Healthcare educators from Stony Brook Cancer Center and Stony Brook
Dermatology Associates will be on hand to answer questions pertaining to sun safety, including prevention and resources for screenings for skin cancer.
To be eligible for an array of goodies from our Community Partners and the stores at Smith Haven Mall, you must register online BEFORE the event and also attend the event Registration will close Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 3 pm. One winner per gift item. For accessibility-related accommodations, please call (631) 444-4000.
stonybrook.info/suntime
Saturday May 13, 2023
Noon to 3 pm
Center Court
Smith Haven Mall Lake Grove
Event activities promote sun safety, provide facts about ultraviolet (UV) rays, and offer guidelines and resources on skin cancer concerns.
Mascot Appearances
Take a photo with your favorite mascot: Stony Brook University’s Wolfie*, Urban Air’s Urbie, Splashes of Hope’s Vincent Van Monkey and Alice Elephante, LI Aquarium’s Jimbo Jaws or Splish Splash’s Splish.
*Appearance from 1 to 2:30 pm.
Interact with LI Aquarium Critters
Get to know your sea-loving friends up close.
Discount Coupons
To outdoor/indoor entertainment attractions from our Community Partners.
Magic Tricks, Balloon
Artist, Caricaturist, Face Painting and More
Various entertainment for all attendees.
Screening Is Appropriate for:
• Those 18 years old and older.
• Those whose last skin cancer screening by a dermatologist was more than a year ago.
• Those who are uninsured and meet the above criteria.
11 am to 2 pm
Stony Brook Dermatology Associates
1320 Stony Brook Road Building F, Suite 200, Stony Brook
Call for an Appointment: (631) 216-2468
Appointments are given on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited to 200 individuals. Registration will close Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 3 pm.
What will it take for the country to push the pause button and then reset? We are a nation that is out of control. The pandemic has only underscored how out of control we are.
BY FATHER FRANCIS PIZZARELLI
We are losing hundreds of young people every day due to fentanyl, heroin and suicide. The nation has declared that we have a national heroin epidemic but what is being done to address this tragic health concern that is killing more than 100,000 lives a year?
Yes, we are making Narcan more available but what about holistic residential treatment beds? There are no beds anywhere. Yes, a few for-profit programs have emerged in the midst of this crisis but what about the working class and working poor? How do they pay for evidence-based treatment for their children?
No one wants to challenge the insurance empire that is sentencing so many of our atrisk people to death. It is scandalous that an insurance gatekeeper with no training decides whether or not your son or daughter gets treatment! So many of these gatekeepers are clueless about addiction; our silence in this regard is deafening
How many more young people have to die before we say enough? If human life is such a priority, then challenge our paralyzed leadership to work together for systematic change in the treatment of substance use disorder and mental health.
Our social welfare system in Suffolk County needs to be overhauled department by department. Instead of empowering the broken and wounded to healing and change, our system is setting people up for failure. Your tax dollars are being wasted on a system that is inept and incapable of breaking the cycle of poverty and dependence among the people they are supposed to serve.
For more than 40 years in the trenches I have seen firsthand our destructive system at work I have seen countless homeless men set up for failure because we have no real transitional housing for them. We do not have enough case managers and social workers to assist them for so many of them are mentally ill and dependent.
The state is once again using fancy rhetoric to trick us with their new initiative to keep troubled youth at home. These troubled youth are young people between the ages of 12 and 17 who already have stolen cars, assaulted people and some are even in dangerous gangs. We have few to no mental health services in our local communities to support these young people and their families.
The few programs that do exist are being forced to close; soon we will have no help and no resources for families in need.
We are blessed to have a dynamic commissioner of social services in Suffolk County in the person of Frances Pierre. She is a talented and gifted professional who is being shackled by a legislature that lack the vision and commitment to the most vulnerable and broken among us. Our commissioner needs to be free to do her job. We need to raise our voices in support of her!
Father Francis Pizzarelli, SMM, LCSW-R, ACSW, DCSW, is the director of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson.
Nancy F. Solomon of Poquott snapped this photo of the calm waters of Setauket Harbor on April 23. She writes, “I had just come home from a 10-day trip and was greeted by this beautiful sight.”
Send your Photo of the Week to leisure@tbrnewspapers.com
GAME SET MATCH TENNIS ACADEMY CALL: 631-751-6100 • TEXT: 631-682-4079
LIHRSETAUKET.COM
TENNIS SUMMER CAMP
Flex Camp- Full Day, Split Day, Half Day. Early Bird discount until April 30th!
THEATRE THREE • 631-928-9202
412 MAIN STREET, PORT JEFFERSON • WWW.THEATRETHREE.COM
THEATRE THREE offers summer acting classes and for ages 6 - 17 years old. Musical Theatre Factory features student productions of Annie Jr. and Mean Girls Jr. Registration going on now - Call 631-928-9100 or visit theatrethree.com
©142190
Revocable trusts have become increasingly popular estate planning tools to avoid probate. A trust allows for the orderly and private administration of your assets at death without court involvement.
BY NANCY BURNER ESQ.
A revocable trust is a trust that you create during your lifetime designed to give you flexibility and control over your assets. You may act as your own trustee, thereby maintaining complete control over your assets. Assets can be transferred in and out of the trust at your discretion and you may change or revoke your trust at any time.
A revocable trust can hold any asset. Common assets include real property, non-qualified investment accounts, bank accounts, certificates of deposit, and life insurance policies. Qualified retirement accounts should never be transferred to a revocable trust as it would cause a taxable event.
Assets titled in the name of your revocable trust pass to the beneficiaries automatically, thereby avoiding probate. Likewise, any assets with designated beneficiaries pass directly to beneficiaries. Assets in your sole name that do not have designated beneficiaries must go through probate.
Why do people want to avoid probate?
Probate is time consuming and can be expensive. When a person dies with a will, the nominated executor must file a probate petition with the Surrogate’s Court before
having the authority to act. First, the Executor will file the original will, certified copy of the death certificate and the probate petition in Surrogate’s Court. Then, notice is given to the decedent’s nextof-kin who would have inherited had there been no will. The next-of-kin will either sign waivers and consents or be issued a citation to appear in court to have the opportunity to object to the Executor.
After jurisdiction is complete and issues with the will, if any, are addressed, the Surrogate’s Court will issue a decree granting probate and Letters Testamentary. Only then can the Executor gather the assets and distribute them according the directives in the will.
When a person dies without a will (intestate), the process is similar. It is necessary to file an Administration Petition
with the Surrogate’s Court. Here, a close relative of the decedent applies to become the decedent’s Administrator. As with a probate proceeding, all interested parties must be given notice and must either sign a waiver or be served with a citation issued by the court. The Court will then issue Letters of Administration appointing them as Administrator.
By creating and funding a revocable trust, your beneficiaries will avoid having to go through this probate process. This avoids the attendant costs and delay, which can be substantial if there is a will contest or hard to find relatives. Additionally, because of the backlog created by the pandemic and the recent ransomware attack on the Suffolk County government this past fall, the courts are extremely behind.
Even “straightforward” probate matters take months, even years, to make their way through the court system. This explains why more and more people are deciding to create revocable trusts so that their spouses and children can inherit their estate seamlessly, free from court interference.
Nancy Burner, Esq. is the founder and managing partner at Burner Law Group, P.C with offices located in East Setauket, Westhampton Beach, New York City and East Hampton.
This week's featured shelter pet is Ratatouille, a five year-old female domestic shorthair mix up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter.
A total cuddle bug, Ratatouille loves people, and is a big fan of getting her head scratched. She is super sweet, affectionate, and friendly. She has a reactive skin condition called Eosinophilic Granuloma that causes her to have some itchy and discomforting lesions on her lip and her side. Fortunately, these lesions are not contagious to other animals, but they do require steroid treatment from time to time.
Ratatouille is ready for her new home, and we know that perfect home is out there somewhere for her.
If you would like to meet Ratatouille, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with her in a domestic setting.
The Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Visitor hours are currently Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only). For more information, call 631-360-7575 or visit www.townofsmithtownanimalshelter.com.
BY MICHAEL CHRISTODOULOU
Another school year will soon come to a close. And if you have young children, they’re now a year closer to heading off to college or some other type of post-secondary education or training. So, if you haven’t already done so, you may want to start preparing for these costs.
And they can be considerable. During the 2022-23 school year, the average estimated annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, transportation and other personal expenses) was nearly $28,000 for public four-year in-state schools and more than $57,000 for private nonprofit four-year schools, according to the College Board.
Of course, some students don’t pay the full bill for college. Any grants and scholarships they receive can bring down the “sticker price.” Still, there’s often a sizable amount that students and their families must come up with. To help fill this gap, you may want to explore various strategies, one of which is a 529 education savings plan.
A 529 plan offers several key benefits. First of all, your earnings can grow tax deferred and your withdrawals are federally tax free when used for qualified education expenses, such as tuition, fees, books and so on. You may be eligible to invest in a 529 plan in most states, but depending on where you live, you may be able to deduct your contributions from your state income tax or possibly receive a state tax credit for investing in your home state’s 529 plan. Tax issues for 529 plans can be complex. Please consult your tax advisory about your situation.
And 529 plans aren’t just for college. You may be able to use one to pay K-12 expenses, up to $10,000 per student per year. (However, not all states comply with this 529 expansion for K-12, so you might not be able to claim deductions and your withdrawals could be subject to state tax penalties.)
A 529 plan can also be used to pay for most expenses connected to apprenticeship programs registered with the U.S. Department of Labor. These programs are often available at community colleges and combine classroom education with on-thejob training.
