Gordon Heights residents 'celebrate each other'

As a kid growing up in Gordon Heights, Sylvester "Butch" Murray would visit the park along Central Parkway for movie nights, basketball games and other activities. 

"This is where everybody congregated," he said. "This is where everybody came to have fun and hang out."

Now known as Children's Park, the playground dates to the community's founding in 1927 and was the site of Saturday's Gordon Heights Day celebration. The all-day event — the first since the pandemic — featured food, a bouncy house for kids, music, vendors and more as different generations of the historically Black community celebrated the area's rich history.

Murray, 68, president of the Greater Gordon Heights Civic Association, said the event is about bringing residents together "to celebrate each other" with a goal of "creating unity in the community."

The civic helped revive the tradition after it had been on pause for several years since the pandemic began.

Bishop E. Edward Robinson II of the Long Island Breakthrough Chapel in Coram said the Gordon Heights community has "great culture, great innovation and great creativity."

"I'm really proud to showcase the greats of our community," he said.

The Gordon Heights Fire Department led a parade through neighboring streets to kick off the festivities.

Fire department members and Suffolk County Police officers mingled with the crowd as part an effort to build bridges between community members and first responders.

Moonee Rivers, 38, who became the first female chief of the department in 2022, said she hoped to recruit some new members.

"Volunteerism is such an important part of what we do here, particularly in a rural area," Rivers said.

Casey Berry, a Community Oriented Police Engagement Officer, and Sergio Moller, a Community Liaison Officer, hoped to build connections in the community as they represented county police.

"I think it's really just about trying to be real with the community, having that authentic relationship to be in environments like this where it's not just responding to 911 calls," Berry said.

Earlier in the week, officials had unveiled a new sign reading "Welcome to Gordon Heights" on Granny Road a short distance from the park. The spot had been vacant for several years after previous signs were damaged by vehicles, Murray said.

Murray said the civic spearheaded the effort for a new sign and other organizations helped get it in place for Saturday's event.

With just a few more years until the community's 100th anniversary, some of those in attendance reflected back to the 50th anniversary when Gordon Heights hosted a three-day celebration at the same spot as Saturday's event.

Cristie Rivers, 60, a Gordon Heights native and aunt of the fire chief, said her mother Yvonne was instrumental in organizing the 50th anniversary celebration in 1977.

"She gathered all the old-timers and different organizations within the community and put together this amazing event," Rivers said. "We've been trying to do it every year ever since. It's just an honor to even be here."

Saturday's event was bittersweet for Rivers as it marked the first Gordon Heights Day since her mother died in March at the age of 85.

"Today is really hard for me," she said.

Officials had to pause the opening ceremony twice as two members of the crowd received medical attention on the sweltering afternoon. Murray urged attendees to stay hydrated and volunteers distributed free water.

Robinson said first responders quickly sprang into action, in an example of community members always ready to pick each other up.

"Everybody was ready to show their love and support," he said.

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

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