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Bellmore • Merrick VOLUME 1, NUMBER 7
IN PRINT & ONLINE
APRIL 2014
MUSIC EMPORIUM MOVES TO ITS OWN BEAT ...
WHO ARE THE 2014 VALEDICTORIANS AND SALUTATORIANS?
Merrick Kids Fest Coming
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MILESTONES
Your NewsMag
APRIL 2014 | â„–7
Merokian Mort Goldstein Celebrates 100 Years!
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ixty-three year Merrick resident Mortimer Goldstein celebrated his 100th birthday recently with birthday bashes that included one at his favorite bank of over 60 years, surrounded by two of his three daughters and a host of bank employees to wish him well. Commenting on reaching this milestone, he said, “I’m feeling just a little bit slower these days, but that’s alright.� Angela Cottone, branch manager of the Chase Bank at 2122 Merrick Avenue, said that Goldstein, or Mort as he likes to be called, had “extended� his daughters to the bank in recent times, and “we wanted to express our appreciation to him and his family� for his loyalty to the branch for all this time. “We love when he tells us all the stories about where he’s been and what he’s done,� she added.
Two of his three daughters were on hand for the bank’s celebration: Jane Jackson of North Bellmore, who graduated Kennedy High School in 1972; and Marcia Ratcliffe of Wantagh, who graduated Mepham in 1966. Mort’s middle daughter, Amy Goldstein, who was a member of Kennedy
High School’s first graduating class in 1968, could not attend. Cottone was spot on about Mort’s ability to recollect his earlier days, as he spoke like a true Merrick historian. “I moved into the ranges, and bought a Masciola house (the developer who first developed the Merrick Woods, building
some 91 houses) in 1951� he said, making him an original Merrick homeowner. “We looked at houses in Levittown and they were too small, and we looked at houses in North Merrick� he said, before he and his wife settled on a Masciola house in “the ranges.� He came from Flatbush, Brooklyn, with his wife and two children at the time. “It was a great place for GIs to find a home to live in,� he said. Once in Merrick he opened an account at the bank on Merrick Avenue “because I worked as an insurance broker on John Street in Manhattan, and the firm banked at Chase National then.� Merrick was a small community, he remembered, where there was access to everything, from the transportation to the schools. He remembers the train station being at ground level, and there
were no platforms to enter the train. The conductor would offer a step to climb up on, or travelers got on the steps themselves. There was the 5&10 store, the Bohack and Chatterton school, which his daughters all went to. The school was then known as Merrick School. “The Chatterton superintendent lived around the block,� Marcia said. According to daughter Jane, Mort spent four years in the Army building airstrips in Africa. “Oh, yeah, it was in Dakar, Senegal,� he recalls. He was also at Normandy the day after D-Day. “ ’D-plus-one’ it was called, the day after the invasion.� In addition to his 100th birthday being celebrated by his local bank and his daughters, he told this magazine he had received birthday wishes from the President and First Lady at the White House.
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OUR TOWNS
№7 | APRIL 2014
Your NewsMag
Merrick Chamber of Commerce Kids Fest Comes to Town April 25-27
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OTHER ATTRACTIONS On Saturday, starting at 11 a.m. several attractions and events will be featured to help round out a day of fun and frolic. There will be magic shows and military exhibitions, a Child ID program, pictures that can be taken with The Princess and the Prince in their carriage, and so much more! The US Coast Guard will also be there, along with other Armed Forces personnel to explain what they do. Please stop by the MCC booth for your free community directory and special offers from your local Merrick
chamber members.
HISTORY OF THE EVENT The Spring Kids Fest was started in 1990, the proceeds of which funded the first Scholarship awards. The first awards were $1000 per student to a Merrick resident at each of the local three high schools. The criteria for the awards being a learning-challenged student pursuing a college education, being involved in the community and needing financial assistance. There are many scholarship awards given to the brightest students and those scoring the highest grade point averages, but none during the early years were rewarded to a learning-challenged student. The success of this event, year after year, has allowed the chamber to endow students who would never expect to honored in this way, while it continues to increase the scholarship amounts.
YNM
he 14th Annual Merrick Chamber of Commerce Kids Fest will be held this year from Friday, April 25 through Sunday, April 27, at the Town of Hempstead parking lot at the Merrick Long Island Rail Road station at Sunrise Highway and Merrick Avenue. As always, Newton Shows will provide the rides! Times for the Kids Fest will be Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m.-to- 6 p.m. Friday will be dedicated to rides only, starting at 6 p.m. Proceeds from the event will benefit the MCC Scholarship fund, which provides six scholarships in the amount of $1000 each. There will be over 50 arts and crafts vendors on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. For information cto become a vendor call the Long island Craft and Gift at 442-9000.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SERENGETI DESIGN STUDIOS AND NEWTON SHOWS
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APRIL 2014 | №7
Your NewsMag
Celebrating with Friends and Family
☞ TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 2: MILESTONES It’s not every day someone celebrates a centennial birth milestone. But Merokian Mort Goldstein did, and had some inviting people celebrate it with him.
PAGE 3: OUR TOWNS The annual Kids Fest sponsored by the Merrick Chamber of Commerce is in town for some serious fun, hopefully in the sun.
PAGE 6: PROFILE Bellmore’s Music Emporium has been around a long time, and seen – and experienced – some exceptional moments in Long Island rock music history
PAGES 8, 12: NEWS St. Mark the Evangelist Episcopal Church is deconsecrated; North Bellmore woman wins Trailblazer award; McDonough blood drive is coming; a church book sale; Bellmore-Merrick sixth-graders win basketball championship
PAGE 10: LOCAL TALENT Gabrielle Ross is hobnobbing with top-flight collaborators, but still seeks a higher goal
PAGE 20: SCHOOLS Meet the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District’s exceptionally talented high school vals and sals.
PLUS: Tech improvements for your home; what’s doing for Restaurant Week; who got a new bike locker; who won a black belt and more … WHO’S WHO AT YOUR NEWSMAG Advertising and Publishing Jill Bromberg
Editing Doug Finlay
Reporting
Online Erin Donohue
Sharon Jonas Linda Delmonico Prussen
Contact us with story ideas and news at: Edit@yournewsmag.com info@yournewsmag.com To advertise, Jill@yournewsmag.com
Phone: 516-633-8590 P.O. Box 15, Bellmore, New York 11710
H
appy birthday to Mort Goldstein celebrating his 100th birthday! When staff members at Chase bank asked Your NewsMag to help celebrate Mort’s birthday I thought, how unusual for a large bank such as Chase to take a personal interest in a birthday for one of its patrons. It didn’t take long to see why Mort is admired by the Chase staff. He was a pleasure to talk to, with great stories about how Merrick has changed over the decades. And it was also a privilege to meet Mort’s daughters Jane and Marcia. Thank you to the community minded Chase staff for including Your NewsMag. Please visit Your NewsMag’s facebook page to see pictures from his party and wish Mort a happy birthday. Passover and Easter holidays meals are always an event. Deciding which family member is hosting and what everyone will bring requires several phone conversations and numerous trips to the supermarket. But all the preparation and advance cooking is always worth the effort. There is nothing quite as special as sharing traditional holiday comfort foods with our closest family and friends. Whether you are cooking a brisket, ham or turkey, I am sure the feeling is the same. The next day is a complete veg-out zombie day, but well worth it. A challenge for me during Passover is not so much what to make for the Seder nights, but what food should I prepare for the rest of the week! If you are looking for a new recipe, see inside for sisterhood group suggestions. I think I will attempt a few of these myself. Thank you to all who made contributions. My son Harrison is celebrating his 16th birthday this Passover. Happy Birthday Harrison! Passover is a bit of a birthday cake bummer, but he is very excited that he will be able to drive soon. Harrison has always been a car guy, from collecting one of every match box and diecast car Matty’s Toy Store had to offer, to going to the
Bellmore Friday Night Car Show at the train station which, by the way, starts May 2, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Congratulations to Your NewsMag reader Jayne Glider who was last month’s winner of tickets to see Jim Belushi & The Chicago Board of Comedy at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury. This month readers can enter to win a great night of dining and entertainment. If you think a great night out would be a dinner for two at La Strada of Merrick and tickets to see Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury, look for details in this issue. Finally, spring weather. Time for some outdoor fun! The Merrick Kids Fest is next week, April 25-27. There is a $5 coupon on page 3. Please bring it with you to save on rides. Many local businesses will be on display. Shop local and enjoy the great rides and entertainment! It is a fun day and an opportunity to walk around the town and see neighbors and friends. Your NewsMag is delivered to every home in the Merricks and Bellmores free of charge because you live here and are members of the community. Advertising support pays for Your NewsMag, so please support participating businesses by shopping locally. If you know something that is newsworthy please let us know. If your business is having an anniversary or someone in your family is celebrating a special occasion, we want to know. After all, your news is our news. Please join us on facebook and visit www. YourNewsMag.com for updates throughout the month. Ah zeesen Pesach and happy Easter! I hope you enjoy this issue of Your NewsMag.
