Comedy Open Mic Night @ Revolution

Think you're funny?  Give it a shot and take the stage at Revolution (corner of Rt. 110 & Merrick Rd.) on April Fool's Day. 

Still Looking for More Easter Fun? Try White Post Farms

If you take your kids to the Amityville Easter Egg Hunt and they still want more fun, head on over to White Post Farms for its Spring Spectacular.  Today was the first time that I went to White Post Farms - lots of fun and 15 minutes from home.  Your admission covers the petting zoo including baby bunnies, pictures with the Easter Bunny, another egg hunt lots of bouncers, playgrounds and play houses.  The admission price for this weekend is $15, but you can save $2 here: http://www.whitepostfarms.com/121412.shtml.  You'll get nickled and dimed along the way for the feed, milk bottles and the train ride, but it's worth it to see the smile on your kids faces.

Amityville Easter Egg Hunt

 

 

The Annual Amityville Easter Egg Hunt will take place this Sunday, March 31st at 11am at Peterkin Park (Oak St).  This event is sponsored by the Amityville Fire Department.  I think it's great that we have an Amityville Easter Egg Hunt; too bad it is on Easter morning since families celebrating Easter may be in church.  Have fun!!

Project Hope Post-Sandy Crisis Counseling

 

Do you or someone you know need help moving forward after Hurricane Sandy?  Project Hope offers supportive crisis counseling services - it's free and confidential.  Their crisis counselors are trained to help you deal with your recovery. 

Project Hope is also providing group counseling meetings.  No registration is required for these:

Hurricane Sandy Education and Recovery Meeting

 

Tuesdays 6pm to 7pm

St. Martin of Tours Church

37 Union Ave, Amityville

 

Thursdays 6pm to 7pm

Copiague Memorial Public Library

50 Deauville Blvd, Copiague

 

 

Call 631.667.4747 for help and info from Project Hope

 

 

Provided by FEGS, a Suffolk County Project Hope Provider

445 Oak Street

Copiague, NY

 

Amityville Election Results

After a hard fought campaign race, Amityville political newcomer James Wandell won the highly coveted mayoral seat.  Mr. Wandell ran on a platform that unwise spending in the current administration caused village taxes to spiral out of control.  He defeated to current trustees, Peter Casserly and Edward Johnson. 

According to the Amityville First website, mayor-elect Wandell is commited to:

• Repeal the current provision that gives full medical benefits to part-time elected officials. This will save village taxpayers more than $100,000 per year.
• Reduce Mayor and Trustee salaries by 20%. Sacrifice begins at the top.
• Revitalize our village. Incentivize new restaurants and businesses to relocate to Amityville. Guarantee free access to Amityville Beach for all village residents.

In other political news, Kevin Smith and Jessica Bernius won two trustee seats, defeating Joseph  Morin, Bruce Jenney, Charles Walters and Peter G. Himmelmann. 

Congratulations to Mr. Wandell!  We will hold you to your promises!

Amityville Elections Today!!

 

 

Today is election day in Amityville and, unless you've been living under a rock, you know this is a hotly contested race!  If you haven't voted yet, you still have time because the polls close at 9pm.  The candidates and even County Executive Steve Bellone have come by my house advocating for this race.

There are three mayoral candidates.  Click the links for more information about each of them:

• Peter Casserly
• Ed Johnson
• James Wandell

This blog is politically neutral, but I'd like to know who you are voting for and why.  Please comment!

Disney On Ice - Win Tickets!!!

Yes, Disney is coming back to Nassau Coliseum for two shows on April 3rd!  Ticket prices start at $15 for kids.  You can buy tickets from ticketmaster here:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/75/1535755/?date=2013-4-3

OR

You can try to win tickets for a show at Madison Square Garden on March 21st from my friend the Valley Stream Mom by entering here:
http://valleystreammom.com/2013/02/win-tickets-to-disney-live-mickeys-music-festival-during-spring-break.html

 

 

Good Luck!

25th Anniversary Black History Month Celebration

The Town of Babylon will be presenting the 25th Annual Black History Month Program at the Amityville Memorial High School (250 Merrick Rd) on Saturday, February 23rd at 11:30am.  This event honors local leaders and organizations and features music/ dance performances. 
For information, call 631-422-7642.

How to Get Started Tracing Your Family Tree Workshop

An introduction to genealogy will be presented by the Genealogy Federation of Long Island.  A four-page workbook will be distributed to each attendee.

