Former Smithtown Resident Shares a Piece of the Pie with the Less Fortunate

A few weeks ago I decided to write about some great people from Smithtown for this blog—those who still live here and those who grew up here and still carry our town in their hearts.

Living in Smithtown for over 35 years, and a graduate of Hauppauge High School who is very active on Facebook, I easily listed a dozen or so people I wanted to blog about. As for the first person, I knew it had to be my former schoolmate Lorraine Gryniewich.

A few months ago, Lorraine, a member of Hauppauge High School’s Class of ’87, experienced a turning point in her life and found her calling. While others were gathered around the table on Thanksgiving Day catching up on family members and friends, or posting photos on Facebook, this wife and mother of two was having a more meaningful interaction. A conversation with her twin sister Laura on that day would be one that would positively change her life as well as the lives of many of the less fortunate in her area.

Lorraine was incredulous when Laura, who is a social worker, explained that the people she served would not receive their usual food baskets during the holidays due to policy changes. After hearing of her sister’s frustrations, Lorraine said to her, “I’ll do it. I don’t know how, but I will do it.”

And she did it! Getting the word out to her friends on Facebook that she was organizing a food drive, the philanthropist was able to collect 1,867 pounds of food and hand deliver complete meals to over 50 families in time for Christmas. Lorraine said food and money donations came from all over the country with the great majority of the donations coming from former Hauppauge High School classmates—many who she hasn’t seen in almost 30 years.

Some of the food collected during Lorraine's holiday food drive in 2013.

Turns out the holiday food drive wasn’t just a feel good project to get into the spirit of the season for Lorraine. She couldn’t get over the feeling that she just dropped off baskets of food to some families that didn’t even have electricity or running water. Knowing that Lorraine felt the desire to help others in need even further, one of her friends suggested she visit an underserved school in West Virginia. After a trip to the school in a rural and isolated area, she was struck by the urgent need for basics such as food and clothing. She knew she needed to do something to help out the students as well as their families.

Her calling to be the voice of the less fortunate led to the birth of the nonprofit organization Piece of the Pie (POP). The mission is simple: to help families and seniors in need living in the DC metro, Maryland, Northern Virginia and West Virginia areas. In addition, if she can assist in some way in other places, she is more than happy to help. 

Lorraine has adopted the West Virginia school and has visited the faculty and students, as well as the homes in the surrounding area, numerous times. She has helped to bring coats, sneakers, early readers, classroom books, copy paper and more to the children and their families. With a recent clothing and materials drive, she once again has been touched by the generosity of those she has connected with on Facebook. Long-time friends and acquaintances not only have donated to the cause, but have also volunteered their homes to be drop-off sites for donated items.

Mimi Wright, who has known Lorraine since their days together at Forest Brook Elementary School, wasn’t surprised when she heard her former classmate was starting a non-profit and how quickly everything came together.

“There was no question in my mind that this was her calling—finding the local need and getting people to fix it! She has the heart to want to do it; the organizational skills to get it done. The attitude to make sure she gets the right help, or send people on their way, and the personality to do it with such grace that people want to help over and over again,” Mimi said.

It’s also no surprise that Lorraine has been touched so deeply by the needs of the children attending the West Virginia school. Before becoming a stay-at-home mother 9 years ago, she was a teacher for 15 years. Lorraine knows that students need the basics in and outside of the classroom to receive a proper education and that all children deserve to be educated. The former educator explained that most of the children live in remote areas that are only passable with a four-wheel drive even on a good day—the type of vehicles that poor families can’t afford. And even if they do a have a car, many of the parents can’t afford to buy gas. With stores a 20 minute drive away, even when there is money to buy groceries, without a car it can be extremely difficult to pick up food and other necessities. She said that at times the visits to the children’s homes can leave her feeling frustrated and wondering if she is doing enough for them.

“What keeps me going is the hope that maybe one little one will remember a kind act and will feel worthy of a better life,” she said.

