A scene from the 2023 Huntington 9/11 memorial service. Photo by Daniel Palumbo
A scene from the 2023 Huntington 9/11 memorial service. Photo by Daniel Palumbo
A scene from the 2023 Huntington 9/11 memorial service. Photo by Daniel Palumbo
A scene from the 2023 Huntington 9/11 memorial service. Photo by Daniel Palumbo
A scene from the 2023 Huntington 9/11 memorial service. Photo by Daniel Palumbo
A scene from the 2023 Huntington 9/11 memorial service. Photo by Daniel Palumbo
A scene from the 2023 Huntington 9/11 memorial service. Photo by Daniel Palumbo
A scene from the 2023 Huntington 9/11 memorial service. Photo by Daniel Palumbo
A scene from the 2023 Huntington 9/11 memorial service. Photo by Daniel Palumbo
A scene from the 2023 Huntington 9/11 memorial service. Photo by Daniel Palumbo
A scene from the 2023 Huntington 9/11 memorial service. Photo by Daniel Palumbo
A scene from the 2023 Huntington 9/11 memorial service. Photo by Daniel Palumbo
A scene from the 2023 Huntington 9/11 memorial service. Photo by Daniel Palumbo
A scene from the 2023 Huntington 9/11 memorial service. Photo by Daniel Palumbo
By Daniel Palumbo
Town of Huntington residents, elected officials and family of those who died on 9/11 gathered in front of the Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington Sunday, Sept. 10, where they honored fallen first responders and citizens during a patriotic memorial service.
Following opening remarks and reflections by Town of Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth (R), speakers paid several tributes for the lives lost. The service also included a presentation of the colors, a recital of the Pledge of Allegiance and a rendition of the national anthem performed by the Faith Missionary Youth Choir.
Before the afternoon’s services concluded, Smyth joined fellow council members as they read aloud the names of the town’s fallen residents from that fateful occasion. Each fallen individual was met with a placement of roses to commemorate their life.
Town of Huntington officials held a press conference on Aug. 30.
Town Officials and Task Force Members announce purple flag initiative
Huntington Town Officials were joined by elected officials and members of the Town of Huntington Opioid & Addiction Task Force at a press conference on August 30 to announce the return of “Huntington Goes Purple,” an initiative designed to raise awareness of the drug addiction crisis on Long Island and across the United States.
Town of Huntington officials held a press conference on Aug. 30.
Approximately one million Americans have died of a drug- or alcohol-related overdose since 1999, with a 30% increase in overdose deaths from 2019 to 2020. Some of the most prominent barriers to recovery include social stigma toward addiction and a lack of access to treatment options.
As part of this initiative, the Town of Huntington will fly purple flags on the front lawn of Town Hall and on lamp posts along New York Avenue and Larkfield Road in observance of National Recovery Month, which was created in 1989 in order to destigmatize the disease of addiction, promote evidence-based treatment, and celebrate the tens of millions of Americans in recovery.
“Huntington Goes Purple” was started in 2021 by Huntington resident Sharon Richmond, a member of the Town of Huntington Opioid & Addiction Task Force who donated the first set of flags for the inaugural program. This year, the program has expanded to Larkfield Road in East Northport with the support of the Northport-East Northport Community Drug & Alcohol Task Force, on which Richmond serves as President.
“This initiative allows us to preserve the memories of those we lost to addiction and pay tribute to the amazing social workers, mental health care professionals, and nonprofit volunteers who work tirelessly to support individuals in recovery. “I am honored to help bring back ‘Huntington Goes Purple’ for its third year,” said Councilwoman Cergol. “But, it is now time for me to pass the torch to my colleague, Councilman Sal Ferro, who will be the new Town Board liaison to the Town of Huntington Opioid & Addiction Task Force.
Town Officials further announced a series of Recovery Month events to be held in the Town of Huntington, including:
Wellness Walk for Recovery at Heckscher Park on September 9
Interfaith Community Forum on September 20 at the at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington
Celebration of Hope and Recovery at Old First Presbyterian Church on September 28
Following the announcements, Dr. Jeffrey L. Reynolds and Mary Silberstein, Co-Chairs of the Opioid & Addiction Task Force, spoke on the importance of educating the public on both the dangers of drugs and alcohol and where to locate treatment for substance use disorder.
Sharon Richmond closed the press conference by urging New York to follow the lead of the State of Illinois and mandate prevention and support education for all school age children.
