Huntington Local

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Commack students make bracelets to help horses

Lauren Mazur and her students. To enlarge, click here By Brenda Lentsch Deep in the heart of South Dakota wild horses run free on the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary. Some very special people work really hard to provide these wild beauties with a natural lifestyle. The students in Lauren Mazur’s fourth grade class at Mandracchia Sawmill Intermediate School in Commack read about this special place and felt compelled to help. They spent hours upon hours making bracelets that they sold, during their own free time, and raised over $300. The money was donated to the sanctuary and will help to purchase food and medicine for horses. For more info: www.gwtc.net/~iram/ Brenda Lentsch handles public relations for the Commack public schools.

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Shakespeare on the weekends in Centerport

The Arena Players Shakespeare Festival runs through the end of August at The Vanderbilt Mansion, 180 Little Neck Rd., Centerport. WHAT’S PLAYING: Love is a battlefield, as Petruccio shows the iron-willed Kate who’s the boss in “The Taming of the Shrew,” which runs through most of July. On tap for August is “The Complete Works of Wilm Shakspr Abridged,” in which three actors play every Shakespeare character — male and female — over the course of two hours. WHEN: “Shrew” runs weekends through July 26, “Complete Works” runs from July 31 to Aug. 30; performances for each are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays. INFO: 516-293-0674 or visit arenaplayers.org COST: $15; all performances are outdoors.

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Town board advances two affordable housing programs

By A.J. Carter The Huntington Town Board Tuesday took major steps toward implementing two affordable housing programs, adopting the eligibility criteria and processes for granting home buyers assistance in making down payments and homeowners low-interest loans to make repairs needed to legalize accessory apartments. The programs will be funded with monies in the Town’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which receives contributions from developers in return for obtaining increase density for their projects.

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Huntington Men's Chorus on stage tonight, free

The chorus in action. To enlarge, click here. The Huntington Summer Arts Festival continues Thursday night with a performance by the Huntington Men’s Chorus, presenting a wide variety of music. Performances are free and open to the public at the Chapin Rainbow Stage in Huntington’s Heckscher Park, beginning at 8:30 p.m. For daily updates on the festival, visit www.huntingtonarts.org or call 631-271-8423 x 5.

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Wine tastings with live jazz in Huntington

There will be a free wine tasting featuring live jazz with the Danny Wolf Quartet this Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, July 18 and July 25 at Jazz ‘n’ Grapes, 294 Main St., Huntington. Jazz ‘n’ Grapes is a family owned wine and spirits store that explains the ‘Jazz’ angle this way: “We just happen to love jazz and wine. They do make the perfect match, which you will find out when you visit our shop - often described as an "art gallery" by many visitors. Incredible photographs of some of the greatest jazz musicians and vocalists grace our walls, while jazz music continually plays over our speakers.” Call 631-271-9463 for more information or visit jazzngrapes.com.

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'Student Sounds of Summer' at the Heckscher

By Michelle LaPorte As part of its Midday Music program, the Heckscher Museum of Art presents Student Sounds of Summer on Monday, July 20, from noon to 1 p.m. Take a noontime break with music and art! Enjoy the museum’s current exhibitions and a free lunchtime concert. Light refreshments will be served. Enjoy the talents of local area musicians as their music fills the museum’s galleries. Admission is free. For further information call 631-351-3250 or visit www.heckscher.org Michelle LaPorte is coordinator of public programs at the museum.

