Thanks for reading our latest issue of HixNews.com. Thanks to our webmaster, we now have access to the Casale's Corner articles. Since January is a presidential inauguration, we thought you would enjoy Buffalo Bob's article from January 2017 about President Harry Truman.

Next month, we want to highlight couples who were high school sweethearts. Send us your story and your photos!

We are always looking for new contributors. Please take a moment to view this video and contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Click here to see a video about contributing to Hixnews.com as a writer.

Hicksville's Revitalization

By Wendy Elkis Girnis ('77)

Mid-Island Plaza 1957 Open Air MallIf you grew up in Hicksville, chances are you either worked at one of the stores in Mid-Island Plaza, or you worked at Sears. You probably hung out at theSears mall with your friends on a Friday or Saturday night, or maybe you went to see a movie at the Twin Theaters during the summer or during winter break. Maybe you took the LIRR to the city to see a play or skate at Rockerfeller Center. Those days are over. Hicksville’s downtown is going through revitalization.

Hicksville's Revitalization

In 2017, Hicksville received a $10M grant to kick off Hicksville’s revitalization. In 2020, a vacant office building on Broadway was repurposed for office and living space. There were more changes coming. Twenty-four projects were up for consideration.

In December of 2023, local officials broke ground for a development project for a mixed-use property at 99 Newbridge Rd., not far from the train station. 99 Newbridge When completed in 2026, it will consist of retail space, restaurants, office space, and residential apartments. Another mixed-use development is planned on the old Sears property. Although the original developer withdrew their plans, another developer put in 195 North Broadway Sears Propertya bid. In 2023, the property sold. It is zoned for retail, medical, and office space. These projects are a mix of public works and private-sector developments. These developments will include improvements in transportation and walkability and an investment in the Long Island Railroad. There will be the creation of open space, the easing of traffic congestion, and the building of residential homes.

Back to the Future for Shopping

One of the most glaring changes is the Mall. Mid-Island Plaza- Broadway Mall- Broadway Commons Mall, whatever you call it, just sold in February of 2024 for $40 million. The building we knew as Gertz- Stern’s- Macy’s will be torn down, as well as 100,000 sq. ft. of the interior of the mall. By razing theseRendering of the the Shoppes on Broadway spaces, it will provide room for an open-air concept shopping center called The Shoppes on Broadway. It will have a 70,000 sq. ft. three-story building containing restaurants, outdoor seating, and entertainment businesses. A 100,000 sq ft. anchor store, BJ’s Wholesale Club, has been signed. BJ’s will also include a gas station and EV charging stations. The developer, Schuckman Realty, hopes to make the mall more shopper, community, and pedestrian-friendly by reimagining the mall. The shops will be returning to their beginnings as an open-air shopping center.

Changes for 2025-2026

As you see, there are a lot of changes coming to Hicksville. The Town Board and the TOB approved more projects. Per the Mid-Island Times article from December 12, 2014,

"The $6.2 million invested yesterday by the Town Board complements the $8.7 million awarded to the Town of Oyster Bay through the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative. These funds are earmarked for:

• Festival Plaza: construction of a raised walking path with landscaping, seating areas, and safer pedestrian connection to LIRR station
• Kennedy Park Expansion: transforming an existing parking lot into green space for outdoor activities like concerts and pop-up vendors
• The Underline: expansion of the area under the train trestle between Newbridge Rd. and Broadway for pop-up shops and outdoor cafes.
• Beautification Upgrades: new lighting, trees, benches, trash cans, crosswalks throughout the area."

Five more private sector projects are also in the works for 2025-2026. These include residential projects on West Cherry St. as well as the Bank of America Building. More mixed-use projects will also be constructed on Broadway.

Hicksville is changing. Those of us who have been away from Hicksville for a while may not recognize it as the sleepy town we grew up in. It seems to be becoming a vibrant, up-and-coming destination.

Resources:

If you would like to read more about the changes in Hicksville, click on the links below.

