David P. Bennardo Community Park Opens In South Huntington

SOUTH HUNTINGTON, NY — David P. Bennardo Community Park recently opened in South Huntington. The park is on Wheatley Avenue and Dawson Street, next to the James Kaden Administration Building.

The grounds where the park was constructed were always known as a sleigh-riding hot spot, according to the South Huntington School District. But now it's an all-weather park featuring bocce, tables and more.

"All the finishing work has been done and the South Huntington School District wants the community to know that the park is open for everyone to enjoy," the district wrote.

The park was a gift to Bennardo from the South Huntington Board of Education in recognition of his nine years of serving as the district's superintendent. Bennardo is now a Town of Huntington councilman. The board surprised Bennardo with a rendering of the park the night of his last board meeting in June 2021. He called it a "beautiful surprise."

"It's just a great honor," Bennardo told Patch. "South Huntington represents such wonderful people. Great kids, supportive parents, and awesome teachers. It's a perfect recipe for a community. It's richly diverse and academically strong, so to have my name on anything associated with South Huntington is an honor. I can't say enough about it. Between Harborfields and South Huntington, I've been the most blessed educator in the world."

A permanent pavilion sits over a concrete base inside the fully fenced in and gated area, and a walkway extends to several picnic tables where people can gather to take a break, have a meal or a cup of coffee, or talk. The pavilion allows for gatherings in any kind of weather, sunny, rainy or snowy.

"Admire the changing colors in autumn, and come the winter, it will make a great place to have the hot chocolate ready when the kids are done sledding down the hill," the school district wrote.

Bennardo plans to visit this weekend for the first time.

"What an honor; it's humbling, because first of all, I'm alive, right? Usually they wait until you croak," he said. "It's more humbling in that, to me, I didn't do anything special. I just love kids, dealing with parents and motivating teachers. I'm never the smartest guy in the room, so it's nice when someone notices that you work hard for them and you're a grinder for them. It's such an honor. It took my breath away when it happened in 2021."

People were encouraged to grab their bocce ball set and head over to the park for a court and benches.

"This is a beloved area of the South Huntington School District and the addition of a pavilion and bocce court will provide enjoyment to a greater number of residents," Board President Nicholas Ciappetta said in a news release. "The official dedication of the land as a park will preserve the area for generations to come."

Bennardo said bocce is a "perfect fit" for the park, as the sport is a big part of Italian American culture. He grew up playing it, as every relative of his loves the game.