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Huntington Town Board candidates debate overdevelopment, housing and traffic control

by TBR Staff - October 27, 2023

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Meet_the_candidates — Candidates for local office address the public during a Meet the Candidates forum Wednesday, Oct. 18. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

As Election Day approaches, candidates met Wednesday night, Oct. 18, to address various local issues affecting the Town of Huntington.

During this election cycle, two Town Council seats are up for grabs as Councilwoman Joan Cergol (D) and Councilman Eugene Cook (R) are not seeking re-election.

For the position of town clerk, incumbent Andrew Raia (R) hopes to continue for another term. Running against him is Linda Davis Valdez (D), a first-time runner who has 18 years of experience working within the courts.

Raia, formerly a New York State assemblyman, said experience is important to the position. “If you walk in and don’t know 100 of those laws cold, you will end up breaking six of them by lunch,” he said.

Valdez said, “I am the freshman candidate, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have transferable experience.” She described herself as a PTA president, Cub Scout leader and stockbroker in addition to her job as a court service coordinator.

Jillian Guthman (D), the town’s incumbent receiver of taxes, is also running for re-election against a first-time candidate, Pamela Velastegui (R), a school administrator for 18 years and now works as an operations manager.

If elected, Velastegui vowed to reduce the long lines in the tax receiver’s office, potentially choosing a new venue during tax season, such as the “Town Hall or bank parking lot.”

“There are so many ways to remedy this,” she said, adding that a better online platform could be a solution.

Guthman, Suffolk County’s former assistant district attorney, agreed with the latter statement by saying the town’s use of technology is something she wants to improve. Of her work as receiver of taxes these past five years, she said, “I’ve stepped up the outreach … and professionalism of this office,” adding, “My approach to serving the community is one of complete accessibility.”

Town Board candidates

Theresa Mari (R), Brooke Lupinacci (R), Don McKay (D) and Jen Hebert (D) are running for two open seats on the Town Board.

McKay, a former newspaper reporter and current deputy commissioner of the Suffolk County Parks Department, reminded the audience of “checks and balances” within town government. He noted that if a Democrat isn’t elected to one of the two open posts, the board would consist entirely of Republicans.

All candidates agreed that overdevelopment in Huntington is an issue they plan to address if elected. McKay said he will not be “bankrolled by developers and lawyers who want to turn Huntington into Queens.”

Lupinacci, a former assistant district attorney, and Mari, an attorney who owns her own law firm, bristled against this statement. Lupinacci said, “I do not have a price tag,” and Mari concurred, stating, “The fact that there is an insinuation that I can be bought is insulting.”

Lupinacci said she wants to reinstate a “master plan” for affordable housing instead of “piece-mealing.”

Hebert, who served on the South Huntington school board during a “contentious” time, said she “has a backbone” and would be outspoken on behalf of the townspeople. She noted that unaffordable housing causes Long Islanders to “move out of state and take all those skills with them.” She said she would communicate with developers on a solution that is attractive to them and also helpful in leading to more affordable housing.

Among the other issues discussed were the failing sea wall, harbor silting and dredging, and the closure of the Brookhaven landfill, which McKay said requires a “multitown solution” as he expects trash will have to be transported elsewhere.

Hebert referenced a policy in Massachusetts that encouraged people to compost or reduce their consumption by charging those who produced more than a specified amount. She did not intend to do this but used it as an example of reducing trash through policy.

All candidates agreed that dredging is beneficial.

Hebert disagreed with how the town had handled traffic and parking in the past, claiming a misuse of tax dollars and mistaken priorities. She said that she “wouldn’t have replaced meters or replaced a parking lot.”

Election Day is Nov. 7.

Guided tour of Huntington’s Old Burying Ground offers insight into Town’s historic past

by Tara Mae - October 20, 2023

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By Tara Mae

The past whispers lessons to those willing to listen in the present.

