News

HLBAY09

On a Friday night in <a href="/topics/Bay_Shore%2C_NY">Bay Shore</a> – depending on what’s showing at the Boulton Center – the streets might fill with people leaving the theater, moseying into the restaurants or rowdy 20-somethings hopping from bar to bar. 
 But at one time it was much more grand, even with Main Street unpaved and dusty. 
 In its heyday, <a href="/topics/Bay_Shore%2C_NY">Bay Shore</a> was a mix of the wealthy who summered in mansions on the <a href="/topics/Great_South_Bay%2C_NY">Great South Bay</a>, tradesmen who made their living on the water and working in those mansions and film stars socializing at local <a href="/topics/Hotels_%28musician%29">hotels</a>. 
 “It was such a social place,” said Priscilla Hancock, first vice president of the Bay Shore-<a href="/topics/Brightwaters%2C_NY">Brightwaters</a> Historical Society. “That was really its heyday.” 
 The Bay Shore community was formed in 1701 when John Mowbray purchased the land from the Secatogue Indians, and a land patent for the purchase was signed by the <a href="/topics/Queen_%28band%29">Queen</a> of England in 1708. The community took off as a haven where people could either enjoy the fruits of the land and sea or work them. The forests proved bountiful for those in the hunting and timber industries; and the waters were full of fish, clams and oysters. 
 The mansions, which required butlers, maids, gardeners and chauffeurs, employed many, according to historical society president Barry Dlouhy. 
 “It was very genteel,” he said. “It was a different time. But on the other hand, you had all the people who were working these estates. And they all lived in Bay Shore together.” 
 In 1809, the Cortland House was built. The hotel symbolized the level of interest in the Bay Shore community and would later become a stopping place for stage coaches headed farther east. 
 A year later, the Methodist Church was built. 
 “That’s usually a sign of a community forming,” Dlouhy said. “Rather than just a place to stop, now this was somewhere where people wanted to live and worship.” 
 By the mid-1800s, he said, almost every denomination was represented in Bay Shore and a few years later the population reached 2,000. But even then, it doubled during the summer. 
 In 1868, the <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> Railroad stopped in Bay Shore for the first time. It was also the first time the area was called by that name. 
 “First it was Mechanicsville, but nobody could remember that when they were sending mail out,” Hancock said. “Then it was Penataquit, but nobody could spell that.” 
 The turn of the century only increased the grandiose <a href="/topics/Atmosphere_%28musician%29">atmosphere</a> in Bay Shore. More <a href="/topics/Hotels_%28musician%29">hotels</a> were built, including the Prospect House, which could accommodate 400 guests. The wealthy came from Brooklyn and Manhattan to bathe in the sea, breathe in the fresh air, attend horse races at the Oakwood Driving Park, enjoy polo matches and cruise on their yachts. 
 In 1915, Vitagraph Moving Picture Company opened a studio on Fourth Avenue. Film stars began frequenting Bay Shore, local residents were used as extras and could see themselves in short films shown at the Carleton Opera House on Friday nights. Film star Anita Stewart came to love the area so much, she built a home in <a href="/topics/Brightwaters%2C_NY">Brightwaters</a>. 
 Bay Shore attracted a number of prominent businessmen, including Charles Gulden, of Gulden Mustard; J. A. Mollenhauer, a leader in the sugar industry; and <a href="/topics/John_Adams">John Adams</a>, the Chiclets gum manufacturer. Later, in the 20s, the Entenmann family opened their bakery on Main Street. 
 In the early 20th century, a few things changed the character of the community, Hancock said. Many of the men who worked the large estates were called to war; then the stock market crashed in 1929. 
 “The next generation of people in Bay Shore didn’t exhibit that same wealth,” she said. “Things began to be a little bit different.” 
 Like most communities on <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a>, the population boomed after <a href="/topics/World_War_II">World War II</a>, increasing from just over 6,000 in 1942 to 12,000 in 1948. 
 Susan Barbash, a lifelong Bay Shore resident who produced the documentary “A Small Piece of the World: The Bay Shore Story,” said as the community grew with its population there was more focus on schools and the infrastructure had to be adapted. But Bay Shore was unique in that it already had such a strong history. 
 “It was a time of expansion,” she said. “But it was expanding on something that already existed.” 
 Hancock, who has been collecting and organizing materials for the historical society’s reference library for the last 17 years, said though some things have inevitably changed - industries have come and gone, as have the film stars - certain aspects of Bay Shore will likely stay the same. 
 “It’s always been a beautiful community where people enjoy what they have here,” she said. “I think that will always be the case.”

