HUNTINGTON, NY – August 14, 2026
New technology appearing around town raised some big questions this week about privacy, public safety and just how much information is being collected as we go about our daily lives. Nearly two years after a horrific crash that killed four people, a sentence has finally been handed down, while several upcoming events give neighbors an opportunity to help others right here in Huntington.
Huntington Matters continues its weekly YouTube Live podcast series to keep residents informed about what’s happening across the Town of Huntington, from public safety updates to conversations taking place in Huntington Matters Community Forum.
Hosted by June Margolin, Dana Richter, and Diane Schaber, the Weekly Update connects residents from Cold Spring Harbor to Commack, Asharoken to Melville, and everywhere in between.
This week’s episode also featured a quick Huntington Town Board meeting update, summer concerts and movies, the Huntington Summer Carnival, Coffee with a Cop, a blood drive, a Melville financial crimes arrest, an impaired driving discussion, and a “What Do You Think?” question asking viewers what childhood rule they no longer agree with as adults.
👇 Watch the full episode below and please subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Community Partner Spotlight
A special thank you to Park Nails & Spa and Webe Swift Car Service for supporting this episode of the Huntington Matters Weekly Update. Spend $100 or more at Park Nails & Spa and enjoy a complimentary VIP Spa Ride courtesy of Webe Swift Car Service. They’ll pick you up from your Town of Huntington location, bring you to your spa appointment, and take you home afterward. By appointment only – call Park Nails & Spa at (631) 425-0340 and visit ParkNailSpa.com for more information.
What’s Happening Around Huntington
The Summer Carnival continues at Breezy Park, with rides, entertainment and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament for students in grades 5 through 12. Saturday night brings the magic of Broadway Under The Stars to Heckscher Park, featuring Broadway performers and music.
Sunday, a memorial fundraiser honoring Mason Kraese will be held at Six Harbors Brewing Company to support scholarships for young people pursuing careers in the skilled trades.
The Summer Arts Festival returns Monday with a free screening of Wicked: For Good at Heckscher Park.
Tuesday brings another Town of Huntington Protect and Purge event at the Flanagan Center, giving residents an opportunity to safely dispose of paper documents and unused medications.
Residents can meet Suffolk County Police Department 2nd Precinct officers Wednesday during Coffee with a Cop at Walt Whitman Shops, while Thursday’s blood drive at the East Northport Public Library offers another way to help at a time when blood shortages remain a concern.
Residents can find details for these events and many more on the Huntington Matters Community Calendar at HuntingtonMatters.com.
Hot Topics – Flock Cameras, Privacy & Public Safety
A growing conversation about Flock cameras reached Huntington Matters Community Forum this week as neighbors began asking what the cameras collect, who owns them and what happens to the information they gather.
Flock Safety produces license plate reader cameras used by law enforcement agencies and private businesses. They can help identify vehicles connected to stolen cars, suspects and other investigations, while private businesses may use them for security around locations such as shopping centers and parking lots.
The controversy comes from the amount of information these systems can collect and how that data may be accessed or shared.
Dana looked on the DeFlock.me app at where Flock cameras have been reported around the Town of Huntington and explained why the issue is not as simple as deciding whether the technology is “good” or “bad.” The same system that raises legitimate privacy concerns can become extremely valuable when police are trying to locate a missing person, recover a stolen vehicle or quickly identify a suspect.
Our discussion went beyond the cameras themselves to the enormous amount of information many of us already provide voluntarily through phones, apps, websites and location services. Watch the full segment for our conversation about where privacy concerns collide with convenience, safety and the technology we already use every day.
What Do You Think?
This week’s “What Do You Think?” question asked:
What is one rule from your childhood that you don’t agree with now that you’re an adult?
Our answers covered everything from elbows on the dinner table and making the bed every morning to eating dessert for breakfast and being forced to clean your plate before getting dessert.
As usual, we didn’t exactly agree with each other.
Share your answer in the comments or join the conversation in Huntington Matters Community Forum.
Neighborhood Watch – Sentencing, Financial Crimes & Impaired Driving
Nearly two years after the 2024 drunk driving crash at Hawaii Nail & Spa in Deer Park that killed four people and injured nine others, Steven Schwally, 66, of Deer Park was sentenced this week to 25 years to life in prison.
Prosecutors said his blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit and that he was traveling 78 mph before his SUV went airborne and crashed into the salon. A jury convicted him in June of four counts of second-degree murder and numerous additional charges. Huntington Matters has the full story, including details from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, on our website.
A separate arrest hit much closer to home in Melville. Suffolk County Police Financial Crimes Unit detectives allege that a former employee of Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices on Schwab Road forged and deposited 15 checks totaling more than $11,800 into her personal account. The 25-year-old Brooklyn woman was charged with identity theft, grand larceny and criminal possession of a forged instrument.
We received a DATE change for the Suffolk County Police Department 2nd Precinct Community Meeting. The new date is Tuesday, September 8 at 10 a.m. at Harborfields Public Library.
Our Neighborhood Watch discussion ended with a topic we’ll be returning to soon. We attended a news conference this week focused on driving under the influence of drugs and the growing concern surrounding drug-impaired crashes. The message for now is simple: impaired is impaired. If you’re using something that affects your judgment, reaction time or awareness, don’t drive.
Anyone with information about suspicious activity or a crime can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS or submit information through P3Tips.com. Victims of financial scams can contact the Suffolk County Police Department Financial Crimes Unit at 631-852-6821.
Connect with and Support Huntington Matters
Since 2014, Huntington Matters has been connecting neighbors, supporting local businesses, sharing information, advocating for our community, and serving residents across the Town of Huntington.
What began as an “ambitious volunteer project” has grown into a full-time hyperlocal media platform that includes HuntingtonMatters.com, our Community Calendar, Business Directory, The Common Thread magazine, Huntington Matters Community Forum, Instagram, TikTok, and regular YouTube Live updates.
Support Huntington Matters by purchasing official “Best. Neighbors. Ever.“ merchandise, making a donation, subscribing to our YouTube channel, or partnering with us to reach the Huntington community.
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If you live, work, or grew up in the Town of Huntington, join more than 58,300 of your neighbors in Huntington Matters Community Forum.
Please note: Events are removed from the Community Calendar approximately three months after the event date, so some older links may no longer be active.
