Tag: Long Island

Marky Ramone brings the blitzkrieg to town

Posted on by chrismellides
Marky Ramone poses with his memoir.

Long Islanders filled Book Revue storefront in Huntington Tuesday night for a special appearance from Marky Ramone, drummer of the seminal punk band the Ramones.

Born Marc Steven Bell, the 62-year-old Brooklyn native spent 15 years drumming for the iconic band and has played with a variety of musicians dating back to his high school years. He is the only surviving member of the iconic group, and visited the North Shore to take part in a Q&A session before signing memorabilia and copies of his new autobiography, “Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life As A Ramone.”

Leading to the night’s event, roughly 100 rabid Ramones fans anxiously awaited Bell’s arrival. Among them was Smithtown resident Cynthia Cone, 42.

Cone said that when she was a teenager, she dated a drummer who turned her on to the Ramones, and it wasn’t long before she was hooked.

“Their shows were so high-energy,” said Cone. “If you listen to their bootlegs, it’s almost like you hear the countdown, and then it takes you a second to register what they’re even playing because they were so raw.”

Despite not achieving the success they deserved while the band’s original members were still alive, Cone said there’s no denying the Ramones’ impact.

“You hear so many bands like Rage Against the Machine, and even hip hop artists [credit] the Ramones. They were just such a huge influence across the board.”

Bell started playing drums in 1971 for the hard rock group known as Dust and would later audition for New York Dolls before working with Wayne “Jayne” County and Backstreet Boys. Later, he played with Richard Hell and the Voidoids, joining the band for the recording of their first record, “Blank Generation.”

In 1978, while drinking cheap beer at the legendary dive bar and venue CBGB, Bell was approached by bassist and soon-to-be band mate Douglas Glenn Colvin, also known as Dee Dee, and was asked to play drums for the band.

Asked about being on the road with the Ramones, Bell shared his experience touring America in the band’s van and likened it to being trapped in a floating mental institution on wheels.

“We had our trusty Ford Econoline 15-passenger van and we all had our assigned seats, Bell said. “We had a lot of quality time together and we were all different individuals — maybe that’s why the music was so great.”

Later, Bell discussed his band’s role in the 1979 Roger Corman-produced cult classic, “Rock ‘N’ Roll High School,” a musical comedy in which rebellious teens get even with their school principal against the backdrop of Ramones musical performances scattered throughout the film.

“[Film director] Allan Arkush came to New York and saw us play [and] he loved it. We toured our way from the east to west coast in 1979 and the next thing we knew, it was ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll High School,’” Bell said. “Making the movie was interesting [and] it was pretty funny seeing four aliens, me, Johnny, Joey and Dee Dee, in the movie amongst the normals.”

See the original article here.

Street Artist Cuts His Own Path In Town

Posted on by chrismellides
Travis Hunt, 38, holding one of his illustrations, is a Huntington-based artist who creates artwork out of discarded items and offers them to passersby in Huntington village. 

Some people slow down for a quick look. Others come to a complete stop, if only for a few moments, to take a closer look, and move on. Still others linger to observe the neatly arranged hand-drawn illustrations that line the brick wall outside Starbucks along Wall Street in Huntington.

Drawings of ancient warriors, Vikings and dragons leap from the paper on top of cardboard or sheets of white construction paper stapled to thick card stock, while interpretations of animals, limbs often extended outward and cut off at the corners of the page are complemented by trimmed bar fliers stapled to the canvas.

In Huntington village, Travis Hunt, 38, is either the guy you’ve always wondered about, or someone you’ve known for years simply as Travis.

His hair, matted and long, is tucked beneath an orange baseball cap that he wears backwards. Occasionally, he’ll scratch at his beard or shift his weight under his blue walking cane, but he will usually smile or strike up a conversation with anyone interested in his creations.

When he’s showing his work, Hunt, who lives in Huntington, is invariably sitting Indian-style due to his club foot, which he has had since birth. It causes him to walk with a limp.

In addition to Starbucks, Hunt can be found at Escape Pod Comics on Main Street, at The Book Revue on New York Avenue, or even hanging around on weekends near the farmer’s market. Vendors and regulars to those locations know Travis well, and likely have either bought or been given one of his artworks.