Bay Shore History

Entenmann’s 1st bakery, movie studio part of hamlet's history

Bay Shore

Bob Pettersen works in a corner office with tall windows that look out onto Main Street in Bay Shore. 
 Everyday, he leaves his office and walks down the street for lunch. 
 It’s a simple luxury, but Pettersen, who grew up in Bay Shore, said there was a long period of time when he just wouldn’t do that. 
 “Main Street in Bay Shore was really challenged and struggling for a long time,” he said. 
 But Pettersen, 45, executive director of the Great South Bay YMCA, considers the job he does every day a perfect example of Bay Shore’s comeback - it’s a place where every facet of the community comes together. 
 The idea of bringing people together triggered the start of Bay Shore’s revitalization nearly 20 years ago, and it’s a priority that has prevailed. 
 On April 19, the Bay Shore School District will host the 18th annual Community Summit, which will bring representatives from more than 40 organizations under one roof to discuss the issues facing the community and form a united voice in addressing them. 
 Since the first summit, the event has brought together business owners, home owners, civic groups and politicians in an effort to improve the quality of life in Bay Shore. 
 Susan Barbash, 57, who grew up in Bay Shore, was one of the event’s first chairpersons. She said it was the idea of former school superintendent Evelyn Holman and that they expected a couple hundred people to show up. 
 “It ended up being well over 1,000 people,” she said. “It was standing room only. There was such a need for this.” 
 She said the need came from the “perfect storm” of events from the late '60s to the '80s that contributed to the downfall of Bay Shore. 
 The deinstitutionalization of psychiatric hospitals in Brentwood and Central Islip released into the community a population that relied on medication and supervision. Many of those people came to Bay Shore unmedicated and unsupervised. The South Shore Mall opened, pulling many of the shops from Main Street into the shopping center and leaving the downtown desolate. 
 “The decline of Bay Shore took everyone a little by surprise,” Barbash said. “Things just started spiraling down and there weren’t obvious ways to combat it.” 
 The first move to revitalization came at the hand of Donna Periconi, the first and only president of the Bay Shore-Brightwaters Chamber of Commerce. She said her organization formed through meetings held at her antique store on Main Street. The store eventually closed, but the chamber prospered and was another driving force behind the summit. 
 “In the '80s, 43 percent of Main Street was closed down, the schools were not what they are now, there were a number of social problems,” Periconi said. “We took those problems and broke them down and looked at how each of the organizations could solve them.” 
 Barbash said having elected officials involved in the summit has been the key to its success. 
 “People really don’t know their politicians and politicians really don’t understand our problems,” she said. “When you have 1,000 people staring you in the face and telling you what they want, it makes it easier to do the right thing.” 
 She said projects that come either directly or indirectly from the summit include a letter-writing campaign to save the historic Penataquit Post Office last year, closing a decrepit boarding house and finding alternative housing for its residents, and building the bandshell at the village green. 
 This year’s goals include improving local roads, the remediation of the former Bay Shore Manufactured Gas Plant and the surrounding area, and improving the Sunny Brook neighborhood with street lighting, affordable housing initiatives and adding green space. 
 This year’s summit, chaired by Christopher Kayser, will also be an opportunity for the community to meet new leaders: Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, Town of Islip Supervisor Tom Croci and Bay Shore School District Superintendent Peter Dion, who will all be featured speakers. 
 Periconi said the “beautiful” thing about the summit, and about Bay Shore in general, is that the goal – a better quality of life – is blind to socioeconomic status. 
 “We are united in purpose and in spirit,” she said. “What is most important about this community is our diversity. We celebrate that distinction. Regardless of whether a person is rich or poor, regardless of faith, race, all our children go to the same schools, they are on the same sports teams. It’s very special.”