Furthermore, you can now withdraw funds from a 529 plan to repay qualified federal private and student loans, up to $10,000 for each 529 plan beneficiary and another $10,000 for each of the beneficiary’s siblings.
But what if you’ve named a child as a 529 plan beneficiary and that child doesn’t want to pursue any type of advanced education? If this happens, you, as the account owner, are free to name another family member as beneficiary.
And beginning in 2024, you may have even more flexibility if a child foregoes college or other post-secondary education. Due to the passing of the Secure Act 2.0 in December 2022, unused 529 plan funds of up to $35,000 may be eligible to roll over to a Roth IRA of the designated beneficiary. One of the qualifications for this rollover is to have had your 529 plan for at least 15 years. To determine if you qualify for this rollover, you will want to consult your tax advisor.
A 529 plan has a lot to offer — and it might be something to consider for your family’s future.
Withdrawals used for expenses other than qualified education expenses may be subject to federal and state taxes, plus a 10% penalty. Make sure to discuss the potential financial aid impacts with a financial aid professional as Edward Jones, its financial advisors and employees cannot provide tax or legal advice.
Michael Christodoulou, ChFC®, AAMS®, CRPC®, CRPS®
is a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones in Stony Brook. Member SIPC.
Representatives from Suffolk County Community College attended the Three Village Garden Club meeting at the Setauket Neighborhood House on April 11 to present the Three Village Garden Club Scholarship to Giovanna Maffetone. This scholarship is offered to Suffolk County Community College students enrolled in the Environmental Science/ Forestry program, specifically targeting students planning to transfer to a four year SUNY ESF program.
TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21
Chris Williams from the Suffolk Community College Foundation presented a $5000 scholarship check to Giovanna. Also in attendance was Vladimir Jurukovski, Academic Chair of Biology at the SCCC Ammerman campus.
The Three Village Garden Club is happy to support young people who are pursuing careers in horticultural science, wildlife science, ecology, environmental science, landscaping, forestry, and plant science. Additional scholarships are awarded to students from Ward Melville High School and SUNY Farmingdale.
A recent partnership between L.L.Bean and Mental Health America prioritized the power of going outside with 5 grant awards of $20,000 each to select not for profit agencies including The Association for Mental Health and Wellness in Ronkonkoma. Funding will provide for the development of innovative outdoor programs that supports and improves mental well-being while fostering connection and inclusion through time spent outside.
The Association for Mental Health and Wellness’s (MHAW) was awarded $20,000 for its Eco-Sposure program which will provide families enrolled in its care management program opportunities and resources to connect with the outdoors. The children in the families who will participate are living with chronic physical or mental health conditions, and face other barriers that limit their exposure to outdoor experiences- such as poverty and community violence.
The grant program will serve 30 families and support them to engage in a range of outdoor green space activities that help to develop a sense of connection and inclusion that enhances each family members overall mental and physical health and leads to an ongoing connection to the natural environment.
“Children and youth are facing a mental health crisis and we need to tap into every tool available to support wellness. Engaging in outdoor activities as a family provides a healthy
outlet with opportunities to experience the fresh air and the beauty of nature, all which support good mental health. There are so many benefits to connecting with nature from stress reduction and improved focus. This program helps the entire family to develop a love of nature; and connections with each other and ourselves that can come about. The program has the opportunity to foster a lifelong love of nature,” said Colleen Merlo, Chief Executive Officer for MHAW.
Mark your calendars! Caroline Episcopal Church, One Dyke Road, Setauket will be celebrating Flowering Sunday on Sunday, April 30 at 9:30 a.m. "This is an Anglican tradition, which some sources cite as beginning in South Wales in the late 17th century. In the United States, we usually see graves decorated on holidays, and of course Veterans' graves on Memorial Day. Caroline Church will be bringing this tradition back on April 30. This is not only for parishioners; we invite the community to join us as we remember those buried in the churchyard," said spokesperson Barbara Russell.
The celebration will begin with Morning Prayer. Flowers will be blessed and distributed to those present who will then follow a bagpiper and proceed to the cemetery where you can place flowers on the grave sites of family members and any others you wish to remember. Following placement of the flowers and time for remembrance and reflection, some hymns will be sung before the group rejoin in the Marco C. Smith building to share refreshments. For more information, please call 631-941-4245
It’s best if you can keep tight control of your emotions and not let others see what is brewing behind your stoic demeanor, Taurus. This will give you an advantage in negotiations.
GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21
Gemini, if you’re too pragmatic this week, you may miss the opportunity to do something spontaneous and really enjoyable with friends. Don’t think; jump in this one time.
CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22
The week may start off sluggishly, Cancer. Give yourself permission to start off slowly and build up as you get enough energy and motivation to move along.
LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23
Leo, rather than being ready to roar at the world, you can barely let pass a meow. You’re more than happy to roll back over in bed most days. Search for an energy boost.
VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22
Virgo, early on in the week you may feel disorganized and out of sorts. But soon enough you will find your stride. Once you’re in a groove it will be smooth sailing.
LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23
Libra, if someone at work has been holding you back or seems to be standing in your way, it’s justifiable to feel resentment. Take the high road and remain pleasant and positive.
SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22
Scorpio, don’t ignore your responsibilities, no matter how mundane they may seem. Completing small tasks will help you set the course for more success.
SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21
Your judgement may be clouded by some lofty dreams you have been having, Sagittarius. Separate the whimsy from what you actually may be able to transfer to real life.
CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20
You may be tempted to butt heads with authority figures in the days to come, but you’ll catch more flies with honey, Capricorn. Get your frustrations out another way.
AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18
Relationship issues come to the forefront, Aquarius. This can be any relationship, be it personal or professional. Sit down with this person and flesh things out.
PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20
The current cosmic climate has you a tad restless, Pisces. You’re ready to stretch your fins, so to say. Set off on a grand adventure.
ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20
Aries, figure out where your priorities lie, then position yourself in the right corner to get things done effectively. It could take some time before you see progress. Remain patient.
Famous Birthdays:
April 27 -Sally Hawkins (47); April 28 - Jay Leno (73); April 29 - Jerry Seinfeld (69); April 30 - Gal Gadot (38); May 1 - Jamie Dornan (41); May 2 - Dwayne Johnson (51); May 3 - Rachel Zegler (22); May 4 - Lance Bass (44)
You've just boiled some potatoes, eggs, or maybe rice. Or perhaps it was pasta. If you are like most people the leftover water quickly finds its way down the kitchen sink drain.
Want a better use for that water? After cooling it (a nice bonus in the winter to let the heat from the water move into the kitchen), use it for making soup, thinning sauces or watering indoor or outdoor plants. Regarding this last use, boiling these and other foods (couscous anyone?) results in water containing minerals and carbohydrates; this enhanced water thus has become a form of liquid fertilizer that can benefit your plants.
There is one caveat to keep in mind when using the previously used water for your plants — if you salt the water while cooking pasta or other foods do not use it on your plants as it can either damage or kill them; it is fine, though, to use it for making other foods.
Reusing your cooking water not only captures these minerals and nutrients for the benefit of your plants, it means water used in a more efficient manner — a key element of sustainability.
1. Unsuitable
6. Agency behind food labels, acr.
9. Pastoral sounds
13. More painful
14. "Maggie May" singer
15. Secret storage
16. Hajj destination
17. In ated feeling
18. One in a quiver
19. *Scooby-Doo's best friend
21. *Stone Age Fred's best friend
23. Zip
24. Type of wave
25. "Mangia!"
28. Apple leftover
30. Unlike Pinocchio
35. Law school test acronym
37. Tiger's forte
39. Jack Black's Libre
40. For____ kitchen counter
41. Jewish folklore creature
43. Singer Whitman of "Secret Love" fame
44. Formerly known as dropsy
46. Spanish Surrealist
47. Stay out of its way!
48. Make a remake
50. Shawm
52. Yoda: "Do or do not. There is no ____"
53. Like hard times
55. Tube in old TV, acr.
57. *Jessica or Peter
60. *Anthropomorphic squirrel's last name
63. Small and elegant
64. Mozart's "L'____ del Cairo"
66. Like a whistle?
68. Optical illusion creation (2 words)
69. "Time," e.g., colloquially
70. Hint of color
71. "The Way We ___"
72. Farm pen
73. Skedaddle
Answers to last week's puzzle: Earth Day
1. What hedonism and idealism have in common
2. Rejections
3. Flatfoot's lack
4. Pie option
5. Calamitous
6. One of the Eagles
7. *Pluto or Snoopy
8. Acrobat maker
9. Rural building
10. Homesteader's purchase, sing.
11. Nabisco's "Chips ____!"
12. To use a Singer
15. Dairy industry missing person-seeking prop
20. Nordic gl¸hwein
22. Ooh and ____
24. Troublemaker
25. *Fudd's rst name
26. Line to the audience
27. "It is silent," in sheet music
29. Living space
31. Don Johnson's Bridges
32. Plaudit and pomp
33. Bake an egg
34. *One of the Pickles
36. Like a broken horse
38. *Phineas' stepbrother
42. Be a parasite
45. Just about (2 words)
49. Hula necklace
51. Builds a tower, e.g.
54. Very small particles
56. Opposite of ecbatic
Directions: Fill in the blank squares in the grid, making sure that every row, column and 3-by-3 box includes all digits 1 through 9.
Answers to last week's SUDOKU
57. Ready for picking
58. A bit cracked
59. Not the life of the party
60. Same as cagey
61. Lotto variant
62. Palm starch
63. Gift topper
65. *Gar eld or Tom
67. Butter y catcher
Osteoporosis
I couldn’t believe it. My osteoporosis improved and I am a thin female of just 95 lbs. On DEXA scan, the bone density improved by 7%. My strontium was elevated with the plant based diet, which is another plus since it suggests that my bones are getting stronger.
