half hollow hills newspaper - march 28, 2013

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A builder linked to development atthe Americana Manhasset has proposedan upscale retail center for a 38-acreslice of the Mediavilla Farm apple or-chard on Jericho Turnpike. Great Neck-based developer Kouros

Torkan, of the Villadom Corporation,hopes to transform the 55-acre proper-ty, currently made up of sand dunes, in-to a two-story, mixed-use center com-prised of both retail and professionaltenants. The facility will be entirelycommercial, although the property iscurrently zoned residential with a farmexemption.The developer’s construction will cost

approximately $80 million, and the ad-ditional work tenants will contribute isestimated at $20 million.The 55-acre property currently be-

longs to Solomon Mediavilla. Approxi-mately 43 acres would need to be re-zoned, and approximately 10 acresacross the property will be preserved asgreen space. The other half of the prop-

erty, owned by Solomon’s sister, MaryPombo, will remain untouched.Solomon signed a 99-year lease with Vil-ladom that allows him future develop-ment rights to his half of the property.Torkan recently presented his plan to

various civic associations, including Pre-serving Elwood Now, to receive feedback

Half H

ollow Hills photos/Jacquelin

e Birzon

& M

ike Koehler

DIX HILLS

Trading In Sand Dunes For ShoppingDeveloper plans $100-million, upscale retail center for portion of Mediavilla property

Great Neck-based developer Kouros Torkan presents his plans for anupscale retail center, which would lie on a portion of the 55-acre Medi-avilla property, left.

By Jacqueline [email protected]

Closing On ‘The Club’ Could Happen This WeekWith planning and court approvals in hand, attorneys say land sales are imminent

MELVILLE

The transactions needed to allow an af-fordable senior housing community,Sweet Hollow Park and a new mandir forthe BAPS to be built are expected to hap-pen any day now, attorneys for the reli-gious order and Deshon Partners said.Huntington’s planning board granted fi-

nal approval March 20 for a site plan forthe Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushot-tam (BAPS) mandir, to be built on 5 acresof Deshon Partners’ 18-acre parcel locatedat 25 Deshon Drive. They will share theparcel with The Club at Melville, a 261-unit, for-sale, affordable 55-and-over sen-ior community.The 49,196-square-foot mandir will be

two stories (but less than 45 feet) tall andhave 220 parking spaces, according toplans filed with the town. Most of thesquare footage, to the tune of 42,135

(Continued on page A10)

Huntington’s planning board signed off Wednesday on site plans, pictured, for the BAPS’ new 49,196 square-foot mandir at 25 Deshon Drive– the final piece in a deal that will yield Sweet Hollow Park and The Club at Melville senior community along with the temple.

By Danny [email protected]


I N T H I S W E E K ’ S E D I T I O N

TThheeGGrreeeenn GGuuiiddee

www.LongIslanderNews.comA2 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 28, 2013 Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.

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An intensified crackdown on IRA with-drawal and deposit violations by the IRSis hitting seniors too hard for innocentmistakes, Congressman Steve Israel (D-Huntington) argued at a press conferenceMonday.At his Melville district office, Israel and

a panel of financial and legal expertshoned in on a penalty incurred when IRAaccount holders, who use the account toset money aside for retirement tax-free,fail to make required withdrawals fromtheir account after reaching age 70-and-a-half. That can result in the loss of half ofthe money that should have been with-drawn, and with no statute of limitations,the penalties can pile up quickly.“I want the IRS to be very, very aggres-

sive in pursuing cheating and fraud,” Israelsaid, “but I’m hearing rising concern frommy constituents that an innocent error…will expose those seniors to excessivepenalties.”He later noted that 40 percent of Amer-

icans have an IRA.Exceeding the IRA contribution cap can

result in a 6-percent penalty on the excess,but failing to withdraw at age 70-and-a-half can trigger the big 50-percent fine.Israel said IRA account holders under

age 50 can contribute no more than $5,500a year, while those over 50 can contribute$6,500 a year. Anyone over 59-and-a-half

years old may withdraw from their ac-count as penalty-free, taxable income, butonce they reach age 70-and-a-half, theymust begin withdrawing from their IRA.Jericho-based CPA Seymour Goldberg

explained that the crackdown on IRA vio-lations stems from an Oct. 15 report issuedby the Major Investment division of theIRS to the U.S. Treasury Department’s in-spector general.In a January letter, Israel urged IRS

leaders to step up IRA compliance educa-tion, reassess penalties for innocent mis-takes, and share with the public details ofits plans to increase enforcement. Israelsaid he has not heard back yet from theIRS.On Monday, Israel reiterated that push,

urging the IRS to give seniors an opportu-nity to fix unintentional IRA mistakeswithout penalty.Ron Fatoullah, an elder-law attorney

based in Great Neck, said the IRS crack-down on IRA violations could have a dan-gerous impact on the welfare of seniors.“This crackdown will affect our frail

elderly and their retirement accounts thatthey hope to rely on as they age,” he said.“These seniors are not criminals, butrather law-abiding citizens who want to dothe right thing, but who are simply notaware of the distribution rules.”Goldberg recommended distributing a

frequently asked questions sheet for con-sumers to highlight common errors andencouraging closer collaboration with ac-

counting and legal professionals so fami-lies can avoid IRA and inheritance-relatedtax pitfalls.Education, he stressed, is paramount to

generating increased compliance.“The problem is the IRS has problems

manpower-wise to deliver the public mes-sage,” Goldberg said. “If the IRS can’t deliv-er, how do you expect the enforcement to goon without people knowing the problem?”

Certified financial planner Henry Mon-tag said additional professional develop-ment for attorneys, accountants and finan-cial planners handling IRAs is importantas well.“There’s an awful lot of information

here that the professionals aren’t familiarwith, let alone the lay person,” he said. “Asa result of that, there’s an awful lot of mon-ey that could possibly go the wrong way.”

MELVILLE

Israel To IRS: BackOff On SeniorsArgues crackdown on IRA violations hits elderly who make mistakes too hard

Congressman Steve Israel urges the IRS to reconsider a recent crackdown in noncompli-ance with IRA contribution and withdrawal rules at a Monday morning press conference athis Melville district office.

Half

Hollow

Hills

photo/Dan

nySchrafel


An upcoming expansion of the Long Is-land Railroad’s main line has communitymembers within the southern stretch ofHuntington very optimistic.The LIRR is nearing the end of prelimi-

nary planning for their Double Track Proj-ect. When completed in late 2018, two fulltracks will run from their Farmingdale sta-tion to their Ronkonkoma station. Current-ly just one track runs most of that length.LIRR Commuter Council Chairman

Mark Epstein is a Melville resident whouses theWyandanch station to commute in-to New York City. Adding a full secondline, he said, would avoid delays from bro-ken trains and allow for more riders.“People who take the Ronkonkoma line,

the single track affects our lives each andevery day,” Epstein said.Melville Chamber of Commerce Presi-

dent Mike DeLuise said many fellow resi-dents of the hamlet use either the Farming-dale or Huntington stations. He believescreating the ability to run more trains intothe city could open some congestion onLong Island.The Double Track Project is a two-phase

project that began in 2012. LIRR officialssay will double the number of trains be-tween Ronkonkoma and Farmingdale.Phase I consists of adding a second track

north of the current line betweenRonkonkoma and Central Islip. When 30percent of the design is complete nextmonth, LIRR spokesman Sal Arena said

they will issue a design/build contract.Construction is expected to be complete bySeptember 2016.Phase II incorporates adding second

track from Central Islip to Farmingdale.That includes adding tracks south of theexisting lines, except for the existing dou-ble track between Brentwood and DeerPark. Design is expected to begin in 2015for the second stage, with construction fin-ishing in late 2018.The project is not expected to require ad-

ditional land as both phases will use prop-erty already within LIRR’s right-of-way.

The price tag for Phase I is $138 million,already funded through the MTA’s 2010-2014 Capital Program. The cost of Phase IIis $297 million, and has not been funded.Arena said they expect it to be part of theMTA’s 2015-2019 Capital Program.Epstein said the budget has to be

watched carefully to ensure the agencydoes not overspend.Meanwhile, the LIRR spokesman said

the project will have no direct impact onfares.Adding more trains and more riders

could defray any subsequent increase, Ep-

stein said, while DeLuise argued it mayadd value to the current service, which heconsiders overpriced.“Look at what they charge you now,” the

chamber head said.At the intersection of Dix Hills, Brent-

wood and Commack, Jerry Wolkoff is stillworking on his Heartland Business Center.Wolkoff has spent 10 years trying to turnthe 452 acres, formerly the Pilgrim StatePsychiatric Center, into a city of high-den-sity residential and commercial property.The Double Track Project, Wolkoff said,

would definitely benefit the future resi-dents of Heartland.“I think it’d be wonderful for everyone

on Long Island. It’ll speed up the time itwould take to get into the city and make itmuch safer and better. I think it’s a won-derful thing,” he said.The project could also connect with the

future Republic station. A popular topic ofconversation of late, especially involvingBus Rapid Transit systems along Route110, Republic was closed in 1986 aftertrack in the area was electrified.DeLuise and Vision Long Island Execu-

tive Director Eric Alexander spoke aboutthe advanced bus system in October as away to connect the North and South Shoresof Long Island through mass transit.The Double Track Project, Arena said,

would provide the LIRRwith the necessaryinfrastructure to service a potential Repub-lic station.“While such a station is currently not

funded at this time, LIRR believes that the

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

In Support Of Second Train TrackLocal voices say increased ridership, possible Republic station essential for survival

The LIRR’s Double Track Project, which will add a second track between Ronkonkoma andFarmingdale, would have a significant impact on the Half Hollow Hills area.

Half

Hollow

Hills

photo/Luan

nD

allojacono

By Mike [email protected]

(Continued on page 13)

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QUOTE OF THE WEEKCAPTAIN CHRISTOPHERBUERGOLD

“They think it’s abetter thing, butthey’re really fool-ing themselves ifthey think they’renot doing boththeir children andother children aserious injusticeby promotingdrinking in thehome.”

Arrests After Banquet

PAGE A7

It’s Over

Suffolk police responded to Huntington Station aboutpossible aggravated harassment on March 22. The com-plainant said they had been receiving texts and emailmessages from an ex-employee.

Wonder Where Stolen Drugs Will End Up

A Centerport resident called Suffolk County police toreport a theft on March 21. Police found prescriptionmedications and two Mac Pro laptops were stolen.

So Much For Controlling Emissions

Suffolk police responded to the Cold Spring HarborLIRR station on March 22 about a theft. The complainantsaid someone stole a catalytic converter from their 2004Toyota.

Were They Trying To Get In?

A Huntington resident called Suffolk County police onMarch 21 about criminal mischief. Police found a rearwindow of the home damaged.

Teen Flees Scene In Transformer SUV

Amotorist called Northport Village police to report be-ing rear-ended along Fort Salonga Road on March 21.The complainant said a white SUV driven by a maleteenager hit the back of his vehicle. Both drivers agreedto pull to the side of the road, but the complainant said theSUV fled southbound on Laurel Road. No damage wasobserved and the complainant was uninjured, althoughthe case was forwarded to a detective. The complainantsaid the SUV had a Transformers sticker on the rear dri-ver’s side window.

Hey, That’s Not You!

A Brooklyn man was arrested by Suffolk County po-lice on March 20 after he allegedly used a stolen creditcard and driver’s license at a Huntington departmentstore. The 45-year-old suspect allegedly bought threewatches and a gift card. He was charged with grand lar-ceny, identity theft and possession of a forged instrument,all felonies. Police said the credit card and license be-longed to a Connecticut man.

That’s A Lot Of Scratching

Suffolk police responded to a Huntington parking loton March 20 about criminal mischief. The complainantsaid an unknown person scratched the front and passen-ger side doors of their 2011 Nissan Rogue.

Just Lock Your Doors

Suffolk police were dispatched to a Centerport homeon March 19 about a possible burglary. Somebody en-tered a 2010 Toyota Corolla through an unlocked door.An iPod shuffle and cash were stolen.

Cops Charge Teen With Assault

A Dix Hills teenager was arrested for assault on March19. The 16-year-old allegedly attacked another female ata state-run residential facility in Dix Hills.

A history lesson… For all of my non-Jewish read-ers, Passover took place on Monday and Tuesday. Theholiday commemorates the Jews escape from the an-cient Egyptians, including the marking of doorpostswith the blood of a lamb so the last of the 10 plagues– death of the first-born Egyptian son – would passover their house. According to some, Christianity’s ob-servance of Maundy Thursday – the observance of theLast Supper three days before Easter Sunday – has itsroots in Passover. The Last Supper may have actuallybeen eaten on Passover. Some Muslims also fastaround the same time in obser-vance of how Moses and his fol-lowers were saved by the partingof the Red Sea. However, their re-ligion specifically chooses different dates than theJewish holiday of Passover.

March Madness… Have you caught the fever?The brackets are out and everyone and their mothersseem to be talking college hoops. I can hardly keep upwith the teams I’m supposed to know, let alone all ofthe other ones.Who’s ever heard of the Creighton BlueJays or La Salle Explorers? One of the newest teams tothe bracket, Florida Gulf Coast, is the first No. 15 seedto reach the Sweet 16. Just don’t remind our editor ofthat fact. She’s a Hoya, and Florida Gulf Coast beatGeorgetown on the way, busting many a bracket, in-cluding hers.

Leave the madness out of it… Has anyone elseheard the radio commercial for a Long Island eye carepractice that is using the college basketball tournamentas a promotion? Every 31st patient who comes in for aconsultation wins a free Lasik procedure. When itcomes to something involving body parts, lasers and/orknives and my vision, I think I’d rather my doctors beardent fans of something calmer, like golf.

No need to panic… it’s just that there’s a missingvial of deadly virus. Apparently a vial containing he-morrhagic fever disappeared in a Texas research facil-ity over the weekend. Officials say the virus is nativeto Venezuela, and it can only be transmitted through

Venezuelan rats. They say it was probably destroyedduring the lab’s cleaning process. Still, the prospect ofno one knowing where a virus with the word for “pro-fuse bleeding” in its name went is not exactly some-thing I want to hear.

Danger,Will Robinson…Although I wonder howmuch more dangerous a missing vile of virus is thanthe stunts Harold Lloyd used to pull in his silentcomedies. A few of the staff members last week went

to the Cinema Arts Centre tosee “Safety Last,” the 1923silent film classic with thefamous scene where Lloydhangs from the clock.What’sreally amazing is what Lloydwas able to accomplish

physically with no green screen to help create any il-lusions. Like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin,Lloyd did his own stunts, and there was no safety netin case the worst happened. In fact, he scaled thebuilding and dangled from that clock even without aright thumb and index finger, both of which he lostperforming another stunt years earlier! Talk aboutrisking your life for your art. If you saw the film“Hugo” last year, you saw that main character hangfrom the clock in an homage to “Safety Last,” and thatfor sure was computer generated. I hear that SofiaVer-gara also hangs from a clock in one of her Diet Pepsicommercials, although I can’t say for sure how realher stunt was. Either way, I raise my glass (of hot tea,due to this not-spring-like spring weather) to thosewho do their own stunts, today and yesterday, for ourentertainment. And if you can check out the silentmovie series at Cinema Arts Centre, the staff herecame back highly recommending it.