Bay Shore summit is fixture of community

Steve Bellone, Tom Croci, Peter Dion to speak at Bay Shore summit

Summit

Bob Pettersen, 45, of Bay Shore Community association: Great South Bay YMCA executive director 
 How long have you lived in Bay Shore? I grew up here. I spent my whole life in the community. I’m a graduate of Bay Shore High School. I never would have thought I would one day be running my local Y, but here I am. 
 What made you want to stay in the community? I always loved Bay Shore. When I returned from college, I was a physical education major. I thought I was going to be a physical education teacher, I was a coach in Bay Shore. I love Bay Shore, I love the downtown, I love the community. So when I was getting ready to find a real job, they were just building the Y. 
 So how did you end up as executive director? Well, there used to be a Y located at the American Legion building. A group of community members got together and they wanted to build the Y. They raised $4 or $5 million and they built the Y in 1991. I started here teaching classes and working in the fitness center and doing sports programs. Then I quickly was made full time. Then I moved up the ladder, I was a program director then associate director, and I took over for the last executive director two years ago. I love it, it’s been great. I always say I wish the Y was here when I was growing up. It’s really a part of the community and a part of the redevelopment of the community. 
 How have you seen the community change since you were growing up? Bay Shore, I’ve been through it all. I’ve seen it when it was really, really struggling. Now I’m really excited to be part of the redevelopment of Bay Shore. Main Street in Bay Shore was really challenged and struggling for a long time. When the Y was put here, it was part of the start of what rejuvenated the town. It’s another great vista for downtown. I walk out of this office and down Main Street to get lunch everyday. Ten to 15 years ago, I wouldn’t have done that. The Boulton Center is owned and operated by the Y. That’s a great addition. People come to see the shows on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday night, and then they go out to eat or get drinks. 
 How has the YMCA helped rejuvenate Bay Shore? Geographically, we’re located on Main Street. We’re a town meeting hall. Every different facet of Bay Shore comes here, the wealthy, people struggling, we don’t discriminate against anybody. We are a true community center. This has helped Bay Shore become a community again. 
 What challenges does this community face now? We have to continue the momentum. There are a lot of people really motivated to keep the momentum. Everyone is so dedicated. I’m not worried about this community at all. 
 Define the character of Bay Shore. Very passionate. Very protective, dedicated, proud. Sometimes Bay Shore gets a bad rap and I don’t know why. I’ve been here for a long time and I don’t understand it. It has one of the best school districts on Long Island, a downtown and we’re a waterfront community.

Bay Shore people: Bob Pettersen

Bob Pettersen

Peter Dion, 61, of Bay Shore Title: Superintendent of the Bay Shore School District 
 How long have you lived in Bay Shore? I just took over this position in July. I came from Michigan, where I grew up. I have never lived in New York before. 
 You came for the job, of course, but why Bay Shore? How did you end up here? The unemployment rate in Detroit hit more than 14 percent and people were leaving Michigan in droves. The legislature got involved to try to help things out and was offering retirement incentives to anyone who was eligible. So I decided to take it. And then the head hunters called and they said, ‘How about Bay Shore, New York?’ I said I’ve never even been to New York. 
 When you came to visit, what made you decide this was a move you could make? It’s a great place. It was the kind of place my wife and I knew we could live. It’s close to a vibrant city, it’s near the water. Where we live, we can walk right out to the Great South Bay. It’s cool. We like it a lot. 
 What were some of your first impressions of the school district? It’s a diverse district. And a really close-knit district. That’s one of the things that makes us a rich district. You can see it at the track meets and the lacrosse games. People of all different colors, all races, interacting, playing together. It’s a great thing about this community. You know, I’ve been in seven or eight different districts, and the thing that really comes out are that the people here are really proud of their community. A lot of teachers went to school here and have come back. That tells me a lot. And the athletics and the arts are both really strong. I’m looking out my window at all these kids practicing on our fields. It’s Spring Break, what are they doing here? They should be in Florida. Right now we have 300 kids in our Vacation Academy. That’s a program for third- and fourth-graders to prepare for their state assessment tests. They have to take them the Tuesday they get back. That’s 300 kids that are volunteering to be in school during their vacation. You can tell that we are a vibrant community. 
 The school district is a big part of the annual Community Summit, which is coming up. How are you feeling about it? I’m very anxious and proud to be a part of it. It’s all the things I’ve always believed in. It’s a grassroots effort to improve the quality of life here. I think this is a good model for our kids -- give back to the community that has invested so much in you. 
 Have you ever seen something like this in other places you’ve worked, more than 40 organizations and the schools getting together to discuss community issues? No. And that’s it exactly, it’s not just the school, it’s the businesses, the homeowners, everyone getting together with a vision to improve the quality of life. Maybe that’s where the pride this community has comes from. When I heard about the summit, I told the members of the school board I commended them for taking a grassroots effort to improving the quality of life. 
 What sold you on this school district? I’ve been a superintendent in the high performing, white districts. I’ve done that. I wanted to be in a diverse district. I know we can achieve the same results. When I came here to interview, I was interviewing them as well. I paid attention to the school board, are they in it for the kids? They are. I feel proud and fortunate to be in a district like Bay Shore. 
 How would you define the character of the community? It’s a very caring community. They show a love for one another. It’s giving, caring. It’s full of hard working people that care about their kids.