Female, age 69
Autoimmune- Rheumatoid Arthritis
I am doing really well with my rheumatoid arthritis. The swelling is down and the pain is diminished. Going to the gym used to be a trigger that made the rheumatoid arthritis worse, but no longer since I’ve been on a plant-based diet. I had smoothie hesitancy at first, and now I love the smoothies.
Female, age 50
There are many myths about managing type 2 diabetes that circulate. Fortunately, our understanding of diabetes management is continually advancing, and some older guidance deserves to be retired. Let’s review a few common myths and the research that debunks them. Should fruit be limited or avoided?
We still have a lot to learn with diabetes, but our understanding of how to manage lifestyle modifications, specifically diet, is becoming clearer.
BY DAVID DUNAIEF, MDFruit in any form, whether whole, juiced, or dried, has been long considered taboo for diabetes patients. This is only partly true.
Yes, fruit juice and dried fruit should be avoided, because they do raise or spike glucose (sugar) levels. This includes dates, raisins, and apple juice, which are often added to “no sugar” foods to sweeten them. The same does not hold true for whole fresh or frozen fruit. Studies have demonstrated that patients with diabetes don’t experience sugar level spikes, whether they limit whole fruits or consume an abundance (1). In a different study, whole fruit was shown to actually reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (2).
In yet another study, researchers looked at the impacts of different types of whole fruits on glucose levels. They found that berries reduced glucose levels the most, but even bananas and grapes reduced these levels (3). That’s right, bananas and grapes, two fruits people associate with spiking sugar levels and increasing carbohydrate load, actually lowered these levels. The only fruit tested that seemed to have a mildly negative impact on sugars was cantaloupe.
Whole fruit is not synonymous with sugar. One of the reasons for the beneficial effect is the fruits’ flavonoids, or plant micronutrients, but another is their fiber.
Fiber is one type of carbohydrate that has distinct benefits. We know fiber is important for reducing risk for a host of diseases and for managing their outcomes. This is also true for type 2 diabetes.
In the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and NHS II, two very large prospective observational studies, plant fiber was shown to help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (4). Researchers looked at lignans, a type of plant fiber, specifically examining the
metabolites enterodiol and enterolactone. They found that patients with type 2 diabetes have substantially lower levels of these metabolites in their urine, compared to the control group without diabetes. There was a linear, or direct, relationship between the amount of metabolites and the reduction in risk for diabetes. So, the more they ate, and the more metabolites in their urine, the lower the risk. The authors encourage patients to eat more of a plant-based diet to get this benefit.
Foods with lignans include cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower; an assortment of fruits and whole grains; flaxseed; and sesame seeds (5). The researchers could not determine which plants contributed the greatest benefit. They wrote that they believe antioxidant activity drives this effect.
Should you avoid soy when you have diabetes?
In diabetes patients with nephropathy (kidney damage or disease), soy consumption showed kidney function improvements (6). There were significant reductions in urinary creatinine levels and proteinuria (protein in the urine), both signs that the kidneys are beginning to function better.
This was a small, randomized control trial over a four-year period with 41 participants. The control group’s diet consisted of 70 percent animal protein and 30 percent vegetable protein, while the treatment group’s diet consisted of 35 percent animal protein, 35 percent textured soy protein and 30 percent vegetable protein.
This is very important, since diabetes patients are 20 to 40 times more likely to develop nephropathy than those without diabetes (7). It appears that soy protein may put substantially less stress on the kidneys
than animal protein. However, those who have hypothyroidism and low iodine levels should be cautious about soy consumption, since some studies suggest it might interfere with synthetic thyroid medications’ effectiveness (8).
Bariatric surgery has grown in prevalence for treating severely obese (BMI>35 kg/ m²) and obese (BMI >30 kg/m²) diabetes patients. In a meta-analysis of 16 randomized control trials and observational studies, the procedure illustrated better results than conventional medicines over a 17-month follow-up period in treating HbA1C (threemonth blood glucose measure), fasting blood glucose and weight loss (9). During this time period, 72 percent of those patients treated with bariatric surgery went into diabetes remission and had significant weight loss.
However, after 10 years without proper management involving lifestyle changes, only 36 percent remained in remission with diabetes, and a significant number regained weight. Thus, even with bariatric surgery, altering diet and exercise are critical to maintaining long-term benefits.
We still have a lot to learn with diabetes, but our understanding of how to manage lifestyle modifications, specifically diet, is becoming clearer. Emphasizing a plant-based diet focused on whole fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes can improve your outcomes. If you choose a medical approach, bariatric surgery is a viable option, but don’t forget that you need to make significant lifestyle changes to accompany the surgery in order to sustain its benefits.
References:
(1) Nutr J. 2013 Mar. 5;12:29. (2) Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Apr.;95:925-933. (3) BMJ online 2013 Aug. 29.
(4) Diabetes Care. online 2014 Feb. 18. (5) Br J Nutr. 2005;93:393–402. (6) Diabetes Care. 2008;31:648654. (7) N Engl J Med. 1993;328:1676–1685. (8) Thyroid. 2006 Mar;16(3):249-58. (9) Obes Surg. 2014;24:437-455.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd. com or consult your personal physician.
Pat Metheny 9/23
Tara McNeill & Alexander Bernstein 9/30
Disney’s Pixar’s Coco In Concert 10/9
Emerson String Quartet’s Grand Finale 10/14
Ballet Hispánico 10/21
Jessica Vosk 10/28
ILuminate 11/5
Tom Segura 11/11
LeAnn Rimes 11/18
Cat Kid Comic Club
The Musical - Kids 11/19
Gala 2024: Leslie Odom Jr. 3/9/24
See the full schedule at stallercenter.com
On Earth Day, April 22, the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport debuted Wendy Klemperer: Wrought Taxonomies, the first exhibition of outdoor sculpture at the historic summer estate of William Kissam Vanderbilt II. The show runs through April 22, 2024.
Klemperer’s sculptures — a haunting assemblage of animal forms that span imaginary, endangered, familiar, and exotic species — celebrate natural history and the nonhuman world through evocative interactions with the surrounding environment. A total of 32 pieces are displayed throughout the property.
Using materials salvaged from scrapyards, the artist composes ecological narratives that respond to the history and collections of Suffolk County’s first public park and museum. Her brilliant use of gestural lines captures the spectator’s attention and invites museumgoers to reflect on the relationship between an interest in animal life and the incessant push of human industry.
Made possible due to the generous support of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, Wrought Taxonomies is the inaugural exhibition in the Vanderbilt Museum’s outdoor
sculpture program and the institution’s second exhibition of contemporary art focused on the relationship between culture and animals.
The Vanderbilt Museum occupies the former Gold Coast estate of William Kissam Vanderbilt II, the great-grandson of Cornelius
Vanderbilt and a pioneer of American motorsport. Located in Centerport on the north shore of Long Island, it is renowned for its extensive marine and natural history collections, Spanish revival architecture, and picturesque parklands.
“The museum is delighted that its first outdoor exhibition features the works of Wendy Klemperer, an artist renowned for her profound interest in conservation and singular interpretation of the natural world," said Elizabeth Wayland-Morgan, Executive Director of the Vanderbilt.
"This exhibition is an ideal thematic fit –the museum has shared a similar passion for conservation and the appreciation of nature since its creation. The Vanderbilt estate, with its stunning waterfront landscape, provides a perfect setting for Klemperer’s dynamic, largescale works. Her striking pieces offer a thoughtprovoking and enlightening experience for all.”
All sculptures are viewable with general admission to the Museum grounds. Educational programs and workshops associated with themes and content of Wendy Klemperer: Wrought Taxonomies will be offered throughout the exhibition. .
The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum is located at 180 Little Neck Road in Centerport. Museum and planetarium hours are currently Friday from noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The planetarium also offers shows on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 and 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.
Want to be part of the action at this year’s festivals? Do you have unique merchandise, crafts, yard sale items or food and beverages to sell? Here are a list of vendors wanted for upcoming community events on the North Shore.
■ Stony Brook Community Church, 216 Christian Ave., Stony Brook will hold a Tag and Bake Sale on May 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reserve a table to sell your gently used, no-longer needed items or your own handmade hobby items. Vendor fee is $25; must provide own table. Email stonybrookcommunitychurch@gmail.com for more information.
■ The Polish American Independent Club Ladies Auxiliary will host its 1st annual Spring Craft & Vendor Fair on May 7 at the Polish Hall, 35 Jayne Blvd., Port Jefferson Station from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $35 vendor fee includes 8’ table and chairs. Call 516-3833456 or email jwdzvonar@yahoo.com.
■ Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Road, Setauket seeks vendors for its annual Community Wide Yard & Antiques Sale on May 20 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Rain date May 21) Each 10x10 space is available for patrons to rent to sell their own garage sale/flea market/thrift shop items. Fee
is $40, $25 for TVHS members. Call 631751-3730 or visit www.tvhs.org.
■ Yaphank Historical Society seeks vendors for its annual Spring Yard Sale on May 20 from 9 am. to 4 p.m. on the grounds of the Robert & Isabella Hawkins House at 4 Yaphank Avenue, Yaphank. (Rain date is May 21st). Vendor fee is only $10 per spot. First come, first served, no reservations necessary. Call 631-924-4803 with questions, or visit www.yaphankhistorical.org.
■ Nesconset Chamber of Commerce will host Nesconset’s Spring Fling Food Truck Rodeo and Craft Fair on May 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Nesconset Gazebo on Smithtown Blvd. Interested vendors can call 631-724-2543.
