Tie A Pink Ribbon ‘Round The Old Oak Tree
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Members of the Huntington Matters board of directors promote their ribbon program Sunday during the Huntington Station Earth Day cleanup; the largest one in town hangs atop the Palacios Law Group building on New York Avenue.
Volunteers with the Huntington Matters community watch organization spent a beautiful Saturday afternoon indoors at the South Huntington Library, twisting and tying pink bows together that they hope will become a symbol of a beautiful new era in Huntington Station’s history.
They made hundreds of the bows, which they immediately began hanging up the next day during the annual Huntington Station Earth Day cleanup. They’ll have hundreds more at a giveaway event this Sunday, to be held at sponsor Huntington Toyota’s Jericho Turnpike dealership.
“It’s vibrant, happy, powerful,” coordinator June Margolin said. “We definitely wanted something eye-catching.”
Margolin said organizers opted for a ribbon program after a suggestion came from friend Deborah Roman.
“She said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to drive down the street and see a visual sign of how our community is uniting and coming together to be healthier, stronger and safer?’” Margolin said.
In addition to giving those ribbons away on Saturday, the group will be giving residents an opportunity to speak out about concerns in their neighborhood.
“Our goal for this event is not only to distribute ribbons, but also to give our neighbors an opportunity to get to know their local leaders one-on-one, without a podium or stage separating them,” Margolin said.
Huntington Matters was launched last year amidst calls for major change in Huntington Station following the stabbing death of Walt Whitman High School senior Maggie Rosales, whose murder marked the fourth homicide case in Huntington Station in a year’s time.
Since then, Margolin said the group has been working together with police, town and county officials to address crime, code enforcement, and quality of life issues to bring attention to specified trouble areas.
Coming together has empowered the community, she said.
“We can actually choose how our town is to live in. We don’t have to just live here – we can thrive here. The way to thrive is to get involved,” she said.
