Centerport design firm Harbor Homestead & Co. This year, Schlotter worked in the White House floral shop. She was one of a group who decorated doorways of the Visitor’s Center. The moldings, about 18 inches wide by Schlotter’s estimation, of pediment-topped doorways are covered with prefabricated wood pieces and then decorated. Schlotter and others worked on those this year, dressing them in blue satin with a
box wood grid covered by berries and crystals. Back on Long Island, Schlotter and her daughter decorated a few rooms at the Vanderbilt Mansion. This year, they decorated Mr. Vanderbilt’s bedroom and created a woodland garden in the arcade. The Northport Porch becomes Manhattan nightclub El Morocco, where the Vanderbilts ate dinner. “It’s like the second half of my life,” Schlotter said. “It’s hard when you want to do something and you’ve got responsibilities, and you have to try to do something that you really don’t want to do; but I had to work and so, at the time, that’s what I was doing.” A Northport native and current Centerport resident, Schlotter studied journalism at Suffolk County Community College and then attended C.W. Post before entering the workforce in the healthcare field. Working at the White House with volunteers from across the country is
Cow Over The Moon
TOYS & Sports Memorabilia Store
FREE
ING GIFT WRAPEPMS! IT ON ALL
WE SELL ALL MAJOR TOY BRANDS AND EDUCATIONAL TOYS
Authentic Sports Memorabilia Gallery Features: Autographed Framed Photographs, Baseballs, Footballs, Bats, Memorabilia Cards, Games, Vintage Cards
20% OFF Cow Over The Moon
ANY 2 TOYS
Excludes LEGO With this coupon only. Cannot be combined with any other offer or sale item. Items purchased with this coupon are not eligible for reward points Offer expires 12/31/14
Kids and Kids at Heart Say
“WOW” This Store is Unbelieveable!! 282 Main Street Huntington Village
631-424-1796
Visit our website for more www.CowOverTheMoonGifts.com
an experience that provides perspective, Schlotter said. “You’re talking to people who, they have one common thread with you in that they love some kind of art form or design, and yet, where they live, it’s applied in such a different way because of their surroundings,” she said. Schlotter likes simple, clean designs that are reminiscent of the water – a result of a life near the water, she explained. She is partial to using items like driftwood. Schlotter and her daughter make and sell signs of driftwood at their design firm. McCord, 40, was a hedge fund manager until she decided in 2010 that she’d “had enough.” “I always sort of felt like I was in the wrong career,” she said. “I’ve always been a creative person, and after college I just went the business route and wanted to make a bunch of money and that was my motivation.” The long-term goal, she said, is to open up a retail shop with her mother. “We have this whole vision of
Centerport resident Mary Schlotter helped to decorate The White House for Christmas this year. what we want it to be like,” she said. Schlotter decorated the White House in 2009, 2010, and went back this year. She has also visited to decorate for Fourth of July and may visit again soon to decorate for dinners during the holiday season.
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 • A15
GIRLS: Layette through size 16 & Juniors BOYS: Layette through size 20
Come to Pashley now for the best selection
Town Lights Menorah On Second Night Of Hanukkah Long Islander News photos/Arielle Dollinger
ctá{Äxç CHILDREN’S BOUTIQUE
We offer a wide variety of unique gifts. Stop in for a visit and begin your holiday shopping now...You won't be disappointed! 169 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor 631.367.8737 Open 7 Days a Week T O Y S C O M M U N IO N C H R I S T E N I N G S P E C I A L O C C A S I O N J E W E L R Y S H O E S
Gift Certificates Available
A Holiday Special for that special someone
Dee’s Hair Studio
Hair Design Specialists PRAVANA EUROPEAN COLOR SPECIALISTS! 128 B Laurel Road East Northport, NY 11731
631-261-5655
Free-Blow dry with every hair cut (Tues. & Wed. only) Kids Kutz-$10 (12 years & under) Free- Glazing ($20 value) with wash, cut & blow dry combo (Tues. & Wed.) Hair Straightening Service- $200 original price $250 with purchase of shampoo & conditioner to aid in maintaining your hair Hours: Retail Products-available at reasonable prices Tuesday 9:30am-5:30pm Offer expires Saturday January 3, 2015
201 East Main Street • Huntington (Across from Dunkin Donuts)
Wednesday 9:30am-6pm, Thursday 9:30am-7pm Friday 9:30am-6pm, Saturday 9am-5:30pm Closed sunday and Monday
A16 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
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 Bay Huntington Huntington Sta Dix Hills