Before his parents’ separation when he was a young child, Hunt lived in upstate New York, where his father’s family resided. They would make trips to Long Island to visit with his mother’s grandparents. By 7, Long Island became his permanent home.

Remembering his time upstate fondly, particularly because of his exposure to nature, Hunt said the woods and wildlife populating the area surrounding his childhood home inspired him to become an artist.

“Because I’m from upstate New York, I like to do a lot of nature-based drawings of animals,” said Hunt. “But, I also grew up with dinosaurs, and I used to watch monster movies as a kid.”

Aside from nature, there are facets of popular culture that he also considers inspirational, including comic books, New York City graffiti and underground music.

Hunt has also been known to fashion sculptures out of tin foil and plastic and has also tried his hand at performance art, which includes juggling and magic routines he’s worked on to entertain young parishioners visiting Huntington’s Central Presbyterian Church.

Rev. David Aldridge, Central’s pastor since 2005, has known Hunt for seven years and first met him when he worked with the YMCA before that.

“Travis has become part of the fabric of Huntington,” said Aldridge. “He’s on the ground and people walk by him and they don’t see the attention that he gives to his art.”

“He takes a certain amount of pride to be able to take things that are thrown away and to make another use of them, to recycle them and to turn them into artwork and I think that’s pretty cool,” he added.

A small selection of original artwork created by Huntington artist Travis Hunt.

Hunt attended Flower Hill Primary School in Huntington and graduated in 1989. During the years he attended the school, he admitted to having a learning disability, while also being teased by other students because of his foot.

“There were a lot of people who looked down on me and told me that they didn’t think I could do anything, and I used to believe them,” Hunt said. “I had it tough. Back then, they didn’t have names for dyslexia and stuff like that.”

Feeling the pressure of school life and struggling to keep up with a demanding curriculum, Hunt would often daydream and sought the comfort that came with drawing pieces of imagery he’d imagined while deep in thought.

Later, he attended Manor Plains High School, which is part of Western Suffolk BOCES. Hunt said he attempted to learn multiple vocations, but found that it was difficult sticking to one field.

Following graduation from Manor Plains in 1998, Hunt went into janitorial work and was working with the Family Service League, which provides housing and health services for the homeless.

“I went there for a vocational work program, but at the same time I did food service there, and I had to work with some people that were mentally not there.”

He said that he tried studying automotive repair, “which didn’t work out so well,” especially because he would be picked on and teased by other students because of his disability.

He also tried electrical engineering, but he “kept burning circuit boards and all of that.”

Finally, a friend of his recommended a Dix Hills vocational school where they had an art advertising program, and that’s where Hunt says he felt most at home.

“It was really cool. I signed myself up for that program where you got to draw your own signs and you even got to write and publish your own comic book, which I thought was pretty cool,” said Hunt.

After a while, he connected with Skills Unlimited, a vocational school for the disabled, where he received job coaching that prepared him to work as a custodian at the YMCA, which he did for about 13 years.

“I mopped and took care of the garbage, but I also looked out for the kids there,” Hunt said. “I made stuff that was considered a waste of time back in my school, and it was a good thing that I worked at the Y because I wanted to show all of the kids that you can make art out of anything.”

Hunt’s own work has not gone unnoticed.

Menachem Luchins, owner of Escape Pod Comics, said Hunt was one of the first visitors to his shop when he opened three years ago and returned to go through the old comics and “talk about how much he used to love this stuff.”

“Eventually, within a month or so, he started showing me his art, showing customers his art and occasionally, when we’ve had big events, he’s come and talked to people about what he does and what he likes about it.”

Luchins said Hunt’s work is open to interpretation. Speaking about its general appeal, however, he says there’s definitely an “outsider art feel to it.”

Huntington resident Beverly Pribek, a customer at the Starbucks where Hunt shows his work quite often, said she always seen him sitting on the sidewalk observing the passersby.

“Huntington is an artsy town and it seems appropriate that people are sketching and drawing like Travis is. He seems to be using black chalk when he draws, and I often see him with his artwork sort of piling up on the sidewalk.”

She added, “I do see him as a fixture and he’s the only one I’ve ever seen doing what it is he does.”

Coffee house employee Todd Campofranco said Hunt “has a good soul and good intentions. He shares joy with people – that’s the way human nature should be.”

