Arts & Lifestyles - December 2, 2021

ARTS&LIFESTYLES TIMES BEACON RECORD NEWS MEDIA DECEMBER 2, 2021

Disney's 'Encanto' casts a magical spell See review on page B23

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studios

ALSO: Holiday Light Shows return B11 ◆ Weekly Community Calendar B16 ◆ SBU Sports B18 ◆ Frosty is back at the Engeman B21

PAGE B2 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 2, 2021

Stony Brook University/SUNY is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educator and employer. 21110574H

For most cardiac care patients, it’s just a simple procedure …

Until you need more.

Scott’s decision to have his cardiac catheterization at Stony Brook University Heart Institute meant the lifesaving intervention they discovered he needed was only steps (rather than miles) away. Suffolk County’s only full-service cardiac care program, Stony Brook has the most advanced team, tools and techniques on-site to handle any cardiac care emergency.

Make an appointment with one of our cardiology experts today.

We’re ready to help.

(631) 44-HEART (444-3278) heart.stonybrookmedicine.edu 59180

DECEMBER 2, 2021 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B3

THE WINE CONNOISSEUR

Seven exciting Chilean red wines

Eric Stewart, Conductor Presents

A Baroque Holiday LISCA Chamber Choir & Island Chamber Players Featuring works by Bach, Charpentier and selections from Handel’s Messiah

Saturday, December 11, 2021 8:00 p.m.

Three Village Church 322 Main St, Setauket Pexels photo

2018 Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva, Maipo Valley. (Blend of Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Carmenère, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes). Aged 12 months in American and French oak barrels. Flavors of blackberry, cherries, herbs, chamomile, and plums. Serve with hot and spicy sausage in a tomato sauce.

2018 Viña Maquis Cabernet Franc “Gran Reserva” Colchagua Valley. Rubycolored with a medium bouquet of cherries, blueberries, spices, mint, green olive, and plums. A hearty beef and barley stew would be my choice.

2018 Viña Emiliana “Coyam” Colchagua Valley. (Blend of Syrah, Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Malbec, Carignan, Tempranillo, and Mourvèdre grapes). Cherry-colored with a full bouquet of spicy cherries, raspberries, black pepper, herbs, and plums. Pair with a sausage and mushroom pizza.

2018 Marques de Casa Concha “Cabernet Sauvignon,” Maipo Valley. Dark-colored with full-flavors of black currants, black raspberry, spices, plums, dill, rhubarb, and roasted coffee, with a long finish and lingering aftertaste. Overall, a stunning wine! This wine begs for a porterhouse steak cooked medium-rare and a baked potato.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He consults and conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR bkjm@hotmail.com.

Proof of vaccination will be required to attend in person.

Masks will be required of the audience and all performers as recommended by the CDC and American Choral Directors Association.

Admission $20, Seniors $15, Students Free.

The concert will also be streamed live for free. www.3vc.org/lisca2021 Tickets at the door. By credit card online go to www.lisca.org.

For inf formation, or to be added to our mailing list, call 631-751-2743.

2743.

ish” imes v a l “ T Y the N on,

Lips

6 Spectacular Performances

December 16 thru 19 Thursday at 7PM Friday at 7PM Saturday at 2PM & 7PM Sunday at 1PM & 6PM

Staller Center for the Arts Stony Brook University Box office (631) 632-ARTS

Email your community, business, health, class reunions and calendar listings to leisure@tbrnewspapers.com.

www.nutcrackerballet.com

“ENCHANTING” Parks, Newsday

Attended Staller Box Office hours are: Monday-Saturday 11AM-3PM & 2 hours before each show.

59130

Nature Matters........................................ B9 On the Web .............................................. B5 Power of 3 ............................................... B5 Religious Directory .............................B19 SBU Sports .............................................B18 Wine and Cheese .................................. B3 Theater Review .....................................B22

SEISKAYA BALLET’S

Nutcracker

In this edition: Calendar .................................................B16 Cooking Cove .......................................B15 Crossword Puzzle/Sudoku ................. B8 Horoscopes ............................................B15 Kids Korner.............................................B21 Medical Compass ................................. B7 Movie Review .......................................B23

59220

Chile has been making valuecentric wines for decades and they are available in many restaurants and wine shops.

Like California, Chile labels its wine by the name of the grape and this makes choosing one for dinner or just casual drinking

BY BOB LIPINSKI a snap.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and many other grapes flourish in Chile’s climate. The country is 2,650 miles long and about 150 miles wide, although most of it is a mere 100 miles in width. Red grapes account for 70% of the total acreage in Chile.

The country’s grape-growing season is six months earlier than the Northern Hemisphere’s. The vintage listed on a Chilean wine is the year in which the grapes were harvested, not the year in which the growing season began.

The below seven wines would be a welcome addition to any holiday celebration.

2019 Secreto de Viu Manent “Malbec,” Colchagua Valley. Enticing bouquet and flavor of cranberries, chocolate, black licorice, spicy cherry, and spices with a long aftertaste.

Serve with grilled portabella mushrooms.

2019 Koyle Gran Reserva “Carmenère,” Alto Colchagua. Organically grown grapes.

(Blend of Carmenère, Tempranillo, and Petit Verdot grapes). A bouquet and flavor of blueberry, green bell pepper, pomegranate, and tart-berries. Serve with roast duck brushed with a glazed orange or plum sauce.

2019 Concha y Toro “Gran Reserva Serie Riberas” Cabernet Sauvignon, Colchagua Valley. Dark colored with flavors of black currants, chocolate, blackberries, plums, licorice, and herbs. Very long aftertaste. A wonderful wine for roasted or grilled lamb chops.

LON LO NG ISLAND SYMPHONIC CHORAL ASSOCIATION

Lovelier Legs

PAGE B4 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 2, 2021

Jerry G. Ninia, MD, RVT, FACPh

E

njoy caroling, treats, tree lightings, special visits from Santa, and more on the North Shore this weekend. Check next week's TIMES ... and dates for tree lightings taking place on Dec. 11 and 12.

Cold Spring Harbor

The Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor will host a tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 4 from 5 to 7 p.m. Santa Claus will light the hatchery’s Christmas Tree at 5:30 p.m. Free admission. Suggested donation of $10 per family. 516- 692-6768.

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The Greenlawn Civic Association hosts a will host a "Meet at the Tree" Christmas Tree Lighting on Dec. 4 at 3:30 p.m. at the Harborfields Public Library Front Circle.

Join them for a celebration that includes holiday music, hot cocoa and treats, and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus with the Greenlawn Fire Department. A food/gift card drive will also take place to benefit HACO. www.greenlawncivic.org.

Kings Park

The Kings Park Chamber of Commerce hosts a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Veterans Plaza, King Park on Dec. 4 at 4:15 p.m. Enjoy holiday music selections followed by invocation and welcome remarks from the chamber with hot chocolate and cookies for all. 631-269-7678

Mount Sinai

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Holiday Tree Lightings on the North Shore

Join the Heritage Trust and the Mount Sinai Fire Department for a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Heritage Park, 633 Mount Sinai-Coram Road, Mount Sinai on Dec. 5 at 5 p.m. Listen to carols, enjoy hot chocolate and visit with Santa. 631-509-0882.

St. James

The St. James Chamber of Commerce invites the community to a Christmas Tree Lighting at Deepwells Farm County Park, 2 Taylor Lane, St. James on Dec. 4 at 4:30

The tree at Heritage Park in Mount Sinai will be lit on Dec. 5 at 5 p.m. File photo by Kyle Barr

p.m. with holiday music, pictures with Santa, cookies and hot chocolate. 631-584-8510.

Stony Brook

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization hosts a Holiday Tree Lighting at the Stony Brook Village Center Green, 111 Main St., Stony Brook on Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. as part of the WMHO's 42nd annual Holiday Festival.

631-751-2244.

Wading River

Join The Shoppes at East Wind, 5768 Route 25A, Wading River for a Holiday Tree Lighting on Dec. 4 from 3 to 7 p.m. Stop by to put a letter in Santa’s mailbox, enjoy music and dancing, and more holiday fun including holiday shopping at their Winter Fest. Santa arrives on a Fire Truck to light the tree and take free photo with families.

Santa will also be at the Shoppes on Dec. 11 and 18 from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. 631-929-3500

KIDS KORNER Children's Birding Adventures

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Call for an appointment 631–474–1414 or email us at info@mdvein.com Visit Our Website at www.mdvein.com ©56960

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Children ages 4 to 10 and their caregivers are invited to join the Four Harbors Audubon Society for a Children's Birding Adventure at Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Road, Setauket on Saturday, Dec. 4 from 1 to 2 p.m. Take part in story time, a bird walk, and a bird-inspired activity. Enjoy some family fun while you learn about our feathered friends! Bring binoculars and meet at the entrance to the park, just past the rear of the post office. Free but preregistration is required by emailing 4HASNextGen@gmail.com.

Family Hour Sundays

The Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington will host a Family Hour Sunday on Sunday, Dec. 5 from 1 to 2 p.m. Children ages 5 through 10 are invited for a family-friendly art experience with Museum Educator Tami Wood!. Explore works of art in the Museum and create fun art projects. $10 per child, adults free. Registration is required by visiting www.heckscher.org. For more information, call 631-380-3230.

See more events for children on page B21

DECEMBER 2, 2021 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B5

KNOWLEDGE SEEKERS

CSHL’s Tollkuhn links role of gene to lower energy in post-menopausal women Harnessing the Technology of our Research Giants

‘The long term goal is to figure out why there is a greater increase in [certain diseases] in men or women, which could lead to the development of better treatment.’

SPOTLIGHTING DISCOVERIES AT (1) COLD SPRING HARBOR LAB (2) STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY & (3) BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LAB

— JESSICA TOLLKUHN

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF

They are like directors in a carefully choreographed production, instructing certain groups that become active, while giving others a five-minute break.

In the case of the human body, directors take many forms, including hormones; the same hormones that can transform adorable, sweet and well-behaved children into smelly, strong-willed teenagers.

Hormones like estrogen, testosterone and progesterone affect people at various ages and in different ways.

Recently, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Assistant Professor Jessica Tollkuhn and her graduate student Bruno Gegenhuber teamed up with University of California at San Francisco Herzstein Professor of Molecular Physiology Holly Ingraham to link the way estrogen in a specific area of the brain turns on particular genes.

For mice that are representative of post-menopausal women, the lower activity of a gene called melanocortin-4, or MC4R causes these mice to become less active.

By activating MC4R neurons in the ventrolateral ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus of the brain in the absence of estrogen, researchers caused a dramatic increase in physical activity and 10 percent body weight loss after one day.

Additionally, turning up the MC4R gene increased their bone density over time.

Linking the gene activated by estrogen in a part of the brain that affects how adult females use energy, the scientists provided a causative link that explains lower energy in this population.

Tollkuhn said her contribution showed that the estrogen receptor binds DNA in the presence of hormones.

The scientists published their research in the journal Nature.

“If anything, this paper is a study of how just one gene can show this exquisite behavioral response,” Tollkuhn added.

The MC4R gene is also found in the male brain, although not in the same area. Experimentally, turning up the gene also increases physical activity in males.

Numerous drugs currently target this gene in connection with increasing libido in postmenopausal women. Using these treatments for other issues, like weight gain and activity level, would require additional study.

Estrogen affects numerous other areas of the body, including some that may cause other problems.

Hormone replacement therapy has contributed to the development or worsening of other cancers, such as breast cancer, although it is not clear why or how this happens.

“There’s evidence that there can be positive benefits [like bone and mental health], but also evidence that it can increase the risk of cancers,” Tollkuhn said.

Ingraham knew Tollkuhn from their overlapping research experiences at the University of California at San Diego and, later at UCSF. Ingraham had reached out to Tollkuhn to see if the experiments in Tollkuhn’s lab could determine the link between the hormone and the MC4R gene.

“It’s always a challenge in biology to get a direct causality” because numerous factors in a

Jessica Tollkuhn Photo courtesy of CSHL

living system could contribute to the development of a condition or a behavior, Tollkuhn said.

Tollkuhn suggested that the bulk of the experiments were done in Ingraham’s lab.

Ingraham recognized early on the benefit of finding these direct binding sites.

“We are saying, ‘Here is a hormone and it is acting through this molecule and it’s causing this change … that we know is really important for eliciting this behavior,” Ingraham said.

Ingraham, who worked with Tollkuhn when she was a post doctoral researcher and Tollkuhn was a graduate student in Geoffrey Rosenfeld’s lab at UC San Diego, called her colleague “really talented” and said she “spent years working this whole system out. It’s heroic and nobody else has done it.”

