On June 15, the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce held a networking meeting at the Peppercorns restaurant featuring acclaimed Newsday columnist Ed Lowe. The evening meeting was designed to be a less formal event so that members who cannot attend the chamber's afternoon luncheon meetings had a chance to network and keep updated on the chamber's agenda.

The meeting began with Chamber of Commerce President Patrick Crowe's address to the membership on the success of the Memorial Day Parade and the Chamber's golf outing, which occurred on June 7.

The chamber plans to have a street fair on Aug. 29 on Jerusalem Avenue from 5 to 7 p.m. The intent of the street fair, which will include rides and music for the entire family, is to reintroduce the community to local businesses. Sponsors of the event hope that the fair will both promote business and increase the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce membership.

Fran Chester, co-owner of Plaster Fun Time Plus on Jericho Turnpike, introduced her business, which she bought last year. Chester spoke enthusiastically about the new initiatives she was pursuing, such as offering glow in the dark parties in which children paint the plaster using glow in the dark paint with a dark light on. She said that the experience was like "painting with liquid light."

At the meeting, Chester addressed the chamber's members, saying, "We've been residents of Hicksville for over 18 years. I have a wonderful supportive husband, Charlie; a son, Charles; and two daughters who work at the store as much as they can. I grew up in Queens, where my father owns a family business which is still going on strong today."

She spoke enthusiastically about the new initiatives she is pursuing. "I've implemented several new concepts that I hope will let my business grow. First, in addition to our regular party packages we now offer a new type of party that we call a 'Glow in the Dark Party,'" Chester said. "The children paint their plaster pieces in a unique way. The lights go out, the large black light goes on, and the children paint with glow-in-the-dark paint. Everything in the store that is decorated in neon glows and it is as if they are painting with liquid light. It's pretty neat and the kids love it."

Plaster Fun Time Plus also offers parties with lunches provided. It has a walk-in policy and has held special sessions for the mentally challenged on certain evenings. Chester has expanded the repertoire of her business' services by launching Plaster-On-The-Go, which she said has been very successful during the three months it has been done. She said that she brings the experience of Plaster Fun Time to camps, schools and day-care centers, including centers for teachers at CW Post and SUNY Old Westbury. Plaster Fun Time can be reached at 935-4477 and is located at 155 Levittown Parkway.

As the featured speaker, Ed Lowe told a humorous anecdote, which recounted his lifelong aspiration to get paid for doing as little as possible. "One of the problems I had with the religion of my youth is that they have this symmetrical set of cardinal virtues and deadly sins. There are seven of each, and I think its just because they're obsessed with symmetry, I think it should be eight and six because I don't have a problem with sloth. In fact I think it could just as easily be virtuous. And somehow you see yourself in confession: I sinned, Lord, I did...nothing. And here we are spending most of our lives aspiring to retirement. So you work so you can do nothing. I've never had a problem with doing nothing; I developed a passion for it," he said.

Thus Lowe's original intention in life was to become a teacher because, coming from the perspective of a student, he believed it would be easy. Lowe spoke about his early career as a junior high school English teacher, which he found to not be easy at all and which he described as putting on "five shows a day." Eventually, after frustrated attempts to go into advertising, Lowe got into the newspaper industry and ultimately began writing columns and said he hasn't worked a day since.

According to James Pavone and Tom Heckhaus, president and secretary, respectively, of the Hicksville Gregory Museum, the museum will be holding a craft fair called the Art of Paleontology on Aug. 14 and 15. At this time, there will be "20 artists performing live executing a piece of art in front of your very eyes, 30 artisans displaying their handmade collections for your pleasure and purchase, and unlimited dancers, comics, and musicians on our open stage," according to the museum's literature.

The museum is also seeking artists from the community to transform boulders into works of art using an appropriate historical or geological theme. The literature goes on to state that the 20 artists selected for the projects will receive a $100 stipend and must provide their own supplies. The works of art will either be sold to their sponsors or auctioned off during the fair. Those interested can contact Debra Ann Kasimakis or Robert Goida at 931-6849 or the Hicksville Gregory Museum at 822-7505. The event will benefit the museum.

The meeting was very lively and chamber members were dynamic and enthusiastic about their businesses and contributing to the community. The Hicksville Chamber of Commerce is located at 10 West Marie Street and can be contacted at 931-7170.