Half Hollow Hills Newspaper - Feb 23, 2012

N E W S P A P E RHALF HOLLOW HILLS

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SOUTH HUNTINGTON

St. Anthony’s Grads Playing ‘Hard Rock’Band faced off in Times Square in competition for chance to open for Bruce Springsteen

A band with local ties played in Times Square onTuesday with hopes of opening for Bruce Springsteenthis summer.The Como Brothers Band – made up of St. Anthony’s

High School graduates Matt Como, 22, bass player andsinger; Andrew Como, 20, guitarist and lead singer; anddrummer Dorian Costanzo, 20 – entered the HardRock Café’s Battle of the Bands, a competition between86 Hard Rock locations around the world. For the firstround, fans voted on Facebook for their favorite band bydownloading their song. Each download representedone vote.Out of the 800 bands that entered from New York,

The Como Brothers Band came out on top. They evenreceived more votes than over 6,500 bands competingthroughout the United States.“Wewere really excited about it,” Matt Como said. “We

got the most votes in all of the United States.”The top nine vote-getters from the area performed

Feb. 21 for a panel of judges at the Hard Rock Café inTimes Square. Alongside The Como Brothers Bandwere In Cage from Hillsdale, N.J.; Wool Over Eyes fromBrooklyn, N.Y.; Portmanteaux from Brooklyn, N.Y.; TheGreat Fraud from Fort Lee, N.J.; Odane Whilby fromNew Rochelle, N.Y.; Morningside Lane from Fort Lee,N.J.; Four Nights Gone from Staten Island, N.Y.; andFlat Five from Stony Point, N.Y.Similar competitions are taking place at Hard Rock

Cafes around the world, and winners will represent theirrespective Hard Rock in a global contest. Their songswill be posted on Facebook, and fans again determinethe winner by downloading music and voting for theirfavorites from April 7-22.The winner of the global round will open for Spring-

steen in July.“We think it would be absolutely amazing because we

The Como Brothers Band (from left, St. Anthony’s gradu-ates Andrew Como, Dorian Costanzo, Matt Como) per-formed at the Hard Rock Café’s Battle of the Bands.

By Stephanie [email protected]

(Continued on page A9)

DIX HILLS

Concerns Over ProposedMosqueCivic group, leaders planning to meet for discussion of parking, traffic implications

Community leaders are hoping to meetwith leaders of the United AmericanMuslim Association’s (UAMA) Dix Hillsbranch to discuss a proposal to build anew mosque on Deer Park Avenue, themosque’s president and the civic group’sattorney confirmed Monday.Members of the Civic Association of

Dix Hills hosted a meeting last Thursdayat the Half Hollow Hills Community Li-brary to discuss the proposal, which wasfiled by the United AmericanMuslim As-sociation (UAMA) of Dix Hills. As pro-posed, the mosque would be three storiestall and just shy of 20,000 square feet;

capped with a dome, the structure wouldbe nearly 60 feet tall. It would be built at459 Deer Park Ave., which is on the westside of Deer Park Avenue between Par-sons Drive and Tiana Place.“Hopefully, we’ll have a meeting in

terms of explaining ourselves and theproject in more detail at the meeting,”Mahmut Salihoglu, president of theUnited American Muslim Association’sDix Hills branch, said.Keith Archer, the civic association’s le-

gal adviser, confirmed efforts to schedulea community meeting are underway. Thecivic association argues the proposedmosque is too large to fit into the R-40zoned neighborhood and could create

By Danny [email protected]

(Continued on page A9)

FOCUSON

REAL ESTATEInside

FOCUSON

REAL ESTATE

Dix Hills residents are scheduling a meet-ing with the proponents of a new mosque .to discuss the plans and address con-cerns, each party confirmed Monday.

“I needed to fillthat competitivevoid that I wasmissing afterplaying sports mywhole life. I firststarted runningraces and thatevolved into doingtriathlons.”

Local ‘Ironwoman’ Takes On Triathlons, PAGE A11

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QUOTE OF THE WEEKCHRISTINE KENNEY

Please Don’t Leave Your Keys In The Car

Suffolk police were dispatched to Broadhollow Roadin Melville on Feb. 17 about a grand larceny. The com-plainant said their 2000 Lincoln LS was missing. Thekeys were in the car.

Assailants Had Gun, Bat

Suffolk police responded to Huntington Station onFeb. 17 about a robbery. Two subjects jumped out, onearmed with a handgun and the other with a bat, de-manding money. The victims fled unharmed.

Rolex Victim in Burglary

A Melville resident called Suffolk County police onFeb. 16 about a break-in. The thief apparently enteredthrough a kitchen window and made off with a Rolexwatch.

Why Wasn’t The Account Already Closed?

Suffolk police were called about stolen funds on Feb.15. The complainant reports that a credit card lost sev-eral days before was used by an unknown person at aMelville location.

Talk About Lowering Housing Values

Suffolk police were dispatched to a Huntington homeabout criminal mischief on Feb. 15. The complainantsaid a stove exhaust fan and home heat cable were dam-aged inside by unknown suspects sometime earlier inthe month.

Cops Grab Alleged Thief

AGreenlawnman was arrested by Suffolk County po-lice on Feb. 15. The 21-year-old allegedly stole propertyfrom a Huntington Station home. He was charged withpetit larceny.

Was It Gang-Related?

Suffolk police responded to a South Huntingtonschool on Feb. 14 about graffiti. The responding offi-cer found spray paint on school playground equip-ment. The complainant said it happened sometimesince Jan. 29.

Resident Charged Up Over Theft

Northport Village police were dispatched to Whis-pering Fields Drive about a possible theft on Feb. 12.The complainant said he noticed a suspicious manputting something in an older blue-green Nissan Sen-tra. When confronted, the subject said he was lookingfor scrap metal to recycle. Half an hour later the resi-dent realized his battery charger was missing from theyard. The suspect was described as a middle-agedwhite man with a gap in his front teeth. The item wasvalued at $90.

Donuts Are Only Fun In The Snow

Village police received complaints about a cars racingand doing donuts on Porpoise Court on Feb. 11. Whenthe responding officer arrived, the vehicles had fled thearea. The complainant told police a red Mustang hadbeen driving erratically. No further police action wasnecessary at the time.

Rats with wings… Surprise – I’m not a big fanof seagulls. They always seem to be hovering over-head, if not diving towards me, with waste that’sunpleasant to clean out ofcars, clothing and hair (goodluck, my foot!) Now I knowit’s been a warm winter, butthe calendar still says February and my brain is atleast partially in winter mentality. So when a seagullrecently landed next to my car after I had justparked, I was almost as dumbfounded as I was star-tled. The foolish bird didn’t even want to leave rightaway, even though I could have clocked him goodwith my car door. Thankfully he got the messageand left so I could go on my merry way. It was onlyhours later that I figured out it wasn’t my Buick hewas enticed by, but the scraps of food I parked on.

Sunblock, anyone? This winter is a perfect ex-ample of why I prefer the phrase “global weirding”over climate change, global warming and otherturns of phrase intended to explain what’s going onwith our weather patterns. (Let’s not even talkabout our little Halloween slush-storm, shall we?)You know it’s a problem when it actually gets sea-sonal out and people actually say, “Brr. Where did Iput my ear muffs?” I’ve had mine all ready to go likea good girl, but the winter wear hasn’t exactly got-ten a whole load of play so far in 2012. But I’m notputting them away because I know better – one ofmy brothers was born dead-smack in a blizzard. InApril. My point is this – when the weather’s thisodd, you’re not off the hook for a little winter won-derland visit for quite a while.

Talkaboutdetermination…with a helping of God-given talent. In this week’s paper, you’ll read aboutChristine Kenney, a 33-year-old triathlete whodoesn’t let anything get in her way. Despite two bi-cycling accidents, she remains still dedicated to hercraft – in fact, eight weeks after one of her painfulwipeouts, she was competition in Hawaii! Andhere’s the equally amazing part – despite her re-markably high-level athletic performance, the Har-borfields grad works 70 hours a week and doesn’thave as much time as she’d like to train. Imaginethat! It just shows you that when you have determi-nation – and some good genes – on your side, noth-

ing can stop you. Keep it up, girl!

A question of tact… As most of you are awareby now, Whitney Houstondied last week, and a lot offolks are still trying to wraptheir heads around it. Butone celebrity auctioneerseems to think it’s time to

put some of her famous swag up for bids, includinga black velvet dress of hers and a pair of earringsand a vest she wore in her breakout movie role in“The Bodyguard.” Also going up for bids – CharlieChaplin’s cane; Clark Gable’s jacket from “GoneWith the Wind” and Charlton Heston’s staff from“The Ten Commandments.” While the auctioneerargues it’s a celebration of her life by selling thesenow-artifacts, I think this guy should probably waita little longer than a month after she passed to putthis stuff on the block. Not forever – just a littlelonger so her family can grieve. What do you think?Write to me, kids.

We’ll never forget you, Kid… The death ofMets legend Gary “Kid” Carter is tear inducing sim-ply because someone’s child, husband and friend isno longer with us, but because of the person he was.I apologize in advance to all you diehard Mets fans,but I only barely knew of Carter at the time. It wasimpossible not to hear how he started that 10th in-ning rally in the 1986 World Series, but I can’t tellyou how many home runs he hit or how long heplayed. What I can tell you is that I only heard sto-ries of how he played the game with youthful en-thusiasm and passion for the game. Whenever Icaught him on television, he always wore a bigsmile. Later on, he coached a few minor league, col-lege and independent teams – including the LongIsland Ducks. It’s always sad when a childhood heroor fan favorite passes, but it’s tragic the world lostone of the good guys.

(Aunt Rosie wants to hear from you! If you have com-ments, ideas, or tips about what’s happening in yourneck of the woods, write to me today and let me knowthe latest. To contact me, drop a line to Aunt Rosie, c/oThe Long-Islander, 149 Main Street, Huntington NY11743. Or try the email at [email protected])

IN THEKNOWWITHAUNTROSIE

You Know What Annoys Me?POLICE REPORTCompiled byMike Koehler

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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Suffolk TermLimits Under FireDA, Sheriff and County Clerk suing county

The former Huntington Councilmanwho is representing Suffolk County in anupcoming lawsuit over term limits forcertain elected officials said it wouldstrictly be a legal case.Attorney Stuart Besen will handle the

county’s defense, due to concerns aboutconflicts of interest, in the suit broughtby District Attorney Thomas Spota,Sheriff Vincent DeMarco and CountyClerk Judith Pascale.“The facts are not in dispute,” Besen

said, noting case law and the New YorkState Constitution will likely play majorroles. “It’s the county’s position they aregoing to uphold the law they passed.”The trio of elected officials filed a sum-

mons on Feb. 10 to dispose of the 12-yearterm limits attached to their jobs.In 1993, Suffolk County capped the

maximum term for elected positions at 12years. However, the plaintiffs contendtheir jobs are created by the state consti-tution, not the county, and therefore areimmune to county limitations. The sum-

mons identifies them as “constitutional of-ficers.”“This lawsuit isn’t about the pros and

cons of term limits – it’s about righting awrong from nearly 20 years ago,” Spota’sspokesman Robert Clifford said. “Underour state constitution, Suffolk County didnot have the authority to impose termlimits on the office of sheriff, county clerkand district attorney.”DeMarco, who resides in Cold Spring

Harbor, learned about the potential con-flict five or six years ago from the NewYork State Sheriff ’s Association. Not apressing matter initially, the sheriffsigned on recently when the issue was di-rected towards the Suffolk CountySupreme Court.“I think it will just show the county law

is flawed where it speaks of the state con-stitutional offices,” he said.DeMarco and Pascale are currently in

their second four-year term, while Spotais at the end of his final four-year term.The sheriff refused to speculate on theDA’s motives in the suit, but said he wasmore interested in a third term than any-thing beyond 12 years.

By Mike [email protected]

MELVILLE

Firefighters RescueTrappedDriver

Volunteer firefighters and rescue per-sonnel from the Huntington Manor andMelville Fire Departments responded to atwo-car collision with a victim trapped onRoute 110 and Schwab Road in SouthHuntington Feb. 16.Arriving on the scene at about 8:40p.m.,

the departments worked together withSuffolk Police Emergency Services to re-move a female driver from one of the cars.The patient suffered non-life-threatening

injuries and was transported to NorthShore Plainview Hospital by the MelvilleRescue Squad.Huntington Manor Fire Department

was on the scene with two heavy rescuesand an engine, under the command ofFirst Assistant Chief Fred Steenson, Jr.Melville Fire Department responded witha heavy rescue, two engines, three ambu-lances, a paramedic and fire police, underthe command of Chief Michael Carrieri.

Firefighters rescue a trapped motorist following a car crash on Route 110 in South Huntington.

Photo

bySteve

Silverman

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Opinion‘Not the types set up by the printer return their impression, the meaning, the main concern.’

Letters to the editor are welcomed by Long Islander Newspapers. We reservethe right to edit in the interest of space and clarity. All letters must be hand-signed and they must include an address and daytime telephone number forverification. Personal attacks and letters considered in poor taste will not beprinted. We cannot publish every letter we receive due to space limitations.

An intriguing question is going before thecourts to determine whether there will beterm limits on a handful of elected countyofficials moving forward.District Attorney Thomas Spota filed suitin State Supreme Court, challenging thelaw that limits him to 12 years, or three con-secutive terms, in office. He filed the suit onbehalf of himself, the county Sheriff, Vin-cent DeMarco, and the County Clerk, Ju-dith Pascale, all of whom Spota claimsshould not have been includedwhen the Suffolk Legislature passedterm limits.The district attorney argues that his, thesheriff ’s and county clerk’s offices shouldnot have been included in the county lawwhen it was passed in 1993 because thosepositions were specifically created by thestate constitution and cannot be altered bya simple vote of the legislature.Spota is the only one of the three imme-diately affected by the limits as he is in hisfinal four-year term.He’d like to know the answer before the

next election in November 2013.New York City Mayor MichaelBloomberg, by a vote of his city council,successfully skirted a term limit on his of-fice. There was grumbling when he asked,but he got himself re-elected and is cur-rently serving that bonus term.While Spota’s suit may seem self-serving,it also raises a question of the value, if any,of term limits. There is a case to be made onboth sides. On one hand, when the right

person for the job is in place,why throw away years of expe-rience and apparent voter sat-

isfaction in order to give an inexperiencedneophyte the job? On the other hand, itdoes level the playing field for newcomerswho would otherwise face an uphill battleagainst entrenched incumbents.We like to think that the voters ultimate-ly set term limits by voting out officeholderswhen it’s time for them to go. We’ve seen ithappen. But since Spota has raised thequestion, it should be answered by thecourt expeditiously.