“Together we show support for those individuals and families affected by mental health and substance use disorder,” she said. “Together we send the message: you are not alone.”
Individuals seeking support for substance use disorder are urged to call one of the following hotlines:
SAMHSA: 1-800-662-4357 (or text your ZIP code to 435748)
Suffolk County Water Authority officials say Advanced Oxidation Process systems, such as those seen above, will help flush out 1,4-dioxane and other emerging contaminants from local drinking water. Photo courtesy SCWA
In a secluded residential block on Northport’s McKinney Avenue lies an advanced water treatment center masquerading as a barn.
At this site, representatives from the Suffolk County Water Authority joined state and local public officials for a press event on Thursday, Aug. 24, announcing eight new high-tech water filtration systems for local drinking water.
THIS IS NOT A BARN: The exterior of the SCWA’s new state-of-the-art water treatment plant. Photo courtesy Suffolk County Water Authority
Charlie Lefkowitz, chairman of the SCWA Board, said the eight systems employ Advanced Oxidation Process, or AOP, technologies capable of treating and removing emerging contaminants — such as 1,4-dioxane — from the groundwater.
“I’m always asked by the media what is our biggest threat,” he said. “Aging infrastructure and emerging contaminants,” both of which are areas addressed through the AOP systems.
The SCWA Board chairman also noted the measures taken to comport this industrial complex with the surrounding area.
“Just look at the historical character of this building,” Lefkowitz said. “It doesn’t look like your normal commercial building throughout Suffolk County.”
He added, “This is a great moment for water treatment overall, for the Huntington community as well as every resident of Suffolk County.”
New York State Sen. Mario Mattera (R-St. James), who has previously served on the SCWA Board, emphasized the continual need to invest in and develop aging water treatment systems.
He pointed to the recently passed $4.2 billion New York State Environmental Bond Act [see page A12] as a potential funding source to keep this infrastructure up to date.
“We want to make sure that we received our fair share,” the state senator said. “Clean air, clean water and green jobs — that is so important that we receive the money.”
New York State Assemblyman Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills) also attended the event. He detailed the lifespan of the process from its planning stages to its completion.
“It’s very special when you get to see something that goes from some blueprints and some pipes to a plan and watching it through the policy effort to ultimately being able to make it happen and cut the ribbon,” Stern said.
Town of Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth (R) tied the announcement to an ongoing local initiative to modernize infrastructure.
“Whether it’s on the highways, the roads or the waterfront, it’s all about infrastructure and maintenance, and I know everybody in the town is pulling in the same direction,” he said. “All you have to do is look around at this state-of-the-art facility to know that this money is well spent.”
Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, highlighted the various threats against Long Island’s sole-source aquifer, referring to the new treatment center as “a needful clean water victory for the public.”
“1,4-dioxane is a highly toxic chemical,” she noted. “Having Suffolk County Water Authority be an aggressive partner to make sure they’re filtering that water for Suffolk residents is a pleasure, and it’s a gift.”
Despite the eight new treatment systems in Huntington, Lefkowitz suggested the work of SCWA to be “far from done.”
He indicated that the water authority is simultaneously completing nine other AOP systems throughout the county, with hopes to bring these online soon.
A townwide debate over accessory dwelling units came to a conclusion Tuesday, Aug. 8, with the Huntington Town Board opting not to advance Councilwoman Joan Cergol’s (D) proposed code amendment to sanction basement apartments and detached garages as secondary living spaces in single-family homes.
Lois Hayn, one of the attendees, added some context to the discussion. She told the Town Board that the code amendment was part of an ongoing local opposition effort to resist the “ever-increasing congestion that plagues this town and a Queens-like atmosphere that has taken a huge toll on our quality of life.”
Desiree Ben, a member of Harp the Alliance of the Responsible Civics, reflected upon the public effort to resist the code amendment.
“Huntington’s at a tipping point,” she said. “The people spoke, they were organized and you heard.”
She inquired about the overall planning of the town. She said the ADU reversal was a matter of the town overseeing and guiding the development of the area.
“I don’t think anyone here is against development, but development done thoughtlessly and without a master plan can really decrease the value in the single-family home areas and put that value right into the pockets of developers,” she added.
To see the video of the entire meeting, go to huntingtonny.gov/meetings.
