Community Corner

Good News: Shinnecocks Unveil Village Museum

Some stories put a smile on your face. Here's our wrap-up from around northern Suffolk and the East End.

As a local news organization, Patch covers stories of all kinds, from heartbreaking tragedies to nitty-gritty breakdowns of government and school district issues. But some stories are simply inspiring, often showing that at the heart of our communities is a desire to do good. Here are some of the touching headlines from the past seven days.

Shinnecock Museum Unveils Living History Village

After years of planning, the Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center & Museum cut the ribbon Thursday on Wikun Village, a living history exhibit designed to convey what life was like for Native Americans in the late 17th and early 18th century on Long Island.          

The Wikun Village, named for the Shinnecock word for “good,” is also aimed at increasing heritage tourism on the South Fork, providing an economic boon to the Shinnecock Reservation and the surrounding Southampton community.     

“We know that living history sites like others around the country are tools for strengthening communities in many ways,” Assistant Director Andrea Godoy said during the ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday, which included a welcoming “honor song” by Wikun Village site manager Matauqus Tarrant.           

“This project has been on the drawing board for many years,” Museum Director and Curator David Martine said. “Since we opened our doors in 2001, we’ve always had the goal to expand and also to be able to create a living history village so people could have more of a total immersion of cultural traditions as they existed in the 17th, 18th centuries. This is really a dream come true for us because we’ve been planning this for a long time.”  

Teen Ballet Star Competes in National Competition 

When Patch last checked in with Anna Craddock, she was heading to Russia to study ballet at the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Now, the Ward Melville senior has just finished competing in the prestigious Youth Grand Prix ballet competition and is gearing up for a performance at the Young Arts NY gala later this week. While she did not place in the finals of the Youth Grand Prix, she said the experience was great. "For my piece La Esmeralda, I received a thundering applause, which was very special," Anna said. "People came up to me and complimented me, which was also special."

Kids Walk for Love

On Saturday, a group of students and junior firefighters from Hampton Bays will be walking with the nonprofit group Kids Stock the House of Southampton to raise money for the families of seriously ill children at the Ronald McDonald House at a walk at Eisenhower Park.

The students have been busy soliciting monetary donations online and to date they have collected $9,432 toward their cause — $568 short of their goal. 

Commack Football Star Also Has Perfect SAT Scores

Commack’s Paul Maline isn't just a stellar athlete on the football field. He also has the brains to boot.   

Maline was named Suffolk County’s 2012 top scholar-athlete during the National Football Foundation’s annual awards ceremonies last month. 


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