■ Vendor applications are now available for the Three Village Farmers and Artisan Market on the grounds of the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Road, Setauket each Friday from May 26 to Sept. 1
from 3 to 7 p.m. and Sept. 8 to Oct. 27 from 2 to 6 p.m. Market fee is $550 for 10x10 space for 22 weeks, $50 for one day pop-up. Visit www.tvhs.org or email market@tvhs.org.
■ Setauket United Methodist Church, 160 Main St., East Setauket seeks vendors for its Multi-Family Yard Sale on June 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For registration and further information, call Diane at 631-751-7375 or email dperitore@optonline.net.
■ Art League of Long Island, 107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills is accepting applications for its 53rd annual Art in the Park at Heckscher Park, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington on June 3 and 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The juried show is open to all artists, crafts people, photographers and printmakers. Original art work only please. Deadline to register is May 15. Visit www. artleagueli.org.
■ St. James Episcopal Church, 490 North Country Road, St. James seeks vendors for its Strawberry Festival on June 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (rain date June 11). $50 for a 10' by 10' outdoor space. Must bring own table, tent, chairs. For an application, email StJamesChurchNY.Office@gmail.com or call 631-584-5560.
VENDORS WANTED continued on page B19
Oatmeal is a versatile ingredient found in desserts, breakfast foods, savory dishes, and so much more. While it is enjoyed in many different dishes, for cookie lovers, oatmeal shines brightest in cookie recipes. Homemade oatmeal cookies not only fill the kitchen with delicious aromas, they are a comfort food prepared and enjoyed with others. Many recipes are even passed down among generations.
The first recorded oatmeal cookie recipe was written by Fannie Merritt Farmer in 1896. The cookies were billed as “health food,” and by the early 1900s a recipe appeared on every container of Quaker Oats.
In honor of National Oatmeal Cookie Day on April 30, bake up a batch of “Pecan Toffee Oatmeal Cookies” from Laurie McNamara’s Simply Scratch: 120 Wholesome Homemade Recipes Made Easy (Avery). They could easily become a family favorite in no time.
Pecan Toffee Oatmeal Cookies
YIELD: Makes 3 dozen cookies
INGREDIENTS:
• 11⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 3⁄4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 cup toffee pieces
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing and scraping down the sides of the bowl after adding each egg. Gradually add the flour mixture until just combined. With the mixer on low, stir in the oats, pecans and toffee bits.
Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, measure out the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1⁄2 inch apart.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway during bake time for even baking. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before using a spatula to transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough. These cookies are extra delicious when served warm.
In dual polarization, there are a few signatures of storms that hold some promise of differentiating between those that produce tornadoes and those that don’t.
BY DANIEL DUNAIEFWhen he was in elementary school in Hamden, Connecticut, Michael French was several miles away from an event that would shape his life. A tornado touched down, causing extensive damage, knocking out power lines and injuring 40 people. The violent storm was traumatizing, causing him to hide in the closet during routine summer storms.
Working with an algorithm to identify the ZDR column, which is a proxy for the size of the updraft, developed by Darrel Kingfield at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, French analyzed 200 supercell storms and found that the ZDR column was larger in storms that produce stronger tornadoes and was smaller or nonexistent in storms that did not.
By the time French attended college at Cornell University, these powerful and potentially devastating storms had become an “interest and fascination,” he said, leading him to major in atmospheric sciences.
After graduating from college, he received an offer from Professor Howard Bluestein at the University of Oklahoma (OU) for a master’s program. A consultant for the movie Twister starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, Bluestein was one of the first to put a weather radar on the back of a truck to collect data in severe storms and tornadoes. French also earned his PhD at OU.
These days, French, who is an Associate Professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, spends parts of his time traveling to places in the southeast in trucks with unique and emerging instrumentation, typically Doppler weather radar, gathering data about severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.
French has seen about 25 tornadoes. The closest he’s come to these violent storms is about a kilometer away, which occurred in 2004. When he’s conducting research, he is more concerned about lightning, which frequently
occurs around thunderstorms that produce tornadoes.
When he’s collecting data, French has to get out of the truck to stow the antenna among other tasks. “Automatically, that means you’re in danger,” French said. “There’s nothing you can do about it, except try to minimize your time” outside. Two or three times when he was earning his PhD, lightning struck within a quarter of a mile of his location.
In his research, French described himself as a “pure observationalist.”
A main theme of his research is whether the nationwide network of fixed-site radar can be used by forecasters to predict whether a thunderstorm will produce a tornado and, if it does, how likely it is to be a significant or violent storm.
French is also interested in exploring what leads to tornado dissipation and whether forecasters can use radar analysis to make dissipation predictions.
Looking at time scales of 30 seconds or fewer, he studies how tornadoes evolve, including how they tilt, how their intensity changes with height, and their
motion. He can estimate these characteristics with phasedarray radar technology, in which the beam of the radar is steered electronically.
Scientists like French can tap into archived data from a network of 160 radars stationed throughout the country. He would like to use information from the past 10 to 15 years to analyze hundreds of supercell thunderstorms to find commonalities among those that produce tornadoes and those that don’t.
“Ideally, in the future, such information, to the extent it exists, can be leveraged by forecasters to better assess the likelihood of a storm producing a tornado,” French explained.
Many of his ideas for research projects come from reading the results of papers from colleagues who use computer models to simulate storms and tornadoes. In a model, the scientists can control conditions like temperature and humidity. French thinks about ways to verify the findings using observational data.
Funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, French participates in the
Forecasters don’t have a way yet to automate the size of the ZDR column in real time.
In an email, Bluestein suggested that French’s studies, including on how tornadoes dissipate, can “contribute to improved short term forecasting.”
Propagation,
in Linear Storms field experiment (called PERiLS).
Running from February through May in the southeast, the experiment studies tornadoes within a different type of storm, referred to as squall lines. The tornadoes that form in these storms persist or form overnight, often hitting while people are sleeping and are unprepared to protect themselves.
He is working with Stony Brook Professor Pavlos Kollias in using mobile phased array radar to collect data over short time scales of these squall lines when they’re producing tornadoes.
In areas where people live in mobile homes, these squall line tornadoes can lift the home, damaging homes and threatening the lives of people as they sleep.
French uses a radar called dual polarization, which provides information about the size, shape, orientation and type of precipitation. He is interested in whether this technology can identify differences in storms to predict the formation of tornadoes.
Bluestein, who has seen over 100 tornadoes, also suggested that two papers from French that related drop size distributions estimated from polarimetric radar data in supercells were “original and rather novel. This work has implications for estimating the intensity of pools of cool air in storms, which can be related to tornado formation.”
A resident of Stony Brook, French lives with his wife Jennifer, who is a hydrometeorologist at Vieux & Co. The couple met when they were at the University of Oklahoma.
French said his wife, who storm chased when she was in Oklahoma, knows the safety measures he uses to mitigate the risks.
While French studies these storms because of their destructive power and the need to understand more about how and where they will form, he also has an appreciation for them.
At a distance, when these storms aren’t impacting people and when he can’t hear the roar of the wind, French describes tornadoes as a “wonder of nature” that have an “aesthetic element to them that is really astounding.”
As for his childhood concern about these storms, French feels that he “ultimately channeled [his fear] in a positive way.”
Thursday 27
Comedy fundraiser at the LIM
Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook hosts a Laugh Till You Give! comedy fundraiser in the History Museum featuring comedy legend Bobby Collins at 6:30 p.m. $100 per ticket includes wine, beer, refreshments and appetizers. Proceeds support the LIM’s education programs and exhibitions. To order, visit www. longiwlandmuseum.org. For more info, call 751-0066, ext. 247.
Long Island Guitar Festival
The Long Island Guitar Festival continues tonight at the Setauket Presbyterian Church, 5 Caroline Ave., Setauket at 7:30 p.m. and runs through April 30. Scheduled performers include Berta Rojas, Laura Snowden, João Luiz & Friends Quartets, Boyd Meets Girl, Harris Becker, James Erickson, Laura Lessard, Octavio Deluchi, Gabriele Leite, Eduardo Gutterres, Penelope Shvarts, The Hofstra University Chamber Choir and many more. Master Classes will be given by Laura Snowden and João Luiz and luthier Brian Itzkin will lead a discussion/Q&A on Guitar Building in Granada, Spain. For a full schedule of events and tickets, visit www.ligfest.net.
Friday 28
Long Island Guitar Festival
See April 27 listing.
SBU Roth Regatta
Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook hosts its 34th annual Roth Regatta at Roth Pond at Roth Quad from 1 to 4:30 p.m. with a pregame opening at noon. A Stony Brook University tradition since 1989, the event showcases students in single, two and four-person homemade cardboard boats trying to sail across the campus’ 200-yard Roth Pond in a highspirited and festive competition that marks the beginning of final exams.
The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook presents jazz fusionist trombonist Ray Anderson in concert at 7 p.m. Anderson’s performance is part of the launching of the Jazz Loft’s new Institute for New Music, an affiliate of the Jazz Loft, which will serve as an “musical and artistic incubator” by providing time and space to new artists in a supportive setting. Anderson will be joined by Mark Helias on bass and Moshe Elmakias on piano. Tickets are $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students $15 children at www.thejazzloft.org.
