An official website of the United States government The Jamaica Plain campus of the VA Boston HCS provides primary care and specialty services The Ambulatory Care Center serves as a hub for outpatient care Services also include substance abuse programs neuropsychology and the only VA radiation oncology program in the region This campus is also home to the Behavioral Science and Women’s Health Sciences Divisions of the National Center for PTSD Select a service on this page to check the hours Wheelchair availability: Wheelchairs are available upon arrival for patients who need them to access the building We offer COVID-19 testing on demand for Veterans who are enrolled in VA health care. Spouses and caregivers are not currently eligible for COVID-19 testing from VA There is no medical evaluation or treatment provided by the testing clinics If you have mild symptoms and are concerned about COVID-19 infection we can provide a test with instructions for follow-up as needed Visit our vaccine and testing information page to learn more and for schedule info We work with Disabled American Veterans and county Veterans Affairs directors to provide transportation for Veterans and authorized caregivers to get to scheduled medical appointments Learn more about VA Boston HCS shuttles and other local transportation services Beneficiary travel benefits include round-trip transportation from your home to the medical center Find out if you qualify for beneficiary travel benefits A VBA Boston Regional Benefits Office representative is available at the Jamaica Plain VA campus for walk-in assistance on Thursdays DAV representation is available at the Jamaica Plain VA campus on Tuesday and is located on the first floor just past the pharmacy in room D1-126 The Lodge at Huntington House offers a temporary residence to Veterans who live outside a 50-mile radius of the Jamaica Plain campus.  Learn more about Huntington House Learn more about the VA Boston Chaplain Service you’ll need to contact your primary care or mental health provider first We help Veterans on their recovery journey through outpatient and inpatient services Our residential facility helps Veterans deal with substance abuse mental health and unemployment through its 24-hour therapeutic and educational programs VA Boston Healthcare System substance use disorder programs include: Learn more about our VA treatment programs Our Audiology and Speech Pathology clinic provides diagnostic and rehabilitative services and screening for employee hearing conservation We offer a full range of audiology and speech pathology services there is a Hearing Aid Repair walk-in clinic at the Jamaica Plain Campus for hearing aid problems/repairs on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 8:00 a.m You can also call  to request a postage page mailing label be sent to you for repair-by-mail or use one of our repair drop boxes: Just  place device(s) in a labeled and sealed envelope or bag (not a box- it won't fit inside the drop slot) and include a note with the Veteran’s name return shipping address and a description of problem Learn more about VA hearing aids We help those with low vision or blindness regain independence and quality of life Ask your VA eye care provider for a consult with Optometry "Advanced Low Vision," or contact us and we will help Our low vision outpatient clinic can assess your needs and provide a rehab plan tailored to your personal goals Our team of specialists and social workers will work with you to find the right aids and services We provide COVID-19 vaccinations to Veterans enrolled in VA health care Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines at VA Boston and see clinic schedules and other health care providers to develop a specialized treatment plan Designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Treatment Center patient referrals come from primary care providers at VA Boston HCS as well as many other regional VA facilities nearly 300 patients per month receive treatment -- most in an outpatient setting If you are interested in participating or have any questions please call us If you’re a caregiver for a Veteran you can get support by contacting one of our caregiver support coordinators Learn more and connect with a support coordinator Additionally, the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) can provides a financial stipend, health insurance and beneficiary travel to caregivers of eligible Veterans. For more information, visit the VA PCAFC page Chiropractic care is provided on an outpatient basis Contact your primary care team for a referral treatment and management of neuromuscular and musculoskeletal conditions using non-pharmacologic and non-operative methods Chiropractors utilize standard medical evaluation procedures along with biomechanical assessment to establish a diagnosis and formulate a management plan. Chiropractors work closely with your healthcare team to diagnose and manage muscle and joint conditions Treatment includes a variety of different options you’ll need to contact your primary care or specialty provider If you’re eligible for VA dental care we offer a full range of quality dental services Click here to learn more about eligibility for VA dental care Not eligible for VA dental care? The VA Dental Insurance Program (VADIP) offers discounted private dental insurance for Veterans and family members who meet certain requirements. Click here to find out if you're eligible and learn how to enroll in a VADIP plan that meets your needs and budget We diagnose and treat medical conditions relating to the skin We diagnose and treat hormone imbalances and other endocrine system problems that can create or complicate serious medical conditions we care for approximately 500 to 600 patients in our outpatient clinic each month and perform in more than 2,500 endoscopic procedures annually We can also test and treat other organs of the digestive system We assess your situation and condition to decide which outpatient geriatric services are right for you or a senior Veteran in your care Our team of specialists provides geriatric services that include: Learn more about Geriatrics & Extended Care at VA Boston ask your primary care provider for a referral Please bring all medication bottles and pillboxes a photo ID (such as your Veteran’s ID card or a driver’s license) and your health insurance information with you to your first Geriatrics appointment We encourage you to bring a family member or caregiver If you are transferring from a health care provider outside the VA it is helpful if you bring your medical records with you Learn more about VA long-term care Contact us through the Call Center using at to schedule or ask your primary care team for a referral We preform the following types of treatment: If you aren't currently being seen by Gynecology you can be referred by your primary care provider for an initial consultation If you are already being followed by Gynecology Learn more about our Gynecology surgeons at VA Boston health care The primary goal of the  our Cancer Center is to encourage and promote collaborative interactions and translational research that will lead to new approaches to cancer prevention Hematology and Oncology diagnose and treat cancers and blood-related disorders At the VA Boston Healthcare System these specialty sections work closely together and share a treatment area We offer an extensive program of patient care education and research with a staff of physicians fellows and nurse clinicians. Designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Treatment Center patient referrals come from primary care providers at VA healthcare systems across the region we treat about 290 patients per month -- most  in an outpatient setting Our hematology and oncology services include: We offer outpatient clinics at the Brockton and Jamaica Plain campuses and inpatient care at the West Roxbury campus ask your Primary Care team for a referral. A Hematology or Oncology specialist will then manage the your care Each VA Boston HCS campus has an LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator (VCC) who can connect you with services and help you navigate specialized resources The VA Boston Healthcare System is committed to the health bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+) Veterans and their families welcoming and affirmative environment when providing you with sensitive and high-quality health care services like: Learn more and connect with a care coordinator Contact your primary care or specialty provider for a referral Our laboratories provide a full range of clinical and diagnostic testing services Our laboratory and pathology services include: When you visit one of our labs to have your blood drawn you will be asked to present your VA identification card or other identification that has your full Social Security Number (SSN) on it our phlebotomists are required to ask you to recite your full name and SSN as an extra measure of patient safety Please follow any dietary restrictions that your doctor may have requested -- such as fasting -- for your bloodwork Our medical center and clinics provide consultation and treatment for a range of issues that may impact your mental health or emotional well-being You may even be able to get certain mental health care if you aren't otherwise eligible for VA health care Same-day mental health care is available for Veterans who need it Our confidential outpatient services include individual and group therapy for: specialized programs are available for returning Veterans and for women veterans. Inpatient care is also available for Veterans in need of intensive treatment.  Our residential/transitional programs can provide temporary housing to Veterans while offering treatments for a wide range of mental health concerns Learn more and connect with a care coordinator Veterans in need of emergency assistance can call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988 and press 1 Veterans can also the Emergency Department at the West Roxbury Campus 24/7 Contact us for questions related to care for Military Sexual Trauma The VA Boston Healthcare System offers timely access to care for military sexual trauma.  Military sexual trauma refers to sexual assault or remarks that you experienced in the military Our goal is to help you improve your quality of life with strategies to manage emotions and memories related to your military sexual trauma For questions related to care for Military Sexual Trauma you can contact the VA Boston MST Coordinators or in person at the Jamaica Plain campus of the Boston VA Learn more about military sexual trauma care at VA Boston Our team of kidney doctors (nephrologists) actively manage all aspects of adult kidney disease renal hypertension (high blood pressure caused by kidney disease) This specialty is also frequently known as renal services this service has been active in clinical research projects for more than 25 years Its investigators currently participate in research areas of Chronic Renal Disease and High Blood Pressure ask your Primary Care team for a consult or call the Nutrition scheduler at Our registered dietitians can help you maintain or improve your health with good nutrition tailored to your needs we provide nutrition education and counseling in areas such as: ask your Primary Care team for a consult or call the Nutrition Scheduler at Learn more about VA Boston's Nutrition and Food Service Walk-in services are also available during regular business hours for emergencies as well as eyeglass adjustments and repairs Comprehensive eye care with a focus on vision correction and screening for ocular disease If you aren't currently being seen by Optometry If you are already being followed by Optometry Learn more about our Optometrists at VA Boston health care If you have symptoms of PTSD after a traumatic event We offer assessment and treatment support such as private counseling Contact us for an appointment or to just learn more about PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event It’s normal to have upsetting memories feel on edge or have trouble sleeping after this type of event We can help you with effective treatments and support services Learn more about PTSD If you aren't being seen by Palliative Care social worker or other clinician can refer you If you're already being seen by Palliative Care Our palliative and hospice care services support you and your family as you cope with a life-threatening or terminal illness and improve the quality of life for patients being treated for serious illnesses Hospice care focuses on helping patients with terminal illnesses to manage the final stages of their lives Our inpatient and outpatient palliative and hospice care services include: specialist provider or social worker for a referral.  Learn more about inpatient palliative care consultation at the West Roxbury campus Learn more about our Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program Learn more about our hospice and palliative care inpatient unit.  