HUNTINGTON, NY – August 7, 2026, Episode 22
A fight over the cost of delivering electricity to Long Island heated up conversation this week, while several items headed to the Huntington Town Board could affect taxes, a popular park property, and future development in Melville. We also looked back at one of our favorite community events of the year and shared a public safety update from Huntington Village.
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 issues 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 upcoming summer events, changes coming to Manor Farm Park, a second Melville Town Center proposal, an e-bike crash investigation, and the next Suffolk County Police Department 2nd Precinct Community Meeting.
👇 Watch the full episode below and please subscribe to our YouTube channel.
National Night Out – Huntington Showed Up
National Night Out is one of our favorite community events of the year, and we had a great time at Manor Field Park with the Suffolk County Police Department, other law enforcement agencies, community organizations and plenty of neighbors.
Huntington Matters was there with our booth, our infamous “It’s Not a Party Until the Cops Show Up” sign and one of our new volunteer moderators Jennifer Cespedes joining us for the night. During the episode, we shared some moments that didn’t make it into our article, including 2nd Precinct COPE Officer Ilyssa Doughty’s first night back after maternity leave and the Police Explorers working throughout the event.
Watch the episode for more of our stories from the night, then check out our National Night Out article for the full coverage and photo gallery.
What’s Happening Around Huntington
The weekend begins with a car wash fundraiser supporting the Huntington Manor Fire Department Junior Bulldogs, followed Sunday by another opportunity to tour the Huntington Lighthouse. Only three tours remain after this weekend, and advance tickets are required.
Monday night’s free movie at Heckscher Park features The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
Greenlawn Summer Nights returns Wednesday for its final night of the season, featuring music, restaurant specials and family activities on Broadway in Greenlawn.
The Huntington Human Services Institute Summer Carnival opens Thursday at Breezy Park with rides, games, carnival food, live music and entertainment. Former New York Knicks player John Starks is scheduled to appear Friday for an autograph signing, while Long Island’s Mike DelGuidice takes the stage that evening at The Paramount.
Families with students in grades 5 through 12 can get a head start registering for the following weekend’s free 3-on-3 basketball tournament and three-point shooting contest at Breezy Park. Participants will be entered for a chance to win one of the full-size basketball hoops being used for the competition.
Residents can find details for these events and many more on the Huntington Matters Community Calendar at HuntingtonMatters.com.
Huntington Town Board – Taxes, Manor Farm Park & Another Melville Town Center Proposal
Several items on Tuesday’s August Huntington Town Board Meeting agenda caught our attention this week.
The Town Board is considering adopting a local law authorizing an override of the state tax levy limit. As we explained during the episode, approving the measure would give the Town the ability to pierce the tax cap if necessary; it does not mean the Town has decided to do so.
Changes are coming to Manor Farm Park at 210 Manor Rd following the departure of longtime tenant Starflower Experiences. We spoke directly with the Town and learned that Long Island Cares will become the new tenant after January 1, 2027, with plans centered around agricultural education, community service, gardening programs and a food pantry connected to food grown on the property. The Town will begin cleanup and repairs before Long Island Cares moves in, and a public hearing will give residents an opportunity to weigh in. Watch the Podcast segment for more information.
And yes, we asked the important question: What about the sunflower maze? 🌻
Another item would schedule a public hearing for The Cornerstone Melville, a proposed $85 million mixed-use project within the Melville Town Center overlay district. The proposal calls for a four-story building on 3.75 acres at 115 Baylis Road with 168 rental and for-sale residences and more than 20,000 square feet of commercial space.
Residential development within the district is currently paused pending an impact assessment of the already approved 400-unit Melville Crossing project at 75 Maxess Road, but this newest proposal gives residents another project to watch as the Melville Town Center takes shape.
Hot Topics – A 50% Power Increase? Not Quite.
A newspaper cover shared in Huntington Matters Community Forum sparked a heated response over a proposed 50% increase involving the Neptune transmission cable that brings electricity to Long Island from New Jersey.
The number sounds alarming, but Dana went down the rabbit hole to explain what it actually means.
Neptune provides roughly 20% of Long Island’s electricity through its undersea transmission cable. The company wants to charge the Long Island Power Authority approximately 50% more for use of that cable beginning in 2027, when the current contract ends. LIPA is fighting the proposed increase and has asked the federal government to intervene.
The key distinction is that the proposed 50% increase applies to the cost associated with Neptune’s transmission service – not a 50% increase to a resident’s entire electric bill. A rough estimate discussed during the episode put the potential effect on a customer’s total bill at approximately 1.5%.
Nothing has been decided yet.
The Huntington Matters Community Forum post generated more than 42,000 engagements by the time we went live, with plenty of frustration and confusion mixed into the discussion. We broke down where Long Island’s electricity comes from, what Neptune actually provides, what the proposed increase could mean for ratepayers and what still needs to happen before anyone knows the final impact.
Neighborhood Watch – Detectives Seek Witnesses After Huntington Village E-Bike Crash
Suffolk County Police Department Second Squad detectives are asking for the public’s help following an e-bike crash that seriously injured a 23-year-old Huntington Station man in Huntington Village.
Police said the rider lost control of the e-bike in a parking lot, struck a curb and was ejected through the window of a storefront at 35A Main Street. He was transported to Huntington Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, and the e-bike was impounded for safety checks.
With Huntington Village busy throughout the day, detectives are asking anyone who witnessed the crash or has information about what happened to contact the Second Squad at 631-854-8252.
We shared another date residents should put on their calendars: the next Suffolk County Police Department 2nd Precinct Community Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. at Harborfields Public Library. Residents who cannot attend can send questions or concerns to us at info@huntingtonmatters.com, and we’ll be happy to bring them to the meeting.
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 our 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.
