Half Hollow Hills - 4/30/2015 Edition

HALF HOLLOW HILLS Copyright © 2015 Long Islander News

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VOL. 17, ISSUE 12

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2015

28 PAGES

Photo/Dix Hills Fire Department

DIX HILLS

Brush Fire Chars 19 Edgewood Acres

By Joseph Zapata info@longislandergroup.com

Volunteers from Dix Hills Fire Department were among more than than 250 firefighters from numerous departments who responded to a large brush fire in the Edgewood Preserve property at the Dix Hills and Deer Park borders on Saturday, April 25, fire officials said.

The fire burned roughly 19 acres and damaged underbrush and trees in that area, officials said. The cause of the fire is unknown.

Brush fires can be caused by a wide variety of situations, such as a lightning bolt, campfire or cigarette, according to Dix Hills Fire Chief Robert Fling.

Next Up At Paramount: Southside Johnny A25

The chief added that low humidity and strong winds aided in the spread of the fire.

“The wind will actually spread the fire at whatever speed the wind is going,” Fling said. “Once the wind starts blowing 24 miles per hour, that’s how fast the fire is spreading.”

Because of the speed of the wind and fire, both Fling and Deer Park Fire Chief Larry Bradbury worked together to command the response.

Emergency vehiclesstaged at the Deer Park Fire Department training facility adjacent to the preserve.

The Suffolk Country Fire-Rescue Coordinators lent a helping a hand by assisting with mutual aid, truck staging and crew assign-

ments. A Suffolk County Police Department helicopter was also on the scene, relaying information about the fire’s condition to both fire chiefs.

Firefighters were alerted about the fire around 1:30 p.m. and battled the flames until everything was under control at about 5:15 p.m., fire officials said. According to Fling, a four-hour battle is nothing out of the ordinary.

“That’s short,” Fling said. “I’ve been in brush fires that last two full days.”

No injuries were reported, fire officials said.

Fling also said that fires at the Edgewood Preserve are rare, but they do occur from time to time.

MELVILLE

Nearby Office Owners Cool To Hyatt Plan

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

Property owners neighboring the proposed site of a Hyatt Place hotel on Broadhollow Road near the Long Island Expressway in Melville are working to throw up road blocks to the project.

Three neighboring property owners – Alan Katz, a member of Sherwood 510 LLC, owner of property at 510 Broadhollow Road; Jan Burman, president of LBA Melville Associates, which owns property neighboring the Rubie Corporate Plaza on the (Continued on page A25)

Opponents of a 160-room Hyatt Place hotel, shown here in a rendering, are pushing to require a four-vote supermajority for a zone change needed to advance the project.

Inside This Issue

Meet the Candidates for Hills School Board... A2

HOME & GARDEN A13-19

A2 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015

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HALF HOLLOW HILLS

FourInRunningForTwoSchoolBoardSeats

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

In just a few weeks, voters in the Half Hollow Hills Central School District will cast their say in a contested election for two open seats on the Board of Education.

Adam Kleinberg and Stephanie Gurin, who ran last year, will face off against newcomers Scott McElhiney and Adrian Montalvo for the right to fill two seats currently held by incumbents Frank Grimaldi and James Ptucha – who are not seeking re-election – for the next three years.

First up is Stephanie Gurin, a resident of the district since December 2001, who currently has one son enrolled in the district at Half Hollow Hills High School West – her older son graduated from the high school in 2013.

A career-long educator, Gurin said she would like to bring her expertise and experiences to the board in order to give the district and community an educationally-minded representative.

Gurin said her main priority is the students of Half Hollow Hills and ensuring their success; she’s also a proponent of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics); fiscal responsibility, positive and effective community relations and transparency.

“I want nothing more than to see this community shine and have it be the best that it can be,” she said.

In her 13 years as a Hills resident, she has served in several leadership positions, including president, vice president and recording secretary of the Half Hollow Hills PTA Council; president of the Candlewood Middle School PTA; and co-president of the Forest Park PTA. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in childhood education, and is working on a second master’s degree in educational technology. She has worked for several years teaching kindergarten and first grade in New York City public schools and prekindergarten in Roosevelt. Currently, she works as the Suffolk Region PTA’s Education Chairman.

She is also the commissioner and a coach for the Half Hollow Hills Fury Basketball League, and has coached for Dix Hills Basketball, Dix Hills Soccer and St. Matthew’s Basketball.

“My formal educational training, my teaching experience and, perhaps most importantly, my extensive service and dedication to the Half Hollow Hills School District and community,

Stephanie Gurin

Adam Kleinberg

will bring a unique voice to the School Board,” she said in a written biography.

Another candidate, Adam Kleinberg, an attorney at Sokoloff Stern LLP in Carle Place, is a 41-year-old Dix Hills father of two that’s lived in the district since 2003. Married with two daughters – one in sixth grade at Candlewood Middle School and another a third grader at Vanderbilt Elementary – Kleinberg is running on a platform of being open and proactive.

“Right now, the district is being faced with unique challenges,” he said. “From the delay in state funding by the governor’s office to the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) and common core standards… we really need to be open and proactive so that the community knows what’s happening.”

Kleinberg said he believes the district needs to improve communication with taxpayers and stand up for them and their children. As an attorney, he said, he’s worked closely with school districts for many years.

“I want to take what I learned and put it to use in or community to improve our district,” he said. “I know what’s required of board members, I know the education law, I know the Constitution, I have unique access to situations that no one else has and I’m running for the right reasons.”

Kleinberg also voiced his stance on the “opt-out” initiative that recently saw students of school districts around New York State refusing standardized English and math exams. After researching the issue, Kleinberg said he opted his daughters out of the tests last year, not because he viewed them as difficult, but as a form of protest.

“Sometimes the only way to right a wrong is to take a stand,” he said.

Scott McElhiney, currently a principal in the Locust Valley Central School District, did not return requests for comment before press time on Monday, but according to an online

Scott McElhiney

biography he is a 14-year resident of the district with a son and daughter attending Half Hollow Hills elementary school. Along with being a coach for Half Hollow Hills Little League, McElhiney is a Special Education Parent Teacher Association (SEPTA) and elementary PTA member.

Throughout his 17 years as an educator, he has worked in the district as a teacher for Forest Park Elementary School and as an assistant principal for Vanderbilt.

“Teachers, staff, parents and residents must partner together to create an environment which fosters intellectual, social, emotional and physical development of every child,” McElhiney writes in the biography.

Should he be elected, McElhiney has said he’d like to maintain transparency, encourage the growth of STEM programs for younger students, and remain focused on district safety and security.

The final candidate, Adrian Montalvo, a 19-year resident of the district, also did not return requests for comment before press time on Monday, but according to an online biography he is married with one son enrolled in the district. Montalvo has worked as a construction project manager for 16 years and is heavily involved with several athletic groups around the district.

He’s served as a board member, commissioner, camp coordinator and

Adrian Montalvo

coach for Half Hollow Hills Pride Football; challenger program coordinator, board member and coach for Half Hollow Hills Youth Lacrosse; coach for Half Hollow Hills Little League; supporter for Half Hollow Hills High School East football and lacrosse booster clubs; and construction coordinator of the High School East Thunderbolt Monument.

In the biography, Montalvo writes that he is an advocate for district-wide technology upgrades and art and music programs, a supporter of special education and Academically High Aptitude Program (AHAP) opportunities and a proponent of ensuring college and career readiness for all students.

A Meet the Candidates forum, hosted by the Half Hollow Hills PTA Council and moderated by the Huntington League of Women Voters, is scheduled for 7:30-9 p.m. on May 4 at Candlewood Middle School.

Along with the vote for the 20152016 Half Hollow Hills school budget, the school board election is set to be held on May 19 from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. at High School East.

Residents can register to vote from 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the District Clerk’s office at the Fran Greenspan Administration Center until May 14.

Special voter registration days will also be available on May 9 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and May 13 from 9 a.m.8 p.m.

VOTE Voter Registration: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. every school day until May 14 at the Fran Greenspan Administration Center.

Budget and trustee vote: May 19 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Half Hollow Hills High School East.

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MELVILLE

Proposed 500-MW Cable The green line charts the path through Long Island for the proposed Poseidon electrical transmission cable, which would bring 500 megawatts of power from New Jersey to a substation on Ruland Road in Melville.

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

A proposed electrical transmission line which proponents say would lower energy costs and bring 500 megawatts of power to Long Island will be the subject of a public hearing at the Half Hollow Hills Community Library May 5.

The 82-mile Poseidon Transmission project, which officials at said is capable of powering 500,000 homes on Long Island, begins in South Brunswick, N.J. and interconnects in Long Island at the Ruland Road substation in Melville. The project will connect Long Island to the world’s largest competitive wholesale energy market, the PJM Power Market, a 13state market with 180,000 megawatts, and will be buried over its entire length, meaning there will be no aesthetic impacts on the communities through which it travels.

“Functioning like a long extension cord, the project will help deliver affordable, reliable, and clean energy to the heart of Long Island’s transmission and distribution network,” Poseidon officials said.

The backers of the Poseidon project completed the Neptune transmission cable in 2007, which links Sayreville, N.J. to New Cassel in Nassau County.

The New York State Public Service Commission, which governs utilities, will make the final decision related to approvals in New York, and the group must secure state, local and federal permits as well as a contract with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) to purchase the power.

Mike DeLuise, president of the Melville Chamber of Commerce, said that research by his organization and staff of Catapano Engineering, with whom the chamber shares office space, shows that the project is poised to deliver on its promises.

“I can’t see anything wrong with it,” he said. “What they’re doing is very clean energy – it’s almost like bringing it over and plugging it in.”

The portion of Ruland Road where the modern transformer would be built, DeLuise said, is near the site of

major construction on the Long Island Expressway near Pinelawn Road, an area “that could use some cleaning up.”

Of the 82-mile expanse, about 21 miles would be laid and buried in New Jersey, 40 miles would be submarine cable in the Raritan bay, the Atlantic Ocean and New York Bay, and the remaining 17 miles would be buried in Long Island.

Poseidon officials said that the project will ultimately save ratepayers $2.5 billion in the first 10 years the cable is operational. It is slated to go live in 2020 if approved. That would translate to an average of $83 per home, $1,300 for a large energy user, or about 3.5 and 3.7 percent savings, respectively.

The project, company officials said, will allow Long Island decision-makers “tremendous flexibility” to invest in renewable energy sources and repower older plants, such as the fossil fuel-burning plant in Northport, without compromising system reliability.

