Alice Link, second from right, receives a proclamation from state Sen. Jim Gaughran, Town of Huntington Supervisor Chad Lupinacci and Councilman Mark Cuthbertson. Photo from Cuthbertson's office
A pandemic wasn’t going to keep Huntington community members and elected officials from wishing one popular town resident a happy birthday.
Alice Link waves to cars driving by to wish her a happy birthday. Photo from Town of Huntington
On Feb. 4, cars holding dozens of passengers were lined up on Alice Link’s Huntington street for a drive-by parade, while others waited in her driveway, to wish her a happy 100th birthday. The centenarian, who was a docent with the Huntington Historical Society, a member of the town’s Senior Center and a former teacher, is well known in the area.
In a phone interview three days after the car parade, Link said it was overwhelming — in a good way — and she was happy to see everyone.
The historical society’s executive director, Tracy Pfaff-Smith, said after the car parade, about 30 members from the society stopped by with good wishes for the centenarian and chatted with her outside.
“She’s very funny,” Pfaff-Smith said. “She was just cracking joke after joke. She’s amazing.”
Link has lived in the town for 75 years. Born in Boston, she was raised in France, until her family left the country for the U.S. after the outbreak of World War II when the American Embassy told U.S. citizens to leave France.
“They didn’t help you in any shape or form,” she said. “They just said get out of there. They didn’t send you planes or anything at all to help you.”
Through the decades, Link has kept in touch with many people she knew in France, and has been able to visit with her family, even sometimes staying in castles.
“I always told them I have no money to leave you, but I’ll leave you the best memories,” she said.
Link and her husband moved to Huntington in 1946 where they raised five children, who have given her 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
In addition to being a mother, she also taught Spanish and French in the South Huntington school district. While she studied at Manhattan’s Parsons School of Interior Design before she was married, she returned to school in her 40s and received her bachelor’s degree, teaching certificate and a master’s of humanities from Hofstra University.
Alice Link receives birthday well wishes from Senior Center Director Julia Frangione, Town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci and Human Services Director Carmen Kasper. Photos from the Town of Huntington
She then went on to receive a master’s degree in Spanish in 1972 after studying at Guadalajara University, Mexico, and Valencia, Spain, which led to her 20-year career as a teacher.
After retiring at 65, Link said she continued to help students through tutoring until she was 85. Her volunteer work with the historical society spans over nearly 40 years, where she served as a docent and board member. As a docent, she would give tours of the historic Conklin and Kissam houses.
Link said she has memories of old Huntington such as when a police officer would be stationed at a stand at the crossroad of New York Avenue and Main Street, and a feed grain store would load its goods on a trolley that ran through the town.
“My children say they’re not surprised my legs have given out on me because they think that I probably walked hundreds of miles, pushing my babies around town,” she said.
When it comes to family history, Link said her daughter helped trace her ancestry, and this winter, the centenarian has been busy going through old photos and sharing copies she finds with relatives when she comes across multiples. She said she appreciates photo albums more than smartphones because she feels so many often lose all their photos and information stored on devices. Sharing photos and passing on family information is something she believes is important.
As for longevity and looking and feeling young, Link said she jokingly tells everyone who asks her secret the same thing.
Hundreds of people gathered in Port Jefferson Station Tuesday to mourn the loss of Suffolk County Police Department Lt. Robert Van Zeyl, the county’s first active duty officer to die from COVID-19.
Van Zeyl lost his life Jan. 20 after testing positive for the virus Jan. 3. He was hospitalized a week later.
Members from the law enforcement community joined Van Zeyl’s family to say goodbye with a full military-style precession featuring police motorcycles, pipes and drums, and an American flag arched by two fire trucks.
Uniformed officers who came out from as far as Manhattan saluted the decorated casket as it drove up to St. Gerard Majella R.C. Church on Terryville Road.
“It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of an exceptional member of our law enforcement family, Lieutenant Robert Van Zeyl,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) said in a statement. “Lieutenant Van Zeyl’s more-than three decades of exemplary service are a testament to his commitment to public service, and even in the midst of a global pandemic, he was on the frontlines every day helping residents in need. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Van Zeyl family during this difficult time.”