Address 2 Lower Dr 3 Lane E 57 Biltmore Cir 5 Dianes Ct
Beds 5 4 3 5
Baths 5 3 3 4
Price $949,000 $600,000 $289,000 $999,999
DIX HILLS
HUNTINGTON STATION
57 Biltmore Cir Price $289,000 Open House 1/10 Daniel Gale Agency Taxes $16,312 $14,481 N/A $22,427
Date 12/28 1/4 1/10 1/11
Bedrooms 3 Baths 3 N/A 1:00pm-3:00pm Inc 631-692-6770
Time 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm
5 Dianes Ct Bedrooms 5 baths 4 Price $999,999 Taxes $22,427 Open House 1/11 1:00pm-3:00pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-4444 Broker Coldwell Banker Residential Coldwell Banker Residential Daniel Gale Agency Inc Coldwell Banker Residential
Phone 631-754-4800 631-673-4444 631-692-6770 631-673-4444
Dark Star Orchestra ready to rock New Year’s (Continued from page A1)
they get up on the stage – and this year they’ll once again be doing it at The Paramount Dec. 30-31. “We all take this very seriously, and the level of musicianship in the band is just wonderful,” Mattson, a former Melville resident, said. “What’s remarkable is that today, 20 years after [founding Grateful Dead member] Jerry Garcia passed away, the whole scene is still very strong. People are still really interested in hearing the music and we see a whole generation of young people coming to the shows.” Dark Star Orchestra, founded in 1997, has toured the United States and Europe spreading that interest and performing for any and all – in-
cluding “people too young to have seen the Grateful Dead perform,” Mattson said. Mattson, also known for being the guitarist for the Donna Jean Godchaux Band, joined Dark Star Orchestra in 2009. He now stands alongside Lisa Mackey (vocals), Rob Barraco (keyboards, vocals), Rob Eaton (rhythm guitar, vocals), Dino English (drums), Rob Koritz (drums) and Skip Vangelas (bass, vocals) – a group that he said brings a certain “level of dedication” that has been a hit with fans. This won’t be the group’s first foray into The Paramount. Mattson has been there several times previously, including to perform last year on New Year’s Eve with Dark Star
Orchestra. “It’s great for me to play [at The Paramount] since I’m from Long Island and all of my friends and family come out to watch,” he said. “The venue is just wonderful… The people there really are great, it’s comfortable and since it’s New Year’s, it’s special.” Everybody has that “wrapping up the year” kind of feeling, he said, and the show has turned out to be “a really good party” that doesn’t get out of hand. This year, as always, Dark Star Orchestra will play a mix of the Grateful Dead’s best songs, “respectfully” and in the same way the band would have played them back in the day. Typically, Dark Star Orchestra will
Hills ‘hero’ loses battle (Continued from page A1)
“After that year he moved schools, but we always kept in contact.” He was an “all-around kind person,” she said – a person she was glad to know at all. For Oliveri, the loss was one of a best friend. “There’s nothing that I can write that can possible [sic] describe the emptiness that I feel right now,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “I didn’t think a friendship like the one we had was possible.” After his diagnosis in 2008, Byrnes saw public support as he went through chemotherapy and extended stays in the hospital. In 2009, as a part of the National
Hockey League’s “Hockey Fights Cancer” initiative, Byrnes was able to leave the hospital and head to Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale. There, the then 16-year-old met the players of his favorite team, the New York Islanders. Byrnes shook hands, smiled for pictures and was even able to drop the puck on the ice for the matchup between the Islanders and New York Rangers. Byrnes was honored at the Dec. 20 Islanders game. A funeral service at M.A. Connell Funeral Home was scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 23, after press time, followed by cremation by Long Island Cremation Co. in West Babylon.
During last year’s New Year’s Eve party at The Paramount, Dark Star Orchestra, right, rocks the stage.
play three nights that take one of the Grateful Dead’s set lists, play it in full and then, on a fourth night, switch things up to have a different experience. Mattson wouldn’t open up as to what the band has in store for The Paramount, though. “I can’t tell,” he said, “[but] we’re looking forward to seeing everyone come out.” To see what exactly Dark Star Orchestra has in store, tickets are available from $35-$60 for the Dec. 30 show and from $39.50-$125 for the Dec. 31 show. Tickets can be purchased at www.paramountny.com or from the box office at 370 New York Ave. in Huntington. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. both nights, with the show scheduled to begin by 8:30 p.m.
