HALF HOLLOW HILLS Copyright © 2015 Long Islander News
Online at www.LongIslanderNews.com
VOL. 16, ISSUE 50
NEWSPAPER 28 PAGES
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015 MELVILLE/WHEATLEY HEIGHTS
By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
The Paramount Spotlight Comedian Demetri Martin will be taking The Paramount’s stage on Jan. 30.
‘Building’ Comedy With Demetri Martin By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
For Demetri Martin, a comedian and native of New York, when he’s up on stage performing, he views his jokes as building blocks. Separated into different categories, the jokes are built up – usually with the use of Martin’s props and instruments, which he incorporates in his act – and topped off with a punchline. “With my act, I mostly tell one-liners, (Continued on page A19)
While families paid their respects to deceased loved ones, three thieves paid themselves out of purses they stole from cars parked at a graveyard, Suffolk County police allege. A Wheatley Heights man and a Huntington Station woman were among three people arraigned Friday in connection with nearly three dozen car break-ins during a six-week span, in which they allegedly stole from cars in graveyard, church and gym parking lots as well as library and post office lots across Suffolk County. The alleged spree, which included incidents at three Melville gyms, came to an end on Jan. 15,
Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel
PD: Trio Broke Into 3 Dozen Cars
Steven Glover, Sierra Green and Inesha Stephan are accused of breaking into cars parked at St. Charles Cemetery, churches, and three Melville gyms. when cops charged 23-year-old Inesha Stephan, of Huntington Station, with five counts of fourthdegree grand larceny in connec-
tion with five alleged break-ins at St. Charles Cemetery in East Farmingdale. Wheatley Heights’ (Continued on page A16)
HALF HOLLOW HILLS
School District: Threat Investigation Closed By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com
Just over two months after receiving the first of four anonymous messages threatening Half Hollow Hills High School East, the school district declared its investigation over in an email to district parents on Tuesday. Several students have been disciplined in relation to the November and December 2014 threats, according to the email, and the district has closed its own investigation. The Suffolk County Police Department will continue its criminal investigation, police confirmed. “At this point, the district is sat-
isfied that it has identified all of the students involved in these incidents and has administered disciplinary consequences to several students that are appropriate for their individual actions,” the email reads. The unsigned district email mentions no student names and gives no specifics about student actions – according to the text, the district will release no further information because the investigation now belongs exclusively to police. According to police, no one had been arrested for making the threats as of Tuesday and the investigation is ongoing. The first threatening emails that are part of this investigation arrived
on Nov. 6, when the school district and the Suffolk County Police Department each received emails mentioning a bomb from an anonymous sender. On Dec. 3, the district received another threatening message and sent students home early. Police said that day that they found “nothing suspicious” after searching the school. Police arrested a Hills East student on a charge of computer trespass as a result of the threat investigation on Dec. 15, but the 16year-old was not charged in relation to the threat, police said at the time. Less than 24 hours after the student’s arrest, the district received a fourth threat targeting the high school.
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 • JANUARY 22, 2015
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com
Suffolk County police have arrested two men in connection with a string of gas station and doughnut shop robberies in Suffolk County, including three locations in the Town of Huntington. Matthew McGurk, 25, of Commack, and Andrew Berger, 27, of Williston Park were arrested as they were apparently trying to pull off another heist at a Dunkin Donuts in Blue Point on Jan. 14, police said. Detectives with the Pattern Crimes unit had Berger under surveillance when he entered the Dunkin Donuts just after 9 p.m., officials said. A detective who followed him into the store found Berger was armed and wearing a ski mask. The suspect turned and pointed the weapon at the detective who, while struggling to find cover, fired a total of six shots, Suffolk County Chief of Police James Burke said. No one was hit. McGurk was arrested nearby the store, where police found him waiting in a getaway car. Police said the men are heroin ad-
Long Islander News photo/Arielle Dollinger
Police Arrest Suspects In String Of Robberies
Suffolk Chief of Detectives William Madigan at a press conference Jan. 15 points to mug shots of Andrew Berger and Commack resident Matthew McGurk, who are suspected of robbing several gas stations and doughnut shops since Dec. 22. dicts who carried out a string of burglaries across Suffolk County over the past several weeks. Police found a needle on one of the suspects the night of their arrest, Madigan said during a
press conference announcing the arrests. Each robbery netted the pair between $300 and $1,000, he added. Police would not elaborate on how they know the men are addicts, but a
spokesman said Jan. 15 night they are confident in the claim. In the earliest robberies, detectives said the men would enter the business together. In later cases, Berger, who has a 2009 conviction for armed robbery, would enter and rob the business while McGurk stood by in the getaway vehicle, according to police. The burglary string began in Deer Park on the night of Dec. 22, police said. The pair next hit a gas station in West Hills on Christmas day, then struck in St. James on Dec. 26. They carried out two robberies in one day on Dec. 29, hitting businesses in Smithtown and Commack; robbed a location in Deer Park on Jan. 1 and a gas station in Huntington Station a day later. Between Jan. 3 and Jan. 8 they hit four more businesses in Holbrook, Bohemia, Farmingville and Sayville, according to police. Over the course of the investigation, Madigan said, Pattern Crime detectives kept surveillance on “a number of potential suspects.” Some of them were eliminated as suspects because they were under surveillance by detectives while robberies were occurring elsewhere, he said.
DIX HILLS
Maddaloni Jewelers Hit In Early-Morning Heist A pair of masked burglars made off with “a large amount of jewelry” after striking Maddaloni Jewelers during an early-morning heist Saturday, Suffolk County police said. Second Precinct Det. Sgt. Steven Bluethgen said Monday that the two suspects broke the front window of the East Jericho Turnpike jewelry store at 4:22 a.m. Jan. 17. It’s unclear what they used to get in, but
once inside, the suspects, who police believe are male, were caught on surveillance video stealing “numerous watches and some jewelry” during the incident, which is being investigated as a burglary and grand larceny complaint. Bluethgen said it’s unclear how much was stolen and the shop’s staff is still reconciling inventory.
“It looks like a large amount of jewelry,” he said. A man who answered the phone at Maddaloni Jewelers on Monday declined to comment. Anyone with information can call the Suffolk County PD’s Second Squad at 631-8548243 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1800-220-TIPS (8477). - SCHRAFEL
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015 • A3
MELVILLE
Town Says Mapping Exposes Encroachment On Parkland By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
Another Melville home on Elkland Road is being eyed by the town for allegedly encroaching on a neighboring park. Huntington officials allege the owners of 21 Elkland Road, Jaime and Denise Warren, have expanded their backyard into a 12,000 squarefoot area of Dr. Jeffrey Wenig Park, formerly known as Roundtree Park. They built a basketball court, two sheds and a cement seating area and fenced it all in, but in the process removed “a considerable amount of vegetation” from the park, town spokesman A.J. Carter said Friday. Carter said Margo Myles, the town’s open-space coordinator who works in the planning department, discovered the handful of encroachments by private property owners onto town land by looking at geographic information system (GIS) maps. The town attorney’s office is working on remediating about a halfdozen similar cases, Carter said. The town said 21 Elkland owners
also installed underground wiring and a sprinkler system in the area. Now, officials are demanding they take it all out and remediate the park. to its previous condition. They passed a resolution Jan. 14 authorizing a lawsuit against the owners if “current negotiations fail to resolve the issues.” The town also alleges Jaime Warren is operating a chiropractor’s clinic at the address without a special use permit, which he would have to go before the zoning board to receive. Huntington attorney Andrew Levitt, who is representing the couple, said the owners are working with the town to bring the property into compliance. A similar situation was recently corrected at 24 Elkland, Carter said. Town officials said the owners installed a tennis court, a small storage shed and playground equipment on town property. The issue was addressed without litigation, Carter said. The first step in the process, he said, is a letter to the homeowner asking the issue be corrected. Litigation, he added, is a “last resort.”
Home of
ly? te a L y B d e p p to S u o Y e Hav REIMAGINED RELAUNCHED & Ready to Meet You! A collection of shops & artists featuring vintage & custom goods for yourself & your home. • Antiques • Fine Art • Collectibles • Artisan Wares • Decorative Paint Boutique 1038 New York Ave., Huntington Station, NY
631-271-5817 suitepieces.com Open Everyday 11-5
A4 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
POLICE REPORT Compiled by Danny Schrafel
Two Paws Up
An Unwelcome Guest
Office pups … Are there any special regula-
sounds like Harvey Fierstein on a carton of Luckies! If you do happen to tions for puppies in the workplace? I got word come down with this illness, that one of our dear reporters here at Long Isjust remember what mama told lander News is welcoming a cute little pup into you and you’ll be fine – hyher family in just a few weeks. IN THE KNOW drate, hydrate, hydrate! Tea, My first response, of course, WITH AUNT ROSIE lemon and honey, and get your after seeing just how adorable rest. the little Yorkie is, was: Can he live in the office? Now I know I’m getting up Is it just me… Or has Park there in age, but I can still sure as heck take care Avenue become even more troublesome with the of a puppy – even if it means I’d have to live in installation of that traffic light near the train this office! tracks? Granted, it’s always a bit crowded around rush hour, but since that light went up, it Be my Valentine… While that little darling is now backed up all the way from Broadway munchkin is plenty lovable, I suppose it’s time (near the train station) to the tracks. The other to start looking for a human Valentine. We are day I sat through three cycles of the approaching February, and I read recently that Broadway/Park Avenue light before I had now is probably a good time to start online datenough room to cross over. Is this nothing new? ing because everyone is looking for someone for I have pretty much had the same schedule for at whom to buy chocolate (or from whom to releast 10 years, so I don’t think I’m the one who ceive chocolate). Now, let’s be clear, I do not has changed. And maybe the light isn’t to blame. plan to jump into the online dating pool – I am But the timing sure is interesting! just a bit too “mature” for that at this point in my life – but it is interesting to think about what Freeze, or snow? After this Saturday’s the day of hearts means to everyone. For me, it bone-chilling temperatures, I got to wondering is a day to eat chocolate and spend time with which you prefer. Would you rather it be really, loved ones. But, if I’m being honest, I have to really cold – and not snow – or warmer temperatell you that the day I am waiting for is Feb. 15. tures, but with snow? Shoot me an email and let The day after Valentine’s Day is the day you (I) me know. can buy all of the candy for half of its pre-Feb. 14 selling price! (Aunt Rosie wants to hear from you! If you Hello, dahling… While we’re on the topic of have comments, ideas, or tips about what’s hapanimals, there seems to be this nasty-sounding pening in your neck of the woods, write to me tocold going around town of late that’s making day and let me know the latest. To contact me, one of the boys in our office sound just dreadful. drop a line to Aunt Rosie, c/o The Long-Islander, The poor thing swears he sounds much worse 14 Wall Street, Huntington NY 11743. Or try the than he feels. I hope that’s true, because he e-mail at aunt.rosieli@gmail.com)
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
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“When we discussed this ER expansion at our meeting, we asked, ‘Has anybody used the ER at Huntington Hospital?’ Everybody raised their hands. The point being, we appreciate Huntington Hospital. We don’t have any problem with their expansion, and keep up the good work.” Plans OK’d For $50M Emergency Room Expansion, PAGE A18
HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER Yes!… I want to subscribe to The Half Hollow Hills Newspaper
NAME
STATE
ZIP
Payment Method ❑ ❑ Check
❑
❑
PHONE E-MAIL
CREDIT CARD NO.
Backpack, Computer Swiped A thief picked through a 2012 Nissan Rogue parked on Route 110 in Melville Jan. 12, according to police. The suspect stole a laptop, backup hard drive and a North Face backpack after breaking a window to get into the car at 8 p.m.
Burglar Steals Pipes Police are investigating a burglary at a foreclosed, vacant home on Windsor Gate Drive in Dix Hills. Sometime between 8 a.m. Jan. 10 and the Jan. 13 call to authorities, someone broke a window and stole copper pipes from within.
Cracking Up The front window of a 2014 Toyota Prius parked at Stand-Up MRI on Marcus Drive in Melville was damaged at 4 p.m. Jan. 12, Suffolk County police said.
