Hoping To Put A Stamp On History

Rep. Tom Suozzi, third from right, joined local historians and members of the Long Island Woman Suffrage Association on the steps of the historic home of Ida Bunce Sammis in Huntington.

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

A Huntington suffragist was one of the first two women elected to the New York State Assembly.

Congressman Thomas Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) joined local historians Monday on the steps of the historic 70 Main Street house in Huntington to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the election of Ida Bunce Sammis to the state assembly on Nov. 5, 1918.

The site was once the home of Sammis, who with New York City resident Mary Lilly was one of the first two women in the New York assembly.

“She served on a ticket of good, clean, honest administration,” Suozzi said.

Ida B. Sammis

Antonia Petrash, founder of the Long Island Woman Suffrage Association, praised Sammis’ election in 1918 as a major achievement. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was not ratified until two years later in 1920, but New York State passed a law in 1917 giving the women the right to vote and hold office.

“It was the culmination of a 72-year struggle,” Petrash said.

Huntington Historical Society Trustee Toby Kissam said Sammis moved to the house at 70 Main Street after she was married, and it was where she held meetings and rallies promoting women’s suffrage.

Speaking at the house on the day before Election Day, Suozzi encouraged residents to remember the struggle of Sammis and others like her who fought hard for the right to vote.

“It’s important that everyone gets out to vote tomorrow, no matter who you’re voting for,” Suozzi said. “Throughout the history of our country, so many people fought long and hard for the right to vote. Let’s not see their efforts, on our behalf, be in vain.”

Suozzi also announced that he had sent a letter to the United States Postal Service’s Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee requesting a commemorative stamp to honor the upcoming 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, as well as the election of Sammis and Lilly to the New York State Assembly.

Show Of Unity At Jewish Center

Hundreds of people gathered at the Dix Hills Jewish Center to reject anti-Semitism and show unity with Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue.

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

Hundreds of people of different faiths gathered Monday night at the Dix Hills Jewish Center to mourn and remember the 11 victims of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg on Saturday.

The solemn vigil mirrored thousands that took place around the country during which people of all faiths rejected and condemned the kind of anti-Semitism and hatred expressed by the lone gunman, Robert Bowers, who was captured alive after a shootout with police.

Rabbi Howard Buechler opened the ceremony and encouraged a sense of unity among all those who gathered in the house of worship.

“Tonight we stand together to seek comfort and to condemn hatred,” Buechler said. “Together we stand together representing a beautiful mosaic of diversity that is our community to teach our children never to be biased or bigoted, and never to let fear hold sway over your lives.”

Linda Beigel Schulman, of Dix Hills, whose son Scott Beigel died in February during the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, also gave an emotional speech during the rally.

“Living through the Parkland massacre once was enough for anyone, but reliving that again this past Saturday has brought back such a flood of emotion that I can not even begin to express my outrage,” Schulman said.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart told mourners that the Suffolk Police Department stood with them, and that police would increase patrols in and around houses of worship “into the foreseeable future.”

“It is critical to us that we do all we can as a police department to make sure that you feel safe as you join together to worship,” Hart said.To end the vigil, attendees joined together in solidarity and sang “God Bless America.”

Buechler said, “Tonight we might be standing in Dix Hills, but tonight we are all in Pittsburgh.”

Town Breaks Ground On Veterans’ Housing

Veterans groups joined town officials for the groundbreaking of the future Columbia Terrace in Huntington.

Construction of Columbia Terrace is officially underway following a ceremonial groundbreaking by town officials, veterans, and the construction company.

The groundbreaking was held Tuesday, Oct. 30, on the grounds of an affordable housing development for veterans. Huntington Supervisor Chad Lupinacci, Town Board members Joan Cergo, Mark Cuthbertson and Ed  Smyth, Community Development Agency Director Leah  Jefferson, Assemblyman Steve Stern, representatives from Lipsky construction and members of the American Legion, VFW and the veterans advisory board attended the groundbreaking.

“Huntington Station has been waiting decades for neighborhood and economic revitalization, which over the past several years has began to mobilize,” Lupinacci said.

The town’s Community Development Agency acquired the property in 2010.

“Affordable housing is so far out of reach for so many people living here on Long Island,” Jefferson said. “So the more than we can provide affordable housing and the gift of the American Dream of home ownership, I think is really important, particularly here in the town of Huntington. Not only can home cost be expensive, but the taxes can also put a home out of reach for individuals.”

Affordability was always a goal for the project but in 2015, the CDA earmarked the homes for veterans and their families. Those who have served our country will have a chance to own one of the 14 homes through entering a housing lottery.

“Our veterans and their families make many sacrifices to keep us safe,” Lupinacci said. “When they come home, we owe them the opportunity to have the stability of owning a home that they can live in.”

Lipsky Construction won the contract to build the homes with a $2.94-million bid. The goal is to have veterans moved in by Sept. 30, 2019.

For Lipsky, the project is special.

“We took special consideration of this bid when we gave our pricing, that it was for veterans,” Barry Lipsky, president of Lipsky Construction,  said. “Our company is in the third generation, my brother and myself are the third generation, and my grandfather started it, who was a World War II vet.”

“This is very exciting day and project for our community, but most importantly for those that serve all of us,” Stern, a member of the Veterans Affairs committee in the Assembly, said. “With the Lipsky family we know that can look forward to an outstanding project that will make all of our veterans and our community proud.”

Jefferson hopes it will be a model and inspiration for future projects.

“With all of the service they [veterans] have provided to residents here and across the nation,” Jefferson said. “They face hardships and issues with the healthcare crisis, coming back and dealing with war or maybe dealing with other obstacles. Home ownership might out of reach, so we want to provide them with the affordability of owning a home, especially first-time home buyers.”

The housing lottery will be held about two months before the project is completed, CDA officials said.