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 • A17
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
•
P H O N E 427 - 70 0 0
www.LongIslanderNews.com
A18 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014
THURSDAY Christmas Day Feast
Long Islanders are invited to a gala and free dinner on Christmas Day when a feast will be presented at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 22 East 18th Street, Huntington Station on Dec. 25, noon-2 p.m. All are welcome to attend the meal, which includes turkey, trimmings, lights, music and a treat for the kids.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
Calendar O M M U N I T Y
Frosty Comes To Life
Elwood Public Library
FRIDAY
Watch Frosty come to life at the John W. Engeman Theater at Northport through Jan. 4. Join Frosty and his friend Jenny, as they try to save Chillsville from the evil Ethel Pierpot's plan to melt all the snow – including Frosty! “Frosty” plays Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m., with special performances on Friday, Dec. 26 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets are $15. Calling 631-261-2900, visit www.engemantheater.com, or get to the box office at 250 Main St., Northport.
Dance For A Cure
A gala dance at the Crest Hollow Country Club on Jan. 16, 8 p.m. will raise funds for The Christina Renna Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting childhood cancer research and furthering awareness and education. The night includes music by Bay Big Band, dancing, open bar, raffles and a silent auction. $75. RSVP by Dec. 22. For more information and journal sponsorships, call Phil Renna at 631-225-2074 or email crf4acure@verizon.net. www.crf4acure.org.
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!
The Mother’s Club of Wheatley Heights, in conjunction with the Concerned Fathers of Wheatley Heights and the Half Hollow Hills Library, presents a Kwanzaa Celebration on Dec. 28, 2-4 p.m. at the Dix Hills branch of the library at 55 Vanderbilt Parkway. Kwanzaa is a cultural celebration with a focus on the traditional African-American values of family, community, responsibility, commerce and self-improvement. The evening includes poetry, theatrical skits, storytelling and dance. Refreshments will be served.
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.
Coping With Mental Illness
The Melville-based National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, NAMI, hosts a free, 12-week program for family members who are coping with loved ones with severe mental illness. The class is held every Monday from 7-9 p.m. at Syosset Hospital starting Jan. 5. Contact Susan Palmer at 917-8387436 to register.
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.
Portofino, 249 Main St., Northport, 7-10 p.m. www.facebook.com/cafportopenmic. Original songs only.
Power Breakfast
Join business professionals at BNI Executive Referral Exchange’s breakfast networking meeting every Wednesday, 78:30 a.m. at the Dix Hills Diner, 1800 Jericho Turnpike, Dix Hills. 631-462-7446.
AT THE LIBRARIES TUESDAY Free Mommy And Me Class
Sing! Stretch! Dance! Play! Enjoy a funfilled class that includes parachute play and bubble play and meet other Jewish moms at The Chai Center in Dix Hills. The free class takes place Tuesdays at 10 a.m. For children ages 6-36 months. Pre-registration required by phone or online: 631-351-8672. www.thechaicenter.com.
Free Help For Vets
MONDAY
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. • Happy New Year! As the clock strikes noon, ring in 2015 a little early at the Dix Hills branch. Bring the kids for crafts, games and snacks, and make a special wish on the wishing wall on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 11:15 a.m.
Harborfields Public Library
SUNDAY Kwanzaa Celebration
deerparklibrary.org. • Through a grant from New York State, the library offers Google Nexus 7 tablets for borrowing. Browse the web, download a book, play games and more with just a touch of your finger. Tablets can be checked out for two weeks on an adult Deer Park library card. • Until Jan. 2, the library has borrowed a Makerbot 3D printer from the library system. Explore the possibilities!
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 Open Mic Night
Play your heart out at an acoustic open mic night every Wednesday at Caffe
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. • Children can bring their friends and try their hand at puzzles Friday, Dec. 26, 11 a.m.-noon.
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. Students in grades 6-12 can watch “Maze Runner” (PG-13) on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 3-5 p.m.
Deer Park Public Library
44 Lake Ave., Deer Park. 631-586-3000.
31 Broadway, Greenlawn. 631-757-4200. harborfieldslibrary.org. • Come to the Children's Room between Dec. 27 and Jan. 3 and become a holiday detective. Find all of the hidden holiday symbols and receive a special prize!