Ingraham sent Rosenfeld a message after the journal Nature accepted their paper, indicating his

trainees had “hit pay dirt on this one.”

Ingraham hopes the paper motivates other researchers to think about entering this area and tackling this challenge, which is so important for women’s health.

“The only way we’re going to move forward for women’s health is to understand all these different facets of what estrogen is doing in the brain,” she added.

In press coverage of the research, Ingraham described the comments as falling into two categories. In the first, women suggest that they’re past menopause and have never been more active. In the second, women indicate that getting hormone replacement therapy genuinely helped them, including with brain fog.

Other scientists have sent Ingraham congratulatory emails about the paper. They have “appreciated that this had such a great molecular story,” she said.

ONLY ON THE WEB: Check out the following stories on our website, www.tbrnewsmedia.com » Huntington Station resident Bryan Gray raises over $3,700 for United Way » Smithtown officials plant Dawn Redwood honoring 475 Smithtown residents lost to Covid-19 » Meet Angel, this week’s Shelter Pet of the Week » Photo of the Week by Fred Drewes » Simple ways to prolong the life of poinsettias Angel needs a home. » Recipe with video: Fresh Ginger Cookies

In a broader research context, Tollkuhn is interested in determining how hormones affect the brain during sexual differentiation.

She is now focused on identifying a new repertoire that she and others can explore in future studies.

Tollkuhn’s lab is also investigating how estrogen influences brain development.

She has found dozens of genes she would like to understand in the kind of detail with which she explored MC4R. Estrogen receptors also are connected to HTR1A and HTR1D, which are genes for serotonin receptors and may connect estrogen to mood.

Studies in scientific literature have shown that numerous psychiatric and neurological conditions have sex differences in terms of their impacts on men and women.

“We have these pieces and we can try to put together this puzzle,” Tollkuhn said. “We can try to understand why this would be the case. The long term goal is to figure out why there is a greater increase in [certain diseases] in men or women, which could lead to the development of better treatment.”

Tollkuhn is also interested in understanding the progression of neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s, which is twice as likely in women as in men. The symptoms for this disease develops more rapidly in post menopausal women, who typically have a more precipitous decline in estrogen than older men do in their levels of testosterone.

“I’m interested in what hormone receptors are doing in the brain,” she said.

PAGE B6 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 2, 2021

HELPING YOU NAVIGATE TO OPTIMAL HEALTH

EXCITING UPDATE:

Two of my research studies were recently published by the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine showing that my whole food plant based LIFE diet reduces inflammation, the root of many chronic diseases.

David Dunaief, M.D. Integrative Medicine

• A Whole Body Approach •

We Are Accepting

NEW PATIENTS

I am open for In-Person Appointments, taking all necessary precautions with masks, meticulous disinfecting, and air purifiers with HEPA filters.

I am also still offering Zoom and phone appointments.

Reversing, Preventing & Treating Chronic Disease and Managing Weight by Connecting Conventional Medicine with Lifestyle Modifications Our Philosophy is simple.

We believe wellness is derived through nutritional medicine and lifestyle interventions that prevent and treat chronic diseases.

Medications have their place - and in some cases can be lifesaving.

However, there’s no medication without side effects. The goal should be to limit the need for medications - or minimize the number of medications you take on a regular basis.

You are not limited by your genes.

Fortunately, most diseases are based primarily on epigenetics, which are environmental influences, and not on genetics. Epigenetics literally means above or around the gene. In epigenetics, lifestyle choices impact gene expression. Just because your first degree relatives may have had a disease, you are not predestined to follow suit.

We are specialists who will partner with your primary care physician.

A standard medical education does not integrate enough nutritional medicine and other lifestyle interventions. We bridge that gap.

We use evidence-based medicine to guide our decision-making.

The amount of research related to nutrition and other lifestyle issues continues to grow rapidly, with many studies showing significant beneficial effects on health.

We treat each patient as an individual.

We will work with you to develop a plan that allows you to take a proactive role in managing your own health. The health outcomes are worth the effort.

Is disease reversal possible?

Absolutely! Study evidence has found this to be true, and many of our patients have experienced reversal of diabetes, autoimmune disorders, migraines, and cardiovascular disease, just to mention a few. In many cases, because of their exceptional results, our patients have been able to reduce or eliminate their medications.

Read more common questions and answers on medicalcompassmd.com.

Dr. Dunaief has written over 2,000 medical research articles that have been published in Times Beacon Record Newspapers.

We invite you to tune in to our new weekly Medical Compass health video at tbrnewsmedia.com

47 Route 25A, Setauket NY (Across From Convenience Drive-thru)

631.675.2888

NE W L OC AT ION!

41 Clark Street, Brooklyn, NY 718.924.2655

drdunaief@medicalcompassmd.com • Visit our website www.medicalcompassmd.com 59250

David Dunaief, M.D. Clinician, Researcher, Author and Speaker Dr. Dunaief was also recently published in The New York Times and appeared on NBC, News 12 Long Island and News 12 Brooklyn.

Preventing and Reversing Chronic Conditions and Diseases Including: High Blood Pressure High Cholesterol/Triglycerides Heart Disease • Stroke Diabetes Type 1 and Type 2 Obesity • Breast Cancer Prostate Cancer • Lung Cancer Colorectal Cancer • Osteoarthritis Osteoporosis • Reflux Disease Sleep Apnea • Migraine and many more “My relatives all died from diabetes or complications by 57. I was on a statin and four diabetes medications including insulin when I started at 55 with Dr. Dunaief. In two months, I was able to stop them all. I’m now 59. The numbness in my feet is gone, I can move my toes much better, and I’m no longer short of breath.” – T.C.

Dr. Dunaief builds a customized plan for each patient - he knows that “no body is the same.”

DECEMBER 2, 2021 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B7

MEDICAL COMPASS

Are thyroid nodules concerning?

95 percent found incidentally are benign

More than 50 percent of people have thyroid nodules detectable by highresolution ultrasound (1). Fortunately, most are benign. A small percent, 4 to 6.5 percent, are malignant, with the number varying depending on the study (2).

Thyroid nodules are diagnosed more often incidentally on radiologic exams, such as CT scans of the chest, MRI scans, PET BY DAVID DUNAIEF, MD scans and ultrasounds of the carotid arteries in the neck, rather than as a consequence of symptoms (3).

There is a conundrum of what to do with a thyroid nodule, especially when it is found incidentally. It depends on the size. If it is over one centimeter, usually it is biopsied by fine needle aspiration (FNA) (4). While most are asymptomatic, if there are symptoms, these might include difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, hoarseness, pain in the lower portion of the neck and a goiter (5).

FNA biopsy is becoming more common.

In a study evaluating several databases, there was a greater than 100 percent increase in thyroid FNAs performed over a five-year period from 2006 to 2011 (6). This resulted in a 31 percent increase in thyroidectomies, surgeries to remove the thyroid partially or completely.

However, the number of thyroid cancers diagnosed with the surgery did not rise in this same period. Though the number of cancers diagnosed has increased, the mortality rate has remained relatively stable over several decades at about 1,500 patients per year (7).

Thyroid nodules in this study were least likely to be cancerous when the initial diagnosis was by incidental radiologic exam.

Evaluating borderline results

As much as 25 percent of FNA biopsies are indeterminate. We are going to look at two techniques to differentiate between benign and malignant thyroid nodules when FNA results are equivocal: a PET scan and a molecular genetics test.

A meta-analysis (a group of six studies) of PET scan results showed that it was least effective in resolving an unclear FNA

(11). The factors that did contribute to growth of about 11 percent of the nodules were age (<45 years old had more growth than >60 years old), multiple nodules, greater nodule volume at baseline and being male.

The authors’ suggestion is that, after the follow-up scan, the next ultrasound scan might be five years later instead of three years. However, they did discover thyroid cancer in 0.3 percent after five years.

Thyroid function may contribute to risk

Symptoms of thyroid nodules include difficulty swallowing and breathing. Stock photo

biopsy. The PET scan was able to rule out patients who did not have malignancies, but did not do a good job of identifying those who did have cancer (8).

On the other hand, a molecular-based test was able to potentially determine whether an indeterminate thyroid nodule by FNA was malignant or benign (9).

Unlike in the PET scan study above, the researchers were able to not only rule out the majority of malignancies but also to rule them in. It was not perfect, but the percent of negative predictive value (ruled out) was 94 percent, and the positive predictive value (ruled in) was 74 percent. The combination test improved the predictive results of previous molecular tests by 65 to 69 percent.

This is important to help decide whether or not the patient needs surgery to remove at least part of the thyroid.

Significance of calcification detected by ultrasound

Microcalcifications in the nodule can be detected on ultrasound. The significance of this may be that patients with microcalcifications are more likely to have malignant thyroid nodules than those without them, according to a small prospective study involving 170 patients (10). This does not mean necessarily that a patient has malignancy with calcifications, but there is a higher risk.

Good news

As I mentioned above, most thyroid nodules are benign. The results of one study go even further, showing that most asymptomatic benign nodules do not progress in size significantly after five years

In considering risk factors, it is important to note that those who had normal thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were less likely to have a malignant thyroid nodule than those who had high TSH, implying hypothyroidism. There was an almost 30 percent prevalence of cancer in the nodule if the TSH was greater than >5.5 mU/L (12).

Fortunately, most nodules are benign and asymptomatic, but the number of cancerous nodules found is growing. Why the death rate remains the same year over year for decades may have to do with the slow rate at which most thyroid cancers progress, especially two of the most common forms, follicular and papillary.

References:

(1) AACE 2013 Abstract 1048. (2) Thyroid.

2005;15(7):708. (3) uptodate.com. (4) AACE 2013 Abstract 1048. (5) thyroid.org. (6) AAES 2013 Annual Meeting. Abstract 36. (7) AACE 2013 Abstract 1048. (8) Cancer. 2011;117(20):45824594. (9) J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Online May 12, 2015. (10) Head Neck. 2008 Sep;30(9):12061210. (11) JAMA. 2015;313(9):926-935. (12) J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(11):4295.

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.

Help your local community by participating in New York Blood Center's blood drives: ◆ Harborfields Public Library, 31 Broadway, Greenlawn will hold a blood drive on Thursday, Dec. 9 from 1 to 7 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room. Walkins welcome. Call 631-757-4200. ◆ St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center, 50 Route 25A, Smithtown hosts a blood drive on Friday, Dec. 3 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the St. Vincent's & St. Rafael's Conference Rooms. Call 631-862-3000.

To find a COVID-19 vaccination site near you, text your zip code to 438829 or visit www.vaccines.gov

NEWS AROUND TOWN

Northport Polar Plunge

Save the date! The Town of Huntington and Special Olympics New York will host a Polar Plunge fundraiser at Crab Meadow Beach, Waterside Ave., Northport on Saturday, Dec. 11. Registration is at 10 a.m., plunge at 11:30 a.m. Help support the athletes of Special Olympics New York. For more details, visit www. polarplungeny.org.

Holiday House Tour

The Huntington Historical Society invites the community to an opening reception for its newest exhibit titled Holiday House Tour in Miniature at the Huntington History & Decorative Arts Museum in the Soldiers and Sailors Building, 228 Main St., Huntington on Sunday, Dec. 5 from 3 to 5 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call 631-351-3244.

Winter Walks Through Time

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) presents a new seasonal walking tour titled “Winter Walks Through Time” that will feature stories passed down through the ages and new interpretations of Stony Brook Village from indigenous people to modern day marketing.

Participants in the walking tour will enjoy new stories about Stony Brook Village and its former residents. This includes the history of winter whaling on Long Island, how Dorothy Melville saved Christmas, the design of Stony Brook Village by Ward Melville and Richard Haviland Smyth, and the history and magic of holiday window displays.

Tours will leave from the Stony Brook Post Office at 129 Main Street on Friday, Dec. 10 at 10:50 a.m. and 2:50 p.m. Tickets for this event are $15 per person, and includes hot chocolate from Stony Brook Chocolate. Reservations are required by calling the Ward Melville Heritage Organization at 631-751-2244.

Send your community news to leisure@tbrnewspapers.com

PAGE B8 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 2, 2021

Huntington Winter Farmers Market opens for the season Get your farm fix in the off-season when the Huntington Winter Farmers Market returns every Sunday, Dec. 5 to March 27, 2022 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Located behind the senior center at 423 Park Ave., Huntington, the Market has provided Long Island residents with a direct source of local produce and goods during the winter months since 2010. Visitors will find items ranging from hydroponic greens to artisan breads and vegan treats and everything in between.