Van Zeyl joined the Suffolk County Police Department in February 1985 and served in the 5th Precinct in Patchogue upon graduation from the academy. In 1994, he was promoted to sergeant and then lieutenant in 2003.
He served as the commanding officer of the Applicant Investigation Section and the Administrative Services Bureau before transferring to the 2nd Precinct in the Town of Huntington in 2015 where he worked until his death.
“Bob was a wonderful person, a dedicated member of our department, and a pleasure to know both personally and professionally,” Inspector William Scrima, 2nd Precinct commanding officer, said in a statement. “He was a person who genuinely enjoyed his work and was liked by people of all ranks who knew him and worked with him. He will be truly missed by this department and by the 2nd Precinct in particular.”
During his more than three-decade career, Van Zeyl received more than a dozen recognitions for his contributions to the police department including two Cop of the Month honors and the Excellent Police Duty Award for amassing 12 or more self-initiated DWI arrests in a single year.
The Selden resident leaves behind two children, Hailey and Tyler, and his ex-wife Christine Zubrinic.
“Lieutenant Van Zeyl was really just a fighter the whole way,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said after the ceremony. “He was out in the frontlines battling for his communities, his whole career was dedicated to service and today we say goodbye to him. I know that his family will always be with us. For his beautiful daughter Hailey and son Tyler, this has such a difficult time for them, and we just really want them to know that we’re here for them.”
“They will always remember their dad, who was really a hero, and will always be remembered by this department,” the commissioner said.
Hart added that during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, 87 SCPD officers tested positive for the virus. Van Zeyl’s death is the first.
A sharing table at Heritage Park. Photo by Julianne Mosher
By Julianne Mosher and Rita J. Egan
Give a little, take a little — sharing is caring.
A new phenomenon that has made its way across Long Island — and now the country — is a discreet way to help those in need.
The Sharing Tables concept, of New York and California, was started up in November by a Seaford mom and her young daughter.
“I woke up on Sunday, Nov. 22, and me and my 6-year-old daughter didn’t have anything to do that day,” Mary Kate Tischler, founder of the group, said. “We went through our cabinets, got some stuff from the grocery store and started publicizing the table on Facebook.”
The Sharing Table is a simple concept, according to her: “Take what you need and leave what you can, if you can.”
Tischler, who grew up in Stony Brook, said the idea is that whoever sets up a table in front of their home or business will put items out that people might need, with the community coming together to replenish it.
“The very first day people were taking things and dropping things off,” she said. “It was working just as it was supposed to.”
When the table is set up, organizers put out anything and everything a person might need. Some put out nonperishable foods, some put toiletries. Others put toys and books, with some tables having unworn clothing and shoes. No one mans the table. It’s just out front, where someone can discreetly visit and grab what they need.
“Since there’s no one that stands behind the table, people can come up anonymously and take the item without identifying themselves or asking any questions,” Tischler said. ”Some of our neighbors are in a tough time where they can’t pay their bills. I think the Sharing Tables are really helping fill those needs.”
And they’re popping up everywhere. In just three months, the group has nearly 30 Sharing Tables in New York, with one just launched in Santa Monica, California.
Mount Sinai
From clothing to toys, to food and books, Sharing Tables, like the one pictured here in Mount Sinai, are a way to help in a discreet and anonymous way. Photo by Julianne Mosher
On Sunday, Jan. 18, a Sharing Table was put outside the Heritage Trust building at Heritage Park in Mount Sinai.
Victoria Hazan, president of the trust, said she saw the Sharing Tables on social media and knew that the local community needed one, too.
“It was nothing but good, positive vibes,” she said.
When she set up the table with dozens of different items that were donated, people already started pulling up to either grab something they needed or donate to the cause.
“Some people are shy,” Hazan said. “What’s great is that you set up the table and walk away. There’s no judgement and no questions asked.”
What’s available at the tables will vary by community and what donations come in.
“The response from the community blew my mind totally,” Hazan said. “This was the right time to do this.”
St. James
Joanne Evangelist, of St. James, was the first person in Suffolk County to set up a Sharing Table, and soon after, other residents in the county followed.