Keynote speaker was acclaimed writer, author and educator Meryl Ain
1 of 5
A scene from the 12th annual Anne Frank Memorial Ceremony. Photo from Town of Huntington
Town of Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth speaks at the ceremony. Photo from Town of Huntington
Keynote speaker Meryl Ain. Photo from Town of Huntington
Rabbi Asher Vaisfiche. Photo from Town of Huntington
Cantor Hazzan Steven Walvick. Photo from Town of Huntington
Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth hosted the Town of Huntington’s 12th Annual Anne Frank Memorial Ceremony at Arboretum Park in Melville, home of the Anne Frank Memorial Garden, on July 26. The event was be held mid-way between Anne Frank’s June 12th birthday and the August 4th date of her capture. Frank would have been 93 this year.
“We must counter the voices that seek to divide us and fight ignorance with education, which is why the Town honors the memory of Anne Frank every year and, through her voice, all those voices silenced through the Holocaust,” said Supervisor Smyth, pictured in photo on right at the podium. “The iron wedding dress sculpture in the Anne Frank Memorial Garden appears vulnerable yet it has withstood the elements, and even acts of vandalism; its endurance represents the strength and fearlessness with which we must fight evil, ignorance and hate.”
This year’s feature guest speaker was Meryl Ain, a Huntington resident who is an acclaimed writer, author, podcaster, and career educator. Her award-winning post-Holocaust debut novel, The Takeaway Men, was published in 2020. Its sequel, Shadows We Carry, was published in April 2023.
The Takeaway Men is the result of her life-long quest to learn more about the Holocaust, a thirst that was first triggered by reading The Diary of Anne Frank in the sixth grade. While teaching high school history in the Syosset School District, she introduced her students to the study of the Holocaust.
The Anne Frank Memorial Garden, unveiled by the Town in June 2010 at Arboretum Park, symbolically captures the journey of Anne Frank’s life. It features a circular pathway that surrounds a garden, which leads to the sculpture of a young girl’s dress. The Memorial Garden serves as tribute to Anne’s legacy of wisdom and genuine belief in the goodness of mankind and human nature, despite the ugliness of war and discrimination.
The Ceremony concluded with a song from Cantor Hazzan Steven Walvick and a final Benediction by Rabbi Asher Vaisfiche.
From left, Mark and John Cronin and Huntington Town Councilman Salvatore Ferro.
Photo courtesy of Town of Huntington
Employees of John's Crazy Socks with their proclamations. Photo from Town of Huntington
John and Mark Cronin with Huntington's Town Board. Photo from Town of Huntington
Huntington Town Councilman Salvatore Ferro presented the employees of John’s Crazy Socks with a proclamation prior to Huntington’s Town Board meeting on March 14.
Along with Mark and John Cronin, the father-son team that created John’s Crazy Socks, a social enterprise with the mission to spread happiness, John’s Crazy Socks employees Carol Cronin, Jordan Lerner, Masoom Syed, Cara Hayman, Gary Rottkamp, Kenny Majorana, Andrew Neter, Maria Lerner, Stephanie Sheridan, Samantha Salvo, Ronald Torres, Jacob Greene and Maggie Kearney were recognized during National Disability Awareness Month to show the many possibilities of people with differing abilities.
“It gave me great pleasure to recognize Mark and John Cronin, along with their colleagues from John’s Crazy Socks during National Disability Awareness Month,” said Councilman Ferro in a statement.
“The many employees at John’s Crazy Socks have demonstrated the great things people with differing abilities can do when given the opportunity. Their philanthropic efforts are abundant and have had a positive impact on society. Some of their philanthropic achievements include creating charity awareness socks, raising more than $550,000 for their charity partners which include the National Down Syndrome Society and the Autism Society of America and donating five percent of all earnings to the Special Olympics. They exemplify the best of society in their mission to spread happiness.”
Mallory Braun, right, is set to open a new bookstore in Huntington Village. She was mentored by former Book Revue owner Richard Klein, left. Photo above by E. Beth Thomas;
A new independent bookstore is set to open on New York Avenue in Huntington Village after one entrepreneur’s yearlong journey to find a location.
In the last few months, Mallory Braun has held pop-up events at businesses such as Nest in Northport. Photo from The Next Chapter’s Facebook Page
Many business owners struggled to keep their doors open during the COVID pandemic even after restrictions were lifted. One of the stores that shut its doors for good during 2021 was the Book Revue in Huntington village.
However, former Book Revue store manager Mallory Braun, of Huntington, realized the importance of a community bookstore and launched a Kickstarter campaign on Nov. 1, 2021, to raise $250,000. Her hope was to open a new store in the village in the spirit of Book Revue. After 45 days on the crowdfunding platform, more than 2,200 people donated over $255,000.
