Town Board formally approves ‘Ziggy’s Way’ in memory of late Polish Hall president

The Riverhead Town Board finalized plans to rename a section of Marcy Avenue in memory of Zbigniew “Ziggy” Wilinski, the longtime president and manager of Polish Hall in Riverhead.

The Town Board unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday for the renaming, which was first announced in early April, shortly after Mr. Wilinski died in March. He was 74.

The resolution authorizes the renaming of a portion of Marcy Avenue — stretching from its intersections at Pulaski Street and Main Street — to “Ziggy’s Way.”

“God bless Ziggy,” said Councilman Ken Rothwell in casting his vote in favor of the renaming.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Councilman Frank Beyrodt added.

In addition to his work with Polish Hall, Mr. Wilinski was a former Riverhead postmaster, a member of the Riverhead Polish Independent Club, a congregant at St. Isidore’s R.C. Church in Riverhead and a past member of the St. Isidore School Board of Education. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.

“May he rest in peace, my friend,” Supervisor Yvette Aguiar said.

Letters dated April 27, 2021 were sent by certified mail to all property owners along the section of Marcy Avenue advising them of the change and there were no objections sent to the town, officials said.