Anybody Missing Hairspray? Police are searching for the petty thief who stole hair products from the Pathmark on Old Country Road in Dix Hills at 7:20 p.m. Jan. 14.
Smash And Grab Police are searching for the person who broke the rear window of a 2007 Hyundai at 8 p.m. Jan. 12 and stole a pocketbook containing cash, a license, credit cards and checks. The vehicle was parked at Blink Fitness.
Towed Over A Dix Hills resident called Suffolk County police after his car was returned from a body shop Jan. 14. Police were told that the man got into a car accident Dec. 15. After the car was repaired, it was towed back to his home; that’s when he discovered that three cordless drills and a wallet were missing.
Senior Citizens: 1 Year ❑ . . . . $26.50 2 Years ❑ . . . . . . $46 3 Years ❑ . . . . . . $64
Please add $10 per subscription, per year for addresses off Long Island. Sorry, no refunds.
ADDRESS CITY
Check One: 1 Year ❑ . . . . . . $31 2 Years ❑ . . . . . . $54 3 Years ❑ . . . . . . $77
Cops are searching for the person who smashed the side door of an Amityville Road home in Melville at 3:20 a.m. Jan. 14. Nothing was reported stolen from the residence.
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 • JANUARY 22, 2015 • A5
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Department Heads Change In Leadership Shift By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
A major shakeup is under way in the leadership of two major town departments, leading to the former di-
rector of environmental waste management taking a $20,000 pay cut. Huntington’s town board signed off Jan. 14 on promoting deputy directors in both the environmental waste management and general services depart-
ments, demoting the former directors of those departments, and swapping the newly minted deputy directors into each other’s department. Under the plan, Mark Tyree will be promoted from deputy director to di-
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Plan Would Bring ZBA, Planning Together By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
Huntington Planning and Zoning Board of Appeals members would be required to meet jointly once a year and review land-use issues monthly under a new proposal. The town board scheduled a Feb. 10 hearing for legislation that would require the planning and zoning boards’ chairmen to meet monthly with the town’s planning director or a designee and attorneys for each board to coordinate the review and processing of land use applications, discuss concerns and streamline the approval process.
“We find that in some cases there’s limited communication, and what we decided here is the boards should meet on an annual basis,” Supervisor Frank Petrone said. Under the proposal, once a year, the entire zoning and planning boards would meet for joint training on planning and/or zoning issues and to discuss common areas of interests and concerns. “This will streamline the process, eliminate overlap and eliminate duplicity… We want both sides to see the big picture,” Petrone said. “You should be digesting each other’s work and each other’s decisions.” The proposal also amends train-
ing requirements for Huntington Planning Board and Board of Assessment Review members. Planning board members would need to complete four hours of training each year, which must be approved by the town attorney, to ensure they more effectively carry out their duties. Excess training hours can carry over from year to year, according the proposal. Huntington Board Assessment Review members are now required to complete training as dictated by the Real Property Tax Law –section 523(2) as a condition of appointment. The hearing is set for 7 p.m. on Feb. 10.
rector of general services. Matt Laux, the deputy director of environmental waste management, becomes the acting director as of Jan. 15. Then, the town made Thom Boccard, the former director of general services, and Neal Sheehan, the former director of environmental waste management, deputy directors and swapped their departments, with Sheehan joining Keith Barrett as a deputy director of general services and Boccard becoming Laux’s deputy. Boccard was moved to the sewer plant in mid-September to implement steps to “achieve greater operating efficiency and cross-departmental cooperation, as well as to address some personnel issues,” the town said the time. “He did a phenomenal job – the workers like him, the union has worked well with him and he’s really shaped that up in a short period of time,” Supervisor Frank Petrone said. “There’s a need for him to be there, and maybe it’s time for a change from General Services.” Of Sheehan, Petrone said, “The feeling here, at this point, is maybe (Continued on page A25)
A6 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
MELVILLE
Town Picks Firm For 110 Plan By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com
Making a move that brings the town one step closer to creating an overall plan for one of the region’s busiest strips, Huntington officials last week voted to hire a firm to conduct an analysis of the Route 110 corridor. The town received six responses to a request for proposal, which were evaluated by the Melville Plan Advisory Committee, and has chosen multidisciplinary planning firm Buckhurst, Fish & Jacquemart, Inc. (BFJ), town spokesman A.J. Carter confirmed. The decision is in accordance with the committee’s recommendation, he said. Frank Fish, a founding principal of BFJ, said last week that his firm should start work in March. “It’s a very significant tax base for the town,” Fish said of the 110 corridor, which is known as the “Melville Employment Center.” The study will be a combination of transportation analysis, urban analysis, economic analysis and infrastructure – community facilities and services – Fish said. For example, Fish said, BFJ will explore the possibility
VOTE FOR US! WE ARE NOMINATED AS A FINALIST FOR “BEST AUTO REPAIR” IN THE BEST OF HUNTINGTON. • We take pride in servicing all makes and models,
Family owned and operated automotive repair center
• Our technicians are highly skilled and dealer trained • We provide top quality workmanship and are equipped with the foreign and domestic
same hi-tech tools and equipment equivalent or better than most dealerships. We offer the dealership experience and equipment, with that neighborhood friendly affordability.
Brakes • TPMS • Maintenance • Brakes • A/C and heat Tune ups •Radiators • Struts/ Axles • Shocks SRS/Airbag Systems • Timing Belt and More
Free check engine light diagnoses Recieve 10% off any repair with this ad 631-421-2563 Monday- Friday 8:00am-5:30pm Saturday 8:00am- 12:30, Closed Sunday
www.AloeTechNY.com
of creating new town centers, or areas of concentration, that should be created along Route 110. “We’re looking forward to it,” Fish said of the project. “This 110 corridor has always been seen… in my planning experience as one of the key north-south corridors and employment centers in Long Island.” The project will be a year-long effort, he said, and will not be the firm’s first corridor study. BFJ did a yearand-a-half-long corridor study on Long Island’s Route 25A in Brookhaven, which led to a study on the same roadway in its Wading River section and “basically an overall plan for the 25A corridor,” Fish said. “This [110 study] is similar but more intense,” he said. “This one, 110 is… much more at the midpoint of the island.” The firm has also done work in an expansion of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory facilities, worked on postSandy efforts, and done site plan reviews for communities like Garden City, Fish said. Public outreach will be a component in the 110 study, Fish said, and the firm will also consult “key stakeholders” along the roadway.
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015 • A7
DIX HILLS
Busy Time For Volunteers Photos by Steve Silverman
Firefighters battle a blaze at a Jason Court home Jan. 15, marking the second fire in five days for the Dix Hills Fire Department. Volunteers from the Dix Hills Fire Department battled their second house fire in a five-day span on Jan. 15. Firefighters arrived at the Jason Court home at 5:10 p.m. to find flames shooting out of two secondfloor windows and the attic. Crews made an aggressive attack on the fire, which was brought under control within 45 minutes. The fire caused extensive damage to the second floor, with smoke and water damage to the remainder of the home, fire officials said, adding that the cause of the blaze appears to be accidental. The Suffolk Police Arson Squad and the Huntington Town Fire
Marshal are investigating. Sixty firefighters and rescue personnel were on the scene with seven trucks, two ambulances and a rehab unit, under the command of Chief Robert Fling. Operations sectors were handled by Assistant Chiefs Tom Napolitano, Alan Berkowitz and Joe Williamson. The Melville Fire Department and Deer Park Fire Department assisted with additional trucks and manpower at the scene. The Melville department also supplied a standby truck at Dix Hills headquarters along with two ambulances from the Greenlawn Fire Department and Huntington Community First Aid Squad.
Little Your Village Toy Store Switzerland JUST Making Our Kids Smile For 3 Generations
Toys & Dolls
ARRIVED: We accepts’ competitorup coupons ff to 15% o
for all ages!
Toys • Dolls Books • Games
Anna & Elsa Items • Rocking Horses Collectibles Doll Houses • LEGOS • Playmobil • Stuffed Animals Calico Critters™ • My Pillow Pets • Madame Alexander Doll Carriages • Baby Dolls • Music Boxes • Free Gift Wrapping • American Doll™ Dolls & Accessories Holiday Gifts • Gift certificates ®
®
®
®
American Gi rl Dolls & Accessories In S
to Not Affiliat ck ed with American G ir l LLC ®
267 Main Street Huntington Village
631-549-8743 HOURS: 10 am - 6 pm www.littleswitzerlanddolls.com
Birthday Party Packages
We now offer
®
Long Island Otolaryngology & Pediatric Airway, P.C William Robert Spencer, M.D., FAAP Otolaryngology/Heah & Neck Surgery 25 East Carver Street Huntington, NY 11743
Board Certified, fellowship-trained. Specializing in children’s airway, ear and suinus diseases.
Dr. William Spencer would like to thank the community for 14 fabulous years!
I am humbled by your nomination for Best Medical Practice. Tel: (631) 424-1887 Fax: (631) 760-2000 Visit us online at lopacmd.com
A8 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Opinion ‘Not the types set up by the printer return their impression, the meaning, the main concern.’
An Economic Engine One could say the Town of Hunting- land towns in its efforts to attract busiton is lucky to have in its borders Long nesses that provide quality jobs and tax Island’s most productive business cen- revenues. ter. The 110 Corridor in Melville is The town board last week voted to home to a diverse group of businesses hire a firm to conduct an analysis of that provide employment to more work- what they now call the Melville Emers than any other region on Long Is- ployment Center. Buckhurst, Fish & land. Businesses of every size, from Jacquemart, Inc., a planning and engiprofessionals in single-perneering firm that has conductson offices to corporate gi- EDITORIAL ed similar studies elsewhere ants like Canon, which has in the region, will compile daits North America headquarters there, ta and analyze infrastructure, transportathe Melville-110 Corridor is an eco- tion systems, and the economics of the nomic engine that provides jobs, gener- 110 Corridor and make forward-looking ates tax revenues and contributes great- recommendations aimed at keeping this ly to the quality of life townwide. economic engine humming. It’s not luck that made that the Getting a long-range plan in place is Melville-110 Corridor Long Island’s smart, and the town should be combusiness address. It’s a result of good mended for taking the necessary steps planning over the past 40-plus years, to provide a structure under which this with a town code that accommodates region can continue to flourish. Exthe needs of businesses and attention to panding sewerage capacity, improving the infrastructure necessary to allow transportation and creating livable, afbusinesses to flourish. fordable housing all must be part of the That infrastructure is reaching a satu- plan. And if we are to retain a workforce ration point and requires attention and of highly educated, young professionsome major investment if the region is als, we will need to rethink the suburto maintain a competitive edge. And ban model we are used to. The house on make no mistake about it, the town two acres with two cars in the driveway faces competition from other Long Is- just doesn’t work anymore.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Thanks, Stranger! DEAR EDITOR: I want to thank the very nice person who plowed my driveway last week. I saw a man on a lawn tractor with a plow attachment plowing my neighbor’s driveway. I'm going to assume this same man plowed my driveway, too.