Opening a new bookstore didn’t happen overnight though.
Braun has spent several months acquiring books and records that were donated and sold to her and stored them at a warehouse. While she waited for the right location, the business owner and employees ran pop-up stores over the last few months in locations such as the Huntington Fall Festival, Nest on Main in Northport, Glen Cove’s Southdown Coffee and more. The pop-ups were fun and successful, she said, and after the new store is open, she would like to do more.
“It allows us to build relationships with local businesses,” Braun said.
Regarding finding the right location, the entrepreneur said she had to find a space that was big enough for the quantity of books she wanted to carry and hold events that she hopes to organize in the future.
She said there were serious talks about a few locations until they found the storefront at 204 New York Ave.
“This one was the one that has worked out, and it was the right choice,” she said, adding that it’s a five-minute walk from the old Book Revue building, in a northerly direction.
A grand opening date has not been chosen yet, but she said the store will open in time for the holiday shopping season. Braun added there is still a lot of work to be done. The Next Chapter employees are still shelving books and vinyl records at the future store, and Richard Klein, former Book Revue co-owner, has also been helping her prepare for the big day.
Braun, who specializes in used and rare items, is currently ordering new books. She said it would enable her to have authors visit for book signings, something she said customers enjoy.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to take to build up the same type of author as Book Revue had, but it’s important, and we’ve already been working on it,” Braun said.
She added that people have been volunteering to help get the store ready. Anyone interested in helping can reach the store by emailing: [email protected].
For more information about The Next Chapter, visit the website www.thenextchapterli.com.
From left, Senator Mario Mattera, Councilman Dr. Dave Bennardo, Town of Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth, guest speaker Gail Sheryn Kastenholz, Assemblyman Keith Brown, Rabbi Yakov Saacks, Receiver of Taxes Jillian Guthman, Rabbi Beth Klafter, Cantor Steven Walvick, Councilman Sal Ferro, Councilwoman Joan Cergol and Angel Cepeda Photo from Town of Huntington
Guest speaker Gail Sheryn Kastenholz at the ceremony. Photo from Town of Huntington
Guest speaker Gail Sheryn Kastenholz at the ceremony. Photo from Town of Huntington
From left, Commander Harry Arlin, Receiver of Taxes Jillian Guthman, Commander Gary Glick with guest speaker Gail Sheryn Kastenholz, Rabbi Beth Klafter, Councilwoman Joan Cergol, Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth, and Senator Mario Mattera. Photo from Town of Huntington
The Anne Frank Memorial Garden sculpture in Melville by artist Thea Lanzisero.
Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth hosted the Town of Huntington’s 11th annual Anne Frank Memorial Ceremony on June 22.
The Anne Frank Memorial Garden sculpture in Melville by artist Thea Lanzisero.
“We must counter the voices that seek to divide us and fight ignorance with education, which is why the Town honors the memory of Anne Frank every year and, through her voice, all those voices silenced through the Holocaust,” said Supervisor Smyth. “The iron wedding dress sculpture in the Anne Frank Memorial Garden appears vulnerable yet it has withstood the elements, and even acts of vandalism; its endurance represents the strength and fearlessness with which we must fight evil, ignorance and hate.”
Supervisor Smyth was joined by Councilwoman Joan Cergol, Councilman Dr. Dave Bennardo, Councilman Sal Ferro, Receiver of Taxes Jillian Guthman, Superintendent of Highways Andre Sorrentino, Senator Mario Mattera and Assemblyman Keith Brown at Huntington Town Hall, the rain location for the Anne Frank Memorial Ceremony, where the event streamed live on government access TV channels and on the Town’s website.
Commander Harry Arlin and members of Jewish War Veterans Post #488 were joined by Commander Gary Glick of the New York State Jewish War Veterans and provided a color guard to present the colors for the ceremony. Rabbi Beth Klafter from Temple Beth David in Commack delivered the invocation; Hazzan (Cantor) Steven Walvick of East Northport Jewish Center performed two vocal musical selections; and Rabbi Yakov Saacks from The Chai Center in Dix Hills delivered the invocation.
Guest speaker Gail Sheryn Kastenholz, a Huntington Station resident, Second Generation Survivor and Holocaust education advocate spoke about her parents’ experience as survivors of the Holocaust and how that formed her life path as an educator; she currently serves as a docent at the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center in Glen Cove.