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. • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Clinical Meditation teacher Liza Johnson's Wisdom of the Dream, a four-session workshop, begins Saturday, Jan. 10 at 10:30 a.m. and continues on Jan. 24, Feb. 7 and Feb. 21. $20.
Northport-East Northport Public Library
Northport: 151 Laurel Ave. 631-2616930. East Northport: 185 Larkfield Road. 631-261-2313. www.nenpl.org. • The movie “Magic in the Moonlight” shows in East Northport at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26, 1:30 p.m.
South Huntington Public Library
145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station. 631-549-4411. www.shpl.info. • Journey with brash adventurer Peter Quill in the movie “Guardians of the Galaxy” on Friday, Dec. 26, 7 p.m. • If you will be seeking a state driver's permit, practice for the written test with a free, online resource offered through the South Huntington Public Library. Budding drivers can take any of 11 practice tests for a driver's permit.
(Continued on page A19)
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 • A19 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. • Take a twilight tour of the Vanderbilt Mansion Friday-Sunday, Dec. 26-28, 79 p.m. This is the only time of the year the Vanderbilt family’s private living quarters can be seen at night. Tours include hot chocolate and cookies. Admission: $10 for adults, $9 for students and seniors (62 and older), and $5 for children 12 and under.
(Continued from page A18)
AT THE LIBRARIES Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave., Huntington. www.cinemaartscentre.org. 631-423-7611. • The “Muppets Take Manhattan” on Sunday, Dec. 28 at noon in the Cinema for Kids series. Children under 13 admitted free thanks to Bethpage Federal Credit Union. • Music Archivist Bill Shelley hosts a big screen tribute to the legendary Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, showing promos, videos of live concerts, studio rehearsals, and television appearances, on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 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. • Join Frosty and his friend Jenny, as they try to save Chillsville from the evil Ethel Pierpot's plan to melt all the snow – including Frosty! “Frosty” plays Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m., with special performances on Friday, Dec. 26 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., through Jan. 4. Tickets are $15.
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. Visit the website at northportorchestra.org.
Walt Whitman Birthplace
‘Frozen’ Wonderland Inspired by the hit Disney movie “Frozen,” the entire Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum will be turned into a winter wonderland with family-friendly activities for all ages for “FrozenFest.” Meet “Elsa” from “Frozen,” learn about arctic whales, create an “Olaf” snowman, get your face painted like Elsa or Olaf, and enjoy “Frozen”-themed airbrush tattooing, music, ice pops and ice crafts. Then visit the Clix photo booth and leave with your very own “Frozen” photo to remember your visit. Tickets are $10/child and $6/adults. 279 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor. 631-367-3418. www.cshwhalingmuseum.org. 367-3418. www.cshwhalingmuseum.org. • “Frozen”-themed extravaganza in celebration of winter on Sunday, Dec. 28, 12-3 p.m. Inspired by the hit Disney movie “Frozen,” the entire museum will be turned into a winter wonderland with family-friendly activities for all ages for “FrozenFest.” Meet “Elsa” from “Frozen,” learn about arctic whales, create an “Olaf” snowman, get your face painted like Elsa or Olaf, and enjoy “Frozen”-themed airbrush tattooing, music, ice pops and ice crafts. Then visit the Clix photo booth and leave with your very own “Frozen” photo to remember your visit. Tickets are $10/child and $6/adults.
Heckscher Museum Of Art
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 through Jan. 4.
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, $4-6/seniors, and $4-5/children; members and children under 10 free. 631-351-3250. • The museum presents “Modern Alchemy: Experiments in Photography,” on view through March 15.
Holocaust Memorial And Tolerance Center
1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor. Open seven days a week, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday and Sundays until 6 p.m.: $6 adults; $4 children 3-12 and seniors over 65; members and children under 3 are free. 516-692-6768. www.cshfha.org. • Live animal Encounters: and 2014. Encounters start at 2:00pm. Learn about the Hatchery’s turtles, frogs and salamanders during live animal presentations December 29-31 at 2 p.m.
Welwyn Preserve. 100 Crescent Beach Road, Glen Cove. Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun.: noon-4 p.m. 516-571-8040 ext. 100. www.holocaust-nassau.org. • The permanent exhibit explains the 1930s increase of intolerance, the reduction of human rights, and the lack of intervention that enabled the persecution and mass murder of millions of Jews and others: people with disabilities, Roma and Sinti (Gypsies), Jehovah’s Witnesses, gays and Polish intelligentsia.
Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum
Huntington Arts Council
Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery
279 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor. 631-
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 through Jan. 5.
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.
Northport Historical Society Museum
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. 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
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. • Schedule at a time convenient for your group for high tea and transport yourself back in time as your group experiences High Tea in a private gathering house at the Birthplace. $25/person. 631-427-5240, ext. 120. teaparty@waltwhitman.org.
MUSIC & DANCE The Paramount
370 New York Ave., Huntington. 631-6737300. www.paramountny.com. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. • Rusted Root takes the stage Saturday, Dec. 27. $15-$40. • Say goodbye to 2014 with Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra’s Cosmic New Year’s Eve on Tuesday, Dec. 30 and Wednesdy, Dec. 31, 8:30 p.m. (2 Nights!) $35-$125.
Ridotto: Concerts with a Touch of Theater
• Ring in the New Year on Sunday, Jan. 4, 4 p.m. with a New Year’s concert hosted by Ridotto. Two stars of the international stage, pianist Michael Brown and violinist Elena Urioste, perform an eclectic program that includes the Sonata for violin and piano by Elgar and “Porgy and Bess” (arr. Heifetz) by Gershwin. The show is at the Huntington Jewish Center, 510 Park Ave., Huntington. $10 (students), $18 (members), $20 (seniors), $25 (adults). Reservations recommended: 631-385-0373 or Ridotto@optonline.net.
Send us your listings Submissions must be in by 5 p.m. 10 days prior to publication date. Send to: Community Calendar 14 Wall Street, Huntington, NY 11743, or email to: info@longislandergroup.com
A20 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014
www.LongIslanderNews.com
PUZZLE PAGE
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 • A21
CLASSIFIEDS
DEADLINE is Friday at 2 p.m. All Categories TELEPHONE: (631) 427-7000, FAX: (631) 824-9303 HOURS: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Address: Long Islander News, Inc., Attn.: Classifieds, 14 Wall Street, Huntington, NY 11743
EMPLOYMENT
HOME SERVICES
GENERAL Give Your Floors the Royal Treatment
ROYAL FLOOR SERVICES Residential & Commercial Wood Flooring
• Installations • Sanding • Refinishing • Laminate • Custom Designs • Floor Maintenance • Custom Stairs • Hand Rails • Custom Staining • Insured Free Estimates & Quotes
TEL: 347-616-2020 OFFICE: 929-234-6187 Cell: 631-896-6914 royalfloorservices@gmail.com
GENERAL
GENERAL Adoption ADOPTION: Unplanned Pregnancy? Caring licensed adoption agency provides financial and emotional support. Choose from loving pre-approved families. Call Joy toll free 1-866-9223678 or confidential email:Adopt@ForeverFamilie sThroughAdoption.org Auto Donations Donate your car to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make-A-Wish. We offer free towing and your donation is 100% tax deductible. Call 631-317-2014 Today!
Place YOUR Classified
Help Wanted AIRLINE CAREERS begin here Get FAA approved Aviation Maintenance Technician training. Financial aid for qualified students – Housing available. Job placement assistance. Call AIM 866-2967093
Call
Advertise Here
631-427-7000
Call
or email
631-427-7000
info@longislandergroup.com
Home Improvement HAS YOUR BUILDING SHIFTED OR SETTLED? Contact Woodford Brothers Inc, for straightening, level-
ing, foundation and wood frame repairs at 1-800-OLDBARN. www.woodfordbros.com.Suffolk Cty~License #41959-H Nassau Cty~ License #H18G7160000 Out of State Real Estate Sebastian, Florida Beautiful 55+ manufactured home community. 4.4 miles to the beach, Close to riverfront district. New models from $99,000. 772-581-0080, www.beach-cove.com Real Estate CAMP GROUND- MD/PA Border. Great Investment. *RV-Sites *Group Lots *Country Store (apt above) *Pool *Pavilions *Rental Cabin *Game Room *Pond *$950k CALL TODAY: 301478-2282 www.hiddenspringscampground.com Wanted CASH for Coins! Buying Gold & Silver. Also Stamps & Paper Money, Comics, Entire Collections, Estates. Travel to your home. Call Marc in NJ: 1-800-488-4175
PlaceYOUR
Classified Call Today to Get Started
A22 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 MELVILLE
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
Purple Means Passion For Guardian Brain Charity
Last month the Melville-based Guardian Brain Foundation celebrated 12 years of volunteering and making a difference with a Purple Passion Butterfly Ball. Held at The Carltun in East Meadow, the evening was filled with emotions, celebrating life and helping keep memories alive. Doug Mills from Printing Emporium the honoree. The organization also honored the memory of Giuliana Boudouvas, an 8year-old who died in four days from a brain tumor. Angela Susan Anton was the highest bidder in a live auction to have a character named after her in author James Patterson’s new book. “Golden Guardians” were Tina Dupuis who raised thousands of dol-
lars through her seven years of bike runs in loving memory of her father who died of a brain tumor; Theresa Stepkowski, an inspiration to many; and Christine Brunone, a volunteer at many events. Mary Pallotta, founder and president of The Guardian Brain Foundation, created the organization in memory of Dennis Pitti, her brother who lost a three-month battle with a cancerous brain tumor, and Salvatore, her father, who died tragically from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare brain disorder. “We took the pain and put it towards helping others,” she said. “Life is about choices and that is why we choose to make a difference.”