(Aunt Rosie wants to hear from you! If you havecomments, ideas, or tips about what’s happening inyour neck of the woods, write to me today and let meknow the latest. To contact me, drop a line to AuntRosie, c/o The Long-Islander, 149 Main Street, Hunt-ington NY 11743. Or try the e-mail [email protected])

IN THEKNOWWITHAUNTROSIE

Food For ThoughtPOLICE REPORTCompiled byMike Koehler

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Send a photo of your pre-school agechild or your favorite pet along witha brief anecdotal background andwe’ll consider it for “Baby Faces” or“Pet Faces.” For babies, include baby’sfull name, date of birth, hometownand names of parents and grandpar-ents. For pets, please include the pet’sname, age, hometown and breed, ifapplicable. Send to [email protected] or mail it to: Baby ofthe Week or Pet of the Week, c/o Long-Islander, 149 Main St., Huntington,NY 11743. Please include a daytimephone number for verificationpurposes.

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es


TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Andrew Holmes, 20, requires 24 hours of professionalsupervision, seven days a week. A resident of the Devel-opmental Disabilities Institute (DDI) Children’s Residen-tial Program in Huntington, he was diagnosed with autismas a toddler. His mother, Ellen, said without the servicesoffered by DDI, her son’s quality of life would be signifi-cantly reduced.Governor Cuomo’s 2013-2014 proposed budget cuts

may compromise those services that have given Andrewthe tools to succeed in life, proposing a $120-million re-duction in aid to the Office for People with Developmen-tal Disabilities (OPWDD), and $380 in cuts for Medicaidservices that assist the developmentally disabled through-out the state.The Huntington residential DDI program, based on Lit-

tle Plains Road in Huntington, offers children ages 5-21years old the opportunity to receive individualized atten-tion through educational, vocational and social services of-fered at the facility.Andrew was mainstreamed into a regular classroom at

the age of 6, however he was transferred back to DDI af-ter his aggressive behavior became a problem whenfunctioning at school.His brother Thomas, 17, is also on the autism spec-

trum; however his needs are different from those of thisolder brother. Thomas was also mainstreamed into a reg-ular classroom when he turned 6 years old, and hasstayed in an integrated educational setting since.As a student, Andrew received educational services

through DDI, and continued his experience through theCPR program where he has made “fantastic progress.”“Initially, coming in, he was having up to eight

tantrums a day. Now, having one every couple of months,that number has significantly gone down from eight aday, due to the outstanding care and help [he receives] at

DDI,” Holmes said.Holmes said at his worst, Andrew needs the attention of

four aids to calm him down and restrain him during an out-burst. Andrew was denied from three other agencies be-cause of the burden of his care, and DDI was the only or-ganization that would accommodate his needs. Due to theseverity of his behavior and his size—Andrew is 6’2’’ andweights 300 pounds—his parents do not have the ability tocalm him down on their own.His mother said that when Andrew lived a home, fam-

ily members suffered injuries due to his increasing tem-per, resulting in temporary loss of eyesight and brokenbones.The governor’s budget proposal includes a reconfigura-

tion of the Medicaid developmental disability financingsystem, called the Mental Hygiene Stabilization Fund, tohelp state agencies and providers withstand a $1.1-billionloss in Medicaid funding.The state proposes to cover $500 million in losses by

having the developmentally disabled provider communityabsorb a 6-percent reduction.An excerpt from the proposed 2013-2014 legislative

budget states, “OPWDD is seeking authorization fromthe Federal government to make changes… Withoutthese changes there could be significant negative conse-quences on the State’s ability to maintain current servicelevels. To ensure OPWDD delivers the most integratedand cost effective services possible, the budget supportsongoing plans to downsize institutional programs by in-cluding resources to fund more integrated and appropri-ate service opportunities in the community.”Andrew’s mother fears that should these reductions go

through, staffing and quality of services would severely de-cline at DDI locations across the board.“It affects quality of life, and presents severe safety is-

sues. It would directly affect the level of staffing rightnow,” she said. “It’s insensitive… It just baffles us why hewould go after the disabled.”

State Cuts Threaten ToDisable ServicesGovernor’s proposed 2013-2014 budget includes 6 percent reduction in disability care

Thomas and Andrew Holmes hold a poster, rallying againstthe governor’s proposed 6-percent cutback to services thatdirectly impact the developmentally disabled.



Suffolk County is making strides in aneffort to prevent energy drinks fromfalling into the hands of children, afterpassing a first of-its-kind law Tuesdaythat addresses educating the public on thedangers of energy drinks.The three-pronged approach includes

prohibiting the marketing and advertisingof stimulant drinks to minors under 18, pro-hibiting the distribution and sale of stimu-lant drinks to minors in county parks, andeducating Suffolk’s youth about the healthrisks associated with stimulant drinks.Since early 2012, Suffolk County Leg-

islator William Spencer (D-Centerport)consulted with industry experts, parents,members of the Suffolk County Board ofHealth and Department of Health Edu-cators to create an education initiativethat would empower stakeholders withinformation.As a parent to minors and a doctor, the

legislator said his resolution was prompt-ed from personal experience.“This is something I’ve witnessed per-

sonally in terms of the presence of compa-nies and messages we see around stores.The kids are just being inundated withmessages now that if you’re tired, don’tsleep, take an energy drink, and I thinkthat’s a really concerning message that haslong-term implications,” he said.Patricia Bishop-Kelly, a Huntington res-

ident and former director of public infor-mation and education for the county’s Of-fice of Health Education, said there areparallels between marketing strategies ofenergy drink companies, and the now de-

funct efforts of tobacco companies that inthe past, attempted to market their productto minors.“It’s being aggressively marketed to

kids…very invasive and insidious market-

ing that is similar to the original tobaccomarketing... The tobacco void has beenfilled by stimulant [energy drinks],” Bish-op-Kelly said.According to a Yale Rudd Center for

Food Policy and Obesity study, the Amer-ican Academy of Pediatrics recommendsthat energy drinks “never be consumed bychildren or adolescents.” The study indi-cates that the Red Bull energy drink com-pany has over 20 million Facebook fol-lowers, 158 million YouTube views permonth, and 223,000 Twitter followers,noting 59 percent of Facebook users arebetween the ages of 10 and 17 and 18 per-cent of Twitter users are 12-17 years old.“It’s not about vilifying companies…

It’s really about protecting our most vul-nerable, protecting children from a $9-bil-lion industry that spends over $100 millionin advertising, and it’s the deceptive mes-sage that I’m uncomfortable with,”Spencer said.Energy drink websites, and overall mar-

keting initiatives, share a common themeof catering to the “benefits” of consump-tion, which according to Spencer, is inac-curate and potentially dangerous.“The very concept is with energy drinks;

they really play off of increased perform-ance, as if there’s some naturalprocess…but they’re stimulants. We’remaking the brain go against its naturalneeds, and I think we do so at a price,” hesaid. “There is no reason for a developingmind and body to take these drinks, ever.”

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

County OKs First-Ever Energy Drink LawsLegislator Spencer rallies for parent, child education on stimulant beverages

Suffolk County Legislator William Spencer addresses stakeholders at a press conferenceTuesday regarding his energy drink education and protection plan.

Photo

byLora

Gellerstein



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DIX HILLS/MELVILLE

Driver Killed In Fiery DeathAn off-duty cop was killed when his

pickup truck erupted into flames followingan accident on the Long Island Express-way early Monday morning.A box truck and the pickup were head-

ed west near Exit 52, Suffolk County po-lice said, when the pickup was hit from be-hind. Both trucks erupted in flames.Robert Fling, first assistant chief for the

Dix Hills Fire Department, said theMelville Fire Department responded first.Unable to find the accident within their ju-risdiction, the Melville volunteers foundthe scene near Deer Park Avenue.Dix Hills’ paramedic was the first to ar-

rive from the department, followed byFling. He found the two trucks separatedby 150 feet – one on the shoulder and oneby the median. The pickup truck was fullyengulfed and flames were just beginningto leach from the cab into the storage holdof the box truck.

Dix Hills firefighters extinguished thefire in the box truck while Melville fire-fighters were already at work on the pick-up truck. Fling said he also had theMelville Fire Department take the boxtruck driver, Eduardo Garcia, of theBronx, to Huntington Hospital. He had“minor injuries.”However, the driver of the pickup, iden-

tified late on Monday as Joseph Pritchard,30, of North Babylon, could not be res-cued. He was an eight-year veteran of theNYPD.“By the time we got there, the truck was

fully engulfed in fire. There was no savinghim,” Fling said.Several passersby tried to pull the driv-

er out, the chief added, with no success.“The thing was folded up pretty good so

they probably weren’t getting the doorsopen,” he said.The highway was closed for several

hours on Monday. No other passengerswere in either truck and no other vehicleswere involved.


SOUTH HUNTINGTON

Arrests After BanquetParents of a student at St.Anthony’s High

School in South Huntington were arrestedSunday for allegedly endangering the wel-fare of a child after police said a 16-year-old became ill from alcohol poisoning.According to Captain Christopher Buer-

gold, Suffolk County Fifth Precinct policeofficers responded to a 911 call in Sayvilleat 1:33 a.m. Upon arrival, officers said theyfound at least 25 underage teens partying inan apartment, separate from the mainhome, following the Junior Ring Banquetheld at St. Anthony’s on Saturday night.Buergold said the one female appeared

to be “highly intoxicated,” and was trans-ported to Brookhaven Memorial Hospitalfor medical treatment. Police said a num-ber of other minors at the party had alsoconsumed alcohol, and officers found evi-dence of a beer drinking game and shotglasses.Other students at the party appeared in-

toxicated, police said. Witnesses—who

had not consumed alcohol—told policethat large quantities of vodka had been con-sumed at the party. Buergold said there wasno indication as to where the alcohol camefrom.Parents of the minors at the party were

contacted by police and were picked upfrom the Sayville home that night.John and Stacie Butler, both 54, were ar-

rested and charged with endangering thewelfare of a child, a class-A misdemeanor.

Stacie and John Butler were arrested afterallegedly letting high school students drink.



Wind Energy:A Faith-Based

InitiativeDEAR EDITOR:Maybe wind turbines would be

a good investment if the things ac-tually worked. But they don’t. Notthat well.But a lot of true believers don’t

care. They tell us wind is an idealway to solve global warming. Andthe only thing standing in its wayis the intransigence of dinosaur-minded fossil-fuel crowd.That, and the facts.Let’s put aside for a moment all

the talk about global warming –whether it exists, whether it isman-made, and whether alterna-tive energy will slow it down.Let’s even forget for a moment

that plunging price of natural gasand its increasing popularity as asubstitute for coal has reduced car-bon emissions to their lowest levelin 20 years. And is threatening tomake wind power even more eco-nomically obsolete.Let’s talk about what potential

investors in wind energy may notknow if they rely on the GreenEnergy Press: Wind turbines don’t

last as long as promised, don’tproduce as much energy as hoped,and require more maintenancethan anyone imagined.The Daily Mail recently report-

ed that the University of Edin-burgh found for onshore wind, themonthly load factor of turbines –a measure of how much electricitythey generate as a percentage ofhow much they could produce ifon at full power all the time –dropped from a high of 24 percentin the first year after construction,to just 11 percent after 15 years.And that is just for turbines that

are working. In America, numbersare hard to come by – another redflag for investors – but as many as1 in 4 wind turbines just does notwork. Some do not even spin.Others spin, but do not generateelectricity, so it is hard to tell bylooking at them.Hawaii provides the favorite ex-

ample: The 37 turbines at the Ka-maoa Wind Farm stood derelictfor more than six years after itwas discovered that repairs weremore expensive than replace-ments. This is just one of sixabandoned wind farms in one ofthe most wind-ideal places on theplanet.

The Altamont Wind Farms inNorthern California used to be thelargest wind farm on earth. Now itis known as the largest killer ofeagles and other raptors. The tur-bines are shut down for fourmonths a year to protect the birdsduring their migration.So much for that pro-forma.As many as 4,500 wind tur-

bines have been built – and aban-doned – in California alone. Butas long as the tax subsidies con-tinue, so will the good moneycontinue to chase the bad.How long can that last? Many

of the true believers don’t care.They even say that making moneyis no longer the point of being inbusiness. They are free to believethat. But not with my money.Even so, callers to my wealth

management business and syndi-cated financial talk radio showwant to know about the recentuptick in some wind energystocks; and whether now is agood time to add them to theirportfolios.There may be one million rea-

sons to invest in wind, or install awindmill. Most involve braggingto your friends that you are sav-ing the planet. But if you need

the energy or the money, don’t.Because right now, wind is still afaith-based initiative.

BILL GUNDERSONSan Diego, Calif.

Money-SavingSolutions

DEAR EDITOR:There’s no shortage of stories

about the fiscal crisis many of ourNewYork school districts aregrappling with these days. Fromcuts in school aid to sequestration,not to mention a healthy dose oftaxpayer angst, districts fromLong Island to Buffalo are walk-ing a tightrope; having to makeextremely difficult financial choic-es while continuing to providewhat is most important to all of us– the education of our children.There’s good news though; real

money-saving solutions that donot sacrifice our children’s edu-cation or safety. The New YorkSchool Bus Contractors Associa-tion (NYSBCA) has put forthlegislative solutions that couldsave approximately 20-percent ormore in annual transportationcosts – savings that could beused to prevent school closings,teacher lay-offs, program cutsand more.The largest potential savings,

contained in Senate EducationBudget Bill S.2607-C, allowsdistricts that switch to a privateschool bus operator to keep un-used transportation aid for up tofive years for whatever important

educational needs they have.School districts need every bit ofsupport they can get in exploringthis option, and, if they make achange, it’s a great help by al-lowing them to keep that differ-ence in savings. It’s also an in-stant savings for the State ofNew York.School districts across the state

have been able to reduce trans-portation costs an estimated $200million a year just by switchingto private school bus operators.For example, Manhasset SchoolDistrict on Long Island, whichmade the switch in 2005, is nowsaving over $1 million a year intransportation costs. Yet, manyother school districts continue toprovide their own busing at agreater expense.Another proposal put forth by

the NYSBCA calls for the elimi-nation of sales taxes on schoolbuses; taxes that are ironicallybeing indirectly paid by schooldistricts and state governmentthrough transportation contracts.The repeal would also apply toparts, maintenance, and fuel.Learn more at www.nysbca.com.Both measures are effective,

common sense ideas, bringingmuch-needed fiscal relief toschools and our state, while con-tinuing to provide New Yorkersthe safest and most reliable pupiltransportation services in thecountry.

