Arts & Lifestyles - December 17, 2020 by TBR News Media

ARTS&LIFESTYLES TIMES BEACON RECORD NEWS MEDIA DEC. 17, 2020

Winners of 27th annual Gurwin Photo Contest announced ➢ B24 ©169502

INSIDE: Netflix's The Prom reviewed B13 • Photo of the Week B13 • Weekly Calendar B18 • Book Review: Different Like Me B27

LIGHTHOUSE LANDING

One great location...three exceptional shops 14 East Broadway Port Jefferson, NY • (opposite Port Jefferson Ferry)

Ecolin Jewelers 631.473.1117 • ecolin.com

Boardwalk Games 631.928.4263

TAAG 631.741.2344

PAGE B2 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 17, 2020

Professor and Chair of Turkana Basin Institute

Endowed Research Chair for Nature and Humanity

Adjunct Professor in the Department of Anatomical Sciences

Distinguished Professor in the Department of Anthropology

Leakey has transformed what the world knows about the origins of mankind. His most extraordinary discovery was the 1.6-millionyear-old nearly complete skeleton of “Turkana Boy,” a Homo erectus youth. For his groundbreaking anthropological ﬁnds, he won a Hubbard Medal, National Geographic’s highest honor, in 1994.

Mittermeier has spurred biodiversity conservation across South America, working closely with foreign heads of state and indigenous leaders. Credited with protecting hundreds of threatened species and millions of acres of critical habitat, he was awarded the Indianapolis Prize. A true pioneer, he has researched and described more than 20 species new to science.

MADAGASCAR

A MacArthur Fellow, Safina has propelled national and international efforts to protect ocean wildlife. From overhauling U.S. fisheries laws to reducing the drownings of sea turtles and albatross from commercial fishing lines, Safina’s efforts helped pass a United Nations global fisheries treaty.

PATRICIA WRIGHT

GUIANA SHIELD REGION

RUSSELL MITTERMEIER

FALKLAND ISLANDS

CARL SAFINA

TURKANA BASIN

RICHARD LEAKEY

A world-renowned primatologist, Wright is saving lemurs from extinction. She helped establish Ranomafana National Park, a 106,000-acre protected area. A MacArthur Fellow, she became the ﬁrst woman ever to win the Indianapolis Prize. 170648

Stony Brook University/SUNY is an aﬃrmative action, equal opportunity educator and employer. 19051555

Stony Brook University is leading global conservation and sustainability.

stonybrook.edu

DECEMBER 17, 2020 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B3

PLAIN TALK

A year we won’t soon forget

This year will truly be one to remember; not because of any extraordinary achievement, but rather it was a year when the world almost stopped and millions of people died around the world because of COVID-19. In our country alone, more than 1/4 of a million people have senselessly lost their lives. Every day we are breaking a record for people dying from the BY FR. FRANCIS coronavirus. PIZZARELLI Thanksgiving was celebrated in ways that most of us never imagined. So many families had empty plates at their table representing loved ones that could not come home and loved ones who have passed because of the virus. Unfortunately, some people did not heed the recommendations for gathering on Thanksgiving to keep all of us safe. As we prepare for Christmas, the virus is surging. Christmas time is supposed to be a season where we celebrate renewed hope and gratitude for all the many gifts and blessings we’ve received. We give thanks for all the people who have blessed our life. The Christmas season is always marked with an energy that is transformative. This year Christmas is going to be very different. However, we really should take pause and give thanks in the midst of all the suffering and struggle for the countless gifts and blessings each of us have. It’s a time to stay focused and mindful of what we have in this present moment. It’s a time to give not out of our excess but out of our need. It’s a time to welcome the stranger as a friend and brother or sister. It’s a time for making peace, healing fractured relationships and building new bridges that cross over troubled waters. This Christmas season provides us a powerful opportunity to join hands and give voice to the voiceless, to work for social justice and respect for all God’s people, no matter who they are or where they are. This

METRO photo

time of year is an opportunity to support the dignity and respect of every human person. In the midst of our fear and anxiety, this holiday season is a powerful moment to renew and affirm the people and relationships that are most important in our lives. It’s an opportunity to reach out to those that we’ve become distant from and reconnect. This Christmas marks my 40th Christmas in Port Jefferson. So much has happened from my first days as a young parish priest at Infant Jesus. My life has been so blessed and enriched by the countless people I have been privileged to know and work with. The collaborative spirit and compassion in our village that transcends religious traditions and socioeconomic profiles has inspired me and helped me to stay the course all these years. The work that I’ve been able to do is in large measure thanks to the generosity and love from so many. Thousands of broken young men are whole raising their own families, making positive contributions to our larger community and giving back in countless ways. All of that has happened and continues to happen because of your generosity, your courage and your power of example.