Bay Shore people: Superintendent Dion

Bay Shore people: Superintendent Peter Dion

People of Bay Shore

It’s my last day in Bay Shore. 
 Today, you’ll find stories that will show off the wealth of knowledge and the level of pride I’ve found in Bay Shore’s residents all week. 
 We’ll post a story and video on Bay Shore’s history. The land was signed over from the Queen of England in 1708 and at its peak, Bay Shore was a summer community for the wealthy and famous. 
 But it didn’t stay that way forever, though remnants of its splendor remain in mansions that still stand. Beginning in the 1960s, a series of events turned Bay Shore into the kind of place where “you couldn’t walk down Main Street,” according to Priscilla Hancock, first vice president of the historical society. 
 By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the community was ready to take a stand for a better quality of life. 
 In 1994, the Community Summit council met for the first time, representing various organizations in Bay Shore, including the chamber of commerce, the school district and elected officials. That group, which now represents about 40 community organizations, has met every month since then and holds a Community Summit every spring. 
 This year’s summit will be held April 19 at the Bay Shore High School. We’ll post more about this year’s summit and how it all began later today. 
 If you’re in Bay Shore this weekend, check out the Bay Shore-Brightwaters Little League Opening Day parade on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. and followed by a ceremony. Games will go on throughout the day. The fields are located behind the Target shopping center on Penataquit Drive. 
 Thank you for all of your emails, comments, and tweets. They have helped guide me through Bay Shore this week. Feel free to send others today and in the future. I’m sure there will be plenty more to report on in Bay Shore as the community continues to grow.

Town Focus: Day 5 in Bay Shore

HLBSHORE13, Bay Shore welcome sign

As part of an Eagle Scout project, 17-year-old Boy Scout Tyler D’Agostino of East Islip has organized a used bike drive for Earth Day, April 22, from 11:15 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Sinai Reform Temple in Bay Shore. 
 He said members of the community have been dropping off bikes to his home since April 1, and that he has already collected 50 bikes to send to third-world countries in Central America. He has also collected $1,100 in personal and corporate donations to cover shipping costs. 
 He is looking for adult and child bicycles in good condition, along with sewing machines. 
 He has partnered with Pedals for Progress, a nonprofit organization that has collected more than 133,000 bicycles and 2,000 sewing machines since it started more than 20 years ago. The program both provides needed transportation to those in need and keeps unnecessary items out of U.S. landfills. 
 “As long as they have a sturdy frame they’ll take them,” said D’Agostino, whose goal is to collect 100 bicycles. 
 D’Agostino got the idea after finding out that his mother’s boss, Thomas Montalbine, president of Roman Stone Construction Company in Bay Shore, was holding a bicycle drive on April 21 at the South Huntington Library. 
 D’Agostino suggests people donate at least $10 along with each item to help defray shipping costs to places like Nicaragua, Moldova, Uganda and Guatemala. 
 “It costs $30 per bike to ship,” D’Agostino, a junior at East Islip High School, said. 
 “If it’s a great success, which I’m sure it will be, I’m sure we can do this project again,” he said. 
 For more information, call D’Agostino at 631-650-1981 or email him at <a href="mailto:chessking95@optonline.net">chessking95@optonline.net</a>.

