Great Neck Magazine

GRE A T NECK A GREAT NECK RECORD PUBLICATION • OCTOBER 2014

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‘MUSIC MIRACLE’ How Our Schools Hit A High Note

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THE NEW MANSION COAST

Eat Your Heart Out, Gatsby!

WHY I LOVE GREAT NECK

Neighbors & Friends Speak Out

CHOCOLATE, ANYONE?

You’ve Come To The Right Place

THE LEADING LADY

Regina Gil’s Greatest Role

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110 WALT WHITMAN ROAD, HUNTINGTON STATION, NY, 11746. 631.425.5720 | ©2014 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED HEREIN IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY WHILE, THIS INFORMATION IS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT, IT IS REPRESENTED SUBJECT TO ERRORS, OMISSIONS, THE COMPLETE OFFERING TERMS ARE IN AN OFFERING PLAN AVAILABLE FROM THE SPONSOR. CHANGES OR WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT NOTICE. ALL PROPERTY INFORMATION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SQUARE FOOTAGE, ROOM COUNT, AND NUMBER OF BEDROOMS ARE DEEMED RELIABLE, BUT SHOULD BE VERIFIED BY YOUR OWN ATTORNEY. PHOTOS SHOWN MAY HAVE BEEN MANIPULATED. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

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GOLD COAST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL N ov e m b e r 3 r d - 9 t h 2 0 1 4 Get Get on on the the VIP VIP list and be the first to find out what movie previews, previews, special special events & guests will appear this year. facebook.com/gciff facebook.com/gciff • @goldcoastfilm • goldcoastfilmfestival.org

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! For a full list of films, screening times, locations, and to purchase tickets, visit goldcoastarts.org or call 516-829-2570.

Highlights include:

FAMILY FILM DAY Tues Tues 11/4 11/4 || 12-3pm 12-3pm | Gold Coast Arts Center, Center, Great Great Neck Neck When When school school is is closed, closed, the Gold Coast International International Film Film Festival Festival is OPEN! See great great short short films films perfect perfect for families & participate participate in in fun fun hands-on hands-on movie-themed art art activities. activities. Includes Includes free lunch courtesy of of Anthony’s Anthony’s Coal Coal Fired Fired Pizza. Plus see the the original original Chitty Chitty Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car!

AUGUST WILSON: The Ground On Which I Stand Thurs 11/6 | 7:30pm | Soundview PW Q&A with Tony Award winning actors Phylicia Rashad & Ruben Santiago Hudson, and filmmakers Sam Pollard & Darryl Ford-Williams. From his activist roots to his indelible mark on Broadway, this film captures the legacy of the man some call America’s Shakespeare.

ZERO MOTIVATION THE DOVE FLYER Sat Sat 11/8 11/8 || 7:30pm 7:30pm || Soundview Soundview PW Q&A Q&A with with director director Talya Talya Lavie. Winner of the the top top prize prize at at the the Tribeca Tribeca Film Festival and and nominated nominated for for 12 12 Israeli Film Academy my Awards, Awards, ZERO ZERO MOTIVATION MOTIVATION is a zany, dark dark comedic comedic portrait portrait of everyday life for a unit unit of of young, young, female female Israeli soldiers.

HUMAN CAPITAL Fri 11/7 | 8:30pm | Bow Tie Port Washington Two of Italy’s leading actresses star in this neo-noir thriller that twists love, class, and ambition into a singular, true-life story. Winner of 7 Donatello Awards (Italian Oscars); Italy’s official nomination for the Academy Awards!

Sun 11/9 | 12:30pm | Bow Tie Great Neck

WHEN THE GARDEN WAS EDEN

A coming-of-age story set amid the expulsion of Jews in Iraq in the 1950s, where a 16-year-old caught in the middle of conflicting attitudes must make a difficult decision that will change his family’s destiny.

Q&A with NY Times Sportswriter Harvey Araton. This unabashed love letter to the Knicks is a fast-moving tribute to the team’s glory days as one of the NBA’s most dazzling squads.

PLUS more great films including:

Sun 11/9 | 4:00pm | Bow Tie Great Neck

Offbeat French comedy PAULETTE • A film tribute to Joan Rivers • Tribeca hit MATCH starring Patrick Stewart • Quidditch comes to life in MUDBLOODS • And much more!

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10 | LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER Introducing Great Neck Magazine.

By Angela Susan Anton

23 | THE iPAD IMPRESSIONIST

GREAT NECK MAGAZINE I N S I D E

Paint & pixels power this local artist.

By Marilou Giammona

29 | CHOCOLATE, EVERYONE? What makes Great Neck such a sweet place.

By Lyn Dobrin

32 | ON A HIGH NOTE The story of the school district’s amazing music program.

By Andy Newman

55 | REGINA GIL’S GREATEST PERFORMANCE Our very own leading lady.

By Andy Newman

69 | THE HISTORY OF GREAT NECK IN 5 PICTURES Images of what shaped the community.

By Alice Kasten

75 | KATYA’S DANCING FEAT Where the girls learn the love of the art.

By Vilma Sceusa

82 | THAT’S SO GREAT NECK A few of the community’s favorite things.

By Colleen Maidhof

• Plus

Why I Love Great Neck | 15 Just Asking… | 26, 52, 66, 80 ON THE COVER: Cellist Emily Gold is one of the latest success stories of the school district’s music program.

Photo by Ann Parry

44 | THE NEW MANSION COAST Welcome to Gatsby 2.0

By John Owens

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Letter From The Publisher Dear Neighbor, Thank you for reading Great Neck Magazine.

This is the first of what we hope will become a familiar publication. Since 1908, our weekly newspaper, the Great Neck Record, has proudly served the community, and each week, Great Neck Record Editor Wendy Karpel Kreitzman makes sure that the pages are chock full of local news. The website www. greatneckrecord.com is a great complement, with breaking news and opportunities for you to join the discussion.

As you well know, this entire peninsula, with its nine villages and unincorporated areas, has long been one of the premier places to raise a family.

The public schools have been ranked among the best in the nation for as long as any of us can remember. The recreational facilities are second to none, and even have produced Olympians, such as my friend Sarah Hughes and her sister Emily.

Culture? As if claiming residents such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Francis Ford Coppola, Andy Kaufman and Nikki Blonsky (to name but a few) weren’t enough, the community boasts the Gold Coast Arts Center and cultural celebrations throughout the year. And all that Manhattan has to offer is just minutes — literally — away.

Great Neck has a rich history and is constantly growing and changing. To say that this community is dynamic is an understatement.

All of this is worth celebrating, and much of it is best covered in a magazine.

With this, the inaugural issue of Great Neck Magazine, we hope to celebrate and illuminate what makes Great Neck such a wonderful community.