I didn't see him doing it otherwise I would have gone out and thanked him myself. What a wonderful gesture. When we pick up the paper and read about all the bad things that happen around us and in the world, it’s nice to see a random act of kindness, and even nicer to be the re-
HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER
Serving the communities of: Dix Hills, Melville and the Half Hollow Hills Central School District. Copyright © 2015 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.
cipient. It was especially nice because I wasn't feeling great that day. So, thank you to whoever you are, and I wish you good karma. [This] Once again renews my faith in the Huntington community. MICHELE KUSTERA Huntington
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
Send letters to:
The Edito r, The Ha Newspaplf Hollow Hills er, 14 Huntingto Wall Street, n, New or email York 11743 us info@lon gislander at group.co m
Making Home Ownership More Accessible DEAR EDITOR: Housing Help Inc. is a HUD-certified housing counseling agency providing free services to Huntington residents for over 45 years. In that capacity we work with individuals and families to prepare them for responsible homeownership. I know that too many creditworthy families who can afford a home are unable to purchase one because of overly restrictive lending standards. Accordingly, I applaud President Obama’s recent action to reduce the cost of mortgage insurance for loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). This decision will ensure access to safe and affordable mortgages for more creditworthy households. FHA mortgage insurance on a $300,000 house with a 5-percent down payment would cost the owner $309 a month. Under the new guidelines the cost would be reduced to $202 a month. According to the National Association of Re-
altors, dramatic increases in the cost of FHA mortgage insurance priced nearly 400,000 creditworthy borrowers out of the housing market in 2013. First-time home buyers, who have historically relied most heavily on FHA loans, have been the most impacted by these increases. FHA loans are 35-year, fixed-rate, fully documented loans, not the risky subprime and predatory loans that helped lead to the Foreclosure Crisis. A 2014 analysis by the Urban Institute found that FHA loans originated in 2012 had a default rate of just 2.3 percent. Finally, research demonstrates that mortgage loans made to borrowers who receive housing counseling have lower default rates than those made to comparable borrowers who do not. Anyone who is considering buying a home should visit a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, such as Housing Help Inc. SUSAN LAGVILLE Executive Director Housing Help Inc. Greenlawn
James V. Kelly Publisher/CEO Peter Sloggatt Associate Publisher/Managing Editor Luann Dallojacono Editor James V. Kelly III Director - Sales and Marketing Danny Schrafel Associate Editor Arielle Dollinger Andrew Wroblewski Reporters NEWS
Pat Mellon Megan Conroy John Emig Account Executives
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 • JANUARY 22, 2015 • A9
Life&Style HUNTINGTON VILLAGE
‘SNL’ Alumni Look To Film In Village By A. Dollinger & D. Schrafel info@longislandergroup.com
Residents of one Dix Hills neighborhood have once again received letters from NBC Universal – written documentation that an upcoming film starring “Saturday Night Live” alumni Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will return to the Huntington area for filming this month. According to Dix Hills resident Naomi Zilkha, the letter informed residents that the NBC Universal production crew would be filming for “Sisters,” known in an earlier incarnation as “The Nest,” on Astro Place on Jan. 21 – a scheduled filming date that follows several summer 2014 filming days. In July, the cast and crew filmed at one house on Etna Lane and another on Astro Place. One house is the fictional home of Fey and Poehler’s
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler star in “Sisters,” shown in the trailer. The movie has filmed in Dix Hills and may soon film in Huntington village. characters; the other is the fictional home of male lead Ike Barinholtz. “We were looking for neighborhoods with charming mid-century modern-type homes,” said Producer John Lyons in a statement to Long
Islander News in July. “We looked at many neighborhoods for two months and saw several good areas, but this neighborhood had the best combination of nice architecture and a curved block… So many things pointed us
here to Dix Hills.” Last week, Huntington Town Hall received a call about the possibility of the crew filming on Main Street in Huntington village, Director of Parks & Recreation Department Don McKay said. According to a sign on a Main Street lamppost, the “Sisters” cast will spend Jan. 22 filming in Huntington village. The crew may have been in search of a Huntington village hair salon to be used in the film, according to a Jan. 8 Facebook post by Haven Hair Spa. “They came in to check us out as one of the locations,” Haven posted, in part. “Even if we don’t get chosen, it’s still nice to be considered.” A Haven employee said on Monday that she did not know whether or not the production company had chosen the salon as a shooting location.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Finding Yourself At ‘The Place Of Being’ By Megan Connor info@longislandergroup.com
Candles are lit, smiles are frequent and the air is calm in The Place of Being, a center for spirituality and health nestled in the heart of Cold Spring Harbor. Founding Director Monika Keano said the space at 3 Harbor Road is best described as an experience that truly prioritizes the individual on a path to clarity, peace and health. “This is a place that serves a wide variety of purposes. But at the core of it is creating a context in which a person can connect with themselves in a deep, real and meaningful way,” she said. “And from there they can draw what they need for whatever their challenge is.” Keano, born in Poland and raised in New York, now resides in Long Island City. She says her 20 years of practice in transformational counseling has brought her to where she is today. “Ever since I came to New York it
has been my home. Now my practice is in its fifth year in beautiful Cold Spring Harbor,“ she said. Keano said she sees people from all walks of life with a variety of personal struggles benefitting from The Place of Being and the work they do. “The spectrum of people we see here is quite wide – from people diagnosed with major illness, to people who are going through major transitions like loss of a loved one or a divorce, to people who feel stagnant in their lives searching for inspiration and purpose. We’re not solely focused on the physical or emotional —it’s the continuum of all the layers of our being,“ she said. Keano adds that her practice brings in a small group of other practitioners and has mainly thrived from clients’ word-of-mouth promotion. But she really wants more people to be able to benefit from her work. “Our clients come to us mostly through word of mouth because people share when they were impacted, when their life was impacted in a
significant way. They talk about it. And that’s one of the main reasons why The Place of Being has grown and continues to grow,” she said. The practice offers everything from T’ai Chi Chih movement practice to transformational counseling, all with the intention of working through individual struggles and ultimately promoting health. Keano said “health” is a loaded word and it means something very specific to them. “We understand health as: I am able to draw on my inner and resources to fully participate and express myself in my life and create life that is purposeful and meaningful,” she said. The Place of Being also looks to promote health one bite at a time through its program “Food For Being” – intimate classes designed to create a better relationship with and understanding of food. But Keano said above all, every program is designed to offer intimacy and individualization. She said
Monika Keano is helping clients change their lives through transformational counseling. this attention to the individual is what The Place of Being does best. “We really think that individual connection is critical. We are intimate in nature and focused on guarding the highest level of individual attention. That’s really important to us,” she said. For more information, call Monika Keano at 646-369-0735.
A10 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
Unfortunately, even superheroes have their weaknesses. Michael Bradley, beloved former owner of what used to be comic shop Collectors Kingdom at 202 West Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station, received a phone call the morning of Jan. 7 that would change his life. The comic shop that he operated since 1989 was gone; a fire wiped out the strip mall that housed his business, along with every comic, every statue, every figurine and every other collectible Bradley had – a collection he estimated to be worth more than $500,000. “When the fire happened, it was just an overload of emotions [for me],” Bradley said. “I just got silent on the phone… I didn’t know what to do that first morning.” But, like those same superheroes with vulnerabilities, Bradley and his super staff have the luxury of a following – a community of fans who, no matter what, will stand behind them. Ever since the fire, fans and friends have helped Bradley to rebuild and begin selling comics once again out of a “satellite” location found at 135 West Jericho Turnpike. They are supplying donations through an “Indiegogo” fundraiser at
www.indiegogo.com/projects/helprebuild-collectors-kingdom. “As crazy as it sounds, [scouting locations] was what I did most of the day [after the fire],” Bradley said. That day after scouting, Bradley returned to the burnt shop and spoke with reporters. In that interview, he said, something he said caught him by surprise. “I made a comment about the store meaning so much to past, present and future comic collectors,” he said. “What’s a ‘future’ comic collector?” he remembered thinking. Bradley turned around, and outside of the boarded-up shop on a lock installed to keep intruders from trespassing, he saw something: a Polaroid picture. “I went over there and pulled it out,” he said. The picture, which featured a baby boy, read “Logan Nathaniel Hofguard: future comic collector.” “It had to have been taken within last 48 hours, and I knew a couple that had been in the store just a few days earlier and was looking to buy something for a baby named Logan,” he said. Logan as in James “Logan” Howlett, the alter ego of famous XMen character, Wolverine – the baby’s father’s favorite super hero, Bradley said. “That’s what future comic collec-
tor is, that right there,” Bradley said. “The store has run the gambit of generations at this point. I’ve been there long enough where the kids that I helped [pick out comics] are coming to with kids of their own.” Along with rebuilding the shop for those former comic collectors, Bradley was also overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from former customers and workers that vowed to help him “rebuild.” One such person is Timothy Wan, managing partner for the Smith Carroad Levy & Wan law firm in Commack and a former employee of Bradley’s who is now serving as his lawyer. “I read letter after letter [from people close to the store] about how much it meant to them and, really, that’s what kicked me,” Bradley said. “I stayed later that night [in the parking lot of the burnt-down shop] and stood there.” Seven o’clock, eight o’clock, nine o’clock; Bradley said the time flew by and so did the customers. Person after person, he said, pulled up, saw the aftermath and gave him their condolences. “You’ll get it back,” he recalled them saying to him. “You’ll get it all back; we just have to rebuild.” That rebuilding has already begun. Along with the satellite location and fundraising campaign, which had raised $2,126 as of press time Mon-
Long Islander News photo/Andrew Wroblewski
BUSINESS A ‘Super’ Response To A Tragic Situation
Michael Bradley, owner of what used to be Collectors Kingdom comic shop in Huntington Station, stands in front of his former shop, which burned down on Jan. 7. day, Bradley is operating a Facebook fan page – administrated by former employee and friend, Jade Torres – at www.facebook.com/CollectorsKingdom. There he said, fans of the shop can check in for updates, including ways to help out even further, such as an upcoming fundraiser that is scheduled for Feb. 27 – with more details to be announced in the coming weeks, he said.
Chabad Gets A Boost From LaunchPad Huntington By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
For the newly-formed Chabad of Huntington, using space at the LaunchPad in Huntington village for Tuesday Torah study is a match made in heaven – centrally located, convenient, and best of all, free. For the LaunchPad, it’s just another way to give back to the community. While at first blush the pairing might seem a bit unlikely, strip away the religious component and it’s not much different than any of the dozen tech startups headquartered at the 8,522 square-foot, second-story shared workspace at 315 Main St. “They have been phenomenal and really, really amazing… We have benefited tremendously with them,” said Rabbi Yaakov Raskin of the Chabad of Huntington. Since October, the chabad has
The new Chabad of Huntington has used the LaunchPad in Huntington village as a hub for Jewish education every Tuesday night since October. hosted a Torah study every Tuesday night, giving Jewish people from around town a chance to meet and explore their faith. Weekly services are a possibility in the future, Raskin said. But right now, the group’s main
focus is doing what any other budding start-up would – getting its name out. Most recently, they cohosted with the Town of Huntington a menorah-lighting ceremony at town hall during Hanukkah. “Our main focus is on … meeting
people and helping people and trying to build relationships with people in town,” he said. Tyler Roye, CEO of eGifter, the incubator’s anchor tenant, partnered with Andrew Hazan and LaunchPad Long Island, which also has a similar facility in Mineola, to create the downtown business hub which opened in February 2014. “What we’re trying to do is fill the void in the ecosystem for startups,” Roye said at the time. “We’re hoping to see the LaunchPad Huntington model and LaunchPad in general help provide a framework for mentorship that increases the likelihood that our startups will succeed.” And that goes for startup religious organizations, too; Raskin said they’re looking forward to a bright future in Huntington. “This is just the beginning,” he said.