Join the Leo P. Ostebo Kings Park Heritage Museum for a Hawaiian/Polynesian Night at the RJO School auditorium, 99 Old Dock Road, Kings Park at 7 p.m. Featuring dance
Join the Greater Middle Country Chamber of Commerce for a Community & Music Festival at the Centereach Turf Field, Elks Club Lodge parking lot and surrounding areas along Horseblock Road in Centereach from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Enjoy musical entertainment featuring SouthBound and The Band Easy Street, craft and business vendor tables, food trucks, beer garden, children’s activities and much more. Held rain or shine. Admission for ages 12 and over is $5. For more information, call 681-8708.
Port Jefferson Historical Society presents the 15th annual Antiques and Garden Weekend at the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101A E. Broadway, Port Jefferson today and April 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. featuring estate and antique Jewelry, quilts, folk art, furniture, vintage linens, artwork, depression glass, memorabilia, retro items, vintage garden items and Suwassett Garden Club Plant Boutique. Admission is $6. For more information, visit www.portjeffantiques-garden.net or call 473-2665.
Astronomy Day at the Vanderbilt
performances by Island Inspiration NY and Ohana Mokuloa. Free admission/donations appreciated. Visit www.kpheritagemuseum. net or call 269-3305 for more information.
The Northport Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of guest conductor Eric Mahl, will present a concert of classical music concert at Northport High School, 154 Laurel Hill Road, Northport at 8 p.m. Program will include Symphony No. 5 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikowsky, as well as compositions by Samuel Taylor-Coleridge and Ernest Chausson. Tickets are $10 at the door. Visit www.northportsymphony.org.
Friday Night Face Off, Long Island’s longest running Improv Comedy Show, returns to Theatre Three’s Second Stage, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson tonight at 10:30 p.m. Using audience suggestions, FNFO pits two teams of improvisers against each other in an allout championship! Recommended for ages 16 and up, due to adult content. Tickets are $15 at the door – cash only. Call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.
Long Island Guitar Festival
See April 27 listing.
Outdoor Thrift Garage Sale
Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown hosts an Outdoor Thrift Garage Sale fundraiser from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. around the double garage in the Sweetbriar parking lot. Featuring household items, bric-a-brac, antiques, collectibles and other treasures! Money goes back into the wildlife center. Call 979-6344 for additional information.
Town of Brookhaven hosts an Arbor Day Walk at West Meadow Beach, Trustees Road, Stony Brook at 10 a.m. and again at Cedar Beach 240 Harbor Beach Road, Mount Sinai at 2 p.m. Come take a closer look at the trees that shape the landscape and support the ecosystem on these beautiful north shore peninsulas. Bring binoculars to better see the birds and animals that live in or visit these trees. Free but registration is required by emailing npocchiare@brookhavenny.gov.
The Vanderbilt Reichert Planetarium, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport will celebrate Astronomy Day 2023, an international celebration of educational programs designed to engage audiences in the aweinspiring fields of Earth and space science, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with crafts, science demos, planetarium shows, solar observing and more. Astronomy Day continues in the evening from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Rose Garden adjacent to the planetarium where visitors will have a chance to see close up views of the Moon and other celestial highlights in the nighttime sky. Daytime activities are free to all visitors who pay general admission. Evening observing is free. Visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org for more info.
Three Village Historical Society continues its Tea with a Spot of History series with a presentation titled The Bald Eagle Comeback on Long Island with Patricia Paladines, copresident of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, at noon. RSVP at education@tvhs. org or call 751-3730.
Smithtown Nursery School, 490 North Country Road, St. James invites the community to a Spring Carnival Fundraiser from 1 to 4 p.m. with games, face painting, cotton candy, raffle baskets, and a special animal presentation by Sweetbriar Nature Center at 1 p.m. Tickets are $15 adults, $10 per child, children under 2 FREE. Call 5846767 for further details.
* All numbers are in (631) area code unless otherwise noted.
Selden FD Dixon Engine Company 3, 44 Woodmere Place, Selden hosts a Night At The Races at 6 p.m. with the first race at 7 p.m.$10 donation gets you one free bet and chance to win a door prize. Complimentary beer, wine, soda and hot dogs. For more information, call 732-1234.
Chamber Choir Concert
The North Shore Chamber Choir presents a spring concert celebrating contemporary composers at the First Presbyterian Church, 107 South St., Port Jefferson at 7 p.m. Program will feature the world premiere of the choral work, “On Being Human,” by Brian Dozier Brown as well as original works by Chelsea Lowe, Ben Yee-Paulson and Voss. Selections from Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen and Gustav Holst. The concert will also feature the Long Island Brass Guild, accompanying the choir as it performs John Rutter’s “Gloria.” A reception will follow. Tickets are $20, available at the door. A second spring concert will be held at St. John the Baptist Church, 1488 North Country Road, Wading River on April 30 at 7 p.m. (free will donation). For more info, email president@ northshorechamberchoir.org.
Sunday
Long Island Guitar Festival
See April 27 listing.
Antiques and Garden Weekend
See April 29 listing.
Chamber Choir Concert
See April 29 listing.
Caumsett Hike
Join the staff at Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, 25 Lloyd Harbor Road, Huntington for a 6-mile hike through the Eastern section of the park from 9:45 to 11:45 a.m. to observe the parks beauty. Adults only. $4 per person. Registration is required by calling 423–1770.
Spring Village Craft Fair
Smithtown Historical Society, 211 E. Main St., Smithtown hosts a Spring Village Craft Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with over 100 vendors featuring crafts, home décor, jewelry and more with festival food and live music. Free admission. Rain date is May 7. For more information, call 846-1459.
Silver Chords concert
The Silver Chords presents a free concert, The Times They Are A-Changin’, A Journey
Through the Changing World of Music and Culture, at the Moose Lodge, 631 Pulaski Road, Greenlawn at 2 p.m. with fabulous gift basket raffles. Call 816-5813 for more details.
Classical Music Concert
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Stony Brook, 380 Nicolls Road, E. Setauket will
host a Le Petit Salon de Musique classical music concert featuring acclaimed pianist and Yamaha featured artist Alexandria Le at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 students with valid I.D., $10 for children ages 12 and under at the door or at www.lepetitsalon. org. Please call 751-0297 for group pricing (10 or more).
Monday 1
No events listed for this day.
Tuesday 2
University Orchestra Concert
Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook hosts a University Orchestra concert on the Main Stage at 7:30 p.m. Conducted by Susan Deaver, the program will include Turina Procession du Rocio, Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 and Brahms Violin Concerto with featured soloist Elvina Liu. Tickets are $10 , $5 seniors and students. Call 632-2787 to order.
Wednesday 3
Cinco De Mayo Paint & Sip Nite
Join the Northport Historical Society, 215 Main St., Northport for a Cinco De Mayo Paint & Sip Nite at 6 p.m. Society Director and local artist Caitlyn Shea leads you on a painting adventure using margarita glasses as your canvas! $50 per person includes paint supplies, smocks and Cinco de Mayothemed beverages. For ages 21+ only. To register, visit www.northporthistorical.org. For more information, call 757-9859.
Thursday 4
SCCC Spring Concert
Suffolk County Community College’s Ammerman Department of Music, 533 College Road, Selden invites the community to a free spring concert in the Shea Theatre of the Islip Arts Building at 7 p.m. featuring a contemporary music ensemble, jazz ensemble and symphonic band. No tickets required.
Theater
‘Pride@Prejudice’
Theatre Three, 412 Main Street, Port Jefferson, presents the Long Island premiere of Pride @ Prejudice from April 7 through May 6. Watch Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy fall in love all over again — this time filtered through the world of the internet. Five actors play nearly two dozen roles in this hilarious and moving homage to Jane Austen’s most beloved novel, Pride and Prejudice. Tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 children ages 5 and up. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www. theatrethree.com.
area code unless otherwise noted.
The swashbuckling musical adventure The Scarlet Pimpernel heads to the John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport from March 16 to April 30. Percy Blakeney, a proper Englishman, takes on a sword fighting and dashing double identity as The Scarlet Pimpernel to save French citizens from the blood-hungry guillotine. His exploits soon become the talk of Paris, however, the fanatical Agent Chauvelin will stop at nothing to catch the Pimpernel and send him to the guillotine. Tickets range from $80 to $85. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.
Join the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington for a special screening of a new local documentary, Radioactive: The Women of Three Mile Island, on April 29 at 7 p.m. Compelling and significant, the film explores the worst commercial nuclear accident in U.S. history, and the grassroots movement to prevent the nuclear power industry from covering it up. A panel discussion, Q&A and reception with director Heidi Hutner, stars Beth Drazba, Paula Kinney, Linda Braasch, Joyce Corradi, Joanne Doroshow, and editor & producer Simeon Hutner will follow. Tickets are $19, $14 members at www.cinemaartscentre.org.
‘Singin’ in the Rain’
Celebrate St. James continues its Classic Movie Series at the Calderone Theatre, 176 Second St., St. James with a viewing of Singin’ in the Rain on April 30 at 1 p.m. followed by insights, commentary and discussion. Light refreshments will be served. Tickets are $25 per person, $20 seniors. To register, visit www.celebratestjames.org. Call 984-0201.
‘Kiss the Ground’ Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington will screen the documentary Kiss the Ground on April 30 at 3 p.m. Presented as part of Huntington Interfaith Climate Week, Kiss the Ground is an inspiring and groundbreaking film that reveals the first viable solution to our climate crisis. Narrated by Woody Harrelson. Followed by a discussion with stewardship program advisor and teacher Don Smith via Zoom. Tickets are $8 at www.cinemaartscentre.org.
‘Names, Not Numbers’
Suffolk Y JCCC. 74 Hauppauge Road, Commack invites the community to the premiere screening of a student produced Holocaust documentary Names, Not Numbers at Stage 74 on April 30 at 4 p.m. Featuring inspiring stories of survival from Mrs. Pearl Friend Mrs. Irene Halegua and Mr. Meir Usherovitz. Tickets are $25 in advance at www.syjcc.org, $36 at the door, free for students under age 18. Questions? Call 462-9800.