Angela Susan Anton Publisher

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GREAT NECK M A G A Z I N E

By Anton Media Group publishers of

KARL V. ANTON, JR. Publisher, 1984-2000

ANGELA SUSAN ANTON Publisher

MICHAEL CASTONGUAY President & COO

FRANK A. VIRGA

EVP of Sales & Operations

SHARI EGNASKO Executive Assistant

JOY DIDONATO

Circulation Director

JOHN OWENS

Expert Picture Framing Fine Art • Custom Mirrors

Editor in Chief

EDITH UPDIKE Managing Editor

TOMMY VON VOIGT Creative Director

WENDY KARPEL KREITZMAN Editor, Great Neck Record

STEVE MOSCO

Senior Web Editor, www.greatneckrecord.com

DESIGNERS Barbara Barnett, Jackie Costello, Donna Duffy, Sheila Ferarri, Christina Lancaster ART STAFF Lorraine Milano, Caren Benipayo, David Kimler ADVERTISING SALES Mari Gaudet, Jeryl Sletteland, Valerie Link, Pat Salmon, Iris Picone, Scott Evans, Wendy Kates

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132 East Second St., Mineola NY 11501 Phone: 516-747-8282 Fax: 516-742-5867 advertising inquiries: advertising@antonnews.com circulation inquiries: subscribe@antonnews.com editorial submissions: editorial@antonnews.com © Long Island Community Newspapers, 2014

MANHATTAN | BROOKLYN | QUEENS | LONG ISLAND | THE HAMPTONS | THE NORTH FORK | RIVERDALE | WESTCHESTER/PUTNAM | FLORIDA 110 WALT WHITMAN ROAD, HUNTINGTON STATION, NY, 11746. 631.549.7401 | © 2014 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

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Why I Love Great Neck People everywhere sing the praises of their hometowns, but everyone agrees that there is something special about Great Neck. Put simply, it’s a place that’s easy to love. Here, people from around the community explain “Why I love Great Neck.”

Daniel Chaiet, resident I’m 87 years old, and the town has everything that I need. I can walk to the train, the market and the lovely shops. The bridges and the highways are very close, and I love that because I like to leave town on occasions. I love my apartment and the indoor parking it offers. Great Neck is great, it fits my lifestyle.

Eamonn Flood, athletic director, Great Neck North High School and Village of Great Neck Plaza resident The reasons I love Great Neck can be summed up very easily: The schools, the parks, proximity to the city and the people. I am the American-born son of immigrants to the United States and I love the ever-changing flow of cultures, people and personalities.

Mike Wach, owner, the Great Neck Diner My wife, Ronny, and I built the Great Neck Diner four years ago on the site of Fredrick’s, a town institution that had been there since 1951.

My dear Ronny passed away last year, but for the first two years we got to know the friendly, gracious and lovely families in the area. My daughter Rorie now runs the place, and there’s a unique variety of people coming in and out of the diner on a daily basis, which makes it all the more fun. Ronny’s bright and warm smile still fills the diner with good vibes and great music.

Nicole Brown, born and raised in Russell Gardens There’s a wonderful sense of peace that I get when I walk under the beautiful trees in Great Neck. For example, there’s a serenity that you can’t find in the city like you can at Steppingstone Park.

Going to the concerts and picnicking on the lawn before the show is a great experience.

My husband and I moved to the city over a year ago when we got married, but the advantages of the city are far outweighed by what Great Neck has to offer. That’s why we’re going to move back.

GREAT NECK MAGAZINE | 15

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Richard and Lollie Stancati, Village of Great Neck residents for 46 years It’s a town where a smile is greeted with another smile. It’s a concerned neighborhood involved in its schools, parks, libraries and villages. It’s a community dedicated to treating all its diverse residents with dignity.

Scott Zimmerman, vice president, Great Neck Chamber of Commerce and owner, Aura Hair Salon and Style Lounge I love owning my business and living in Great Neck because it is a town full of diverse culture and history, and everywhere you turn there is something to do for everyone.

Lois Schaffer, Great Neck Estates resident for 42 years There is much to love about Great Neck, and one can only fully realize its plethora of virtues as a resident. Most important, its residents are compassionate about their immediate surroundings, the nation and actively demonstrate their support for issues that matter.

Robyn Schneider, longtime Thomaston resident and autism advocate As a family living in Great Neck and raising our twin sons Alex and Jamie here for 24 years, Allan and I have always enjoyed the healthy aspect of living here, specifically, walking with our sons into town at all times of the year, and in any type of weather. We especially love all of the many parks in town. What other town can offer such an abundance of parks for families?

Isaac Sakhaie, resident Great Neck is the most beautiful place. It has good amenities, beautiful parks, good stores and people. It is diverse and very welcoming. I’ve been here for 30 years, and I wouldn’t move anywhere else.

Mark Wolf, resident since 1950 and owner, Camp & Campus.

It is hard to believe that I am celebrating the 65th anniversary of the family doing business in Great Neck. All through the years, we have always considered our customers to be our friends, and many of the relationships that we have had with local families have lasted decades.

Having grown up in the ‘50s and the ‘60s, I am most proud that Great Neck residents were always in the forefront of social equality and supporters of human rights throughout the world.

Phoebe W. Lazarus, resident For a 93-year-old senior like me, Great Neck is an oasis of opportunity.

Want information and support? Skilled care of mind and body? Places to go and things to do? Transportation to get there? And people! All ages, all stages, all points of view!

Boredom? What’s that? Surely not here in Great Neck!

Mona Kremin, Great Neck branch manager, Douglas Elliman Real Estate Location, Location, Location! It’s conveniently situated for traveling to the city, Long Island or anywhere in the tri-state area. Thirty-three years ago, I moved here for the incredible schools, parks and fabulous town, with all the amenities of a big city. Great Neck still maintains its diversity and allure for all.

Silvia Zeller, manager, Dan’s Beauty Supply for 22 years Everybody knows your name here, that’s why I love it here. It’s very hamish (cozy and welcoming). It’s very comfortable, very friendly and warm. I have met people that I’ve known from back home in Romania. My days are filled with the warmest people and the nicest people.

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Michael S. Glickman, president, Gold Coast Arts Center Great Neck is where I call home. Its quaint grandeur and allure bring a bygone era into full focus. Standing tall on the shoulders of this nestled peninsula, Great Neck is unique in the opportunity it presents for the arts, community and education. The Great Neck I have come to know connects the past to the present and represents a microcosm of the American dream.

Ralph J. Kreitzman, mayor, Village of Great Neck My love of Great Neck started with what Great Neck had to offer — great public schools, commute to Manhattan, parks, library and services the village had to offer. It grew to be a great place to have and raise children and make great friends. More recently, it has been the ability to give back and serve our residents as the mayor of the Village of Great Neck, former president and current Executive Board member of the Nassau County Village Officials Association, president of the Great Neck Village Officials Association, member of the executive board of the NYS Conference of Mayors and director of the Water Authority of Great Neck North.

So, in summary, Great Neck is a great place to live, raise a family and be a part of our diverse community.

Judi Bosworth, supervisor, Town of North Hempstead I am so fortunate to be able to call Great Neck my home for the past 34 years. Great Neck is truly a wonderful place in which to live. It is a community with a rich historical past, and an even brighter future. Whether you want to shop in the Village’s vibrant business district, take in our beautiful waterfront views, or attend a concert in one of our many parks, there is truly something for everyone. The people in Great Neck have their hearts in the right place; that is why they are so committed to ensuring their schools are first-rate and that their neighborhoods are safe for children and all residents.

