Half Hollow Hills - 4/9/2015 Edition

HALF HOLLOW HILLS Copyright © 2015 Long Islander News

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VOL. 17, ISSUE 9 Long Islander News photo/Carina Livoti

A proud Tina Shek with her children Nova and Zen just after the county, inspired by a request from Nova, lit up a county office blue last week.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2015 HALF HOLLOW HILLS

Sister Inspires County To ‘Light Up Blue’

By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com

When 13-year-old Half Hollow Hills student and autism advocate Nova Shek wrote to Suffolk County Legislator Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills) asking if the county would participate in the international autism awareness campaign “Light it up Blue,” she did not expect him to light up a building.

“I have to be honest, we expected maybe that he would exchange the light bulbs,” Nova’s mother, Tina Shek, said.

Nova’s deep love for her 6-yearold brother, Zen, who was diagnosed with autism four years ago, drove her toward autism awareness

and advocacy from at a young age.

“I love [my little brother] so much, but since he has autism a lot of people think he’s different and make him feel bad and maybe think he doesn’t have feelings,” Nova, of Dix Hills, said.

Tina explained that her daughter had come to her with an idea. She said she knew that people lit buildings across the world—like the Empire State Building and the Leaning Tower of Pisa—blue in honor of autism awareness month; she wondered if there was a place this could be done in Suffolk County.

That was when Nova reached out to Stern, asking if he would let her install some blue light bulbs in his office.

“She had met Legislator Stern because of her work starting a charity donating iPads to schools [for children with autism],” Tina said.

Nova started a nonprofit making and selling chocolate, puzzle-piece shaped lollipops in order to raise money to buy iPads for autistic students in schools. Two years ago, Stern honored her with a proclamation for that work.

In the time since then, Nova had become the co-chairperson for the Autism Speaks Long Island Youth Leadership Council.

“Nova had asked if it would be OK if we could put a blue light bulb in my legislative office… [We thought] we could do a little bit bet(Continued on page A18)

DIX HILLS

No Rest For Dix Hills Firefighters

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

To say the least, Dix Hills Fire Department volunteers had their hands full Saturday night – just like they have all year long.

As volunteers battled their eighth blaze of the year – a roaring house fire on Kenmore Street from which a man in cardiac arrest was plucked from the residence and two volunteers were treated for injuries – they were also grappling with a crash of a Wyandanch-Wheatley Heights first responder car. And if that wasn’t enough, a Suffolk County police (Continued on page A18)

Inside This Issue Ask The College Counslor Page A14

Photo by Steve Silverman

Next Up At Paramount: ‘Rockin Fights’ A19

More than 70 volunteers battled a blaze on Kenmore Street in Dix Hills Saturday night, extinguishing the eighth house fire of the year in the fire district.

The World’s Greatest Trick Shot Artist

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A2 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015

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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Billiards Trick Shot Artist Brings Magic Home Long Islander News photos/Andrew Wroblewski

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

Typical afternoons at The Big Kahuna Bar & Grill in Huntington are filled with a chorus of sounds.

Ice rattles in cold cocktail glasses, sports broadcasts grace the sound system and the chatter of patrons fills the air so that complete silence isn’t an item on the menu.

When listening closely enough, however, it’s possible to hear something special: the sound of magic as it radiates from the pool cues of the world’s best billiards trick shot artist, “house pro” Andy “The Magic Man” Segal, of Huntington.

Following the sound, Segal can be found at one of the Big Kahuna’s several billiards tables, knocking cue balls through elevated racks, around obstacles and into the numbered pool balls in a “Mouse Trap”esque sequence of events guaranteed to put a smile, or draw an excited gasp, from any of those lucky enough to witness the magic. From there, Segal ventures over to his iPad, filled with an encyclopedia’s worth of shots, marks whether he was successful or failed, loads up another trick, rinses and repeats.

“I love the tables here,” Segal, 46, said of the East Jericho Turnpike bar and billiard club. “They’re some of the best tables you can have.”

The 15-year resident of Huntington has been competing as a trick shot artist for the last 13 years. During that time, he’s risen to become the no. 1 ranked player in the world, set four world records and claimed more championships than is reasonable to list – upwards of 17 titles spanning ESPN, Masters, U.S. Open and World championships.

Andy “The Magic Man” Segal, a world champion trick shot artist from Huntington, will be hosting a trick shot tournament featuring some of the best performers in the game at The Big Kahuna in Huntington on April 11.

But, at first, Segal’s love for trick shots bloomed as two separate passions: magic and billiards.

“Ever since I was a teenager I used to love magic – it was all I did – and pool always fascinated me,” he said.

At Carnegie Mellon University, Segal began to intertwine those two loves in the basement of the university’s dorm-room complexes. While he developed his trick shots from then on, Segal first came onto the professional billiards scene as a 9-Ball player in the 1990s.

Even then, despite getting pretty “good” at the game – he was internationally ranked – Segal found himself itching to put on a spectacle for onlookers in-between rounds. He wanted to be more than just a player; he wanted to be an entertainer.

“I would do magic, maybe a trick shot here or there during halftime,” he said. “I love entertaining so that

kind of just stuck with me.”

Finally, in 2002 – after having met pro-pool player and trick shot artist, Mike Massey – Segal got the chance to show off his tricks at the North American Artistic Pool Championship in Utica, N.Y. He finished fourth and advanced to the 2003 WPA World Artistic Pool Championships in Ukraine. A fifth-place finish and two gold medals kept Segal’s dream alive, and then, in 2003, he made the complete transition into trick shot artist as he secured a spot in the ESPN Trick Shot Magic competition, a tournament he’s since gone on to win four times, consecutively, from 2009-2014.

“That was it for me; I never played 9-Ball competitively again,” Segal said.

Born in Queens, N.Y., Segal made the move to Huntington in 2000 with his wife, Kimberly, and daughter, Jessica, who is now a student at

Elwood-John Glenn High School.

Having been surrounded by the concrete sidewalks and brick buildings of New York City for too long, he said, the couple wanted their surroundings to be a bit livelier.

“We wanted to be able to open the front door and go outside,” he said.

Also an avid golfer, kickboxer and actor, Segal has traveled the world in his days as a trick shot artist, having performed in Argentina, Columbia, Russia and other countries. For the first time, on April 11, he’ll be bringing the show to The Big Kahuna in Huntington as a part of the Ultimate Trick Shot Tour. From 11 a.m.-8 p.m. the world’s best trick shot artists – including Segal and the no.

2-ranked Jamey Grey – will flood the bar for a chance at a title.

“They’re tough. There’s no difference in the levels of talent – between us, it’s just a difference in strategy or focus,” Segal said.

Like a basketball game of H-O-RS-E, each of those competing in the tournament will be matched up against an opponent. Then, they will alternate between choosing and attempting shots as they try to accrue points. Each player gets three chances to perform the shot – if the shot is made, that person gets a point. Ties are possible in the opening round, but once the field is narrowed for the following elimination round, overtime then decides who will advance to the next round.

No matter who wins, though, Segal said, perhaps the most-important aspect of the day will be that a group of friends has some fun making magic.

“Honestly, in the trick-shot tournaments, we’re all helping each other out. It’s a friendly competition; we want people to succeed,” Segal said.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015 • A3

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

State Wants Feedback In Sagtikos Study Long Islander News photo/Andrew Wroblewski

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

Officials estimate an average of 90,000 vehicles per day use the Sagtikos-Sunken Meadow State Parkway, and state officials next week are looking for feedback at a pair of public meetings on how to best improve that major roadway.

Those meetings, set for April 14 in Deer Park and April 16 in Kings Park, will be hosted by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT).

State officials said the overall objective of the Sagtikos/Sunken Meadow Parkway Operational Study, which was funded as part of the 2015-2016 state budget adopted April 1, is to examine how the roadway functions, identify causes of traffic congestion and accidents and determine how the corridor will function in the future.

Public input is vital to ensuring the project meets not just engineering and infrastructure needs, “but meets the community’s expectations as well,” said DOT spokesperson Eileen Peters.

Study area maps, traffic and accident data, and other related information will be available for review, DOT officials said. Engineers and representatives will be on hand to answer questions and hear comments regarding this operational study.

The presentation will include video, analysis of specific “choke points” for traffic and an array of general information about the parkway, she added.

State officials will host meetings on April 14 and 16 to gather feedback on plans to rework the Sagtikos Parkway.

Specific data was not available at press time, Peters said, noting state officials are still crunching numbers and finalizing information.

Peters said the stretch contains 21 bridges and is being eyed as a key to future economic development.

Eric Alexander, the executive director of Northport-based smart-growth advocates Vision Long Island, said the Sagtikos is key to the viability of the Heartland Town Square “mini-city” being proposed for construction in Brentwood by developer Jerry Wolkoff.

With a planning hearing set for April 16 at Islip Town Hall, Alexander said Heartland is “further down the field than they were” and said widening

the Sagtikos would help accommodate the development, which calls for 9,000 homes and millions of square feet of office and commercial space.

“There’s some potential to do improvements there,” he said.

Legislator Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills), who will attend the meeting on April 16, said new plans should be aimed at easing local traffic.

“I have always strongly believed that it is important to implement a new vision for the Sagtikos Parkway in order to address current traffic concerns, as well as to reconstruct the Sagtikos Parkway to allow for a North/South Route so that it can serve commercial truck traffic to move trucks off of our local roadways and improve quality of life for area residents,” he said.

Residents, businesses, and any interested groups can attend and provide feedback at Deer Park High School, at 1 Falcon Place, Deer Park 11729 on Tuesday, April 14 and the William T. Rogers Middle School, 97 Old Dock Road, Kings Park 11754 on Thursday, April 16. Both sessions are scheduled to run from 6-9 p.m.

To comment or get more information about the Sagtikos-Sunken Meadow Parkway Operational study, call the DOT, email R10RPIC@dot.ny.gov, or write to: Sagtikos/Sunken Meadow State Parkway Project Team, PIN 0339.09, NYS Department of Transportation, Room 5A-16, 250 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge, NY 11788.

A4 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015

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So That’s What Springtime Feels Like Remember the outdoors?... I don’t know

seem to be getting spouts of beautiful weather – fingers crossed – I think it’s finally time to hang up winter’s wardrobe.

about you, folks, but, lately, I’m as perky as a porcupine when proposed with idea of actually going outdoors! As I sit here in the Long IsUnplug the widgets… lander News headquarters on Now, I’m not one to mindlessMonday, I can’t help but look IN THE KNOW ly blast the advances of techoutside and remember just WITH AUNT ROSIE nology. I have a cell phone, what exactly beautiful weather which gives me some degree is. Heck, I’m not going to lie, but I – and a few of comfort when I’m driving of our Long Islander cohorts, I might add – around at night, and I do put my handy Googlehave gone out of our way today to get outside finger to good use. However, I’d like to take a and strut my way around town. Pick up my week – maybe when the kids are on break – and lunch? Sure, why not? While I’m at it, I’ll even unplug the Internet. You know, just to see how offer to pick up the rest of the crew’s lunch, the youngsters react (and some of the oldsters, make a coffee run – anything to stay outside for for that matter). Make them learn how to read a just a few minutes more! map. Make them learn how to take directions.

Make them talk to their friends on the phone Of course… going off my last notion, you that they’ve spent the last six months fleedling don’t exactly have to do tons of walking. I absolutely love seeing the fine vendors of Hunting- away on. It just seems as if human discourse, whether personally or in the political realm, has ton setting up their outdoor patios for the spring coarsened so much lately, and I blame the techand summer seasons. I can’t wait to sit outside nological renaissance in part. It seems to emin this beautiful town, enjoy a meal and a drink power people to say things they dare not if the with a few friends and bask in the glory of that person was sitting right across from them. round thing we’ve been long separated from: the sun!