This Christmas I am grateful for the countless miracles I have witnessed every day for 40 years and for the collaborative spirit on the part of so many that have contributed to the transformation of so many wounded and broken people. Thank you for helping to renew my hope. I am forever grateful. Christmas blessings!

Fr. Pizzarelli, SMM, LCSW-R, ACSW, DCSW, is the director of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson.

In this edition Art Exhibit ..............................................B23 Attorney at Law ....................................B11 Book Review .........................................B27 Calendar ...........................................B18-19 Cooking Cove .......................................B17 Crossword Puzzle .................................. B5 Horoscopes ............................................B19

Kids Korner.............................................B26 Medical Compass ................................. B7 Movie Review .......................................B13 Plain Talk .................................................. B3 Power of 3 ............................................... B8 Religious Directory .......................B21-23 SBU Sports .............................................B20

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

PORT JEFFERSON DERMATOLOGY Peter A. Klein, MD Adam J. Korzenko, MD Brett M. Dolgin, DO * Wil D. Tutrone, MD Vanita Srivastava, DO * * Dr. Dolgin and Dr. Srivastava are pleased to offer Botox and fillers. Please call for more information.

Nights And Weekends Available PORT JEFFERSON DERMATOLOGY HAS REOPENED TO SEEING PATIENTS 631.928.7922 6 Medical Drive Suite D Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776 631.475.8249 100 Hospital Road Suite 116 Patchogue, NY 11772

www.portjeffdermatology.com ©167204

PAGE B4 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 17, 2020

M Y L A G O S M Y W AY

14 EAST BROADWAY | PORT JEFFERSON, NY 631.473.1117 | ECOLIN.COM

169291

C AV I A R C O L L E C T I O N S

Lovelier Legs

DECEMBER 17, 2020 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B5

CROSSWORD PUZZLE THEME: Year in Review

Jerry G. Ninia, MD, RVT, FACPh Fellow American College of Surgeons

CLUES ACROSS 1. *New wardrobe accessory 5. *RIP, ____ 8. Flock's echo 12. Reply from a tunnel? 13. Feline noise 14. Edward Teller's "baby" 15. Beat 16. Competently 17. Savory jelly 18. *Blue vs. red competition 20. One third of a three-piece suit 21. Mailed greetings 22. Long time 23. ____ biloba 26. Anointing oil 30. Nurses' org. 31. Leafy vegetable 34. "Cogito, ____ sum" 35. Mooring spots 37. Bring into play 38. Old Brazilian coins 39. Prefix with 'graph' 40. *Joe's running mate 42. PGA peg 43. What bees did 45. Fixes firmly 47. Summer mo. 48. R in NPR 50. Widespread 52. *WHO's March announcement 55. Cliffside dwelling 56. Drop-off spot 57. Sonic sound 59. Sports figures, e.g. 60. Persian backgammon 61. Water carrier 62. *Late basketball legend 63. *____ lightning, cause of California wildfires 64. X-ray units

Answers to last week’s puzzle:

Happy Holidays!

We provide office-based treatment for Varicose Veins and Spider Veins Specializing in:

CLUES DOWN 1. Copy cats 2. Flu symptom 3. Synagogue 4. 1/100th of a ruble 5. Bid again 6. Western neckwear, pl. 7. Gwyneth, to friends 8. *Like a vote during lockdown 9. What Joy Mangano does on TV 10. Do like exhaust pipe 11. *"Transplant" network 13. ____ of honor 14. It's often wreaked 19. Zoo enclosures 22. Compass dir. 23. Labored breaths 24. *Jared Kushner to Donald Trump 25. Nigerian money 26. Part of an eye 27. About to explode 28. Looked at, amorously 29. Smelling organs 32. Two of the same 33. Philosopher's study 36. *Best Picture Oscar-winner 38. China grass 40. Party barrel 41. Having a cover 44. *What Zoom host does to guests, sometimes 46. Type of jacket 48. "M*A*S*H" character 49. Ticked off 50. *President Trump used this power in 2020 51. United ____ Emirates 52. Be undecided 53. *Caucus state 54. Like most universities 55. Pose a question 58. Robinson or Doubtfire

• Injection-Compression Sclerotherapy • Foam Sclerotherapy • Ultrasound - Guided Sclerotherapy • Ambulatory Phlebectomy Plus ELVeS™ (Endo Laser Vein System) The latest procedure for minimally invasive vein treatment. Uniquely Effective For: Replacing vein stripping. Expert Spider Vein Treatment Now Accepting Medicare Patients

Varicose Vein Center MOST MEDICAL INSURANCE ACCEPTED

Now Offering: VenaSealTM

* THEME RELATED CLUE ©167030

Answers to this week’s puzzle will appear in next week’s newspaper and online on Friday afternoon at www.tbrnewsmedia.com, Arts and Lifestyles

PORT JEFFERSON

405 East Main Street • 631–474–1414 Visit Our Website at www.mdvein.com

American College of Phlebology

Telemedicine Consult Available

PAGE B6 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 17, 2020

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.