Sweet Passover S P Happy Easter from
Bellmore • Merrick
Jill Bromberg Publisher Jill@YourNewsMag.com
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PROFILE
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APRIL 2014 | №7
Music Emporium Plays to its Own Winning Beat Long Island Musicians Helping Long Island Musicians
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or Bellmore native Charlie LoVarco it all began in 1979. “I had just graduated Mepham, and the Long Island music scene was exploding everywhere,” he said. Zebra, Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, The Stray Cats, Billy Joel, the Good Rats, The Vagrants, Illusion, all were at or near the height of their creative powers and exposure. Barnaby Bye had been getting heavy promotion on Long Island’s rock station WBAB-102.3 FM for years. “There were rock clubs everywhere,” he continued. Solomon Grundy’s, Action House and Salty Dog come to mind. As a young guitarist he was enthralled with the entire music scene, and wanted in on it, to be part of it, meet them and greet them, perhaps be like them. And, if he couldn’t, then at least know them and break bread with them. “My brother and I opened a music store that year, across from My Hero on Jerusalem Avenue,” he told this magazine, with the expressed intent – and hope - of serving not only the budding rock stars that may have gone unrecognized in the neighborhoods as they were playing the clubs, but the hundreds of music fans and closet musicians who were equally excited by the vibe in the air, and who dared to pick up a guitar, the drums, the harmonica, the bass, the saxophone or the piano and play - or sing - an original song. Reminded of the similarities to the sudden growth of Long Island’s comedy scene starting in the late ‘70s with the rise of the Brokerage, Governor’s, Chuckles and East Side Comedy clubs - in which owners of those early clubs nurtured their comedians, LoVarco said, “Yeah, we were taking care of our musicians.” He knew who they were, their styles, how to get them to play better with the proper equipment and tips, and how to help get them onto the rock stage – if that’s where they wanted to go. LoVarco said the Music Emporium lasted two years at its first location before expansion became necessary. The store was serving a larger and larger clientele all the time, leading him and his brother to move to 2641 Jerusalem Avenue, North Bellmore in 1980, their present location and home for 34 years. Perhaps the premiere music store of its kind on the South Shore, Music Emporium is a lot more than simply rock and roll now. While that vibe has settled in, the store’s
Music Emporium owner Charlie LoVarco and General Manager Christopher Bingham reach into the community and beyond has grown exponentially to include virtually every type and sound of music. But it still helps a young man or lady reach their dreams. The store teaches overs 500 students on a variety of instruments, from woodwinds, drums, vocals, piano and guitar to orchestral instruments, remarked Chris Bingham, general manager of the Music Emporium. “The majority of our teachers have degrees in music,” he added, and many work in performing bands as well. Of particular interest to students who have tuned into their own vibe and aspire to work in orchestras or big bands, the Music Emporium prepares them for New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) performances in spring. “We’re helping students train for their performances now,” Bingham says. “Music teachers from the schools come in all the time to buy supplies for their classes,” Bingham noted. And supplies there are. Sheet music and ledger sheets of all descriptions are enmeshed within the 6,000 square-foot building that contains two floors: the first floor for instruments and music supplies of all kinds, and the lower floor, where lessons are given.
HOST TO RENOWNED MUSICIANS Among in-residence teachers are drummer Steve Kloos, father of Jason Kloos, formerly lead singer of the local high school band Toxin. Indeed, papa Kloos was the drum kit manager for the ‘90s Long Island band Twisted Sister, and maintains connections with Brett Michaels and others in the heavy metal band Poison – in addition to a host of other musicians.
“Leon Drucker, bass player for the Stray Cats, used to teach here,” said LoVarco. Guitar sensation Steve Vai, who has produced guitarist Johnny A and is current music director of the West Coast version of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, has taught clinics at the store. “Al Petrelli, guitarist of Megadeth and other bands, has also taught clinics at the store,” Bingham continued. Ely from Zebra still comes in occasionally, added LoVarco. John Gatto of The Good Rats used to work here, continued LoVarco. “And Russell Javis, Billy Joel’s lead guitarist for several of Joel’s initial albums,” has frequented the store. Artie Blaurock, playing with one or two notable bands on the Island, teaches both guitar and piano. LoVarco made it clear about one particular aspect of the Music Emporium: “We are about Long Island musicians helping Long Island musicians.”
NEW GUITAR DESIGNS For the interview LoVarco and Bingham sat in a controlled-temperature room surrounded by a phalanx of the latest acoustic models on the walls, including those from names such as Gretsch, Guild, Martin, Fender, Taylor, Gibson, the higher Ibanez lines, Jackson, D’Angelico and more. Ukeleles and banjos looked snug and fit in their stands. Bingham pointed to three distinct Martin models on top, three models that he and LoVarco “designed” while at the Martin guitar shop in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. They had asked the luthiers to build the guitars to certain specifications to sell to the more discerning of guitar musicians. Two were in the
000 model category, and one the 00 category, both wildly popular lines of acoustic guitars Martin builds. Although guitars for decades were often made of Brazilian rosewood, “It’s hard to get that wood now,” said Bingham. Unless one starts at a price of, say, $65,000. This is perhaps most notably because of tight environmental restrictions on dwindling rain forest wood being torn down to be exported abroad for building purposes. The store also offers Hoffner basses, G+L basses and guitars (built by Leo Fender), and a line of amps, from PeaVey to Black Star to Ampeg. “We also carry the Rock and Roll line of amps from a local builder in North Babylon,” said Bingham. “These are all hand-made amps.” It also features a select line of Tama and D-Drum drum kits. In addition to new instruments coming into the store and being purchased to go out of the store every day, as noted before, Music Emporium holds clinics regularly and rents band school instruments. One caveat: “We don’t rent guitars or basses,” said Bingham. The store also holds instrument vendor shops, such as the Martin Experience, the Taylor Roadshow and the Gibson Custom Shop Truck – among others. “These guitar makers come to the shop to teach students and musicians about these instruments, how they are made, how long they can be expected to last and how to take care of them,” Bingham said. It helps educate the musician about whom and what they are investing in. One particular class Bingham wished to mention was as class in which the students (from 15-55) take lessons and then go to a studio to record their parts. Still another involves getting to play on stage. The shop rents and sells USB interfaces to link to computers to compose music, Hohner harmonicas, strings, tuners, capos, instrument carrying cases and also features an extensive instrument repair shop. “We can rebuild an entire guitar for you, even if it’s badly damaged,” noted Bingham. The shop also repairs all types of woodwind instruments, from flutes to oboes to clarinets and French horns to saxophones and more. For details on the complete selection of musical implements available at Music Emporium, call 221-4888, or visit nymusicemporium.com or the Music Emporium facebook page.
RESTAURANTS
№7 | APRIL 2014
Your NewsMag
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Long Island Restaurant Week to Feature Local Restaurants Enjoy $27.95 price fixe dinners from April 27-May 4
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he bi-annual and award-winning Long Island Restaurant Week kicks off its Spring 2014 campaign on Sunday, April 27, for eight days before ending on Sunday, May 4. Participating restaurants will offer a threecourse prix fixe for $27.95 all night, every night they are open except Saturday when the menu will only be offered until 7 p.m. Restaurants – spanning Long Island’s 118 miles – are signing up daily to participate. Each will serve its own distinctive $27.95 menu with a minimum choice of three appetizers, three entrées and three desserts. A full participant list is available at http:// www.longislandrestaurantweek.com/dine.php. Three local area restaurants will participate in the bi-annu-
al event: The Bayou in North Bellmore, GrillFire in Merrick and Wildfish. Although Wildfish is in Freeport, it is owned by the Rubano family who owned Cucina Bay on Whaleneck Drive and who own the Pit Stop. Long Island’s Restaurant Week is a win-win for participants and consumers. Much of the island’s population is provided with the opportunity to save money while dining and sample restaurants they might not other-
wise try. For restaurateurs, this value-pricing event delivers a surge in business, a return on investment and community goodwill with the chance to win over new and returning patrons with a positive dining experience. “It is expected that the campaign this spring will garner more than 250 participants,” said Steve Haweeli, president of Long Island Restaurant & Marketing Hospitality Group, a division of WordHampton Public Relations. “With more
than 2.8 million residents and 1000 restaurants with varied cuisines, concepts and price points, it is no wonder why we started the highly anticipated Long Island Restaurant Week , which continues to flourish," he said. Restaurant week is designed to promote positive publicity and additional business during a traditionally sluggish period. Due to popular customer and restaurateur demand, the spring edition of this popular is-
land-wide autumn promotion was launched in 2011 with a 168-participant roster. Long Island Restaurant Week also helps neighbors facing hunger and will make a donation following the campaign to select Long Island-based charities. Diners may also download the Long Island Restaurant mobile app, availWeek able on the iPhone, Android and mobile web. The direct link is http://airmo.co/lirestaurantweek. To view the list of participants or for more information, visit www.longislandrestaurantweek.com. For general inquiries about Long Island Restaurant Week, please call (631) 329-2111 or email marketing@longislandrestaurantweek.com
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NEWS
Your NewsMag
APRIL 2014 | â&#x201E;&#x2013;7
State Assemblyman McDonough to Host Blood Drive
North Bellmore Woman Wins Trailblazer Award
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orth Bellmore resident and activist Jeanette Deutermann received the 16th Annual Trailblazers Award at a ceremony at the Chambers of the Nassau County Legislature last month, as part of Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s History Month. Legislator Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick) honored the North Bellmore resident, a mother of two children in the North Bellmore Public Schools, who has been an educator and surrounded by educators her whole life. Jeanette Deutermann is a perfect example of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;trailblazer.â&#x20AC;? She began noticing an alarming change in her sonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; regard for education over a matter of a couple of years. It seemed the high-stakes testing and the test-driven Common Core Curriculum created more anxiety in her sons than educational empowerment. After researching what was happening in the local and state educational system,
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she found that parents were being left out of the conversation. It was the children and students that were getting the harmful effects of this test-driven atmosphere. Jeanette Deutermann then quickly became involved in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Opt Out movementâ&#x20AC;? and made it her mission to educate parents about what was happening within their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s classrooms, and what they could do about it. She is the creator of a Facebook group called Long Island Opt Out, which has over 15,000 members. She is also a co-founder of the organization New York State Allies for Public Education. Both of these organizations work to educate parents on the effects of high stakes testing, common core, data mining and APPR. Her goal is to stop high-stakes testing tied to teacher evaluations, protect childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s private records from being stored in the
â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cloud,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and restore the love of learning for all of our public school children. Just recently the state education department severed its contract with data storage provider inBloom to provide data storage in the cloud.  Legislator Denenberg said; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jeanette Deutermann is not just an educational advocate for her children, but an advocate for all children. With the big changes being implemented by way of New York Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Common Core curriculum as a parent, community member and fighter for quality education, I feel lucky that Jeanette has placed herself as a lead voice for our children, parents and public schools.â&#x20AC;?