The Term Limit Question

EDITORIAL

Medicaid Reigns SupremeAmong UnfundedState Mandates

DEAR EDITOR:Newsday ran an editorial onJan. 15 in favor of shifting Med-icaid costs from the counties tothe state government. The op-ed piece made points which wecan no longer afford to ignore.Reforming how the EmpireState finances Medicaid mustnow be priority number one foranyone who wants to cut thecosts Albany passes on to LongIsland homeowners and jobcreators. Our property taxpay-ers are losing $7.3 billion everyyear paying for the nation’scostliest unfunded mandate.We can no longer wait; the timeto act is now.At roughly $53 billion a year,Medicaid spending in the Em-pire State is more than Califor-nia’s despite covering 55 percentfewer patients, and costs taxpay-ers 79 percent over the nationalaverage for every Medicaid re-cipient.The federal government is

about to expand New York’s al-ready generous Medicaid eligi-bility even more. Even if we re-duce our counties’ payments tothe program by 1, 2 or 3 percenta year, ObamaCare’s loomingenrollment surge will outstripany projected savings.New York is currently onlyone of a handful of states thatrequires comparable Medicaidcontribution levels between thecounties and the state. Thismeans that Washington pays 50percent, New York State pays 25percent and taxpayers get stuckwith the remaining 25 percent.This formula is a leading cost-driver for higher taxes in SuffolkCounty and elsewhere.The property tax cap that waspassed in 2011 was a good startto reining in some of the high-est property taxes in the nation.In 2012 we must focus on man-date relief. The Medicaid pro-gram, funded by our local prop-erty and sales taxes, is thestate’s number-one unfundedmandate.While I applaud GovernorCuomo’s leadership on this is-sue, slowing the rate of the enti-tlement program’s growth at the

county level while shifting someadministrative costs to Albany isnot enough. A real solution tothis problem would be to imme-diately freeze local contributionsto Medicaid while graduallyphasing in Albany’s assumptionof the program’s costs over thenext eight years. As a co-sponsorof Assembly bill 8644, legisla-tion which would turn back thecosts of Medicaid to the state,where they belong, I believeeight years is more than enoughtime for the Governor and Leg-islature to develop changes toMedicaid in order to ensure aproper safety net for our state’spoor and vulnerable citizens.Having Albany take over thecosts of Medicaid from thecounties would bring substantialrelief to local governments,school districts and taxpayers. Ifpoliticians in our state’s capitalwant to run the most generoushealth-care program in thecountry, then they, not SuffolkCounty homeowners, must finda way to pay for it.

ANDREW RAIAAssemblymanNinth District

Upping The StalkingCharges

Editor’s note: The followingwas adapted from a press re-lease.

DEAR EDITOR:The New York State Senate[Feb. 14] passed a bill, spon-sored by Senator Carl L. Mar-cellino, that would increase thepenalties for stalking (S. 924A).An estimated 3.4 million peopleare victims of stalking in theUnited States each year.The obsessive nature of stalk-ers is unimaginable until youhave suffered as the target oftheir endless pursuit. Stalking isa serious and potentially life-threatening crime. It changesthe lives of the people who arevictimized forever. This heinousbehavior often proves lethal andthe punishment must fit thecrime.Senate Majority Leader DeanSkelos added that being stalkedinstills tremendous fear in vic-tims, and often, stalking can re-sult in violence toward the vic-tims. This bill will increase the

penalties for stalking and willbring a greater measure of pro-tection for victims.This legislation would changestalking in the fourth degree toa class A misdemeanor from aclass B misdemeanor; third de-gree stalking will become a classE felony from a class A misde-meanor; second degree stalkingwill become a class D felonyfrom a class E felony; stalking inthe first degree will become aclass C felony from a class Dfelony.Stalking describes specific re-peated, unwanted harassing orthreatening behavior toward an-other person; the stalker can bea stranger, but statistics showthat most stalkers know theirvictims and can be a partner, anex-partner, a family member, ora co-worker.The bill has been sent to theAssembly.

CARL MARCELLINOState Senator

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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N E W S P A P E RHALF HOLLOW HILLS

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Life&Style

DIX HILLS

‘Art After Dark’ Enlightening VisitorsArt League of Long Island program continues evening events with painter and jeweler

In addition to free lessons the ArtLeague of Long Island has offered sinceits 1955 inception, the not-for-profit al-so hosts local musicians and displaysartwork created by locals.The Dix Hills-based Art League has

been holding monthly “Art After Dark”programs since September 2011.Held the last Friday of every month,

the upcoming Feb. 24 event will featurea demonstration on oil painting byHoward Rose. The painter and photog-rapher focuses on the dunes of easternLong Island in his pieces.Rose is to be accompanied by clothing

and jewelry designer Beth Drucker, whowill demonstrate felting, the uniqueprocess of creating artwork from felt.The musical performer at the event

will be acoustic guitarist and singerDenise Romas.Art After Dark’s co-chair Linda Louis

said attendees stand mesmerized by theintensity and dedication the participat-

ing artists put in to complete each workof art, able to watch them in the process.Art After Dark is organized by Louis,

also a member of the Art League ofLong Island’s board of directors, andRoberta Erlagen, a teacher at theLeague.This month’s event is scheduled for 7-

9 p.m. at the Art League, located at 107East Deer Park Ave. in Dix Hills. Formore information call 631 462-5400 oremail [email protected].

By Jasmine [email protected]

Howard Rose and Beth Drucker will be fea-tured artists at this month’s installment ofthe Art League of Long Island’s Art AfterDark.

Last month’s event, including caricaturist Joe Vissichelli and the Berndt Toast Gang, at-tracted hundreds to the Art League.

PERFORMING ARTS

Calling All ‘Tenors’ To Dix Hills StageThe Dix Hills Performing Arts Center

proudly presents the multi-award win-ning Broadway madcap screwball come-dy “Lend Me a Tenor” Feb. 23-25 at 7:30p.m. and Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. Winner ofthree Tony awards, including Best Play,and four Drama Desk awards, includingBest Director and Best Actor (DavidBosco), “Lend Me A Tenor” is a hilariouscomedy about the opera set in Clevelandin 1934.Written by Ken Ludwig, the play pre-

miered in London’s West end in 1986,produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber anddirected by David Gilmour. The playopened on Broadway in 1989, and hasbeen translated into 16 languages andproduced in 25 countries since then. ABroadway revival opened in 2010, star-ing Stanley Tucci. A subsequent musicalversion opened early last year in Lon-don, and ended its run last summer.The play is a farcical romp, replete

with fast-paced chases and hilarioustwists and turns. The lead character,Saunders, general manager of the Cleve-land Grand Opera Company, is primedto welcome world-famous performerTito Morelli, a.k.a. “Il Stupendo,” thegreatest tenor of his generation, sched-uled to play one night only to benefit theopera company in the role of Othello.The star arrives late, and through a hi-

larious series of mishaps is given a dou-ble dose of tranquilizers and passes out.His pulse is so low that Saunders and hisassistant Max believe he is dead. In afrantic attempt to salvage the evening,

Saunders persuades Max to get intoMorelli’s Othello costume, and fools theaudience into believing he is Il Stupendo.Max succeeds admirably, but Morelli

comes to, and dons his other costumeready to perform. Theatrical mayhemensues, as two Othellos try to play therole at once amid a series of mistakenidentities, innuendo and physical com-edy.The production stars Five Towns Col-

lege Theatrical students, and is being di-

rected by Five Towns College ProfessorJennifer Hart. Tickets are $15 and $12for seniors and students.The Dix Hills Performing Arts Center

is located at Five Towns College, 305North Service Road, Dix Hills, NewYork, 11746-5857. For more informationand ticket sales, please contact the DixHills Performing Arts Center box officeat (631) 656-2148 or visit online atwww.DHPAC.orgThe Dix Hills Performing Arts Center

at Five Towns College is one of Long Is-land’s most vibrant cultural organiza-tions, combining the finest in world-class music and performance educationin our acoustically superior theater. FiveTowns College, founded in 1972, as acommunity resource for jazz/commer-cial music education, and today’s DixHills Performing Arts Center, provideentertainment, education and inspira-tion for more than 20,000 Long Is-landers each year.

Ken Ludwig’s “Lend Me A Tenor” takes the Dix Hills Performing Arts Center’s stage from Feb. 23-26.

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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Sweet TreatsClose ToHomeBlue Devils grad opens Centerport bakery

blondie’s Bake Shop aspires to be thenext community bakery, and it certainlycould be.Jessica Kennaugh just opened the

small bakery tucked away in Centerporton Dec. 13. The shop’s been open just twomonths and her unbridled enthusiasm iscontagious.“I want to share it with everyone,” Ken-

naugh said.The owner is a Huntington High

School graduate who tapped her passionfor baking when she needed a little extramoney. She started working at A RiseAbove Bakery as a counter girl in 1999,eventually making her way into thekitchen. She continued working at theHuntington village bakery while earningher Master’s degree for elementary edu-cation and spending three years doingleave replacement and substitute jobs.Eventually, Kennaugh decided it was

time to move on from low-level teachingjobs and begin exploring her passion. Shetook several classes at the Institute forCulinary Education, left her job at A RiseAbove last November and openedblondie’s the following month.The name, she admitted, stemmed

more from a personal joke than the nameof a baked good.“I’m a blonde and it was always some-

thing I used to my advantage when I didsomething a little ditzy,” she said.But her decision to open in Centerport

has proven to be nothing short of bril-liant. Kennaugh loves the small-townfeel found within the Town of Hunting-ton, which she said is especially prevalentaround her bakery.After surviving the winter holiday rush

in a “baptism by fire,” the owner said localsare taking notice of blondie’s. Business

may have slowed down some since theholidays, but Kennaugh said she alreadyhas about 20 regular customers.“I’ve only been here for two months,

but already I can tell these people are ex-cited we’re here,” she said.Comfort is also part her game plan.

Kennaugh said she wants people to in-clude blondie’s in their daily lives,whether it’s picking up a fresh-baked loafof bread or grabbing a scone on their wayto work. There is always a supply ofsmall, portable treats.The bakery will also take special orders

with advance notice, although they’re al-ready trying their own new recipes. To-gether with full-time baker Shannon Ser-rantino – a graduate of the Culinary In-stitute of America – Kennaugh con-firmed she’s experimenting in thekitchen. They’ve already stumbled intoone successful concoction known as theNeil Patrick Harris; it’s a layer of brown-ie, layer of Oreo and layer of chocolatechip cookie dough on top. On Friday, shesaid they were unveiling a batch of ba-nana coconut cupcakes.“I think they’ll go pretty well. I think

they’re good. I’m learning that as long aswe have something familiar in the case,people are willing to try something new,”Kennaugh said.blondie’s may also unveil something

else new in the near future. The bakerypurchased a truck and is navigating Suf-folk County and Town of Huntington redtape to sell their goods on the road. On aFriday night in Huntington village, forexample, Kennaugh wants to sell grilledcheese waffles, donuts and other snacksto bar patrons. Should that plan fallthrough, she said the truck could also justbe used for deliveries or catering.In themeantime, biting into a blondie’s

confection requires visiting the store it-self. Unlike many other bakeries,blondie’s is open every day of the week.Kennaugh said she is considering closingMondays to get organized and finish oth-er business. But until then, it remainsjust Kennaugh, Serrantino and two part-time employees manning the store acombined 74 hours a week.“It’s exhausting. It’s a new kind of tired.

I love it; I’m really, really happy,” she said.

Spotlight On

HuntingtonBusinesses

Spotlight On

blondie’s Bake Shop owner Jessica Kennaugh, flanked by employees Katy Nastro and Shan-non Serrantino, in her new Centerport bakery.

HalfHollow

Hillsphoto/M

ikeKoehler


THE FOODIES DO

PortoVivo

HUNTINGTONHOTSPOT

THE STORY OF

OhekaCastle

REALESTATEROYALTY

THE

InsideScoop

LI CONFIDENTIAL

THE

InsideScoop

LI CONFIDENTIAL

FOCUSON REALESTATE

FOCUSON REALESTATE

THE STORY OF

OhekaCastle

REALESTATEROYALTY

THE FOODIES DO

PortoVivo

HUNTINGTONHOTSPOT

LI 2 • FEBRUARY 23, 2012 • LONG ISLANDER LIFE

LONG ISLANDER LIFE • FEBRUARY 23, 2012 • LI 3

The official newspaper of the Town of Huntington; Half Hollow HillsSchool District; Harborfields Public Library District; South

Huntington Water District; Cold Spring Harbor School District;Greenlawn Water District; South Huntington School District; Villageof Lloyd Harbor; Village of Huntington Bay; and the Centerport, Cold

Spring Harbor, Dix Hills, East Northport, Greenlawn, Halesite,Huntington, Huntington Manor and Melville Fire Districts.

Copyright © 2012 by Long Islander Newspapers, publishers of The Long-Islander, The Record,Northport Journal and Half Hollow Hills Newspaper. Each issue of the The Long-Islander and allcontents thereof are copyrighted by Long Islander, LLC. None of the contents or articles may bereproduced in any forum or medium without the advance express written permission of the pub-lisher. Infringement hereof is a violation of the Copyright laws.

149 Main Street,Huntington, New York 11743

631.427.7000newspapers

Luann DallojaconoEditor

Mike KoehlerDanny Schrafel

Stephanie DeLucaReporters

Ian BlancoJames Calandrino

Production/Art Department

Linda GilbertOffice / LegalsSusan Mandel

Advertising DirectorLarry Stahl

Michele CaroAccount Executives

Michael SchenklerPublisher

Peter SloggattAssociate Publisher/Managing Editor

It’s almost the prime season for the real estate mar-ket, which means it’s once again time for Long IslanderNewspapers to dedicate its monthly LIfe feature sec-tion to navigating the market.There is much to consider in planning a move, the

first of which is whether the market will play in yourfavor. For sellers, real estate continue to stress that

homes are selling in all price ranges – so long as theprice is right. Once you decide on an asking price, youneed to make your home appealing to a buyer. Buyersseem to be in a favorable position these days, as expertsare calling it a “buyer’s market” where they can affordto be patient to find what they want. Then comes de-ciding how to finance your purchase.

This section will walk you through the market, start-ing with the state of real estate. These pages contain: afocus on downsizing in the current market; the growthof Signature Properties in Huntington; determiningwhen it’s the right time to invest; and a special featureon Oheka Castle, one of Huntington’s most magnifi-cent addresses.