Last one… I promise! I think I can finally afford to stash away my dreaded winter jackets. I don’t know about you, but – for fear of sudden frightful, frigid weather – I’ve still been wearing my winter jacket. Heck, I still even have my mittens and winter cap in its pockets! But, thankfully, now that spring has sprung and we

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(Aunt Rosie wants to hear from you! If you have comments, ideas, or tips about what’s happening in your neck of the woods, write to me today and let me know the latest. To contact me, drop a line to Aunt Rosie, c/o The Long-Islander, 14 Wall Street, Huntington NY 11743. Or try the e-mail at aunt.rosieli@gmail.com)

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Fugitive Nabbed Cops in the Second Precinct nabbed a 46-year-old Brookhaven man on March 30 who authorities in New Jersey say is wanted on burglary charges there.

Taxing A Dix Hills resident called the Suffolk County Police March 30 with an identitytheft complaint. They reported that someone assumed their identity, by using their Social Security number, to file false tax returns.

Smash And Grab Police were called to the Eastern Athletic club on Ruland Road in Melville at 7:22 p.m. March 30 after someone reported that the window of their 2013 Honda Civic had been smashed and the purse inside had been stolen.

A Dix Hills man, 24, was arrested in Melville on March 31 and charged with criminal possession of heroin by Suffolk County Police.

Bittersweet Dreams

“It’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. It’s the Woodstock of the water… just without the drugs.”

Bands Compete For Chance To Play Atop Lighthouse, PAGE A16

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Cops were called to the Extended Stay on Spagnoli Road April 3 after someone reported that their 2011 Jeep had been broken into and their laptop had been stolen.

The incident occurred some time between 9 p.m. April 2 and the call to cops the next day.

Senior Citizens: 1 Year ❑ . . . . $26.50 2 Years ❑ . . . . . . $46 3 Years ❑ . . . . . . $64

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A Bohemia man, 24, was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle March 31. After he was pulled over in Melville at 1:50 p.m., cops discovered that his license had been suspended at least 13 times, but that he was still behind the wheel of a 2009 Volkswagen.

Heroin Possession

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Unlucky 13

QUOTE OF THE WEEK PAM SETCHELL Photo/Dix Hills Fire Department

One person was airlifted to the hospital after a March 30 crash in Dix Hills involving a box truck and three cars on Commack Road.

POLICE REPORT Compiled by Danny Schrafel

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015 • A5

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

‘Woman of Distinction’ Talks Joys Of Volunteerism

By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com

Over the past 18 years, Huntington Station resident Jane Barbato as gone from a volunteer dog walker at the Town of Huntington Animal Shelter to the head of the Dog Volunteer Program for the League for Animal Protection of Huntington (LAP).

Suffolk County Legislator Lou D’Amaro said that her long-term dedication pushed him to name her Woman of Distinction for his legislative district for 2015.

“This really caught my eye because she started out with the shelter as a dog walker and now she coordinates the whole LAP program… That’s a long period of time that she’s given of herself on a volunteer basis and given back to her community and helping the pets that we love,” he said.

While Barbato was honored to receive the award, she hardly considered her nearly two decades of dedication a taxing endeavor.

“For the volunteers, it’s a vocation, not a hardship. This is the best part of my week,” she said, sitting in the shelter office.

Huntington Shelter Director Gerald Mosca said that Barbato and all of the volunteers who work at the shelter are invaluable.

“Jane really dedicates her life to the care of these dogs, and we couldn’t do it without her and the rest

Jane Barbato sits with Garrett, an adult pit bull who came to the shelter in 2011. of the volunteers,” he said.

Both Barbato and Mosca, however, said that the dogs were the real stars of the show, as was the evolution of the shelter.

“It’s a much different shelter than it used to be,” Mosca said.

Over the past decade or so, the shelter and its volunteers have worked to make dogs more adoptable and well cared for, Barbato said. The shelter has about a 95-percent adoption rate, which is unheard

of for a municipal shelter, according to Mosca.

Municipal shelters do not get to choose the dogs that come to them and are sometimes forced to make difficult decisions regarding their adoptability. However, the Huntington’s shelter does its best to rehabilitate as many dogs as possible and is constantly introducing new programs to enhance dog adoptability.

The shelter just added a program called “Dogs Playing for Life.” Playing for Life is a national movement which involves introducing shelter dogs to play groups to help reduce pent up energy and stress levels. Barbato and Mosca said they already see a difference in the dogs.

“They will actually come in and sleep,” Barbato said, adding that seeing them sleep is a rarity prior to the play groups.

They hope that the play groups will further enhance the adoptability of the shelter’s dogs, some of whom have been there for years.

Barbato said that the success of the programs they have implemented thus far is really a testament to the resilience of the dogs.

“These dogs have many times lived lives that are not stellar before the come, and then they come here and they’re willing to give it all another shot, and that is amazing to me,” she said.

All dogs are spayed/neutered, vet-checked, vaccinated, licensed, and micro-chipped. For more information or to adopt a dog call 631-754-8722.

A6 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015

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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Seminary A Well-Kept Huntington Secret Long Islander News photos/Andrew Wroblewski

Decades of history in the walls of Seminary of the Immaculate Conception

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

Tucked away in the woodlands of Lloyd Harbor, some might call the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception a secret.

But for 89 years, spanning across roughly 200 acres with luscious landscapes, glorious chapels and pockets of history around just about every corner, if the seminary is a secret, it’s one of the biggest that Huntington has ever had.

Founded in 1926, the American Roman Catholic seminary stopped training priests as of 2012, but it still stands today under ownership of the Diocese of Rockville Centre as a hub for Catholic education – including offering master’s degrees, hosting concerts and other public events, and serving as an absolutely beautiful location for all those interested in a guided tour.

“We’re alive and well,” Beverly Malone, who works in the development office of the seminary, said during a November interview. “We want to open the doors… People shouldn’t think we’re a mystery.”

Decades ago, the founding members opened the original doors of the institute on Sept. 18, 1926 after the third Bishop of Brooklyn, Thomas E. Molloy, purchased the former home of the Conklin family on West Neck Road in Lloyd Harbor in 1924 through the Diocese of Brooklyn, according to a published history of the seminary, “Seminary of the Immaculate Conception: The Icon of the Heart of the Church of Long Island,” which was released by publisher Editions du Signe in 2010.

An extension of St. John’s Seminary in Brooklyn, the institute was the very first incarnation of the seminary,

Once hung in the belfry of the Covent de la Candalaria in Cadis, Spain, this bell was installed in the seminary in 1939. sprouted up in the form of the Diocesan Institute of Philosophy. It hosted 25 students, had its first rector in Father Thomas A. Sharkey, and employed two full-time faculty members, the Irish-born Patrick J. Barry and Brooklyn-born Francis X. Downing.

From that point on, the institute sets its goals on preparing men for priesthood through a two-year program of spirituality.

In May of 1928, after concerns of limited-spacing accommodations at St. John’s arose, the Diocese of Brooklyn purchased the land next to the institute and began a two-year long campaign to build what today stands as the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception. On Sept. 28, 1930, the building was dedicated and formally opened before a crowd of more than 25,000 people.

With the success of the Huntingtonbased seminary – 85 men made up its original class –the St. John’s Seminary was closed in August 1932.

Molloy, founder of the Huntington

In the middle of it all, the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception stands tall on the property and takes up roughly 45,000 square feet.

The main chapel at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception was renovated in 1998 to include changes like a permanent altar, accent lighting and new sound system. seminary, died on Nov. 26, 1956, five years after he was given the honorable title of archbishop by Pope Pius XII. One year after Molloy’s death, in April 1957, due to the tremendous growth of the Catholic following, the Diocese of Brooklyn was split by Pope Pius XII, creating the Diocese of Rockville Centre. The former remained to manage the counties of Kings and Queens while the Diocese of Rockville Centre took over Nassau and Suffolk.

In turn, the Huntington seminary was taken over by the new dioceses and continued to educate men in the traditional six-year course for both the Brooklyn and Rockville Centre dioceses.

After a 1960s campaign to expand the role of Catholic education – led by the Dioceses of Brooklyn with Bishop Bryan J. McEntegart – the Huntington seminary reacted by changing its program from six years to four and limiting its academic component to the study of theology in order to better adapt to the changing needs of Catholic ministry within the church.

More changes followed in 1973 as Father Emil A. Wcela became the sixth rector of the seminary and the firstever rector to be priest alumnus of the seminary. Then, in 1974, the seminary began admitting students who were not preparing for priestly ordination in an attempt to prepare men and women for positions in religious education.

The students were worked into a program that led to a Master of Religious Education degree, which was recognized by the Regents of the University of the State of New York.

Similarly, in 1982, a Master of Arts in Theology degree was offered by the seminary, and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies program was introduced in 2004.

Fast forward to the 21st century: the seminary celebrated its 75th anniversary on Sept. 28, 2005, when Monsignor Francis Schneider, then rector, headed a committee tasked with overseeing and organizing the momentous calendar of events set on celebrating the day.

After decades of educating men to become priests, the seminary’s officials announced in November 2011 that they would cease educating seminarians at the Huntington property. In a move made in conjunction with the Diocese of Brooklyn and Roman Catholic Archdiocese of NewYork, the Diocese of Rockville Centre merged its seminary program at Saint Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y. – as it still remains today.

The Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, however, does still work today in educating the public through theological courses.

Also, as Malone also said, the building’s caretakers welcome visitors. To schedule a tour or retreat, learn more about its history and keep up to date with the events it has to offer, visit www.icseminary.edu.

On April 12, the seminary will play host to choir, La Escolania del Monasterio del Escorial, for a free celebration and concert. The chaplet is set to begin at 3 p.m., with the concert beginning at 3:15 p.m. Good will offerings are appreciated.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015 • A7

Crash Victim Cut Out Of Vehicle, Trees Firefighters employed the Jaws of Life – and a chainsaw – to cut a crash victim out of his car on the westbound Northern State Parkway April 2.

Fire officials said the man ran off the Northern State west of Route 110 at about 10:50 a.m., knocking down a tree and coming to a stop against another tree.

“Usually, the tree wins – this time, he took out the tree,” said Melville Assistant Chief Paul Mahler, who led the response.

The tree that the car knocked down blocked the driver’s side door, so fire-

fighters first had to cut away the tree with chainsaws. They then used the Jaws of Life to tear off both driver’s side doors and the pillar between the doors.

The driver was taken by Melville Fire Rescue Squad to Nassau University Medical Center, where he was treated for head trauma and other injuries.

Despite the obstacles, Mahler said it took rescuers just 7 minutes to cut away the tree, cut open the car and get the patient into an ambulance.

-SCHRAFEL

Photo/Melville Fire Department

MELVILLE

Firefighters used chainsaws to clear a path to this crashed car on the Northern State Parkway April 2.

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Ethics Board Reviewing Public’s Concerns

By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com

Quarterly ethics meetings and campaign funding disclosures and procedures were among the public concerns discussed at the Huntington Board of Ethics’ March 31 work session.

“The main thrust [of the public commentary] was that they would like the board to sit four times a year,” board member Louis England said.

The board currently holds only one public hearing a year and meets to discuss issues as needed throughout the year. The board’s counsel, Steven Leventhal, said additional ethics training for town employees could result in an increase in the number of meetings of the board and provide opportunities for public commentary.

“More ethics training will result in officers and employees of the town bringing questions to the board,” Leventhal said.

Leventhal said that he hoped with

more training, the board would become more active and in turn hold more meetings. Those meetings could, if the board chooses, begin with an opportunity for public comment.

Attendance at this year’s hearing was particularly high, drawing some 40 to 50 members of the public, as compared to previous years with one to five attendees. The spike may have been sparked by public criticism over Huntington Councilman Mark Cuthbertson’s failure to disclose a business relationship when he voted on Oheka Castle-related matters despite working with Gary Melius, the castle’s owner, in court-appointed roles on foreclosure receiverships.

The town’s ethics board ruled that he did not commit a technical ethics violation. Attendance may also have been impacted by the fact that this year is a town election year.

England said that there should be more clarification concerning the board’s function, as much of what the public requested at this year’s public hearing on March18, while well-reasoned and articulated, fell

outside of the board’s purpose.

“Our goal is to encourage people to help people to recognize ethics issues when they arise and to bring them to the board, for the board to assist them in understanding what their obligations are in connection with those ethics issues,” Leventhal said.