Travis says he believes in his artwork, but he doesn’t make a lot of money off of it – a few dollars a week on average – and he occassionally deals with harassment.

“I do deal with ignorance, but I deal with some cool parts, too. That’s why I keep going to work and I keep doing what I do. That’s just what works for me.”

See the original article here.

Therapy dog, Kota, helping families grieve at Moloney’s

Posted on by chrismellides
Kota, a therapy dog used to comfort patrons at Moloney’s Family Funeral Homes, owned by Peter Moloney, pictured with daughter Erin Moloney, who rescued Kota while in Arkansas.

Joined by his closest family, an elderly man sits amid a solemn ceremony, overcome with sadness over the loss of his wife of 72 years.

The 94-year-old World War II veteran pauses during service at the Moloney Funeral Homes’ Center Moriches location long enough to spot a Labrador-Weimaraner mix named Kota, who slowly approaches him.

Peter Moloney, owner of the funeral homes and Kota’s personal handler, gives the grieving man a treat for Kota, which the docile dog gladly accepts before gently resting his head in the man’s lap.

“The man came into the funeral home with his family and his daughter and he was brokenhearted at the loss of his wife,” Moloney said. “Kota provided him with a sense of comfort and he was very appreciative.”

Kota, a therapy dog used to comfort patrons at Moloney’s Family Funeral Homes.

The owner explained the thought process behind having Kota on-hand in the right situations.

“Pets are known to reduce stress and anxiety and take people to another dimension in the grief process,” he said.

Moloney’s daughter, Erin, rescued the dog while she was studying at the University of Arkansas, and when Kota was introduced to the family one Thanksgiving Erin’s father knew that Kota would be a perfect candidate as a therapy dog.

Aptly nicknamed “Kota the Comfort Dog,” the young canine travels with Moloney wherever he is needed and has made appearances with his owner across all seven family run funeral homes located throughout Suffolk County, including in Port Jefferson Station.

“He’s a wonderful companion and he’s provided tremendous comfort to families that have encountered him that have a fondness for pets,” Moloney said. “He’s not for everybody, and I would never introduce him to a family without at least having some type of conversation surrounding pets and animals. We would not want to invade someone’s privacy [who] perhaps was afraid.”

While Kota is currently the only certified therapy dog to be used for support in funeral homes on Long Island, according to Moloney, dogs like him have long since been used for similar purposes.

Therapy dogs have been implemented for those in need of comfort as far back as the 1700s, primarily for those people suffering from mental health problems, said Mary Burch, American Kennel Club spokesperson and director of the Canine Good Citizen program, which is used as a prerequisite for many groups that use therapy dogs.

“In the 1970s there were several large organizations that registered therapy dogs and currently, there are hundreds of organizations across the country that register therapy animals,” Burch said.

The AKC spokesperson said facilities tend to contact therapy dog organizations that have “tested dogs and determined where they are best placed.”

A quiet toy breed might be better utilized in a hospital setting where it can be placed on a bed, while larger sporting breeds might do well in a residential program for teenage boys, according to Burch.

“In a funeral home, a dog would be needed that can provide comfort while remaining under control in this quiet setting where people are upset and in emotional pain,” she said.

Moloney said he saw the success funeral homes throughout the country have had when employing therapy dogs and that a friend in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, used a grief therapy dog with triumphant results, so Moloney thought he’d try to do the same on Long Island.

Kota is certified through Sublime K9 Dog Training, a Wantagh-based organization that among other things, provides dog obedience training and therapy dog services.

“He’s been certified and has passed the test, an obedience test, and needs to be calmer in crowds and he’s passed all of those requirements,” Moloney said. “Kota gets groomed on a regular basis so he’s clean and he’s very well maintained and he has all of his shots. We keep him up to date of course.”

Anne Moyer, associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Stony Brook University, said while more conventional forms of therapy generally involve interaction with a skilled professional, there is evidence suggesting animal interaction can be beneficial.

“Animals are considered useful as facilitators because they create a sense of safety, perhaps because they are nonjudgmental and do not require verbal interactions to connect with,” Moyer said. “Humans form emotional bonds and attachments to animals and these can be therapeutic.”

Kota has been visiting Moloney Family Funeral Homes where he has provided comfort since February and will typically work with families for 20 minutes at a time. Moloney said he is confident his dog will become a fixture at his funeral homes for the foreseeable future.