Navigating TheReal Estate Market


Now is the best time to buy a home onLong Island – if you’re looking for acheaper home in a certain neighborhoodand have cash in hand.Nearly every aspect of the global

economy has been ravaged in recentyears. But come spring 2012, several re-al estate agents within the Town of Hunt-ington believe the local housing marketwill recover.“I’m seeing many positive signs. January

and February are normally very slowmonths. This year we’re taking buyers outand getting contracts written,” Jamie Mar-cantonio, an agent for Coldwell Banker,said.Katherine Timms, who manages two

area Coach Real Estate offices, believesthe spring may be the beginning of a bigrecovery.“The month of February last year and

this February is about the same as far asactivity. The year of 2011 was better thanthe year before,” Timms said. “I expectthis year to be better than last year also.”Both women said the housing market

peaked in late 2005 and early 2006. As aresult, many homeowners were left hold-ing deeds to structures and properties thatrapidly declined in value. Since that apex,

Timms said average home values havedropped by 30 percent.Some owners continue to sit on their

properties until the higher prices return,the real estate agents said, which isn’tlikely to happen again any time soon.“I’d say we’re back at 2002 prices.

This is the part sellers find hard to ac-cept. I don’t know why, it’s an emotionalthing. If you bought a stock at $100 andsold it for $50, there’s no discussion,”Timms said.This mentality apparently can also lead

to a property remaining on the marketlonger. Marcantonio confirmed the cur-rent Long Island housing market stronglyfavors the buyers, and behooves sellers tohave realistic expectations. Her customerspreviously may have seen as many as twodozen houses, but would-be homeownersnow will investigate 50 properties.Joann Mussman, owner of European

American Specialists, advised potentialsellers to consider the home’s condition,location, school district, transportationand other possible sticking points beforelisting.“Selling a house, you should really try to

spruce it up before putting it on the market,and resolve any big problems. If you can’tafford to do so, you need to reduce your

It’s Time ToBuy – MaybeHuntington gets highmarksbut buyers’ expectations also a factor

(Continued on page LI5)

Although more expensive homes like this Cliffwood Drive house in Huntington are notmoving quite as quickly, local real estate experts agree now is a great time to buy ahouse.

LIfe

photo/Mike

Koehler



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price substantially,” Mussman said.While buyers may be favored in this

market, real estate agents agree theyshould follow certain rules if they wantthe right price on the right house. That be-gins with establishing priorities – schooldistrict, location, price, etc. – and gettingqualified by a mortgage broker.“You don’t show any houses unless

they’re qualified, because they don’tknow what they can afford,” Timms said.It’s also important for buyers to have

realistic expectations and make legiti-mate offers. Mussman said clients in thepost-2006 market looking for a newhouse often expect to find the perfecthouse for an unrealistically low price.“You can’t get great and cheap.You can

get a good value,” she added.Marcantonio said real estate agents

have long fought with buyers to make de-cent offers.“If the buyers are not being realistic on

their price, the houses are going to sit,”she said. “We’ve been struggling withthat. We’ve been trying to educate ourbuyers and sellers at the same time.”But unlike prior eras, there are great

deals to be had, said Terry White of Ade-laide Byers, especially if they come inwith cash. Houses in Dix Hills, North-port, Centerport, Huntington are all desir-able since they have easy access to trainstations and the Long Island Expressway,along with fantastic schools.The real action, however, is taking

place elsewhere. Both Timms and Mar-cantonio confirmed the most active real

estate markets in the Town of Huntingtonare homes valued between $300,000 and$500,000. Many of these houses are inEast Northport, although some do exist inplaces like Centerport and Huntington.“Those are flying off the shelf,” Mar-

cantonio said.Conversely, more expensive houses are

sitting on the market longer. Waterfronthomes within the town often remain un-sold for 3-6 months, Marcantonio said,with owners often resorting to multipleprice reductions.That same market has also made some

previously “unaffordable” homes fallwithin more budgets. One locale Timmsreferenced as an example was the Villageof Lloyd Harbor.“In the past you couldn’t get a house

under $1 million. You won’t have thebiggest house, but you can get in therenow,” she said.The manager confirmed that Hunting-

ton Station is a very tough sell, even thenicer parts, because of the frequent re-ports of crime.But there is good news for Town of

Huntington residents. Real estate agentsagree the immediate region is doing bet-ter than other parts of Long Island, letalone the country. Mussman said goodschools, access to transportation andplenty of shopping continue to makeHuntington an attractive community.Along with the great schools, Marcanto-nio credited close proximity to water as amajor selling point.“Our phones are ringing. I think it’s at-

tributable to the fact we have great real

(Continued from page LI4)

State of the market


Headlines have claimed the economy isthe worst it’s been in years. So is now thebest time to invest in real estate?

Real estate agents throughout the Townof Huntington agree that prices aren’t goingto get any lower than they are right now.

“Absolutely [they should buy]. It’s theperfect time to buy because interest ratesare low as well as prices being down whichmakes for a better market,” said KarynFlores, license associate broker at Signa-ture Premier Properties.

Flores noted that if a prospective buyerplans to invest in property in today’s mar-ket, it will benefit them in the long run.

Nikki Sturges, licensed associate brokerat Daniel Gale Sotheby's, said investors doa lot of their processing through foreclo-sures, which are bank-owned homes, andshort-sales, where the current homeownerstill holds the title but owes more on theirmortgage than its appraised value.

There are many foreclosures in theTown of Huntington, Sturges said. If aprospective buyer plans to purchase a fore-closure home, they must go to town hall tonegotiate the price. They also need to havea certain down payment at the time of theoffer and must have it in certified fundsand pay it in certain increments.

“I strongly believe our market will re-cover to a certain degree but I do believe itwill recover and there will be proud home-owners… and it’s more beneficial then be-ing a renter,” Sturges said.

Katherine Timms, branch manager atCoach Realtors for Huntington village andHuntington Bay, advised potential in-

vestors to buy cheap property so there isprofit to be made.

“As far as investing goes… the financialpart has to work. And the only way itworks is if you add up financing or themortgage price, plus the taxes, is there anyprofit after that?” she said. “The investorwon’t buy it unless it could pay for itselfright from the beginning.”

Once an investor or potential buyer de-cides to go for it, most start their researchonline. Once they find their potentialhome, they should contact a real estateagent. Then the agent will get them intouch with a bank to see if they pre-quali-fy for a mortgage, Sturges said.

“You should make sure your credit cardis in control and in a manageable range,and have your school loans or car loans incontrol,” she said.

After pre-qualifying, the agent will takeprospective buyers to look at houses. Aftera decision is made, Sturges said theprospective buyer will make an offer butmust have 10 or 20 percent of that pay-ment in cash, or 3.5 percent with a Feder-al HousingAdministration loan, which is atype of federal assistance that allows low-er-income buyers to borrow money to pur-chase a home.

Sturges said prospective buyers shouldhire an engineer to make sure the home isin working order and hire an attorney to ne-gotiate a contract with the seller’s attorney.

“Purchasing now is the best time be-cause we know how the real estate marketis cyclical…we do know historically it willgo up at some point,” Sturges said.

Timms said prospective buyers shoulddo their homework before making a deci-sion on a home.

Agents Say NowIs Time To InvestBy Stephanie [email protected]

It’s a good time to buy given the real estate market these days, with low prices, foreclosuresand short-sales opening up doors for potential investors.

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For 30 years, Huntington’s Joanne Mc-Carthy owned a home near the Flower HillSchool, commuting to Queens each day toeducate her young elementary schoolpupils. Back at her suburban homestead, shelived with her husband and together raisedtheir three boys.But 16 years ago, her husband died and

her youngest son was about to finish col-lege. Her other two sons moved away – oneto Massapequa and the other all the way toSan Francisco. The home she raised herfamily in was becoming too much of a bur-den to keep.So what can people in McCarthy’s – and

countless others’ – situations do? Real es-tate experts, along with some who havegone through the experience themselves,show there are a number of options avail-able.Coldwell Banker sales associate Jamie

Marcantonio, who has been in the field for17 years, is working with a Kings Park manin his 80s who will soon be signing a con-tract to buy a condominium at the Knolls, a55-and-over community in Stony Brook.“That community has very low taxes,

very low maintenance – it’s very affordablefor the seniors. He jumped on it,” she said.“The taxes go higher and higher – on a fixedincome, living on Social Security, it’s so in-credibly tight that they have to move on.”But Marcantonio said such opportunities

are hard to come by, and many looking todownsize are hesitant to sell their oldhomes unless they’re confident there’ssomething new out there for them. Manyconsider much farther east or out of state –places like North Carolina, for instance –which offer lower property taxes and a newcommunity to learn in their golden years,but has the drawback of more distancefrom family members.“Long Island needs to start doing a better

job of making affordable housing for seniorcitizens,” Marcantonio said. “The fact thatwe have to go all the way out east… that’spretty sad.”Another thing to contend with, said

Coach Associate Broker Maria Sneden, isthe deep emotional attachment to theirhomes owners develop over severaldecades.“I try to tell people that you’ve lived it,

you’ve loved it and you’ve raised your fam-ily in it, and now it’s time to let somebodyelse love it,” Sneden said. “It’s hard. Emo-tionally, there’s so many different factorsthat go into it at this stage of your life.”McCarthy tried twice to sell her Flower

Hill home. In 1998, she was unable to find abuyer, and after several price reductions, shetook the home off the market. Two years lat-er, she sold her home within a few months.That still left the predicament of finding a

new place to live. Shemoved in with her sis-ter while she searched for a new place. Sheultimately settled on a two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath townhouse in a 39-unit de-velopment on High Street. Two months lat-er, her belongings were out of storage andshe was in her new place.“It was pure happenstance. There was an

open house listing in Newsday, and I wasmoving out of my home on Thursday andthe open house just caught my eye the pre-vious Saturday,” she recalled. “[Living with

my sister] lasted two months, and all of asudden, I found this place.”Her current residence, McCarthy said, of-

fers manageable size but enough room forher children to sleep over with their familieswhen they visit. She likes her neighbors, amix of couples and widowers her age, alongwith some young families. Plus, she doesn’thave to give up Huntington village – she es-sentially moved from one side of town tothe other.“I’m still in the same community. My life

didn’t change,” she said.Key to making a sale in a timely fashion

is pricing the home at an “actionable value”that creates urgency in a buyer, Patricia Bre-tone, an associate broker at Daniel GaleSotheby’s Huntington office, said.“The reality is there is a market value

range for every home and it’s important to bein that market range. If you want to shorten

the timeframe your home is on the marketand get it done, you have to be on the lowerend of that market value range.” If a sellerprices their home wisely, they’ll have a dealin about 120 days on average, she added.But for many, the transition isn’t quite as

smooth sailing. In the interim, there aresome ways to ease the financial burden.Susan Lagville, executive director of

Greenlawn-based Housing Help, saidhomeowners should always make sure theyare receiving the tax credits and exemptionsthey are due, ranging from STAR rebates,veterans, firefighters and disability benefits.The Family Service League, she added,

sponsors HomeShare Long Island, whichlinks homeowners over age 60 who havespare bedrooms with other adults who needaffordable housing. The applicants must beat least 18, employed or in school, and thetenants pay their way with a combination of

companionship, rent payments or help withhousehold tasks.“Their program is excellent because they

interview and clear all of the applicants,”Lagville said.One option that is not a good stopgap

measure, but something to carefully consid-er if one wants to stay in their home for therest of their life, is reverse equity. Open tohomeowners over age 62, reverse mort-gages convert part of the home’s equity intocash without having to sell or pay addition-al bills. According to the Federal TradeCommission, there are several reverse mort-gage products available, and homeownersshould take great care before they sign onthe dotted line.“If they did want to leave something to

their children, it’s possible there won’t beany equity left in the home,” Lagville saidof reverse equity.

The Ins And Outs Of DownsizingFinding a home that’s the right size – and price – in your golden yearsBy Danny [email protected]

Northport’s Valerie Allocco downsized from a four-bedroom house around the corner to her current address, a cozy two-bedroom cottage.Pictured in her living room, she shares the home with her husband and three dogs.

LIfe

photos/Danny

Schrafel


Signature Premier Properties is only afew years old, but the company is rapidlygrowing here on Long Island.“I firmly believe the agents are the best in

the village in my eyes,” said Kathy Kirby-Viard, branch manager of the Huntingtonoffice. “I feel that we do have the top agentslocally… Their business is selling homesand I firmly believe we’re doing right.”Peter Morris opened Signature’s first lo-

cation at 17 East Carver St. in Huntingtonwith his partner BarbaraWanamaker in late2007. Since the location filled quickly,Morris bought land and commissioned anew building at 157 East Main St., whichwill incorporate the old office. MarisaBrinn, administrator at Signature PremierProperties, said they will be having theirgrand opening in the next couple of weeks.Brinn noted Morris did not think Signa-

ture was going to be this successful.“We just opened it with the idea that we

wanted to have some small brokerage withexperienced people and give people sort ofan independent option…he opened it withBarbaraWanamaker and they’ve both beenin business in Huntington for over 20years.”Though Morris and Wanamaker are no

longer partners at Signature Premier Prop-erties, Wanamaker is still a practicingagent.Morris is also the owner of Morris Con-

structions, through which he has built

about 300 homes in the Huntington areasince he started the company in 1994. Heis still in construction.In 2011, Signature Premier Properties

sold 486 houses, Brinn said.Currently, there are three branches in

Suffolk County: 99 Main St. in Cold SpringHarbor, 172 Main St. in Northport and itssoon-to-be-open Huntington location.Kirby-Viard said that Signature will

service anyone from Queens all the way toMontauk. All agents are neighborhoodspecialists who will take clients throughthe step-by-step process of looking for ahome all the way until the closing date.Brinn said depending on each case, dealsoften take about three months.“We top agents that know the market in-

finitely…We concentrate on our agentsand they are us and make us who we are,”Kirby-Viard said.

Signature’s ExpansionAgency opening third location soon

LIfe

photo/StephanieDeLuca

In just a few years, Signature PremierProperties is on the move. A new buildingon East Main Street will house the agency’sHuntington office.