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015 • A11
Spotlight On
Huntington Businesses By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
Joanna Koelmel is used to stepping into a new, unfamiliar environment. Born in Dubai, a city in the United Arab Emirates, Koelmel made the move to America as an 11year-old after the first Gulf War. Koelmel adapted and now, more than two decades later, she’s stepped into yet another new environment: Koelmel is now a firsttime business owner. “I’ve wanted to do this for about 10 years,” Koelmel, co-owner of Blue Bird NY Boutique, a women’s store, in Huntington village, said. “But when I first looked into how much work it was going to take… to make that [career change] would have been huge.” She started as a teacher in Wantagh and then Brooklyn with a mas-
ter’s degree in education, and she made her first career change when she joined up with Ralph Lauren in 2006. There she remained, but as Koelmel, her husband and their two children set roots in Huntington Bay in 2007, the itch for another change was too much for her to shake off. Koelmel wanted a business in Huntington village and she was ready to take on the challenge alongside her childhood friend, and co-owner of Blue Bird, Gail Saab – who actually resides in Dubai and helps with buying, merchandising and more. “We’ve both always wanted this, from different views though. She’s not in the industry, but she’s always had the passion for it,” Koelmel said. “I’m a big nerd when it comes to [learning]. I read a million books, took workshops and courses – I don’t like entering into something unless I’m fully educated in it. Obviously I know I don’t know everything about [running a business], but I have a solid foundation and I’m building on [it] with my day-today experiences in the store.” At Blue Bird, which opened in September 2014, Koelmel and Saab
Long Islander News photos/Andrew Wroblewski
‘Blue Bird,’ A Boutique Years In The Making
Owner Joanna Koelmel in her 324 Main St. store, Blue Bird NY Boutique, which she opened with her business partner in September 2014. have set out to capture the middle ground of the women’s boutique market. Wanting a shop with a midrange price point that doesn’t sacrifice quality and keeps up with current fashion trends, Koelmel believes women of all ages can come in and find something to fall in love
with. “[When we first started] our demographic was actually 25-55, which is broad,” she said. “[Four months later] I still cannot narrow that down; we have something for everybody here.” (Continued on page A25)
www.LongIslanderNews.com
www.facebook.com/dinehuntington
e i d o o F THE
SECTION
DINEHUNTINGTON .COM
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
Foodie photos/P. Sloggatt & D. Schrafel
A12 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015
Old Friends, New Adventures At Jonathan’s Ristorante By Danny, Peter & Betty foodies@longislandergroup.com
While one might argue not to mess with the classics, Jonathan’s Ristorante Executive Chef Tito Onofre is introducing new versions of some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, balanced with timeless favorites. Not to fear – the rule of Jonathan’s hasn’t changed. That one is simple: “Order what you’re in the mood for, and let the magic happen” at the hands of Onofre, a Florida Culinary Institute graduate and veteran who has cooked for the jury at James Beard House and held court at Jonathan’s, owned by Roberto Oronato, for the last 17 years.
A wild mushroom risotto has been punched up to become Risotto all’Anatra ($15 app, $25 main course), a creamy, expertly prepared dish punctuated with buttery morsels of duck sausage, fresh mushrooms and crisp, yet tender asparagus. Organic Bell & Evans chicken sings in Polletto alle Olive e Albicocche ($27), dressed in a sweet-and-salty marriage of green olive, apricot and pancetta sauce. It’s the same great chicken boasting a more daring treatment; previously, it was conservative lemon and Italian herbs. And the sea shines with an outrageously tasty Tonno ai Pomodori Freschi ($31), seared and peppery yellowfin tuna served alongside a
Manager Alex Vergara at the bar of Jonathan’s Ristorante, with Spiedino di Gamberi. red-yellow grape tomato vinaigrette, polenta cake and broccoli rabe; a change from its previous companion, an avocado-tomato salad as a play on
the tartare app ($17). Don’t fear – if you’re hooked on the classics, you can get it just how (Continued on page A13)
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015 • A13
Old friends, new adventures at Jonathan’s Ristorante (Continued from page A12)
you like it. One thing that hasn’t changed is the tender, thick and juicy Maiale con Vegetali Tartufati ($33), a double-cut pork chop with Cipolline onions, Tuscan potatoes and artichokes from which the intoxicating truffle oil wafts and lures you in. Hang around here for a while and you’ll find that Tito has a thing for truffles. More on that as we go along. Another thing that remains constant is Jonathan’s impeccable eye for wine. They’ve earned Wine Spectator magazine’s Award of Excellence every year since 2004 with a diverse selection from Germany, California, the northwest United States, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Spain, France and – where else? – lots of bottles from Italy. From high-priced exotics to more modestly-stickered favorites, they’ve got something for everybody, and they give 30-percent off bottles on Mondays and Sundays – a way to say thank you to the regulars, general manager Alex Vergara said. During our most recent visit, Tito and Alex showcased some of the new features of the menu. Those include
Polletto alle Olive e Albicocche ($27) features organic Bell & Evans chicken. kale, that light, leafy veggie that’s been all the rage of late and appears in Spiedino di Gamberi ($27), a pairing of expertly grilled tiger shrimp, salsa verde, a delicious faro salad and sautéed kale. With Insalata di Verza ($12), bold truffled pecorino takes the spotlight in a medley of baby kale, pears, toasty pine nuts and baby enoki mushrooms. Prosciutto di Parma ($16) just about melts in your mouth, a smooth-as-silk blend of 18-month aged prosciutto, smooth gorgonzola and crunchy sweet-and-tart apple, each complementing the other perfectly.
Tonno ai Pomodori Freschi ($31), featuring seared and peppery yellowfin tuna, is a smash. Also complementing the bar business nicely is a happening new happy hour. Dollar Blue Point oysters and $2 off beverages from 5-8 p.m. every day but Saturday have buoyed bar menu sales and packed the attractive front end. Tito says they’re prepared to go through as many as 200 a night. You might be apt to go through 200 a night of the classic pumpkin ravioli ($14 appetizer/$23 entrée), which delightfully blurs the line between dinner and dessert with aldente perfect pasta, sage butter sauce
and a sweet cinnamon crunch from amaretto cookie dust. But one finisher that’s decidedly dessert and decadently blissful is a Nutella Tiramisu ($10), a melt-inyour mouth confection crowned in a blizzard of chocolate shavings. For more subtle stylings, we enjoy Pinenut/Rosemary Tart ($10), with zabaglione gelato. It all goes back to Tito’s philosophy: play nice on the plate. “You try to make them work well with the other,” he says. “They’re supposed to complement each other, not fight.”
Jonathan’s Ristorante 15 Wall St., Huntington village 631-549-0055 www.jonathansrestaurant.net Atmosphere: Homey Tuscan Cuisine: Northern Italian Price: Moderate-Expensive Lunch Hours: Mon-Sat, noon-3 p.m. Dinner Hours: Mon-Thurs 5-10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 5-10:30 p.m.; Sun 4-9 p.m.
We’ve been nominated for
“Best Small Plates”
in the “Best of Huntington” competition
Go to www.longislandernews.com to vote for us!
$10 Daily Lunch Specials
4-7pm Happy “Appy” Hour Drink Specials and Specially Priced Bar Menu
Live Music Every Wednesday Through Saturday
Weekly Prix Fixe $28.95 Chef Inspired Dinner Specials Daily 65 Wall Street, Huntington, NY • 631-385-9255 • www.blackandbluehuntington.com Specials and times may change without notice, please inquire within
Now offering Happy Hour Monday through Friday from 5-7 pm 1/2-priced drinks and 1/2-priced tapas
23 Wall Street • Huntington 631-603-3600 www.cafebuenosaires.net
A14 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
Side Dish www.facebook.com/dinehuntington
DINEHUNTINGTON .COM
These heart-shaped vegan ice cream baby cakes will be available on Valentine's Day at Lewis Oliver Farm. VEGAN SWEETS: Show a little love for of Sweet Annabelle’s decadent,
animals – and ice cream! – this Valentine's Day. Join the gang at the Lewis Oliver Farm (Burt Avenue, Northport 631-261-6320 http://lewisoliverfarm.org) for a special tasting event
heart-shaped vegan ice cream baby cakes on Valentine's Day, Saturday, Feb. 14, between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sweet Annabelle's ice cream is made from scratch and is a dairy-free, veg-
We’ve been nominated as a finalist for having the “Best Small Plates” and “Best Live Music” in Huntington! Long Island’s Premier Wine & Small Plates Bar
We’ve been nominated as a finalist for having the “Best Italian Food” in Huntington! Go to www.longislandernews.com to vote for us now in their “Best Of Huntington 2014” competition!
BAR MENU • AWARD WINNING WINE LIST • PRIVATE PARTIES OPEN 7 DAYS LUNCH & DINNER 15 WALL STREET•HUNTINGTON VILL AGE 631-549-0055 w w w.jonathansristorante.com or opentable.com
Go to www.longislandernews.com now to cast your vote for us in their “Best Of Huntington 2014” contest!
and bring in this ad for 10% off your meal! Valid Tuesday-Thursday (expires 3/31/15)
56 Stewart Avenue Huntington, NY 11743 phone: 631-812-0060 web:www.bin56.com
Bar & Kitchen Hours
Sunday-Monday: Closed Tuesday-Thursday: 5pm-12am Friday: 5pm - 2am Saturday: noon to 2am
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015 • A15
an delight. Arrive early and buy one for your sweetie while the limited inventory lasts. Each cake serves 2-3 people. $10/cake. HOT ‘PLATES’: Just a week ago, we
talked about Tabassum Ali’s Plates – South Asian Tapas (4 Wall St., Huntington village). A week later, they’ve opened their doors, and for Ali, it’s the completion of a vision he set out when he opened the neighboring Spice Village Grill years ago. Taking advantage of a shared kitchen between the two restaurants, Plates offers an enticing array of tapas-style small plates pairing traditional South Asian favorites with new concepts, including the Samosa Wellington ($12), a light and flaky pastry wrapped around seasoned potatoes; Chapu Kabob Sliders, beef patties seasoned with pomegranate seeds and Indian spices served with melted Monterey cheese; and the crab meat kabob ($14) marinated with homemade seasonings and served with green chutney. There’s plenty more for you to enjoy, and an exciting wine selection to pair with your plates. Pay them a visit and let us know what you think!
Tapas are half-off for happy hour at Café Buenos Aires. HALF OFF: Want to try some of the
treats we showcased last week at Café Buenos Aires (23 Wall St., Huntington 631-603-3600 cafebuenosaires.net)? Now you can with ease – Hugo and his team have introduced a new happy hour, which, from 5-7 p.m. MondayFriday, offers half-price tapas and drinks. LAST CALL: Voting for Long Islander
News’ Best of Huntington competition, which features an array of restaurants and food shops in the running for top honors, is open on our website, LongIslanderNews.com, until Saturday, Jan. 25. Make sure to cast a ballot for your favorite spots before it’s too late!
We’ve been nominated as a finalist for having the
“Best Burger” in Huntington!
Go to www.longislandernews.com to vote for us now in their “Best Of Huntington 2014” competition! 55B Wall Street, Huntington NY 11743
631-421-4122 www.bistrocassis.com
We’ve been nominated as a finalist for having the “Best Sushi,” “Best Service,” “Best Lunch Specials,” and “Best Dinner Specials” in Huntington.
Go to www.longislandernews.com now to cast your vote in their “Best Of Huntington 2014” contest!
KURABARN JAPANESE RESTAURANT 479 New York Avenue Huntington, NY 11743
631-673-0060 www.kurabarn.com
A16 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015
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 Dix Hills Huntington Greenlawn Huntington Huntington Huntington Centerport Dix Hills Melville Huntington Huntington Huntington Centerport Huntington Huntington Centerport Dix Hills Centerport Huntington Centerport Huntington Dix Hills
DIX HILLS
MELVILLE
DIX HILLS
29 Fairfield Dr Bedrooms 5 Baths 4 Price $589,000 Taxes $12,989 Open House 1/22 12:30Pm-2:00Pm Douglas Elliman Real Estate 631-499-9191
395 Altessa Blvd Bedrooms 2 Baths 2 Price $1,199,000 Taxes $9,199 Open House 1/24 12:30Pm-2:00Pm Daniel Gale Agency Inc 631-427-6600
2 Gorham Ln Bedrooms 4 Baths 4 Price $539,000 Taxes $19,720 Open House 1/25 1:00Pm-3:00Pm Signature Premier Properties 631-673-3700
Address Beds 29 Fairfield Dr 5 31 Briarfield Ln 4 28 Gates St 3 Lot #14 Delamere St 4 Lot #7 Manchester Rd 4 N/C Broadway 4 3 Lone Oak Ct 4 1104 Carlls Straight Path 4 395 Altessa Blvd 2 2 Cliftwood Dr 3 82 Kenneth Ave 4 38 Sheppard Ln 3 50 Little Neck Rd 3 164 Nassau Rd 3 8 Paulding St 3 31 Forest Dr 3 2 Gorham Ln 4 235 Mckinley Ter 3 10 Tanyard Ln 4 7 Mariners Ct 3 142 Vineyard Rd 4 60 Colby Dr 4
Baths Price 4 $589,000 3 $889,000 3 $399,000 3 $469,900 3 $469,900 3 $469,900 3 $510,000 3 $525,000 2 $1,199,000 2 $399,000 3 $469,999 2 $495,000 2 $499,000 3 $499,000 3 $525,000 3 $529,000 4 $539,000 2 $549,000 2 $549,900 2 $629,000 3 $799,999 3 $849,000
Taxes $12,989 $18,533 $9,772 N/A N/A N/A $12,684 $18,372 $9,199 $9,749 $11,161 $11,061 $13,367 $16,790 $11,117 $10,852 $19,720 $11,318 $13,772 $15,075 $16,845 $18,704
Want to increase traffic to your next open house?
