The East End Women's Network will celebrate Women's History Month with "Women Making History," featuring the accomplishments of Linda Hobson, a community advocate who worked to help Horton Avenue residents after devastating flooding in Riverhead in 2010.
The event will also spotlight the accomplishments of EEWN's current "Woman of the Year," Regina Calcaterra.
The event will be held on Wednesday at Casa Basso in Westhampton, beginning at 5:30 p.m. with networking, and a dinner and program to follow at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $40 for EEWN members with reservations; non-members, $45. Open to the public; non-members are welcome to attend. Credit cards will be accepted the door. For more information call 631-288-1841.
After the flooding, which left her own home and years of priceless family treasures destroyed, Hobson worked with elected officials to help guide her community toward a new beginning.
In October, Hobson attended an event to announce the demolition of homes that were ravaged after 2010 flooding.
Hobson, a social worker who was, like many of her neighbors, left homeless after the flooding, turned tragedy into triumph as she worked tirelessly during the months that followed as a community advocate to help garner funding for residents.
At the October event, Hobson was smiling. "I'm excited," she said. "All of the work has paid off. It 's good to see a community come together this way. No one group could have done this without all the other groups."
Hobson said she and former Horton Avenue neighbor would be working with the Long Island Housing Partnership on their new homes.
At the event, which was attended by Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, Congressman Tim Bishop, and Riverhead Town officials, Hobson thanked all levels of government who came together for the good of a community.
Riverhead Town acquired the parcels, the flood-ravaged homes were torn down and the land ulitmately will revert to wetlands.
The town planned to make improvements to the drainage infrastructure to mitigate flood damages to the remaining properties on Horton Avenue.
Horton Avenue residents lost not only their homes, but lifetimes of memories and photographs; many saw all their worldly possessions swept away during the flooding. Flood damage and, later, mold, rendered cherished possessions unsalvageable.
Bellone, at the time, joked that Horton Avenue should be renamed "Hobson's Way," for all of Hobson's herculean efforts as a community advocate to help her neighbors.
Calcaterra, EEWN organizers said, made history when she became the first female Chief Deputy County Executive of Suffolk County, as well as the first woman to head a Moreland Commission.
The Moreland Commission is tasked with investigating New York's power utilities' preparation and response to the major storms that have devastated communities in the State of New York over the past two years, including Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Irene, and Tropical Storm Lee.
The EEWN meeting was both interesting and inspiring. In celebration of Women's History Month two East End women spoke who have recently made history - Regina Calcaterra, Executive Director, Moreland Commission & reigning EEWN Woman of the Year and Linda Hobson, Community Activist and Leader in the Horton Avenue Re-development. They shared their experiences both positive and negative plus how they persevered during the tough times. I left the meeting feeling proud of Women and our history both today and the past. Learning how these two women created change in their community and themselves gave me confidence to believe that maybe I can try to do the same.