The wife and mother of two said it was the end of the Christmas season when she was cleaning out drawers and her pantry. On the Facebook page Smithtown Freecycle, she posted that she had stuff to give away if anyone wanted it, but she would find sometimes people wouldn’t show up after she put something aside for them.
“So, I put it on a table outside — not even knowing about the group or thinking anything of it,” she said, adding she would post what was outside on the freecycle page.
Joanne Evangelist stands by her table in St. James filled with food, cleaning supplies and more. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Tischler saw the Smithtown Freecycle post and reached out to Evangelist to see if she would be interested in setting up a Sharing Table. The St. James woman thought it was a good idea when she heard it. While Evangelist regularly has food, toiletries, cleaning products and baby products on the table, from time to time there will be clothing, toys and other random items. Recently, she held a coat drive and the outwear was donated to Lighthouse Mission in Bellport, which helps those with food insecurities and the homeless.
She said she keeps the table outside on her front lawn all day long, even at night, unless it’s going to rain, or the temperatures dip too low. People can pick up items at any time, and she said no one is questioned.
Evangelist said she also keeps a box out for donations so she can organize them on the table later on in the day, and the response from local residents wanting to drop off items has been touching.
She said helping out others is something she always liked to do.
“I was a candy striper in the hospital when I was younger,” she said. “I just always loved volunteering, and I’m a stay-at-home mom, so, honestly anything I could do … especially with the pandemic.”
Evangelist said she understands what people go through during tough financial times.
“I’ve used a pantry before, so I know the feeling,” she said. “I know the embarrassment of it.”
Northport
Lisa Conway, of Northport, and two of her five children, Aidan, 16, and Kate, 14, set up a Sharing Table after their garage was burglarized on New Year’s Eve.
Conway said her children, who attend St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington, were looking for a community outreach project. She had seen a post about the Sharing Tables on Facebook and was considering starting one, but she was debating how involved it would be.
Then the Conway’s garage was burglarized where thousands of dollars of tools were stolen, an electric skateboard, dirt bike and more including a generator that was taken from the basement. The wife and mother said the family felt fortunate that the robbers didn’t enter the main part of the house.
Conway said after the experience she realized that some people need to steal to get what they need and decided the Sharing Table would be a good idea.
“They can come take what they need without having to steal from anyone,” she said.
Her children have been helping to organize the items they receive, and every day Aidan will set everything up before school and clean up at night. He said it’s no big deal as it takes just a few minutes each day.
Aidan said there have been more givers than takers.
“People are a lot more generous than what I expected them to be,” he said.
The mother and son said they have been touched by the generosity of their fellow residents. Conway said she’s been using the Nextdoor app mostly to generate contributions. She said she started posting on the app to let people know what they needed for the table. One day after a posting indicating they needed cleaning supplies for the table, they woke up to find the items outside.
The family has also received a $200 Amazon gift card to buy items, and another person bought them a canopy to protect the table.
Conway said every once in a while, she will be outside when people are picking up items. One woman told her how she drove from Nassau County. Her husband was suffering from three different types of cancer, and he couldn’t work due to his compromised immune system. She told her how they had to pay the bills first, and then if there was money left over they could buy food.
Another day Conway went outside to see that someone had left gum and mints on the table.
“I just was so touched by that,” the mother said. “They wanted to leave something they didn’t just want to take, and that’s all they had.”
Conway said it’s a learning experience for her children to know that there are people on public assistance who can’t use the funds for items such as paper goods or cleaning items, and there are others who are struggling but not eligible for any kind of assistance.
“My youngest one is 9, and even he can’t believe when he sees people pulling up,” she said. “He’s not really in the helping phase but I love that he’s seeing what we’re doing.”
Aidan agreed that it is an important learning experience. He said before he wasn’t familiar with those who had financial issues.
“It’s not good to know that there are people out there with financial issues, but it’s good to know that you can help them,” he said.
Conway said the Sharing Tables came around at the right time as she was suffering from “COVID fatigue,” and it changed her outlook on life.
“I feel like my faith in humanity has been restored,” she said.