A spooky stroll through Huntington’s Old Burying Ground unearths the town’s human history. Organized by the Huntington Historical Society, participants first gather inside the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building, located at 228 Main Street. Built in 1892 as a memorial to residents who perished in the Civil War, it housed the town’s first library and now hosts Huntington’s History and Decorative Art Museum.

As leaves crunch underfoot and the sky fades overhead, tour guide Erika Verrill Burke leads participants on a traipse back in time. Winding through Huntington’s earliest public burial ground, established soon after the town was founded in 1653, she introduces individuals who may have once trod this terrain.

Approximately 7500 people may be buried here, with roughly 1700 surviving tombstones. By the mid-1850s the rural cemetery on New York Avenue had opened, and the population of the Ground plateaued. Sporadic interments occurred over the years, mainly of people who had relatives already resting there, such as Nelson Smith. A co-founder of Huntington’s first AME Church, he died in 1888 and was buried, per his request, at the Old Burying Ground to be with his first wife who had perished in childbirth. The last burial was circa 1954.

Notably, this location is not a cemetery, which technically refers to a planned area specifically designed to inter the dead. Rather, the Old Burying Ground is simply a communal space where Huntington residents of yore laid their loved ones to rest.

“One of the really great things about the Old Burying Ground is its egalitarianism; this is a nondenominational secular burying ground; rich and poor, young and old, free and enslaved are buried here,” explained Verrill Burke.

Up hills and through paths marked only by memory and the footsteps of those who went before, Verrill Burke guides her audience into the past. Covering the scope of the site, as the group maneuvers among the gravestones, she excavates stories that survive through their retelling. Special occurrences and ordinary persons are enlivened in the process.

“We walk the entire grounds, discussing early Huntington history, and some key people and events that occurred in and around the burying ground,” she said. “Also discussed are some broader topics such as burying practices, the American Revolution on Long Island, and enslavement on Long Island.”

Veterans of wars are buried near casualties of disease. Entire family sagas are condensed to the clues inherent in epitaphs: men who were lost to pestilence; women who died in childbirth; children who died of preventable illnesses. A single family plot may encapsulate all of these calamities.

Citizens overlooked by posterity are in repose near founding family members of the Brookhaven settlement such as Ketchum, Conklin, and Platt.

The Ground’s oldest identifiable grave belongs to perhaps a lesser known name: Silas Sammis. Born in 1676, he died in 1723; his tombstone is a roughly hewn rock with his name, birthday, and death date painstakingly carved into it.

“Someone cared enough to drag a rock here,” Verrill Burke said.

Evidence of love is engraved into many elements of the Old Burying Ground; personal tributes and declarations of mournful devotion are interspersed with more traditional, yet poignant, sayings.

The grave markers themselves offer insights beyond what is etched into surfaces; their very essence speaks to monetary wealth and social standing, economic growth and resource accessibility.

Many early headstones are made from sandstone, which can be found on Long Island. Later headstones are made of granite or marble, reflecting the town’s growing prosperity, since the materials were imported from other states.

Free Blacks have gravestones similar to their white counterparts. Enslaved people were buried with the families of their enslavers; their plots are generally marked by rough field stones.

The disparity in circumstance invites onlookers to examine their collective heritage from multiple points of view. Trials and triumphs, as shared by Verrill Burke, create a narrative that coalesces into a deeper understanding of how personal anecdotes adorn the annals of history.

“The tour appeals to our imagination! The public is invited to imagine what life was like for the earlier residents of Huntington. I also think that discussing the life and death of certain residents helps us feel a more tangible connection to the past, and a more relatable view of the human condition. Times may change, but people are people,” she said.

It is this interpersonal connection that Verrill Burke emphasizes with the human interest she highlights. More than enchanting listeners with legend and lore, she enraptures them with the tenacity of truth and a winsome wit.

An engaging orator, Verill Burke is a public interest lawyer by trade. She has been a guide since 2014, but the tours have been going on for many years.