Great Neck combines all of the splendor of the North Shore of Long Island, with an ideal location just minutes from New York City. I invite everyone to visit my magnificent hometown of Great Neck.

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Michele Siegel, publicist, Great Neck Park District How can one not love Great Neck when there is so much to offer here?

Excellent schools, restaurants, shopping, convenient transportation to NYC and the crème de la crème — the Great Neck Park District’s amazing parks and facilities. Although I love all of the parks, the most special park to me is Steppingstone Park, which overlooks Long Island Sound.

ANNIVERSARY SALE

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Scott Greenbaum, ophthalmologist and Kings Point resident I love Great Neck for the very reason Melissa and I chose it. It’s the perfect spot for a nice backyard within easy commuting distance to the city. When I come home after a busy day, I walk a few steps out of my back door and find myself in a peaceful green space in which the amount of rain and sun on the flowers and shrubs become my biggest care. I love the Hamptons, but not the traffic. Great Neck is my perfect getaway behind my perfect home.

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42 MIDDLE NECK ROAD • GREAT NECK • 487-8309

Mitchell Beckerman, deputy mayor, Village of Great Neck “I love Great Neck for its one of a kind community that I am lucky enough to call home. Great Neck offers its residents the best of both worlds — a quintessential suburban community a train ride away from one of the most exciting cosmopolitan areas in the world. ■

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OVER $3 BILLION DOLLARS IN SALES AND 3,000 FAMILIES MOVED IN 14 YEARS!

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Above numbers pulled from MLS and third party sources for time period 1/1/2000 thru 9/1/14 for closed properties either listed or sold by Laffey Fine Homes. All figures approximate.

All information furnished regarding property for sale, rental or financing is from sources deemed reliable. No representation is made as to the accuracy thereof and it is submitted subject to errors, omissions, change of price, rental, commission or other conditions, prior sale, lease or financing or withdrawal without notice. If your home is currently listed with another broker this is not a solicitation of that listing.

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200 Middle Neck Road - Great Neck, NY 11021 - 516-482-1111

Brush with tech: Raisy Derzie is a long-time traditional painter who also uses a new digital medium.

The iPad Impressionist

By Marilou Giammona • Photo by Steve Toscano

Her roots are in Impressionism, but Great Neck artist Raisy Derzie has taken her craft into the Digital Age. Raisy, who was born in Beirut, Lebanon, is not only a traditional painter, but also portrays Long Island’s Gold Coast in pieces she creates using an iPad. “I’ve lived in Great Neck since 1969, and over the years I’ve had the chance to enjoy the abundant and magnificent parks,” she said. “One of them, Steppingstone Park in Kings Point, offers a stunning view of the Long Island Sound, and if you look at it from far away, it can remind you of Monet’s painting, with its formal gardens, lush vegetation and elegant ladies with straw hats.”

As a youngster in Beirut, Raisy was interested in drawing and painting.

“With encouragement from my mom and my teachers, I kept at it,” she said. “The rest of the children were more interested in sports and music.”

Raisy moved to the United States in 1967, after teaching French and art to the children of the Lycée Franco Libanais, a prestigious secondary school in Lebanon. Once in New York, she attended the New York School of Interior Design and earned certification in that field.

When her family moved to Long Island, she took courses at the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn Harbor. The budding young artist also trained as a printmaker under renowned printmaker Ruth Leafin Douglaston.

For more than two decades, Raisy was involved with Port Washington’s Graphic Eye Gallery, an artist-run nonprofit group that was the first cooperative on Long Island. She was the president of the gallery for five years.

GREAT NECK MAGAZINE | 23

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This Great Neck artist captures the beauty around her with both paint and pixels Throughout her career, she’s been reviewed by both Newsday and The New York Times. Raisy created the entire background of an Off-Broadway show called Rewriting Her Life. Her nine panels, painted in black and white on unprimed canvas, garnered a positive review in Backstage Magazine.

Spawned by an app on her new iPad a few years ago, Raisy became interested in digital art.

“I used a program called Brushes,” she said. “Later, I realized that David Hockney was using the very same program, and had shows in England, Paris and San Francisco. In an interview, he legitimized the use of the iPad as an art tool.”

Hockney, the English painter, draughtsman, printmaker, stage designer and photographer, was a key contributor to the Pop Art movement of the 1960s, and is considered one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century.

Dr. Eliot M. Heisler D.D.S., P.C. 45 North Station Plaza, Suite 216 Great Neck, NY 11024 Tel: (516) 829-2001

iPad paintings: Local inspiration, including Raisy’s My Garden in Great Neck (left).

Using a basic toolbar at the bottom of the screen, Brushes artists can bring up a color wheel, work with layers and switch between various brushes. Best of all, many artists agree, Brushes is fast and responsive to the touch, so it’s easy to work quickly. Additionally, there is a feature that records each brush stroke, enabling artists to play back exactly how they created each piece of iPad art via the Brushes viewer.

Armed with a powerful app and inspired by her Great Neck backdrop, Raisy set out to capture the beauty around her, both in her own backyard and in local parks.

“Another park in Great Neck caught my attention, and I did a few paintings of it,” she said. “That park is in the heart of town, and can be seen from my sister’s balcony on Grace Avenue. It is so lovely to watch the people sitting on the benches, basking in the sun, reading, eating, playing or pushing their strollers. Here, life is beautiful.” ■

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Chocolate, Everyone?

By Lyn Dobrin • Photos by Steve Toscano

It’s not fair. Most Nassau County villages don’t have a fine candy shop where they make specialty chocolates. Great Neck has two: Lazar’s and Kron.

This January marks the 40th anniversary of Lazar’s. There are two stores — one in Great Neck and the other in Wheatley Plaza in Greenvale — where the Lazar family — Richard and Barbara Lazar and their sons Marc and Jeff — have continued the legacy of grandfather David Lazar, a Russian immigrant who made candy in downtown Manhattan.

Forty years ago, their signature candy was chocolate turtles: a combination of chocolate, nuts and caramel.

“It was what we did best,” said Richard. “But now we do everything.”

Their latest innovation is the high-heeled chocolate shoe. The shoe is a life-sized high heel made from a two-piece mold. The heel alone is three-quarters of a pound of solid chocolate.

The shoes are decorated with colorful nonpareils and sugar candies and are stuffed with truffles. They are placed on a chocolate platform. Richard says that the shoe is especially appealing to women who buy them for other women (ah, we women and our shoes!). Mini-shoes that are half the size are popular party favors. The shoes are milk or dark chocolate, made with premiere Peter’s Chocolate.

Well-heeled: Lazar’s chocolate shoes on chocolate bases.

GREAT NECK MAGAZINE | 29

At Kron Chocolatier, Marnie Ives is busy dipping fresh fruit into rich dark or milk chocolate. Kron was established in the late 1980s, and in 1998, Marnie and Wendy Einzig purchased the business.

Marnie didn’t start out as a chocolatier. She was working in banking, but after taking a course at Peter Krump’s New York Cooking School, specializing in pastry and baking, she decided that the life of chocolate was for her.

“It’s always a good day,” she said.

