HUNTINGTON, NY – July 24, 2026
State funding brought several major investments to Huntington this week as New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie visited Huntington Station with Assemblyman Steve Stern to tour local projects and announce improvements that will benefit residents for years to come. We also looked back at Huntington’s Revolutionary War celebration, highlighted another busy week of summer events, and shared how one local organization continues to change young lives.
Huntington Matters continues its weekly YouTube Live podcast series to keep residents informed about what’s happening across the Town of Huntington, from local government initiatives 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 volunteer opportunities, overdose prevention training, National Night Out, the Huntington Youth Bureau, the weekly weather forecast, and a “What Do You Think?” question asking viewers what they wish they had started years earlier.
👇 Watch the full episode below and please subscribe to our YouTube channel.
What’s Happening Around Huntington
This week, Diane highlighted another busy lineup of events from the Huntington Matters Community Calendar.
Coming up this week are Art Without Borders at the Heckscher Museum of Art celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act, volunteer opportunities to help preserve the historic Northport Rural Cemetery, and a free community barbecue hosted by Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Huntington Station.
Students entering grades 8 through 12 can explore careers in the skilled trades and public service during Project Excel’s Trades Career Panel at (Location Changed) Town Hall. High School and College Students can also attend free Narcan training presented by the Huntington Drug and Alcohol Counseling Center to learn how to recognize an overdose and administer the life-saving medication.
Midweek brings Greenlawn Summer Nights, featuring live music, family activities, restaurant specials, and local businesses along Broadway, while Northport Village Park continues its Summerfest concert series with Liverpool Shuffle.
The week concludes with the Heckscher Museum of Art’s second free Community Dinner inspired by America’s 250th anniversary and the museum’s centennial celebration, followed by a free evening of modern country favorites at the Chapin Rainbow Stage concert.
Residents can find details for these events and many more on the Huntington Matters Community Calendar at HuntingtonMatters.com.
Hot Topics
This week’s Hot Topic focused on New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s visit to Huntington Station, where he joined Assemblyman Steve Stern and local officials to highlight several state-funded investments benefiting the Town of Huntington, including new Huntington Youth Bureau vehicles, improvements at Breezy Park and the Flanagan Center, and equipment that will help the Highway Department maintain local infrastructure.
While Huntington Matters has already covered the funding announcements in detail, this week’s discussion went beyond the press release to explore why these investments matter to local families, how they will impact residents, and what stood out during the visit beyond the official announcements.
Several memorable “behind the headlines” moments from the visit included video of Speaker Heastie interacting with children from the Huntington Youth Bureau, Project Play, and St. John’s summer camp, along with college interns and students in the Tri CYA art program. One especially meaningful moment came when the Tri CYA students presented him with a handmade collaborative artwork they had created together. Those interactions are just a few of the moments featured in this week’s Weekly Update.
Neighborhood Watch
June reminded residents that National Night Out is just around the corner, with communities across Huntington joining neighborhoods nationwide for an evening focused on building relationships between residents and law enforcement. The annual event encourages neighbors to meet one another, connect with local police officers, and strengthen the partnerships that help keep communities safe.
The team also noted that the Suffolk County Police Department 2nd Precinct Community Meeting normally held in August has been postponed because it conflicts with National Night Out. The next community meeting will instead take place in September, giving residents another opportunity to hear directly from precinct leadership about crime trends, public safety initiatives, and neighborhood concerns.
June briefly highlighted Huntington Matters’ coverage of a recent road rage witness request, reminding viewers that community awareness and timely information sharing can play an important role in helping police investigate incidents.
Charity Spotlight
This week’s Charity Spotlight revisited the Huntington Youth Bureau, which was first featured during Episode 7 of the Weekly Update. Rather than repeating the organization’s history and programs, this week’s conversation focused on an important part of its mission that often goes unnoticed.
The discussion highlighted how the four new Huntington Youth Bureau vehicles represent far more than transportation. Replacing two aging vehicles that had become increasingly unreliable, the new additions quadruple the organization’s capacity while providing children and families with safer, more comfortable transportation to educational opportunities, counseling services, medical appointments, career programs, field trips, and other activities. The Huntington Youth Bureau serves children and families throughout the Town of Huntington, offering a wide range of programs that are open to all residents. Just as importantly, the new vehicles help preserve dignity by ensuring young people can access these opportunities in dependable vehicles that reflect the care and respect they deserve.
Executive Director Janine Salgado, who attended the funding announcement, expressed the Huntington Youth Bureau’s gratitude to Assemblyman Steve Stern and Speaker Heastie for helping make the expanded fleet possible.
What Do You Think?
This week’s “What Do You Think?” question asked viewers:
What is something you wish you had started years earlier?
The answers from the Huntington Matters team reflected how small decisions can have a lasting impact. Diane wished she had started investing sooner, Dana chose photography, and June said regular exercise. Viewers were encouraged to join the conversation by sharing their own answers in the comments and in Huntington Matters Community Forum.
Connect with and Support Huntington Matters
For more than 11 years, Huntington Matters has grown from what the hosts jokingly described during the livestream as an “ambitious volunteer project” into a full-time community resource hub serving residents across the Town of Huntington.
What began as eight years of volunteer work has grown into a full-time hyperlocal media platform serving Huntington through HuntingtonMatters.com‘s Community Calendar, Business Directory, The Common Thread magazine, Huntington Matters Community Forum, Instagram, TikTok, and regular YouTube Live updates. Despite that growth, the mission has remained the same – connecting neighbors, supporting local businesses, sharing information, advocating for the community, and strengthening Huntington through engagement and communication.
If what Huntington Matters does resonates with you, please support Huntington Matters by purchasing official “Best. Neighbors. Ever.“ merchandise, making a donation, subscribing to the YouTube channel, or sharing our content with friends and neighbors.
Local businesses looking to reach Huntington residents can partner with Huntington Matters through advertising opportunities designed to help businesses get noticed, stay visible, and build trust with neighbors across the Town of Huntington.
To advertise, submit a tip, or suggest a topic, email info@huntingtonmatters.com.
If you live, work, or grew up in the Town of Huntington, join more than 57,700 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.
