At one time or another, we've all heard the stereotypes that paint Long Island as a suburbia filled only with cookie-cutter houses and materialistic mall rats, and as a place whose culture pales in comparison to that of the nearby Big Apple.

It is hoped, however, that we've also been moved to defy such perceptions.

An upcoming conference on Nassau County's centennial is expected to do just that, by offering three days of scholarly presentations on the diverse aspects of Long Island's history throughout the past 100 years.

The event, Centennial Conference Nassau County: From Rural Hinterland to Suburban Metropolis, marks the creation of the county a year after the three western towns of Queens County became a part of New York City. Sponsored by the Hofstra Long Island Studies Institute and the Nassau County Centennial Committee, it will be held all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 18 to 20 at the university. Through discussion of a range of topics - such as the establishment of Jewish communities in the suburbs from 1897 to 1998, poor relief in Nassau County from 1899 to 1999, old time baseball on Long Island, women in the clergy and the dynamics of the African-American Church, as well as colorful writers and politicians spawned by the county - we feel the conference will play an important part in showing that Long Islanders have deep roots and a rich spirit.

What's more, it will also shed light on the unique heritage of Farmingdale, by featuring it in 3 of its over 40 talks.

On Friday, between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., as part of a segment on Nassau's aerospace heritage, Roy Douglas of the Republic Airport Historical Society will present a talk on "The Origins of Airplane Manufacturing in Farmingdale, New York: 1917-1928." In addition, Thomas Kelly, a Grumman retiree, will present "From Long Island to the Moon." The only other program in the aviation group of workshops will focus on the well-known Cradle of Aviation Museum at Mitchel Field, which is perhaps a testament to the honor of Farmingdale's being included in the segment.

In addition, Farmingdale is one of only four communities to be included in the Spotlight on Communities segment set to take place on Saturday. Farmingdale Village Historian Bill Johnston will present a talk entitled "Farmingdale's History: A Reflection of Nassau County's First Century." His program is scheduled to take place during the latter half of the 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. concurrent sessions.

Members of the local community are encouraged to attend the event, and may receive information about admission costs, etc., by contacting the centennial conference committee at Hofstra University at 463-5669/5670.

Ideally, the conference will instill pride in our county's residents, as its speakers provide evidence that Long Island's culture is anything but weak, is, in fact, surprisingly complex, and most importantly - goes far beyond the stereotypes.