PSEG spokesperson Elizabeth Flagler said Monday that the project would be online just in time to meet the region’s future needs.

“In 2014 we concluded that no additional on island resources would be needed until after 2022, and with the recent load forecast, that has moved to 2024,” she said.

The cable itself is a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission and consists of two underground or underwater cables that are less than 4.7 inches in diameter. The cable is expected to have a useful life of 50 to 75 years.

In addition to lowering energy costs, construction of $100 million-plus converter stations in Melville and New Jersey are expected to generate hundreds of skilled construction jobs in partnership with local building trades, as well as new property tax revenues.

The hearing, set to begin with an hour-long informational forum at 6 p.m. before a 7 p.m. public statement hearing, is being hosted by the New York State Public Service Commission, at the library’s Dix Hills branch, located at 55 Vanderbilt Parkway.

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015 • A3

A4 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015

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POLICE REPORT Compiled by Danny Schrafel

Tiptoe Through The Tulips

A Sticky Situation On The Road

weeks school districts around the Town of HuntStop and smell the tulips… My favorite ington will be gearing up for event of the year (as you all know, I have many the yearly board trustee elec“favorite” events) is happening this weekend. tions and school budget votes.

Pops of pink and hues of yellow take over Be sure to keep up with Long Huntington’s Heckscher Park IN THE KNOW Islander News as the crew on Sunday, May3 for the Town WITH AUNT ROSIE gives you in-depth looks at of Huntington’s annual Tulip each district, their budgets and Festival from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. their candidates between now Oh, how I love this day! Spring is in the air, the and Election Day on May 19. flowers are at attention, nice and tall, and the As I’ve always said, you’re entitled to your own shutterbugs come out to play with hopes of takopinion, but not your own facts, so get up to ing a photo worthy of winning the tulip photo speed and cast an informed ballot this spring. contest. The free festival will have children’s acCheck with your district to make sure you’re tivity booths, an art exhibit and live performancregistered to vote or cast an absentee ballot. es on the Chapin Rainbow stage, presented by our friends at the Huntington Arts Council. New Give the gift of life… You might have heard this year is the Tulip Festival Hat Contest at that April is National Donate Life Month, an an2:15 p.m. during the children’s parade, which nual reminder to volunteer to share the gift of starts near the stage. The hat contest is for both life. As this very important observance comes to children and adults, so get that flamboyant floral a close, did you know that every donor has the headgear ready. And don’t forget to stop and opportunity to touch as many as 58 lives with smell the tulips. their gift, whether by organ, eye, tissue, skin and bone transplants? It’s true – yet New Yorkers are Stop and curb your dog… While we’re on apparently the worst in the nation at signing on the topic of things that come in the spring, let’s the dotted line to give the gift of life. One of our pivot for a moment to our beloved canine comresidents – a young man from Greenlawn – just panions. I don’t have a bone to pick with them; completed an agonizing three-year wait for a every one I see walking through town is cuter heart and received a successful transplant this and fluffier and lovelier than the next. It’s their weekend. Many can’t wait that long for a transhumans that grind my gears with their occasionplant. Now it’s time for all of us to do our part. al propensity, whether willful or not, to leave… um, something from their four-legged friends behind. Not only is it rather unpleasant, dog droppings create a slip-and-fall safety hazard (Aunt Rosie wants to hear from you! If you and a town ordinance violation that could cost have comments, ideas, or tips about what’s hapyou a bunch of dollars much better spent on pening in your neck of the woods, write to me topampering your pooch. day and let me know the latest. To contact me, drop a line to Aunt Rosie, c/o The Long-Islander, Vote! Listen here, folks; voting season is 14 Wall Street, Huntington NY 11743. Or try the nearly upon us! That’s right, in the coming e-mail at aunt.rosieli@gmail.com)

PICTURE THIS OH, BABY!

More Leaf Blowers Stolen A landscaping company called Suffolk County police April 21 to report theft of equipment. They told police that, while working at a Half Hollow Road home at 4 p.m., someone stole two leaf blowers.

Bottoms Up Cops are searching for the person who stole two bottles of alcohol from a liquor store on Broad Hollow Road in Melville at 3:34 p.m. April 20.

New Car Keyed Cops are searching for the person who keyed a 2015 Toyota RAV 4 parked at an office building on the South Service Road in Melville at 4:25 p.m. April 24.

A Rear View Of Trouble Police are searching for the person who damaged the driver’s side rear-view mirror on a 2002 Volvo parked overnight on Arrowood Lane in Melville between 6 p.m.

April 22 and a call to cops the next day.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK DOREEN BUCKMEN

Northport Fire Department Chief Joe Pansini cradles baby Juniper, who made her sudden debut during a home-birth in Northport at 3:40 a.m. April 18. He and Northport PD Officers Greg Cerar and Stephen Kerekes, along with Sgt. Tom Endee, assisted in the delivery of the baby girl, who weighted in at 7 lb., 5 oz. and was 19.5 inches long.

Cops are searching for the road-raging suspect who allegedly turned to soda pop to get sweet, sticky revenge. The complainant said that they were driving on Deer Park Road in Greenlawn at 9:12 a.m. when someone beeped their horn, passed them and gave them the finger. When the complainant beeped back at the malcontent motorist, she responded by chucking soda pop at their car.

“Lorraine is very hopeful that he’s going to pull out of it, She’s a very faith-filled woman, and she’s so filled with gratitude. The community really came together and really supported her.”

Ninja Gets Drilled The owner of a 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 650 motorcycle called Suffolk County police April 21 after they discovered damage to their bike at 5:55 a.m. The complainant said someone drilled into the lock plate of the bike.

Neighbors Rally For Fire Victim, Family, PAGE A5

Photo by John Mancino

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015 • A5

DIX HILLS

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

Neighbors of a man who was critically injured in a fire in Dix Hills earlier this month railed to his family’s aid Friday, raising money through a community tag sale.

The sale, which raised over $1,600 for the family, comes as John Bluemke continues to fight for his life after being pulled from the blaze in cardiac arrest the night of April 4.

Firefighters said Bluemke survived the fire because firefighters were able to administer a cyanide antidote kit, jointly purchased by Dix Hills, Commack, East Northport and Greenlawn fire departments, to reverse the effects of smoke inhalation.

While Bluemke regained a pulse by the time he arrived at Good Samaritan Hospital that night, he did not regain consciousness, first responders said. Sale organizer Doreen Buckman, who lives across the street from the victim, said Bluemke suffered internal burns on his esophagus and lungs, in addition to topical burns, and remains in a coma after being transferred to the Stony Brook University Hospital burn unit.

Buckman said the idea for a tag sale came through discussions with John’s wife, Lorraine.

“I wanted to do something. I didn’t know what to do,” Buckman said. “It just came to mind.”

Despite the gravity of his injuries, his family is

Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel

Neighbors Rally For Fire Victim, Family

Neighbors of John Bluemke host a community tag sale in Dix Hills Friday to raise funds for the man, who was badly hurt in a fire that destroyed his home April 4. still hopeful for recovery.

“Lorraine is very hopeful that he’s going to pull out of it,” Buckman said. “She’s a very faith-filled woman, and she’s so filled with gratitude. The community really came together and really supported her.”

When Buckman received Lorraine’s blessing to proceed, the race was on to gather items to sell from friends, family and strangers alike. Buckman said Lorraine was “beyond thrilled” with the outcome.

“God had a hand in the whole day,” Buckman said.

Buckman’s friend Marie Orlando, who came from Brightwaters to volunteer at the sale, said she had some success posting on Craigslist and telling friends.

“We went around and collected it, and today, we set it up and sold it,” she said Friday. From conception to sale day, she said, the effort took about two weeks to pull together.

Brisk sales matched the unseasonably brisk temperatures; Orlando said they sold a flat-screen TV, “a lot of kitchen ware,” a new bicycle, sports equipment, computer monitors, radios and “a lot of alarm clocks.”

“There’s been a steady flow. It’s been wonderful – absolutely wonderful,” Buckman said at the sale.

“As stuff is sold, more people come with more stuff.

It’s just been a whole flow.”

Now, the surplus merchandise is headed to another boutique. The leftover goods from Friday’s sale will be donated to the Helping Hands Rescue Mission on Broadway in Huntington Station, Buckman said, which is hosting its annual boutique starting Thursday, April 30.

“It was perfect timing,” she said.

A6 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015

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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Survivor Giving Back To Organization That Helped

By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com

Joel Wirchin was diagnosed with nearly stage-4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma in November 2008, when he was just 49 years old. Now he is in the running to be named the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Man of the Year.

“I’m very comfortable telling the cancer story. I’m very aware of the fact that it happens to be there. I think my being out there helps people understand that it’s not something to feel weird about,” he said.

Wirchin, of Huntington, entered remission six years ago, after six months of intensive chemotherapy, which involved one week of in-patient treatment each month, with follow-up visits in between.

Wirchin said he received great support from the nonprofit Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), along with the Huntington community.

“When I was ill, there was an incredible turnout in town and around the community for helping my wife and kids,” he said.

As soon as his illness remitted, Wirchin began giving back. Once a

Joel Wirchin, who is trying to raise enough money to be named the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Man of the Year, celebrated his 50th birthday shortly after his cancer treatments ended. recipient of patient counseling, he has since acted as a patient counselor for those still afflicted with the devastating illness.

Wirchin is currently campaigning for the society’s Long Island chapter’s Man of the Year. Each year, the society holds a competition pitting five men against each other and five women against each other to see who

can raise the most money in 10 weeks.

“I hesitate to call it a competition, because really what we’re all doing is going 500 miles an hour to raise funds for blood cancer research,” Wirchin said.

Wirchin campaigned in 2010, when he raised $16,000 with a single letter sent to 400 friends, colleagues,

families, and community members.

This year, he plans to push even further.

“We made a pledge to ourselves that we would raise $75,000 in 10 weeks, but we would love to put some new juice into the campaign and get even more energy and excitement,” he said.

Wirchin’s competitors include family and friends of blood cancer sufferers along with other survivors who are involved in the society’s community. He said that as a survivor who had once been on the receiving end of the society’s programming, he had a special connection to the campaign.

“It’s kind of emotional, and when you’ve been there, you feel differently about it I guess. I think it’s important to donate because every single day the research funds bring us one step closer to a day when nobody gets that most horrendous of wake-up calls… I have seen statistics on survival rates drastically improve because of the reach LLS has; I am a walking beneficiary thereof,” he said.

