Half Hollow Hills - 2/24/2015 Edition

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R E S T A U R A N T W E E K MARCH 1-8, 2015

HALF HOLLOW HILLS

Copyright © 2015 Long Islander News

Online at www.LongIslanderNews.com

VOL. 17, ISSUE 3

NEWSPAPER THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

2 SECTIONS, 36 PAGES

MELVILLE

Taking Sides On Republic Airport Plans

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

Canadian reggae fusion band, Magic! hits The Paramount on March 7.

“Rude” Boys, Magic!

Head To Paramount

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

Why do you have to be so rude? Do you not know that I am human too?

These are the pressing questions that Canadian reggae fusion band, Magic!, asks in its debut hit single, “Rude,” and, on March 7 they’ll be asking (Continued on page A18)

A proposal to privatize and expand the use of Republic Airport and develop the lands around it has gotten plenty of attention on the other side of the town line.

Business and civic leaders are weighing in on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recently detailed plans for the property, with some arguing it would be a shot of adrenaline for the Route 110 corridor, while civic leaders fear it will harm the quality of life.

Cuomo outlined his vision for Republic when he presented a consolidated version of his 2016 “Opportunity Agenda” for the state at Farmingdale State College on Feb. 5.

A cornerstone of that plan is hundreds of millions of dollars of infrastructure spending to be poured into upgrading downstate airports.

Republic Airport on Route 110 in Farmingdale came up in the context of Cuomo’s proposal to redevelop Kennedy and LaGuardia, privatize the management of Republic (New York State DOT currently runs it) and redirect some flights from Kennedy and LaGuardia with many Long Islanders on board to Republic to promote more efficient travel.

The governor also said he supports turning the Republic Airport campus into a tax-free zone, com-

Civic and business leaders are offering mixed opinions on a proposal by Governor Andrew Cuomo to revamp the use of Republic Airport near Melville. plete with a business park and free trade zone.

Melville Chamber of Commerce President Mike DeLuise said he likes Cuomo’s concept, but cautioned that any proposal must be carefully considered before proceeding with development.

“The idea, to look at it right now, is a great idea,” DeLuise said. “It needs some expert planning before we move to the next level.”

The tax-free zones around the airport could serve as an opportunity to foster the growth of small businesses, including technology and aeronautics endeavors, in and around Republic airport in Farmingdale and Melville.

Should the governor proceed,

DeLuise also called for linking MacArthur Airport in Islip into Republic Airport revitalization plans.

Locally, bus-rapid transportation and rail service should be connected to the new Republic Airport, he said.

“As we redo the 110 corridor and make it the business community of the future, we need better access to (Continued on page A18)

Real Estate

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Inside This Issue

A2 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015

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BMW-MINI Dealer’s Expansion Approved Planning board signs off dealership’s site plans; DOT approval is final hurdle

Habberstad BMW and MINI are one step closer to expanding their Huntington Station dealerships.

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

A Huntington Station BMW-MINI dealership near Dix Hills might not be mini for very much longer, it turns out.

Huntington’s Planning Board on Feb. 11 signed off on site plans for a project that would nearly double the square footage of the existing Habberstad BMW by adding 15,851 square feet to an existing 16,309 square foot structure. Nearby, Habberstad’s MINI 7,510 square-foot dealership would gain 4,140 square feet to the existing 7,510-square foot MINI dealership.

The end result would be a total square footage of 11,650 for the MINI shop and 32,160 for the BMW dealership.

Now Habberstad is off to the New York State DOT, which governs Jericho Turnpike, where the dealership is located, for final approvals before breaking ground.

The project has been under planning review for several years after the Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals signed off on variances for signage, parking, buffers and more in

January 2012.

Plans for Habberstad BMW, built on 2.6 acres at 945 E. Jericho Turnpike, include a second-story expansion, as well as a vehicle preparation area underground. The MINI dealership would grow and add flanks on each side to the existing one-story building.

A pair of single-family homes, located behind a gas station on an adjacent parcel owned by Habberstad, would move north onto two lots in a subdivision. Habberstad would use the roadside parcel to store as many as 128 vehicles. Currently, the only way in is by meandering through the gas station.

After the move, the homes would be accessible from Dix Hills Road.

The dealership was launched by the late Howie Habberstad in 1971, four years after he bought a Meyer’s Dune Buggy distributorship, which sold car kits to customers. Habberstad retired in 1995 and passed the reins to his son, Erik. Since then, new-car sales have grown steadily, MINI has been incorporated into the dealership, and the family business has expanded to Bay Shore.

Stimulate The Economy.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015 • A3

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

A small bit of relief to a parking crunch at the Huntington LIRR station may be on the way soon, town officials said Monday.

That’s because a handful of the 228 parking spaces on the fourth and fifth floors that were closed earlier this month for emergency repairs due to faulty concrete, could reopen by week’s end, town spokesman A.J. Carter said.

It’s unclear how many spots will reopen on the fourth floor, where 116 stalls are closed; when the emergency repair project was announced at the beginning of the month, Carter said spots could begin reopening within two to three weeks.

Recent snowfall has not pushed that timetable back, he said.

“The timetable factored in the possibility of weather causing some delays, so things are still on schedule,” he added.

The emergency repairs are due to faulty concrete being used during 2013 repairs to the garage, per-

formed by Long Island City-based contractor Structural Preservation Systems, resulting in the concrete being too absorbent and susceptible to rapid decay.

The sudden closure, paired with heavy snow, has caused headaches for commuters.

In the waiting room at the Huntington LIRR station, a sign reads, “For parking issues, call Town Hall,” and then lists the main line for Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia’s office. That in itself is an issue – the Town Clerk’s office doesn’t handle those calls; Public Safety does, and the town clerk’s office has gotten “a ton of calls” as a result, a staffer said.

Some commuters have suggested the town should provide a rebate on their $75 per year parking pass; Carter said that won’t be considered, because the permit “does not guarantee space in a particular area,” just a spot in a municipal lot.

“Parking is available in the surface lots, most notably the one on the west side of New York Avenue between Railroad and Church Streets,”

he said.

A plan to create a garage-specific permit, which would have increased the annual fee to $600 per year and guaranteed permit-holders a spot in the garage, was scrapped in late 2012 after a public outcry over the cost.

Commuter Richard McLaughlin, of Northport, who typically uses the Huntington train station because it offers more frequent trains to Manhattan, said on Monday morning he and other commuters are making do.

“The secret on the Island – most people don’t like to walk. They want to park right next to the train,” he said. “There’s parking. You just have to walk a little.”

Commuters are making use of previously underused municipal fields.

One, on the south side of the tracks that McLaughin said is “very rarely used” was “packed to capacity the other day.”

The bigger problem, he added, may have been Mother Nature.

“The problem has been because of the snow and the plowing,” he said.

Long Islander News photo/archives

Garage Repairs Mean LIRR Headaches

A portion of the town parking garage closed earlier this month for emergency repairs may reopen by week’s end, town officials have said.

A4 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015

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POLICE REPORT Compiled by Danny Schrafel

Surf’s Up

Truck Stolen

Shoveling in short sleeves… I don’t know when I get to see them, I can tell that our editorial staff does as well. Meetings, interviews, about you, but when the sun came up on Sunday writing, layout, planning – the morning, I was downright eager to shovel. list goes on and on; how are That’s because it was a relatively balmy 38 dethey supposed to get it all grees and there wasn’t freezdone? Well, somehow they do ing-cold powder blowing in my IN THE KNOW and I don’t think they’ve yet to face! Except for the fact that WITH AUNT ROSIE discover the key to the 26the sudden “heat wave” prohour day so I guess I’ll just duced slushy, watery slop to have to start being a bit more shovel, at least I wasn’t chattering in between organized with my time. every scoop. I was saying, ‘oh, my back’ a fair bit, though, and dodging thoughtful people who Still more, please… Yes, friends – Dine decided it was good fun to speed through the Huntington Restaurant Week is back for a slush puddles and try to soak the old lady. springtime intermezzo! You might have heard, but let me remind you – nearly two dozen of Mother Nature, officer-in-charge…

Huntington’s finest places to wine and dine are There is one good thing about bitter cold, ready to welcome you out of the frigid cold of though. Don’t get me wrong, I know that crime winter and wow you with $27.95 prix fixes from happens all year round. But, one of the boys in March 1-8 . That list is bound to grow – bookthe office who does all of the police blotters for mark dinehuntington.com, like us on Facebook our myriad papers noticed that the volume of and find out more about what our participants “stupid human tricks” (his phrase, not mine) have in store for your dining pleasure! seem to have fallen off a bit in the last few weeks. I guess the bad guys and gals don’t like this snowy, icy, sloppy mess any more than the (Aunt Rosie wants to hear from you! If you rest of us do. have comments, ideas, or tips about what’s happening in your neck of the woods, write to me toMore please… Can I have more hours in my day and let me know the latest. To contact me, day? I promise I won’t use them for evil. I’m drop a line to Aunt Rosie, c/o The Long-Islander, just asking for a few more; I swear it’ll be worth 14 Wall Street, Huntington NY 11743. Or try the it. I mean I have my own busy schedule and, email at aunt.rosieli@gmail.com)

Cops are searching for the person who stole a 1996 Dodge pickup truck from the parking lot of Costco on Broadhollow Road in Melville at 11:40 a.m. Feb. 18.

Home Burglarized Police are investigating a burglary at a Croydon Court home in Dix Hills. Police said that someone broke into the house between Feb. 1 and 7 by breaking a rear basement window. They stole copper pipes jewelry, cash and a snow plow.

Lock Your Doors!

A thief picked through an unlocked 2000 Ford Explorer parked on Estates Place in Dix Hills Feb. 19. Police said that at 9 p.m., someone stole a wallet, credit card and sunglasses from the vulnerable vehicle.

That’s Cold Cops are searching for the person who stole snow blowers from the side of a Pine Acres Boulevard home in Dix Hills at 11 a.m. Feb. 21.

Hit And Run

Send a photo of your preschool 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 STEVE ISRAEL

“To have him express an interest in developing my book was like Tom Seaver expressing an interest in having a catch.”

Rob Reiner Options Congressman’s Novel, Page A9

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Three people were charged with unlawful possession of marijuana in Dix Hills Feb. 19. Police allege they discovered the three suspects – a 20-year-old male, a 21year-old female and a 21-year-old male – in a car on the North Service Road of the LIE at 1:15 p.m. with a metal grinder containing marijuana in their vehicle.

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Cops are searching for the petty thief who filched diapers from a CVS on Jericho Turnpike in Dix Hills at 3:31 p.m. Feb. 19.

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A Shirley woman, 20, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage Feb. 7. Police said that at 6:50 p.m. on Jan. 15, she rear-ended a 2014 Toyota near exit 50 on the eastbound LIE, then fled the scene in her 2004 Chevrolet.

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MELVILLE

CrashHurtsNYPDCops Icy roads are being blamed for a three-car crash in Melville which injured a pair of NYPD officers Sunday, one of them seriously, Suffolk Police confirmed.

Police said that off-duty NYPD officer Neil Wade, 40, of Islip, was driving his 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer eastbound on the Long Island Expressway between exits 48 and 49 when his vehicle hit a patch of ice and hit the center divider at approximately 3 a.m.

After Wade got out of his car to inspect the damage, his car was hit by a 2011 Toyota pickup truck, driven by another off-duty NYPD officer, 47-year-old Peter Naughton, of East Setauket. His car also slid on the icy MELVILLE

roadway, pushing the Trailblazer into Wade.

Both the Toyota and the Trailblazer were then hit by a 1996 Jeep, driven

by Michael Aguanno, which, like the others, slid on the ice before the crash.

Wade and Naughton were taken to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, where Wade was admitted for serious injuries including a broken leg and facial fractures.

Naughton was treated for minor injuries and released. Aguanno, 37, Ridgewood Queens, was taken to Plainview Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

No criminality is suspected in the incident, Suffolk County police said.

-SCHRAFEL

Gas Station Robber Sought Police are searching for the man who held up a gas station in Melville two weeks ago.

Suffolk County police said that, at 6:32 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8, an unknown man barged into a Citgo gas station on Walt Whitman Road, pulled what appeared to be a handgun, and demanded cash.

After the employee turned over the money in his pocket, the robber then

demanded cash from the register, which the employee also turned over.

The robber then ran away, according to police.

No arrests have been made in the case, and cops are still on the hunt for tips. Anyone with more information can call Suffolk County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS (8477). All calls are kept confidential.

