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Revamped draft master plan gets mixed feedback from Smithtown residents

by Kimberly Brown - August 5, 2021

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DraftPlan — An aerial view of Smithtown captures the Smithtown Main Street area. Photo from Town of Smithtown

Smithtown held a public hearing this Tuesday, Aug. 3, to discuss the new draft master comprehensive plan that could possibly amend the town’s zoning regulations to align them more with current land usage.

If put into place, a new zoning designation will be created, called a Multi-Family Zone. The Multi-Family Zone will allow for low to mid-rise residential development with underutilized lots to create housing types such as apartments, townhouses, senior living, assisted living or traditional mixed-use in the hamlets.

The plan also focuses on transit-oriented development near the Long Island Railroad stations and improvements to recreational facilities townwide.

While some comments from residents showed support of the plan, the feedback was mainly negative from the room, saying the underutilized lots will be taken advantage of by developers and should be used to create parks and preserve the town.

“This comprehensive plan, is nothing more than permission for developers to build tall and to build dense,” said James Bouklas, a resident of Smithtown and president of the community advocacy group We Are Smithtown. “This is a plan for more gridlock, traffic, apartment buildings everywhere, mega-developments and population boom after 50 years of stability.”

Many residents discussed a survey the town put out for community members a few years ago to input their thoughts regarding existing conditions and their outlook on Smithtown’s future. More than 1,100 community members responded.

“You took a survey, and you know what the residents want and don’t want to see in town,” said Mike Cooley, a Nesconset resident and vice president of We Are Smithtown. “Anyone who took the time to read the plan can see the opinions and concerns from residents, including a clear vote against high-density housing. The message is clear, Smithtown is for sale.”

Other residents attended to applaud the plan, hoping that it will bring an energetic feel to the town and attract a younger crowd, much like Huntington and Patchogue does.

“I think the decision for Smithtown to not adapt is risky,” said Barry Felix, a Melville resident. “Young individuals like myself are seeking vibrant communities to grow in, a community that is like the one represented in the comprehensive plan. If Smithtown doesn’t move ahead, it will fall behind.”

Thanking the board for listening to the community, Tony Tanzi, president of the Kings Park Chamber of Commerce, was thrilled the town was taking input from the public into heavy consideration when constructing the plan.

“I want to say on behalf of my children, who I hope want to stay here because of what you’re doing, thank you,” Tanzi said.

The next public hearing will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 10. The public is highly encouraged to attend and comment on the draft plan.

Taking a look at the past as Ecolin Jewelers celebrates its 50th anniversary

by Kimberly Brown - August 5, 2021

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Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Ecolin Jewelers of Port Jefferson has maintained a loyal customer base while offering a wide variety of jewelry and services.

The owners, Linda and Russell Baker, began their business in 1971. The couple rented a small storefront in Stony Brook to get their footing as the new jewelers in town.

A few years later, the Bakers’ business became successful enough to enable them to purchase their current property, located across from the harbor in the heart of the village. In 1979, the store had finally finished being built.

The well-known Ecolin Jewelers is a unique name choice for a jewelry store. However, Ecolin was not the Bakers’ first choice when they first set up shop.

“When we were sending name ideas off to Albany to be approved, we had picked three pretty plain names like The Gem Shop, The Gem & Mineral Store and Stony Brook Gems,” Linda said. “But we were rejected on all of them because someone else was using a similar name.”

Thus, Ecolin was born. Linda’s father suggested she take the “Eco” from her passion for ecology and use the first three letters from her name. The title was immediately approved, and Ecolin Jewelers was open for business.

Along with running the business, Linda also worked nights pursuing her other passion, music. As a musician, she played piano and sang at clubs, on cruise ships and the Three Village Inn.

“When I was doing music I worked Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” she said. “The idea was to get the business on its feet, and it worked.”

Growing up on Long Island, Linda and Russell have always found themselves staying close to Stony Brook and Port Jefferson. The couple pride themselves on using American products.

“I think what’s unique about our store is that we make and design a lot of the jewelry here. We don’t just buy from factories in China,” she said.

Linda truly believes in supporting local and national American businesses, so all of the brands she buys from reflect the integrity of her own shop. A few of the brands she displays are LAGOS of Philadelphia and William Henry of Oregon.

During the pandemic, Ecolin shut down for a few months but reopened when curbside trade was permitted. Although operating business by curbside, which included repairs and cleanings, may have been completely out of the ordinary for a jewelry shop, Linda made do with the obstacles thrown her way.