Learn more about Wirchin’s story or donate at www.mwoy.org/pages/li/li15/jwirchin.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015 • A7

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com

The Huntington Town Board voted to hire an outside attorney to investigate the legality of a multi-family home of which Councilman Gene Cook is part owner.

The resolution, approved at an April 21 town board meeting, called for the retention of legal counsel from Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan, in Valhalla, N.Y.—outside of Huntington and off of Long Island.

“The idea of this is to bring someone in who is a third party who will sit down and resolve the issue,” Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone said.

The home at 792 Larkfield Road in East Northport is currently being used as a five-family rental property, a use which inspectors have said in town documents violates town code. Cook and his co-owners have argued that the use predates town code and is therefore legal.

According to Petrone and Deputy Town Attorney Thomas Glascock, Cook’s position on the town board compromises the integrity of any inhouse investigation, necessitating outside legal assistance.

“Because Councilman Cook’s interests and the interests of the town are at variance with regard to the property, this places the town attorney’s office in a conflicted position. Based on advice received from the New York State Association of Towns, the town attorney’s office believes that it must recuse itself from the 792 Larkfield Road matter,” Glascock said.

He added that the office believed that the retention of outside counsel from a firm that was off of Long Island “would best avoid the appearance of impropriety and best protect the interests of the town, Councilman Cook, and the public at large.”

Long Islander News photo/Carina Livoti

Outside Counsel To Investigate Cook’s Rental

Coucilman Gene Cook says the town’s decision to hire an attorney to investigate the legality of his rental property is an act of political payback.

Cook, however, said he did not believe it was necessary.

“The fact of the matter is, it’s a waste of taxpayer dollars,” he said.

Cook said he believed that the investigation is political payback for initiating a state comptroller’s audit of the town in 2013.

“I’m the guy that brought in the state comptroller. I’m the guy that brought in the U.S. Attorney to look at corruption. I believe it’s political payback,” he said.

He added that the town should have issued him prior summonses to address the alleged zoning violations, which he said he would have dealt with immediately. According to Glascock, an issue of violation was sent regarding the property, which Cook has been part-owner of since October 2014.

Town documents confirm that a notice of vio-

lation was sent to the previous owner on Nov. 5, 2014. A notice of demand for inspection was first sent to Cook on Dec. 11, 2014, based on probable cause to believe there was a violation on the property, according to town records.

Cook said he did not find out about the town’s plan to hire an outside attorney until 11 a.m. on the day of the town board meeting.

When he did learn about the resolution, he said he believed it was another political “hatchet job.”

According to Petrone, the resolution is a matter of propriety.

“Mr. Cook is one of the elected officials. He is responsible for all the employees that work here.

People that really work here cannot look into this and work with it for that simple reason,” Petrone said.

The board approved the resolution, 4-1. Cook recused himself from the vote.

MELVILLE

Residents: Melville No Home For Home Goods

By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com

Some residents are saying that Melville is no home for a Home Goods store.

Residents at an April 16 Town of Huntington Zoning Board meeting spoke out against the proposal to build a 21,181-square-foot home décor and furniture store at 181 Walt Whitman Road, adjacent to the Bertucci’s south of Fletcher Street.

“The traffic on 110 is horrific.

They will never have enough parking spaces to accommodate all the traffic,” Fletcher Place resident Janet D’Agostino said.

To build the commercial building, the zoning board would have to grant a use variance as well as a parking variance. Use variances are historically very difficult to get, said attorney Michael McCarthy, who

appeared before the zoning board on behalf of the applicant, Steven Lerner, Whitman 881-ILLC. However, McCarthy said he believed in the variance was justified in this case.

“Typically you want to avoid [use variance cases] unless the fact pattern is so compelling, and we think the fact pattern is compelling,” he said.

The property is in a largely commercially developed region on a major highway, which, according to real estate expert John Breslin, makes it unsuitable for residential use as it is.

“You have a property that’s 700 feet deep, with 150 feet of residential zoning, with state land around it, next to a property that’s developed with a business use going past it on its side that has a history of a court decision that says it can’t be used as residential property...and it’s on a major state highway,” he said.

Breslin added that the Home

Goods would be consistent with the use in what he described as an intensely commercially developed area and would not have an adverse effect on real estate property values.

According to traffic expert Wayne Muller, the store should not create excess traffic, as most of the traffic generated by stores like Home Goods is pass-by in nature, he said.

“The people who are going to be coming to Home Goods are going to be combining their shopping trip with another trip,” he said, citing smaller retailers and the nearby Target and Walt Whitman Shops as examples of possible combined trips.

The site plan includes a noise attenuation wall on the northern side of the building, where the loading dock will be. Developers plan to limit deliveries and trash removal to times between 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

However, many neighbors who

came to the meeting were unconvinced.

Alissa Taff of the Sweet Hollow Civic Association said that the group had many concerns about the application and requested that it be brought before the town board for a zoning change rather than a zoning use variance.

D’Agostino and others worried that excess shoppers would likely park on Fletcher, clogging up the street. She was also concerned that an empty parking lot would attract undesirable people at night whilst unattended.

The speakers poured in, many concerned about safety, potential burglaries as a result of backyard access through the proposed building’s parking lot and loading areas, noise pollution, light pollution, regular pollution, and traffic.

The zoning board tabled the issue for further consideration.

A8 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015

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

Can’t Think of a Better Use A public hearing recently held before jor roadway with retail and commercial the town’s zoning board of appeals con- uses on both sides. The area is a shopping sidered whether a now-vacant lot on Walt destination that greatly contributes to the Whitman Road should be granted a use property tax base. The proposed use is not variance to allow construction of a Home out of character with neighboring uses.

Goods store.

In fact, we’d go so far as to say retail is We can’t think of a good reason it the best use. shouldn’t.

Given its proximity to Walt Whitman The proposal would bring a 21,181 Shops and other lucrative retail propersquare-foot home décor and ties, the property at 181 Walt furniture store to 181 Walt EDITORIAL Whitman Road stands out to Whitman Road, behind the passersby by virtue of the fact Bertucci’s restaurant near Fletcher Street. that it is currently undeveloped.

A portion of the property is partly zoned We’ll leave the question of the parking for residential use, but the majority is variance to the zoning board experts, but commercial. It doesn’t take an expert to argue that it doesn’t take an expert to see see that the parcel is best suited for com- the best use of the property is commercial. mercial use, though several testified such The town has an opportunity to generate at the hearing. greater property taxes as well as increased The property is just south of the Walt sales taxes with virtually no downside to Whitman Shops, a heavily trafficked ma- the adjacent quiet neighborhood.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Don’t Destroy History Editor’s note: The following letter to the Huntington Town Board appears with the author’s permission.

DEAR MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD: As a lifelong resident of Huntington, I must speak in opposition to the current request for a zoning change and for the development of the property known as Platt’s Tavern/Platt’s Park Avenue located at the corner of 400 Park Ave. and 25A for use as an urgent care/medical office building.

Although I have many objections to what I believe is the current state of “overdevelopment” going on in our downtown area resulting in the loss of our town’s charm, I will keep this opposition fo-

cused on this particular property.

I have lived in the Town of Huntington my entire life and have lived in the historic Village Green community for the past 23 years. I purchased my home because of the historic nature of this area and certainly do not want to look out my house and see a 10,000 square-foot and 50foot-high building.

First and foremost, this is a historic district and should be preserved as such. Huntington, and this area in particular, has very strong historical significance and should not be altered in such a manner to include an urgent care/medical office, especially one of this proposed size. I implore the town board to use common sense and keep smart growth in the forefront of any request to develop this area. Once we

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“give in” to developing this area, we cannot go back.

Secondly, there is simply no need for such a facility to be built on this property.

There are two new urgent care centers approximately 1 mile in either direction from this site, one in the village and the other one just east at Washington Drive. Also, the hospital is mere yards away and they are in the process of expanding their emergency department.

As far as the need for medical offices, there seems to be many signs along 25A advertising available office space.

The trend to building new, instead of using what is already available, is a catastrophe, and it will ruin our small suburban town. This is simply not a needed or acceptable use for this property.

Furthermore, I fail to see

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how the proposed addition of a turning lane on 25A would help alleviate traffic congestion at this intersection, as the developer suggests in a recent Long-Islander article.

The use of this property with a proposed 49 parking spaces is only going to exacerbate an already nightmare of an intersection during the hours of 36 p.m. The amount of traffic that flows through this area during these hours is enormous and the potential of adding to that traffic is frightening. I already avoid the intersection at all costs as do the numerous other motorists who use North Woodhull as a cut-through from 25A to Park Avenue to avoid the intersection.

One last concern is the drainage and sewage disposal for a building of this size in this area. I am assuming that this new facility would be connected to the sewage system while many longtime residents of this immediate area are plagued with and continue to struggle with drainage and cesspool problems as a direct result of the high water table. The town really needs to address resolutions to the problems current residents are having instead of potentially creating new problems for them.

In an effort to end on a positive note, it is my strong belief that as a town, we need to seek alternative and smart use for this property. One such alternative that would be beneficial to this community is the use of the existing structure as a visitor center/museum. The center could educate people

as to the historical significance of this area and list nearby historic sites that can be visited. Staffing might even be provided by senior volunteers in conjunction with our town’s senior citizen programs. This type of facility could boost attendance to these other museums and help bring in much needed funding to preserve them for the future. Increased visitors to our historic sites would boost our overall economy as a town, while keeping our historic charm. Furthermore, the site could host small events to support the area.

This would be a more acceptable and needed use of this property. If the building is not changed from its existing structure, there would be plenty of parking already on site and there would be no need for additional parking to be established. I would like to see the town direct their efforts into preserving and building upon the historic significance of this area – not taking our history away for our future generations.

I implore the town board members and planning board members to please keep smart growth in mind when going forward with any approvals with regard to this property.

Please also keep in mind, once it is gone, it is gone forever, and we can’t get it back!

Please do not allow a building that is absolutely not characteristic of this historic area to be built at this site.

CYNTHIA A. SCUDIERI Huntington

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015 • A9

Life&Style PHOTOGRAPHY

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

It was like assembling a really, really big family picture, except instead of aunts and uncles jockeying for position, it was dozens of artists jockeying for the perfect pose at the Ripe Art Gallery Saturday morning.

At the Park Avenue gallery, photographer Jim Marchese, of Brentwood, arranged the assembled artists with hopes of recreating an iconic 1962 image by Hans Namuth, taken in Montauk.

Organizer Mike Stanko said the idea was inspired by the image.

