Week in Review: New St. James Homemade Goods Biz; Market Sees Holiday Sales Boost

Changes Aims to Bring Manhattan Salon Quality to Smithtown

Having owned two salons and travelled the world with Redken to educate hair stylists, Peter Valenti has once again ventured into salon ownership with Changes, a full-service salon located on Route 111 in Smithtown. 

Reflecting on his past ownership experiences and comparing them to owning and operating Changes, Valenti said the differences are simple but integral to becoming established as a top salon.

"[Changes has] a little more focus, [and is] a little more education oriented," he said. "There's set guidelines where before I opened the doors and I thought people were going to walk in and it was going to become a success, but business requires a bit more than that."

Police Officers Save Man in Cardiac Arrest at Hauppauge Law Office

According to police, officers Victor Federico and Erickson Coquinco, as well as members of the Central Islip-Hauppauge Volunteer Ambulance Company, responded to a call of a 57-year-old man who passed out in a hallway a law office on Motor Parkway after saying he wasn't feeling well. The officers began to administer basic life support and were joined by officer Thomas LaFemina, a paramedic and member of the department's Medical Crisis Action Team, who  administered advanced life support and delivered two shocks from a portable Automatic External Defibrillator.

Smithtown Town Dips $7.3M Into Reserves to Fund $103M Budget

The Smithtown Town Board approved a $103 million budget for 2013, taking $7.3 million of rainy day funds to minimize the impact on homeowners' taxes at Tuesday's town board meeting. 

The Town of Smithtown's $103 million budget represents a 2.4 percent yearly spending increase. It will raise property taxes by $46.83 for the average homeowners whose property is assessed at $5,500. 

New St. James Business a 'Renaissance of Lost Art'

Sewnonymous was on the real estate market just six months ago, and while there will be a new awning soon on the building there will be a familiar face and similar business inside.

Tia Skurn, who owned Sewnonymous, is set to open Atelier: The Art of Fashion, an artist’s workshop that features sewing classes and more.

For those looking to attend the sewing classes Skurn held at Sewnonymus you’re in luck, as she will still be holding them. What will be new to longtime Sewnonymous fans are the other homemade goods they’ll find inside. 

Uncle Giuseppe's Thanksgiving Dinners See Boost in Sales

If you live by an Uncle Giuseppe's location and are in a rush to get your Thanksgiving dinner together, the supermarket chain is offering pre-cooked and prepared to customers. 

Brechisci said this year has been busier than the past two years they have been offering the dinner packages. While it has been busier Brechisci said she cannot yet attribute it's popularity to business growth or how locals are reacting to food spoilage in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.