Date: Thursday, February 21
Time: 7 - 8:45pm
Location: Amityville Public Library

Register in person at the circulation desk, by phone (631-264-0567) or on the web (Amityville Library Calendar).

Experience Ballet International Africans @ Amityville Public Library on February 16

Please join your friends and neighbors for a spectacular journey through Africa with dance, drum, song and folklore with the Ballet International Africans.

Date: Saturday, February 16
Time: 2pm
Location: Amityville Public Library on the corner of Oak and John Streets

Register in person at the circulation desk, by phone (631-264-0567) or on the web (Amityville Library Calendar).

Snow Removal at Your House in Amityville! Hooray!

Remember the days when kids used to come by your house to shovel the snow?  In my neighborhood, a very entrepreneurial young man made fliers and put them in all the mailboxes at the beginning of the season.  He actually made a small business out of snow removal at 15 years old.  Apparently, those days are gone.  It's rare that a teenager comes by to shovel in my neighborhood.

Thank goodness I saw a guy out plowing a driveway with a shovel attached to a four-wheeler.  What a great idea!

Need your driveway shoveled/ plowed?  Call Mike @ 631-517-0367.  He's quick and affordable - $20!

Amityville Planning Board Meeting Tomorrow Night

The Amityville Planning Board will meet on February 6th at 7pm in the Village Hall Courtroom.  This is a public meeting.

Black History Month Trivia @ Amityville Library

In honor of Black History Month, the Children's Department of Amityville Public Library will post a black history trivia question each week in February.  The question will be posted from Monday to Saturday at 5pm.  A winner's name will be pulled from the question box each week.

Amityville Board of Trustees Meeting Tomorrow Night

The Village Board of Trustees will meet on January 28th at 8pm in the Village Courtroom.  This is a public meeting.

If Your Bank Is Not Releasing Your Insurance Money - Contact Suffolk Co. Leg. DuWayne Gregory

In the aftermath of Super Storm Sandy,

“Is Your Bank Not Releasing Your Insurance Money?”

Even after Sandy’s high waters receded, some residents going through the arduous process of rebuilding their homes now find themselves being traumatized all over again. But this time because they are having difficulties getting their bank to release their insurance money. To determine just how wide spread this problem is and if homeowner protections are needed, Suffolk County Legislative Majority Leader and 15th district legislator DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville) wants to know if your repairs are being held up because your bank has not yet allowed you to access your insurance money.

If you’ve experienced this problem DuWayne urges you to contact him, regardless of where you live in Suffolk County. You can call DuWayne’s office at (631) 854-1111, or you can email him directly at duwayne.gregory@suffolkcountyny.gov

~Posted from www.amityville.com~

MLK Day / Inauguration Day

Photo by NPS

 

Martin Luther King Day is usually recognized as a day of service, but this year it is also symbolic.  An African-American man was inaugurated as president on the day honoring a man who lived and died for equal rights in this country. In essence, if it weren't for MLK and the civil rights movement, someone like Barack Obama would not have the opportunity to be president. Regardless of political affiliation or views, it is a historic day.  What do you think this means?

Raffle for a Family Pass to the American Museum of Natural History

The Children's Department of the Amityville Public Library is raffling off a family pass to the Museum of Natural History.  All you need is a valid Amityville Library card to enter.

Amityville Parking Permits Available for 2013-2014

The new Amityville railroad parking permits are now available for 2013-2014.  Permits may be purchased at the Village Hall - $30 for residents and $250 for non-residents.  Please bring a photocopy of your registration.

Long Island Mocha Moms Interest Meeting

Mocha Moms, Inc. (www.mochamoms.org) is a support group for mothers of color who have chosen not to work full-time outside of the home in order to devote more time to their families and communities.  The Long Island interest group for Mocha Moms is having meet & greet information sessions on Thursday, January 17th in Valley Stream and Sunday, January 20th in S. Huntington. 


Kid Friendly Meet & Greets
Registration - http://limochamoms.eventbrite.com

Thursday Jan. 17th
11:30 am-1:30
Henry Waldinger Memorial Library
(children's program room)
60 Verona Pl
Valley Stream, NY 11580

OR

Sunday Jan. 20th
3pm-5pm
South Huntington Public Library
(general area of children's section)
Pigeon Hill Rd
145 South Huntington, NY 11746

Contact limochamoms@gmail.com for more info.