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In the two-plus years after their a flashy opening, Por-to Vivo is settling in and going back to basics. Good food,simple yet diverse menu offerings and an always-com-fortable atmosphere are establishing the restaurant as a re-liable family favorite.Porto Vivo burst on the Huntington restaurant scene in

2009 following an extensive renovation of a one-time an-tiques warehouse on Gerard Street. The showpiece restau-rant, featuring multilevel dining rooms with a bustlinglounge at its heart, is the brainchild of Home ShoppingNetwork guru Joy Mangano and another chapter in thestory of how a single mom converted a good idea to wildbusiness success.Mangano is known as the “mother of invention,” a play

on words that marries her business roots – she’s an in-ventor who’s turned good ideas into top-selling mer-chandise – and one of the few things in her life that mightbe more important to her – motherhood. Mangano is per-haps best known as the inventor of the Huggable Hanger,a sturdy, flat hanger covered in a fabric-gripping velvetymaterial that have changed millions of closets forever.Hundreds of millions of them – yes, hundreds of mil-lions! – have been sold on the Home Shopping Network,where Mangano is one of the network’s most popular andsuccessful presenters.For Porto Vivo, Mangano has tapped the showmanship

she learned in television while emphasizing the comfortand conviviality that mealtimes bring to Italian house-holds. While any restaurant experience involves a bit oftheater and showmanship, the Italian respect for simplici-ty, freshness and sheer enjoyment of food is always at theforefront at Porto Vivo.The upscale décor, with its dark woods, clean lines and

contemporary details, has a richness that is at the sametime comfortable. The main level dining is slightly morecasual than the upstairs fireplace room; both are at thesame time sophisticated and welcoming. On our recentvisit we were seated at our favorite table opposite thekitchen. From our banquette seating we were privy to theworkings of the bustling, part-open kitchen across themain dining room.In his first few months at the helm of that bustling

kitchen, Chef Balbo has made his mark. The menu doesretain some favorites, like the prosciutto, fig and arugulapizzette ($18), a satisfying marriage of complimentarysalty and sweet tastes that’s suitable for sharing to start ameal, or a great late-night meal at the bar. But for themost part, the menu is Balbo’s. It’s simple, yet with a di-versity in its offerings. One can go for a simple pizzetteand a salad, or choose from a variety of sophisticatedmenu offerings. On our visit, we went the classic route –appetizer, entrée and dessert – to try as much of the menuas possible.Appetizers are generous, so there’s enough to share a

few among a table full of guests. Porto Vivo crab cocktail($16), is lump crabmeat in a pool of tomato-vodka soupwith a lemon jam and celery “spuma” (Italian for froth)swirled in. It is dramatically presented in an oversizedbowl with the individual components providing flavorsfor both the eyes and mouth.Delightful a dish as that was, it was overshadowed by

the burst of flavors in the Tuna and Watermelon salad($13). Diced Ahi tuna, watermelon and tomatoes with anintense yuzu emulsion, proved to be a complex and so-phisticated mix. Peppery basil, sharp vinegar and pinenuts each brought their own music, and all of it over asprinkling of sea salt that danced with the sweet water-melon. We could have ended the meal there only becauseit left us so contented.

The realm of citrus flavors, vinegars and herbs seems acomfort zone for the chef, and we’re eager to return foranother dance with a salad. The house salad with bibb let-tuce, endive, pears and blue cheese with a blood orangevinaigrette ($11) sounds like it might do the trick, butwe’d also like to take the roasted beet and ricotta salatasalad ($9) with aged sherry vinegar, roasted hazelnuts andcitrus segments for a spin.Likewise, intriguing appetizers we’ll try include the

roast octopus ($11) with dried chorizo, lemon, garlic,basil and that aged sherry vinegar; and the classic buffalomozzarella ($13) with its smoked sea salt, olive and basiloils and balsamic reduction.We skipped the pasta selections, again thinking we’ll

return. (“Pass the Meatballs” night beckons, but moreabout that later.) Instead we dove right into composed en-trée plates. Filet mignon ($38) is prime beef served sim-ply with asparagus spears and Porto Vivo mac andcheese, a baked, cheese-topped crock with truffle and ahint of something sherry-like. The meat speaks for itselfin this dish.We also tried a special of slow roasted pork shank over

mashed potatoes. The chef’s skills with the spice rack –this dish was rich with tarragon – broke through any heav-iness, while broccoli rabe reveled in aromatic garlic.Roasted lamb loin ($36) sounds similarly complex with

its “cumin-scented eggplant” and “grappa-soaked friedgrapes,” and it comes with Vivo’s signature sautéed babyartichokes. Yeah, we’ll be back, though next time we’llprobably opt for one of the chef’s tastings menus: fivecourses for $75 per person; or $45 for a pasta tastingmenu. We’ve learned enough to trust the chef’s choices.Dessert seemed almost superfluous. We kept it simple,

choosing pound cake with vanilla gelato ($8) and fresh or-ange segments only because the restaurant really seems toshine where fresh fruit is involved. Molten chocolate cakewith peanut butter gelato tempted, as did a cheese andfruit platter.Service was attentive throughout the night, even with

the demands of two large parties in the restaurant. The on-ly disappointment of the night was the coffee. Our adviceis to ask before you order whether they’ve switched to anew supplier.Being the brainchild of an inventive marketing whiz,

Porto Vivo is always trying something new. Live music inthe lounge, wine-paired dinners, “Pass the Meatballs”

night and sumptuous Sunday brunch provide somethingfor everyone. Coming up is Italian Week, a seven-nightcelebration of Italian food with something different everynight of the week from Feb. 27 through March 4. A chef’stasting is set for Thursday.


New Chef Reinventing Porto Vivo’s Menu

TheFoodieS E C T I O N

INVITE THE FOODIES:The Foodie crew is out and abouttownwide. Restaurant owners, chefsand food fans are invited to submit newsand notices to The Foodies, c/o Long Is-lander newspapers, 149 Main Street,Huntington NY 11743, or e-mail [email protected] suggest reviews, e-mail or call PeterSloggatt at 631-427-7000.

By Pete and [email protected]

Tuna and watermelon salad is a dance of flavors.

Roast pork shank with mashed potatoes and broccoli rabe.

Foodiephotos/Peter

Sloggatt

Filet Mignon with a cheese-topped crock of Porto Vivo’s sophisticated mac and cheese.

CRAFT BEERS: Beer lovers, save the date.The Spring Craft Beer Festival is comingto Nassau Coliseum, giving brew fans anopportunity to sample and learn moreabout regional craft beers. Fifty brewerswill be there pouring 100 beers and plen-ty of draft-infused menu items will beserved in the beer garden. The beer festwill be held Saturday, March 10 and tick-ets are limited so that organizers can as-sure everyone who pays will be able tosample the beer. Admission is $45 in ad-vance/$55 on event day with a reducedprice of $12 for designated drivers. Visitwww.springcraftbeerfestival.com fortickets and information.

GLUTEN-FREE EATS: Ruvo Restaurant (63Broadway, Greenlawn 631-261-7700 ru-vorestaurant.com) has added gluten-freepasta to the menu. The 100-percentgluten free corn pasta is prepared with avariety of sauces: sautéed lobster withspinach, white beans, light tomato andfresh basil broth ($29); slow-cookedBolognese ($23); Primavera, with sea-sonal vegetables and garlic broth ($20);Vongole, with local clams, garlic, white orred sauce ($22); shrimp carbonara, withcaramelized onions, prosciutto andcream ($27); alla vodka with grilledchicken and prosciutto ($24); or raguwith house-made sausage ($22).

KOSHER COOKING THROWDOWN: Hunting-ton Jewish Center presents an evening ofculinary entertainment on Saturday,March 3 at 7:30 p.m. The evening fea-tures exciting team competitions, guestspeaker Chef Shaya Klechevsky, formercompetitor on The Food Network's"Chopped", bake-off and matzoh balleating contest, plus raffles and prizes.Tickets are $50 and include admission,hors d'oeuvres and open bar. It’s atHuntington Jewish Center, 510 ParkAve., Huntington. For more informa-tion, call 631-427-6513 ext. 10 or [email protected].

TEQUILA DINNER: Besito (402 New YorkAve., Huntington 631-549-0100 www.be-sitomex.com) announces a tequila dinneron Wednesday, March 7 from 6 to 9 p.m.The dinner, featuring Partida Tequila,costs $75 per person plus tax and gratuityand is limited to 40 guests. Guests will en-joy Tacos de Cangrejo, or king crab tacos,paired with Partida Reposado; CostillasAsada with beef short rib paired with Par-tida Anejo; and lime tart paired with Par-tida Elegante. Reservations are required.

WINE TIME AT PRIME: Prime – an AmericanKitchen and Bar (117 New York Ave.,Huntington 631-385-1515 www.restau-rantprime.com) celebrates its annualWin-ter Wine Week from Tuesday, Feb. 28 toSunday, March 4, with half-off all winesover $100. Beverage Director Paulo Villelaincludes Opus One (regularly $330), PeterMichael (regularly $277) and Shafer Hill-side Select (regularly up to $511). Also in-cluded are selections from Bryant FamilyVineyards (from $960 to $1,450), HarlanEstate (from $962 to $1,924) and Scream-ing Eagle (regularly $3,300), allowing din-ers to save up to $1,650. It’s a great time tobuild a meal around that special bottleyou’ve had your eye on.

MONSOON BLOWS IN: The folks whobrought A-list restaurant Prime toHuntington’s harborfront are blowinginto Babylon with an Asian-fusionrestaurant. Monsoon – An AsianKitchen and Lounge (48 Deer ParkAve. Babylon 631-587-4400 www.mon-soonny.com), is a creation of theBohlsen Restaurant Group and opensto the public on Friday, Feb 24. Locat-ed in the former Bank of Babylonbuilding, extensive renovations, an ex-citing Asian-inspired menu and thoseBohlsen touches promise an excitingdining experience.

NORBIE MONSTER: Are you up for a burg-er challenge? The Norbie monsterburger pannino at La Bottega of Hunt-ington (9 Wall St. Huntingtonwww.labottegaofhuntington.com) is aheart-stopping pair of grilled groundbeef hamburgers with bacon, Pepper-oncino cheese and hot peppers, namedfor the restaurant’s counter-man, Nor-bie. It’s $12.95 if you’re up to the chal-lenge.


Side DishBy [email protected]

DINE HUNTINGTON.COM

Specials! Specials! Specials!

7 nights of Italian indulgence featuringsignature dishes you will dream about!

Monday 2/27Pass the Meatballs Night - Fresh Homemade Pasta and GourmetItalian Meatball Dinner Special, $25 per person plus $5 glasses of

wine in lounge and dining room!

Tuesday 2/28Chef Balbo offers his specialty pastas for $10 and heavenly

Margherita Pizzettes for only $5

Wednesday 2/29Wine Lovers Wednesday35% off all bottles $50 and up served table side. In addition, our expertItalian Wine purveyor will offer samples and wine tastings at discount-

ed prices all night long.

Thursday 3/1A Taste of Southern Italy!Enjoy Chef Balbos six course dinner menu with Le Cantine Wine pair-

ings , $75 a person. (7pm seating; book ahead)

Friday 3/2Peroni Beer Night!Special samplings, tap discounts and food pairings for this Italian

beer.

Saturday 3/3Chef will have Super Specials with Italian wine pairings, featured bot-

tles and wines from our secret cellar list.

Sunday 3/42 Sides to Brunch - 11am to 3pm with gourmet brunchspecialties; or Pass theMeatballs Night for the dinner hours.

��

Live Music In our lounge all week long!

Call for Reservations at 631.385.8486

Schafer Hillside Select, selling for up to$511, is on the half-price list at Prime dur-ing Winter Wine Week.

Can you handle the Norbie challenge?


It was arguably the smartest move inHuntington’s modern-day real estate history.Oheka Castle, the second largest privatehome in the United States, was in completeshambles, and it was about to belong to GaryMelius.The Long Island developer said he was on

the grounds of the rundown castle for 15minutes before he put down an offer on the23-acre Huntington estate. For $1.5 million,it was his, ready or not.“I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t expect when I

made the offer that they’d accept,” Meliussaid.Today, he jokes that all the castle needed

was a coat of paint, but in reality, on that1984 day, Melius had taken on 109,000square feet of devastation. Abandoned foryears, the mansion had no doors, windows,electric or plumbing. Graffiti covered thewalls, and the rooms had been ransacked.Thieves had stripped the building of its cop-per piping and anything else of value.The castle demonstrated a sort of re-

silience, however. Although vandals had setmore than 100 fires within its walls, thestructure, made of concrete and steel, sur-vived. Melius, with his unyielding entrepre-neurial spirit, decided to take a chance on anopportunity. His intent was to turn the castleinto condominiums.With the daunting task of cleaning out and

securing the castle ahead of him, his plan be-came to attack the devastation head on.“The plan was to just… go. So that’s what

I did. I just started cleaning up,” Melius said.The debris filled 300 30-yard containers,

and so began what is possibly the largestrestoration in American history.Twenty-eight years and $35 million later,

Oheka Castle is estimated to be 70 percent re-stored to the grandeur it had in the early 20thcentury as the summer home andweekend re-treat of financier Otto Kahn and his family.Shifting gears from his condominium plan,Melius now operates the 117-room castle, lo-cated on West Gate Drive off Jericho Turn-pike, as a wedding and event venue as well asa luxury hotel, surrounded by the rolling hills

of the Cold Spring Country Club golf course.It is also his home. He lives on the third

floor with his wife Pamela and youngestdaughter, Elena.“For me it’s good because all I do is work.

I’m a work machine,” he said.All that work has certainly paid off. Ohe-

ka has prospered as a business, and the cas-tle and its 23 acres are estimated to beworth about $80 million.

Largest Restoration InAmerican History

At the height of its grandeur from 1919to 1934, Oheka, an acronym for the nameof owner Otto Hermann Kahn, was a mag-nificent residential specimen. Inspired by

chateaux in France, it was where Kahnplayed host to a world of royalty, heads ofstate and celebrities with his lavish parties.The original estate encompassed 443

acres, with the mansion at the top of whatstill today is Long Island’s highest point.Kahn made sure of that – his workers spenttwo years building the hill, making it sohigh that you can see Cold Spring Harbor.Construction on the castle itself began in1917 and lasted two years at a cost of $11million, equivalent to approximately $110million in today’s currency.Designed by architects Delano &

Aldrich, one of the Gold Coast’s premiermansion builders, the castle is made of re-inforced steel and concrete, with somewalls measuring 3½ feet thick. It is virtu-ally fireproof, which is no coincidence;Kahn’s prior home in New Jersey was de-

stroyed by flames.Kahn died in 1934, and the estate

changed hands several times. It served as aretreat for New York sanitation workers, agovernment training school for MerchantMarine radio operators and, later as theEastern Military Academy for more than30 years. The school went bankrupt in1979, and the glorious Oheka was aban-doned until Melius came along.Melius made it his mission to restore the

castle to its original state as accurately aspossible. He used the original plans to re-construct it and called in architects, histo-rians and researchers.“I felt they did things better those days,”

Melius said. “I figured, who am I to try tooutdo them?”To restore the roof, Melius purchased

The Biggest House On The BlockAtop the highest point on Long Island, Oheka Castle is prime real estate

(Continued on page LI 13)

By Luann [email protected]

A young Gary Melius stands in front of the devastated Oheka Castle shortly after he purchased the home and 23-acre estate in 1984.

Today, Oheka Castle is a living testament to Long Island’s famed Gold Coast mansions. It is the second largest private home in America; only the Biltmore in North Carolina is bigger.