Some suggestions from the hearing concerning campaign fund management are beyond the board’s legal jurisdiction, according to Leventhal.

Campaign fund regulation falls under state election laws and therefore the town is not permitted to regulate it in any way that deviates from those laws, according to Leventhal.Leventhal suggested the development of a comprehensive plain language guide incorporating both state and town regulations to help town officials and community members understand the ethics code and their obligations as related to the code, encouraging them to bring questions to the board.

In response to requests that the town code be readily accessible on

the town website, the board suggested that both the guide and the code be included in a prominent link on the website.

When it comes to financial disclosure, the board said that they would look to the ethics reforms included in the recently passed state budget to make adjustments to the town code.

Leventhal noted that no municipality in New York State requires a CPA to certify financial disclosure.

After the meeting, Councilwoman Tracy Edwards, who is leading the review of the ethics code at Supervisor Frank Petrone’s direction, said that she was pleased with what she heard and wished that more people who came to the hearing had attended the meeting, for which few, if any members of the public were present.

“I think the public would be proud to know that the board is not only considering their comments but has ideas of their own to strengthen the code,” she said.

The board is on schedule to release a draft of the revised ethics code on April 21.

MELVILLE

Pedestrian Killed On Long Island Expressway A 52-year-old Melville man was killed April 1 while walking alongside the Long Island Expressway, Suffolk County police said.

Stephen Puleo was walking westbound near Exit 49 of the expressway in Melville when he was struck by a United States Postal Service tractor trailer at 10:30 p.m.

The truck was driven by 62-year-old Russell Davenport of Northport. Police said Davenport was uninjured, remained at the scene and attempted to assist Puleo after he had been struck.

A safety check of the vehicle was conducted at the scene.

Puleo was pronounced dead at the scene by a

physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.

Detectives are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash to contact the Second Squad at 631-854-8252. All calls will be kept confidential.

- WROBLEWSKI

A8 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015

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

An Elephant In The Backyard A development project of monumen- feeling the impact while Smithtown tal proportions is taking shape just to the reaps the tax benefits. south of Huntington. Developer Jerry A similar situation is taking shape Wolkoff’s Heartland Town Square, lo- with the Heartland development. Judgcated on land formerly part of the Pil- ing by the sheer size of the project, we grim State Psychiatric Hospital grounds, expect the impacts will be substantial. goes to the Islip Planning Board for a Improvements to the Sagtikos Parkway public hearing next week. will be key to mitigating some of the imWolkoff hopes to build a pact locally. “mini-city” with 9,000 resi- EDITORIAL State Department of Transdential apartments and milportation officials have schedlions of square feet of commercial and uled a pair of public information sesretail space on the currently vacant sions to get public input on how to best property. And while it is located entire- improve the Sagtikos-Sunken Meadow ly within the Town of Islip – which gives State Parkway. The hearings will be held it jurisdiction over planning decisions – at Deer Park High School on Tuesday, the project’s impacts will be felt region- April 14, and the William T. Rogers ally, far beyond Islip’s borders.

Middle School in Kings Park on ThursThe proposed Heartland development day, April 16, both from 6-9 p.m. is just south of the Huntington TownWe guess that’s a good thing, but at ship border at a crossroads where the the same time, the state has not released towns of Huntington, Islip and Smith- any specific data on current usage or town meet. The area already has felt the conditions. According to a DOT impact of development within one spokesperson, maps, traffic and accident town’s borders effecting conditions in data, and other related information will the next. In the past several years, the be available for review.

Town of Smithtown approved construcThe sessions will come on the heels of tion of shopping plazas that house Islip Planning Board’s public hearing on Home Depot, Walmart, Kohls and the Heartland Project, also scheduled for smaller stores, and then a Lowe’s home April 16. center. The impacts have spilled over This is important stuff, and it’s esseninto Huntington Township. Traffic on tial that our town officials both monitor Commack and Crooked Hill roads in- and provide input. We may not have jucreased substantially and at peak times risdiction, but Heartland is the elephant is quite dense. Essentially, nearby resi- in the backyard, and we can’t count on dents in Dix Hills and Commack are Islip officials to be watching our backs.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Keeping Safe With Natural Gas Dear Neighbors, The tragic explosion and

building collapse in Manhattan last week reminds us of the dangers of natural gas. Although many homes in the Halesite area are heated by natural gas, very

HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER

Serving the communities of: Dix Hills, Melville and the Half Hollow Hills Central School District.

Copyright © 2015 by Long Islander News, publishers of The Long-Islander, The Record and Half Hollow Hills Newspaper. Each issue of the The Long-Islander and all contents thereof are copyrighted by Long Islander. None of the contents or articles may be reproduced in any forum or medium without the advance express written permission of the publisher. Infringement hereof is a violation of the Copyright laws.

few people truly understand the product and its volatility. Here are some ideas to help keep you safe.

Natural gas is delivered to homes through under-

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Send letters to:

The Edito r,

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

ground pipes. While rare, natural gas line leaks can be extremely dangerous.

The most telling sign of a natural gas line leak is the familiar rotten egg odor.

This odor is added to the natural gas so it can be detected in the event of a leak. Remember, a Carbon Monoxide detector will NOT be activated by a natural gas leak, so the only way to know you have a leak is by the smell.

The biggest hazard of a gas leak is an explosion.

When natural gas builds up in an enclosed area, it becomes extremely volatile.

A gas build up has the potential to be explosive, or could make those in the area very sick. Gas leaks inside the home can be easily prevented by ensuring flexible gas lines are inspected regularly and installed properly by licensed professionals.

Gas leaks outside the home are dangerous as well. Most gas lines coming into the home are buried underground. Before doing any job that requires digging outside, (digging for a new mailbox post, fence post or planting a new tree) homeowners should call 8-1-1 at least 48 hours before digging.

National Grid will be contacted and asked to mark the lines they own. After the lines have been marked safe, careful digging can

begin.

If you detect a strong gas odor, follow these tips: • Do not attempt to locate the leak.

• Do not turn any electrical appliances on or off.

• Do not smoke or use any open flames.

• Leave the house and, from a safe distance, call 91-1.

• If a natural gas line is damaged, call the utility immediately. Do not attempt to repair the line.

By following these safety tips, natural gas can continue to be a safe and efficient source of energy for the home.

Stay safe!

DAN MCCONNELL Chief Halesite Fire Department

Amazing To Me DEAR EDITOR: It is just amazing how quickly the Town has decided not to let Quick Chek open a location on a wide-open section of busy, commercial Jericho Turnpike, but still is trying to go ahead and shove a 7-Eleven franchise down our throats on a very winding part of 25A in historic Centerport. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised after all.

SANDRA BUCHER Centerport

James V. Kelly Publisher/CEO Peter Sloggatt Associate Publisher/Managing Editor Luann Dallojacono Editor James V. Kelly III Director - Sales and Marketing Danny Schrafel Associate Editor Andrew Wroblewski Carina Livoti Reporters NEWS

Pat Mellon John Emig Account Executives

Ian Blanco Art Department / Production

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015 • A9

Life&Style ARTS

By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com

When they say that music is a calling, most people are usually referring to the musicians themselves.

However, for Huntington writer and Heartstrings Magazine founder Lauren Jahoda, the saying holds true for listeners, too.

“I own a banjo and I could probably play a couple of notes on it, but it doesn’t go much further than that.

It’s really a love for it, but it’s hard to even describe how I feel about it,” she said of her desire to write about Americana music.

Heartstrings Magazine interviews and reviews Americana musicians from across the country at shows and festivals from Oregon to Massachusetts to California. Jahoda said that she started Heartstrings after she finished her master’s degree in lieu of pursuing a PhD in 2014.

“It was very different than the PhD route, but it was something I wanted to pursue,” she said.

After traveling and interviewing

and writing, Jahoda realized that few of the artists that moved her across the country ever came to Huntington or even Long Island. Through a desire to share the Americana music she found so compelling, Jahoda created “Heartstrings Presents,” a concert series which will begin in Centerport on April 17 and feature both traveling and local Huntington musicians.

“The musicians we’re focusing on, Long Island usually isn’t a stop on their list,” she said.

This show and future shows, she said, would also be a way to bring the local musicians out and make the local and national music scenes collide.

The inaugural show will feature Jonah Tolchin, Frank Fairfield, and Huntington’s Bill Scorzari.

Jahoda said that she curated the first show carefully and that the whole process was initiated by Californian fiddler Frank Fairfield.

“I saw him play at AmericanaFest in 2014 and he blew me away… He’s somebody who doesn’t often even

come to New York. When I heard he was coming to New York I jumped on the opportunity to book him,” she said.

She said she wanted someone who was nationally touring and someone who was from here, which is what prompted her to book Scorzari. From there, she reached out to Massachusetts musician Jonah Tolchin, who agreed to headline the show.

In addition to performing, Scorzari helped to organize the event.

“It was going to be a local event, and we talked about putting something like this together, and I thought it was a great idea and I look forward to an opportunity to perform with these other artists who are so accomplished,” he said.

Scorzari is also in the process of building Heartstrings Studios, a recording studio, adding a third element to the Heartstrings mission.

The first incarnation of Heartstrings Presents will come to life at on April 17 at the Congregational Church of Huntington in Centerport.

Photo / Lauren Jahoda

Americana Music To Tug At Your Heartstrings

Americana artist Bill Scorzari will be performing at Heartstrings Presents’ inaugural show on April 17.

Tickets are $20 each and include a coupon for 10-percent off at Osteria da Nino restaurant in Huntington village for the day. Doors open at 7 pm; the show starts at 8. For more information, visit http://heartstringsmag.com/heartstrings-presents.

ART

A Whole Different Kind Of Selfie

By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com

In the age of cell-phone-selfportraits, the Huntington Arts Council will unveil its latest juried show, “I See Me,” on April 10.

“The show was open to anyone in any medium from sculpture to painting to water color to mixed media to photography,” Huntington Arts Council board member and Exhibition Committee member Linda Louis said.

The show features self-portraits by artists selected by Lynn Rozzi, director of the Firehouse Plaza Art Gallery at Nassau Community College.

The variety of mediums the show features can be seen in the top three pieces alone, which range from digital photography, to ink/oil

pastel/paper on panels, to colored pencil. Louis said that the council kept the medium type open because it gave the artists more of a range to work in.

“This is the first of a new series designed to spark creativity and incite excitement among our artist population,” she said.

“I See Me” received an incredible outpouring, particularly from Long Islanders, with Huntington Station resident Bill Grabowski taking first place for his photo “Past Tense.”

“It seemed that this hit a nerve, that this is kind of something that people had in the backs of their minds or thought would be fun to do,” Louis said.

The arts council holds juried shows every five weeks or so, according to Louis. She said she tried to choose jurors who would not be

Beth Costello’s second place “No Language Barriers Here” ink/oil pastel/paper on panels. familiar with the local artists who might be in the show. An abstract artist herself, she said that she also encouraged jurors to focus on creativity when evaluating show entries.

“Creativity is, to me, the most important thing. I would rather see something really creative and a little crazy than just literal,” she said.

The council is hosting an opening

William Grabowski’s first place “Past Tense” digital photo. reception for “I See Me” on Friday, April 10 from 6-9 p.m. at the Main Street Gallery. The show will run through April 27. For more information, visit www.huntingtonarts.org.

A10 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015

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BUSINESS North Shore-LIJ Opens STARS - Huntington Spotlight On

Huntington Businesses

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

Maintaining its Sports Therapy And Rehabilitation Services (STARS) program for nearly 20 years, for North Shore-LIJ, adding a STARS office to Huntington was just a move that made sense, said Daniel Vaknin, assistant vice president for North Shore-LIJ outpatient therapy network/STARS. “From a North Shore-LIJ perspective, one of our own hospitals is here in Huntington,” he said. “We want continuity of care between patients seeing our doctors and then going to rehabilitation; it shows our commitment to the community.”

Spearheading the Huntington STARS office – which on April 1 opened less than 5 miles down the road from the hospital in Suite 123 at 1160 East Jericho Turnpike – is Supervisor Salvatore DiMatteo, a fiveyear veteran of the STARS program and licensed physical therapist.