Church to Hold Book SaleÂ
race Evangelical Lutheran Church will host a book sale on Saturday April 26, from 10
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
a.m.-to-4 p.m. Everything from books to jigsaw puzzles to board games will be sold.
The church is at1294 Bellmore Avenue, North Bellmore. For information call 785-5029.
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ith local banks in critical need of support, Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick) will host a blood drive with Long Island Blood Services on Monday, April 21, from 1:30-to-7 p.m. at the Town of Hempstead Merrick Road Golf Clubhouse, 2550 Clubhouse Road in Merrick. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your support today can save someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life tomorrow, and our local blood banks have a tremendous need for all blood types,â&#x20AC;? said McDonough. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am proud to host this event with Long Island Blood Services and strongly encourage all who are eligible to donate. Local residents are always exceptionally generous with their support, and I am confident this will continue. Remember, your donation can improve the lives of those in our community when they need help the most.â&#x20AC;? To be a donor you must bring valid photo or signature identification, weigh at least 110 pounds, be age 16-75 (16-year-olds must have parental permission), eat well and be hydrated prior to your appointment, and not have gotten a tattoo within 12 months (unless applied in New Jersey). For information, call the assemblymanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office at 409-2070.
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LOCAL TALENT
Your NewsMag
APRIL 2014 | №7
Singer-Songwriter Continues Her Reach for the Stars by Sharon G. Jonas
says, “Girls weren’t the nicest.” She hopes her songs help young boys and girls feel better. In one original song titled “Limitless” she repeats the phrase: Chase the doubt away, Time to seize the day.
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ueled by a passion for singing since the age of two, 24-year-old Bellmore resident Gabrielle Ross has long aspired to be a vocal star. Now, a state-of–the-art local recording studio – aptly named Dream Recording Studio – may help her reach her pinnacle because the studio will further support her efforts, along with other artists yearning for widespread success. Ross, known locally years ago from her participation at Strawberry Festival, opening for the Bellmore Street Fair, for fundraisers, and the homespun promotional posters announcing her performances, she has dedicated herself to finding opportunities to perform and further her career. Calling her family “very supportive,” she acknowledges their efforts to help her overcome shyness and cultivate her natural talent with myriad lessons, beginning with formal voice training at age six. Recently, the Dream Recording Studio, tucked unassuming off Merrick Road and built by her father, opened to offer her and other musical artists – and her friends - the opportunity to work in a setting acoustically designed and engineered by a leader in the industry. “The studio is amazing and some really incredible talent is coming in,” says Ross. “There’s no other place like this on Long Island.” She says the studio was built by Larry P. Swift, who also built the Quad and Premier studios in New York City. Dream Studio manager Chris Wallitsch told this magazine that recording artists such as Nick Tangora, Rosa from the
SEVERAL COLLABORATIONS
UK, Evvy from Long Island and Brooklyn’s Ayer have been recording in the studio. “The digital studio itself lends to the creative process, with its colors and lighting schemes” all creating a cohesive environment for working, he said. Ross says the studio will provide her freedom to come in anytime she wishes to create at her own speed, and focus on varying aspects of her voice. “The studio will help a lot because it is very costly to rent studio space in New York City, otherwise.” She says she looks forward to less time pressure in the studio, and a place to “call home.”
EARLY RECOGNITION AND AWARDS Recognition of her talent through the years has bolstered Ross’s resolve to achieve acclaim as a pop star performing
her own songs. The soprano’s efforts have earned her numerous awards, including winning the Apollo Theater’s Amateur Night at the age of 15. “They called it the 'Super Top Dog Winner of the Year' " said Ross, who fondly recalls the yearlong competition culminating with a standing ovation. Referred to as “the little girl with a big voice,” she feels the description still applies. A graduate of Calhoun High School, she was in the On-Tour Program and worked with Sal Selerno in various musical productions. She attended BOCES in Syosset during her senior year, where she excelled in vocal music and music theory, and was awarded “Student of the Year” in the cultural arts program. “I sang solo performances at BOCES,” she said. “They were wonderful,” and were tremen-
dously helpful in shaping her early singing style. Of her On-Tour experiences, she said they taught her much about stage presence and confidence building. “Calhoun was great. They allowed me to bend my schedule because I was in studios a lot and involved in the Apollo competition.” Although awarded scholarships to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, the Tisch School of the Arts in Manhattan and the New School, also in Manhattan, she elected to pursue a career rather than continue a formal education. “My leading aspiration is to be a recording artist,” states Ross, although she is “definitely open” to musical theater. “I like to write about being confident in your own skin. I want to spread my message to inspire people.” In school, Gabrielle
Gabrielle has also co-written songs with the highly successful New York- based songwriters and music producers Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken, known for producing hits for Rihanna and Christina Aguliera. Four days of each week, she said, is dedicated to studio sessions, recording and writing lyrics. She told this magazine she is also co-writing and collaborating at the moment with Cory Chors - who has written songs for both Rhianna and Demi Lovado – and Melanie Smith, who wrote the song “Crooked Smile” for J Cole and TLC. “Melanie has also written with Alecia Keys,” Ross noted. “I want to perform all over the world,” says Ross, who has recently moved to New York City to work and pursue a professional career. As a singer for Hank Lane Music for the last nine months, she currently performs one- tothree nights a week at leading New York venues such as The Pierre Hotel and the Intrepid. The work provides her with steady income, along with the opportunity perform frequently and hone her skills while promoting her talent. Her opportunities for live performances have included a duet with Patti LaBelle at a Michael Jackson tribute, joining Jay Black on stage at the Westbury Music Fair, singing the National Anthem at Nassau Coliseum several times and performing at the Harlem Summer Stage,
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which drew an audience of 8,000.
SXSW APPEARANCE Last month, she found herself unexpectedly performing at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas. “A keyboard musician asked if I was a singer and the next thing you know I was on stage free styling with them.” Even as a classically trained vocalist, taking the risk of improvisation certainly confirms that shyness is no longer an issue. Gabrielle also teaches younger singers the art of vocal arrangement and performance several times a week. She continues vocal technique lessons twice a week. “I’m always learning,” says Gabrielle, who has played piano off and on since high school and is now looking to learn the drums. Regarding popular TV
Solutions Solution Sol So S ol o llu lutio lution utt o u on nss n olut for for r yo y your o ou ur u rH Home Ho ome o mee and m an an Office! Of Off O fff ffi f In a duet with Patti LaBelle shows such as “The Voice” and “American Idol,” she said she hopes to make it as an original recording artist. She feels participants in those shows have a different dream and usually aren’t as focused on producing original songs. To enjoy some of Gabrielle’s performances, including original songs and cover songs such as “Don’t You Worry Child”
by Swedish House Mafia, Adele’s “Someone Like You” and Rihanna’s “You Da One,” one needs only look to YouTube. Several posted videos refer to her as Jade Ross, a stage name she temporarily used in the past. With her talent, determination and support, this local singer’s dreams are on the road to coming true.
Computer Networking Data/Voice Cabling Surveillance Services Home Theatre Installation al alla all lllati lla la n Call local resident Michael Pittakas today for a free estimate! 889-3600 office • 322-5742 cell • 889-3601 fax mike@cwcny.com •www.cwcny.com Proud Me M mb mbe be err o of The Th he e Chamber Ch Cha ha ha ham am mbe m err o off Comme Co C Com om om mme merce ce eo of the e Be ellmores
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NEWS
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St. Mark the Evangelist Episcopal Church to Become St. Francis Dwindling populations at each congregation were being served by only part-time priests, remarked McPartlin. (While a Protestant denomination, Episcopalians refer to priests – as do Catholics - rather than reverends, as do other Protestant sects.) Eventually, she said, an Episcopal bishop was brought in to oversee discussions on how and whether - to consolidate the congregations. It was finally agreed they would become one congregation to serve the two communities, served also by one vestry. Parishioners of both congregations were told of the decision last October. It was further voted on to sell the East Meadow property in favor of the new church being built in Bellmore because Bellmore Avenue is a main thoroughfare, with wide access. Christ the King is located on a residential street
in East Meadow. “The Diocese had to accept the proposition,” McPartlin said. But it will also have to advance the funding before selling the East Meadow property to get plans underway to build the new church, McPartlin said. Preparations will include a surveyor, architects and finding a new priest to serve the 70-80 congregants. “The diocese said it will pay for a priest for the first full year.” Regina Monetti, a warden of the Vestry of St. Francis and former warden at Christ the King, told this magazine that older parishioners of the parish are sad about the change and the move, because many have gone to the church for over 50 years. She also said many more were enthusiastic about the change. She said she expects architects working on the new church will look to incorporate
enduring features of Christ the King, such as stained-glass windows and other features distinctive to Christ the King. She added that silver challices used at each church’s alter will be melted together to create a single chalice for the new church, symbolic of the merge into one congregation. Meanwhile, even as there are plans to refurbish the rectory to house the priest, the organic Garden at St. Mark will open and mark its third anniversary as a thriving oasis for feeding those in need. “We have supplied over 4000 pounds of vegetables to the Long Island Council of Churches through the emergency pantry in Freeport,” McPartlin said. Apart from a garden and farm stand this year, she hopes the garden can continue into the future.