Frequently asked questions about hospice and palliative care -- National Institute on Aging If you or a Veteran you care for has not been able to resolve important issues related to VA through other means of communication Our Patient Experience Coordinators work to ensure you receive the best possible care at our health care facilities We work with all departments on your behalf to address your questions or concerns or a Veteran you care for has not been able to resolve important care issues through other means please contact one of our highly-skilled patient experience coordinators Learn more and connect with a patient advocate Survey of Healthcare Experience of Patients you may receive a confidential questionnaire in the mail or by email asking you about your most recent outpatient or inpatient treatment at our medical center Please use the survey to let us know of any concerns complaints or questions you have about your care We also appreciate compliments about what we are doing right Request refills and renewals: call the refill line at (press 2); mail in refill slips; or request through My HealtheVet New prescriptions: ask your primary care or specialty provider The VA Boston Healthcare System pharmacy provides Veterans with convenient making it easy to get your medications and medical supplies Pharmacy is emphasizing a mail-order system but you can pick up prescriptions in person at the medical center campuses: Veterans may request refills and renewals by: Please allow 10-14 days for prescription delivery by mail Veterans may request expedited shipments and may request changing routine medications from 30 day fills to 90 day fills by contacting the prescription refill line at 1- and press 2 Please visit MyHealtheVet for information about any prescription you may be taking Learn more about the Pharmacy at VA Boston Healthcare System Ask your primary care provider for a referral Walk-ins accepted for Durable Medicine Equipment only Care we provide at VA Boston Healthcare System: Our physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors and therapists focus on whole-body health to help improve physical function and personalize care for rehabilitation based on patient goals *Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities **Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation Program Learn more.. occupational therapy and kinesiotherapy can help restore movement and function if you have been disabled by injury or disease If you’re living with or recovering from an injury illness or chronic condition that limits your mobility and independence occupational and movement therapists and assistants combine therapeutic exercise education and training to help you improve your health and quality of life Kinesiotherapy involves an evaluation and a program of exercise therapy and training to help improve a patient's strength Occupational therapy is a health and rehabilitation program that assists people to live life to its fullest by building skills for a better life Physical therapy helps people improve their movement and physical function and recover from and prevent injury and chronic disease Massage therapy provides clinical services that address a vast array of problems impacting the health and function of patients by promoting circulation of blood and lymph, reliving muscle tension, alleviating pain and anxiety, promoting sleep, reducing stress and enhancing the general sense of wellness. Learn more about massage therapy at VA Boston Some services may be available virtually through VA Video Connect Your VA primary care provider will work closely with you to plan for all the care you need to stay healthy and well throughout your life They will also work with family members or caregivers who support you Your primary care team also coordinates many other care and services you may receive primary care is provided only through scheduled appointments Emergency Services are provided only by the Emergency Department on the West Roxbury campus for urgent conditions that are appropriate to be treated on an outpatient basis in a primary care clinical setting same-day or next-day appointments in primary care are available The Patient Call Center is a very important part of primary care providing ready access to the primary care team Patients may use this system to communicate with the team receive clinical advice or answers to questions and to make or change a clinic appointment All patients enrolled in primary care have access to this service dial 1- -- available 24 hours per day state-of-the-art adaptive home equipment and other equipment to help you preserve and increase your mobility and independence Ask your primary care or specialty provider for a referral VA is the world’s largest and most comprehensive provider of sensory aides and prosthetic devices Veterans enrolled in the VA Boston Healthcare System and referred by a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician can receive the full range of services and equipment Here are some useful links for more information: Automotive adaptive equipment  Clothing Allowance Home Improvement and Structural Alterations (HISA) If you’re struggling with a mental health problem—or just need to talk with someone—we can help We offer treatment and support such as therapy alternative treatments  and medications when needed Good mental health is a vital part of your overall wellness and treatment to help you with a range of mental and behavioral health problems Veterans in need of emergency assistance can call the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1 for Veteran You can also visit the Emergency Room at our West Roxbury campus 24/7 Veterans can be evaluated urgently at:Jamaica Plain Urgent Care Clinic: Brockton Urgent Care Clinic: West Roxbury Emergency Department: or Routine outpatient mental health services are also available directly or through a referral from your primary care provider Our pulmonary medicine team treats diseases and conditions that affect the lungs and breathing acute respiratory distress syndrome and sleep apnea If you find it difficult to breathe or sleep we offer inpatient and outpatient consultative services pulmonary procedures -- including advanced bronchoscopy -- pulmonary function tests sleep and allergy evaluations and treatment We work closely with our Allergy/Immunology team in the same location Our sleep specialists diagnose and treat sleep apnea and sleep disorders The radiation oncology service works with your health care team to target cancer safely and precisely using radiation therapy Radiation oncologists specialize in using high-energy radiation to kill or damage cancer cells and either destroy tumors or control their growth The Jamaica Plain campus of the VA Boston Healthcare System hosts the only Radiation Oncology Service in VA New England and is accredited through the American College of Radiology Our doctors sometimes use radiation therapy in combination with surgery The radiation therapy you receive will depend on cancer type We offer radiology and imaging services to diagnose and treat many medical conditions VA Boston is equipped with the most advanced imaging technology available and offers advanced interventional radiology services with many highly specialized procedures The radiology team consists of both technologists and radiologists Each technologist is trained specifically for the test performed The radiologists are medical doctors who interpret the resulting images. After they review your images and medical history the radiologists send a report of the findings to your doctor who ordered the test Usually you will not meet with a radiologist during your appointment He or she will speak with your doctor about any significant findings or to learn more about you As we are an affiliate of Boston University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School teaching is an important part of our mission Our radiologists are regularly involved in teaching and supervising medical residents *Not all services are available at all campuses.  Watch this video for more information Appointments with the department of Rheumatology require a referral by your primary care physician Here are some useful patient education resources both from VA and from other credible sources VA does not endorse or maintain non-VA materials or websites PTSD tied to autoimmune disorders About arthritis American College of Rheumatology Arthritis Organization The sleep medicine service diagnoses and treats your sleep problems if you are spending enough time in bed and still wake up tired or feel very sleepy during the day ask your VA Primary Care team or call the Sleep Clinic at during regular business hours.   For information on insomnia and how you can manage it, visit Path to Better Sleep - Veteran Training (va.gov) Ask your primary care or specialty provider to speak to a social worker Services we provide at VA Boston health care We can help you and your family manage stress-related problems due to injury or illness and find VA and community-based resources to meet your needs Call the Veterans Crisis Line at and press 1 for help anytime Our local suicide prevention coordinators can also connect you with counseling and services We work with behavioral health providers and community organizations to help you and your family during times of crisis Mental health services at VA Boston offer same-day access to mental health care for Veterans who need it Our emergency department on the West Roxbury campus is also open 24/7 for Veterans with urgent mental health care needs outside of regular business hours Additionally, VA offers mobile apps that support many aspects of mental health and wellness. Visit https://mobile.va.gov/appstore/mental-health to learn more.  Veterans and their loved ones can always call VA’s Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1, chat at www.veteranscrisisline.net Learn more and connect with a care coordinator we make sure that your procedure and follow-up care are safe and high-quality otherwise known as General Surgery  is a surgical specialty that focuses on alimentary canal [GI Tract] and abdominal contents including the esophagus  We also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast and hernias and perform endoscopic procedures such as gastroscopy and colonoscopy Learn more about of General surgery surgeons at VA Boston health care If you aren't currently being seen by General surgery you can be referred by your Primary Care Provider for an initial consultation If you are already being followed by General Surgery Contact your primary care provider for a telehealth referral Telehealth is just one of the virtual care technologies we offer. Click here  to learn more about Connected Care resources which offer greater convenience and empower you to take charge of your health care from the comfort of your home.  We use the latest in secure digital technology to set up remote visits with our health care providers and store-and-forward telehealth that lets you securely send your health information to experts at VA facilities We offer telehealth visits with providers in specialties such as: walk-in care for minor injuries and non-emergency illnesses that are not life-threatening but need early attention Urgent care services for eligible Veterans are available on a walk-in basis We offer urgent care for injuries and illnesses that are not life-threatening but which shouldn’t wait for an appointment Urgent care services for eligible Veterans are available at our Brockton and Jamaica Plain campuses: Urgent care is also available from a VA Community Care Network (CCN) urgent care provider. Find a VA CCN urgent care clinic near you at https://www.va.gov/find-locations We also offer emergency care for an injury illness or symptom so severe that a delay in seeking immediate medical attention would be reasonably expected to be hazardous to life or health The VA Boston Emergency Department is open 24/7 and located on the West Roxbury Campus if you believe your life or health is in danger call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department right away For more information on selecting the right type of care, visit Choosing Between Urgent And Emergency Care | Veterans Affairs (va.gov).  If you aren't currently being seen by Urology please ask your Primary Care team for an initial consult If you are already being followed by Urology and treat a wide range of urology diseases and conditions that include kidney stones and minimally invasive procedures for health issues that affect: Learn more about our Urology Surgical Staff Note: Please bring any applicable non-VA records or X-Rays with you when coming to your Urology appointment specialty provider or social worker for a referral We help Veterans with physical and mental health challenges find and keep jobs We help you find jobs through our long-term partnerships with business Learn more about VA vocational rehabilitation to help you preserve and increase your mobility Call the clinic for an evaluation or ask your primary care or specialty provider for a referral VA Boston Wheelchair and Seating Clinics provide lifelong service Our program will repair damaged equipment or replace equipment when it is beyond repair If the Veteran or caregiver has access to Veteran Video Connect on their smartphone there is a possibility that a portion of the wheelchair and seating visit could be conducted virtually The program encourages Veterans to inquire about this virtual clinic option at time of scheduling How to schedule with Wheelchair and Seating clinics: Partner with your healthcare team to explore what matters most to you and develop a personalized health plan based on your values Explore the services offered by the Whole Health Team: Learn more about whole health at VA Boston HCS VA Boston Whole Health Flyer Additional resources about Whole Health Ask your healthcare team for a referral or call 857-203-4876 We offer women’s health services to meet your specific needs such as disease screenings maternity care and female-specific medical equipment Our women's health program offers complete health care for women Veterans of all ages Our primary care providers specialize in women’s health and work closely with specialists in gynecology Learn more and connect with the Women Veterans Program Manager.  