Meet Asharoken residents Alex Janow and his wife, Anne-Marie...but everyone knows her as "Nancy". 

Alex and Nancy Janow first moved to neighboring Cold Spring Harbor back in 1974, where they raised their three sons, Thomas, Stephen and Peter Janow. Alex was a College Professor in Business Policy at LIU Post, and Nancy worked as a health professional specializing in mental health counseling at St. Francis Hospital after receiving her Masters in Counseling. While they loved Cold Spring Harbor, when they were facing being "empty nesters" they decided in 1993 to move to Asharoken. They wanted to stay in a quaint, waterfront village nearby, and they found the perfect location with Asharoken.  "Our kids gave us permission to move," laughs Alex.

In the category of "Special First Nights" in a community, the Janows had quite a special introduction to living in Asharoken. On January 13th, 1994, it was a freezing evening in Asharoken when the Janows moved in. Because of the configuration of their driveway, they needed to squeeze two separate trucks into their driveway alongsidey their house. The problem was, the heat in their new house was not working. So Alex made and maintained a huge fire in their new fireplace, and with the front door wide open to accommodate the movers, Alex and Nancy sat in fur coats fireside, near freezing, wondering what they got themselves into!

But Asharoken became their dream home location. After being Chairperson at Eagle Dock during their time in Cold Spring Harbor, Alex jumped right into civic duty in Asharoken: he became appointed to sit on the Asharoken Zoning Board of Appeals. "I wanted to help and work with people right away," says Alex. He served many years on the Zoning Board and immediately felt connected to the community by working with the residents. "I like being involved in my community, no matter where I am," says Alex.

Alex and Nancy's three children all love visiting. Thomas, now 57, lives in New York City. Stephen, who played Division 1 lacrosse, lives close by in Centerport. Their youngest, Peter, a Boston College graduate and retired Marine Corps Officer, lives in Northport. Peter was a pilot and Officer serving in Iraq and served during a NATO tour in Europe. "He loved that," says Alex and Nancy. 

What do the Janows love best about Asharoken? "The safety. The beauty." They say. We can all agree with that. 

Now Nancy is not just an amazing Nurse at St. Francis providing critical mental health support. If you need a recipe for clam chowder to serve a large party, Nancy is your go-to Asharoken resident. She has been making clam chowder in 40-gallon increments for many years--going back to her responsibility of making clam chowder for the Eagle Dock Clam Bakes, back in the day. Maybe, if you ask nicely, she will give you the Recipe.