• Town of Oyster Bay, Former Sears Property Development September 17, 2020 https://oysterbaytown.com/sears/
• $130M project lifts Hicksville’s downtown revitalization efforts – April 23, 2023 https://libn.com/2023/04/20/130m-project-lifts-hicksvilles-downtown-revitalization-efforts/
• JLL inks sale of vacant Sears property, occupied pad sites on Long Island https://re-nj.com/jll-inks-sale-of-vacant-sears-property-occupied-pad-sites-on-long-island/
• Bethpage Newsgram - Ground broken on $111 million revitalization in Hicksville Dec 14, 2023 https://www.bethpagenewsgram.com/articles/ground-broken-on-111-million-revitalization-in-hicksville/
• Long Island Mall set for $100M Makeover 6/12/2024 https://chainstoreage.com/long-island-mall-set-100-million-makeover
• Bringing the Shops Broadway Back to the Future: A Bold Vision for the 21st Century Oct 31, 2024 https://www.kron4.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/756309550/bringing-the-shops-broadway-back-to-the-future-a-bold-vision-for-the-21st-century/
• Alpine Resisdential 99 Newbridge Road https://alpine-re.com/property/hicksville/
• Mid Island Times: Town authorizes funds for Hicksville revitalization projects- December 19, 2024
  https://www.midislandtimes.com/articles/town-authorizes-funds-for-hicksville-revitalization-projects/

Allied Shopping Center

 by Stefanie Cedar Shames, Class of 1977

In between Levittown and Hicksville, on Jerusalem Avenue, was Allied Shopping Center. Built in 1954, the memories of the center are clear in my mind.   When I lived in the area, the supermarket was Grand Union. If you currently live in Hicksville, you will probably know this center with Best Market, Dollar Tree, Dunkin Donuts, and Monaco's Pizza.

I lived in Levittown from 1962 until we moved to Hicksville in 1973, and I was there until 1981, so Allied was always a regular stop. The 5 and 10 at the corner with a luncheonette was usually the stop, but we also frequented Cinnamon's Jewish article store. I remember Mr. and Mrs. Cinnamon fondly, and in later years, without my knowledge or intervention, they knew my in-laws! Jerusalem Kosher Meats was also in this shopping center, and even after I moved to Florida, I would call Frank to have meals sent to friends. Those businesses, along with Hicksville Jewish Center, are gone due to changing demographics. I think there was also a large dry cleaners on the other side of Jerusalem Avenue.

Of course, who could forget Crown Bakery and its delicious cakes, especially the bakery cookies? They would put everything in a white box and perfectly wrap it with string. When I go to the Publix bakery now, I never get a box with string! I always think it was the perfect way to carry the box and ensure nobody opened it until it arrived at its destination. 

Carvel was across the street, and many of us remember the surprise tornado that hit Hicksville in 1976! I lived in the Glenbrook section between Division Avenue and Newbridge Road. My father was giving a piano lesson in our house, and we joked then because of the heavy wind that instead of "Morning Has Broken," my friend Danny was playing "Right Hand Has Broken." Later, we discovered that the heavy wind was really a tornado and not a joking matter. The tornado blew the roof off Carvel! I found pictures online with captions that the roof landed in an open field. But I remember that windows were broken when the tornado (or flying roof parts) crossed the street into the Allied Shopping Center! Classmates of mine were injured that day. Even streets behind the shopping center had entire garages knocked down, and only refrigerators and freezers were left standing. 

I have seen a lot of memories of Allied in old Facebook posts. If you have memories too,  you can add them to this article! 

References:

https://muss.com/property/jerusalem-avenue-shopping-center/

https://www.showcase.com/406-442-jerusalem-ave-hicksville-ny-11801/23544263/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/59518829922/posts/starting-in-the-early-50s-there-was-a-small-strip-shopping-center-on-jerusalem-a/10159852304139923/?_rdr (photos submitted by Susan Coppola Simmons and Brian Quinn)

Hey Long Island... Do U Remember....? | The iconic arch by the front entrance. | Facebook

Casale's Corner - Harry & Bess

Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as many, or more important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 42 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House. The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence Missouri.

His wife had inherited the house from her mother and father and other than their years in the White House, they lived their entire lives there. When he retired from office in 1952 his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year. After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There was no Secret Service following them.When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, "You don't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale." Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, "I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise." As president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food.Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale. Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference! I say dig him up and clone him!

Etcetera for January 2025

Congratulations to Hicksville Water District Commissioner Karl Schweitzer on his re-election to the District’s Board of Commissioners!
Commissioner Schweitzer has served on the Board since 1998 and is entering his 10th term of dedicated service to his community. Karl is a contributing writer for HixNews.com. 

In Memoriam

• Howard Arthur Dolgin, Class of 1962. Passed October 23, 2024. Thank you to Joe Carfora for the submission. 
• Mr. Paul Vetrano, Teacher. Passed January 14, 2025.

Out With the Old...

