Softball Field Renamed; Town Joins Federal Energy Challenge

Town Joins Energy Challenge

The Huntington Town Board voted to accept the U.S. Department of Energy’s invitation to join the federal government’s Better Buildings Energy Challenge partnership on May 8.

Huntington is the only municipality on Long Island and one of five in the state to be invited to join the challenge, in which governments pledge to achieve a 20 percent improvement in energy usage by the year 2020.

The invitation came as a result of the Town’s innovative use of its $1.725 million Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant and the breadth of its energy efficiency projects, which included replacing 5,000 street lights with energy efficient fixtures that reduced electricity usage by 59 percent; installing energy efficient lighting and blowers at the Town’s sewage treatment plant, reducing energy use by 15 to 20 percent; various energy upgrades at Town Hall, including a computerized building management system and the installation of solar panels on the Town Hall annex ; and the construction of an electric car charging station at the Huntington Long Island Rail Road Station parking garage, including solar panels whose production is predicted to offset the electricity used by the vehicles being charged.

As part of the challenge, Huntington agrees to develop an energy efficiency action plan to implement retrofit projects through 2020 and announce a Showcase Energy Efficiency retrofit project in cooperation with the Department of Energy by the end of next year.

Huntington will receive national recognition as a leader in the local energy efficiency movement at the Better Buildings Summit for State and Local Communities scheduled to be held next month in Denver.         

Also at the May 8 meeting, the Board:

• Approved an agreement with the owners of the property at 1130 West Jericho Tpke., Huntington, that requires the owners to continue with the removal of the illegal mulch piles at the property and to reimburse the Town for the costs of the emergency cleanup that the Town began last month. The Board appropriated $250,000 for the cost of the cleanup, for which the Town will be reimbursed when the property is sold. The Town Board has approved a rezoning that will allow construction of a luxury adult community on the site.

• Authorized the Supervisor to apply to the State of New York to purchase, for $1, the former Armory building on Fifth Street in Huntington Station. The property will be used for park and recreation purposes.  

• Approved spending up to $15,000 to purchase and install a fiberglass fish barrier at the spillway at Heckscher Park as part of an aquatic invasive vegetation control effort that will include stocking the Heckscher Park pond with grass carp. In the same resolution, the Board approved $18,000 to design and improve a natural community gathering and children’s play area at Gateway Park. This would be the first such play area in the Town, following the natural classroom concept supported nationally by the Arbor Day Foundation and locally by the Long Island Nature Collaborative for Kids.

• Authorized a six-month pilot leash dog walking program at Frazier Park in Greenlawn as part of a community watch effort.

• Adopted a home rule message asking the State Legislature and the Governor to approve the legislation necessary to allow creation of a local civil administrative enforcement bureau to adjudicate violations of local laws and Town codes.

Greenlawn Skate Park Closed

Until further notice, the Greenlawn Skate Park is closed for repairs. Skateboarders are encouraged to use the skate park at on Bellerose Avenue in East Northport.

Halesite Softball Field Renamed Huntington 'Softball Hall of Fame'

Softball Field Number 1 at Mill Dam Park in Halesite was officially renamed in honor of the Township of Huntington Softball Hall of Fame on May 6. The ceremony was attended by many of the Hall’s 114 living members.  

Founded in 1978, the Hall has played an integral role in promoting softball and sportsmanship and has honored and recognized members of the Huntington community who have supported the growth of the sport. Since its inception, 201 persons have been elected to the Hall of Fame, 87 of whom are deceased.

Members of the Hall of Fame have generously supported numerous charities throughout the Town, including the establishment of an educational scholarship to a deserving high school senior.

Tulip Festival Art Contest Winners Recognized

Winners of the Huntington Arts Council's 2012 Tulip Festival School Art Contest where honored alongside their teachers and parents last week.

For the contest, art students were asked to express their views on spring in Huntington and the 12th Annual Tulip Festival using artistic interpretation. The contest was open to students in grades 3 through 8 in schools within Huntington township. 

Three winners from each grade level received a $50 gift card courtesy of Astoria Federal Savings and had their work displayed at Huntington's 12th Annual Tulip Festival on Sunday, May 6. Art teachers' schools received $50 for each student whose art was chosen as the best of the grade, also courtesy of Astoria Federal Savings.

For the first time, one student was awarded the Carolyn Fostel “Best in Show” award, given in honor of the late Ms. Fostel of Astoria Federal Savings. Ms. Fostel was instrumental in joining Astoria Federal Savings and the Town of Huntington together as co-sponsors of the Huntington Tulip Festival since its inception in 2001.

Bike to Work Week

The town o Huntington showed solidarity with cyclists as it presented an official proclamation to Paul Spreer of 511NY Rideshare and Lanny Wexler of the New York State Department of Transportation in recognition of the League of American Cyclists annual Bike To Work Week event.

Bike To Work Week will begin on Monday, May 14 and will end on Friday, May 18. This is the League of American Cyclists 56th year promoting this nationally recognized event. 

Councilman Cuthbertson encouraged residents who commute by train to take advantage of the Bicycle Locker Program. Bicycle Lockers were installed by the State of New York Department of Transportation at all four LIRR stations in an effort to provide a green and environmentally friendly mode of transportation and ease traffic congestion. These lockers are self-contained, secure and protect your bicycle from elements of weather. The New York State Department of Transportation feels that biking can be faster than driving to the train station and in renting one of these lockers, no time is wasted looking for a parking space.

For information on these bicycle lockers and/or anyone interested in leasing one, please contact 511NY Rideshare (the contractor for the NYS DOT) at (631) 479-3093 or visit 511NYRideshare.org .