FEMA Disaster Assitance Deadline Extended to January 28th

Hurricane Sandy survivors in New York have until Jan. 28, 2013 to register for federal disaster assistance.

Disaster Recovery Centers are still open in most designated counties where FEMA and SBA specialists are on hand to answer questions. To find the nearest recovery center, the following options are available: Text DRC and a Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA), and a text message will be sent back with the address. Also, check out the Disaster Recovery Center locator at www.FEMA.gov/disaster-recovery-centers.

Individuals can also find a recovery center – and register for disaster assistance – online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet by going to m.fema.gov or by downloading the FEMA app. They may also call FEMA’s helpline at 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. People who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) should call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/SandyNY, www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.


This information was made available by www.amityville.com

Register for Winter Library Events Beginning January 8th

If you have children and you are available during the day, check out the Amityville Library calendar for lots of free events throughout January, February and March.  Registration starts tomorrow, January 8th, and is open to residents with a library card.  Classes include: Toddler Tango, Baby Boogie, and Play Hooray with Molly Mouse.  For older kids, check out Cupcake Challenge and Paint Like Matisse.  Sounds like fun!

http://alpha2.suffolk.lib.ny.us/iii/calendar/month/C&P=%7C2&R=1;jsessionid=1C1BEC9D144DCC0E32336948CB818289?lang=eng&suite=1

Diabetes Self-Management Training Program

This information was taken from the Mercy Medical Center website:

Continuing to address one of the most pressing public health concerns facing Long Island and the nation, Mercy Medical Center is offering winter sessions of its outpatient Diabetes Self-Management Training Program.

The four-session programs will be conducted in both January and February. Each begins with an hour-long individual assessment for each participant, followed by three weekly group workshops. Group sessions will be conducted in January on Tuesday afternoons from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. and in February, Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Each participant also receives a group follow-up session approximately three months after the program ends.

Those who can benefit from the program include both individuals recently diagnosed with diabetes and those who have been living with it for some time, along with those who are confused about what to eat, those having difficulty controlling blood sugar, those who have experienced serious consequences of the disease such as vision or foot problems, and those who want to maximize energy, improve emotional well-being and prevent complications.

The program is most often covered by Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance.

For information call 516-62MERCY.

Ultimate Teen Party on January 6

ORT America is having a teen party on Sunday, January 6 from 11am to 4pm @ the Huntington Hilton in Melville.  There will be a flash mob with American Idol Star Jackie Tohn and the party is free.  See the website to register: http://ortpartyplanningshowcase.com/index.html

 

 

5 Keys to Successful New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year's Amityville!!

 Photo by Sean MacEntee

 

Many of you returned to work or school today.  Some of you created New Year's resolutions that 92% of you will break.  I've been guilty of it myself.  I have learned a few steps to making and keeping successful resolutions and I would like to share them with you:

  

1. Keep It Simple

Make simple, practical resolutions that are realistic.  Example: If you are a couch potato who wants to work out, don't resolve to work out everyday; plan to work out for at least 30 minutes per week. You have flexibility to do this for 30 minutes once a week, 15 minutes 2x per week, or 10 minutes 3x per week, etc.  Whatever works for you.

 

2. Make Them Visible

Post them on your bathroom mirror so you can see them everyday. It is easy to forget resolutions after a few days.

 

3. Tell Others

Making your resolutions public is like a safety net that you will be reminded of them.  You want something positive to say when people ask you about your resolutions at a later date. Knowing that you've told others helps to keep yourself accountable.

 

4. Don't Give Up After Setbacks

Losing a battle doesn't mean you lost the war.  People screw up sometimes, but we dust ourselves off and get back on board.  Don't give up if you miss a week of working out or you ate too many jelly donuts.  Tell your self it was a minor setback, not a failure.  Listen to "We Fall Down, But We Get Up" by Donnie McClurkin if you need inspiration.

 

5. Re-evaluate Resolutions Periodically

Evaluate your resolutions monthly to make sure they are still relevant.  If you decide that some of your resolutions are not appropriate anymore, delete or change them.  It's that simple.  Example: You resolve to go to boot camp classes once a week during your lunch break, but work has been so crazy that you have to work through lunch everyday.  That resolution is dead for now: no need to feel bad about it. Your job took a higher priority.  When things lighten up you can add it back.