“We had one or two customers during the pandemic who really wanted to get engaged, and we successfully pulled that off,” she said. “It was strange going outside and showing the jewelry in the parking lot, but you do what you have to do and adapt to whatever comes your way, just like the generations before us did.”

The growth of Port Jefferson over the years has benefited Ecolin in many ways, especially with the increase in tourists. When Linda and Russell first bought the property, few people resided in the community.

“It was sort of a ghost town,” she said. “We were part of that first wave of town improvement. There were only a few businesses surrounding us in the beginning.”

With the major growth of the village came the major growth of Ecolin, keeping it successfully running for 50 years from its modest Stony Brook beginning.

For more information about Ecolin Jewelers, visit ecolin.com or call 631-473-1117.

Oysters may become Northport Harbor’s saving grace

by Kimberly Brown - August 3, 2021

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Oysters-Flupsy.2 — Barry Udelson from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County shows those in attendance oysters. Photo by Kimberly Brown

After a great amount of hard work and dedication, Village of Northport trustee Dave Weber Jr. was happy to announce Wednesday, July 28, that the latest stage of the aquaculture program between Northport Village, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County and Town of Huntington Maritime Services is officially operating.

Supervisor Chad Lupinacci speaks at the July 28 press conference. Photo by Kimberly Brown

The entities have established Floating Upweller System, also known as FLUPSY, floats which will become essential to preserving the oyster population as well as cleaning waterways in Northport Harbor.

“About 30 community members set this plan in motion to raise funds and support this FLUPSY program,” Weber said, “What’s better than to start an aquaculture program right here in our own backyard to support, safeguard and help maintain a healthy marine environment?”

There are numerous benefits to having the FLUPSY dock in Northport Harbor because it allows a large number of oysters to grow while simultaneously protecting them from natural predators.

“The idea behind this is that we’re constantly providing a heavy flow of water passing over the shellfish,” said Barry Udelson from CCE of Suffolk County. “If you’re pumping water through them, they’re constantly getting a much healthier diet. Think about giving them heavy protein shakes, they’ll grow much faster than if they were naturally sitting on the bay bottom.”

The dock holds 100,000 baby oysters that are 4 to 10 millimeters in size. In a few months, the oysters will grow to approximately 40 mm.

Once the oysters are mature enough to survive out in open waters, Huntington Maritime Services and CCE of Suffolk County will place them in the bay. The oysters will continue to grow until they are big enough to be harvested by baymen.

“This is the first year, but as we continue to grow we may be able to expand these floats to more than 100,000 oysters,” Udelson said. “As more communities like yours start to appreciate this, we can find ways to continue to expand to other parts of Long Island and improve everyone’s water quality.”

The oysters will be able to filter out the nitrogen, caused by rain runoff, fertilizers and cesspools and introduce oxygen into the water. The process will serve as an efficient way to clean out the waterways and create safer habitats for other species.

The FLUPSY program will also have an educational component to it and help teach students about shellfish aquaculture. Currently, the program has taken on two Northport High School interns who will work with CCE of Suffolk County..

“This is a great day because this is really how government should work together,” said Town of Huntington Supervisor Chad Lupinacci (R). “We want to continue these great efforts and work along with the village and Cornell Cooperative Extension to help restore our water quality.”

Chicken Hill country picnic and benefit auction heads to Setauket August 7

by Kimberly Brown - August 1, 2021

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By Kimberly Brown

Come celebrate local history with music, food, art and antiques at the Three Village Community Trust’s 7th annual Chicken Hill Country Picnic and Benefit Auction on the lawn of the Factory Worker Houses, 148 Main Street in Setauket on Aug. 7.

“This will be one of the greatest experiences that the Three Village community will ever have,” said Herb Mones, President of the Three Village Community Trust. “We really want to focus on thanking our members for giving the Trust their support over the years, bringing people together in a safe way, and celebrating the history of these factory houses.”

Saved from demolition by the Trust, the three homes were a part of a group of company houses in the “Chicken Hill” area of Setauket that provided boarding for the hundreds of Eastern European and Russian immigrants who worked at the Setauket Rubber Factory, which was once Long Islands’ leading producer of domestic rubber goods in the 18th century. Each small building was essentially two rooms — one room on the first floor and one on the second floor and also housed the workers’ families. Tours of the historic buildings will be given throughout the afternoon by volunteers.