-SCHRAFEL

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015 • A5

A6 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015

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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Red Tie Gala Honors Community Leaders

Extra thanks for their work on the gala went to Executive Di- Honoree Barry D. Lites and his wife, Leigh rector Trish Rongo and board members Ellen Maher, Shari Ann. Peyser and Ellen Fleury.

Townwide Fund of Huntington Board President Jim Powers and Gala Chair Dale Koch.

One of the night’s honorees, attorney David Altman, receives his award. From left are Keith Brown; David Altman, Trish Rongo, Dale Koch and Jim Powers.

The Huntington Chamber of Commerce board was well represented. From left: Brian Yudewitz, Peter Sloggatt, Alex Borg, Keith Brown, Vita Scaturro, Executive Director Ellen O’Brien, Robert Anselm and Jennifer Cassidy.

Fun and festive are the words to best describe this year’s Townwide Fund of Huntington Valentine’s Red Tie Gala. Hundreds gathered at Oheka Castle Feb. 12 on a cold but snow-free night to celebrate members of the Huntington community who serve with generous hearts.

Dale Koch, gala chair, welcomed guests to a night that was all fun and fundraising, dancing and dining.

The Townwide Fund was proud to honor a group of women and men who exemplify dedication to the community that is at the heart of the organization. Honorees included: David Adelhardt and Dan Zimmon

Honoree Dr. Inna Gellerman.

Christine Amber, Alex Armonas and Denise Burke.

of Adelhardt Construction; Dr. Inna Gellerman, Gellerman Orthodontics; David Altman, Esq., Brown & Altman; Kevin Lawlor, former President of Huntington Hospital; Barry D. Lites, The Law Office of Barry D. Lites; Laura Maier, Dairy Queen; and Bob Vallario, Quick Chek.

“The Townwide Fund is the number one charity dedicated to the residents of the Town of Huntington and survives as one of only a couple of Community Chests still in existence on Long Island,” said James T. Powers, AIA, president of the Townwide Fund. “The gala is just one of many events that raise mon-

Keith and Barbara Brown.

ey and awareness for the fund. We also manage a comprehensive corporate sponsorship program, and are proud that Canon and Maxburst have chosen to support us as corporate sponsors. We invite the community to get involved, so that we can continue another 50 years of service to our great hometown of Huntington.”

The Townwide Fund of Huntington was founded in 1961 by a group of private citizens who wanted to help local charities raise funds. The organization's essential mission was to keep money raised in Huntington within the community. Now more

than 50 years and $10 million later, the Townwide Fund continues to infuse local organizations with the support they need to provide vital health and human services to the people of Huntington.

The Townwide Fund’s next event is the St. Patrick’s Day Charity Run, which takes place on Saturday, March 14. Show your support with a Fun Run for kids and a 4-Mile Run around Huntington Harbor.

Other sponsors include Huntington Toyota, Super Runners Shop, Borg & Borg, and Dr. Ames Dentistry.

For details, visit www.townwidefund.org.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015 • A7

DIX HILLS

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

As plans to build a new TD Bank in place of a strip mall in Elwood move one step closer to completion, tenants in a shopping center set to be leveled to make way for the new bank are getting ready to start packing up.

At the Huntington Planning Board on Feb. 10, board members signed off on waiving vehicle stacking limits on the property, located on Jericho Turnpike near Elwood Road.

Town code requires room to “stack” 20 cars waiting in line at the drive-through, but the plans accepted that night by the board provided room for 10. The board also addressed landscaping and sign concerns related the property.

TD proposes demolishing the existing 14,250 square-foot strip mall and building a new, LEED-certified 2,550 square-foot bank with three drive-through lanes in its place.

A resolution to grant site-plan approval to the project was expected to be presented at the planning board’s next meeting, officials said; that

meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

Melville-based attorney Keith Brown, representing TD Bank, said initial plans submitted called for code-compliant stacking, but research determines 10 spaces are “more than sufficient.”

Engineering studies of the three nearest TD Banks in Huntington Station, Commack and East Northport showed a “peak queue” of six vehicles and a wait of three minutes; most times, the line was 0 to 2 cars.

Brown added that town planning staff in September 2012 recommended reducing the stacking to allow for a wider, 50-foot landscaping buffer to allay a neighbor’s concern about the building’s proximity to homes.

Previously, in August 2013, TD Bank received variances for the project from the town’s zoning board of appeals.

With final approvals near, tenants of the shopping center are getting ready to relocate.

Some, like Elwood Wine & Liquor, have already moved to other storefronts in the shopping center,

but closer now to Elwood Road and the library. Tom Magden, owner of Mozzarella’s Pizza at 1957 Jericho Turnpike, says he’ll be doing the same in about two weeks’ time and hopes to be reopened in about a month.

Magden had previously said he found out about TD Bank’s plans to level the shopping center, in which he’s done business for more than eight years, by watching the ZBA hearing on TV. After a 2013 Long Islander News report on the TD Bank plans, he said the landlord, BLDG Management, soon became more cooperative, and now, they’ll be picking up some of the costs of his move across the shopping center. TCBY will also remain in the shopping center, he added.

Magden is taking the move as an opportunity to nearly double the restaurant’s size to 1,800 square feet.

Meanwhile, others have already packed up and left. Cozy Nails has moved up the road to 3021 Jericho Turnpike in East Northport.

But Magden said he’s relieved

Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel

Proposed TD Bank Clears Another Planning Hurdle

Moving signs, like the one at the former home of Elwood Wine & Liquor, are common as TD Bank draws closer to leveling a Jericho Turnpike shopping center to build a new bank. he’ll continue to do business just blocks away from where he lives – which is what he wanted all along.

“It’s my town – I want to be here,” he said.

A8 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015

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

Real Estate Still Strong For most of us, the biggest single in- their homes on the market. And then vestment we make in our lifetime is our there are the millennials – young profeshome. sionals just starting out. Real estate proIt’s been a rocky few years in the real fessionals say that with interest rates low, estate industry with a mortgage industry they are able to enter the market at the enmeltdown that drove prices downward. try level. As prices continue to increase, The good news? Huntington Township they’ll be trading up. has survived the storm well and as the Huntington Township, fortunately, has market rebounds, the outlook fared better than many comis sunny, according to local EDITORIAL munities. As the market stabireal estate professionals. lizes and continues to climb, it In this week’s editions, our Spring Re- remains one of the region’s most desiral Estate Showcase takes a look at the lo- able locations. And as any realtor will tell cal housing market with insights into the you, it’s all about location. hot neighborhoods, best values and a rosy Huntington Township offers much in prognosis for the future. The high-end the way of lifestyle. With vibrant downmarket is strong with buyers competing towns and thriving arts and cultural for showcase properties. Far at the other scenes, it’s both cosmopolitan and cozy. end of the market, there is a strong inter- The challenges come with providing new est in condos and co-ops, particularly housing opportunities while preserving among empty-nesters who are looking to the qualities that made the area so desirdownsize. As they do, they’re putting able in the first place.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Where Is The Reform?

DEAR EDITOR: Recently, a multitude of sexual harassment allegations, the arrest of the former state Assembly Speaker and other ethical transgressions have made national headlines, causing a dark cloud to be cast over the state Capitol. To start this year, the Assembly ground to a halt after the leader of our chamber was removed from power, and we’ve spent just eight hours over the course of seven different days in session. After hearing these stories, I don’t blame the public for losing trust in their legislators. But I am here to tell you that efforts are being

made to clean up Albany.

I am a proud co-sponsor to some of the toughest ethics laws in the nation and will continue to fight for the ethics reform New York State deserves. A good start to end political corruption would be for the Legislature to pass the Public Officers Accountability Act, which was first introduced in 2013 but continues to be blocked by the Assembly Majority. The act would: • Ban individuals convicted of felonies related to official duties from public employment, lobbying activity or bidding on state contracts; • Issue term limits for legislative leadership positions, including committee

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.

chairmanships; • Require that the campaign funds of public officials convicted of a felony are returned to donors or turned over to charity; and • Create new crimes and increase penalties for those who act against the public trust or fail to report corruption.

I would like to see even tougher laws be implemented into this bill by creating term limits for all elected officials and pension forfeitures for public officials convicted of a felony. We should not let one individual become too powerful in our state government.

We’ve seen what can happen when our legislative leaders gain too much power; the for-

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Send letters to:

The Edito r,

The Half H Newspap ollow Hills er, 14 Wall S treet, Huntingto n, New Y ork 11743 or email u s at info@lon gislander group.co m

mer Assembly Speaker of two decades was arrested in January for allegedly receiving millions of dollars in bribes and using his office to benefit a law firm where he was on the payroll. This is the same speaker accused of being an abettor in a sexual harassment lawsuit against another assemblyman, which has cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal representation fees.

As a Legislature, our priority must be to gain the public’s trust back. We need to continue to weed out the politicians with no integrity by passing the Public Officers Accountability Act. This could bring real change to New York State, something New Yorkers have been waiting for far too long.

CHAD LUPINACCI Assemblyman 10th District

Cold Weather Tips DEAR EDITOR: The National Weather Service uses two terms to warn of the potential hazards of wind chill temperatures. A “Wind Chill Advisory” is issued when wind chill temperatures are expected to be a significant inconvenience to life if exposure is prolonged. A “Wind Chill Warning” is posted when wind chill temperatures are expected to be hazardous to life within just several minutes of exposure.

Suffolk officials offer the

following guidance: • Be aware of the warning signs of hypothermia, which include shivering, confusion, memory loss, drowsiness, exhaustion and slurred speech.

• First degree frostbite usually causes a whitening of the skin, followed by redness, tingling and loss of feeling.

• Always wear a hat or cap.

• When outdoors, cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.

• When shoveling snow, dress warmly and work slowly. Take frequent rests. If you feel chest pain, STOP and seek help immediately.

• Use only safe and approved alternate heat sources such as a fireplace, a small, well-vented wood stove, a coal stove or portable space heaters, and be aware of the potential for carbon monoxide buildup. Ensure that any heating devices are placed on flat, level surfaces, and keep the surrounding area clear.

In times of extreme cold, we ask all residents to be mindful of those that may not have appropriate shelter. Nobody should be left out in the cold in these conditions.

If you are without shelter, contact our Temporary Housing Assistance Unit at 631854-9517. After 4:30 on weekdays, weekends and on holidays, call the County’s Emergency Services Unit at 631-854-9100.

STEVE BELLONE County Executive

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 Andrew Wroblewski Carina Livoti 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

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015 • A9

Life&Style LITERATURE/TV

Rob Reiner Options Congressman’s Novel Acclaimed director takes exclusive rights to develop, pitch ‘Global War On Morris’

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

The tale of a milquetoast medical supplies salesman who became ensnared in an international spying scandal, as penned by Huntington Congressman Steve Israel, may be coming to a television set near you some day.

Israel’s first novel, “The Global War On Morris,” has been picked up by acclaimed film director Rob Reiner, who now has the exclusive rights to develop the novel as a television project.

It doesn’t mean it’s definitely going to be a TV series, Israel (DHuntington) stressed, but if it ever does go that route, Reiner’s the man who will make it happen.

For Israel, who grew up watching Reiner in his breakout role as “Meathead” Mike Stivic, Archie Bunker’s liberal foil in the iconic sitcom series “All in the Family,” the whole experience is a bit of a surre-

al delight.

“To have him express an interest in developing my book was like Tom Seaver expressing an interest in having a catch,” Israel, a lifelong New York Mets fan, said.

So, how did Israel’s book end up in Rob Reiner’s hands? Andrew Lenchewski, the creator, producer and writer of “Royal Pains,” is a native Long Islander and a longtime friend of Israel.

“He has been a friend of many years; his partner is Rob Reiner,” Israel said. “He read my book, gave it to Rob Reiner, and that’s how it came to Rob’s attention.”

“Morris,” which hit bookstores Jan. 6, was born after Israel decided to use his insider view of policy formation to pen a parody, using Morris Feldstein, a pharmaceutical salesman from Great Neck, as his vessel for a story set amidst the war on terror, circa 2004.

The spark for the novel, Israel has said, came from a House Armed

Services Committee hearing in 2004, at which a general revealed that the Pentagon had accidentally spied on a group of elderly Quakers in Florida who were planning a peaceful anti-war rally, mistakenly believing they were terrorists. That turned out to be the first acknowledgment of the NSA’s infamous wiretap program.