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Recent deaths in the community

ALLEN - Maurice, on July 8, 2009. Beloved husband of the late Violette. Devoted father of Irene and Morris Kirsh, Eli and Lorraine, Abe and Jill, and the late Sarah. Cherished grandfather of Edward, Jennifer, Jessica, Josh, Richard and David. Loving great grandfather of Julia and Zoe. Funeral service Friday 10am at I.J. Morris, Inc., 21 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills, NY 11746. GOLDBLATT - Stuart Samuel, born June 25, 1918, passed away July 7, 2009. Survived by his devoted wife, Jane; loving children, Donald, Nick and Florence; son-in-law, Steven; daughter-in-law, Carol; five beloved grandchildren, Elana, Diana, Rebecca, Daniel and Peri; nieces and nephews. Stuart served in WWII from February 1942 - October 1945 with the 183rd signal repair company in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He was awarded a good conduct medal and granted an honorable discharge. Upon returning from Italy he went to Columbia University on the GI bill where he received his BA and MA. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and received the 1st scholar-athlete award from General Dwight D. Eisenhower. He married Jane Sybil Ullmann in 1949. Since the 1960s he was active with the Huntington Democrat Party. He served on the library board for Northport-East Northport for more than twenty years with a period as chairman. Stuart taught American history for more than 35 years, first at Cranford High School in NJ then at Northport High School where he also served as chairman of the Social Studies Dept and was the school's first ombudsman. He worked as a tennis pro for 14 summers in Norfolk, CT, was a tennis coach at Northport H.S. and a long time member of the Northport Tennis Club. He was a gentleman and a scholar who will be missed. HIRSCH - Susan, of Huntington on July 7, 2009. Beloved wife of George for over 28 years. Loving mother of Corin, Teddy and Alex. Dear sister of Robert (Mary) Dalia and sister-in-law of Eileen (Raymond) Briscoe. Visitation M.A. Connell Funeral Home, 934 New York Ave., Huntington Station, Thursday 7-9pm and Friday 2-5 & 7-9pm. Mass St. Patrick's Church, Huntington, Saturday 9:30am. Memorial donations to VNS Hospice of Suffolk, 505 Main Street, Northport, 11768. PALMIERI - Assunta E., age 88 of East Northport on July 8, 2009. Pre-deceased by her beloved husband Joseph. Devoted mother of Joseph and Frances Alaimo. Cherished grandmother of Jimmy, Nicholas, Victoria, Tonya, and Joey. Also survived by her brother Vito and sister Mary. Reposing at Marinello Funeral Home, Inc., 493 Middle Country Road, Coram. Funeral Mass, Mon day 9:45am, St. Anthony of Pa dua, East Northport. Interment Calverton National Cemetery. Visitation Saturday and Sunday 2-4 and 7-9pm. SAMMUT - Lawrence E., of Commack, NY on July 7, 2009 in his 87th year. Beloved husband of the late Rose Sammut. Loving father of Chris Sammut (Annette) and Antoinette Ferranti (Al). Cherished grandfather of Collette, Anthony, Christina and Laura and great-grandfather of four. Reposing Moloney's Hauppauge Funeral Home, 840 Wheeler Rd, (Rte. 111) Hauppauge, NY where a Religious Service will be held Friday afternoon. Funeral Mass Saturday 9:30am at Christ the King R.C. Church, Commack. Committal Service following Mother Teresa Tribute Center, Lake Ronkonkoma, NY. Cremation Nassau-Suffolk Crematory. Visiting Friday 2-4 & 7-9pm. www.moloneyfh.com.

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Huntington Bay couple applauded for 'green' home

By Susannah Mrazek At the Tuesday Huntington Town Board meeting, Councilman Mark Cuthbertson presented a special proclamation to Michael Busby and Wendy Busby (at left with board), who after an unforeseen tragedy lost their home to an electric fire and subsequently made the decision to rebuild an entirely new LEED certified home in its place. As a result, their home has been established as the first residential structure on Long Island to be certified through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) Program. The LEED program is a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions in residential, commercial and industrial new and existing construction. The Busby family worked with a local contractor to maintain a “green” focus, while still trying to preserve the traditional-style home that they have always loved. The result is a gorgeous home in Huntington Bay that is a beacon for green building design and smart planning. The Busby Family is living proof that when life tosses you lemons, you can make lemonade. “We congratulate Michael and Wendy Busby for having the foresight and dedication to follow the LEED green building standard and hope that they will be a model for Long Island as we move toward a sustainable future,” Cuthbertson said. “I look forward to working with them as the Town establishes and expands programs to assist Huntington homeowners with sustainable building alternatives.” Future projects will include, a revolving loan fund for home energy audits and a low-income weatherization program. Susannah Mrazek is a legislative aide to the town board.