The Women Veterans Call Center provides women Veterans information about VA services and resources, benefits and eligibility. The toll-free line is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time and on Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Please see the Women Veterans Call Center website or call 855-VA-WOMEN -- Demonstrators on Thursday at the intersection of Jericho Turnpike and State Route 110 in South Huntington carry signs and chant slogans to protest President Donald Trump's actions since returning to the White House For more on the Trump administration's impact on Long Island, click here Demonstrators stacked the corners of a busy South Huntington intersection Thursday afternoon to decry Republican President Donald Trump's norm-rattling White House return and urge taking action to prevent cuts to Medicaid and other federal programs The anthems and chants were familiar but the list of grievances — over Trump's efforts to reduce the federal government's power in some areas while increasing it in others — sounded new said she has been to demonstrations dating back to the Vietnam War Trump is "doing nothing but inflicting cruelty not only on America, but the whole world” through his immigration policies. She expressed concern over the case of Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student at Columbia University who was detained at his U.S. citizenship interview but has since been freed Selkin and close to 1,000 others crowded the curbs in all directions at the intersection of Jericho Turnpike and Route 110 as cars and trucks passed by drivers providing a constant horn presence at an event featuring Twisted Sister’s "We’re Not Gonna Take It” and The Beatles’ "Revolution.” The demonstration was the work of a handful of grassroots organizers, who used social media to spread the word about the protest, among similar rallies nationwide and globally Thursday in support of May Day from aggressive tariffs that have led to fears of a recession to the administration’s immigration crackdowns Eve Krief, with Engage Long Island, an online activist group, and one of the organizers, joined other leaders to hand out copies of a typed letter people can send to Long Island's four members of the U.S. House of Representatives to urge them to oppose potential cuts to Medicaid Protesters signed individual copies and amended a blank section with a personal story and additional concerns They each received one of four distinct versions of the letter each addressed to the sender’s respective representative Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) mention they both voted for a budget resolution that would slash $880 billion from the federal department overseeing Medicaid both representatives sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson vowing to preserve Medicaid funding in their districts while seeking out ways to reform the program "You can’t have it both ways,” Krief said at the rally or they’re being misinformed themselves .. There are no reforms that are going to yield them $880 billion and there is no way to have that level of spending cuts without seriously impacting the people that rely on Medicaid for their health care." Some 680,000 Nassau and Suffolk County residents use Medicaid for to help cover health care In a statement emailed to Newsday through a spokesperson Thursday evening Garbarino said there has been a "false narrative” regarding potential cuts to Medicaid "As the reconciliation process moves forward I remain committed to preserving Medicaid and ensuring it remains a strong That’s why I recently joined several of my colleagues in sending a letter to House Leadership opposing any potential reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations in the final reconciliation bill," the statement said A LaLota spokesperson did not immediately return a request to comment Suffolk County GOP chairman Jessie Garcia said tens of thousands of Long Islanders "overwhelmingly” support the policies of President Trump including the pledge to "root out fraud Trump received 105,402 more votes than his opponent in the 2024 election "This is not a constituent that’s concerned that their Medicaid services are being cut,” Garcia said of the protesters sending letters to members of Congress "This is a Democratic leaning operative or a member of a Democratic organization .. that are given a letter and given direction.” The White House press office could not be immediately reached through the White House switchboard late Thursday evening politics and crime stories in Suffolk County By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy Debra Stevens of Melville signs a letter at the rally intended for her legislator Trump's influence on NY's future .. Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV Get more on these and other NewsdayTV stories The Newsday app makes it easier to access content without having to log in Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months 2025 at 4:59 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The cast of Walt Whitman High School's production of “Chicago” in the opening number (Courtesy of South Huntington School District)SOUTH HUNTINGTON NY — Audiences were dazzled by Walt Whitman High School’s production of the musical "Chicago," according to the South Huntington School District the school’s Center Stage Productions brings the South Huntington community a classic musical locked up in the city’s Cook County jail in the 1920s jazz age even if it takes being accused of murder to get it who manipulates their stories to feed a scandal-hungry public by whipping up the media into writing sensationalized headlines across the city The musical was performed to enthusiastic audiences from April 4 to April 6 has always wanted to stage "Chicago" at Whitman She’s been teaching dance at the high school for 23 years Walt Whitman is one of only a few high schools on Long Island that still offers dance classes as part of its Arts curriculum Radin says choosing a show every year is like putting together a puzzle "You have a group and you kind of have an idea of what they're capable of," Radin said "And I try to choose a show that I know I will be able to cast I have to take into account how many girls I have And then you listen to the auditions and you take all the puzzle pieces and you start moving them around the board." She knew she had the right mix of talent this year to stage the acclaimed musical that first premiered on Broadway back in 1975 "producing any version of Chicago without it With the help of Dance Captain and high school senior Morgan O’Donoghue the cast had to learn Fosse’s original choreography to the best of their ability from old footage Radin admitted she also added a little "Whitman flare" to the choreography "A lot of the kids that were on stage for this production I’ve had in my dance classes for three and four years." One of the lead actors who has not been in Radin’s dance classes for years and admitted to being a little nervous about learning the iconic choreography was Gracie DeMarinis in the challenging role of Velma Kelly "I spent every free period I had in the dance room practicing all the dances but there were times when I kind of thought I wasn't going to be able to get it But then the more the rehearsal process went on the more I felt 'I'm going to be able to do it and it's going to look great.'" vaudevillian score features well known songs like "All That Jazz," "Cell Block Tango," and "Razzle Dazzle." made up of talented students and two teachers was conducted by Music and Art Department Chairman They brought the audience back to the Roaring 20s right from the opening note of the overture No production is complete without all the behind-the-scenes talent — the set design and construction including Whitman’s Lamplighters and their advisor made sure the production looked and sounded great The annual musical production is also part of Walt Whitman’s Spring Fling the high school has invited senior citizens from the South Huntington community to come to the high school for a fun afternoon of lunch They also get a free ticket to see the musical they had a great time socializing with friends before heading to Walt Whitman’s Performing Arts Center to see the Saturday matinee performance of "Chicago." Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. A .boston.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the City of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu today announced that Victory Programs with support from the City of Boston and state partners has acquired the enVision Hotel at 81 South Huntington Avenue Building on the City’s ongoing efforts to better serve unsheltered individuals experiencing substance use disorder centered in the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard This major acquisition secures a vital resource for individuals experiencing homelessness and addresses the need for long-term supportive housing in Boston has also signed a two-year contract with the City to continue site operations through 2027 This period will allow for further planning to secure additional funding to best support the transition to permanent supportive housing.  Victory Programs has run the enVision Hotel as a low-threshold housing shelter since 2021 providing safe and stable housing for over 200 individuals who have been navigating homelessness many of whom have moved on to permanent supportive housing The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Addiction Services initially funded the program through December 2024 To ensure the continuation of these critical services the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) and the Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH) intervened to support the acquisition and operations of the property avoiding disruption to the lives of individuals being served.  “Preserving and expanding shelter and supportive housing options are essential to our city’s efforts to make Boston a home for everyone and address homelessness with compassion “I’m grateful to Victory Programs for their partnership in this acquisition of enVision Hotel which helps us continue our critical work to provide life-saving shelter to residents who need it most while transitioning to long-term solutions that offer more stability Thank you to our state partners and especially Representative John Moran for securing funding to support this partnership.” “The Envision hotel provides an important transitional step for people suffering from substance abuse disorder,” said State Representative John Moran “I am deeply grateful for the partnership between the city and state that will enable the site to continue to operate over the coming years.”  Victory Programs’ purchase of enVision Hotel was made possible through a loan from the City of Boston using federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and a loan from the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) the City can continue shelter operations at a sustainable cost while planning a gradual transition of the property to permanent supportive housing over the next several years “This project highlights the power of investing and expanding on the programs in Boston that are working,” said Sheila Dillon “Victory Programs has effectively served the urgent needs of our residents experiencing homelessness at this site since 2021 and we are excited to continue to build on that foundation and expand the project to permanent supportive housing.” Permanent supportive housing is a proven approach to addressing chronic homelessness by combining affordable housing with on-site services such as case management This model provides stability for individuals who face significant barriers to maintaining housing Residents currently living in the site will have the option to remain as the property transitions with new placements being coordinated through the City’s Coordinated Entry system which ensures equitable access to housing resources for residents most in need “The Boston Public Health Commission is looking forward to our continued partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Victory Programs in providing access to low-threshold housing opportunities for people who have experienced chronic homelessness and substance use disorder,” said Dr Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Boston “Housing with support services is a critical first step towards recovery.” Victory Programs is a Boston-based organization dedicated to opening doors to hope and community for individuals and families experiencing homelessness Guided by a commitment to inclusivity and second chances Victory Programs provides personalized care to help clients overcome barriers to stability and independence With a long history of addressing unmet needs from pioneering services during the AIDS epidemic to creating alternatives to incarceration for women with substance use disorders “It is exciting to see this program evolve from providing emergency housing to permanent supportive housing that empowers residents in creating a sustainable path to self-sufficiency,” said Sarah Porter “We are so grateful to our city and community partners for their support which has enabled us to make this vision a reality.” Mayor Wu is committed to making Boston a city for everyone and her administration has continued to work closely with partners to increase the availability of permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness around Boston the City has built over 250 units of permanent supportive housing with 195 units currently under construction and another 200 units currently in the pipeline The City will continue to work closely with residents and elected officials to address homelessness through strategic investments in housing and health services 2024 at 1:39 pm ETCountrywood Primary Center students perform “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars at South Huntington’s 100 year anniversary celebration (Courtesy of South Huntington School District)Oakwood’s students sang “Unstoppable” by Sia (Courtesy of South Huntington School District)Walt Whitman HS Chamber Orchestra performs community and tradition resounded throughout the Performing Arts Center (PAC) at Walt Whitman High School as the South Huntington School District celebrated its 100th anniversary 10 board meeting was turned into a "momentous celebration" with student performances The evening paid tribute to the generations of students and families who have walked the hallways of the district’s 12 schools — some that no longer exist — over the last 100 years and have helped shape South Huntington into the top-rated school district it is today A "Then and Now" display in the PAC lobby highlighted how the people and places in the district have changed over the last century The Walt Whitman Art Gallery featured a collection of district artifacts including photos Guests were able to view the displays and enjoy hors d'oeuvres served by South Huntington’s School Nutrition Services while the Walt Whitman High School Chamber Orchestra performed When the school board meeting officially began at 7:30 p.m the audience was treated to special performances by students from all seven of the district’s current schools Oakwood Primary Center got things off to a great start with their performance of the song "Unstoppable" by Sia followed by Countrywood Primary Center students’ rendition of "Count on Me" by Bruno Mars Maplewood Intermediate School continued the party with their performance of "Celebrate Tonight." And no birthday is complete without singing "Happy Birthday to You." Birchwood Intermediate School’s dual language students performed the song in both English and Spanish accompanied by musicians from Birchwood’s Fifth Grade Band Silas Wood’s Sixth Grade Band took the stage to perform "Dance Celebration," and Walt Whitman High School’s Jazz Band took the audience back to the 1930s with Cole Porter’s "Begin the Beguine." The trip back in time continued with a newspaper report from the 1920s that was researched and written by Stimson Middle School’s 7th Grade Research Class performers from Walt Whitman’s dance program danced attendees through the decades with a special