“Some people have aversions to pets so you know we’re very careful with our approach in introducing him to families,” Moloney said. “But he loves to be petted and he’s very obedient. So, with those characteristics, I felt that he was a very good candidate to assist families within our funeral homes in providing comfort.”

See the original article here.

Huntington Keeps Pluggin’ At Retro Game Expo

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Ben Farrell, 22, sells and trades video games and accessories at the Keep Pluggin retro video game event and fundraiser on Saturday, which he organized to benefit the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Huntington. 

Huntington’s first retro video game event was hosted Oct. 17 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Gamers, collectors and vendors were welcomed for a day of gaming fun and fundraising, with proceeds going to the fellowship.

The event, dubbed Keep Pluggin, is the brainchild of Ben Farrell, 22, formerly of Huntington, an avid gamer and video game collector with childhood ties to the fellowship. 

In the months leading to the event, Farrell said that he was focused on acquiring video games and establishing relationships with dealers who he welcomed to attend the event for a fee of $50 per table. 

“The challenging aspect was just learning everything because I didn’t know anything about doing this kind of thing,” Farrell said. “There are a lot of awesome volunteers at the fellowship here, and I probably couldn’t have done it without them.”

He added that his video game expertise proved to be a valuable resource for event planners who would have had a difficult time running the event without him. 

“That’s where the mix really comes in well,” Farrell said, describing his working relationship with members and planners of the fellowship’s religious community.

Farrell’s father, Ken, is the owner of Just Kids Nostalgia, a company founded 35 years ago as a brick and mortar on Main Street in Huntington. The business’ physical storefront became a staple in the community, selling games and pop collectibles before transitioning to an online-only retailer. 

“I’m kind of aware of what the market has been in my generation, which is Howdy Doody and the like,” Ken, 65, said. “My son Ben has moved into the modern era, which is 80s and 90s video games, which is the up-and-coming market and makes Howdy Doody look like it’s over.”

Ken has seen his son and his own business moving into video gaming as a larger and more viable market, one that resonates more with today’s younger people, but admits that the store had an effect on his children, including Farrell. 

“I think it was a blessing because I was exposed to a lot growing up in terms of pop culture,” Farrell said. “And just the social aspects of life and dealing with people and owning a business, it was all just around me.”

Farrell said that he was about 10 years old when his father launched Just Kids Nostalgia, and that his experience helping his dad and brother as a child at the shop really shaped his interests, and later led him to use his knowledge to help benefit his community. 

“It was a good thing to be exposed to and I appreciate it a lot on the basis of being exposed to pop culture because I like knowing things offhand. I’ve always been around records and posters, movies and memorabilia so I kind of know a lot of stuff about that,” Farrell said.

Saturday’s event saw roughly 20 dealers and private collectors selling and trading a wide selection of thousands of retro video games from Centipede to Pac-Man along with classic gaming consoles like, Nintendo, Sega Genesis and Playstation. 

Keep Pluggin also encouraged free arcade play and had an assortment of old gaming consoles hooked to about 25 televisions located throughout the facility where both children and adults had the option of playing casually or competing for prizes. 

Sitting with his father, 9-year-old gamer Luigi Scolieri was one of those who attended the event. Luigi stared intently at a 34-inch TV screen while playing Donkey Kong on an old Nintendo Entertainment System and attempted to blast through the game’s levels to win the Donkey Kong competition.

“I think what they do here is really cool,” Scolieri said. “I usually play old games like Donkey Kong, which I’m good at, but I play Halo and Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U, too. I hope that I win this contest.”

Liza Burby, a former president of the fellowship’s board, said that she’s been a member for 28 years, and after seeing the risk of the organization’s annual renaissance former fair fundraiser, which she says was very weather-dependent and labor-intensive, she was willing to help facilitate Farrell’s gaming event project. 

“This is an old building and it takes a lot just to keep the lights on,” Burby said. “Demographics are changing with churches and I think every single church has membership issues and so we’re just trying to be as creative as possible with what we do to fundraise.”

See the original article here.

Wildcats Raise $33K+ For St. Baldrick’s

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Walt Whitman High School Principal John Murphy and South Huntington Teachers Association President Dennis Callahan join, on Wednesday, the annual St. Baldrick’s shavathon at Walt Whitman High School.