Photoby

ElliottK

aufmanPhotography

Multi-million-dollar restoration turns a profit

4,000 roof slates from the same Vermontquarry Kahn bought the originals. He hiredcraftsman who did rubber casting to recre-ate the molding in the rooms, and replacedwindows and doors with custom-madereplicas. The formal gardens were refash-ioned using the original drawings createdby the Olmsted Brothers.Restoration was briefly interrupted in

1989 when Melius sold the castle to aJapanese businessman, but Melius quicklygot back to work when he leased the prop-

erty in 1993 and outright bought it back in2000.“We’ve done our best to try to recreate

it,” said Roger Diller, Melius’ architect forOheka. “We have a ton of photos of thebuilding from back in the day. I can zoomin and start picking out details so we canrecreate it. Gary is great at that. He reallystrives to recreate what was here.”It seems Melius didn’t miss a detail, all

the way down to refinishing the wrought-iron railing of the castle’s signature grandstaircase in the entry foyer, inspired by the

famous staircase from the ChateauFontainebleau in France.The result is a living testament to Long

Island’s famed Gold Coast.“We can’t let these places go, especial-

ly on Long Island. They’re one of themost important resources that we haveand we’re not valuing them enough,” saidMelius’ daughter Nancy, who works asOheka’s director of marketing and design.“We need to wake up a little and makesure we save them before there aren’t thatmany left.”

A Booming Business

Much like it did during the days of OttoKahn, today Oheka hosts lavish celebra-tions, from upscale weddings to profitablefundraisers. Its first wedding was held in1987, and though the castle was only par-tially restored at the time, the bride andgroom thought it was the perfect place toget married. The Terrace Room was addedin 2003 to accommodate larger events, up-ping the castle’s square footage to 115,000.As a wedding venue, Oheka has caught

the eye of Hollywood, with celebritiessuch as the Jonas Brothers’ Kevin Jonasand NSync’s Joey Fatone choosing it as theplace to tie the knot. The castle has alsoserved as the backdrop for photo shootsand music, television and film productions.Scenes for such films as 1941’s “CitizenKane” and 2008’s “What Happens in Ve-gas” were shot at Oheka, and it is the back-drop for USA Network’s television series“Royal Pains.”The castle is also billed as the perfect

escape for a romantic weekend getaway.Listed on the National Register of His-toric Places and a member of Historic Ho-tels of America, Oheka’s 32 guest roomsexhibit the same old-world charm as thecastle itself.With its versatile use all year long, oper-

ating costs do not come cheap. In additionto the $225,000 in property taxes, Ohekaspends $40,000 per month in heat and elec-tric and $4 million per year in payroll.

All In The Family

The grounds of Oheka Castle arebustling during the day, with guides lead-ing mansion tours, engaged couples siz-ing up the castle as a potential weddingvenue, employees catering to hotel guests,and maintenance crews tending to the his-toric building and its 23 acres of land.But as much as it is a business, it is al-

so a home. Not only does Gary Meliuslive in the castle; he also is surrounded byhis family, who work there in several ca-pacities. The operation includes his old-est daughter Nancy Melius, Oheka’s di-rector of marketing and design; his sec-ond daughter Kelly Melius, Oheka’s di-rector of sales; Kelly’s husband JohnDipreta, the banquet manager; and salesmanager Rick Bellando, who is Kelly’sex-husband. In addition, Fabian San-tibanez, fiancé of Gary’s youngest daugh-ter, Elena Melius, works as the hotelmanager, and Gary’s son, TommyMelius, is a carpenter there.The royalty of the castle, however, may

(Continued from page LI 12)


Oheka Castle was just short of being in complete disrepair when Melius purchased it. Graf-fiti covered the walls, there were no doors or windows, and mattresses from its days as amilitary academy had been piled high and lit on fire. In short, he had his work cut out forhim.

(Continued on page LI 14)

Photoby

ElliottK

aufmanPhotography


More in store for Oheka family operation

be the dogs. Mia, a spunky little Shorkie(Shih-tzu andYorkie), can be found pranc-ing around the offices, and though shedoesn’t take to strangers easily, she canput you under her spell with her big browneyes. Black Labradors Otto and Remykeep to the Melius apartment upstairs.In many ways, the Oheka family ex-

tends beyond the gates of the castle, andthat was true from the very beginning.Gary Melius’ fondest Oheka memory isthrowing his first Halloween party a fewmonths after buying the castle. He usedgenerators and port-a-potties, and therewas plywood on the windows, but closefriends and costumes made the night oneto remember. The next year would markOheka’s first public event, the HalloweenMasquerade Ball in 1985.Melius also developed strong ties to

Oheka’s neighbors by doing sound checksand working with them on their concernsabout living so close to an event venue.“That was really important to my fa-

ther, to make sure their needs were takencare of,” his daughter Nancy said.Those ties remain today. The great lawn

in the front is where an Easter egg huntfor the local children is held every year, athrowback to the days Otto Kahn woulddo the same. Oheka is also where not-for-profits like the Walt Whitman BirthplaceAssociation, Northport-based A Midwin-ter Night’s Dream, which raises moneyfor ALS research, and Huntington-basedToys of Hope hold their annual fundrais-ers. The Townwide Fund of Huntingtonwill hold its 50th Anniversary Gala atOheka on April 19.Community ties are also evident

through the not-for-profit Friends of Ohe-ka, Inc., a public-private partnership withcastle owner Melius, which sponsors freetours for students and scholarships.

The Best Is Yet To Come?

Though architect Diller isn’t related tothe Melius family, he has been around longenough to know how Gary Melius thinksand what he wants when it comes to plansfor the castle. That will come in handy giv-en Melius’ plans to expand and add valueto the estate.“After all these years I understand exact-

ly what he wants and doesn’t want,” saidDiller, who joined the team in 1999. “Thetemplate’s here so that makes it easy. I’m

not inventing or reinventing anything.”Melius will have a tremendous impact

on the Huntington real estate market whenhe harkens back to his initial condominiumidea and breaks ground on the Residencesat Oheka project. The 190-unit develop-ment will be built on 18.3 acres betweenthe castle and Jericho Turnpike, 13 acres ofwhich was purchased for $52.5 millionfrom the Cold Spring Country Club, hisdaughter Nancy said. The remainingacreage, which belongs to the Oheka es-tate, is valued at $10 million.The proposal is a win for luxury condo-

hunters as well as golfers, since the de-velopment rights for the golf coursewould be transferred to the 18.3 acres,

forever protecting the course from futuredevelopment.More is coming for the castle as well.

Melius estimates he has about $20 millionin restoration and renovation to go. Dilleris currently designing a restaurant for thecastle’s main floor, and the castle owner isconsidering adding several amenities, suchas a health spa, outdoor pool, new tenniscourts and even a bowling alley.“We want to try to make it a little differ-

ent, have a little fun,” Melius said.Whatever is in store for Oheka Castle, it

has for certain created tremendous oppor-tunity for Melius and countless others.“The greatest thing about it is the peo-

ple I meet,” Melius said. “I’m an eighth-

grade dropout and the other night I haddinner with [Supreme Court] Justice [An-tonin] Scalia. How many people get thatopportunity?”Melius, who has been on his own since

he was 15 years old, has always been anentrepreneur. He ran a pizza oven compa-ny, tire service and swimming pool busi-ness, was involved in the coal business,and even invested in movies. Among hisfew regrets in life are not having had thecollege experience and never havingserved in the military. He did try, but wassidelined due to a shoulder injury.“I’m a patriot,” he said. “I love this

country. I think anybody can make it, andif I ain’t the proof of that…”

(Continued from page LI 13)

The refinished grand staircase is one of Oheka’s signature characteristics. Its design was inspired by the famous staircase from theChateau Fontainebleau in France.

Oheka’s 23-acre estate, complete with formal gardens and pools, hosts lavish celebrations, weddings and fundraisers.

Gary Melius and his wife Pamela a fewyears ago at the wedding of his daughterKelly. The celebration was, of course, heldat Oheka Castle.


P U Z Z L EP U Z Z L E P A G EP A G EYOU’REPUTTINGMEONPREMIER CROSSWORD / By Frank A. Longo

CRYPTOQUIP

Today’s Cryptoquip clue: Q equals O

E U E B Y R J O X J Q

V M I C A Q L O Q U L C

V O S Q F O X

L O Y J - J Q N N E R W

A Y M G O , B Q M S X E

D Y F O J Q G D Q Q A O

Y W I Y F C C Y I X ?

Answer to StealingHarts

ANSWER TO LASTWEEK’S CRYPTOQUIP

Published Date, 2012

NEW CRYPTOQUIP BOOKS 3 & 4! Send $3.50for one book or $6.00 for both (check/m.o.) toCryptoquip Classics Books 3 and 4, P.O. Box536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475

©2012 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Publ ished Date Feb 16, 2012

©2012 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

THESE NEW EAR SWABS I

BOUGHT TODAY APPEAR TO

BE VERY DECOMPOSED. YOU

MIGHT SAY I’VE GOTTEN

ROTTEN COTTEN

Red Is For PassionLove the color red and enjoy living it up? TheRed Hat women are looking for new memberswho enjoy going places and making newfriends. Their motto: Fun, Frolic andFriendship. 631-271-6470 [email protected].

Jodi Picoult ReturnsBest-selling author Jodi Picoult stops atHuntington High School March 2 to speakabout, read from and sign “Lone Wolf,” thestory of Luke Warren, a renowned wolf expert,who ends up on life support after suffering atraumatic brain injury in a car accident. Ticketsare $28 plus tax, and include a copy of “LoneWolf” from Book Revue. Without buying abook, a ticket is $5. Special $5 tickets are alsoavailable for Huntington School District stu-dents. Call Book Revue at 631-271-1442 orvisit them in person at 313 New York Ave.,Huntington.

Movie For Autistic ChildrenAssemblyman Jim Conte will host a movie forspecial-needs children living with autism andother developmental disabilities at the AMCLoews Shore 8, 37 Wall St. in Huntington vil-lage, on Feb. 25, 10 a.m. The movie, “TheSecret World of Arrietty,” will be presented in asensory-friendly manner – not too dark or loud– and is being shown at the discounted rate of$6 per person. Families will also be allowed tobring their own gluten-free and casein-freesnacks. 631-271-8025.

Live MusicLive local bands take over Finley's of GreeneStreet, 43 Greene St., Huntington, everySaturday night at 11 p.m. Join in the fun andfood!

Kosher Cooking ThrowdownHuntington Jewish Center presents an Eveningof Culinary Entertainment on March 3, 7:30p.m. featuring exciting team competitions,guest speaker Shaya Klechevsky (competitoron The Food Network's “Chopped”), a bake-offand a matzoh ball eating contest. $50 includesadmission, hors d’oeuvres and open bar.Huntington Jewish Center, 510 Park Ave. 631-427-6513 ext.10 or e-mail [email protected].

Little Cow HarborThe Little Cow Harbor Run for HOPE, a 4-milerun through Greenlawn, begins at OldfieldMiddle School at 9:30 a.m. March 3. A half-mileKid’s Fun Run, for 10 and under, is at 8:30a.m. Free pasta dinner for all runners pre-reg-istered by March 2. [email protected].

Memorial Blood DriveThe Unitarian Universalist Fellowship ofHuntington will hold its second annual JoanMcWade and Todd Stutzman Memorial BloodDrive on Feb. 26, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at 109Browns Road. Guidelines require donors to beover age 16 and under 76, with a parental noteneeded if age 16, and a doctor's note if over75. Also required are a photo ID or signatureID, a minimum weight of 110 pounds, and notattoos received for the previous 12 months.For questions concerning medical eligibility, call1-800-688-0900.

Memorial SetA memorial honoring the life of Peggy Teufelwill be held April 15, 2 p.m. at the HarborfieldsPublic Library, 31 Broadway, Greenlawn. Teufelwas instrumental in founding the library and itsFriends organization, and many other charita-ble organizations, including the Guide DogFoundation for the Blind, Townwide Fund ofHuntington, Western Suffolk Girl Scout Counciland Greenlawn-Centerport HistoricalAssociation. She died Dec. 13, 2011 at the ageof 91.

Aging And SagingDeal with changes in your life with a splash ofempathy and humor at the Aging and Sagingsupport group. Meets Mondays except holidaysfrom 10 a.m.-noon at the Women’s Center, 125

Main St., Huntington. 631-549-0485. $10 mem-bers, $15 non-members, per session.

Job WorkshopLearn the basics of getting a job at CouncilmanMark Mayoka and the Huntington SmallBusiness Resource & Recovery Center’s jobworkshop at Town Hall in Room 104 on Feb.28, 7 p.m. Keynote speaker Karen McKennawill present an interactive workshop to teachproactive measures to assist job seekers.Bernard Ryba from the Stony Brook SmallBusiness Development Center will introducestrategies to aid start-up entrepreneurs andsmall businesses owners. Contact AllisonLewin at 631-351-3317.

Visits From Senior AdvocatesSenior advocates will assist seniors with foodstamps, Medicare savings programs, Medicaidapplications and Heating EmergencyAssistance Program (HEAP) applications, aswell as answer questions and make additionalrecommendations and referrals on severaldays throughout the winter: HuntingtonNutrition Center on Wednesdays, Feb. 29 andMarch 28, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.; Paumanack Village I& II (Greenlawn) on Tuesday, March 27, 10a.m.-1 p.m.; South Huntington Library onThursday, March 22, 10-11:30 a.m.;Paumanack Village V & VI (Melville) onTuesday, March 13, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. andHuntington Library on Monday, March 12, 10a.m.-12 p.m. 631-853-8200.

Hilary Davidson Signs BookAuthor Hilary Davidson returns to Book Revueto speak about and sign her book, “The NextOne to Fall” on Feb. 28, 7 p.m. 313 New YorkAve., Huntington. 631-271-1442.

Calling All NeedleworkersThe Suffolk County Chapter of TheEmbroiderers' Guild of America holds itsmonthly meeting Feb. 28, 7 p.m. at Half HollowHills Library, 55 Vanderbilt Parkway, Dix Hills.All level stitchers welcome. Call Pat at 631-423-3738.

Free Help For VetsLong Island Cares dedicates every Tuesdayafternoon from 12-4 p.m. to “MilitaryAppreciation Tuesdays,” specifically assistingveterans, military personnel and their familiesat the Hauppauge and Freeport emergencypantries. Appointments can be made by con-tacting [email protected].

Divorce Support GroupMeets Tuesdays – Jan. 17, 24 and 31 – from7-9 p.m. Share your journey in the safety and

warmth of the Women’s Center, 125 Main St.,Huntington. 631-549-0485. $10 members/$15non-members, per session.

Zumba For A CauseJoin instructor Annette Weiss for a greatZumba workout, and help children with autismand special needs at the same time. Classesare held Wednesdays at 10 a.m. at the ChaiCenter, 501 Vanderbilt Pkwy, Dix Hills. $5 aclass/$25 for six. RSVP to 631-351-8672.Proceeds goes to the Chai Center FriendshipCircle program.