The fruits are dipped fresh every day into Kron’s special mixtures of milk chocolate and low-dairy dark. Fruits that are always available are strawberries, pineapple, orange and banana, all fresh fruit. Seasonally, you might find apples, grapes or blueberries.

The dipped fruit is especially popular during the holidays, when Marnie says she makes as many as 1,000 pieces a day.

Take a dip at Kron: Find the fruit in this picture.

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Stirring emotions: Lazar’s chocolate in the mix.

Chocolate coat: How Kron treats graham crackers.

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This is a confection with a very short shelf life, and Marnie urges her customers to keep the fruit refrigerated and use it that night.

In addition to the dipped fruit, chocolate-coated graham crackers and chocolate-covered popcorn are very popular.

“We hand coat the popcorn in milk, white or dark chocolate,” said Marnie.

“It is one of the healthier choices in our store, and it’s popular because Great Neck is a healthy town. ■

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On A High Note Great Neck is known for nurturing great musicians.

That’s hardly an accident.

By Andy Newman • Photos by Ann Parry

Brass act: Senior Richard Khalily is an accomplished trombone player, attending after-school jazz ensemble, after-school orchestra and daily symphonic band class.

This is a story about a renaissance. But instead of Medicis in 14th-century Florence, the benefactors in 1991 Great Neck were then-Superintendent of Schools William Shine and his Assistant Superintendent, Arlette Sanders.

“They were the dynamic duo that did it,” Bill Shine said, referring to music teachers Joe Rutkowski and Michael Schwartz.

“Arlette and I went on a search for an instrumental teacher for North because someone was retiring. We were looking for what you would call ‘turn-around’ music teachers, people who would bring great energy and great force to the music program.

“We went to a school on the east side of Manhattan where we saw Michael Schwartz,” Bill recalled. “You could see his energy and his love and commitment to music.

His ability to teach was clearly evident. I was set to say that this was the person we should hire. Michael boldly announced that he was the second best music teacher in New York City. And I said, ‘Well, that’s good enough for me.”

Nonetheless, the administrators went to see one more teacher—Joe, who was downtown at Stuyvesant High School.

“When we saw Joe teaching students, we sat transfixed,” Bill said. “He told his students that his son was being born at the hospital across the street and he wanted to open the windows so that his son would hear music right away. We were enthralled!”

They chose Joe over Michael.

“I wasn’t that disappointed,” Michael said. “They were looking for a string teacher, and I had never taught strings in my life.”

In fact, Michael told them that in hiring Joe, they had just hired the best music teacher in New York City.

A few years younger than his 60-year-old colleague, Michael (trumpet) knew Joe (clarinet) when they were both students, set on careers as professional musicians, at Mannes College. Each eventually turned to teaching.

Michael is now the Performing Arts Department head and Director of Instrumental Music at South, while Joe has cut back his activity a bit, giving up his chairmanship at North Middle to concentrate on his North High responsibilities.

GREAT NECK MAGAZINE | 33

Key player: At the piano, Dr. Pamela Levy, Choral Director at South High.​

Just a year after Joe was hired, a spot opened in Great Neck for Michael, who split time between the North Middle School band and the South High band, before settling in at South to head the instrumental program.

The two new teachers faced huge hurdles.

“Before Joe and I started,” Michael said, “the instrumental music program was in shambles.

The question from Dr. Shine was ‘Can you build a national program?

I want a national program in Great Neck.’”

“The orchestra was terrible then,” Joe agreed, “but we had good choral teachers like Pamela Levy and Denise Eisner.”

Fueled by their energy and passion, Joe at North and Michael at South built a program that not only retained and attracted high-quality music teachers, but also brought numerous honors to the district.

For instance, South High has been selected three times (2003, 2005 and 2007) as a Grammy Signature School, and North took the award in 2000. Both schools are consistently among the semi-finalists in this nationwide competition.

Great Neck also has become known as a training ground for world-class musicians.

“Without the musical guidance and support of Joseph Rutkowski, we would have never had the opportunities afforded to us to perform as often as we did,” said Lauren Carpenter of the north side’s Carpenter Family — Sean Avram Carpenter (concert master), Lauren (principal violinist) and David Aaron Carpenter (viola) — which was recently the subject of a 7,000-word essay in The New Yorker.

“This fundamentally shaped and enhanced our ability to communicate with people through music,” Lauren said of Joe’s tutelage.

“He was an incredibly caring and nurturing individual. We saw him every day from when we were in sixth grade through senior year in high school.”

These days, the Carpenters are not only acclaimed for their charity work with their non-profit orchestra, Salomé, but their rare stringed instruments business (Carpenter Fine Violins) also has earned a worldwide reputation.

South alumni Colin (violin) and Eric (cello) Jacobsen have toured the world. As members of the Silk Road Ensemble, they are spending most of the fall in Southeast Asia with cellist Yo Yo Ma. The Jacobsens also have a critically acclaimed chamber group (The Knights) and string quartet (Brooklyn Rider).

Expert guidance: Michael Schwartz, Performing Arts Department Head and Director of Instrumental Music, South High, works with senior flutist Rebecca Schifilliti.

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“Between Dr. Shine and Arlette Sanders they made it so incredibly easy to do an incredibly hard thing — to practice, to study, to do what we needed to do, and to get good at this incredibly hard thing, to play music,” said Eric Jacobsen, who recently was named music director and conductor of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony and will be conducting Florida’s Orlando Symphony in December.

“Arlette and Dr. Shine were so generous with both their own time and their understanding of how an artist could actually develop,” Eric said. “At that age, no one knows if they’re an artist, or how to figure out their craft. They were so positive and so engaged in helping me and my brother.”

The district’s musical achievements are not just instrumental.

Great Neck is believed to be the only non-specialized public school in the country to produce a fully costumed, fully orchestrated opera that is performed in its original language. South students have been doing this for 45 years.

The artist behind these young artists is Dr. Pamela Levy, who is in her 16th year at South as Choral Director.

“Think of what she does with the opera,” said current Superintendent Tom Dolan. “She lives, breathes and eats that opera. She does such an outstanding job.”

Among choral success stories, Pamela cites Nikki Blonsky, who starred in the 2007 film Hairspray.

At school, Nikki performed in both the operas and school musicals.

Other alums who immediately come to mind are composer David Levinson and singer/songwriter Kate Steinberg. Aaron Mor, Nina Berman, Jessica Fishenfeld and Max Zander are currently continuing their operatic studies with postgraduate work, said Pamela.

36 | GREAT NECK MAGAZINE

Grace note: “I like to believe that there is a room 218 in heaven where great musicians rehearse the Beethoven symphonies with Ludwig himself conducting,” said Joseph Rutlowski, music teacher, North High.

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Marching orders: “Build a national program,” said Dr. William Shine. And they did.

“When I began teaching, I realized that music is by far the most important subject any child can study in school,” said Joe. “Most of these kids are not going to pick up that math book again or use the formulas they learned in science. Maybe they’ll use that foreign language.

Maybe they will be athletes.

But every student is going to be listening to music for the rest of his or her life.”

Michael agrees about the importance of music education.

“Our job extends far beyond what happens in the classroom,” said Michael, who developed a community outreach program of off-campus musical performances when he first came to the district, and started a summer program for the entire district 20 years ago.