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asketball coaches Jonathan Lerner and Gary Ehrlich and their boys won the Bellmore-Merrick Basketball League Championship recently at Kennedy High School after defeating a team lead by coaches Dippolito and Natal. The sixth-grade boys on the Lerner/Ehrlich team remained undefeated going into the game, and kept that record intact with a 39-28 win. The boys belong to Shore Road School in Bellmore and Levy-Lakeside School in Merrick. The league plays 11 games over the season, and three playoff games to decide the winner. The coaches are parents who volunteer. The names of the student champions are Skylar Cohen, Josh Cohen, Harrison Cohen, Matt Ehrlich, Tyler Kealy, Joey Saiag, Justin Turkowitcz, Joseph Miksits, Josh Levy and Nate Lerner.
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fter serving the Bellmores for 100 years, St. Mark the Evangelist Episcopal Church at 1692 Bellmore Road is no more. The congregation has joined with the Episcopal congregation at Christ the King Church in East Meadow to worship there until the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island secures funding to either tear down St. Mark or significantly alter its appearance. The new church will then be built and St. Francis (of Assisi). Ann McPartlin, a warden in the Vestry of St. Francis and former warden of St. Mark, told this magazine that the church at St. Mark had already been deconsecrated, as has the Christ the King church. But, she added, Christ the King was re-consecrated to provide services until the new church, St. Francis, can be built. She expects a new church to be built within two years.
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TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD
APRIL 2014 | №7
Merrick Bicycles Helps Town Pick New Bike Lottery Winners
H
empstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray got help from Mike Hammer, co-owner of Merrick Bicycles, at the Bellmore LIRR station last week as she spun the lottery wheel, reached in and picked eight new winners of bike lockers located at the Bellmore train station. This marks the third year the town has partnered with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to offer residents who use the Bellmore train station an opportunity to ride their bikes to the station and lock them securely in a 4-foot-tall x 6-foot-high x 3.5-foot-wide locker without having to worry about getting them stolen. Murray reminded residents and others at the lottery gathering that the lockers promote more efficient and environmentally safe modes of transportation for those who ride bicycles. “It’s a win-win for the environment, because it cuts down on pollution, and for personal health, because it promotes a healthier style of living,” she said. As the weather gets warmer, she said, residents can now get exercise before and after work. Merrick Bicycles provided a gift of Beam Bugs, a front-and rear light set up with a value of
$24.99 at the store. Bicyclists can place the set up on their bikes that are useful if they arrive home after dark, Hammer told this magazine. Town Councilwoman Angie Cullin echoed Murray’s observations that bicycling is a healthy alternative to driving to the station, while Town Councilman Gary Hudes added that “Bike tracks are certainly better than carbon footprints.” He encouraged residents to seek greener methods of transportation where available to do so. Adele Godfried of Wantagh was a winner of a locker, and said she is a bicyclist along with her husband and three children. “This will be good for my husband, who uses the Bellmore train station every morning.” Robert Christophel , who arrived late to see if his name was picked – it wasn’t, said he goes into the city later in the morning and the locker would have been ideal for him to get to work. Living on the Bellmore-Wantagh border, he said parking is almost non-existent when he forays out to work. In addition to Godfried, other winners include Fora and Seth Augustover, Jeff Cohen, Paul and Krystyna Falbo, Kevin Lonerigan, Mark Niklavesh, Jennifer Jaszczak and Kenneth Patrey.
Supervisor Kate Murray passes a locker key onto winner Adele Godfried as Councilman Gary Hudes, Mike Hammer of Merrick Bicycles, Councilwoman Angie Cullin and Town Clerk Nasrin Ahmad look on. Town Clerk Nasrin Amhad’s office is managing the program. She remarked that the Town of Hempstead is “proud to utilize these eight bike lockers as part of a larger environmentally friendly agenda.” She thanked all resi-
dents who participated in the bike locker lottery. While the lockers are free, a $40 deposit must be put down to receive the key. The deposit will be returned after the year of use is up.
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TECHNOLOGY
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Implementing Technology Improvements With a Local Perspective
Michael Pittakas
T
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echnology spawns forward thinkers and entrepreneurial types. These types are often born curious about mechanical things and how they work, taking them apart to put back together, preferably for the better. Michael Pittakas, president of Computer Works in Bellmore, quickly comes to mind. “I can remove everything from the motherboard of the computer and have everything placed in neat piles,” he remarked of his technological prowess, which began when taking computer electronics classes at BOCES in the early ‘90s. He’s unlikely to take a motherboard apart now, of course, because it is no longer cost effective. “For the labor and parts to fix the motherboard or replace one, a totally new computer is now cheaper to buy,” he said, recognizing the relentless charge of technology in which changes take place by an order of magnitude every 18 months – if that long. So he’s on to other “tech” stuff now. Graduating from Long Beach High School in 1995, he is a Bellmore transplant whose five-year-old daughter Sofia will go to Reinhard in the fall. “My wife Roseann is from the Valley Stream-Rosedale area, and we both wanted to live in an area with good school districts,” he told this magazine during an interview at a local library.
SECURE APPROACH With Sofia attending pre-school nursery at the Bellmore United Methodist Church, Pittakas noticed an opportunity to help the
church work pro-actively to eliminate the danger of a kidnapping or unwanted contact with children. A letter had been sent to parents explaining the school’s desire to install security cameras. “I offered to install four closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras so the administrators could see who was coming and going,” he said. He said the recorder recording the events on the cameras would be installed in the office, but employees could access the cameras remotely and watch what went on in front of the cameras using a laptop or iPad. “You can keep an eye on who’s coming and going, and it can give you piece of mind,” he said. Maureen Weedan, director of the nursery program at the church, said she first considered security cameras after the Newtown shootings. Now that the cameras are installed and working, “It does give me - and parents –peace of mind,” she said. “I know who’s out there, and it makes all the difference.” From that installation he got work installing security cameras for the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores’ new office on Pettit Avenue. “I installed four cameras on their premises as well,” he continued. “If people see cameras, they are less likely to commit crimes,” he said.
HOUSE CALLS House calls continue to be a specialty of Computer Works, as it serves over 300 customers. Pittakas is a Toshiba-certified repair technician. “I used to build computers,” he said. At BOCES, he learned how to test circuitry on the motherboard, and “break-fix,” or diagnose and fix, computer problems and issues. “I remove viruses and put protection in against them, upgrade a system if the system can take the upgrade, add memory and put in some hardware,” he said. Concerning upgrades, he said central
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processing units (CPUs) on the motherboard become more powerful with regularity, and computers that are 4-to-5 years old may already be too difficult to upgrade because power supplies to power the new CPUs have to be more powerful. Often, the power supply is enmeshed with the motherboard circuitry, not making it a cost-effective solution to upgrade older computers. “The most difficult personal computer repair I did was to get rid of a virus on a customer’s computer.” That wasn’t the hard part, he assured this magazine. The hard part of removing the virus on this Windows XP entailed removing over 1000 audio and video files without losing any of them because the virus had shut down much of the functionality. “That was a laborious process,” he remembered.
HOME THEATRE AND SECURITY Superstorm Sandy gutted a customer’s home in Merrick, providing the homeowner with a new opportunity to build a home theater. The customer wanted an 80-inch TV in the family room, and an entertainment room that featured a 65-inch TV, a 55-inch TV
TECHNOLOGY above the pool table and a 20-inch TV behind the bar. “I installed an Internet-based receiver
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because the customer hoped to get a lot of entertainment from the configuration, and three cable TV boxes,” said
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Pittakas. Of course, the routers were wireless to offer remote WiFi features. “All the wiring is high in the ceiling to prevent damage from flooding,” he said. An equally challenging job came from a dentist’s office, which took two months to complete. Built on the same premise as home TV, Pittakas installed seven TVs in seven rooms waiting rooms and patient rooms. “Patients waiting could watch what they wanted in the waiting rooms, while patients in chairs had screens in the dentist’s rooms and in the chair see both TV shows and what their latest X-Rays were showing,” he said. He also wired it for Wi-Fi. Pittakas mentioned he can wire any home with security features that would enable a homeowner to secure a home using a smart phone, such as locking the door, reading and changing the temperature of a room, and even opening and closing window shades. For information on technology services available at Computer Works Consultancy Group LLC, call 8893600, or email mike@cwcny.com.
H Happy Passover and Happy Easter
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ACHIEVERS
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Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves, State Assemblyman Dave McDonough Honor Merrick Eagle Scout
Assemblyman David McDonough, Eagle Scout Brian Dobkowski and Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves Jacob Giller, ninth-grader at Kennedy High School, received his First Degree Black Belt recently at Red Dragon Karate in Bellmore. He has studied with Chris Babel, owner and head instructor, for eight years.
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assau County Legislative Presiding Officer Norma L. Gonsalves (R-East Meadow, LD 13) attended Boy Scout Troop 351 Eagle Court of
Honor for Brian Dobkowski, along with State Assemblyman Dave McDonough, at Merrick Golf Course Clubhouse Banquet Hall.