HELPING YOU NAVIGATE TO OPTIMAL HEALTH

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.

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.

Benefits of Our Approach: Treat/reverse the causes of disease, not just symptoms Minimize or eliminate dependence on medications Reduce pain and inflammation Improve weight management, and more

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

“Dr. Dunaief is a knowledgeable, dedicated and compassionate Integrative Medicine clinician, researcher and speaker.” – Joel Fuhrman, M.D., author of six New York Times best sellers, including Eat to Live.

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

MEDICAL COMPASS

DECEMBER 17, 2020 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B7

Dear Santa, give the gift of health this year

to those risking their lives and keeping us safe and supplied During these difficult times, tips to reduce anxiety: • Practice deep breathing and relaxation • Meditate • Connect with friends and family by telephone or online • Use visualization & guided imagery • Exercise, try to take a walk • Distract yourself by setting small goals • Mindfulness

METRO photo

vegetarian; you just have to increase your fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods significantly. With a simple change, like eating a handful of raw nuts a day, you can reduce your risk of heart disease significantly. Santa, future generations need you. Losing weight will also change your center of gravity, so your belly doesn’t pull you forward. This will make it easier for you to keep your balance on those steep, icy rooftops. Exercise will help, as well. Maybe for the first continent or so, you might want to consider walking or jogging alongside the sleigh. As you exercise, you’ll start to tighten your abs and slowly see fat disappear from your midsection. Your fans everywhere leave you cookies and milk when you deliver presents. It’s a tough cycle to break, but break it you must. You — and your fans — need to see a healthier Santa. You might let slip that the modern Santa enjoys fruits, especially berries, and veggies, with an emphasis on cruciferous veggies like broccoli florets dipped in hummus, which have substantial antioxidant qualities and can help reverse disease. And, of course, skip putting candy in the stockings. No one needs more sugar, and I’m sure that, over the long night, it’s hard to resist sneaking a piece, yourself. As for your loyal fans, you could place fitness videos under the tree. You and your elves could make workout videos for those of us who need them, and we could follow along as you showed us “12 Days of Workouts with Santa and Friends.” Who knows, you might become the next Shaun T!

You could gift athletic equipment, such as baseball gloves, footballs and basketballs, instead of video games. Or wearable devices that track step counts and bike routes. Or stuff gift certificates for dance lessons into people’s stockings. These might influence the recipients to be more active. By doing all this, you might also have the kind of energy that will make it easier for you to steal a base or two during the North Pole Athletic League’s softball season. The elves don’t even bother holding you on base anymore, do they? As you become more active, you’ll find that you have more energy all year round, not just on Christmas Eve. If you start soon, Santa, maybe by next year, you’ll find yourself parking the sleigh farther away and skipping from chimney to chimney. The benefits of a healthier Santa will ripple across the world. Your reindeer won’t have to work so hard. You might fit extra presents in your sleigh. And Santa, you will be sending kids and adults the world over the right message about taking control of their health through nutrition and exercise. That’s the best gift you could give! Wishing you good health in the coming year, David. P.S. If you have a little extra room in your sleigh, I’d love a new baseball glove.

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.

REMEMBER TO KEEP SOCIAL DISTANCING AND THAT THIS WILL END If you would like a confidential, compassionate professional person to talk to, I am a psychotherapist working with adults, couples and families who are dealing with anxiety, depression, bereavement and trauma. Wishing you serenity and good health,