Attendees included Rabbi Lina Zerbarini of Kehillath Shalom Synagogue; members of the Tobay Hadassah in Oyster Bay; members of the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center in Glen Cove; and Town of Huntington Community Development Agency Director Angel Cepeda who is a Board Member of Voices for Truth and Humanity, a Holocaust education advocacy organization.
Refreshments for the ceremony, including those from Hummel Hummel Bakery in East Northport, were donated by Suffolk County Legislator Manuel Esteban.
“The Holocaust was not that long ago. If Anne Frank were still alive now, she would’ve been celebrating her 93rd birthday this year,” said Councilwoman Cergol.
“With each passing day it grows more and more critical to preserve the stories of those who managed to survive this mass genocide as well as those who did not. For our sake and for history’s sake, we gather for Anne Frank’s birthday to remember her and to recognize her immense contributions to for understanding our very much flawed human history through her writings but we also gather to affirm our vigilance for standing up for and protecting those in our modern society who suffer from continuing acts of hate. Let our Anne Frank Memorial Garden serve not just as an enduring reminder of what was lost and who is lost but also how much more we might lose if acts of bigotry go unchallenged,” she said.
The Anne Frank Memorial Garden, unveiled by the Town in June 2010 at Arboretum Park in Melville, symbolically captures the journey of Anne Frank’s life. It features a circular pathway that surrounds a garden, which leads to the sculpture of a young girl’s dress. The Memorial Garden serves as tribute to Anne’s legacy of wisdom and genuine belief in the goodness of mankind and human nature, despite the ugliness of war and discrimination.
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' will be shown at Crab Meadow Beach in Northport on July 13.
Supervisor Ed Smyth and the Town of Huntington Department of Parks and Recreation will launch the 2022 Drive-In Movies on Wednesday, July 13 at Crab Meadow Beach on Waterside Road in Northport, expanding additional movie dates to new locations across Town.
“In an effort to make Huntington’s recreational experiences more accessible, we are taking our Drive-In Movies on the road,” said Supervisor Ed Smyth. “I hope to see you all at the movies!”
The 2022 Town of Huntington Drive-In Movies lineup is as follows – all movies start at 8:30 p.m.:
Wednesday, July 13
SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME
Crab Meadow Beach
Waterside Road, Northport
Wednesday, July 27
GREASE
West Neck Beach
West Neck Road, Lloyd Harbor
Wednesday, August 3
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
Dix Hills Park
Vanderbilt Parkway, Dix Hills
Wednesday, August 10
BLACK PANTHER
Huntington Senior Center
423 Park Avenue, Huntington
Wednesday, August 17
ENCANTO
Huntington Senior Center
423 Park Avenue, Huntington
*Admittance is free and limited to Town of Huntington residents.
Gates open at 6 p.m. and movies start at dusk (approximately 8:30 p.m). Movies are shown on a 40-foot screen, easily seen from all parking spots.
Movie audio will be broadcast on FM radio frequency (channel 99.3) to watch the movie from a vehicle. There will also be speakers for attendees who bring lawn chairs to sit outside.
For information, or in the case of inclement weather, please check out the Parks & Rec Facebook page or visit huntingtonny.gov/parks
For up-to-the-minute movie information, call (631) 351-3089.
Huntington Hospital has earned the coveted Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), which recognizes excellence in nursing.
Huntington is the only hospital with a fifth consecutive designation on Long Island – the first in the Northwell health system, second in New York State and 32nd in the United States.
The Magnet Recognition Program® spotlights health care organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. Developed by ANCC, Magnet is the leading source of successful nursing practices and strategies worldwide. Only 586 hospitals worldwide have achieved Magnet® status for nursing excellence since the program’s inception in 1983.
“Our nursing staff is known for upholding the highest standards of nursing,” said Susan Knoepffler, RN, chief nursing officer at Huntington Hospital. “With this accomplishment, our community is assured high quality compassionate care by our talented and dedicated nurses.”
The 371-bed hospital employs 600 nurses, 1,900 employees and specializes in neurosurgery, orthopedics and cancer care.
“The Magnet designation five consecutive times indicates this is no fluke,” Dr. Nick Fitterman, executive director of Huntington Hospital, said. “This represents consistent, high-quality care by a dedicated, professional, extraordinary nursing staff. The Magnet designation provides the foundation of care that has propelled Huntington Hospital to CMS 5-star recognition. The only Hospital in Suffolk County to achieve this.” He added, “The nursing staff continue to excel even while around the country we see health care workers burning out, leaving the profession. The staff here remain as committed as ever.”
Prev