Brian, a resident of Merrick, undertook a project to restore the Parish Center at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in North Merrick. Brian painted the exterior and replaced multiple windows and doors to the building. He also organized the installation of new landscaping for the church grounds. “Brian’s dedication and focus were vital to the completion of his project,” said Presiding Officer Gonsalves. “He has given back to his community and serves as a wonderful role model for future scouts. I am truly honored to join with him on this momentous occasion. ”
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SCHOOLS
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Meet the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District Valedictorians/Salutatorians for 2014
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he Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District introduces its valedictorians and salutatorians for the graduating Class of 2014. According to the district, these outstanding and well-rounded students embody an impressive breadth of knowledge and pride of personal character. All six students have demonstrated a strong dedication to their academics and responsibility to the Bellmore-Merrick community, all while remaining committed to their extracurricular activities and outside obligations. “I’m so impressed by our valedictorians and salutatorians this year,” said Superintendent of Schools John DeTommaso in a prepared statement. “They represent the talented and innovative student body we have at all three of our amazing high schools. I wish them the best of luck in everything they do in the future.”
KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL
CALHOUN HIGH SCHOOL
tire soccer team, she has visited businesses in Merrick, asking for gift cards to raffle off at the annual St. Baldrick’s fundraising event, for which she also volunteers. Katherine has played soccer her entire life, serving as goalkeeper on an outside soccer team in her spare time. She plans on studying finance or economics in college and hopes to become a financial analyst.
Valedictorian: Katherine Kustas Katherine is a dedicated individual who remains committed to both her academics and extracurricular activities. She believes that all of the diverse and rigorous classes she’s taken at the school have helped contribute to her success. As historian of the student council, she photographs school events and is creating a montage for the senior class at the end of the year. Throughout her high school years, she has assisted in raising money and planning prom as part of student council. She’s currently a member of the Science Club and has participated in soccer, winter track and badminton since freshman year. She’s also been involved with Key Club and the Yearbook Club, as well as with tutoring her peers. In demonstrating her continued involvement in the community, Katherine volunteers at the Merrick Library over the summer, reading books to children and assisting them with book reports. She has also volunteered at the Merrick Fair for two years in a row, and has participated in the Jones Beach Breast Cancer Walk. Every year, along with the en-
Salutatorian: Alexander Boyd Alexander has earned the spot of salutatorian by taking such classes as Advanced Placement U.S. History, English language and composition, and English literature, as well as international relations and creative writing. Every year, he has conducted extensive research and written position papers for the National High School Model United Nations Conference in New York City, on issues such as farming in the Middle East, intellectual property rights, the Arab Spring, and the situations in Somalia and Cote D’Ivoire. Besides academics, Alexander serves as captain of the cross-country, winter track and spring track teams; the secretary general of the Model United Nations; and president of the band. He has volunteered at Robbie’s Run for the past three years, and is involved with We Care Blankets over the summers. Outside of school, he loves to read and is an avid sports fan. He plans on double majoring in political science and English, and hopes to do something that involves writing in his future career.
Valedictorian: Benjamin Rabinowitz As Kennedy’s valedictorian, Benjamin is committed not only to his high-achieving academics, but also to his extracurricular activities and volunteer work. A member of the school’s Advanced Science Research program, he’s completed research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on bioluminescence imaging in an immunology laboratory. He’s volunteered at North ShoreLIJ Feinstein Institute, assisting in research of autism spectrum disorders; at Hadassah, fundraising for stem cell awareness by participating in walks; and with JCC Maccabi USA, participating in a variety of fundraising and community service activities. Benjamin also dedicates his time to volunteering for the Forever 9 Foundation, for which he’s helped organize the annual 5K run in memory of his close friend Robbie Levine. Additionally, Benjamin spent the summer of 2013 in Florence, Italy, taking courses in Italian and marketing at Instituto Lorenzo de’Medici. At Kennedy, Benjamin has been class vice-president for the past four years, in addition to being an active member of the Key Club, wind ensemble and National, Science and Spanish honor societies. He also was part of Athletes Helping Athletes and participated in the National Honors Spanish Test for three
He’s also competed on junior varsity track, a travel soccer team, and took part in the Maccabi Games in track and field, earning himself 11 gold, eight silver and three bronze medals. He plans on majoring in pre-medicine and psychology in college, with the aspiration of one day becoming a surgeon. Salutatorian: Benjamin November An AP Scholar with Honor, Benjamin is a member of the school’s Advanced Science Research program. He spent his sophomore and junior years conducting research at Citi College, and his junior and senior years researching at Brookhaven National Laboratory. His research paper – “Measurement of Leaf Properties to Improve the Parameterization Used by Earth System Models to Estimate the Maximum Capacity for CO2 Uptake in the Arctic” – earned him semifinalist status in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search competition. Benjamin hopes to study engineering in college and obtain both a master’s and doctorate in engineering. As a senior, Benjamin has served as chairperson of the Stock Market Club for Future Business Leaders of America, in addition to being a member of Athletes Helping Athletes and the Key Club. Benjamin is also a member of the National, Math, Science and Spanish honor societies, serving as a peer tutor for underclassmen with the NHS. Outside of school, Benjamin has volunteered at Winthrop University Hospital. During his freshman and sophomore years, he was invited to attend the National Young Conference – an invitation extended to students with excellent academic performance and leadership potential. He was named the Math Student of the Month at the school, and he’s represented the Cougars on junior varsity and varsity football and track.
MEPHAM HIGH SCHOOL years, earning a silver award, a bronze award and an honorable mention. A varsity soccer player for his entire high school career, Benjamin was team captain as a junior and senior, and was named All-Conference his junior year.
Valedictorian: Brian Keohane Brian is a National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalist and was named a candidate in the prestigious U.S. Presidential Scholars program. Recently, he was named a News 12/Capital One
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studying engineering next year in college. His future career plans include going to graduate school and obtaining his doctorate.
Scholar Athlete of the Week – an honor given to only 30 Long Island students a year that recognizes seniors who excel in athletics, leadership and scholarship. Brian is the first Mepham student to receive this honor and the second districtwide. Brian is a three-season athlete in cross-country, basketball and spring track, serving as captain on all three teams this year. Outside of athletics, he is a member of the math team, Science Club and Athletes Helping Athletes and takes a challenging roster of classes, including Advanced Placement U.S. History, English, macroeconomics, Calculus BC, Physics C, Italian and psychology. Although undecided on which school he will attend, Brian is interested in
Salutatorian: Matthew Waldmann Committed to his studies in mathematics and science, Matthew is an active member of the Mepham community. Academically, he challenges himself with a rigorous course load, including classes such as Advanced Placement statistics, chemistry, physics and Calculus BC. A member of the school’s Physics Olympics team, math team and Athletes Helping Athletes program, he’s also a dedicated member to several other Mepham activities. He’s played for the varsity Bulldogs ice hockey team for the past four years, serving as captain for the past two, and played three years of varsity soccer, being named captain as a senior. Matthew gives back to the community with his involvement in the Wounded Warrior Project and Make-A-Wish Foundation. Although undecided on which college he will attend next year, he plans to study aerospace engineering and hopes to become a successful engineer.
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Bellmore Jewish Center 2550 Center Avenue 781-3072 Friday, April 18: Morning Minyan, 6:15 a.m.; candle-lighting 7:19 p.m. Shabbat evening services, 8 p.m. Saturday, April 19: No Nosh and Derash. Shabbat services, 9:30 a.m. Havdalah, 8:21 p.m. Sunday, April 20: Morning Minyan, 9 a.m.; candle-lighting, 7:21 p.m.; services, 8 p.m. Monday, April 21: Yom Tov services, 9:30 a.m.; candle-lighting, 8:21 p.m. Services - Evening Yizkor 8 p.m., Tuesday, April 22: Yom Tov Services – Yizkor, 9:30 a.m. Yom Tov ends, 8:28 p.m. Rabbi Bernstein buys back chametz at 9:30 p.m. One should not use or unpack their hametz before then. Temple Beth-El of North Bellmore 1373 Bellmore Road 781-2650 Friday, April 18: Chol HaMoed: Morning service, 7:30 a.m. Mincha, 7 p.m. Candle lighting, 7:19 p.m. Saturday, April 19: Chol HaMoed: Morning service, 9:15 a.m. Shir HaShirim read during morning service. Mincha, 6:50 p.m., with Se’undah Shlishit. Sunday, April 20: Chol HaMoed: Morning service, 9 a.m. Mincha, 6:45 p.m. Candle lighting, 7:21 p.m. Yom Tov begins at sundown. Monday, April 21: Yom Tov: Morning service, 9: 15 a.m. Mincha, 7:25 p.m. candle lighting at 8:23 p.m from existing flame. Tuesday, April 22: Yom Tov: Morning service, 9:15 a.m. Yizkor at approximately 10:30 a.m. Mincha, 7:25 p.m. Do not eat chametz before 8:35 p.m.
MERRICK Congregation Ohav Shalom 145 South Merrick Avenue 378-1988 Friday, April 18: Chol HaMoed: Morning service, 7:30 a.m. Mincha, 7 p.m. Candle lighting, 7:19 p.m. Saturday, April 19: Shabbat morning services, 9 a.m. Mincha, 7-10 p.m. Shabbat ends, 8:21 p.m. Sunday, April 20: Shacharis, 8:30 a.m. Mincah, 7:20 p.m. Candle lighting, 7:21 p.m.