choreographed number featuring popular dance trends including Hip Hop Following the video presentation "100 Years of Memories," board members presented the 100th anniversary cake Vito D'Elia said this centennial marks the enduring spirit of a community dedicated to the well-being of its children one-room schoolhouses and has now blossomed into a school community that focuses on education culture and equitable opportunity for all," D'Elia said "Previous generations of Wildcats laid the foundation of excellence These conditions continue to guide us today They’re evident in our classrooms where students thrive academically and personally." The South Huntington Union Free School District was created on Dec 1924 with a vote by 140 taxpayers to merge South Huntington Common District #12 and West Hills Common District #13 with the goal of building a new large school to accommodate the community’s rapidly-growing population Today, South Huntington is one of the Top 10 school districts in Suffolk County, according to Niche.com Anthony's in a CHSAA boys lacrosse matchup on Thursday Anthony's goalkeeper Dennis Brady covers the short side of the goal during a CHSAA boys lacrosse game against Chaminade in South Huntington on Thursday William Ball (in red) of Chaminade gets the advantage over Michael Reilly of St Anthony's during a face-off of a CHSAA boys lacrosse game in South Huntington on Thursday William Ball of Chaminade wins the face-off during a CHSAA boys lacrosse game against St Anthony's in South Huntington on Thursday John Balsamo (in red) of Chaminade looks to get past Patrick Heron of St Anthony's during a CHSAA boys lacrosse game in South Huntington on Thursday Gavin Fitzpatrick (4) of Chaminade tries to break top the shot by Gary Merrill of St Anthony's during a CHSAA boys lacrosse gamein South Huntington on Thursday Anthony's shoots over Gavin Fitzpatrick (4) of Chaminade during a CHSAA boys lacrosse game in South Huntington on Thursday James Gillis of Chaminade shoots and scores during a CHSAA boys lacrosse game against St Chaminade goalkeeper Kieran Walsh makes the save on Jacob Johnston of St James Gillis (3) of Chaminade circles past Ethan Bramoff of St William Ball (19) widens the Chaminade advantage to 11-7 over St Anthony;s during a CHSAA boys lacrosse game in South Huntington on Thursday William Ball of Chaminade scores the opening goal of a CHSAA boys lacrosse game against St Gavin Fitzpatrick (4) of Chaminade keeps Jacob Johnston of St Anthony's to the outside of the field during a CHSAA boys lacrosse game in South Huntington on Thursday Chaminade goalkeeper Kieran Walsh keeps an eye on the action in front of his net during a CHSAA boys lacrosse game against St Connor Kuttin shoots and scores to put Chaminade up 9-7 over St Anthony's during a CHSAA boys lacrosse game in South Huntington on Thursday Chaminade swarms goalkeeper Kieran Walsh (44) after its 11-10 win over St Anthony's in a CHSAA boys lacrosse game in South Huntington on Thursday Chaminade celebrates their 11-10 victory over St Chaminade students cheer on their team during a CHSAA boys lacrosse game against St Italian Consul General Fabrizio Di Michele (Courtesy of South Huntington School District)The Italian Consul General visits Walt Whitman’s Italian 3 class NY — Walt Whitman High School welcomed the consul general of Italy in New York the South Huntington School District announced Signor Di Michele is the highest ranking diplomat in the Italian Consulate in New York He has 30 years of experience in the field of international relations Di Michele was given a tour of the high school by principal Dr They visited an AP Italian class and an Italian 3 class the Italian Consulate’s education office director president of the Italian American Committee on Education (IACE) the March 13 visit was part of Walt Whitman’s World Language Week Paradiso and IACE have worked with the South Huntington School District in securing a grant from the Italian government that helps fund the district’s Italian language programs Board of Education President Nicholas Ciappetta met the Italian consul general at an event in New York City and invited him to visit Walt Whitman to see how the grant money is used "We’ve used it for materials and the [Italian language] curriculum at Whitman and Silas Wood with the goal of keeping the Italian language alive in the schools and promoting and growing it," Ciappetta said "We wanted him to come to South Huntington to see what a suburban school is like and to show him how our Italian classes are operating and what they're learning." Di Michele easily conversed with the students in his native language He was happy to see that they were not only learning about Italian grammar but also Italian pop music "It’s a nice way to also learn the culture," Di Michele said "And I explained to [the students] that they are lucky because learning languages opens up your mind and makes you a citizen of the world." He noted that it also helps families in the district with Italian ancestry to identify with their past "It’s a way for them to reconnect with their parents’ or grandparents’ or great-grandparents’ country and discover their cultural origin," said De Michele it's very important to support this process but we also promote the Italian language as an instrument to get to know Italy better." In addition to their language classroom visits the special guests got to observe classes in science research Di Michele was very impressed with the high school and even commented The Consul General’s hope is that knowledge of the language and culture leads to more travel to Italy — which is exactly what a group of Whitman students did during the February break A consulate is a smaller diplomatic mission than an embassy and is usually based in a country’s major cities that are not the capital city Their main role is to provide support and assistance to their citizens in the host country and economic relations between the two countries 2024 at 1:55 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The South Huntington School District is celebrating the kickoff of its 100th anniversary NY — The South Huntington School District officially launched its 100th anniversary celebration for the 2024-2025 school year at its school board meeting on Sept Each month of this school year will showcase a number of special events that will highlight moments in the district’s 100 year history and pay homage to the generations of students and local leaders who helped shape South Huntington into the school community that it is today The specially-formed 100th Anniversary Committee has been working on the project for the last 18 months The 100th anniversary theme will be included in the school’s traditional events including Homecoming Weekend and Winter Wonderland and also new events created just for the centennial; including a special South Huntington Day at Adventureland and the installation of a time capsule at Walt Whitman High School 1924 after a vote by 140 taxpayers (73 "yes" votes to 67 "no" votes) to merge South Huntington Common District #12 and West Hills Common District #13 The vote took place because both districts needed more room for students because of the community’s growing population but the New York State Board of Education would not allow either district to build another school according to the South Huntington School District the new district was often referred to only as District No New York has had "common" school districts and "union free" school districts Common districts don’t have legal authority to operate a high school and only provide an education up to eighth grade A "union free" school district results from a "union" of two or more common districts and is "free" from any restrictions that stop it from establishing a high school and the district is run by its own Board of Education The result of this merger was the construction of Central School on New York Avenue just north of Jericho Turnpike That building is now the Whitman Atrium business complex behind the Staples shopping center The 100th anniversary events start off in October with Homecoming Weekend on Oct Powder Puff football game and fireworks at Walt Whitman High School The next day is set to feature the Homecoming parade at 4 p.m and football game against Connetquot at 6 p.m the district will highlight the centennial at its annual Winter Wonderland on Dec the Board of Education will hold a special celebratory meeting at Walt Whitman High School in the PAC featuring presentations from all the schools in the district A festive reception will be held at Matteo’s on Dec Each school in the district is putting together its own performance exhibit or demonstration to be presented at Board of Education meetings throughout the year A Family Fun weekend is planned for the spring May 2 is South Huntington Day at Adventureland in Farmingdale The park will close so that South Huntington families can all join together for an afternoon of fun there is set to be a picnic at Walt Whitman High School where a time capsule will be set in the ground near the newly-renovated athletic complex Each of the seven schools in the district will place its own mini time capsule in the larger one The items to be included are being selected with the help of students it will be marked with a special plaque indicating that the time capsule be opened in 50 years The South Huntington Alumni Association has sponsored 100th anniversary banners that are now displayed on the exterior of all the district’s school buildings All other items are being paid for through fundraising efforts and community donations 2025 at 4:56 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Eileen Damato NY — The South Huntington School District honored its 2024-2025 Teachers of the Year at a special Board of Education meeting at Walt Whitman High School on Jan The Performing Arts Center auditorium was filled with faculty and staff from the district’s seven schools ready to celebrate the winner from their building plus the one exceptional educator chosen as the District’s Teacher of the Year Eileen Damato won South Huntington’s Teacher of the Year Damato has been teaching in the district for 22 years she’s been at Stimson Middle school as a special education Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) teacher in english and social studies one general education and one special education teacher The teachers work together as a team to adapt and integrate instruction so all their students including those who require special education services can successfully learn the grade-level curriculum Damato was also honored as Stimson’s Teacher of the Year Stimson principal Michael Duggan called Damato "an exemplary special education teacher…who has profoundly impacted countless lives." and unwavering commitment" to her students Her students love her "calm but bubbly personality," and they appreciate that she makes them feel good about what they achieve In accepting the district’s Teacher of the Year award Damato thanked all her colleagues and students for helping her become the educator she is today "I have had success in teaching curriculum but I believe I received this award for role modeling kindness It means so much to me as I now see people do recognize those qualities as being of the utmost importance I adore the students and they see that I am sincere in wanting what is best for them." The South Huntington School District has been recognizing Teachers of the Year since 1987 "We have the privilege of honoring the teachers who have gone above and beyond to ignite a love of learning and a passion for tackling the unknown by creating an environment where every child feels valued and capable of achieving greatness As we reflect on our centennial and look towards the future let us reaffirm our commitment to supporting and celebrating our teachers." The district’s individual school Teachers of the Year are Rena Sanicola Countrywood Primary Center (1st and 2nd grade); Christine Le Claire Oakwood Primary Center (Library Media Specialist); Carolyn Crofton Birchwood Intermediate School (ENL); Anissa Rasdall Maplewood Intermediate School (ICT/5th grade); Elaine McEntee Silas Wood Sixth Grade Center (Science); Eileen Damato Stimson Middle School (Special Education/ICT); and Carrie Eastwood Walt Whitman High School (Special Education-Living Environment) 2025 at 1:15 pm ETMaplewood teachers Linda Muratore and Cristina DeAngelis stand in front of their “Pictures for a Purpose: Caring for L.A.” fundraising project at Maplewood Intermediate School (Courtesy of South Huntington School District)The “Pictures for a Purpose: Caring for L.A.” fundraising project at Maplewood Intermediate School NY — Those who walk into Maplewood Intermediate School in Huntington Station will come across a wall full of smiling faces with a big message for all those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires: "Maplewood Loves California." It’s the "Pictures for a Purpose: Caring for L.A." fundraising project that was started by two of the school’s teachers Maplewood students helped raise more than $600 that will go to World Central Kitchen a non-profit organization that provides meals to first responders and families in communities around the world devastated by crises Teachers Cristina DeAngelis and Linda Muratore both speech and language pathologists at Maplewood wanted to come up with a way to help support the west coast firefighting and cleanup effort as a school and a community "Just seeing how so many people have lost so much especially the students in the schools and the local families it was a way for us to come together in support of something bigger," DeAngelis said in a news release The idea of how to raise money came out of how well these teachers know their students "I was just thinking about kids," Muratore said And we talked about how they like to see themselves So we thought [photos] would be a fun way for a child to show their contribution It was nice to have the students feel like they could participate in something and then see their donation and their generosity come to life by seeing their faces on the board." Maplewood set up a photobooth in the school from Jan They made large photo frame props for the kids to hold with interchangeable phrases including "Sending love to California," "First responders you are our heroes," and "We are stronger when we stand together." whole classes showed their support together they had raised nearly $650 and had a wall full of happy The lesson in kindness was also a lesson in current events DeAngelis and Muratore say they’ve been talking about the wildfires in class and showing students where California is on the map "We would always say to the students as they were taking their picture You're helping feed the firefighters trying to put out the fires in California,'" Muratore said "It's nice for [the students] to give back as part of a community And also a way to show that everybody needs help sometimes." 