Continued from page B14
■ Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown seeks eco-friendly, educational, homemade, and handmade vendors for its annual Butterfly and Bird Festival on June 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. You’ll need to provide your own tables and a 10x10 tent. Spaces are $75 each. Hot food vendors (food trucks) are $300. Educational or environmental non-profits are free. To apply, email jbswbriarnc@aol.com.
■ Farmingville Hills Chamber of Commerce seeks vendors for its 11th annual Farmingville Street Fair between Leeds Blvd. and Warren Ave. on June 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Deadline is May 10. For an application, visit www. farmingvillestreetfair.com.
■ Kings Park Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for businesses, non-profits and community organizations for its 45th annual Kings Park Day on June 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at www.kingsparkli.com. Gift, craft and food vendors can register at www. depasmarket.com.
■ Vendor applications are now available for Sunshine Prevention Center’s Family Fall Festival at 468 Boyle Road, Port Jefferson Station on Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (rain date Oct 15). Fee is $50 for a 10 x 10 space, no charge for Agency Resource tables. Bring your own tables, tents, chairs. All vendors must also donate a prize ($20 value) for a raffle. Register at www.sunshinepreventionctr.org under fundraiser/fall festival or email drcarter. sunshinecenter@gmail.com.
■ Craft and new merchandise vendors are wanted for the St. Thomas of Canterbury Church Fall Car Show and Craft Fair, 90 Edgewood Ave., Smithtown, on Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $50 per booth (10’ by 10’ space). For more information, call 631-265-4520 or visit www.Stthomasofcanterbury.net to download an application.
Send your Vendors Wanted listings to leisure@tbrnewspapers.com
CALENDAR DEADLINE is Wednesday at noon, one week before publication. Items may be mailed to: Times Beacon Record News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733. Email your information about community events to leisure@tbrnewspapers. com. Calendar listings are for not-forprofit organizations (nonsectarian, nonpartisan events) only, on a spaceavailable basis. Please include a phone number that can be printed.
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Taking control now takes the pressure off them later – and you can rest assured your preferences will be honored. Our planning tool kit is exactly what you need to get started.
Start today. Peace of mind tomorrow.
INFANTJESUS
ROMANCATHOLICCHURCH
110MyrtleAve.,PortJefferson631-473-0165 Fax631-331-8094 www.www.infantjesus.org
REV.FRANCISLASRADO& PASTOR,ASSOCIATES: REVERENDGREGORYRANNAZZISI,
REV.ROLANDOTICLLASUCA
ParishOutreach:631-331-6145
WeeklyMasses: 7:30am(Monday-Friday)and
9amintheChurch
WeekendMasses: Saturdayat4:30pm,Sunday
intheChurch at7:30am,8:45am(Spanish),10:30am,and5pm 9:00amand12:00pmintheChapel..
SpanishMasses: Sundayat8:45am
intheChurch
TheSacramentofReconciliation remains
scheduledonSaturdays12:30-1:15pminthe
lowerchurch.
ST.GERARDMAJELLA
ROMANCATHOLICCHURCH
300TerryvilleRoad,PortJeffersonStation 631-473-2900www.stgmajella.org
REV.GREGORYRANNAZZISI,PASTOR
Mass: Saturday5pm
WeekdayMass: 9am Sunday8am,10am&12pm
Confessions: Saturday3:45pm-4:45pm
OfficeHours: Monday-Thursday9am-4:30pm
ThriftShop: Monday-Thursday10am-4pm
BaptismandWedding arrangementscanbe andFriday10am-2pm.
madebycallingtheParishOffice.
ST.JAMESROMAN CATHOLICCHURCH
429Rt.25A,Setauket Phone:631-941-4141Fax:631-751-6607
ParishOfficeemail:
parish@stjamessetauket.org
REV.MIKES.EZEATU, ASSOCIATEPASTOR REV.ROBERTSCHECKENBACK, REV.ROBERTKUZNIK,PASTOR www.stjamessetauket.org
SBUHOSPITALCHAPLAIN,INRESIDENCE
OfficeHours:Monday-Friday9amto4pm...
Saturday9am
Bereavement: 631-941-4141X341
FaithFormationOffice:631-941-4141X328
Outreach: 631-941-4141X313
OurDailyBreadSundaySoupKitchen
FoodPantryOpen OpenEveryWednesday To-Goandgroceries opened2-3pm,servinghotmeals
OpenEverySundayfrom2-3pm, from12Noonto2pm
MissionStatement:We,theCatholiccommunityoftheThreeVillagearea,formedasthe
BodyofChristthroughthewatersofBaptism,
areapilgrimcommunityjourneyingtowardthe
fullnessoftheKingdomofGod,guidedbythe
formedbytheGospel.Westrivetorespondto HolySpirit,nourishedbytheEucharistand
Jesusinvitation:tobefaithfulandfruitfuldisciples;tobeaGoodSamaritantoourneighborand
Charity...sothatinJesusname,wemaybea andtobelivingwitnessofFaith,Hopeand enemy;tobestewardsofandforGod’screation
itsdiversities. welcomingcommunity,respectfuloflifeinall
ST.LOUISDEMONTFORT
ROMANCATHOLICCHURCH
75NewYorkAvenue,SoundBeach Parishoffice:631-744-8566; fax631-744-8611
Parishwebsite:
ASSOCIATEPASTORREV.MSGR.DONALD PASTORREV.ALPHONSUSIGBOKWE, REV.MSGR.CHRISTOPHERJ.HELLER, www.stlouisdm.org
REV.FRANCISPIZZARELLI,S.M.M., HANSON,INRESIDENCE
PARISHASSISTANTREV.HENRYVAS
OfficeHours: Mon.,Tues.,Thurs.:
ClosedonSunday pm; Saturday: 9amto1pm; Wednesday: 9amto8pm; Friday: 9amto4 9amto5pm
MissionStatement:Toproclaimthegoodnews
ofJesusChrist’slovethroughouractiveinvolvementasaparishfamilyinworksof
statusisintheCatholicChurch.Nomatteryour AREWELCOME!Nomatterwhatyourpresent Charity,Faith,Worship,JusticeandMercy.ALL
familysituation.Nomatteryourpracticeoffaith.
Nomatteryourpersonalhistory,ageorbackground.YOUareinvited,respectedandlovedat
WeekdayMasses: St.LouisdeMontfort.
MondaythroughFriday8:30amintheChapel
WeekendMasses:SaturdayVigil:5pm
Sunday:7:30am;10:00am;12noon.
Baptisms:MostSundaysat1:30pm.
PleasecontactParishOfficeforanappointment.
Reconciliation:Saturday4-4:45pm
AnointingoftheSick:byrequest. orbyappointment.
HolyMatrimony: ContactParishOfficeatleast
ReligiousEducation:Contact631-744-9515 sixmonthsinadvanceofdesireddate.
ParishOutreach:Contact631-209-0325
ST.MICHAELTHEARCHANGEL SOCIETYOFSAINTPIUSX
900HorseblockRoad,Farmingville 631-736-6515sspxlongisland.com
SundayMasses at7amand9am
Pleaseconsultsspxlongisland.comforupdates
andcurrentmasstimes.
To be listed in the Religious Directory please call 631–751–7663
Christian
ISLANDCHRISTIANCHURCH 400ElwoodRoad,EastNorthport IslandChristian.com
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PASTORCHRISTOPHERCOATS
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Congregational
MT.SINAICONGREGATIONAL UNITEDCHURCHOFCHRIST 233NorthCountryRoad,Mt.Sinai 631-473-1582 www.msucc.org
REV.DR.PHILIPHOBSON
tothepublic “Masksarenotrequired, MountSinaiCongregationalChurchisopen
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Episcopal
ALLSOULSEPISCOPALCHURCH
Onthehillacrossfrom theStonyBrookDuckPond 61MainStreet,StonyBrook Visitourwebsitewww.allsoulsstonybrook.org
Sunday:8:00am VirtualMorningPrayer orcall631-655-7798
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InterdenominationalRosary
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CAROLINEEPISCOPALCHURCH OFSETAUKET
1DykeRoadontheVillageGreen,Setauket Website:www.carolinechurch.net email:office@carolinechurch.net
631-941-4245
REVNICKOLASC.GRIFFITH
Joinusincelebrating300yearsofcommunity,
10:00amThursdays HealingService Services fellowship&ministry!
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April309:30am-FloweringSunday: 300th
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CHRISTEPISCOPALCHURCH
127BarnumAve.,PortJefferson 631-473-0273 email:ccoffice@christchurchportjeff.org www.christchurchportjeff.org
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FatherAnthonyDiLorenzo
yourjourneyoflifewewanttobepartofit. welcomingcommunity.Whereveryouarein andministry.WeatChristchurchareajoyful, tomakehisloveknowntoallthroughourlives togrowinourrelationshipwithJesusChristand ItisthemissionthepeopleofChristChurch
ST.JOHN’SEPISCOPALCHURCH
“ToknowChristandtomakeHimknown” Rev.DuncanA.Burns,Rector Rev.JamesE.Reiss,Curate Rev.ClaireD.Mis,Deacon
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As you begin to read this article please pause for a moment and take stock of your immediate surroundings. What do you feel? Your fingertips feel the largely smooth texture of the surface of the newspaper (perhaps using Meissner corpuscles as I have since learned) and your legs and back feel the chair you’re sitting in. What do you see? Obvious is the fine print of this article and other articles and different shades of color contained in this edition. Lift your gaze to look around a palette of several dozen colors. As for smell? Maybe the aroma of your morning coffee or tea accompanying this reading experience.