Date 1/22 1/22 1/24 1/24 1/24 1/24 1/24 1/24 1/24 1/25 1/25 1/25 1/25 1/25 1/25 1/25 1/25 1/25 1/25 1/25 1/25 1/25
Time 12:30Pm-2:00Pm 1:30Pm-3:00Pm 2:00Pm-4:00Pm 10:00Am-12:00Pm 10:00Am-12:00Pm 10:00Am-12:00Pm 12:00Pm-2:00Pm 12:00Pm-2:00Pm 12:30Pm-2:00Pm 12:00Pm-2:00Pm 1:00Pm-3:00Pm 2:00Pm-4:00Pm 2:00Pm-4:00Pm 1:00Pm-3:00Pm 1:00Pm-3:00Pm 1:00Pm-3:00Pm 1:00Pm-3:00Pm 11:30Am-2:00Pm 12:00Pm-2:00Pm 12:00Pm-2:00Pm 12:00Pm-2:00Pm 1:00Pm-3:00Pm
Broker Douglas Elliman Real Estate Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Signature Premier Properties Signature Premier Properties Signature Premier Properties Signature Premier Properties Coldwell Banker Residential Daniel Gale Agency Inc Coldwell Banker Residential Coldwell Banker Residential Signature Premier Properties Douglas Elliman Real Estate Coldwell Banker Residential Daniel Gale Agency Inc Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Signature Premier Properties Douglas Elliman Real Estate Coldwell Banker Residential Daniel Gale Agency Inc Signature Premier Properties Coldwell Banker Residential
Phone 631-499-9191 631-427-1200 631-673-2222 631-673-3700 631-673-3700 631-673-3700 631-673-3700 631-673-4444 631-427-6600 631-673-6800 631-673-6800 631-673-3700 631-549-4400 631-673-6800 631-427-6600 631-673-2222 631-673-3700 631-549-4400 631-673-6800 631-692-6770 631-673-3700 631-673-4444
Call your sales representative today.
(631) 427-7000
Cops: 3 broke into cars at cemetery, church, gyms (Continued from page A1)
Steven Glover, 26, was charged on 33 counts, and Sierra Green, 20, was arraigned on 26 charges. Typically, police said, the alleged thieves would steal purses, pocket any cash inside and abandon the rest. Det. Lt. Robert Edwards, the commanding officer of Suffolk County Police Department’s First Squad, described the suspects as those who “don’t care for the feelings of others” and are all about making easy money. “I’d like to think people would have respect in situations like that,” Edwards said during a press conference Friday. “It’s enough to go visit someone at a grave site, and then to become a crime victim, it’s a little more insensitive than your average criminal is going to be.”
The arrests follow an apparent surge in smash-and-grab thefts at three Melville gyms since Nov. 29, some of which police attributed to two of the suspects Friday. Police charged Glover in connection with three incidents at Planet Fitness located at 25 Ruland Road on Dec. 1 and one count tied to a Dec. 12 break-in at Blink Fitness, located at 121 Broadhollow Road, Second Squad Det. Sgt. Steven Bluethgen said Friday. Glover and Green are charged with four counts in relation to alleged break-ins at the Eastern Athletic Club, located at 100 Ruland Road, he added. Police statistics published in a Dec. 25 Half Hollow Hills Newspaper report showed that, from Nov. 29 to Dec. 16, there had been 17 criminal complaints for a combination of
criminal mischief, grand larceny and petit larceny at Eastern Athletic, Planet Fitness and Blink Fitness. Seven of those occurred on Dec. 16, in a 35-minute spree starting at 5:30 a.m. at Planet Fitness. 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, according to police. A wallet 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 Toy-
ota Prius. All three incidents were reported at 6 p.m.; the suspects are believed to have smashed front windows. Edwards credited confidential sources for helping officers crack the case and said the suspects could face more charges. Police believe they were “involved in other crimes,” which Edwards would not elaborate on due to an ongoing investigation. There’s no indication that drugs were a factor in this series of alleged thefts, Edwards said. “It’s just an easy way to get money without working for it,” he said, later noting the suspects were unemployed. Police credited the arrests to an effort between the First, Second, Third and Fourth Precincts, coordinated by the county’s Burglary Task Force.
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015 • A17
A18 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Plans OK’d For $50M ER By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
Demolition is underway at Huntington Hospital to clear the way for a major upgrade to the nearly 100year-old hospital’s emergency room facilities. Those demolition efforts are exploratory in nature, to “find the infrastructure and all the other utilities that might hinder the present design,” a Huntington planning department official said during a Jan. 14 meeting. That night, the board awarded siteplan approval for the project, which clears the way for North Shore-LIJ to apply for building permits for the $50 million, nearly 24,000 square-foot project. Planning Board Chairman Paul Mandelik said the hospital has long been a fixture in the community. “When we discussed this ER expansion at our meeting, we asked, ‘Has anybody used the ER at Huntington Hospital?’ Everybody raised their hands,” he said. “The point being, we appreciate Huntington Hospital. We don’t have any problem with their expansion, and keep up the good work.” The planning board action follows the Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals’ decision to award variances for the project in late June. Under the proposal, the emergency room will be completely rebuilt, as opposed to retrofitting and expanding the existing facility. The plan is to build the new emergency room, move the staff into the new facility. Once the transfer is complete, the former emergency HALF HOLLOW HILLS
The finished, approximately 24,000 square-foot emergency room is expected to cost $50 million and is to open in 2016. room would be torn down. Northport’s Kevin Lawlor, the former president and CEO of Huntington Hospital, told the zoning board last summer that the expansion would ease crowding experienced in the current emergency room. “It’s often crowded, and patients wind up in hallways,” Lawlor said at the time. “We don’t want to do that. The patients don’t want it, and we want an emergency room that is stateof-the-art, efficient, and we can move patients through this new emergency room quickly and efficiently.” Hospital officials said the $50 million will be “derived from multiple sources, including philanthropy and operations.” Construction is expected to begin in early 2015, with an anticipated completion date in late 2016. When finished, the expansion would double the size of Huntington Hospital’s emergency room, which currently serves over 50,000 visitors per year.
Faculty Ready For Volleyball Battle Wondering which teacher has the best spike? The Hills Foundation presents the first Half Hollow Hills Faculty Volleyball Tournament this week, putting the teachers on the court and the students in the bleachers. On Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. at Half Hollow Hills High School East, students can cheer on their favorite teachers and root for their school as the faculty and staff of Otsego, Paumanok, Signal Hill, Sunquam, Vanderbilt, Candlewood, West Hollow, High School East, High School West and the Central Office Administration battle it out for building pride, bragging rights and even a prize. Admission is $5. The crowd is invited to wear their school apparel. For more information, contact
Denise Ham (631-673-9375, DHam.hillsfoundation@gmail.com) or Gina Raio Bitsimis (631-385-4743, gbits@optonline.net). Proceeds from the event support the Hills Foundation for Enhancement & Enrichment of Children, a not-forprofit organization of community members whose goal is to provide additional financial support independent of the Half Hollow Hills School District. The foundation raises funds and develops resources for educational items which are not normally part of the school budget, such as cultural arts projects and general scholastic enrichment. Its objective is to enhance cooperation and understanding while encouraging innovation and creativity in meeting the challenges facing the public education system.
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015 • A19
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
County Links Pawn Shops To Drug Crisis By Arielle Dollinger adollinger@longislandergroup.com
A series of bills aimed at making it more difficult for heroin addicts to turn stolen items into drug money will be introduced in the Suffolk County Legislature next month, officials announced. The legislation, if adopted, would require pawn shops and precious metal and gem dealers to take digital photographs of each seller, each seller’s identification and each item being sold, and upload the images to a computerized tracking system, Assistant Deputy County Executive Tim Sini said last week. Sellers would also be required to take photographs of individuals selling gift cards, and secondhand dealers would be required to wait 21 days after the sale to delete data off of devices sold to them, Sini said. “The vast majority” of pawn shops in Suffolk County are “legitimate, honest paces of business,” Sini said; but a “select few” knowingly buy stolen property. “You have people who are suffering from Opioid dependency, and they need to fuel the addiction, and they turn to theft,” said Sini, noting that addicts will steal from cars, stores and people’s homes and then
Long Islander News photo/Arielle Dollinger
New legislation would regulate sales, ID sellers
County Executive Steve Bellone announces a series of bills aimed at regulating pawn shop sales at a press conference on Jan. 15. turn those stolen goods into cash by selling them to pawn shops. At a Jan. 15 press conference, County Executive Steve Bellone announced the legislation after discussing arrests made in connection with a string of gas station and Dunkin Donuts robberies. “These crimes did not happen in a vacuum,” Bellone said of the robberies, for which two men whom officials identified as heroin addicts
were arrested last week. “They are related to a larger issue that is something we face in this county and, quite frankly, across our country. That is the heroin and prescription drug epidemic.” Bellone appointed Sini to come up with a “multi-prong, comprehensive approach” to battling the epidemic. “As the police have noted, we are not going to arrest our way out of this problem,” Bellone said. “The
heroin addicts who are committing these crimes are seeking money in order to feed their habit, and they’re using pawn shops in order to feed their habit. And this legislation that we are putting forward is intended to help close of that ability to feed that habit.” District Attorney Thomas Spota called the question of passing the legislation a “no-brainer.” Suffolk Chief of Police James Burke said that Opioid addiction – heroin, specifically – is driving crime in Suffolk County as well as in other parts of the country. “The unscrupulous pawn shop owners are fueling the addiction, and thereby fueling the crime,” Burke said. An investigation by the police department and the county’s department of consumer affairs, involving undercover police officers posing as individuals selling stolen property, resulted in the arrest of three Long Island pawn shop operators and the execution of two search warrants of pawn shops over the past several weeks, Sini said. After it is introduced at the meeting of the legislature on Feb. 3, the bills will be up for public hearing on March 3 and eligible for adoption on March 24, according to Sini.
Comedian builds on standup experience (Continued from page A1)
so I like that it [the props and instruments] adds a little dimension to things,” Martin said. Martin will bring that “building” mentality of comedy to The Paramount on Jan. 30 for a one-nightonly show. “I’ve been doing this for a while now, but years ago I started by performing in smaller rooms in New York City,” Martin said. “From there, I thought it would be interesting to experiment with my comedy and using things like drawing to get extra punchlines by using images and drawings.” Known for his deadpan style of comedy – best related to Steven Wright, his biggest comedic influence – Martin broke onto the scene in 2001 after Comedy Central featured his act on “Premium Blend,” a television series that aired from 1999-2005. He incorporated drawings on his “large pad” and music –
he plays guitar, harmonica, piano, keyboard, glockenspiel, toy bells, ukulele and tambourine, sometimes all at the same time – into his act in order to get laughs from the audience. “When I first got started I was living in New York and I always wanted to try standup before I left there; I would have regretted it if I didn’t,” he said. “After getting on that stage for the first time, I said to myself, ‘I think this is for me.’” Following his success on Come-
dy Central, for more than a decade, Martin made his mark through his standup, writing – he was a writer for “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” from 2003-2004 – and acting. In 2004, Martin was a part of the “Late Night” team that was nominated for an Emmy Award. “I like to diversify what I’m doing so that I keep learning and growing,” Martin, 41, said. That diversity has followed Martin onto the stage, and he has an especially “polished” act prepared for
visitors to The Paramount next week. With a television special filming in Washington, D.C. looming in the next few months, Martin said he’ll be showcasing plenty of new material to the Huntington audience. “I’m really focused on that special so I’m building up new jokes… I think it should be a good show,” he said. Tickets range from $25-$50 and can be purchased at the box office at 370 New York Ave. or online at www.paramountny.com.