According to a press release, “these small, rustic houses are a visual reminder of the hopes, dreams, and resiliency of so many of our nation’s immigrants.” The Three Village Community Trust’s vision is to use these structures to educate future generations about the American experience.

In addition to the tasty, slow-cooked “chicken dogs” that will be available for purchase, visitors can set up their lawn chairs and picnic baskets while enjoying a bluegrass concert by Buddy Merriam and Back Roads at 4 p.m.

The event will also include an Art and Antiques auction featuring a number of paintings, photographs, illustrations, prints, and a collection of antiques, some of which will be from the factory houses. All of the items will be displayed throughout the grounds to give visitors a preview of what is available.

“I’m really excited by the new idea of the auction and I expect it to be a great success,” said Cynthia Barnes, Corresponding Secretary of the Three Village Community Trust.

All proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward the revitalization of the factory houses. “We’re excited because some of the revenue that we’ve been able to raise so far is going to enable us in the next couple of weeks to bring electricity to the factory houses,” Mones said.

If enough money is raised, the Trust also plans to install appropriate copper gutters and replace the siding on the factory houses. “We’ve had some issues with rainwater in the back of the houses that is coming up against the siding, and we can’t use standard aluminum white gutters; we need to get the decorative copper gutters that are more period-appropriate, but they are more expensive,” added Mones.

The Chicken Hill Country Picnic and Benefit Auction will be held on Aug. 7 from 2 to 6 p.m. Admission is free. Bring your family, friends, lawn chairs, and a picnic basket to enjoy this fun event for an important cause. For more information, call 631-689-0225 or visit www.threevillagecommunitytrust.org.

Town of Huntington brings awareness to the 100 deadliest days

by Kimberly Brown - July 30, 2021

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The Town of Huntington hosted a MADD event July 28 to remind drivers of the '100 Deadliest Days.' Photo by Kimberly Brown

Mothers Against Drunk Driving representatives, Town of Huntington officials and Suffolk County Police Department members gathered at Greenlawn Park on Wednesday, July 28, to bring awareness and prevent the string of fatal collisions in the summer season known as the “100 Deadliest Days.”

The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as the most dangerous time for Long Islanders as driving while intoxicated and distracted driving uptick dramatically. Over 7,000 people nationwide died in teen-related collisions from 2010-19 during this time period.

“It’s very simple,” said town Councilman Eugene Cook (R). “Do not drink and do not drive. Call somebody or make arrangements ahead of time. Understand that if you drink and drive, you are not only putting your own life but other lives at risk.”

Two of the members from MADD who joined the conference were Alisa and John McMorris, whose son Andrew was tragically struck by a drunk driver in 2018 while hiking alongside a road in Manorville with his Boy Scout group. Other Scouts were injured by the driver as well.

“Each headline we read, every story we hear, every parent’s eyes that we look into, knowing that there’s no amount of comfort that I can give them because this horrific nature stays with a parent forever,” Alisa McMorris said. “We saw it on the news and thought this happens to other families, but it’s going to happen to you.”

While holding a school portrait of Andrew, the McMorris family pleaded for Long Islanders to be upstanders if they see someone who is about to drink and drive.

One of the goals MADD is trying to put into action is starting federal legislation to stop tragedies such as Andrew’s from happening again.

“This is why our family and the Andrew McMorris Foundation along with MADD are fighting so hard to get drunk driving prevention technology on all new vehicles as soon as possible. Technology exists today that could stop this, and we need the [U.S.] Senate to pass Reduce Impaired Driving for Everyone [Act],” Alisa McMorris said.

For more information on MADD visit www.madd.org/new-york.

Community reluctant over Coindre Hall boathouse restoration

by Kimberly Brown - July 29, 2021

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Coindre-Hall_kimberly-brown — An advisory board is working on solutions for the Coindre Hall boathouse that fell into disrepair years ago. Photo by Kimberly Brown

The Coindre Hall boathouse, located directly behind Coindre Hall, has been a staple to the Huntington community for decades. Looking over the Long Island Sound, the historic boathouse has remained empty and become run down over the years, causing residents to push for restoration.

Unfortunately, SuperStorm Sandy caused significant damage to the seawall of the boathouse. As a result, Suffolk County agreed with the Town of Huntington to allocate funds to the rehabilitation of the boathouse.

However, the foundation was crumbling, and it was decided the seawall needed to be fixed first before making any other renovations.