How you can help
Tischler said that if people would like to donate but cannot get to a Sharing Table, there is an Amazon wish list on the group’s Facebook page. Items ordered through the site will be delivered to Tischler’s home, where she will personally deliver to the Sharing Tables across Long Island. Addresses for locations are listed on the Facebook page.
“It’s been such a whirlwind,” she added. “I have to stop and pinch myself and take stock of what’s happening.”
Update: On Jan. 21, Suffolk County police identified the woman found dead in a Huntington apartment as Mareasa Westcott, 47. Her cause of death has been determined to be criminal in nature. The investigation is continuing.
Original release:
Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the death of a woman who was found deceased in her apartment yesterday in Huntington.
The landlord for the property located at 22 Elm St. called 911 Jan. 18 at 2:08 p.m. to request that police check on the welfare of a tenant who had not been seen in several days. When officers arrived at the scene they found an adult female dead in her apartment
The woman’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. An autopsy will be performed to determine cause of death.
Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392.
An inside look at Huntington Village's Little Switzerland Toy Store. Photo by Lina Weingarten
COVID-19 has impacted business globally, but for local mom-and-pop shops across Long Island, they have been hit twice as hard.
Between the impact of online retailers, plus big box stores, the pandemic has made it even more difficult to make a sale for these smaller businesses.
When people shop small, the sales tax goes right back into the local economy. The community depends on these stores to make the village look great, while also supporting a neighbor.
That’s why on Thanksgiving weekend, Small Business Saturday immediately followed the biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday, with hopes to bring revenue into the smaller stores.
All weekend long throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties, local shop owners gleamed with hope that customers would continue their holiday shopping “small” and keeping these businesses afloat.
Here’s what some small business owners had to say:
Madison’s Niche employees at the Stony Brook store. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Madison’s Niche
83 Main St., Stony Brook/14 Wall St., Huntington
Madison’s Niche, with four locations throughout Long Island, is a lifestyle boutique that sells everything from baby onesies to UGG boots to home décor.
At the Stony Brook Village Center store, director Carolynn Mertens said that they did “fantastic” this past holiday weekend.
“We’re up in sales,” she said. “We’re very grateful to be up, and we didn’t think it was going to happen, but we’re very lucky.”
From Friday to Sunday, Mertens said she saw dozens of people shopping with their holiday lists in hand, while a lot of people were even shopping for themselves.
“I think people want to support small businesses,” she said. “They don’t want to see any more empty stores in their community and are trying to keep our mom-and-pop stores alive.”
Compared to a big box store or the mall, Mertens believes that customers feel more comfortable shopping in her stores.
“Our stores are easy to shop in,” she said. “We can maintain social distancing and we are constantly disinfecting.”
Morolay Children’s Boutique is now open by appointment only. Photo by Lina Weingarten
Morolay Children’s Boutique
302 New York Ave., Huntington
This holiday season is looking a little different for Morolay Children’s Boutique on New York Avenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Under these unique circumstances, we’re fully by appointment,” said owner Leah Casabona.
But that works in the customers favor, because it provides an even more one-on-one shopping experience for people looking to come in.
“The customer service here is much better than big chain stores,” she said. “We personally deal with our customers and live in the community.”
For the past 21 years, Morolay has been a staple to the Huntington community, known for selling special occasion wear to local children.
“If you support small business, that sales tax goes back into our own local community,” she said. “And, the uniqueness of Huntington makes it a desirable place to live.”
Casabona said that shopping small is the way to go this and every other year.
“We need to be more conscious to help small businesses now more than ever,” she said.
Lily Bergh stands behind the counter at Little Switzerland Toys & Dolls. Photo by Lina Weingarten
Little Switzerland Toys & Dolls
267 Main St., Huntington
Lily Bergh, owner of Little Switzerland Toys & Dolls, said she has been in the business for more than 30 years.
This holiday season, she’s reminding people that shopping in-store is part of the magic that is Christmas.
“It was so nice seeing the kids with their big smiles this weekend,” she said. “They were making lists for Santa while walking around the store.”
Since opening in 1981, Bergh said that three generations now have been walking through her front door to buy presents during the holidays.