For more information, call 631-944-2661.

Stephanie Quayle

Free giveaway courtesy of Toy and Gift Drive Just in time for the holidays, Theatre Three TBR News Media in Port Jefferson hosts its 2nd annual Toy

SUDOKU PUZZLE

Be the first to email us at leisure@ tbrnewsmedia.com and win two tickets to Stephanie Quayle: Country Christmas at Stony Brook University's Staller Center Recital Hall, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 8 p.m.

For this special holiday show, Quayle will perform some of her favorite Christmas classics, along with new songs like "By Heart" and "Wild Frontier," and country hits "Selfish," "Drinking with Dolly," and more.

Questions? Call 631-751-7744, ext. 109.

and Gift Drive for Open Cupboard at Infant Jesus Church on Sunday, Dec. 5. Please note new drop off location! They will be collecting unwrapped toys and gifts at the old Infant Jesus Convent Building at 110 Hawkins Street, Port Jefferson from 9 a.m. to noon. Examples of needed items include puzzles, board games, dolls (baby, Barbie, Frozen), soccer balls, basketballs, arts and crafts, Legos, Paw Patrol, LOL Surprise, jewelry making kits and Beyblades. Call 631938-6464 for further details.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

THEME: Reality TV CLUES ACROSS 1. "Oh, my!"

5. Say untruth 8. Left or right 12. Spiritual leader 13. *"____ing Up with Marie Kondo" 14. Great reviews 15. Related 16. Double reed woodwind 17. Fourth deck 18. *"The ____ ____," MTV's trailblazing reality show 20. Affirm with confidence 21. I to Greeks, pl.

22. ____ Baba 23. Powerball and such 26. Swaggering show of courage 30. Spermatozoa counterparts 31. Based on two 34. Has a mortgage 35. ____ dog, gin and grapefruit juice cocktail 37. DNA transmitter 38. *"The Real Housewives" is full of this type of conflict 39. Write on a tombstone 40. Unwholesome atmosphere 42. Hairpiece, slangily 43. Stitched again 45. Unit of electric current flow 47. Solemn pledge 48. Like nose during hayfever 50. Uncouth one 52. *"Who ____ ____ ____ a Millionaire?"

56. Front of cuirass 57. Sixth month of civil year 58. "Jack and the Beanstalk" instrument 59. Travesty 60. Italian money 61. *"Vanilla Ice Goes Amish" and "Cleveland Hustles" state 62. *"____house Masters" on Animal Planet 63. *Not KhloÈ or Kourtney 64. Common allergens

Answers to last week's puzzle:

Languages

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:

CLUES DOWN 1. Gelatin substitute 2. Gospel writer 3. "Tosca" song, e.g.

4. Like sunroom, hopefully 5. Balance in the sky 6. *"Pop ____" and "American ____," pl.

7. Gave the once-over 8. *"Outwit, Outplay, Outlast" show 9. Not active 10. Point of entry 11. Sixth sense 13. Foot, to a child 14. Aussie bear 19. Buzz Lightyear's buddy 22. Brow shape 23. *"The Biggest ____" 24. Egg-shaped 25. Same as talcums 26. Civil rights concern 27. In the know 28. Raise objections 29. Missouri River tributary 32. Like a desert 33. Crime scene evidence 36. *Singing competition (2 words) 38. Curses 40. Feline sound 41. "I think I can, I think I can...", e.g.

44. "For better or for ____" 46. "Monty ____'s Flying Circus" 48. r in a circle, pl.

49. Deprive of weapons 50. *Star of wilderness reality shows, ____ Grylls 51. Fairytale beast 52. Street-crossing word 53. Hawaiian island 54. Londoner, e.g.

55. Narrative poem 56. Back of a boat

* THEME RELATED CLUE Answers to this week’s puzzle will appear in next week’s newspaper.

DECEMBER 2, 2021 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B9

NATURE MATTERS

The Night Sky - Winter

BY JOHN L. TURNER

If you’re like most people you’ve always had at least a mild interest in the constellations of the night sky and may have even taken a crack at identifying some of the constellations in the Northern Hemisphere. Well, here’s MY crack at providing a method for you to learn some of the constellations and other night objects during the winter season when the sky is clearer and generally contains less atmospheric moisture.

A future column will be devoted to learning the Summer constellations.

A great jumping off point to learn the winter constellations and sky objects is the constellation of Orion (the Hunter), perhaps the most conspicuous constellation of all. Orion is hard to miss with its three prominent stars in a line forming the hunter’s belt and the four prominent stars that form its shoulders and knees.

Above the belt and to its left, forming Orion’s right shoulder, is Betelguese (pronounced beetle juice), a red giant (and it does look reddish) which is estimated to be about 400 times the size of our sun and 3,000 times as bright!

Forming the hunter’s left knee is Rigel, another bright star, but unlike Betelguese it burns a bright blue-white. Orion’s right arm is holding an identifiable club and his left arm is holding a shield to fend off Taurus the Bull which is next door.

The three straight-in-line belt stars of Orion hold his sword, which “hangs” from the central belt star. This area is rich in star formation and your binoculars (and if you don’t have binoculars remember the holiday season is coming) will show a fuzzy cloud, the result of the collective light of the stars in the region. The Great Nebula is situated here.

If you follow the three stars of the belt to your left (east) and down you’ll soon arrive at the brightest star in the heavens — Sirius, the Dog Star located in the constellation of Canis Major, the Big Dog. It is almost twice as bright as the next brightest star, Canopus, a star of the Southern Hemisphere. Sirius means “blazing” in Greek, an apt description given its luminosity.

Pixaby photo

Use the three belt stars of Orion heading in the opposite direction and you’ll head toward Taurus the Bull; continue in a line and you'll come to a group of tightly packed bright stars — the “Pleiades” which looks like a tiny Big Dipper for which it is occasionally mistaken. The Pleiades star cluster (also known as the Seven Sisters, although the seventh star is hard to see) is the logo of Subaru, the car manufacturer, something you can confirm the next time you pull up to a Subaru at a light.

Below and to the left of the Pleaides you’ll see another reddish star — Aldebaran, which is the eye of the Bull, as it is rushing toward Orion. A little above and to the right of this red star is another star cluster — The Hyades. This is the closest star cluster to the Earth, a mere 150 light years away (that’s still pretty far at 900 trillion miles away for those who are curious) meaning the light you see emanating from these stars began their travel across the vast expanse of space in 1871.

Taurus has two other fascinating objects — the Crab and Horsehead Nebulas; the former is barely visible with 10x binoculars while the latter (which indeed looks like the head of a raging stallion facing left) requires much more powerful

instruments. The Crab Nebula is thought to be the remains of a supernova that exploded back in 1054, an event that Chinese astronomers made note of (some reports suggest that the supernova was 500 million times as bright as our sun during its explosion).

In the middle of this nebula, in the aftermath of this cataclysmic explosion, exists a neutron star. Neutron stars are incredibly dense objects and in the “really, really hard to believe they’re real category” please note that a square inch of neutron star material is thought to weigh about 3 billion tons; yes that's billion with a "b." Taken from a Wikipedia account regarding neutron stars: "A neutron star is so dense that one teaspoon of its material would have a mass about 900 times the mass of the Great Pyramid of Giza." This is one of many bizarre features existing in the Universe in which we live!

On especially clear nights, when sufficiently dark, if you look above Orion (just above Betelguese) you might notice a diffuse, irregularly shaped band of white that runs across the sky. This "milky" band is the light of tens of billions of stars that collectively make up the Milky Way Galaxy, the galaxy in which our Solar System resides. If you imagine the galaxy

as being shaped like a pinwheel with slender arms, our solar system is situated about half way out on one of the arms.

Scan the Milky Way with your binoculars and you’ll be instantly overwhelmed by the sheer and blinding number of stars, varying pinpricks of light in the velvety blackness.

When I last looked at the Milky Way, a couple of days ago, it reminded me of our most humble place in the universal ethos and of a famous line by the poet Robinson Jeffers: "There is nothing like astronomy to pull the stuff out of man, His stupid dreams and red-rooster importance: let him count the star-swirls".

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.

PAGE B10 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 2, 2021

YOUR TURN

Never give up on love

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Jolie Powell with her fiancé Anthony.

day and everyone around her gets to feel that warmth. For that, Anthony, I am truly grateful — welcome to this wild Cuban bunch of ours. We love you Ammo.

To Jolie my mother and Anthony — Here’s to a life time full of happiness, joy, never ending adventures, a strong R and C — and having never given up on love.

LISCA holiday concert set for Dec. 11

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If you are lucky enough to know Jolie Powell, you know this — successful business woman, mother, sister, aunt, mentor, an avid golf player and lover of photography.

The most caring woman with a Cuban flare.

Little did we know she could break all the barriers and be even happier, even more positive, even more energetic with just the addition of one thing — Love.

Anthony and Jolie met through a mutual friend in February of this year. Anthony, a Long Island native, didn’t know either that his life was missing one thing and that was Jolie. They immediately knew that they were each other's missing piece. And from that moment on, inseparable. Always on adventures, bike rides, exploring the south shore or creating new dishes in the kitchen, they held hands through every moment.

This Thanksgiving, my mother's 66th birthday, her soulmate asked her to marry him.

I have never seen this excitement and joy, pure love, in my mothers eyes and it’s written all over her face. She glows every

59240

The Long Island Symphonic Choral Association (LISCA) and Island Chamber Players present a holiday concert of music from the baroque period on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 8 p.m.

A lovely venue, the Three Village Church, 322 Main St., Setauket, will host this exciting program which features works by Bach, Charpentier and well-known selections from Handel's Messiah. Eric Stewart, director and conductor of both groups, will take the baton.

Singers love to sing. The hiatus from that beloved activity imposed upon the members of the chorus has been a hardship for the performers as well as the audience.

LISCA is back this holiday season, but reconfigured to chamber size for continued safety consideration.

This March, 2022 LISCA is planning and hoping to return to its' full complement of singers for a seasonal concert.

On Dec. 11 the singers will be joined by the newly formed Island Chamber Players comprised of superb instrumentalists, including some from the graduate music program at Stony Brook University that

Director & Conductor Eric Stewart

have accompanied the chorus in past performances.

Proof of vaccination and mask-wearing by all quests and performers will be required as recommended by the CDC and American Choral Directors Association.

Tickets costs will be $20 for general admission and $15 for seniors, available at the door or at www.lisca.org. Students are free. Live streaming of the concert will be available at no fee at www.3vc.org/ lisca2021. For further information, please call 631-751-2743.

DECEMBER 2, 2021 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B11

FEATURE STORY Festive light shows brighten Suffolk County this holiday season

BY TARA MAE

Bright Lights

of Suffolk County, including funding for programs, campgrounds’ maintenance, stewardship system, and community outreach,” Multimedia Designer for Girl Scouts of Suffolk County Elena Rios said.

Tickets are sold online or in person. Via the website, tickets are $22 per car and $25 per car at the gate. No cash transactions will be accepted. For more information, visit www.smithpointlightshow.com or call 631543-6622.

Smith Point Light Show

Winter Wonderland at the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center in Yaphank first appeared in 2020, and offers a selfguided walking tour through the grounds of the interactive, educational, working farm, which is a Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Visitors may enjoy the light show, farm animals, and photo opportunities as well as hay rides, hot chocolate, and a lantern craft to take home. The event will take place on Dec. 4, 11, and 18, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“Experiencing the farm at night is super unique and special as we [normally] close at 3 p.m. daily. The farm is magical at night,” said Director of the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center Vicki Fleming.

To attend the show, pre-registration is required. Tickets are $15 per person for people age 3 and older; children under the age of 3 have free admission.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://suffolkcountyfarm. campbrainregistration.com. The event ends at 7 p.m.; the last admitted entry is at 6 p.m.

For more information, call 631-727-7850.

Located at 350 Yaphank Avenue, Yaphank the farm provide hands-on, research-based learning to participants in its immersive programs, with a focus on agriculture, animal sciences, STEM history, healthy living, and life skills.

Suffolk County’s festive light shows have returned to illuminate the holiday season.

Whether you prefer a starlit stroll or a cozy car trip, the unique displays at the Vanderbilt Museum, Smith Point County Park, Suffolk County Farm and Education Center, and Splish Splash Water Park offer peaceful reprieves from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Now in its second year, Bright Lights: A Magical Holiday Celebration returns to the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium, 180 Little Neck Road in Centerport.