Find us. Like us. Follow us. facebook.com/longislandernews
A20 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015
THURSDAY What’s Up With Our Water Quality?
Learn more about Long Island’s water quality at a presentation on Thursday, Jan. 29, 6:45 p.m. at the Northport Yacht Club, 11 Bluff Point Road, Northport. Cash bar and complimentary appetizers. Register by email to StephanieQuarles@gmail.com or call your GHCYBC rep.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
Calendar O M M U N I T Y
Divorce Support
If you’re going through or have just gone through a divorce or separation, join the Women’s Center for support on Thursdays, Jan. 22, 29; and Feb. 5, at 125 Main St., Huntington, from 6:30-8 p.m. $7 per session. 516-387-8732.
Open House
Find out more about East Woods School, a co-ed day school for pre-K through eighth grade, at an open house on Jan. 29, 9-11 a.m. at the campus, 31 Yellow Cote Road, Oyster Bay. 516-9224400. www.eastwoods.org/openhouse.
Red Tie Gala
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.
95 Harbor Road, Cold Spring Harbor. 631-692-6820. cshlibrary.org. • Beginner/Intermediate Knitting meets Wednesdays through Feb. 11, with sessions from 10-11:30 a.m. and 7-8:30 p.m. Learn to knit, improve your technique, or get help with a current project. In-person registration must be accompanied by a check. • A substance abuse awareness program, featuring three professionals, a person and a family in recovery, and a confidential question & answer session, will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28 (snow date: Feb. 4). Free.
Springsteen Tribute Band Takes Stage Five Towns College, • For Five Towns College Performing Arts Center’s season opener, Badlands, a group of top-notch musicians dedicated to performing the music of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, performs on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25-$35. 305 N. Service Road, Dix Hills. Box Office: 631-656-2148. www.dhpac.org. Paumanok, Signal Hill, Sunquam, Vanderbilt, Candlewood, West Hollow, High School East, High School West and the Central Office Administration battle it out. $5 admission.
SATURDAY Farmer’s Market
Shop at a farmer’s market at Main Street Nursery, 475 West Main St., Huntington, every Saturday until March 21, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 631-271-0160. Vendors welcome.
SUNDAY
Join the Townwide Fund of Huntington on Feb. 12 at the 2015 Valentine’s Red Tie Gala at Oheka Castle, featuring dancing and dining and honoring: Adelhardt Construction, David Altman, Esq., Brown + Altman; Gene Cook, Huntington Councilman; Inna Gellerman, DDS, Gellerman Orthodontics; Kevin Lawlor, Huntington Hospital; Barry D. Lites, Law Office of Barry D. Lites; Laura Maier, Dairy Queen; and Bob Vallario, QuickChek. Tickets are $225 ($2,000 for a table of 10). Call Executive Director Trish Rongo at 631-629-4950.
FRIDAY
Arts Camp Open House
The Hills Foundation presents the first Half Hollow Hills Faculty Volleyball Tournament on Jan. 23, 7 p.m. at Half Hollow Hills High School East. Cheer on your favorite teachers and root for your school as the faculty and staff of Otsego,
Power Breakfast
Cold Spring Harbor Library
‘My Father Was a Nazi’
Hills Volleyball Tournament
WEDNESDAY
AT THE LIBRARIES
Senior Advocates
Suffolk County Office for the Aging Senior Advocates meet with interested and needy seniors ages 60 and over this winter at the following locations in the Town of Huntington: Huntington Library, 338 Main St, Huntington: Huntington Senior Nutrition Center, 423 Park Ave., Huntington: Wednesdays, Jan. 28, Feb. 25 and March 25, 8:30-11:30 a.m.; Paumanack Village I & II, 650 Paumanack Village Drive, Greenlawn: Tuesdays, Jan. 27, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and Feb. 24 and March 24, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Paumanack Village V & VI, 100 Adriatic Drive, Melville: Thursdays, Jan. 22, Feb. 26 and March 26, 8:30-11:30 a.m.; Monday, March 9, 10 a.m.-noon; and South Huntington Library, 145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station: Thursday, Feb. 19, 10-11:30 a.m. Advocates assist with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – formerly known as food stamps), Medicare Savings Program and Heating Emergency Assistance Program (HEAP) applications. 631-853-8200.
registration required by phone or online: 631-351-8672. www.thechaicenter.com.
Join The Chai Center for the second of its Historic Evening Series. This month’s special guest author is Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger, author of “A German Life.” Hear the story of how the horror of the holocaust and his subsequent discovery of his father’s role in it changed his life and set him on the road to Judaism on Sunday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m. at the Chai Center, 501 Vanderbilt Pkwy., Dix Hills. $20 in advance, $30 at the door. Call 631-351-8672, email mail@thechaicenter.com or visit www.thechaicenter.com/sonofnazi. Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts (www.usdan.com), the nationally acclaimed summer arts day camp, hosts an open house on Jan. 25, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at its 200-acre woodland campus, 185 Colonial Springs Road, Wheatley Heights (Huntington). $100 Early Bird enrollment discount through
Jan. 31. Among the offerings this season: free aftercare from 3:05-6 p.m.; hiphop, combination and lyrical dance; sewing and fashion design; architectural design; and archery and “quidditch.” Call 631-643-7900, write to info@usdan.com, or visit www.usdan.com.
MONDAY 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 at a new time on Saturdays, 24 p.m. at Spirit of Huntington Art Center, 2 Melville Road North, Huntington Station. 631-470-9620 or email noconintended@gmail.com. Suggested donation: $15 per person/$25 per couple.
Coping With Mental Illness
The Melville-based National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, NAMI, hosts a free, 12week 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 the Syosset Hospital through March 23. Contact Susan Palmer at 917-838-7436 to register.
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-
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. • A six-hour defensive driving course could get you three years of insurance premium savings and four points reduced from your driving record. Attend one on Saturday, Jan. 24, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. $30.
Deer Park Public Library
44 Lake Ave., Deer Park. 631-586-3000. deerparklibrary.org. • Through a grant from New York State, the library offers Google Nexus 7 tablets for borrowing. Browse the web, download a book, play games and more with just a touch of your finger. Tablets can be checked out for two weeks on an adult Deer Park library card. • Try Zumba on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 7 p.m.
Elwood Public Library
3027 Jericho Turnpike, Elwood. 631499-3722. www.elwoodlibrary.org. • Watch the library’s weekly Friday afternoon movie at 1 p.m. • Have coffee and an informal chat with Legislator Steve Stern on Thursday, Jan. 29, 5:30 p.m.
Half Hollow Hills Community Library
Dix Hills: 55 Vanderbilt Parkway. 631421-4530; Melville: 510 Sweet Hollow Road. 631-421-4535. hhhlibrary.org. • Enjoy music from the great American songbook, the Big Band era, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, Natalie Cole and Ella Fitzgerald as the New Vintage Orchestra plays on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2-4 p.m. in Dix Hills.
Harborfields Public Library
31 Broadway, Greenlawn. 631-757-4200. harborfieldslibrary.org. • Come in for some fun and games every Friday from 1-4 p.m. The game room is stocked with scrabble, bridge and other
(Continued on page A21)
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015 • A21
Ripe Art Gallery
fun board games. • Learn what hypnosis is, how it works, and the many ways you can use it from Tina Pineiro on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 7 p.m.
(Continued from page A20)
‘My Father Was a Nazi’ Join The Chai Center for the second of its Historic Evening Series. This month’s special guest author is Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger, author of “A German Life.” Hear the story of how the horror of the holocaust and his subsequent discovery of his father’s role in it changed his life and set him on the road to Judaism on Sunday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m. at The Chai Center, 501 Vanderbilt Pkwy., Dix Hills. $20 in advance, $30 at the door. Call 631-351-8672, email mail@thechaicenter.com or visit www.thechaicenter.com/sonofnazi.
Huntington Public Library
Main Branch: 338 Main St., Huntington. 631-427-5165. Station Branch: 1335 New York Ave., Huntington Station. 631-421-5053. www.thehuntingtonlibrary.org. • A violin virtuoso and Laureate of three international competitions, David Podles gives a brief lecture and magnificent musical performances from Baroque, Romantic and Vienna Classical to Contemporary periods, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2 p.m. Free.
Northport-East Northport Public Library
Northport: 151 Laurel Ave. 631-2616930. East Northport: 185 Larkfield Road. 631-261-2313. www.nenpl.org. • For adults and children in grades K and up, experience an amazing performance of stories brought to life through face painting with artist and storyteller Christopher Agostino on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2-3:30 p.m. in Northport. • Dr. Richard Murdocco will discuss the psychological aspects of anxiety and depression and the medications used to treat these disorders on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 7 p.m. in Northport.
South Huntington Public Library
145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station. 631-549-4411. www.shpl.info. • Has winter put in the mood to plan a getaway? Join SeniorNet to learn how to research travel, hotels, restaurants, guided tours and more on the Internet, on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2 p.m.
THEATER/FILM Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave., Huntington. www.cinemaartscentre.org. 631-423-7611. • “Treasure Island,” Robert Louis Stevenson’s story of murder, money and mutiny, is brought to life in a thrilling new stage adaptation by Bryony Lavery at London’s National Theatre. The play will be broadcast live in Huntington on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. $20 members/$25 public. • Long Island filmmaker Michael Cuesta presents Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece about a Russian army explorer on an expedition to the snowy Siberian wilderness and his deep friendship with a seasoned local hunter. “Dersu Uzala” screens Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. $10 members/$15 Public. Cuesta is the director of such films as “Kill The Messenger” and is executive producer of “Homeland” and “Dexter.”
John W. Engeman Theater At Northport
350 Main St., Northport. www.johnwengemantheater.com. 631-261-2900. • “Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike” opens Jan. 22. The Tony Award-winning play runs until March 8.
AUDITIONS/SUBMISSIONS ‘The Man Who Came To Dinner’
Auditions for Kaufman’s & Hart’s “The
Man Who Came to Dinner” are Tuesday, Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m. Rehearsals will either be on Sunday afternoons, Monday or Tuesday nights beginning on Feb. 17. Performed by The Minstrel Players of Northport. Performances will be on Saturdays, April 25 and May 2 and Sundays, April 26 and May 3. Bring a resume and a headshot. All parts open except for Whiteside and Miss Preen. Call 631-732-2926 or visit www.minstrelplayers.org.
MUSEUMS/EXHIBITS Art League of Long Island
107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills. Gallery hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. weekends. 631-462-5400. www.ArtLeagueLI.net. • Transport yourself back into spring with floral and landscape paintings by the one and only Ruth Baderian. The exhibit runs until Jan. 25.
b.j. spoke gallery
299 Main St., Huntington. Gallery hours: Monday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. 631-5495106. www.bjspokegallery.com. • The Winter Harvest of Artists runs through Jan. 31.
Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum
279 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor. 631-367-3418. www.cshwhalingmuseum.org. • Explore the amazing world of teeth! In celebration of National Children’s Dental Health Month, Huntington Bay Dental presents “TOOTHPALOOZA” – a fun-filled family day of teeth exploration at The Whaling Museum and Education Center, located at 301 Main Street in Cold Spring Harbor. The event is Sunday, February 8, 2015 from 12-3pm. Admission is $10/child. Adults are regular admission. Family level members are $7/child. All ages.
Heckscher Museum Of Art
2 Prime Ave., Huntington. Museum hours: Wednesday - Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., first Fridays from 4-8:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission $6-8/adults, $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
Welwyn Preserve. 100 Crescent Beach Road, Glen Cove. Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun.: noon-4 p.m. 516-571-8040 ext. 100. www.holocaustnassau.org. • The permanent exhibit explains the 1930s increase of intolerance, the reduction of human rights, and the lack of intervention that enabled the persecution and mass murder of millions of Jews and others: people with disabilities, Roma and Sinti (Gypsies), Jehovah’s Witnesses, gays and Polish intelligentsia.
