HALF HOLLOW HILLS Copyright © 2015 Long Islander News
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VOL. 17, ISSUE 7
24 PAGES
THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015
MELVILLE
Shake Shack Eyes Empire Szechuan Site By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
Goodbye, Empire Szechuan. Hello, Shake Shack. The Manhattan-based chain is in the beginning of the site-plan approval process for a future restaurant at 849 Walt Whitman Road in Melville, Edwin Bragg, Shake Shack’s director of marketing, said. “We’re always considering great neighborhoods for a Shack. With our New York City roots, Long Island has been very good to us, and we’re looking forward to starting the process for a site plan approval for a potential Shack at 849 Walt Whitman Road,” he said.
Shake Shack is eyeing the former home of Empire Szechuan at 849 Walt Whitman Road for a future store. Pictured, the formerly blighted restaurant in 2012.
(Continued on page A19)
HALF HOLLOW HILLS
Hills Explains Tax Levy Statistics By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
Half Hollow Hills School District officials have proposed a $234,216,849 budget for the 2015-2016 academic year – a 2.1 percent, or $4.8 million, increase from the 2014-2015 budget. A proposed tax levy cap of 2.42 percent – which will not pierce the New York tax cap – has been set by the district’s officials, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Facilities Anne Marie Marrone Caliendo said during Monday’s budget presentation at the Fran Greenspan Administration Center, generating a tax levy of $195,520,268. (Continued on page A19)
Inside This Issue The Foodies Do Neraki A13
Long Islander News photo/Andrew Wroblewski
Next Up At Paramount: Black Label Society A9
The first Shake Shack opened in 2004 in New York City’s Madison Square Park. It went public on Feb. 4 of this year after successfully completing its initial public offering. Shake Shack restaurants feature sustainable menus and environmentally-responsible designs and aim to be a “fun and lively communitygathering place with widespread appeal,” company officials said. The aim is to create a modern-day “roadside” burger stand known for burgers, hot dogs, frozen custard, crinklecut fries, beer, wine and more. So far, Shake Shack has opened additional company-operated Shacks in New York, New Jersey, Washing-
Half Hollow Hills Superintendent Kelly Fallon, left, and Board of Education President Eric Geringswald look on during a presentation of the proposed 2015-2016 district budget on Monday.
Spring
Break
Fun Activities To Do With Your Kids A12
A2 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015
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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com
It was a sad end to the summer of 2013 when longtime Huntington staple Canterbury Ales closed its doors, but in the time since former pub owner Billy Hoest has planted new seeds—literally. After 29 years of running Canterbury’s, Hoest is now working at Main Street Nursery in Huntington. While this may come as a surprise to some, for Hoest, working at the nursery meant going back to his roots. “The neat little thing is that I worked there 41 years ago; it was my first real job,” Hoest explained. He said he did not begin his time at Canterbury Ales with designs of becoming a restaurateur; rather he started working at the bar as a summer job while he earned a bachelor’s degree in ornamental horticulture. “I was doing the hanging baskets and the flower boxes before I owned the place,” he said. Hoest was on a waitlist for a forest pathology graduate program in Colorado with plans to work for the Forestry Department or a lumber company when a manager at Canterbury’s approached him about opening up a bar, he said. After a joke with the then owner of Canterbury Ales about buying the place and a $50,000 loan from his mother, Connie Hoest, Billy became the owner of the restaurant and thus ended his formal pursuit of horticulture for almost three decades. The bar closed due to tax-related financial issues in August 2013. Hoest said he had been confident that he would be able to fight allegations of debt to the state. When he could not, he admitted that he was in a dark place. “I never thought I would lose [Canterbury’s]. It’s hard to reenter the [restaurant] industry at 56. Just on a whim I thought, ‘What else do I know how to do?’” he said. That was when he went back to his roots at Main Street Nursery. Hoest had maintained a relationship with them while he owned Canterbury’s; it
Long Islander News photo/Carina Livoti
Former Canterbury Owner Sows New Seeds
Billy Hoest takes solace watering a few plants at Main Street Nursery. was where he bought flowers for his staff. “I didn’t know what I was applying for,” he said. “I just went up and one of the girls there said, ‘Let me see what I can do.’” Hoest now holds a management position overseeing crews on small landscapes and plantscapes, but said he started out doing seasonal work selling Christmas trees about a year and a half ago. “They were kind of feeling me out and I was feeling them out; I realized pretty quickly that I could enjoy myself working there,” he said. Since then, Hoest has taken comfort in Main Street Nursery, which he said has a very similar management philosophy to his own.
Though he sees many of the same people he saw at Canterbury’s through his work at the nursery, he confessed that he still has some difficulty hanging around town. “It’s sort of flattering that I’m always recognized, but there’s a feeling of shame, or I don’t know what it is, that I left the town flat,” he said. After all of the heartache that came with closing the place he had planned on keeping for a lifetime, Hoest’s outlook is positive. “As much as I reflect on what happened to 36 years of sweat, there’s something comfortable about coming full circle—landing with the plants,” he said.
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015 • A3
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
Speakers who turned out for the annual meeting of the Town of Huntington’s Board of Ethics and Financial Disclosure March 18 are looking for the gathering to become a quarterly affair. It’s a suggestion that Councilwoman Tracey Edwards, who is leading a review of the town’s ethics code at the direction of Supervisor Frank Petrone, said is “right on.” “Giving the public the ability to talk to the ethics board more than once a year is a fair ask,” she said after the March 18 meeting. Another that’s high on the list, Edwards said, is to prominently post a link to the town’s ethics code on Huntington’s official website and to make it easier for residents to file an ethics complaint. Ethics Board Chair Howard Glickstein said that the board’s next step is to review the transcript of the twohour meeting and “decide what is in that transcript that we should transmit to the town board” as sugges-
tions for possible revisions. Some of the suggestions will be included in a draft of a revised town ethics code, which will be released April 21 when the board is expected to vote to set a public hearing on the proposal for 2 p.m. May 12. The new code could be adopted immediately after that hearing, but is likely to be voted on June 9, Edwards said. “Once adopted, we have to do a very good job of training our employees and elected officials and also ensure the public has a copy of it and it is prominent,” she said. In addition to the push for more frequent meetings, residents called for changes they argued would increase transparency in town hall’s operations and curb abuses and conflicts of interest. Dix Hills’ Tom McNally, an attorney on the Huntington GOP’s Law Committee, suggested stiffer penalties for those found guilty of ethics violations, including increasing the maximum fine five-fold to $25,000 and mandating forfeiture of ill-begotten gains. Town officials convicted of felonies should also be banned
Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel
Residents Want Quarterly Ethics Meetings
Chairman Howard Glickstein, second from left, leans in to hear testimony March 18 during the annual meeting of the Board of Ethics and Financial Disclosure. from future public employment, lobbying activity or bidding on town contracts, and convicted elected officials should be required to return campaign funds to donors or give them to charity, he said. Another suggestion from a resident was to strip a convicted elected official of benefits like their pensions and health care.
The GOP Law Committee’s findings also call for rules preventing town workers from profiting on insider information or accepting gifts in excess of $100. If an elected official received a contribution greater than $250, they’d have to disclose that contribution when voting on matters involving that donor, com(Continued on page A19)
A4 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015
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POLICE REPORT Compiled by Danny Schrafel
Is It Finally Over?
Caught With Heroin
creatures that like to chase them away. Happy first week of spring... I’m finally feeling safe to start stowing away all my winter Sweet treat… As we congratgear – the extra pair of shoveling gloves in my ulate Lora Gellerstein, Carol desk, the scarf, the jacket – but I’m only doing Werblin and David Perkins for it slowly. The luck we’ve had, IN THE KNOW their induction into the Tri I’ll be reaching for the rock WITH AUNT ROSIE CYA’s Hall of Honor last week, salt in April. I urge to mark April 14 on your calendar – and make it your cheat Sandy icebergs… No, that’s not the name day. That’s when the Tri CYA will raise funds in of a new revue of female impersonators I’m putpartnership with the Huntington village Ben & ting together, but a comment on the last bits of Jerry’s, where they’ll raise money and give away snow to melt each year – the ugly, sandy, dirty free ice cream as part of Ben & Jerry’s annual piles of frozen stuff on the side of the roads. Free Cone Day. Last year, they dished out about Normally, I just live with it, but I’m so sick of 3,000 free cones, raising $2,100 in the process. snow this year that I might take a pickaxe to the Make sure to plan ahead – the store gets packed stuff and shovel it away. in a hurry, especially once school lets out. Big dog country… That said, people are Huntington village time… As everyone starting to get over their winter blues and startknows, the big, beautiful Main Street clock opering to emerge in public. And in Northport, the ates on its own schedule. It hasn’t adjusted to arrival of spring means the dogs come out to daylight saving time, so don’t be fooled – or late play. The other day, I was strolling through the village, and there it was: a veritable array of pre- to lunch! cious pups – some of them very, very large. One (Aunt Rosie wants to hear from you! If you Mastiff visited a shop I was in – she weighed have comments, ideas, or tips about what’s hapabout 150 pounds, and still had more to grow. pening in your neck of the woods, write to me toAnother gorgeous Bernese mountain dog made day and let me know the latest. To contact me, the rounds, and yet another big, fluffy St. drop a line to Aunt Rosie, c/o The Long-Islander, Bernard chilled out in the rear hatch of a station 14 Wall Street, Huntington NY 11743. Or try the wagon. It certainly is one way to take care of a e-mail at aunt.rosieli@gmail.com) geese problem – hang out with lots of adorable
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 LongIslander, 14 Wall St., Huntington, NY 11743. Please include a daytime phone number for verification purposes. Or email info@longislandergroup.com
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Cops were called after a dispute between students ended with one being shoved into a bush at the corner of Republic Road and Court North Drive in Melville at 2:30 p.m. March 13.