Tips For Business OwnersSerious about growing your business? LeTipmembers are respected professionals whounderstand how to give and get tips toincrease everyone's bottom line. Join themevery Wednesday, 7-8:30 a.m. at their weeklymorning networking meeting. For more infor-mation, contact Dave Muller, 631-831-1921.RSVP a must.

Power BreakfastJoin business professionals at BNI ExecutiveReferral Exchange’s breakfast networkingmeeting every Wednesday, 7-8:30 a.m. at theDix Hills Diner, 1800 Jericho Turnpike, DixHills. 631-462-7446.

Cold Spring Harbor Library95 Harbor Road, Cold Spring Harbor. 631-692-6820. cshlibrary.org.• Enjoy a fun morning of literature brought intoaction. Play Mother Goose themed games atthe library on Feb. 24, from 10:30 to 11:30a.m.

• Certified yoga instructor Nancy Kelly willteach 10-weekly sessions on Wednesdays,Feb. 29 - May 9, $70, payable by check. Thecheck is nonrefundable. There will be noclass on April 11. Sign up at the InformationServices Desk. Please bring a yoga mat toclass.

Commack Public Library18 Hauppauge Road, Commack. 631-499-0888. commack.suffolk.lib.ny.us.

• Celebrate Polar Bear Day with a story timeand making crafts. Feb. 25 from 10-10:30a.m. Ages 3 to Pre-K.

• Revisit the days of the Big Bands when theNorthport Jazz Band makes its debut per-formance on Feb. 26 from 2-3:30 p.m. Thisrecently formed 17-piece band, made up of

mostly retired professional and military musi-cians, has been playing in many venues allover the Island.

Deer Park Public Library44 Lake Ave., Deer Park. 631-586-3000.www.deerparklibrary.com.• Celebrate the day with stories, songs andsurprises with Saturday stories. Feb. 25, 10-11 a.m.

Elwood Public Library3027 Jericho Turnpike, Elwood. 631-499-3722.www.elwoodlibrary.org.• Watch “The Way” (PG-13), directed by EmilioEstevez, on Friday, Feb. 24, 1 p.m.

Half Hollow Hills Community LibraryDix Hills: 55 Vanderbilt Parkway. 631-421-4530; Melville: 510 Sweet Hollow Road. 631-421-4535. hhhlibrary.org.• The Greenlawn American Legion and theMelville branch are sponsoring a flag drop-offprogram so old flags can be retired anddestroyed according to recommendationsfrom the National Flag Foundation. When thelibrary is open, look for the U.S. mailbox withthe custom paint job in the lobby until March5.

• Trained AARP counselors will provide freeassistance in completing your income taxforms on Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-2p.m., Feb. 7-April 10 in Dix Hills. Bring your W-2 and 1099forms, last year’s tax statements, and othersupporting documents. No appointment isnecessary.

• Enjoy “Last of the Red Hot Lovers,” a classicNeil Simon play that will have you laughingout loud. Barry Cashman is a middle-agedman who wants to join the sexual revolutionbefore it’s too late. Feb. 26 from 2-3:30 p.m.Limit two tickets per person.

Harborfields Public Library31 Broadway, Greenlawn. 631-757-4200. har-borfieldslibrary.org.• Children in kindergarten through secondgrade can make a 3D igloo with penguinssculpture. Feb 27 at 5 p.m.

• IRS-trained AARP representatives will pro-vide tax assistance in completing income taxforms to persons 60 years and older as wellas people of all ages with low to moderateincome. Sessions are by appointment only.Last appointment 2 p.m. Call Reference Deskfor more information and to make an appoint-ment. Feb. 24, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Huntington Public LibraryMain Branch: 338 Main St., Huntington. 631-427-5165. Station Branch: 1335 New YorkAve., Huntington Station. 631-421-5053.www.thehuntingtonlibrary.org.• Ross Barbera’s “Sunlit World of the NortheastLandscape” is on display through Feb. 26.

• Computer Fifth Grade for Grownups atHuntington Public Library - Station Branch.This workshop covers using the WindowsDesktop to enhance the user’s work environ-ment. Feb. 25 from 2 to 4 p.m.

• On Monday and Thursday afternoons areshowings of newly released, independentand foreign films. All movies begin at 1 p.m.All welcome.

Northport-East Northport Public LibraryNorthport: 151 Laurel Ave. 631-261-6930. EastNorthport: 185 Larkfield Road. 631-261-2313.www.nenpl.org.• In both branch galleries throughout Februaryis the “Reflections Showcase” of drawings,paintings, photography and literary works byelementary schools in the Northport-EastNorthport School District

• Registration is now open for parenting pro-gram “Getting Ready for Adolescence,” forparents of children ages 8-12, on Tuesday,Feb. 28, 7 p.m. in Northport. Jane Golub,R.N. will help parents teach about healthyrelationships, conflict resolution skills, andresponsible decision-making, safely navigat-ing the Internet as well as ways to cope withpeer pressure. Use online code NENJ670.

South Huntington Public Library145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station.631-549-4411. www.shpl.info.• The Friends of the South Huntington Libraryhave partnered with the John W. EngemanTheater in Northport to offer discount ticketsto performances. Library patrons can save $5per ticket, and in turn, the theater will donate$10 to the Friends of the Library. Use thepromo code SHPL.

• The North Shore Civil War Roundtable willhost a lecture by Kevin Weddle Thursday,

AT THE LIBRARIES

WEDNESDAYTUESDAY

MONDAY

SUNDAY

SATURDAY

FRIDAY

THURSDAY CalendarO M M U N I T Y

The End Of The World?Join astrophysicist Kevin Manning for an entertaining presentation on the “Great

2012 Scare,” followed by Roland Emmerich’s over-the-top disaster flick “2012” onWednesday, Feb. 29, 7 p.m., part of the Science On Screen series at Cinema ArtsCentre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington. $9 members/$13 public. www.cinemaartscen-tre.org. 631-423-7611.

(Continued on page LI17)


March 1 at 7 p.m. Weddle will discuss hisbook, “Lincoln’s Tragic Admiral: The Life ofSamuel Francis DuPont.”

Cinema Arts Centre423 Park Ave., Huntington. www.cinemaarts-centre.org. 631-423-7611.• The centre celebrates Black History Monthwith six movies and guests through Feb. 27:“Paradox” at 6 p.m. and “One People” at 8p.m. on Feb. 23; and “From Mambo To HipHop: A South Bronx Tale” on Feb. 27, 7:30p.m. $9 members/$13 public.

• Join astrophysicist Kevin Manning for anentertaining presentation on the “Great 2012Scare,” followed by Roland Emmerich’s over-the-top disaster flick “2012” on Wednesday,Feb. 29, 7 p.m., part of the Science OnScreen series. $9 members/$13 public.

Dix Hills Performing Arts CenterFive Towns College, 305 N. Service Road, DixHills. Box Office: 631-656-2148.www.dhpac.org.• February ends at the center on a high note,when the theatrical comedy “Lend Me aTenor,” is produced Feb. 23, 24 and 25 at7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m.Winner of three Tony awards and four DramaDesk awards, Lend Me A Tenor is about theopera, set in 1934. $15 general/$12 seniorsand students.

John W. Engeman Theater At Northport350 Main St., Northport. www.johnwenge-mantheater.com. 631-261-2900.• “The Sunshine Boys” is now playing. Thislaugh-out-loud comedy follows two fadedvaudeville legends, Lewis and Clark, as theyreunite to perform their old act one last time.The only problem is they can't stand eachother. $50.

• In “Pinkalicious,” a girl can't stop eating pinkcupcakes despite warnings from her parents.Her pink indulgence lands her at the doctor'soffice with Pinkititis, an affliction that turns herpink from head to toe. Showing Saturdays at11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. throughMarch 25. $15. Part of the Youth TheaterSeries.

Tilles Center For The Performing ArtsOn the C.W. Post Campus of Long IslandUniversity, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville.www.tillescenter.org. 516-299-3100.• Take everything you've ever thought aboutballet and modern dance and forget it! The all-male dance troupe Les Ballets Trockadero deMonte Carlo perform Friday, Feb. 24, 8 p.m.,and they are bringing their tutus and tightswith them. The evening's program includesSwan Lake, a post-modern dance movementessay entitled “Patterns in Space,” and “Go forBarocco,” a satire on George Balanchine'schoreography. Tickets are $67, $54 and $42.

Township Theatre Group631-421-9832.www.townshiptheatregroup.com.• The Huntington-based group presents NeilSimon’s only musical “They’re Playing OurSong,” about a successful composer whoworks with a kooky songwriter, on March 2,3, 9 and 10, 8 p.m.; and March 4 & 11, 2p.m. at the Helen Butler Hall at DominicanVillage, 565 Albany Ave., Amityville. Tickets$20/$18 students and seniors.

More ‘Nerd’ AuditionsAuditions for a child’s part for Larry Shue's “TheNerd” will be held Monday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m. Thepart is for “Thor” – a boy or a girl (who wouldplay a boy) between the ages of 6-12.Rehearsals will either be on Sunday afternoons,Monday or Tuesday nights. Performed by TheMinstrel Players of Northport. Performances willbe on Saturdays, April 21, 28, and May 5 at 8p.m., and Sundays, April 22 and May 6 at 3 p.m.at Houghton Hall theatre at Trinity EpiscopalChurch located at 130 Main St. in NorthportVillage. Bring a resume and a headshot. Call631-732-2926 or visit www.minstrelplayers.org.

Art League of Long Island107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills. Galleryhours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.weekends. 631-462-5400.

www.ArtLeagueLI.net.• “Director's Cut 2012” features a new group ofdynamic young artists. Get a preview of whatart in the new decade may look like in thisexhibit, on display through March 18.

• The next Art After Dark is Feb. 24, 7-9 p.m.featuring live art demonstrations, live music,snacks and refreshments.

b.j. spoke gallery299 Main St., Huntington. Gallery hours:Monday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., until 9 p.m.on Friday and Saturday. 631-549-5106.www.bjspokegallery.com.• Artists Choice is on display through Feb. 26.

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor. Openseven days a week, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturdayand Sundays until 6 p.m.: $6 adults; $4 chil-dren 3-12 and seniors over 65; members andchildren under 3 are free. 516-692-6768.www.cshfha.org• Features New York State's largest collectionof freshwater fish, reptiles and amphibianshoused in two aquarium buildings and eightoutdoor ponds.

• Fun, hands-on learning stations will be avail-able from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 20-24 forany hatchery visitor.

Cold Spring Harbor Whaling MuseumMain Street, Cold Spring Harbor. Museumhours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $4adults, $3 seniors, $3 students 5 -18, family$12; military and children under 5 are free.631-367-3418. www.cshwhalingmuseum.org.• A new exhibit, “Right Whales: Yesterday,Today, and Tomorrow,” is on display untilLabor Day 2012. Thought to be on the brinkof extinction, right whales are among therarest animals on earth.

fotofoto Gallery14 W. Carver St., Huntington. Gallery hours:Friday 5-8 p.m., Saturday 12-8 p.m., Sunday12-4 p.m. 631-549-0448.www.fotofotogallery.com.• A group exhibition will benefit North ShoreHoliday House for underprivileged girls.

Heckscher Museum Of Art2 Prime Ave., Huntington. Museum hours:Wednesday - Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., firstFridays from 4-8:30 p.m., Saturday andSunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission $6-8/adults, $4-6/seniors, and $4-5/children; mem-bers and children under 10 free. 631-351-3250.• “Coming of Age in America: The Photographyof Joseph Szabo” is the first museum retro-spective of this Long Island photographerwhose work presents a dual portrait of ado-lescence on Long Island and summers oniconic Jones Beach. On display throughMarch 25.

• “A Way with Words: Text in Art” presents artthat includes words, lettering, or numbers assubject, design element, or to convey infor-mation. On display through April 15.

Holocaust Memorial And Tolerance CenterWelwyn Preserve. 100 Crescent Beach Road,Glen Cove. Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.Sat.-Sun.: noon-4 p.m. 516-571-8040 ext. 100.www.holocaust-nassau.org.• “Using the Lessons of the Holocaust to TeachTolerance,” the center’s new permanentexhibit, is now open. Suggested donation:$10 adults/$5 students/$5 seniors.

Huntington Arts Council Main Street PetiteGallery: 213 Main St., Huntington. Galleryhours: Monday - Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Art inthe Art-trium: 25 Melville Park Road, Melville.Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday 7 a.m.-7 p.m.631-271-8423. www.huntingtonarts.org.• Entries for the 10th Annual Juried PortraitShow, which will run from March 23-May 7,

are due Feb. 27. Long Island artist KevinMcEvoy will serve as juror. For a prospectus,visit www.huntingtonarts.org or contactFlorence Dallari 631-271-8423 ext 12.

• “Nature’s Bounty” at the Art-trium Galleryruns through April 30.

Huntington Historical SocietyMain office/library: 209 Main St., Huntington.Museums: Conklin Barn, 2 High St.; KissamHouse/Museum Shop, 434 Park Ave.; Soldiers& Sailors Memorial Building, 228 Main St. 631-427-7045, ext. 401. www.huntingtonhistorical-society.org.• Learn about the Town of Huntington’s role inthe Civil War in an exhibit at the Soldiers &Sailors Memorial Building.

• The society is sponsoring a trip to the Italianlakes and Greek islands, featuring a seven-night eastern Mediterranean cruise Oct. 3-14,2012.

• Pre-registration is required for all FebruaryBreak programs: Victorian WatercolorPainting on Feb. 20, $22; Kids’ Quilting KlassFeb. 21, 10 a.m., $20; Tea Time with Dollyand Me, Feb 23 and 24, 2 p.m. $25 perchild/$10 per adult. Call ext. 404.

LaMantia Gallery127 Main St., Northport Village. 631-754-8414.www.lamantiagallery.com.• The gallery welcomes back Edward Gordonand introduces Daniel Del Orfano.

9 East Contemporary Art9 East Carver St., Huntington. Gallery hours:Wed.-Sat., 3-8 p.m. or by appointment. 631-662-9459.• The Inaugural Exhibition continues with theaddition of selected new works by SandraCarrion and Puneeta Mittal in a comprehen-sive show of 30 two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of art is created by the 10founding guild members, on display throughFeb. 28.

Northport Historical Society Museum215 Main St., Northport. Museum hours:Tuesday - Sunday, 1-4:30 p.m. 631-757-9859.www.northporthistorical.org.• "50 years of Preserving and CelebratingNorthport's History" honors the society'sfounders and their concerns and activities.Opening reception Feb. 26.

Ripe Art Gallery67 Broadway, Greenlawn. 631-807-5296.Gallery hours: Tuesday - Thursday 11 a.m.-6p.m., Friday 2-9 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.www.ripeartgal.com.• It’s time for the annual Valentine’s GroupShow. This year's theme is “Ripe Love.”