Monday, April 21: Pesach morning service, 9 a.m. Mincha, 7;25 p.m. Candle lighting, 8:23 p.m. Tuesday, April 22: Pesach morning service, 9 a.m. Yizkor, 10:25 a.m. Micha, 7:25 p.m. Pesach ends, 8:23 p.m. Merrick Jewish Centre 225 Fox Boulevard 379-8650 Friday, April 18: Shabbat services, 6:30 p.m. Candle lighting, 7:18 p.m. Saturday, April 19: Shabbat services, 9 a.m. Passover Hunt, 10:30 p.m. Tot Shabbat-Morah Gall Stamler (ages: 4-6), 10:30 a.m. “Bim Bam” service-YaffaTilles (ages: just-born-4) 10:45 a.m. Mincha, 6 p.m. Sunday, April 20: Festival services, 7 p.m. Light candles, 7:20 p.m. Monday, April 21: Festival services, 9 a.m. Passover Alive!-Morah Lisa Aamodt, 10:30 a.m. “Bim Bam” service, Yaffa Tilles (ages: 1-5), 10:45 a.m. Mincha-Maariv services, 7 p.m. Light candles, 8:22 p.m. Tuesday, April 22: Festival services, 9 a.m. Yiskor memorial service, 10:30 a.m. Passover Alive! Pasover Mystery, 10:30 a.m. “Bime Bam” service-Yafa Tilles (ages: 1-5), 10;45 a.m. Micah-Maarive services, 7:05 p.m. Passover ends, 8:23 p.m. Temple Beth-Am 2377 Merrick Avenue 378-3477 Friday, April 18: Shabbat service “in the round” in the social hall, 8 p.m. Saturday, April 19: Shabbat service in the sanctuary, 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 21: Passover morning service, and Yizkor service, 10:30 a.m. Temple Israel of South Merrick 2655 Clubhouse Road 378-1963 Sunday, April 20: Evening of the Seventh Day, service at 8 p.m. Monday, April 21: Seventh Day, service at 9 a.m. Evening Yizkor service at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 22: Eighth Day (includes Yizkor), service at 9 a.m. Yizkor service at 10:15 a.m. Concluding Evening Service at 8 p.m. Passover concludes at 8:25 p.m.
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Passover – Its History and Traditions
Schedule Of Services Pesach 5774 – 2014 in Your Neighborhood BELLMORE
Your NewsMag
By Rabbi Scott A. Hoffman
N
ations have days when they celebrate their birth. In the United States, it’s July 4, or Independence Day. In France, July 14 marks Bastille Day. In Canada, Independence Day is celebrated on July 1. The Jewish people have a national day of independence – it’s called Passover. The holiday of Passover recalls how, after centuries of slavery to the Egyptian rulers more than 3000 years ago, God brought a series of 10 plagues that forced King Pharaoh to relinquish control of his Hebrew slaves. On the eve of the departure from Egypt, the people celebrated with a festive meal of a sacrificial lamb and unleavened bread. This was the original Passover celebration, called a seder, which has served as a model ever since. The Passover holiday marks the unification of a once-small group of families or clans which had, over time, become large and numerous. As they marched out of Israel more than 600,000 strong, they did so for the first time as a free people whose destiny was now in its own hands. With God’s gift of the Torah a short time later, the Israelites would acquire their own version of the Constitution, a document which would govern their lives individually and as a community. The Jewish celebration of Passover, like the original celebration in ancient times, is centered upon the observance of a seder. The word seder means “order,” and refers to a specific sequence of rituals that must be performed one after the other. But the seder is not merely an opportunity to drink copious amounts of wine and dine on outrageously good delicacies. The seder is a chance to re-create the events of long ago, in a way that speaks to us. When we eat the Passover matzah, or unleavened bread, we recall how hurriedly our ancestors were forced to flee Egypt. When we consume maror, or bitter herbs, we have a visceral reminder of the hardships of
slavery. When we eat charoset, a sweet mixture of nuts, apples and wine, the texture reminds us of the intense labor of producing bricks from straw and mud. But not all is bitter. Jewish tradition stipulates that even the poorest person must consume four cups of wine, a luxury enjoyed only by free men. The taste of freedom is indeed sweet (or dry, if you prefer Merlot as I do). The seder ceremony is outlined in a special book we call the haggadah. The word haggadah means literally “telling,” and our object is to recount the story of the past from its humble beginning in slavery to its glorious conclusion in freedom. The story is timeless and universal – themes of Passover were common in African-American spirituals. Passover retains a hold on us for many reasons – perhaps because it’s a family celebration, perhaps because we gather together at the homes of loved ones, perhaps because of the good food and family customs. Most important, though, is that the idea of freedom and self-determination is a concept that even after 3000 years remains relevant. Rabbi Scott A. Hoffman is rabbi at Temple Israel of South Merrick
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PASSOVER
Your NewsMag
APRIL 2014 | №7
Passover Recipes Temple Beth Am Sisterhood
Chabad Center FOR JEWISH LIFE PASSOVER CULINARY EXPERIENCE WITH SHIFRA KLEIN
PASSOVER SWEET AND SOUR MEATBALLS GRANDMA MARILYN’S RECIPE 4 pounds chopped meat 2 eggs 2 cans Passover tomato sauce 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup sugar matzoh meal salt and pepper and seasonings 1. combine meat, eggs , and seasonings with some matzoh meal and form meatballs 2. Heat tomato sauce, lemon juice, raisins, and sugar 3. Add meatballs, cook 30 minutes covered 4. Uncover, simmer 15 minutes
BRAISED BRISKET
• • • • • • • •
Merrick Jewish Centre Sisterhood
Bring broth, and salt (if needed) to boil in soup pot Add quinoa and return to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until quinoa absorbs liquid. Remove from heat, cool Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet and saute vegetables until lightly browned. Add to quinoa. Drizzle remaining oil and juice over mixture. Stir in fruit, herbs, salt and pepper.
FRUITED QUINOA PRIMAVERA
POTATO-LEEK SOUP
FROM DIVINE KOSHER CUISINE, AGUDAT ACHIM, NISKAYUNA, NY
GOOD FOR INTERMEDIATE DAYS OF PASSOVER
Note: Quinoa is considered kosher for Passover by the Conservative Movement. You can buy Kosher for Passover Quinoa. Parve Yield 4 - 6 servings.
• 8 cups chicken soup or parve consomme • 6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced • 6 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces • 3 medium leeks (including 2/3 of green part, cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 2 cups vegetable broth, 1 small red onion, thinly sliced • 1 teaspoon salt, 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1 cup quinoa, 1 tablespoon lemon juice • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, 1/2 cup dried apricots, diced • 1 small zucchini thinly sliced, 1/2 cup dried cranberries • 1 small yellow squash thinly sliced, 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley • 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill • salt and pepper to taste
meat or parve serves: 4-6
1. Combine soup mix (parve) or chicken soup (meat) over medium heat. Add potatoes, celery, and leeds. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until vegetables are tender. Puree. Can add 2 tblsps parve margarine or butter if you wish, but it doesn’t need it. Adjust seasoning. Note: Be careful when reheating since the potato can settle in the bottom of the pan and burn if you don’t stir and keep it on lower heat.
• 1 second brisket (can also use pot roast or chuck eye roast) • 1 onion • 6 cloves garlic • 1 cup duck sauce • 1 cup barbecue sauce • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. • Mix all ingredients in 9x13 baking dish. • Cover with foil. • Bake for three hours. • Let cool. • Slice against the grain. Shred leftovers. Cook in remaining sauce and serve on crackers or lettuce wraps.
TROPICAL SALAD • 2 heads romaine, checked and chopped • 1 ripe mango • 1 ripe papaya • 2 ripe avocados • 1 shallot • Juice of 2 lemons • ¼ cup sugar • Water, if necessary • 1 cup pecans • ½ cup sugar • Pinch of chili flakes Combine romaine, mango and papaya in salad bowl. Blend avocados, shallot, lemons, and sugar. If necessary thin out dressing with water. Place pecans in a non-stick pan, add sugar and chili flakes and cook on medium heat until sugar melts. Cool on parchment paper. Top salad with avocado dressing and pecans.
ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH HERB SALAD • • • • • • • •
Serves: 4 1 eggplant, sliced in half lengthwise 1 tablespoon oil Pinch of salt and pepper 1 cup basil 1 cup mint ½ cup parsley 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ cup mayonnaise • 1 tablespoon lemon juice • 2 head of roasted garlic (recipe follows) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place eggplant on parchment lined cookie sheet and coat with oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes or until completely tender. While eggplant is roasting, prepare herb salad. Chop and combine basil, mint and parsley. Mix oil and lemon, salt and pepper to taste, and dress herbs. Combine roasted garlic, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Spread on roasted eggplant. Top with herb salad.
ROASTED GARLIC • 2 heads garlic, top ¼ sliced off Drizzle of oil Place garlic in a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with oil, seal and bake for 30 minutes until tender.