Lorraine said it’s her father who has inspired her most in life, and it’s he who set the example of helping others. The former Hauppauge track team member said she remembers her dad buying coffee for a man with special needs who bagged groceries in Grand Union. He also would buy lunch for the autistic man who was in charge of gassing up the trucks at work. While Lorraine moved to Maryland after graduating from the University of Buffalo and now calls Virginia home, she still travels to our town often to visit her father as well as her mother, brother and grandmother.

The founder of Piece of the Pie has not only changed the lives of those she has helped, but also those who have been inspired to do better after witnessing what she has accomplished in such a short time. Former classmate Francine Silverman was so touched by Lorraine’s work that she coordinated a clothing drive in her New Jersey neighborhood for Piece of the Pie. In addition to the clothing she gathered, she also found an eye doctor to donate a box of frames and prescription glasses and a dentist to contribute 250 toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Lorraine is currently collecting non-perishable foods for the families in the West Virginia area and also organizing a back-to-school supplies and clothing drive for the students. If you are inspired by this former Smithtown resident’s mission, you can donate non-perishable foods, gently-used clothing and outwear for children and adults, gently-used books, games, puzzles or small toys to Piece of the Pie. Simply contact Lorraine at rain@shareapieceofthepie.org. Monetary donations are also accepted and can be sent to: PO Box 214, Hamilton, Virginia 20158.

For more information about Piece of the Pie, visit http://shareapieceofthepie.org .

The results of a recent Piece of the Pie clothing drive. 

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Author Claire Nicolas White Shares the Stories of the Smith Family

Every once in a while I get a chance to take a step back in time…well, at least feel like it. Today was one of those days for me as I headed over to the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s (WMHO) Educational and Cultural Center in Stony Brook.

With the front of the venue’s main room set up like an old-fashioned sitting room, the organization presented author Claire Nicolas White’s new book The Land of the Smiths: A Collection of Personal Memoirs. White, who was married to a descendant of both Smithtown’s town founder and architect Stanford White, was fortunate to read many of the writings of Smith family members. She also was able to enjoy a few years with her husband’s grandmother, Bessie White, who was the daughter of a Smith and married to Stanford. Bessie grew up in Judge Lawrence Smith’s house that still stands today on the property of the Smithtown Historical Society.

Today’s reception began with the over 100 attendees mingling while enjoying free refreshments and buying the new history book. WMHO President Gloria D. Rocchio gave a brief introduction and thanked sponsors Lessing’s, The Smithtown News and Damianos Realty Group.

The trip back in time began as pianist Richard Foley and violinist Ryan Foley played a medley of Stephen Foster songs including “Oh! Susanna" and “Camptown Races”. The brief musical performance was followed by a vignette called “A Visit with Miss Smith” written by Ms. White and performed by local actress Jean Linzee. The old-fashioned sitting room was the perfect backdrop for this peek into the life of one of Judge Lawrence Smith’s daughters and Bessie White’s sister. Not only did Linzee transport the audience back in time to the days of Ella’s youth, but also let us in on what life was like for a young Smith in the late 1800s.  Ella reminded guests that there was a time when Main Street was filled with Smiths and the town’s train station was a new addition. However, the most touching part of the monologue is when we find that Ella had fallen in love with her cousin on her mother’s side, James Clinch. While many Smiths married cousins, her father didn’t approve. To keep her away from her crush, the judge locked Ella in a cage in the attic for a month! And while the punishment was uncalled for, and your heart may break for the young girl, Ella did move on to marry Devereux Emmet, a wealthy golf course designer and realtor. The Emmet’s became the proud owners of the house Sherrewogue on Harbor Road in Head of the Harbor.

When it was Ms. White’s turned to speak, she was very modest and after a few sentences joked that the audience would probably prefer if she just signed books. However, she did graciously answer a few questions. With a half a dozen or so Smiths on hand, including Nissequogue Mayor Richard Smith, many wanted to know if Ms. White had ever been familiar with this Smith or that Smith. At one point, the conversation turned to town founder, Richard Smythe, acquiring the land known as Smithtown from his friend Lion Gardiner and not by riding a bull. Ms. White reminded us that not many places have such a charming story attached to it.   