“The kids will come in with their grandmas and say with excitement, ‘Wow, a toy store!’”
And that reaction isn’t the same when a child walks through a toy aisle at a larger retailer.
“You’re just a number at a big box store,” she said. “And, I think it’s important to actually be able to pick up or touch a toy.”
Bergh said that the last nine months have been hard for her and the business, but Saturday and Sunday had a great turnout.
“It was awesome,” she said. “But we need more to make up for the four months we were closed. We want to stay in Huntington. It’s important.”
She said her toy store is a “wonderland” and strives to bring good memories to little ones visiting inside. She hopes that more people will continue to shop at her store, especially now.
“I don’t care who you shop from, but you need to shop local,” she said.
TandyWear in Commack recently expanded. Photo by Rita Egan
TandyWear
89 Commack Road, Commack
TandyWear has been in business for over 20 years and owner Tandy Jeckel said shopping at her store is a safe and fun experience, especially during these unprecedented times.
“We’re on a first-name basis with our customers,” she said. “You’ll get a personalized experience — we have an amazing team, amazing stylists, we’ll find your style.”
Jeckel said that this past Saturday was the best Small Business Saturday they have ever had.
“It was amazing,” she said. “We had so much foot traffic. It was great.”
Known for their dressy wear, comfy wear, going out wear and trendy wear, the store has something for everyone.
“We get new styles daily, and we sell masks to match,” she said.
Throughout the holiday weekend, Jeckel said she offered doorbusters and 20% off the entire store.
Jeckel thinks people are gravitating toward the smaller shops because the big box stores are also competing with online retailers and are closing due to them.
“The big box stores aren’t around anymore,” she said. “You have a few small chain stores, and then us.”
An image of the proposed treatment system. Image from SCWA
With a little under 600 wells in its system, the Suffolk County Water Authority has a big task ahead as it tries to comply with state mandates to remove the likely carcinogenic 1,4 dioxane from Long Island’s drinking water.
On a Zoom call with TBR News Media, water authority officials talked about the current progress on remodeling the county’s water infrastructure, including 76 wells. It’s a difficult task, and there are many years and millions of dollars more needed before many of the county’s wells are remediated. The authority has estimated 45% of its wells were detected with 1,4 dioxane, which Jeffrey Szabo, the CEO of the SCWA, called “frightening.”
A map showing where the SCWA expects to put the treatment systems, should they be approved. Images from SCWA
For over a year, 1,4 dioxane has appeared in the news frequently . Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed legislation at the end of last year banning 1,4 dioxane, which is normally found in some household cleaning products. At the tail end of July this year, New York adopted regulations for the chemical, setting the maximum contaminant levels, or MCL, of 1 part per billion. 1,4 dioxane has been found in 70% of Long Island wells found during a federal testing initiative back in 2013 through 2015.
The state has also set the MCL for PFOA and PFOS, both of which have been found to cause health issues in humans and animals, at a maximum of 10 parts per trillion. Perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, is a chemical often found in firefighting foams, and perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, is used in nonstick and stain-resistant products.
Szabo said they are on their way to establishing treatment for the PFOA and PFOS in all wells that need it. The water authority’s October report states that all wells with those chemicals above the MCL limit are either being treated to remove the contaminants or are being blended to below the MCL or have been removed from service. Szabo said the water authority has granular activated carbon, or GAC filters that help remove the PFAS chemicals, but such carbon-based filters have little to no effect on 1,4 dioxane. Instead, the SCWA started almost a decade ago developing technology to remove another similar chemical, 1,3 dioxane from drinking water. In 2017, SCWA engineers designed and piloted the first full-scale pilot 1,4-dioxane treatment system in state history. The authority’s Advanced Oxidation Process, or AOP treatment system is currently operational in only one location, Central Islip. That design process “took a long time and a lot of money,” Szabo said.
The water authority CEO said they now have 56 AOP treatment systems in construction in Suffolk, including in Farmingdale and Huntington. There are AOP treatment systems being designed for places on the North Shore such as Sunken Meadow Park, but in many cases it’s not as simple as installing a new filter, as it often takes reconfiguring and additional electrical work. Clearing and site work continues for future AOP sites and electrical upgrade work is beginning at sites such as Flower Hill Road in Huntington. In some cases it’s simply easier and cheaper to replace old wells, such as on Old Dock Road in Kings Park, which is replacing two wells on Carlson Avenue both of which need AOP systems.