Nancy F. Solomon, LCSW, P.C. 47 Route 25A Setauket, NY 11733 631-941-0400

166905

Dear Santa, I know this is a busy time of year for you. I’m sure it’s all you can do to field all the requests you’re receiving through email, Twitter, WhatsApp, and old-fashioned, handwritten letters. Still, I’d like to suggest that you can provide far more value by becoming a model for good health than you can with any wrapped package tucked under a tree. Think about By David the example you’re Dunaief, M.D. setting for all those people whose faces light up when they imagine you shimmying down their chimneys. With your abnormally high BMI (body mass index), I know you can do better. We already have an epidemic of overweight kids, leading to an ever-increasing number of type 2 diabetics at younger and younger ages. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 2018, more than 100 million U.S. adults are living with diabetes or prediabetes. It complicates the issue that approximately two-thirds of the U.S. population is overweight and/or obese. You can help change this. Obesity has a much higher risk of shortening a person’s life span, not to mention affecting their quality of life. The most dangerous type of obesity is an increase in visceral adipose tissue, which means central belly fat. An easy way to tell if someone is too rotund is if a waistline, measured from the navel, is greater than or equal to 40 inches for a man, and is greater than or equal to 35 inches for a woman. The chances of diseases such as pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer and heart disease increase dramatically with this increased fat. Santa, here is a chance for you to lead by example (and, maybe by summer, to fit into those skinny jeans you hide in the back of your closet). Think of the advantages to you of being slimmer and trimmer. Your joints wouldn’t ache with the winter cold, and you would have more energy. Plus, studies show that with a plant-based diet, focusing on fruits and vegetables, you can reverse atherosclerosis, clogging of the arteries. The importance of a good diet not only helps you lose weight, but avoid strokes, heart attacks and peripheral vascular diseases, among other ailments. You don’t have to be

Thank You

PAGE B8 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 17, 2020

KNOWLEDGE SEEKERS

SBU’s Carlos Simmerling wins $10K prize for COVID research Harnessing the Technology of our Research Giants

BY DANIEL DUNAIEF

They know what happens. They’re just not sure how it happens. Carlos Simmerling, Marsha Laufer Endowed Professor of Physical and Quantitative Biology and Professor of Chemistry at Stony Brook University, has spent over 22 years trying to answer the question of how processes at a molecular level occur. Using chemistry, physics and computer programs he helped create, Simmerling determines the intermediate structural changes that occur with biomolecules such as nucleic acids and proteins, which would be extremely difficult to impossible to do at a bench or in a laboratory. In March, as the United States was in the beginning of various school and office lockdowns in response to the spread of the pandemic, Simmerling endured the same discomfort and loss of control. Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory, including Kerstin Kleese van Dam, Director of the Computational Science Initiative, reached out to Simmerling to see if his lab might use their experience and tools to understand the spike protein on the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Except for two people who were on the cusp of finishing their PhD’s, everyone else in the lab “shifted to work on this instead. We put everything else on hold and it’s been nonstop since March.” Simmerling said he and his lab group decided at a special lab meeting on March 13th that it was important to contribute whatever they could to this unprecedented crisis.

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

‘[In regards to COVID] we were not well prepared in science and humanity in general. We have to come up with better tools. —CARLOS SIMMERLING

Without the same kind of restrictions or limitations that lab groups that depend on working at a bench or conducting in-person experiments might have, the Simmerling group could work every day, forging ahead to understand the way the protein operates and to look for critical steps or weaknesses that might assist doctors down the road. Recently, Simmerling and his lab group exchanged emails over Thanksgiving, during which the group felt this commitment to COVID research gave them a “shared purpose” and helped them feel as if they were “doing something.” While the Simmerling lab appreciated the opportunity to contribute to efforts to combat COVID-19, they also recently received a national award in highperformance computing. Called the Gordon Bell Special Prize, the award recognizes “outstanding research achievement towards the understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic through the use of highperformance computing.” The award, which was announced at the virtual SuperComputing 2020 Conference and recognizes the work of the Simmerling lab and some collaborators they worked with since early in the pandemic, includes a $10,000 prize. The kind of research Simmerling and his team conducted may help

Carlos Simmerling

either with this specific virus or with any others that might threaten human health again. “We were not well prepared in science and humanity in general,” Simmerling said. “We have to come up with better tools.” While he is pleased that pharmaceutical companies are getting closer to introducing vaccines for COVID-19, Simmerling said any such solutions would apply to this specific virus and not to any subsequent forms of coronavirus or other potential threats to human health. People who contracted SARS or MERS, which are coronavirus cousins, didn’t develop an immunity to COVID-19. “Even if we all get vaccinated, that won’t help us for the next one, and we’ll likely have other ones,” Simmerling explained. “Science needs to do a better job getting deeper into how these work.” At this point, the models Simmerling and his staff have created are working and are providing the kind of clues that

could contribute to providing suggestions for future experiments. The lab is “now at the stage where we are seeing new things not seen in the experiments and suggesting new experiments to test our hypotheses,” said Simmerling. His lab has focused on the dynamics of proteins and other biomolecules to see how they move around in time. He simulates the shape changes when molecules interact, including in the 2000s when he worked on proteins in the human immunodeficiency virus. Simmerling likens the study to the process of shaking other people’s hands. When two people come together, their hands adapt to each other when they interact, changing shape as they move up and down. With the spike protein in COVID-19, scientists have seen what it looks like before it interacts. The structure after it unlocks the cell is fuzzier and scientists aren’t sure if they are relevant to the actual virus or something vaguely similar to it.