Tipsy Topsy Turvy A Kings Park man, 25, was charged with DWI after cops pulled him over while driving eastbound on the LIE near exit 51 in Dix Hills. At 12:50 a.m., he was allegedly driving a Jeep – badly – as he swerved and drove onto the shoulder.
Thief Ends Up In The Gutter A Huntington man, 25, was arrested March 19 related to a theft from a bowling center. At 5:05 p.m. March 15, the man allegedly stole four hamburgers from BowlMor Long Island on Route 110.
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“The faith that our citizens have in town government is based upon a foundation of trust. The cornerstone of this trust should be ethics.” Residents Want Quarterly Ethics Meetings, A3
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A woman called the cops at 8 a.m. March 16 after a person walked up behind her, then alongside her, and then began brushing his shoulder along her shoulder at a Melville Park Road business.
Rolex, Ring Stolen Cops were called to Blink Fitness on Broadhollow Road in Melville March 21 after someone reported that their ring and a Rolex watch had been stolen. The items were taken from a gym bag, which had been left out on a bench in the locker room from 10 a.m. March 20 to the time of the call.
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Police arrested two people, a 25-year-old male and a 25-year old female, at the corner of Deer Park Avenue and Cambridge Street March 19. Police said the female driver was operating her car without a license, and her male passenger was in possession of heroin.
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015 • A5
MELVILLE
Barrett Making Second Try At Town Board By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
Melville resident Keith Barrett, president of the Huntington Station Business Improvement District, is throwing his hat into the Democratic Town Board nomination derby once again. His fundraising committee is hosting a fundraiser on Wednesday, April 8 to kick off the auto mechanic shop owner’s second campaign for Huntington Town Board. The event will be held at the recently-opened Anaconda Latin fusion bistro on New York Avenue in Huntington Station. Barrett, who also works as the town’s deputy director of General Services, was one of the front-runners in 2013 in a hotly contested bid for the open spot on the Democratic
town board ballot. The nomination town Democratic committee chair ultimately went to Tracey Edwards, Mary Collins he will not run this year who went on to win the at-large elec- and is supporting Barrett’s candidation. cy. He announced Monday that he is Barrett joins Centerrunning for re-election to port’s Darryl St. George, the South Huntington a Northport High school board. Patricia School history teacher, Grant Flynn, who sought Navy veteran and antithe nomination two years drug advocate, in the ago as well, is now a Disrace. St. George threw trict Court judge. his hat into the ring earThe ultimate nominee ly last month and made would run in an at-large his bid official on Monrace for one of two fourday with the launch of year town board seats this his campaign website. fall. Councilwoman Susan Keith Barrett The stacked field of Berland, a Democrat, and two years ago has Councilman Gene Cook, thinned somewhat for 2015. South an Independence Party member Huntington school board Trustee Ed closely aligned with Republicans, are Nitkewicz, who was the party com- the incumbents. mittee’s recommendation in ’13, told Collins said the party’s executive
committee would speak to the prospective candidates in a couple of weeks. She added that Receiver of Taxes Ester Bivona, a Democrat, will seek re-election and that so far, the party is not planning to run an opponent against incumbent Town Clerk JoAnn Raia, a Republican. Huntington GOP chair Toni Tepe said the party is busy hunting for a candidate to run alongside Cook, as well as a possible challenger to Bivona. They’ll screen candidates at headquarters on March 31. Interest is strong, Tepe said. “We’re looking for individuals that want to serve the public and are not in it for their own self-gain,” she said. “We want transparency and we want individuals who have very high ethical and moral values.”
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
$250K Hike In Road-Repair Bond OK’d By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
A $3.3-million bond package for an array of roadway improvements has been authorized by Huntington’s town board. Of those funds, a $150,000 will be earmarked for curb and sidewalk improvements expected to last 10 years; $400,000 for new highway
equipment expected to last 15 years; $400,000 for drainage improvements expected to last 40 years; and $2,350,000 for road improvements expected to last 15 years. The road improvement bond marks a $250,000 increase from last year’s allocation, Huntington Superintendent of Highways Peter Gunther said. “The board realizes the roads are
in bad shape,” he said. The bonds were ratified by 4-1 margins in a series of roll-call votes; Councilman Gene Cook voted no on each. A four-vote supermajority is required to float bonds. “They’re very reasonable, very good and I appreciate the funding,” Gunther said. “I understand you’ve got to work within a certain thing and they’re the guys that have the
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Zoning, Planning Boards Bound Tighter By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
Huntington Planning and Zoning Board of Appeals members are now required to meet jointly once a year and review land-use issues monthly. The town board approved on March 10 legislation that requires the planning and zoning boards’ chairpersons to meet monthly with the town’s planning director or a designee, and attorneys for each board, to coordinate the review and processing of land use applications, discuss concerns and streamline the land-use approval process. Supervisor Frank Petrone previously said the endeavor is aimed at
improving communication between the boards, with the aim of reducing duplication of efforts. The proposal also amends training requirements for Huntington Planning Board and Board of Assessment Review members. Planning board members will need to complete four hours of training each year, which must be approved by the town attorney, to ensure they more effectively carry out their duties. Excess training hours can carry over from year to year, according the proposal. Huntington Board of Assessment Review members are now required to complete training as dictated by the Real Property Tax Law as a condition of appointment.
If board members don’t meet the training requirements, they can be removed from office following a public hearing and an opportunity to plead their case. The law goes into effect upon filing with New York State’s Secretary of State, and the first monthly chair’s meeting will be called soon, according to Councilwoman Tracey Edwards, a co-sponsor of the legislation with Petrone. “There are a lot of things they work on together. What better way to make sure that we’re aligned and doing things that are not in conflict with each other,” she said. “If there are things we could do to expedite the process for residents, that’s good, too.”
purse strings. We work well together, and I appreciate it.” Gunther said the money will allow for existing sidewalks to be repaired, clear the way for the purchase of several new trucks and sweepers, and allow his department to improve areas that drain poorly. Town spokesman A.J. Carter said the bonds are expected to go to market later in the year. Cook said he voted against the bond measures because he believes the expenses should be drawn from the general fund, and argued Supervisor Frank Petrone was bonding and spending more than he claimed at the start of the year. “What Frank did was he came out and said he was raising taxes 2.9 percent… the full amount was 7.82 percent,” Cook said, citing a figure showing the increase in the town/part town section of the tax levy. Cook also argues Petrone plans to bond another $10 to $15 million, which would put the town’s overall debt load in the neighborhood of $150 million. “I can’t vote on that sort of stuff… I think there are better ways of doing the budget,” Cook said. Carter, however, said Cook is cherry-picking numbers to reach that conclusion, and that a full representation of the entire town tax levy shows a 2.9-percent increase as advertised. “Some funds went up more than that; some funds went down,” Carter said.
A6 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015
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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
What Does It Take To Be A Police Officer? By Joseph Zapata info@longislandergroup.com
If you want to help keep your community safe, now is the time to act. The Suffolk County Department of Civil Service will be offering an entrance examination in June for the chance to become a Suffolk County police officer. This opportunity is only offered once every four years, and the application deadline is April 1. “[As a police officer], you get an incredible sense of purpose protecting your community,” said Suffolk County Police Officer Terrence Buckley. The police department will hold an information seminar on March 26 to help explain the process. Representatives from the Suffolk Country Police recruitment unit, applicant investigation unit and the Civil Service will also be in attendance. The seminar will be at 7 p.m. at the South Huntington Public Library, 145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station. The Suffolk County Police Department received 24,000 applicants the last time this opportunity was made available, back in 2011. The minimum age requirement is 19 years on the date of the written exam, and 34 years old is the maximum. Applicants must also have a standard senior high school degree or a high school
Want to join the Suffolk County Police Department? The Civil Service exam, a prerequisite for becoming a Suffolk County police officer, is being offered in June. Above, newly-graduated members of the Suffolk County Police Academy pictured during 2014 commencement exercises at St. Joseph’s College. equivalency diploma recognized by the New York State Department of Education. After passing the written examination, candidates must pass a medical exam, personality assessment and polygraph exam in addition to an extensive background check and physical fitness screening. According to Buckley, the agility test is where the most applicants struggle. “We lose 25 percent of recruits on the agility test alone,” he said.
The starting salary for a Suffolk County police officer is $42,000 annually, and incrementally increases to $111,506 over a span of 12 years of service, according to suffolkcountyny.gov. For more information, visit JOINSCPD.com. For those hoping to protect the community without becoming full-fledged police officers, the Suffolk Country Police Department is also looking for volunteers to join the Huntington Auxiliary unit. Auxiliary officers give a helping hand by providing crowd and traffic control at town events, fairs, parades and emergency situations. It’s also been proven that a visible presence of an auxiliary officer in uniform and on patrol in a marked police vehicle can help improve safety and security to a community, officers said. “They’re really valuable as far as we’re concerned,” said Sergeant Patrick Kalan. “They do the job that could free up an another officer.” These volunteers are required to donate 10 hours of their time a month, accumulating to 120 hours a year. Training will be held at the Suffolk County Police Academy and these volunteers are trained to the level of a peace officer. For more information on becoming an auxiliary officer, email second.precinct@scapd.com.