Suffolk Y JCC74 Hauppauge Road, Commack. 631-462-9800, ext. 140. Tuesday 1-4 p.m. Admission:$5 per person, $18 per family. Special groupprograms available. www.suffolkyjcc.org.• The Alan & Helene Rosenberg JewishDiscovery Museum provides hands-onexhibits and programs for children 3-13 yearsold and their families, classes and camps.Now on exhibit: The Alef Bet of Being aMensch. “Zye a mensch” is a Yiddish sayingthat means "be a decent, responsible, caringperson,” infusing both the best blessing andthe best that an educator can wish for hisstudents.

Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium180 Little Neck Road, Centerport. Museumhours: Tuesday-Friday, 12-4 p.m., Saturdays,Sundays and holidays, 12-5 p.m.; closedMondays except for holiday weeks. Groundsadmission: $7 adults, $6 seniors, students, and$3 children under 12. Museum tour, add $5 perperson. 631-854-5555. www.vanderbiltmuse-um.org.

• The Arena Players Repertory Theater pres-ents two comedies, “The Rabbi and theToyota Dealer” and “A Need for LessExpertise” through Feb. 26. Performancesare at 8 p.m. on Friday ($20) and Saturday($25), 3 p.m. on Sunday ($20). To purchasetickets, call the Players at 516-293-0674.

Walt Whitman Birthplace246 Old Walt Whitman Road, HuntingtonStation. Hours: Wednesday-Friday, 1-4 p.m.;Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.Admission: $5 adults, $4 seniors/students, andchildren under 5 are free. 631-427-5240.www.waltwhitman.org.• Children of all ages will enjoy a performanceof Irish dancing Saturday, March 3, 1 p.m. bystudents from the Mulvihill-Lynch Studio ofIrish Dance, known regionally, nationally andinternationally as champions on the competi-tive circuit. The award-winning dancers willalso interact with the children by actuallyteaching them some Irish dance steps. $8per child.

The Paramount370 New York Ave., Huntington. 631-673-7300.www.paramountny.com. All shows begin at 8p.m. unless otherwise noted.• Jane’s Addiction brings its “Theatre of theEscapists” tour to Huntington on Sunday,March 4.

• Jazz greats Rick Braun and Richard Elliotkick off a new jazz music series March 30.

Ridotto, Concerts with a Touch of TheatreAt Old First Church, Route 25A in Huntington.631-385-0373. www.Ridotto.org.• “Ridotto Piano Recital: Romantic Contrasts,”features internationally renowned pianistAndreas Klein. He will play Beethoven’sSonata Op. 110, Schumann Fantasie Stucke,and the heroic Wanderer Fantasie bySchubert. Sunday, March 4, 4 p.m. $20, $18(seniors), $15 (members), and $10 (students).

Walt Whitman BirthplaceIf you are interested in literature or history, theWalt Whitman Birthplace has fascinating andrewarding part-time volunteer positions avail-able. Free training provided. 631-427-5420ext.114.

Friends At HomeLooking to earn some community service hourswhile changing a life? As part of theFriends@Home program, a project of TheAriella's Friendship Circle at the Chai Center inDix Hills, visit a child with special needs in anenvironment they are most comfortable: theirown homes. Together, bake cookies, playgames, create arts and crafts, read books andmore. Contact Nati or Sara at 631-351-8672 [email protected]

Helping Runaway KidsShare your ideas and opinions on howHuntington Sanctuary, a program of theHuntington Youth Bureau, can help youth ages12-21 who run away or who are at risk of run-ning away. The group’s advisory board meetsone Thursday a month at 6 p.m. Call 631-271-2183.

Eyes For The BlindSuffolk County’s Helen Keller Services is look-ing for volunteers to visit blind who are home-bound to socialize and aid in reading mail, pos-sibly provide transportation. 631-424-0022.

Help American Red CrossThe American Red Cross is a humanitarianorganization that provides relief to victims ofdisaster and helps people prevent, prepare for,and respond to emergencies. The SuffolkCounty Chapter is looking for volunteers toassist in emergency shelters, at fires and natu-ral disasters, with veterans, at communityevents or at the office. Free trainings provided.631-924-6700 ext 212.

THEATER and FILM

VOLUNTEERING

MUSIC & DANCE

MUSEUMS & EXHIBITS

AUDITIONS

Send us your listingsSubmissions must be in by 5 p.m.10 days prior to publication date.Send to Community Calendar

at 149 Main Street,Huntington, NY 11743,

or e-mail [email protected]

“Pinkalicious”In “Pinkalicious,” a girl can't stop eating

pink cupcakes despite warnings from herparents. Her pink indulgence lands her atthe doctor's office with Pinkititis, anaffliction that turns her pink from head totoe. Showing Saturdays at 11 a.m. andSundays at 10:30 a.m. through March 25at the John W. Engeman Theater AtNorthport as part of the Youth TheaterSeries. $15. 350 Main St., Northport.www.johnwengemantheater.com. 631-261-2900.

(Continued from page LI16)



Rosie’s ‘Little’ Problem

Dee Snider, You’re Hired!

Commack native Rosie O’Don-nell’s candor on her fear of littlepeople might get her into some se-riously big trouble with the group.During an appearance on

“Chelsea Lately,” she acknowl-edged “a mild fear or anxiety”around little people. She blamedher nana, who she recalled beingafraid of the Wizard of Oz’sMunchkins.After some more awkward ban-

ter, Rosie explained much of herfeeling stems from a mental dis-connect.“What the problem is for me is...

I can't put the two things together.This is an adult person, but it's a lit-tle person, but they have adult... it's so hard for me,” she said.The most objectionable bit to some, though, was how the pair spoke

of little people, using phrases often saved for abandoned, unwanted an-imals, according to published reports. More uncomfortable chatter aboutlittle-person birthing and Handler’s sidekick, Chuy Bravo, followed.So far, Rosie and Chelsea have only had a bit of pushback from one

of the featured players from Bravo’s former series, “Little People, BigWorld,” but with Rosie, one never knows how long it will be beforeDonald Trump will crash the party.

Speaking of the Donald, Dix Hillsresident and Twisted Sister front manDee Snider is hoping to get on his goodside.If he succeeds, he would pick up

$250,000 for the March of Dimes bywinning The Celebrity Apprentice’scurrent season.Snider made his debut on the Celebri-

ty Apprentice on Feb. 19, and is hopingto emerge from a cast of 18 celebratedfolk as the one Trump says, “you’rehired” to at the end of the series.Snider’s advocacy for the March of

Dimes dates back many years. He’sbeen a celebrity volunteer for manyyears and has been the Bikers for Babies national spokesman since2008.Snider has a particularly personal connection to the March of Dimes

– two of his four children were born prematurely.Check your local listings for future Celebrity Apprentice airdates.

A huge cache of counterfeit cur-rency was discovered when a cus-tomer at the Chase Bank in Hunt-ington village mistakenly openedthe wrong safety deposit box.The elderly man, a longtime

customer, tried to open box No.142 with his key, according topublished reports. When it didn’tfit, an assistant manager noticedthe key was labeled for box No.304. The key did open that box,which was filled with $112,000 infake bills.The confused customer re-

turned the next day with twokeys – one for each box, whileSecret Service agents arrived at

the request of the bank.As it turned out, the gentleman

did have the key for box No. 142,which contained legal documentsand several thousand in legal cur-rency. However, he had previous-ly used box No. 304 when thebranch was a Bank of New York,but failed to return the key. Ap-parently Chase never swappedout the locks, because his old keyopened the new customer’s box.The current customer, also

identified as a Huntington resi-dent, has not been charged. Apiece of tape around the counter-feit bills reportedly included thecustomer’s initials.

If Only It Were Real

High-Stakes Wheeling AndDealing

He may not be from Hunting-ton, but Long Island native andreal estate mogul Michael Lor-ber has enough money to makean impact in either Nassua or Suf-folk county.

Lorber, now the director ofBusiness Development for Dou-glas Elliman Worldwide Consult-ing, is set to make his TV debuton “Million Dollar Listing NewYork.” Set to premiere on March

7, the Bravo show follows threeManhattan realtors deal with de-manding clients and fight for ashare of the market.

Affectionately remembered as“The Fonz,” Henry Winklercharmed teachers and entertainedstudents at the Barnes &Noble inEast Northport last month.A few select fourth-graders

were lucky enough to be thevery first reading group on Win-kler’s U.S. tour for his new bookseries entitled “Ghost Buddy.”The actor, who recently has hadguest spots on USA Network’s“Royal Pains,” previously com-

pleted a 17-novel series “HankZipzer,” inspired by his own lifeexperiences and undiagnoseddyslexia as a child.He shared his difficulties as an

underachiever in school with theCold Spring Harbor students.“I was such a bad student. I

never thought I was smartenough to write a book! Until Itried, I never knew,” he said.Winkler encouraged the stu-

dents by sharing that although

he was in the bottom 3 percentacademically in America, hewent on to become an actor, di-rector, producer and author.“Every single one of you has

greatness inside of you.Your jobis to figure out that greatness andshare it with the world,” he said.He even showed them a medal

given to him by the Queen ofEngland. He carries it in his wal-let – “An Award of the BritishEmpire” – for sharing his stories.

Shining The Spotlight OnLuPone

Northport native Patti LuPonehas entertained and delighted the-ater audiences for nearly 40 yearson stages across the world.On March 12, her colleagues

will honor her work with a wor-thy tribute for the actress.The Acting Company will de-

but Patti’s Turn at Kaye Play-house in Manhattan. A numberof members from the New YorkCity-based acting company, ledby Kevin Kline and DavidSchramm, are preparing to signand share stories celebrating

her career.LuPone was a founding mem-

ber of The Acting Company backin the 1970s. In the years since,she’s earned Tony Awards for herroles in Evita and Gypsy, as wellas an Olivier Award for her workin Les Miserables.Tickets, available at the box of-

fice, are priced between $75-$175.

(left to right) Principal of Lloyd Harbor School Valerie Massimo, librarian Maryellen DiCioccio, and HenryWinkler surrounded by excited Lloyd Harbor students at the Barnes & Noble in East Northport. Winkler pre-viewed his newest novel “Ghost Buddy,” at his very first stop on his nationwide tour.

‘The Fonz’ Reads to LloydHarbor students LILIConfidentialConfidential

Rosie O’Donnell is hoping to stayout of hot water following her re-cent comments.

Dee Snider is hoping to winThe Donald’s approval.

Catch Michael Lorber in “MillionDollar Listing New York.”

A regular on stage, Patti Lupone’sfellow actors will honor her onMarch 12.

Live From New York…It’s Lindsay Lohan!

Lindsay Lohan-watchers havesome more good news to report –she’s hosting SaturdayNight Live on March3.The former Cold

Spring Harbor Highstudent is continuingto claw her way backfrom a devastatingcouple of yearsmarked by substanceabuse, DWI arrestsand a veritable merry-go-round of jail visits. SNL is fa-miliar territory for Lohan – thiswill be her fourth time as masterof ceremonies.

We fondly recall one of hermost memorable turns – she was

guest host during one ofRachel Dratch’s first goesas the hilariously dourDebbie Downer. Lohanquickly broke into a gig-gle fit, and many of theNot Ready for PrimetimePlayers soon met thesame fate. Hopefully,she’ll make more wonder-ful memories like thatnext weekend and for

years to come.As always, SNL kicks off at

11:35 p.m. on NBC, right afterthe late news.

Lindsay Lohan


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HALF HOLLOW HILLS

Premier Photobooths Captures Life’sMemoriesLI men, including Hills West business teacher, create unique experience for clients

Pictures capture a moment in timethat will never happen again, and two lo-cal men launched a business to helptheir customers preserve those memo-ries forever.Doug Gannon, Half Hollow Hills West

business teacher and varsity soccercoach, and his partner Frank Prinzevalli,of Setauket, created Premier Photo-booths about six months ago in order forpeople to always have a memory of theirspecial day.“We’ve both been to numerous wed-

dings that had the booths and Doug hadone at his wedding and when he had hiswedding we talked about getting into it,”Prinzevalli said. “Recently I went to an-other wedding and it was just the life ofthe party.”Premier Photobooths’ mission is to

provide their clients with a premier digi-tal photo booth experience at an afford-able price. Either Gannon or Prinzevalli,or both, will attend the event and bringalong their photo booth, which fits be-tween six and eight people.“The biggest thing with our company is

that we’re owner operated. A lot of peoplehire a company like this and they justsend one of their workers who could be arandom person,” said Prinzevalli, notingthey’re always on the other end when aclient calls.Gannon said it took them awhile to put

the business together, but they wanted to

go about it the right way.“It’s just a great piece to an event where

kids ages 5 to adults that are 90 who cango in the booth and have a great time,”Gannon said.Premier Photobooths uses a Canon

T2i 18 Megapixel camera and HiTi Pho-to Printer – only the top-of-the-lineequipment. They also bring along a propbox with hats, wigs, boas and other fundress-up items.“People get to dress up in props and

wear big hats or funny glasses, and theyhave a closed booth and they can showtheir personality,” Gannon said.Props can be also customized for spe-

cial occasions. For instance, Prinzevallisaid they have a wedding coming upwhere the groom is Irish, and they haveSt. Patrick’s Day style glasses and “KissMe I’m Irish” buttons and hats for noadditional charge. Prinzevalli said thephoto booth is a great add-on to anywedding.“When I got married we spend $1,000

on favors that no one really used,” hesaid.Pictures can also be customized. In-

cluded in every package is a scrapbookfor the host, where their guests get to puttheir pictures in the book and write amessage.“If you go in the booth, you get two

strips of photos,” Prinzevalli said. “Oneof them you could put in the book forthe bride and groom and write some-thing funny, and the other one youcould take home and get a frame with

that and it seems to be going well. It’sa lot of fun so far.”Their main clientele is in the Half Hol-

low Hills, Northport and Huntingtonarea. However, Gannon said they willservice anyone on Long Island. PremierPhotobooths are available for weddings,Sweet 16’s, corporate events, bar mitz-vahs, and bat mitzvahs.Once a month, Gannon and Prinzeval-

li will donate the booth for a charityevent. Premier Photobooths recently at-tended a cystic fibrosis charity fundraiserat LarkfieldManor in East Northport, foran assistant principal in the Hills district,

whose two-year-old daughter has the dis-ease. They also customized the pictureswith a Team Mati logo.“They have a fundraiser every year and

we donated the booth,” Gannon said.“The turnout was awesome and so wasthe feedback from people about thebooth. It was an all around great night”The two are working on getting a cen-

tral office within the next couple ofmonths. Currently, their main locationaddress is in Stony Brook.Visit www.premierphotoboothsinc.com

or www.facebook.com/premierphoto-boothsinc for more information.

Owners Doug Gannon, left, and Frank Prinzevalli created Premier Photobooths as a way fora host to always remember their special day.