A collaboration with Redmax Events, the display is open form 5 to 9 p.m. Fridays to Sundays through Dec. 19, and Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 22 and 23. The event features holiday lights, wandering carolers, festive music, tasty treats, and themed lightup displays.

Santa Claus and his friends, including reindeer, snow people, gingerbread people, nutcrackers, and elves, will all be there, portrayed by costumed actors. The Posey School of Dance will perform The Nutcracker on Dec. 17, 18 and 19.

“We’re thrilled to invite everyone to kick off the holiday season and celebrate with us.

The decorated Estate grounds will become a winter wonderland,” said Executive Director Elizabeth Wayland-Morgan. “As you walk through the estate at night, it’s as if you’re entering a magical children’s book.”

Admission for members of the museum is $20 per adult, $10 per child age 12 and younger, children under the age of 3 are free.

For nonmembers of the museum, admission is $25 per adult, $15 per child age 12 and younger, children under the age of 3 are free. Tickets may only be purchased online.

For more information, visit https://www. vanderbiltmuseum.org/events/bright-lights.

Girl Scouts of Suffolk County’s annual holiday drive-thru display, the Smith Point Light Show, will be held daily (except Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1) through January 9, from 5 to 9 p.m. Located at Smith Point County Park Campground 1, William Floyd Parkway in Shirley, it features 1.5 miles of lights on the beachfront land that is part of Fire Island.

“It’s the 18th annual show at Smith Point. The Girl Scouts partner with Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone to put it together. Many of the lights and displays were designed by girl scouts who won a special contest and then assembled by Girl Scout staff. The show benefits the Girl Scouts

Winter Wonderland

Above, a light display at the drivethru Smith Point Light Show; left, a holiday scene from walkthru Winter Wonderland at the Suffolk County Farm; a light display at the drive-thru Riverhead Holiday Light Show.

Riverhead Holiday Light Show

Now in its fourth year, for the first time the Riverhead Holiday Light Show will be held at Splish Splash Water Park, 2549 Splish Splash Drive in Calverton. The display runs at 5 p.m. on select dates through Dec. 30.

“We've got dozens of dazzling, largerthan-life holiday themed displays to delight the entire family! The show is entirely new this year, so returning guests and new visitors alike will be amazed. Visitors are welcomed to bundle up in their car and tune their radio to enjoy the synced light performance as they travel the more than 1 mile route through the Holiday

Light Show™,” Marketing Director of Bold Media Madeline Oliveira said. Bold Media produces the event and puts on other holiday light shows throughout the country.

The Riverhead Holiday Light Show syncs to the holiday music playing on participants radios and the displays dance along to the music. And as the largest water park in New York, with over 95 acres to its name,

Splish Splash offers plenty of space for a melodious, merry drive.

Tickets are available at http:// holidaylightshow.com/riverheadticketcard.

General admission is $23 per vehicle and allows admittance for a certain date and time slot. VIP admission is $35 per vehicle and allows admittance for anytime the show is open. For more info, call 631-210-6711.

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PAGE B14 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 2, 2021

COMMUNITY NEWS

Smithtown Veterans walked the red carpet to watch the premiere of 'War Stories'

On Nov. 21 the Town of Smithtown premiered War Stories, a documentary film devoted to the local heroes who served in combat throughout the various conflicts, at the Smithtown Center for Performing Arts.

The production documenting the stories of local residents who enlisted to serve in the US Armed Forces during war time; from World War II to present day, will be available via Smithtown GTV and YouTube.

"This documentary is our way of saying 'Thank You for Your Service.' We hope that over time, we can build on this documentary, as a catalogue of stories from the story tellers themselves," said Supervisor Ed Wehrheim.

"There’s an old saying that a soldier dies twice: once when he takes his last breath and again when he or she has been forgotten.

Well this documentary is our oath to our veterans, our debt of honor, that you will never be forgotten."

The theatre was filled with family members of the 22 veterans, as well as members of the community, who wanted to show their support and gratitude for the men and women within our community who served to protect our nation’s freedoms.

Residents filled two large boxes with non-

Clockwise from above, Veterans featured in the film arrive on the red carpet before the screening; Smithtown Supervisor Ed Werheim with Veteran Walter Zawol; Veteran Anthony Romano with his family.

Photos from Town of Smithtown

perishable items for donation, which were delivered to the United Veterans Beacon House Food Pantry.

The Town began production of the veterans documentary, interviewing service members from World War II, through to modern day conflicts in 2019. The film was directed, edited and produced by Smithtown Public Information Officer Nicole Garguilo, and co-produced by Brian Farrell and Margo Gordon. Smithtown Public Safety

Park Ranger Charles Kang was instrumental in orchestrating the interview process of Korean War Veterans.

Additionally, Kings Park resident and Gulf War Veteran Eric Burnett assisted with arranging a number of interviews for the documentary. War Stories has been dedicated in memory of two World War II Veterans; Eddy Reddy and Howard Laderwager, who starred in the documentary, but have since passed away.

The Smithtown Performing Arts Council graciously volunteered their time, space and efforts to premiere the documentary. If you would like to make a donation to help Save the Smithtown Theatre, visit www. gofundme.com/f/save-smithtown-theatre.

See more photos at www.tbrnewsmedia.com

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PERDUE CHICKEN NUGGETS OR CUTLETS 2/$5 12 OZ. VARIETIES

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Please expect our Walk-Up Deli Counter to be closed. Shop Deli-Express for instant convenience or phone in an order ahead of time for particular requests. Please call one hour in advance.

DECEMBER 2, 2021 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B15

Horoscopes COOKING COVE Pot Pies ... perfect for a dark December evening of the week

BY BARBARA BELTRAMI

Despite unseasonably warm fall days, there’s been a real chill in the air and some gusty winds lately. The leaves have finished their autumn pageant, the days are shorter and it’s time for some serious comfort food like pot pies. In fact, I can’t think of anything that would hit the spot more on a dark December evening. With the convenience of a pie crust from the refrigerator or frozen food section of the supermarket, you can concentrate on that savory concoction that goes under the crust, pop the whole thing in the oven and sip a glass of wine while you catch up on your emails.

Chicken Pot Pie

YIELD: Makes 6 servings INGREDIENTS: • Nonstick cooking spray • 4 refrigerated pie crusts • 1/2 cup unsalted butter • 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced • 1 medium potato, peeled and diced • 1 medium onion, chopped • 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced • 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley • 1/4 cup flour • 2 1/2 cups chicken broth • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste • 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, poached and shredded • 1 cup frozen peas • 1/2 cup heavy cream • 1/4 cup milk DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray 6 ramekins with nonstick cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, cut six 5” circles from two rolled out pie crusts, then roll each circle into an 8-inch round. Line bottoms and sides of 6 ramekins with 8” crusts; crimp around top edges and prick bottoms and sides of dough with a fork.

Place ramekins on rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, until dough is lightly browned.

Meanwhile in a large skillet melt butter over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, potato, onion, carrot, and parsley and stir occasionally until onions turn a light golden color, about 6 to 8 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and half a cup of the broth; add to skillet, stir, then add remaining two cups of broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, stir occasionally and simmer another 5 minutes; stir in chicken, peas and cream, let sit 10 minutes.

Distribute filling mixture evenly among the six ramekins; cut and roll second two pie crusts as first ones, crimp edges, make slits in top crusts, brush tops with milk and bake on

METRO photo

rimmed baking sheet, until crusts are golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with a crisp green salad.

Seafood Pot Pie

YIELD: Makes 4 to 6 servings INGREDIENTS: • 1 stick unsalted butter • 1 large onion, chopped • 1 cup chopped celery with leaves • 1/2 cup flour • 3 cups clam juice • 1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined • 1/2 pound bay scallops • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste • 1/4 cup heavy cream • 1 pound lobster meat, cut into bite-size pieces • One 10-ounce package frozen peas and carrots • One 10-ounce package frozen pearl onions • 1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley • One 9” uncooked pie crust, rolled out • 3 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 F. In large skillet melt butter over medium heat; add onion and celery and cook until onion is opaque, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add flour, stir and cook another minute. In large saucepan bring clam juice to a simmer over medium-high heat; add shrimp and scallops and cook just until shrimp are pink and scallops are tender, about 2 minutes. With slotted spoon transfer shrimp and scallops to bowl, but reserve cooking liquid.

Go back to the skillet and, stirring constantly, add cooking liquid, salt and pepper, a little at a time, to onion and celery and cook 3 minutes.

Add the cream and stir. Add lobster meat along with shrimp, scallops and onion mixture, then stir in frozen peas, carrots, pearl onions and parsley; transfer to deep pie dish, cover with rolled out pie crust and crimp edges; brush with milk and make a few slits in crust. Place pie on rimmed cookie sheet and bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbly, about 1 1/4 hours. Serve with an arugula and endive salad.

SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21 You could use a night out with friends, Sagittarius. Make a concerted effort to get together and invite the people whose company you most enjoy.

CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20 Capricorn, you may have to reexamine your priorities. Don’t let something pull you in one direction when a friend or family member may need you more.

AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 Aquarius, you’re not much of a fan of waiting games, but you will have to stick things out a little longer until your plan can come to fruition.

Patience will pay off.

PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 Avoid overzealous spending in the weeks ahead, Pisces. Find ways to be generous with your time rather than with your wallet.

ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. Take that to heart and try to see the silver lining when an obstacle gets in your way.

TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 It’s one thing to stand by your views, Taurus. It’s another to stubbornly refuse to listen to others when they make good points. Be open-minded this week.

GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 You may be juggling too much at one time, Gemini. If you’re finding it difficult to manage your time, reach out to a friend or colleague for help. They’re ready and willing.

CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, lately you have been a person of few words, and others may be wondering what is going on. Confide in someone close to you if the need arises.

LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, if you are up for an adventure, look to those around you for inspiration. Maybe you’ll overhear a coworker talking about a dream getaway.

VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, you may start to rethink a decision you made a while ago when an unexpected hiccup occurs. Reevaluate your decision-making process.

LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Good times are ahead, Libra. Focus on the fun that is coming your way and make an effort to include more good times in the weeks ahead.

SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 Scorpio, a situation at work will require the utmost patience and perseverance. The outcome will be in your favor if you take a measured approach.

PAGE B16 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 2, 2021

Thursday 2

Virtual Lunch & Learn

The Huntington Historical Society continues its virtual Lunch & Learn series with a presentation by Jeff Richman titled Building the Brooklyn Bridge at noon. The historian at Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery since 2007, Richman will discuss his fifth and latest book, Building the Brooklyn Bridge, 18691883: An Illustrated History with Images in 3D. Presentation will last 45 minutes with time for commentary and Q&A from participants.

Suggested donation of $10. To register, visit www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

Times ... and dates Dec. 2 to Dec. 9, 2021

St. Nicholas Bazaar

Friday 3

Trinity Episcopal Church, 130 Main St., Northport will host a St. Nicholas Bazaar from 1 to 5 p.m. The outdoor event will feature Christmas wreaths, homemade cookies, chili and cornbread, Christmas Carols and more.

Call 261-7670.

An evening with Mick Moloney

Celebrate St. James welcomes award-winning musician, recording artist and author Mick Moloney to the St. James Community Cultural Arts Center, 176 Second St., St. James on Friday, Dec. 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. Moloney will present an informative talk titled Exploring Our Roots — Vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley on the wonderful Irish and Jewish collaborations that contribute to the history of musical theater.

Donation of $25, $20 seniors. Refreshments will be served. For reservations, call 631-984-0201.

Saturday 4

Christmas Fair & Wreath Sale

The First Presbyterian Church of Greenlawn, 497 Pulaski Road, Greenlawn will hold a Christmas Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with Christmas decor, wreathes, poinsettias and gift items - something for everyone. Call 261-2150.

Holiday Boutique

The Rocky Point PTA will hold its annual Holiday Boutique at Rocky Point Middle School, 76 Rocky Point-Yaphank Road, Rocky Point from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with lots of vendors, kids shopping at Candy Cane Lane, gift wrapping station, kids craft table and story time, photo ops with Santa Claus ($10) and more. Free admission. Visit www. rockypointpta.com.

Charles Dickens Festival

Port Jefferson will host its 25th annual Charles Dickens Festival today and Dec. 5 starting at 10 a.m. The village will magically transform into the Dickensian era with streets filled with roaming characters such as Father Christmas, Dickens Mayor, Scrooge, the Town Crier and the beloved chimney sweeps. Featuring concerts, train display, magic shows, theater, Festival of Trees, ice skating and much more with a Grand East Main Street opening parade on Dec. 4 at 11 a.m. and a Pickwick’s Puppet closing parade on Dec. 5 at 5 p.m. Most attractions are free of charge, so everyone – from the very young to the young at heart can join in the fun. Visit www.dickens.portjeff.com for schedule of events. * All numbers are in (631) area code unless otherwise noted.

