HALF HOLLOW HILLS Copyright © 2012 Long Islander Newspapers, LLC
Online at www.LongIslanderNews.com VOLUME FIFTEEN, ISSUE 41
N E W S P A P E R
24 PAGES
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2012
DIX HILLS
Toy Drive Donates Gifts By The Thousands Set back by Superstorm Sandy, organizers make up for lost time and triple in contributions Half Hollow Hills photo/Jacqueline Birzon
By Jacqueline Birzon jbirzon@longislandernews.com
After Superstorm Sandy ravaged the east coast, the Plumitallo family of Dix Hills were worried their annual Sunshine Toy Drive wouldn’t be as successful as it has been in years past. A stroke of luck and generosity, however, allowed the Dec. 15 drive to secure toys for an additional 400 children this holiday season, donating a total of over 2,000 toys to children in need. Simply by word of mouth, Cindy Perez, vice president of Valrico Ventures in Texas, learned of the effort and donated $10,000 to the drive on the company’s behalf. Subsequently, Valrico’s New Jersey-based partner company, S&D Transfer, matched Valrico’s donation and contributed an additional $10,000 to go toward the purchase of toys and gift certificates to stores like Wal-Mart and Home Depot. S&D also donated a company truck that was used to store and bus the toys that were purchased during shopping ventures. This year, event organizers Mike, Hope and Victoria Plumitallo catered to a
Victoria Plumitallo sits with countless gifts that were donated on Dec. 15 to children in need and those affected by Superstorm Sandy.
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MELVILLE
PD: Sweet Hollow Hall Fire Was Arson Fire chief says blaze was burning long before the 911 call was made mkoehler@longislandernews.com
The fire that ravaged Sweet Hollow Hall last week was started intentionally. Suffolk County police said Arson detectives determined the blaze that destroyed the historic building in West Hills County Park on Dec. 10 was no accident. “Why would anyone want to destroy that place? There’s nothing there. It’s in the middle of a county park,” said Alissa Taff, president of Sweet Hollow Civic Association. According to police, someone intentionally set the fire around 1:25 a.m. that morning. Flames grew, ultimately leaving behind just brick and charred remains. The roof is completely gone, said Melville Fire Chief Michael Carrieri, who responded with 30 firefighters. The building was originally construct-
ed as a school for the Presbyterian Church of Sweet Hollow. When the church moved to Old Country Road, the building was sold to Suffolk County. It has since become a home for nonprofits like Starflower Experiences and the Senior Pops Orchestra of Long Island. “It has history,” Taff said. Starflower Executive Director Laurie Farber said her organization used the hall and the park to help people better understand the environment. With a group of kids scheduled for a class just days after the fire, Farber moved that program to Manor Farm, but said they lost a substantial amount of necessary materials for that and other programs. “There’s stuff there that is irreplaceable because you can’t get that stuff there again. We keep hoping, there’s a chance we can get in and salvage something. We haven’t heard back,” Farber
Photo by Melville Fire Department
By Mike Koehler
The blaze that ravaged Sweet Hollow Hall last week was arson, according to Suffolk County police.
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IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION
School Board: Nothing Is Safe From Cuts A5
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