PHIL VALLONEPresident

NewYork SchoolBus ContractorsAssociation

www.LongIslanderNews.com Please mention The Long Islander Newspapers when doing business with our advertisers.A8 • THE HALF HOLLOW HILLS NEWSPAPER • MARCH 28, 2013

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

A developer whose portfolio includes workon some very upscale properties hopes to builda large retail center on currently undevelopedland. Sitting at the crossroads where Dix Hills,Huntington and Elwood meet, the property iscomprised largely of sand dunes and abuts theMediavilla apple orchards on Jericho Turnpike.Kouros Torkan is principal of Great Neck-

based Villadom Corporation, a builder whosecredentials include some high-end propertieson the Island’s East End as well as ties to Man-hasset’s retail mecca, The Americana.He has been meeting with area civicgroups to explain his project, a mixed-use development that would include retailspaces, upper floor professional office andmedical space, and a good deal of public space.Torkan is avoiding the phrase “shopping

mall,” instead favoring “lifestyle center.” He es-timates the project will cost $80 million.While it’s early to weigh in on the project –

nothing is currently before the town’s planningboard – it’s not too early to support a projectthat would allow an underutilized property togenerate tax dollars and create jobs. Of course,these benefits come at a price, and we’ll trustthe professionals on the town’s planning staffto properly evaluate the traffic and environ-mental impacts.It’s not the first ambitious plan for the 38-

property. A “smart growth” project mixing res-idential, retail and office space was widely

thought to be too ambitious, andfailed to gain traction. And whilewe’d like to see more housing –

particularly workforce housing – we also sup-port commercial development that brings taxbenefits and creates economic opportunities.Town planners, residents and stakeholders cantie up this plan or help to make it a model de-velopment that brings in tax revenue. We favorthe latter.

Project Deserves Consideration

EDITORIAL

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Send letters to:The Editor, Half Hollow Hills Newspaper,149Main Street,Huntington, New York 11743or e-mail us [email protected]

149 Main Street, Huntington, New York 11743631.427.7000

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

Founded in 1996 by James Koutsis

Copyright © 2012 by Long Islander Newspapers, publishers of The Long-Islander, The Record, NorthportJournal and Half Hollow Hills Newspaper. Each issue of the The Long-Islander and all contents thereofare copyrighted by Long Islander, LLC. None of the contents or articles may be reproduced in any forumor medium without the advance express written permission of the publisher. Infringement hereof is a vio-lation of the Copyright laws.

N E W S P A P E RHALF HOLLOW HILLS

Peter SloggattAssociate Publisher/Managing Editor

Luann DallojaconoEditor

Mike KoehlerAssociate EditorDanny Schrafel

Jacqueline BirzonReporters

Ian BlancoDan ConroyProduction/

Art Department

Marnie OrtizOffice / Legals

Susan MandelAdvertising Director

Michael McDermottAccount Executive

GreenGuide

22001133

• PLANTING SEEDS FOR HEALTHY EATING • GOING GREEN AT HOME • GREENING THE ROADS WITH ELECTRIC CARS

• SAVING ENERGY AT THE OFFICE

LI 2 • MARCH 28, 2013 • LONG ISLANDER LIFE

Going… Going… Green!

The official newspaper of the Town of Huntington; Half Hollow HillsSchool District; Harborfields Public Library District; South

Huntington Water District; Cold Spring Harbor School District;Greenlawn Water District; South Huntington School District; Villageof Lloyd Harbor; Village of Huntington Bay; and the Centerport, Cold

Spring Harbor, Dix Hills, East Northport, Greenlawn, Halesite,Huntington, Huntington Manor and Melville Fire Districts.

Copyright © 2013 by Long Islander Newspapers, publishers of The Long-Islander, The Record,Northport Journal and Half Hollow Hills Newspaper. Each issue of the The Long-Islander and allcontents thereof are copyrighted by Long Islander, LLC. None of the contents or articles may bereproduced in any forum or medium without the advance express written permission of the pub-lisher. Infringement hereof is a violation of the Copyright laws.

149 Main Street,Huntington, New York 11743

631.427.7000newspapers

Luann DallojaconoEditor

Mike KoehlerAssociate EditorDanny Schrafel

Jacqueline BirzonReporters

Ian BlancoDan ConroyProduction/

Art Department

Marnie OrtizOffice / Legals

Susan MandelAdvertising DirectorMichael McDermottAccount Executive

Peter SloggattAssociate Publisher/Managing Editor

With so many ways to “go green” these days, we find it easy to get lostin the information overload. That’s why sections like our LIfe Green Guideare so important – they give you everything (or almost everything) youneed to know, abbreviated and in one place.In this issue, you’ll find ways to go green in every aspect of your life

– at home, at work, in the supermarket, on the road, and even in the hairsalon.It is important to remember that going green isn’t only good for the en-

vironment. It is also good for your health, and it can even help you savemoney.There’s no better time to adjust your lifestyle for the betterment of your-

self and this beautiful world we call home.

LONG ISLANDER LIFE • MARCH 28, 2013 • LI 3

Going Green In The RefrigeratorWhen doing your spring cleaning, take

the time to consider cleaning out some ofthe contents in your refrigerator. Expertssay that taking a few small steps towardhealthy eating habits, such as buying localproduce and reading food labels, can be lifechanging.Buying organic can be expensive, how-

ever there are safe, less costly alternativesto buying USDA 100-percent certifiedorganic products. Huntington’s ElizabethRexer, of EARL’s Kitchen Gardens, saidconsumers should look for products withthe “Non GMO Project Verified” label.Genetically modified organisms (GMO)are foods that have been modified usinggenetic engineering techniques.According to Karen Miller, president of

the Huntington Breast Cancer ActionCoalition, farmers will spray their cropswith pesticides that will aestheticallyenhance the final product, affecting charac-teristics such as color or size.“We know that eating foods that are

grown and sprayed with pesticides cannotbe good for our families at all, no matterhow much you wash them. That’s why weshould sacrifice now, so they’re not sacri-ficing later [in life],” Miller said.The Environmental Working Group

(EWG), a national environmental healthresearch and advocacy organization,publishes an annual guide of the top 12products consumers should buy organic,and a list of the top 15 products contain-ing the least amount of pesticides afterwashing them.The 2012 EWG Shopper’s Guide To

Pesticides In Produce identifies the top 12products consumers should buy organicallyunder their “Dirty Dozen Plus” list, includ-ing apples, celery, sweet bell peppers,peaches and strawberries. The top five con-tenders on the 2012 “Clean Fifteen” list,which are “lowest in pesticides,” includeonions, sweet corn, pineapples, avocadoand cabbage.An alternative to buying produce at the

supermarket is buying local produce from a

community farmers market.“Start with eating local – that has great

benefits. Keeping it local and supportingyour neighbors is the most important part.The beauty of farmers markets is you’restanding right there, buying produce fromyour farmers and asking them what prac-tices they’re using, so you’re aware of whatyou’re bringing into your home,” Rexer said.The method of food storage can also

have implications for your health.According to Miller, certain chemicals

found in food cans or glass jars, such asPhenol A, plasticizers, Bisphenol A, phtha-lates and parabens, compromise theendocrine system. Miller urged residents tolook inside the can to see if there is a whiteor grey lining, which indicates the possiblepresence of a sealant chemical used toincrease shelf life. Canned foods are also atrisk of heating up when stored in ware-houses, or in trucks during transit.“We’re now seeing that we need to all be

a part of this change. Consumers drive the

market… Really simple behavioralchanges will drive the market and prices[for organics] will go down,” Miller said.Getting used to the habit of reading food

labels can go a long way, Miller stressed.“Those slight changes, spending a

moment or two reading labels, willreduce the incidence of diseases, like can-cer, childhood diseases, learning disabili-ties – there are a myriad of diseases…Health is not going to come without sac-rifice; it comes when we are educated andmaking the right choices within our budg-et,” she said.Meat and poultry are no exception to the

conscious consumer experience.Centerport resident Erin Zammett

Ruddy, who has written extensively on thesubject, said to look for meat that says itwas raised without antibiotics. If it’sorganic, Ruddy said, no antibiotics areused. But she warned that a productlabeled as “natural” doesn’t necessarilymean much, since there is no Food and

Drug Administration regulation.Ruddy also said cows and chicken are

often fed antibiotics to help them grow, andonce humans consume the treated animal,they can become resistant to certain typesof antibiotics.“They are creating a breeding ground for

antibiotic resistant superbugs…It’s anunnecessary, un-therapeutic use of antibi-otics,” Ruddy said.According to the Huntington Breast

Cancer Action Coalition, meat and dairyproducts contaminated with growth hor-mones and antibiotics can lead to a varietyof complications, such as endocrine disrup-tions early in puberty and breast cancer.Rexer said consumers have to be a small

part of the solution in order to facilitatelarge-scale change.“I don’t think it’s just about consumer’s

choice. It’s about world consciousness, anda decision to encourage farming, and to getinto the practice of keeping our childrenand our planet healthy,” she said.

An example of a backyard garden that can yield safe crops with proper care and treatmentpractices.

Naturally grown, organic crops yielded froma local garden can go a long way in makinghealthy lifestyle choices.

PhotosbyElizabeth

Rexer


Wash, Cut, Dry, Style And Donate!Hair salon and spa celebrates Earth Day with fundraiser for clean water

With the snip of a scissor, a local spa will do its part toraise money for clean water in the region.Spa Adriana of Huntington, along with botanical beauty

brand Aveda, has committed to raising $5 million for cleanwater. The spa will be donating 100 percent of its profitsfrom hair cut services on April 22 to benefit Clean OceanAction, a local charity that advocates for the health ofwaterways in the NewYork and New Jersey area.“Spa Adriana continually strives to set an example of

environmental leadership and responsibility,” said JohnVater, owner of Spa Adriana. “For over 25 years we havecommitted ourselves to the organic trend in hair and skin-care. We take pride in our partnership with Aveda and lookforward to helping the company in its fundraiser endeavor.”The Huntington spa is not alone. Aveda salons through-

out the world, including Tokyo, Sydney, Moscow, London,and multiple locations throughout America will also be

donating their profits to causes for Earth Month, giving cus-tomers a “simple and beautiful way… to care for the envi-ronment,” according to a press release by the company.Since the campaign’s inception in 1999, Aveda profes-

sionals in more than 30 countries have collectively raisedmore than $26 million for support of Earth Month.Beginning in 2007, Aveda has donated the money raised toorganizations working to combat the clean water crisis. Todate more than $20 million has been directed to supportclean water projects on six continents.“We believe that good business is responsible busi-

ness,” Vater said. “It is so gratifying to participate in aprogram like Aveda Earth Month that allows us to partic-ipate in a global initiative that directly benefits the com-munity where we live and work.”In addition to the money raised for clean water, Spa

Adriana and Aveda salons nationwide will jointly attemptto set a Guinness World Record for the most money raisedfor a charity by haircuts in a 24-hour period. Spa Adriana in Huntington will donate sales from hair-

cuts on April 22 to clean water organizations.

By Nicole [email protected]


Painting Your Home A ‘Greener’ ShadeGreen advocates recommend unplugging, going non-toxic and recycling

The arrival of the spring for many is a sig-nal to vacuum the carpets, scrub the tub andwash the inside of the refrigerator. But thechange in seasons is also an opportunity toextend spring cleaning to the environment.Both Laurie Farber, executive director of

Huntington-based Starflower Experiences,and Adrienne Esposito, executive directorof Farmingdale-based Citizens Campaignfor the Environment, say electrical devicescan be a major drain on both nature andhomeowners’ wallets.“Turn things off you don’t need on. That’s

one of the things people forget,” Farber said.Computers, she added, are a large source

of waste. Setting it to sleep mode and turn-ing off the monitor can help, but not asmuch as powering down the computer itself.Printers and other devices also have sepa-rate power buttons and should only beturned on when in use.Whether it’s a computer, television, cell

phone charger or even an alarm clock,many gadgets are guilty of aiding “phan-tom energy loss” or “vampire wattage.”When plugged in, these devices remain par-tially on in standby mode, not completelypowered off and waiting for user input.Similarly, leaving a phone charger pluggedin with no phone or a fully-charged phoneattached will continue to draw electricity.Federal and international laws imple-

mented in recent years have significantlydecreased, but not eliminated, the amount ofstandby power consumed.“It’s using energy and increasing your

electric bill for no reason,” Esposito said.She also urged homeowners switch as

many appliances and light bulbs with theirenergy-efficient counterparts as possible.The market for such products is growing aselectricity prices rise.Refrigerators and air conditioners, Es-

posito added, are the most serious offend-ers. She said plenty of older, energy-hun-gry units are still around, especially re-frigerators in basements and garages.“Right now a good window air condi-

tioner goes for $100. You can blow thatmuch in two months if you’re using an an-tiquated clunker,” Esposito said.Both directors also urged homeowners to

stop using cleaning products containingtoxic chemicals. More and more people arediscovering unpleasant reactions, they said,while some Volatile Organic Chemicals(VOCs) – gasses emitted from solid or liq-uid chemicals – can be hazardous to people.

Esposito recommends buying non-toxiccleaners. Another growing market, shesaid, they should be marked clearly as“non-toxic.”Farber suggested an alternative, using a

homemade vinegar cleaning solution –two cups of water with one-quarter cup ofvinegar.“That’ll clean almost anything,” the

Starflower director said.Recycling can also clean up the environ-

ment, and local municipalities’ coffers.When residents place glass, metal andplastic at the curb, it’s separated from theregular garbage. Those recyclables are soldto companies that manufacture new prod-ucts. Not only does recycling more reducethe amount governments pay for garbage

disposal, but it increases revenue.Only 25 percent of Long Islanders actu-

ally participate in voluntary recycling, Es-posito said, compared to 67 percent inSyracuse.“We can do much, much better,” she said.Of course the best way to begin the

green clean up is to call in an expert. Enterthe Town of Huntington’s EECO Homesprogram. Short for Energy Efficiency andConversation, this free program helpshomeowners understand how to reduce en-ergy consumption. That covers changinglight bulbs, installing programmable ther-mostats or adding solar panels.Huntington residents can sign up for the

90-minute program on the town’s websiteor by calling 631-721-1908.


Unplugging chargers not in use is one way to go green and save money in your own home.

Using non-toxic cleaners or a simple for-mula of water and vinegar is a greener wayto clean your house.

