Huntington Notebook: Blue Ribbon Schools; Communications Upgrade

The Town of Huntington has retained QScend Technologies for a constituent request management system in an effort to modernize ways in which residents may engage with the Town Hall.

The new "Huntington @ Your Service" will allow residents to to seek information, file requests and to track progress of requests with the town on the Internet and from I-Phones or an Android system smart phone.

"In many ways, it is a logical extension of the ways we have made it easier for residents to keep in touch with the town this year, starting with the launch of our government access television channel in January and continuing with the new telephone emergency notification system we implemented just before Tropical Storm Irene,"  said Town Board meber Susan Berland, in a release.

The new system is exected to be available for use by residents in December, according to town officials.

Following the launch of Huntington @ Your Service, QScend will begin the redesign of the town's website, with a target launch date by spring 2012.

In other town news:

Blue Ribbon School Honored

The Town Board honored Oldfield Middle School and Forest Park Elementary School at the Oct. 11 Town Board meeting for for being named Blue Ribbon schools by the U.S. Department of Education. The Huntington schools will be honored at a Washington, D.C., ceremony in November along with 254 other public schools nationwide to be recognized with Blue Ribbon status.

Small Business Resource Center Opens

The Town of Huntigton announced the opening of the Huntington Small Business Resource and Recovery Center Oct. 20. Located at Town Hall Meeting Room, the center is designed to assist small businesses and stimulate economic development during these challenging financial times, according to town officials. Believed to be the first at a Town Hall on Long Island, the facility is fully equipped with telephones, computers, WiFi, facsimile and scanning for entrepreneurs and businesses to conduct their research, write their business plans or organize their revitalization and recovery plan.

"Embracing Our Differneces" Exhibit At Heckscher Park

Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petrone spoke Oct. 18 to help introduce the outdoor art exhibit "Embracing Our Differences" appearing in Heckscher Park until Oct. 26. Organized annually by the Suffolk County Center for the Holocaust, Diversity and Human Understanding, this is the second time sinc 2007 Huntington has joined the Suffolk County Community College-based Center in sponsoring the exhibition, according to the town.

Bob's Store's Welcomed To East Northport

Town Board member Susan A. Berland and Huntington Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia were on hand Oct. 5 at the official ribbon cutting of Bob's Stores' new location at 6160 Jericho Turnpike in East Northport. New York State Assemblyman Andrew Raia was also in attendance, along with Bob's Store C.E.O. Mark Walsh, C.F.O. Jim Walsh, and Senior Vice President of Operations for Bob's Store, Scott Hampson.