Monday, May 19, 2025
The Wantagh Chamber of Commerce celebrated the contributions of several members during its annual installation and awards dinner on April 23. The event, which attracted dozens of guests, took place at Gatsby on the Ocean at Jones Beach’s historic West Bathhouse.
Joining chamber members at the dinner were State Sen. Steve Rhoads; County Legislator Michael Giangregorio, who swore in the chamber’s trustees during the ceremony; and Hempstead Town Councilman Chris Schneider.
Chamber President Cathy McGrory Powell said it was an exciting evening to celebrate local businesses. “I always love this,” McGrory Powell said. “It’s like an intimate dinner while honoring the community who go above and beyond all the time.”
Following the swearing-in, chamber members announced the award recipients, who received plaques and flowers.
Sisters Ann Durkin and Ellen Dolan, owners of Olde Towne Garden Irish & Victorian Gift Shop, received the Nassau Council Chambers of Commerce Small Businessperson of the Year award. Originally from Galway, Ireland, the sisters established their shop in 1994, selling a selection of imported Irish goods, including Claddagh jewelry and Aran knitwear in an old Victorian house.
Dolan said that the Wantagh community had supported their business for years, with loyal customers stopping by regularly.
“We’re a little overwhelmed by the recognition,” Durkin said, “but it’s wonderful to receive it.”
The Wantagh Preservation Society, which was founded in 1965 to save an 1885 Victorian railroad station, won the Organization of the Year Award. Since its inception, the society has maintained the Wantagh Museum and promoted the community’s historical values. Its president, Matt Susco, accepted the award.
The Jones Beach Deli, formerly the Causeway Deli, on Merrick Road in Wantagh, received the Beautification of the Year Award, after owner Justin Heath renovated it following his 2020 purchase.
Ira Reiter received the President’s Choice Award for his donations and volunteer work supporting animal rescues, as well as his participation in the Merrick and Wantagh chambers. Reiter operates the Barking Biscuit, a family-owned business that makes homemade dog treats, and he and his wife, Hillary, donate a portion of their sales to local rescues.
“He’s the epitome of an entrepreneur,” McGrory Powell said. “And he’s just very kindhearted too.”
Barbara Rooney, of Wantagh, received the Citizen of the Year Award for her involvement with the chamber and the John Theissen Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit that helps sick and underprivileged children through donations and fundraisers. After retiring from teaching in the East Meadow School District for 30 years, Rooney, who’s now 65, became active in the foundation as a volunteer, gathering raffle items and working at fundraiser events.
“I’m honored,” Rooney. said “This is something I do because I love Wantagh.”
John Theissen, executive director of the foundation, who has known Rooney for almost two decades, credited her with helping to introduce his annual holiday toy drive to the East Meadow School District.
“Barbara is incredible,” Theissen said. “She does so much for others and is always willing to lend a hand to the Wantagh community.”
Christopher Brown, president of Mid-Island Medical Supply Co., received the Leadership Award for his decades of dedication to the chamber and the community. A former chamber president, Brown helped organize the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, raised funds for scholarships and charitable causes, and supported recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy.
Delaney Behan, Reagan Muchow, Madison Nordquist and Emma Sellars, all fifth-graders at Wantagh Elementary School, received Junior Achievement Awards for their academic success, community service and involvement in local activities. The four students took part in a variety of sports, school clubs and volunteer efforts, including raising funds for the Last Hope Animal Shelter in Wantagh.
This year, the chamber renamed its Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of the late Town of Hempstead Councilman Christopher Carini, and awarded it to him posthumously. Carini, whose district included parts of Bellmore, Merrick, Wantagh, Seaford and Freeport, died unexpectedly last July, at age 49, while visiting family in Florida.
According to McGrory Powell, Carini had done so much for the Wantagh community that the chamber decided to permanently name the award after him. His widow, Danielle, accepted it, joined by their children, Ava, 18, and Joey, 13, and described it as a “heartfelt” moment.
“He loved the community so much,” she said of her late husband. “I wish he could be here to see how people really felt about him.”