DIX HILLS
Cops: Drunk Dad Crashed With Kids In Car By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
A man faces felony DWI charges after he allegedly drove drunk and wrecked his car on the Long Island Expressway in Dix Hills Friday with his two pre-teen daughters in the car. Mauricio Zamora, 40, of Ronkonoma, crashed the 2014 Honda Accord while driving westbound between exits 52 and 51, striking the median at 10:24 p.m., according to police. The vehicle suffered heavy
front-end damage, first rely injured,” he said. sponders from the Dix Hills The children were reFire Department said. leased into the custody of Dix Hills Fire Rescue their mother. Zamora was transported the man’s two later charged with aggradaughters, ages 11 and 9, to vated DWI with a child 15 Huntington Hospital, where or younger in the car, an E they were treated for minor felony under Leandra’s injuries. One child suffered Mauricio Zamora Law, DWI and two counts soreness to the hip, while the other of endangering the welfare of a had a red mark around her neck child. He was not hurt, police said. from the seat belt, Sgt. Jeffrey WalkZamora was arraigned Saturday er said. and is due back in court Thursday, “Thankfully, nobody was serious- March 26. He was held on $10,000
bond or cash bail. His attorney, Sayville-based Joseph Hanshe, did not return a call for comment Monday. Leandra’s Law, adopted in 2009, was inspired by the death of Leandra Rosado, an 11-year-old girl who was killed on the Henry Hudson Parkway on Oct. 11, 2009, when her friend’s mother flipped the car they were in while allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol. Rosado died, and six other children in the car were hurt.
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015 • A7
DIX HILLS
By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
Fifty-two-year Dix Hills resident Ruth Koroghlian has been specializing in fine gifts, showcases and Christmas displays for four decades as the proprietor of Cow Harbor Fine Gifts in Northport. But if she kept at her original area of expertise, Koroghlian, the proprietor of the shop located in a historic building at 101 Main St in Northport, would have made a career in engineering. “I was in administration at Lockheed Missiles and Space division, and he was aircraft for many years,” she said of herself and her husband, Bob. Then again, the custom-built displays, with lifts, elaborate lighting and electrical capabilities throughout, certainly exhibit an engineer’s touch. “We re-fixtured everything in the store,” she said of her first store on Route 25A in Northport. “What we planned was very high-end showcases for gifts, and that’s how it started.” After tying the knot with her husband, a pharmacist and “great merchandiser” in 1963 made the move to
Dix Hills. She had come home to her native Brooklyn after a six-year stint in California. “I had come by 25A one day and there was a pharmacy in Northport that was closing,” she said. “So I alerted him, and he bought the place,” she said. What ultimately opened in the late 1970s was a hybrid store – his full-service pharmacy in the back, and her shop, dedicated to fine gifts, taking the rest of the space. “It grew and grew and grew,” she said. “We did very well up there.” Then came the chance to lease the back room at 101 Main St. in the late 1980s. “She said, ‘do you want the whole place?’” Koroghlian said. She took the plunge, and while the two locations overlapped for several years, 101 Main St. became their permanent home, and she’s been there ever since – two decades in each location, she explained. Over the years, her Christmas room has become a hallmark, where Department 56 products, made-in-theUSA Buyer’s Choice carolers and Fontanini handmade Italian figurines
are key dealers. “People buy throughout the year,” she said. Up front, products come from around the world, including European products from Italy and Germany, Irish silver and pearl jewelry, French linens, Polish glass and Asian imports. Scents, candles, jewelry and Vera Bradley items – to name a few selections – make for a colorful display. Customers come from all across Long Island, along with tourists and a handful of English shoppers who come in every time they visit Northport. Summertime brings more business, with an influx of tourists and boaters from locales along the Long Island Sound and the Hudson River. Over the years, Koroghlian said the shop has become a tourist destination for history buffs, thanks to a circa1880s oven in the back of the store. “It came down from up the Hudson River on a barge, down to the dock here, and they put it on the trolley tracks and brought it in,” she said. “It’s a tonnage – it goes back eight feet.” She figures the oven has been back there since the turn of the 20th century, if not earlier. The building itself is
Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel
Cow Harbor Fine Gifts Soars Into Spring
Dix Hills’ Ruth Koroghlian, owner of Cow Harbor Fine Gifts in Northport, has been a successful purveyor of fine gifts in Huntington township for decades. more than a century old. “It takes up a lot of my storage space, but I can’t remove that. It would be tremendous cost – and I think the building would fall down,” she said, with a laugh.
A8 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015
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Opinion ‘Not the types set up by the printer return their impression, the meaning, the main concern.’
Restore Confidence In Ethics Board In ordinary years the annual public in order to avoid conflicts of interest. meeting of the Town of Huntington’s The notoriety of the Oheka case has Board of Ethics and Financial Disclo- brought the ethics code into the spotsure is not well-attended. light and an overhaul of the ethics code But this has been no ordinary year. is underway. The ethics board’s annual meeting Councilwoman Tracey Edwards was held last week was well attended and tasked by the supervisor to review and the public had plenty to say. report on the ethics code and That’s because the ethics EDITORIAL will likely submit proposed board recently was thrown changes in April. Among the under a microscope amid questions of goals are improving accessibility and whether Councilman Mark Cuthbert- awareness for the public, and making it son should have recused himself from easier for members of the public to file a vote on rezoning the Oheka Castle an ethics complaint. More public meetproperty. The ethics board said it tech- ings of the board are also possible. nically was not necessary, but he The town ethics board is chaired by should have disclosed a tangential Howard Glickstein, Dean Emeritus of business relationship with Oheka own- Touro Law Center and an attorney with er Gary Melius in the interest of avoid- sterling credentials in the law and in ing the appearance of impropriety. public service. Yet the public’s confiWhile that decision has come under dence has been shaken, and it needs to scrutiny, it is hardly the only question be restored. Reforms should promote to come before the board. The ethics greater transparency and improved fiboard is often called on to interpret and nancial disclosures. We don’t begrudge apply the town ethics code for town lawmakers the ability to earn a living, board members and other town officials but conflicts must be avoided.
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path and is charged with shooting a police officer. Yet here is an organization in the midst of some of our most troubled neighborhoods serving over 2,000 young people in the schools and in afterschool and summer programs. The Tri CYA offers everything from homework help to anti-gang and anti-bullying programs and college prep assistance. Each year, their Project T.O.Y. aids over 1,000 families. Director Debbie Rimler and her staff do amazing work with the children and teenagers and we all benefit from their labors. I want to commend The Long-Islander and Danny Schrafel for the article on gangs in Huntington [in The
Long-Islander’s March 19 edition] which highlighted the good work of the Tri CYA. I hope that article and letters like this will spread the word a little more about a terrific force for good that is working in our midst for the betterment of our young people and our communities. Our readers can learn more about the Tri CYA by going to their website (www.tricya.org) or stopping by their main facility in the Big H Shopping Center (behind the DMV). Maybe some of your readers will want to volunteer or support the Tri CYA. I love the Tri CYA. CAROL L. SCHLITT Huntington
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Thumbs Up For The Tri CYA DEAR EDITOR: Last [week], my colleagues at the Schlitt Law Firm and I had the pleasure of attending the Tri-Community Youth Agency (Tri CYA) Hall of Honor Dinner held at The Larkfield. I woke up [the next morning] and wanted to
share the experience with as many people as possible and that is why I am writing to you. The dinner honored three tireless advocates for the community – Carol Weblin, Lora Gellerstein and David Perkins – and it was a celebration of the Tri CYA. It brought together people from throughout the three school districts served by the Tri
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.
CYA (Huntington, South Huntington and Cold Spring Harbor). We have been supporters and volunteers at the Tri CYA and I cannot say enough about this organization. We know that much of our youth struggle with pressures that often affect their whole lives. We saw [recently] the actions of a young man who apparently chose the wrong
Cartoon by Walt Handelsman created for the Long Island Index (www.longislandindex.org), a project of the Rauch Foundation.
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015 • A9
Life&Style ART
Dix Hills Art Gallery Goes ‘Ape’ By Joseph Zapata info@longislandergroup.com
For the eighth annual “Go Ape” exhibit, the Art League of Long Island celebrates the artwork of AP art students, as selected by their teachers, from Long Island high schools. “The Go Ape exhibit promotes the work of people who normally don’t get the chance to have their own exhibit,” said Annette Bernhardt, marketing coordinator of the Art League of Long Island. This year, 128 students from 36 high schools will be showing their paintings, drawings, sculptures, mixed media, digital art, and photography. Awards were given out to the students with the best artwork in their respective categories. Allison Saltz, from Walt Whitman High School and Isabella De-
Ekaterina Koulakova’s “Sweet Tooth” digital crop. Matteo, from Harborfields High School both won an Award of Excellence in the category of mixed media. Nina Koscica, of John Glenn High School, won an award in the category of acrylic, and Ekaterina Koulakova, from Huntington High School, was awarded for her hand/digital illustration. “[The students] are excited because many of them are trying to
Ekaterina Koulakova’s “Sweet Tooth” digital crop. pursue a future in this field,” Bernhardt said. Cherie Via Rexer, the owner and curator of the Ripe Art Gallery in Huntington, selected the winners. For those interested in viewing the “Go Ape” exhibit, the artworks
Allison Saltz’ “The Party was Over” mixed media piece. are on display through March 29, and an open reception with all of the students will be held March 29 at 3 p.m. The address is 107 East Deer Park Road in Dix Hills.
Black Label Society Launches Unblackened Tour The Paramount Spotlight By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
Two years ago, Club Nokia in Los Angeles, Calif., was delivered a gift by heavy-metal band, Black Label Society. That gift was the Unblackened tour – a one-time-only show that spawned a live-acoustic video album of the same title released on March 6, 2013. Now, Black Label Society – and its founder, Zakk Wylde – are finally getting the chance to deliver the tour across the United States, and it’s coming to The Paramount on April 3. “I always wanted to take Unblackened on the road; we just didn’t have the time until now,” Wylde said in a press release. Officially formed by Wylde, former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, in 1998 with a debut studio release, “Sonic Brew,” Black Label Society has been praised for its hard rock and heavy met-
al sounds. Powerful guitars and even stronger vocals have led Black Label Society to nine studio releases since 1998 – including the most-recent “Catacombs of the Black Vatican,” which hit U.S. shelves on April 8, 2014. Praised by critics, the album also peaked at no. 1 on the United States Billboard Hard Rock chart and has sold more than 50,000 copies to date. “Unblackened,” however, has been acclaimed for straying from the traditional-Black Label Society sound. Wylde and current band members, John DeServio (bass), Dario Lorina (guitar) and Jeff Fabb (drums) breathe an intimate feeling into old Black Label Society classics and even songs from Wylde’s best-selling solo album, “Book of Shadows” and his southernrock band, Pride & Glory. Upon its 2013-release, the video album peaked at no. 5 on the United States Billboard Video chart and was accompanied by a single, “Ain’t No Sunshine When She's Gone.” “You can take a song that you’ve played thousands of times and rearrange it, and all of a sudden it’s
Heavy-metal band Black Label Society will bring its Unblackened tour to The Paramount’s stage on April 3. something totally fresh,” Wylde said. “The attitude of the songs doesn’t change when we play them acoustically – the tunes are gritty regardless.” Alongside Black Label Society, special-guest Wino is also set to take
The Paramount’s stage for the April 3 show. Doors are set to open at 7 p.m. with the show starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are available from the box office or at www.paramountny.com for $22-$45.
