By Dana Williams
Since June of 1996, the Memorial Restoration house has been used to display the Malverne Historical & Preservation Society¹s memorabilia and collection. As the new president of the society, Robert J. Powers, said that he plans to continue its legacy and positive presence in the Malverne community.
After serving as a trustee on the society¹s board for more than a year, Powers was sworn in last month as its president- a job that he said he is looking forward to fullfilling. ³Being here in the Historical Society, I have met some great people, learned alot, and I¹m very passionate about the new task,² Powers said, adding that he hopes to build the society¹s membership as president. ³Being the president is a great honor, and to be able to work with everyone here has been a great experience.²
Powers, who was also appointed village historian, was born in Amityville and lived in Copaigue for most of his life. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management from Empire State College in New York. He currently works as a records manager for Moody¹s Investors Service, an investment company in New York City.
After living in places such as Brookyln and Manhattan, Powers said that his decision to move to Malverne in December of last year has given him a chance to further use his experience in records management- a field that he has been involved in for more than 15 years. ³Records mangement takes a lot of research, but it¹s fun,² he said. ³I have been finding out who is related to who here in Malverne, and the battles that have taken place here, and I¹m very excited about continuing to build our records.²
The Joseph L. Landers Memorial Restoration House, which dates back as early as 1854, is now a museum where people can come to see photos, portraits, pot-belly stoves, rifles used in both World Wars among other historical items that are part of Malverne¹s heritage. The house is also used for community events such as meetings for village officials and merchants.
With the community idea in mind, Powers said he is also hoping to help expand the society¹s presence in the Long Island community by helping to establish a Web site to attract more vistors to the restoration. ³We have a lot in our collection that people haven¹t seen, so we¹re aiming to let people view historical films, imaged photos and other features on our Web site,² he said. ³In being president, I¹m hoping to give us more exposure, so more people will become interested and want to visit here.²
The board members at the Malverne Historical & Preservation Society are also looking to work with other historical society¹s on Long Island such as Amittyville and Massapequa for future events, Powers said. ³We are also working with Malverne TV 18 to get a lot of videos and programs than what we have on TV, so we are working on a lot of different projects,² he added.
Powers also stressed that all 13 members on the society Œs board contribute to its importance in the village- the group effort is also something that he believes continues to help the society to flourish. ³Everyone on the board takes their share, brings something different, and everyone is dedicated and has great input,² Powers said. ³We all have respect for each other, and a great amount of value in everything that we do here.²
The Malverne Historical & Preservation Society will be hosting a Classic Movie Night event on July 13, An Afternoon of Music event on August 12, and a Trash & Treasure Sale on September 15.
Powers also said the board has started planning for its annual Holiday Gala on November 30. ³We have booked the band, and have our vendors in place,² he added. ³We have so many people who are dedicated to coming here, and it¹s just a fun and energetic place to hang out at, so I encourage people of all ages to visit this house.²
For more information about the Malverne Historical & Preservation Society visit www.malvernehistoricalsociety.org.
Comments about this story? Mal-wheditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 205.