2025 at 1:55 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Walt Whitman High School student Phillip Clark NY — Walt Whitman High School junior Phillip Clark performed at Carnegie Hall earlier this month after he was selected for the Honors Performance Series Participation in the Honors Ensembles is limited to the highest-rated young performers worldwide Clark auditioned for the Honors Performance Series and was accepted after a review by the Honors Selection Board Acceptance to the elite group is a direct result of the talent and achievements demonstrated in their application and audition recording Clark joined performers from all over the world for a special performance at the world famous Carnegie Hall a venue that marks the pinnacle of musical achievement The finalists met in New York City from Feb where they rehearsed and performed under world-renowned conductors worked with other performers from across the globe and explored the vibrant performing arts scene in the city Clark has studied music for eight years and is a member of the Walt Whitman Marching Band He is president of the Theater Honor Society a member of the Natural Helpers group at his school Clark said he was looking forward to the opportunity to perform on the stage of Carnegie Hall and receive instruction from talented artists "Being selected to the Honors Performance Series is something each finalist should be extremely proud of accomplishing," said Marion Gomez music director for the Honors Performance Series "We processed nearly 10,000 nominations this year and have selected the most talented student performers from around the world Working with these conductors and performing at these renowned music halls is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that these musicians will never forget." The Honors Performance Series was created to showcase accomplished individual student performers on an international level by allowing them to study under master conductors and perform in world renowned venues 2025 at 2:53 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Team Silas Superstars on the Long Beach boardwalk before their icy plunge The South Huntington students raised money for Make-A-Wish Foundation NY — A few inches of snow didn’t stop Silas Wood students and their principal from jumping into the cold waters off Long Beach to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation Team Silas Superstars braved the 35-degree air temperature and 41-degree water temperature on Feb 9 for their sixth annual Polar Bear Plunge for Make-A-Wish he overnight snowfall of three to five inches only added to the arctic atmosphere The Silas Wood plunge is part of the larger annual Long Beach Polar Bear Superbowl Splashthat celebrated its 25th anniversary this year of raising money for the charity that helps make wishes come true for critically ill children Thanks to pledges from the Silas Wood 6th Grade Center and South Huntington community the Silas Superstars raised more than $10,500 this year The team has raised on average about $10K each year it has participated bringing their multi-year total to around $60K And Toto has no intention of stopping there — he’s already planning for next year once it was determined the roads were safe and the plunge was still on and some Silas faculty members all headed to Long Beach for the 11:45 a.m "We're teaching the kids to be kind and compassionate and really respect others," Toto said where kids who are terminally ill are getting their wishes made based on the money that we're raising it just makes it even more meaningful that we could make it happen despite the snowy weather." Toto says it was probably the coldest plunge out of the last six years but the kids were still very excited "Normally I run and dive and usually stay in there for a half a minute," Toto said with a laugh "But I ran in and ran out because it was that cold The water was actually the best part of the whole plunge Being in the water was way warmer than being out of the water." It’s not only the sixth grade students who get their feet wet some of his former students who are now in Stimson Middle School or Walt Whitman High School or younger students who aren’t in Silas Wood yet He’s happy to see the students challenge themselves by doing something they might not otherwise do "It's all about the experiences we give them here," Toto said "And this is probably an experience that might be a little out of the box and not something they would've maybe normally done But it's something that they're going to remember for a long time And it also builds that sense of family and community because the parents love it just as much as the kids do." South Huntington school board member William Biangasso asks a question as district officials discuss realignment options at a meeting Oct The South Huntington school board has scrapped a plan to reconfigure the district’s elementary school buildings instead opting to establish focus groups to address key transportation and prekindergarten issues The change came shortly after Superintendent Vito D’Elia presented four options earlier this month that would have changed the current landscape of the district’s K-6 schools were created to address issues such as growing pre-K enrollment the district’s bus fleet and aging portable classrooms But the plans were met with opposition from residents who raised concerns about how the changes would impact extracurricular activities "After receiving community feedback on the Reimagining South Huntington proposal the Board of Education has decided in favor of continuing the current alignment of kindergarten-to-second grade primary schools and third-to-fifth grade Intermediate Schools in the South Huntington School District," the school board said in a statement said she's happy with the decision and hopes "that it’s done in a meaningful way and that the community as a whole can be generally better informed moving forward." Get the latest updates on how education is changing in your district recommended that the board keep the current configuration of schools but said the aging portables need to be addressed School officials had considered an option that would replace four portable buildings "There was a lot of community input between phone calls numerous in-person meetings with parents expressing their genuine love of the current K-2 D’Elia also said the board and administration will explore other possibilities for a permanent solution for the aging portables including creative ways to fund brick-and-mortar structures The school board is establishing a process for choosing community members for the focus groups and other guidelines One group will focus on developing “appropriate and equitable” start and end times for all schools to reduce the district’s reliance on outside transportation contractors The other will examine the appropriate length for the pre-K school day and whether to provide before-and-after care The board will consider a location to house the district’s pre-K program with the objective of offering universal pre-K to all South Huntington residents The district currently seats 150 prekindergarten students and has a waitlist of about 60 The proposals had created an opportunity to more than double that number of seats The district lost more than $900,000 in state aid allocated for pre-K classes because of the lack of space The board also said it would explore potential uses of the former Memorial Junior High School building which is currently being leased by a private school a parent with two children in the district said she was thrilled the board listened to the community She agrees with the district’s direction but said she hopes school officials can oversee the focus groups to provide assistance with regulations and other educational aspects “It’ll give you a better idea where to go,” she said Darwin Yanes is a native Long Islander and Stony Brook University graduate who covers education He previously covered the Town of North Hempstead 2024 at 5:33 pm ETWalt Whitman High School’s Homecoming in celebration of the district’s 100th anniversary (Courtesy of South Huntington School District)Walt Whitman High School’s Homecoming NY — Walt Whitman High School is set to celebrate a special homecoming starting this Friday marking the South Huntington School District's 100th anniversary The milestone weekend starts with a carnival at the high school at 3:15 p.m. The whole community was invited to enjoy carnival games The annual bonfire is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. followed by the traditional Powder Puff football game at 7 p.m — girls are on the field for an exciting game of touch football while the boys put their all into an amazing halftime cheerleading performance The junior class will play the senior class for bragging rights Halftime will also feature a spectacular fireworks display as part of the district's centennial celebration it is welcoming back alumni for a barbecue at 2 p.m All the South Huntington schools and the Wildcat Marching Band will march in the Homecoming Parade at 4 p.m The district is set to cut the ribbon to officially open the high school’s newly-renovated grandstand at 5 p.m Walt Whitman’s varsity football team is slated to take the field at 6 p.m "Come join us for all the fun and school spirit!" the district wrote 2024 at 9:31 am ETSouth Huntington administrators teachers and students gather around the treasures they found in the time capsule (Courtesy of South Huntington School District)South Huntington administrators NY — Maplewood Intermediate School of South Huntington opened a time capsule that had been sealed in 2004 on Wednesday The entire school gathered to watch a livestream feed in the cafeteria at Maplewood Intermediate School on Nov 20 as custodian Eric Cajowski used a screwdriver to open a panel that provided access to a time capsule that was placed in the wall 20 years ago The reveal was part of the district’s 100th anniversary celebration this school year "No one knew what to expect because there were no current school records of what the time capsule looked like or what was in it," the district wrote in a statement "So it was a happy surprise when the panel came off and inside the brick wall Principal Maria Colon excitedly carried it into the cafeteria to the enthusiastic cheers of students who were anxious to see what was inside." was that there were two large envelopes inside Everyone soon realized that the time capsule was much older than they thought One envelope was labeled 1956 and the other was labeled 2000 The 1956 envelope contained items from the ceremony that took place 68 years ago when Maplewood School — which was then an elementary school — was officially dedicated That’s when the time capsule was first placed in the building’s wall The 1956 envelope contained photos of the dedication ceremony photos of the time capsule being cemented in the wall with the cornerstone student drawings of the then brand-new building student essays and poems about why they love Maplewood and pages of class rosters signed by the school’s students — who are now around 70 years old One 1956 essay read "Maplewood is a place of learning and it tries to turn out good law-abiding citizens Maplewood School is a very modern structure Maplewood School means to us almost as much as our homes ... learning and also a place to learn self-reliance and independence." The enveloped labeled 2000 (which was placed in the building wall in 2004) contained a 2000 Maplewood yearbook photos from the time capsule reinstallation in 2004 a collage with pictures of popular board games a Sam Goody ad for Britney Spears’ "new" album advertisement photos of a "new computer phone" (iPhones hadn’t been introduced yet) an example of gel pens and bead bracelets that were popular fads then a Newsday page about the 2000 Yankees/Mets Subway Series that said Let’s Go Mets on one side and Let’s Go Yankees on the other side and student essays about what makes Maplewood special "I think this experience today gave our students an opportunity to really think about how special their time is here and that every moment is precious," Colon said "And that there were other students and teachers before them who loved the building and loved educating them." Now it will be the current students' turn to decide what to put into two new time capsules — one for Maplewood and another for the school district As part of South Huntington’s 100th anniversary celebration the district is preparing a larger time capsule that will be installed at Walt Whitman High School in May Each one of the seven schools in the district will contribute their own smaller time capsule within the larger one The district time capsule will be marked with a plaque and registered with the International Time Capsule Society (ITCS) with instructions to be opened in the year 2075 Colon said seeing what past students and teachers included for future Maplewood generations to see gave her some ideas about what they would like to include in the next time capsules "I just love learning about the past and just to know that past principals and teachers and students all worked together to put something together for us to see and now we're able to turn it over to our students to put things in for the next generation to see is just amazing," Colon said 2025 at 5:00 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Dr was named NYS Assistant Principal of the Year assistant principal of Walt Whitman High School was named the 2025 New York State Assistant Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) This award is given annually by SAANYS and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) to a middle or high school assistant principal who has "set the pace and quality of education for the students in his or her school." Nominees are administrators who are committed to students and have shown "exceptional contributions to the educational process," according to the district Muller has been assistant principal at Walt Whitman High School for 19 years that role is all about connecting; how he’s