Since I just bought the book today, I can’t write a review of it just yet. However, thumbing through the pages, I can tell you the Holland-born author came to Long Island looking for “a sense of place to complete my identity”. After today’s reception, it’s seems as if she not only found that, but with her book will provide many more Smithtown residents with a sense of place and appreciation of its town’s wonderful history.

For more information on The Land of the Smiths: A Collection of Personal Memoirs call the Ward Melville Heritage Organization at 631-751-2244.

 

Jean Linzee as Ella Smith.

 

Ms. White signing books at the end of the presentation.

Welcome to Commack

I was exchanging emails with someone the other day, and I mentioned how I blogged. After looking at this page, I may have been exaggerating a bit. It sure has been a while.

You know how it is…life gets in the way sometimes. A recent move has kept me busy lately, but at the same time has inspired me to blog again.  You see I may have moved, but I’m still in Smithtown. It’s just a different part of the township that’s all.

I’m in Commack now on the Smithtown side. What can I say here on Long Island a few of our hamlets have split personalities. The fact that Commack is divided between the townships of Huntington and Smithtown can be credited to Smithtown founder Richard Smythe.

When I was writing for Commack Patch, my former social studies teacher Noel Gish explained that like most land disputes on the island it began over confusion over who was given land from Native Americans. Nessaquakes, Matinecocks and Secatogues once lived in and around what we now know as Commack.  The land from Cow Harbor in Northport to west of the Nissequogue River was granted to Jonas Woods, William Rogers and Thomas Wilkes of Huntington in 1656. This territory was given to them by the Sachem Asharoken of the Matinecocks. Around the same time Richard Smythe acquired the land that would become Smithtown from his friend Lion Gardiner. The Sachem Wyandanch presented Gardiner this area which he believed extended to the west of the Nissequogue. The overlapped area of these two claims is now the Smithtown part of Commack.

For twenty years a debate continued as to whether the Huntington group or Smythe owned the land. The founder of Smithtown persisted in Dutch courts and then English courts and won his claim in the late 1670s.

Basically it’s the reason why Commack residents west of Townline and Commack Roads have trouble getting permission to park at Hoyt Farm, and those east of the roads can’t borrow books from the Commack branch of the Huntington Library. I guess back in the old days they didn’t foresee these little annoyances. :)

Even the name Commack has two pronunciations. While you’ll hear most people say Ko-mack nowadays, you’ll still find some old-timers who say Kom-mack, which kind of sounds like “comic”. There’s a reason for this. The area was originally called Winnecomac, and when the name was shortened, Comac was initially used. The spelling was changed to Commack to avoid being confused with Coram. Apparently there were some mail mix-ups back in the old days.

So here I am Commack and here I am readers. Let’s continue this journey through the township of Smithtown real soon!

Remembering the Local Victims of 9/11

Eleven years later we remember those who lost their lives due to the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Yesterday I decided to visit a few memorials in the township of Smithtown to pay my respects to local victims.

Gardens of Remembrance

Just a few minutes away from my home is the H. Lee Dennison Building. Located on Route 454, the building features their Armed Forces Plaza which includes the Gardens of Remembrance. A memorial to 9/11 victims who once resided in Suffolk County, the structure is a large square of glass panels with a garden on the inside. While the garden is inaccessible, it creates a beautiful background for the panels. Each is etched with information about a different victim including their name, age at the time, occupation and town they resided in. The memorial is breathtaking any time of day, but when lit up at night, it becomes even more so.

 

Smithtown 9/11 Memorial

Right on Main Street in Smithtown is a memorial dedicated to residents of the town who lost their life that day. Next to the Cactus Day Salon residents will find a serene waterfall surrounded by a low wall. On the front of the wall a series of plaques display the names of the Smithtown victims and benches are located across from the waterfall for visitors to take in the simple yet beautiful dedication.