Huntington Arts Council
Main Street Petite Gallery: 213 Main St., Huntington. Gallery hours: Monday Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Art in the Art-trium: 25 Melville Park Road, Melville. Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-7 p.m. 631-271-8423. www.huntingtonarts.org. • “Making an Impression III,” a juried printmaking exhibit, is on display until Feb. 9 in the main gallery.
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.
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. • Submissions are now being accepted for the gallery’s Ninth Annual Valentine’s Day Group Show. This year’s theme is “Peace, Love and Rock ’n’ Roll.”
Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium
180 Little Neck Road, Centerport. Museum hours through April 15: Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, 12-4 p.m. Grounds admission: $7 adults, $6 students with ID and seniors 62 and older, and $3 children 12 and under. Mansion tour, add $5 per person. 631854-5555. www.vanderbiltmuseum.org. • The planetarium’s new show, “Black Holes: Journey into the Unknown,” has regular showings on Tuesdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Walt Whitman Birthplace
246 Old Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station. Hours: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Admission: $6 adults, $5 seniors, $4 students, and children under 5 are free. 631-427-5240. www.waltwhitman.org. • 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 Five Towns College Performing Arts Center
Five Towns College, 305 N. Service Road, Dix Hills. Box Office: 631-6562148. www.dhpac.org. • For its season opener, Badlands, a group of top-notch musicians dedicated to performing the music of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, performs on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25-$35.
The Paramount
370 New York Ave., Huntington. 631673-7300. www.paramountny.com. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. • Jeff Beck has confirmed a third performance on Wednesday, April 15, which will precede his two shows already set for Thursday, April 16 and Friday, April 17. Limited tickets remain for the show on April 16 while all available tickets for April 17 are sold out. Tickets for the newly added show go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 23.
Send us your listings Submissions must be in by 5 p.m. 10 days prior to publication date. Send to Community Calendar at 14 Wall Street, Huntington, NY 11743, or e-mail to info@longislandergroup.com
A22 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
New Head Hired At Huntington Hospital By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
A longtime Huntington resident has been tapped to lead Huntington Hospital. Gerard X. Brogan, Jr., a 20-year Huntington resident, took the helm on Jan. 20, a spokesman for North ShoreLIJ Health System, which owns Huntington Hospital, confirmed last week. Brogan Jr., who previously served as the medical director of Forest Hills Hospital, succeeds past president and CEO Kevin Lawlor, who retired at the end of 2014, in the hospital’s top post, but with a different title: executive director. “While several talented candidates from both inside and outside the organization were interviewed for the position over the past several months,
Dr. Brogan distinguished vice president of emerhimself as a professional gency services for Forwith a thorough underest Hills, Franklin, standing of Huntington Plainview, Syosset and Hospital, the successes it Southside hospitals, enjoys and the chalNorth Shore-LIJ offilenges it faces in today’s cials said in a release. complex healthcare en“It has been an honor vironment,” said to be part of the North Michael Dowling, North Shore-LIJ Health SysShore LIJ’s president tem for the last 17 and chief executive offi- Gerard Brogan took the years,” Brogan said. “I cer. “As a physician helm of Huntington Hospi- look forward to working leader, he is focused on tal on Tuesday. with the great staff at delivering the highest Huntington Hospital as quality, patient-centered care to the we continue to provide our communicommunity and brings a unique set of ty with the highest quality healthcare skills to the business of medicine.” available anywhere.” Brogan joined the North Shore-LIJ In his new role, Brogan reports to Health System in 1998 as director of Mark Solazzo, executive vice presiemergency services at Plainview dent and chief operating officer of Hospital, and subsequently served as North Shore-LIJ, and the Huntington
Hospital Board of Trustees. Brogan previously served as medical director of Forest Hills Hospital, where he focused on improving clinical quality, hospital operational efficiency and financial performance, and worked with hospital staff and more than 500 full-time and communitybased physicians. He also serves as professor of emergency medicine at the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, has published extensively in the area of Acute Cardiac Emergencies, and serves as the medical director of revenue operations for North Shore-LIJ. Brogan earned his medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and completed his residency, serving as chief resident, in emergency medicine at LIJ Medical Center.
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
RevitalizationBringsBenefitsInMoreWaysThanOne By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
A community benefits agreement between the Town of Huntington and Huntington Station master developer Renaissance Downtowns, which clears the way for groundbreaking on a series of proposed downtown revitalization projects, was approved unanimously Jan. 14. Ryan Porter, Renaissance Downtowns’ vice president of development, said after the vote he was “very pleased” with the decision. The community benefits package calls for 25 percent of construction
jobs to go to Town of Huntington residents, a goal which will be reached by enrolling residents in construction-skills apprenticeship programs. Similarly, the prime contractor will award at least 25 percent of the value of its prime contract to town corporations. For the businesses that occupy the newly developed space, 25 percent of the new hires for the permanent, non-construction jobs will go to locals. In each case, Huntington Station residents will receive top preference, with a general preference going to Town of Huntington residents.
Support for community programs, such as the conversion of the New York State Armory on East Fifth Street to the James Conte Community Center, funding for the Huntington Opportunity Resource Center and crime prevention, education, emergency services, youthoriented and other community programs will be drawn from funds generated by development projects in the area. Monthly inspection of payroll records and reporting will be used to ensure compliance, with fines to be levied for those who fail to “use good faith efforts to meet the hir-
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
New Rental Housing Rules Approved By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
A proposal to tighten regulations on houses rented by absentee landlords was ratified Jan. 14 by the Huntington Town Board . The board voted 4-0 to approve the legislation, sponsored by Councilwoman Tracey Edwards. Citing his ownership of rental properties that would be affected by the change, Councilman Gene Cook abstained. The legislation, which takes effect after being filed with New York State’s Secretary of State, requires
owners of one- or two-family houses to pay $475 per property per year and undergo yearly inspections in order to obtain a rental permit, plus a one-time, $75 registration fee. That will protect the safety of tenants and emergency first responders, Edwards said, and create parity in the town’s rental laws. Owner-occupied accessory apartments have been subject to yearly inspections, a $175 application fee and $250 per year for the permit; prior to Edwards’ legislation, rental homes were only subject to the $75 registry fee and did not have to be inspected yearly.
In both cases, applicants for permit renewals will pay $25 in addition to the annual permit fee. The proposal faced pushback again from some residents and realtors, who argued that the new law would drive up rental costs in town and represented an unwarranted overreach by town government into citizens’ property rights. Edwards stressed that the law is a first step toward solving a longstanding problem and rebuffed calls from some to delay the vote. She said the law could be modified in the future if issues emerge. (Continued on page A25)
ing/award goal” or fail to report. Renaissance Downtowns is envisioning extensive residential and commercial redevelopment along the Route 110 corridor near the Huntington train station, according to a development strategy approved by the town board in June 2013. Along the New York Avenue corridor, LIRR commuter parking lots owned by the New York State Department of Transportation are being eyed for 21 “live-work” units, where apartments would be built above commercial space for retail and business use. At the end of the stretch, near the intersection with Church Street, 28 artist’s lofts are proposed. The development would be near a 140-room boutique hotel and an approximately 100,000 square-foot office building in a municipal parking lot near the Long Island Rail Road station. An additional 15,000 square-foot commercial building is planned for a parcel at the corner of Northridge Street and Route 110, and 68 apartments, split between studios and one-bedroom units, are proposed to be built over 16,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space on the ground floor. Those projects would replace several residential and commercial buildings between 1000 New York Ave., which the town owns, and Suite Pieces, the former Yankee (Continued on page A25)
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015 • A23
The Best Of
Finalists
e
e
HUNTINGTON
WHO’S T? THE BES
CAST YOUR VOTES Choose your favorites from among the finalists listed here and cast your votes online at www.LongIslanderNews.com. Just click on the “Best of Huntington” logo and follow the simple steps to vote. Voting is open through Sunday, January 25 and winners will be announced January 29. Who has the Best Burger? • Bistro Cassis • Black & Blue Seafood Chophouse • Finnegan’s Restaurant • Honu Kitchen & Cocktails • Ideal Wine & Cheese Café • Main Street Café • Munday’s Restaurant • Old Fields • Sapsuckers • Zin Burger Who has the Best Cut of Steak? • Black & Blue Seafood Chophouse • Honu Kitchen & Cocktails • Imperial Meat Company • Mac’s Steakhouse • Old Fields • Prime - An American Kitchen & Bar • The Clubhouse Who has the Best Italian Food? • Almarco Italian Grill • Bravo Nader • Jonathan’s Ristorante • Maroni Cuisine • Osteria da Nino • Piccolo Restaurant • Porto Fino Restaurant • Restaurant Joanina • Sal D’s • Tutto Pazzo Who has the Best Greek Food? • Athenian Greek Taverna • Greek Grill of Huntington • Mediterranean Snack Bar • Neraki Greek Mediterranean Grill • Skorpios Restaurant • Venus Greek Restaurant Who has the Best Chinese Takeout? • Albert’s Mandarin Gourmet • Golden China • Precious Chinese Cuisine • Sun Shine Restaurant • Ting Restaurant Who has the Best Sushi? • 110 Japan • Jewel Restaurant • Kashi • Kurabarn • Osaka Japanese Restaurant • Ting Restaurant • Tomo Hibachi
Who has the Best Mexican Food? • Besito Mexican Restaurant • Faz’s Tex-Mex Grill • Oaxaca Mexican Food Treasure • Pancho Villa’s • Quetzalcoatl Restaurant Who has the Best Ice Cream? • Ben & Jerry’s • Carvel • Herrell’s Ice Cream • Kilwins • Wolfies Frozen Custard Who has the Best Slice of Pizza? • DiRaimo’s Pizzeria • Fattusco’s Pizzeria • Little Vincent’s Pizza • Massa’s Pizzeria • Porto Fino Restaurant • Rosa’s Pizza Who has the Best Cup of Coffee? • A Rise Above Bake Shop • Caffe Portofino • Dunkin’ Donuts • Ideal Wine & Cheese Café • Southdown Coffee • Starbucks • Storyville American Table Who has the Best Small Plates? • Bin 56 • Café Buenos Aires • Honu Kitchen & Cocktails • Ideal Wine & Cheese Café • Swallow Restaurant Who has the Best Service? • Honu Kitchen & Cocktails • Ideal Wine & Cheese Café • Kurabarn • Mill Pond House • Prime-An American Kitchen & Bar • Storyville American Table • Swallow Restaurant Who has the Best Happy Hour? • Black & Blue Seafood Chophouse • Christopher’s • Honu Kitchen & Cocktails • Finley’s of Greene Street • Mac’s Steakhouse Who has the Best Lunch Specials? • Almarco Italian Grill • Kurabarn • New York Panini • Robke’s Country Inn • Tutto Pazzo
Who has the Best Dinner Specials? • Black & Blue Seafood Chophouse • Honu Kitchen & Cocktails • Ideal Wine & Cheese Café • Kurabarn • Storyville American Table • Tutto Pazzo
Where is the Best Concert Venue / Theater? • Chapin Rainbow Stage • Cinema Arts Centre • Dix Hills Performing Arts Center • John W. Engeman Theater • The Paramount
Who has the Best Live Music? • Bin 56 • Black & Blue Seafood Chophouse • Finley’s of Greene Street • Porto Vivo • Ritz Café • The Paramount
What is the Best Toy Store? • Cow Over The Moon • Einstein’s Attic • Little Switzerland • Toys-R-Us • Value Drugs