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE Equipment: 1 waterproof bowl 2 mixing bowls Hand mixer, standing mixer or whisk 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil ½ cup sugar 6 large eggs, separated 1 tablespoon rum, brandy, or whiskey Place chocolate and oil in heatproof bowl. Place bowl on top of a pan of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t come into contact with thewater. In a clean bowl, whip egg yolks with ¼ cup sugar until creamy and pale yellow. Mix on medium speed for about ten minutes. In the second mixing bowl, whip egg whites with remaining ¼ cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Add about ¼ of chocolate mixture into egg yolk mixture to temper eggs. Pour remaining chocolate into the egg yolks and mix until thoroughly combined. Fold egg whites into egg yolks until all mixed together. Fold whites in gently, being careful not to deflate the egg whites. Cool and store in fridge. Tip: mousse will be a bit wet at this point, so it is the ideal time to place in dessert cups. Place in glass dessert cups or ramekins and refrigerate until ready t o serve. Mousse needs at least an hour in the fridge to set. • • • • • • • •
EASTER
№7 | APRIL 2014
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25
Easter Church Services in your Neighborhood BELLMORE Bellmore Presbyterian Church 2740 Martin Avenue 785-2590 Good Friday, April 18 – Service begins at 7:30 p.m. at Community Presbyterian Church, 2101 William Place, Merrick Easter Sunday, April 20 – Holy Communion worship services are at 9 and 10:30 a.m. Bellmore United Methodist Church 2640 Royle Street 221-1220 Good Friday, April 18 – Good Friday Service will be held at 7:30 p.m., combined with congregations from the Bellmore Presbyterian Church and the Merrick United Community Church, at the Merrick Community Church. Easter Sunday, April 20 – Easter Service will be held at 11 a.m. Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church 1294 Bellmore Avenue, North Bellmore 785-5029 Good Friday, April 18 – Service at 3 p.m., with Children’s Service at 4 p.m., followed by Easter Egg coloring. Liturgy of the Passion is at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 19 - Vigil of Easter Lighting of the Easter fire at 7 p.m., followed by service of readings, renewal of Baptism and First Eucharist of Easter. Easter Sunday, April 20 - Holy Communion at 8 and 10:30 a.m.; Breakfast at 9 a.m., followed by an Easter Egg hunt. St. Barnabas Roman Catholic Church 2320 Bedford Avenue, Bellmore 785-0054 Good Friday, April 18 – Outdoor Stations of the Cross at 12 noon. Various places around the parish will commemorate the moments of the Christ’s passion. Celebration of the Lord’s Passion, 3 p.m., followed by services at 4:15 p.m. Holy Saturday, April 19: Liturgy of the Hours morning prayer at 9 a.m. Easter Vigil at 7:30 p.m., an evening of prayer and remembrance beginning with the blessing of the Easter fire, the lighting to the paschal candle and the
procession of this candle into the darkened church. Easter Sunday, April 20 – Easter services at 7, 9 and 10:30 a.m. and at 12 noon. Mass in both the church and Holy Family Chapel is at 12 noon. The Family Mass for Easter will be in the Holy Family Chapel at 10:15 a.m. There is no 5 p.m. Mass. Saint John Lutheran Church 2150 Centre Avenue, Bellmore 785-4331 Good Friday, April 18 - Good Friday services at 7:30 p.m. (children’s gathering at 10:30 a.m.) Easter Sunday, April 20 - Easter Sunday services at 10 a.m.
MERRICK Community Presbyterian Church 2101 William Place 378-7761 Good Friday, April 18: Good Friday service at 7:30 p.m. will be shared with congregations that include those from Merrick Methodist Church, and the Bellmore Presbyterian and Bellmore Methodist Churches. Easter Sunday, April 20: Easter service at 10 a.m. with Communion. Cure of Ars Roman Catholic Church 2323 Merrick Avenue 623-1400
Good Friday, April 18: Morning prayer service at 9 a.m. Outdoor Stations of the Cross at 1 p.m.. The Lord’s Passion at 3 p.m., followed by confession. Stations of the Cross, indoors, at 8 p.m. Holy Saturday, April 19: Morning prayer service at 9 a.m. Confessions at 3:30 p.m. Easter Vigil at 8 p.m. Easter Sunday, April 20: Holy Easter services will be given at 7:30, 9:30, 11:15 and 11:30 a.m. and at 1 p.m. Merrick United Methodist Church 1425 Merrick Avenue 378-9222 Good Friday, April 18: Prayer vigil in th chapel at 8:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. the C Community service with Communion a 7:30 p.m. at Holy Saturday, April 19: Easter plant d delivery from 10-11 a.m. Easter Sunday, April 20: Easter D Dawn Service at Jones Beach from 6-7 a a.m. held by the Long Island Council of C Churches. Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church 720 Merrick Avenue 379-1356 Good Friday, April 18: Liturgy of the P Passion and Death of the Lord, 3 p.m. S Stations of the Cross, 7:30 p.m. Holy Saturday, April 19: Confessions in th church, 10-11 a.m. Easter Vigil, 8 p.m. the Easter Sunday, April 20: Masses will b at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. and at 12:20 p.m. be St. John’s Lutheran Church 1 Van Roo Avenue 379-3858 Good Friday, April 18: Way (Stat tions) of the Cross at 12 noon. C Church is then open for prayer until 3 p.m. Tenebrae, the Way of Sorrow, a 7:30 p.m. at Holy Saturday, April 19: Vigil of East Lightin of the Easter Fire service will ter b held at Grace Lutheran Church in be B Bellmore, at 7 p.m., followed by service o readings, renewal of Baptism and of F First Eucharist of Easter. Easter Sunday, April 20: Celebration o the Resurrection at 9:30 and 11 a.m of
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EASTER
APRIL 2014 | №7
EASTER DAWN WORSHIP AT JONES BEACH T he Long Island Council of Churches, the region’s largest ecumenical and interfaith organization, invites one and all to its Easter dawn worship service at Jones Beach. “Easter celebrates resurrection, new life in the face of death,” observes the Rev. Thomas W. Goodhue, executive director of the LICC. “After all the destruction caused by superstorm Sandy along the South Shore and elsewhere, it is good to welcome Easter and celebrate recovery as dawn breaks on the beach.” This year’s preacher will be the Rev.Lorraine
De Armitt, and there will also be a story for children, who are encouraged to attend. Soh Young Lee-Segredo, a member of Freeport United Methodist Church, and members of the Multi-Cultural Peace Mission Choir will sing, as will Don Warner from Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church. All are welcome at this ecumenical service, which begins at 6 a.m. on Easter Sunday, April 20, rain or shine, at Jones Beach State Park. Enter Parking Field 6 and head due south toward the beach, where
there will be large LICC banner directing you toward the gathering place. Parking is free at that hour. The service is brief (about half an hour) and informal. Worshippers are encouraged to dress warmly and bring beach chairs or blankets. Worshippers also are encouraged to bring non-perishable food or monetary donations for the LICC’s emergency food pantries. Assembled disaster response kits for Church World Service’s ecumenical relief work can also be brought to Easter sunrise service.
Jones Beach
A Great Night of Dining and Entertainment!
Enter n! to Wi
A fine Italian dinner at La Strada of Merrick and See Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons at NYCB THEATRE AT WESTBURY WWW.THETHEATREATWESTBURY.COM
To Enter To En nter ter v vi visit isi sit it ww www.Y www.YourNewsMag.com ww Y Winning W nn n n ng gp package ac ckag ge e iincl includes nc n lludes udes Two tickets to Frankie Valli and nd d th the he Fo he F Four S Sea Seasons ason ns sa att N NYCB YCB YCB CB T The Theat Theatre heat he e at Westbury on Thursday, April 24 and dinner for two at La Strada of Merrick, 2100 Merrick Avenue. Advance reservations required. Dinner is valued up to $125 and does not include alcoholic beverages.
HEALTH MATTERS
№7 | APRIL 2014
Calhoun Graduate To Head New Merrick Premiere Care Facility MERRICK GRADUATE
P
remiere Care, a CityMD Company, an urgent doctor’s care facility that treats sudden illnesses and other sudden afflictions such as broken arms, bee stings and cuts, will open a second facility on Merrick Road at Arbor Lane on Monday, April 21. Premiere Care and CityMD, a New York City urgent care facility, also announced this month a joint venture that will combine the best practices of both companies, remarked Dr. Vincent Campasano, co-founder of Premiere Care and an executive on both boards of directors, in an interview with this magazine. The new Premiere Care CityMD facility will complement the Premiere Care facility at 2459 Merrick Road in Bellmore.
Dr. Russell Raskin, a 1989 graduate of Calhoun High School, will head up the team at the Premiere Care Merrick location. Dr. Raskin is a board certified emergency and internal medicine physician, receiving his Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from the State University of New York’s Downstate College of Medicine. He graduated from Adelphi with a Master of Business Administration in healthcare administration and management. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY Buffalo. Dr. Camposano describes urgent care as a place for people to get instant medical attention when they find themselves unable to determine where to go to get treatment. “Perhaps your doctor’s office is closed, or the emergency room is too far and the wait too long, you can get treated at an urgent care facility,” he said.
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Applying natural remedies to remain - and stay - healthy
Everything from x-rays, EKGs and wound care to IV fluids and IV antibiotics are available at urgent care facilities, he continued. He also noted that should a patient require more extensive treatment in a hospital setting such as an emergency room, the Bellmore-Merrick urgent care facilities have quick access to deliver a patient into the ER room for such treatment. “But urgent care also doesn’t treat life-threatening injuries,” he wished to make clear. Patients can pay for treatment as prescribed in their insurance plan. Dr. Camposano said, however, that the facility would not turn away anyone for treatment based in their ability to pay, and that some cases could be pro bono. “We are far cheaper than the emergency room, and our rates are low and competitive” with other medical facilities and doctors, he said.
W
alking into the office of Dr. Judith Finker, a naturopathic doctor, is like walking into an intimate vitamin store or an old-fashioned pharmacy: the fragrance of vitamins and minerals is unmistakable, emanating from pristine white bottles stocked on shelves. There is one chair, a comfortable leather-lined couch – and one sleek desk for the receptionist/manager. Located at 2308 Bellmore Avenue for nearly 10 years, Dr. Finker is a Doctor of Naturopathy, or an ND. Named as a best alternative doctor by Bethpage Federal Credit Union in its annual “Best of Long Island” list for 2013, her focus - and that of the field of naturopathy - involves “the integration of allopathic medicine with natural therapeutic techniques,” she told this magazine. Those techniques involve or include nutrition, vitamins, minerals, botanicals (plants), homeopathy, lifestyle changes and balancing glandular conditions. Dr. Finker graduated Stony Brook University in 1997, pre-med. “I always wanted to be a doctor,” she said, so after graduation she held off going to medical school until [CONT. ON PAGE 28] she could determine a more pre-
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[CONT. FROM PAGE 27]cise path for herself.