Ex-employee accused of patient injury cover-up (Continued from page A5)
ty protocols.” “Our healthcare workers have a basic duty to care for their patients, to keep them safe and not to injure them further,” Schneiderman said. But Desulme’s attorney, Garden City-based Karl Seman, questioned the motives of pressing charges nearly two years after the fact. He said the evidence against his client,
whom he described as a “hard-working, married mother of three” with no criminal record, is flimsy. “If this is what we prosecute people for criminally – doing more than their job and taking immediate medical action with no intent to deceive – it would seem to me that just about every daily worker could be criminally prosecuted,” Seman said. He also said there’s no evidence
that Desulme tried to cover up the incident and stressed the laceration did not cause “permanent debilitating health” to the woman. “She never disguised the injury. She noticed it, she reported it, and she had another person put a bandage on it. If she was going to disguise it, she would have hid it,” Seman said. Schneiderman said Desulme faces
up to four years in prison if convicted of felony first-degree falsifying business records, misdemeanor endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, and misdemeanor willful violation of health laws. Desulme pleaded not guilty and was released on her own recognizance. She is due back in First District Court Jan. 25.
Cops probe rash of car break-ins at Melville gyms (Continued from page A5)
passenger-side door. Last Tuesday’s rash of incidents is the largest concentration of smashand-grab thefts at Melville area gyms, of which there have been an uptick in recent weeks. Det. Sgt. Steven Bluethgen said on Friday that police are “working on some
cases” in the area, and police statistics bear him out – since Nov. 29 there have been 17 criminal complaints to the three gyms for a combination of criminal mischief, grand larceny and petit larceny. Eight of those – on Nov. 28, Dec. 1, 9, 14 and 16, were at Eastern Athletic; four, on Nov. 29, Dec. 11 and 16, were at
Blink Fitness; and five, on Nov. 30, Dec. 1 and 16, affected Planet Fitness. In the meantime, police are urging residents to always lock their car doors and to never leave personal belongings or valuables in a vehicle – especially if those objects are in plain sight.
The cases in which credit cards were reported stolen are being investigated as grand larceny incidents; the rest are being treated as petit larceny. Anyone with information can call Suffolk County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS (8477). All calls are kept confidential.
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 • A23
A24 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • DECEMBER 25, 2014
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
HillSPORTS GIRLS BASKETBALL
By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
For Head Coach Stefanie Mouzakes and her Colts of the Half Hollow Hills West girls basketball team, the winter break has arrived at an ideal time. With injuries hurting the Colts so far this season – sophomore Autumn Morris has missed time with a finger injury – and inexperience also proving to be a hindrance, Mouzakes looked forward to the two weeks she’ll spend with her team to get the girls moving in the right direction. “I’m excited to have two weeks to really focus in on the fundamentals,” she said. “We’ll have time to do things that we normally don’t.” The break comes following an overtime loss to Hills West (0-2) on Dec. 18 against visiting Riverhead (2-0), where the Colts fell 53-49. Despite leading after the first 24 minutes, through three quarters of the game, Hills West let its lead slide and had to rely on a layup by freshman Jada Cooper to send the game into overtime. From there, though,
Long Islander News photo/Andrew Wroblewski
Hills West Can’t Hold Off Blue Waves In Overtime
Alyse McAlpine, a Hills West junior, prepares to make a pass on Dec. 18 as the Colts take on Riverhead at home. Sam Dunn of Riverhead scored 6 of her 27 points on the night in the final period as the Blue Waves prevailed. “The loss is definitely a downer, but we’re trying to focus on the positives,” Mouzakes said. “This was our game, but the good news is that we could have played better. It’s not
that we played our best and lost; we can do better and we get them again [on Jan. 22].” Samantha Pierre-Louis, a 5foot-10 junior for the Colts, scored 10 points in the setback. Freshman Samantha Hinke led Hills West in scoring with her 17 points.