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Electronic collar helps find owner of lost dog

Josh Kovner of Huntington Station, who told us earlier this week about a lost dog, reports that the Shiba Inu has been reunited with its owner. Kovner said he took the dog to the Huntington shelter, where they found it had an electronic collar that was used to track down the owner. This dog came to Kovner’s deck through his back yard, scratching to get in during a gathering of friends on the night of July 3 between 9 and 10 p.m. Kovner lives on Cook Street near Cooper Avenue. The dog had no collar and was clearly afraid of the fireworks people were setting off, Kovner said, in addition to other loud noises.

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Town congratulates Pius scholarship winners

The council with Donald Pius Jr., in background, and scholarship winners flanked by Huntington Station Enrichment Center director Dee Thompson and Donald Pius Sr. By A.J. Carter Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petrone and the members of the Town Council congratulated five graduates from area high schools on Tuesday night as winners of this year’s Donald A. Pius Scholarships. The scholarships, administered by the Huntington Youth Bureau Youth Development Research Institute, are awarded annually to five graduating seniors in the Town of Huntington who demonstrate academic excellence and good character through exemplary family and community service. The $2,000 scholarships are funded from apartment rental income at the Town’s 1264 New York Avenue mixed use building in Huntington Station, purchased from Pius several years ago to house the Huntington Station Enrichment Center and a business incubator. The scholarship winners are:

Christine Agosto, a Walt Whitman High School graduate who will be attending Molloy College to study nursing.
John Buchanan, a Northport High School graduate who will be attending John Jay college of Criminal Justice to study forensic financial analysis.
Joshua Daves, a Huntington High School graduate who will be studying physical education at SUNY Cortland.
Jabari Lynch Maldon, a Harborfields high School graduate who will be studying physical education at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University.
Tehreem Rehman, a Walt Whitman High School graduate who will be studying earth and environmental engineering at Columbia University.

The graduates and their families were honored at a reception before last night’s Town Board meeting, where they received pointers from the St. Anthony’s High School guidance counselors Carole Ginnetty and Rosemarie Walsh, authors of a new college preparatory book, and munched on sandwiches donated by Larkfield Manor. A.J. Carter is the town's public information officer.

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Another blast for the Greenlawn Bugle

American Legion members and the town board. By Megan Lavery Councilwoman Susan A. Berland presented a proclamation to American Legion Post 1244 at Tuesday night’s Town Board meeting for winning the New York American Legion Press Association’s Best Paper Contest for their newsletter, The Greenlawn Bugle. The Greenlawn Bugle was first published in 2007 as a way to keep members informed about post activities and newsworthy events. The newsletter is compiled entirely by members of the post and provides valuable and accessible information to veterans who cannot always attend events. “It is a privilege for me to honor American Legion Post 1244 for winning this award two years in a row,” Berland said. “A lot of hard work and dedication goes into publishing this newsletter. I commend Commander Bill Ober, editor-in-chief of The Greenlawn Bugle and all of the Post members who put the time and effort into publishing this newsletter.” Megan Lavery is a legislative aide to the Town Council.

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Police reports from Commack

The lock of a storage trailer at 5 Star Car Wash on Jericho Turnpike was pried open June 30 and a bicycle and tools were stolen. A 43-year-old man was arrested a short time later at another location on Jericho Turnpike in East Northport and charged with burglary, third degree. Tires and rims were stolen from a 2008 Infiniti parked in the driveway of a residence on Caramel Road on July 1.