“Years ago, I saw this picture somewhere and said, ‘Oh wow, how

cool is this?’” he said. “Then, two years ago, I bought this book…

When I saw this picture for the 10th time, I was like, you know what?

Why don’t we just do this? Let’s just organize this.”

Stanko met Marchese at a performance by Caroline Doctorow, daughter of author E.L. Doctorow, and pitched the concept. Marchese, who has photographed Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, former President Gerald Ford, Neil Armstrong, former Governor George Pataki, Donald Trump and Liberace, jumped on board.

Initially, Stanko planned to stage the photo at his house. Instead, Cherie Via Rexer, proprietor of Ripe

Art Gallery for 11 years, first in Greenlawn and now on Park Avenue in Huntington, hosted the gaggle of creative minds.

The resulting crowd was a gathering of important figures from the Long Island arts scene.

“Huntington is rich with artists,” Via Rexer said. “We thought it would be fun to bring together the people that are sort of the ‘usual’ suspects around here with other important Long Island artists.”

Via Rexer said she’s hoping this recent image of Long Island artists will one day have a place in history.

“One day, this photograph by Jim Marchese could be as iconic as the one taken by Namuth,” she said.

Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel

Artists Recreate Iconic Montauk Image

Photographer Jim Marchese sets up the shot at Ripe Art Gallery in Huntington Saturday.

HISTORY

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

Patty Foos always thought she was a Brooklyn girl, and that her strongest tie to the Town of Huntington was her role as an elementary school teacher in the Half Hollow Hills Central School District for 37 years.

During her career, she taught in Forest Park, Manasquan, the old Hills School, Sunquam, Otsego and Paumanok Elementary Schools before spending 25 years teaching at Chestnut Hill Elementary School.

During her tenure, she taught mostly first-graders.

It turns out that her roots run deeper than that – much deeper.

As she charted the course of Civil War veteran James Johnson, her great-great-great grandfather, she discovered that her roots were not in Brooklyn, where she had been born, but in Cold Spring Harbor.

Johnson had come to the United States in 1854, a refugee from the crippling Irish potato blight that killed 1 million and forced another million out of the country. Once in New York City, he married Susan, a Scottish woman who worked as a servant on Fifth Avenue. While starting a family, they relocated to Cold

Spring Harbor, where they moved in with his mother, Mary Hartley, who was remarried to George Lacey Hartley, a farmer.

But Foos had no idea about her Cold Spring Harbor connection until several years ago, when she began researching her family’s history and James Johnson in particular, whom she knew was a Civil War veteran.

Until then, she had assumed her entire family hailed from Brooklyn – her father was born there, as was her grandmother. Foos was born there, too – she and her family moved to Sunnyside, Queens when she was 5.

“I always thought everybody was there,” she said.

Initial efforts to trace her family tree were a struggle simply because of James Johnson’s common Irish name, she said. Once she discovered Johnson’s gravesite in Calvary Cemetery in Queens, she discovered Hartley, which led her to the Cold Spring Harbor connection.

Armed with this new knowledge, Foos learned more about her greatgreat-great grandfather’s life in Huntington. He worked as a brickmaker, a common vocation amongst the Irish immigrants who settled in Cold Spring Harbor. By 1862, the Civil War was raging, and the Union

Photo by Jim Marchese

Search For Union Vet Reveals Family’s Local History

Patricia Foos, a former Half Hollow Hills elementary school teacher, discusses her family’s Civil War-era Huntington roots April 17 during a ceremony kicking off the town’s yearlong observance of the 150th anniversary of the war’s end. was looking to muster another Infantry division.

“Some people had already left from Huntington. What they wanted to do was raise another regiment… mostly from people from Huntington,” she said.

Johnson enlisted in Company I of the 127th Regiment of the Infantry on Aug. 21, 1862; by Sept. 8, the unit was mustered into service. From Staten Island, they would march into battle, and he remained active until June 30, 1865.

During the war, Huntington Town supported its soldiers and the fami-

lies of those at war with monthly relief checks. Johnson, a private, received $7 per month on top of a $110 bounty for enlisting.

“I thought that was incredibly generous,” Foos said.

Johnson died in 1922 at the age of 89, having overcome much. He escaped the famine, survived the Civil War and raised a family despite being illiterate – setting up perhaps the happiest ending of all.

“He was illiterate – he could not read and could not write,” Foos said.

“I grew up to be a teacher in the very town he lived in.”

A10 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015

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BUSINESS Unions Want Heartland To Hire Local

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

When listening to union leadership speak about Jerry and David Wolkoff’s proposed $4-billion Heartland Town Square “mini-city” concept, there’s wary enthusiasm.

Leadership touts the 20,000 permanent jobs that are expected, the $20 million in projected sales tax revenues for the county, and the $50 million in property taxes that would benefit Islip Town.

But one caveat looms large – they want union labor to build it.

Developer Jerry Wolkoff and his son, David, are proposing to build 9,000 residential units, 1 million square feet of retail space, 3,239,500 square feet of office space and 215,500 square feet of civic space on 452 acres of the Pilgrim State Hospital in Brentwood, which the Wolkoffs bought in 2002 after the property was decommissioned by the state.

A special hearing was held April 16 by the Town of Islip planning board for the proposal, which borders Huntington in Dix Hills and Commack.

Union officials throughout Long Island want Wolkoff to sign a project labor agreement with unions. It’s a

push the Heartland developers have not acquiesced to, but the Wolkoffs pledged to continue working closely with labor unions.

“We’ve always had an open-door policy with the unions,” David Wolkoff said. “We’re definitely not anti-union. We’re constantly talking to the unions, and we believe union labor will probably help building the project.”

Richard O’Kane, president of the Nassau-Suffolk Building Trades, which he said represented 59,000 members, said he and members are “sick and tired” of projects in Islip being built with labor from other states.

He argues local laborers should be hired first should Heartland be green-lighted.

“We live here. We put your fires out.

We train your kids to play ball. We do the volunteer work,” O’Kane told the Islip Planning Board at a hearing on the proposal April 16. “We would love to support this project, but we want to work on it. Why do we have to bring people in from other towns and other states? It’s not right.”

Out-of-state labor is out of the question, David Wolkoff said.

“That’s not how we build, and our history proves [it],” he said.

David Wolkoff said a local-hiring approach will be taken for building jobs, starting with workers in the Brentwood community and slowly spreading outward to Islip, then the entire county.

“We’ve been building here for 40 years,” he said. “We’ve never used anybody from out of state. Most of it has been locals.”

James Pena, an organizer for the IBEW Local 25 Long Island Electricians, said his organization, which represents hundreds of electricians and carpenters, is more optimistic.

The project is “immense” and “very much needed” despite the building trade concerns, and he said they trust the Wolkoffs to do the right thing.

“I feel the integrity of the Wolkoffs’ partnership will come through. We’ve done work together before. Let’s give ourselves all the opportunities to do some more work together again,” he said. “Let’s build it. More importantly, let’s build it union… let’s transform Long Island together.”

If the Wolkoffs were breaking ground in Huntington township, town law requires any general contractor, contractor or sub-contractor for any project, public or private, building a structure 100,000 square feet or larg-

Union officials told planning officials in Islip they could get behind the Heartland mini-city concept – if they’re given an opportunity to build it by developers Jerry and David Wolkoff. er, to have state-approved apprenticeship agreements appropriate for the scope of work to be performed. In short, that means using union shops.

There is, however, a catch.

“It is for each individual building of over 100,000 square feet, not an entire development. So if the project were in Huntington and included, say, an office building of greater than 100,000 square feet, the answer is yes, [the apprenticeship rules apply,]” said town spokesman A.J. Carter. “But if he built a residential development with 50 2,000-square foot homes as part of the same project, the answer is no for those homes.”

When It’s Time To Choose Another Career Path

By Mindy F. Wolfle I am a career changer.

After 18 years working for the Nassau County Department of Social Services, I knew there was something else out there for me.

After transitioning into private industry, I worked for an HMO, a prescription drug administrator and two small law firms, ultimately landing in the world of law firm and accounting firm marketing. I finally found what I wanted to be “when I grew up.”

I took my focus on human services, communications, creativity, making connections and my thirst for something totally different to be the marketer I am today. I’ve asked several other career changers to share their motivating factors and the advice they would give to others looking to choose another path.

Denise A. Wind, LCSW-R, went from dental hygienist to psychotherapist due to carpal tunnel

syndrome. According to Wind, “It was a fantastic opportunity, even though I didn't realize it at first. I mourned leaving my career, but after all, it was the path I was supposed to be on.”

She loves being a therapist and couldn't imagine her life any differently now.

Her advice: “Be open to change and possibilities. It builds character and strength. It is a very true phrase that when one door closes another door opens.”

Joani Madarash, president of accessLinx, Inc., morphed into a new career following a restructuring at the human services agency where she was a high-level executive. Totally shocked and unsuspecting, she saw this as the opportunity to achieve her lifetime dream of starting a business.

“It’s been almost 13 years and I’ve never looked back. I love the business community on Long Island and have found a place for myself,” she said.

Madarash’s advice: “Follow your dreams…understand what it is you are seeking…don’t be afraid of the unknown of change…be willing to work at becoming a new and improved version of yourself.”

Barbara M. Kessler, Esq. ACC is a former lawyer and business executive. As founder and president of Life in Focus, LLC, she uses her expertise as a coach and her 30 years’ experience as a lawyer and business woman in corporate America to assist professional women who are at a career crossroads.

“In the years when I was ‘succeeding’ and building my professional reputation and expertise as a lawyer, I often felt stuck, frustrated and unfulfilled,” she said. “I knew I was ‘done with law’ but I didn’t have a clue about what was next.

Over the following few years, I really learned what transition feels like—scary, invigorating, challenging, nervous-making, lost. What I learned during that time and over the years since, there are ways to

keep your life in focus doing the things that make you feel satisfied, engaged and effective.”

A few final words from me. If there is one commonality to successful career change, it is this: Age is not a deciding factor. One need not be “young” to make change. As a matter of fact, career change often comes after many years in one field and is never about jumping from job to job. It is a well-thought out process, one with risk and challenges, and yes, great personal and professional satisfaction.

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-forprofit marketing in Hofstra University's continuing education program.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015 • A11

BUSINESS Station Sports Family Fun Center

Brad Rosen’s 18-hole miniature golf course features a fountain, streams, and other water-themed obstacles.

Spotlight On

Huntington Businesses

By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com

It’s been a long winter for all of us, but it’s been the longest winter in four years for Station Sports Family Fun Center owner Brad Rosen.