DiMatteo, a graduate of New York University, has garnered over 21 years of experience with a clinical focus in sports medicine and joint

Long Islander News photo/Andrew Wroblewski

New office to handle outpatient therapy for hospital, offer breadth of services

Huntington resident Salvatore DiMatteo is a licensed physical therapist in charge of North Shore-LIJ’s Sports Therapy And Rehabilitation Services (STARS) Huntington office, which opened on April 1. replacement rehabilitation. In opening the Huntington STARS office, he hopes the community will benefit in light of the recent closure of Huntington Hospital’s outpatient facility, which was necessary in the hospital move to expand its emergency room.

“We hope to provide to the community of Huntington all outpatient services,” DiMatteo, of Huntington, said. “We’re very proud of this office; it’s beautiful. All of the equipment is new and fresh.”

State-of-the art technology is one of the perks that the STARS program – which has six other locations

on Long Island – hangs its hat on.

Across Long Island, STARS offers patients services like physical therapy, back and spine care, aquatic therapy, occupational therapy, neurological rehabilitation, sports rehabilitation, hand therapy and much more. Some of the offices specialize in which treatments they offer; others are expanding. The Huntington office, for example, which is prepped for hand therapy, is expected to also offer Lymphedema therapy in the future.

“I’m just excited that I’m able to open up this facility and help out the entire Huntington community,” Di-

Matteo said.

Vaknin said the treatment of DiMatteo and his staff – which the supervisor is expecting to expand, as necessary, in the near future – will “live up to the standards of the North Shore-LIJ Health System,” keep a low patient-to-staff ratio and accept most major insurance plans.

STARS – Huntington 1160 East Jericho Turnpike, Huntington 631-547-3400 www.rehab.northshorelij.com

The Democratization Of Philanthropy

By Peter Klein info@longislandergroup.com

Giving is a wonderful exercise and can take on many different roles—from those who volunteer precious time to those who advocate for charitable organizations.

Case in point is the ice-bucket challenge for ALS that went viral last summer to the delight of many givers and, of course, to the organization that works tirelessly to advocate for research and care for those suffering with ALS. Doing good by lending support to philanthropic entities is admirable and provides an important underpinning

for our children—to learn the gift of giving. I can recall when my girls were younger they ran an ice-tea stand to raise money for a national charity; they felt like heroes that night and I believe it has helped frame them into charitably-minded young ladies today.

We have also witnessed this democratization movement in philanthropy—with investors, from the simple Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) to the more elegant private foundations and charitable trusts. There is also the educational legacy movement where investors can set up, through 529 accounts, a long-term educational legacy.

In any case, the notion that one has to be a Rockefeller (or a Gates) to be a

philanthropist is no longer the case.

Every day investors can give and do so with a mindfulness of the future.

Today’s investors have learned to give like a professional—understanding the responsibilities inherent in managing a foundation or a Donor Advised Fund. The capital invested is truly the number one asset of said vehicles, and therefore remaining a prudent and effective investor is paramount to the success of the fund and its charitable purpose. One needs to adopt a true wealth management plan – complete with an Investment Policy Statement – in order to effectively reach their stated goals. Flying by the seat of one’s pants is not an effective plan and it is

likely to fail – and that is only compounded by the lost opportunity for the end charitable organization.

Effective giving requires professional counsel – on both the giving side (how best to move the proverbial needle; aligning ones mission with their giving) as well as the investment management side.

Peter J. Klein, CFA is managing director and partner of Melville-based Klein Wealth Management/HighTower Advisors where he and his team help create legacies for generations to come. His articles appear regularly in Long Islander News’ Business Section.

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BUSINESS Bellone Wants STARTUP Zone In Huntington Station

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

A state-sponsored, tax-free business startup program could come to Huntington Station should County Executive Steve Bellone get his way.

In his State of the County address March 26, Bellone called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to locate a STARTUPNY site in Huntington Station as well as other downtowns seeking to foster revitalization.

Huntington Station in particular “would be a great place” for a STARTUP zone.

“We should be locating innovation jobs in downtowns,” Bellone said, adding that “they all want to be in places where they have easy access” to mass transit.

STARTUP participants pay no taxes for 10 years, have access to university talent and resources, and are connected to an expansive infrastructure with global access. In return, the business must agree to relocate to or ex-

pand within New York State, align with a college or university's academic mission, create new jobs and contribute to economic development.

Already, Huntington residents are taking advantage of the opportunity, but not in their own backyard.

AJES Life Sciences, LLC, a new Research & Development contract research company owned by Dix Hills’ Jitendra Patel, provides preclinical and toxicology services for developers of new pharmaceuticals, specifically vitro and in vivo clinical efficacy, clinical toxicology and mode of action analysis for its clients. The firm will move to a STARTUP zone in Stony Brook University, where they will create nine new jobs and invest $3.69 million.

Keith Barrett, president of the Huntington Station BID, said the agency will support anything that could build the area’s economy.

“Anything that’s going to bring more business into Huntington Sta(Continued on page A18)

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Creating A Customer-Focused Culture Who doesn’t like a side of networking with their breakfast? The next Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce Networking Breakfast on Tuesday, April 14, will focus on creating a customerfocused culture in your business.

Keynote speaker Randi Busse, president of Workforce Development Group, Inc., has been helping employees to delight customers for more than 25 years.

Her training programs teach employees to “think like an owner, not a renter,” yielding rave reviews from her clients because the culture of their organizations change and their customers rave about them.

She’s co-author of a book, “Turning Rants Into Raves: Turn Your Customers On Before They Turn On YOU!” written for CEOs, business owners and managers that want to improve the experience they are providing to their customers.

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Busse will discuss: getting your employees to think and act like owners of your business; ensuring employees know what great service looks like; delivering exactly what they are looking for; and inspiring referrals and repeat business.

The featured not-for-profit at the event is Family Service League.

Networking begins at 7:30 a.m., with the program starting shortly after, at the Huntington Yacht Club, 95 East Shore Road, Huntington.

Tickets are $25 for members and $35 for non-members.

The event is sponsored by Newsday, H2M architechts + engineers, Advance Sound Company, digho image marketing, Len Marks Photography and Joe Maddalone Power Strategies.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For information or to register, call 631-423-6100 or visit www.huntingtonchamber.com.

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015 • A11

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CAMP& EDUCATION

‘Idols’ Share Talents

Music was in the air last week as several students who performed at in the Half Hollow Hills “Idol” show in February took time to perform for those at the Town of Huntington Adult Day Care program. Performers included 6-year-old AnnaBelle Deaner, a first-grader at Signal Hill.

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CAMP&EDUCATION Local Students’ Artwork Hits The Big Apple It’s not every student who is afforded the opportunity to have his or her artwork on display in Manhattan, but a handful who study at a Wheatley Heights arts camp are getting their shot.

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts is presenting three different student art exhibits in Manhattan this spring. This will be the largest series of off-site exhibits ever shown by the center, which for several years has displayed the work of its visual arts students on Long Island and New York City.

The artists to be displayed were ages 10-18 when the works were created during the 2014 season.

The first show, titled “Humankind: Portraits,” was a set of 13 portraits, some painted, some photographed. It showed at the lobby gallery at 430 Park Ave. through March 31. The artists were Delaney R. Cone, 15, of Patchogue; Molly Kaye, 17, of Dix Hills; Emily Kehrli, 18, of Merrick; Hannah Elise Kline, 14, of Manhasset; Justin Meyer, 16, of Huntington; Madeleine Mottel, 19, of Plainview; and Rachel Spiegler, 13, of Old Bethpage.

The second, simply titled “Humankind,” is on display through April 30, also at 430 Park Ave. It

is completely diverse, including photography, painting and images of ceramics pieces. The artists are Christie Brand, 10, of Huntington; Ally Braunschweig, 15, of Jericho; Delaney Callaghan, 16, of Wantagh; Katharine Colgan, 13, of Sea Cliff; Diya Chadha, 13, of Woodbury; Rachel Dehan, 15, of Commack; Julia Ferrugio, 15, of Farmingdale; Jason Glazer, 14, of Plainview; Kristen Goepfert, 16, of Hicksville; Adrian Ke, 13, of Roslyn Heights; Emily Kehrli; Jessena Maxwell, 16, of the Bronx; Ethan Means, 13, of Brooklyn; Ava Nederlander, 14, of Manhattan; Sophia Santella, 15, of Centereach; and Sierra Schlesinger, 11, of Merrick.

The third exhibit, titled “On Hope and Humankind,” will show May 7-25 at the 7th floor gallery of the UJA-Federation at 130 East 59th St., with an opening reception on Thursday, May 7 at 6 p.m. Usdan Center is an agency of the UJA, although it is open to all children, and frequently creates works on Jewish themes. Last June, several of its visual arts classes collectively created a Holocaust-themed multi-media piece titled “Hope,” based on interviews with Holocaust survivors, and the work won a first prize in the annu-

Molly Kaye, 17, of Dix Hills, is at work at Usdan Center last summer. Her work will be on display in Manhattan art galleries this spring. al student competition of Long Island’s Museum of Tolerance. The work of all of the student artists in the previous two exhibits will be featured.

The exhibits are free to view. For more information, visit www.usdan.com.

Ask the College Counselor...

How do college-bound athletes apply to and choose a college?

As you know from our past conversations, for any college-bound student, the process of choosing and applying to college has many steps. Student-athletes who plan on playing college sports are faced with several other very important factors and steps.

• The student athlete should be very clear about what level of play you are seeking. Discussions with the coach are critical to see if your plans are realistic.

• Attend a summer sports camp at a particular college sometimes helps you play and lets you check out the feel of the campus.

• Send letters of interest to colleges that seem to be a good fit for you. This should be done during the student’s sophomore and junior years.

• Keep good records of contact with college coaches. The details of every meeting should be written down to avoid confusion later.

• Prepare an athletic resume. It must have sections on basic student information, including your specific sports statistics beginning in the ninth grade and academic record. Your coach will help you define the stats necessary for you particular sport.

• Many student athletes submit a video showcasing their athletic skills in a competitive situation. Accompany it with a statistics summary.

• Sometimes a particular school will send you a special application marked with a code supplied by the college's athletic department. This tells the college’s admission office that the athletic department is interested in the student and may waive the application fee.

• Be clear whether a contact from a college coach means that you are being recruited. Ask the coach: “Are you recruiting me? Do I fit the accepted student profile at your college? Is it likely that I will be admitted?”

• Athletic participation is only part of the college choice decision. How would you feel about this college if you couldn't play (perhaps because of injury) or decided not to play?

• Know that athletic eligibility does not guarantee admission. The admission committee, not the college coach, decides whether students are admissible.

• Look at the colleges’ online team rosters for information such as how many players a team has for each po-

sition and the athletic stats of the players.

• Look at the graduation rate of athletes at the college. A lower graduation rate may indicate that the college accepts student-athletes whose academic abilities aren't up to par or that the life of the athlete on that campus is not conducive to academic success.

• Note what percentage of the student population is made up of athletes, and consider whether they want to attend a college where athletes are a large presence or a small minority.

• Be reminded that if you play sports in college, you will be spending a lot of time with the coach. They should feel a rapport with the coaches at the colleges they are applying to.

• Student-athletes also may face special considerations in application timing. For example, there are strict rules and timelines regarding contact from NCAA Division I and II coaches. Therefore, students playing some sports must reach out to college coaches in time for the coach to watch them play, while still following the eligibility rules. College coaches eager to secure their athletes may urge students to apply early de-

cision. Students who are considering applying early should know the rules and obligations of early decision programs.

• Students may transfer from a two- or four-year college to an NCAA college. Students must meet eligibility requirements to participate in sports or receive financial aid at that college.

• Finally, but perhaps most importantly, registering with the NCAA Eligibility Center is critical. Student athletes who want to participate at NCAA Division I or II colleges need to register; others do not. Student athletes should log on to NCAA.com, the official website of the NCAA, and research the link to FAQs about the NCAA Eligibility Center.