Students and faculty gathered at Walt Whitman High School on Wednesday to participate in the annual St. Baldrick’s Foundation charity fundraiser to benefit childhood cancer research, raising $33,000 as of deadline.

Aside from accepting cash donations during the event, those who donated and volunteered were given the option to join others in a shavathon to show solidarity for children and young people stricken with cancer.

An idea founded in Northport, St. Baldrick’s is an international, volunteer-driven charity that has raised over $178 million since 2005 in research grants aimed at finding cures for childhood cancer through the simple act of head-shavings, which are hosted by communities all over the world in 26 countries.

Since 2006, Walt Whitman High School has raised roughly $150,000 for St. Baldrick’s, and this year the total in online and in-person donations is expected to exceed $40,000, according to Jamie Rodgers, a Walt Whitman High School faculty member and lead organizer for the day’s event.

“Currently we’ve raised $33,000 online and that does not include cash donations,” Rodgers said. She added that each year cash donations tend are around $10,000-$15,000.

“It’s a great event and all of the proceeds go to childhood cancer research, and it grows every year,” Rodgers said. “We should have over 120 people getting shaved this year.”

While the charity fundraiser has been going steady at the school for the last decade, this was the first year that South Huntington Teachers Association President Dennis Callahan was asked to participate.

Callahan said that, in the spirit of fun, it was only fair for him to challenge South Huntington Superintendent of Superintendent David Bennardo to a friendly competition where they went head to head to see which team could earn the most donations for St. Baldrick’s.

“Once I made the decision to do this I thought it would be really fun to have a little friendly competition,” Callahan said. “It really is a made up competition because we’re all on the same team, but it just adds a little extra spice to the whole situation.”

Like Callahan, this is Bennardo’s first year participating in the fundraiser, and given the outpouring of volunteer support and generous donations, said it might not be his last time taking part in the annual event.

“It’s just fantastic to be part of something where everyone collectively is behind a great cause together,” Bennardo said. “There are so many times now in our politics and our country where you see so many people separated and divided, and when a good cause brings them together you get renewed hope.

“I’m part of that hope today, which feels good.”

See the original article here.

Seminar Underscores Dangers Of Distracted Driving

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Walt Whitman High School student Daniel Moreira experiences a 3-D simulation meant to deter teens from texting while driving.

As part of National Teen Driver Safety Week, Walt Whitman High School hosted its 3rd annual “It Can Wait” event to demonstrate the dangers of distracted driving with the aid of oral and video presentations and a virtual reality 3-D simulator. 

The high school, together with its partner AT&T and New York State Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci (R-South Huntington), welcomed Walt Whitman high school seniors into the school auditorium, where they were joined by their teachers and local law enforcement members.

After viewing a short documentary called “The Last Text,” which focused on the dangers of texting while driving and featured testimonials of survivors and family members whose loved ones died while texting on the road, Brandon Ray, AT&T Regional Director of External Affairs for all of Long Island, spoke to students and faculty.

Following the video presentation, Ray asked students how they felt after seeing the video and how they would best describe the experience.

One high school senior in the audience said that he knew of a person who died as a result of texting while driving and that it, texting while on the road “really can wait.”

Ray claimed that nine people die and countless are injured per day as a result of texting while driving and that a person is “much more likely to become involved in a traffic accident due to texting and driving.”

Ray then asked the 450 high school seniors if they have every texted or have seen someone they know texting while driving. Almost immediately, almost all of the hands went up.

“When 50 percent of high schoolers do text, you are 23 times more likely to get into a serious accident, so I think that really drove home to them today,” Lupinacci said. “They also got to try out the simulator so they could see the hazards of texting while driving.”

At the end of the event, some students signed a pledge to not text while driving on a large placard by the auditorium stage, while others lined up for the opportunity to experience the 3-D simulator, which employed a headset and strong audio to recreate a realistic crash experience for the headset wearer who texts while driving during the simulation.

Walt Whitman high school senior Daniel Moreira admits to texting while driving and said that the day’s presentation was “very moving” and that he “never thought about texting in that way” before.

“The car accidents and the stories that people told on the screen was very moving and very upsetting,” Moreira said. “I’m glad I got to experience it all, because if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t feel this terrified about texting and driving. I’ll never do it again.”