interacting with the many different components that keep a school running successfully: the principal "The main goal is to support the vision of the principal but also to make sure you're connecting with kids and families," Muller said in a news release "You need leadership and you need management in a school And a lot of the management usually falls on the assistant principal and the leadership falls on the principal But there are many times that if you have the right principal who allows you to shine with your leadership and if you have the right person as assistant principal then you can bring out that leadership aspect as well." That collaboration has been an "asset" for Walt Whitman High School Muller was nominated for this recognition by the principal he has worked closely with for the last 10 years Muller’s compassion and empathy towards all students our special education population and our ENL students is a huge part of our success," Murphy said he makes sure that every one of those students feel important And he gives the support to teachers to make sure that happens He’s always available no matter what the time of day and he’s always willing to make sure that our building and our community are put first." As seriously as he takes his job to make a difference in students’ lives Muller is always willing to poke fun at himself Muller participates in several student-run productions including Video Yearbook skits and Senior Follies where the seniors perform "Saturday Night Live"-type sketches about their teachers and life at school He is also always more than willing to take part in the annual PTA Lip Sing for Scholarships battle where teams of administrators teachers and staff from each of the district’s seven schools lip sync to costumed and choreographed numbers to win money that goes toward district scholarships "That’s just as important as the academics," Muller said "Those connections make the kids feel valued and safe Those kids who saw me at Lip Sing and were at Senior Follies and were there with me for Senior Car Paint Night If they can trust me and I can trust them and we can develop that relationship Muller received his bachelor of science in biology from Binghamton University his masters of science in elementary education from Dowling College his post-master’s certification in school district administration from SUNY Stony Brook and his doctorate of education in educational administration and supervision from St He is scheduled to be presented with his Assistant Principal of the Year award at a special ceremony in Albany on May 2 and he’s looking forward to the chance to say more than a few words about the community he loves "I want to praise South Huntington," Muller said "I love the communication between the school and the community and that we’re always looking for ways to improve says South Huntington Superintendent Vito D'Elia the district plans to educate its students on the dangers of social media The school district and police department are continuing to investigate the threat made on social media against the students and school The district increased police presence around its schools on Monday as an added layer of security "out of an abundance of caution," D'Elia said The district plans to turn the threat into a learning experience "We will continue to educate our students on the dangers of social media and how it can impact other lives and their own," D'Elia said "It is unfortunate that when someone is behind a computer and there can be serious implications including arrest and jail time These threats cause unnecessary panic and high levels of anxiety a lot of time and energy goes into investigating the credibility of a threat taking away from having the focus on educating because the safety of our schools is a top priority." D'Elia said cases like this is "one of the reasons" why the South Huntington School District joined some other Long Island school districts in a federal lawsuit against major social media companies "I know it is not their intent to generate these threats but they need to help us and provide more oversight," D'Elia said "We ask that you continue to speak with your child about the dangers of making statements of a threatening nature on social media and digital forums and supervise the use of technology in your home but there are also dangers associated with it South Huntington is continually looking at our curriculum to educate our students at all levels about the proper and safe use of social media." The opening of the Barnes & Noble bookstore in South Huntington is being delayed until 2025 Barnes & Noble is delaying the opening of its relocated downsized bookstore in the Town of Huntington to early 2025 as the retailer works to prepare the space and pushes chainwide growth Barnes & Noble said it was targeting a September opening for the South Huntington store but now says it will open in February "There is a septic issue that needs to be resolved and that will take a bit of time We are sad we will not be able to open the store for the holiday season [but] glad we will still be able to open a store in Huntington," said Janine Flanigan vice president of store planning and design for Barnes & Noble Inc. The new bookstore will be in an approximately 14,000-square-foot space at 301 Walt Whitman Rd. part of the retail-heavy Route 110 corridor in a small shopping center whose only other tenant is a Men’s Wearhouse The bookstore will be a relocation of a Barnes & Noble six miles away in East Northport that was nearly twice as big had occupied 27,911 square  feet at 4000 Jericho Tpke in the Huntington Square shopping center since 2008 Barnes & Noble told Newsday in August 2023 that it was relocating because its lease was expiring in January 2024 Federal Realty Investment Trust in Rockville Federal Realty told Newsday in August 2023 that it had no major redevelopment plans for the property Discount grocer Aldi will open a store in Barnes & Noble's former East Northport space in November vice president of Aldi Inc.’s South Windsor Division The Barnes & Noble store in South Huntington will sell books "It will feature our new store design including Riverhead and Bridgehampton," said Flanigan who added that the South Huntington store will include a B&N Café The new design has brighter colors and different fixtures and furniture Barnes & Noble has eight stores on Long Island including one that opened in Riverhead in 2022 and one that opened in Bridgehampton in  November Barnes & Noble is the only nationwide chain of brick-and-mortar bookstores left in the United States including 726 operating under the Barnes & Noble Booksellers name and 52 operating primarily under the B Barnes & Noble is undergoing major growth after struggling for several years the largest retail seller of books worldwide more than it had opened in total from 2009 to 2019 The retailer is opening about 65 stores this year and about the same number in 2025 Private equity firm Elliott Advisors bought Barnes & Noble in 2019 took it private and brought in as the chain's new chief executive James Daunt who founded the Daunt Books chain in England Daunt also has been managing director of the largest bookstore chain in the United Kingdom Some of the changes at Barnes & Noble under Daunt included  stocking fewer books; dedicating larger sections to young adult literature and graphic novels including Japanese manga; and having less non-book merchandise senior international and bookselling editor at Publishers Weekly "They had gone very heavily into some very odd sidelines I remember at one point you could buy … [an Instant Pot] at Barnes & Noble They've gotten away from non-book-related sideline items They've reconfigured the stores where you have each store’s employees now pick the book inventories instead of corporate-level staff making those decisions whose average store size is 25,000 square feet also is opening smaller stores to allow more flexibility in leasing The retail book industry in general was helped by a surge in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic when consumers' entertainment options were limited Overall annual sales of print books nationwide rose 10.7% to 837.6 million books from 2020 to 2021 before falling 6% in 2022 and 2.6% in 2023 a Chicago-based provider of data on the publishing market retail and all things business across Long Island 2024 at 9:34 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}New Maplewood Intermediate School Principal Maria Colon NY — Maria Colon was named principal of Maplewood Intermediate School Colon spent 24 years at the school as a teacher before leaving in July 2019 to become the assistant principal of Oakwood Primary Center She moved into the principal’s office at Maplewood on July 1 William Hender who left for the district offices to become assistant superintendent for elementary education "I'm thrilled because I think that my experience in kindergarten through second grade [at Oakwood] is going to help me coming back to Maplewood because I'm so familiar now with what they’ve learned in Oakwood and Countrywood," Colon said in a news release "And now we hopefully take them from acting like and being treated like very young children to now being treated like preteens academically and socially What we’re doing at Maplewood is getting them prepared for sixth grade and for middle school." Her involvement in a Nassau County youth group helped her realize she wanted to work with kids and learn about the opportunities that are out there for them helping her find her voice and her confidence as a young adult Colon received her bachelor of science degree from SUNY New Paltz with a major in Elementary Education Six years later she was awarded a master of arts in liberal studies from Stony Brook University She stayed with Stony Brook University for her advanced graduate certificate and School District Leader and School Building Administration certificates "I bounced between secondary education as an English teacher or elementary education," Colon said "But I just loved the little ones after visiting classrooms and seeing the difference between the two age groups I knew that I wanted to work with younger kids." After spending a year teaching in Poughkeepsie Colon said she was very happy to secure an interview with the South Huntington School District so she could return to Long Island and be with her family She was hired as a teacher at Maplewood in 1995 and taught third grade fourth grade dual language and fifth grade there for 24 years until she left in 2019 to become the assistant principal at Oakwood When the opportunity arose to become principal at Maplewood she was excited to be considered because she finally felt ready to run her own building "I found that I wanted to make a bigger impression on a larger group of students," she said This resilience that they have isn't always seen That's what makes you want to help shape them and make them be the best person." As she makes plans with her team this summer for the direction in which she’ll take Maplewood come September Colon said she wants the South Huntington family to know that her door will always be open This is their home and we're here to help and support them And "going to the principal’s office" won’t be a bad thing "This [the principal’s office] is a part of the school and this is where we help students learn we try to find other choices that would've been better." TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need An 18-year-old man was killed Sunday when the dirt bike he was driving went off a South Huntingdon road and crashed according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson became separated from the dirt bike and landed in Jacobs Creek Carson said Leasure was traveling west on Creek Road about noon near the border of Westmoreland and Fayette counties ambulance personnel and state police worked in a rural area of the township south of Smithton The cause and manner of death are pending autopsy results Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com Stay up-to-date on important news from TribLIVE 1-800-909-8742 © 2025 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved About Us Advertise Career Opportunities Contact Advertising Contact Circulation Contact Newsroom Contact Us Feedback Request Correction Resource Center Scholarship Opportunities Send Letter to the Editor Send News Tip Subscribe Subscriber Services Blog eFeatures Email Newsletters eTrib Facebook Home Delivery Instagram LinkedIn Marketing Minute Store Locations TribLIVE App - App Store TribLIVE App - Google Play X (formerly Twitter) Arts & Entertainment Best of the Best Business Directory Circulars Contests Coronavirus Lifestyles Local News YaJagOff Obituaries Opinion Our Publications Photos Real Estate Sports Video Weather Cookie Settings Privacy Policy Terms of Service 2025 at 2:24 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Silas Wood principal Stephen Toto with some of his students who donated $1 per foot of tape to raise money for scholarships NY — Silas Wood Sixth Grade Center principal Stephen Toto can get wrapped up making sure his students have fun while getting a great education He volunteered to let his students duct tape him to the wall outside the school cafeteria to raise money for senior scholarships It’s part of the South Huntington Council of PTAs’ annual effort to fundraise for scholarships for the district’s deserving graduates the district’s seven schools battle for bragging rights to be the overall winner that raises the most money Jessica Brown is one of the teachers on the Silas Wood fundraising committee who came up with the duct taping idea so we figured the students would love to tape the principal to the wall," Brown said in a news release and he knows that doing this will help us to raise money towards winning Students and staff members donated $1 for each foot of tape ,and there was no limit on how much tape each person could buy Toto promised to stay taped for the school’s three 45-minute lunch periods for a total of almost two-and-a-half hours "I like to do funny and crazy stuff so I’m not going to say no especially because it’s all for PTA scholarships," Toto said The wall outside the cafeteria was determined to get the most foot traffic from the more than 400 students who attend Silas Wood students began lining up for their chance to be part of the fun event He does a lot of good stuff for us," one student said Another student said he "brought in enough money for 20 feet of tape." and comments as students walked