Boy Scout hosts bike drive in Bay Shore

hlBIKE12

Editor's note: All week long, Erin Geismar is profiling people around Bay Shore, from community leaders to residents she bumps into around town. 
 Community associations: Bay Shore-Brightwaters Chamber of Commerce president; Business Improvement District executive director; on the Suffolk County Downtown Revitalization Panel 
 How long have you lived in Bay Shore? 
 I’ve lived in Brightwaters since 1974. But I worked in Bay Shore and my whole life is Bay Shore. 
 What brought you here? 
 My husband. He wanted to be near the ocean. He had done his internship and residency at Nassau Community Medical Center and we were planning on settling in Connecticut. He realized one weekend -- as we were prepared to move -- that he could not leave the ocean. He came to Bay Shore and he thought this was a perfect place to raise a family. And it is. 
 What made you join the chamber? 
 I had a wonderful antique store in town, deLuca and Mullarkey Antiques. At that time, it was difficult. The store became the meeting place to discuss rescuing Bay Shore. People would gather there and there would be letter-writing, campaigning, anything to save this town. After six or seven years, we closed the store. During that period, they had asked me to be president of the chamber. I stayed on after that because things were working well and they asked me to. We have a very effective chamber. Our meetings bring more than 100 people. We introduce new businesses, discuss issues in town, network... 
 When you first moved here, what was notable about the community? 
 As an antique dealer, when I went to Main Street, my first impression was of this Santa Fe facade on the storefronts. I said to my husband, “You have taken me to this community that instead of capitalizing on its location on the Great South Bay, they have put cheap, unattractive Santa Fe facades on all these buildings. This is where we are living.” It was with that in mind that I developed my determination to turn this community around into the historic and picturesque community it is. When the community built the bandshell, we created a view of the water from Main Street. It’s things like that that bring the community back to its roots as a waterfront town. That was how we began to capitalize on Bay Shore as a seafaring community. That’s its whole history. 
 What is it that you love so much about the community? 
 We’re very proud of this community, of who we are, who we have been for more than 300 years. We are united in purpose and in spirit. What is most important about this community is our diversity. We celebrate that distinction. Regardless of whether a person is rich or poor, regardless of faith, race, all our children go to the same schools, they are on the same sports teams. It’s very special. The people here are exceptionally fine. They always take the opportunity to do the right thing. Not everyone can say that. We have a strength in purpose. Nothing is too difficult for us to achieve. 
 Can you give me any examples of that? 
 [The house at] 11 Maple Avenue was a boarding house, and when we realized that people were living there in slum-like conditions, we did something about it. We took care of it. But we didn’t just get it cleared out. We found places for every one of those people to live. You couldn’t imagine the support. One man came in with a blank check and said, “You use whatever you need. This should have happened a long time ago.” We helped these people build new lives and they are now part of the fabric of our community. 
 Our historic post office. We campaigned to save it when they wanted to close it. We wrote 7,000 letters to the postmaster general. We may not have saved it -- we’ll find out about that soon -- but we came together again to do the right thing. 
 A prime example is how we built the bandshell. We needed something in our community to represent its turnaround, and that’s it. 
 We’ve had so many projects over the years. When the Touro College of Health Sciences was located in Dix Hills and they were moving to a new location, we heard they were considering Bay Shore. We worked hard to bring it here. We took buses and we had moms and strollers and we showed up at the Legislature and paraded around with signs that said, “Bring Touro to Bay Shore.” 
 What challenges do you think the community faces? 
 I think our mission as the chamber and the BID is to carefully watch, as we’re already doing. We remain watchful of everything that is happening here. We don’t want things to go wrong now that we’ve got all these plans in place. 
 How would you define the character of the community? 
 We’re united. We’ve got an extremely good population of people and it’s unique. Here’s one more story: Many years ago, our Sinai Reform Temple had a fire there. Before they were able to build a new facility in ’63, St. Patrick Church gave them one of their buildings to use. At Mass every week, baskets would go out at our churches to raise money for Sinai until they could pay for a new building. It was another wonderful opportunity for our community to do the right thing. We have a spirit of general affection for each other.

Bay Shore people: Civic leader Donna Periconi

Editor's note: All week long, Erin Geismar is profiling people around Bay Shore, from community leaders to residents she bumps into around town. 
 Have you always lived in Bay Shore? 
 Momma and Poppa were from Poland; they were married in New Jersey and came out to Bay Shore in the ’20s. I was born here in 1930. I lived in the same house on the corner of Fifth and Union all my life until I got married. I have two sisters, they’re both gone now. One was a teacher and I just adored her so I was a teacher, too. I taught at the Bay Shore School District for three years. My husband also taught in Bay Shore. 
 Where did you live after you were married? 
 Poppa bought property and built houses. He bought land opposite the Bay Shore High School and he made a street. The name of the street is Korol Street, which is my maiden name and I live on Korol Street. He gave us each a plot of land. So all three sisters lived there until the other two died. It was nice. 
 What made you want to stay in Bay Shore as an adult? 
 I had a street named after me and I taught in the Bay Shore schools, and my husband also taught in the Bay Shore schools. I had friends and relatives here, so we stayed. There was no other place I wanted to go. I always wanted to stay here. 
 What is it about the community that you love? 
 The people are friendly and knowledgeable. Everyone is just always so nice. If you’re lucky enough to find a place like that, stay. 
 What changes have you seen in the area? 
 Stores and restaurants and malls. And just the growth of the whole community.