“We only get snapshots at the beginning and the end,” he said. “What we need to do is figure out how it works.” He uses software his lab has developed with a few other labs in the country. Scientists around the world use this Amber system. They take steps in time and calculate the forces on the atom, which requires millions of iterations. Simmerling said other people sometimes think he and his team download the structure, plug it into a computer, run it and then publish a paper. That’s far from the case, as the computer does the number crunching, but people like Simmerling spend considerable time trying to understand a molecule like the spike protein well enough to develop ideas about how it might move and change. Simmerling took a circuitous route to the world of using chemistry and physics on a computer. When he entered college at the University of Illinois at Chicago, he wanted to be a chemist. The only problem was that he didn’t enjoy working in the lab with all the chemicals. Half way through his college education, he left school and started working at a computer company. Eight years later, he decided to return to college, where he planned to earn his chemistry degree. “When I went back to school, I told my [teaching assistant] that I wish I could do [chemistry] on computers rather than experiments,” Simmerling said. “He introduced me to the professor [Ron Elber] who became my PhD advisor. That brought together things I was interested in.” He knew programming and how to use computers. “Sometimes, you’re the sum of your choices,” Simmerling said. He and his wife Maria Nagan, who also does computer modeling at Stony Brook University, live in Port Jefferson. In non-pandemic times, Simmerling enjoys sailing throughout the year. As for the prize, Simmerling said the “recognition is nice” and he would like his lab to contribute to “models to change how we combat infectious disease.”

DECEMBER 17, 2020 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B9

Pentimento Restaurant & Market Holiday Tree Competition Vote for your favorite now through Dec. 21! Ballots in shops

631.689.7755

Make your favorite dish at home!

Rocky Point Jewelers West 631.751.3751 Lakeside Wine Emotions Wine Boutique 631.675.2750 Personalize a bottle!

Cottontails Children's Shop 631.689.9147

A Lot Out of the Ordinary 631.751.2244 stonybrookvillage.com 171119

Village Coffee Market 631.675.9525

Stony Brook Chocolate Works 631.675.9366

Holiday Train Display at Wiggs Opticians 631.751.2801

164757

PAGE B10 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 17, 2020

DECEMBER 17, 2020 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B11

ATTORNEY AT LAW

Copies of ‘Setauket and Brookhaven History’ now available online

Did you know? Autographed copies of History Close at Hand’s new book, “Setauket and Brookhaven History” by Three Village Historical Society historian Beverly C. Tyler and William B. Minuse, featuring the murals of Vance Locke at the Setauket School, are now available for purchase at the Three Village Historical Society’s online gift shop for $19.95 plus tax. Visit www.tvhs.org for further information.

METRO photo

Estate and gift tax update for 2021 The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) increased the federal estate tax exclusion amount for decedents dying in years 2018 to 2025. The exclusion amount for 2021 is $11.7 million. This means that an individual can leave $11.7 million and a married couple can leave $23.4 million dollars to their heirs or beneficiaries without paying any federal estate tax. This also means that an individual or married couple can gift this BY NANCY BURNER, ESQ. same amount during their lifetime and not incur a federal gift tax. The rate for the federal estate and gift tax remains at 40 percent. The Portability Election, which allows a surviving spouse to use his or her deceased spouse’s unused federal estate and gift tax exemption, is unchanged for 2021. This means a married couple can use the full $23.4 million exemption before any federal estate tax would be owed. To make a portability election, a federal estate tax return must be timely filed by the executor of the deceased spouse’s estate. For 2021 the annual gift tax exclusion remains at $15,000. This means that an individual can give away $15,000 to any person in a calendar year ($30,000 for a married couple) without having to file a federal gift tax return and without counting toward their lifetime exemption amount. Despite the large Federal Estate Tax exclusion amount, New York State’s estate tax exemption for 2021 is $5.93 million. New York State still does not recognize portability. New York has a three-year lookback on gifts as of January 16, 2019. However, gifts will not be includable in your estate if made within this time period if made by a resident or nonresident of real or tangible property located outside of New York State; while the