The best way for students to prepare for a future in college athletics is to complete the approved core courses and earn appropriate grades in them. Indeed, more students fail to qualify to play NCAA sports because of lack of appropriate course work than for low-test scores.

Daniel Kalina is a Commack-based education consultant.

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Bands Compete For Chance To Play Atop Lighthouse

By Joseph Zapata info@longislandergroup.com

The annual Huntington Lighthouse Music Fest just became a bit more interesting.

This year, bands will compete in the inaugural “Fight for the Light” competition, in hopes to chosen to perform at the 2015 music festival at the end of the summer.

Bands will be required fill out an application (which can be found online at Lighthousemusicfest.com), and they must provide a Youtube video link, which will be used as an audition tape. All bands are welcome to apply, but artists under the age of 18 must have the signature of a parent or guardian. All applying bands are recommended to have their own website or Facebook page, but it is not required.

From the entries, a listening committee for the Fight for the Light contest will choose nine bands, which will perform in front of a panel of judges on May 17. The judges consist of the Lighthouse Music Fest chairperson, the festival’s music producer and others from the Huntington Maritime and music community.

Bands will compete at the Nautical Fair in May for a chance to play atop the Huntington Lighthouse at the annual Lighthouse Music Fest in September.

The judging criterion includes vocals, musical performance and overall likeability. At the contest, each band will be allowed a half-hour set, which includes setting up and breaking down equipment.

The winning band will be chosen the week of May 25, and results will be posted on the Fight

for the Light website.

The annual Huntington Lighthouse Music Fest is an event unlike any other. Every Saturday of Labor Day weekend, over 1,000 boats with 10,000 attendees travel to the now-102-year-old lighthouse and spend the day enjoying live music.

According to the festival’s website, it is the only music festival in the world held on top of a working lighthouse in the middle of the water.

“It’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced before,” said Pam Setchell, president of the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society. “It’s the Woodstock of the water… just without the drugs.”

The festival consists of several genres of music, such as rock, pop, reggae, Latin and many more. The diversity of the music is meant to match the diversity of the crowd, which can range anywhere from teenagers to 70-year-olds.

The Fight for the Light contest will take place on Sunday, May 17, during the Nautical Fair being held at Mill Dam Park from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., and the Huntington Lighthouse Music Festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 5.

Lawmakers Pledge Millions For Water Quality

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

State lawmakers have earmarked $5 million for a study aimed at finding long-term solutions to nitrogen pollution in the bays and harbors of the Long Island Sound.

The allocation mandates a study aimed at understanding nitrogen contamination, which is to yield plans aimed at addressing the problem.

High levels of nitrogen pollution have caused periods of low oxygen, called hypoxia, in Northport Harbor.

“The bottom line is that the state is allocating some needed funds so we can really address our water quality program,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment and the Long Island Clean Water Partnership, which championed the funding.

Those funds are in addition to $200 million in a statewide matching grant program for water and sewer infrastructure projects to be awarded as part of a three-year capital plan in which the state will cover up to 60 percent of the project’s cost, with a cap of $5 million per project.

Wastewater Treatment Improvement Projects State legislators on April 1 also approved $8 million in Department of Environmental Conservation capital funding, which is to finance “the state share of costs of wastewater treatment improvement projects undertaken by municipalities to upgrade municipal systems to meet stormwater, combined sewer overflow, sanitary sewer overflow and wastewater treatment discharge requirements,” aquatic habitat restoration projects undertaken by municipalities and not-for profit organizations.

Of that $8 million, up to $3 million is earmarked to Suffolk County for the purpose of providing a 50percent match to either launch a county program, developed in consultation with the Department for Research, Development and Pilot projects, to develop “cost-effective methods to address nitrogen and pathogen loading from septic system or cesspool effluent or other sources,” or to develop a program, without a match, at SUNY Stony Brook University.

In his State of the County address

March 26, County Executive Steve Bellone said Stony Brook University, in partnership with the county, Southampton Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst, Stony Brook University President Dr. Sam Stanley and others, will begin a new program to identify the next generation of septic technology, with the goal of providing better, more cost-efficient options to Suffolk County residents.

In Suffolk, a pilot program currently involves 19 residents who won a lottery to receive one of the nextgeneration septic systems and use it for five years. The county is continuing to explore advanced singlehome wastewater treatment systems aimed at cutting nitrogen emissions created by the currently 360,000 unsewered households in the county.

Of those, county officials said approximately 20,000 of the nearly 62,300 examples in Huntington town are priority upgrades, parcels where surface runoff water gets into the water supply within 25 years.

The advanced single-home wastewater treatment program is part of the county’s Reclaim Our Water initiative, which Bellone credits for allowing Suffolk County to make

“more progress on water quality in the past year than we had in decades.”

That project is highlighted by a $383 million in aid, which will allow the county to make what Bellone calls its largest clean-water infrastructure investment in 40 years. That money will go in part to expanding the Southwest Sewer District, which serves portions of Huntington.

“Water is everything to us on Long Island,” Bellone said. “It’s our economy and our quality of life. The water we drink is beneath our feet and we now know post-Sandy that water can also be a threat to us.”

Other funds have already had an impact locally. A referendum passed last year, which formalized a county sewer infrastructure fund, provided nearly $30 million in additional resources to protect clean water and ratified the Suffolk County Sewer Infrastructure Committee. All told, the efforts provided millions in crucial funding to make the Northport Sewer Treatment plant’s $9-milion upgrade, which was completed in the summer of 2014, a reality.

The sewer plant upgrade has (Continued on page A21)

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menu and a ticket are $25; threecourse dinner, a drink and a ticket are $50 p.p.

“It’s been great,” Danyell said of the partnership.

Each week has boasted a specially tailored menu matching the part of the world each performer draws inspiration from. And, with the Sweet Spot and Tobias’ ear for world music, that means drawing cuisine from around the globe.

An Indian-inspired menu, paired with a performance by the Premik Russell Tubbs Indian fusion trio, was particularly well received, Danyell said. The restaurant’s art curator, Anu Anaam, lent a helping hand for the popular cuisine.

In addition to the new menu and performances, craft beers will be extensively highlighted; right now, brews from Blind Bat Brewery, brewed by Centerport’s Paul Dlugokencky, is being served; ultimately, they’re hoping to have as many as four craft taps running.

The hope is to grow musical performance further at the restaurant by building close ties with Northport High School, which boasts an array of performing arts groups. Oracle Dog, a band comprised of Northport High School students, performed Saturday during an off week for the Sweet Spot series.

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Farm To Fork From Danyell’s Kitchen foodies@longislandergroup.com

The opening of Danyell’s Kitchen at 225 Main St. in Northport Village marks the conclusion of a slow, steady evolution charted by restaurateur Danyell Miller.

She bought Campari Ristorante in February 2011, which began as a traditional Italian American restaurant with an eye for art, which hangs throughout the cozy dining room.

Then, in late November 2013, she shifted gears from traditional Italian to fresh Mediterranean fare drawing inspiration from not only Italy, but also Spain, France, Belgium, Turkey and Morocco.

Now, the pizza counter is closed and in a couple of weeks’ time, the full transformation into Danyell’s Kitchen, which will boast seasonally-appropriate, farm-to-table menus that change weekly based on what’s available, will be complete when the new signs go up.

In the meantime, she added the wrinkle of live world music to the mix and continues to strongly emphasize the arts in the dining experience. This winter and spring, she’s teamed up with Sweet Spot organizer Toby Tobias to host his live music series through the end of April, with another series set to run every Saturday through the summer.

Seating begins at 8 p.m.; a tapas

Side Dish

Danyell Miller and Dylan Licopoli, pictured March 28 during a Sweet Spot performance, are launching Danyell’s Kitchen, a seasonally-appropriate, farm-to-table restaurant featuring rotating weekly menus.

Danyell’s Kitchen 225 Main Street, Northport 631-757-6700

Foodie photo/archives

By The Foodies

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015 • A17

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DINEHUNTINGTON .COM A TASTE OF LI’S BEST: Join the East 4400 kerbersfarm.com) will now whip

Northport Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, April 23 for their 12th Annual Taste of Long Island. The event, held at The Larkfield, offers an exclusive culinary showcase that regularly attracts over 400 attendees every year.

Special guests include 2013 Master Chef winner Luca Manfe, Hell’s Kitchen Contestant Barret Beyer and more. Tickets are $75 p.p.; add $10 at the door. This year’s honorees include the Dunne family of Northport, known for their athletic prowess. Proceeds will benefit the East Northport Rotary and the Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk and the chamber. For more information, call 631-261-3753 or visit eastnorthport.com.

KING BISCUIT: Kerber’s Farm breakfast

biscuit fanatics – this columnist included – have more time every day to nosh on them. That’s because Kerber’s (309 W. Pulaski Road, Huntington 631-423-

up your favorite until 2 p.m. each day, piled high with eggs, amazing bacon, ham, cheese and whatever else you can fit between a cheddar biscuit.

LICKETY-SPLIT: Everyone’s favorite

fundraiser returns April 14, when Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington and South Huntington teachers scoop your favorite flavors on Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s, 298 Main St., Huntington village, 12-10 p.m. Donations support Tri CYA’s summer youth programs.

Chefs will dazzle when A Taste Of Long Island returns to The Larkfield April 23.

nis are available, as well as delectable offerings like Maine Lobster Benedict and Southwestern Eggs Benedict; Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast, Shrimp Asparagus Gruyere Cheese Omelets and much more. It’s SUMMER BRUNCH: Pencil in Sunday, something we could definitely wake May 24, especially if you particularly up early on a Sunday for. enjoy HONU Kitchen & Cocktails (363 New York Ave., Huntington vil- OH, CREPE: If you’re having a hankerlage 631-421-6900 ing for crepes either savory or sweet, honukitchen.com). That’s when you’ll just have to wait until the end of they’ll begin their summer Sunday this week. The Village Creperie (335 brunch. Set to run from noon-4 p.m., New York Ave., Huntington village $5 Bloody Marys, Mimosas and Beli- 631-423-3057 villagecreperie.com) is

closed for vacation and will reopen on Saturday, April 11. Trust us – it’s well worth the wait.

AN EXTRA JOLT: Good news, South-

down Coffee fans – the shop (210 Wall St., Huntington 631-351-5818 southdowncoffee.wordpress.com) is now open ‘til 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, giving you extra time to stock up on their seasonal selection of coffees roasted at the world-class Pulley Collective in Red Hook, Brooklyn, as well as delectable savories and baked goods.

A18 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015

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Bellone wants STARTUP zone in Huntington (Continued from page A11)

tion is a good thing – especially if it’s going to bring jobs,” he said.

Bellone said STARTUP zones would complement his Connect Long Island plan, which is aimed at striking a blow against the “brain drain” caused by scores of young, Long Island-educated residents moving away.

Connect Long Island would tie together all of the region’s assets, such as universities, job centers, labs and parks, through mass transit enhancements and creating vibrant, walkable, transit-oriented downtowns, according to the county executive.

Bus rapid transit lines, including one connecting the Huntington LIRR station to Amityville, Bellone said, would create vital north-south mass transit connections and link the three major rail lines to north-south mass transit. By connecting regional hubs, each one would become more desirable and feed off of each other, encouraging residents to drive less.

“Effectively, what Connect Long Island will do is build a ‘quality of life ecosystem’ that will be attractive to young people,” Bellone said.

Factored into that Connect Long Island framework is the Heartland Town Square “mini-city” concept in Brent-

wood, which will go before the Islip Town Planning Board for a public hearing on April 16.

The plan also calls for expanded railroad infrastructure and a doubletrack project that would connect Farmingdale State College to MacArthur Airport. Bellone also supports re-opening the Republic Airport train station and wants transit-oriented development to go with it.

To set the stage for more development in downtowns, including a mixed-use development strategy in Huntington Station, investment in sewers would be included, Bellone said. “Community-based, locally approved transit-oriented development plans” will unlock the key to that money.

In Huntington Station, master developer Renaissance Downtowns envisions extensive residential and commercial redevelopment along the Route 110 corridor near the Huntington train station, according to a development strategy approved by the town board in June 2013.

