SIDE DISH: Finley's At 25... Meet The Spaghetti-visor

Finley’s of Green Street is celebrating 25 years in Huntington village.

Finley’s Celebrates 25 Years: A long standing Huntington village restaurant will on Friday night kick off a year of celebration to mark 25 years in business. Finley’s of Greene Street (43 Green Street, Huntington) has become an institution since Dr. John Finley and his wife Sandy Finley purchased the bar, which was then called Garvin’s, in 1993. “People were calling it Finley’s before we even opened, while we were struggling for a new name, so we went with the flow and named it Finley’s,” Sandy Finley said. “My husband was a practicing dentist at the time, and I was a social worker, but we soon had to devote all our time to Finley’s.” John Finley passed away in November 2010, but his wife has continued running the bar and restaurant with her son Shannon. The Huntington Chamber of Commerce is set to hold a ribbon cutting at 6 p.m., Friday at the restaurant to commemorate the anniversary. Finley’s will have a party to commemorate the occasion. Willie Steel, the first musician to perform at Finley’s 25 years ago, will provide the musical backdrop for the party, while complimentary hors d’oeuvres, fun food and half-priced drinks will be served from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. The party will continue when Steel and his original band, Steel Poney, perform starting at 8:30 p.m. Make your way to Finley’s on Friday evening to reminisce about the good times and make some new ones.

Huntington Spaghetti-visor Chad Lupinacci donned an apron and chef’s toque to dish out the food to seniors at Huntington Senior Center’s Italian Festival.

MEET ThE Spaghetti-visor: Huntington Supervisor Chad Lupinacci put his Italian heritage to good use earlier this month when he served up classic Italian fare at the Town of Huntington Senior Center’s Italian Festival. Lupinacci joined seniors from around the Town of Huntington for an Italian fest of spaghetti and meatballs, followed by a cake adorned with an Italian flag made of icing provided by King Kullen. The event took place at 423 Park Avenue in Hutngington. Lupinacci donned an apron and chef’s toque, and took up a spot behind the line dishing out the food to seniors. “Celebrating Italian Heritage Month is always fun because of all the great Italian foods we can enjoy,” Lupinacci said. The Town of Huntington Senior Center first opened its doors on March 18, 1974 with the goal of providing a nutritious meal to all Town of Huntington residents over the age of sixty. The center now two locations, nine clubs, and over 2,500 members who participate in the lunch program, activities and educational programs.

PSEG’s Paul De Benedetto of East Northport helped sort and pack apples for delivery to food pantries across Long Island.

Picking A Good Cause: A group of PSEG employees volunteered their time at the Island Harvest Food Bank in Hauppauge earlier this month to help send a classic fall food to people in need. Paul De Benedetto, of East Northport, was among the employees who helped sort and pack 9,386 pounds of apples for delivery to food pantries, soup kitchens and churches across Long Island. “With only a couple of weekends left in the apple picking season, having so many PSEG Long Island volunteers to help sort and pack helped fill a critical need,” Island Harvest Food Bank’s president and CEO Randi Shubin Dresner said. Employess from PESG Long Island routinely volunteer their time at Island Harvest to support events such as the annual turkey drive, working the Giving Garden and packing apples. “Our employees are always ready to step up and volunteer for worthwhile causes serving our communities,” PSEG Long Island manager of community outreach, George Coburn said. “This particular event combined a day of camaraderie and community service that was really enjoyable for our participating employees.”