A10 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015
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BUSINESS CGI Baseball Focused On Ballplayers’ Futures Spotlight On
Huntington Businesses By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
For 15 years, Huntington native Rob Steinert has been working with baseball and softball players across the northeast. Steinert, a former ballplayer for the Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays organization, has worked with three MLB players, 144 Division I scholarship athletes, 33 All-State stars, and much more, including Northport High School graduate Ian Dickson, who currently pitches for the Washington Nationals organization. Steinert has been able to do this with a simple philosophy: sacrifice a bit of today for success in the future – and he’s teaching that at CGI Baseball, Inc. in Huntington Station. “Our philosophy is a little different,” Michael Tinney, general manager of the facility and its subsequent baseball and softball programs, said. “While we play games and do tournaments where every-
Michael Tinney is the general manager of CGI Baseball, Inc.’s facility and its baseball and softball programs, the CGI Braves and CGI Lady Warriors. body is always chasing the win or chasing a trophy, we prefer to really work on mechanics.” The 13 teams bearing the CGI name – baseball’s Braves and softball’s Lady Warriors – compete year-round in leagues and tournaments, but the focus is always placed on practice, Tinney said. Athletes from ages 8-18 form a bond with the CGI facility, its four batting cages and workout area, which are spread across 6,000 square
feet. Once based in Deer Park and then East Northport, CGI Baseball has found a home in Huntington Station for the last five years. “We want people, players and parents to understand it has to be beyond winning,” Tinney, of Farmingdale, said. “These kids picked a very hard game [baseball or softball]… So we’re trying to stay ahead of the curve and, maybe, sacrifice a little of the present to grow in the future.”
For example, of the 175 players in the CGI program, not one is permitted to throw curveballs – commonly associated with arm injuries – before they’re 16 years old. Reviewing footage of swinging and pitching mechanics is a common practice, and instruction from a coaching staff assembled from teachers and coaches on and around Long Island is to be expected. “That’s the balance… That’s where we’re OK with being a little different,” Tinney said. Private pitching and hitting baseball lessons, and hitting, fielding and pitching softball lessons are available starting at $65 per session. Strength training, batting cage rentals, team workouts, clinics, after-school baseball classes and birthday parties round of the remainder of CGI Baseball’s lineup. For more information on how to step up to the plate – and information as to how new players can try out for the Braves or Lady Warriors – visit www.cgibaseball.com or contact Tinney at Mike@cgibaseball.com.
CGI Baseball, Inc. 175A East Second St., Huntington Station 631-923-2332 www.cgibaseball.com
What Do Marketing Professionals Do, Anyway? By Mindy F. Wolfle Ever wonder what your company’s marketing person does all day long? Or that consultant you hired to boost your business’s name recognition, volume of business and in general, make you look good? A professional marketer is a master of multi-tasking, expert at managing interpersonal relationships, a creative thinker and a better balancing act than the plate spinners on the old Ed Sullivan show. For starters, most marketers perform a plethora of functions under the umbrella of “integrated marketing communications (ICM).” What is the meaning of integrated marketing communications? Simply stated, ICM is a broad mar-
keting concept ensuring that all effective marketing communications are interrelated, so all your promotional tools work together in harmony. The two most important elements in ICM are consistency and coordination. Consistency suggests a uniform depiction of your brand and its meaning across all forms of communication. Coordination ensures that all communications under your control are expressed through a well-outlined marketing plan, one that includes common themes throughout all marketing channels. In practice, all the elements of your marketing initiatives need to agree in messaging, imagery and your overall brand. What are the elements of integrated marketing communications? There are concepts and there are nuts and bolts. While this is far from a comprehensive list, there are cer-
tain givens when it comes to integrated marketing communications: • Strategy: Failing to work strategically when it comes to marketing is like going to the supermarket without a shopping list. You wander aimlessly through the aisles, spend too much money, waste time and don’t get what you really need. Successful integrated marketing requires a welldefined course of action and a road map to get there. • Communications skills: The best marketers are also competent writers and speakers. They know how to put words together that convey a message without being perceived as a sales pitch. They know what editors and reporters look for in a press release. They understand that research and fact checking are essential to all good communications. • Public relations: Read any news-
paper, website or watch a segment on a news show. What do you think generates all these ideas? It’s likely that a press release or story pitch reached a reporter or editor or assignment desk and made it into the media. • Website: If you don’t have a website, you are nowhere. Search engine optimization is king when it comes to your ranking on Google and other search engines. And this is how people find you. • Social media: Regardless of the nature of your business, there exists a social media site (or two or three or more) that fits the bill for your digital presence. At the very least, your business or organization should be on LinkedIn and for many, on Facebook. • Collateral materials: Printed materials are not dead. From brochures to handouts at seminars to business cards (Continued on page A19)
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015 • A11
BUSINESS Druggists Get Rx Reprieve By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com
If you were looking to fill a prescription electronically, this Saturday wasn’t the greatest day to give it a try. Pharmacists in Huntington said the electronic system broke down, leaving them to field phone calls from customers who couldn’t get medication. “All the people who need their medication – we never received the prescriptions, the doctor’s offices have all closed already, and there’s nothing we can do here,” Alex Leemon, manager of Huntington’s North Shore Pharmacy, said on Saturday. This Friday, March 27, would have been the last day for doctors’ offices in NewYork State to implement the mandated electronic prescription-remitting system, but legislation signed into law two weeks ago by Governor Andrew Cuomo puts that off for one more year. “There remain many logistical issues that need to be addressed before this mandate goes into effect, but we now have a greater amount of time to work through these issues,” said Andrew Kleinman, president of the Medical Society of the State of New York. The mandate, which will now go into effect on March 27, 2016, applies to all medications, whether controlled or non-controlled substances. E-filing for
non-controlled substances has been in effect for a while, Leemon said, but the new wrinkle is controlled substances. Typically, prescriptions arrive in 10 minutes or less, but in rare cases, it can take hours to transmit. The mandate was implemented in part to crack down on “doctor shopping” with hopes of stemming the flow of opiates into the hands of addicts, as well as prevent stolen prescription pads and misunderstood handwriting. With some new restrictions, pharmacists will be able to write a paper prescription. However, critics argue that the new system opens the door for errors, drives more business to big-box pharmacies, and reduces the ability to shop for the best prescription prices. “With a written prescription, I hand the prescription back to the customer, and he can take it to another pharmacy,” Leemon said. “If it’s electronic and it’s sent directly to me, what happens if I don’t have the medication?” It’s another headache for a local pharmacy business in a field that already feels stacked in favor of big business. “They don’t properly reimburse us for prescriptions,” Leemon said of insurance companies. “That is their way of pushing the prescription over to the big-box store.”
Upcoming Networking and Educational Events Wednesday, April 8, 8:30-9:30 a.m. (walking tour after) 250 Lawrence Hill Road, Cold Spring Harbor The Huntington Chamber of Commerce is committed to providing members and future-members opportunities to engage and network in their community. All committee events are free for Huntington Chamber members and $10 for future-members. Register by visiting www.huntingtonchamber.com or calling 631-423-6100. With the warmer weather and longer days, take advantage of these upcoming events to start spring, and your business, off on the right foot! Green Committee at Upland Farms Sanctuary
Government Relations Committee w/ Legis. Steve Stern Friday, April 10, 8:30-9:30 a.m. Chamber Office, 164 Main Street, Huntington Networking Breakfast at Huntington Yacht Club Tuesday, April 13, 7:30-10 a.m. 95 East Shore Road, Huntington *Huntington Chamber members $25/future-members $35 Business After Hours hosted by Anthony DeFranco Salon Wednesday, April 14, 6-8 p.m. 333 East Jericho Turnpike, Huntington Station
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A12 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015
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FINE ART
Gallery Ready For National Fine Arts Competition [of the winners],” Criss said. According to Criss, the idea behind the show is not to choose one piece from each artist, but three or four, which are shown like a small, solo exhibit. This year’s competition, entitled EXPO 34, was judged by Adrienne Rooney, who is a curatorial assistant at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. Cindy Shechter, who helped coordinate EXPO 34, said that the gallery has used jurors from the Whitney in the past. Last year the gallery used publisher and cofounder of Art Times Cornelia Seckel as the juror. “We have a pretty eclectic kind of show, which is what we want, and we want someone who will understand a range of styles of work,” Shechter said of the juror selection process.
By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com
Fine art from across the United States found its way to Huntington’s own b.j. spoke gallery for the 34th year as artists from all over the nation submitted their works to the art cooperative’s annual competition. The gallery has been running this competition, which is judged by an outside juror unrelated to the gallery, since it started, according to cooperative artist, photographer and spokesperson Katherine Criss. “Part of our mission is to help inform the public of why artists do what they do and why is it art, so shows like this inform the public and open up a dialogue because [they are moderated by] an outside juror, who doesn’t know the artists that entered or recognize the names
While many competitions are limited to specific media, EXPO 34 was open to any fine art medium. Shechter said that she felt the contest’s broad scope was what set it apart from other competitions. “It’s open to any artist in any art media who lives in the United States. It’s very broad; that is, I think, what makes it interesting,” she said. Despite the fact that the juror is blind to the locations of the artists who submitted work, Shechter said that this has turned out to be a very New York-oriented show; 40 percent of winners are from the New York Metropolitan Area and two from the Huntington area. b.j. spoke is holding an artists’ reception for the show on April 11. EXPO 34, which features a wide variety of types of art, including art in-
Untitled #12621, by Barbara Kingsley, will be on display along with other EXPO 34 winning pieces April 2-30 at b.j. spoke gallery. stillations, will be in the gallery April 2-30. For more information, visit bjspokegallery.com.