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“In an era where numbers are everything to some people, music is the experience that really sets things apart for a lot of kids in the Great Neck schools,” said Tom, who is in his sixth year as Superintendent. “It’s not about numbers. It’s not about a test. It’s not about a grade. It’s about art. It’s about the love, the passion for music on the part of kids and on the part of our teachers. It’s more important now than it ever has been before.” ■

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Eat your heart out, Gatsby A building boom is underway on the Gold Coast that trumps the Gilded Age of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the North Shore was dotted with hundreds of castles, mansions and sprawling country homes of Old Money and real-life Gatsbys.

Except today, the large-scale architecture and staggering aesthetic ambitions aren’t as well known and readily seen. Rather than scattered throughout the area, these mansions are concentrated in the Village of Kings Point, particularly on the eastern shore facing Manhasset Bay. Here, French chateaux, Tuscan villas and grand palaces borrowing from a range of classical styles glisten in the autumn light as construction crews and heavy equipment labor to bring nearly a dozen more to life. These homes, lining the shore from Long Island Sound, down through Kings Point, into the southern reaches of Great Neck, can be seen best from the water. They are much like the new construction on landlocked lots in Kings Point, only more so, in terms of size and visual impact.

“There is a lot of new construction,” said Gezelle Javaheri, an agent with Douglas Elliman Real Estate who specializes in high-end properties in both Long Island and New York City. “These days, the sky’s the limit.”

Case in point: A 30,000-plus-square-foot home that is nearing completion just north of Mitchell Creek.

“When I started building high-end residential here in 1985, 5,500 to 6,000 square feet was large,” said the home’s builder, Kouros “Kris”Torkan. “Every year, they just seemed to be getting bigger.”

Big this one is. Just for starters, there are nine bedrooms and 15-plus bathrooms. Theater, huge space for entertaining indoors as well as putting up a tent outdoors (“This family hosts a lot of charity events,” said Kris), four holes of golf, running track, formal garden and on and on.

Then, there’s the view.

“We were able to capture the waterview from almost every single room,” said Kris.

The owners are empty-nesters, who see this huge home as a “family compound” for “big Friday night dinners” and other events with the children and grandkids.

“This home has every conceivable feature, plus significant green technology,” said Kris, who is especially proud of how the home blends into the topography of the rolling, eight-acre lot, and how sophisticated technology is used to make the heating and cooling as efficient as possible.

GREAT NECK MAGAZINE | 45

The view: This 1.65-acre lot lists for $15.98 million. It includes a 12,000-square-foot mansion.

Just south of this home, a wedding-cake-white palace with cupolas covered in the green patina of weathered copper is taking shape on the point of land where comedian Alan King’s Tudor mansion once stood. Built in 1926 by lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, the 6,500-square-foot house was torn down in 2010.

The work of Cold Spring Harbor construction company Kean Development, the new home is close to the bulkhead, yet it extends below sea level, for a feat of engineering as impressive as its architecture.

That traditional mansions would be torn down to make way for these mammoth homes is simply a matter of supply and demand. Land is in short supply here.

Real estate agent Gezelle noted that a penthouse in a new Manhattan building goes for $30 million or more.

Yet a waterfront mansion just 27 minutes from Penn Station and in the prestigious Great Neck School District can cost half that.

She has a $15.98-million listing in Kings Point. It’s a 12,000-square-foot six-bedroom waterfront home. (Taxes, by the way, are $123,000 a year.) Though built in the late 1950s, this home has been expanded and updated to meet the standards of today’s buyers.

Nonetheless, its biggest selling point is its 1.65-acre lot. In an area where one acre is the norm, this house, which sits high on a hillside overlooking Manhasset Bay, could meet the fate of Alan King’s mansion from a buyer with even grander ambitions.

And grand they are.

Interior details typically match the exterior style, which can mean hand-painted murals, gold leaf and elaborate stained-glass pieces.

In fact, it is virtually de rigueur to have a stained-glass dome over the main stairway. Tricia Somers, Kings Point’s go-to stained-glass artist, said that one recent piece was 15 feet across, contained 30,000 cuts of glass, and cost $96,000.

“You’re creating a piece of art,” said Tricia, whose family has been crafting high-end stained glass for 100 years.

The dome is made on a form in her Deer Park studio, disassembled, crated and installed in the home, with a skylight above it.

“It is backlit by the skylight,” she said.

There also are practical must-haves.

“We design these homes with the needs the owners know, and we use our experience for the needs they don’t anticipate,” Kris said.

GREAT NECK MAGAZINE | 47

Tuscan tribute: “It is 100 percent authentic,” said builder Kris Torkan.

Overhead art: Workers install a stained-glass dome by Tricia Somers.

48 | GREAT NECK MAGAZINE

One such need is an elevator.

“It has utility value, he said.

Not only is it great for hauling suitcases to and from upstairs bedrooms, but it also means that as owners age and find stairs more difficult to navigate, they don’t have to move. In addition, with high ceilings, these large houses often have 20 to 22 steps per flight, as opposed to the typical home’s 18 steps.

As Kris points out, land is an increasingly larger portion of a project’s cost. Once, the rule of thumb was one-third for land, two thirds for building. Now, land represents 50 to 60 percent of the total budget.

But scarcity of land isn’t the only issue facing Kings Point builders.

The village also has height restrictions. That’s why so many new houses have mansard-style roofs.

“Ten or 12 years ago, we came up with this roof design,” said Kris, pointing out that the “clipped roof” maximizes interior headroom while minimizing exterior height.

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Next door to the palace on Alan King’s old lot, a new home is being built that is quite unlike its neighbors. Made of gray stone, it has steep gables that seem right out of the Hamptons or Nantucket.

The explanation: The village gives a five-foot height bonus to homes with peaked roofs. Most potential mansion masters, however, aren’t willing to take the deal, and prefer the more formal mansard.

Kris came to the U.S. from Iran at age 14 and built his business after studying liberal arts and business in college. Not only does he build high-end homes, but with his company Villadom Corp., he also is one of Long Island’s leading commercial developers. The new Great Neck 7-Eleven on Middle Neck Road is his project. So are so many of the area’s high-end retail and banking spaces.

The shopping center anchored by the Apple Store in Manhasset? That’s one of his. So is an $80 million retail project that’s about to launch in Suffolk County’s Elwood. Houses in the Hamptons? Yes, he does those, too.

Like Kris, most of his mansion clients are Persian, as the tight-knit and remarkably prosperous Persian community has increasingly called Kings Point home.

Kris has lost count of the number of houses he has built here in the past 29 years, but cruise the shore of Kings Point, and there is scarcely a recent home that he hasn’t built or been involved with in some other way.

There is the Italian villa that was inspired by the client’s wife who grew up vacationing with her family in Tuscany.

“It is 100 percent authentic Tuscan style,” said Kris, “right down to the handmade tile on the floor.”

There is the chateau with the extremely ornate interior that is perfectly situated to catch the sun. There’s another chateau that is artfully tucked into a hillside.

“Our specialty is building houses on the water,” he said. “We know how to maximize the view.”

That requires particular attention to detail, such as carefully selecting where even the grills and handles are installed on each window.

