Crab Meadow Park Now Renamed "Frank Petrone Beach"

By Nolan Cleary

The town of Huntington has renamed the Crab Meadow Beach. The beach will now be known as "Frank P. Petrone Crab Meadow Beach."

The new name is dedicated to former former Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone, who served as Supervisor for 24 years, from 1993 to 2017. First elected as a Republican, Petrone quickly switched his allegiance to the Democrats in the late 1990's .

The re-naming bill was introduced by the Town Board's lone Democrat, Councilwoman Joan Cergol (D-Halesite), who was hired by Petrone and served in his administration.

Councilmembers Eugene Cook, Dave Bennardo, and Salvatore Ferro served as co-sponsors. The bill recently passed with a unanimous vote. Over 100 attendees attended a recent unveiling of the new sign.

Prior to being elected Supervisor, Petrone served as a regional director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA"), where he helped develop a Hurricane Preparedness Program. Petrone also served as an assistant Suffolk County executive, and chief of staff to the Suffolk County Legislature.

Petrone was known for his work on affordable housing efforts. His decades of government service ended after his retirement in 2017. Petrone then served as Chairman of the Huntington Democrats, until retiring from that position earlier this year.