Keeping Kids Active During Spring Break Looking for a way to keep your child active and engaged in learning while on spring break? Some of Huntington’s nonprofits have just the ticket. Here are just a few with programs for youngsters next month. Photo/Huntington Historical Society
The Huntington Historical Society keeps history fun for kids with costumes and hands on activities at their summer camp program, Passport to the Past. Huntington Historical Society It may still feel cold outside, but the Huntington Historical Society is determined to celebrate the onset of spring with “GO GREEN,” a spring break program for children ages 7 to 12 that highlights the uses of herbs and plants. “We wanted to do this for children here so they could see what they could do at home with just plants,” Huntington Historical Society Assistant Director Wendy Andersen said. The program focuses on herb and plant use in early American colonial medicine and colonial life. Andersen said that while herbs and plants served a primarily medicinal purpose in colo-
nial life, they were also used to make things smell nice, rid living spaces of bugs and pests, and dye things. Andersen also said that the colonial period was inherently about recycling in order to survive. “They were really in the green if you think about it,” she said. Children in the program will be making their own herb gardens to take home with them. In the spirit of going green, Andersen said they hoped to use cereal boxes as planters for the gardens. “This is our way of teaching the history of what it was like to be in the colonial period,” she said. “GO GREEN” will take place on April 7, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Conklin Barn at 2 High St., Huntington, and costs $12 for members and $15 for non members. For more information, visit huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org. Northport Historical Society The Northport Historical Society is cooking up a some spring break fun for kids with this April’s iteration of the society’s “History Takes a Vacation,” which will explore authentic Civil War Era Cooking. “History Takes a Vacation” is a three-day program scheduled over student breaks for school-aged children. “I try to do something different every time; February was candle dipping and lantern making, then we worked with images,” program coordinator Marion Munch said. This April the program will feature Diane Fish, a living historian and
reenactor, who will guide students as they prepare, cook, and taste dishes from the Civil War Era. “They’re going to be tasting everything, hands on every day,” Munch said. Much said that Fish will be dressed in period clothing and come with antique utensils to teach students what Civil War Era eating was really like. Children would be involved in food prep at age-appropriate levels. Amid the food preparation, attendees will also learn to play Civil War Era games. The program runs April 79, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m., for children in grades 2-6. All three days cost $75 for Northport Historical Society Members and $90 for non-members. If space allows, the society may make single-day sessions available at $30 for members and $35 for non-members. For more information, call 631757-9859. Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium The Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery and Aquarium is bringing spring break to life for kids this year with four days of live plant and animal activities. The week begins and ends with Animal Encounters, which, unlike the other events for the week, will run twice— first on April 6 and again on April 10. “[The event features] live animal encounters, which are basically presentations where visitors can learn about the hatchery’s turtles, frogs, and
Photo/CSH Hatchery & Aquarium
LEISURE
Visitors will learn about life like this turtle at the Animal Encounters event. salamanders,” the Hatchery’s Krissy Forman said. April 7 brings the Hatchery Olympics, which features stations where kids can participate in various activities where they compare their skills to animal skills, such as how far they can jump compared to frogs, Forman explained. The Hatchery’s Let Your Garden Grow event on April 8 will also include a set of stations where visitors can walk through and see what plants need to grow. At the end, attendees will make their own Hairy Harry to take home. Finally, the April 9 Amazing Adaptations event will involve various displays about different adaptations, teaching kids how animals survive. The events themselves are free, but visitors do have to pay for Hatchery admission, which is $6 for adults, $4 for senior citizens and children ages 312, and free for Hatchery members. For more information and to see the program flyer, visit cshfha.org.
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e i d o Fo THE
SECTION
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015 • A13
Foodie photo/Danny Schrafel
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DINEHUNTINGTON .COM
Serving Up The Town’s Freshest Lunches By The Foodies foodies@longislandergroup.com
People are fond of saying that the fish is so fresh at Neraki that, if given the chance, they’ll talk back to you. There’s good reason for that. Every morning, Neraki owner Alex Moschos makes the trek from Port Washington to the Bronx, where he shops at the Hunts Point markets. There, he buys his fish, produce and meats. He does all the buying himself, from small, local sources, to ensure that only the best fare ends up on his customers’ plates in Huntington. “One of the things I want to teach people is that you run out of fresh ingredients,” he said. “One of the biggest things I face is that I have a very high standard of quality control, and as a result, when I go to market and I only see 10 good red snapper, I only buy 10 red snapper… so if I sell 10 red snapper on Saturday, I’m out for Sunday.” That gives customers an opportunity to explore an array of fresh fish options, ranging from porgy to bass, expertly grilled octopus and much more. Let your palate be your guide here – you simply can’t go wrong.
The freshest seafood, like octopus and whole bronzino, are Neraki’s specialties. Moschos was lured to Huntington four years ago by his next-door neighbor – a fellow by the name of Michael Schenkler, whose newspaper company owned Long Islander News at the time – and was ultimately convinced of Huntington’s merit as a dining destination. On May 23, it’ll be four years in business on Main Street in the village. “We couldn’t be happier,” Moschos said. “We’re very proud to be part of the Huntington community – we love it here. It’s our second home.” All the while, fresh fare, prepared simply in the Mediterranean style and focused on seafood, has been his specialty. Recipes are drawn from his family cookbook as well as from his wife, Olga.
Side Dish www.facebook.com/dinehuntington
DINEHUNTINGTON .COM
ITALIAN 101 – Learn how to make Ital-
Chefs Joseph DeNicola and Bob Gordon will teach you the finer points of Italian cooking on April 14.
ian favorites Tuesday, April 14 at Ruvo (63 Broadway, Greenlawn 631261-7700 ruvorestaurant.com) during a special class presented by chefs Bob Gordon and Joseph DeNicola. $45 p.p., includes a wine pairing and the skinny on how to make risotto, handmade gnocchi and Bolognese sauce, plus “a few surprises.” Session begins
Neraki owner Alex Moschos displays the Yia Yia sandwich, one of many available on Neraki’s $9.95 lunch sandwich menu. “We let the ingredients speak for themselves,” he said. A lunch menu also speaks highly in freshness and value alike. For $11.95, you can snap up a Greek or green salad paired with a main dish, such as remarkably juicy grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, flounder, tuna or octopus, Spinach pie or traditional Greek meatballs (keftedes), to name a few. For $9.95, select from an array of pressed sandwiches on Greek pita bread, paired with soup or salad. The Yia Yia – a sandwich of feta, keftedes and sliced tomato – is a particular favorite of ours. Keep an eye out for new specials at 7 p.m.; guests should arrive a halfhour early. Call ahead to RSVP. If you don’t feel like a do-it-yourself Foodie, check out their weekly $28.95 prix-fixe, available Sunday-Thursday. If you find yourself out east, the prixfixe is similarly available at their Port Jefferson location.
in the coming year which will build on an already deep Mediterranean menu.
Neraki 273 Main St., Huntington 631-385-3474 Neraki.com Atmosphere: Sophisticated Greek bistro Cuisine: Simple, fresh Mediterranean cooking Price: Moderate/expensive Hours: Closed Monday; Tues-Sat 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun 2-9 p.m.; Lunch until 3:30 p.m. each day
tant director of the Computer Center for Visually Impaired People at Baruch College, a veteran of the Peace Corps who served in Lesotho, South Africa, and has been giving tours of the Roosevelt home at Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay for three years. A threecourse lunch program begins at noon; RSVP with the Historical Society at FEAST ON HISTORY – Join the Hunting- 631-427-7045, ext. 404. $40 for memton Historical Society at Black & Blue bers, $45 general admission. Seafood Chophouse (65 Wall St., Huntington 631-385-9255 blackand- SEASON’S GREETINGS – Mill Pond bluehuntington.com) for a history les- Restaurant (437 E. Main St., Centerson and a nosh. The Historical Socie- port 631-261-7663 millpondrestauty welcomes William C. Reed to share rant.com) is open once again on Monstories of how native Long Islander days, giving diners a great chance to Theodore Roosevelt overcame a sick- enjoy fine dining on the shores of ly childhood to become the youngest Centerport Harbor. Don’t forget – person to hold the office of President brunch is available from noon-4 p.m. of the United States. Reed is the assis- every Saturday and Sunday, too.
A14 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015
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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Long Islander News photos/Danny Schrafel
Tri CYA Adds To Its Hall Of Honor
Honoree Lora Gellerstein with her sons, Jake and Brendan. The Tri CYA’s latest annex to its Hall of Honor includes three familiar faces who have distinguished themselves in the realm of community service. Carol Werblin, Lora Gellerstein and David William Perkins were this year’s honorees during the Tri CYA’s 16th annual induction ceremony, held at The Larkfield in East Northport. Werblin, a 26-year Huntington resident, got her start in community service 15 years ago when, as Temple Beth El’s Social Action Committee chair, the group built two homes with Habitat for Humanity in Huntington Station. Since then, she’s focused her efforts on fighting hunger and homelessness. During the last two years, she has worked closely with the South Huntington School District as an advocate. Like Werblin, Gellerstein – who was active as a mom in various clubs and PTAs as her sons, Jake and Brendan, grew up in Huntington schools – dedicated advocacy to fighting hunger and homelessness as a Huntington In-
terfaith Homeless Initiative (HiHi) volunteer and a Lady Hibernian. Professionally, she gave back through constituent service, distinguishing herself as chief aide to both Legislators Jon Cooper and William Spencer before becoming deputy clerk to the Suffolk County Legislature, then chief of staff to Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory in October. Perkins, a Harlem native, held the position of drug-education specialist in three years of service in the U.S. Army. Currently, he oversees Project Excel, which he helped launch, in the South Huntington School District, has been involved in the South Huntington School District’s Parent University conference, and volunteers extensively. The Tri CYA’s mission is to serve youth ages 5 to 21 in the Huntington, South Huntington and Cold Spring Harbor School Districts by providing a broad spectrum of programming including education, recreation, culture, counseling, advocacy, crisis intervention and referral.
