Long Island briefs

ISLANDWIDEExpress train to Hamptons returns

The Long Island Rail Road's "Cannonball," the popular afternoon express service to the Hamptons, is making its return run, starting Friday.

For the second year in a row, the train, which departs at 4:06 p.m. on Fridays, leaves from Penn Station, instead of its longtime former origin of Hunterspoint Avenue in Queens. The LIRR also is running express westbound service from Montauk on Sunday evenings.

The Cannonball gets from Penn to Westhampton in 95 minutes, followed by stops at Southampton, Bridgehampton, East Hampton and Montauk, according to the LIRR.

It is "the only named train" operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, "and it makes the longest run covering a distance of 117 miles from Manhattan to Montauk," according to the MTA.

For more information, visit mta.info/lirr/hamptons.

NORTHPORTWar memorial to be unveiled at VA center

The 2014 Memorial Day Weekend is to begin today with the dedication and unveiling of the Wall of Wars Memorial at the Northport VA Medical Center.

The memorial features 12 6-foot-tall black granite panels that are laser etched to represent each American war -- from the American Revolution to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

"The monument is about honoring all veterans from all wars," Christopher L. Ingersoll, spokesman for the Northport VA. "It's a chance for the Northport VA and the veteran service organizations to really honor the veterans. It's especially important in the midst of wrapping up the war in Afghanistan and our guys are starting to come home; we want to let them know we honor our veterans and respect the sacrifices they make."

The program kicks off at noon at the medical center, at 79 Middleville Rd.

The large-scale monument is a gift of the Suffolk County Vietnam Veterans of America, the Disabled American Veterans and their community partners. The project took about two years to complete and includes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Garden. It cost about $1 million and was paid for through donations.

Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton), Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington), Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) are expected to speak. Joseph Johnson, national commander of the Disabled American Veterans, and John Rowan, national commander of the Vietnam Veterans of America, are also expected.

Entertainment will be provided by The Northport High School Tour Choir and Brass Ensemble.

WYANDANCH/

BABYLONSchool staff help student go to prom

Malique Hilton almost didn't make it to prom on Tuesday night. He couldn't afford it.

Then Wyandanch Memorial High School advisers Daniel Marcano and Laura Santiago stepped in, allowing him to go to the prom in style at the Venetian Yacht Club in Babylon.

It was important for him to go after a rough senior year. Hilton's family had been struggling financially, so he left school last November to get a job. After a month, he enlisted in the Army and returned to school. He will head to basic training after graduation.

"I wouldn't be at my prom if it weren't for them," Hilton, 18, said of the advisers. "Prom means so much to me because it makes me feel like I'm moving forward. Next comes graduation. I'm almost there to where I want to be. Someday I'll even be able to buy my mom a house."

Marcano and Santiago, co-advisers for the senior class, purchased Hilton's suit and a gown for a female student, and rallied the staff to help buy prom tickets for students who couldn't afford the financial burden of an $85 ticket.

"There's a lot of hardships in this community," Santiago said. "Thankfully, teachers really look out for our kids. This is a big event for them. Look how much fun they're having."

LEVITTOWN5th-grader is 'Doodle 4 Google' winner

When Google users visit the site's homepage on June 9, they will be greeted by an intricate animated "Doodle."

The drawing is by Levittown fifth-grader Audrey Zhang.

The 11-year-old has emerged as the winner of the "Doodle 4 Google" national competition.

Audrey, a student at Island Trees Middle School, found out she won Wednesday at an awards reception at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California.

In late April, Audrey was named New York's state finalist for the second consecutive year. She joined finalists from across the country Wednesday for a day filled with art, science and engineering workshops with staff from Google and NASA. Then, came the awards ceremony.

The winners of each of the five age divisions were determined through online votes, and Audrey won her age division, which included fourth- and fifth-graders.

Among the five national finalists from each age division, the judges selected her as the ultimate winner.

Last year's winner, Wisconsin's Sabrina Brady, pulled a lever on a machine, setting off a chain reaction sequence that ultimately led to Audrey's name and her Doodle appearing on a big screen.

"She was very excited and ran back to the stage to get her second trophy," Google spokeswoman Krisztina Radosavljevic said. "She was proudly holding onto both for the rest of the afternoon."

During a phone interview yesterday, Audrey said her win "feels really cool."

She spent Thursday brainstorming with a team of Google animators to add movement to her complex drawing before it hits the homepage. The illustration, titled "Back to Mother Nature," is set in a forest and features a mythical winged water purification machine.

"I want to see the machine move," Audrey said.

The theme for this year's contest was "If I Could Invent One Thing to Make the World a Better Place," and Radosavljevic said many of the more than 100,000 submissions Google received dealt with water quality.