Bay Shore people: Sue Korol Sharkey

All week, I’ve been hearing about the great things the YMCA has done for the Bay Shore community (and I’ve been driving by its impressive building), so I reached out to executive director Bob Pettersen to see if I could check out the facility. 
 I’m meeting with Pettersen, a longtime member of the community, this afternoon and will post an interview with him afterward. 
 Today, you’ll also find a story on the Baker family, who has lived in Bay Shore for generations, and is grateful to its community for the support it showed when 21-year-old Jack Baker was injured in an accident in Costa Rica in January. 
 I’ve received many emails from Bay Shore residents and met so many of them already, but it’s not too late. Send your suggestions or just your thoughts about Bay Shore by <a href="mailto:erin.geismar@newsday.com">email</a>, in the comments below or on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/eringeismar">Twitter</a>.

Town Focus: Day 4 in Bay Shore

Editor's note: All week long, Erin Geismar is profiling people around Bay Shore, from community leaders to residents she bumps into around town. 
 Christina Richardson, 17, Bay Shore Student at Bay Shore High School 
 We met Christina while taking photos outside Bay Shore High School, and she offered to speak with us about her thoughts on her school and community. Her family moved from Islip to Bay Shore last year. 
 What did you think when your family first decided to move to Bay Shore? I don’t want to go to Bay Shore. I was nervous. My mom said I would make friends instantly -- and I did. I met a lot of really nice people here. I never felt like I was alone, even on my first day. 
 You were just raving about your school and your community, why do you like it so much? It’s just a really friendly community. And there are a lot of things to do here. There are a lot of stores, you can walk everywhere, go to the South Shore Mall and hang out with your friends and just be yourself. 
 Would you consider coming back to this area after college? Yes, but I’m not sure if Bay Shore or Islip. I love both of those communities, but I have more memories in Islip. 
 How would you define the character of Bay Shore? So you mean like if Bay Shore was a person, how would I describe them? 
 Yes, that’s a good way to put it. Hilarious. Outgoing. Friendly. This town makes me laugh. But there are some parts of town that can be a little scary, but I just don’t go to them.

Bay Shore people: Christina Richardson

Bay Shore people: High school student Christina Richardson

HLBAY11

Although the Bay Shore schools are on spring break this week, we wanted to make sure we got a peek into the lives of the students. 
 On Day 4, I’m meeting Superintendent Peter Dion to find out what’s going on in the schools, get his view on the younger generation of Bay Shore, and learn about the upcoming community summit, which the district helps sponsor. 
 This afternoon, I’m headed to the Southside Hotel, where I’ll sit down with owner Ned Baker and his son Jack. A few months ago, Jack Baker was hospitalized in Costa Rica after having an accident there. His family quickly flew to his side, while the community of Bay Shore took action at home. A fundraiser was quickly put together to raise money to help the Bakers fly Jack home and ease the burden of medical bills. 
 You can find the full story posted later today. 
 If you missed it, yesterday was spent touring the downtown with Chamber of Commerce President Donna Periconi, who exudes adoration for her community. 
 I tweeted photos from our walk, so make sure to follow me on <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/eringeismar">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://foursquare.com/eringeismar">Foursquare</a> to keep up with my whereabouts in Bay Shore. If you have suggestions for the next few days in Bay Shore, you can reach me by <a href="mailto:erin.geismar@newsday.com">email</a> or in the comments below. 
 Above: Bay Shore High School