decedent was a nonresident; before April 1, 2014; between Jan. 1, 2019 and Jan. 15, 2019. If you are concerned about an increase in the federal estate and gift tax rate and decrease in the exemption due to the change in the presidential administration, now is the time to use your estate and gift tax exemption through lifetime gifts. By making lifetime gifts over the $15,000 annual exclusion, you utilize your estate and gift tax exemption. The IRS finalized rules in 2019 stating that it would not “claw back” lifetime gifts when the exemption is lowered. This means that an individual can give his or her entire estate and gift tax exemption ($11.58 million) in 2020 and not be affected by a reduced estate and gift tax exemption under the new administration. To utilize the benefit of the larger estate and gift tax exemption in 2020 from a potentially reduced amount in 2021 and beyond, the gifts need to be substantial. Meaning that this gift would have to greater than the anticipated new exemption (the Biden plan proposes a $3.5 million exemption) to utilize what would be “excess” exemption. The proposed estate tax rate on amounts over $3.5 million is increased from 40% to 45%. If the excess exemption is not used before the exemption is lowered by Congress in a new legislation, then that “excess” would be lost and amounts remaining in your estate over $3.5 million at your death (assuming there is no surviving spouse) would be taxed at 45%. Most taxpayers will never pay a federal estate tax under the current Act. If the federal estate tax exemption is reduced to $3.5 million, many more estates would be subject to a federal estate tax, especially on Long Island. It is critical to do estate tax planning if you or your spouse have an estate that is potentially taxable under New York State law or taxable under the proposed changes to the federal estate tax laws. Nancy Burner, Esq. practices elder law and estate planning from her East Setauket office. Visit www.burnerlaw.com.

Elder Law, Trusts & Estates, Real Estate

LIVE WEBINARS: ‘Tis the Season: Estate Planning and Gifting Tuesday, December 22nd at 2:00 pm

New Year! New President! New Estate Plan? Thursday, January 7th at 2:00 pm Please RSVP at (631) 941-3434 or email info@burnerlaw.com EAST SETAUKET • WESTHAMPTON BEACH • MANHATTAN

(631) 941-3434 • burnerlaw.com 170447

Paid Attorney Advertising

Social icon

Circle Only use blue and/or white. For more details check out our Brand Guidelines.

PAGE B12 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 17, 2020

REBATE$ TIP$ PROGRAM$ SAVING$

PSEG Long Island is proud to safely support local businesses like Reyes Deli with our energy efficiency programs. LED lighting rebates are just one of the ways we are helping thousands of businesses save energy and money every year. Just as the Copiague community counts on Reyes Deli, Long Island businesses can always rely on us. Together, we’re powering through.

POWERING THROUGH IN COPIAGUE

169504

Find ways to save $$$ for your business. PSEGLINY.com/BUSINESS

DECEMBER 17, 2020 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B13

MOVIE REVIEW

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Andrew Rannells and Meryl Streep in a scene from the film. Netflix photo

REVIEWED BY JEFFREY SANZEL

In 2018, the musical The Prom made its Broadway debut at the Longacre Theatre. With music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and book by Bob Martin and Beguelin, it dealt with a group of narcissistic Broadway actors who are trying to change their unlikable images. Looking for a cause, they select a lesbian high school student who is denied the right to take her girlfriend to the prom. The quartet of Broadway performers travel to the conservative Edgewater, Indiana, where, in an attempt to help, they wreak havoc. Ultimately, it all works out in the way that musical comedies do. There was a great deal of feel-good material and a lot of messages about understanding and tolerance in the show. Casey Nicholaw strongly directed the production, if leaning a bit into the over-the-top humor alternating with easy sentimentality. His choreography was engaging and vigorous, often leaning towards the athletic. The original cast was made up of Broadway veterans who brought out the best in the material. For the most part, the reviews were good but it failed to find an audience and closed within the year. Ryan Murphy, who was one of the Broadway producers, has now directed a film version which has been released on Netflix and is also currently playing in movie theaters. Murphy recruited Martin and Beguelin to write the screenplay with the majority of the score intact. They have opened it up, taking advantage of a range of locations to give it more variety and a more kinetic energy. There are also some good flashbacks that enhance the story as