“We’re a seasonal business. This is the first year we haven’t been able to get open in March,” he said.

Rosen said he opened the family fun center, an outdoor venue on Depot Road featuring 18 holes of miniature golf, batting cages, target paintball, and a snack shack, to fill a void in the community.

“My uncle has been running Five Towns Mini Golf and Batting for over 30 years; we felt that Huntington didn’t have any venues for families and kids to go,” he said.

Rosen, who is also the treasurer of the Huntington Station Business Improvement District, said that other than public parks, the town did not have many affordable options for families and children. He was able to tap his uncle’s expertise, creating a water-themed miniature golf course with streams, waterfalls, and a pond. The water theme extends to

other buildings in the complex, one of which was designed to emanate the Huntington Lighthouse.

The center originally included an arcade, which Rosen has since closed, preferring to focus on the outdoor activities.

“The business keeps growing each year and the word is getting out more and more. I get a lot of grandparents and their grandkids,” he said.

Station Sports has a birthday party package that includes mini gold, paintball, batting tokens, and pizza.

While Rosen does offer a mini-totmini-golf party option for kids 6 and under, which excludes the batting cages and western-themed target paintball game, he said it is rarely used.

“I have 3-year-olds standing on milk crates [playing paintball],” he said.

Groups can fundraise through Station Sports by selling coupons for rounds of miniature golf; the fundraisers are no cost to the groups looking to raise money and the coupons are good anytime the center is open.

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e i d o o F THE

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Foodie photos/Danny Schrafel

A12 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015

DINEHUNTINGTON .COM

Bistro 44 Blossoms

By Carina & Danny foodies@longislandergroup.com

Bistro 44 owners Kevin LaPrelle, Jose Morales, and Al Mott are bringing decades of experience to the Northport Village restaurant they purchased a year ago.

“I go back to washing dishes at The Thatched Cottage in 1980,” LaPrelle said, adding that his colleagues each have about three decades of restaurant experience under their belts as well.

LaPrelle describes Bistro 44 as an American contemporary bistro featuring seasonal menus. Specials are largely determined by what’s fresh and what’s sustainable. Morales, who is also the restaurant’s chef, serves up sustainable fish dishes that change almost daily.

“Jose usually knows three or four days in advance different things he wants to try. [Menu development is] definitely a collaborative effort, but Jose really drives that process,” LaPrelle said.

This spring’s menu features a range of dishes, from nutty, subtly sweet roasted butternut squash salad ($12.50) to tender and fresh, spicy ahi tuna tartare ($12.75) to tangy, explosive orange tequila shrimp ($28.50) and tender, juicy, mouthwatering pepperberry-rubbed ribeye ($32.00) “Even some of the core items get some special treatment,” LaPrelle

A shot of tequila goes a long way in Bistro 44’s kitchen as chef and restaurant co-owner Jose Morales sautés orange tequila shrimp.

Co-owner Kevin LaPrelle and staffer Anthony Prufeta show off Bistro 44’s famous coffee and cigar dessert. said, pointing out a ribeye special.

If you’re not quite ready to take on a full steak, LaPrelle said that the Bistro’s Coffee and Cigar ($9.00) dessert is so popular that some diners come in looking for nothing more than the creamy coffee custard and chocolate treat. The cigar is solid chocolate, and the custard is topped with a singed, brulee-style finish.

Almost as impressive as the menu is the building’s architecture. Inside the Bistro, you’ll find tin ceilings, large booths and ornate 19th century woodwork. In the front, a table for eight is nestled in an alcove, making it seem like a private room.

While the restaurant may be American by cuisine, an outdoor patio, complete with canopies, outdoor heaters, and Boston Ivy climbing stone walls, gives it a European flair. Dog-friendly outdoor seating

Elegant and delicious, ahi tuna tartare features ever-popular Sriacha. allows more passersby to stop in for impromptu meals, which LaPrelle said, were a big part of the restaurant’s clientele.

“The foot traffic in Northport is really amazing. We’re very well established in the community; we have some great community roots,” he said.

The staff is also knowledgeable and accommodating to patrons with food allergies, doing their best to adjust dishes on the menu to exclude allergens like gluten, so that those with dietary restrictions hardly feel restricted.

In keeping with that spirit of com-

munity, diners coming or going from the John W. Engeman Theatre up the road can enjoy a special theater prixfixe menu exclusively for patrons.

Bistro 44 44 Main St., Northport 631-262-9744 www.bistro44.net Atmosphere – Fine dining Cuisine – American bistri Price – Moderate to Expensive Hours – Monday through Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

ing to save someone’s life,” with perspectives on the approaches of Jewish, United States and English case law. Kosher pizza and sushi will be served during the hour-long discussion, set to begin at 12:30 p.m. For www.facebook.com/dinehuntington more information, contact Rabbi LUNCH AND LEARN: Learn the finer Yaakov Y. Raskin at 631-276-4453 DINEHUNTINGTON .COM points of Judaism and have a kosher or email Rabbi@chabadhv.com. lunch during Chabad of Huntington LATE-NIGHT DESSERT RUN: Starting cakes and pies by the slice, includ- Village’s Lunch-n-Learn series. MANGIA: A new Italian restaurant is Coming up on Wednesday, coming to Huntington village. Word May 1, Chip’n Dipped Chocolatier ing world-famous May 6, the discussion will on the street is that Albert Salese, cheese(342 New York Ave., Huntington vil- Junior's focus on the topic, “steal- owner of Junior’s Pizza in Halesite, is lage 631-470-2579 chipndipped.com) cake or a wedge of behind the new family-style pizzeria will be open until 11 p.m. on Friday chocolate peanut called Eatalia, which will take the forand Saturday nights for sit-down butter pie, will be Enjoy the Chip’n DippedOr, desserts. Along with an array of available. wich until 11 p.m. every Fri- mer home of 34 New Street at – you Chip’n handmade chocolates, truffles and choose day and Saturday starting guessed it – 34 New Street in Huntington village. fresh cookies, a large selection of Dipped’s summerMay 1.

Side Dish

time favorite, the Chip’n Dippedwich. Pick two fresh, large cookies and sandwich your favorite ice cream between them. If you’re not hungry, you can always pick up a frappe, shake or smoothie.

After the fire fades, diners are left with Morales’s tasty orange tequila shrimp.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015 • A13

HOME&GARDEN A14 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015

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Tiptoe Through The Tulips

By Joe Zapata info@longislandergroup.com

Spring is here, which means the 15th annual Huntington Tulip Festival is just around the corner.

The town’s annual Tulip Festival is a free, family-oriented, floral festival with more than 20,000 tulips taking over Huntington’s Heckscher Park on Sunday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

“It’s a family-friendly, small-scale festival that coincides with the beginning of spring,” said Councilman Mark Cuthbertson, founder of the Huntington Tulip Festival.

This festival will also have children’s activity booths, an art exhibit, and live performances presented courtesy of the Huntington Art Council. At noon, the Gizmo Guys, kick off the entertainment at noon. This group is known for their incorporation of humor along with their award winning

juggling and dazzling technique.

After the Gizmo Guys, the Shinnecock American Indian Dancers perform a 45-minute presentation, which includes singing and dancing all in traditional wardrobe. Then at 3 p.m., Paul Helou, an award-winning songwriter, actor and journalist, caps off the Tulip Festival with his combination of bluegrass and folk music for children.

Be sure to bring your camera. This annual event includes a Tulip Festival Photography Contest, which is open to both amateurs and professional photographers. The winner of this contest will be awarded a $300 prize.

The entry form can be found online at Huntingtonny.gov, and all entries must be received by July 31, 2015.

The Town of Huntington organizes the Tulip Festival, with Chief Festival Sponsorship support from Astoria Bank.

This photo by Steven Selles won last year’s Tulip Festival Photo Contest.

Sprucing Your Home Up For Spring clivoti@longislandergroup.com

Now that spring has finally sprung and the winter clouds have lifted, you may be seeing your home in a new light. If your house and yard are looking dull, there are lots of ways to bring spring into your living space.

Planting is an easy way to bring some color to the outside of your home. Huntington’s Main Street Nursery’s Heather Abbatiello said that the nursery has lots of hyacinth bulbs, tulips, pansies, and daffodils that were great to plant in flower beds or in decorative pots at your door or the end of your driveway.

According to Abbatiello, if you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck, pansies are the way to go.

“We’re planting a lot of pansies, because they last a little longer, more into the summer annual.

When it gets really warm, they start to get a little leggy; that’s when you switch over to geraniums,” she said.

East Northport landscaper John Kirby, owner of Kirby Designs, said that one of the best things homeowners can do is dethatch or “power-rake” their lawns.

“Dethatching the lawn of all the old dead grass, sticks, twigs, and debris from winter helps spruce it up,” he said.

Dethatching involves using a heavy, metal rake to slice into your lawn and bring up dead materials.

After dethatching, Kirby suggested adding quality topsoil, peep moss, and seed to any bare spots you see, but to beware of seeding too early.

“Anytime after tax day is a good time to seed, but each year is a little different. If you’re going to apply pre-emergents, you should really wait for your forsythias to turn from yellow to green; it’s a good old time farmer’s almanac trick,” he said.

The landscaper stressed the importance of removing winter sand and salt, which is acidic and will cause your lawn to brown. Kirby also said that lime was great to use on your lawn in the spring to balance pH and help it green evenly.

While you might be tempted to pull out the sprinkler, Kirby said unless you’re seeding, there’s no need to water in April or May. “All planting beds should be edged, cultivated, and allowed to breathe for a week or so before planting,” he added.

Photo / Claudia Dowling

By Carina Livoti

Light-colored fabrics and minimal window treatments make this bedroom light and springy.

Color is the key when it comes to freshening up the inside of your home for spring, according to Huntington interior designer Claudia Dowling.

“Change it around a little bit with colors, with a vase or a bowl. Add some colors, like lime green,” she

said.

She said another great way to lighten your home is with fabrics.

“A great way to go is to change some throw pillows and do a light throw on something, like a light fabric blanket on some furniture,” she said.

Bedding, towels, and linens can also be exchanged for lighter, more colorful options, according to Dowling, as can area rugs.

“You can do a textured, light-colored run on the floor and roll it up and put it in the basement and switch it out [come next winter],” she said.

Dowling said that heavy curtains could be swapped out for lighter, sheerer fabrics or more minimal panels, saying that homeowners might even consider overhauling their window treatments entirely.

“If you want to spend more money, you can update your window treatments—most people’s haven’t been updated in years,” she said.

