A campaign for a rename in Valley Stream

Daring to dream big is the mantra of Nicholas Alexander Natoli, a former Gibson resident. Natoli has a bright vision — changing the name and mailing address of part of the Gibson area to a new moniker, “Hewlett Heights.”

Though the idea is in its earliest stages, Natoli, 22, is hopeful that it will one day become a reality. “I think Hewlett Heights would represent a good fusion of two areas that at one time were worlds apart and it would fuse them so that there won’t be any sort of confusion,” he said.

Natoli noted that confusion could arise living in the Gibson section — a neighborhood south of Sunrise Highway bordering Lynbrook and Hewett that was named for developer William Gibson, who built houses there in the early 20th century. Unlike the rest of the village, a portion of the area is in Hewlett-Woodmere School District 14. Natoli, who attended Holy Name of Mary School in Valley Stream, spent most of his childhood and teenage years in Hewlett. But he felt torn between both areas.

“I did not know where to belong,” he said. “I was the only person from Hewlett schools that went to [Holy Name of Mary]. I had sort of a bad experience there but I would go to Hewlett and that’s where my heart was because people accepted me, people embraced me for the things that made me different.”

Finding a connection with Hewlett was an amazing experience, he said, that has shaped the person he is today. But Natoli values his time in the Gibson area. As a third generation resident — his parents and grandparents were raised in Gibson — Natoli remembers pivotal moments about his time there, including the vast diversification of the area starting in 2000. Natoli said he noticed positive differences resulting from that diversity.

Wanting to create integration between both areas, Natoli stumbled onto a website, www.hewlettheights.org in 2007. The website, which no longer exists, included a Google Map that outlined the area. Natoli said the map gave proper geographical identification to the area — one of the main reasons why he wants to institute the change.

“This [change] would be positive,” he said. “There are so many possibilities, which are endless.” Some of those possibilities include working on undeveloped land at Peninsula Boulevard and North Brook Drive, adding beautification aspects like a gazebo or trees to some of the area, and expanding the Hewlett Heights Association, which is now only an open public Facebook page with about 70 members.

“We can break major ground with [this change],” he said. “There has never been a Hewlett Heights — there has always been Gibson. He created this train station and built all these homes and historically, nobody will ever forget what he did for the village and beyond. But now, we are in even more of a microcosm and geographical borders should be established.” He added that the change would benefit residents, bringing distinction, increased property values, and more of a voice for residents — allowing them to join the Hewlett Heights Association to be involved in community matters ranging from garbage pickup to snow removal.

Right now, Natoli has no concrete plans, but he is interested in finding out what residents think of the idea. Maryann Ferro, a member of the Hewlett Heights Association Facebook page, said Natoli is full of passion. “I think its wonderful for someone in his generation to show an interest in his community,” she said. “I am aware of his quest on renaming Gibson, but not exactly sure why or what the ramifications would be.”

Resident Robert La Rosa, who has lived in Gibson for several years, said he does not want the section to be “labeled” as a sub-area of Hewlett, wanting the section to have its own identity. But Donna Riveiro disagrees with La Rosa. “Nick has been calling the area ‘Hewlett Heights’ for a long time now, and I don’t mind the name change,” said Riviero, who is an association member. “I will back him 100 percent in all he tries to accomplish.”

In response to residents’ comments, Natoli assures the community that the change will not be degrading to the village and it will “bring light to a rather large village that perhaps could make life easier for the next generation of people.”

Acting Mayor Joann Antun does not know of any village policy pertaining to renaming an area, but she is currently checking into whether there are any past precedents that have been established by the village government.

Natoli, who will be graduating from Nassau Community College soon, remains optimistic despite the opposition of some residents. He is hoping that if enough people are open to the idea, he could present it to the village board and work to have “Hewlett Heights” established this year or next. And that he can hammer in a new green sign with gold writing that says, “Welcome to Hewlett Heights.”