See the original article here.

Kings Park advocates converge for anti-drug forum

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Kim Revere of Kings Park In the kNOw speaks at the drug forum. 

A grassroots advocacy group from Kings Park continued its quest to keep kids away from drugs last week with an informative forum flanked by a star-studded list of guest speakers.

Students attending William T. Rogers Middle School in Kings Park joined their parents at the school gym Wednesday night, March 4, in welcoming the speakers who assembled for the annual preventing destructive decisions forum.

Hosted by Kings Park In the kNOw (KPITK), a grassroots drug outreach and prevention organization, the forum served as an opportunity for parents and their children to become better educated on the perils of alcohol and drug addiction.

Opening the event, a member of the school faculty addressed parents and students who sat opposite a large stage and offered words of encouragement for the young members of the audience.

“Hopefully we can impress upon you tonight how much we love you and how much your families love you and the importance of the actions that you take at this level while you’re here with us at the middle school,” said the one faculty member, before introducing the night’s speakers.

The first speaker at the podium was Kim Revere, a volunteer for KPITK since 2007 and a mother of four. She described getting involved with the organization because of the growing drug problem gripping our communities and the difficulties she faced at home with her 27-year-old son, who at the time was struggling with heroin addiction.

“What Kings Park In the kNOw does is we try to bring educational programs into the schools and into the community to keep parents educated and educate kids as to what the trends are and try to have kids make positive decisions in their lives,” Revere said. “This town is growing and kids are dying. My son has been to rehab nine times; he is finally on the right track. He’s 27 years old and I will not trust him until the day I die. No matter how good he does. I don’t want another parent to live with that pain,” she added.

Suffolk County Legislator Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) was also in attendance and drew from his 25-year background in law enforcement to discuss the lasting impact that narcotics have on local communities.

“I used to say you put the police radio on the counter and when it went off 90 percent of those calls coming out of there are drug or alcohol related,” Trotta said. “Whether it be domestic abuse, a car accident, a robbery or a theft, people break into houses to get stuff to sell to get drugs. They’re not going to be paying their mortgage with it.”

Trotta also delivered an overview of Suffolk County’s Social Host Law and New York State’s 911 Good Samaritan Law passed in 2011, which according to the legislator is a “great law” that states that if you are in a situation involving illicit substances and someone with you is in immediate danger that you should “call 911, and you will not be arrested” through implication.

Rounding out the forum were presentations from Thomas’ Hope founder and drug prevention advocate Linda Ventura, and Kym Laube, executive director of Human Understanding and Growth Services.

Ventura lost her son Thomas to drug addiction in March 2012, when he died from a heroin overdose. Since then she’s been making routine trips to Albany to push for change in the area of addiction treatment services and to better define how we should combat drug use in New York State. On the one-year anniversary of her son’s death, she launched Thomas’ Hope, a nonprofit foundation that promotes drug awareness, prevention and advocacy.

As executive director of HUGS, Laube recognizes the risks that are present for young people and that the unfortunate circumstances that shook Ventura’s household with the loss of her son are becoming increasingly common as drug use grows in popularity throughout Long Island and across the country.

Through the HUGS program she actively seeks to promote social growth among children and adolescents through leadership programs and retreats and allow them to bond and have fun in the absence of drugs and alcohol.

“All of our activities are meant to have kids feel like they are a part of something and a part of something bigger,” Laube said. “So, that we become just as fun of an activity as maybe some of the other high risk choices that are out there.”

Taking time to address the night’s event, Laube reminded parents and students that while beneficial, the real challenge presented to prevention experts and lecturers who engage with an audience is the impact of their messaging over the long term. In order for lasting change to occur, a large community effort is important and necessary, according to Laube.

“We know that unless we begin to have consistent messaging all throughout, that it’s just one night of information,” said Laube. “So what we encourage communities to do is to really begin to bring about that community-level change and to have events regularly and often, and have parenting sessions and get better programs in schools for kids so it moves beyond just this one-shot event.”

See the original article here.

Smithtown turns back clock for 350th anniversary

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Town Board members played along with Smithtown’s 350th anniversary celebration Tuesday night, dressing up in outfits similar to those when the town was first founded. 

Take members of the Smithtown Town Board, dress them up in 17th century garb and the rest is history.