LIfe

photo/Mike

Koehler

There are plenty of opportunities toreduce your carbon footprint at the office,and even save money in the process. Evensmall actions can help save or harm the envi-ronment.

Switch light bulbs to LED. It is best toswitch to a well-made LED light bulb.According to the Environmental ProtectionAgency’s (EPA) Energy Star program, awell-made LED bulb can last at least25,000 hours or 22 years based onthree hours a day. The U.S.Department of Energy estimatesthat widespread adoption ofLED lighting in the U.S. by

2027 could save $265 billion, avoid theneed for 40 new power plants, and reducelighting electricity demand by 33 percent in2027.

Buy green furniture and appliances.When buying office furniture, look for theEnergy Star label. The label indicates thatthe product was made using less energy thanstandard models. According to the EPA, ahome office that uses exclusively EnergyStar equipment can save enough electric tolight the whole house for four years.Imagine what that savings that could turninto for an office building!

Power down. Plug your computer andother electronics into a surge protectorthat can be turned off. When not inuse, set the equipment to go to“sleep” mode, and then when leav-ing the office, turn off the surgeprotector. According to EnergyStar, activating sleep settingson just one computer canprevent about 300 poundsof carbon dioxide emis-sions each year.

Go paperless. Somecompanies send off multi-ple memos a day. Instead ofsending a paper copy, sendthe memos through email.Through email, the memos

are easier to find and can

save paper as well as money. When boxescome into the office, you can reuse them forother purposes. Even there is no need for theboxes in the office, they can also be donatedto local nonprofits and schools, which willput them to good use.

Buy recycled goods. When the officedoes need to buy paper, buy recycled paper.Paper made from 100 percent post-con-sumer recycled content is often the sameprice as regular paper. Other recycled paperproducts like envelopes, calendars, planners,and stationery are also available. To savemore money, many office supply stores nowoffer refills for ink and laser toner for print-ers and fax machines. If you don’t want toreuse the cartridges, stores often also acceptthem empty and will have them recycled.

Recycle. Have recycling bins availablefor paper and plastic products. Havingmultiple bins around the office makes iteasier for employees to recycle when theyare finished with papers or plastic prod-ucts.

Ridesharing. Whether it is carpooling towork with a coworker or taking publictransportation, there are multiple ways toreduce your carbon footprint throughridesharing.A company in Huntington, EcoTaxi,

offers affordable, green transportation. Thecompany has a fleet of eco-friendly hybridFord Escapes vehicles, which provide pick-

ups from the train station, your home andeven offers transportation to local airports.The company had grown immensely intheir first year and the owner, BorisGoldstein, hopes to increase the size of thecompany in the next few years. Visitwww.ecotaxiny.com.In addition, BOLT bus offers customers

the option of taking a luxury bus from thePark and Ride lot off of Exit 49 in Melville,to one of two drop-off destinations in thecity, including 3rd Avenue and 40th, and3rd Avenue and 59th. Pick-up is offered atLexington and 40th or Lexington and 59th.The service offers 12 round-trips each day,with service starting at 6:15 a.m. and typi-cally runs until 9 -10 p.m., depending on theday. Visit www.boltbus.com.With these simple steps employers and

employees can help to reduce the carbonfootprint they have on the environment.

Switching to LED light bulbs at the officecan save energy.

Going Green At The Office

Carpooling or using mass transit on yourway to and from work can reduce the car-bon emissions and their impact on the envi-ronment.



An Electrifying New Road For DriversNew wave of electric cars, plug-in hybrids offer efficiency, creature comforts

When Toyota introduced the Prius inJapan in 1997 (it came to the states in2000), it was a quirky notchback sedanand the first of its kind – a car that couldrun on electricity or gasoline. Honda soonfollowed in 1999 with the first-generationInsight – the first hybrid sold in America,and one that sipped fuel even more fru-gally than the Prius.

More than 15 years later, these carshave proven to be the forefathers of a newmarket segment. In 2000, Toyota movedabout 5,600 Prii; today, there is a familyof four cars, with 126,000 midsize Prius IIhatchbacks sold in 2012. The tiny Insighthas grown into Honda’s most affordablehybrid in its second generation, andshares floor room space with the hybridCivic and CR-X sport hatch.With hybrids well established, au-tomakers are making the move to cars for

which electricity is the main, if not only,source of energy. Several are readilyavailable in Huntington dealerships today,with generous federal income tax benefitsavailable to buyers. Depending on op-tions, many of the plug-in and electric

cars carry MSRPs in the mid-to high$30,000 range, depending on optionchoices.Nissan, which has largely shunned thehybrid market, decided to leapfrog the hy-

Nissan of Huntington sales representative Robert Mitchell, who specializes in the electricNissan LEAF, plugs in the thrifty green car in their Huntington service department.

LIfephotos/D

annySchrafel

Chevrolet broke new ground with the Volt, the first mass-market plug-in automobile, on dis-play in front of Chevrolet of Huntington.


(Continued on page LI 8)

With the flick of a switch, Dena Fenza’sBlonDee’s Bistro & Bar transforms from ahomey luncheonette to a sophisticatednightspot.Dimmed lighting and a few well-placed

candles turn the trick impressively, as therestaurant first known as Two Blondes anda Stove made the move to expand to serveHuntington’s late night foodies. Dena’sright-hand men, Colin McGlone andJames Funaro, take the wheel of the night-time operations, while Dena continues tohead up BlonDee’s breakfast and lunchhours.The nighttime menu is mostly formed of

small plates designed for sharing at thetable. Many items are inspired by Dena’sItalian heritage, like delicious EggplantNapoleon ($10), an update of classic Egg-plant parm that adds sauteed spinach,zesty homemade sauce, and Pecorino Ro-mano and mozzarella cheeses to form agreat starter. Duck Puffy Tacos ($13) wereanother favorite at our table – the puffedtaco shells are piled high with Duck au

Poivre and are delightful in their simplici-ty. Tuna Sliders ($12), paired with a tangylemon aioli, are another great choice forsharing. Carciofi Fritti ($8) – fried arti-choke hearts paired with dipping sauces –are great finger food and a lighter take onfried mozzarella.Dena said some of her other favorites in-

clude the Piatto di Formaggio ($14), achoice of threeArtisan cheeses paired withjams, flat bread, dried fruits and nuts; andthe pizzette ($11) of roasted pears, Gor-gonzola, brie and mozzarella cheesestopped with arugula and a balsamic glaze.Those keen on a composed plate can

choose from a handful of entrees. Pescada

Loco ($22) pairs mild, flaky Mahi Mahiwith a thick topping of smoky bacon andpistachio for a satisfying dish. CreamyPasta Toscana ($19), white truffle creamravioli served with shrimp and crisppancetta crumbs, is rich without over-whelming the taste buds.Save room for dessert because

BlonDee’s goes all out. Fried Oreos,which are dipped in pancake batter andflash-fried, are gooey morsels you’ve gotto try at least once. Classic Italian Tartufogets dressed up for the occasion, andBlonDee’s offers its Baklava paired withfresh berries. And BlonDee’s Waffle Sun-dae is a tip of the cap to Classy Coffee, aClinton Avenue fixture for many years.


BlonDee’s Bistro Sets TheMood

TheFoodieS E C T I O N

BlonDee’s Bistro and Bar26 Clinton Ave., Huntington village

631-673-1300blondeesbistro.com

Atmosphere: Cozy, romantic bistroCuisine: Continental small plates

Price: ModerateBreakfast/Lunch Hours: 7 a.m.-3

p.m. Mon-Fri; 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat-SunDinner Hours: 5-11 p.m. Wed-

Thurs; 5 p.m.-midnightFri-Sat; 5-9 p.m. Sunday

By Danny & [email protected]

Owner Dena Fenza, left, and her server show off a well-dressed tartufo.

Pescada Loco balances light and flaky MahiMahi against the bold combination of baconand pistachio.

Foodiephotos/D

annySchrafel

Where DietMeets

Delicious

Eat Like a greek!

As stated in the New England Journal of Medicine,the Mediterranean approach to diet is the way togo. Join us at Neraki where this way of preparingfresh fish, produce and meats is our way of life.

273 MAIN STREET • HUNTINGTON VILLAGE

631-385-FISH (3474)Neraki.com

OPEN TUES-SUN - LUNCH AND DINNER

AA UUTTHHEE NNTT IICC GG RREEEE KK CCUUIISS IINN EE

WW HHOOLLEE GGRRII LL LLEE DD FF IISSHH

MMEE DDIITTEERR RRAANN EEAA NN SSPP EECC IIAALLTT IIEE SS


CLUBHOUSE SPECIALS: While The Club-house (320 W. Jericho Turnpike, Hunting-ton 631-423-1155 www.clubhouses-teaks.com) is always special to this groupof Foodies, Tuesday and Wednesdaynights are extra-special. Wine aficionadosshould pencil in Tuesday for one-third offtheir impressive, award-winning wine list.And on Wednesdays, swing by for theirspecial Peppercorn and Rosemary-crustedPrime Rib au jus ($34). Tell Jeff the Food-ies sent you.

WELCOME, DOPPIO: If all goes to plan,Doppio, a promising Italian bistro withroots in Greenwich, Conn., will haveopened its doors at 22 Clinton Ave. fortheir soft opening by the time you readthis. Swing by and welcome them to theneighborhood!

GOOD MORNING, NADER: The gang at Nad-er’s Fish On The Run (217 NewYorkAve.,Huntington 631-423-6300, www.naders-fishontherun.com) will likely be settingtheir alarm clocks a little bit earlier beforelong.At least if the “BREAKFAST: COM-ING SOON” sign out front of the storerings true.

OH THE PASTA-BILITIES: After extensivetesting in regional markets, Panera Breadhas introduced something completely dif-

ferent in its bakery-cafes: pasta. Guestscan now order Tortellini Alfredo, PestoSaccottini (“purses”), and Rustic PenneBolognese in two sizes; both include a halfsalad or cup of soup. Panera has several lo-cations in the Town of Huntington: 345Main St., Huntington; 160 Walt WhitmanRoad, Huntington Station; and 4097 Jeri-cho Turnpike, East Northport.

Side DishBy [email protected]

DINE HUNTINGTON.COM

Diners are discovering new pasta-bilities atPanera Bread.

Easter SpecialsGoing out for Easter brunch or dinner

has become a tradition for many familiesin the Huntington area. With the holidayfast approaching, these restaurants in theHuntington area are ready to serve yourfamily.

If you’re looking to book for EasterSunday at Jonathan’s Ristorante (15Wall St., Huntington 631-549-0055),time is running out! From 3-9 p.m. onMarch 31, Jonathan’s will offer a speciala la carte menu for Easter Sunday. Themenu includes: Pancetta Corn Chowder($9), Prosciutto di Parma with Pear,Sweet Gorgonzola and Arugula andSpinach Lasagna Bolognese ($13);Pasta Malfalda ($23), with PortobelloMushrooms and Duck Ragu; ChathamCod ($29) with Passato di Pomodoro,baby spinach and Mushroom Trifolatti;Lamb Shank Osso Buco ($30) pairedwith soft Polenta and asparagus; andTorta della Nonna ($9).

Mac’s might be a steakhouse, but ithas something for everyone on Easter.Mac’s (12 Gerard St., Huntington, 631-549-5300) will be offering three-coursemeals, including soup and salad in thefirst two courses. For the main course,diners can choose from roasted bonelesslamb loin for $44.95, dry aged pepper-corn crusted sirloin for $49.95 or pan-seared Chilean sea bass for $42.95.

On Easter Sunday, Piccolo (215 WallSt., Huntington, 631-424-5592) will beoffering their regular menu from 4-9p.m. Appetizers include eggplant rollati-ni for $12 and Long Island littleneck

clams for $13. The restaurant also offersa raw bar of clams, oysters, crab cocktailand shrimp cocktail.

A family-owned and operated Italianrestaurant in the middle of NorthportVillage, Campari Ristorante (225 MainSt., Northport, 631-757-6700) will beoffering a prix-fixe Easter brunch. The$15 meal includes one special beverage,one side and one entrée. Special bever-ages include pomegranate mimosa,Peachy-Grigio, Cappuccino and freshjuice. Main course offerings includelemon and ricotta crepes, smokedsalmon on crusty bread with mascar-pone, egg, capers, onion and mixedgreens with grilled chicken, artichokeheart, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and fetacheese. The special menu will be served10 a.m.-2 p.m.

On Easter morning, Nocello’s (843 FortSalonga Road, Northport, 631-262-8565)will be serving brunch, which includes acarving station. Coffee, tea, juice and onecocktail are included. Brunch is scheduledfor two seatings, 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.Can’t make it to brunch? Dinner is set tobegin at 3:30 p.m.

Ritz Café (42 Woodbine Ave. #2,Northport, 631-754-6348) will be offer-ing their regular Sunday brunch onEaster from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Entreesinclude French toast, smoked salmon,scrambled eggs and onions; a spinach,Swiss cheese and sausage omelet; veg-etable and goat cheese frittata; and abroccoli and cheddar omelet. All entrees,$12, are served with fresh fruit, home-made muffins, home fries and a compli-mentary Bloody Mary or champagnemimosa.