Two years later, Israel started writing, and he’s keeping at it. A second book, “Big Guns,” a satire of the gun lobby, is in the works, Israel said. But for more pressing realworld concerns, the congressman said he’s spending the waning weeks of this Congressional session fighting to preserve Department of Homeland Security funding without undoing President Obama’s executive order which expands a program that protects young immigrants from deportation if they were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

“For me, writing books is a hob-

“The Global War On Morris,” the first novel penned by Huntington Congressman Steve Israel, could become a TV series at the hands of acclaimed director Rob Reiner. by; my singular priority is fighting for my constituents,” Israel said.

HEALTH

Son’s High School CPR Training Saves Life

By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com

On March 3, 2014, Cynthia Assemi and her 23-year-old son, Bijan, were watching TV, when the 47-year-old Northport hair stylist went into sudden cardiac arrest. They had just finished eating pancakes.

“I made a bad joke; I looked over and saw her head was back,” Bijan said.

He dialed 911; operators told him to begin CPR. Based on incident reports, Bijan performed CPR on his mother for 8 to 10 minutes before first responders arrived. Without her son’s immediate attention, Cynthia likely would have died before paramedics arrived.

Sudden cardiac arrest is an abrupt loss of heart function, breathing, and consciousness. Unlike a heart attack,

Cynthia and Bijan Assemi sit at their dining room table after sharing their story. sudden cardiac arrest usually results from an electrical problem or blunt trauma to the chest, causing the heart to stop beating in an organized manner, depriving the body and brain of blood flow.

There were 359,400 reported cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the U.S. in 2013, according to the American Heart Association. About 40 per-

cent of cases received bystander CPR, with an overall survival rate of 9.5 percent. According to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, the event is the leading cause of death in adults in the U.S. and other countries.

“The first person who’s with that person when they pass out, that person makes the difference between life and (Continued on page A18)

HeartStart Training offers courses at a variety of levels, from beginners to healthcare providers.

They also offer on-site instruction.

Prices vary. For more information, visit heartstartny.com Advanced Training Center of Long Island offers similar courses to HeartStart, onsite and at their training center in Smithtown.

Prices vary. For information, visit advancedtrainingcenterli.com.

The Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation offers basic training at just $15 for new students and $10 for recertification students. For more information, visit www.la12.org.

The American Red Cross has classes available around the country. To find the one closest to you, visit www.redcross.org/take-aclass, input your location, and select the appropriate course from the dropdown menu.

A10 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015

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BUSINESS An Interview With Chris Monteleone, Co-Founder Of Sweigh Chris Monteleone, 39, something from is CEO and co-founder scratch there’s alof Centerport’s startup ways some hurdle social media company, that you have to Sweigh. Monteleone and overcome. I think fihis business partner, conancing is definitely founder and COO, Jamie at the top of the list Proctor, 40, have had [though]. What we their business up and runlearned through the ning since October of process – and this is 2013. A Fairfield Univermy first full-funded sity graduate, Monstartup – people teleone resides in his don’t really invest in Chris Monteleone Centerport home with his an idea. They invest wife and children. in a product that’s Sweigh, available in both an app coupled with an idea. Our first thing and widget, measures sentiment on was that we had to self-fund and build the internet by polling its users with a minimum viable product, which was a question or statement and then pro- a big decision. It’s not a small amount viding “A” or “B” answers through of money and you have to really beits client. The company maintains a lieve in yourself, your ability to exeuser base of about 25,000 and has cute and believe in the idea to actualplans to expand even further in the ly spend your money against it. I think coming months. that’s the first true test of whether you believe in what you’re doing. Once inQ: With Sweigh, a home-grown, vestors see that and they see how Town of Huntington startup, what much you’ve put into it, it changes the was the greatest challenge in first conversation [for the better]. establishing the company and making a name for yourselves?

Q: If there was one piece of advice you could give yourself back in 2013 A: I don’t think [the challenge] ever when Sweigh first got started, what ends. Every day when you’re building would it be?

A: That’s a hard one because I have a lot of things that I may have done differently but I wouldn’t have learned anything if I didn’t do those things.

The two most important [pieces] of advice that I would give to anybody in building a company like we are is: Think about your users and think about your investors. Those are the two things that are going to literally dictate your success; whether you can get money and whether you can get users. If you don’t put yourself in the position of those people, you can’t build a great product and you can’t articulate why you deserve an investment. Getting users to believe [in your product] will drive investors to you.

Q: Is there something special about Huntington that’s allowed Sweigh to have success?

A: There’s a talent pool here in Huntington, I think, that is just like Jamie and I: [People] who have had some success in the business world, but that are maybe looking for a new out and always dreamed about running their own company. Through this process of building the company and meeting people in the town, I never realized how much talent there really

is at a senior level in this area – and it’s helped us incredibly. The fact that we’re here in Huntington has actually helped the company as much as any other contacts that I’ve had in my 15 years of working. I would not understate how ironically important it’s been that we’ve had the company in this area, that we live in the area and have friends in the area. We have the ability to ask them, not only for favors, but for business opportunities just by sheer geography.

Q: What’s a day in the life of a CEO like?

A: Well, it used to be getting on the train at 6, 7 o’clock in the morning, rolling into the office in Manhattan at 8:30 a.m. – now, I get to the office at 8:30 a.m., but I have a four-minute commute. That being said, I was at my office until 1 a.m. last night. I’m not complaining at all about that, but it’s relentless and you can never just relax. It’s not that you’re a basket case all day, but you’re constantly thinking, the wheels are constantly spinning; you’re always thinking, “What’s the next thing I have to do to make this company survive and (Continued on page A22)

Boss Vs. Leader: They're Not the Same

By Mindy F. Wolfle info@longislandergroup.com

Some time ago I found a piece entitled, “The differences between a boss and a leader.” It read as follows: • A boss drives employees, depends on authority, inspires fear, says “I,” places blame for the breakdown, knows how it’s done, uses people, takes credit, commands and says “Go.” • A leader coaches employees, depends on good will, generates enthusiasm, says “We,” fixes the breakdown, shows how it’s done, develops people, gives credit, asks, and says, “Let’s go.”

Looking back, it’s easy for each of us to distinguish the bosses from the leaders. This month, I’ve turned to some Long Island executives to share their thoughts on how they perform as leaders instead of bosses.

Hilary Topper, CEO, HJMT Public Relations Inc., references Star Trek in her assessment. “A good example of

leadership versus boss is when you look at Captain Kirk versus Captain Picard. I actually did my master’s thesis on this. Captain Kirk told people what to do. He really didn’t listen to what his key staff told him. He just made decisions. Captain Picard asked his executive team for input and then made his decisions.”

She adds, “I operate and manage my business in the style of Picard.

Everyone has a voice and everyone has an opinion. I encourage that. We discuss and then make decisions. It’s important for me to include my staff in many of the key decisions that influence the firm. By doing this, they buy into the decision and support me.”

Michael DeLuise is the president of the Melville Chamber of Commerce.

He weighs in with a voice of reason by stating, “Organizations nurturing a corporate culture built on teamwork, opportunity, transparency, flexibility and open communication foster success for all involved. When a CEO insists on taking all of the credit, too much of the income, little responsi-

bility and no interest in the needs of the employee, it is only a matter of time before the doors close.”

Mike adds this personal anecdote, “When I was 12 years old my dad asked me what I wanted out of life. I answered, ‘I want all the money in the world.’ His answer: ‘If you had all of the money in the world then no one could buy anything from you. All you ever really need is enough.’ The problem with too many American businesses is that the ‘boss’ is not satisfied with enough.”

Donna Ceravolo, executive director/CEO of Girl Scouts of Nassau County, speaks about the need for a leader to be involved. She shares this viewpoint: “One of the tenets of my leadership is to ‘show up’ for both my staff and our volunteers. Of course, I need to be at the ‘big’ events, but an equal part of my commitment to leadership means setting a good example and being there for the smaller ones, too. I often attend committee meetings that another team member is staffing, I go to community events to

support our girls and volunteers, and I am fine with just being a member of the crowd and not at the podium. I maintain an open door policy for everyone, making time to listen in the kitchen at lunchtime and in the chatter before and after meetings.”

So, there you have it: three Long Island leaders who embrace their roles as teammates rather than autocrats. It makes perfect sense that their businesses and organizations are successful.

I’m sure they’ll agree that a leader also has a sense of humor and maintains his or her composure in times a great stress. Leadership by example, indeed.

Mindy F. Wolfle, a member of Women Economic Developers of Long Island, Public Relations Professionals of Long Island and the Social Media Association, is president of Neptune Marketing LLC, chief marketing officer of Vishnick McGovern Milizio, LLP, and an instructor of business writing and not-for-profit marketing in Hofstra University’s continuing education program.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015 • A11

BUSINESS Meat-Free And Making Green Businesses around town bank on vegan products as a growth market

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

Meet Annabelle, the inspiration for a new East Northport-based startup called Sweet Annabelle’s that specializes in vegan ice cream.

She’s the resident cow who lives her days at the Lewis-Oliver Farm, a historic, 100-year-old dairy farm on Burt Avenue in Northport. The Town of Huntington and Northport Village co-own and maintain the parcel, where Annabelle and a veritable menagerie of furry, feathered, hoof-bearing and web-footed critters live on the farm.

There, she and her BFF, Big the goat, spend their days grazing, lazing and playing on the farm. The place has become something of a sanctuary for the popular creatures, and that’s hardly a common circumstance for livestock like them.

“Like all farmed animals including those whose faces we never see, and whose lives and suffering we give little thought to, Annabelle and her friends are sentient beings worthy of our compassion,” Sweet Annabelle’s mission statement reads. “Yet sadly, particularly in today's cruelly devised factory farm system, millions upon millions of animals are forced to endure short, miserable lives punctuated with immense pain and suffering.”

For volunteers at the farm, the menagerie that calls the farm home has become more than just livestock. Sweet Annabelle’s – and turning the public onto vegan, cruelty-free food – is a statement of love for them.

“They’ve become so near and dear to all of us,” farm volunteer Lynn Ruvolo, who launched the business with another top volunteer, Lorene Erickson, said. “We’re almost doing it in their honor.”

Lewis-Oliver Farm’s Annabelle the cow has heart, and a line of vegan ice creams, Sweet Annabelle’s, named after her.

That manifested in Sweet Annabelle’s vegan ice cream. Coconut-milk-based ice cream cakes range from $10 for cakes that serve three to $45 for 12-15 people. Initial impressions have been off the charts, Ruvolo said – from vegans like Erickson and nonvegans like Ruvolo alike.

While Sweet Annabelle’s is starting out all vegan, other businesses specializing in vegan fare started small, but grew their client base from a solid foundation.

Up the road from Lewis-Oliver Farm, Northport’s Purple Elephant restaurant at the Britannia boatyard specializes in gourmet vegan fare, and those shoppers help sustain the 4-year-old shop, which started as a market/café and evolved to a sit-down restaurant a year ago.

Initially, chef/owner David Intonato started with a smaller selection of vegan offerings intermingled with organic, antibiotic and hormone-free non-vegan selections. Staring out with a heavy vegan influence was not feasible businesswise in Northport, but as word got out about The Purple Elephant’s prowess, demand and variety grew. Now, he said more than half of their sales are of vegan products, and there are dedicated vegan and nonvegan menus.

“It works for everybody because they [our guests] have groups of mixed people,” he said.

In the heart of Huntington village, Steve Edlin, owner of Capitol Health on New York Avenue for more than three decades, agreed that demand for vegan products of all sorts is growing. He does a small trade in products like alternative milk, dairy products and meats, as well as protein bars and shakes that become vegan-friendly by omitting animal byproducts.

As demand grows, so too does innovation – innovation which is now reaching store shelves.

“People don’t think about it, but most capsules are in a gelatin capsule,” Edlin said; gelatin is made of collagen through various animal byproducts. “What you’re beginning to see is more and more products being put in a vegetable capsule… In particular, now you’re even beginning to see it in liquid gel caps, which, for many, many years, there was nothing they could do.”

While vegan products have been around for a long time, Edlin said they’ve started coming into their own in recent years.

“We are definitely seeing some that there is more growth as far as people looking for products and products being available for them,” he said Sunday.

Long Island’s Only Long John Silver’s To Close

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

The Melville Long John Silver’s – the only location of that fast-food restaurant on Long Island or in downstate New York, for that matter – is set to close its doors.