Who has the Best Nightlife? • Black & Blue Seafood Chophouse • Finley’s of Greene Street • Honu Kitchen & Cocktails • Nag’s Head Ale • Prime-An American Kitchen & Bar • The Paramount Who has the Best Drink Offerings? • Besito Mexican Restaurant • Black & Blue Seafood Chophouse • Elijah Churchill’s Public House • Honu Kitchen & Cocktails • Sapsuckers • Storyville American Table • Swallow Restaurant What is the Best Men’s Clothing Store? • Beltrami • Brooks Brothers • Macy’s • Marshs • Men’s Wearhouse What is the Best Women’s Clothi ng Store? • Dressbarn • Fox’s • Francine’s Fashion • Loft • Rexer-Parkes • Vine & Roses What is the Best Children’s Clothing Store? • Denny’s Kids Wear • Janie and Jack • Madison’s Niche • Old Navy • Pashley Children’s Boutique
What is the Best Medical Practice? • Huntington Medical Group • Long Island Otolaryngology: Spencer William MD • Medicenter (Jericho Turnpike) • Northshore Medical Group • Picard Chiropractic • WGM Obstetrics & Gynecology Who is the Best Auto Dealershi p? • Huntington Honda • Huntington Jeep Chrysler • Huntington Mazda • Huntington Toyota • Mercedes-Benz of Huntington Who is the Best Service Shop? • AloeTech • Depalo & Sons Auto Body • Hendrickson Car Care • Oakwood Car Care & Tire Center • Tilden Car Center Who is the Best Hair Salon? • Abraxas • Cactus Salon • Gizya Michaels Hair Salon • Haven Hair Spa • Monet Salon • Salon Mayan • Spa Adriana • Tres Jolie Salon de Beaute Who is the Best Day Care / Camp? • Camp Alvernia • Park Shore Country Day Camp • Usdan Center • West Hills Day Camp • YMCA
What is the Best Educational Service? • Bethel Nursery School • Building Blocks • Huntington Learning Center • St. Anthony’s High School • St. Patrick’s School • Test Takers • Tutor Time • Village East Gifted What is the Best Nursery / Gardening Store? • Fort Hill Nursery • Hick’s Nursery • Main Street Nursery • Prianti Farms • White Post Farms What is the Best Jewelry Store? • Frassanito Jewelers • Libutti Jewelry • Maddaloni Jewelers • The Window Shop • Tudor Jewelers • Zachary’s Fine Jewelry Who is the Best Non-Profit / Charitable Organization? • Cinema Arts Centre • Family Service League • Kiwanis • The Huntington Arts Council • The Huntington Chamber of Commerce • The Townwide Fund of Huntington • Toys for Hope What is the Best-Kept Secret of Huntington? • A Rise Above Bake Shop • Alfredo’s Bakery • Bon Bon’s Chocolatier • Harbor Beverage • Ideal Wine & Cheese Café • Pilates One-On-One • Prianti Farms • Storyville American Table • Suite Pieces
news
A24 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
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
GENERAL
HOME SERVICES
Chimney Sweeps & Repairs Over 30 Years Experience Committed to Customer Satisfaction
631-588-2969
$39.95
$100 OFF
$20 OFF
Any Complete Lining System
Any Chimney Cap
Wood Burning Stoves & Inserts Slightly Higher Not to be combined with any other offers – Must present coupon at time of order/purchase
Not to be combined with any other offers – Must present coupon at time of order/purchase
Not to be combined with any other offers – Must present coupon at time of order/purchase
Expires 2/15/15
Expires 2/15/15
Expires 2/15/15
$50 OFF Power Washing Not to be combined with any other offers – Must present coupon at time of order/purchase Expires 2/15/15
ROYAL FLOOR SERVICES Residential & Commercial Wood Flooring
Chimney Sweeps • Video Inspection • Chimney Lining & Caps CERTIFIED Draft & Water Problems • Stainless Steel Liners CHIMNEY Crowns Replaced and Repaired • Tuck Pointing and Repair SWEEP Fully Insured
Chimney Cleaning
Give Your Floors the Royal Treatment
Hampton Mechanical Services, Inc.
• 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
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
EMPLOYMENT
Help Wanted Western Suffolk utility company accepting applications for maintenance mechanic. Will train, but mechanical skills a plus, and people skills a must. Clean NYSDMV driver’s license required. Send resume to PO Box 20775, Huntington Station, New York 11746
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!
To Place Your Classified Ad Call 631-427-7000 or email info@longislandergroup.com
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 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
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.
www.LongIslanderNews.com
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015 • A25
Department head swap Blue Bird NY Boutique (Continued from page A3)
it’s time for change. We’ll move Neal down to general services in one of the deputy slots, and he concurred with that.” While Boccard and Sheehan both take a position cut, only one takes a sizable pay cut. While Sheehan’s pay goes down from a budgeted $128,281 to $106,500, Boccard’s, which is
$130,000, decreases by just $395 from his budgeted salary. In fact, he makes more than Laux, who will earn $128,000 in the deputy director role. Tyree will earn $130,000 as general services director. Councilman Mark Cuthbertson abstained from the vote; Boccard is his uncle. Councilman Gene Cook voted no.
New rental rules OKd (Continued from page A22)
“We’re moving one step closer to having homes we can ensure are safe for not only our first responders, but for the tenants that are living in the homes,” she said after the vote, adding that the law will also help preserve quality of life in neighborhoods. Landlords who rent homes without a permit are subject to escalating fines and possibly jail time. Edwards’ proposal also makes it illegal for real estate agents to list or show rental properties that do not
have a permit. Brokers who show and rent illegal apartments are also subject to fines. Under the code, permits and renewals will not be issued until the property complies with town code. Homeowners who rent seasonally will be exempt from the restrictions. Landlords who have Section 8 vouchers disbursed by the Huntington Housing Authority are not exempt under the proposal; only homes directly administered by the Huntington Housing Authority are exempt under the proposal.
(Continued from page A11)
Mother-daughter shopping teams, she said, are typical customers who come in to browse Blue Bird’s “multifunctional and very versatile” selection of tops, bottoms, coverups, jackets, accessories, jewelry and more; and the best part, Koelmel said, is that customers are not breaking the bank. “I want to be able to walk into a store when I’m going out to dinner with my husband and I don’t want to break the bank,” she said. “But I’d love a new top that I can spend $60-70 on, feel good, look good and have it be good quality – and I’m not spending $400 on a random Tuesday.” In that spirit, Blue Bird is currently hosting a 30- to 50-percent
off sale on select items. Once February rolls around, an even bigger push will be made as the season changes, with sales of around 50percent off affecting almost all of Blue Bird’s inventory. But the best part, Koelmel said, comes exclusive to the joys of boutique shopping: the diversity of the selection that can’t be found at big-name department stores. “At the end of the day,” she said, “you don’t want to be wearing what everybody else is wearing.”
Blue Bird NY Boutique 324 Main St., Huntington 631-424-2053 www.bluebirdnyboutique.com
Benefits package (Continued from page A22)
Peddler antique store. Porter said a memorandum of understanding with three property owners along that stretch exists. Also planned is a 14-townhouse
Columbia Terrace development, an affordable housing project for veterans being developed by the town’s Economic Development Corporation at the corner of Columbia and Railroad Streets.
Please VOTE for
Family Service League as Best Huntington Non-Profit/Charitable Organization!
Restoring Hope. Rebuilding Lives. Since 1926.
A26 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015
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 • JANUARY 22, 2015 • A27
HillSPORTS GIRLS BASKETBALL>> HILLS EAST 51, LINDENHURST 41
By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
In the game of basketball, a team’s depth may very well determine how far it will go in a season. For the Half Hollow Hills East girls basketball team, the Thunderbirds’ depth is starting to contribute at just the right time, Head Coach Adam Cirnigliaro said. “We’re starting to get contributions from a lot of girls now,” he said. “Jessie Maurer, a freshman, had 19 points and hit 5 threes [against Connetquot]… Alexa Wallace, another freshman, had 12 points against Lindenhurst; the more girls that can score, the better.” Against Connetquot (3-5), which the Thunderbirds traveled to on Jan. 15, Hills East (5-3) started out a bit slow as it fell behind 16-9 in the first quarter – in part due to Kristen McKenzie, the Thunderbirds’ leading scorer at 16 points per game, getting off to a slow start. While McKenzie eventually worked her way to a double-double on 11 points and 10 rebounds, the Thunderbirds were led by Maurer, who had her best performance of the season, and Hills East won 57-41. Similarly, against Lindenhurst (1-7) on Jan. 17, Wallace stepped up with her second-best scoring performance of the season in a 51-40 Hills East victory. “We’re feeling better now with where we’re at,” Cirnigliaro, in his first year as head coach, said.
“When we lost to Smithtown East [60-59 on Jan. 6] it was heartbreaking. Then we were back-andforth in the Whitman game [which Hills East lost 31-28 on Jan. 9]. We’re a couple of possessions away from 6-1, but it was good for us to get back on track this week.” With the three wins last week – Hills East also defeated Central Islip (2-5) on Jan. 13, 47-28 – the Thunderbirds were seated in third place of Suffolk County’s League II as of press time Monday with another “big week” ahead of the team, Cirnigliaro said. The week started with a trip to Bay Shore (1-6) on Tuesday, a team Hills East defeated on Dec. 16, 60-46. “Running our zone offense better is something we’ve been focusing on,” the coach said. “Getting contributions from girls like Jessie will be huge, too.” Now the Thunderbirds prepare for a crosstown rivalry match tonight when they’ll host divisionleading Northport (8-0). The first time these two teams met, Northport emerged with a 45-35 victory, but the Thunderbirds have worked their game plan, Cirnigliaro said, and are hoping for a better result this time around. “We have to close out on their shooters better than we did last time,” he said. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. at High School East.
Long Islander News photo/Andrew Wroblewski
T-Birds Coming Together At Season’s Midpoint
Mesha Rivers, a captain for Hills East, brings the ball up the court in Connetquot on Jan. 15.
WRESTLING
Coach: Colts ‘Peaking’ At Just The Right Time Grapplers clicking on all cylinders with league and county tournaments in sight By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
For Joe Scholz, head coach of the Half Hollow Hills High School West wrestling team, the 2014-2015 season is a marathon, not a sprint. When the Colts started off a bit slow – they dropped four of their first five matches – Scholz knew that there was still plenty of wrestling to come and was confident that his team would bounce back. Now, with recent wins over Centereach, Commack, MacArthur and Harborfields, the Colts are clicking, and as the season enters its final stretch, Scholz couldn’t be happier about his team’s confidence. “Our guys have been very resilient after some tough loses early
on. They’ve really bounced back and are peaking at the right time,” the second-year head coach said. “It’s all about confidence; the more confidence a guy has, the better he’s going to wrestle.” Some of those guys riding that confidence, Scholz said, have been veteran leaders and team captains Antonio Ferro, Peter Guido, Joe DeRosa and Matt Jarvis. Several of those Colts stepped up this past weekend at the 30th Annual Kujan Brothers Memorial Wrestling Tournament, hosted by William Floyd High School. DeRosa defeated two All-County wrestlers during the tournament, Scholz said, including Smithtown East’s James Trezza in the 113pound championship final. Guido
also wrestled his way to a championship matchup, but fell to Adam Busiello of Eastport-South Manor Junior-Senior High School at 138 pounds. Ferro was the last of the captains to wrestle and finished with a win over Michael Marino of Smithtown East in the consolation finals at the 145-pound mark. “We’ve had some clutch, key matches from our veteran guys,” Scholz said of the bunch. “They’ve really been the sparkplug for our team.” But contributions have been coming up and down the roster, Scholz said. Young contributors like freshman Anthony Dushaj have also stepped up and are developing nicely in the Colts system. Dushaj, who wrestled at 113 pounds in the
William Floyd tournament, finished with a win over Eduardo Montecer, of Glen Cove High School, in the consolation finals. “Our young guys are always working really hard,” Scholz said. “Dushaj had some huge matches for us and we’re really looking for some big things from him moving forward.” All of this and more, Scholz said, is a part of the Colts’ plan for success. “To have them peaking now is all a part of the master plan, with many of these guys right on the edge of greatness,” he said. “We have two and a half weeks of hard work ahead of us, and I’m positive the guys will be ready to go come league and county [tournament] time.”
A28 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • JANUARY 22, 2015
www.LongIslanderNews.com
Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.