Not only that, but there is an apparent year-long lead time from when the authority orders a new system to when it can be installed.
Despite recent efforts, funding continues to be the biggest issue. Each GAC system costs around $1 million to manufacture. An AOP system is closer to $2.5 million. At the end of last year, the SCWA estimated efforts to remediate such wells would cost $177 million over the next five years. The October report states the authority has spent close to $12 million to date for PFAS related work and $23,136,397 for emerging contaminant work.
The water authority passed a $20 fee added to residents’ quarterly water bills starting this year to help pay for this new water treatment.
Though even with that fee, it’s not likely enough to cover the full cost. The water authority has also filed lawsuits against several companies whose products contain PFOA, PFOS or 1,4 dioxane. Those suits are still ongoing. The SCWA has received $13.3 million in grants from New York State and has submitted additional applications for state grant funding for 14 of its wells.
The water authority is also waiting on a bill in the state legislature which could provide some extra financial assistance. A bill supported by state Sen. Jim Gaughran (D-Northport) and Assemblyman Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor) that would provide reimbursement for emerging contaminant grants by responsible parties has passed the state senate but currently remains in committee in the assembly.
Huntington's Veterans Day ceremony was held Nov. 8. Photo by Lina Weingarten
Huntington's Veterans Day ceremony was held Nov. 8. Photo by Lina Weingarten
Makayla Connolly sings at Huntington's Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 8. Photo by Lina Weingarten
Chad Lupinacci speaks at the Huntington Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 8. Photo by Lina Weingarten
Chad Lupinacci speaks at the Huntington Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 8. Photo by Lina Weingarten
The Town of Huntington held its Veterans Day Ceremony Sunday, Nov. 8, in Veterans Plaza at Huntington Town Hall. The event was limited to 50 people due to the pandemic and included Broadway star Makayla Connolly, upper left photo, singing “God Bless America” and the national anthem. Joining elected Huntington officials including town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci (R) were members of the Veterans Advisory Board and U.S. Coast Guard Station Eaton’s Neck, and veterans organizations from the Huntington area. Chief Brian Keane of the Huntington Fire Department, Chief Jon Hoffmann of the Huntington Manor Fire Department and volunteer firefighters displayed the American flag for the ceremony from fire trucks on Main Street.
A scene from a previous Witches Night Out event before the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo from Lucky to Live Here Realty
Witches, grab your broomsticks and head to Cold Spring Harbor later this month for a weeklong shopping crawl — just make sure you bring a mask to wear along with your hat.
What is usually one night on Main Street where witches come out to dine, shop and strut, Lucky to Live Here Realty, coordinators of the event, decided to make it a weeklong event to support small business amidst the COVID-19 crisis.
For more than 10 years, Witches Night Out would gather thousands of witches, warlocks and non-magical shoppers to the town for one night of deals and promotions as a way to bring the community together and encourage local shopping.
“We were debating if we should do it or not,” Ashley Allegra, marketing coordinator for the Cold Spring Harbor real estate agency said. “We really wanted to help the businesses on Main Street, and this was something we could do safely.”
So instead of hosting the Witches Night Out, they spread out the event to a weeklong spree coined Witches Week.
Allegra said that by having witchy shoppers come throughout a several-day span was safer than congregating everyone into one night and implement more social distancing.
“It’s something different that gets people out and do something,” she said.
Witches Week will take place Oct. 27 through Oct. 30, and about 30 different businesses will be partaking in the festivities. Each store will have discounts and deals to bring customers in. Allegra added there will be a raffle with three winners at the end of the event, with chances to win a gift basket filled with the shops’ gift cards.
And on top of that, something different compared to past years, Witches Week will host a witch scavenger hunt. Each shop and restaurant will have several witches hidden indoors and customers can try to find them. The number of witches per shop is available on the Lucky to Live Here website.