The listings on this page contain open house events conducted by brokers licensed in New York. If you are a broker and would like to get your listings on this page, please contact Associate Publisher Peter Sloggatt at (631) 427-7000, or send an e-mail to [email protected].

MELVILLE

1 Mathews St Bedrooms 3 Baths 2Price $499,000 Taxes $12,941Open House 2/26 1 - 3 pmColdwell Banker Residential 631-673-6800

DIX HILLS

223 Deer Park Rd Bedrooms 4 Baths 4Price $635,000 Taxes $12,840Open house 2/26 1:30 - 3:30 pmPrudential Douglas Elliman RE 516-921-2262

MELVILLE

Want to get your open houses listed? Getyour listings for free on this page everyweek in the Long Islander Newspapers.Call Associate Publisher Peter Sloggattat 631-427-7000 or send an e-mail [email protected].

60 Wilimington Dr Bedrooms 5 Baths 4Price $725,000 Taxes $16,434Open House 2/25 2 - 4 pmCoach Real Estate Assoc Inc 516-922-8500

HUNTINGTON OPEN HOUSESTown Address Beds Baths Price Taxes Date Time Broker PhoneHuntington 4 Sixpence Ct 3 2 $439,000 $11,109 2/23 12:30pm-2pm Daniel Gale Agency Inc 631-427-6600Lloyd Neck 5 Spring Bay Ln 6 5 $1,850,000 $29,881 2/23 1pm-2pm Daniel Gale Agency Inc 631-692-6770Centerport 7 Bankside Dr 3 2 $399,000 $11,433 2/25 2:30pm-4:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-4444Melville 6 Earl Rd 3 2 $449,000 $11,312 2/25 1pm-3pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-4444Dix Hills 1070 Westminster Ave 3 2 $539,000 $10,482 2/25 1pm-3pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-4444E. Northport 2 Barry Dr 4 3 $575,000 $10,637 2/25 1pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 631-499-9191Northport 9 Williamsburg Dr 4 4 $699,000 $19,400 2/25 1pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 631-261-6800Melville 60 Wilmington Dr 5 4 $725,000 $16,434 2/25 2pm-4pm Coach Real Estate Assoc Inc 516-922-8500Dix Hills 24 Sleepy Hollow Ln 3 3 $739,000 $15,334 2/25 12pm-2pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-6800Dix Hills 2 Wagon Wheel Ln 4 4 $799,000 $19,311 2/25 2:30pm-4:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-6800Huntington Sta 289 Maplewood Rd 4 3 $285,900 $10,993 2/26 2:30pm-4:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-4444Huntington Sta 62 Biltmore Cir 2 2 $289,000 N/A 2/26 12pm-2pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-6800Huntington Sta 96 Glen Pasture Ct 3 2 $307,000 $8,854 2/26 2:30pm-4:30pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-6800S. 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Huntington 21 Darby Dr 5 3 $489,000 $14,267 2/26 1pm-3pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-6800Greenlawn 25 Auburn Dr 3 2 $499,000 $11,271 2/26 12pm-2pm RE/MAX Beyond 631-862-1100Melville 1 Mathews St 3 2 $499,000 $12,941 2/26 1pm-3pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-6800Melville 44 Villas Cir 3 3 $499,900 $9,550 2/26 12pm-2pm RE/MAX Beyond 631-862-1100Northport 9 Dick Ct 4 2 $499,999 $5,277 2/26 1pm-3pm Prudential Douglas Elliman RE 631-261-6800Greenlawn 34 Pine Hollow Ln 4 3 $509,900 $10,653 2/26 12pm-2pm Coldwell Banker Residential 631-673-6800Northport 8 Dolores Ln 4 2 $525,000 $13,008 2/26 2:30pm-2:30pm Daniel Gale Agency Inc NPT 631-754-3400E. 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Mosque plans subject of community meeting

traffic and parking problems.“There are several concerns,” Archer

said. “One is the size of the proposedstructure, the number of parking stallsthat are being provided and what the po-tential impacts are on the surroundingcommunity, including traffic impacts.”Salihoglu said the plans to build a

mosque on this property have been inplay for more than a decade. The currentproposal takes into consideration reasonsthe planning board rejected a previousproposal in the early 2000s.“Parking has been increased to accom-

modate the size of the building,” he said.“Then we reduced the size of the buildingat the suggestion of the Planning Board.”There might be a slight change to the

number of parking spots, basedon theplan-ning board’s input. Once those are ham-mered out, “based on all the calculations,everything is in place,” Salihoglu said.Town spokesman A.J. Carter said UA-

MA submitted a new site plan about twomonths ago, which the Planning Depart-ment is currently reviewing. The propos-al for a mosque has been “kicking aroundin various stages for almost a decade.”“What they’ve done over the years is re-

vising the plans so what they would sub-mit does not need a variance,” Carter said.“According to state building code, [themosque is to have] an occupancy of 772,which means they are required to have155 parking stalls. The proposal has that.Because their setback from the road andthe side is sufficient, they can build up to

60 feet high. This proposal is 59 feet.”When services let out currently, the

group argued, traffic builds up as congre-gants make a u-turn to line up to make aleft turn on to Deer Park Avenue. If one ofthe nurseries located across the street arealso loading and unloading at the sametime, traffic is snarled to a near-standstill.The group also argues there are notenough parking spaces, which will lead toon-the-street parking in a no standingzone, they argued.Leaders of the civic association stressed

they do not oppose building the facility;however, they argue it should be scaleddown as to fit the character of the com-munity.Carter said the best chance residents

would have in achieving alterations to the

planned mosque is to deal directly withthe United AmericanMuslim Associationof Dix Hills. Because much of the newestproposal seems to be in line with stateand town zoning requirements, the townPlanning Department “does not have dis-cretion once they’ve been found to havemet requirements of the code,” he added.The planning department is current-

ly reviewing the proposal, which wouldthen go to the planning board for ap-proval. If the planning board signs off,building permits can be issued. Nopublic hearing is required by law,Carter said, but residents can testifyduring the public portion at planningboard meetings. The mosque proposalhas not been added to the PlanningBoard’s agenda.

(Continued from page A1)

Neighbors are concerned a new mosque could increase traffic and on-the-street parking.

are such huge fans,” Matt Como said.“Just to meet him would be crazy, but toplay and open for him would be adream come true.”The musicians created the band in

2007 as teenagers at the South Hunt-ington Catholic high school. Matt Co-mo said the band came up with thename The Como Brothers Band be-cause they wanted a name that hadmeaning to them. Although Costanzo isnot blood related, Matt and Andrewconsider him a part of the family.

The band members write all theirsongs. Their released their first profes-sional EP, “The Speed of Sound,” lastmonth.The Como Brothers also played on

Feb. 17 at The Bitter End in Manhattanfrom 7:45 to 9 p.m. They gave away freet-shirts and their new CD to anyonewho mentioned their name at the door.To find out more about the band, vis-

it www.reverbnation.com/ComoBroth-ersBand or their Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/ComoBrothers-Band.

(Continued from page A1)

Band played in NYC


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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON

Local ‘Ironwoman’ Takes On TriathlonsEven after two bike accidents, Harborfields grad Christine Kenney continues to compete

There’s nothing better than the feeling of crossing atriathlon finish line for Harborfields High School gradu-ate Christine Kenney - and two accidents and multipleinjuries haven’t slowed her down.Kenney, 33, grew up in Huntington and graduated

from Harborfields in 1997, where she played on the var-sity basketball and lacrosse teams all four years. She alsoplayed field hockey, where she was elevated to the varsi-ty team halfway through her freshman year.She continued her athletic career as a Division I

lacrosse player at Penn State. After she graduated fromcollege, she began pursuing new challenges.“I needed to fill that competitive void that I was miss-

ing after playing sports my whole life. I first started run-ning races and that evolved into doing triathlons,” Ken-ney said.Two weeks after she bought her bike, she entered into

her first Olympic distance triathlon in Montauk, whichconsisted of a .9mile swim, a 24-mile bike ride and a 10Krun. She said she placed sixth – a major accomplishmentconsidering how little training she had done.Kenney continued to compete until 2007 when she

had her first bike accident, resulting in 200 stitches inher left arm, right hand and lip. Kenney was out of workand training for six weeks and lived with her parents be-cause she had very little use of her hand and arm.“In 2008, I was coming back from injuries so I com-

peted a little bit and that’s when I signed up for my firstIronman,” she said. “I needed something to focus on.”In November 2009, Kenney competed in her first

Ironman competition, which was a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run in Cozumel,Mexico. Kenneyfinished second in her age group and was the third-bestamateur female overall with a time of 10 hours, 25 min-

utes. This qualified her for the Ironman World Champi-onships in Kona, Hawaii.Kenney had another setback in July 2010 with her sec-

ond bike accident. She had a distal clavicle fracture andtorn coracoid ligaments, and she needed to undergo sur-gery. Ten weeks later, she was competing in Hawaii. Hertime was 10:47:07 with a run time of 3:22.“When we flew to Kona, I didn’t even know if I was go-

ing to race. I didn’t know if I could swim 2.4 miles afterI got out of surgery but I ended up doing pretty well… Itwas a pretty cool experience,” Kenney said.Kenney also won first amateur female overall, eighth

female overall including professionals at Ironman inCozumel, Mexico in November 2011, with a time of9:57:59. At this race she qualified again for the IronmanWorld Championships in Kona, Hawaii in October 2012.In September 2011 she was won first female overall at

the Huntington Sprint triathlon and at the CarlsbadMarathon last month.Kenney competed this month at the Empire State

Building Run-Up, which was hosted by New York’s RoadRunners Club, to raise money for the Multiple MyelomaResearch Foundation. For the second year in a row, Ken-ney was the first female overall in her division. It took her15 minutes to run the 86 flights of stairs.“It went well. We raised a lot of money,” said Kenney,

noting it was difficult since it was very dry in the stair-well. “I’m part of a team with two other people and thisyear our team raised $31,000.”Kenney said she’s also looking for sponsors for upcom-

ing competitions.As she works more than 70 hours a week in finance,

her schedule doesn’t leave her with much time to train.However, this is something she will continue to do foryears to come.“It’s a combination of loving sports and the love of

competing,” she said.

Harborfields High School graduate Christine Kenneycompeted and won multiple triathlons despite her twobike accidents.



HillSPORTS

2012 OLYMPICS

Hometown Athlete Sets Sail For LondonSt. Anthony’s grad Erik Storck will represent United States in 2012 summer Olympics

For Huntington native Erik Storck,sailing is truly a family affair. And thefamily sport has given him the opportuni-ty to compete for Olympic glory.Erik’s grandfather taught his father,

John, how to sail, and he grew up on thewaters of Asharoken. John continued thefamily tradition, teaching his childrenthe ways of the water.“We all kind of took a liking to it early

on and we’ve been traveling and compet-ing nationally since I was 10,” Erik said.“I competed in my first international re-gatta when I was 12, and it’s just kind ofgone from there.”“There” happens to be London, Eng-

land, where in just a matter of months,Storck and his teammate, Trevor Moore,of Vermont, will compete to bring a goldmedal in sailing back to America in the2012 summer Olympics. The pair will becompeting in the 49er class, which wasfirst included in the Sydney Olympics in2000. A 49er is a double-handed twin tra-peze skiff type sailing dinghy, where thetwo crewmembers handle different taskson the helm as they make tactical deci-sions and handle most of the sail control.

Storck and Moore qualified for theOlympic teamwith a ninth-place finish atthe International Sailing Federation’s2011 World Championships in Perth,Australia in December. Their strongshowing got the United States into theOlympic field, and by being the top Amer-ican finishers in the 49er class, the duoearned the right to compete in London.When speaking of his Olympic berth,

Erik is quick to point out his siblings’successes as well. One brother is the co-head coach of the varsity sailing team atDartmouth College, where Erik is a 2007graduate; his younger brother is current-ly a freshman on Dartmouth’s sailingteam. His sister competed in a transat-lantic race this summer as well.With the Olympics just five months

away - the opening ceremony is July 27 -Storck will continue a regimen of on-the-water training, competition and physicalfitness work. Most years, he will competein as many as eight regattas and spendthe rest of the time they’re not competingtraining on the water. When he’s at homein Huntington, the 2003 St. Anthony’sgraduate works out at the Huntington Y;he’ll be heading to Colorado Springssoon to visit the Olympic training facilitybefore the spring sailing season starts.

Storck and Moore have plenty of mo-mentum heading into the 2012Olympiad. Their second place finish atthe Rolex Miami Classic regatta, one ofseven stops on the International Sailing

World Cup circuit, is the team’s best everfinish in a World Cup event.Keep up will all of Storck and Moore’s

latest news and updates athttp://www.storckmooresailing.com

Erik Storck and teammate Trevor Moore compete in U.S. Sailing’s 2012 Rolex Miami OCR inlate January, where they finished second.

By Danny [email protected]

GIRLS BASKETBALL >> SMITHTOWN WEST 49, HILLS EAST 55

Thunderbirds’ Playoff Run UnderwayAfter defeating SmithtownWest, girls square off with No. 1-ranked Sachem East

The Half Hollow Hills East girls basketball teamgot off to a good start in the League I playoffs bywinning their first playoff game against SmithtownWest, 55-49, on Feb. 17.“It’s the first playoff win in a few years. That’s a

big turnaround for them,” coach Chick Hamm said.Hamm said this is a huge step up from last year’s

season where the girls only won four games. Thisseason, they’ve nearly tripled their total wins byearning an 11-8 overall record.During the Thunderbirds’ first playoff game, the

girls came out strong in the first half. Guard JuliaGnieser scored 4 3-pointers in the game, three ofwhich were in the first quarter alone. Guard AshleyWalker scored 10 of her 17 points in the first quar-ter as well. The Thunderbirds went into halftimewith a 15-point lead.“We were winning by 20 at one point,” Hamm

said. “They were a lot bigger than us. We’re not a re-al big team but we have some good guards.”Guard Gabby Diamandis added another 9

points.Fifteenth-seed Hills East was scheduled to play

No. 1 Sachem East on Monday, a game that con-cluded after press time.

“The competition is going to be tough… they’re17-1 for the season,” Hamm said.Several Hills East athletes have been recognized

for their performance. Gnieser and Walker werenamed All-League athletes, while freshman Kristen

McKenzie was named Rookie of the Year.The coach said the team would only be graduating

two girls this season, Diamandis and Gabrielle Mal-hotra. Four of the starters will be coming back next

year.“Hopefully they play more ball over the summer

so they come back strong next season,” Hamm said.

The Half Hollow Hills East girls basketball team sharpens their skills at practice.

Half

Hollow

Hills

photo/StephanieDeLuca


Documents

Half Hollow Hills Newspaper - Feb 23, 2012