Verrill Burke became involved with the Huntington Historical Society while on sabbatical from her job, volunteering first for different programs, including its Passport to the Past camp for children.

“I wanted to do field trips for the campers, and the burial ground seemed like a good fit. Kids love all things macabre and so do I,” she said. The popular tours have since found fans of all ages.

Intrigued by the Old Burying Ground, Verrill Burke sought the knowledge of Huntington Town Historian Robert Hughes and the late Huntington Historical Society Historian Rex Metcalf. She also scoured the Society’s archives, one of the largest collections on Long Island. From there, she developed a routine that encompasses centuries and sense memories.

“People are fascinated. Even if individuals are coming along to keep a history buff friend company, there is something of interest for almost everyone on this tour, and questions are very, very welcome (that’s how I know everyone is staying awake!),” Verrill Burke said.

This meander through remembrance is next scheduled for Saturday, October 28, at 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers, and $5 for children. They must be purchased in advance and are not sold the day of the tour. To make reservations, please visit www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org. For more information, call 631-427-7045.

Suffolk D.A.: Huntington man charged with stealing mother’s pension

by Press Release - October 12, 2023

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Ray Tierney photo (1) — Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. Photo from Tierney's office

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney and New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli on Oct. 12 announced the arrest of former Town of Huntington employee Moses K. Johnson, 63, of Huntington, for allegedly stealing his mother’s public pension payments following her death in April 2021.

“The New York State Retirement Fund is funded by the hard work of hundreds of thousands of public sector employees, and provides retirement security for over one million members,” said District Attorney Tierney. “My Office will investigate and prosecute anyone who is alleged to have stolen from this vital resource.”

“Mr. Johnson allegedly took advantage of his mother’s death to pocket tens of thousands of dollars he was not entitled to,” said New York State Comptroller DiNapoli. “Thanks to my investigators and Suffolk County District Attorney Tierney, he is being held accountable for his crime. My office will continue to work with law enforcement agencies across the state and country to protect the New York State pension system from fraud.”

The arrest is the result of a joint investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney and the Office of the New York State Comptroller. According to the investigation, Johnson’s mother died on April 16, 2021.

Johnson allegedly failed to notify the bank or the New York State and Local Retirement System of his mother’s death. Instead, Johnson continued to collect and spend her pension payments. Between April 30, 2021, and June 30, 2022, Johnson allegedly collected a total of 15 unauthorized payments totaling $56,411.37. The stolen funds were traced from Johnson’s mother’s bank account into his bank account, which he allegedly then spent.

Johnson previously worked for the Town of Huntington for over 30 years, and worked in the recycling center until his retirement in 2017. As a member of the state retirement system, Johnson should have been aware of the pension process, and known his mother’s payments should have been stopped with her death.

On October 11, 2023, Johnson was arrested by investigators of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, and arraigned before Suffolk County District Court Judge, the Honorable Anna Acqafredda, for one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a Class C felony. Judge Acqafredda released Johnson on his own recognizance during the pendency of the case. Johnson is due back in court on October 25, 2023.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Amanda Scheier of the Public Corruption Bureau, with investigative assistance from Assistant Special Investigator Chris Castle of the District Attorney’s Public Corruption Squad.

Long Island drenched as flash floods trigger roadway closures, halt services

by Raymond Janis - October 4, 2023

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Hochul_Flooding — Gov. Kathy Hochul updates New Yorkers on Saturday, Sept. 30, the day after declaring a state of emergency for Long Island. Photo courtesy the New York State Executive Chamber

Flash flooding leveled much of the tri-state area last Friday, Sept. 29, prompting a state of emergency declaration for Long Island while unleashing damage and halting some services.

The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood watch for Long Island Friday, which remained in effect into the night. Heavy rainfall and intense flooding throughout the region prompted Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to declare a state of emergency for Long Island, as well as for New York City and portions of the Hudson Valley.

