(Hayley Kucich submits the weekly column for the Manhasset Press titled "Hide and Seek.")

The opening reception of the Our Town: Manhasset Memories Photographic exhibit at the Manhasset Public Library was Sunday afternoon, Sept. 24. This collection, a photographic history of the evolution of the town, is now on permanent exhibition in the basement of the library. Members of the Manhasset community were invited to attend the event and share their memories of the Manhasset they remembered.

Residents trickled into the library, gazed at some of the black and white photos on the walls, munched on some of the treats that were provided, and gathered together in the large Community Room where Linda Reilly, facilitator, began the program by thanking everyone who helped put the exhibition together. Many played a role in organizing the exhibition, especially the Friends of the Manhasset Public Library who underwrote the exhibit, and Francis Bourguet, volunteer library historian and curator of the collection.

Reilly began asking trivia questions about Manhasset and this got the ball rolling. All at once people started shouting out answers then raising their hands in order to share personal memories of Manhasset. The microphone was passed around the room and the memories began to flow. It was an incredible experience because all present loved hearing stories about how things used to be in Manhasset.

I remember listening when my parents, Patty and Gary Kucich, and my godfather, Robert Anastasia would sit around the dinner table recounting how Manhasset used to be. "Oh, remember when we used to get grilled cheese sandwiches at Grothaires, and remember the old Plandome Road School where we used to play basketball in the basement?" they would remark.

Now, the room was filled with people sharing stories, people whose families have lived in Manhasset a long time--some since 1907! The 50 years my family has lived here are a lot, but nothing compared with Mrs. Martina Hoff Dudgeon who lived in Manhasset since 1917. She told everyone in the room how she used to ride her pony down Plandome Road into Plandome Heights. Can you imagine the horse and buggies riding through present day Plandome Road!

Whitey Hendrickson reminisced about his childhood days and how his son, Dr. Robert Hendrickson, now owns the Manhasset Animal Hospital on Plandome Road that used to be the site of Martin Peler's Plumbing Shop.

Ward Wright of Wright's Hardware, a fixture on Plandome Road for decades, explained how his grandfather came to Manhasset in 1880 from Philadelphia and became the pastor at Christ Church in Manhasset-his family has remained here ever since. Manhasset resident Doris Bezkor offered that most of the employees who worked in Wright's Hardware were volunteer firemen so every time the fire alarm would go off, all the workers would drop their work and fly out the door to the firehouse. Another resident added how Wright's was the hangout for all the Manhasset men on Saturdays.

Then names like Mr. Whitney and Mr. Munsey started springing up. Stories about Mr. Munsey, a wealthy banker, newspaper and magazine publisher, patron of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, were told about how he put a lot of time and money into the Village of Munsey Park. It was said Munsey Park was as a golf course until the late 1920s and that the golf club was located where the present day Benihana restaurant is. Mr. Munsey, being a patron of the Met and having no heirs, left his estate to the Met. The Met decided that the homes in Munsey Park should all be unique and different and they also decided to name many of the streets in the village after American artists, including Trumbull, Whistler, and Hunt. What interesting history to be learned on a Sunday afternoon!

The microphone continued to be passed around, with people shouting across the room exclaiming they couldn't hear what was being said. Simultaneously, photos of the old trolley that ran through Manhasset were being examined in the hallway by early 20th century Manhassetites as well as 21st century Manhassetites.

It is a testament to Manhasset that so many families from Brooklyn and other cities migrated to Manhasset and still have their families rooted here. People have remained in Manhasset, it was said, because of its close-knit community that is filled with residents who have a deep respect and admiration for their town.

Everyone should visit the beautiful new library and take a walk down memory lane to learn a little bit more about our wonderful town and how it has evolved and changed. You can also purchase the book, Manhasset: The First 300 Years at the circulation desk for $20 that is a wonderful history of Manhasset. This is a must see exhibit that can be experienced over and over because it will be here for years to come. By viewing this exhibit, you gain an even greater love for your town and appreciation for its beauty, businesses, programs, residents, and everything else that it offers.

While visiting the library, contact a library employee if you are interested in becoming a "Friend of the Manhasset Public Library." Donations from library members are what allow exhibitions like this one to be assembled and exhibited.