A community benefits package, ratified by the town board in January, opened the door for Renaissance Downtowns to begin the process of applying for any zone changes, vari-

ances and/or permits needed to break ground. The overall development strategy is also undergoing environmental reviews by the state, and they must buy the municipal lots lining Route 110 that they want to develop, which are currently owned by the state.

According to the strategy, along the New York Avenue corridor, those LIRR commuter parking lots owned by the New York State Department of Transportation are being eyed for 21 “live-work” units, where apartments would be built above commercial space for retail and business use. At the end of the stretch, near the intersection with Church Street, 28 artist’s lofts are proposed.

Renaissance is also planning to pursue permits for a 140-room boutique hotel and an approximately 100,000 square-foot office building in a municipal parking lot near the Long Island Rail Road station and adjacent to the Huntington Community First Aid Squad.

An additional 15,000 square-foot commercial building is proposed to be built at the corner of Northridge Street and Route 110, and 68 apartments, split between studios and one-bedroom units, are proposed to be built

over 16,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space on the ground floor.

Those projects, if approvals are awarded, would replace several residential and commercial buildings between 1000 New York Ave., which the town owns, and Suite Pieces, the former Yankee Peddler antique store.

Porter said a memorandum of understanding with three property owners along that stretch exists.

Also planned is a 14-townhouse Columbia Terrace development, an affordable housing project for veterans being developed by the town’s Economic Development Corporation at the corner of Columbia and Railroad Streets.

Eric Alexander, executive director of Northport-based smart growth advocates Vision Long Island, said that the more than $500 million committed to Long Island infrastructure projects – “yet undefined, but meaningful,” could be tapped to invest in a parking garage in Huntington Station or expanded sewers there.

It would possibly be an attractive investment, considering the potential for economic development opportunities.

“Now it’s a matter of shaping where that money goes,” he said.

Dix Hills firefighters endure hectic night (Continued from page A1)

highway patrol vehicle and another car collided on Deer Park Avenue and the South Service Road of the Long Island Expressway.

“I always say, ‘It’s Dix Hills – anything that can possibly happen, will,’” Chief Robert Fling said.

Fling was first on the scene at the Kenmore Street blaze at 11:25 p.m., and he knew that someone was trapped inside. Police had radioed, “Step up, FD – someone’s inside,” and officers had already smashed the bedroom window on the left-hand side of the house, hoping to locate the man. The rear of the home was engulfed in flames, and a pet dog and cat died in the fire.

Fling said he got into the window, swept the floor and the bed in search of the man, but came up empty. By then, the first engine had arrived, and the chief directed volunteers to stretch a line to the front door. Soon after, firefighters fought their way in and pulled the man out; he was located just outside the bedroom in the hallway.

“He was probably in bed and tried making out the front door, which wasn’t going to happen,” Fling said.

Once he was safely outside, volun-

teers immediately began CPR and intubated the man, who was in cardiac arrest. He was given a cyanide antidote kit to reverse the effects of smoke inhalation.

By the time he arrived at Good Samaritan Hospital, the elderly man had regained a pulse, Fling said.

“Once you get a couple of breaths of that smoke, you’re probably unconscious within 30 seconds,” Fling said.

The chief added that the combination of carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, “toxic twins” found in smoke at structure fires, poses a particularly deadly threat.

One Dix Hills volunteer was treated at Huntington Hospital for a hand laceration; a second volunteer was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation.

About 70 firefighters and rescue personnel were on the scene with nine trucks and four ambulances, and had the fire under control within 40 minutes. Dix Hills volunteers were supported by the Deer Park, Greenlawn, Huntington Manor, Melville, Commack and North Babylon fire departments and the Brentwood Legion and Wyandanch-Wheatley Heights Am-

bulance Corps.

Fling led the response, with support from Assistant Chiefs Tom Napolitano and Joe Williamson.

Suffolk County Police Department’s arson squad and the town’s fire marshal are investigating the blaze; town spokesman A.J. Carter said the cause of the fire is undetermined and does not appear suspicious.

Fling said the department has been

well positioned to cope with the eight blazes recorded in calendar year 2015 – the last was on Seaman Neck Road in the morning hours of March 31.

The number of fires is “odd,” but not unprecedented, he said.

“It’s happened before. I want to say in maybe 2005 or 2006, we had a string of 14. So when all is said and done, I’m still behind the 8-ball,” he said, with a laugh. “It happens.”

Sister inspires county (Continued from page A1)

ter,” Stern said.

Inspired by Nova’s passion and dedication, Stern partnered with County Executive Steve Bellone to enact a law to illuminate in blue light the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge for one week every April beginning on April 2, 2015.

Nova, who hopes to someday become a developmental pediatri-

cian or a special education teacher, said she wanted to spread awareness and education so that autistic people would no longer be treated differently.

Stern said that Nova was a good example not only for young people, but for everyone.

“I think [Nova is] a very important example of how one small voice can make an impact,” he said.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015 • A19

‘Irish Bomber’ To Headline ‘Rockin’ Fights’ The Paramount Spotlight

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

Known simply as Joe “The Irish Bomber” Smith Jr., the 25-year-old boxer from Mastic is heading to The Paramount on April 18 for the 18th installment of Star Boxing President and CEO Joe DeGuardia’s “Rockin’ Fights” series.

Smith Jr. (17-1; 14 KOs) will face Baltimore-veteran Cory “Black Ice” Cummings (18-8-1; 13 KOs) in a light heavyweight 10-round main event – with an undercard still to be announced in the days leading up to the fight.

Smith Jr., a six-year pro, earned his first main event at The Paramount after defeating Maxell Taylor via TKO

in just 37 seconds on Dec. 12, 2014.

The win extended Smith Jr.’s winning streak to 11-straight with his only defeat coming on Aug. 7, 2010 to Eddie Caminero at the Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn.

Born in Mastic, Smith Jr. enjoyed an impressive resume as an amateur, including two New York Gold Glove and New York City Metro titles. His fighting style has been described as a combination of Philadelphia Jack O’Brien, former light heavyweight world boxing champion, and Irish Bob Murphy, former Irish-American light heavyweight boxer.

But after Smith Jr.’s only defeat, the boxer was forced to sit out for nearly entire year as he recovered from surgery to repair multiple fractures in his jaw, which he suffered in the bout with Caminero. Since then, however, Smith Jr. has returned to the ring in style with seven knockouts in his last

Joe “The Irish Bomber” Smith Jr., left, will fight in his first main event at The Paramount on April 18th.

11 fights.

In fighting Cummings, however, Smith Jr. is expected to face one of the toughest matchups of his fighting career. Cummings – a boxer who started his career with 15-straight wins –

has stepped into the ring with some of the best top super middleweights and light heavyweights in the game.

“Joe Smith takes a big step up in class taking on Cory Cummings,” DeGuardia, Smith Jr.’s promoter through Star Boxing, said in a press release.

“Cummings is no easy mark for anyone and Smith knows he will be in for a fight.”

DeGuardia said that Smith Jr. and his team – including manager Jerry Capobianco – asked for matchups with quality boxers like Cummings because they truly believe in “The Irish Bomber’s” ability.

“I can guarantee another actionpacked night,” DeGuardia said.

Tickets for “Rockin’ Fights” are available from the box office or at www.paramountny.com for $50$200. The doors are set to open at 7 p.m. on April 18, with the fights scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

PHOTOGRAPHY

LPhotos by Kevin Armstrong

Photographing Huntington In All Seasons

From left: Mill Dam bridge over Mill Pond in Centerport in spring; Asharoken in winter; Caumsett State Park in autumn; and Centerport Beach in the summer.

Through The Lens

By Kevin Armstrong info@longislandernews.com Photography is both an art and a craft, and as with any craft, it must be practiced to gain a certain level of proficiency. Practice trains your eye and lets you better understand your equipment. Professional photographers often speak about the “myth of talent” when describing the skills necessary for good image creation. Rather, their talent comes from a lifetime dedicated to practicing their craft.

Practice starts close to home.

Those of us that live in Huntington are lucky; Huntington offers many scenic subjects in all four seasons to

satisfy a diverse population of photographers. Here are some of my favorite photo locations around town: Caumsett State Park – A photographer’s favorite in all seasons. This land on the north side Lloyd Neck offers beautiful views of the Sound plus ample wooded trails and fields.

This park makes an excellent backdrop for family portraits any time of year. My favorite time of year to photograph is during the autumn foliage season. Use a bicycle to explore the extensive grounds with your camera. The range of available subjects is vast including sweeping landscape vistas, wildlife and floral close-ups.

Northport Village – No surprise here, as most are familiar with the town dock and gazebo that extend out into the harbor. TWhile the gazebo is “the shot” in Northport, there is so much more to capture. Main Street itself is very photogenic as are

the stately homes. Northport is a working harbor with lots of commercial harbor activity. The village is just as photogenic during the winter.

Centerport Beach – Situated between Huntington and Northport, this beach gives excellent sunset views through the summer months.

The far southern portion of the beach is home to tidal pools, marsh land and different aquatic birds. This is a good beach for family portraits in late afternoon light. Also, plan on making a stop at the Vanderbilt Museum just up the road. The grounds around the mansion are excellent and the structures make interesting architectural subjects.

Eaton’s Neck/Asharoken – This area offers so many different locations that you could photograph it for many years without running out of subjects.

This is where I spend most of my photo time, especially in the winter.

Asharoken Beach, Hobart Beach, the small harbors of Eaton’s Neck and

Duck Island are just some of the best spots. The stretch beach along Asharoken Road is the best location for sunrise and sunset photos.

Cold Spring Harbor – This historic whaling village that offers many of the same photo opportunities as Northport harbor, just more compact. Quaint village shops, historic homes and harbor scenes all available within a quick stroll. The best spots in town are the Cold Spring Harbor Park and the village fishing dock.

Huntington has several additional sites that space prohibits detailed descriptions here. Hecksher Park, Crab Meadow Beach, Mill Pond, West Hills Park, two lighthouses and numerous nature preserves dot the town map and are all available to you and your camera. Practice makes perfect and we here in Huntington are lucky to have so many scenic locations to help take and display great photos.

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A20 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015

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OPEN HOUSES

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

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

Town Huntington Dix Hills Melville Dix Hills Melville Melville Melville Huntington Dix Hills Melville Dix Hills Dix Hills Melville Melville Dix Hills Melville Dix Hills

DIX HILLS

DIX HILLS

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1032 Commack Rd Bedrooms 4 Baths 2 Price $429,000 Taxes $12,767 Open House 4/11 1:00pm-2:30pm Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc 631-360-1900

191 Oakfield Ave Bedrooms 3 Baths 2 Price $600,000 Taxes $13,452 Open House 4/11 12:00pm-2:00pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-4444

41 Cawfield Ln Bedrooms 3 Baths 3 Price $649,000 Taxes $12,419 Open House 4/12 2:30pm-4:30pm Douglas Elliman Real Estate 516-921-2262

Address Beds 10 Vidoni Pl 3 1032 Commack Rd 4 53 Villas Cir 2 191 Oakfield Ave 3 2 Ketcham Pl 4 27 Overhill Rd 3 5 New Dorp Pl 5 18 Ash Pl 3 24 Jordan Ct 3 13 Overhill Rd 4 21 Grayon Dr 4 328 Gilbert St 4 20 Tappen Dr 4 6 Haddon Hall 4 22 Arista Dr 4 41 Cawfield Ln 3 4 Hickory Hill Rd 5

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

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Taxes $10,399 $12,767 $10,531 $13,452 $7,725 $10,701 $12,524 $13,056 $11,982 $11,388 $17,023 $13,012 $12,240 $14,769 $15,974 $12,419 $16,873

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Broker Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes Coldwell Banker Residential Douglas Elliman Real Estate Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Douglas Elliman Real Estate Douglas Elliman Real Estate Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc Better Homes & Gardens RE AS RE/MAX Beyond Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc Douglas Elliman Real Estate Douglas Elliman Real Estate Coldwell Banker Residential

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Phone 631-757-4000 631-360-1900 516-364-4663 631-673-4444 631-751-6000 631-427-9100 631-543-9400 631-549-4400 516-575-7500 516-575-7500 631-427-0010 631-862-1100 516-575-7500 631-427-9100 516-623-4500 516-921-2262 631-673-4444

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LI Sound pollution study (Continued from page A16)

helped the village cut its nitrogen emissions from 20 pounds of nitrogen a day in July 2014 to the mid-5pound range now, Northport Mayor George Doll said. Ongoing work to reline sewer pipes as part of the Shoreline sewer project is expected to conclude sometime in July.