Town Focus: Day 3 in Bay Shore

HLBSHORE13 -- cropped

A highlight for Brightwaters, the small village located within the hamlet of Bay Shore, comes every August at Wohseepee Park during the annual Ice Cream Social. 
 The Symphonic Band of Bay Shore-Brightwaters plays a patriotic tune and Joseph McNulty, village mayor for the past 16 years, wears a straw hat and waxes poetic about the “Crown Jewel of the Great South Bay.” 
 “The mayor has coined that phrase for Brightwaters,” said Donna Periconi, president of the Bay Shore-Brightwaters Chamber of Commerce. “Under his watch, it has retained this illustrious title.” 
 In honor of his dedication to the Brightwaters and Bay Shore community, McNulty, the longest running mayor in the village’s history, will be honored at this year’s Distinguished Citizen Award Dinner, hosted by the chamber on May 24. 
 Periconi called Brightwaters a village with an “old-fashioned feel,” and said McNulty does his part to keep it that way. McNulty said he’s been lucky to be at the head of such a picturesque community and that one of his proudest accomplishments is planting more than 1,500 new trees in the past 10 years. 
 “I’m more of a caretaker,” said McNulty, 77. “I received a beautiful village, and I try to keep it that way.” 
 But there have been more difficult elements to his tenure that he has handled with aplomb, Periconi said. He has reduced the village’s debt from about $1.75 million when he came into office to nothing, he said, and has not raised taxes in 12 years. 
 “It was a struggle,” he said. “But the people of our community understood and they wanted us to do what we had to do.” 
 Periconi added that McNulty, who owns Hendrickson Fuels in Bay Shore, and is a&nbsp; father of six, grandfather of 15 and great grandfather of one, is a warm person with a “strong moral compass.”&nbsp; He is also a regular fixture at the 9:30 a.m.&nbsp;mass at St. Patrick Church, where he is an usher. 
 “Everyone in the community knows him,” Periconi said. “And everyone is proud to know him.” 
 Pictured: Brightwaters Mayor Joseph A. McNulty

Brightwaters mayor to be honored by chamber

HLMAYOR10/jz- cropped

Editor's note: All week long, Erin Geismar is profiling people around Bay Shore, from community leaders to residents she bumps into around town. 
 Rodney Marve, 59, of Farmingdale Community association: assistant director of the Bay Shore-Brightwaters Public Library 
 How long have you worked for the library? 
 I started here in 1969. I was still in high school. 
 Where are you from originally? 
 Alexandria, La. My mom died when I was 12 and my aunt and the powers that be decided that I would be better off if I came up here with them. My aunt already lived in Bay Shore. My uncle and my dad took me to New Orleans and put me on a train. They told them, ‘This boy is going to New York to meet his aunt, be sure he gets there.’ I was 13 years old, I had never left Louisiana before. 
 What was it like coming to Bay Shore? 
 It was a big, vast place. Louisiana was segregated when I was a child. My very best friend when I got here was white. I was out playing basketball and he hopped over the fence and came over. We’ve been friends since 1967. That was a change. He just saw a guy playing ball. The difference is in Louisiana, a white guy would never come up to me. We didn’t have anything to do with each other. That’s quite a difference. The town was very accepting. I never remember getting into a fight or an argument with someone. 
 Why did you decide to stay here as an adult? 
 Well, I don’t live here anymore. I live in Farmingdale. But I stayed here until after my daughter was born. I wanted to stay but I couldn’t afford the housing. It’s a very comfortable existence here and I still have cousins that live here. 
 What do you love about this community? 
 When you walk down the street, people say hello. It’s very small town. If someone comes into the library and someone says, "How are you?" and she says, "My husband is in the hospital," when she comes in a few weeks later, someone will say, "How’s your husband doing?" Someone will remember. 
 What challenges do you think the community faces? 
 Times, they’re a-changing. The dynamic is always different. Just everyday living, and keeping jobs. People I don’t normally see in here during the day have been, so that means they’re looking for work. There’s always an effort to keep the town up, and a lot of people do that. 
 How would you define the character of Bay Shore? 
 It’s just a diverse community. It’s small town. I can’t really define it, we have rich and we have poor and we have everything in the middle. But I guess it could be defined by its “stick-to-it-ness.” It’s a cohesive community.

Bay Shore people: Library asst. director Rodney Marve

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Day 2 in Bay Shore starts at a meeting with Donna Periconi, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Bay Shore. (It should be said that Periconi is so in tune with everything going on in her community, she more or less knows my schedule for the week.) 
 I’ll talk with Periconi about her time with the chamber and in the community, and she promised to take me around town and introduce me to some of the local business owners and other community players. 
 You’ll find my interview with Periconi posted later today, and this week I’ll report on other events involving the chamber, including the 18th Annual Community Summit, and the chamber’s Distinguished Citizen Award Dinner. 
 Yesterday, I spent the morning at the Bay Shore Historical Society, which is not only full of antiques and historical artifacts, but has a basement that contains a full library of historical text and references. If you’ve been there, you know it’s too much to see in just one day. So I’ll head back there this afternoon for more on the history of the area. 
 I also paid a visit to the Bay Shore-Brightwaters Public Library to meet with director Eileen Kavanagh and assistant director Rodney Marve. Kavanagh has worked at the library for more than 40 years, and Marve precedes her by a few years. You’ll find their interviews posted today. 
 Have suggestions or comments? You can reach out to me by <a href="http://erin.geismar@newsday.com">email</a> or <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/ErinGeismar">Twitter</a>, and also follow me throughout my week in Bay Shore on<a href="https://foursquare.com/eringeismar"> foursquare</a>.