Heavy flooding caused roadway closures at state Route 110 in Huntington between Mill Lane and Prime Avenue near Madison Street at Heckscher State Park, according to a NWS report. In Commack, a stranded motorist on Town Line Road required an emergency service response, the same report indicated.

In an emailed statement, Town of Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth (R) maintained that much of the town’s infrastructure and services remained undisturbed despite the heavy rainfall.

“Highway Superintendent Andre Sorrentino and the Highway Department, along with our Environmental Waste Management Department, were out in full force with pumps and tree crews clearing and cleaning,” Smyth said. “Our sewage treatment plants received more than double their normal water flow without any reported spillage.”

He added that garbage collection continued as scheduled, though the storm had disrupted and canceled numerous local events. “However, normal government operations continued without interruption. Although there were no significant issues, the town is currently assessing all departments to determine any and all issues relating to the storm.”

Joana Flores, media liaison for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, indicated that operations along the Long Island Rail Road’s Port Jefferson Branch were largely undeterred.

“Friday’s weather event did not have any impact on MTA infrastructure in the Port Jefferson area or to Port Jefferson train service,” Flores said. “With the exception of one train that was momentarily delayed due to a non-weather-related matter, the Port Jefferson Branch operated on or close to schedule.”

“Crews did perform periodic patrols of the Port Jefferson Branch to monitor conditions of the infrastructure,” she added.

Electrical infrastructure had similarly avoided major damages, according to Jeremy Walsh, a spokesperson for PSEG Long Island. “Friday’s flooding did not impact the electric infrastructure,” he said in an email. “Overall, the system performed well. While we did experience scattered outage activity, it was mainly as a result of the heavy rains and gusty conditions impacting trees and tree limbs, not flood damage.”

Given projections for more frequent and intense storm events over the coming years, Walsh added that the utility company is continuing efforts toward mitigating the associated risks to the electrical grid.

“PSEG Long Island has been storm-hardening the electric grid since 2014, including elevating equipment at some substations to protect against flooding, and this has helped reduce the impact of severe weather events,” he noted. “We continue to storm-harden the infrastructure using the best projections for future flooding and wind conditions that are available to us.”

The storm’s impacts were not limited to public infrastructure, however. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation temporarily closed much of the North Shore to shellfishing due to “extremely heavy rainfall and extraordinary amounts of stormwater runoff and localized street flooding … which may result in conditions causing shellfish to be hazardous for use as food,” a NYSDEC report said.

At a press conference the following day, Sept. 30, Hochul announced that there had been no recorded fatalities due to the flooding, thanking the public for heeding emergency warnings.

“What had been described by myself as a potentially life-threatening event ended up being a time when people listened, they reacted properly, they took precautions and no lives were lost,” the governor said.

Honoring the fallen: Town of Huntington hosts 9/11 memorial service

by TBR Staff - September 15, 2023

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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 goes purple to raise awareness of drug addiction crisis

by Press Release - September 5, 2023

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unnamed-2 — 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)

LICADD: (516) 747-2606 | (631) 979-1700

OASAS: 1-877-846-7369

SCWA unveils new water treatment systems for Huntington

by Raymond Janis - September 3, 2023

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AOP and GAC System — 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

By Raymond Janis

[email protected]

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.

As Huntington Town Board scraps ADU proposal, residents urge greater development oversight

by Raymond Janis - August 12, 2023

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Huntington-Town-Hall-Main-street.-8.27.2020.-Lina-Weingarten-scaled — File by Lina Weingarten

By Raymond Janis

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.

Town of Huntington holds 12th annual Anne Frank Memorial Ceremony

by Press Release - July 27, 2023

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Keynote speaker was acclaimed writer, author and educator Meryl Ain

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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.

John’s Crazy Socks honored in Huntington

by Press Release - March 24, 2023

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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.”

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