Officials commemorated the town of Smithtown’s 350th anniversary sponsored by the Smithtown 350 Foundation Tuesday with the opening of a time capsule and were joined by residents who braved the snow to attend the event at the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts.

Town historian Bradley Harris hosted the night’s proceedings and was joined onstage by Supervisor Patrick Vecchio (R) and his colleagues who wore elaborate 17th century period clothing and read passages from the Richard Nicolls Patent of 1665 — which outlined instructions for governance under English rule of what are now the states of New York and New Jersey.

Throughout the presentation Harris and those town officials that participated onstage engaged in playful banter and delivered light-hearted jokes that often got a rise out of the Long Islanders who watched from their seats.

Town Board members played along with Smithtown’s 350th anniversary celebration Tuesday night, dressing up in outfits similar to those when the town was first founded.

As the night progressed, Harris often pulled from the pages of history and delivered facts about the founding of Smithtown that those in attendance might not have otherwise known.

Despite the witty quips and wisecracks exchanged in the theater room of what used to be a local cinema, the 71-year-old historian and Saint James resident was quite serious and resolute about the importance of preserving history and the passion he holds for his community.

“This town is very interesting because it started with one man’s dream to carve out a niche for himself where he would be his own master and I think that’s [Smithtown founder] Richard Smith in a lot of ways,” Harris said. “He’s left us so many things to venerate.”

During the course of the event, eyes were drawn to a 50-year-old milk can worn with age, which sat to the far right of the stage. The dirtied metal time capsule was originally buried in 1965, and thanks in large part to the town Engineering Department, which had a precise map of its location, its contents were ready to be shared for the first time with audience members.

Town officials and residents were on their feet and the excitement filling the room was palpable. With a hard crack of a hammer, the time capsule was forced open and placed on the long table, where Vecchio and his colleagues were seated.

Among the contents contained within the milk can were: two dusty hats, a phonebook, a local newspaper, a flyer advertising tercentenary pageant tickets and an assortment of aged coins.

James Potts a resident of Smithtown, who has lived in the area for 63 years, was among those in attendance. Potts’ father was the town surveyor, and, due to this, Potts claims to have a very strong knowledge of the town’s history.

Asked about the night’s presentation, Potts said he was very happy with how things shaped up.

Town Board members played along with Smithtown’s 350th anniversary celebration Tuesday night, dressing up in outfits similar to those when the town was first founded. 

“As you can see from how the theater filled up, it shows you the extent of the connection in this town with the residents and basically the pride in the town that they live in,” said Potts.

While he enjoyed the event, Potts expressed some disappointment with the contents of the time capsule and felt as though there could have been more items included that could have better illustrated what life was like on Long Island in the early 1960s.

Also expressing his dismay with the time capsule finds was Harris, who as a historian expected a lot more.

“It was the era of Kennedy’s assassination, and I would’ve thought there would have been some commentary on that, but there was nothing and that’s a little disappointing,” said Harris. “The guys who made up the time capsule certainly were trying to stir interest in the past and they did that, but what we learned tonight was very limited.”

See the original article here.

Blue Devils Fall, But Homecoming Smiles Shine

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The Huntington marching band displays their shields in a showing of school pride during their parade march through the town streets on the day of the Huntington Homecoming event held on Sept. 26. (Photo / Jim Hoop)

The beautiful weekend weather served as an appropriate backdrop for Huntington High School’s daylong homecoming festivities Saturday afternoon, despite a 28-20 Blue Devils’ loss to Half Hollow Hills West.

Hundreds of people of all ages started the day off by marching to the beat of the Blue Devil Marching Band during a midday parade through the center of town and up New York Avenue.

The crowd’s destination was Huntington’s turf field, which hundreds of fans gathered around to watch the Blue Devils duke it out with the Colts of Hills West.

Huntington jumped out to an early 6-0 lead in the first quarter with 8-yard touchdown grab by Jahmik Curry, thrown by William Wright, which whipped the crowd into a frenzy.

The Colts responded, though, and the teams sat even, 14-14, at halftime. Hills West ultimately edged-out Huntington, 28-20.

But the Blue Devils’ halftime show was explosive.

A performance by the Blue Devil Marching Band, inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, incorporated rattling chains that accented a blaring horn section. Following the marching band, the Huntington Highsteppers performed before Alexandra Berwick and Dan Mollitor were crowned homecoming king and queen.

