Muttontown Horsemen's Association

  by Phyllis Waxenberg

The 2009 Open House at Muttontown Preserve had another successful annual event! The committee had some concerns because of the religious holidays and all the various equine events that weekend, but the weather was great and all went well!

I want to thank Lakewood Stables and Thomas Riding School for the ponies and the walkers who made so many children smile and beam.

Thank you to the Rough Riders Color Guard, Spirit of America drill team from IHA, Lorraine Burke, Sam Uliano and Carolyn and Debbie, to the youth's polo team and Sonny, all of whom gave their time to showcase their horses and skills to the appreciative public. And to Matt McKenna for his skill and sound system.

And many thanks to Hicksville Agway/Chestnut Vale Feed for a colorful booth, many give-aways and for their continued financial support.

We had a smaller public turn-out this year, but still exceeded 225 people!  Thank you to raffle donors and ticket buyers;  Linda and Marie won the wine and candy,  Robin won the 50/50,  Marie won the Sweet Hills Trail Rides,  and it sounds like a child's school excuse, but since my cat shredded part of the paperwork, Na won the trail ride by Big River Barn and someone won the riding lesson from Nassau Equestrian Center at Old Mill Farm. 

And lastly, thanks to all the volunteers from Nassau Suffolk Horsemen and Muttontown Horsemen who fretted and labored to produce the event. And a thank you to Terry Gallogly who formulated the structure of the event years ago and left great notes for her successors to follow! 

Clickable Photos below courtesy of Bert & Sandy Spitz and the photos in the blue border are from the camera of Pat VanNostrand.

Rothmann's was featured in Newsday's Top 10 Beautiful Restaurants on Long Island.

Rothmann's Steakhouse is much more than a restaurant, we are a dining landmark with a fascinating history. It all began in 1907 when Charles and Franziska Rothmann invested their life savings in their dream of opening an inn and tavern bearing their name. That dream became a reality in East Norwich on Long Island, where Franziska's wondrous cooking and Charles' welcoming charm attracted a loyal following of notable politicians and socialites, including local resident Theodore Roosevelt.

Soon, regulars affectionately dubbed the restaurant Rothmann's "House of Eats" for its exceptional steaks and plentiful trimmings. Years later, Franziska's and Charles' children upheld their parent's legacy by continuing to serve the finest food and drink in a setting where patrons felt both comfortable and pampered. The formula served them well as Rothmann's reputation attracted such celebrities as Bob Hope, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

In 1970, world-renowned singer and songwriter Burt Bacharach purchased Rothmann's. The torch was eventually passed to a succession of restaurateurs, but as times changed one thing never did, Rothmann's commitment to providing guests with one of the most unique and pleasurable dining experiences available anywhere. 

Rothmann's has a long and generous history with the horse community of Muttontown.  The Hunt used to stop for a stirrup chaser and meets would often end on their grounds.  As suburbs encroached, Christmas caroling was held on horseback at the restaurant, to the accompaniment of holiday treats for the humans!  And today, Rothmann's continues as a major donator to MHA's events.

On the Monday of our fundraiser, the Bar opens at 4pm, Dinner starts at 5pm, Kitchen closes at 10pm.  We urge you to plan on dining or relaxing at the Bar during our fundraiser.

             Muttontown Village History



Betty Gilmartin, the Muttontown Village Historian, loves to research the history of the estates which comprise today's village of Muttontown.  After creating maps and historical photo displays for the Village fest at Chelsea in years past, she summarized her research for MHA.

With the community room at Jericho Library the setting for her talk, Betty brought her computer and boards and gave a lecture and power point slide show about the mayors of Muttontown and the history of the estates from which the Muttontown Preserve has been carved.

Betty presented aerial views of the Preserve and reproductions of vintage photos from archive files.  The evening was very enjoyable for the MHA members and Jericho library patrons who attended.  The library historian commented the Library staff was very pleased with the size of the turn-out and the content of the lecture and hopes to have more of the same in the future!