Honoree David William Perkins, left, with Town of Huntington Director of Minority Affairs Kevin Thorbourne, founder of the Young Leaders youth mentorship program.
Honoree Carol Werblin, flanked by South Huntington Deputy Superintendent Jacqueline Harris and South Huntington Superintendent Dave Bennardo.
Peggy De la Rosa, left, with Second Precinct Community Resource Office Drew Fiorello and Alicia Lawrence, president of the Tri CYA’s Board of Directors.
Meet some of the Moonjumpers, a nonprofit group who were on hand to support the Tri CYA.
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015 • A15
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 Melville Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Melville Melville Huntington Melville Huntington Sta Dix Hills Greenlawn Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Melville Melville Dix Hills
MELVILLE
HUNTINGTON STATION
DIX HILLS
109 Northgate Cir Bedrooms 2 Baths 3 Price $479,000 Taxes $11,246 Open House 3/29 12:00pm-1:30pm Daniel Gale Agency Inc 631-427-6600
8 Hansen Ln Bedrooms 5 Baths 4 Price $565,000 Taxes $16,659 Open House 3/29 1:00pm-3:00pm Douglas Elliman Real Estate 631-549-4400
191 Oakfield Ave Bedrooms 3 Baths 2 Price $600,000 Taxes $13,452 Open House 3/29 2:00pm-4:00pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-4444
Address Beds 172 Cranberry Ct 4 52 Bonaire Dr 4 5 Indian Hill Ct 3 2 Home Ct 6 2522 New York Ave 3 109 Northgate Cir 2 31 Gaines St 4 13 Overhill Rd 4 8 Hansen Ln 5 191 Oakfield Ave 3 31 Barbara Ct 4 17 Ryder Ave 4 3 Micole Ct 3 32 Rustic Gate Ln 5 31 Oxford Ave 4 69 Old East Neck Rd 4 34 Candlewood Path 5
Baths 3 4 3 4 2 3 3 2 4 2 2 4 3 3 3 4 4
Price $755,000 $799,000 $635,000 $1,299,999 $399,000 $479,000 $519,000 $549,000 $565,000 $600,000 $609,000 $729,000 $729,000 $799,000 $799,000 $799,000 $869,000
Taxes $14,548 $16,948 $13,794 $24,000 $12,247 $11,246 $8,963 $11,388 $16,659 $13,452 $13,170 $15,965 $19,367 $17,884 $14,000 $16,100 $18,971
Date 3/26 3/27 3/28 3/28 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29 3/29
Time 12:00pm-1:00pm 12:00pm-1:30pm 1:30pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 1:00pm-2:30pm 12:00pm-1:30pm 2:00pm-4:00pm 2:00pm-3:30pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 2:00pm-4:00pm 1:00pm-2:30pm 12:00pm-2:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 2:30pm-4:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm 2:00pm-4:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm
Broker Realty Connect USA LLC RE/MAX Beyond Realty Connect USA LLC Coldwell Banker Residential Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc Daniel Gale Agency Inc Douglas Elliman Real Estate Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc Douglas Elliman Real Estate Coldwell Banker Residential Daniel Gale Agency Inc Coldwell Banker Residential Signature Premier Properties Douglas Elliman Real Estate Coldwell Banker Residential Douglas Elliman Real Estate Douglas Elliman Real Estate
Phone 888-236-6319 631-862-1100 888-236-6319 516-864-8100 516-575-7500 631-427-6600 631-549-4400 516-575-7500 631-549-4400 631-673-4444 631-427-6600 631-673-6800 631-673-3700 631-499-9191 516-864-8100 516-621-3555 631-499-9191
A16 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015
THURSDAY Want To Be A Cop?
Learn more about how one becomes a police officer on March 26 at the South Huntington Public Library, 145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station in advance of the April 1 application deadline. Representatives from the Suffolk County Police recruitment unit, applicant investigation unit, and Civil Service will be in attendance. The next Suffolk County Department of Civil Service entrance exam to become a police officer is June 13. The exam is offered once every four years. Information and online registration is available at JOINSCPD.com.
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Calendar O M M U N I T Y
Acclaimed Piano Player Visits The Lab Martin Kasík ranks among the foremost Czech pianists of the present time. He plays for audiences at the Grace Auditorium, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, One Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, on Friday, March 27 at 6 p.m. Individual tickets will be sold at the door in Grace Auditorium for $20. Please call 516-367-8455 to reserve seats.
Health Fair
At the annual Women’s Health & Information Fair, hosted by Legislator William Spencer on March 26, 3-7 p.m. at the Dolan Family Health Center, 284 Pulaski Road, Greenlawn, representatives from more than 25 agencies will provide vital information to women of all ages about issues relating to health, safety, self-esteem, legal matters, business, success and housing. For more information, call 631-854-4500. Free.
Senior Advocates
Suffolk County Office for the Aging Senior Advocates meet with interested and needy seniors ages 60 and over this winter at the following locations in the Town of Huntington: Paumanack Village V & VI, 100 Adriatic Drive, Melville: Thursday, March 26, 8:30-11:30 a.m. Advocates assist with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – formerly known as food stamps), Medicare Savings Program and Heating Emergency Assistance Program (HEAP) applications. 631-853-8200.
FRIDAY Acclaimed Piano Player Visits The Lab
Martin Kasík ranks among the foremost Czech pianists of the present time. He plays for audiences at the Grace Auditorium, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, One Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, on Friday, March 27 at 6 p.m. Individual tickets will be sold at the door in Grace Auditorium for $20. Please call 516-367-8455 to reserve seats.
Huntington, every Saturday night at 11 p.m. Join in the fun and food!
Farmer’s Market
Shop at a farmer’s market at Main Street Nursery, 475 West Main St., Huntington, every Saturday until March 21, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 631-271-0160. Vendors welcome.
SUNDAY Find Your Center
Find inner peace in an ongoing weekly class for beginners and newcomers every Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at Dipamkara Meditation Center, 282 New York Ave., Huntington. 631-549-1000. www.MeditationOnLongisland.org.
MONDAY The Melville-based National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, NAMI, hosts a free, 12week program for family members who are coping with loved ones with severe mental illness. The class is held every Monday from 7-9 p.m. at the Syosset Hospital through March 23. Contact Susan Palmer at 917-838-7436 to register.
TUESDAY
Live local bands take over Finley's of Greene Street, 43 Greene St.,
veterans, military personnel and their families at the Huntington Station, Hauppauge and Freeport emergency pantries. Appointments can be made by contacting jrosati@licares.org.
WEDNESDAY Open Mic Night
Play your heart out at an acoustic open mic night every Wednesday at Caffe Portofino, 249 Main St., Northport, 7-10 p.m. www.facebook.com/cafportopenmic. Original songs only.
Power Breakfast
Join business professionals at BNI Executive Referral Exchange’s breakfast networking meeting every Wednesday, 78:30 a.m. at the Dix Hills Diner, 1800 Jericho Turnpike, Dix Hills. 631-462-7446.
Coping With Mental Illness
Argentine Tango Classes
Live Music
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.
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
SATURDAY Experience the subtle communication between partners as you learn the passionate dance known as the tango. Come dressed to impress (but be comfortable) for classes at a new time on Saturdays, 2-4 p.m. at Spirit of Huntington Art Center, 2 Melville Road North, Huntington Station. 631-470-9620 or email noconintended@gmail.com. Suggested donation: $15 per person/$25 per couple.
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Free Mommy And Me Class
Sing! Stretch! Dance! Play! Enjoy a funfilled class that includes parachute play and bubble play and meet other Jewish moms at The Chai Center in Dix Hills. The free class takes place Tuesdays at 10 a.m. For children ages 6-36 months. Pre-registration required by phone or online: 631-351-8672. www.thechaicenter.com.
Free Help For Vets
Every Tuesday from 12-4 p.m. is “Military Appreciation Tuesdays,” when Long Island Cares specifically assists
AT THE LIBRARIES Cold Spring Harbor Library
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 through March 26. • The Karkowska Sisters Duo, a violinist and pianist duo, perform classical compositions, and share entertaining tales of the affairs of the heart that inspired such great masterpieces as Johannes Brahms’ Hungarian Dances and Henryk Wieniawski’s Legende on Sunday, March 22, 2 p.m. Free.
Commack Public Library
18 Hauppauge Road, Commack. 631499-0888. commack.suffolk.lib.ny.us. • Enjoy a friendly game of bridge or mah-jongg in the Community Room every Friday, from 1-5:30 p.m.
Deer Park Public Library
44 Lake Ave., Deer Park. 631-586-3000.
31 Broadway, Greenlawn. 631-757-4200. harborfieldslibrary.org. • Come in for some fun and games every Friday from 1-4 p.m. The game room is stocked with scrabble, bridge and other fun board games.
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-East Northport Public Library
Northport: 151 Laurel Ave. 631-2616930. East Northport: 185 Larkfield Road. 631-261-2313. www.nenpl.org. • The Township Theatre Group touring company celebrates its 13th season with "Dates to Remember," a delightfully entertaining collection of short plays about special dates, possible dates, and just plain dating. The series of one-act plays includes "Scene Partners" by Bonnie Corso, "Happy Anniversary" by Jim Azzara, "The Second Thanksgiving" by David Vazdauskas, and "A Date with the Future" by Linda Prussen. Sunday, March 22, 2-3:30 p.m. in Northport.
