Summer at Hempstead’s pools just got a little more tropical.
Some 40 palm trees are set to be distributed across town pools over the next week, courtesy of a donation from Butch Yamali, the owner of Peter’s Clam Bar in Island Park, which incorporates palm trees and other tropical elements into its decor.
Yamali, Nassau County Legislator John Ferretti, and Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin held a Friday morning event to place the first trees at Carman Avenue Pool in Salisbury.
“I’m happy to make this donation and help bring a little tropical flair to our great town pools,” Yamali said. “As someone who enjoys these facilities with my own family, it’s nice to be able to give back in a way that helps everyone have more fun this summer.”
Yamali worked with Ferretti to make the donation to the town. Ferretti said the idea for the pool palm tree initiative came about after he had lunch at Peter’s Clam Bar with Clavin and mentioned that he wanted to incorporate a tropical atmosphere like that of the clam bar into the town pools.
“I’ve always thought that it would be a great thing to get the pools to look a little bit more exotic, almost like you’re in the Caribbean, and palm trees are the way to do that,” Ferretti said. “After we had lunch, I was talking to Butch Yamali, mentioning that I’d love to make the town pools look more like his restaurant. After having some discussions with Butch Yamali, he offered to donate 40 palm trees to the town of Hempstead this year.”
“I was happy to be able to facilitate this donation, and I want to thank Butch Yamali for his generosity,” Ferretti said at the Friday tree placement event. “These palm trees will help create a fun, relaxing, and tropical setting that families across the town can enjoy all summer long.”
Friday’s town event marks another event that Ferretti, the Republican candidate for Hempstead Town Supervisor, has attended alongside Clavin, the current supervisor.
“Thanks to Legislator Ferretti’s initiative and Butch Yamali’s generous donation, our Town pools will be even more beautiful and welcoming,” Clavin said. “We’re always looking for ways to enhance the experience at our community facilities, and this is a great example of how local partnerships can make a real difference.”
Ferretti said the exact pools where the trees will be distributed are still to be determined by the town, but each pool to receive them will likely get between four and six trees.
The trees will be cared for by the town’s parks and recreation department and placed inside the town’s indoor pool facilities over the colder winter months. Ferretti said the palms will be placed back outside every summer, alongside potential new tree donations from Yamali each year.