Now, attention is turning to dredging.

Dredging In Centerport And Northport Dredging Centerport and Northport Harbors will be a major priority in the coming months, members of the Northport Harbor Water Quality Protection agreed at their March 24 meeting.

The committee reached a consensus to support a 100-foot wide, 7foot deep dredge and begin the process of applying to get on Suffolk County’s dredging calendar.

Spencer said the next step in that process – getting Northport Harbor dredged sooner rather than later – is underway.

The legislator said there’s still an “open dredge project” for the Cen-

terport Harbor channel, which was just done in December; the goal there is to dredge the channel every couple of years.

But in the case of Northport, the challenge is finding a place to store approximately 22,000 cubic yards of contaminated silt – the “spoils” of the dredge – to dry out for a year.

Right now, Spencer said Scudder Beach in Northport is the top candidate. The DEC would have to approve that site, and then the village and the county would have to make an agreement to store the material, Spencer said.

Doll, a shell fisherman by trade, said following up with dredging would be good for the ecology as well as the economy.

“Other than the fact that it may attract some more boats, which would be involved in the economy of the village, it would also enable the waters in the back of the harbor to flush and change better than they do now,” Doll said.

Spencer said he’s also lobbying the feds to dredge a federal channel between the village dock and the Northport Yacht Club.

HOLY WEEK AND PASCHA SERVICES April 5th

Palm Sunday

9:30 AM Liturgy

April 6th

Bridegroom Matins of Holy Tuesday

April 7th

Bridegroom Matins of Holy Wednesday 7:00 P.M.

April 8th

The Sacrament of Holy Unction

April 9th

Great & Holy Thursday 9:30 AM Vesperal Liturgy 7:00PM Matins with 12 Gospel Readings

7:00 P.M.

7:00 P.M.

April 10th Great & Holy Friday, 9:30AM Royal Hours, 2:00PM Vespers, 7:00PM Matins (with the Lamentations) April 11th Great & Holy Saturday 9:30AM Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil 11:30PM Nocturnes & Paschal Procession April 12th HOLY PASCHA Midnight Paschal Vigil & Agape Noon Paschal Vespers April 13th Bright Monday 9:30AM Paschal Liturgy, Procession & Agape 1095 CARLLS STRAIGHT PATH, DIX HILLS, NY 11746

631-586-1611

www.StAndrewsOCA.org

THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015 • A21

A22 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015

THURSDAY Author Talk: Long Island & The Civil War

Harrison Hunt and Bill Bleyer will discuss their new book, “Long Island and the Civil War: Queens, Nassau and Suffolk During the War Between the States” Thursday, April 9 at 7 p.m. at the Cold Spring Harbor Library & Environmental Center, 95 Harbor Road, Cold Spring Harbor. Books will be available for purchase and signing. This program is free and open to the public. Advance registration is requested. 631-692-6820 or www.cshlibrary.org.

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Calendar O M M U N I T Y

An Evening of Live Music

Americana artists Claudia Russell and Bruce Kaplan from Northern California share a bill with New York-based singersongwriter and guitarist Glen Roethel during the Folk Music Society of Huntington’s monthly Hard Luck Café series at the Cinema Arts Centre (423 Park Avenue, Huntington) on Thursday, April 16. The 8:30 p.m. concert in the Cinema’s Sky Room will be preceded by an open mic at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 ($10 for Cinema Arts Centre and FMSH members). For more information, visit www.fmsh.org or call 631-425-2925.

FRIDAY Vets Career Conference

Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) will be hosting the SCCC Veterans’ Career Conference– Empowering the Defenders of Our Freedom on April 10, at the SCCC Health, Education and Sports Center, Room105, 1001 Crooked Hill Road, from 9 am-4 pm. Keynote speaker, Justin Constantine, is a retired Marine who was injured in the course of duty and works with veterans as a mentor to assist them in facing the challenges of re-entering the workforce. A panel of human resources professionals will guide veterans. A light breakfast and lunch will be served. Pre-registration is required. Call Legislator Steve Stern’s office at 631851-6252.

Wine Glass Painting Fundraiser

Want something fun to do and help raise money for the Friends of the Elwood Public Library? On Friday, April 17, 6:308:30 p.m., spark your creativity as Irene Marchese guides you in painting four one-of-a-kind wine glasses created especially by you. Everything is supplied, even the gift bag to bring them home in.

No experience is needed. Light snacks will be served, and for those interested, Elwood Wines will provide a light tasting of some wines next door to begin the evening. Make your check for $50 payable to: The Friends of the Elwood Public Library. In person registration required at 1929 Jericho Turnpike.

Healthy Kids Race

The Healthy Kids Running Series will be held Fridays, April 10, 17, 24 and May 1, 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.

Let’s Talk Sagtikos

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) will host two public information meetings for the Sagtikos State Parkway/Sunken Meadow State Parkway Operational Study. The April 14 meeting is being held at Deer Park High School, 1 Falcon Place, Deer Park, 6-9 p.m. The April 16 meeting is being held at William T. Rogers Middle School, 97 Old Dock Road, Kings Park, 6-9 p.m. Study area maps, traffic and accident data and other related information will be available for review.

WEDNESDAY Open Mic Night

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

Original songs only.

AT THE LIBRARIES Cold Spring Harbor Library

Free Cone Day Everyone’s favorite fundraiser returns April 14, when Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington and South Huntington teachers scoop your favorite flavors on Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s, 298 Main St., Huntington village, 12-10 p.m. Donations support Tri CYA’s summer youth programs.

SATURDAY World Acclaimed Artists At Piano Gallery

The Furuya Sisters perform Tchaikovsky and Mozart at Faust Harrison Pianos on April 11, 6:30 p.m. at 277 Walt Whitman Road (Rt 110), Huntington Station.

Tickets: $35 advance online purchase at www.FuruyaSisters.com/concertsbuy.htm or $40 at the door cash only. Program: Tchaikovskly Piano Trio in A Minor, Op. 50 and Mozart Piano Trio in E Major KV 542 I. Allegro.

SUNDAY Engeman Open House

Ever thought about becoming an Northport’s Engeman Theater season ticket holder? The next open house is April 12 at 6 p.m. The evening will include: complimentary beverages and light fare; live performance of songs from upcoming shows; a brief Q&A session with theater owners Kevin O'Neill and Richard T. Dolce and season ticket manager Jackie Polden. Space is limited; RSVP to 631-261-2900 or Jpolden@engemantheater.com.

Chai Center Camp Open House

Get a sneak peek at a summer full of fun and adventure at The Chai Center of Dix Hills, 501 Vanderbilt Parkway. Parents and children can tour the facility featuring all new indoor specialty club rooms and Certified Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom. Children will enjoy our moon bounce, art and our light and shadow room. April 12, 19 and 26, 10:30 a.m.

Call 631-351-8672 or visit thechaicenter.com for more information.

Fore Free!

Suffolk County Legislator Steve Stern, chairman of the Veterans and Seniors Committee, hosts a free event for children of active-duty military personnel, National Guard and reservists on Sunday, April 12 from 10 a.m. until noon at Monster Mini Golf, 410 C Commack Road, Deer Park.

Please RSVP to Legislator Steve Stern at 631-854-5100 or by e-mail, steve.stern@suffolkcountyny.gov.

MONDAY Thomas Merton, Spiritual Explorer

St. Joseph’s College hosts The Dr. Reza Khatib and Georgianna Clifford Khatib Chair in Comparative Religion Seventh Annual Lecture featuring Robert Ellsberg. Ellsberg will present a lecture entitled, "Thomas Merton – Spiritual Explorer" at St. Joseph’s College, McGann Conference Center, O’Connor Hall, 12:30 p.m. on April 13. Lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, call 631-687-2663 or visitwww.sjcny.edu.

TUESDAY Free Cone Day

Everyone’s favorite fundraiser returns April 14, when Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington and South Huntington teachers scoop your favorite flavors on Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s, 298 Main St., Huntington village, 12-10 p.m.

Donations support Tri CYA’s summer youth programs.

95 Harbor Road, Cold Spring Harbor.

631-692-6820. cshlibrary.org.

• The former Chief Curator of the Nassau County Museum of Art, Franklin Hill Perrell will be giving a presentation on Long Island’s famous artists.

• Teenagers can enjoy a night of cupcake decorating on Thursday, April 16, at 7 p.m.

Commack Public Library

18 Hauppauge Road, Commack. 631499-0888. commack.suffolk.lib.ny.us.

• Enjoy a friendly game of bridge or mah-jongg in the Community Room every Friday, from 1-5:30 p.m.

• Children in grades 6-12 are welcomed to join for Spring Break Lunch and a Movie: “Into the Woods” on Thursday, April 9, from 12-2 p.m.

Deer Park Public Library

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

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

Elwood Public Library

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

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

• Children in grades K-3 on Wednesday, April 15, 4:15 p.m., can create a macaroni masterpiece just like your parents did when they were young.

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.

• Come and enjoy a walk-in art program

(Continued on page A23)

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015 • A23

(Continued from page A22)

I Hope I Get It! The classic “A Chorus Line” shows through May 10 at the John W. Engeman Theater At Northport, 350 Main St., Northport. www.johnwengemantheater.com.

631-261-2900.

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.

• Celebrate the spring with a kid’s All-Day Spring Hunt on Saturday, April 11.

Huntington Public Library

Main Branch: 338 Main St., Huntington.

631-427-5165. Station Branch: 1335 New York Ave., Huntington Station. 631-4215053. 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.

• Learn memoir writing from Eileen Obser, author of “Only You” this Thursday, April 9 at 2 p.m. Registration is required.

Northport-East Northport Public Library

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

• Bring your child (ages 6-23 months old) for a morning of nursery rhymes and songs on Tuesday, April 14, from 1010:30 a.m.

• Enjoy the movie “Unbroken” on Friday, April 17, from 2-4 p.m.

South Huntington Public Library

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

• The library has extended hours on Saturday nights in March! From 7-9 p.m. patrons will have access to WiFi and the audio-visual collection, which includes Blu-Ray discs, movies and TV series on DVD and video games. Also, each Saturday night at 7 p.m. there will be a show downstairs in the Community Room.

• Children, ages 16-30 months, are welcomed to join for a morning of songs, stories and movement activities on Tuesday, April 14, at 10 a.m.

THEATER & FILM Cinema Arts Centre

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

• The one and only, as fresh and tuneful today as it was back in 1964, “Mary Poppins” screens in the monthly Cinema for Kids! Series on Sunday, April 19 at 12 p.m. Free for kids under 13/$7 members/$12 public.

• “The New Black” takes viewers into the pews and onto the streets and provides a seat at the kitchen table as it tells the story of the historic fight to win marriage equality in Maryland and charts the evolution of this divisive issue within the black community.

Screens Sunday, April 12, 7 p.m. In Person: LI native Karess TaylorHughes. CAC & LIGLFF Members $10, Public $15.

John W. Engeman Theater At Northport

350 Main St., Northport. www.john-

wengemantheater.com. 631-261-2900.

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

AUDITIONS/SUBMISSIONS Northport Symphony Orchestra

The Northport Symphony Orchestra seeks new members in all sections.

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

MUSEUMS/EXHIBITS Art League of Long Island

107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills.

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

• 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. A Reception will be held Saturday, April 11, from 6-9 p.m.

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery

1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor.

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

• Earth Day at the Hatchery will be celebrated throughout the month of April with a focus on frogs. April 18-19 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. a special event focusing on wood frogs will take place.

Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum

279 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor.