Dowling’s simplest advice for brightening up your home may be most in keeping with the spirit of spring.

“Use fresh flowers, fresh flowers every day; that’s always fun,” she said.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015 • A15

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&GARDEN HOME Groundbreaking On Zero-Energy Home For Vets

A16 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015

By Joseph Zapata info@longislandergroup.com

The United Way of Long Island celebrated Earth Day by breaking ground on a multi-family home for military veterans with special needs.

The home, however, is special in

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and of itself. The project – at 40 Depot Road in Huntington Station – will be the first Department of Energy (DOE) zero-energy home in the country built by students of veterans’ assistance programs.

A zero-energy home is one built to function at maximum efficiency, ren-

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dering the costs to run the home virtually non-existent, according to the Department of Energy. They are at least 40-50 percent more energy-efficient than a typical new home.

Students of the United Way of Long Island’s VetsBuild and YouthBuild program will be the ones constructing the This home for veterans, to be built in Huntington home.

Station, will have a zero-net energy consumption.

“The United Way of Long Island project is the first of its kind to be certified under the construction industry. The United VetDOE Zero Energy Ready Home pro- erans Beacon House will work togethgram,” Sam Rashkin, chief architect of er with several homeless veteran orthe Building Technologies Office in the ganizations to choose the future occuOffice of Energy Efficiency and Re- pants in the multi-family house.

According to Theresa A. Regnante, newable Energy for the Department of Energy, said. “The fact that this will be president and CEO of the United Way a home built by a group of veterans for of Long Island, finding a location for a group of veterans, sets this building this project was more difficult than one would expect. project apart.”

“There aren’t many parcels of land Houses like these have a zero-net energy consumption. The amount of on Long Island that you can build a energy used by the home on a yearly multi-family home,” Regnante said. basis is about equal to how much re- “This site is just a great site to sort of newable energy is created at the site of lift up the neighborhood.”

The funding for this housing project the house, officials said.

The event on April 17 was filled primarily comes from the US Departwith flashing cameras and happy ment of Housing and Urban Developfaces, and the day was made even ment, along with a $200,000 grant more special by the appearance of from the state.

“It will probably be about every bit professional football player Antonio Cromartie. The four-time Pro Bowler of a million-dollar project when all is spoke about the importance of giving said and done, because there was back to those who served our country. demolition that had to be done here on “We should always have open arms the site, and a lot of testing of the environment,” Regnante said. “The reto our veterans,” Cromartie said.

VetsBuild is a nonprofit partnership newable home that we’re going to put program with the United Way of Long here, usually costs about 20-percent Island and United Veterans Beacon higher than a regular standing home.”

The goal is to have the opening cerHouse, to assist veterans in their search for employment in the green emony in October, Regnante said.

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H O M E & GARDEN

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Upgrades For A Safer Bathroom From burns to slips to trips, bathrooms can be hazardous. In fact, hundreds of thousands of injuries occur in the bathroom annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Hot water can be a dangerous bathroom peril. More than half a million scald burns occur in the U.S. annually according to the CDC. Prevent “shower shock” by setting your water heater at a maximum of 120 degrees F. One of the most potentially dangerous bathroom activities is getting in and out of the bathtub safely.

Grab bars, hand grips or tub grips around your bathtub or shower can help you keep your balance. And these days, safety features don’t need to look drab or institutional.

Brands like Moen are making such fixtures available in a variety of styles and finishes to complement bathroom décor. More information

With a few safety updates, you can make your bathroom a safer place to pamper and prep. can be found at www.Moen.com.

Lastly, women who shave in the shower need to be extra careful.

Avoid slips with a shower seat. To make this a practical option, use a handheld showerhead to maneuver water easily from a seated position.

(StatePoint)

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015 • A17

HOME&GARDEN A18 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015

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Keeping The Flow At The Train Station Like the steady flow of the trains that come in and out of the train station, the water that flows over the rock-and-flower arrangement in the parking lot has a steady current.

A ribbon cutting ceremony on May 1 at 12:30 p.m. will celebrate the rainwater harvesting project installed at the Huntington train station.

Built by the Deck and Patio Company in Huntington Station’s sustainable division, the Rainwater Harvesting Group, the project involved adding robust plantings to help beautify the area, a serene water feature consisting of a stream with waterfalls, all of which are sustained by captured rainwater, and a paver pathway.

Funding was supplied by both The Deck and Patio Company and the Town of Huntington’s Environmental Open Space & Park Fund (EOSPA) Committee.

“The project was actually completed a few years ago — just two days before Hurricane Sandy hit Long Island,” Deck and Patio owner Bill Renter said. “After Sandy, thoughts of any ribbon cutting slipped people’s minds. It was when

The rainwater harvesting project at the Huntington Train Station. this year’s Earth Day was on the horizon recently, that the idea to finally have a ribbon cutting came about.”

The idea for the project itself was initially inspired by a casual conversation Renter had with a few women who live near the train station. They were planting flowers to brighten up the area. As the local landscaper, he offered to add plants, flowers, shrubs

and moss rocks.

“However, I learned at that time that there was no immediate access to clean water,” Renter said. “The women had been lugging 5-gallon buckets of water from their condos to maintain the plants they put in. I thought there must be a way to help with that, too.”

Then he noticed there was no walkway beyond the small brick and

cement sidewalk.

“There was only a dirt path. It was not handicap accessible and it seemed like the spot needed more than just plants and shrubs,” Renter said.

After gaining the support of the Town of Huntington, Deck and Patio, along with its Rainwater Harvesting Group, went to work.

“Capturing rainwater uses a very simple system, actually. We installed a special paver that allows water to permeate through the joints into a gravel base below, where rainwater is captured by a liner and directed into the water feature’s reservoir,” Renter explained. “Enough water is captured to not only sustain the stream and waterfalls, but to irrigate all the plantings. Plus, this ecofriendly system keeps any non-filtered rainwater from going into the Town’s sewer system and on into Huntington Bay.” The May 1 ribbon cutting is being held with the support of Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce. This water feature earned for Deck and Patio a bronze medal from the Long Island Pool and Spa Association.

Planting A Garden From Scratch Planting a garden from scratch can sound like a daunting task, especially for those who are new to the hobby. But with the right knowledge, you can plan a successful, fruitful green space and expect to have a great harvest.

One way to get a head start on your garden is to start your seedlings indoors and then transplant them later into an outdoor garden. This time-tested technique can save you hundreds of dollars annually, as young plants at a nursery can be pricey.

Here are some tips and tricks to make the most of this method: • Don’t start your indoor plants too soon. They can grow in about four weeks or less if you use a high-quality garden starter. Check seed packages to learn when to plant outdoors in your area, and then start them indoors one month earlier to your transplanting date outdoors.

• Consider using a seed-starting system that takes some of the gardening guesswork out of the equation. For example, the Aerogarden Seed Starting system allows you to start up to 66 seedlings indoors with no dirt or mess, nurturing seeds with optimal amounts of water and nutrients for reliable germination and healthy growth.

• Add new nutrients to the seedlings every two

weeks and keep the water at full level. Feeding your plants more than the recommended amount will not make them grow faster. In fact, it could hurt the plants.

• Before transplanting, seedlings need to be hardened off. Skipping this step will almost certainly result in some or all of your plants dying.

Hardening off seedlings eases their transition to the outdoors, where they will be exposed to the elements. The process involves gradually exposing plants to the outdoors, protecting them from full sunlight, temperature variations and wind.

• Don’t let sprouts get too big before transplanting them outdoors. Ideally they should be about 46 inches tall. If possible, wait to plant your seedlings on a cool, cloudy day. If your seedlings get too large before weather will allow transplanting outdoors, transplant them into small pots with high quality potting soil. Keep fully watered in a sunny space until weather permits transplanting outdoors.

• After transplanting seedlings outdoors, be sure to water them daily for the first two weeks, especially if the weather is dry and sunny.

• Save and reuse your seed starter tray for the next season. Once the spring plants have been

For true green thumb bragging rights, consider growing your garden from scratch. transplanted outdoors, you will be free to get a head start on your summer crop.

More tips to start your own seedlings can be found at www.Aerogarden.com.

For true green thumb bragging rights, grow your garden from scratch. Just be sure you know the tricks of the trade. (StatePoint)

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015 • A19

A20 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015

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PUZZLE PAGE

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015 • A21

OPEN HOUSES

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

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

Town Dix Hills Dix Hills Dix Hills Melville Huntington Dix Hills Huntington Northport Huntington Dix Hills Centerport Huntington Huntington Dix Hills Melville Dix Hills Dix Hills

DIX HILLS

MELVILLE

MELVILLE

9 Windward Ct Bedrooms 4 Baths 3 Price $749,000 Taxes $13,378 Open House 4/30 12:00pm-1:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-422-5511

51 Louis Dr Bedrooms 5 Baths 5 Price $1,359,000 Taxes $23,571 Open House 5/2 2:00pm-4:00pm Douglas Elliman Real Estate 631-499-9191

6 Haddon Hall Bedrooms 4 Baths 2 Price $599,000 Taxes $14,769 Open House 5/3 1:00pm-3:00pm Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc 631-427-9100

Address Beds 9 Windward Ct 4 24 Kendrick Ln 5 60 Colby Dr 4 51 Louis Dr 5 46 Newfoundland Ave 2 2 Chongo Pl 5 31 Gaines St 4 77 Waterside Ave 3 18 Willow Ave 3 14 Kilmer Ave 4 11 Beach Plum Dr 4 43 Glenna Little Trl 5 87 Madison St 5 6 Chongo Pl 4 6 Haddon Hall 4 16 Sandra Dr 4 120 Deforest Rd 4

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

Price $749,000 $2,150,000 $769,000 $1,359,000 $419,000 $474,900 $499,000 $499,000 $500,000 $518,000 $529,000 $529,900 $539,990 $549,900 $599,000 $609,000 $629,000

Taxes $13,378 $26,014 $18,774 $23,571 $7,613 $14,042 $8,963 $6,870 $9,149 $11,726 $13,367 $11,555 $15,300 $12,039 $14,769 $16,873 $14,476

Date 4/30 4/30 5/2 5/2 5/3 5/3 5/3 5/3 5/3 5/3 5/3 5/3 5/3 5/3 5/3 5/3 5/3

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

Broker Coldwell Banker Residential Daniel Gale Agency Inc Douglas Elliman Real Estate Douglas Elliman Real Estate Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Coldwell Banker Residential Douglas Elliman Real Estate Daniel Gale Agency Inc Coldwell Banker Residential Coldwell Banker Residential Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Daniel Gale Agency Inc Realty Executives North Shore Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc

Phone 631-422-5511 631-427-6600 631-499-9191 631-499-9191 631-757-4000 631-673-4444 631-549-4400 631-427-6600 631-673-6800 631-673-4444 631-427-1200 631-427-1200 631-427-6600 631-499-4040 631-427-9100 631-427-9100 631-427-9100

A22 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015

THURSDAY Dorothy Day’s Granddaughter Speaks

The Institute for the Study of Religion in Community Life at St. Joseph’s College (SJC) is pleased to announce that Martha Hennessy, granddaughter of Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, will give a lecture titled, “Dorothy Day: Peacemaker for Our Time” on Thursday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the McGann Conference Room on the College’s Long Island Campus in Patchogue. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 631-687-2689. SJC is located at 155 W. Roe Blvd. in Patchogue.