Town Focus: Day 2 in Bay Shore

Editor's note: All week long, Erin Geismar is profiling people around Bay Shore, from community leaders to residents she bumps into around town. 
 Barry Dlouhy, 62, of Bay Shore President Bay Shore Historical Society 
 Dlouhy, who was a teacher for 31 years in North Babylon, lives in the Mowbray House, which was originally owned by the first family of Bay Shore. The house was moved from its original location on Main Street to its current spot on Mowbray Avenue in 1945. Dlouhy grew up in North Massapequa and said Bay Shore’s Main Street was a shopping destination when his family visited relatives in the area. 
 When did you move to Bay Shore and why? My wife and I moved in 1981. At that point, we were looking for a place that was near the water, I've always been a water lover. Bay Shore is centrally located. It was close to where I worked but not where I worked. 
 Do you still live in the same house you bought originally? No, we lived on Shore Lane in a nice cape surrounded by two Victorians. But we'd be riding our bikes around the neighborhood and we always saw the Mowbray House, although we didn't know what it was, it was just a beautiful property at the end of the canal. 
 In 2000, we were docking our boat behind a house on the Mowbray canal, and I had gone to the store for something and my wife called me and said, "The house is for sale," and I knew exactly what she meant. So we made an appointment to see the house. 
 Did you know it was historic at that point? Probably on our second visit we found out. We talked to the previous owner, Donald Tuttle, who was the last of that side of the original family. 
 Is that related to your interest in the historical society? Yes, I only joined five years ago, in part because I was learning more about the house. 
 Here's something that's interesting: My house was originally filled with antiques, but when it went on the market, the broker told Don Tuttle to get rid of all of it, and that's exactly what he did. Many of the invaluable items were placed on the street and the neighbors took them. 
 Over the years, I have gotten a lot of those things back. 
 What is it you love about the Bay Shore community? I've really come to love and appreciate this community. It's an extremely caring, supportive community. A lot of communities, when they fall down, they fall down. People in Bay Shore care too much, they wouldn't let that happen, they wouldn't let it become a blighted community. There's ways someone there to step in. 
 Just take a walk down Main Street. It's not just the businesses but the shoppers. You can see the faces of people and something positive about the place. People care about what's going on locally. 
 You mentioned earlier that there was a time -- in the 80s, after the mall was built, which changed the community landscape -- that Bay Shore was headed downhill. That's right when you moved in, why did you choose to move here anyway? I didn't let the negatives overcome our outlook. I saw potential in it. You can see an element of vibrancy that wasn't going to fade away. 
 What challenges does the community face? Making sure the growth continues but we also maintain the businesses that exist. We have to be careful not to have overdevelopment.

Bay Shore people: Barry Dlouhy

Bay Shore people: Historical society president Barry Dlouhy

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Today, I start this month’s Town Focus series in Bay Shore, the South Shore hamlet whose historical society proudly says boasts a more than 300-year history. 
 Accordingly, I’m beginning the week at the Gibson-Mack-Holt House, built in 1820 and owned by the Bay Shore Historical Society, where I will meet with society president Barry Dlouhy. 
 Later this week, we’ll post a story and video on Bay Shore’s history. 
 In the next five days, I’ll also meet with representatives from the Bay Shore Chamber of Commerce, the school district, and other important groups that make the community what it is. 
 You can find me working from and roaming about town. Feel free to stop and say hello or pass on a suggestion for someone to meet or something to cover in Bay Shore. 
 Otherwise, follow me on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/eringeismar">Twitter</a>, send me an <a href="mailto:erin.geismar@newsday.com?subject=Town%20Focus%20in%20Bay%20Shore">email</a>, or comment on this post.

Town Focus: Day 1 in Bay Shore

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Town Focus: Bay Shore

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