“It’s a fun way to support the community and the local businesses of Cold Spring Harbor Main Street,” Allegra said.
Vita Scaturro, chairwoman of the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce, agreed. She said that by shopping online and through e-commerce, small businesses cannot survive. “It’s a different experience because you have direct customer service, you can see and touch the items,” she said. “It’s imperative to support them.”
A Hampton Inn will turn the old Huntington Town Hall into a boutique hotel. Rendering by Huntington Village Hotel Partners LLC
Plans are moving forward, adding two new boutique-style hotels to the Town of Huntington — the goal being to bring people to both Huntington village and Northport.
An artistic rendering of what the proposed hotel and restaurant at 225 Main Street in Northport Village may look like. Photo from Kevin O’Neill
George Tsunis and Rosario Cassata, developers with Huntington Village Hotel Partners, worked alongside the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency to approve a plan that will remodel the old Huntington Town Hall building into a Hampton Inn & Suites.
Anthony Catapano, executive director of the IDA, said the 110-year-old historic structure has become a vacant space over the last 10 years, so utilizing the property into something that can bring business downtown, he thinks, is exciting.
“The area has a tourism aspect,” he said. “The new owner is experienced in hotel operations and will be able to manage it. I think it will be a successful endeavor and a plus to downtown Huntington.”
Located at 227 Main St., the outside facade will not change.
“The 80-room hotel will be built in the back, and the front will be meeting rooms,” he said. “It will still keep its original look.”
Catapano added that the empty building is accruing $60,000 each year in property taxes, so the inn will bring plenty of incentives, and people, to the town.
“It will encourage visitors to use the amenities in the village,” he said. “The hotel itself will become a destination.”
Catapano said the construction process will take about 18 months.
“Originally it was set for the second quarter of 2021, but because of COVID it’s looking like it will probably spill into 2022,” he said. “It’s starting to gear up. Hospitality and the hotel business have been hit hard because of the pandemic.”
As of right now, workers began gutting the space and cleaning up asbestos. Catapano said the building’s developer is looking forward to bringing a change to the village.
“He’s very eager,” he said. “He’s from Huntington and wants to make a positive impact.”
Town of Huntington Supervisor Chad Lupinnaci (R) is supportive of the boutique hotel.
“The addition of a hotel will bring a much-needed dimension to the overall downtown Huntington experience,” he said in a statement.” With a concert venue right in the center of the village, along with the numerous shops and restaurants, visitors can now have a place to stay for a mini-vacation right here. This is great for the local economy and will be sure to make Huntington even more vibrant in the years to come.”
A little more than five miles away in Northport, a smaller hotel is being built.
Developed by John W. Engeman Theater owners Kevin O’Neill and Richard Dolce, a 24-room hotel, Italian steakhouse and bar is being developed at 224 Main St. right across the street.
“Northport is a beautiful harbor town,” O’Neill said. “People who come and visit here will ask ‘Where is the local inn?’”
The Engeman Theater brings roughly 110,000 people to the village every year, which obviously didn’t happen in 2020 because of the COVID-19 crisis.
O’Neill said construction also needed to be halted when the pandemic hit.
“We’re building later than I wanted,” he said. “We’re hoping for a fall 2021 completion.”
At the end of 2015, he purchased the building across the street from his theater. His goal was to bring “a combination of an old beautiful building with something modern inside.”
Now that people are starting to get more comfortable, O’Neill said construction
has resumed.
“The inn will be a way to get people here on a year-round basis,” he said. “We’re looking forward to it.”
Although, compared to the old Huntington Town Hall hotel, it will be built completely new, he said, but the Northport Hotel will have “real old-world charm.”
“There used to be hotels on Main Street 100, 125 years ago,” he said. “I want it to feel like it’s 100 years old, with modern amenities.”
Dr. Nick Fitterman said they wouldn't necessarily endorse a COVID-19 vaccine immediately without first getting all the information. Photo from Huntington Hospital
Huntington Hospital won’t automatically endorse a COVID-19 vaccine, even if it receives approval from the federal government.
The hospital plans to evaluate the data from the vaccine’s phase 3 trials to ensure that the vaccine is safe and effective.