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Calendar O M M U N I T Y

Deer Park Public Library

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

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

Enjoy Opera Night in Oyster Bay Friday, May 1, 7:30 p.m. 270 Main St., Northport (St. Paul's United Methodist Church). $10 donation. www.operanight.org. 631261-8808.

Healthy Kids Race

YMCA Camp Open House

Learn more about the Huntington YMCA Summer Day Camp during open houses on Saturday, May 16, 12-3 p.m.; and Saturday, June 6, 1-3 p.m. at 60 Main St., Huntington. https://ymcali.org/huntington/camp/ or call 631-421-4242.

Argentine Tango Classes

Experience the subtle communication between partners as you learn the passionate dance known as the tango.

Come dressed to impress (but be comfortable) for classes at a new time on Saturdays, 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.

Live Music

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

SUNDAY Tulip Festival

The Town of Huntington's Annual Tulip Festival will take place on Sunday, May 3, 2015 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. in Heckscher Park in Huntington. The free festival will have children’s activity booths, an art exhibit and live performances on the Chapin Rainbow stage, presented courtesy of the Huntington Arts Council.

95 Harbor Road, Cold Spring Harbor.

631-692-6820. cshlibrary.org.

• A SeniorNet lecturer will demonstrate a few of the most helpful smartphone apps for travelers on Thursday, May 7, 2 p.m.

Commack Public Library

Opera Night

SATURDAY

Cold Spring Harbor 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.

FRIDAY

The Healthy Kids Running Series will be held Fridays, May 1 and 8, 5-6 p.m. at Fifth Avenue Elementary School, 1157 Fifth Ave., East Northport. The series aims to provide kids with a positive, educational, and fun experience in the world of running. Visit www.healthykidsrunningseries.org.

AT THE LIBRARIES

Elwood Public Library

‘Shear’ Fun Enjoy the Sheep Shawl Festival, which includes sheep sheering, textile demonstrations by local artisans, old-fashioned games and children’s activities at the Dr. Daniel W. Kissam House, 434 Park Ave., on May 3, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

‘Her Deepness’ Visits

As part of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s 125th Anniversary Celebration of Science and Society, National Geographic Society Explorer-inResidence Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, called Her Deepness by the New Yorker and the New York Times, gives a lecture on “Saving Our Oceans” May 3, 2 p.m. in the Grace Auditorium of the lab, located at One Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor. RSVP to publicaffairs@cshl.edu or call 516-367-8455.

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 Meet With Senior Advocates

Suffolk County Senior Advocates who assist seniors with information gathering, completion of eligibility or recertification applications and referrals to appropriate community agencies, will be available at the following places and times: Huntington Library, Monday, May 11 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; Huntington Nutrition Center, Wednesdays, May 27 and June 24, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Paumanack Village I & II (Greenlawn), Tuesday, June 16, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Paumanack Village V & VI (Melville), Thursday, May 28, 8:3011:30 a.m.; South Huntington Library, Thursday, June 25, 10-11:30 a.m. 631853-8200.

TUESDAY Free Help For Vets

Every Tuesday from 12-4 p.m. is “Military Appreciation Tuesdays,” when Long Island Cares specifically assists veterans, military personnel and their families at the Huntington Station, Hauppauge and Freeport emergency pantries. Appointments can be made by contacting jrosati@licares.org.

WEDNESDAY Concert Fundraiser

The Northport Community Theater hosts a concert fundraiser featuring the exciting new local band Kodiak. The concert will be held at The Brosnan Building Auditorium, 158 Laurel Ave., Northport, on Wednesday, May 6 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the door; the $10 admission is strictly to benefit and support The Northport Community Theater.

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, 7-8:30 a.m. at the Dix Hills Diner, 1800 Jericho Turnpike, Dix Hills. 631-4627446.

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

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

Half Hollow Hills Community Library

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

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

Harborfields Public Library

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

• 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.

• Accompanied by Robert Boutcher on piano and guitar and Brian Wishin on drums, singer Yvette Malavet-Blum salutes Latina singers and heroines in this lively cabaret show Sunday, May 3, 2 p.m. in Northport.

South Huntington Public Library

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

• Jerry Cardone celebrates what would have been Frank Sinatra's 100th year

(Continued on page A23)

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015 • A23 3. Show times are online.

with a fabulous program of favorites from The Sultan of Swoon on Sunday, May 3, 2:30 p.m.

(Continued from page A22)

The Paramount

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

• Seether plays with special guests Tremonti & Red Sun Rising, presented

by SHARK 94.3, on Wednesday, May 6. $29.50-$45.

THEATER & FILM Cinema Arts Centre

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

• A profound and intimate look at the lives of Northport’s Brannigan family, and the unique challenges and opportunities they face with their son Mikey, a high school track champion with autism, “The Silent Portrait of Michael Brannigan” screens with the Brannigan family and the director, Devon NarineSingh, a Northport High School senior, Sunday, May 3 at 11 a.m. $7 members/$12 public/$9 students.

John W. Engeman Theater At Northport

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

• The classic “A Chorus Line” shows through May 10.

Minstrel Players of Northport

For its 50th production, the Players take on Kaufman’s & Hart’s “The Man Who Came to Dinner” on Saturday, May 2 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 3 at 3 p.m. at Houghton Hall Theatre at Trinity Episcopal Church located at 130 Main St. in Northport Village. $20 adults/$15 seniors and children. 631-732-2926 or www.minstrelplayers.org.

AUDITIONS/SUBMISSIONS Northport Symphony Orchestra

The Northport Symphony Orchestra seeks new members in all sections.

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

Website: northportorchestra.org.

MUSEUMS/EXHIBITS Art League of Long Island

107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills.

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

• Check out the Art League’s 57th Long Island Artists Exhibition through May 7.

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.

• Winners of the EXPO 34 Competition are now on display at the Gallery through April 30.

Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum

279 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor.

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

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

Ridotto, Concerts “with a Touch of Theatre”

Carnival For Children With Special Needs On Sunday, May 3, St. Anthony’s High School will once again sponsor a carnival for children with special needs. The event will take place in the Student Center of St. Anthony’s High School, 275 Wolf Hill Road, South Huntington, from 1-4 p.m. The day will include inflatable rides, carnival games, a DJ, and other appropriate activities for our guests. A late lunch/early dinner will also be provided. There is no cost to families, although a free will offering is appreciated. nautical tattoos and their historical origins from sailors’ lives at sea. The exhibit features an array of tattoo artifacts, antique machines, early inking tools and Sailor Jerry flash art.

Heckscher Museum Of Art

2 Prime Ave., Huntington. Museum hours: Wednesday - Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., first Fridays from 4-8:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission $6-8/adults, $46/seniors, and $4-5/children; members and children under 10 free. 631-3513250.

• Come and check out “Before Selfies: Portraiture through the Ages” for a look at portraits before the advent of cameras. The exhibit is on display through Aug. 9.

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.

• “Art in Marriage,” which combines the sculpture work of Arthur Bernstein and afghans made by Edith Bernstein, opens with a reception Friday, May 1, 6-8:30 p.m. On display through May 18, with an afghan demonstration by Edith on Saturday, May 9 at 1:30 p.m.

Huntington Historical Society

Main office/library: 209 Main St., Huntington. Museums: Conklin Barn, 2 High St.; Kissam House/Museum Shop, 434 Park Ave.; Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Building, 228 Main St. 631427-7045, ext. 401. www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

• Enjoy the Sheep Shawl Festival, which includes sheep sheering, textile demonstrations by local artisans, oldfashioned games and children’s activities at the Dr. Daniel W. Kissam House on May 3, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

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.

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.

• Enjoy a two-man show featuring the work of Northport native, Edward Joseph and BK the Artist. The exhibit is on display through May 2.

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.

• Enjoy an afternoon of mansion touring, which begins in the Courtyard of the historic house once owned by William K. Vanderbilt II. Tours are 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, $4 students, and children under 5 are free. 631-427-5240. www.waltwhitman.org.

• Schedule at a time convenient for your group for high tea and transport yourself back in time as your group experiences High Tea in a private gathering house at the Birthplace. $25/person.

631-427-5240, ext. 120. teaparty@waltwhitman.org.

MUSIC & DANCE Five Towns College Performing Arts Center

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

• Relive the adventures of the big green ogre in “Shrek the Musical” on May 2-

“Being There” on Sunday, May 3, 4 p.m. is centered in Vienna around 1900 with music by Hugo Wolf, Arnold Schonberg (Songs), Johannes Brahms (Piano Quartet) and others. Performers are the LongLeash Ensemble with Clarissa Lyons, soprano and Renate Rohlfing, piano. Concert is in the Huntington Jewish Center, 510 Park Ave., Huntington. $10 students/$18 members/$20 seniors/$25 adults.

Reservations recommended. 631-3850373 or Ridotto@optonline.net. www.ridotto.org.

VOLUNTEERING Tea Party Volunteer Assistant

The Walt Whitman Birthplace, 246 Old Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station, aims to create a greater passion for reading and writing through exhibits, tours, educational and cultural events. It seeks volunteers to assist the tea party coordinator. The position entails setting up food and beverages and assisting with clean-up. Contact Diana Alvarez at 631-427-5240 ext. 114. www.waltwhitman.org.

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

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A24 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015 • A25

Southside Johnny Bringing Party To Paramount The Paramount Spotlight

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

John Lyon – better known as Southside Johnny, a pioneer of the quintessential “New Jersey sound” which he and artists like Bruce Springsteen made famous – didn’t want to be a musician during his early years growing up in Ocean Grove, N.J. “I wanted to be a writer,” he said.