“This process has taken a number of years,” said Suffolk County Legislator Doc Spencer, founder of the advisory board for the boathouse. “We had gotten people with experience in restoring historic structures and our capital budget in the county now has funds to repair the seawall and move onto the boathouse itself.”

An advisory board is working on solutions for the Coindre Hall boathouse that fell into disrepair years ago. Photo by Kimberly Brown

Throughout the years after SuperStorm Sandy, teenagers have broken into the boathouse and painted graffiti. While outside there has been a significant amount of growth of weeds and underbrush surrounding the property.

With community members demanding to know when the improvements to the boathouse will move forward, Spencer decided to establish a community advisory board.

“Anything the advisory board advocates for will be what best serves the public,” said Garrett Chelius, chairperson of the advisory board. “But remember, we are just an advisory board, we don’t make policy, we just make recommendations to the legislature.”

Although the board was created a year and a half ago, any attempts to improve the property were immediately halted due to the pandemic. This summer, the board was able to advise on how to improve the boathouse once again.

“The boathouse itself structurally needs a lot of work before it might literally fall down,” Chelius said. “The pier is currently disconnected from the seawall so it’s unusable and the seawall itself has some erosion issues.”

Many of the other members are a part of the surrounding community and have taken a strong interest in bettering the property.

“One of the first things we got permission from the town parks department to do was to get rid of the weeds and other plants around the boathouse,” Spencer said.

The Town of Huntington partnered with a company that used a bobcat to pull out several years’ worth of underbrush and invasive species, which began to pose a safety hazard.

A meeting by the advisory board was held to discuss the plans of removing the weeds in 2020, however, it wasn’t widely advertised due to COVID, and the meetings were held on Zoom.

“That led to concern in the community because when they looked in and saw what was happening. They thought we were clearing the property and developing on it,” Spencer said. “But we can’t do that. We don’t have the power to. We were just cutting the weeds back so we can begin restoring the seawall. It was also a liability and neglect.”

With a confusion of what the boathouse’s future was to become, community members became distressed and wanted to halt any further construction.

“There was a significant misunderstanding, throw social media in there and it becomes an uproar,” Spencer said.

The Department of Environmental Conservation was called in by community members, who asked to take a look at what was going on with the property. The bobcat was ordered to halt any further removal of the weeds.

The advisory board is meeting with the DEC on Aug. 4 to discuss the issue and make sure there is a collective understanding of the intentions the board has with the boathouse.

According to Spencer, “The wetlands surrounding the boathouse are man-made, so the DEC is wondering if they even want to have authority over man-made wetlands. The advisory board is making efforts to keep in touch with the community regarding any further plans.”

The advisory board has compiled a few ideas to improve upon the dilapidated boathouse such as turning it into a place to cultivate shellfish, a place to dock first response vessels, or polishing it up to become a row house for boaters.

“We are looking to revitalize not redevelop,” Spencer said.

For more information on how to participate in the revitalization of the Coindre boathouse, or attend one of their meetings, visit www.scnylegislature.us.

Stony Brook Children’s Hospital celebrates 10th anniversary

by Kimberly Brown - July 28, 2021

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210727_ChildrensAnniv_091 — Reese Tiller, right, with his physician Dr. Laura Hogan, division chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and director of the Pediatric Oncology Survivorship Program at SBCH, during the July 27 10th anniversary event. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine

Stony Brook Children’s Hospital gathered doctors, nurses, physicians and staff to celebrate their 10th anniversary of pediatric care this Tuesday, both in person and virtually.

Throughout the years, SBCH has provided innovative research, clinical trials and breakthrough techniques to benefit pediatric patients. The hospital has more than 180 skilled pediatric specialists who cover more than 30 specialties.

“We have a long history of caring for children, and it was with the generational knowledge and passion that we made the commitment to create an institution that would better meet the needs of nearly half-a-million children in Suffolk County,” said Maurie McInnis, president of Stony Brook University.

Even during the pandemic, SBCH had pediatric investigators on duty, researching the effectiveness the COVID-19 vaccine has on children.

During the event, photos were displayed showing the history of Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine

Holbrook high schooler Reese Tiller attended the event and shared his experience with the children’s hospital that helped treat him when he had a cancer diagnosis.

After a soccer accident left Tiller with a concussion, it was SBCH who found out through testing that he had a large mass on his chest which was discovered to be leukemia.

“I was extremely confident that Reese was in the best place and was only going to get the best care possible,” said his mother Jaimi Tiller.