Maybe your dog is curled up nearby. While you’d have no reason at this moment to think about it, the worlds you and your dog are currently experiencing are very different. Our entire set of sensory skills — which allows us to perceive and react to the world, varies markedly from a dog’s. We see color while dogs experience a more limited palette. We can detect many scents and odors but is far surpassed by the capability of dogs.
Some research papers indicate their ability to detect smells — "their sense to detect scents" — is 100,000 times more sensitive than ours. And as far as hearing goes, your furry pet far surpasses your ability in what it can hear, especially noises at higher ranges (remember a dog whistle which, when blown, cannot be heard by the person blowing it but is definitely heard by the dog?)
Now, let’s expand this idea outward to capture, say, some animal groups that might inhabit your backyard, such as birds, bats and insects. These groups perceive a very different world than we do. It is well known that some bird and insect species, for example, perceive ultraviolet or UV light, which humans, with rare exceptions, cannot (UV is the light spectrum below a wavelength of 380 nanometers). And a UV illuminated world for them is very different than the world illuminated for us. Certain floral patterns which we can’t see stand out as runways on flower petals for UV capable insects. Birds that have, to our eye, plumage that looks drab, actually have feather coats that radiate under UV light.
As for bats, their famous ability to echolocate — emitting high pitch sounds (too high for us to hear) to locate prey with a high degree of accuracy — is a sense and capability so far outside the realm of human experience as to seem “other worldly.” Several bird species also are capable of echolocation. In the Western Hemisphere that includes the oilbirds of northern South America.
Numerous marine mammal species also are known to echolocate — dolphins, as but one example. And unlike bats whose echolocation skills enable them to “only” detect the outer contours of their prey, dolphins can “see” inside their targets to perceive their organs and skeleton.
Another hard to grasp sense of birds is their ability to detect and utilize the Earth’s magnetic fields which they use to migrate effectively. Researchers aren’t fully sure of
the mechanism allowing them to achieve this, but it appears to involve proteins in a bird’s retina.
And I do mean hard to grasp — I’ve read, several times, the same explanatory article in Scientific American on the details of the current hypothesis regarding magnetic field perception in birds and how it aids their migration and I don’t fully understand what’s going on — involving stuff like cytochrome proteins in a bird’s retina, a blue photon hitting the cytochrome causing an electron to jump from an amino acid to a dinucleotide molecule which create a certain spinning of electrons that are, in turn, influenced by the Earth’s magnetic fields which the bird is able to utilize in determining direction. And I’ve left off the last most complicated steps…call me stupid but amazed!
Many other species, such as sea turtles and spiny lobsters, but not us humans, also are known to navigate by using the planet’s magnetic fields but the mechanisms they employ are less well understood. These “other worldly” abilities, and so many more which are so different from ours, are richly revealed in a wonderful, recently published book, An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us, by Ed Yong. As the subtitle suggests, Yong takes the reader through dozens of examples of how animals perceive the world in a very different way than we do, using senses we either don’t have or that are far more sensitive or acute. The book is 355 pages of profound discovery and a most worthwhile read.
As an example of the first are animals that can hear or transmit infrasound (below 20Hz), like whales and elephants. Humans can hear sounds as low as about 20 Hz, sounds lower than that are imperceptible to us unless extremely loud, so infrasound is outside our normal perceptive world. Not so with elephants who regularly communicate with infrasound, often involving elephant herds separated by impressive distances such as several miles.
Whales, using the medium of water, easily make sounds that easily exceed this distance, with the blue whale, the largest animal on the planet, generating sounds that can carry many hundreds, if not thousands of miles, in the ocean. When first suggested the idea was thought implausible even ridiculed; it is now widely accepted.
Or how about being able to feel the warmth of another person’s body that is not close to you but rather is several feet away?
NATURE MATTERS continued on page B24
Continued from page B23
Well, you’ve entered the realm of rattlesnakes which can detect the infrared radiation given off by a mouse from several feet away. And their ability to strike prey just by heat detection is so accurate that blindfolded rattlesnakes can successfully hunt. As for senses more acute than ours we turn to the hearing of a barn owl. In well-known (and well designed) experiments, barn owls were capable of routinely seizing prey in complete and utter darkness and they have a special feature we lack. Their ear openings are asymmetrically placed, positioned at slightly different heights on the side of the head. So not only can they accurately determine if a sound is coming from their left or right, in the vertical plane (something we do well), they can also tell where the maker of the sound is in the horizontal plane, since if the sound is coming from below, sound waves will reach the lower ear milliseconds before they reach the higher ear, the bird’s brain can process this information and pinpoint its prey.
And then there’s electricity generation. Electricity runs through the human body and is vital to human life. Elements like sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium, which we ingest through food and supplements, have electrical charge and enable us to
perform basic tasks like nerve generation and transmission and the creation of a heartbeat through muscular contraction. It is reported that the energy output of a resting human adult is equivalent to powering a 100 watt light bulb.
Some animals take electricity, though, to a new level. The best example involves electric eels. By discharging ions within electrocytes, which are specialized cells in specialized organs, the world champion eel has the ability to generate 860 volts of electricity — that’s nearly eight times the strength of the electricity available from your home’s wall outlet and is enough to debilitate and perhaps kill you. While we have little to worry about, not so for the fish and other aquatic animals that share the eel’s domain.
As Yong’s impressively detailed book repeatedly illustrates, the animals that share our planet display a mind-bogglingly rich suite of survival skills for which one article cannot begin to do justice. Let me prove it by one tiny slice of life — a single shorebird species — the Red Knot, a medium sized bird with a robin red colored breast and a spangled pattern of gold, buff, tan, and black on its back. Overwintering in the southern part of South America, flocks of Red Knots move north on the continent in April, launching in mid-May from the beaches of northern Brazil, driven by invisible impulses which we cannot understand, flying unerringly north
toward the East Coast of the United States.
Shaming human triathletes by their efforts, they will fly nonstop for several days as they traverse the waters of the western Atlantic, using the Earth’s magnetic fields, perhaps also using the Sun's polarized light, propelled by breathing in a way so much more efficient than the human respiratory system. Their heart will have beaten perhaps a million beats and their wings flapped several hundred thousand times during this leg.
They land, perhaps along Long Island’s South Shore or southern New Jersey, and begin to feed voraciously, sustained by tiny packets of protein in the form of horseshoe crab eggs — the perfect snack food. They feed so effectively that in a week to ten days they can add 50% more weight onto the weight they had upon arrival; in some cases they may double their weight in the form of subcutaneous fat.
Gaining enough stored energy they head further north for the last leg of their improbable flight, landing in the High Arctic, perhaps guided by those magnetic fields to the same hummock of dwarf tundra plants
where, the year before, they established a breeding territory. They have finished their almost impossible to comprehend 9,000 mile long journey. Just one remarkable story illustrating the unique senses and abilities of species, in a global tapestry of species’ stories that collectively form the planet's book of life.
A resident of Setauket, John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.
BY MELISSA ARNOLD
A few years ago, Smithtown resident Charles Armstrong was looking forward to a long, lazy summer break from high school. Then, everything changed when doctors found a tumor in his brain. He was only 15 years old.
Throughout the course of his intense treatment regimen, Armstrong was comforted and entertained by his family’s sweet new dog, Beef. In fact, Beef had such a special personality that someone suggested he write a book about her.
And that’s exactly what he did. Now 18 and thankfully cancer-free, Armstrong decided to share his story to help other kids with cancer feel a little less alone. His debut book, The Dog Named Beef and Her Superpower, focuses on Beef’s relationship with Charlie as she works to help him feel better. It’s light and approachable for young kids, and includes a note from Armstrong in the back that goes into more detail for older readers. The book has cute illustrations throughout and some real pictures of Beef and her family at the end. Kids stuck in bed will enjoy the activity pages that were wisely included as well.
Did you ever consider writing a book prior to your illness?
I wasn’t much of a creative kid. In fact, I had to take extended English classes because I struggled with it. I always told my parents I hated reading. But then in my junior and senior year of high school, I had a few teachers tell me that they really liked my writing. After my treatment, I realized I actually liked to read and started writing things on my own.
Did you have any warning signs that something was wrong prior to your diagnosis?
I was out riding my bike with some friends right after school got out for the summer in 2020. It was a hot day, and my head really started to hurt. I had lots of pressure in my head, along with black spots in my vision and nausea. I came home and told my parents, and they figured it was heat exhaustion, but decided to be on the safe side and take me to the doctor. Not long after that, results of the scans came back to show a ping pong ball sized tumor in the center of my brain. It flipped our whole world upside down.
It was a type of tumor called a pineoblastoma. The tumor was causing spinal fluid to build up and I developed hydrocephalus, so I had surgery to address that, and then the biopsy confirmed it was cancer. During
a second surgery, they were able to remove 99 percent of the tumor. After that, I had six weeks of radiation and six months of chemo infusions at Stony Brook.
It's hard for anyone to face cancer, but it's even rarer for young people to be in that position. Were you lonely?
It was tough because the COVID pandemic was also going on at the time, so there were a lot of restrictions on hospital visitors. But the staff did whatever they could to keep me connected to people while I was in the hospital. I would stay there for four or five days every month as part of my treatment routine. But my mom was able to take time off of work to stay with me, and I was able to use my phone to text with friends.
Did you have pets growing up?
Yes! We had both a cat and a dog when I was younger. My brother has a ferret, and we also have a bird.