A 16-year-old with a knack for lyrics, he said, he could always retain said lyrics, but never thought himself to be a singer. But he hung around with musicians, he said, and one day those musicians asked him to be in a band.

To that, the man that effectively became Southside Johnny replied, “Hey, why not?

Everyone else is doing it.”

Now, decades later with his band Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, the writer-turnedmusician has produced dozens of albums, toured the world, performed thousands of live shows and produced hits like “I Don’t Want To Go Home,” “Trapped Again” and, perhaps most ac-

cordingly to the type of show he and his band puts on, “We’re Havin’ A Party.”

And that party is coming to The Paramount, once again, on May 9 for a one-night-only show in Huntington village. “[The Paramount] is a great place to play,” he said. “I’ve been playing in Long Island since the mid-70s and there are a few different places out there that we go to, but when you hear a name like that, you get excited.”

Last playing The Paramount nearly a year ago in May 2014, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes will take the stage in what he said are the months leading up to the competition of the band’s latest studio album. While Southside Johnny wouldn’t reveal a title for the album, he’s hoping to finish up work on the “horn-heavy” record this summer.

In the meantime, Southside Johnny and his band have continued to play shows, work hard and look for new ways to keep the party going around the world.

“One of the ways that you keep it interesting is you follow what your latest passion is; you play different stuff each night,” he said. “And the best part is that I have musicians who can play anything.”

Joining Southside Johnny on tour this year is

Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes are bringing their “party” to The Paramount’s on May 9.

Jeff Kazee (Hammond B3 organ, piano), Glenn Alexander (guitar) and John Conte (bass, drums).

Tickets for the show are available from the box office or from www.paramountny.com for $20$49.50. Doors open at 7 p.m. on May 9; the “party” starts at 8 p.m.

Nearby office owners cool to Hyatt project (Continued from page A1)

South Service Road; and Marc P. Beige, a member of Broadhollow Associates LLC, owner of the Rubie Corporate Plaza – filed protest petitions on April 2 at Huntington Town Hall.

Applicant OTO Development is looking to build a 160-room, four-story Hyatt Place hotel on 3 acres at 500 Broadhollow Road in Melville, located on the westerly side of Route 110 just south of the Rubie Corporate Plaza and the LIE. If a zone change is awarded by the Huntington Town Board, applicant OTO Development can then proceed to the zoning board of appeals for variances.

However, the protest petitions aim to elevate the standard for ratifying a zone-change from I-1 Light Industrial to C-10 Planned Motel District needed to build the hotel. Should the protest petitions be deemed valid by the Town Attorney’s office, the support of four town board members, not three, will be required to ratify the zone change. A supermajority requirement is triggered once 20 percent of adjacent property owners oppose the zone change.

Meanwhile, in a March 23 letter, Broadhollow Associates LLC refused to grant OTO Development easements to excavate on their Rubie property to lay sewer lines, as well as a traffic easement between the properties which would allow traffic to go

through the Rubie site and into the hotel site.

Melville-based attorney David Lazer, who filed the petitions April 2 and represents Melville Industrial Associates located across the street from the site, said the hotel proposal is a deeply flawed one which overdevelops the parcel and creates dangerous traffic conditions by offering only southbound ingress and egress onto Route 110.

He argued a scaled back, three-story hotel with approximately 108 rooms would be more suitable for the parcel and the acreage.

“It’s kind of out of character with the other, nicely developed properties,” he said. “This hotel is going to require a minimum of six or seven variances – many of them substantial variances.”

In the proposal’s current form, Beige said he fears a repeat of a situation in which “woefully inadequate parking” at the former American Home Mortgage headquarters resulted in cars overflowing onto his and other neighboring properties.

“We were playing traffic cop – morning, noon and night,” he told the Huntington Town Board during an April 21 hearing. “It would be disastrous if I had that kind of situation on a class A-plus office building.”

Lazer argued that because of the restaurant and conference space, the project requires 5 acres according to

town code, not the 3 acres provided.

However, attorney Bill Bonesso, representing OTO Development, argued that Hyatt Place does not offer restaurant and conference space as the town code is written to anticipate.

“That section was created many years ago when the model was for a business hotel was the Hilton and the Marriott, with 25,000-30,000 square feet of meeting space and independent restaurants,” Bonesso said.

The Hyatt Place will provide 1,600 square feet of meeting space – a “medium-sized conference room,” and 2,600 square feet of dining space. Accordingly, he argues that the requirement for 260 parking spaces – current plans call for 170 – is similarly overstated.

“We did actual counts at the Hyatt Place OTO owns in Garden City – that site is almost identical in terms of its operation and the parking ratio is just about the same as what we’re proposing at the one in Melville, and there are more than enough parking spaces [in Garden City,]” Bonesso said.

Taylor Callahan, OTO’s senior director of real estate, said the project will reduce infrastructure demands by keeping Melville business travelers closer to the work places they are visiting.

“We go where we feel there are more rooms warranted,” he said. “In short, Melville needs more hotel rooms.”

Residents and civic groups were

largely supportive of OTO’s plan during the hearing.

Michael Petruzzelli, a 14-year resident who lives on Pine Ridge Street in Melville, credited OTO for coming to the community to devise a plan that would improve what is presently a blighted office building.

“This would be a tremendous improvement to the community in our neighborhood,” he said.

Representatives of the House Beautiful Civic Association in Dix Hills supported the proposal, so long as it remained at four stories, said board member Cheryl Grossman. Alissa Taff, president of the Civic Association of Sweet Hollow, said that the developer’s pledge not to pursue a tax abatement means that, by 2018, the project would generate $500,000 in property taxes, with $350,000 a yeargoing to the Half Hollow Hills school district per year. Taylor Callahan, OTO’s senior director of real estate, said an additional $1.1 million in state and county taxes would also be generated annually.

Because the project has little meeting room space, no ballroom and a restaurant targeted only at guests, Taff said the parking provided will be adequate.

The project would require a rezonning to move ahead. Town spokesman A.J. Carter said. That could come as early as the May 5 town board meeting.

A26 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015

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HillSPORTS Delay Can’t Stifle Colts’ Bats

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

Alyse McAlpine hit a game-winning 2-run homerun and the Colts of Half Hollow Hills West’s softball team bounced back in style on Saturday with a 6-4 win over Kings Park (8-2).

The game was actually a continuation from Wednesday when the Colts led the Kingsmen 3-0, but were rained out after three and a half innings. Hills West, in the meantime, suffered a heartbreaking defeat on Thursday at the hands of Centereach (5-5) as the Cougars erased a 4-0 deficit in the top of the seventh inning and ended up winning the game 5-4.

On Saturday, however, facing similar circumstances, the Colts weren’t ready to let another defeat come their way.

Kings Park leveled the score at 4-4 in the top of the seventh, but McAlpine made a diving catch to get the Colts out of the inning and into the batter’s box. From there, Alexandra Parkas, a sophomore, worked a walk and McAlpine stepped to the plate “We took a timeout because we knew they were expecting a bunt,” Bryan Dugan, head coach, said. “But

Long Islander News photos/Andrew Wroblewski

SOFTBALL>> HILLS WEST 6, KINGS PARK 4

A junior, Sarah Auricchio tags a ball into the outfield for the Colts during an April 23 matchup with Centereach.

Alexis Kleet, a junior pitcher, sizes up an opposing batter during an April 23 contest.

I told her to just go up there and hit the ball.”

The junior tagged the first pitch over the leftfield wall for a walk-off, 2-run homerun – her first of the year – that earned Hills West a 6-4 victory and saved the Colts from further heartbreak.

“I felt great for Alyse; she’s been doing so many great things all sea-

last eight contests to secure a spot in the Section XI Class AA playoffs.

“Especially in League III, if you get caught looking ahead you’re going to get bit,” Dugan said. “We just have to take it one game at a time.”

The Colts are now set to take the field on Friday at 4:30 p.m. when they’ll welcome Bellport (1-9) to the softball diamond at High School West.

son and she deserved that,” Dugan said.

On the mound, Alexis Kleet was awarded a win for her effort, her sixth of the season.

“She’s been working really hard at it and giving us gutsy, gritty performances,” Dugan said.

As of press time on Monday, the Colts (6-4) needed four wins in their

SOFTBALL>> HILLS EAST 18, CENTRAL ISLIP 8

T-Birds Extend Win Streak To Two Games Chinquee dominant on the mount, at the plate to keep East’s playoff hopes alive

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

Maya Chinquee earned her second-straight win on the mound as the Thunderbirds of Half Hollow Hills High School East’s softball team defeated Central Islip 18-8 on Saturday.

For the Thunderbirds (4-9), the win also kept the team’s playoff hopes alive as of press time Monday when Hills East needed to win five of its next six games in order to advance into the 2015 Section XI Class AA postseason.

Chinquee made it clear against Central Islip (1-10) that the Thunderbirds weren’t calling it quits as she capped off a 3-for-5 day from the plate with a homerun, two doubles and two RBIs to lead Hills East in a dominant win.

Sigal Sharoni added to the Thunderbirds’ homerun tally with one of her own that contributed to her two RBIs and 1-for-3 showing. Lauren Koplitz was also a contributor as she went 2for-4 and racked up three RBIs. Hills East was coming off a 2-0 victory over Smithtown West (5-6) on Thursday, which stifled the Thunder-

birds’ three-game losing streak.

In that effort, Angela Scurti led the charge with a 2-for-3 campaign that consisted of two doubles and two RBIs for the Thunderbirds. The first double came for Scurti in the fourth inning and broke a 0-0 deadlock to give Hills East the lead; the second came in the sixth and extended that lead, which the Thunderbirds wouldn’t relinquish.

Chinquee took care of business on the mound for Hills East as she struck out five, walked two, allowed eight hits and recorded what was her second

win of the season.

The Thunderbirds’ quest for the postseason was to continue on Monday after press time with a trip to Newfield (6-6), on Tuesday with a matchup against Copiague (0-12), and then on Wednesday with trip to meet Smithtown West once again.

Needing a record of .500 or better to make the playoffs, Hills East takes the field once again on Friday with a 4 p.m. game scheduled to be played at West Islip (11-2) – a team that’s been in a season-long battle for the top slot in Suffolk’s League II.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015 • A27

LITTLE LEAGUE

Scenes from St. Hugh-St. Elizabeth Little League Parade Photos by Ross McTyre

Batter up! The St. Hugh-St. Elizabeth Baseball/Softball League hosted its 55th annual opening day parade on Saturday at the St. Anthony’s High School Athletic Complex in South Huntington.

A28 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 30, 2015

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