The Tiller family expressed their gratitude for SBCH and the effort it put into curing Reese’s illness. The hospital kept the family, including Reese, informed on every update possible.

“The second I got there, I felt loved and cared for,” Reese said.

The transition to the children’s hospital was easy for the Tiller family and despite being there for treatment, the overall feeling of the hospital was welcoming for all.

SBCH has become a vital part of the academic and clinical mission of SBU and Stony Brook Medicine, which aim to provide the highest quality of education and training.

With the dedication and passion of Stony Brook’s health care workers, SBCH has become a regional and national leader in children’s health care, and the first children’s hospital in the nation that created a center for the treatment of pediatric multiple sclerosis.

“You should all be proud of the outstanding clinical quality and breadth of services Stony Brook Children’s provides,” said Dr. Margaret McGovern, vice president for Clinical Programs and Strategy for SBM. “For me personally, it has been an honor to work with all of you and see your dedication and passion for improving children’s lives has been a daily inspiration.”

Town board rejects public hearing in Huntington apartment buildings controversy

by Kimberly Brown - July 23, 2021

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Huntington Town Hall Flag Main street. 8. 27. 2020. Lina Weingarten — Photo by Lina Weingarten

Although a local law and public hearing were announced as rejected at the start of the July 13 Huntington Town Board meeting, a packed auditorium showed the commitment Huntington residents have to the future of their town.

The meeting was held to discuss with and hear from the public regarding the proposal to enact local law 42-2021.

If the law had been adopted, it would have allowed C-6 property owners — that is, those located in commercially zoned areas within one-third mile of any of the five hamlet centers in Huntington township — to convert their properties into three-story apartment buildings at the height of 45 feet.

In addition, the Planning Board would be permitted to grant a limited number of special use permits for a residential apartment building.

According to the wording of the law, it would also have allowed for ground-floor apartments.

“In recent weeks I’ve received emails and other feedback and, as a result, have decided not only would I not support this resolution after a public hearing, but I no longer support there being a public hearing on this issue,” said Councilman Mark Cuthbertson (D).

He said he didn’t support a public hearing because he felt that there would be a belief that there was a remote possibility that this resolution would be approved.

After review and taking into account hundreds of emails sent to councilmembers, the Town Board decided it should not continue with the public hearing.

Despite the issue being put to rest, the Town Board still encouraged residents to share their thoughts and feelings about law 42-2021 during the public session and showed appreciation for the time residents took out of their day to come to the meeting.

“I’ve been fighting against the overdevelopment of Huntington for as long as I can remember,” said Commack resident Nancy Gambi. “I don’t know why it’s always the developers that are the priority. It’s like every time a developer wants something, we fold and rezone.”

Some residents wanted the Town Board to reconsider allowing reasonable levels of residential development, saying if Long Island wants to retain its young workforce, more apartments must become available.

“The choice is clear,” said Steven Vitoff, a Huntington resident of 17 years. “Long Island must accept some added apartments or we will watch our beautiful
island deteriorate into a ghost town — a 100-mile-long senior living center, an economic development dead end, an aging, barren place.”

Ronald McDonald Family Room waits for green light to reopen

by Kimberly Brown - July 22, 2021

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Coffee Cart — Coffee and snacks are available, and snacks have been individually wrapped during the pandemic. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine

The Ronald McDonald Family Room — a part of Stony Brook Children’s Hospital — has served as a sanctuary for parents and family members who have a child that is in prolonged care of the facility.

Officially opening in 2013, the purpose of the family room is to provide a respite space for parents to spend their downtime while their child is being treated in the hospital, whether that be long or short term.

However, since the pandemic began, the lounge promptly shut down and is currently awaiting the green light from the hospital to reopen.

“It is sad because it shut down a great resource room,” said Tricia Telemaque, host and board member of the family room. “When we open really depends on the day-to-day and what happens with COVID. However, we are on alert and ready to go back full force.”

Coffee and snacks are available, and snacks have been individually wrapped during the pandemic. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine

The lounge emulates an apartment-style environment with countless amenities for family members such as a fully stocked kitchen, private showers and laundry machines.

Pre-pandemic, volunteers would solicit the community to have restaurants, pizza places and bigger chains such as Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s deliver food that the volunteers would serve to the families of the sick children. The lounge offered breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Providing emotional support for families is another key aspect of the volunteer work. Having a person to talk to could serve as a stress reliever for the unfortunate circumstances going on in a parent’s life.