One day quite innocently, a doctor friend of hers suggested she get into naturopathy. “I had grown up around holistic medicine,” she remembered, and had often thought of avenues in which to combine the best of both medical approaches (allopathic with naturopathic). Her doctor friend’s advice – combined with her past experience in holistics – provided the motivation she had been seeking to finally make a career move. She then applied to the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona, where she studied four years, earning her degree in naturopathy. Hailing from Plainview, she spent the better part of 10 years in resident training with a naturopathic doctor in Plainview. Previously, she spent her internship at NY Health College before graduating Stony Brook.
VARIED PATIENT LOAD Dr. Finker is clearly sensitive to, and understands the concerns of patients who come to her as a last resort after their primary care physicians are unable to prescribe any further treatment, and she takes the responsibility seriously. For example, she spoke of patient X, a woman who came to her with debilitating
HEALTH MATTERS migraines and extreme fatigue. The woman was on synthroid, a synthetic thyroid replacement to keep her thyroid in balance. “She had gone to her primary care physician and they tested her for TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone, but that was coming up normal.” She said. Dr. Finker ordered more blood tests using a lab and found that her thyroid was not converting T4 cells to T3 cells. Several things will irritate a thyroid, she said, including soy, in which there are many products with soy. Chlorine in water will also irritate the thyroid, as will a lack of selenium. Selenium helps to convert T4 cells into T3 cells, she said, so the patient was given selenium supplements, told to put a chlorine filter on her shower at home and water faucet, and told to stay away from soy products. The patient was also found to be magnesium deficient, creating a hormone imbalance, and given magnesium supplements. Her condition greatly improved after treatments were begun, and her migraines went away. Patent Y, a male, came in suffering bouts of anxiety and panic attacks. “He had been seen by a psychologist,” Dr. Finker said, and by his primary care physician and both could find no probable underlying psychological reasons for his bouts of anxiety. The only medication he was on at the time was Lipitor, to lower his
cholesterol. “He was going to be put on Xanax or Ambien,” she said. But blood tests revealed a tell-tale story. His testosterone levels were low, he had negligible amounts of cortisol and … his cholesterol was too low! “Cholesterol is the building block of normal hormone production,” she told this magazine. As treatment, his Lipitor was lowered, which brought his testosterone levels up – as well as his cortisol levels, and he was given adrenal glandular balancing herbs, which helped balance his hormone levels. The anxiety began to dissipate with treatment. Finally, another woman patient came to her with serious gastrointestinal disturbances. “She was bloated, she had gas,” said the doctor. But while her blood work came back normal, a stool panel revealed that she had low levels of good bacteria in her body. She also has low enzymes and had inflammation in her intestines. She was given probiotics to take in pill form, was given mucilaginous herbs to take as well as marshmallow herbs, all of which helped reduce the patient’s gastrointestinal disturbances and eliminated her inflammation. Among health conditions Dr. Finker treats are hormonal/endocrine conditions, depression and anxiety, gastrointestinal conditions, cancer prevention, anti-aging, insomnia, auto-
APRIL 2014 | №7
immune disorders, woman’s health and other issues including weight loss, Lyme disease, arthritis, fibromyalgia, headaches and fatigue. Her arsenal of medicines includes nutritional medicine, supplements and herbs, lifestyle counseling and homeopathy – where applicable. For information on Dr. Finker, or for an appointment, call 756-3272, or visit www. drfinker.com.
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ENTERTAINMENT
№7 | APRIL 2014
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29
"Babylon Fields" Films on Bedford Avenue
S
everal Bellmore residents getting off the LIRR last month around 6:45 p.m. stopped in their tracks while walking down Bedford Avenue - to get to their cars or home – when a zombie appeared in the street, wondering among auto wreckage and curious garbage on Bedford Avenue before breaking down the door of McBride’s Pub and causing havoc inside. 20th Century Fox Television filmed scenes from a new drama pilot being developed for NBC Television called “Babylon Fields,” which included broken-down cars strewn over Bedford Avenue between Smith Street and Broadway/ Pettit Avenue, and scenes filmed inside McBride’s Pub. Nassau County Police, along with NCPD PIO officers, were on hand to maintain traffic and keep the area clear of pedestrians for filming.
Disheveled Street Scene on Bedford Avenue
RESURRECTED FROM THE DEAD The new pilot is anything but new. Instead, like the dead it focuses on, it is a “resurrection” of a 2007 pilot developed by CBS Television that never made the cut. Edging on humor, the website IMDb describes the pilot as “the dead return to earth in an attempt
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to restore old wounds.” The show takes its name from Babylon in Suffolk County, where the main plot is centered. According to published reports in trade dailies, the interest in zombie themes was resurrected starting in 2010 with the success of AMC’s series “The Walking Dead.”
Chris Alexander, senior vice-president of communications at 20th Century Fox Television, told this magazine that Jennifer Salke worked at 20th Century Fox Television when CBS ordered the pilot. While it never made the film reel, Salke eventually landed at NBC to become president of entertainment, and called for the new pilot. The pilot includes stars Virginia Madsen and Skeet Ulrich, as the zombie. Brothers Gerald and Michael Guesta (“Homeland,” “Dexter”), along with Michael Atkinson, will write and produce the pilot. Gerald Guesta will direct. The brothers and Atkinson were involved in the original series in 2007. Commuters coming off the trains took out smart phones and began snapping away once seeing Bedford Avenue tied up
Stains on Ceilings epairs Sheetrock/Plaster R Paints e r o o M in m ja n Be
Zombie Walks in Bellmore in commotion. Others were held back for several minutes at the traffic light at Bedford and Broadway, as scenes were shot inside the pub. One production assistant said that the inside scenes were shot with outside background, so it was important to not get commuters walking in the background. For a full version of the 2007 unsold pilot visit www.dailymotion.com/video/xssr0h_ babylon-fields-2007-unsold-pilot_shortfilms.
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ENTERTAINMENT
APRIL 2014 | №7
Savoy Tavern Revamps: New Menu, Music
E
xecutive Chef Kevin Liebov of the Savoy Tavern told Your NewsMag that since closing Nicholas James restaurant last month and taking over culinary responsibilities at the Savoy Tavern, 16 Merrick Avenue, he and general manager Anthony Nacci have created new dinner and lunch menus to accommodate the increase in diners once again coming into the Savoy. “We are now open for lunch every day with a new menu,” he said. And, he added, the restaurant has been filling nicely every night.
GIFT CERTIFICATES HONORED He told this magazine that a new policy created by management will enable the Savoy to honor a percentage of Nicholas James gift certificates. “If you had a $200 gift certificate to Nicholas James you can come to the Savoy and purchase four $25 lunches” until June 1, he said. The policy calls for honoring 50% of the gift certificate value, at no more than $25 per visit. The policy further calls for honoring 50% of dining certificates at costs of no more than $25 per visit, also until June 1.
The Savoy is honoring all catered parties that had booked previous to Nicholas James closing. Liebov closed Nicholas James after the last diner left on March 16 because “…the economics of the lease made it impossible to continue operating and forced me to shut the doors,” he said. Liebov had run Nicholas James for 19 years. He brought over nine of his staff from Nicholas James to ramp up customer service to a par customers had come to expect at the bistro. “Service with exceptional food” had defined Nicholas James, said Liebov, and he believed that model could be introduced with excellent results at the Savoy. The Savoy now includes music from musicians who had been mainstays at Nicholas James, such as December Cold, Michael Duca, Pocket Change and Kenn Sambolin. For information on the new Savoy Tavern, call 506-7717.Or visit www.savoytavern.com.
№7 | APRIL 2014
ENTERTAINMENT
Your NewsMag
Wine Ice Creams Are All the Rage! by Linda Delmonico Prussen
I
scream, you scream, we all scream … for wine ice cream! Ok, maybe not all of us. First of all, you must be over 21 because the wine ice cream I’m writing about, Mercer’s Wine Ice Cream, has an alcohol content of 5%. It’s a true, and truly decadent, adult dessert. I heard about Mercer’s Wine Ice Cream on Facebook and had to try it. This was not as easy as I thought it might be. The closest places it’s currently available are Brooklyn and Astoria. But challenge solved, they shipped it to my home in dry ice and it arrived in perfect condition. The ice cream comes in six flavors so I decided to have my parents over for a tasting. My hands-down favorite was the chocolate cabernet. The pairing was perfection. The chocolate highlighted the wine and both flavors sang. Not a chocolate fan? The cherry merlot was next on my list for harmonious palate-pleasing flavor. And in both cases I could taste the care Mercer’s put into choosing their pairing ingredients. The chocolate is high quality, chocoholics know there’s nothing worse than cheap chocolate, and the cherries are plump and juicy. My mom’s favorite was the port. The port ice cream is a most lovely spring lavender
shade and the cream compliments the port wine. I also whole heartedly enjoyed the fresh and springy taste of red raspberry chardonnay. Most surprising? The peach white zinfandel completely changed my mind on white zinfandel. I will now allow it back in my house— as long as it’s in this ice cream! Perfect for summer, I’m already dreaming of drinks I could concoct with it, adding ice and perhaps a flavored vodka in a blender…Just a thought. The ice cream I thought would be my favorite, the riesling, was lovely, but a bit subtle. I preferred the other, bolder flavors. My advice? Try more than one because, with the pairings, a wine that you might not normally drink could be a favorite ice cream. If you’re undecided on trying wine ice cream keep this in mind, Mercer’s has been making ice cream for over half a century, and the quality and care they place into their ice cream is evident in every spoonful. The only downside is it can be expensive to ship. Call or email for shipping costs. And hope they find a local distributor soon! Mercer’s Wine Ice Cream is at Mercer’s Ice Cream Shop, 13584 NYS Route 12, Boonville, New York, 13309. Call 315-942-2611. Or email mercersdairy@gmail.com.
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APRIL 2014 | â&#x201E;&#x2013;7
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