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New Northport treasurer gives her first report

Elissa iannicello, at left, making her presentation in Northport. Newsday photo. By Tim Healy thealy@newsday.com Elissa Iannicello, Northport's newly appointed treasurer, gave her first monthly report to the village board Tuesday night about the state of the municipal finances. Iannicello told the board that the village's financial tracking system had been moved to a new computer server, She also updated them about the state of the village bank accounts and efforts to get all the municipality's financial records in order. "Everything is pretty much in line as we would expect," she told the board. Her appointment was unanimously approved at the board's June 16 meeting, and she started work the next day. Iannicello replaces Mary Claire Krumholtz, who was suspended without pay on March 5. A village representative at that time would not cite a reason for her suspension other than to say an investigation was under way. For that story, click here. Iannicello, who makes $60,000 a year plus $4,500 in lieu of health benefits, is to serve until the village's annual organizational meeting in April 2010. Part of her job will be to report to the village board once a month. At Tuesday night's meeting she asked for comment from the trustees about how they would like to see future reports formatted. Trustee Henry Tobin, who is the commissioner of finance, said the new treasurer would be "getting a handle on the rhythm of our expenditures."

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'Legacy of the Revolution in Huntington' exhibit opens

The Huntington Militia was out in force Tuesday evening at Town Hall as Huntington Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia (right next to the flag at center) unveiled the latest exhibit from the town’s archives, “The Legacy of the Revolution in Huntington.” Revolutionary War weapons and personal equipment, uniform clothing and regimental equipment will be on exhibit, as well as artifacts marking the 100th anniversary of the Sons of the American Revolution’s Huntington chapter. The exhibit runs until December. Newsday photo

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Huntington unveils three housing programs

The Town Board with members of the Affordable Housing Trust Advisory Board and the Roadmap for Affordable Housing Committee. By A.J. Carter Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone and the Town Council on Tuesday unveiled details of three programs aimed at helping low- and moderate-income people find housing in the town as the town implements recommendations of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Advisory board. Taken together, the three programs will represent an almost $1.5 million investment by the town to create affordable housing, using money developers paid into the trust fund in return for obtaining increased density for their projects. “Helping people, especially people just entering the workforce, find housing they can afford will help ensure the Town’s future by addressing one of the major factors cited as contributing to Long Island’s brain drain. I can think of no more important role government can play,” Petrone said. The three programs to be implemented are:

The “American Dream” program, which will help first-time buyers realize the American dream of home ownership by providing 50 percent of their down payment, up to a maximum of $15,000. The town has earmarked $600,000 from the housing trust fund for this program, which is open to people making no more than 120 percent of the median income in the town. On a sliding scale, that works out to $85,600 for an individual or $122,200 for a family of four. The maximum purchase price of the house is $396,150. The “Take Back the Blocks” program, which will make available to first-time buyers houses the town has purchased from absentee landlords and rehabilitated to include a primary residence and a legal accessory apartment. The projected income from the apartment will help buyers qualify for a mortgage and meet carrying costs. The Town has allocated $429,000 in housing trust fund money to help purchase properties on Columbia and Tower Streets, which will be converted to a total of 16 living units. Other funding for this program is coming from Suffolk County and from the State’s Restore NY Communities program. This program is open to people making 80 percent of the median income, or $57,000 for an individual and $81,450 for a family of four on the sliding scale. A $400,000 revolving loan fund to help homeowners make the necessary improvements that will bring accessory apartments up to code and legalize them. The interest rate on the loans will be 3 percent. The eligibility income for homeowners will be no more than 120 percent of median income – the same as for the American Dream program – and the tenants can earn no more than 80 percent of median income – the same standard as for Take Back the Blocks.

The advisory board was created in 2001 in the same resolution that established the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which currently has about $2.8 million contributed by developers who sought rezonings. Its members, who serve without pay, represent community, environmental and business interests. They are charged with formulating recommendations to the Town Board on how the money in the trust fund could be spent.

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