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brid field by introducing the LEAF hatch-back in 2011. The 100-percent electricfive-seater has a 100-mile range on a fullcharge, John LaFrancesca, the generalmanager of Nissan of Huntington, said.There’s also no tailpipe because theLEAF creates no emissions.LaFrancesca said he sells a handful of

LEAFs each month, and with availableoptions including leather interior, heatedseats, a sophisticated navigation systemand back-up cameras, it’s proof that onedoes not have to give up certain comforts– or the familiar road feel of a gasoline-

powered car – to drive a green vehicle.“We’ve definitely noticed a lot more

interest, especially in the last six to eightmonths,” he said. “There’s a little bit offear of the unknown, that’s safe to say.”Using an after-market 240-volt home

charging dock, which starts at about$1,000, owners can charge the LEAF up inless than seven hours and program theircar to charge during overnight off-peakhours to reduce electricity costs. The bat-tery is backed by an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty. The CarWings app, avail-able on the two higher trim levels, can di-rect drivers to the nearest charging station,such as the one at Huntington’s train sta-tion. The number is expected to grow to14,000 nationwide by next year.Other manufacturers are also coming

into the electric car market. Honda is of-fering a limited run of electric Fit com-pact hatchbacks, while Ford is offering anelectric-powered version of its Focus five-door hatch.Others are focusing on high-efficiency

plug-in vehicles that operate as electric-gasoline tandems. The best-selling of thebunch is the 98 mpg Chevrolet Volt, andnew and recently pre-owned samples ofthe all-American innovator are for sale atChevrolet of Huntington on OakwoodRoad. Introduced in 2010, the Volt’s lithi-um ion battery allows about 40 miles ofgasoline-free driving before switchingover to a small gasoline engine that gets37 mpg, for a combined 380-mile range atfull charge.Toyota’s Prius, the main benefactor of

the mid-2000s hybrid boom, is nowavailable as a plug-in hybrid at dealerslike Huntington Toyota. The newestmember of the Prius family, the PriusPEV, gets 95 mpg with a full electricalcharge. Without a charge, it still gets 50mpg as a gasoline-electric hybrid.In recent months, Honda, the other ma-

jor hybrid-car innovator, has been quietlyrolling out a plug-in Accord sedan, whichcan get 115 mpg running on its electricalcharge, according to federal estimates.Huntington Honda already received oneand sold it just about as quickly as it camein, said Business Development ManagerMegan Allen.“They’re not being mass-produced and

delivered, but we will be getting them in,”Allen said.Since making their big American splash

in the early 1970s, Honda has always fo-cused on fuel efficiency, Allen said. Thedealership offers three hybrid cars and aCivic powered by natural gas.“The Civic does very well for us. We do

have the Insight… it definitely has a fol-lowing. People who have had an Insightlove the Insight,” she said of their hybridofferings.Meanwhile Ford’s Energi series of Fu-

sion sedans and C-Max crossovers boastplug-in power and 100 mpg, and will bepaired with traditional hybrid versions ofthe Fusion and C-Max, available at Hunt-ington Ford on Jericho Turnpike.But no matter how a consumer chooses

to reduce his or her fuel consumption, thebenefit goes beyond the pump.“With gas prices the way they are now,

that’s something people are focused on.And the environment – people don’t wantto be chugging gas if they don’t have to,”Allen said.“They love it that they don’t have to get

gas anymore, and they feel good thatthey’re doing something good for the en-vironment,” LaFrancesca said.


Electric cars arriving(Continued from page LI 5)

Megan Allen shows off a 2013 Honda Civic Hybrid, which gets 44 mpg in both city and high-way driving, at Huntington Honda Saturday. The Civic is also available with a natural gas-powered engine, and a plug-in version the Honda Accord is slowly being introduced to themarket.

LIfe

photo/Danny

Schrafel


P U Z Z L EP U Z Z L E P A G EP A G ECDCHANGERPREMIER CROSSWORD / By Frank A. Longo

CRYPTOQUIP

Today’s Cryptoquip clue: T equals P

Z J Z D M W F Z H Z X W

T W S T U W T W T O

J W D F W - H Z O O Z D V

J S Q X W Q E U S D V , Z

Q W F Y S D O P W E ’ M

P L X W O S V W O

H O Q L M M U W - H S Q W .

Answer toIrish Shuffle

ANSWER TO LASTWEEK’S CRYPTOQUIP

Published March 21, 2013

NEW CRYPTOQUIP BOOKS 3 & 4! Send $3.50for one book or $6.00 for both (check/m.o.) toCryptoquip Classics Books 3 and 4, P.O. Box536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475

©2013 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Publ ished March 21, 2013

©2013 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

THEY’RE HOLDING A GIANT

SALE IN A SHOPPING CENTER

ON AN ISLAND NEAR SICILY.

IT’S A MALTESE MALL TEASE.

North Shore Civil War RoundtableThe North Shore Civil War Roundtable pres-ents a lecture by historian and author RichardSloan on “The Funeral of Abraham Lincoln” onApril 4, 7 p.m. at the South Huntington PublicLibrary, 145 Pidgeon Hill Road, HuntingtonStation. 631-757-8117.

State Boating Safety CoursesBoating safety classes will be held frequently asthe season approaches. A class begins April 4at the South Huntington Public Library and lastsevery Thursday for six weeks, 7-9 p.m. Anotherbegins April 8 at the Harborfields Public Libraryand lasts every Monday for six weeks, 7-9 p.m.For a list of additional classes, visitwww.usps.org/Neptune or, www.cgaux.org/boat-inged/class_finder/index.php.

Bag SaleTrinity Thrift Shop, located in Trinity EpiscopalChurch, 130 Main St., Northport, holds a bagsale March 1-30. Customers can fill a brownbag with shoes and clothing for $5. Thrift Shophours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday andSaturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Red Is For PassionLove the color red and enjoy living it up? TheRed Hat women are looking for new memberswho enjoy going places and making newfriends. Their motto: Fun, Frolic andFriendship. 631-271-6470 [email protected].

Easter Party And Egg HuntBring a basket and six filled plastic eggs foreach child you bring to the March 30 egghunt and Easter party, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. atCommack United Methodist Church, 486Townline Road, Commack. 631-499-7310.

Manor Farm Egg HuntHunt for eggs at Manor Farm on March 30,1-4 p.m. with Starflower Experiences atManor Farm, 210 Manor Road, Huntington.Bring an empty egg carton. Suggested dona-tion: $5/person. Visit the website atwww.starflowerexperiences.org.

Cold Spring Harbor Lion's Club Egg HuntThe annual Lion’s Club egg hunt will be heldat the Francis Roberts Community Center,75 Goose Hill Road, Cold Spring Harbor, onMarch 30, 10 a.m., rain or shine. Bring anon-perishable food item to help theHuntington Food Council. For more informa-tion call John Messina 516-522-0132.

50-Percent Off Thrift ShoppeEnjoy 50-percent off baby equipment duringMarch at Commack United Methodist ThriftShoppe, 486 Townline Road, Commack.Open Tuesday and Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.,and the first Saturday of the month, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 631-499-7310.

Northport Winter Farmers MarketThere’s no need to wait until the weathergets hot to enjoy local produce. An indoormarket is held in Northport every Saturday,11 a.m.-3 p.m. at St. Paul’s United MethodistChurch, 27 Main St., through March 30.www.winterfarmersmarketlongisland.com.

Live MusicLive local bands take over Finley's of GreeneStreet, 43 Greene St., Huntington, everySaturday night at 11 p.m. Join in the fun andfood!

Photos With The Easter BunnyWalt Whitman Shops hosts its annual EasterBunny Photo Experience through Saturday,March 30 in the Lord & Taylor Court. Sunday,March 24 is Pet Photo Night from 8:30-9:30p.m.

Huntington Winter Farmers MarketThere’s no need to wait until the weather getshot to enjoy local produce. An indoor market isheld in Huntington Station every Sunday, 10a.m.-2 p.m. at the Jack Abrams School Gym,155 Lowndes Ave., through April 28. www.win-terfarmersmarketlongisland.com.

Join In The Musical FunGemini Youth Orchestras will hold an openrehearsal at Candlewood Middle School, 1200Carlls Straight Path, Dix Hills, on April 1, forGemini String Orchestra from 5:30-7 p.m. andfor Philharmonia from 8-9 p.m. StringOrchestra students perform at NYSSMA levels3-5 and Philharmonia students at NYSSMAlevels 5-6. Young musicians are welcome tojoin the ensembles, and community membersare welcome to listen and enjoy. www.gyo.org.

Getting Paid To TalkOn Monday, April 8, Huntington AdultEducation, in conjunction with Voice Coaches,will present Getting Paid To Talk, a single-evening, realistic and entertaining introductionto the world of voice overs. Attendees will havethe opportunity to record a mock commercialunder the direction of a Voice Coaches produc-er. Registration at least a week in advance isrequired. For more information or to register,call 631-673-2010. $25 for residents.

Crochet, CrochetThe Long Island Crochet Guild meets at theHalesite Firestation, 1 No. New York Ave.,Huntington the first Monday of the month(except September) from 6:30-9:30 p.m.Beginners welcomed. Bring assorted hooks.Questions: [email protected]/631-427-5373. Next meeting: April 1.

Aging And SagingMembers of an “Aging and Saging” groupshares their experiences at The Women’sCenter of Huntington, 125 Main St.,Huntington, on Mondays (except holidays) from10 a.m.-noon. $15 members/$10 non-mem-bers. 631-549-0485.

See The LightTown Clerk Jo-Ann Raia has organized anexhibit of Huntington Lighthouse artifacts andmemorabilia to celebrate its centennial anniver-sary of The Huntington Lighthouse. The displayincludes correspondence between theLighthouse Establishment and LighthouseKeeper Robert McGlone, and an original paint-ing of the lighthouse, which will be auctioned.On display in the Town Hall lobby, 100 Main St,Huntington, Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30p.m. and Friday, 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. www.hunt-ingtonlighthouse.org. 631-421-1985.

First-Time Homebuyer SeminarFirst-time homebuyers can get a crash coursein what they should know on Tuesday, April 2,7-9 p.m. at a seminar at the HarborfieldsLibrary, 31 Broadway, Greenlawn. Admission is

free, but registration is required. Call HousingHelp Inc. at 631-754-0373.

Military BridgeA game of Military Bridge will be held at ChristLutheran Church, 189 Burr Road (corner ofBurr and Larkfield roads), East Northport, onApril 2, 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served.Raffle baskets will be announced.Call 631-499-4655.

Mommy And Me YogaFree Mommy and Me yoga classes are offeredin Dix Hills every Tuesday. Walkers: 12 Monthsand up, 9:45-11 a.m. Crawlers: 6-12 Months,11 a.m.-noon. Register by phone or online:Chai Tots Preschool, 501 Vanderbilt Parkway.631-351-8672. www.TheChaiCenter.com.

Free Help For VetsEvery Tuesday from 12-4 p.m. is “MilitaryAppreciation Tuesdays,” when Long IslandCares specifically assists veterans, military per-sonnel and their families at the Hauppauge andFreeport emergency pantries. Appointmentscan be made by contacting [email protected].

Power BreakfastJoin business professionals at BNI ExecutiveReferral Exchange’s breakfast networkingmeeting every Wednesday, 7-8:30 a.m. at theDix Hills Diner, 1800 Jericho Turnpike, DixHills. 631-462-7446.

Cold Spring Harbor Library95 Harbor Road, Cold Spring Harbor. 631-692-6820. cshlibrary.org.• On display through March 30 is the work ofstudents in grades 7-12.

Commack Public Library18 Hauppauge Road, Commack. 631-499-0888. commack.suffolk.lib.ny.us.• Are you game? Adults are welcome to playBridge and Mahjong on Fridays at 1:00 p.m.through May.

• AARP provides tax assistance on Fridaysfrom 1-5 p.m. through April 12.

Deer Park Public Library44 Lake Ave., Deer Park. 631-586-3000. deer-parklibrary.org.• The library is starting a Scrabble Club foradults. Sessions will start Saturday, March30. Call the library for more information.

Elwood Public Library3027 Jericho Turnpike, Elwood. 631-499-3722.

www.elwoodlibrary.org.• Homework help is being offered for studentsin grades 3-7 on Tuesdays at 3 p.m. throughMay 28.

Half Hollow Hills Community LibraryDix Hills: 55 Vanderbilt Parkway. 631-421-4530; Melville: 510 Sweet Hollow Road. 631-421-4535. hhhlibrary.org.• Learn how to brand your start-up business forsuccess with Tommy Spero, owner and cre-ative director of SOUL NYC, as he discussesbrand importance for building a successfulsmall business, on Wednesday, April 3, 7p.m. in Dix Hills.

• Every Wednesday at 7 p.m., meet for friendlyEnglish conversation practice. All are wel-come, refreshments provided. Call to register:498-1225.

Harborfields Public Library31 Broadway, Greenlawn. 631-757-4200. har-borfieldslibrary.org.• “Common Ground,” a photography exhibitionby Raymond J. Rothaug, is on displaythrough March 30.

Huntington Public LibraryMain Branch: 338 Main St., Huntington. 631-427-5165. Station Branch: 1335 New YorkAve., Huntington Station.631-421-5053. www.thehuntingtonlibrary.org.• Seniors can learn about budgeting, moneymanagement and credit awareness for post-retirement years with Huntington attorneyLeslie Tayne on Thursday, April 4, 2 p.m. atthe main branch.

• Children in grades K-5 can celebrate AprilFool's Day and National Poetry Month with apoetry reading celebrating the wacky tales ofShel Silverstein and a fun craft on Monday,April 1, 6 p.m.

Northport-East Northport Public LibraryNorthport: 151 Laurel Ave. 631-261-6930. EastNorthport: 185 Larkfield Road. 631-261-2313.www.nenpl.org.• Worried about your blood pressure? Therewill be a blood pressure check onWednesday, April 3. Northport: 9:30-10:30a.m. East Northport: 11 a.m.-noon.

• “Life of Pi” will be shown in East Northport onFriday, April 5 at 1:30 p.m.

South Huntington Public Library145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station.631-549-4411. www.shpl.info.• On Friday, March 29 at 7 p.m., young adultsin grades 6-12 can enjoy a fun photo-editingworkshop. The workshop will introduce atten-dees to easy and free websites to make theirphotos fun and interesting.

• Magician Bob McEntee is back with his awe-some magic tricks and illusions that willamaze and delight audience members of allages on Saturday, March 30, 7 p.m.

Cinema Arts Centre423 Park Ave., Huntington. www.cinemaartscen-tre.org. 631-423-7611.• The Puppet Slam Café, a cabaret of hip, con-temporary puppetry for adults, shows at 8 p.m.on Thursday, March 28. $20 members/$25public (includes two beverages).

• An April 13 workshop on skills every filmmakerneeds, taught by Long Island-based independ-ent filmmaker Glenn Andreiev, will includeinteractive discussions, film clips and takehome materials. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $35 mem-bers/$45 non-members.

Dix Hills Performing Arts CenterFive Towns College, 305 N. Service Road, DixHills. Box Office: 631-656-2148. www.dhpac.org.• Go back to the ’60s with “Hairspray” runningfrom April 11-14.

JohnW. Engeman Theater At Northport350 Main St., Northport. www.johnwenge-mantheater.com. 631-261-2900.• Tony Award-winning comedy “Boeing Boeing,”the story of an architect juggling three fiancéeswho are all flight attendants, plays throughMay 5. $55.

Tilles Center For The Performing ArtsLIU Post Campus, 720 Northern Blvd.,Brookville. www.tillescenter.org. 516-299-3100.• Families will go crazy for Imago Theatre’sZooZoo on Saturday, April 6 at 11 a.m. Theperformance features penguins playing musi-cal chairs, hippos with insomnia and anteatersserving dinner.

THEATER and FILM

AT THE LIBRARIES

WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY

MONDAY

SUNDAY

SATURDAY

FRIDAY

THURSDAY CalendarO M M U N I T Y

First-Time Homebuyer SeminarFirst-time homebuyers can unlock the secrets to everything they need to know in a

crash course on buying a home for the first time, on Tuesday, April 2, 7-9 p.m. at a sem-inar at the Harborfields Library, 31 Broadway, Greenlawn. Admission is free, but reg-istration is required. Call Housing Help Inc. at 631-754-0373.

