News Nearby: Gala Celebrates LI Musical Talent; Church Hopeful Despite Vandalism

There's plenty of news happening in Three Village on any given day, and the same is true for the towns around us. Here's a look at some nearby headlines.

From Port Jefferson Patch: Hall of Fame Gala Helps Spotlight Diversity of Long Island Musical Talent. A diverse group of musical talent, industry types and even a few high school music teachers came out to be inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame at its gala on Thursday night held at the Paramount in Huntington. From hip-hop pioneers like Salt-n-Pepa and DJ Spindarella to the record industry legend Ron Alexenburg who signed acts like Charlie Daniels and Michael Jackson to Epic Records launching their careers into the stratosphere, the red carpet was packed with local stars who contributed to the music business. Jim Faith, director of the Long Island Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Port Jefferson said that the diversity in this year’s lineup is reflective of the talent on Long Island as a whole. “It’s like that every year,” he said. Long Island, according to Faith, is no one trick pony. “We don’t just have one type of music,” he said. “Long Island is called an embarrassment of riches. It’s pretty amazing.”

From Miller Place-Rocky Point Patch: Wednesday Night Crash on 25A in Rocky Point Injures One. An accident at the busy intersection of Route 25A and Rocky Point-Yaphank Road in Rocky Point Wednesday night sent one to the hospital with minor injuries. According to police, at 6:20 p.m. a 2008 Ford Van was attempting to turn left from 25A into 7-Eleven when the car collided with a 1997 Nissan. The Nissan also struck a 2007 Toyota which was stopped in the parking lot.

From Smithtown Patch: In the almost three months since Calvary Church of God of St. James opened they’ve endured vandalism, break-in attempts and a diminished congregation, but the church is still hopeful of offering successful services and growing within the community. The church got its start in 1998 in a conference room at the Howard Johnson's in Commack, then moving to Bay Shore to a location they would occupy for eight years. The situation in Bay Shore became toxic, sparking the need to move and eventual relocation to St. James. Capaldo said they currently lack the finances to advertise so most locals are unaware they are even there. The church is leasing the building with the option to buy, and in order to purchase the location they need to raise roughly $450,000 by August. Despite the recent adversity, Chris Capaldo, bishop at the church and husband to Debbie, has faith that the Calvary Church of God will be successful and an asset to the community.

From Sachem Patch: Islip Town Officials Tout Shellfish Farming Licenses as 'Win-Win-Win.' Plucking names out of a metal spinner, Town of Islip officials Tuesday took the next step in their mission to revitalize the Great South Bay and pump some much needed money into Town coffers. The purpose of Tuesday's event at Islip Beach was to determine a site selection order for 17 potential bay bottom lease holders. Thirteen new sites, ranging in size from 1-5 acres next to Captree Island, are set to be leased out by the Town at a price of $750 an acre a year. "It's just a home run for everything that is done with business and is done with the cleaning of the bay," Councilman John Cochrane said of the bay bottom leasing program.