Long John Silver’s and a Kentucky Fried Chicken at 606 Broadhollow Road, will be replaced by an Arby’s restaurant, a chain which has reported rapid growth in recent months.

Huntington’s Planning Board on Feb. 11 approved the change-over by waiving site plan review for the plans to repurpose the approximately one-acre site on the west side of Broad Hollow Road, about 600 feet south of Spagnoli Road.

The Melville location of Long John Silver’s, the last on Long Island, is expected to give way to an Arby’s restaurant in the near future.

Once opened, this would be the first Arby’s in Huntington township; the nearest is at the Broadway Mall in Hicksville.

Atlanta, Ga.-based Arby’s is on a roll in recent months, according to officials at that company. On Feb. 9, Arby’s Restaurant Group reported system sales growth of 5.7 percent – outperforming the quick service restaurant standards by nearly 5 percent in 2014. They’ve also experienced 17 consecutive quarters of growth, and a cumulative growth of 8.5 percent, which is 7.2 percent better than the average.

Overall, Arby’s, which currently has nearly 3,400 restaurants around the world, is eyeing a goal of $4 billion in system-wide sales by the end of 2018, which represents a 25 percent increase in system sales through a combination of average unit sales growth and new unit development. Arby’s generated $3.26

billion in sales in 2014, and has rolled out new restaurant designs recently which allows them to open stores in denser urban areas and shopping malls more easily.

“We are moving into 2015 with a substantial amount of momentum,” Paul Brown, the CEO of Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc., said in a statement Feb. 9. “We have a compelling vision for the Arby’s brand and a clear system-wide business strategy in place. The initial results have been very positive and the business is continuing to gain ground.”

The chain, which aims for a hybrid of sorts between fast food speed and fast-causal service, plans to renovate as many as 180 company-owned and franchised restaurants this year.

A12 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015

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LEISURE

By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com

Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre is cooking up more than one tasty event this March. The center will be hosting a free, live screening of the TEDxManhattan event “Changing the Way We Eat,” on March 2 and its second annual Film Feast on March 29.

The TED event, which will be co-hosted with Slow Food North Shore, will feature a live stream of the TED Talks going on in Manhattan, along with free food from Chipotle, which has partnered with the event. “[The annual conference] is really an exploration of the issues surrounding food that have an enormous effect on our society, our bodies, and our ecosystem,” Dylan Skolnick, Cinema Arts Centre co-director, said.

While anyone could watch at home, Skolnick said the screening was an opportunity to hear what the speakers have to say in a more communal environment and enjoy some free food. Slow Food North Shore representative Bhavani Jaroff said that there will be representatives from Slow Food present at the screening as well to have impromptu discussions with event-goers.

The TED event itself sells out quickly, but the idea is for many people to hear it, not just the small number in the room in Manhattan, Skolnick said. According to Jaroff, off-site viewers can call or text questions in for the speakers at the actual event in an effort to include more people.

Skolnick said that the Cinema Arts Centre gets no money from the event; it’s just something they do to help foster a sense of community, which is one of the Centre’s main goals. He said they expect to continue to host it in the coming years.

Photo by Sheldon Pollack

Cinema Arts Centre Gets Serious About Food

The Cinema Arts Centre will host a live screening of TedX Manhattan’s “Changing the Way We Eat” on March 2.

“It’s a real way to make it a party and be with friends and neighbors and really talk about this stuff,” Skolnick said.

Later in the month, Cinema Arts is hosting its second annual Film Feast on March 29. The Film Feast pairs short documentaries with entrees. Foods will include beer from Brooklyn Brewery, seafood chowder from locally caught fish, Ethiopian coffee

and carrot cake, and there will be food activists, farmers, representatives from the Northeast Atlantic Marine Alliance, and others, according to Skolnick.

“The event is really delicious and really informative and entertaining,” he said.

Both events will be held in the Cinema Arts Centre’s Skyroom Café. For more information, visit cinemaartscentre.org.

LEISURE

Heckscher Marks Winter’s Last ‘First Friday’

By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com

Next week is the first Friday in March, which means it’s time for another one of Heckscher Museum’s First Fridays, a program that the museum has been running for some 20-plus years.

On the first Friday of every month, museum hours are extended from 5-8:30 p.m., and admission is free during that time. The night also features music.

“It started as a sort of gift to the community, to enjoy the museum for free one night of the month,” Michelle LaPorte, the museum’s coordinator of music and programs, said.

The music component, which began solely as entertainment, has evolved into a more artistic endeavor, according to LaPorte. Over the past year and a half, the museum has begun coordi-

Heckscher Museum celebrates its First Friday exhibit March 6. nating its music choices with current exhibitions.

“It’s really an effort to bring the arts together; we’ve tried to have a unifying theme,” La-

Porte said.

The music coordinator said that the goal of the vision was for museum goers to listen to the music a little more intently and look at the artwork a little more closely.

Friday, Mar. 6 will feature Flutissimo! Flute Quartet. Flutists Lauren Ausubel, Claudia Beeby, Leslie Strait, and Jerene Weitman will play a program of music inspired by water and the idea that water is somewhat enchanting, according to LaPorte.

The quartet’s music selections will complement the museum’s “Ferdinand Richardt’s Niagara: A Study in Landscape Painting” exhibition, which will serve as a backdrop for their 7 p.m. performance.

For more information on First Fridays and other Heckscher Museum events and exhibitions, visit heckscher.com.

g n i r p S

real estate SHOWCASE

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONG ISLANDER; THE RECORD • HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER

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Long Islander News Real Estate Showcase

Su n n y Da y s

Ahe ad

Perhaps it’s been a while since you’ve heard someone say this, but the housing market in Huntington and across Long Island is looking pretty good.

After the slip in prices that followed the housing bubble burst a few years back, those are certainly welcome words.

Prices are up; inventory is moving at multiple price points, and, as aging baby boomers begin to downsize, the properties, including some magnificent north-shore estates, they once called home are hitting the market. Those luxury prop-

erties are selling, too; and millennials, with their unique home-buying tastes, are becoming the latest generation to enter the real estate market and lay claim to their little corner of the American dream.

The proof might be in this recent week, in which real estate agents report healthy activity at open houses despite record-setting cold and ice all around. The motto “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” is usually associated with postal employees; seeing that same determination in prospective home buyers is most

encouraging indeed.

In this week’s special Spring Real Estate Showcase, exclusive to the publications of Long Islander News, you’ll learn more about the state of the market and what makes it tick; why luxury homes on Huntington’s north shore are becoming available and selling in greater numbers; tips for navigating the market for buyers and sellers seeking to get the most bang for their buck; as well as helpful suggestions on how to pump real value into your home and improve your home’s market appeal.

About the cover…

This Huntington Bay home, with 400 feet of waterfront and private beach, is listed at $3.35 million. With water views from every room, the four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath Hampton Shingle style home has a first-floor master suite, state-of-the-art kitchen, skylights, energy-efficient gas heat, radiant heat, a two-car garage and new windows. Listed by Ruth Sansiviero, Daniel Gale Agency, Inc.

Long Islander News Real Estate Showcase

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Long Islander News Real Estate Showcase

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

If you’re delving into the real estate market, this winter might not be the worst time to take the plunge.

In fact, veterans of the trade said there are reasons to be positively sunny about the situation, especially when it comes to buying and selling in the Town of Huntington.

Barbara Wanamaker, a veteran of the real estate business who just launched Prime Properties two months ago, said Long Island is doing “pretty well” this year, but Huntington township stands out as a particularly strong sector.

“The market is much better than it was three or four years ago,” she said, comparing the market to a time just after the housing bubble burst, causing prices to fall, and credit was tight.

Wanamaker should know – she has sold over 950 homes during a 35-year career in the Huntington real estate market.

A strong job market in New York City bodes well for the town’s vitality, especially since rail transportation is convenient and makes Huntington an attractive homestead for

Prepared by Lorraine Collins/MLSLI

Experts See Market Picking Up Steam In 2015

When comparing January 2013 and 2014 to this year, property selling prices in Suffolk County have shown steady growth in the last two years, according to a Multiple Listing Service of Long Island market report for January 2015. upper-middle class Manhattanites.

Well-appointed, finished homes are moving the fastest and at the highest prices, Wanamaker said; rising rents for luxury downtown rentals in Huntington village may also incentivize young people to buy into the lower end of the market as opposed to renting.

“The buyers that are out there – they want things that are done, finished, completely like-new construction, especially the ‘millennial’,” she said. “Those kinds of properties, they will pay top dollar or better.”

But millennial buyers tend to be cautious, Wanamaker added. Most

still have student loans, are facing higher minimum down-payments from prospective lenders and are still a bit wary of the market after the housing market crashed about five years ago.

“It takes them a while to really commit to something,” she said.

(Continued on page B10)

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Long Islander News Real Estate Showcase Long Islander News photos/Andrew Wroblewski

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Katie, left, and Bill Pearce – who are in the market for a new home – pose for a picture with Maria Boccard, an associate real estate broker for Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty.

The home they stand before, inset, can be found at 4 Pondview Court in Huntington.

Buying A House? Here Are Some Tips An agent, pre-approval top the list of advice for soon-to-be homeowners

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

For the buyer, when it comes time to purchase a house, the process can be completed within a few days or weeks, Scott Comer, associate real estate broker and branch office manager for Coldwell Banker’s Dix Hills regional office, said.

But that quick turnaround comes only for the buyer – a buyer with an agent, that is.

“There are so many steps involved and intricate parts; we as an agent have hundreds of steps before we can get the [the buyer] to the closing table,” Comer said. “The first tip for buyers is to use an agent that’s going to guide them through the process.”

Hiring an agent in the home-buying process is vital, as Comer said – and others echoed that feeling. Along with handling those intricate details and many steps, a real estate agent can help a buyer pick up on the typical red flags that accompany the process.

“Typically an agent won’t leave any stone unturned,” he said.

First-time home-buyers, said Bonnie Williamson, an associate real es-

tate broker for Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty in Huntington, are especially in need of an agent to guide them through what may be a life-changing purchase.

Before it comes to seeking out that home, though, Williamson said pre-approval – from a mortgage broker, for example – is an absolute necessity.

“There’s nothing worse than falling in love with a house you can’t afford, and you have lot more buying power if you’ve been pre-approved,” she said.

Once pre-approval has been established – along with a price range – it’s time to zero in on location, Williamson said. However, while plenty of first-time buyers are concerned with school districts, the 35year veteran advises that it shouldn’t be an end-all, be-all.

“It has to be a house with the ability to be sold quickly,” she said while noting first-time buyers typically live in that home for 5-10 years. “You’re better off being around an area that you can afford; you want to have something in common with your neighbors.”

With rates at a historic low, said Tony Donnino, licensed associate broker for Signature Premier Properties, now may be the best time for buyers to seek out that affordable home.

“There’s no better time to buy than right now,” the 24-year veteran of the business said. “If [buyers] wait six months, it could end up costing them a lot of money.”

Hot areas to seek out homes, Donnino said, have recently been East Northport, Commack, Greenlawn and Huntington. East Northport tends to be the landing spot for first-time buyers, he said, thanks to $300,000$500,000 houses, healthy tax rates and a prime school district.

Other areas, such as near the water in Huntington Bay or Northport, are also booming, but come with their own set of red flags.

“One of the first things a buyer should be aware of, especially in light of [Superstorm] Sandy is to check with the local township to see if the home is in a flood zone,” Northport resident Jamie Marcantonio, a licensed salesperson for Coldwell Banker with 24 years of experience,

said. “If it’s in a flood zone, the first thing they should check is how severe of a flood zone it is.”

With that, Marcantonio said, it’s always important to reevaluate insurance rates. Even if a seller advertises “X” amount of dollars in flood insurance, those rates aren’t guaranteed and could fluctuate greatly with a new purchase.

All of these questions and more, Marcantonio said, can be addressed simply with a trustworthy agent and that, in the long run, may be the best tip a buyer can hear.

“Any home buyer should find an experienced, trustworthy Realtor,” she said. “You want an agent who is going to negotiate on your behalf and walk you through every step of the process.”

Interview that agent, she said, find out how long they’ve been in the business, how many homes they’ve sold and whether or not personalities gel between the buyer and agent.

Having a professional to lean on, as Comer said, is vital for first-time buyers especially – but also, ultimately for any buyer in the market for a new home.