(Continued on page LI 11)


Talent ShowA local cable TV talent show is looking for alltypes of talent (except bands). Singers,impressionists, comedians, magicians, andother performers/acts welcome. Register onlineat www.talent-showcase.com or call 631-223-7011. Auditions are open to all ages.Registration in advanced is required – no walk-ins permitted.

Art League of Long Island107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills. Galleryhours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.weekends. 631-462-5400. www.ArtLeagueLI.net.• The talent of local visual artists will be celebrat-ed in a competition on view through April 14.

• Entries are being sought for their annual Art inthe Park Fine Art & Craft Fair at HeckscherPark in Huntington on Saturday, June 1 andSunday, June 2.

b.j. spoke gallery299 Main St., Huntington. Gallery hours:Monday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., until 9 p.m. onFriday and Saturday. 631-549-5106.www.bjspokegallery.com.• On display through March 29 is “Requiem,” LizEhrlichman’s solo show, with a members’exhibit, “The Musical Spectrum.”

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor. Openseven days a week, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturdayand Sundays until 6 p.m.: $6 adults; $4 children3-12 and seniors over 65; members and chil-dren under 3 are free. 516-692-6768.www.cshfha.org• “Animal Encounters” is March 25-29, at 11a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Learn about turtles, frogsand salamanders during a live animal presen-tation.

Cold Spring Harbor Whaling MuseumMain Street, Cold Spring Harbor. Museumhours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $4adults, $3 seniors, $3 students 5 -18, family$12; military and children under 5 are free. 631-367-3418. www.cshwhalingmuseum.org.• Spend your spring break doing experiments,making crafts and playing games from March25-29. Check online for details and registra-tion information.

fotofoto Gallery14 W. Carver St., Huntington. Gallery hours:Friday 5-8 p.m., Saturday 12-8 p.m., Sunday12-4 p.m. 631-549-0448.• SPARKBOOM opens April 6 with a receptionfrom 6-9 p.m. On display through April 28, itincludes “New York Underground” by RichardGardner and “In A Split” by Michelle Carollo.

Heckscher Museum Of Art2 Prime Ave., Huntington. Museum hours:Wednesday - Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., firstFridays from 4-8:30 p.m., Saturday and Sundayfrom 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission $6-8/adults, $4-6/seniors, and $4-5/children; members and chil-dren under 10 free. 631-351-3250.• “Modernizing America: Artists of the ArmoryShow” focuses on American artists who partic-ipated in the Armory Show and explores theimpact of European Modernism on Americanart in the early years of the 20th century. Ondisplay through April 14.

• “Long Island’s Best: Young Artists at TheHeckscher Museum,” an exhibition of 80works by Long Island high school students,opens March 30 and runs through April 21.

Holocaust Memorial And Tolerance CenterWelwyn Preserve. 100 Crescent Beach Road,Glen Cove. Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 10 a.m.-4:30p.m. Sat.-Sun.: noon-4 p.m. 516-571-8040 ext.100. www.holocaust-nassau.org.• The permanent exhibit explains the 1920sincrease of intolerance, the reduction ofhuman rights, and the lack of interventionthat enabled the persecution and mass mur-der of millions of Jews and others: peoplewith disabilities, Roma and Sinti (Gypsies),Jehovah’s Witnesses, gays and Polish intelli-gentsia.

• “Portraits of Our Past: Greek Jews and theHolocaust” is on display March 15-April 21.

Huntington Arts Council Main Street PetiteGallery: 213 Main St., Huntington. Galleryhours: Monday - Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Art in

the Art-trium: 25 Melville Park Road, Melville.Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday 7 a.m.-7 p.m.631-271-8423. www.huntingtonarts.org.• “Portraits,” a juried show, is on display in themain gallery through April 22.

• “Living Color” shows in the Art-trium throughJune 17.

Huntington Historical SocietyMain office/library: 209 Main St., Huntington.Museums: Conklin Barn, 2 High St.; KissamHouse/Museum Shop, 434 Park Ave.; Soldiers& Sailors Memorial Building, 228 Main St. 631-427-7045, ext. 401. www.huntingtonhistorical-society.org.• The Museum Shop at Dr. Daniel KissamHouse Museum is open Tuesday,Wednesday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m.Consignment and donations acceptedTuesdays from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

LaMantia Gallery127 Main St., Northport Village. 631-754-8414.www.lamantiagallery.com.• Robert Finale presents captivating land-scapes and Richard Johnson displays exqui-site paintings of the human face and form.

9 East Contemporary Art9 East Carver St., Huntington. Gallery hours:Wed.-Sat., 3-8 p.m. or by appointment. 631-662-9459.• The “Winter Invitational Exhibition” presentsnine major works by the 9 East Artists andnine works created by a selected group ofprofessional Long Island artists. On viewthrough March 31.

Northport Historical Society Museum215 Main St., Northport. Museum hours:Tuesday - Sunday, 1-4:30 p.m. 631-757-9859.www.northporthistorical.org.• The next installment of the program “HistoryTakes a Vacation,” a fun and educationalseries, runs Tuesday, March 26-Thursday,March 28 for students in grades 2-6.

Ripe Art Gallery67 Broadway, Greenlawn. 631-807-5296.Gallery hours: Tuesday - Thursday 11 a.m.-6p.m., Friday 2-9 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.www.ripeartgal.com.• “Black and white, Dark and Light” by themembers of the National League ofAmerican Pen Women, All Cities branch,features the work of Carolyn De Soucey,Dina Fine, Eleanore O'Sullivan, DianaSanzone, Jeanette Martone, and LisaHermanson. On display through March 30.

SPLIAHeadquarters: 161 Main St., Cold SpringHarbor. Joseph Lloyd Manor House: LloydLane and Lloyd Harbor Road, Lloyd Neck.631-692-4664. www.splia.org.• “Long Island at Work and at Play,” early20th-century photographs from SPLIA’s col-lections, is now on display Thursdaysthrough Sundays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Suffolk Y JCC74 Hauppauge Road, Commack. 631-462-9800, ext. 140. Tuesday 1-4 p.m. Admission:$5 per person, $18 per family. Special groupprograms available. www.suffolkyjcc.org.• The Alan & Helene Rosenberg JewishDiscovery Museum provides hands-onexhibits and programs for children 3-13years old and their families, classes andcamps. Now on exhibit: The Alef Bet ofBeing a Mensch. “Zye a mensch” is aYiddish saying that means “be a decent,responsible, caring person,” infusing boththe best blessing and the best that an edu-cator can wish for his students.

Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium180 Little Neck Road, Centerport. Museumhours through April 15: Tuesday, Saturday andSunday, 12-4 p.m. Grounds admission: $7adults, $6 students with ID and seniors 62 andolder, and $3 children 12 and under. Mansiontour, add $5 per person. 631-854-5555.www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.• The newly renovated planetarium is nowopen. Check the website for showtimes.

• The Arena Players Children's Theater pres-ents “Pinocchio” March 2-30, Saturday andSunday at 1 p.m. at the Carriage HouseTheater. $10 adults/$8 children/free for chil-dren under 3. Call 516-293-0674 or visitwww.ArenaPlayers.org.

Walt Whitman Birthplace246 Old Walt Whitman Road, HuntingtonStation. Hours: Wednesday-Friday, 1-4 p.m.;Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.Admission: $6 adults, $5 seniors, $4 students,and children under 5 are free. 631-427-5240,ext. 114. www.waltwhitman.org.• April is Poetry Month, starting Saturday, April6 with “Writing with Whitman: Poetry WritingWorkshops” (3-5 p.m. $15) and reading withDan Giancola and internationally acclaimedpoet Pierre Joris (7-9 p.m. $10 without work-shop attendance).

Gracias Music at Mahanaim300 Nassau Road, Huntington. 631-944-4403.http://graciasmusic.com.• The Gracias Easter Cantata will be held onSaturday, March 30, and Sunday, March 31 at7:30 p.m.

The Paramount370 New York Ave., Huntington. 631-673-7300.www.paramountny.com. All shows begin at 8p.m. unless otherwise noted.• The Paramount Comedy Series presents for-mer SNL stars Jon Lovitz, Chris Kattan andTim Meadows on Friday, April 5. $37.50-89.50

Volunteer AwardsThe Association of Fundraising Professionalsof Long Island (AFPLI) is now seeking nomina-tions for its Philanthropy Day 2013 Awards,which honor individuals and organizationswhose commitment and dedication to LongIsland exhibits outstanding leadership andeffectiveness. Philanthropy Day takes placethis year on Nov. 15 in Melville. Nominationforms are available online at www.philan-thropyday.org or by calling Joan Connor at631-249-5008. Deadline is Friday, March 29.

Help The Troops Call HomeAssemblyman Chad Lupinacci has registeredhis District Office in Huntington Station as anofficial drop-off site for Cell Phones forSoldiers. To help the troops call home bydonating your old cell phone, stop by or mailyour phone to 1783 New York Ave., HuntingtonStation, 11746. 631-271-8025.

Help After SandyTouro Law Center has opened a legal hotlineat 631-761-7198 that is staffed Monday-Friday

9-6 by law students and attorneys from the barassociations. Bilingual and Spanish-speakinglawyers are available thanks to the HispanicBar Association.

Seeking Volunteer AdvocatesThe Family Service League’s OmbudserviceProgram of Suffolk County is seeking volun-teers to train as advocates for nursing home,adult home and assisted living facility residentsto help insure they receive quality care andtheir rights are protected. 631-427-3700 ext.240.

Artistically Gifted NeededThe Gurwin Jewish Nursing & RehabilitationCenter in Commack is seeking artistically gift-ed volunteers to partner with residents in anew program, “heART to heART” aimed athelping people with varying levels of cognitiveability express themselves through art. ContactJudie at 516-931-5036 [email protected].

Don’t Hibernate. Help.The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVPSUFFOLK) needs adults 55+ to help in organi-zations throughout Suffolk County. Dozens ofopportunities available in this federally fundedprogram for just about any interest or skill. Visitwww.rsvpsuffolk.org or call 631-979-9490ext.12 for more information.

Friends At HomeLooking to earn some community servicehours while changing a life? As part of theFriends@Home program, a project of TheAriella's Friendship Circle at the Chai Center inDix Hills, visit a child with special needs in anenvironment they are most comfortable: theirown homes. Together, bake cookies, playgames, create arts and crafts, read books andmore. Contact Nati or Sara at 631-351-8672 [email protected]

Be A Friend Of The BayFriends of the Bay is in need of volunteers whocan help convert water quality data, which iscurrently kept in an excel sheet, into aMicrosoft Access database. Assistance is alsoneeded with ArcView GIS, to configure maps ofthe watershed. Call 516-922-6666 or [email protected].

Be A Host FamilyHuntington Sanctuary is seeking families orindividual adults to become Host Homes,which provide temporary shelter to youthbetween ages 12-17 who are experiencing afamily crisis. Contact Jennifer Petti at 631-271-2183 for more information.

Helping Furry FriendsLittle Shelter Animal Rescue and AdoptionCenter is looking for volunteers who want tomake a difference in the lives of animals. Freetraining provided. Visit www.littleshelter.com orcall 631-368-8770 ext. 204.

Walt Whitman BirthplaceIf you are interested in literature or history, theWalt Whitman Birthplace has fascinating andrewarding part-time volunteer positions avail-able. Free training provided. 631-427-5420ext.114.

Helping Runaway KidsShare your ideas and opinions on howHuntington Sanctuary, a program of theHuntington Youth Bureau, can help youth ages12-21 who run away or who are at risk of run-ning away. The group’s advisory board meetsone Thursday a month at 6 p.m. Call 631-271-2183.

Eyes For The BlindSuffolk County’s Helen Keller Services is look-ing for volunteers to visit blind who are home-bound to socialize and aid in reading mail, pos-sibly provide transportation. 631-424-0022.

MUSEUMS & EXHIBITS

CASTING CALLS

VOLUNTEERING

AID & ASSISTANCE

DONATIONS WELCOME

NOMINEES NEEDED

MUSIC & DANCE

Send us your listingsSubmissions must be in by 5 p.m.10 days prior to publication date.Send to Community Calendar

at 149 Main Street,Huntington, NY 11743,

or e-mail [email protected]

Time For A Puppet SlamWThe Puppet Slam Café is a cabaret of

hip, contemporary puppetry for adults.Some of America's finest puppeteers, sev-eral from Long Island, will cut loose andpresent their wildest material onThursday, March 28, 8 p.m. at CinemaArts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington.The evening will be hosted by ventrilo-quist Carla Rhodes, and her cantankeroussidekick Cecil Sinclaire. 631-423-7610.www.CinemaArtsCentre.org. $20 mem-bers/$25 public (includes two beverages).

(Continued from page LI 10)



HOW TO GET YOURHALF HOLLOW HILLS

NEWSPAPER1. FREE DigitalSubscriptionSign up to get the newspaper to read on yourcomputer or smartphone by going towww.HalfHollowNews.com.. An e-reader version or PDF format will be delivered to your inbox weekly.

2. Subscribe forHome DeliveryGet the print version delivered to your home at acost of just $21 a year. Use the coupon inside thispaper; sign up at ww.HalfHollowNews.com;or call with your credit card: 663311--442277--77000000..

Pick up your FREE copy at these and other locations throughout the community

3. Pick up yourFREE copyFREE copies will be at locations that you visit regularly --libraries, supermarkets, drug stores, banks, fitness centersand other retail outlets throughout the community.