“We’ll see if things are starting to uptick long before it’s more obvious to the public.”
— Nick Fitterman
“It’s part of our oath, ‘Do no harm,’” said Dr. Nick Fitterman, executive director at Huntington Hospital. “If we don’t think the safety is there, I will scream it from the rooftops. It has to be a combination of safety and efficacy.”
Fitterman said at least seven vaccines are in phase 3 trials, with over 250 experimental vaccines in the works in total.
Fitterman was pleased to see that nine vaccine makers signed a pledge to uphold medical standards and not succumb to governmental pressure for rapid approval.
At this point, Fitterman would only take a vaccine after publication of the evidence from the clinical trials.
Once he is convinced that a vaccine is safe and effective, he said he would feel an urgency to take it as a health care worker.
“If you take care of people who are high risk, you’re going to need to take it,” Fitterman said.
The hospital would likely have the same policy for a COVID vaccine that it does for a flu vaccination: if workers choose not to get a vaccine, they will be required to wear a mask.
For the flu, hospital workers with purple badges on their name tags have had a flu shot.
At this point, it is unclear how long a COVID-19 vaccination might provide potential protection. Like tetanus or mumps, no vaccine wards off infection indefinitely, which means people will likely require boosters.
“I’m more worried about people getting complacent because they have been vaccinated,” Fitterman said.
Years down the road, the virus could return.
Asked whether those people who have antibodies for the virus would need a vaccine, Fitterman highlighted a recent case in Hong Kong. Published in the journal Lancet, doctors shared the story of one patient who contracted COVID-19 and then tested positive again.
The virus currently has several strains, so a vaccine might provide greater protection than natural antibodies against a single type of COVID-19.
The man who contracted the virus twice had antibodies that “didn’t protect him from another infection,” but he did not have any symptoms during the second positive test.
An infection in which a person develops antibodies could “protect you from the disease, but it doesn’t [necessarily] protect you from getting infected again,” Fitterman said.
A health care worker in particular would benefit from a vaccine that prevented infection from numerous strains to prevent that worker from spreading a disease to which he or she would likely be exposed during the course of any increase in cases.
With the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 overlapping with the flu, Fittterman strongly urged residents to get a flu shot, which would help prevent the virus from overwhelming a health care system that might again face an influx of hospitalizations from the coronavirus.
“It’s part of our oath, ‘Do no harm.'”
— Nick Fitterman
Huntington Hospital recently started making the flu vaccine available to frontline workers and urged people to get flu shots this month. He reminded people that the vaccine only works two weeks after an injection after the immune system has had a chance to recognize the virus.
Fitterman is encouraged by the range of current vaccines in trials for COVID-19, including those that use messenger RNA.
Fitterman said Huntington Hospital is prepared for a potential second wave of COVID-19. He monitors the data every day.
“We’ll see if things are starting to uptick long before it’s more obvious to the public,” Fitterman said.
As a part of Northwell Health, Huntington Hospital has stockpiled personal protective equipment. Northwell also gave Huntington $4 million to be prepared, which includes having more ventilators, dialysis machines, and negative pressure rooms ready. Huntington can handle 10% more than the number of patients who needed medical help in the spring.
“We are beyond ready [but we] hope we don’t have to exercise any of that,” Fitterman said.
Fitterman urged those people who need other hospital services, such as cancer screenings, to come to the hospital.
When the spring surge for COVID-19 occurred, the hospital told people who were dealing with nonemergency situations not to come to the hospital because they needed the beds, and not because they felt patients would be exposed to the virus.
Indeed, after the viral numbers declined, the hospital tested its staff for the presence of the antibodies. They found that 9% of the staff had antibodies to the virus, which is below the 14% for the surrounding community.
“What we did works,” Fitterman said, which included PPE and procedures to protect the staff. The hospital is a “safe place to be,” he said.
In monitoring the daily changes in infection in Suffolk County, Fitterman said positive tests have been rising and falling during the last few weeks. So far, he has not seen an increase in hospitalizations.
“Our numbers continue to go down,” Fitterman said, as the hospital had three people with COVID-19 as of Sept. 8.
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