Responders Remembered Memorial Park
 

To honor the first responders in Suffolk County who lost their lives after 9/11, a memorial can be found on the corner of Smithtown Boulevard and Gibbs Pond Road in Nesconset. Many first responders have been diagnosed with different types of cancer throughout the last decade, and the marble walls are currently etched with 118 names. Members of the committee for the Responders Remembered Memorial Park are currently working on adding more names to ensure that all of the deceased responders from our county are honored.

Providing spots for locals to reflect on 9/11 on any day they choose, each of these memorials is beautifully designed to honor the victims so they will never be forgotten.  

Smithtown 9/11 Memorial
 

 

Long Island Kids Style

For the past few years, every summer I get the chance to discover Long Island through the eyes of a child. Well, at least for a few days when my cousin's son and/or daughter come to visit. While both of them have spent a few days with me the last few years, this year Samantha visited on her own.  Being 13 now, Brandon has a very busy schedule with baseball, friends and girlfriends. You know how it is!

Of course, being a 10-year-old girl there was a visit to Justice at the Smith Haven Mall, and one night we met up with cousins at Chuck E Cheese, but fortunately there was more to the vacation then shopping and games.

This summer we had the chance to visit Atlantis Marine World again. Or as they call it now, Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center. It's been two years since our last visit, and while they have added the exhibition with the butterflies and birds, I must admit we skipped it. Passing by the shark tank we did see someone taking part in the shark experience where you are lowered into the water in a cage to get a closer look at the sharks. And while it sounds kind of cool, I don't know about sharing water with sharks!

I must admit the highlights for me are still the penguins and sea lions. Samantha and I caught the sea lion show and were amazed at what they can do.  Or course, overall, it was just relaxing walking around checking out the aquatic animals. Even though I only seem to make it here when the kids are visiting, I think it's a great place for all ages to visit, even perfect for a date.

One night, to the relief of my friends and Facebook buddies who I kept asking about this place, I brought Samantha and my landlords' daughter to Boomers out by Exit 65 on the Expressway. There's an arcade, kiddie rides, bumper boats and  miniature golf, but I would have to say the best part of this small park are the go karts. The other attractions at Boomers are nice to take a break in between riding the go karts, but they probably won't hold the attention of anyone out of elementary school for long. However, as far as the go karts, I did feel we got more time on the track than we did at Karts in Ronkonkoma last year, so it was definitely worth the $24.99 P.O.P. And besides getting enough time on the track each time, we went four or five times!

Both the aquarium and Boomers have rock walls, which is great. However, while you don't pay extra for the one at the aquarium, you do pay $6 more for the one at Boomers. Not quite sure I would pay extra again. The kids get three tries, but considering we had to find someone to come help, I really don't think the $6 is justified.

One afternoon we were able to pay a quick visit to Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown. The park is one of those gems that exist because of the generosity of former residents. While the house is filled with educational material on animals and nature, and the outside hosts animals and birds that have been injured, the main draw is the butterfly vivarium. One of the girls working in the vivarium told me there were approximately 200 butterflies this year, and the day we were there they were fluttering around in full force in an array of colors. We kept trying to get photos of the blue ones, but they were too quick for us.

Of course, a trip to the island wouldn't be complete without stopping by Adventureland. The one thing I love about this place is that if you don't go on any rides you don't have to pay. I just paid $3 to go on the train around the park and that was it. As for Samantha and my landlord's daughter, they got the $23.99 P.O.P. bracelets, and considering we were there for over four hours, I still feel like I got my money's worth at Adventureland.  Granted it may not be as huge as a Six Flags park, and the rides may not be as scary, but it's definitely an easy way to have a few hours of fun on Long Island.

Now next year we'll have to make it to the glow-in-the-dark miniature golf in Deer Park or Medford. The kids definitely can have too much fun on this island!

