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4/12/2022 - Smyth Co-Hosts Cultural Celebration of Holi, the Festival of Colors, Spring and Unity with Huntington's First Indian-American Town Attorney Huntington – Supervisor Ed Smyth and Deborah Misir, the Town’s first Indian-American Town Attorney, welcomed Town and County officials, representatives from local Hindu temples, and members of the community for a cultural celebration of Holi, a “Festival of Colors,” celebrating love and inclusion at Huntington Town Hall on Wednesday, April 6. “We join Huntington’s Indian-American community and all who observe this annual celebration of colors, with the hope, optimism and unity perfectly reflected during the springtime,” said Supervisor Ed Smyth. “We are a united community, from all walks of life, all cultural and religious backgrounds, and we celebrate both what unites us and those characteristics that make us unique. I am heartened to see such a gathering of officials, leaders and members of our community for this colorful, unifying celebration of spring.” “Holi - called Phagwah in the Caribbean - is the spring festival of colors and renewal. We welcome the Indian - American and Caribbean- American communities and people of all faiths who join together to celebrate this happy and fun holiday,” said Town Attorney Deborah Misir. Elected officials joining Supervisor Ed Smyth and Town Attorney Deborah Misir to celebrate the Festival of Colors from the Town included Councilwoman Joan Cergol; Councilman Dr. Dave Bernardo; Councilman Sal Ferro; Receiver of Taxes Jillian Guthman and former Councilman Dr. Mark Capodanno. From Suffolk County, District Attorney Ray Tierney attended the celebration along with Legislator Rob Trotta, Legislator Stephanie Bontempi, and Legislator Manny Esteban. Additional Town officials included the Town’s Chief Administrative Law Judge Josh Price; Town Assessor Lisa Leonick; Community Development Agency Director Angel Cepeda; Human Services Director Carmen Kasper; Parks & Recreation Director Cable Todd Jamison; Public Safety Director Joe Cirigliano; Maritime Services Deputy Director Garrett Chelius; Planning & Environment Deputy Director Dave Genaway; Deputy Receiver of Taxes Neri Arevalo; Parks & Recreation Deputy Director Walter Edwards; Minority Affairs Director Kevin Thorbourne; Senior Division Director Julia Frangione; Planning Board member Bob Bontempi; Huntington Veterans Advisory Board Chairman Bill Ober; and Huntington Anti-Bias Task Force members Helen Boxwill and David Pinkowitz. From Suffolk County, Assistant Deputy County Executive Olga El Sehamy and Mohinder Taneja from the Suffolk County Office of Diversity Outreach attended the ceremony. Event sponsors included attendees Girish Patel, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Melville, donating garlands and prasad (goodie bags); Rajesh and Geeta Kumar, Bengali Sweet Shop in Hicksville, donating sweets; Mona Ramen, donating flowers and décor; and Gary Brar and Pritpal Singh Mann. Guests included Hon. Joe Yusuf, Consul General of Guyana; Cathy Singh, American Diversity Forum; Matthew Singh, American Youth Council for the American Diversity Forum, who led the attendees in the Ledge of Allegiance; Indu Jaiswal, Indian American Forum; Veer and Savita Mukhi, Arya Samaj of Long Island; Esha Misra, who performed a Classical Kathak dance; and Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce Chairwoman Vita Scaturro. The Holi “Festival of Colors,” or “Festival of Spring,” celebrates the arrival of spring and harvests to come, and the victory of good over evil. The traditionally Hindu festival is celebrated across the globe, regardless of religion or cultural background: It's a celebration of love and inclusion. On January 4, 2022, the Town Board appointed Deborah N. Misir as Huntington’s first Indian-American Town Attorney. A resident of Lloyd Harbor, Deborah N. Misir is an accomplished lawyer, government executive and law professor with almost 25 years’ experience in practice. Before entering private practice on Long Island, she served in Washington DC, as U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor and Chief of Staff of OSHA, as a member of the federal management Senior Executive Service (SES). In addition, she was an ethics counsel in the White House Counsel’s Office for President George W. Bush, advising senior White House officials on various aspects of government ethics laws. Ms. Misir is a veteran and joined the JAGC program of the U.S. Marine Corps after graduation from law school. EVENT VIDEO: https://huntingtonny.granicus.com/player/clip/2826?view_id=4&redirect=true ###
Huntington – Supervisor Ed Smyth and Deborah Misir, the Town’s first Indian-American Town Attorney, welcomed Town and County officials, representatives from local Hindu temples, and members of the community for a cultural celebration of Holi, a “Festival of Colors,” celebrating love and inclusion at Huntington Town Hall on Wednesday, April 6.