Whose idea was it to get a dog?
It was a family decision. After our first dog passed away, we took some time to grieve and after a while we decided to go to an adoption event at Last Chance Animal Rescue in June of 2020. That’s where we met Beef. My brother and I volunteered there when we were younger.
What drew you to Beef?
She was so timid and hiding in the back of the area, but when we approached her she got so excited and licked our faces. We all fell in love with her right away. Other people were looking at her, but we said, “No way, this is our dog now!” As it happens, she had been up for adoption for several months before we met her. I guess she was waiting for us.
Many animals are known to be very caring, especially when a family member is sick. Did Beef treat you differently?
We hadn’t had her for that long when I got sick, but she could tell that something was wrong in the house. She knew we were distraught, and at night she would always snuggle with me.
How did she help you? Did she affect your family too?
She just always knew what to do to lift me up, whether it was putting her head on my shoulder or chasing her tail to snap me out of a rut. On days when I was feeling okay we would play together. She makes all of us laugh. There’s a scene in the book where she does a handstand, and something very similar to that actually happened. She’s so emotionally intelligent and funny.
Why did you decide to write a book about your experience?
Going through all of the treatment associated with cancer, I had support from so many different directions. I wanted to find a way to provide that support in some way to other kids My cousin’s girlfriend joked that I should write about Beef, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it could help other kids that were going through an illness. Beef is a funny dog, and the story could help them feel some of the love she showed me in that time.
Did you self-publish or use a traditional publisher?
I self-published through Amazon KDP. They made it very simple. It’s a lot of work,
but the process was pretty streamlined and it was a great experience overall.
Who is the illustrator?
The illustrator is Inga Buccella. My mom found Inga on Etsy, and she was so enthusiastic about being a part of the book when I told her my story.
What was it like for you when the book arrived?
It felt so surreal to hold it in my hands. It still doesn’t feel real to think of myself as a published author, but it’s great.
How are you doing now? What are you up to?
I had my most recent scans a few months ago, and they showed that I am still cancer free. I work a couple different jobs and am interested in getting into marketing. I’ve been working out a lot and just did my first Spartan race! I also got a chance to be a part of a short student film in New York City.
What is the target age for the book?
I wanted it to be accessible to as many kids as possible. I think it would be right up the alley of kids between the ages of 3 and 7, though other age groups might find it relatable, too.
The Dog Named Beef and Her Superpower is available now at Amazon.com. Keep up with Charles on Instagram @charlesparmstrong, and follow Beef’s antics on TikTok @the_ dog_named_beef.
We
Spring Festival at the Hatchery
Join Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor for a Spring Festival fundraiser on April 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (rain date May 6) Enjoy music, games, kid's fishing, food, environmental exhibitors and live animal encounters. Admission is $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 children ages 3 to 12. Call 516692-6768 for more information.
Spring Fishing at Caleb Smith
Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, 581 W. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown presents Spring Fishing 101 on April 29 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Join the staff at scenic Willow Pond for a children's introduction to catch and release fishing. Discover more about the different types of fishing poles, tackle, and bait, and which is best to use in a fresh water pond. View casting demonstrations and a lesson on the different types of fish that make Willow Pond their home. Then stay for some catch and release fishing. Poles, tackle, and bait will be provided. For children under age 15. $4 per child, $8 parking fee. Reservations are required by calling 631-265–1054.
Registration now underway! The Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook presents an after-school program for grades K-4 titled Hands-On Art on Tuesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Inspiration is all around us! Explore artworks at the museum and experiment with a variety of media and techniques to create your own masterpieces. Fee is $100 per child. To register, visit www.longislandmuseum.org and click Learn and Explore. For more information, call 631-751-0066, ext. 214.
Sunken Meadow State Park, Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park presents a Tiny Tots program for ages 3 to 5, Rocket Through the Solar System, on May 4 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. This program will connect children and their parents with nature through short walks, animal visitors, and crafts. $4 per child. To register, visit Eventbrite.com and search #NatureEdventure. Questions? Call 631-269-4333.
The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Seussical the Musical on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. through April 30.
"Oh the Thinks You Can Think!” Dive into the colorful world of Dr. Seuss as The Cat in the Hat tells the story of Horton, an elephant who sets off to save a speck of dust containing The Whos from destruction. All seats are $20. To order, call 631-2612900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.
'The Adventures of Peter Rabbit' Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson kicks off spring with The Adventures of Peter Rabbit from April 5 to 29. Join Peter Rabbit, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-Tail, Mrs. Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny and the McGregors in this delightful adaption suggested by the characters created by Beatrix Potter. All seats are $10. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www. theatrethree.com.
The Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington continues its Cinema for Kids! series with a screening of The Princess Bride, a fairy tale adventure about a beautiful young woman and her one true love who must scale the Cliffs of Insanity, battle Rodents of Unusual Size and face torture in the Pit of Despair to save her from the evils of the mythical kingdom of Florin, on April 30 at noon. Rated PG. Tickets are $12, $5 children 12 and under. Visit www.cinemaartscentre.org. Send
The Stony Brook women's lacrosse team (11-3, 6-0 CAA) remains the only team left undefeated in the CAA as it topped the Towson Tigers, 14-11, on April 22 to secure the No.1 seed heading into the program's first-ever CAA Tournament.
The Seawolves' offense was led by senior attacker Morgan Mitchell who tallied five goals. Senior attacker Kailyn Hart and junior midfielder Ellie Masera followed behind Mitchell registering a hat trick each. Graduate attacker Jolie Creo dished out a career-high eight assists, tied for second-most assists in a single game in program history with Taryn Ohlmiller, Kylie Ohlmiller, and Claire Petersen.
Towson got off to a hot start, scoring two back-to-back early goals courtesy of Halley Koras and Lindsey Marshall. However, Stony Brook did not stay silent for long as Masera converted a woman-up goal off a helper from Creo to get the squad on the board. The Tigers would add another goal to increase their lead to 3-1 with 10:08 remaining in the first quarter.
Less than one minute later, Masera and Mitchell would score back-to-back goals of their own to tie the contest, 3-3. The Seawolves found their offensive momentum as the squad would find the back of the cage five more times to grab hold of a 8-3 lead heading into the quarter break.
Throughout the first five minutes of the second quarter, Towson found the cage two times to cut its deficit to just three. Senior midfielder Kira Accettella would add the last goal for Stony Brook before heading into halftime with a 9-6 lead.
The Tigers added another two goals
The Stony Brook softball team run-ruled Hampton, 9-0, in five innings to win game three and ultimately take the series on April 23 at University Field.
It was all Seawolves in the series finale as the squad got off to a hot start with a solo home run in the first inning by sophomore outfielder Alyssa Costello. Junior infielder Sofia Chambers fed off of Costello's momentum, plating senior infielder Brooke Dye in the second inning after she singled up the middle.
Costello added to her standout day with a two RBI double up the middle in the second to bring home junior outfielder Alicia Orosco and Chambers which increased Stony Brook's lead to 4-0. Junior infielder Ashley Jacobson added a solo
home run of her own in the third and sophomore catcher Emily Reinstein was able to score off a wild throw by Hampton's catcher.
Senior catcher Corinne Badger sealed the victory for the Seawolves with a three-run home run in the bottom of the
fourth to secure the 9-0 win. "Just going up there and thinking about getting my barrel to the ball and just trying to hit it hard to help out my teammates anyway that I can," said junior infielder Ashley Jacobson on her successful hitting.
"Throughout the season my confidence has definitely gone up since the beginning of the season. I felt like I wasn't really stringing good at bats together, but now that confidence is there and it fuels off of my teammates 100 percent," said sophomore outfielder Alyssa Costello.
"We just need to keep playing good softball. We have put all three parts together in the last two games of the series, pitching, offense and defense. We are swinging at better pitches and we really want to be able to be productive through the lineup and not just rely on one person and I think it is tough when a team has to come out and really work on batters one through nine," said head coach Megan T. Bryant.
coming out of the half to find themselves within one. Junior midfielder Jaden Hampel and Hart added two goals in the remaining 7:10 left in the third quarter to give the squad a 11-9 lead heading into the final 15 minutes. The squad would go on to outscore Towson, 3-2, to secure their sixth consecutive conference win, the No. 1 seed in the CAA Tournament, and the 14-11 victory.
"Proud of our kids to secure the CAA, at least a share of the regular season championship and the one seed in the tournament. Towson is a great team that always brings it when we play each other. I thought we weathered the storms well and responded at opportune times. We took nearly 40 shots and most of those were high quality, so tip of the cap to their goalie who played excellent," said head coach Joe Spallina.
The team returns home to LaValle Stadium for the regular season finale and the Battle of Long Island on Friday, April 28. Face-off is set for 6:31 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on LacrosseTV.
BASEBALL
April
April
April 30 vs. NC AT&T State University..12 p.m.
May
May
May
SOFTBALL
May
May
WOMEN'S LACROSSE
April 28 vs. Hofstra .................... 6:31 p.m.
Stony Brook University is proud to power New York’s bold, collaborative response to the most pressing issue of our time — climate change.
The NY Climate Exchange on Governors Island will be the first-of-its-kind international center for developing and implementing effective solutions to our global climate crisis. With spirit and determination equal in magnitude to the challenge, a diverse coalition of community groups, corporations and leading universities are ready to collaborate, innovate and develop solutions and technologies to combat and respond to climate change.
As the state’s flagship university and anchor institution of The Exchange, Stony Brook is proud to offer our tradition of tireless inquiry and innovation to the research, development and demonstration of equitable climate solutions that transform New York City and are scaled globally.
Let’s change the world together!
Maurie McInnis President