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 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.
THEATER & FILM Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave., Huntington. www.cinemaartscentre.org. 631-423-7611. • A special Women’s “Herstory” Month
(Continued on page A17)
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series lasts all month long, featuring prominent films from women directors and films with strong female characters. Check the website for listings and events. • Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge” hits the big screen with a live broadcast from the National Theatre in London’s West End. Watch the stellar cast led by Mark Strong (The Imitation Game; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) on Thursday, March 26 at 3 p.m. $20 members/$25 general.
THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015 • A17
(Continued from page A16)
A Lifetime of Art The works of Alice Riordan are featured in her solo exhibit “A Lifetime of Art,” drawing, paintings and sculpture at the Huntington Arts Council, Main Street Petite Gallery: 213 Main St., Huntington. 631-271-8423. www.huntingtonarts.org.
MUSIC & DANCE Five Towns College Performing Arts Center
John W. Engeman Theater At Northport
350 Main St., Northport. www.johnwengemantheater.com. 631-261-2900. • The classic “A Chorus Line” shows March 26-May 10.
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. • The annual “Go Ape” exhibit features the exceptional artwork, selected by their teachers, of AP art students from Long Island high schools, on display from March 15-29. • Come and enjoy Art After Dark, a series of special exhibits featuring work from Art League instructors this Saturday, March 27 from 7-9 p.m.
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. • March brings a benefit exhibition of artists’ trading cards from March 3-29. 50 percent of the proceeds go to VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center.
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. • Come and check out the weekly Fish Feeding Demo on Thursday, March 26 at 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00 p.m.
Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum 279 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor. 631-367-3418. www.cshwhalingmuseum.org. • The year-long exhibit “Sea Ink:
$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.
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. • Go back in time with a live performance of The True Essex Story, which relives the events that took place after an American whale ship that sank in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The show takes place on Friday and Saturday from 7 -8:30 p.m.
Heckscher Museum Of Art
2 Prime Ave., Huntington. Museum hours: Wednesday - Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., first Fridays from 4-8:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission $6-8/adults, $46/seniors, and $4-5/children; members and children under 10 free. 631-3513250. • The 19th annual “Long Island’s Best: Young Artists at The Heckscher Museum” exhibition is back. On view from March 21-April 19 will be artwork by students in grades 9-12 from public and private schools throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Holocaust Memorial And Tolerance Center
Welwyn Preserve. 100 Crescent Beach Road, Glen Cove. Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun.: noon-4 p.m. 516-571-8040 ext. 100. www.holocaustnassau.org. • The permanent exhibit explains the 1930s increase of intolerance, the reduction of human rights, and the lack of intervention that enabled the persecution and mass murder of millions of Jews and others: people with disabilities, Roma and Sinti (Gypsies), Jehovah’s Witnesses, gays and Polish intelligentsia.
Huntington Arts Council
Main Street Petite Gallery: 213 Main St., Huntington. Gallery hours: Monday Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday noon-4 p.m. 631-271-8423. www.huntingtonarts.org. • The works of Alice Riordan are featured in her solo exhibit “A Lifetime of Art,” drawing, paintings and sculpture.
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. 631-
427-7045, ext. 401. www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org. • The next Lunch & Learn on Thursday, April 9 at noon will discuss “The Journey and Legacy of Theodore Roosevelt” with guest speaker William C. Reed. Reservations required; includes three-course meal at Black & Blue, 65 Wall St., Huntington. $40 members/$45 non-members. 631-4277045, ext. 404.
Northport Historical Society Museum
215 Main St., Northport. Museum hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 1-4:30 p.m. 631-7579859. www.northporthistorical.org. • For an afternoon of historical fun, come and enjoy a self-guided walking tour of the Northport’s Historic Main Street Tuesday-Sunday from 1-4:30 p.m. Available in the museum shop at $5 per person. • As part of the Town of Huntington’s year-long commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, the society hosts Dr. Richard F. Welch who will speak about New York and the Civil War on Sunday, March 29 at 2 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Admission is free for members, $5 non-members.
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. • Coming up, the Gallery presents a twoman show featuring the work of Brian Kirhagis (A.K.A. BK The Artist) and Northport native, Edward Joseph on Saturday April 11
Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium
180 Little Neck Road, Centerport. Museum hours through April 15: Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, 12-4 p.m. Grounds admission: $7 adults, $6 students with ID and seniors 62 and older, and $3 children 12 and under. Mansion tour, add $5 per person. 631854-5555. www.vanderbiltmuseum.org. • Come and enjoy an afternoon of mansion touring, which begins in the Courtyard of the historic house once owned by William K. Vanderbilt II. Tours begin on Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday for a fee of $5 in addition to the price of admission. Check the museum’s website for time listings.
Walt Whitman Birthplace
246 Old Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station. Hours: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Admission: $6 adults, $5 seniors,
Five Towns College, 305 N. Service Road, Dix Hills. Box Office: 631-6562148. www.dhpac.org. • The next show at the center brings a loved movie to life. “The Wedding Singer” musical shows April 16-19. $18 adults, $15 seniors/students.
The Paramount
370 New York Ave., Huntington. 631673-7300. www.paramountny.com. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. • The Get Up Kids, an American rock band from Kansas, perform on Saturday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available online. • Rock out with The Blackhawk and Outlaws as they continue their Rockin’ Country Tour on Thursday, March 26. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available online.
VOLUNTEERING Cosmetologists Wanted
Hospice Care Network is seeking New York State-licensed cosmetologists to provide 2-4 haircuts per month for community members facing life-limiting illnesses. Download an application at www.hospicecarenetwork.org or call 516224-6423.
Be A Museum Docent
The Huntington Historical Society is currently seeking volunteers to train to become Museum Docents at the historic David Conklin Farmhouse Museum. The museum is located at 2 High St. in Huntington village and is a fascinating interpretation of the Colonial, Federal and Victorian time periods. No experience required – an interest in local history is a plus. Training is provided. Call 631-427-7045 ext 403.
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 • MARCH 26, 2015
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015 • A19
What do marketing professionals do, anyway? (Continued from page A10)
and letterhead to flyers and posters to white papers to marketing kits…each item in your collateral material inventory conveys your brand. Why marketing matters It’s not enough to sell a fine product, offer expertise in your field of
endeavor or provide a service. According to Peter Drucker, a management consultant, educator and author, “Because the purpose of business is to create and keep a customer, the business enterprise has two—and only two—basic functions: marketing and innovation.
Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business.” 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.
Shake Shack plans for Walt Whitman Road site (Continued from page A1)
ton, DC, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Nevada, and several international licensed Shacks. For 2015, they plan to generate upwards of $159 million in revenue and open 10 new domestic, company-operated Shake Shacks and
five international licensed locations. Shake Shack would be the first full-time utilization of 849 Walt Whitman Road since Empire Szechuan closed in 2008. For several years after the popular Chinese restaurant closed, the property was an eyesore as the vacant building fell into disrepair.
In 2012, the town declared the property blighted, and the owners inked multiple restoration agreements with the town. The owner, Melville Pacific LLC, who initially sought to build a Japanese restaurant in the space, ultimately tore down the building in July 2013. By the end of that year, the LLC abandoned plans
to build a restaurant and instead put the property on the lease market for a tenant that would develop the property for retail or restaurant use. If approved, this would be Suffolk’s first Shake Shack and the third on Long Island; the first opened at the Gallery at Westbury Plaza shopping center in Garden City.
Residents call for quarterly ethics board meetings (Continued from page A3)
mittee members said. All town employees would be required to submit financial disclosure statements that have been reviewed by an independent CPA. The current practice, in which the submitting employee can self-verify, is “not reliable,” said East Northport-based attorney James Leonick, also a member of the Huntington GOP’s law committee. They also called for the board to retain financial disclosure statements for seven years and make it easier for the public to see those forms. All ethics complaints and their outcomes, as well as requests for ethics opinions by government officials, should be posted on the town’s website and include a roll-call record of how board members voted. Any board member who abstains would be required to explain why, and residents should have the right to appeal an ethics decision, Leonick said. Leonick said reforms should promote greater transparency and disclosure. “The faith that our citizens have in town government is based upon a foundation of trust,” he said. “The cornerstone of this trust should be ethics.” Commack’s Nancy Gamby argued in favor of releasing a comprehensive vendor list, which, paired with financial disclosure statements, would empower the public to identify conflicts of interest, she said. Melville’s Peter Nichols, a longtime critic of Huntington Town Hall’s ethical practices and a past candidate for town board and super-
visor, called for a more empowered ethics board. He urged changes that would allow the board to be more proactive in attacking ethics concerns. Glickstein said the board only begins investigations after a specific request or complaint is received. Huntington Station community ac-
tivist Jim McGoldrick argued the ethics board is currently too connected to Town Hall and should be repopulated with a cast of outsiders to Huntington. Two seats on the fivemember board are currently vacant. Others, like Huntington village’s Doug Donatelli, called for new meas-
ures to promote greater transparency in development, especially in Huntington village. He suggested notices announcing pending demolitions or construction projects, as well as renderings of what is proposed to be built, should be posted when a project is in the works.