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

• The year-long exhibit “Sea Ink: American Sailors and Tattoo Art” explores the culture and significance of nautical tattoos and their historical origins from sailors’ lives at sea. The exhibit features an array of tattoo artifacts, antique machines, early inking tools and Sailor Jerry flash art.

• Green Arts Eco-Faire: On Saturday, April 18, 11-4, in honor of Earth Day, celebrate nature and your love for the ocean with recycled and eco-friendly

arts. Visit environmentally conscious vendors and local artisans selling everything from handmade soaps and candles to wooden toys and fantastic jewelry. Enjoy 1/2 off museum admission and craft stations for the kids.

Heckscher Museum Of Art

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

• The 19th annual “Long Island’s Best: Young Artists at The Heckscher Museum” exhibition is back. On view from through April 19 will be artwork by students in grades 9-12 from public and private schools throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Holocaust Memorial And Tolerance Center

Welwyn Preserve. 100 Crescent Beach Road, Glen Cove. Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun.: noon-4 p.m.

516-571-8040 ext. 100. www.holocaustnassau.org.

• The permanent exhibit explains the 1930s increase of intolerance, the reduction of human rights, and the lack of intervention that enabled the persecution and mass murder of millions of Jews and others: people with disabilities, Roma and Sinti (Gypsies), Jehovah’s Witnesses, gays and Polish intelligentsia.

Huntington Arts Council

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.

• Coming up, the Gallery presents a twoman show featuring the work of Brian Kirhagis (A.K.A. BK The Artist) and Northport native, Edward Joseph on Saturday, April 11.

Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium

180 Little Neck Road, Centerport.

Museum hours through April 15: Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, 12-4 p.m. Grounds admission: $7 adults, $6 students with ID and seniors 62 and older, and $3 children 12 and under.

Mansion tour, add $5 per person. 631854-5555. www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

• Come and enjoy an afternoon of mansion touring, which begins in the Courtyard of the historic house once owned by William K. Vanderbilt II. Tours 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

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.

• “I See Me,” the self-portrait show, will be on display in the Main Street Gallery through April 27.

Five Towns College Performing Arts Center

Huntington Historical Society

The Paramount

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.

• Come and enjoy the Lunch and a Learn program, at Black & Blue Restaurant in Huntington to learn about the Journey and Legacy of Theodore Roosevelt on April 9 at noon.

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

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

• The next show at the center brings a loved movie to life. “The Wedding Singer” musical shows April 16-19. $18 adults, $15 seniors/students.

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

• Take a trip Back to the Eighties with Jessie’s Girl on Friday, April 10.

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

A24 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015 • A25

HISTORY

Birthplace Explores War Through Literary Lens

By Danny Schrafel dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

A five-part series at the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association is set to begin an exploration of war through the words of veterans with a forum April 19 focusing on Long Island and the Civil War. The event will help to launch a fivepart series of monthly literary events aimed at promoting learning and supporting veterans, Walt Whitman Birthplace Association Executive Director Cynthia Shor said.

“Our goals are to provide a public forum for the community to explore, debate, and critically discuss all aspects of war, using the texts and words of veterans and scholars as a starting point,” she said. “We hope to foster individual knowledge, new understandings, community connections and personal growth for all participants.”

Next Sunday’s program will also serve as the launch of the book, “Long Island and the Civil War,” cowritten by historians Bill Bleyer, a

longtime Newsday reporter and Harrison Hunt, Nassau County Parks’ Senior History Curator, who previously wrote “Hallowed Ground” and “Heroes of the Civil War.” Their joint literary effort explores the 1860 presidential election and shares the wartime experiences on the battlefield and the home front alike.

Shor said the sesquicentennial of the end of the Civil War – and Whitman’s strong connection to the war as a nurse whose “Drum Taps” poetry collection emerged from his war experiences – were not the only inspirations for the series.

“A 2014 member survey indicated members wanted historic programs added to our literary schedule,” she said, adding that, “Through outreach to historical groups, we learned that Long Island has the highest percentage of veterans in the nation, and as a result, the veteran suicide rate is also the highest.”

At first, Shor said the group began to design a historic program focused on “Drum Taps” and began discussing ways to address the needs of

veterans.

“Then we began to envision a series of historic programs offering Humanities texts which could explore war, conflict and democracy,” she said.

“We strategized formats for optimum community attendance and engagement.”

From that hypothesis emerged “War, Words, Wisdom – A Veteran Experience Series.” The first and last programs cover the Civil War, while the second and fourth encompass World War II and the Vietnam and Iraq wars. The third installment of the series is a closed veterans writing workshop, followed by a veteran workshop reading event.

“We want to convey a greater understanding of the importance of the Civil War as a historical reference to all American wars,” Shor said. “We target Civil War followers for whom 200 new books are published each year, and we target veterans of all wars and their families, who will benefit from other soldiers’ first-person narratives. We aim to provide new ways to inform, educate and inspire

The wartime works of Walt Whitman, pictured in 1863, helped to inspire a five-part series of events at the Walt Whitman Birthplace. The inscription reads: “1863 war time, Washington DC.” the community about conflict and conflict resolution.”

For more information, call the birthplace at 631-427-5240, ext. 112.

CHARITY

Baseball Legend Named Townwide Fund Honoree Famous baseball player Dwight “Doc” Gooden, one of the most celebrated pitchers in the game, will be the guest of honor at the Townwide Fund of Huntington’s golf outing next month.

The 2015 Charity Golf Outing, set for Thursday, May 14 at the Huntington Crescent Club, located at 15 Washington Drive in Huntington.

Registration starts at 10:30 a.m.

Brunch will be served and the shotgun start is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Refreshments and lunch will be served throughout the day on the course.

Post-golf festivities, including cocktails, dinner, dessert, live and silent auctions, raffles and awards presentation, are from 6-9 p.m. Nongolfers are invited to join. Tickets for dinner alone are $135 per person.

Dwight “Doc” Gooden played in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays from 19842000. He is best-known for his days with the Mets and the famed 1986 World Series Champions as well as his no-hitter with the Yankees. He is a four-time MLB All-Star and threetime World Series champion who won

From left: Dwight Gooden, Jr., VP of Business Development, 1st Equity; David Altman, partner at Brown and Altman; Rich Cave, EVP/COO of 1st Equity and co-founder of PinkTie.org; James T. Powers, president of the Townwide Fund; “Doc” Gooden; Townwide Fund Executive Director Trish Rongo; Mike Cave, CEO of 1st Equity; and Keith Brown, a partner at Brown and Altman and a Townwide Fund Executive Board Member. the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1984, leading the league in strikeouts. He then won the National League CyYoung Award and a Triple Crown in 1985. While a member of the Yankees, Gooden threw a no-hitter in 1996.

Doc is currently the MVP of Business Development for 1st Equity Title & Closing Services, with headquarters in Melville. He is also the spokesperson for PinkTie.org, a 100percent pass-through organization dedicated to bringing their vast net-

work of real estate professionals together, in order to network for a cure and raise funds for causes that impact our community.

For more information, call Executive Director Trish Rongo at the Fund’s office at 631-629-4950.

A26 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015

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Announcements LOOKING FOR EMPLOYEES Of Aid Auto-Bohemia and Hicksville, in the 1970’s for co-worker search.

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THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015 • A27

HillSPORTS BASEBALL>> HILLS EAST 12, COPIAGUE 3

By Andrew Wroblewski awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

The Thunderbirds of Half Hollow Hills High School East’s baseball team completed its first three-game series sweep of the 2014-2015 season on Monday by defeating the Eagles of Copiague, 12-3, in League III play.

Kevin Jimenez led the Thunderbirds on the mound as he allowed just three hits, one walk and an earned run to earn the first win of his varsity career. Matt Schwartz fueled the Thunderbirds’ offense with a 2-for-2 campaign from the plate – including a home run – which earned him 3 RBIs. Looking to build on last season, when the Thunderbirds finished league play with an 8-10 record, Head Coach Tim Belz was excited about Hills East’s fast start.

“We had a young team last year, but now this is the best team, all around, that I’ve ever had,” Belz said. “We’re going for a league title

Long Islander News photo/archives

Thunderbirds Soaring At The Season’s Start

The Thunderbirds of Half Hollow Hills High School East are back on the baseball diamond to start their 2014-2015 campaign. and we hope that we can perform at the level we need to in order to get there.”

This year’s Thunderbirds squad rosters 13 senior classmen and six players who have already committed to playing baseball at the college level.

Catcher Rich Villa, committed to Lafayette University, is a four-year varsity player that’s “all the way around good” at the game of baseball.

Brandon Bonomo, Hills East’s no. 1 pitcher, is a senior headed for

Marist University in the fall with a fastball that touches the 90 milesper-hour mark, Belz said. Bonomo led the Thunderbirds in their firstof-three wins over Copiague (0-3) with an 11-strikeout performance on March 30; Hills East won that game 8-0.

“He’s a legitimate no. 1 pitcher,” Belz said.

Sophomore Patch Dooley made his mark as Hills East’s no. 2 pitcher in the team’s second win over the Eagles, which came via a score of 15-4 on April 1. Dooley struck out

10 and allowed just one hit, one walk and no earned runs over four innings to secure his first varsity win.

Perhaps one of Hills East’s strongest players, Belz said, also rattled the scorecards during that win: freshman “phenom” Matt Hogan.

“He’s got a cannon for an arm and he runs well,” Belz said of the centerfielder. “He’s a big, strong kid that started for us last year as an eighth-grader.”

Hogan went 4-for-5 with a home run, triple and 6 RBIs to power the Thunderbirds past Copiague on April 1, and, on Monday, he contributed by shutting the Eagles down in the final three innings of the game with a solid pitching performance.

The Thunderbirds (3-0), however, didn’t skip a beat and were back out on the diamond early Tuesday after press time to begin a series with the Wildcats of Walt Whitman (0-2).

The final game of that three-game series will be played at Walt Whitman High School on Friday; first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

Team Kicks Off ‘Acompora Challenge’

By Carina Livoti clivoti@longislandergroup.com

Northport High School’s varsity girls lacrosse team won its second game in a row on Monday, but the night was far from over for the hardworking group of ladies. The whole team moved straight from the game to what they’re calling “The Acompora Challenge” for CPR/AED training.

The Acompora Challenge calls for whole sports teams to become CPR/AED trained. Emily Yoo, the team’s captain, came up with the idea as a way to honor the Acompora family.

“Getting CPR/AED certified is something that’s really close to my heart and Northport lacrosse. I was really looking for a way to spread awareness and Louis’s story,” she said.

Louis Acompora was a Northport varsity boys lacrosse player who tragically died from a condition

known as commotio cordis while playing lacrosse in his first high school game in 2000.

Acompora was struck in the chest, knocking his heart into an abnormal rhythm called ventricular fibrillation, which eventually caused his heart to stop. After learning that Louis’s life could have been saved by an AED (automated external defibrillator), his family formed the Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation to raise awareness and promote training in CPR and AED use.

Emily’s mother, Doreen Yoo, explained that her daughter was inspired by the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS and its success in raising awareness. The team showed its support through 100 percent attendance at the post-game training session, even after spending the evening beating Smithtown West 7-6.

“They came directly from the game without changing,” Doreen said.

Both Doreen and Emily said that

they were proud of the team. Doreen added how special the Northport lacrosse community is, citing the Acompora family as one of its key features.

“The Acomporas give out a scholarship every year. The family has been at every awards dinner just supporting the girls,” she said.

John and Karen Acompora led the training session at the East Northport Fire Department on Monday. John said that in the 12 or so years he, Karen, and their team have been teaching CPR and AED training, they had not had a group of kids like this before.

“We’ve done coaches and organizations, but not a whole team of kids like this; I think that’s what makes this so special tonight,” he said.

Emily said that after the team was certified, they were looking to chal-

Karen Acompora, mother of Louis Acompora, inset, teaches how to deliver even chest compressions. lenge the Northport High School varsity boys lacrosse team. Her mother said they were also going to call out Syosset.

“I’m definitely hoping that it will gain as much awareness as it can. I don’t want to put a limit on it; if it could go nationwide, I think that would be really useful,” Emily said.

A28 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • APRIL 9, 2015

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