This year’s parade-float competition pitted each of Huntington’s classes against each other to see whose float best represented the homecoming theme, Dr. Seuss.

“I think it all starts with our kids when they’re building the floats for their class,” said Bob Piccola, of Huntington, father of two Huntington high schoolers. “It’s actually pretty neat when they take it through the town and the businesses open up their windows and are rooting everybody on.”

He added, “It all leads up to this homecoming, which is a pretty great thing for the town. It brings our community together.”

A panel of judges awarded Huntington’s sophomores with first place for their float inspired by “Horton Hears a Who.” The seniors and juniors took second and third place respectively with floats reflecting “The Cat in the Hat” and “The Lorax.”

As the homecoming festivities drew to a close, many people marched back to their cars with smiles on their faces, despite the Blue Devils’ loss.

“It was just a beautiful day featuring a fantastic turnout,” Superintendent James Polansky said to the crowd before kickoff. “Thank you to the many from all of our schools who participated.”

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One Family’s Fight For Drug Awareness

Posted on by chrismellides
The Brower family in the backyard of their Dix Hills home in front of a garden planted in memory of John Brower Jr., who died of a drug overdose, in June 2014. From left to right: John Brower Sr., Jody Brower, Kristen Brower, Robert Brower.

Heroin has put a chokehold on Long Island communities, with the number of heroin users and drug arrests rising over the past few years.  

In January, then-Northport Village police chief, Eric Brikenthal reported 44 drug arrests involving the dangerous opiate for 2014, up from 22 confirmed arrests in 2013. In just one year, arrests doubled, and police say that they expect the numbers will continue to grow. 

For Dix Hills residents Jody and John Brower, the consequences of heroin abuse are all too real. In June 2014, the parents of three lost their son John to a drug overdose. 

“He was addicted to oxycodone, and we all know oxycodone is a gateway drug, Brower said. Now that it’s become harder to get, it escalated to where he tried heroin.” 

Brower says that his late son had been in rehab numerous times, but after 59 days of sobriety, he relapsed.

Following John’s tragic death, the Brower family felt the need to speak out against drug abuse and raise awareness with the goal of helping young people held captive by heroin addiction. 

In search of answers the Browers discovered The Outreach Program, an organization established in 1980 to provide treatment to those addicted to drugs and alcohol, particularly teenagers. 

“The fact that the average stay at Outreach is outside of the realm of what your insurance covers is crucial. I believe their average stay is between 12 and 14 months,” Brower said. “Right now, if you have health insurance, it covers 28 or 30 days of rehab. That’s nowhere near enough time. And there is no aftercare when you come out of rehab.”

A meeting was scheduled between the Browers and Outreach through a mutual friend, with both parties deciding that working together to raise funding for Outreach would prove useful in bringing drug awareness to Long Islanders.

“We as a family have taken a stance, we’re not going to sugar coat how my kids lost their brother and we lost our son,” said Brower. “We’re trying to raise awareness and try to get something positive out of losing him. And if we can help save somebody else’s life and save another family the heartache that we went through, that is our goal.” 

In working towards that goal, the family founded the John Brower Jr. Foundation. To date, they have donated more than $16,000 to Outreach. The couple’s two other children, Kristen and Robert, have also gotten involved in various fundraising efforts. 

Robert has helped through his work with the family accounting firm by organizing the foundation, while Kristen established a walk at Towson University in Maryland, where she goes to school, and has raised hundreds of dollars.

“This is something you need to discuss with your children. It’s not something we need to sweep under the rug,” said Robert Brower. “I would rather have kids be armed with education to know exactly what can happen to them if they go ahead and enter into this downward spiral.” 

The next fundraising event planned for the foundation is the John Brower, Jr. Memorial 5K Walk to benefit Outreach. It will be held at Jones Beach on Oct. 10. 

Brower says that other activities are being planned, for what the family hopes will be a charity that has the potential to go nation-wide.

“We’ve pledged to continue this fight as long as we can so the drug problem can be highlighted,” said Brower. “Someone has to step up and do something about addiction.”

For more information on the John Brower Jr. Foundation, and to register for the 5K walk, visit johnbrowerjrfoundation.org.

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