Hills eyes 2.4 percent levy cap (Continued from page A1)
of $195,520,268. According to published reports, this leaves Half Hollow Hills with the highest tax levy of all school districts in Suffolk County. Marrone Caliendo, however, responded to this statistic on Monday with several reasons as to why the district’s tax levy appears to be so large. Looking at percentages, she compared Half Hollow Hills to Merrick, a district with a tax levy cap projected at 2.4 percent. “[Half Hollow Hills is] exponentially larger than Merrick, but I can tell you, based on what the state believes, that we are of generally equal wealth,” she said. “Our levy, what we raise in taxes, is the same portion of our budget.” About 80 percent of the Half Hollow Hills School District’s 2015-2016 budget will be funded by taxes and 20 percent is funded by other sources, such as state aid. Other districts, such as William Floyd – which is propos-
ing a tax levy cap of 2.95 percent – have about 40 percent of their budgets fulfilled by property taxes, and then 60 percent by state aid. “It’s that piece which is very important to look at when you try and compare districts,” Marrone Caliendo said. “Our budget is, by design, bigger because we educate exponentially more children [in the district].” Other concerns of district officials directed towards Governor Andrew Cuomo come with the 2015-2016 state aid numbers, the school board’s president, Eric Geringswald, said. As of press time Tuesday, Cuomo had still yet to release state budget runs meaning district officials across Long Island must formulate budgets without know exactly how much money they’ll receive. Most have started forming budgets under Cuomo’s promised 1.7-percent increase, or $377 million, to state aid. But not
even that number is guaranteed, as the increase could potentially decrease according to factors such as enrollment, wealth and expenditures. Hills’ proposed 2015-2016 budget has promised to restore reductions made in prior-year budgets – such as elementary clubs – and districtwide enhancements, such as updates to fine arts courses. Three capital projects have also been budgeted for: renovations to the High School West tennis courts, the replacement of High School West’s auditorium partition doors and the replacement and repair of the High School East air conditioning units and cooling tower. Monday night’s budget session was the second of two workshops – the first commencing on March 9. Next, on April 20, the board is set to meet at Signal Hill Elementary at 8 p.m. where it is expected to adopt the proposed 2015-2016 budget.
A20 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015 • A21
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
Still Running In Marcie’s Memory By Joseph Zapata info@longislandergroup.com
The ninth annual Marcie Mazzola Memorial 5K Walk/Run will once again keep a young woman’s memory alive while helping those in need of a boost. The Marcie Mazzola Foundation’s event will be hosted by the Huntington YMCA Sunday, April 12, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The foundation was named after Commack’s Marcie Mazzola, who died in a car accident in 2002 at age 21. Right before Marcie’s passing, she was involved in a civil lawsuit against a school bus driver accused of sexually abusing Marcie when she was 11 years old. Even with Marcie no longer able to testify, her family and attorney pressed on and eventually won the case. The Mazzola family decided to establish the Marcie Mazzola Foundation in hopes to improve the lives of abused and at-risk children. “Marcie was a very happy, joyful, outgoing person. Even though she had gone through several difficult situations in her life, you would never know it,” said Nancy Mazzola, Marcie’s stepmother and president of the Marcie Mazzola Foundation. All proceeds from the 5K will
At a past Marcie Mazzola 5K are Nancy and Paul Mazzola, their grandkids Mikey, Paulie and Hailey, Huntington Councilwoman Susan Berland, State Assemblyman Chad Luppinacci and the Geico Gecko. benefit the Marcie Mazzola Foundation’s Butterfly Strokes Program, the Summer Camp Scholarship Program at the Huntington YMCA, and the Family Service League’s Children’s Program. The Butterfly
DIX HILLS
Town Inks Ice Rink Music-Rights Deal By Intern Name info@longislandergroup.com
The Town of Huntington almost skated into legal trouble recently over the playing of unauthorized, copyrighted music at the Dix Hills Ice Rink. But thanks to a new agreement, the music will play without repercussions. Previously, the Ice Rink used to have a DJ that would take care of copyrighted music fees, but then the town decided to get rid of the DJ in order to save money, town spokesman A.J. Carter said. Once the DJ was gone, the rink started using copyrighted music, which resulted in the Broadcast Mu-
sic, inc. (BMI) contacting the town about the violation. Shortly thereafter, the town board authorized the Supervisor to reach an agreement between Huntington and BMI for a local government music license. “Basically, it protects us [the town of Huntington] from violating the law,” said Don McKay, the town’s director of Parks and Recreation. The town will pay $2,141 as part of the one-year deal, which begins on April 1. The payment allows managers of the Dix Hills Ice Rink and other town facilities and events to use the copyrighted music. How exactly the music will be used, McKay said, is still to be determined.
Strokes Program is meant to teach abused or at-risk kids about swimming and water safety. “[The Butterfly Strokes Program] also helps the children to trust and gain confidence while gaining camaraderie with friends,” Mazzola said. The entry fee for the 5K race is $30 for adults and $20 for students. Check-in time is from 6:45-8 a.m. at the Huntington YMCA, located at 60 Main St. There will also be
food, beverages and a gift raffle, and the winner of the race will be rewarded with a trophy and a oneyear paid membership to the Huntington YMCA. “[The 5K race] is not about being somber or sad; it’s about enjoying and appreciating life,” Nancy Mazzola said. For more information about the event, visit marciemazzolafoundation.org.
WALT’S CORNER
TRANSIT Sol lauds the nascent day, Takes his cue with the setting Moon, Bids adieu the passing night, Paints the world in tones of joy − Clouds of newborn pink, an azure sky − Steals the stars, hides them in his duffel, Sets them free when he departs, Commands them fill the firmament.
Walt Whitman
RICHARD BRONSON Huntington Ny
Walt’s Corner is edited by George Wallace, former Suffolk County poet laureate. Submissions of original poetry, short stories, photographs and drawings are welcomed. Send items to Long-Islander Newspapers, 14 Wall Street, Huntington, NY, 11743. All submissions become the property of Long-Islander Newspapers and cannot be returned. Call 631-427-7000 for more information.
A22 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015
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HillSPORTS BASKETBALL
FURY Basketball Spotlights Sportsmanship Sign-ups for 2015 season now being accepted for youth summer league By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
Year after year, the Half Hollow Hills Youth Basketball League – also known as FURY – has been preaching sportsmanship, fun and teamwork through its summer basketball program. This year, founder Dennis Fields was proud to announce that in its 18th summer, FURY basketball hasn’t changed a thing. “A lot of sports focus on the individual, but some revolve around a team – basketball is one of those sports,” Fields, of Dix Hills, said. “FURY basketball gives kids an activity that’s beneficial, fun and social… It helps get them off the streets and to be part of a team.” Formed in 1996, FURY basketball is made up of youth and adult basketball programs that, this year, are expected to have over 500 members. Boys and girls, who will be entering grades K-12 in September 2015, are welcome to compete in the youth program – which sports instructional workouts, intramural leagues and private training – while an adult league
is open to virtually all ages, but is regulated according to skill level. The youth program is broken up according to age and skill level, while adults are divided into “A, B and C” divisions. Youths will be asked to participate in an evaluation during inhouse registration – this year on Thursday from 6-9 p.m. in the gymnasium of the West Hollow Middle School at 250 East Neck Road in Melville. Fields can also be contacted directly at cmish11746@gmail.com to schedule a workout where a rating will be assigned. One aspect of the leagues, however, remains consistent throughout the age and skill divisions: sportsmanship. “We always teach sportsmanship,” Fields said. “Sportsmanship is great to teach, even at an early age. We explain why it’s important to always slap five, no matter what, and to help your teammates up after a play.” Registration fees for the youth league are listed as $200 for every first child in a family registered; and $180 for each additional child. For the adult program, the cost is $175 per player.
Last season, FURY basketball coach Stephanie Gurin, second from top left, coached her team to a championship. This year, the FURY season tips-off in June. Those unable to attend in-house registration can visit www.hillsbasketball.com or contact Fields directly for more information on how to register. Late fees, after April 30 and then May 30, for the youth league, and past May 31 for the adult league, will
be enforced. Teams are expected to be formed in May before organized play begins in June. All practices and games will be played on weekday evenings at a Half Hollow Hills gym or one surrounding the town, Fields said.
SPORTS
Special Olympics Heading To Walt Whitman HS By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com
The South Huntington School District has been sending teams to games hosted by Special Olympics New York (SONY) for several years now, said James Wright, supervisor of physical education, health, athletics, and recreation for the district. En route to Brentwood, Commack and Huntington, his teams have traveled year after year to participate and compete; but this year, Wright had a different idea. He wanted to bring the games to South Huntington. “I came to know Tim Flynn [SONY program director] and I expressed a desire of getting the games to Walt Whitman High
School,” Wright said. While explaining to Wright the extent of the undertaking that hosting the games brings with it, Flynn agreed and now the games are set to come to Whitman on May 3. Wright, and the rest of the district, is excited to welcome what could be nearly 1,000 disabled athletes ages 6 and up hailing from all across Long Island for a day of track and field, tennis and powerlifting. “The day is run just like any other high school track meet,” he said. An Olympic village will also accompany this year’s games with a list of vendors still being finalized, Wright said. SONY was founded in 1968 and is based out of Schenectady, N.Y. The organization seeks to provide year-round sports training and ath-
letic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. For Whitman, in preparation for the games, which are just a little more than a month away, the call for volunteers has been important. Joe Arcuri, a junior varsity softball coach for Whitman, has been handling the volunteer management for this year’s games. “We need a lot of volunteers, hundreds,” he said. “But it’s really going to be a fun event. We’ll have volunteers run the different games, keep score, give out awards – it’s really nice day for the athletes and volunteers.” So far, Arcuri said Whitman has found 100 volunteers, but is on the hunt for more. Last year’s games at Commack High School had 300 volunteers help out with the over-
600 athletes that competed. Volunteers will be asked to set up and break down the events, stage athletes, help out with the opening ceremonies and more. Arcuri also explained that groups are more than welcomed to volunteer together as he tries to keep them together manning the same event or station throughout the day. “Anybody can volunteer that’s over the age of 15,” he said. The games start at 8 a.m. on May 3 and are expected to run until 4 p.m. A dry run of the day will also be the day before. For more information on how to become a volunteer, contact Arcuri at carmeljjk@msn.com. Information on how to register an athlete for the games is available at so-ny-media.org.
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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 26, 2015 • A23
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