COMMACK ROADAmerican Community Bank 100 Commack Rd, CommackANC Food 134 Commack Rd, CommackThe Everything Bagel 217 Commack Rd, CommackDeli Beer Smoke 223 Commack Rd, Commack

JERICHO TURNPIKECommack Lucille Roberts 6534 Jericho Tpke, CommackNew York Sports Club 6136 Jericho Tpke, CommackThe Cutting Edge Hair Design 6065 Jericho Tpke, CommackMozzarello’s Pizza 1957 E Jericho Tpke, East NorthportStop & Shop 3126 Jericho Tpke, East NorthportBagel Boss 1941 Jericho Tkpe, CommackDix Hills Diner 1800 E jericho Tpke, Dix HillsThe Critic’s Choice Deli 1153A E Jericho Tpke, Huntington StationStop & Shop 1100 E Jericho Tpke, Huntington StationDesi Bazar 905 E Jericho Tpke, Huntington StationBrooklyn Pizza 881 E Jericho Tpke, Huntington StationRuby Salon 822 East Jericho Tpke, Huntington StationDunkin’ Donuts 795 East Jericho Tpke, Huntington StationRoy’s Deli 669 East Jericho Tpke, Huntington StationGolden Coach Diner 350 W Jericho Tpke, Huntington StationBagel USA 573 W. Jericho Tpke, Huntington Station

DEER PARK AVENUEDix Hills Fire Department 580 Deer Park Ave, Dix HillsBethpage Fed’l Credit Union 1350-35 Deer Park Ave, North Babylon

Nelly’s Deli Grocery 1737 Deer Park Ave, Deer ParkGigi’s VIP 1747 Deer Park Ave, Deer ParkDeer Park Nails Inc 1749 Deer Park Ave, Deer ParkTony’s Pizza 1829 Deer Park Ave, Deer ParkDeer Hills Delicatessen 2122 Deer Park Ave, Deer ParkPark Avenue Barbers 2150 Deer Park Ave, Deer Park

OLD COUNTRY ROAD/SWEET HOLLOW ROADDix Hills Hot Bagels 703 Old Country Road, Dix HillsHalf Hollow Hills Library 510 Sweet Hollow Road, Melville

ROUTE 110/BROADHOLLOW ROADDeli Beer Cigar Walt Whitman Road, Huntington StationDunkin Donuts 281 Walt Whitman Rd, Huntington StationBerry Healthy Cafe 350 Walt Whitman Rd, Huntington StationMarios Pizza 1 Schwab Rd #17, MelvilleInternational Haircutters 439 Walt Whitman Rd, MelvilleBethpage Fed’l Credit Union 722 Walt Whitman Road, MelvilleRoast 827 Walt Whitman Rd, Melville

PIDGEON HILL RDSouth Huntington Library 145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station

HAUPPAUGE RDCommack Public Library 18 Happauge Rd, CommackVANDERBILT PKYHalf Hollow Hills Library 55 Vanderbilt Pky, Dix Hills


Life&Style

Huntington-raised Kathy O’Connell, agraduate of Walt Whitman High School, iscelebrating her 25th year as the host of na-tionwide radio program, “Kids Corner.”And although she is a Philadelphia resi-dent now, her heart remains in Huntington.“Huntington really provided my base

and I really blossomed… I can thankHuntington for giving me a good base in alot of things—including the best pizza inthe world,” she joked.Before O’Connell began her career as a

radio host, she performed standup comedy.She attributes her lively sense of humor toher “funny view of life” despite having a“dramatic childhood.”Her initial involvement in radio started

when she began volunteering at a publicradio station in NewYork called WBAI.“I found a home in radio,” O’Connell

said. “I can sit in a room with a micro-phone, whether it’s on or not, and just talk.It is such an intimate medium; I thinkthat’s what still works. Nothing beats be-ing able to turn on the radio in the car orturn on the radio in the house and feel thatone person is talking directly to you.”She then became an engineer for

WNYC Radio. It was there that the doorinto children’s radio was opened to her.

One night, when the hosts of the station’schildren program stormed off the set, shewas approached by executives, who askedto host.The gig was perfect for the comedian

and former neighborhood babysitter; itcombined both her love for children and

her love to share her own comicality. Theshow, “Small Things Considered,” wasawarded a Peabody Award and morphedinto a national show called “Kids Ameri-ca.”On Christmas Eve, 1987, “Kids Ameri-

ca” went off the air, but O’Connell found

work only one week later in Philadelphiaas the host of her own show, “Kids Cor-ner.” The segment is now celebrating its25th anniversary.She attributes its popularity to its ability

to connect with children on a personalscale and provide a learning experience forits listeners.“It’s really funny… It gives kids a

voice,” she said. “We are a tool both for theparents and teachers to use in addition towhat they’re doing in a kid’s life.”She praised the show for its ability to

talk about serious issues but remain light-hearted. The show introduces its youngviewers to new music, and has done sosince its beginnings.“One of the things I'm proudest of is an

ongoing thing which is discovering reallygood artists for kids,” she said.She’s even had famous parody artist

Weird Al Yankovic on the show, calling ita “great moment.”She does a lot of talking about “fun”

mistakes that she has made, like instancesin which she had been scared and did nottalk to her parents, in hopes to teach kidsthat they should talk to a grown-up if theyare in a similar situation. Her purpose asthe host is to teach children to learn fromher mistakes.Visit kidscorner.org for listening infor-

mation.

RADIO

Radio ShowHost Is In The ‘Kids Corner’Former Huntington resident shares her sense of humor with kids across the nation

Former Huntington resident Kathy O’Connell hopes her radio show for kids helps them learnand grown.

Photo

byM

arkW

ilkens

By Jasmine [email protected]

It’s been 55 years since Stanley Ransom orchestratedthe Huntington Public Library’s “big move” down MainStreet, employing the aid of local Boy Scouts to haul20,000 books from the Soldiers and Sailors Museum tothe library’s present location.It’s been 43 years since Ransom published his ground-

breaking “America's First Negro Poet; Jupiter HammonOf Long Island,” establishing the 18th century poet’splace in literary history and triggering what is now knownas Black Poetry Day throughout the United States.Since that time, Ransom moved upstate to run libraries

in Plattsburgh, dedicated himself to the pursuit of musicalfolklore through performance and recording, retired acouple of times, and has been honored by the New YorkState Legislature for his accomplishments.Speaking from his home in Plattsburgh, the indefatiga-

ble “Connecticut Peddler” revealed that he’s got plenty tooccupy him.Especially now that a new poem, in Hammon’s own

handwriting, has surfaced – in the form of a previously un-known draft poem found by researchers in the Yalearchives by researchers from UT-Arlington.“I’m anxious to see it,” Ransom said. “It’s one of the

longest items in his handwriting.”From 1953-1956, Ransom served as a professional li-

brary intern at New York Public Research Libraries. Hethen went to the Huntington Public Library, serving as as-sistant director from 1956-1958, and then as director from1958-1974.

After overseeing the library’s move west on MainStreet, Ransom embarked on what is perhaps his most farreaching accomplishment – researching the work ofJupiter Hammon, the 18th-century Huntington slave-poetwho lived with the Lloyds. On Christmas Day, 1760, hepublished his first poem, “An Evening Thought,” and lat-er went on to publish other poems and a number of prosepieces as well.Through the publication of Ransom’s 1970 book on the

subject, Hammon’s reputation was established as the firstAfrican-American poet to publish his own verse.After he received a Certificate of Commendation by the

American Association for State and Local History for hisbook on Jupiter Hammon, Ransom became concerned thatthere were no existing celebrations to honor the contribu-tions African-Americans had made to American life andculture. He proposed a Black Poetry Day in 1970 and iscredited with having been the originator of the idea forwhat is now a yearly national observance on Oct. 17, thebirth date in 1711 of Hammon.When Ransom moved to Plattsburgh in the ’70s, Hunt-

ington’s loss was upstate’s gain, from his work creatingthe Olympic andWinter Sports Museum in Lake Placid tohis role as president of the NewYork Library Association.Ransom has also long been involved in the research,

collection, preservation and promotion of the folklore ofNewYork State. And for more than 60 years he has beena folk singer, playing guitar, hammered dulcimer, man-dolin, and autoharp, and also writing topical songs. Hissong “The Ironville Mine” is part of the permanent exhib-it on mining at theAdirondack Museum in Blue MountainLake, N.Y.

He’s still got a research goal or two in mind when itcomes to Hammon.“In 1781, Prince William Henry of England, a midship-

man, visited the manor house of the Lloyds,” Ransomsaid. “He was the first person of royal blood to visit thecolonies, and Jupiter wrote a poem in his honor. I wonderif the Duke of Clarence, later William IV, would have thatin his papers. He probably would have thrown it away –but wouldn’t it be great to find that!”

POETRY

Jupiter HammonResearcher HasNewGoals

Stanley Ransom still has Jupiter Hammon on his mind, evenyears after leaving Huntington, but has built a life upstate.

By George [email protected]

and address concerns over the project.Torkan said he plans to give the commu-nity a unique retail experience, withopen public spaces, medical and otherprofessional offices, restaurants, and sig-nificant access to parking. The proposalincludes 390 underground parkingspaces, in addition to the 1,610 allocatedabove ground.“Our goal, our vision is not to have just

another box retail center… It will be alifestyle center. The synergy we will getfrom the mix of tenants will help all theindividual businesses,” Torkan said.Torkan plans to submit an application

to the town by the summer, and expectsthe build out to last two years. Torkan isone of the developers behind the Applerenovations at the Americana Manhas-set, as well as other shopping centersalong the north shore.Melville-based firmNelson and Pope En-

gineer and Surveyor has been hired to plan

and analyze the project’s development.The two-story facility will be made up

of five buildings; at least three will havepartial second-story floors. The secondstories will be preserved for professionaluse, by medical professionals and oth-ers, as well as some retail. Additional at-tractions on the radar include a fitnesscenter, a bank or a supermarket.Torkan plans to include open, land-

scaped spaces, alleyways with benches, afountain in the summer and a Christmastree lighting ceremony in the winter toenhance the use of the property as acommunity-oriented attraction.The property also includes four build-

ings toward the front entrance of thecenter, separate from the main building.The four detached buildings requirevariances, as town ordinance only per-mits one building per lot.Torkan stressed that the center will be

“far smaller” than the Walt WhitmanShops.

But Ben Lomanto, co-owner ofSpuntino in Dix Hills, was concernedthat particular part of Huntington wasalready saturated with retail.“What’s going to happen is they’ll

build it, it’ll do well and decimate someother shopping center,” he said.At a briefing for the Elwood civic

group Preserving Elwood Now, someresidents expressed concern over con-struction interfering with private resi-dences. Torkan said his engineers haveallowed for over 200 feet of green spacefrom the last house in the rear, straightdown to the front of the property, on thenorth and west sides.He also expects to propose a new traf-

fic light at the end of Old Country Road,approximately 700 feet to the east of theshopping center, with two lanes on ei-ther side entering and exiting the prop-erty. The center will also be accessiblefrom Manor Road, if traffic and safetystudies permit.

The developer said one of the mostsensitive matters in dealing with theproperty is the town’s steep slope ordi-nance. Several decades ago the propertywas used as “borrowed land” by con-struction companies when Jericho Turn-pike was being developed. Workerswould dump materials in the property,and the waste has sat dormant since.Main access to the property, Torkan

said, will be across from the new trafficlight, on Jericho Turnpike across fromOld Country Road. As of present, theproperty lacks proper truck access, whichwill be added on Jericho Turnpike.“A lifestyle center encourages nice de-

sign, provides for a large mix of tenants,and the project will result in significant jobcreation during the temporary construc-tion period and post construction, as wellas significant increase in tax revenues. It’sdifferent than a regionalmall that will pro-vide a nice shopping experience withdrive-up convenience,” Torkan said.

American developer has sights set on Mediavilla(Continued from page A1)

square feet, will be on the first floor, Plan-ning Director Anthony Aloisio said.

“Everybody involved is excited aboutthe new home for the BAPS facility andthey’re very excited to complete the ap-proval process and begin construction,”said Howard Avrutine, attorney for theBAPS.

With that decision and a March 20 rulingby State Supreme Court Justice approvingthe sale, a requirement for land transac-tions involving religious institutions, theBAPS can now sell the 8.3-acre MeyersFarm property near Old Country andRound Swamp roads, where they original-ly planned to build the mandir, to the townfor $1,325,000. Deshon Partners can alsoproceed to buy the 18-acre parcel at 25Deshon Drive from the Tribune Company.

The town will then strip 5 acres of Mey-ers Farm, which will become Sweet Hol-low Park, of its development rights andtransfer them to 25 Deshon Drive. There,

the BAPS will use the proceeds of the saleto the town to buy 5 acres for the newmandir.

Once the transfer is complete, theDeshon parcel will have sufficient devel-opment rights to allow the BAPS to buildthe mandir on 5 acres, and for Deshon Part-ners to build 261 units on the remainderper R3M zoning code, which permits 14.5units to the acre.

Mort Weber, attorney for Deshon Part-ners, said the whole series of transactionscould be finalized by the end of the week.

“We’re in the final stages of the respec-tive transactions,” Avrutine said.

The anticipated sale and developmentrights-swap would wrap up the first stageof a 10-year saga, starting in 2003, that hasbeen full of twists and turns. Most recent-ly, an article 78 lawsuit filed by Melvilleresident and former Huntington Supervisorcandidate Peter Nichols was dropped lastmonth, clearing one of the final potentialhurdles to closing the deal.

BAPS, senior housing(Continued from page A1)


MELVILLE

Want to get your open houses listed? Getyour listings for free on this page everyweek in the Long Islander Newspapers.Call Associate Publisher Peter Sloggattat 631-427-7000 or send an e-mail [email protected].

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School Notebook Compiled by Luann Dallojacono

Robotics Team Wins In Virginia

In its third year of building robots, theHalf Hollow Hills ThunderColts bested 64other high school teams to win the covetedXerox Engineering Design “CreativityAward” at the Virginia Regional FirstRobotics Competition in Richmond, Va.on March 15.The ecstatic team also placed in the

quarterfinals of the tournament, ultimatelylosing to the alliance that went on to placesecond in the event.“Being able to go onto the field before

thousands of people and prove that as a

third-year team we could be so successfulwas truly one of the greatest feelings,” saidAbhijith Kudaravalli of Dix Hills, teampresident and senior at Half Hollow HillsHigh School West.The competition required high school

teams to build a robot that could climb athree-tier tower and/or shoot Frisbee-likediscs into a target from the ground. For the2013 FIRST Robotics challenge, called“Ultimate Ascent,” teams had just over sixweeks to construct their machine. Studentsfrom the district’s combined East andWestteam worked five nights a week andSaturdays so they could keep workinguntil the deadline at midnight Feb. 19.In Virginia, Hills’ robot was the only

robot of the 65 teams to climb the entirethree-tiers, to the amazement and admira-tion of competitors. The achievement alsoimpressed the judges who awarded theengineering design prize to the team. The14 students in attendance and their men-tors were invited to the floor of the arena tohigh-five judges from companies such asNorthrup-Grumman, Bechtel andLockheed Martin.The ThunderColts were selected in the

first round of drafting for the eight-alliancefinals, the first time the team has made itthat far in a regional competition. Theteam will compete again April 4-6 at theLong Island Regional at HofstraUniversity. A win qualifies the team toearn its second trip to nationals in St.Louis at the end of April.The ThunderColts, with 53 registered

students, are led by advisors JulianAptowitz and Christian Mirchel, scienceteachers at High School West, and aidedby parent-engineers Yuri Wolf-Sonkin,Babu Kudaravalli, and Frank Calascione,all of whom have sons on the team.