“We modify everything we can to the best of our ability,” he said.

And which of these is the mansion-builder’s home?

None of them.

“I live in Great Neck in a 1956 split that I renovated,” Kris smiled. “I don’t need a big house.”

To see a photo gallery of Kings Point mansions, visit www.greatneckrecord.com ■

Site seeing: This 30,000-plus-squarefoot mansion has a waterview from nearly every room, said the builder.

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What do you love most about your job?

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Do you have a favorite author?

Susan Vreeland is one of my favorite authors. She writes novels that have an artistic theme. My absolute favorite book by her is called Luncheon of the Boating Party. It’s about Auguste Renoir, the Impressionist painter.

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Have you ever returned a book to the library late?

Yes, it is easy to do, especially if you can’t find it. Sometimes it just gets lost under the bed or behind something.

If you were to change something about this library what would it be?

Well, the main library is going to change drastically very soon. It will be closing this fall, and the whole inside is going to be gutted and modernized. Luckily, we have three branches, so everything is moving out of this building into them or storage. It is exciting to have this change. It should be done in about a year. That’s what we are aiming for.

What change are you excited about the most?

The audio and visual department is coming to the first floor because they get huge circulation. The whole change is exciting because it is going to look lovely when it’s done.

What are two popular books?

Of course The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. All ages love it. All the books by Jojo Moyes are also very popular. Her books cover a wide range of topics. One is about a caregiver for a paralyzed man and another is about stolen art during WWII. Do you think the library will be less popular in the future?

The library is essential, and I think it’s going to be here for a very long time. It’s all free if you have a library card, and people don’t have to spend a lot of money to read good books and do fun activities. ■

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Regina Gil’s Greatest Performance When the Gold Coast International Film Festival begins its seven-day run on Nov. 3, it will feature more than 40 short films, art films, foreign films and appearances by filmmakers. In just its fourth year, the festival has grown so large and so popular that it will need theaters in Great Neck, Manhasset, Roslyn and Port Washington to accommodate all of the screenings and doings.

It’s worthy of a screenplay how an organization started in the basement of St. Paul’s Church on Grace Avenue as the Great Neck Arts Center in 1995 grew to be the thriving Gold Coast Arts Center, parent of not only the film festival, but also of so many other events and activities.

The brainchild of Regina Gil, who moved here with her husband, Joseph, in 1976, the Great Necks Arts Center was created to fill the cultural void left when after nearly 35 years, the North Shore Community Arts Center closed in 1983.

“My mission in life,” said Regina, “is to expose people to the arts so that artists are supported and nurtured, and that other people have an understanding and respect and a love for it.”

She’s done that for the more than 100,000 people who have visited the Great Neck Arts Center as it has grown and morphed into the Gold Coast Arts Center, which today boasts its own modern, spacious building at 113 Middle Neck Road, and offers classes for both youngsters and adults, three film festivals a year, a gallery for exhibits, hands-on workshops, an extensive summer school for children and live performances.

Counting teachers, full-time staff, part-timers, Board of Director members and volunteers, Regina’s “staff of one” has grown to over 100.

A painter and sculptor who speaks French, Hebrew and German, Regina originally had plans to teach art, going so far as to begin student teaching in the Great Neck schools system.

By Andy Newman • Photos by Ann Parry

Leading lady: Regina Gil, the driving force of the Gold Coast Arts Center, in a rehearsal room.

Double-take: “A Handful of Keys” on the Arts Center building is a trompe l’oeil mural painted by William Cochran.

The two girls on the right are not part of the painting.

The catalyst, though, definitely is Regina. She and Joseph have been married 44 years, and her husband, who is a businessman, also serves on the board of directors in a fundraising capacity. The parents of three (Gideon, Daniela and Alexandra) and grandparents of six, the Gils split their time between their home in Harbor Hills and an apartment in “But this project [the Arts Center] heated up and I never actually started Manhattan. teaching,” she said. “I found that I was better off in an entrepreneurial kind “She has had vision and drive and charm and brilliance in making of position where I could make things happen.” this Gold Coast Center a reality,” said longtime Great Neck cultural figure Happen they did. Not just within the Arts Center, but also in the comShirley Romaine, who is a board member, and whose ArtScene on Long munity.

Island Cablevision TV show has run for 25 years. “She’s very imaginative.

“We are in many schools outside of our four walls, sending our art, mu- She really reaches around for things that are out there. She’s extremely sic, dance and ceramics teachers to them,” she said. “We’ve got teachers personable and persuasive. She has really created an arts center that is helping kids who sometimes have no arts at all. We try very hard to make extraordinary.” these programs free to the schools.”

Former Town of North Hempstead Supervisor and Great Neck resident Jon She credits corporate sponsors such as J.P. Morgan Chase and Douglas Kaiman, now a special advisor to Governor Andrew Cuomo and chairman of Elliman Real Estate as important contributors. the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, is another of Regina’s admirers.

A dynamo of cultural entrepreneurship, she is the Leading Lady of arts in our area

56 | GREAT NECK MAGAZINE

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“Through personal willpower, perseverance and her own blood, sweat and tears, she has challenged, cajoled and out-willed leaders at every level in many fields to create, sustain, and grow the arts in our community,” Jon said.

Case in point: The arrangement through which the Town of North Hempstead bought the Art Center’s home and established a landlord-tenant relationship between the Town and the Center. It is the same sort of arrangement that exists between Carnegie Hall and the City of New York.

It’s a relationship that few people understand properly, Regina said.

“I hear a lot of questions. ‘Oh, does the Town own the Gold Coast Arts Center?’ ‘Is the Gold Coast now one of the departments of the Town?’ The answer is a definite ‘no,’” she said emphatically.

“This is a case where a municipality that deems the entity worthy of perpetuating, steps up and says ‘What is your biggest problem?’” she continued. “In terms of our biggest problem, we found it extremely burdensome to have to raise money from donors and other sources to pay for the roof or to pay for other overhead.”

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Now showing: Conexiones/Connections: Hispanic-American Art in New York runs through Oct. 31, and includes (top) “El Aguila y La Serpiente” by Daniel Valle and “Julio’s House” by Orestes Gonzalez.

Pop: Work by graffiti artist Jonathan “Meres” Cohen is taken from under wraps by Gallery Director Jude Amsel.

“So, when we turned to the officials that cared very deeply about the future of our community like Jon Kaiman and then Judi Bosworth [the current Town Supervisor who has served on the Art Center’s board], they understood.

“Jon Kaiman went with me to New York City to meet with a high-level executive director of Carnegie Hall and his board. They talked about how in 1960, Carnegie Hall was in danger of going under the wrecking ball.

The city said ‘We have to save Carnegie Hall!’ and Jackie Kennedy and Isaac Stern and all of the luminaries stepped up.

60 | GREAT NECK MAGAZINE

“They invented a formula to save Carnegie Hall. Our agreement is 100 percent based on the agreement between New York and Carnegie Hall.

New York City bought the building and leases it back to Carnegie Hall at a dollar a year.”

Replacing “Great Neck” with “Gold Coast” early this year coincided with the Town agreement. The goal of the renaming is to help people understand that the Center’s focus is not just on the Great Neck peninsula.