Thru at Gyrodyne/Flowerfield in St. James from noon to 4 p.m. Visitors will enter via the entrance on Route 25A. Donations of an unwrapped toy or gift card are requested.

Live holiday music will be performed by John Zollo, lead singer of The Dedications, as well as performances by the Smithtown High School East Chamber Choir. Santa will make an appearance on a Fire Engine with a mailbox handy for children to drop off their letters. All donations will be distributed by the Smithtown Township Emergency Food Pantry to families and children in the community.

Rain date is Dec. 5. Have a question? Email engine1toydrive@gmail.com.

Victorian Christmas Tea

First Presbyterian Church, 497 Pulaski Road, Greenlawn will host a Victorian Christmas Tea from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Enjoy scones, finger sandwiches and desserts for $25. Formal attire (hats and gloves) optional. Preregistration required by calling 261-2150.

Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite IN PERFECT HARMONY

The Harbormen Chorus will perform a free Holiday Concert at the First Methodist Church, 603 Main St., Port Jefferson on Dec. 5 from 1 to 3:20 p.m. (20 minute sets with 20 minutes in between) during the 25th annual Charles Dickens Festival. Photo from Harbormen Chorus

Country Parlor Holiday Show

Join Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead for a Country Parlor Holiday Folk Art & Gift Show today and Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Held in the historic Naugles Barn, all items are handmade by local artisans and craftspeople including rustic Santas and tree ornaments, holiday home decor and gifts, baskets, jewelry and fine gifts including handmade pottery pieces, plus stocking stuffers for everyone on your list including local jams and preserves, hand made all-natural soaps and so much more. For more information, call 2985292 or visit www.hallockville.org.

Smithtown Craft & Gift Fair

Smithtown East High School, 1 School St.. St. James presents its 8th annual Smithtown Craft & Gift Fair today and Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Over 75 vendors present predominantly hand crafted work with a few select gift items. Expect to see some exquisite jewelry, (artisanal, vintage and new), decorative wreaths, homemade candies, organic soaps, Xmas décor and much more during this indoor event.

Refreshments served by the Smithtown College Scholarship Committee. Call 846-1459.

The Holiday Market

The Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Road, Setauket and Gallery North, 90 North Country Road, Setauket and WUSB continue with The Holiday

Market, a series of outdoor holiday shopping events, today, Dec. 11 and 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature over 40 vendors offering original paintings, prints, photography, ceramics, pottery, woodwork, glassware, artisan created jewelry, handmade crafts, decorations, and clothing along with music, children’s activities and food trucks.

Call 751-3730 or 751-2676.

Open House at the Atelier

The Atelier at Flowerfield, 2 Flowerfield, Suite 15, St. James invites the community to an Open House from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy live instructor demos, raffled art baskets, art books for sale, tour of studios and light refreshments.

Call 250-9009.

Candlelight House Tour

The Three Village Historical Society presents its 42nd annual Candlelight House Tour, Along the Brook: The Story of Stony Brook, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tour four private homes and the historic All Souls Church, Reboli Center and Stony Brook Chapel. Each location will be presented in full holiday decor with attention to architectural features and historic details.

Tickets are $55 per person. To order, call 7513730 or visit www.tvhs.org.

Holiday Gift & Toy Drive-Thru

The St. James Fire Department Engine Company No. 1 will hold its 2nd annual St. James Community Holiday Gift & Toy Drive-

Join The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook from 2 to 4 p.m. as the 17 member Jazz Loft Big Band performs Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite. Blues and jazz singer Allan Harris joins the band for other holiday music.

Tickets are $35 adults, $30 seniors, $25 students, $20 children. To order, call 751-1895 or visit www.thejazzloft.org.

Ice Skating in Smithtown

Do you like to ice skate? The Smithtown Chamber of Commerce set up an ice skating rink on Main Street in the Fresh Market/LA Fitness Center from 2 to 7 p.m. with photos with Santa, food trucks and holiday carolers.

Half hour skate time is $15 adults, $10 children under 12 by reservation only at www. smithtownchamber.com.

Holiday Party for Wildlife

Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown presents a Holiday Party for Wildlife and Craft Night Market from 3 to 9 p.m. The outdoor event will feature local handmade craft and artist vendors, short animal presentations, photo opportunities and story times for kids. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Rain date Dec. 5. Free but donations welcome. Call 979-6344.

Heritage Country Christmas

The Smithtown Historical Society, 239 E. Main St., Smithtown presents a Heritage Country Christmas from 4 to 7 p.m. Enjoy holiday caroling, tree lighting, s’mores on a stick, a winter hay ride, holiday craft, community wreath contest and photos with Santa. Rain date is Dec. 5. Tickets are $5 per person through Eventbrite. Call 265-6768 for additional information.

DECEMBER 2, 2021 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B17

Art Show fundraiser

Studio 268, 268 Main St. Setauket invites the community to an opening reception for its latest art show featuring a collection of fine art by local artists (available for purchase) from 4 to 7 p.m. The show will also be on view Dec. 5, 12 and 19 from noon to 5 p.m. Proceeds from an art raffle and a percentage from art sales will be donated to The Three Village Central School District food pantries.

Drive-Thru Santa

The Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Chamber of Commerce hosts a Drive-Thru Santa event at the chamber car (corner of Route 112 and Nesconset Highway) from 6 to 8 p.m. Come visit Santa while in the comforts of your car!

Great photo op from SnapShot LI. Enjoy Holiday Light displays and bring a Toy or Food to support the local drives. Don’t forget your Letter to Santa for the special North Pole Mailbox. Free admission. Call 821-1313.

Drive-Thru Live Nativity

Stony Brook Christian Assembly, 400 Nicolls Road, E. Setauket hosts a Drive-Thru Live Nativity today, Dec. 5, 10 and 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. See the Christmas story come to life with costumed characters and live animals. Free.

Call 689-1127.

Sunday 5

Charles Dickens Festival See Dec. 4 listing.

Country Parlor Holiday Show See Dec. 4 listing.

Smithtown Craft & Gift Fair See Dec. 4 listing.

Drive-Thru Live Nativity See Dec. 4 listing.

Stony Brook Holiday Festival

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization presents its 42nd annual Holiday Festival at the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main St., Stony Brook from noon to 6 p.m. Vote for your favorite tree in the 42nd Annual Holiday Tree Competition, enjoy a Legends & Spies Puppet Procession and Holiday Train display at Wiggs Opticians, carolers, live music and visit from Santa before the Holiday Tree Lighting at 5:30 p.m. on the Village Green. Call 751-2244.

Holiday concert

The Silver Chords will give a free concert, Hope for the Holidays, at St. James Lutheran Church, 230 2nd Ave., St. James at 2 p.m. The afternoon will feature “Bridge Over Troubled Waters,” “Beethoven’s Ode To Joy”, “Beautiful City” and more with gift basket raffles. Call 379-7066.

Motown Christmas

Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station presents an online concert titled Motown Christmas at 2 p.m.

Enjoy renditions of holiday hits by Smokey Robinson, The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and The Jackson 5 performance

by Rhonda Denet. To register, visit www.cplib. org or call 928-1212, option 3.

Monday 6

Virtual Movie Trivia Night

Do you know a lot about movies? Well here’s your chance to prove it! Join the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington for a virtual Movie Trivia Night at 8 p.m. Hosted by Dan French, the winning team will get up to four CAC Gift Cards (1 per team member) and bragging rights. Tickets are $10 per team, $7 members.

Visit www.cinemaartscentre.org to register.

Questions? Email Danlovestrivia@gmail.com.

Tuesday 7

Theater

Wednesday 8

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport continues its MainStage season with White Christmas from Nov. 11 to Jan. 2, 2022.

Based on the beloved film, this heartwarming adaptation follows vaudeville stars and veterans Bob Wallace and Phil Davis as they head to Vermont to pursue romance with a duo of beautiful singing sisters. This family classic features beloved songs by Irving Berlin including “Blue Skies,” “I Love A Piano,” “How Deep Is The Ocean” and the perennial favorite, White Christmas. Tickets range from $75 to $80 per person. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

No events listed for this day.

Author Talk with Erica Cirino

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport hosts a lecture and book signing with author Erica Cirino at 7 p.m. Cirino will discuss her new book, Thicker Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic Crisis. $10 per person. Register at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Thursday 9

Whaling Museum lecture

The Whaling Museum. 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor presents a virtual lecture titled Christmas on a Whaleship - Or Not! At 7 p.m. How did whalers historically celebrate Christmas at sea - if at all? Find out what an 19th century American whaler could expect while away from home in this online presentation with a variety of quotes, images, and diary entries. Free; donations of $10 appreciated.

Register at www.cshwhalingmuseum.org.

Film

‘Leave it to the Beavers’

Join the Four Harbors Audubon Society for a screening of Nature’s Leave it to the Beavers at the Smithtown Library Main Branch, 1 North Country Road, Smithtown on Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m. Discover why this curious animal is so important to our landscapes and ecosystems.

Followed by a discussion. Free. To register, call 766-3075.

Christmas Craft Fair

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, 800 Portion Road, Lake Ronkonkoma presents its annual Christmas Craft Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in its Parish Hall with crafts, gifts, Christmas items, raffles and refreshments. Come start your Christmas shopping! Call 737-4388.

Bagels and Baseball

Cardboard Memories, 6401 Jericho Turnpike, Commack hosts Bagels and Baseball from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Talk hot stove baseball with four authors who combined have published 20 baseball books. Learn the stories behind the stories in A.J. Carter, Mark Rosenman, Erik Sherman and Brett Topel’s works, hear what they have in the pipeline and chew the fat, as well as a bagel or two, over what the Mets and Yankees have and have not been doing in this off-season. The authors will have books available for purchase and signing. Free. For more information, call 462-1919.

‘A Christmas Carol’

Join Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson for the 37th annual production of A Christmas Carol from Nov. 13 to Dec. 26. Celebrate the season with Long Island’s own holiday tradition and broadwayworld.com winner for Best Play. Follow the miser Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey that teaches him the true meaning of Christmas — past, present and future. A complimentary sensory sensitive abridged performance will be held on Nov. 28 at 11 a.m. $20 tickets in November; December tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 children ages 5 to 12. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

‘Elf the Musical’

The Argyle Theater, 34 Main St., Babylon presents Elf the Musical through Jan. 2. Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity.

This modern-day holiday classic is sure to make everyone embrace their inner Elf. After all, the best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear! Tickets are priced from $40 to $79. Use Code: TIMES for $10 OFF* For more information, call 230-3500 or visit www.argyletheatre.com.

Vendors wanted

» Gallery North, 90 North Country Road, Setauket seeks vendors for its Holiday Market Fairs on Dec. 4, Dec. 11 and Dec. 18. $75 for one market, $125 for two, $150 for three and $200 for four. To reserve a booth, visit www. gallerynorth.org or call 631-751-2676.

CALENDAR DEADLINE is Wednesday at noon,

Snowflake Craft Fair

Christ Lutheran Church, 189 Burr Road, E. Northport will host its 41st annual Snowflake Craft Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with handmade crafts by church members, bake shop, lunch and decorated fresh wreaths. Call 499-4655.

‘White Christmas’

PUPPETS ON PARADE The Legends & Spies Puppet Procession is back for the 42nd annual Holiday Festival at the Stony Brook Village Center on Dec. 5. File photo

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-for-profit organizations (nonsectarian, nonpartisan events) only, on a space-available basis. Please include a phone number that can be printed.

PAGE B18 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 2, 2021

SBU SPORTSWEEK TOMORROW IS FRIDAY – WEAR RED ON CAMPUS!

DEC. 2 TO DEC. 8, 2021

STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY

Women's basketball improves to 7-0 with 71-64 victory

For the first time this season redshirt junior diver Mia Sclar has been named the America East Diver of the Week as announced by the conference office. Sclar takes home the honor after a standout Mia Sclar performance in the Nov. 20 dual meet victory over Siena.

The redshirt junior broke a 19-year program record in the 1-meter dive as she posted a score of 302.17 to take firstplace in the event and capture nine crucial points for the Seawolves.

Sclar broke Erin Byrnes' record in the 1-meter diver. Byrnes set the record back in 2002 with a score of 269.10. She later took fourth-place in the 3-meter dive with a final score of 269.47 for Stony Brook.