Reunited and It Feels So Good: Hauppauge High School Class of '87's 25th Reunion

Hauppauge school spirit invaded Port Jefferson on Saturday, June 23 with members of Hauppauge High School's Class of 1987 holding an informal 25th reunion at Rowland Photography / The Gallery.

The event organized by Christine Weber Livingston and Jason Feinman drew approximately 25 former classmates. The two posted the event on Facebook in hopes of an informal, inexpensive and cozy event, and Kathy Kane Rowland made it possible by offering her photo gallery as the venue.

Old friends from the local area as well as Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia and Florida gathered that night to catch up and take a stroll down memory lane. The reunion kicked off at 6:00 p.m. with plenty of hugs and warm hellos as people arrived. Chris Lynch and Jill Rossi were enthusiastically greeted everywhere they turned the second they entered the party. The two who met at an alumni happy hour three years ago became engaged a few months ago and everyone was looking forward to congratulating them.

Being in the village reminded Lorraine Gryniewich and Mary McCormick Ippolito of younger days when they would drive around Port Jefferson. David Juan remembered Jason taking care of a bully during their school years. One day Jason, who was a little guy, had enough of being picked on and swung his book bag at a fellow classmate slamming the guy into the lockers. It was definitely an incident that many remember to this day!

Nicole DeDominicis McBride traveled from Florida for the reunion and like many couldn’t believe 25 years had passed already. She had a great time catching up with everyone that showed up, but said as a nostalgic and sentimental person there were countless of others she would have loved to have seen.

And while many weren’t able to make the trip, others were there virtually for a short time thanks to Skype. People at the reunion got a chance to chat with Mimi Wright and John Taylor thanks to Kathy having a computer at the gallery.

Jason thought everyone looked great and loved hearing about the accomplishments of the mostly female attendees. He was impressed by Tracey Donehower’s volunteer work, and the mothers who juggle their children’s schedules, as well as their own interests and careers. He loved hearing about the wide range of professions from Colleen’s artistic career to Christine’s stint as a police officer.

Christine, who traveled from North Carolina, was blown away by her classmates. She posted on one of the Hauppauge alumni Facebook walls, "so current kids take a look at what you can accomplish by taking a good look at us." She's grateful for Facebook that not only made this reunion possible, but the 40th birthday party bash that was held a couple of years ago as well as the alumni happy hours that many from this class have attended over the past few years.

Everyone had so much fun that after 9:00 they headed over to the bar at Ruvo's, while others lingered over good-byes at the gallery. These former classmates definitely needed more than three hours to share their memories and lives.

I graduated a year before everyone, but always had friends from the Class of 1987. There are those like Denise and David Juan who I have remained friends with through the years and others who I reconnected with on Facebook. Many will agree that Hauppauge people are good people, and I have to say this group is an exceptionally great group. The Class of ’87 has always held a special place in my heart with my own class, and I am happy to say that many of them are still part of my life.

It’s nights like this one that remind us where we came from, and the good, solid foundation it provided in our lives. Here’s to more wonderful reunions in the decades to come!

Growing Up in Forest Brook Acres

My first home on Long Island was in the Forest Brook Acres section of Smithtown. Granted I never knew it was called Forest Brook Acres until later years, even though the school in the area was Forest Brook. One day I found my grandparents’ deed that called it that, and then I heard people looking for a house calling the area by that name.

I moved in with my grandparents when I was nine years old after my parents separated. All of a sudden the place I once visited on vacations was now my home. Moving from Queens to the suburbs left me a bit shell-shocked, but Smithtown turned out to be a great place to grow up.