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Snow Is No Obstacle When Selling Homes Photos/Coach Real Estate Associates

Between the lackluster lawn and the faded paint, this home lacked curb appeal.

By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com

Selling a house in the snow seems like a tricky thing to do. However, according to Georgianna Finn, cofounder of Coach Real Estate Associates, there is so little product on the market now; sellers should not wait to put their homes on the market. “[Sellers] might get a higher price,” she said.

Finn said seasonal markets do not really exist anymore; the market moves well throughout the year. Furthermore, buyers at this time of year

tend to be more focused and deliberate, as the bad weather keeps casual house browsers away.

Whether you are selling your home now or thinking about doing so in the future, there are quite a few easy ways to make your house more appealing to buyers. The curb appeal should not be underestimated, according to real estate agents and home improvement websites alike.

“No matter how good the interior of the home is, buyers have already judged the home before they walk in the door,” Bonnie Amenita, branch office manage at Coldwell Banker in

After a fresh coat of paint and some basic landscaping, the house sold in seven days.

Northport, explained.

Both Finn and Amenita recommended that sellers take a good look at the outsides of their homes and assess the impression. The agents said that inexpensive outdoor improvements, like installing a new mailbox or repainting your front door, tend to have a higher return on the investment.

While it may not apply until the area thaws, the website realtor.com recommends adding colorful planting beds, greening up your grass, and even adding landscape lighting for those who have made substantial

BRAVOELLIMAN

landscaping investments.

Trees have a surprising impact on curb appeal and value. The National Tree Benefit Calculator at www.arborday.org can help homeowners determine the value of the trees in their yards.

Homeowners not looking to sell immediately, but considering it somewhere down the line, might want to consider changing their windows, according to MarketWatch. The finance website claims that homeowners can expect to recover 78.7 percent of the price of a mid-cost vinyl-window replace-

CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS IN 2015!

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Long Islander News Real Estate Showcase ment. The site explained that new windows added to curb appeal and energy efficiency. It did caution that homeowners should pinpoint why they were making the improvement and make sure that they did not overspend.

Once you move beyond curb appeal, experts recommend two things above all else: de-cluttering and depersonalization.

“We want to take away a lot of those things that are so dear to the seller but distract the buyers,” Finn said.

Finn stressed the importance of divesting yourself from the process emotionally.

“The way we live in a home when it’s on the market is not the way we live in a home when it’s not on the market,” she said.

Amenita explained that a home staged for sale should show how the rooms are supposed to be used as opposed to how you have been using them.

Finn recommended discarding items that sellers do not plan to bring with them when they move and packing away many of the items that they do plan to bring along. Realtor.com provided similar advice, recommending that sellers with children keep favorite toys in an easily accessible box that could be taken out after each showing.

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Children and pets can present an obstacle when selling a home. Realtor.com recommended that pets be kept away when showing a home and children’s wallpaper and furniture be converted to more neutral colors and patterns. Finn and Amenita both said that fresh, neutral paint throughout the house could help during sales.

Realtor.com said that homeowners should not neglect their fireplaces.

Cleaning and even safety upgrades are worth the cost to boost a home’s market value, particularly during these cold months, the website said.

Though most improvements should be considered on a case-by-case basis, Finn and Realtor.com advise sellers to repair broken things like leaks and ripped screens and to complete half-finished improvements.

The real estate agents also stressed the importance of seeking out a professional well-versed in staging and the local housing market to help make decisions on what specific changes to make within the home.

Agents can also help sellers price their homes appropriately and estimate how long the houses will remain on the market.

“It’s important to tell people not to go out and spend a lot of money before they speak to a professional; a professional will guide them,” Finn said.

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Experts see market picking up steam in 2015 (Continued from page B4)

For those properties that may be more 20th century than 21st, don’t lose hope – “if they’re priced right, they will sell,” she said.

A bitterly cold, icy winter has not proven to be a deterrent to buyers.

“We’ve had great attendance at our open houses,” Wanamaker said,

adding she senses “pent-up” buying activity on the horizon.

Ample amenities in Huntington village, including diverse shops, some of Long Island’s best restaurants, rich culture and The Paramount make that community a particularly strong draw for buyers.

“Everybody wants to be near or

in or around the village because they love what the village offers,” Wanamaker said.

Luxury Market On The Upswing A confluence of eager sellers – and more willing buyers – are making for gains in the high-end luxury market, brokers said.

In Zone 20 – or Huntington township in Long Island real estate parlance – transactions for homes over $2 million increased from 18 sales in 2013 to 25 in 2014, Elena D’Agostino, manager of Signature Premier Properties Cold Spring Harbor office said. One of those included New York Islanders great Pat LaFontaine’s Lloyd Neck home, which sold for $6.2 million, the highest sale price in Zone 20.

“Just this past week, we’re having five properties go into contract.

The snow is not slowing down the market, that’s for sure,” — Elena D’Agostino, Signature Premier Properties Cold Spring Harbor Lower interest rates are buoying purchases in the high-end market, D’Agostino added.

“Just this past week, we’re having five properties go into contract. The snow is not slowing down the market, that’s for sure,” she said.

Wanamaker said a desire to downsize among aging baby boomers is also providing ample stock for the high-end, north shore market, and that keeps prices competitive.

“There are a lot of high-end properties on the market that have been sitting for quite a while,” she said.

“From Brookville to Laurel Hollow, Lloyd Neck and Huntington Bay, there’s a lot of property on the market.”

Baby boomers also have created demand for smaller luxury condos which are more manageable in terms of maintenance, and still have a single-family feel.

But whether it’s a high-end home on the waterfront, or a low-maintenance condo near the village, property house, D’Agostino said timing is everything. Ignoring traditional real estate conventions, such as selling in the spring, has brought out buyers even as winter lingers. Despite a historic cold snap last week, Signature Premier enjoyed its “busiest week in a long time” at open houses, D’Agostino.

“It’s all about supply and demand.

You really want to sell when the supply is low and the demand is high,” she said. “Waiting for everybody else to put their houses on the market is not the way to do it.”

Long Islander News Real Estate Showcase

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B11

How to Add Design Appeal to Your Home Want to set your home apart? You can add character and beauty to your home by learning more about your house’s architectural style and adding design elements to complement the look.

“With the right knowledge, it’s easy to transform any room of your home as well as the exterior,” said Niki Decker, senior product and marketing manager with Fypon, which creates synthetic millwork products.

The experts at Fypon are offering some tips and guidelines to achieve an authentic, coordinated look throughout your home -- inside and out.

• Proportions matter. If you’re going to be adding shutters to your exterior, do a bit of math. The width of shutters used in pairs on a window should be half the width of the window, and should be the same height as the window.

• The higher the ceiling, the taller the baseboard should be. Additionally, the height of your baseboard moulding should always be larger than the casing, which is the frame around a door or window.

• Make a room feel taller by placing a chair rail -- the moulding used to prevent the backs of chairs from rubbing against the wall -- one-third of the way up from the floor. Chair rails should be 1/2 or one inch narrower than casings.

• If you have a classic Georgian style home, characterized by strict symmetry and a centered and paneled front door, cap the front door panel with an elaborate crown supported by

decorative pillars.

• Enhance your Victorian style home with ornamental spindlework on the porches and patterned shingles on the roof. Offset the complexity with simple surrounds for windows.

• For country style cottages, consider clapboard shingles for siding, or wood shake for siding and roofing, and wide white trim or shutters around windows.

• Complete the look and feel of your Mediterranean-style home, rich with such decorative accents as round columns, tile and stone, by planting

lush gardens and installing an ornate fountain.

• Maintain a traditional look with innovative, updated building material that lasts longer and with less upkeep. For example, polyurethane pieces are a lightweight alternative to wood. The pieces are easy to install and resist insects, moisture and weather conditions. Manufacturers like Fypon, which creates thousands of millwork pieces, offer products that come both textured and smooth.

A new line of Classic Woodgrain decorative millwork offers a refined

woodgrain texture suitable for staining or painting, and complements home styles such as Arts & Crafts and Mediterranean.

To learn more about enhancing your home’s architectural style, you can download Fypon’s free Style Guide at www.fypon.com/literature/catalog.asp.

Don’t just update your house haphazardly. Do a bit of research so you can complement your home’s architectural style authentically and with sophisticated flair.

- (StatePoint)

Five Top Home Upgrades That Raise Value (StatePoint) Before you decide on a home improvement project, it’s a good idea to learn which ones will help raise your house’s value and recoup the most money when you decide to sell.

From replacing your front door to adding a deck, there are many midrange improvements that won’t cost a bundle but will deliver great bang for your buck. It’s not about spending the most money; it’s about improvements that best hold their value.

The experts at “Remodeling” magazine recently released their 28th annual Cost vs. Value Report, comparing construction costs with resale value for 36 of the most popular home improvement projects.

When it came to midrange projects, the report found homeowners recouped the highest percentage of costs on these five improvements:

steel entry door replacement, installation of manufactured stone veneer on home exteriors, garage door replacements, vinyl siding replacement, and wooden deck additions.

“Making your home stand out from others on your block and others on the market is achievable if you plan wisely when it comes to remodeling projects,” said Phil Wengerd, Vice President of Market Strategies at ProVia, a leading building products manufacturer.

“This year’s statistics indicate that moderately priced exterior projects can significantly enhance home resale values.”

This year’s analysis of top midrange home improvement projects provided definite direction for homeowners: • Steel Entry Door Replacement: The 20-Gauge Steel Entry Door has

consistently delivered the best return on investment for resale, holding the top spot in the midrange product category since its debut in this report in 2009/2010. The steel entry door is the only project that, on a national basis, more than pays back its investment, typically recouping 101.8 percent. At ProVia, for example, the company’s Legacy Steel Entry Doors are a consistent top sales performer.

• Manufactured Stone Veneer: A new project on this year's report is the installation of manufactured stone veneer on home exteriors.

This category zoomed to the top of the midrange list, grabbing second place with a 92.2 percent cost-value return. Increased product demand for Heritage Stone is a reflection of this trend, observed by Wengerd and others.

• Garage Door Replacement: The

installation of new four-section garage doors on galvanized steel tracks proved to be a valuable project with homeowners recouping 88.4 percent of their costs.

• Vinyl Siding Replacement: Replacing a home’s vinyl siding was one of a handful of projects that jumped up the list for recouping improvement costs. So not only can new vinyl siding beautify a home, it can keep it weatherproof and enhance its resale value.

• Deck Addition: Adding a wooden deck can do more than provide a place to enjoy the great outdoors.

When it comes time to sell, you should be able to pocket more than 80 percent of the cost for this improvement.

Before you dip into your wallet, learn which home improvements will best hold their value while enhancing curb appeal.

B12

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015 • A13

OPEN HOUSES

Want to get your open houses listed? Get your listings for free on this page every week in Long Islander News papers.

Call Associate Publisher Peter Sloggatt at 631-427-7000 or send an e-mail to psloggatt@longislandergroup.com.