by the unusual human wall decoration in the hallway as they changed classes teachers took away the crate Toto was standing on Everyone applauded as the duct tape kept him snuggly on the wall for about seven seconds until one side let go and he slid down it was time to remove all that sticky adhesive that didn’t easily want to let go Toto said he had "no regrets." When teachers counted up the donations Silas Wood 6th Grade Center went on to win the big contest on Friday March 7: the South Huntington Council of PTAs’ Lip Sing for Scholarships Teachers and principals from each of the district’s seven schools perform fully choreographed and costumed lip sync numbers vying for the most votes each school tries to come up with ways to bring in more money All the money raised goes to PTA scholarships awarded to deserving Walt Whitman seniors as they graduate this June 2024 at 11:50 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Walt Whitman HS senior Michael Mannino scored two goals to boost South Huntington over Commack in the Suffolk County Semifinals at Commack on Sunday NY — The Walt Whitman High School boys varsity soccer team is heading to the AAA Suffolk County Championships South Huntington is set to head to the AAA Suffolk County Championships against Connetquot on Wednesday at 6 p.m The Wildcats defeated Commack 2-1 in the Suffolk County Semifinals at Commack on Sunday Down 1-0 with under 20 minutes to play and the team searching for a goal senior Michael Mannino stepped up to a free kick 25 yards from goal and delivered a top corner shot to tie the game Mannino was given another free kick from the same distance and once again delivered The Wildcats controlled much of the play with Jackson Dillon and Jamith Jimenez in the midfield and Anthony Reyes played solid defense in front of Jayden Castro who made six saves A recent view of the soon-to-open Barnes & Noble in South Huntington The new Barnes & Noble in South Huntington is scheduled to open on April 2 after being delayed a week due to wha t the company called "unexpected permitting issues." The store had been set to open this Wednesday Town of Huntington spokesperson Christine Geed  said on Friday the store was awaiting approval for a fire alarm permit The new store is across from the Huntington Shopping Center on Walt Whitman Road in the space formerly occupied by Johnson Fitness & Wellness Wednesday's ribbon cutting was to have featured Long Island author Tessa Bailey signing copies of her books including the "Bellinger Sisters" series and her latest release "Dream Girl Drama." Janine Flanigan vice president of store planning and design said that Bailey will be present on the new opening date Flanigan said on Friday that in addition to awaiting a fire alarm permit the construction team was working to properly pave the parking lot "We just weren't ready," Flanigan said "We want to make sure that we're delivering our customers the best experience possible." The larger lot is shared with another storefront that doesn't have a tenant The store's interior includes the chain's new open-concept design that features rooms rather than aisles The Huntington Station site arrives after the chain closed its East Northport store in January 2024 The chain has been experiencing a resurgence in recent years Maureen Mullarkey is a breaking news reporter at Newsday She previously worked as a reporter for Patch where she covered a range of Long Island stories on topics such as the Diocese of Rockville Centre bankruptcy and the Babylon School District abuse scandals ContactDigital Edition/ Legals SearchTwo Huntington Pols Enmeshed with $50M Melville Land FraudsterMaureen DalySep 22 20245 min readBy Maureen Daly and Niall Fitzgerald Two Huntington elected officials - Huntington Town Councilman Sal Ferro and South Huntington Water Commissioner Paul Tonna - who have spearheaded the attempted mass apartment re-zone of Melville - are both enmeshed as business partners of a Melville land developer accused in Court of perpetrating a massive $50 million-plus land fraud on local investors and contractors Multiple lawsuits accuse Gregory DeRosa and his wife Nicolle Girolamo DeRosa of Laurel Hollow and their Huntington based land development group G2D Development funneling money to their private purchases and running a $50 million "Ponzi land scheme." a former Huntington School Board member and NY Jets quarterback was defrauded out of $4.6 million by DeRosa and his group DeRosa purchased four commercial office properties in Melville - over 200,000 square feet of office space in Melville The properties are the subject of pending Huntington Town resolutions - introduced by Sal Ferro and backed by Paul Tonna - to re-zone DeRosa's Melville properties into high-density apartment buildings - potentially enriching DeRosa by over $100 million dollars in increased property values Ferro and Tonna have used their official positions to support the re-zone of DeRosa's properties - over which the Town and the Water Authority have control - without disclosing their huge personal financial relationships with DeRosa both Ferro and Tonna have met repeatedly with DeRosa over the past three years to plan and craft the re-zone of Melville into high-density apartments DeRosa attended nearly all of the public "listening sessions" held by Ferro and Supervisor Ed Smyth "Everytime I went to Greg DeRosa's office Sal Ferro was sitting right there," stated one local businessman "DeRosa and Sal Ferro are very close friends," stated a defrauded creditor DeRosa met regularly in Huntington with both Tonna and Ferro - and other Town officials and politicians Nassau land records show that just over one year ago Ferro issued a personal $1 million "mortgage loan" to DeRosa However an examination of the property records indicate something strange:  The Ferro Mortgage was placed on DeRosa's home at 31 Woodfield Court in Laurel Hollow - but the property appears to have zero equity - it was already "underwater" with a $2.84 million first mortgage from Morgan Stanley According to real estate sites and local realtors the market value of the Laurel Hollow property is between $1.6 million and $2.1 million which was reconstructed in 2018 into a two-story "mid-century modern" house The neighboring houses - many much nicer and with pools - are valued in the $1.5 million to $2.1 million range That means that the DeRosa property was already over $800,000 "underwater" last year There was no "collateral" - no equity in the property - to secure Ferro's mortgage DeRosa and his wife Nicolle purchased another home and put their Laurel Hollow house on the market in 2023 But the asking price - $4.9 million - was double the market value DeRosa recently "reduced" the listing price to $4.4 million Clearly he does not want to "sell," except in a way he controls DeRosa informed several of his defrauded creditors that he had a buyer for the Laurel Hollow property He claimed he was selling it for about $4 million and asked the defrauded creditors to lift their litigation liens suspecting that the "sale" was a ruse to offload the property to a straw purchaser and get $1 million paid back to his friend Ferro before his "ponzi scheme" collapsed DeRosa even scheduled a mock "property closing" where Ferro was to be paid off - and then canceled the closing Those facts make Ferro's $1 million payment to DeRosa an unsecured personal or business loan or investment The question is of course: An investment into what Ferro was elected to the Huntington Town Board on November 2 Just days after Ferro's November 2021 election DeRosa purchased a commercial office building at 560 Broadhollow Road in Melville The Melville high density apartments re-zone is opposed by the area civic associations and the Half Hollow Hills School Board - one of the area's top school districts The School Board has charged that the building of 3,000 apartments as envisaged by Ferro would impose a $20 million tax increase on residents to pay for the extra staff and school buildings needed Paul Tonna is employed by DeRosa as a paid lobbyist He has his offices in DeRosa's building at 71 New Street in Huntington The sole lobbying client of Tonna's public relations firm according to Lobbying Disclosure documents filed in Nassau County by Tonna Tonna's filed contract states that DeRosa pays Tonna a base salary of $5,000 per month to represent DeRosa's firm before local government authorities Tonna is a former Suffolk County Legislator and is the elected Commissioner of the South Huntington Water District which has jurisdiction over the Melville Overlay Zone Tonna is also the paid Executive Director for the Suffolk County Village Officials Association He also runs a secretive private "invitation-only" land developer's club called "Energia."  Construction and developer executives are invited to join Energia for a fee; public officials including town board members and planning board members pay no fee Energia runs what one member described as a "cult-like program" of multi-day initiation and training events to inculcate members and public officials with the dogma of mass housing construction Ferro has been an Energia member since 2018 DeRosa has been an Energia member since 2009 DeRosa's reach into Huntington goes beyond Ferro and Tonna:  DeRosa was the beneficiary of the "Gateway Giveaway," where the Town of Huntington "essentially gifted a multi-million-dollar piece of commercial real estate to a private developer" to construct the 65-unit "Gateway Plaza" apartment complex at 1000 New York Avenue Also alarming is the suspicious land transfer to DeRosa of 133 Spring Road for a high-density condominium development built by DeRosa DeRosa received a lucrative re-zoning of 133 Spring Road lobbied the Suffolk County Water Authority to sell the land to DeRosa DeRosa has now shuttered his offices and laid-off his employees defrauded creditors have contacted law enforcement Paul Tonna is allegedly now "lobbying" the District Attorney to not file charges against DeRosa Huntington Pols in Massive Suffolk IDA Corruption Scheme Maureen DalyNov 15 20249 min readBy Maureen Daly and Niall Fitzgerald  The collapse of Melville fraudster Gregory DeRosa's $50 million "Land Ponzi Scheme" has lit-up a huge conspiratorial scheme of self-dealing land transfers and million dollar government contracts - including tens of millions to fraudster DeRosa from the Town and the Suffolk IDA is facing charges in over a dozen court cases of over $50 million in land and wire fraud The people behind the attempted re-zone of 650 acres - one square mile - of Melville from commercial offices into into thousands of high-density apartments are DeRosa and his registered Lobbyist and South Huntington/Melville Water Commissioner Paul Tonna (R-West Hills); DeRosa’s business partner Councilman Sal Ferro (R-Commack) and DeRosa’s land use attorney former Councilman Marc Cuthbertson (D-Northport) They have set-up a series of interlocking private and government groups to try to rig the Suffolk land use process to "change" Melville into a huge mass apartment city - imposing huge tax increases on current residents while enriching themselves with tens of millions in re-zone profits          Tonna Creates "Energeia" as a Secret Land Development Club  Energeia was founded in 2005 by Tonna as a secret "invitation only" construction developers land use and government regulators club - with deeply religious "secret society" overtones - that members have described as "creepy," and a "cult-like" scheme to push for mass apartment construction while enriching certain of its member-Trustees While Tonna was involved in lobbying municipal governments across Long Island with the goal of enriching Energeia members Tonna was the main registered lobbyist for DeRosa who enlisted in Energeia at the young age of 27 and with whom Tonna helped “create” Energeia DeRosa “suddenly” started receiving “favors” procured by a complicated and wide-reaching political web put-together by Tonna who had previously been a Suffolk County Legislator Early members of Energeia include former Suffolk Police Chief James Burke - now a federal convicted criminal felon for beating handcuffed prisoners and facing current charges for soliciting "blow jobs" from men in a local family park the former "Public Integrity" Chief of the Suffolk DA who is also now a criminal felon - sentenced to 5 years in prison - who obstructed law enforcement investigations ran the DA's office as a criminal front Their end goal was the massive redevelopment of Melville - 650 acres and 100 properties - to create a developers piggybank for DeRosa to build thousands of high-density apartments and reap hundreds of millions - potentially billions - in profits                     The Suffolk IDA "Hires" Tonna Group LIRPC Tonna was appointed by then County Executive Steve Bellone (D-Babylon) to become Chair of the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) and its sister agency the Suffolk County Economic Development Corp (EDC) Tonna called an “Emergency Board meeting” to push through a six figure consulting contract for a group called the Long Island Regional Planning Council (LIRPC) What Tonna did not disclose to his IDA/EDC Board when they approved the LIRPC consulting contract was that he himself served as the Vice President of the LIRPC - a direct conflict of interest Other Board members began to pick-up on Tonna’s scheme and revolted said the “meeting should be stopped because the funding request is defective since all items are addressed to the Suffolk County IDA” and “we are putting ourselves in harm's way.”  