Radosavljevic said Google will donate $20,000 in Audrey's name to a charity that brings clean water and latrines to schools in Bangladesh.

"She's going to be able to make a difference," Radosavljevic added.

Audrey also won a $30,000 college scholarship and her school will receive a $50,000 Google for Education technology grant.

Principal Roger Bloom said the school community is looking forward to celebrating with her Friday when she returns. "Audrey is an incredible young lady whose creativity, combined with her unbelievable talents, makes her an incredible artist," he said.

During the awards reception, Ryan Germick, who leads Google's Doodle team, said he was impressed by the growth Audrey showed from last year's contest, in which she finished as a national finalist.

Audrey's mother, Hongmei Weng, 40, who has been watching her daughter draw since she was 2 years old, said seeing her win Wednesday was "overwhelming . . . like a dream come true."

HEMPSTEAD TOWNBeach parking fees for residents raised

The Hempstead Town Board approved a 25 percent increase for resident parking fees at some town-operated beaches in Lido Beach and Point Lookout, before Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start to summer.

The board voted 6-0 Tuesday, with Councilman Edward Ambrosino absent, to increase the daily town resident beach parking fee from $8 to $10 per car at Lido Beach Town Park, Lido West Town Park, Town Park at Sands and Town Park at Point Lookout. The last increase took place in February 2012, town officials said.

Nonresidents will continue to pay $20 at Lido Beach Town Park and $25 at the other three beach parks.

"Hempstead Town's most recent modest adjustment on beach parking brings our township in line with other state and municipal beaches," town spokeswoman Susan Trenkle-Pokalsky said in a statement. "In fact, fees at some local municipalities are significantly higher."

Oyster Bay Town's daily parking fee is $20, while Babylon Town's ranges from $20 to $30 on weekdays and $30 to $40 on weekends, depending on the beach. The Jones Beach parking fee is $10.

The Hempstead Town beaches will be open starting Saturday until Labor Day, Sept. 1. Parking fees will be collected on weekdays, weekends and holidays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Lifeguards will be on duty only on weekends and holidays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting tomorrow until June 22. They will be on duty seven days a week from June 23 to Sept. 1.

HEMPSTEAD VILLAGEBMX, skateboard riding exhibition

Hempstead Rebirth Community Development Corporation has scheduled its annual Extreme Ride Exhibition, from noon to 4 p.m. tomorrow at the Hempstead Fireman's Field, on 250 Milburn Ave. in Hempstead Village.

The free event will feature BMX riding and skateboarding, entertainment along with music, food and community information.

The event's goal is to provide a fun-filled and entertaining event for the community while helping Hempstead Rebirth reach its goals, one of which is to use this event to connect youth to life-enhancing programs, organizers said.

Hempstead Rebirth CDC is a faith-based nonprofit community development organization, created to improve the quality of life of residents and businesses in Hempstead, the Hub and the Long Island region through community and economic development strategies.

For more information, call 516-539-2210 or visit hempsteadrebirth.org.

HUNTINGTOn TOWNNorthport Woodbine Marina to reopen

The Town of Huntington is reopening the Northport Woodbine Marina today, following a $1.7 million renovation that took about six months to complete.

Town and Northport Village officials, as well as representatives from boating groups and boaters, are slated to gather at the marina about 10:30 a.m., weather permitting.

The renovation expanded the marina from 36 to 56 slips, added lighting, electrical and water connections, pump-out stations and concrete floating platforms designed to withstand severe storms, officials said.

The work included gutting the marina and dredging the area to remove silt deposits, which had made it shallower and less accessible to larger boats.

The town owns and operates the Northport Harbor marina, which was built in the 1960s. The town also has two marinas in Huntington Harbor.

The town started discussing the project in 2007 and secured a bond in 2011. The town board authorized spending the money for the project in August.

Terry Contracting & Materials of Riverhead was awarded the contract and did the work. It was initially slated to be finished by April, but the cold weather and repairs to part of the bulkhead delayed the completion date.

NASSAU COUNTYSummer bus service to Jones Beach

The Nassau Inter-County Express resumes summer bus service to Jones Beach State Park Friday night -- just in time to treat riders afflicted with "Night Fever."

NICE will begin running its N88 buses out of the Freeport Long Island Rail Road station beginning with special service to and from tonight's Barry Gibb concert at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater.

The N88 will continue running on weekends, and for theater events, through June 22. On June 23, daily summer service on the N88 and on the N87, between the Hicksville LIRR station and Jones Beach, will resume until Labor Day.

Both routes will stop at Jones Beach's two bathhouses and the Central Mall. Service on the N88 will run every 30 minutes, while service on the N87 will run hourly. The N88 will offer service for the Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach, starting at 8:30 a.m. May 24 through 8:50 p.m. Memorial Day.