well. Murphy has shown the same care and whimsy here that he did with the recent Netflix miniseries Hollywood, and the result is an entertaining two hours. Murphy has replaced the entire Broadway company with well-known film and television personalities. So many cinematic stage transfers have been ruined by stunt casting that fails to preserve the integrity of the source material. That said, Murphy has assembled an excellent company who deliver. Meryl Streep is delightful as the Broadway diva, Dee Dee Allen. She is outrageous but grounded in her own selective reality and manages to make Dee Dee both insufferable and likable, often simultaneously. Her singing voice is solid, and she manages the big numbers well enough. Andrew Rannells is a younger, edgier take on the Julliardtrained Trent Oliver; he has real musical theatre chops (The Book of Mormon) and a hipper approach to the character. Keegan-Michael Key evokes the right balance of controlled concern and star-struck fan as the principal who is enamored with Dee Dee. Kerry Washington brings snap and spark to the outraged PTA president who is doing all she can to keep the prom “straight.” Kevin Chamberlin is charming as the longsuffering agent. Only Nicole Kidman seems lost as the perpetual chorus girl, Angie Dickinson. Her vocals are adequate but she never finds her way with the character. It is also clear that she is uncomfortable with the Fosse style and it undermines her big number — “Zazz” — and ultimately the character’s core. MOVIE REVIEW continued on page B16

SUNDAY'S SURPRISE Dawn Olenick of Baiting Hollow visited West Meadow Beach in Stony Brook on the evening of Dec. 13 and captured this beautiful sunset. She writes, 'Mother Nature put on a show ... tide pools and all her splendor ... we all watched in awe!'

Send your Photo of the Week to leisure@tbrnewspapers.com

DJ’s Clam Shack has opened at 1972 Jericho Turnpike East Northport, NY 11731

631.486.9474

TakeAvaila o ut ble

We are open 7days a week!! Check out our menu at DjsClamShackEastNorthport.com Follow us on Instagram and facebook @djsclamshackeastnorthport for updates and our daily specials!!

@169307

'It's Time to Dance' Netflix gives us The Prom

Selling New York...

From Manhattan to Montauk

“They are among the most notable sellers at Douglas Elliman, with cumulative property deals in the billions.” — The New York Times

2 Wallis Lane | Nissequogue | $14,600,000 | Inspired by the Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg, VA, this notable estate was completed in 1935. Commanding nearly 15 level, waterfront acres overlooking Long Island Sound, Somerset enjoys an unassuming approach that leads to the end of a long, private road adjacent to the lush David Weld Sanctuary; a tranquil, wooded nature preserve. The property, with its specimen plantings and exceptional privacy, boasts a staggering span of nearly 900ft of unobstructed waterfrontage along the shoreline. Web# 3262013

169596

30 Smith Lane | Nissequogue $2,495,000 | 5 BR, 4 BA | Web # 1361981

9 Richard Path | Nissequogue $899,000 | 5 BR, 3.5 BA | Web # 3243903

Under Contract 6 N Equestrian | Hauppauge $985,000 | 5 BR, 2.5 BA | Web # 3266766

Under Contract 11 Pheasant Run | Nissequogue $949,000 | 4 BR, 3.5 BA | Web # 3266766

Tom Postilio

Mickey Conlon

Lic. Assoc. R.E. Broker Licensed as Thomas Postilio

Lic. Assoc. R.E. Broker Licensed as Walter Conlon

O 212.350.8008 M 917.543.0005 tom.postilio@elliman.com

O 212.350.8009 M 917.224.7177 mickey.conlon@elliman.com

elliman.com 575 MADISON AVENUE, NY, NY 10022. 212.891.7000 © 2020 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED HEREIN IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. WHILE, THIS INFORMATION IS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT, IT IS REPRESENTED SUBJECT TO ERRORS, OMISSIONS, CHANGES OR

WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT NOTICE. ALL PROPERTY INFORMATION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SQUARE FOOTAGE, ROOM COUNT, NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PROPERTY LISTINGS SHOULD BE VERIFIED BY YOUR OWN ATTORNEY, ARCHITECT OR ZONING EXPERT. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

PAGE B16 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 17, 2020

MOVIE REVIEW

Continued from page B13 Jo Ellen Pellman has a beautiful voice and winning presence as Emma Nolan, the girl who just wants to go to the prom. She shines through the entire film — one just wishes she wasn’t smiling the entire time; the absence of angst makes the final moments not quite as cathartic. Ariana DeBose as Alyssa, the daughter of the crusading PTA president, ably shows her internal conflict as Emma’s closet girlfriend and delivers in her musical number, “Alyssa Greene.” The ensemble of young singer-dancers handle the big numbers well and have a nice ease about them. But if the film belonged to any one performer, it would be James Corden as Barry Glickman, Dee Dee’s costar in the failed Eleanor Roosevelt musical that incites the entire plot. He is warm and funny but truly vulnerable. He is completely at home as both a singer and a dancer, making his numbers some of the best moments. In many ways, it becomes just as much his story as Emma’s. The film has a strong start, moving quickly from place-to-place and song-tosong, everything cast in a musical comedy glow. There are many excellent production numbers that are hilarious — “Changing Lives,” “It’s Not About Me,” and “Love

Center, from left, Ariana Rose and Jo Ellen Pellman in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Netflix

Thy Neighbor” — and just plain joyous —“Tonight Belongs to You.” Murphy wisely retained Nicholaw as choreographer. It is unfortunate that the second half of the movie sags a bit with dramatic scenes that have been introduced to give both weight and extended background to Barry and Dee Dee. While it gives the two actors an opportunity to emote, the tonal shift and the additional time do nothing to drive the action forward.