Channiah Baker and Jada Cooper both added 6 points for the Colts in the loss. “We’re a very young team,” Mouzakes said of the 2014-2015 squad that does not have a senior rostered and sports two freshmen and an eighth-grader in Kayla Robertson. “Some of the girls are a little tentative with the ball – they just want to get rid of it like a hot potato. [Against Riverhead] we never got into our offensive set. That’s definitely something we’ll focus on moving forward.” After a non-league matchup against East Islip (1-1) after press time on Dec. 23, the Colts will have that opportunity to work on their fundamentals before they take the court once again in the New Year. That matchup, against Copiague (20), will tip off at 4 p.m. in Hills West’s gym. “This is a great group of kids,” Mouzakes said. “They’re very young and eager to learn so we’re just trying to work hard, move them in the right direction and make them better basketball players.”
WRESTLING
T-Birds Get Revenge On Rival Colts In Hills Showdown By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
Last week, Thunderbirds head wrestling coach Bill Davey, Jr. knew his varsity squad was looking for some revenge as Hills East prepared to welcome Hills West for a nonleague match on Friday. After falling to the Colts in a playoff football game in November and then again in a boys basketball game on Dec. 9, the Thunderbirds sought a win of their own over their cross-town rival on the wrestling mat. The boys got just that with a 54-16 triumph over Hills West. “We started off the night at 285 pounds, and Cameron Byrne [a senior] came out with a first-period pin to set the tone and really get the wheels turning,” Davey said. From there, Hills East never looked back. Davey called out two of his Thunderbirds in particular,
though, for their standout performances: Michael Abidin, a junior who wrestled at 145 pounds, and Philip Spadafora, a sophomore at 120 lbs. “Michael wrestled tough against Peter Guido [a Hills West captain] and beat him with an 8-4 decision,” Davey said. “It was a tough, gutsy match by Michael against a quality kid – both of which are looking to compete for a league title. I was very pleased with how he wrestled.” Spadafora – one of three Spadafora boys on the Thunderbirds’ roster – took on Joe Derosa, another of the Colts’ captains. The sophomore Thunderbird emerged with a 13-2 victory. “These guys have known each other for a long time,” Davey said. “The first couple of matches between them, Phil handled him, but they kept getting closer and Phil lost to Joe last year. This time, Phil came
out with a different attitude and really impressed me.” For Colts’ head coach Joe Scholz, the setback came because the Thunderbirds just matchup with the Colts a bit better. “Where we’re good, they’re good,” he said. “We just didn’t win the close matches… They out-wrestled us.” Scholz said overall, the Colts were resilient. There were tough performances up and down the roster, and four Colts emerged with victories on Friday. Those were: captain Antonio Ferro, Amon Wahabzadah, freshman Anthony Dushaj and David Bari – who earned his first varsity win, Scholz said. “Overall we need to clean some things up with our technique,” Scholz said of his plans for the team heading into the holiday break. “Obviously our goal is to peak at the end of the season and right now
we’re heading in the right direction with the young guys stepping up and the older guys catching fire.” The Colts bounced back Saturday as they traveled to Jericho High School for a four-team meet and came out 3-1 with victories over Carle Place/Wheatley, Cold Spring Harbor and the hosting school in Jericho. The Thunderbirds continued their success on Saturday when they traveled to Deer Park High School and defeated MacArthur, Bethpage and hosting Deer Park. Both teams will come together once again Dec. 29-30 for an individual tournament at Half Hollow Hills High School East – scheduled to being at 9 a.m. on Dec. 29. “It’s a nice tournament, one of the few two-day tournaments around,” Davey said. “This will serve as a prep for the county tournament… a nice way to get experience.”