Huntington Renames Roads After 9/11 NYPD Heroes, Adopts Drone Permit Process

Written by Long Island News & PR | 21. June 2018

Huntington, NY - June 21, 2018 - At its June 19 meeting, the Huntington Town Board officially dedicated two roads in the names of two NYPD officers from Huntington who recently lost their battles with 9/11-related cancer. The Town adopted a permit procedure for the use of drones on Town property and scheduled public hearings for the July 17 and August 7 Town Board Meetings.

NYPD Officer Scott Blackshaw, shield number #11638, spent weeks searching for his fallen comrades at Ground Zero following the terror attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. Officer Blackshaw lost his long battle with 9/11-related cancer on Sunday, May 20, 2018.

"Officer Blackshaw dedicated his time and his love to his family, neighbors and community and brought everyone together, this is his legacy," said Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci during the presentation of the street sign bearing Officer Blackshaw's name. "Today we are joined by NYPD Officer Scott Blackshaw’s friends, who came together as a family, to help take care of Scott’s medical treatment, daily living and to help this local hero face his adversity with dignity."

Valleywood Drive in Huntington Station was officially renamed NYPD Officer Scott Blackshaw Way / Valleywood Drive by the Town Board to honor the memory and the service of a hero that is Huntington’s own. The official dedication ceremony will take place in August with Officer Blackshaw’s friends and family.

NYPD Officer Mark J. Natale helped frightened and dust-covered people fleeing the devastation over bridges to Brooklyn and onto ferries to New Jersey following the 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center. He also stood guard at the gates around Ground Zero in the days that followed and worked in lower Manhattan for several months.

“NYPD Police Officer Mark J. Natale tragically lost his long battle with 9/11-related brain cancer at his South Huntington home on May 4, 2018,” said Supervisor Lupinacci as the Town presented the street sign bearing Officer Natale’s name to his family. “Mrs. Natale, the Town and the country is grateful to you and your husband for his selfless heroic sacrifice. Now we will unveil the street sign dedicating Iceland Drive in South Huntington as NYPD Officer Mark J. Natale Way, which you can take home with you today.”

The Town Board was joined by Officer Natale’s family, wife Mayra Natale, daughters Catherine and Lauren, and his retired colleagues from the NYPD. Officer Natale is also survived by his son Dominick.

The Town Board adopted a permit procedure for the operation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, model aircraft (small UAS) or “drones,” throughout the Town of Huntington, including their use on Town property, to ensure drone operation is orderly and respectful of community standards and the privacy concerns of residents. The Town also established fees for drone permit applications and drone permits:

Recreational Drone Permits

$0 recreational permit application fee
$0 recreational permits

Commercial Permits

$50 commercial permit application fee
$50 single full-day permit (up to 24 hours). Applicant may request a refund in writing due to inclement weather within one week of the permitted day.
$500 annual permit fee (January 1-December 31). The annual fee cannot be pro-rated.

The Town honored Winter Olympian and Huntington Station native Sgt. Matthew Mortensen, who competed in Luge events at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, for his amazing career and distinguishing himself as one of the sport's premier athletes.

The Town also recognized:

South Huntington School District officials for U.S. News and World Report naming Walt Whitman High School the 147th Best Public High School in New York State and sixteen-hundred-and-eleventh (1,611th) in the national rankings, earning a Silver Medal.
The Harborfields High School Lacrosse Team for winning the Suffolk County Championship.
Jack Poplawski, a student at Walt Whitman High School, for winning the pentathlon at the NYS Track and Field championships.
The Cold Spring Harbor Girls Lacrosse Team for winning the state Class C championship game.

In other action, the Town Board:

Appointed Honorable W. Gerard Asher to the Town of Huntington Veterans Advisory Board.
Appointed Emerson Boozer as Vice Chair of the Environmental Open Space and Park Fund Review Advisory Committee (EOSPA).
Amended Town Code to clarify ambiguities on the publication of the notice of the public hearing.
Declared July 21, 2018 to be Coltrane Day in the Town of Huntington, executing a license agreement for the Coltrane Home in Dix Hills for the use of Heckscher Park for Coltrane Day activities during the Huntington Summer Arts Festival “Huntington Jazz Week” performances.
Approved the filing of a grant to apply for $11,000 from the NYSDEC’s Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program for the planting of 84 trees throughout Manor Field Park.
Agreed to co-sponsor the Huntington Fire Department’s 175th Anniversary celebration on July 28, 2018.
Scheduled a public hearing for the July 17, 2018 Town Board Meeting at 2:00 PM to consider “no parking” restrictions during school days from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM along Windgate Court and Windgate Drive in East Northport.