Light For A Winter’s Night

With a major investment of over $40,000.00, the Downtown Business Improvement District has decked out downtown in decorations and expanded holiday lighting for the 2013 winter holiday season. 

To accomplish its decorating mission, the B.I.D. board formed an ad hoc committee that included Brian Mercadante (Accent On The Home), Jeanine DiMenna (Page One Restaurant), Francine Koehler, B.I.D. Executive Director and Mary Jirsa, B.I.D. Executive Assistant.

The committee researched decorative items and designs. The B.I.D. wants to thank them for volunteering their time and for their hours spent looking at pricing, specifications and completing comparisons.

Garland strung with energy-saving LED bulbs and structural bows went on the recently installed light poles along School Street and Glen Street. These poles were also decorated with holiday banners and red ornaments.

With the assistance of Glen Cove Beautification Commission Project Coordinator Damion Stavredes and his assistants, the garland, bows and banners on the School Street/Glen Street lights were installed. Thanks to DPW Foreman Mike Salentino and his crew, including John McKenna, who helped install these wreaths and banners on the highway poles along Brewster and School Streets and Glen Cove Avenue.

The Downtown B.I.D. purchased all new LED lights for the Christmas tree in Village Square. At the same time, the B.I.D. increased the number of lights on the tree.

Joseph M. Basile Electric was retained by the Downtown B.I.D. to install holiday lighting on the gazebo at Mill Pond, red white and blue lights on the trees in between One and Three School Street, and illuminated snowflakes in the walkways on Glen Street. Basile Electric was also retained by the B.I.D. to wrap the four trees located at Danis Park (Town Path and Glen Street) in all white lights to create a glowing entrance to downtown.

Two six-foot toy soldiers are standing guard in front of the Glen Cove Police Department on Bridge Street. In addition, the Downtown B.I.D. will be decorating the evergreen tree located on the police booth “island” with blue lights in recognition of Glen Cove’s law enforcement.

With the assistance of Tom Glynn and Vinnie Martinez, Jr., the remaining holiday decorations were installed. These include a nine-foot “Greeter Reindeer” which graces the entrance to the downtown located at the intersection of School Street and Brewster Street; three life size, illuminated grapevine deer will be placed at the gazebo at Mill Pond to identify another entrance to downtown; and, four giant wreaths that grace the entrances to the municipal parking garages.

“We were looking for ways to mark the entrances to the downtown for the holiday season, make them stand out and have people realize that they are entering someplace special,” said B.I.D. Executive Director Francine Koehler.

The Downtown B.I.D. wants to thank Mayor Ralph V. Suozzi and Department of Public Works Director William Archambault for their cooperation in making this project possible by assisting the B.I.D. with the installation of all the decorations that have been purchased by the property owners and businesses of downtown. 

When asked for a comment on the new decorations, Chef Jeanine DiMenna of Page One Restaurant said, “The downtown looks so warm and inviting; it’s so festive for me when I leave work at night and see all the twinkling poles. It really gets me into the holiday spirit.”

Downtown B.I.D. President Alvin Batista of Planet Fitness said, “On behalf of the B.I.D. board and myself, I want to wish everyone a happy holiday season and invite everyone to come downtown to enjoy our new holiday look.”

For more information, please call the Downtown B.I.D. office at 516.759.6970 or visit the Downtown Business Improvement District website at www.glencovedowntown.org