The Stony Brook swimming and diving team is back in action on December 3, when it travels to New Britain, Conn. to compete in the Blue Devil Invite.

SBU Seawolves Home Games

The Stony Brook University women's basketball team improved to 7-0 as it defeated New York state foe St. Francis Brooklyn (2-4), 71-64, on Sunday, Nov. 28 at Island Federal Arena.

The Seawolves were paced by four student-athletes who scored in double figures as they become the 11th team in the nation to hold a perfect 7-0 record up until this point of the season.

Stony Brook came away with the fast-paced contest as both teams looked to run from the opening tip. The Seawolves were led by junior guard Gigi Gonzalez, graduate forward Leighah-Amori Wool, senior forward Nairimar Vargas-Reyes, and graduate forward McKenzie Bushee in the win.

The four accounted for 58 of the team's 71 points as the Seawolves finished the game with at least four student-athletes scoring in double figures for the second game in a row. Gonzalez led Stony Brook with 17 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter as she helped the Seawolves outscore the Terriers, 22-16, in the frame to secure the victory.

The team celebrates after Sunday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook received standout play from Wool, Vargas-Reyes, and Bushee. Wool scored a season-high tying 16 points, Vargas-Reyes posted her first career double-double with a career-high 13 points and careerhigh 13 rebounds, and Bushee added a season-high 12 points.

The Seawolves used a crucial 11-0 run down the stretch of the fourth quarter to pull away from the Terriers. At one point in the fourth Stony Brook trailed, 55-54, but used the 11-0 run to rally ahead, 65-55, with 4:21 to play.

The run was fueled by Gonzalez who scored seven of the 11 points to give the Seawolves their largest lead of the afternoon.

Stony Brook went on to close out the game as it took away the three-ball from St. Francis down the stretch. The Seawolves held the Terriers to 1-of-9 shooting from behind the arc over the final 5:08 of the game after it previously had gone 9-of-22 from deep over the course of the game.

"We found a way to get it done again. It was nice to see us have 14 assists again, that means we

are moving and sharing the ball, and making shots, which makes me happy. I was really pleased that in the fourth quarter we came through and did get stops when we needed to, and were able to be successful," said head coach Ashley Langford.

The team is back in action when it heads to the Bronx to take on New York state foe Fordham on Dec 2. The Seawolves and Rams are set to go head-to-head for the ninth time in program history. The game is set to broadcast on ESPN+.

Red-hot start propels men's basketball to victory on Nov. 28

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Dec. 4 vs. Wagner 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 8 vs. Hofstra 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 11 vs. Bryant 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 14 vs. Central CT State 6:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL. Dec. 7 vs. Marist 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 10 vs. Penn 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 2 vs. Hartford 2 p.m.

Jan. 12 vs. Vermont 6:30 p.m. *Please note this schedule can change at any time. Visit www.stonybrookathletics.com for tickets and any last minute cancellations.

The Stony Brook men's basketball team came out red-hot of the Thanksgiving break, racing out to a 34-12 lead in the first half before holding off a lurking Yale team that is projected to win the Ivy League for the third consecutive year.

The end result? An 85-81 wire-to-wire victory that put the Seawolves in the win column ahead of its six-game homestand that begins Wednesday evening.

Redshirt-sophomore Frankie Policelli led the way with a career-high 22 points, making seven of his 14 shots including four of 10 from beyond the arc. He also added five rebounds, five assists and a block to aid the Seawolves attack. Anthony Roberts recovered from a slow start that saw him miss four of his first five

shots. He finished the day with 19 points, his third consecutive game scoring double figures.

Tykei Greene (11), Juan Felix Rodriguez (10) and Tyler Stephenson-Moore (10) all joined Roberts and Policelli in double figures and helped Stony Brook to a 53.7 percent shooting clip from the field. Stony Brook saw its lead dwindle as close as five with as much as nine minutes remaining, but the visitors would respond each time. A 6-2 spurt would broaden the Seawolves lead to 67-58 with 6:53 remaining in the period and each time the Bulldogs would bring it within five after that, Stony Brook would respond with a pair of free throws.

With the win, the Seawolves improve to 2-3 and earn an impressive road victory for

its resume. They will now head home for six straight at home and seven at Island Federal Arena in the month of December.

"That's a great win for us. That team will win the Ivy League. Everyone stepped up and it was needed with some key guys out. It's really hard to single out any one player because everybody was part of this win but I did feel like Alex [Christie] gave us some extra presence in the lane. He had a really good preseason and it was really nice to seem him play well and help the team as much as he did," said head coach Geno Ford The team hosted the first of six in a row at Island Federal Arena on Wednesday night, playing American. Results were not available as of press time.

Content for this page provided by Stony Brook University and printed as a service to our advertiser.

DECEMBER 2, 2021 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B19

Religious D irectory Catholic ABUNDANT LIFE CHURCH 17 Manor Road Smithtown, NY 11787 Paster Phil Join us every Sunday 10:30am You will be surprised!

Leave as a friend come back as family Another location Abundant Life Church of God Hours of service vary 440 Furrows Road Holbrook, NY 11741 631-588-7704

INFANT JESUS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 110 Myrtle Ave., Port Jefferson 631-473-0165 Fax 631-331-8094 www.www.infantjesus.org REVEREND PATRICK M. RIEGGER, PASTOR, ASSOCIATES: REV. FRANCIS LASRADO & REV. ROLANDO TICLLASUCA To schedule Baptisms and Weddings, Please call the Rectory Confessions: Saturdays 12:30-1:15pm in the Lower Church Religious Ed.: 631-928-0447 Parish Outreach: 631-331-6145 Weekly Masses: 6:50 and 9am in the Church, 12pm in the Chapel* Weekend Masses: Saturday at 5 pm in the Church, 4:00 pm in the Chapel,* Sunday at 7:30 am, 10:30 am, 12 pm, and 5 pm in the Church and at 8:30 am, 10 am, and 11:30 am (Family Mass) in the Chapel* Spanish Masses: Sunday at 8:45 am and Wednesday at 6 pm in the Church *Held at the Infant Jesus Chapel at St. Charles Hospital

ST. GERARD MAJELLA ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 300 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station 631-473-2900 www.stgmajella.org REV. GREGORY RANNAZZISI, PASTOR Each Saturday 3:45pm, 4:45pm Mass: Saturday 5pm only Sunday 8am, 10am & 12pm Weekday Mass: 9am Confessions: Saturday 3:45pm-4:45pm Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9am - 4:30pm Thrift Shop: Monday-Thursday 10am - 4pm and Friday 10am-2pm.

Baptism and Wedding arrangements can be made by calling the Parish Office

ST. JAMES ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 429 Rt. 25A, Setauket Phone: 631-941-4141 Fax: 631-751-6607 Parish Office email:

parish@stjamessetauket.org www.stjamessetauket.org REV. ROBERT KUZNIK, PASTOR REV. ROBERT SCHECKENBACK, ASSOCIATE PASTOR REV. JOHN FITZGERALD, IN RESIDENCE REV. MIKE S. EZEATU, SBU HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN, IN RESIDENCE Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9am to 4pm ...

Saturday 9am to 2pm Weekday Masses: Monday to Saturday 8am Weekend Masses: Saturday (Vigil) 5pm (Youth) Sunday 8am ... 9:30am (Family) ... 11:30am (Choir) Baptisms: contact the Office at the end of the third month of pregnancy to set a date.

Matrimony: contact the Office at least nine months before desired date to set a date.

Reconciliation: Saturdays 4 to 4:45pm or by Appointment. Anointing of the Sick: by request.

Bereavement: 631-941-4141 x 341 Faith Formation Office: 631-941-4141 x 328 Outreach: 631-941-4141 x 313 Our Daily Bread Sunday Soup Kitchen 3:00 pm closed ... reopening TBD Food Pantry Open ... Wednesdays 12Noon to 2pm and Sundays 2pm to 3pm Mission Statement: We, the Catholic community of the Three Village area, formed as the Body of Christ through the waters of Baptism, are a pilgrim community journeying toward the fullness of the Kingdom of God, guided by the Holy Spirit, nourished by the Eucharist and formed by the Gospel. We strive to respond to Jesus invitation: to be faithful and fruitful disciples; to be a Good Samaritan to our neighbor and enemy; to be stewards of and for God’s creation and to be living witness of Faith, Hope and Charity...so that in Jesus name, we may be a welcoming community, respectful of life in all its diversities.

ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 75 New York Avenue, Sound Beach Parish office: 631-744-8566; fax 631-744-8611 Parish website: www.stlouisdm.org REV. MSGR. CHRISTOPHER J. HELLER, PASTOR REV. ALPHONSUS IGBOKWE, ASSOCIATE PASTOR REV. MSGR. DONALD HANSON, IN RESIDENCE REV. FRANCIS PIZZARELLI, S.M.M., PARISH ASSISTANT REV. HENRY VAS Office Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs.: 9 am to 5 pm Wednesday: 9 am to 8 pm; Friday: 9 am to 4 pm; Saturday: 9 am to 1 pm; Closed on Sunday Mission Statement: To proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ’s love through our active involvement as a parish family in works of Charity, Faith, Worship, Justice and Mercy. ALL ARE WELCOME! No matter what your present status is in the Catholic Church. No matter your family situation. No matter your practice of faith.

No matter your personal history, age or background. YOU are invited, respected and loved at St. Louis de Montfort.

Weekday Masses: Monday through Friday 8:30 am in the Chapel Weekend Masses: Saturday Vigil: 5 pm Sunday: 7:30 am; 10:00 am; 12 noon.

Baptisms: Most Sundays at 1:30 pm.

Please contact Parish Office for an appointment.

Reconciliation: Saturday 4-4:45 pm or by appointment.

Anointing of the Sick: by request.

Holy Matrimony: Contact Parish Office at least six months in advance of desired date.

Religious Education: Contact 631-744-9515 Parish Outreach: Contact 631-209-0325

Catholic Traditional Latin Mass ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL SOCIETY OF SAINT PIUS X 900 Horseblock Road, Farmingville 631-736-6515 sspxlongisland.com Sunday Masses at 7am and 9am Please consult sspxlongisland.com for updates and current mass times.

Interdenominational Morning Prayer ServiceTuesday 8:00am- Half Hour Interdenominational Rosary Service-Wednesday 12noonSunday Services: 8am Virtual Service 9:30am Service at the Church-Organ Music This is a small eclectic Episcopal congregation that has a personal touch. We welcome all regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey. Walk with us.

CAROLINE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF SETAUKET 1 Dyke Road on the Village Green, Setauket Web site: www.carolinechurch.net email: office@carolinechurch.net 631-941-4245 REV. COOPER CONWAY, INTERIM PRIEST-IN-CHARGE Let God walk with you as part of our familyfriendly community Holy Eucharist Saturday 5pm Sunday 8am and 9:30am Church School classes now forming

Congregational CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH MT. SINAI CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 233

North

Country Road, Mt. Sinai 631-473-1582 www.msucc.org REV. DR. PHILIP HOBSON “No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.”

We are back in the Sanctuary for Sunday worship at 8:30am and 10am.

Please bring a mask and proof of vaccination.

We continue to observe physical distancing protocols, as well as other safety measures. For those unable to join us at this time, we will continue to provide our online service on our You Tube channel at 10am, and any time thereafter, with Rev. Phil Hobson.

There will be Sunday School at 10am for our children, but not nursery.

Through our worship and by our actions we strive to live out Christ’s message to love one another.

The Island Heart Food Pantry continues to help those in need at 643 Middle Country Road, Middle Island, N.Y. Our hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 2:30-4:30pm. Wear a mask and stay in car.

Grace and Peace, Rev. Phil

Episcopal ALL SOULS EPISCOPAL CHURCH Our little historic church on the hill across from the Stony Brook Duck Pond 61 Main Street, Stony Brook Visit our website www.allsoulsstonybrook.org or call 631-655-7798 allsoulsepiscopalchurch@verizon.net

127

Barnum

Av e . , P o r t J e f f e r s o n 631-473-0273 email: ccoffice@christchurchportjeff.org www.christchurchportjeff.org Church office hours: Tues. - Fri. 9am - 12pm FATHER ANTHONY DILORENZO: PRIEST IN CHARGE Please join us for our 8:00 and 10:00 Sunday Eucharists and our 10:00 Wednesday Eucharist in our chapel. Please wear masks.

GOD BLESS YOU. Father Anthony DiLorenzo It is the mission of the people of Christ Church to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ and to make his love known to all through our lives and ministry. We at Christ Church are a joyful, welcoming community. Wherever you are in your journey of life we want to be part of it.