Town Huntington Greenlawn Huntington Huntington Huntington Commack Huntington Huntington Dix Hills Dix Hills Huntington Huntington Huntington Huntington Greenlawn Dix Hills Greenlawn Northport Huntington Huntington Huntington Melville

Sta Sta

Sta Sta Sta

DIX HILLS

DIX HILLS

DIX HILLS

5 Dianes Ct Bedrooms 5 Baths 4 Price $979,000 Taxes $24,202 Open House 2/28 12:00pm-2:00pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-4444

42 N Woods End Rd Bedrooms 4 Baths 5 Price $1,398,000 Taxes $21,868 Open House 2/28 2:30pm-4:00pm Douglas Elliman Real Estate 631-499-9191

89 Stonehurst Ln Bedrooms 4 Baths 3 Price $559,000 Taxes $14,124 Open House3/1 12:00pm-2:00pm Realty Connect USA LLC 877-647-1092

Address Beds 31 Gaines St 4 3 Stratford Ave 5 17 Miller Pl 4 17 Miller Pl 4 1 Dublin Pl 4 129 Wicks Rd 3 1 Beech Pl 3 3 Lane E 4 5 Dianes Ct 5 42 N Woods End Rd 4 14 Stern Ct 4 14 Stern Ct 4 62 Magerus St 4 87 Madison St 5 25 Barbara Ct 4 89 Stonehurst Ln 4 111 Darrow Ln 6 37 Greentree Ct 4 23 Old Town Ln 4 102 Huntington Bay Rd 5 60 Old Field Rd 3 7 Carry Ln 5

Baths 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 3 4 5 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 5

Price $519,000 $1,175,000 $329,900 $329,900 $400,000 $445,000 $479,000 $600,000 $979,000 $1,398,000 $375,000 $375,000 $379,900 $539,990 $549,000 $559,000 $639,000 $639,000 $739,000 $849,000 $899,000 $1,299,000

Taxes $8,963 $24,569 $7,981 $7,981 $12,962 $11,958 $11,145 $14,839 $24,202 $21,868 $8,594 $8,594 $8,270 $15,300 $17,142 $14,124 $15,810 $14,176 $16,115 $23,427 $25,260 $28,969

Date 2/24 2/24 2/28 2/28 2/28 2/28 2/28 2/28 2/28 2/28 3/1 3/1 3/1 3/1 3/1 3/1 3/1 3/1 3/1 3/1 3/8 3/8

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

Broker Douglas Elliman Real Estate Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Realty Connect USA LLC Realty Connect USA LLC Signature Premier Properties Coldwell Banker Residential Coldwell Banker Residential Douglas Elliman Real Estate Coldwell Banker Residential Coldwell Banker Residential Realty Connect USA LLC Daniel Gale Agency Inc Signature Premier Properties Realty Connect USA LLC Douglas Elliman Real Estate Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Douglas Elliman Real Estate Daniel Gale Agency Inc Daniel Gale Agency Inc Realty Connect USA LLC

Phone 631-549-4400 631-427-1200 631-757-4000 631-757-4000 888-236-6319 877-647-1092 631-673-3700 631-673-4444 631-673-4444 631-499-9191 631-673-6800 631-673-6800 877-647-1092 631-427-6600 631-673-3700 877-647-1092 631-261-6800 631-757-4000 516-354-6500 631-427-6600 631-427-6600 888-236-6319

Attention: Real estate professionals Want to increase traffic to your next open house?

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A14 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015

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www.facebook.com/dinehuntington

e i d o o F THE

SECTION

DINEHUNTINGTON .COM

Springing Into Restaurant Week The most wonderful time of the year for a foodie is coming twice in 2015.

Dine Huntington Restaurant Week’s inaugural spring edition kicks off on Sunday, March 1. That date begins eight days of prix-fixe dining at nearly two dozen of the finest restaurants in Huntington, the dining capital of Long Island.

Until Sunday, March 8, participating restaurants will treat customers to a three-course dining experience for $27.95 per person plus tax and tip (Saturday until 7 p.m. only).

Dine Huntington Restaurant Week attracts diners to Huntington Township restaurants from all over Long Island. As restaurant week approaches and the excitement builds, thousands of foodies check out the menus posted on the website, DineHuntington.com, and watch for updates on the DineHuntington Facebook page.

Patrons can line up their Dine Huntington Restaurant Week itineraries by logging on to www.DineHuntington.com where menus from participating restaurants are posted.

Dine Huntington Restaurant Week is a collaborative venture of Long Islander News and the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce with sponsorship support from The Paramount and the Huntington

Village District.

Business

Improvement

Participating Restaurants Almarco 13 Wall Street, Huntington 631-935-1690 Besito 402 New York Avenue Huntington 631-549-0100 Bistro Cassis 55B Wall Street Huntington 631421-4122 Bistro 44 44 Main Street Northport 631-262-9744 Black & Blue Seafood Chophouse 65 Wall Street Huntington 631-385-9255 Bravo! Nader 9 Union Place Huntington 631-351-1200 Café Buenos Aires 23 Wall Street Huntington 631-603-3600 Cinque Terre 872 E. Jericho Turnpike Huntington Station 631-923-1255

Cafe Buenos Aires

Cirella’s 14 Broadhollow Road Melville 631-385-7380 Fado 10 New Street Huntington 631-351-1010 Honu Kitchen & Cocktails 363 New York Avenue Huntington 631-421-6900 Ideal Cheese & Wine Cafe 308 Main Street Huntington 631-923-3434 Jewel Restaurant 400 Broad Hollow Road Melville 631-755-5777 Jonathan's Ristorante 15 Wall Street Huntington 631-549-0055 La Parma II 452 W Jericho Turnpike Huntington 631-367-6360 Mascali Restaurant 277A Larkfield Road E. Northport 631-757-2404

Bistro 44

Jonathan’s Piccola Bussola 970 W. Jerico Tpk Huntington 631-692-6300 Ruvo Restaurant 63 Broadway Greenlawn 631-261-7700 Storyville American Table 43 Green Street Huntington 631-351-3446

Mill Pond House 437 E. Main Street Centerport 631-261-7663

Tutto Pazzo 84 N. New York Avenue Huntington 631-271-2253

Neraki 273 Main Street Huntington 631-358-3474

Vitae Wine Bar & Restaurant 54 New Street Huntington 631-385-1919

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015 • A15

Side Dish www.facebook.com/dinehuntington

DINEHUNTINGTON .COM Foodie photo/archives

‘SPRING’ INTO FINE DINING – There’s

nothing better to thaw out chattering winter bones than a hot meal at one of Huntington’s fine restaurants, and now, Dine Huntington Restaurant Week’s inaugural spring Restaurant Week, running from March 1-8, brings $27.95 three-course prix-fixe menus to 23 establishments across the township. Visit dinehuntington.com and watch for new additions as the first of March draws closer!

Join Us For Our Prix Fixe Menu!

WARMING UP FOR TACO TUESDAY –

It’s a culinary sign that summer is on the way – The Whale’s Tale (81 Fort Salonga Road, Northport 631-6518844 whalestalenpt.com) opens its doors for Taco Tuesday! As you’ll surely remember, that’s the day when Sosh Andriano and the gang offer up all-you-can-eat tacos for $2.

This year, to grapple with rising costs, they’re introducing a tiered system, but don’t fret – it’s still a fantastic bargain. Chicken tacos and Cajun Maui tacos are $2 each; crisp fish tacos, spicy Korean Steak and crispy Pork Belly tacos are $2.50

Taco Tuesday brings some of the best bargains around to The Whale’s tale starting March 3. each, and the zesty Grilled BangBang Shrimp, Filet Mignon and spicy Surf & Turf tacos are $3 a piece. Even with a bit of inflation in the works, it remains one of the best dining deals around, so be sure to plan for big crowds at this happening spot, especially as temperatures improve.

437 East Main Street, Centerport, NY 11721 Hours: Monday - Thursday - 12 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Friday - Saturday - 12 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Sunday - 12 p.m. - 9 p.m.

631-261-7663 | www.millpondrestaurant.com

A16 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015

THURSDAY Black History Month Celebration

Celebrate Black history Month on Feb. 26 in a town-sponsored program featuring keynote speaker Errol Toulon, Jr. at the Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School, 155 Lowndes Ave., Huntington Station.

For more information, call Kevin Thorbourne at 631-351-2842.

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Calendar O M M U N I T Y

Renowned Sailor, Author To Speak

Dawn Riley, world-renowned sailor and author, speaks at the Northport Yacht Club on Feb. 26, 7 p.m. As CEO and captain of America True, Dawn was the first woman to manage an America's Cup sailing team. She is also the first American to have raced on three America's Cup teams and two Whitbread Round-the-World Race (now Volvo Ocean Race) sailing teams. Her newest challenge is creating and establishing Oakcliff Sailing, a completely unique training center that is Building American Leaders Through Sailing.

Getting Heart Healthy

The Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce presents a program for Heart Health Month, “What You Should Know About Heart Disease, Stroke and Healthy Eating,” on Feb. 26, 8:30-10 a.m. at the Dolan Family Health Center, 284 Pulaski Road, Greenlawn. Free for chamber members/$10 for non-members. Register at huntingtonchamber.com or call 631-4236100.

FRIDAY Burundi: Through Many Eyes

H2 Empower presents “Burundi: Through Many Eyes,” a movie night with snacks, handicrafts, and surprises, a fundraiser on Friday Feb. 27 for a Burundi Student Scholarship Program at 7:30 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington. Sponsored by H2 Empower (Huntington Station not for profit serving education in Africa) and Journey Toward Wholeness committee of the UUFH. Guest speakers include Long Islanders who have visited Burundi and support the students to go to university.

109 Browns Road, Huntington. Donation: $12/$10 Students and Seniors. uufh.org.

631-427-9547.

Opera Night in Northport

Opera Night returns March 6 at 7:30 p.n. at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 270 Main St., Northport. $10 minimum donation. www.operanight.org. Call 631261-8808 Professional vocalists perform excerpts from favorite operas.

SATURDAY Kiss Me, Kate

HJC Park Avenue Players present Cole Porter's “Kiss Me, Kate,” the fun and romantic musical classic which is "Too Darn Hot" on Saturdays, Feb. 28 and March 7 at 8 p.m. and Sundays, March 1 and 8 at 3 p.m. $18 general admission, $10 children 5 and under. Premium and patron seats $25/$50. Huntington Jewish Center, 510 Park Ave. For more info or

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

WEDNESDAY A Purim Celebration: Purim In France

Join in the fun as The Chai Center celebrates Purim with a fire juggling show, interactive Megillah reading, hot buffet and live music all set to a French theme.

All children who attend in costume will receive a prize. All adults who come dressed in a French costume will receive one free entry into our Basket of Treats Raffle. March 4 at 5 p.m. at The Chai Center, 501 Vanderbilt Pkwy, Dix Hills. $12 per person, $44 family (2 adults up to 3 children). Reservations in advance are required. Call 631-351-8672 or visit www.thechaicenter.com.

Open Mic Night

Kiss Me, Kate HJC Park Avenue Players present Cole Porter's “Kiss Me, Kate,” the fun and romantic musical classic which is "Too Darn Hot" on Saturdays, Feb. 28 and March 7 at 8 p.m. and Sundays, March 1 and 8 at 3 p.m. $18 general admission, $10 children 5 and under. Premium and patron seats $25/$50.

Huntington Jewish Center, 510 Park Ave. For more info or tickets, please 631-427-1089 ext. 10 / 631-697-3666 or log onto hjcny.org/kiss-me-kate.

Play your heart out at an acoustic open mic night every Wednesday at Caffe Portofino, 249 Main St., Northport, 7-10 p.m. www.facebook.com/cafportopenmic.

Original songs only.

AT THE LIBRARIES Cold Spring Harbor Library

tickets, please call 631-427-1089 ext. 10 / 631-697-3666 or log onto hjcny.org/kiss-me-kate.

Field House, 82 Turkey Lane. Only available at GetCircusTickets.com.

Door Sale: Adult $18/Child $6.

95 Harbor Road, Cold Spring Harbor.

631-692-6820. cshlibrary.org.

• The artwork of the talented Cold Spring Harbor School District's students in grades 7 -12 is on display March 3-26.

Lenten Retreat

“At the Foot of the Cross”, Saturday, Feb. 28, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m., presented by The St. John’s Spirituality Group. Special Guest Bishop Chilton Knudsen, Assistant Bishop Diocese of Long Island, will lead a time set aside for prayer, reflection and worship focusing on Mary. For reservations contact Patti Aliperti at 631-3851410. $15.

Find Your Center

Commack Public Library

Run For HOPE

Coping With Mental Illness

The Little Cow Harbor ‘Run for HOPE’ on Feb. 28 is a 4-mile run through the lovely hamlet of Greenlawn. St. Hugh’s Project HOPE has teamed up with the Heagerty Family Foundation in organizing this event. The 4 Mile Run will begin at Oldfield Middle School at 9 a.m.

Walkers are also welcome. Kid’s Fun Run, for kids 10 and under, will take place at 8:30 a.m. on the grounds of Oldfield Middle School. Register at www.active.com or day of event at Oldfield Middle School Gymnasium 78:15 a.m.

Live Music

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

SUNDAY Family Circus

Beat the winter blahs and bring the family to America’s best circus for children on March 1, 4 p.m., a fundraiser for Cold Spring Jr/Sr High School CFA. At the Cold Spring Harbor High School

Find inner peace in an ongoing weekly class for beginners and newcomers every Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at Dipamkara Meditation Center, 282 New York Ave., Huntington. 631-5491000. www.MeditationOnLongisland.org.

MONDAY The Melville-based National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, NAMI, hosts a free, 12-week program for family members who are coping with loved ones with severe mental illness. The class is held every Monday from 7-9 p.m. at the Syosset Hospital through March 23. Contact Susan Palmer at 917-8387436 to register.