Consider, for instance, said Regina, how the Film Festival underscores this point.

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Literary lion: Author Nelson DeMille inscribes a book at a 2012 Arts Center event at Oheka Castle.

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“The event has created a unity in the community,” she said. “Here you are sitting in a theater next to people who are not necessarily from your own village. You’re sitting next to people from all over this region who have turned out to see this movie with you. It’s important to us that people interact with people. Here are people sitting in the dark from all persuasions enjoying the same event and then having the opportunity to interact with each other in a ‘Q-and-A’ conversation afterwards. That’s huge.”

As Regina sees it, this kind of interaction is at the heart of her work.

“It’s what creates a more vibrant community.” ■

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Just asking...Michele Tabaroke Interview by Colleen Maidhof

Why do you love your job?

I simply love to dance. I love to empower women and to teach children that dance is exercise in disguise. I like making them sweat and move.

What types of dancing do you teach here?

We have Zumba and Zumba toning classes, women’s empowerment workshops, kid’s classes, hip hop, jazz, belly dance. Soon, we are going to add Pilates. We want to be a full-service dance and fitness studio.

How long have you been the owner?

I’ve been the owner since September 1, 2014. I’ve been teaching here since December 2013. My passion was dancing ever since I was a little girl. I always wanted to be a dance teacher, and I loved performing. It’s a dream come true to be able to dance all day and teach others.

How long have you been dancing?

I’ve been dancing since I was 8, and I’ve been teaching dance and fitness for eight years.

Do you find yourself dancing outside of work?

I choreograph in the car, while I’m walking down the street, in the train, in the bathroom and while I’m cooking. It is fun, and it comes naturally to me.

Do you watch television shows about dancing?

I absolutely love Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance.

I would like to be on both of those shows!

How does dancing make you feel?

I love the feeling of empowerment and the adrenaline that comes along with it. It’s a release. I like to know that I’m working out my body.

What is your favorite type of dance?

I love them all. If I were to pick one, it would be Zumba, because it incorporates every single dance style. With every dance style, I feel like I become a different person, because I get into the character so well. If I belly dance, then I’m a belly dancer, and if I’m doing salsa, then I’m on Dancing with the Stars.

Do you have a favorite song to dance to?

I love dancing to female singers. Right now, my favorite would have to be “Bang Bang” by Ariana Grande.

Do you have other hobbies?

I love a good hike. I also love spending time with my three kids and husband. ■

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The History of Great Neck… …in 5 Photos

By Alice Kasten

A picture is worth 1,000 words and at least 100 years The Saddle Rock Grist Mill This landmark stands as a reminder of the days when Great Neck was a farming community. The peninsula was covered with large farms, belonging to families whose names have been memorialized in our local street names.

There were the Allens, the Bakers, the Woolleys and the Onderdonks, among other farming families. Principal products grown here were hay, potatoes, apples, eggs and chickens, and these were sent to Manhattan to trade for manufactured goods for use in homes and manure to be used in the fields.

There were two tidal mills located in what is now Great Neck. The one now called the Saddle Rock Mill was built in the 1600s, and purchased by

a branch of the Allen family in the early 1700s. It was used to grind grain into flour, as well as acting as a terminal for shipping farm goods from the peninsula. Passing through various hands, it was eventually sold to the Udall family. The last local owner of the mill was Louise Udall Eldridge — the same Mrs. Eldridge who endowed the Great Neck Library, served as a Park Commissioner, and became the first female mayor in New York State. The mill is now owned by Nassau County. The other local mill, owned by another branch of the Allen family, was purchased by an Allen son-in-law, Long Island poet Bloodgood Cutter, and was located near what is now Cutter Mill Road. That mill burned in the 1800s.

GREAT NECK MAGAZINE | 69

The Dock In the early days, the principal means of transportation to and from Great Neck was the steamship. These boats had regular routes along the North Shore of Long Island, terminating in Lower Manhattan. The docking point in Great Neck was at the end of Steamboat Road, at what was called Elm Point.

This area is now part of the Merchant Marine Academy. Businessmen commuted to Manhattan via the steamboats on weekdays. On weekends, these ships turned into excursion boats, bringing picnickers from the crowded city to our shores. Great Neck became a vacation spot. At the same time, it was discovered by wealthy industrialists, financiers and shipping magnates. A thriving business zone developed at the north end of the peninsula to serve the needs of the travelers, some of whom stayed and put down roots here; there were hotels, restaurants and stores along Steamboat Road. The first concentrated business district evolved along what is now Middle Neck Road between Hicks Lane and Beach Road.

70 | GREAT NECK MAGAZINE

Nirvana Toward the mid to late 1800s, some of the farms began to give way to the huge mansions of the wealthy. This is a postcard view of Nirvana, the estate of William Gould Brokaw, who was the son of a wealthy clothing manufacturer. Brokaw bought a 125-acre estate in 1900, and remodeled the home, added vast gardens and a half-mile horse race track. His married sisters had settled in Great Neck before him. One of them married James Martin and lived in a huge estate on what is now Martin Court.

Many of the wealthy were tied to the shipping industry, one of the most notable being W.R. Grace, who was Mayor of New York City in 1880. Grace was the founder of the Grace Line, his fortune made originally from shipping guano from Peru to the United States. Another shipping magnate living in Great Neck was Henry Prosper Booth, one of the founders of the Ward Line. Most of the wealthy had several homes, living in Great Neck for only part of the year.

These estates were part of the famous Long Island Gold Coast. Social events for this set centered around weekend house parties (similar to the ones we read about in British novels), horse shows, polo matches and races.

There’s a reason that the street at North High School is called Polo Road.

These huge estates had a relatively short lifespan. By the 1920s, they were already being broken up, and development of both the farms and the grand estates was well underway.

There were many fine slightly smaller homes that belonged to the next generation of wealthy. Financiers and philanthropists such as Henry Phipps, August Heckscher, Walter Chrysler and William K. Vanderbilt also found Great Neck to be a convenient and amiable place to live. All four of their homes still stand on the peninsula; two of them as private homes, one is the administration building for the Great Neck School System, and one is the administration building at the Merchant Marine Academy.

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The Playhouse Theatre Closed and now scheduled for demolition, the Playhouse Theatre reminds us of the days when Great Neck was home to many celebrated Broadway actors, writers, musicians and the show business connection in general. Perhaps the most highly touted is our connection to F. Scott Fitzgerald, who rented a house in Great Neck Estates during the 1920s. It is generally agreed that West Egg is a reflection of Great Neck, although almost every grand home that has been demolished has laid claim to be the Gatsby house. What is less known is that Fitzgerald moved here because his dream was to write a play that would open on Broadway.

He became fast friends with East Shore Road resident Ring Lardner, another writer aspiring to have a play on Broadway. Both homes are still standing. Show biz connections were numerous here. George M. Cohan’s home, located near Steppingstone Park, was granted landmark status by the Village of Kings Point, and it is said that he wrote the song “Forty Five Minutes from Broadway” about his location here on our peninsula.