“We join Huntington’s Indian-American community and all who observe this annual celebration of colors, with the hope, optimism and unity perfectly reflected during the springtime,” said Supervisor Ed Smyth. “We are a united community, from all walks of life, all cultural and religious backgrounds, and we celebrate both what unites us and those characteristics that make us unique. I am heartened to see such a gathering of officials, leaders and members of our community for this colorful, unifying celebration of spring.”
“Holi - called Phagwah in the Caribbean - is the spring festival of colors and renewal. We welcome the Indian - American and Caribbean- American communities and people of all faiths who join together to celebrate this happy and fun holiday,” said Town Attorney Deborah Misir.
Elected officials joining Supervisor Ed Smyth and Town Attorney Deborah Misir to celebrate the Festival of Colors from the Town included Councilwoman Joan Cergol; Councilman Dr. Dave Bernardo; Councilman Sal Ferro; Receiver of Taxes Jillian Guthman and former Councilman Dr. Mark Capodanno. From Suffolk County, District Attorney Ray Tierney attended the celebration along with Legislator Rob Trotta, Legislator Stephanie Bontempi, and Legislator Manny Esteban. Additional Town officials included the Town’s Chief Administrative Law Judge Josh Price; Town Assessor Lisa Leonick; Community Development Agency Director Angel Cepeda; Human Services Director Carmen Kasper; Parks & Recreation Director Cable Todd Jamison; Public Safety Director Joe Cirigliano; Maritime Services Deputy Director Garrett Chelius; Planning & Environment Deputy Director Dave Genaway; Deputy Receiver of Taxes Neri Arevalo; Parks & Recreation Deputy Director Walter Edwards; Minority Affairs Director Kevin Thorbourne; Senior Division Director Julia Frangione; Planning Board member Bob Bontempi; Huntington Veterans Advisory Board Chairman Bill Ober; and Huntington Anti-Bias Task Force members Helen Boxwill and David Pinkowitz. From Suffolk County, Assistant Deputy County Executive Olga El Sehamy and Mohinder Taneja from the Suffolk County Office of Diversity Outreach attended the ceremony.
Event sponsors included attendees Girish Patel, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Melville, donating garlands and prasad (goodie bags); Rajesh and Geeta Kumar, Bengali Sweet Shop in Hicksville, donating sweets; Mona Ramen, donating flowers and décor; and Gary Brar and Pritpal Singh Mann. Guests included Hon. Joe Yusuf, Consul General of Guyana; Cathy Singh, American Diversity Forum; Matthew Singh, American Youth Council for the American Diversity Forum, who led the attendees in the Ledge of Allegiance; Indu Jaiswal, Indian American Forum; Veer and Savita Mukhi, Arya Samaj of Long Island; Esha Misra, who performed a Classical Kathak dance; and Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce Chairwoman Vita Scaturro.
The Holi “Festival of Colors,” or “Festival of Spring,” celebrates the arrival of spring and harvests to come, and the victory of good over evil. The traditionally Hindu festival is celebrated across the globe, regardless of religion or cultural background: It's a celebration of love and inclusion.
On January 4, 2022, the Town Board appointed Deborah N. Misir as Huntington’s first Indian-American Town Attorney. A resident of Lloyd Harbor, Deborah N. Misir is an accomplished lawyer, government executive and law professor with almost 25 years’ experience in practice. Before entering private practice on Long Island, she served in Washington DC, as U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor and Chief of Staff of OSHA, as a member of the federal management Senior Executive Service (SES). In addition, she was an ethics counsel in the White House Counsel’s Office for President George W. Bush, advising senior White House officials on various aspects of government ethics laws. Ms. Misir is a veteran and joined the JAGC program of the U.S. Marine Corps after graduation from law school.
EVENT VIDEO: https://huntingtonny.granicus.com/player/clip/2826?view_id=4&redirect=true
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