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH “To know Christ and to make Him known” 12 Prospect St, Huntington 631-427-1752 On Main St. next to the Library REV. DUNCAN A. BURNS, RECTOR MRS. CLAIRE MIS, SEMINARIAN ALEX PRYRODNY, MUSIC DIRECTOR & ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Sunday Worship In Person, Zoom & Facebook 8:00 am Rite I Holy Eucharist with music 9:45 am Sunday School 10:00 am Rite II Holy Choral Eucharist Upcoming Concerts Long Island Gay Men’s Chorus Sunday, December 12th at 7pm Sing Noël Sunday, December 19th at 7:30 pm Morning Prayer Via Zoom 9:00 am Monday thru Friday

PLEASE CALL OR VISIT YOUR PLACE OF WORSHIP’S WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE.

PAGE B20 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 2, 2021

Religious D irectory Episcopal TEMPLE ISAIAH (REFORM) Thrift Shop Open!

12 to 3 pm Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays Volunteers needed www.stjohns1745.org Facebook.com/stjohns1745

Greek Orthodox CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION 430 Sheep Pasture Rd., Port Jefferson Tel: 631-473-0894 Fax: 631-928-5131 www.kimisis.org goc.assumption@gmail.com REV. ELIAS (LOU) NICHOLAS, PROISTAMENOS Sunday Services: Orthros 8:30 Am - Divine Liturgy 10 Am Services Conducted In Both Greek & English* Books Available To Follow In English* Sunday Catechism School, 10 Am - 11 Am* Greek Language School, Tuesdays 5 Pm - 8 Pm* Bible Study & Adult Catechism Classes Available* Golden Age & Youth Groups Banquet Hall Available For Rental* For Information Please Call Church Office* Adjustments to services will be made according to CDC and NYState DOH COVID-19 guidelines. Please call Church office for updates.

Jewish NORTH SHORE JEWISH CENTER 385 Old Town Rd., Port Jefferson Station 631-928-3737 www.northshorejewishcenter.org RABBI AARON BENSON CANTOR DANIEL KRAMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARCIE PLATKIN PRINCIPAL HEATHER WELKES YOUTH DIRECTOR JEN SCHWARTZ Services: Friday At 8 Pm; Saturday At 9:15 am Daily Morning And Evening Minyan Call For Times. Tot Shabbat Family Services Sisterhood Men’s Club Seniors’ Club Youth Group Continuing Ed Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah Judaica Shop Food Pantry Lecture Series Jewish Film Series NSJC JEWISH LEARNING CENTER RELIGIOUS SCHOOL Innovative Curriculum And Programming For Children Ages 5-13 Imagine A Synagogue That Feels Like Home!

Come Connect With Us On Your Jewish Journey. Member United Synagogue Of Conservative Judaism.

1404 Stony Brook Road, Stony Brook 631-751-8518 www.tisbny.org A Warm And Caring Intergenerational Community Dedicated To Learning, Prayer, Social Action, and Friendship.

Member Union For Reform Judaism RABBI PAUL SIDLOFSKY CANTOR INTERN KALIX JACOBSON EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR RABBI PAUL SIDLOFSKY, RABBI EMERITUS STEPHEN A. KAROL RABBI EMERITUS ADAM D. FISHER CANTOR EMERITUS MICHAEL F. TRACHTENBERG Sabbath Services: 1st Friday of the month 6pm, all other Fridays 7:30pm and Saturday B’nai services at 10am Religious School Monthly Family Service Monthly Tot Shabbat Youth Groups Adult Education Sisterhood Brotherhood Book Club-More

except as directed when receiving Holy Communion. We also ask that you just hum along or sing hymns quietly. Unless otherwise instructed, all pews are available. Please remain where you are seated for the duration of the service. You will be given communion wafers and bulletins upon arrival. Wine and grape juice will be distributed during communion. Please follow all directions.

Outdoor Parking Lot Service is a Drive-In, or you may sit outside as weather permits. Please bring your own chair if possible. The service begins promptly at 10:30am. Enter from Maple Avenue. Greeters will provide communion wafers and bulletins. Sound will be broadcast on FM radio station 88.3 and with speakers as weather allows. Please maintain social distancing. Masks are not required. Please follow all directions.

Morning worship is also available over Facebook Live at the church website or Facebook Live from 8:30am service.

Lutheran-LCMS MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH

Lutheran-ELCA HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH AND ANCHOR NURSERY SCHOOL 46 Dare Road, Selden 631-732-2511 Emergency Number 516-848-5386 Email: office@hopelutheran.com Website: www.hopeluth.com REV. DR. RICHARD O. HILL, PASTOR DALE NEWTON, VICAR On Sundays the services are at 9 and 10:30 a.m.

A link for all these services is on the website: www.hopeluth.com.

Our Food Pantry is open to everyone on Thursdays from 12:30-2:30 p.m. for picking up food. Also, donations can be made from 11 a.m.-noon or by making arrangements by leaving a message on the church answering service.

Offerings to support our ministry can be made at church services and through our website’s “Share God’s Mission” page.

In any emergency, call the pastor at 516-848-5386

ST. PAUL’S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH 309 Patchogue Road, Port Jefferson Station 631-473-2236 E-mail: Pastorpauldowning@yahoo.com Pastor’s cell: 347-423-3623 (voice or text) www.StPaulsLCPJS.org facebook.com/stpaulselca REV. PAUL A. DOWNING PASTOR Indoor service of Holy Communion will be offered each Sunday at 8:30am in our sanctuary.

Out of consideration for those who may be unvaccinated for Covid-19, and since even those vaccinated may contact or pass on the coronavirus, masks are required in the building

465 Pond Path, East Setauket 631-751-1775 www.messiahny.org PASTOR NILS NIEMEIER ASSOCIATE PASTOR STEVE UNGER Our worship services are 9am and 10:45am with Sunday school at 9am.

We are still asking people to wear a mask and social distance. The service will be live streamed on our YouTube page.

Go to our website (www.messiahny.org) for the link.We are here for you and if you are in need, please call us. Our Pastors are available and you are welcome to call the church to speak to them.

May God keep you safe and shine His light and love upon you.

Methodist

and livestreamed on Facebook.

Church School meets online Holy Communion 1st Sunday of Month Mary Martha Circle (Women’s Ministry) meets every 2nd Tuesday each month at 1pm No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you’re welcome here!

Presbyterian FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF PORT JEFFERSON 107 South/Main Streets 631-473-0147 We are an accepting and caring people who invite you to share in the journey of faith with us.

Email: office@pjpres.org Website: www.pjpres.org THE REV. DR. RICHARD GRAUGH Sunday Worship Service-10 am (social distancing & masks required) service is also broadcast on church FB page under “Missions and Activities” Christian Education Activities: Call 631-473-0147 Bible Study: Tuesday 2 pm via Zoom Holy Communion 1st Sunday of the Month Hot meals, groceries & clothing provided on a take out basis by Welcome Friends on Fridays 4-5:30 pm Call the church office or visit our website for current activities and events.

NYS Certified Preschool and Daycare The purpose of First Presbyterian Church of Port Jefferson is, with God’s help, to share the joy & good news of Jesus Christ with the congregation, visitors and the community at large; to provide comfort to those in need and hope to those in despair; and to seek justice for all God’s people.

BETHEL AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 33 Christian Ave/ PO 2117, E. Setauket 631-941-3581 REV. LISA WILLIAMS PASTOR Sunday Worship: 10:30 Am Adult Sunday School 9:30 Am Lectionary Reading And Prayer: Wed. 12 Noon Gospel Choir: Tues. 8 Pm Praise Choir And Youth Choir 3rd And 4th Fri. 6:30 PM.

SETAUKET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 160 Main Street, Corner of 25A and Main Street East Setauket 631-941-4167 REV. STEVEN KIM, PASTOR Sunday Worship Service Indoor at 10am Every 3rd Sunday only Outdoor service at 10am Services are streamed on line @www.setauketumc.org

S E TA U K E T P R E S B Y T E R I A N CHURCH 5 Caroline Avenue ~ On the Village Green 631- 941-4271 Celebrating and Sharing the love of God since 1660.

THE REV. KATE JONES CALONE, INTERIM PASTOR THE REV. ASHLEY MCFAUL-ERWIN, COMMUNITY OUTREACH PASTOR In- person worshipping in church sanctuary Sundays at 9:30 AM. Masks required-social distancing, Childcare available, Basic live streaming of the service. Link available on our website Sunday mornings. website:setauketpresbyterian.org Bell Choir All ringers welcome Sunday morning Sunday school Setauket Presbyterian Pre-School, ages 2-5 www.setauketpreschool.org Open Door Exchange (furniture ministry)

PLEASE CALL OR VISIT YOUR PLACE OF WORSHIP’S WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE.

KIDS KORNER Programs

Holiday Ornament workshop

Benner’s Farm, 56 Gnarled Hollow Road, E. Setauket hosts a winter workshop for ages 4 to 9 titled Farmhouse Style Holiday Ornaments on Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 12:45 to 2:45 p.m. Come spend time on the historic farm making crafts for your holidays!

Each child will create and take home several different of their own ornaments, make a snow globe, and take a farm tour at the workshop. $40 per child. To register, call 689-8172 or visit www.bennersfarm.com.

Snow Globe workshop

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport presents A Child’s Life at Eagle’s Nest on Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to noon. Learn about life at the Vanderbilt mansion, play games, listen to the music of the 1930s, and make a dreamy snow globe.

For grades K to 4. $20 per child. Register at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Counting Critters

Sunken Meadow State Park, Route 25A and Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park hosts a class for ages 3 to 5, Counting Critters, on Dec. 4 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Children and their parents will connect with nature through short walks, animal visitors, and crafts. $4 per child. To register, visit Eventbrite.com/ #NatureEdventures.

Santa, Trains & Sleigh Rides

Historic Longwood Estate, Longwood Road and Smith Road, Ridge present a special holiday program for children ages 12 and under on Dec. 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Explore the grounds of the estate on a old fashioned sleigh ride, view two large train displays and enjoy roasted chestnuts and popcorn on an open fire.

Children can visit with Santa (don't forget your letter) and have family members take photos. Brookhaven's Youth Bureau will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for children All numbers are in (631) area code unless noted.

DECEMBER 2, 2021 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B21 in need through their INTERFACE program. $5 per child. To register, call 924-1820.

Ocean Creature Encounters

The Whaling Museum. 301 Main St.. Cold Spring Harbor presents Ocean Creature Encounters on Dec. 4 from 1 to 3 p.m. Roll up your sleeves and get ready to meet live critters we share the Long Island Sound with in this family drop-in event with special guests from The Waterfront Center. Check out real whale bones, shark jaws and other artifacts from the museum’s collections, go on a scavenger hunt, and create an ocean-tastic craft. Admission plus $10 per participant. Call 367-3418.

Polar Express Workshop

Children ages 3 to 8 are invited to join Benner’s Farm, 56 Gnarled Hollow Road, E. Setauket for an All Aboard The Benner's Farm Polar Express Workshop on Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 12:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Come spend the day on the farm and BELIEVE. Visit all the farm animals and spread some holiday cheer, tour the gardens and take a ride on the tractor (train) around the farm. Each child will go home with some exclusive farm crafts and gifts! $40. To register, call 689-8172 or visit www. bennersfarm.com.

A Visit with Mailman Mark

The Miller Place-Mount Sinai Historical Society presents A Visit with Mailman Mark on Dec. 5 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Children are invited to bring their pre-written letters for Santa to the old Miller Place Post Office at 75 North Country Road, Miller Place where Mailman Mark will send them to the North Pole. Enjoy refreshments, a vintage fire truck, crafts and story time. Each child will receive a letter from Santa delivered to their home. $12 per child. For more information, call 476-5742.

Where Did Everybody Go?

Sunken Meadow State Park, Route and Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings presents a family program, Where Everybody Go?, on Dec. 5 from 1:30

25A Park Did to 3

p.m. Winter is almost here, and you might have noticed fewer animals around! Don't worry, they haven't disappeared! Join the staff for a walk around the park as you discover some clever and resourceful ways animals survive the colder months. $4 per person. To register, visit Eventbrite.com and search for #NatureEdventures.

Seashell Celebration

The Whaling Museum. 301 Main St..

Cold Spring Harbor will host a Seashell Celebration and Ornament Workshop for ages 5 and up on Dec. 5 at 1 p.m. and again at 2 p.m. From clams to sea snails to nautilus squid, explore the wonderful world of shelled animals in this educator-led workshop. Find out how to identify shells local to Long Island, and decorate a special shell ornament to hang up at home during this festive time of year.