I grew up on Brook Lane a dead end street off of Brooksite Drive. Many of the streets along Brooksite are dead ends, and they all had, and I believe still have, an opening at the end of the street that leads into Blydenburgh Park. My grandparents used to tell me not to go into the park without an adult, but of course I did. There was one time I went in there with the other kids from the neighborhood and had a snowball fight, and I got hit with one right in the ear. Then there was the other time my friend Nancy and I went into the park with her brother Frankie and his friends. Somehow during our adventure we walked over a log that crossed a muddy stream. Of course, a couple of the kids and I fell off the log, and I went straight to Nancy’s to hose off. Thank goodness when I got home my grandparents were sitting in the screen house, and I sneaked inside to shower off and change before they noticed what a mess I was.

Of course, living on a dead end street is perfect when you’re a kid. When you live on a dead end, drivers, well most, drive slower. Also, there’s less people coming and going. We walked to each other’s houses whenever we wanted, rode our bikes, roller skated and more. Our street was our playground and all the neighborhood kids were friends. I still remember Jessica who was about 10 years younger than us following Nancy and I around everywhere. Back then, her mother didn’t have to worry. She was having fun, and she was safe. The biggest danger for us was Frankie and our friend Jay trying to run over the back of our flip flops with their bikes. Why do boys do things like that? LOL!

It turns out my old neighborhood is more than a place filled with childhood memories, it is also a prime example of post World War II development in Smithtown. A couple of years ago, Smithtown Historian Brad Harris dedicated one of his Smithtown News articles to Forest Brook Acres. Like a number of the homes in my current neighborhood The Pines, a large number of houses in the Brooksite Area were built by the company Dawn Estates. The land development company was run by a lawyer named Bernard Kaplan, and his office, a Dawn Estates model home, sat near the corner of Edgewood Avenue and Jericho Turnpike where Dunkin Donuts is located today.

According to the historian’s article, there was once a large forest from Edgewood Avenue to Town Line Road in Hauppauge. Kaplan acquired 300 acres in this area after World War II, and the Dawn Estate Developers cut a street thought the woods that followed the course of a brook. This was the road that became Brooksite Drive.

The brochures for the neighborhood advertised it as “where peace and contentment dwell”. It was also “where nature made the country beautiful, filling it with vitamins, pure air and other health-giving qualities.’

It’s hard to imagine now, but according to the article there was once a shallow swimming hole that ran along the east side of Brooksite Drive. It’s the area where we find the end of Juniper Avenue today, and a scoop dredge was used to create the hole that even had a sandy little beach. The other day I was talking to a couple of long-time residents, and they said it was so shallow that you would probably call it more a fishing hole than a swimming hole.

Around 1947/1948, the Dawn Estates homes in Forest Brook Acres started out measuring 20’ x 20’ on a half acre lot with an unfinished interior and costing $3,300, according to Harris’s research. Most families living in the bungalows had a kitchen, living room, bathroom, and one bedroom and created a second bedroom in the attic. The dead end streets on the west side of Brooksite were the first to have houses constructed. The first streets were Sunrise Lane, Brook Lane, Shady Lane, Hickory Lane, Twilight Lane and Sunset Lane. Lanes such as Holly, Larch, Lilac, Rose and Forest were added later as more homes were needed. In the late 50s more homes were sold along Brooksite Drive and were sold for $4,999 for the shell that then measured 20' x 24'. If the buyers wanted it to be finished, it was $11,000.

I remember in 1979 my grandparents bought a new car for $7,000 and said it was the same amount as what they paid for the house in 1954. Our home actually had two bedrooms on the main floor, and my grandfather finished the attic that fit a couple of beds and even a cot or two. While it was great for when family came to visit, we still had to pull down the attic stairs to access it. And from the map I found, it looks like when they bought the house it was by then approximately 34’ x 34’. Today the house that the current owners built is probably about three times that size maybe even four times! It looks huge to me compared to the little cape I grew up in and lived in until 1995.

Nancy’s parents still live on Brook Lane, and I’m always amazed when I drive up the road and see how most of the once former little houses have grown. Yet, the tree lined Brooksite Drive with its dead end streets, especially Brook Lane, will always bring back childhood memories of simpler times for me.