“I remember one day I was sitting in the room and this one woman was folding her laundry and she asked, ‘Could I just sit and talk to you because talking to someone while folding laundry feels normal’ so it really is more of a solace room,” Telemaque said.

According to her, the children admitted in the hospital also have siblings who come to the lounge and are often forgotten about. The volunteers make sure there are plenty of books and toys to play with, not only for the child admitted but for their siblings too.

“The intent is to not have any white coats [doctors] in the lounge,” Telemaque said. “So, it’s not a place where doctors and nurses can come in.”

One of the biggest goals for Ronald McDonald House Charities is to bring awareness to Long Islanders about what the lounge is and its purpose for the families that use it.

Since the pandemic began, the organization has continued to work hard for families who were suffering through the COVID period. However, donations of food have become more complicated due to the need to have items individually wrapped such as chips and granola bars.

The family room relies fully on donations from the surrounding community and businesses, as it serves approximately 3,600 families a year, so fundraising is essential for their need to remain active.

“When I started working in the room, I was amazed at how few of my friends knew that there was a Ronald McDonald [room] here in Stony Brook,” Telemaque said. “So simple awareness that there is such a need for something like this is very important and I think that is an underserved opportunity.”

The Ronald McDonald Family Room at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital has an area where families can sit and talk. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine

Among many parents who have used the family room, Karen Maher said using the room has been a huge stress reliever on both her and her daughter, who is undergoing cancer treatment.

“I look at the Ronald McDonald House as a blessing,” Maher said. “They really helped my daughter’s treatment go much easier for me and her. They’d bring little gifts for her too, something as simple as a teddy or a blankie.”

With the help of the lounge and their conveniences, Maher was finally able to get the rest and relaxation she needed.

For more information on how to donate to the Ronald McDonald Family Room in Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, visit www.rmhcnym.org or call 516-775-5683.

Huntington Militia’s Colonial Market Faire makes a comeback

by Kimberly Brown - July 13, 2021

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Huntington Militia warmly welcomed the Long Island community Sunday, July 11, to learn about Colonial-era history by recreating and reenacting 18th century civilian and military life on the grounds of the Arsenal museum in the Town of Huntington.

Visitors of all ages were able to enjoy demonstrations of papermaking, sewing, weaving, cooking, horn work, silversmithing, cannon and musket firing, all while receiving an in-depth history lesson about the crafts from the reenactors.

After a year of not being able to host events such as the Colonial Market Faire due to the pandemic, visitors and militia members were excited to be back on the field again.

“It feels good to be back again, and it feels good to have people around to ask questions that I can answer,” said Paul Gasparo, a member of the militia. “We may be reenactors but we’re also an educational unit, so we try to educate people on the time period and what Huntington was really like back then.”

The militia was formed in 1653 by the Town of Huntington and is one of the oldest military units in the country. Originally, the militia defended against the hostile Dutch settlements and practiced recurring public training exercises on the Town Common.

Over the years the militia served honorably in the French and Indian wars and later fought the battles of Long Island, Harlem Heights and White Plains.

In more recent times, the militia now stands as a New York State education corporation.

One of the reenactors who helped present and fire the 18th century cannon and muskets, Marvin Glassman, said he’s always had a passion for history.

“As a kid I was always interested in history,” he said. “I think my favorite part about being in the militia is that I feel more connected with the town and community.”

A feature at every Colonial Market Faire event is the musket drill, where children and adults are given wooden practice muskets and taught to march, drill and fire.

“For me, it’s the personal interactions with visitors,” said Patrick Mantle, commander of the militia. “It was definitely obvious that the vast majority of people who were there this time had not come to one of our events in the past, so it was great to answer their questions and see how captivated and interested they were in being there.”

Due to COVID restrictions, the Arsenal museum was not fully open to the public. However, visitors were allowed to look through the front door to get a glimpse of the living area.

The militia members said they are eagerly awaiting the reopening of the Arsenal so tours to the public can resume.

With a strong focus on the significance of informing youth on 18th-century Colonial-era and military life, Mantle said having the children involved in the demonstrations is something that will stick with them forever.

“It’s extremely important to educate the kids, because these upcoming generations are the ones who will preserve and protect our history,” he said.

Any enthusiasts interested in watching local history come to life while participating in Huntington Militia’s events and reenactments can contact Patrick Mantle at 631-223-8017 for further details.

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