TUESDAY Free Mommy And Me Class

Sing! Stretch! Dance! Play! Enjoy a fun-filled class that includes parachute play and bubble play and meet other Jewish moms at The Chai Center in Dix Hills. The free class takes place Tuesdays at 10 a.m. For children ages 6-36 months. Pre-registration required by phone or online: 631-351-8672. www.thechaicenter.com.

Free Help For Vets

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

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.

Deer Park Public Library

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

• Through a grant from New York State, the library offers Google Nexus 7 tablets for borrowing. Browse the web, download a book, play games and more with just a touch of your finger. Tablets can be checked out for two weeks on an adult Deer Park library card.

Elwood Public Library

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

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

• Calling all cooks! The library is publishing a community cookbook and wants your recipes. Visit the website and click on the graphic.

Half Hollow Hills Community Library

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

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

Harborfields Public Library

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

(Continued on page A17)

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015 • A17

Northport Historical Society Museum

• Come in for some fun and games every Friday from 1-4 p.m. The game room is stocked with scrabble, bridge and other fun board games.

(Continued from page A16)

Getting Heart Healthy The Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce presents a program for Heart Health Month, “What You Should Know About Heart Disease, Stroke and Healthy Eating,” on Feb. 26, 8:30-10 a.m. at the Dolan Family Health Center, 284 Pulaski Road, Greenlawn. Free for chamber members/$10 for non-members.

Register at huntingtonchamber.com or call 631-423-6100.

Huntington Public Library

Main Branch: 338 Main St., Huntington.

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

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

Northport-E. Northport Public Library

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

• Filmmaker Lucy Winer returns with her provocative documentary "Kings Park: Stories from an American Mental Institution” on Sunday, March 1, 1:30 p.m. As a teenager, Ms. Winer was committed to the Kings Park State Hospital. Her look back to the nowabandoned institution includes interviews with former patients, families, and staff and reveals the painful legacy of our state hospital system.

South Huntington Public Library

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

• The library has extended hours on Saturday nights in February and March!

From 7-9 p.m. patrons will have access to WiFi and the audio-visual collection, which includes Blu-Ray discs, movies and TV series on DVD and video games. Also, each Saturday night at 7 p.m. there will be a show downstairs in the Community Room. Feb. 28: Comedy Night with Mark Brier & Friends.

THEATER & FILM Cinema Arts Centre

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

• Watch a TEDxManhattan talk “Changing the Way We Eat”, a free big screen viewing party in the Sky Room Café, a full-day event featuring a dynamic and diverse group of speakers addressing issues in the sustainable food and farming movement. Co-presented by Slow Food North Shore, it will be livestreamed from the Times Center in Manhattan on Saturday, March 7, from 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

John W. Engeman Theater

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

• “Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike”, the Tony Award-winning play, runs until March 8.

Township Theatre Group

• “Finnegan’s Farewell” is an interactive comedy by the co-creators of “Tony ’n’ Tina's Wedding.” Come to an authentic Irish wake and pay your respects to beloved U. S. Postal worker Patrick James Finnegan, who won millions in Atlantic City then promptly died. As Father Seamus presides, the audience is treated to eulogies, sing-alongs, Irish music, dancing and a surprise twist.

Enjoy cabaret-style seating complete with wine/beer on Feb. 28 and March

7, 8 p.m. and March 1, 7 and 8 at 2 p.m. at the Helen Butler Hall Theatre at Dominican Village, 565 Albany Ave., Amityville. $25 general/$20 students and seniors. Call 631-213-9832 or visit http://townshiptheatregroup.org.

AUDITIONS/SUBMISSIONS Northport Symphony Orchestra

The Northport Symphony Orchestra seeks new members in all sections.

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

Website: northportorchestra.org.

MUSEUMS & EXHIBITS Art League of Long Island

107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills.

Gallery hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. weekends. 631-462-5400. www.ArtLeagueLI.net.

• Curated by Long Island master printmaker Dan Welden, an exhibition of large-scale woodcuts by Li Kang, one of China’s most celebrated printmakers, will be seen for the first time in the United States at the Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery through March 8.

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 Artists’ Choice 2015 Invitational Exhibition is on view through March 1.

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery

1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor.

Open seven days a week, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday and Sundays until 6 p.m.: $6 adults; $4 children 3-12 and seniors over 65; members and children under 3 are free. 516-692-6768. www.cshfha.org.

• Celebrate National Pancake Day with a focus on resident pancake turtles on Saturday, Feb. 28, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Visitors will have an opportunity to learn about these spiny softshell creatures. Children can make turtle-themed crafts and play games.

Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum

279 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor.

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

• The year-long exhibit “Sea Ink: American Sailors and Tattoo Art” explores the culture and significance of

nautical tattoos and their historical origins from sailors’ lives at sea. The exhibit features an array of tattoo artifacts, antique machines, early inking tools and Sailor Jerry flash art.

215 Main St., Northport. Museum hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 1-4:30 p.m. 631-7579859. www.northporthistorical.org.

• Canta Libre Chamber Ensemble performs on Sunday, March 1 at 2 p.m. $25 members/$30 non-members; ticket includes a post-concert cocktail party.

Ripe Art Gallery

1028 Park Ave., Huntington. TuesdayThursday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday, 2-8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. www.ripeartgal.com. 631-239-1805.

• Next up is “FemINus,” a ladies-only group show, with an opening reception Saturday, March 21, 7 p.m.

Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium

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.

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.

• Experience hurricanes, volcanoes, gigantic whales and ocean currents in the planetarium’s new show, “Dynamic Earth.” Regular showings at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday.

Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center

Walt Whitman Birthplace

Heckscher Museum Of Art

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.-6 p.m.; Saturday noon-4 p.m. 631-271-8423. www.huntingtonarts.org.

• The High Arts Showcase, in its 11th year, features the work of 11th and 12th grade high school students who attend the six local schools participating in the Huntington Arts Council’s JOURNEY program. The participating high schools are: Commack, Harborfields, Huntington, Northport/East Northport, Plainview/Old Bethpage & South Huntington. On display through March 2.

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.

• The next Lunch & Learn program, “Around Huntington Village,” is March 12 at Black & Blue Restaurant in Huntington village at noon. $40 members/$45 non-members. Price includes a gourmet three-course meal.

Reservations required; call 631-4277045 ext. 404.

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 PAC

Five Towns College, 305 N. Service Road, Dix Hills. Box Office: 631-6562148. www.dhpac.org.

• “Angels in America” runs Thursday, March 5, Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 8 at 2 p.m. $15 for adults, $12 for seniors/students.

The Paramount

370 New York Ave., Huntington. 631673-7300. www.paramountny.com. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

• Joe DeGuardia’s STAR Boxing Presents “Rockin’ Fights 17” – live on ESPN – on Friday, Feb. 27, 7:30 p.m. $50-$200.

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

A18 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015

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“Rude” boys, Magic! headed for The Paramount (Continued from page A1)

those questions at The Paramount.

Hailing from Toronto, Magic! was founded in 2012 by its four members Nasri Atweh (lead vocals, guitar), Mark Pellizzer (guitar, vocals), Ben Spivak (bass, backing vocals) and Alex Tanas (drums, backing vocals).

“I’m a huge fan of The Police and I always wanted to do my own project that merged reggae, rock, pop and a little soul for some time,” Atweh, who is known simply by the name Nasri, says on the band’s official biography on its website. “We had this vision and it all tied together instantly.”

On Feb. 24, 2014 the band re-

leased that debut single, “Rude,” which would eventually top charts around the world. A catchy chorus with a distinct reggae sound made “Rude” a No. 1 single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for six straight weeks. The single was three-times certified platinum with over 3 million sales in the United States according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

“I had this picture in my head of a guy asking a father for his marriage blessing and getting rejected,” Nasri said of the song’s story.

“It’s fun, soulful [and] easy and you know the hook right away.

That’s what we want our songs to do.”

Topped off by the single, Magic! released its debut studio album, “Don’t Kill the Magic,” on July 1, 2014 in the United States, and it was received well by critics and consumers alike.

“We began recording and the sound was so locked in on every song,” Nasri said. “That’s even where we derived the band name.

Everything simply worked like Magic!”

The album debuted at no. 6 on the Billboard 200 and, according to Billboard, sold just under 36,000 copies in its first week on shelves.

Now Magic! is taking that success to New York Avenue on The

Paramount’s stage.

“I want everybody to join us on this Magic! adventure,” Nasri said.

“It’s a stressful time out there, and people are struggling to find hope in balance. This music is meant to put you in a good mood. We want to bring people together to have a good time. It’s not about us. It’s about the music. We want you to be a part of that energy and a positive musical world.”

Tickets for Magic! are available at the box office or from www.paramountny.com and range from $25-$40. Accompanying Magic! will be guests, Long Island-native bands, Bohemians and Schoeffel.

T-Birds’ coach excited for next season, young talent (Continued from page A23)

netted the Thunderbirds the No. 11 seed in the county tournament. Impressive wins for Hills East included a 67-60 win over Bay Shore (118) on Dec. 16 and a 59-56 triumph over Bellport (12-7) on Dec. 30 – both were eventual-playoff teams.

Fackler, a multi-year varsity player who served as one of Hills East’s captains this season, emerged as the Thunderbirds’ leading scorer through league play with 14.9 points per

game. The senior is one of seven Thunderbirds set to graduate this year.

“This year he [Fackler] was our No. 1 option,” Basel said. “He’s a tremendous worker on and off the court…

We’re going to miss him.”

Stein is another Thunderbird looking towards graduation – but not before baseball season hits in the spring, Basel said – and he earned Academic All-League honors for his play this hoops season. The Thunderbirds senior class is rounded out by captain

Ryan Pliskin, Spencer Wiley, Jonathan Hicks, Matt Cruz and Mike Theodosiou.

Fackler was also named All-Conference, and junior D’Nathan Knox was named an All-League player.

Knox, a 6-foot-3 forward, started the season on the bench but emerged as one of Hills East’s top scoring options. Basel is looking forward to seeing Knox develop as a player in the build up to next year. “[His future] really looks bright,”

Basel said. “He knows what he needs to work on, but he has a great attitude and won’t whine or make excuses. He wants to play at the next level, but he knows what he needs to do in order to get better.”

Another bright spot in Hills East’s future is Lewis, a 5-foot point guard who is expected to start there for the Thunderbirds come next winter.

“He’s really going to shine for us over the next three years,” Basel said.

Son’s high school CPR training saves a life (Continued from page A9)

death,” Cynthia said.

She credits her life and brain function to her son’s knowledge of CPR and ability to act under pressure. Bijan learned how to do CPR in health class at Northport High School and had taken a 10-minute refresher course through the Board of Health in 2011.

Now, a year later, Cynthia said she wanted her story out there to underscore the importance of CPR training in saving the lives of victims of sudden cardiac arrest. She said she initially did her best to keep the incident quiet, but after a year of hearing about more and more sudden cardiac arrest through the SCA Foundation Survivor’s Network, she felt that spreading awareness was worth the unwanted attention she might receive.

Cynthia and her husband, Joe Assemi, owner of Cup O Joe Bagels on Route 25A in Huntington, both became CPR-certified after the incident.

She wanted to make sure that they could do what their son did for her should a similar situation ever arise.

Community members may remem-

ber a devastating incident on March 25, 2000, in which the victim of cardiac arrest was not so fortunate. Fourteen-year-old Louis Acompora suffered from sudden cardiac death after a blow to the chest with a lacrosse ball, rocking the community. Since then, the Acompora family has dedicated itself to CPR and automated external defibrillator awareness and training.

The Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation’s latest campaign is one to mandate CPR training in New York Schools. In October 2014, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill mandating that CPR be taught in schools, which is pending the NYS Board of Regents’ approval.

There are a number of CPR-related applications available on smartphones.

For those who are CPR trained, apps like PulsePoint Respond alert anyone with CPR training who is ready and willing to assist during an emergency.

According to the app’s website, “notifications are made simultaneously with dispatch of paramedics.”

The American Heart Association has created a Pocket First Aid & CPR

app with detailed guidelines and instructions for emergency situations like SCA. Resources like HeartStart NY, the

Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation, and the Red Cross offer CPR training courses; prices vary depending on the program.

Republic Airport plans (Continued from page A1)

an airport,” he said.

However, civic associations serving Dix Hills, Melville and Farmingdale homeowners are already on high alert.