This month marks the completion of the transition from the old hixnews.com website to this new one and taking the old site offline. The effort began in March 2023 and has taken a Herculean amount of work to reach this milestone. We have done our absolute best to keep all of the content from the old site and fit it into this new format. Here's a summary of the two versions of hixnews.com.

Old Site columns: These were not all always part of the publication, but these were the recurring topics.

• Forward - Largely email dialogue between the Hixnews.com staff and subscribers.
• Newsletter - Stories from classmates and their families
• Photo Gallery - Photos of HHS events and interesting subjects
• Birthdays & Anniversaries - Of the month (no longer maintained)
• In Memoriam - As reported
• Honoring Our Veterans - Stories of heroes and campaigns to honor them
• Memory Lane - Memories of HHS or just "the old days"
• Casale's Corner - A good mix of humor, memories, and thoughtful stories (RIP Buffalo Bob)
• The Geek's Corner - Good tech help during the early days of the Internet (RIP Bob Wesley)
• Ancient Hixtory - An eye-opening look at Hicksville's historic past (Ron Wencer)
• Links - Unrelated links to a variety of topics (no longer maintained)
• Humor - Jokes, cartoons, etc.

New Site:

• All content from the old site retained through November 2022, reorganized and reformatted for this new platform
• Forward - Intro to the newsletter
• The Newsletter is now a wrapper for multiple articles written over the past month. Those articles are in several categories.
  • Favorite Memories - Memories of Hicksville, some submitted by subscribers (a.k.a. members). Replaces Memory Lane.
  • Where Are They Now? - A focus on the lives of noteworthy HHS teachers
  • Ancient Hixtory - Ron Wencer's popular column continues on an occasional basis
  • Photo Galleries - From the old site as well as new galleries from reunions and other events
  • Reunions - Upcoming reunion announcements
  • Events - Upcoming or past events (other than reunions)
  • Honoring Our Veterans - Updated occasionally
  • Financial Insight - Articles about investing
  • Misc Articles - Various topics that don't fit into a specific category
  • Other News - (a.k.a. "Etcetera") Miscellaneous local and website news including memoria
  • Links - Only the ones that still work were retained
• Logged-in Members can contribute directly in multiple ways using the top menu
  • News/Reunions/Submit a Reunion -  For announcing upcoming reunions
  • News/In Memoriam/Submit a Memoriam - If you know of a classmate who has passed and isn't already listed, please let us know.
  • Features/Favorite Memories/Submit a Memory - Yes, you can include photos.
  • Features/Events/Submit an Event - For announcing upcoming or past events other than reunions
  • Features/Biographies/Submit a Biography - Submit your autobiography or a biography for a friend.
  • Photos/Upload - For submitting photos for an existing or new gallery. Good for documenting reunions.
  • Members/Me/New Blog - Submit a personal blog (there are 3 ways to do this)
  • By email - You can always email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your submission. Our writers will work with you and apply the finishing touches.

The old site's posting of email discussions between the Hixnews staff and its subscribers in the early days of the Internet has been replaced by the ability to comment on most articles. The new site also supports our newsletter mailing list, which is sent on an automated schedule on the 20th of every month.

We continue to need our subscribers to help by providing content for the site. It's okay if you don't consider yourself a writer. Our staff writers can polish your story if you prefer. However, as you can see above, there are several ways for site members to contribute directly. Feel free to email our editors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We hope you enjoy the new Hixnews.com as much or more than you did the old one.

Regards,
Bruce Scherzinger, Interim Webmaster
Gail Schwartzman Mayer, Webmaster

They are trying to compile the addresses of alumni. Please send your address, regardless of whether you can or cannot go in a Facebook PM, to either of them. Or email Donna Smith Weston at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Janette Teplin-Marvelli at  jani91167@gmail. Classmates who can read this, please post it on your pages as well. If you also are in touch with anyone NOT on FB, reach out to them ASAP! SO looking forward to this wonderful night!

Editor's Note: Ted Urban posted this on the Hicksville High School page on Facebook and has granted us permission to repost it here.

The Hicksville High School graduating class is approaching 500 students. The PTA needs to pay for 100 apples, so every little bit helps! Please consider making a donation, and if your employer matches donations, be sure to leverage that as well. Go Comets.

This is a "Save the Date" for the Class of 1975's 50th Reunion next year.  We have an active, private Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/67266179651 (Hicksville High School Alumni Class of 1975) that will have the most current information. The group needs approval to join and is currently at nearly 500 members.