Councilwoman Susan Berland islooking for a few good high school stu-dents who want to get work experienceover this coming summer recess.The councilwoman is soliciting re-

sumens from high school students whowill be 16 or older this summer for aneight-week, 40-hours-per-week summerinternship program designed to matchparticipating students with businesses.“We want kids to come forward and

send us their resumes and tell us whatthey’re interseted in,” she said. “Then

we can go to busiensses and try tomatch them up.”In addition to gaining work experi-

ence and references on their resumes,students will also receive a stipend atthe end of their internship, Berland said.Local chambers of commerce are

helping Berland reach out to prospec-tive student and business participants,and the Huntington Township Chamberof Commerce has alerted its membersof the program. Berland said theMelville Chamber of Commerce hasalso been working with her to promotethe summer program.“We’re looking to see if we can be a

little creative to see if we can make ithappen,” Melville Chamber PresidentMike DeLuise said. “We’re ging tohelp her in any way we can.”The Chamber’s involvmenet dove-

tails neatly, he explained, with theirwork with Five Towns College andFarmingdale State College aimed atimproving the quality of internshipsalong the Route 110 corridor.Interested students can email their

resume to [email protected],drop it off in person at the third-floorCouncil Office at Town Hall, 100 MainSt., Huntington, or fax it to 631-673-3379.

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Calling Summer Interns!By Danny [email protected]

The ThunderColts display their trophy from the Virginia Regional Robotics Competition.


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Both were released after posting bail, andare due at the First District Court in CentralIslip on May 22.

St. Anthony’s High School PrincipalBrother Gary Cregan said it was unfortu-nate students chose to drink after a St. An-thony’s High School event.

“Students at St.Anthony's are well awarethat underage drinking is absolutely forbid-den at school, and while the presence ofadults should normally preclude underagedrinking outside of school, this does notappear to be the case… While St. Antho-ny's cannot be responsible for monitoringstudents once they are off the property, weare disappointed that such an incident oc-curred. The matter will be addressed inter-nally,” Cregan said in a statement.

Buergold said parents of teens are oftenmistaken in thinking their children aresafer drinking at home rather than else-where.

“They think it’s a better thing, but they’rereally fooling themselves if they think

they’re not doing both their children andother children a serious injustice by pro-moting drinking in the home,” he said.

Endangering the welfare of a child,Buergold said, is punishable by up to oneyear in prison and carries potential for asubstantial fine.

The Suffolk County Local Host Law ad-dresses underage drinking at parties whereadults are present and supply alcohol to mi-nors under 18 years old. However, the locallaw is considered a violation, a lessercharge than the misdemeanor the Butlerswere charged with.

Buergold said alcohol-related illnessesamong teens is a growing issue, with 5,000children in the United States dying eachyear from underage drinking. With promseason approaching, the captain said, theissue becomes increasingly present.

“With prom season starting now, the fre-quency of calls related to this generally in-creases… We certainly want to get themessage out to parents and adults that wetake this very seriously,” he said.

Parents arrested(Continued from page A7)

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construction of a second track be-tween Ronkonkoma and Farmingdaleenhances the possibility that such aplan could be developed in the future,assuming that anticipated transit-ori-ented development occurs around Re-public along with associated demandfor commuter rail service,” he said.

But for mass transit and Long Is-land to survive, DeLuise said the Re-public station must be a reality, alongwith the Double Track Project andBus Rapid System.

“You can’t put just one piece in andmake it work,” he said, adding itwould get riders into Penn Stationwithin 35 minutes.

Joe Calderone, LIRR vice presidentof public affairs, said re-opening Re-public would cost about $50 million.

“We’re reviewing and talking to the

community and business community.In order to build it, we need to be cer-tain there’s a need and that it will beused,” Calderone said, adding that itcould be part of phase II.

(Continued from page A3)

Adding another track

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President

CALL 631-427-7000

TO PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD


This Vet Is The Cat’sMeowHuntington Animal Hospital becomes one of three certified feline-friendly practice on LI

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Huntington Animal Hospital, whichhas been a fixture on Jericho Turnpike formore than 60 years, has been certified asa top vet destination for your cat.The American Association of Feline

Practitioners (AAFP), a Hillsborough,N.J.-based veterinary and research organ-ization, certified Huntington AnimalHospital as a cat-friendly practice Jan.24, making them one of just three suchveterinarians on Long Island.The certification identifies Huntington

Animal Hospital as a facility dedicated toAAFP’s cat-friendly practice protocolsdesigned to “improve the treatment, han-dling and overall health care of cats” inthe vet’s office and at home.Veterinarian Jeffrey Kramer, the owner

of Huntington Animal Hospital, said be-coming certified as a cat-friendly practicehelped standardize best practices at hisoffice.“It set the protocols in place so that

when a cat comes in, we are making surewe are doing these things. This kind ofmade it more systematic,” he said.At Huntington Animal Hospital, for in-

stance, the staff always tries to keep catsaway from dogs in the waiting room andcreate a comfortable atmosphere by put-

ting blankets on examining tables and us-ing Feliway, a synthetic version of the fa-cial pheromone cats use to mark their ter-ritory, to soothe their whiskered patients.

Current statistics show Americanscare for 86 million cats and 78 milliondogs as pets, but many more cats thandogs do not receive regular veterinary

care.“There is a tremendous recognition

that while cats are the largest percentageof companion animals in homes, theirwellness visits and other types of veteri-nary care are much lower than for dogs,”Elizabeth Colleran, AAFP past presi-dent, said.The animal hospital is taking other

steps to help cats, and recently partneredwith a local organization to help findhomes for rescued cats.Kramer shows cats rescued by the

Huntington-based Golden Paw Societyin his waiting room and has helped thegroup find homes for a half-dozen so far.The Golden Paw Society rescues cats,often from municipal shelters, that are atthe highest risk for being euthanized.Before putting their rescues up for adop-tion, they spay/neuter the animals andtest and treat the animals for an array ofcommon ailments.While Kramer said his practice’s pa-

tient load is a 60-40 split between dogsand cats, respectively, his involvement asan AAFP practitioner and collaborationwith Golden Paw is generating buzz,with more cats coming to be treated andexamined. And that’s a good thing,Kramer said.“The cats in the United States are just

underserved by veterinarians,” he said.

Jeffrey Kramer’s Huntington Animal Hospital was certified cat-friendly by feline care spe-cialists in January. Here, Kramer holds Tony, a 1-year-old Bengal mix, as vet technicianHeather Burwell pets Tony, while veterinary assistant Victoria Wingfield holds 6-month-oldDelilah. Both are rescues up for adoption through Huntington’s Golden Paw Society.

Half

Hollow

Hills

photo/Dan

nySchrafel


Fighting Back Against BurglarsElectronix Systems’ radio backups get 911 calls out even when the phone lines are cut

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

In an economy where many are unem-ployed and full-time positions are at a pre-mium, Fort Salonga resident Fred Leonar-do must have a dream job.Leonardo is the man behind Huntington

Station-based alarm company ElectronixSystems. Founded 35 years ago out of an-other company, Electronix is Leonardo’slife’s work and a long-time employer formany.In fact, he still has his first, second and

fourth employees on payroll. Now em-ploying 85, Leonardo said he bought outhis partner some years back and gaveshares of the company to his employees.When the business does well, they get aboost to their retirement plans.“I’m the nice guy of the industry,” he

said.Before Electronix, Leonardo worked for

NewYork Telephone in the 1970s. When anine-month strike hit in 1971, he began in-stalling car, and later house and commer-cial, alarms for someone in Queens. Hewent back to work, but started CustomAlarm Systems for side work.In 1979, on his ninth anniversary to the

day at New York Tel, Leonardo turneddown a management promotion and wentfull-time with his side work in Queens.He moved to Huntington Station in 1973

when he married, bringing the businesswith him. Leonardo changed the businessname to Home Electronix. In 1978, he re-named it Electronix Systems.Early on, the company only installed the

systems. With so few customers, less than50 at one point, they hired an answeringservice to receive and dispatch calls.In fact, he chose his original New York

Avenue location in part because the an-swering service with his antenna was near-by. The office, he said, was also close tohome and a central point for a companycovering from Montauk to Manhattan.They ditched the answering service after

a few years and handled their own moni-toring. In 1987, they moved up the road totheir current location to meet UnderwritersLaboratories approval.What made Electronix stand out was the

wireless radio signal for their alarms. Thecompany ditched phone lines for wirelessInternet as the primary connection, butGSM radio still remains the backup.Leonardo said he saw burglars cut phonelines during his time with New York Teland wanted a way to counter that.“I had one about two weeks. It still

transmitted alarms to central. The guardswent out and found there was an attempt-ed break-in,” he said, adding that thewould-be burglar just ripped down a sirenand cut the cable lines.He estimated that the radio is used in as

many as 40 percent of calls.“That happens quite a bit. The radio

saves the day,” Leonardo added.Now boasting nearly 20,000 accounts

throughout Long Island, parts of New Jer-sey and Westchester, Electronix doeseverything but car alarms. They install andmonitor police and fire alarms, closed cir-cuit television systems and card access

systems. They can detect high tempera-tures, low temperatures, sewage andfloods.In the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, Leonardo

said 60 percent of his customers are cor-porate, especially those adding fire alarms,cameras and card access systems.“The corporations are looking to protect

their employees and keep them safe intheir working environment,” he said.Most non-residential buildings being

constructed, he added, also require a firealarm system. Whether it’s designing thealarm or installing the system, Leonardosaid that is the single busiest part of Elec-tronix. That work is limited to Nassau andSuffolk Counties.Most of their residential work also

comes from Long Island. The owner saidthe Town of Huntington is very well rep-resented in his client base.Home automation – adjusting lights and

thermostats throughout a house from onepanel – has been a part of Electronix Sys-tems’ business for years. But they recentlygot involved with Z-Wave – a wirelessprotocol designed for home automation.Wirelessly connected to their $500 alarmcontrol panel, just one touch can cause cer-tain lights to turn off and the air condi-tioning to turn on. Appliances are pluggedinto modules or even special outlets, andthe shortwave wireless signal bouncesfrom one Z-Wave module to the next untilit reaches its target. Each module or outletruns $40-$60.“A lot of people start with one or two,

and build on from there,” he said.Sitting in a chair in the conference room

of his secure facility on Friday, Leonardosaid he’s very happy owning his own busi-ness and never looked back.“I don’t just want to work for someone.

You’ll never be rich and you’ll never bepoor,” he added.The recession hasn’t hurt business. In

fact, Electronix gained business in 2012.But despite his ongoing success,

Leonardo has no plans of leaving theirHuntington Station office.“I believe in slow and steady growth. I

don’t like to jump too fast,” he said.

Electronix Systems owner Fred Leonardoshows off a wireless alarm control panelhis company uses with customers through-out the tri-state area.

Half

Hollow

Hills

photo/Mike

KoehlerBy Mike Koehler

[email protected]

Spotlight On

HuntingtonBusinesses

Spotlight On

Half

Hollow

Hills

photo/Jacqueline

Birzon


HillSPORTS

Last year’s League VI champions arehoping for a repeat performance thisspring, and then some.After falling short in the second round

of playoffs last year, losing 5-4 toConnetquot, Half Hollow Hills HighSchool West Head Coach Rob Rizzo saidthis year, his girls have something toprove.“This year, we’re bringing back experi-

ence on the team. With seven seniors, wehave a lot of pieces to the puzzle, a lot ofgirls that are very athletic. We can pitchwith best of them,” he said.Returning are captains Jessica Kleet, a

senior, and Francesca Casalino, a junior,whom Rizzo described as leaders both onand off the field. Casalino, a pitcher, wasan all-state player last year who was suc-cessful as both a pitcher and batter.Casalino batted .475 on the year, with sixhomeruns and 28 RBIs. On the mound,Rizzo was 17-2 with a 0.38 point for runsa game, with 124 strikeouts and 28 walks.Kleet, who plays first base, was desig-

nated an All-County player last year andbatted .405 with 38 RBIs.The coach said his first, second and

third basemen, including Kleet, KatieGreenough, Kara Spinelli and center-fielder Rose Cipoletti, are all expected tomake a strong debut both on the field andup at bat.Also returning are Danielle Cardito

and Alex Regan. Lexi Kleet will be a flexhitter. Kristina Spinelli will play leftfield, Alana Campo will be short stop,Gabrielle Casalino will be the rightfielder, and Olivia Garrison is the catch-er.The coach said the team is pretty even-

ly mixed experience-wise, with sevenseniors, two juniors, one sophomore andthree freshmen joining the Lady Coltpowerhouse.Rizzo said the team’s record last year of

18-4, in addition to their success duringpre-season scrimmages against Babylonand Bay Shore, have provided encourag-ing implications for the direction of the2013 season.“We just have to be mentally strong

and take it one game at a time, and hope-fully keep winning and keep going at it.We’re hoping for the best, and play to thebest of our ability every single day…Youcan’t look too far in advance; take it onegame at a time and control the day,” thecoach said.

During the spring recess, the LadyColts will continue to hold practices.They played their first game in League VI

at Copiague on Wednesday, and will hosttheir first home game on April 2 againstRiverhead at 4 p.m.

SOFTBALL

Lady Colts Swinging For Second TitleHills West coach says pitching could help defend their League VI crown

A Lady Colts player eyes the pitcher during a scrimmage against Babylon.

Half

Hollow

Hills

photo/Jacqueline

Birzon


With nine returning players to theThunderbirds’ boys varsity tennis team,three of whom are All-State athletes, theheat may turn up a little sooner thanexpected—at least on the tennis court.Head Coach Tom Depelteau said the

team has nine returning players, includingAll-State players Zain Ali, a junior singlesplayer; Jeff Cherkin, a senior co-captain;and junior Kyle Alper. Together, Cherkin

and Alper were the Suffolk County dou-bles champions last season.Not to mention, Half Hollow Hills East

was the county champion last year, with anundefeated 20-0 record. The team also wonthe sportsmanship award for League I.Cherkin said that riding off of expecta-

tions from last year, the bar is set just ashigh for the 2013 spring season.“We have a really good team. Every year

we are a competitive team,” Cherkin said.“It’s definitely our goal to win the LongIsland Championships.”

Cherkin added that Hills East was therunner-up at last year’s Long IslandChampionship game.Three returning players were honored

with All-Division designation, includingjunior Roger Cheng, seniorMike Leffler,and sophomore Ross Reiffman. Anothertrio, senior co-captain Alec Tuckey, senior

Jake Delouya, and sophomore TravisLeaf, were awarded All-League honors.Depelteau said the team has won 59 con-

secutive matches in Suffolk County.The boys will have a series of non-

league games prior to their first leaguegame at Harborfields High School onApril2 at 4 p.m.

BOYS TENNIS

Thunderbirds Are Set At TheNet

The 2013 Hills East varsity boys tennis team.

Junior doubles player Kyle Alper serves during practice last week.



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half hollow hills newspaper - march 28, 2013

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