WriteOn — Valley Stream Stories
September 12, 2025
Philip Creutzmann recently shared his memories of living in West End of Valley Stream on Valley Stream Historical Society's Facebook page - Valley Stream of Yesteryear. With his permission, we've memorialized his story on our WriteOn - Valley Stream Stories webpage.
Phil graduated Valley Stream Central High School and the University of Buffalo (English major) in 1975 and 1980, respectively. He worked for Valley Stream Taxi on-and-off between 1976 and 1991. Since 1993, he has owned Mailbox Shoppe, a retail business—he's lived in Northport for almost as long. Click on the link below to read about Valley Stream's local pubs, back-room pool halls, businesses along Merrick Road, hanging out at The Benches at Hendrickson Park, pool dances, and so much more! It's a terrific read. Enjoy!
One Year In Valley Stream - by Jim Rumsey
In 2022, Amika Kemmler-Ernst wrote An Extraordinary Ordinary Woman: My Mother's Story, a book about her late mother, Beatrice Kemmler-Ernst (1921-2006), who grew up in Valley Stream. The book is based on a compilation of artifacts from her mother’s life. It includes some of Amika's own writing, both formal and informal personal reflections, newspaper articles, and a presentation for members of Bea's continuing care community – as well as pieces written by those who knew and loved her. Also included are photos and a selection of her drawings and paintings. Ms. Kemmler-Ernst has gathered all these elements, creating an illustrated narrative to honor her mother's memory, to acknowledge the impact made on her, and to create a multi-faceted portrait for family and friends.
Amika spent the first four years of her life on Mineola Avenue before moving to Massapequa in 1951. Kemmler-Ernst is an award-winning teacher who earned a doctorate from Harvard's Graduate School of Education. She co-authored The Great Perpetual Learning Machine (Little Brown, 1975) and has produced a variety of newsletters, class books, school magazines and yearbooks. She also helped write The Teachers' Vision of the Future of Education: A Challenge to the Nation (IMPACT II, 1991). Now retired, she volunteers in local schools and writes a monthly photo essay for the Boston Teachers Union, "We're Learning Here," that gives voice to students engaged in their everyday schoolwork. Amika wrote An Extraordinary Ordinary Woman: My Mother's Story during the pandemic -- her parents were her first and most influential teachers. In her "spare time" Amika enjoys reading, writing, art, nature, travel, jigsaw and crossword puzzles, and helping people.
An Extraordinary Ordinary Woman: My Mother's Story (Amika Kemmler-Ernst)
Jeff Heston's description of mental illness and religious zealotry is a tough read, yet he confronts his past with blunt honesty that earns our respect and compassion. Childhoods are rarely ideal, yet we often cling to a fantasy rooted in cruel optimism. "Shattered" is one of those childhoods. In 1962, nine-year-old Jeff moved to Lynbrook. His home, a lovely 1930 Tudor, was located in the Yorkshire section of Lynbrook on the southeast border of Valley Stream. Because of the proximity to Valley Stream, Jeff attended Valley Stream schools: William L. Buck Elementary and South High School. He considers Valley Stream his hometown. Heston (original surname Powitz), a writer, graphic designer, and photographer, is also an actor, appearing in many made-for-television movies and series, including Married with Children, Roseanne, Cheers, and L.A. Law. Jeff and his wife Aviva live in North Hollywood, where they've raised three children: Margo, Roxanne, and Alex.
January 1, 2019