Long Island Now
The latest community buzz and updates. | Sign up for community newsletters.
Preschool, elderly share pitch pipe songs
Photo credit: Brittany Wait
Jim Rosica conducted a group of preschoolers and elderly people at a nursing facility in Medford on Thursday, blowing into his pitch pipe and singing.
The music stopped and Rosica pointed to preschooler Matthew Orta, who was following his lead.
“Who are you, who who who who,” Rosica mouthed the words of the song "Who are you," by The Who.
With a giggle, Matthew answered,...
Read more »Baldwin native, now in Australia, trying to win one of 'Best Jobs in the World'
Photo credit: Handout
Once corporate life in the Big Apple began to take its toll, Baldwin native Alisa Messeroff and her husband, Bellmore native Mike Messeroff, quit their jobs in August 2011 to fulfill their dream of traveling the world.
After a year working as a hiking tour guide and waitress in the Virgin Islands, they moved to Australia, and have been backpacking since last fall.
After falling in love...
Read more »Weddings, food service deal for Vanderbilt Museum
Photo credit: Handout
Suffolk County’s Vanderbilt Museum, after years of trying, has finally made a $1 million deal to bring in an outside contractor to hold weddings and provide food service at the 43-acre Centerport complex.
Museum officials have put before county lawmakers a five-year deal with the Thatched Cottage in Centerport, beginning in January with three five-year renewal options. The deal would guarantee...
Read more »7 community events to attend this weekend
Photo credit: Newsday / Jim Peppler
Hundreds to help clean neighborhoods
Volunteers will hit the streets of Brentwood and Central Islip on Saturday for the third annual Clean Streets Committee cleanup, which this year will encompass both communities in one day.
Renee Ortiz, a Central Islip activist and one of the event organizers, said they expect to clean up at least 3 tons of garbage this weekend with roughly 300 volunteers....
Read more »Town Focus: Day 5 in Port Washington
Photo credit: Tara Conry
Just as sand mining, speedboat racing and seaplanes have left Port Washington, my time on the peninsula is coming to an end.
On my final day in Port Washington for Newsday’s “Town Focus” series, we will travel back in time to explore some defining aspects of Port’s past. Click here to view a collection of historical photos of Port Washington provided by the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society....
Read more »Landmark on Main Street symbol of Port Washington’s fighting spirit
Photo credit: T.C. McCarthy
Many outsiders know of Landmark on Main Street in Port Washington for its theater, which hosts a range of concerts and cultural programs throughout its October through June season. To the community of Port Washington though, the building, located at 232 Main St., is much more.
“We identify ourselves as a community center first,” said Sharon Maier-Kennelly, 42, Landmark’s executive director...
Read more »11 places on LI that have banned bamboo
Photo credit: Missouri Botanical Garden
Bans on bamboo across Long Island, like the one passed by the village of Malverne on Wednesday, have gained momentum in the past few years.
Advocates for banning the plant say it is invasive and encroaches on properties, causing damage.
How far back do bamboo bans go?
The Fire Island village of Ocean Beach banned the plant in 1981, according to its village code. It took 27 years...
Read more »Veterans invited to information day in Northport
Photo credit: T.C. McCarthy
Veterans Affairs will hold a daylong Information Day and Enrollment Event Saturday for Vietnam veterans.
The event, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will include information about benefits and enrollment, as well as a presentation about post-traumatic stress disorder.
The event will be at the Pavilion at the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 79 Middleville Rd. in Northport. Preregistration...
Read more »Huntington Tulip Festival Sunday
Photo credit: Newsday / Michael E. Ach
The free 13th Annual Huntington Tulip Festival is set for Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Heckscher Park.
“This is family-oriented fun that showcases beautiful flowers at one of our nicest parks,” said town board member Mark Cuthbertson, founder of the festival.
In December, more than 17,000 tulip bulbs in several varieties were planted. The flowers are expected to be at peak bloom...
Read more »Port Washington Water Taxi tours offer unique views of Gold Coast
Photo credit: Tara Conry
Port Washington native Matt Meyran, 53, has been working on the water since he was a boy. Each year, he takes hundreds of people out on Manhasset Bay through his business, Port Washington Water Taxi. The boat tours offer unique views of the Execution Rocks Lighthouse, the former Marine Air Terminal site and the Gold Coast mansions that inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book, “The Great Gatsby.”
When...
Read more »