Tonna insisted that funding of his group was "necessary," claiming LIRPC is a “think tank” and “a change agent for our region to succeed.” One member noted that funding the group would drain the EDC reserves by 40% and that accepting this contract would result in their agency not acting “independently” anymore appeared at the IDA/EDC meeting to push for the “consulting” contract to be approved Longworth enlisted and joined Energeia in 2009 - alongside Gregory DeRosa - and they went through Tonna’s intensive “Initiation” process together Longworth is now the Regional Vice President of the Empire State Development agency a NY state government department in charge of giving billions of dollars in loans and tax breaks to businesses and real estate developers The IDA/EDC meeting ended with Tonna forcing a Board vote to approve the “consulting contract." Tonna not only made the motion - but he voted for it Tonna then resigned as Chair and from the IDA/EDC Board - just three (3) days later - after only seven (7) months on the job - claiming he had “conflicts” related to Energeia Tonna remained the “unofficial” overlord of the Suffolk IDA because his LIRPC now had direct access to IDA business and nearly every IDA project The hiring of LIRPC as "think tank" for the Suffolk IDA/EDC also marked a dramatic shift in the taxpayer funded studies and tax breaks from those government bodies which - very coincidentally - increasingly benefited Tonna’s private lobbying and business interests         Tonna and DeRosa’s 2015 Attempt to Re-Zone Melville funded by Suffolk IDA  Tonna made his first attempt to push a Melville mass apartment re-zone to change Melville from commercial office buildings into mass high-density rental apartments the Suffolk IDA published a taxpayer-funded 2015/2016 study called “Route 110: Corridor Opportunity Analysis.” The “study” examined which specific plots of land would be re-zoned for mass apartment housing several of those specific plots would later be purchased by Tonna's protege and business partner DeRosa and DeRosa's G2D Land Development Group The IDA “study” urged the Suffolk IDA to use Tonna's LIRPC as "an ally” in implementing the Melville mass apartment re-zone strategy Despite the "favorable" IDA Study calling for high density apartment rezoning of Melville the Huntington Town Board - due to strong opposition from former Supervisor Frank Petrone and former Councilman Gene Cook - rejected the re-zone of Melville being proposed by Tonna and his front groups       Tonna and DeRosa Take-over the Green Building Council   Tonna was named Executive Director of the Long Island Chapter of the Green Building Council (GBC) Tonna quickly appointed DeRosa as Co-Chair and the two took over the group - turning it into a “front group” to promote DeRosa’s apartment projects Tonna moved the GBC headquarters to DeRosa’s building on 71 New Street in Huntington which is  - coincidentally - where Tonna’s PR Firm “Praxis Public Relations” is also located Tonna brought in a group of his confidantes to serve as GBC Directors - including former Babylon IDA Chief Robert Stricoff Tonna had lobbied County Executive Steve Bellone to appoint Robert Stricoff to succeed him as Chair of the Suffolk IDA but was derailed after Stricoff was accused of financial improprieties and allegations that he collected $125,000 in unauthorized salary increases on an organization he chaired Another of Tonna's GBC Board members is Kevin Harvey In 2018, DeRosa went before the Suffolk IDA to get $19 million in taxpayer-funded tax breaks for his "Gateway Plaza" development project to build 67 luxury apartments at 1000 New York Avenue in Huntington - for what was then called the "Gateway Giveaway." Nearly two acres of almost nearly free land from the Town - right in a prime location at 1000 New York Avenue; a Town-approved Re-zone to build 67 luxury apartments; and now $19 million in taxpayer-funded tax breaks led at the time by Superintendent Jim Polansky opposed the tax breaks - arguing that the $19 million in tax breaks for DeRosa's Gateway apartments would blow a huge hole in the School District budget and  force the school district - a majority-minority district with many distressed neighborhoods - to raise taxes Harvey dismissed the school district's concerns and made the motion to proceed to a vote and then voted "Yes" to give DeRosa $19 million in taxpayer-funded tax breaks Harvey was on the same GBC Board with DeRosa but not once in the meeting did Harvey disclose that he sat on the board with DeRosa Harvey was since promoted by former Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Suffolk IDA Another Tonna-appointed GBC and Energeia member is Sarah Lansdale who was appointed to her government office by Bellone She also sits on the GBC board alongside Tonna and DeRosa 2024 - just this past summer - Lansdale issued a Suffolk IDA “Staff Report” in support of the Melville mass apartment Re-zone Lansdale issued her report in response to a request from Councilman Sal Ferro and Town Supervisor Ed Smyth - who - in coordination with Tonna and DeRosa - filed the Melville mass apartment re-zone resolutions before the Huntington Town Board no architects reports were included in the request - Lansdale gave the requested Melville mass apartment re-zone - a combined 650 acres the largest apartment development in Long Island history - her official approval Lansdale wrote that “staff believes that the new overlay zoning district contains appropriate development guidelines to promote sound development in accordance with good planning practices Lansdale recently just last week issued a “disapproval” of a Starbucks application on Route 110 in Melville - on about 1 acre researched and prepared application for a single Starbucks gets rejected by Lansdale - but a slapdash application for the largest apartment development in Long Island history - without a single plan or plat map - or the required SEQRA studies - gets summarily approved by Lansdale It is codified into law that the Suffolk County Planning Commission must give the "Approval" for any re-zone otherwise the local Town Board must have a “super-majority” to override and enact the proposed zone change That is why Lansdale's official "Approval" of the Melville mass apartment re-zone was so important to Tonna authors the reports and then gives the recommendations to Jennifer Casey and Chair of the Suffolk County Planning Commission Casey is another holdover appointed by former Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone as the designated "Huntington member" on the Planning Commission Casey was recruited and enlisted in Tonna’s Energeia in 2009 - alongside DeRosa - and went through the intensive “Energeia Initiation” process with him Casey also presided over DeRosa’s previous apartment applications and was in charge of overseeing the environmental remediation of DeRosa’s 71 New Street apartment complex in Huntington 2024 Planning Commission meeting Casey voted to officially "accept" Lansdale’s report on the Melville apartment re-zone                    Sarah Lansdale is Now.... Lansdale is not only Suffolk County’s Director of Planning but was appointed to Chair the Suffolk IDA by former County Executive Steve Bellone in 2022 Tonna put out an email to his Energeia members “celebrating” Lansdale becoming Suffolk IDA Chair and then hosted a “gala” with GBC naming Lansdale their “Public Official of the Year.”                                     "The Fix" is in on Melville.. Community leaders and elected officials in Huntington have openly expressed their belief and fear that the Melville High-Density Apartment Re-zone plan - the largest Apartment development in Long Island history - is a license for municipal corruption on an unprecedented massive scale and debunking many of the false claims made by Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth - most notably dismissing Smyth's false claim that SEQRA environmental and traffic studies are not needed and the impact on the school district from hundreds of additional students - as nonsense The Half Hollow Hills School District - the largest school district in Huntington - believes that the Melville Apartments Re-zone would impose a minimum $21 million annual tax increase - a double digit tax increase on homeowners - and require the opening of at least one new school and negatively impact children with disabilities “We are concerned that PILOTs or other tax reductions or accommodations through the Town of Huntington and/or the Suffolk IDA will have the opposite impact as has been championed by Town Board Members of increasing the tax base and would shift the burden to existing residents,” wrote the Half Hollow Hills School Board Will Tonna's "Energeia" members - like the land fraudster DeRosa - get their high-density apartment applications priority approved Why do the Melville Apartments Re-zone resolutions take-away the approval process - for Melville only - from the more professional Town Planning Board and transfer that power directly to the elected politicians on the Huntington Town Board Could you devise a more corrupt system where individual applicants get tens of millions in re-zones from a small band of already compromised and conflicted local elected politicians Would the Energeia-controlled Suffolk Planning Commission give the DeRosa and Energeia applications their "official approval;" and the Energeia-controlled Suffolk IDA then grant massive taxpayer-funded tax breaks - just like they gave $19 million to fraudster DeRosa Will the process - from start to finish - be predetermined and rigged to benefit a small group of wealthy connected developers - and their politician-business partners - who - like DeRosa - got the "insider" information on what land to buy and how to get the taxpayers to pay for it 2024 at 9:33 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}New Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education of the South Huntington School District NY — Bill Hender is moving from principal of Maplewood Intermediate School to a new role in the district as South Huntington’s assistant superintendent for elementary education who is leaving to become superintendent of the Elwood School District He sees this new administrative position as an opportunity to be able to make an even greater contribution to the South Huntington community "It’s a place that I've grown to really love over the past few years," Hender said in a news release "And I felt that it was the right time with the knowledge and experience that I've had teaching at many different grade levels from kindergarten through sixth grade Hender has been with the South Huntington district for three years as principal of Maplewood he was principal at Eastport Elementary School He began his teaching career in 2001 in the Kings Park Central School District where he taught kindergarten During that time he was also varsity head coach of the girls soccer and girls softball teams at Kings Park High School Becoming a teacher is what Hender said he always knew he wanted to do and his mother was part of his inspiration "My mom had a daycare center in our house growing up and I knew that I just loved working with children," Hender said "And I also knew that I had a love for coaching sports so it worked out very nicely that I was able to accomplish both of those." Hender received his bachelor's degree in child study from Saint Joseph’s College in Patchogue and his master’s degree in Education/Literacy from LIU He has an advanced graduate certificate in administration from SUNY Stony Brook He has NYS certifications in school district leader (SDL) plus NYS Permanent Certification in Teaching (N-6) and Special Education (B-21yrs) Hender’s love of education stretches beyond his work life in the schools of South Huntington He lives in Commack where he’s been a trustee of the Commack UFSD Board of Education since 2017 He is set to assume his new position of assistant superintendent on July 1 He admitted it’s going to be tough to leave Maplewood I came to Maplewood right after my mom had passed away the staff have just taken me in and we've done really great work there And I'm really excited to see not only where Maplewood goes but where the rest of South Huntington goes." WorkBoat+ Membership – Free to Join You may unsubscribe from our mailing list at any time Diversified Communications | 121 Free Street NEWS: Long-Delayed USCG Polar Icebreaker Moves Into Full Production (HII) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of W International (comprised of both W International SC LLC a South Carolina-based complex metal fabricator specializing in the manufacture of shipbuilding structures will operate within HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division The site will support the construction of nuclear-powered submarine and aircraft carrier modules and structures for Navy programs Substantially all current employees will be offered positions with HII to continue to work on site “HII is committed to increasing build rates for our Navy customer and this investment in capacity alongside the Navy will help us do that,” HII president and CEO Chris Kastner said “It lets us efficiently add trained talent and state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities to the urgent job of building ships making it a unique opportunity to accelerate throughput at Newport News Shipbuilding in support of the Navy and AUKUS.” The acquired assets include advanced production facilities with the equipment tooling and infrastructure used to fabricate complex metal modules and structures The facilities are located on a leased 45-acre site with over 480,000 square feet of manufacturing space The site also has access to barge and rail.  HII states the transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024 subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions including receipt of regulatory approvals and required contractual modifications from HII’s Navy customer and other third parties Become a WorkBoat+ Member snow-dusted field off Route 981 in South Huntingdon on Thursday afternoon as flames punched through the roof of a barn at Critter Country Animal Farm At least a dozen fire trucks and ambulances lined Route 981 blockading the roadway for about an hour and a half Firefighters were forced out of the barn when the roof began to collapse Department of Agriculture inspection report from Oct Pergola declined to comment on any injuries or deaths of animals A post on Rostraver Central Fire Department’s social media page said several animals died in the fire The fire’s origin was not immediately known Participating fire crews included Smithton New Stanton and Fayette County’s Washington Township departments Supplying water to put out the fire was the main challenge “There’s no hydrants in the area so we had to rely on tankers,” he said noting this method requires more firefighters The road reopened to traffic about 4:30 p.m. as fire trucks and emergency vehicles left the scene The zoo and owner Laurie Salvio had received positive inspection reports from the USDA going back a decade with only minor items out of compliance over the years Critter Country offers individual visits and group events — including birthday and graduation parties It has previously hosted movie nights for the community Quincey Reese and Patrick Varine are TribLive staff writers Quincey can be reached at qreese@triblive.com Patrick can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com