Alissa Taff, president of the Civic Association of Sweet Hollow, said leaders of her organization and the House Beautiful Civic Association in Dix Hills will join with leaders in Farmingdale to keep an eye on the plans and be ready to fight if they feel the state overreaches.

That would be a similar coalition to the one that pushed back against plans nearly two years by SheltAir to reorient a runway and add as many as seven hangars and a new

30,000 square-foot operations building on 41 undeveloped acres south of its current headquarters at Repubic. Civic leaders argued that the project would result in more – and larger – airplanes flying over Half Hollow Hills and Huntington school buildings.

However, airport officials said at the time since the runway wasn’t growing, the planes wouldn’t be, either.

Those plans are moving forward, a state DOT spokesperson said Monday. The FAA is reviewing a final environmental impact statement and is expected to issue a decision on that “within the next few months,” the spokesperson said.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015 • A19

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Best-Selling Author To Speak At ‘Super Goal Sunday’

By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com

Best-selling Huntington author Alyson Richman will be the keynote speaker at Hofstra University’s upcoming event, Super Goal Sunday, on March 8. The event is aimed at women 40 and older and focuses on personal development and self-discovery.

At the event, Richman plans to talk about her writing process, where she finds inspiration, and how she creates a sensory experience for her readers. “[My writing process] really is an artistic endeavor,” she said.

The author grew up in St. James and has lived in Huntington for the past 12 years. She said she began writing straight out of college and published her first book, “The Mask Carver’s Son,” when she was

in her late 20s. Since then, she has published a book every three years.

Her most recent book, “The Garden of Letters,” talks about how music was used in the Italian resistance. Richman said all of her fiction incorporates some form of art.

Her speech will really be about “seeing the world through an artistic lens,” she said.

Richman’s mother was an abstract artist and taught her to see the world creatively; her father, who was an engineer, taught her that she would not really understand things until she took them apart, she said.

The author said her speech will incorporate both ideas.

“As writers we use not only the talents that we’re born with, but we also need to be observers,” Richman said.

Hofstra University’s Continuing Education created Super Goal Sun-

The Best Of

Winners

e

e

HUNTINGTON

Author Alyson Richman days four years ago as an alternative to the Super Bowl for women, but was rescheduled after the Giants made it to the big game, event

coordinator Debbi Honorof said.

Since then, it has occupied its own Sunday.

“It’s a really nice day to learn something new, make new friends, enjoy a really nice afternoon tea at the university club,” Honorof said.

Attendees will listen to Richman’s keynote speech and choose from two of four workshops in what Honorof describes as “a day of self-discovery.”

Workshop leaders include therapist, educator, and author Diane Lang, writer and publishing consultant Carol Hoenig, health and wellness educator and writer Renee Sojcher, and Beth Levinthal, executive director of Hofstra University Museum and former executive director of Huntington’s own Heckscher Museum of Art. Program registration costs $50.

For more information, visit www.ce.hofstra.edu/supergoal.

The Best of The Best Your votes have been tallied, and the final results are in!

The business that you thought was the “Best of The Best” in the Town of Huntington was Frassanito Jewelers.

Our highest congratulations to Frassanito Jewelers! We thank you for the impeccable services you provide, and are extremely proud to bestow upon you the title of “Best of The Best”

FRASSANITO JEWELERS

Additional congratulations to the Runners Up...

To all of the local businesses and voters who have enthusiastically given our contest your support from the very beginning – we at Long Islander News extend our upmost appreciation. We remain astounded by the incredible level of love and passion you have for our amazing community, and we are excited for this spirit to continue into 2015 and well beyond!

NEWS

A20 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015

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PUZZLE PAGE

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015 • A21

CLASSIFIEDS

DEADLINE is Friday at 2 p.m. All Categories TELEPHONE: (631) 427-7000, FAX: (631) 824-9303 HOURS: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

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RUNNING

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

Runners in a new one-mile road race will be getting a front-row view of the Coast Guard blessing its fleet in Northport Harbor after they complete the Northport Running Club’s newest race.

That’s because the Northport Village Board signed off Feb. 17 on their proposed Nautical Mile road race, scheduled to be held on June 13, in coordination with the annual Blessing of the Fleet, scheduled for later that day.

Initial plans called for the race to be held in August, in conjunction with one of the month’s Family Fun Nights. The board liked the race idea but not the timing, arguing it would overtax the police department. They suggested pairing up with the Blessing of the Fleet instead. Northport Running Club members “loved that idea,” Stewart MacLeod, of the Northport

Running Club, said.

The race will begin at 9 a.m. sharp, starting at the Laurel Avenue School.

The route will continue north to Main Street and make several turns leading up to a run down Main Street toward the finish line at the harbor side of Woodbine and Bayview Avenues.

In essence, the route is essentially all of the downhill parts of the annual Great Cow Harbor 10K. “It’s fast – it’s fun,” MacLeod said.

Entry fees, a portion of which will be dedicated to paying police overtime, are not set in stone, but MacLeod estimated they’d be in the $15 ballpark.

“We’re trying to keep it low,” he said.

The Nautical Mile will be an open race; fliers are expected to be distributed this spring, with some headed to middle- and high-school aged runners around the area. Organizers agreed to cap entries at 500 for the first year.

There will also be an emphasis on

running – Northport Police Chief Ric Bruckenthal said it’s important for the race to be brief, especially on a summertime Saturday, which is prime time for merchants.

“The impact on Main Street is what we’re most concerned about,” said Mayor George Doll.

MacLeod estimated roads would need to be closed for about a halfhour, after which runners would be directed onto the sidewalk. Most runners would be done by the 10-minute mark at worst, he said, and he expected the participants to be “a huge draw to the farmer’s market.”

Village Trustee Jerry Maline agreed with that assessment.

“There are going to be issues with parking, but when there’s an event, there are always issues with parking,” Maline said, who also said the race will provide a boost for the Blessing of the Fleet.

“It should be a banner day for the farmer’s market,” he added.

Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel

Take Your Marks! Board OKs Nautical Mile Race

Stewart MacLeod, of the Northport Running Club, speaks to the Northport Village Board Feb. 17, which signed off on plans by the club to hold a Nautical Mile road race June 13.

An interview with Chris Monteleone, CEO of Sweigh (Continued from page A10)

thrive?” And those ideas comes to you at any time so whether it means you have to send an email or reach out to someone that you haven’t talked to in a year – it’s just always on your brain.

But if you’re motivated and you want to succeed, there’s not a lot of effort being exerted. The work-life balance is different [too] because I’m spending more time with my family than I did before [Sweigh] but I would say

I’m doing as much, if not more, work on a daily basis than I ever did.

Q: What does the future hold for Sweigh?

A: We’re at a point now where we’re in a building stage; we’re activating our company. The next step is to really retain the users, retain our investors, start to drive some ad sales and then it’s truly the growth.

The growth stage comes probably in six-12 months from now and that’s when we start to see revenue coming in and more hiring going on. Fortunately, or unfortunately, we will probably have to open another office in the city. I think [Sweigh] has a great opportunity to be a part of the conversation of measuring sentiment on the internet – and that’s the ultimate goal of the company: How do we measure sen-

timent? Today it’s with an app and a widget; tomorrow it could be something else that we merge with or buy or develop.

Sweigh is available for download on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. To learn more, visit www.sweigh.com.

- Interview conducted by Andrew Wroblewski

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015 • A23

HillSPORTS BOYS BASKETBALL>> HILLS WEST 50, DEER PARK 42

Clutch Free Throw Shooting Seals Colts’ Victory

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

As Deven Williams stepped up to the free-throw line on Saturday, the gym was loud. Despite home court advantage, No. 2 Hills West (16-1) had to deal with the visiting crowd of No. 7 Deer Park (13-5) throughout the Suffolk County quarterfinal matchup.

But, as Williams, a junior, came to the line with less than a minute left to play and his team fighting to hang onto its lead, he said he didn’t hear a thing.

“It’s natural for me to just cancel that out [the noise] because I’m just playing basketball, that’s what I do,” Williams, who finished with 8 points, said. “We practice free throws every day so when I go to the line, I don’t feel anything and I just hit them…

[It’s like] nobody’s there.”

Thanks to Williams’ clutch free throw shooting – he was 6-for-6 on the day – Hills West emerged with the 5042 victory after a hard-fought, backand-forth game that had many Colts fans holding their collective breath through the second half.

“This is what we expect, it’s the playoffs. We’ve had a long rivalry with them [Deer Park]. I love it,” Head Coach Bill Mitaritonna said of the fiery matchup between the

Long Islander News photos/Andrew Wroblewski

Deven Williams was 6-for-6 from the line, scored 8 points in playoff win

Junior Colt, Deven Williams steps to the line with seconds left to play in Saturday’s Suffolk County quarterfinal game against Deer Park; he was perfect on four free attempts in the fourth quarter. two schools.

With the win, the Colts advanced to the county’s semifinal against No. 6 Copiague (14-4) at Farmingdale State College. The game was expected to be played after press time on Wednesday.

Mitaritonna said, “I can’t wait [for Farmingdale]; I’m more excited for them because I’ve done it before but I want our kids to enjoy it.”

On Saturday, Williams wasn’t the only Colt to come through in a big way.

Senior forward Jonathan Faraci – or, as Mitaritonna prefers to call him, “Mr. Fourth Quarter” – hit two huge

3-pointers for Hills West to stifle Deer Park’s momentum. The first came when Faraci put the Colts up 35-31 to end the third quarter and the second with 2:37 left to play giving Hills West a 43-39 advantage.

“I’m just happy to help the team win. We work hard,” Faraci, who finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds, said. “When they called my name, I was just happy to help out.”

Kian Dalyrimple led all scorers with 14 points and 8 rebounds. Junior captain Richard Altenord played relentless defense and fin-

ished with 5 points – including clutch buckets in the second half to keep Hills West ahead.

“All year we’ve been talking about these moments and practicing for these moments,” Altenord, a 6-foot-3 forward, said. “Coach said we’d have to do things we’ve never done before [in order] to get to places that we’ve never been before – and that’s what we did.”

The Colts were heading to Farmingdale State University, a place where Mitaritonna has ventured before to compete with past Colts teams, but for this year’s members, it would be a first-time experience. Not since the 2010-2011 season have the Colts took the court in the Suffolk semifinals – that season they were county and Long Island champions before falling in the state tournament – but that doesn’t mean some of the boys don’t know what to expect.

“I’ve seen my brother [Denzel] go to Farmingdale plenty of times,” Deven Williams said.

When Denzel was a junior he hit the court with the championship-winning Colts as Deven watched from the sidelines. This time, he was able to step into his brother’s shoes.

“It feels great… It’s nice to tell him that I went [to Farmingdale] as well,” Deven said. “It’s going to be fun.”

BOYS BASKETBALL>> COPIAGUE 66, HILLS EAST 63

Eagles Knock Out Thunderbirds Hills East falls in first round of Suffolk County playoffs

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

A freshman on this year’s varsity team, Savion Lewis is expected to play a big part in head coach Peter Basel’s future plans for Hills East’s basketball program.

A close game until the finish, No. 11 Hills East (11-8) fell to No. 6 Copiague (16-4) last week in the opening round of the Suffolk County Class AA playoffs. Despite leading through the first 24 minutes of the game, the Thunderbirds ended their season on a 66-63 setback.

“We got off to a great start… with scoring and getting into our defense,” Head Coach Peter Basel said. “With two minutes left to go it was a chaotic scene; they had a few possessions,

we had a few possessions… but no one took advantage.”

The Eagles ultimately did take advantage, he said, as Copiague’s Myles Mills hit two free throws with a minute left to play. Mills broke a tie at 63 to give his team an advantage they wouldn’t relinquish.

“I felt bad for our kids, but I have to give [Copiague’s] Kevin Roberts credit,” Basel said of the Eagle, who finished with 31 points – including six 3-pointers.

Spencer Stein, one of Hills East’s senior captains, led the Thunderbirds with 16 points. Another senior cap-

tain, Justin Fackler chipped in with 15 points of his own while freshman guard Savion Lewis scored 12 points for his third double-digit scoring effort of the season.

The loss had Basel reflecting on the season as a whole, one that he said was filled with uncertainty heading into league play.

“We lost a lot from last year’s team in term of skill, offensive production [etc.],” Basel said. “But we knew we had a lot talent and a lot of pieces and we started winning.”

A third-place finish in League II (Continued on page A18)

A24 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 26, 2015

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