Tricentennial Tree Lights Up Village

By Andrea Halpern

In what was a reminder of the rich history and small-town roots of Farmingdale, a large crowd of community members huddled on the Village Green last Wednesday to celebrate the holiday lighting of the Tricentennial Tree.

The annual tradition began in 1987 after the village observed the tricentennial of the settlement of the area by Thomas Powell. The settlement took place in 1687, making Farmingdale one of the oldest communities in America.

As in the past, the event was well-received by the community, according to William Johnston, village historian and organizer of the event. "It seems to be growing every year," he said. "It`s a firmly established recent tradition."

Many of those in attendance were there to see their children perform with the East Memorial Elementary School Chorus. Others were residents with a healthy amount of community spirit. Also present were village trustees, the village mayor, the president of the local historical society, and Farmingdale`s representative in the Nassau County Legislature.

"It`s great to be here another year. The crowd gets bigger and bigger," Legislator Salvatore B. Pontillo said as he addressed the crowd from the podium.

Farmingdale Village Mayor Joseph M. Trudden offered some words of leadership to the crowd, wishing the holiday season brings peace, and asking the community to remember the U.S. military service men and women who are currently stationed in the Middle East. "It`s so volatile over there, we could be in war in the next couple of weeks," he said after the ceremony, referring to current relations between the U.S. and Iraq.

The mayor complimented the singing of the East Memorial chorus and expressed pleasure about the tree lighting bringing the community together. "It comes and goes so fast, and we`re all caught up in shopping and everything, we forget what the real meaning of Christmas and Chanukah is," he said.

The East Memorial Chorus sang the traditional holiday carols Let it Snow, Winter Wonderland, and Feliz Navidad.

The students practiced the songs for the past month, said Claire Zatorski, chorus director for East Memorial School, in addition to practicing the music for the winter concert, which will take place Dec. 17. "They were very excited about doing it," she said. "They were really into it being in their own town."

One of the vocalists noted that the event brought on a bit of stage fright in him. "I was nervous," Jawanza Richards, 11, said after the event.

That nervousness apparently did not show in the performance, as evidenced by the many compliments the children received.

"They did super," said Johnston, the village historian, noting that the children gave an impressive performance despite difficulties with lighting and the sound system. "They overcame a lot of adversity tonight and came through beautifully."

Some audience members said that they had difficulty hearing the singers and the speakers, due to an inadequate sound system, and that they wished the lighting at the event had been better.

The chorus also earned kudos from members of the crowd. "The kids were great," said Howie Schilling, who attended the ceremony with his wife Dotty and their daughter and grandchildren. The family was there to see the Schilling`s grandson perform with the East Memorial chorus.

Other highlights of the evening were a brass medley performed by the South Shore Brass Ensemble and free refreshments in Village Hall, courtesy of the Farmingdale Kiwanis.

The event was sponsored by the Incorporated Village of Farmingdale and the Farmingdale-Bethpage Historical Society in cooperation with the Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club of Farmingdale.