Admission + $10 participant. Call 367-3418.

Hot Chocolate and Santa

Ballet Long Island, 1863 Pond Road, Ronkonkoma presents Hot Chocolate and Santa on Dec. 5 at 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Enjoy a Christmas-themed performance while being served hot chocolate and cookies, decorate a Christmas ornament and take photos with Santa (digital photos emailed to you for an extra fee)Tickets are $20 adults, $10 children and seniors. Call 737-1964.

Theater

‘Barnaby Saves Christmas’

The holidays have arrived at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson with Barnaby Saves Christmas from Nov. 20 to Dec. 26.

Come join Santa, Barnaby, Franklynne and all of their friends for a wonderful holiday treat.

As Santa’s littlest elf and his reindeer friend set off on their journey to save Christmas, they meet some new friends along the way and learn the true meaning of Christmas, Hanukkah, and the holiday season. All seats are $10. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www. theatrethree.com.

'Frosty'

Tis the season! The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Frosty from Nov. 21 to Jan. 2. Join Jenny and Frosty on their chilly adventures as they try to save the town of Chillsville from mean old Ebenezer Pierpot and an evil machine that will melt all the snow.

Jenny calls on her Dad, the mayor, and all of you to help her save her home, get Frosty to the North Pole, and make this holiday season a Winter Wonderland for one and all! Tickets are $20. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www. engemantheater.com. See review on page B22.

‘Frozen Jr.’

Do you want to build a snowman?

The Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown will present Frozen Jr. from Nov. 20 to Jan. 17 with a sensory friendly performance on Dec. 4 at 7 p.m.

A story of true love and acceptance between sisters, Frozen Jr. expands upon the emotional relationship and journey between Princesses Anna and Elsa. When faced with danger, the two discover their hidden potential and the powerful bond of sisterhood. With a cast of beloved characters and loaded with magic, adventure, and plenty of humor, Frozen Jr. is sure to thaw even the coldest heart! Tickets are $25. To order, call 724-3700 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.

FILM

Polar Express screening

The Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Chamber of Commerce will host screenings of The Polar Express in the Chamber Train Car, corner of Nesconset Highway and Route 112, Port Jefferson Station on Fridays, Dec. 3, 10 and 17 at 6 p.m.; Saturdays, Dec. 11 and 18 at noon, 3 and 6 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 5 at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. $15 per person includes popcorn, a cookie and hot cocoa. To reserve your tickets, visit www.pjstchamber.com.

Religious D irectory Presbyterian Opendoorexchange.org 631-751-0176 For all program information visit our website, email the church Setauketpresbyterian@verizon. net Follow us on FB.

To be listed in the Religious Directory please call 631–751–7663

Quaker QUAKER

RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS

Conscience Bay Meeting 4 Friends Way, St. James 11780 631-928-2768 www.consciencebayquakers.org We gather in silent worship seeking God,/the Inner Light/Spirit.

We’re guided by the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship. In-person worship blended with

virtual worship. Monthly discussions, Sept.June. Religious education for children.

Sept.-June, 11 a.m.; July-Aug., 10 a.m. All are welcome. See our website.

Unitarian Universalist UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP AT STONY BROOK 380 Nicolls Road, East Setauket 631-751-0297 uufsb.org office@uufsb.org REV. MARGARET H. ALLEN

(MINISTER@UUFSB.ORG) Sunday Service: 10:30 a.m.

Check uufsb.org for Zoom links and information about in-person and live-streamed Sunday worship services.

Adult Faith Development, Choir, Folk Group, classical music, Vespers, Sangha Meditation, Labyrinth Walks, Tai Chi, Chi Gong, Yoga, Essentrics, Grounds & Sounds Café, Le Petit Salon de Musique Our website also offers information about other activities we are currently holding online and in person, such as our Humanist Discussion Group and meditative and wellness arts classes.

PAGE B22 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 2, 2021

THEATER REVIEW

Holiday Tree Competition returns to Stony Brook Village Center On Sunday, Dec. 5, participants of the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s (WMHO) Holiday Tree Competition will bring festive cheer to the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main St., Stony Brook and decorate 50 premium balsam trees that will line the openair center’s walkways at the 42nd annual Holiday Festival.

One tree will be selected by votes from the public between Sunday, Dec. 5 and Monday, Dec. 20 to win a $150 gift certificate to Stony Brook Village and its establishments.

The decorated trees will remain in the village for viewing until Jan. 3.

Photo from WMHO

Sponsors include Roosevelt Investments, Damianos Realty Group, GSE Dynamics, Central Semiconductor Corp and Armor Pest Control.

To learn more about the Holiday Tree Competition, call the WMHO office at 631-751-2244.

The cast, from left, Lizzie Dolce, Matt Rafanelli, Justin Autz, Meaghan McInnes and Jae Hughes.

Photo from Engeman Theater

The audience joins in the fun at Engeman Theater's 'Frosty'

BY HEIDI SUTTON

A FOR A LIMITED TIME $0 Enrollment fee $19.98/month Call 631 751-6100 384 Mark Tree Rd. E. Setauket, NY 11733

59200

s the weather outside becomes frightful, the Engeman Theater in Northport invites families inside for a heartwarming production of Frosty. The terrific cast, directed by Jennifer Collester with stage manager Jillian Sharpe, brings the holiday musical to life with catchy sing-alongs and plenty of audience participation.

The narrator (Lizzie Dolce) introduces us to Jenny (Meaghan McInnes), a young girl who lives in Chillsville, “a little town way up north that is always covered with a fresh blanket of snow.” The daughter of the Mayor (Matt Rafanelli), Jenny's favorite thing to do is to play outside. With help from her father, she builds a snowman and names him Frosty. When Jenny puts a scarf around him, Frosty (Justin Autz) magically comes to life and the two become fast friends.

On the other side of town, Ebenezer Pierpot (Jae Hughes), the president of Pierpot Enterprises (a manufacturer of snow shovels, snowblowers, and ice scrapers), wants to build a bigger factory in the park but can’t do that with all the snow. During a meeting at town hall, Pierpot tricks the Mayor into signing a contract to build a machine that will melt all the snow in the town, putting Frosty’s life in jeopardy.

With Chillsville getting warmer by the minute, will Jenny come up with a plan to save

Frosty or will he turn into a large puddle of water with a carrot?

I always look forward to reviewing this show because I love to see the children’s faces light up when they realize that they have been invited to become part of the production.

They move to the edge of their seats with eager anticipation as they wait for the next question from the narrator or the cast and the next singa-long to join in.

During the performance the audience is asked what Jenny should do today (Build a snowman!), to come up with a plan to save Frosty (Move to another town!), help Jenny write a letter to her dad, and wish for snow (and it works!) They also join the narrator in the fun opening number, "Snow!" and the entire cast in a lively rendition of “Frosty the Snowman.”

With the ultimate message that love “is pretty powerful stuff,” this is the perfect show to introduce a child to live theater and is a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday season.

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Frosty through Jan. 2.

Running time is 90 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. Children’s theater continues with Disney’s Frozen Jr. from Jan. 29 to Feb. 27 and Madagascar - A Musical Adventure from March 26 to May 1. All seats are $20. For more information or to order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

MOVIE REVIEW

DECEMBER 2, 2021 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B23

Disney's 'Encanto' is a beautiful and beautifully told tale T REVIEWED BY JEFFREY SANZEL

he question of “What is a gift?” is the driving force of Disney’s 60th feature film, Encanto. Set in the mountains of Columbia, in an unspecified “once upon a time,” Encanto is one of Disney’s finest and most sophisticated animated musicals. Exquisitely directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush (with a screenplay by Bush and Charise Castro Smith), this is a memorable story of family and responsibility.

Fleeing from marauding conquerors, Alma Madrigal loses her husband, Pedro, but saves her infant triplets. An “Encanto” is a charm; here, the spell is in a candle.

The magical force of the candle creates the “casita”—a magic home for Alma and her children.

The Encanto blesses each member of the Madrigal family with a special power.

Together, these “gifts” help maintain the community. But what happens when that gift brings visions no one wants to know?

Or, even more challenging, when a child seemingly has no gift at all? The latter is the case with granddaughter Mirabel, the heart of the narrative and, ultimately, the center and savior of family and village.

Mirabel is a quirky, frustrated young woman; smart and articulate but underappreciated. Her mother, aunt, sister, and cousins outshine her with their showy skills.

Rated PG, Encanto is now playing in local theaters. Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studios Julieta, Mirabel’s mother, heals any ailment The vocal talent is exceptional. Stephanie the tale occurs. The strongest numbers are with food. Gorgeous Isabela, Mirabel’s Uncle Bruno, who had disappeared after his Beatriz’s Mirabel is tremendous, portraying “Dos Orguitas,” a haunting tune sung in oldest sister, is considered perfect and prognostications were met with resistance.

With the knowledge gathered from a struggling soul, imbuing her with perfect Spanish, and the joyous finale “All of You.” makes flowers bloom. Just behind Isabela Preceding Encanto is Far From the is Louisa, a girl of Herculean strength. Aunt Bruno, Mirabel understands her course and comedic timing and profound humanity.

Tree, a wordless short John Leguizamo’s Uncle Carolina’s emotions control the weather; the dangers it includes.

Encanto is emotionally complicated and Bruno uses twitchy antics Lin-Manuel Miranda has about a raccoon parent she is often followed by her own cloud protecting its child hovering over her head. Cousin Adassa avoids preciousness. There is humor and to very slightly mask the fashioned a serviceable with tough love. While underlying has unparalleled hearing. Cousin Rhenzy plenty of magic, but the lessons it imparts character’s simple and traditionally sadness. Diane Guerrero’s and pleasant score, but is a shapeshifter, taking on the appearance are genuine.

Encanto is perhaps the least saccharine seemingly vain Isabela the film stands on its own. animated, the two pieces of anyone he meets. Cousin Ravi-Cabot of any Disney film. Visually, the film is finds new shades in her share how families relate communicates with animals. extraordinary, exploding with transformation. and the deep-rooted desire to protect.

While seemingly wonderful, color and action. The house In Luisa, Jessica Darrow shows the They are perfect compliments, sharing these powers carry burdens as Encanto is one of well, shared in often hilarious Disney's finest and itself is a dynamic character, drain of never complaining. And Maria overlapping cores, with Far From the Tree with its communicating Cecilia Botero raises the grandmother delicate and Encanto spark and sparkle. and telling ways.

In the end, Encanto teaches not just The action goes into gear most sophisticated tiles, floorboards that deliver above caricature, finding depth and pain on the day Cousin Ravi-Cabot animated musicals. slippers, and an alarm clock in the matriarch who comes to terms with acceptance within a family but how family that nudges the householders her misplaced iron will. (Many of the and community come together. These are is to receive his gift. Mirabel, to move along. actors will be voicing the Spanish language big concepts, and younger viewers might not his favorite cousin, gives him the strength The characters are charmingly animated, version as well.) get them the first time. But like the best of to face whatever is to come his way. While Hamilton/In the Heights’ Lin-Manuel family features—The Toy Story series, Coco, everyone is celebrating, Mirabel sees the simultaneously broad and subtle. But, in house beginning to crack and the candle the end, the film’s imparting is the all- Miranda has fashioned a serviceable and etc.—Encanto will be one that children will in danger of being snuffed. Her alarm is important message that gifts do not have pleasant score, but the film stands on its return to as they grow.

And that said, there is much for everyone revealed to be a vision, but most do not—or to be flashy and that miracles come from own. An attempt to introduce the roster choose not—to believe her. She embarks on belief, perseverance, and love. The film in “The Family Madrigal” doesn’t quite to relish in this beautiful and beautifully succeed but establishes the world in which told tale. a quest to solve the danger, encountering her never loses sight of these morals.

Stony Brook University/SUNY is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educator and employer. 21100525

PAGE B24 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 2, 2021

SEAWOLVES UNITED SEAWOLVES BASKETBALL TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW!

Full-season, partial-plan and individual game tickets are on sale.

Special pricing is available for youth groups, birthday parties and corporate outings.

Join us in Island Federal Arena for the most electrifying game-day experience on the Island!

With in-game contests, fan giveaways, postgame autograph sessions and hospitality areas, Seawolves Basketball has something for everyone.

Tickets: StonyBrookAthletics.com/Tickets or call (631) 632-WOLF. @SBAthletics Stony Brook Seawolves Basketball — We Are Long Island’s Team!

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