Cohan’s Broadway producing partner, Sam Harris, lived in a home, long gone, in what is now the park itself. Also gone is the former home of lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, later owned by comedian Alan King. A list 72 | GREAT NECK MAGAZINE

of theatre- and movie-related residents would seem almost endless, and would include such celebrities as Lillian Russell, Groucho Marx, Eddie Cantor, P.G. Wodehouse, Ed Wynn, Joan Crawford, Basil Rathbone and many, many others. The Playhouse Theater was a regular stop for plays headed for Broadway. This was one of their out-of-town try-out locations. The stage was graced by James Cagney, Clark Gable, Helen Hayes, Katharine Hepburn, Leslie Howard and Barbara Stanwyck, among others, and the audience was packed with the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Cohan, Fitzgerald, Hammerstein and W.C. Fields.

Kensington School Great Neck has always been known for its fine school system. In the 1700s, a private Quaker school on the peninsula even enrolled girls, unusual for its time. The first public school opened in 1814 near what is now Middle Neck Road and Wooleys Lane. At the time, the school district extended south only to Cutter Mill Road, as most of the population lived near the business district in the north end. South of Cutter Mill, another school district, Success, served elementary-aged students. The Great Neck School District added its first high school-level classes in the late 1800s.

Students came here from Manhasset and Success, as those districts did not have secondary education at the time, although many Great Neck students still attended high school in Flushing even into the 1900s. In the early 1900s, the population began shifting toward the south, as the introduction of the railroad had helped to build up the area now known as Great Neck Plaza, and the school pictured here was constructed near the area of Kensington. Originally built as a five-room schoolhouse, it expanded over the years, eventually becoming known as the Kensington-Johnson School, and then closed in 1981. Eventually, the Success school district, later known as Lakeville, was incorporated into the Great Neck School District. At its height, the district contained two high schools, two middle schools and 11 elementary schools.

Alice Kasten is President of the Great Neck Historical Society. The website is www.greatneckhistorical.org. â–

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By Vilma Sceusa • Photos by Ann Parry

Encouraging words: Teacher Katya Surrence believes that dancing is about love, not pain.

Great Neck’s girls learn not just the moves, but also a love of the art Nestled between Best Bagels and 16 Handles Frozen Yogurt on Middle Neck Road, in a second-floor storefront, Katya Surrence is passing on her love of dance to the next generation.

On a typical Saturday at To The Pointe! - Katya’s School of Dance, you will find a dozen students practicing ballet positions to an eclectic mix of music. From classical to Broadway tunes to the Beatles, Katya, part den mother and cheerleader, coaxes each student to perform her personal best.

Her mission of forging ahead with grace and aplomb, whether dancing or in life, is a message her students hear loud and clear.

Katya wouldn’t have it any other way. She began dancing at the age of 5, and credits her first dance teacher for her enduring philosophy of “spreading the love of dance versus focusing on the competitive nature of the art.” A self-proclaimed California hippie, who attended high school in Venice Beach, she set out to create the type of neighborhood dance studio she thrived in as a young dancer.

“I want my students to feel comfortable here,”Katya said. “You leave your troubles at the door. Dance can provide a wonderful sense of self during hard times.”

Katya’s mantra is that anyone can dance. Her goal is for each dancer to dance within her ability without getting hurt. She does not believe in forcing the body, which ultimately ends in injury.

Ballet is a difficult discipline, yet she says it is not about ability or body type, but desire.

Whether demonstrating a dance move or doling out life lessons, she beams with positive energy and focused passion.

Her Great Neck studio, in its fourth year, is a culmination of a life spent dancing and teaching.

An entertainer at 15, she performed with numerous regional companies, including The Atlantic Contemporary Ballet Theatre and Hudson Repertory Dance Theatre. She performed worldwide in film; revue shows; cruise ships; productions such as The King and I; and as part of an Adagio dance team that landed on the television show Star Search.

GREAT NECK MAGAZINE | 75

She was accepted into the American Ballroom Theatre’s training program where she received her teaching certificate and joined the company performing in Europe, Africa and at the Joyce Theatre in New York City.

She’s done it all, but her first love is ballet, which she describes as “moving through space.” She hung up her dancing shoes in 2003, and transitioned her focus to teaching. Through the years, she’s taught at various venues in Great Neck, always with the goal of running her own studio.

Katya’s classes are designed to be collaborative and supportive. In addition to ballet, she teaches ballroom, lyrical, jazz, tap, musical theatre and hip hop.

76 | GREAT NECK MAGAZINE

She’s most excited about the core group of dancers she’s developed who take multiple classes, including a performance class. This group, consisting of dancers from 7 to 17, spends several days a week at the studio, and consequently a special mentorship has developed between the younger and older dancers.

Katya, who says scholarships helped pave her way, believes in giving back, and is known to help students as well as the wider community by having her dancers perform at local nursing homes.

For 17-year-old Alex Botta, Katya’s studio is a second home. Frustrated by a former teacher who told her she would never reach en Pointe, the hallmark of ballerina training in which a dancer is supported on the tips of her toes, Alex searched for a new studio, and feels she has found a teacher who believes in her.

Comfort zone: For many of the students, the studio is a second home.

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Alex now dances six days a week, four hours a day, and plans on studying dance in college. And at Katya’s studio she has achieved en Pointe. Since the opening day of Katya’s studio, 10-year-old Addy Calderon has been dancing there. Her favorite class is ballet, and she credits Katya for developing a strong sense of discipline.

“Katya has a connection with all of us,” Addy said. “She’s strict and pushes us, but she’s also funny.”

Renee Feld, whose 10-year-old daughter Sydney dances at the studio, believes that Katya’s instruction goes far beyond dancing.

“Katya is a true ballerina.” Renee said. “They learn so much in class, including discipline, dance terminology and appreciation for multiple music genres. She’s not just a dance teacher, we feel like she’s a part of our family, and she’s someone my daughter can go to for advice.”

In a nod to her childhood, Katya has come full circle. Her art has allowed her to travel the world, and now she’s created a home for aspiring dancers.

For someone who landed in New York with $13 to her name, 31 years later she feels blessed. Student artwork adorns her studios’ walls with inspirational messages such as “Never give up.”

A favorite quote painted above the windows captures her mission as a teacher: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” ■

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We had a couple of unpopular flavors. Eggnog It’s a very upbeat environment, which I love. It’s during the holiday season wasn’t a big seller. an exciting and happy place to be in, and I want Another unpopular one was our stout flavor. my customers to feel that, too.

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“The Chanel sunglasses are so Great Neck. They have great styling, elegance and sophistication. The Chain and Charms collection is very popular.”

Dr. Philip Meltzer, Spectacles “Baume & Mercier Clifton is so Great Neck because it is a timepiece that is classic, elegant and timeless.”

Evvy Linden, Gelber and Mundy “The Aquatalia Sherry Biker Boot in Mud Suede by Marvin K. is so Great Neck because it is a comfortable, everyday boot that is both fashionable and waterproof. It is a popular boot at Jildor, and it is definitely a must-have.”

Joe Friedman, Jildor Shoes “Our kosher plush dog bones and yarmulkes are very popular. I have carried these products for at least 12 years, and my customers love them. The dog is a part of the Jewish family, too. It’s important that they get included.”

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