These additions necessitated the trimming of several numbers, most notably “The Acceptance Song,” done at a monster truck rally. This is a minor quibble in an overall enjoyable outing. The Broadway quartet learn and grow, just as we know they would. Emma and Alyssa celebrate their love with the exuberant “It’s Time to Dance” — as celebratory here as it was on Broadway.

If people take exception to the ease with which minds are changed and bigotry is overcome, it should be reminded that this is the world of fantasy. Just as with his Hollywood, Murphy offers us not necessarily the world we have but perhaps the world we can hope for — and some really terrific production numbers along the way. Rated PG-13, The Prom is currently playing in local theaters and on Netflix.

OPEN EVERY DAY – 7 DAYS A WEEK 8 am-6 pm WE ARE STILL FOCUSING ON SAFETY

We are open for regular shopping between these hours with a few changes in our operation.

We are limiting the amount of people inside the store at one time. During a busy time you may be asked to wait for someone to come out before going inside. We are not allowing walk up service at the deli counter, we are instead asking you to call your order in allowing up to one hour in advance. The order will be waiting for you when you arrive, this way there are no lines forming for deli service. We also still slice our deli express line fresh every day, allowing for quick grab and go service. We are requiring face masks while inside the store to keep our customers and employees safe.

THIS WEEK’S SPECIALS ©163437

ENTENMANN’S DONUTS - $2.99 / all donut varieties THOMAS’ 6 PACK PLAIN ENGLISH MUFFINS - 2/$5 / 6 pk plain only SIMPLY ORANGE JUICE - $2.99 / 52 oz. varieties NABISCO’S OREO COOKIES - $2.99 / asst. varieties

PORT JEFFERSON STATION, NY (Corner of Boyle Road & Old Town Road) 631–928–4607 • buttercupdairy.com CALL AHEAD THE HOLIDAYS ARE APPROACHING FAST DELI ORDERS SAVE TIME WITH BUTTERCUP STILL Pre sliced cold cuts and pre made sandwiches AVAILABLE Check out our heat and eat dinner options

SALES RUN 12/16 – 12/22 SPECIAL HOLIDAY HOURS Tues. & Wed. 12/22 & 12/23 • 7 am - 7 pm • Thurs. 12/24 • 7 am - 4 pm CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY

DECEMBER 17, 2020 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B17

COOKING COVE

Gifts from your kitchen keep on giving

BY BARBARA BELTRAMI

Pepper Relish YIELD: Makes about 5 half-pint jars INGREDIENTS: • 9 or 10 medium bell peppers (assorted colors) • 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar • 1 packet Certo liquid pectin DIRECTIONS:

Sterilize jars and lids in boiling water or dishwasher. Cut peppers open and discard seeds, then chop very finely. Drain and press out about half the juice. Measure two cups of peppers and juice into a large saucepan; add vinegar and stir. Add pectin to peppers and mix well. Place over high heat; stir mixture till it comes to a full rolling boil. Stir in sugar immediately, then boil hard one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. With metal cooking spoon, skim off foam, then ladle quickly into jars, leaving 1/8 inch on top. With wet paper towel wipe rims and threads of jar, place dome lids on top, then screw on lid rings, but not too tightly as heat will cause them to expand. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Upon removal or shortly thereafter you will hear lids pop which means a vacuum seal has been achieved Sometimes a firm tap with your finger will nudge the lids that haven’t popped. (If they don’t pop and there is no slight depression in the center of the lid, they have failed to seal. Refrigerate them and use them within one to two weeks if this happens.) When cool enough to handle moderately tighten rings on all jars.Let cool, then affix labels. Suggested serving: with cold cuts, hamburgers, cold sliced meat or meat loaf.

Peach Chutney YIELD: Makes 6 half-pint jars INGREDIENTS: • 1 pound brown sugar • 2 cups white vinegar • 1/4 cup shredded fresh peeled ginger root

Photo from Pixabay

• 1 garlic clove, minced • 2 teaspoons cinnamon • 2 teaspoons ground cloves • 1 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper • 1 cup chopped onion • 1 cup chopped green pepper • 3 pounds peaches, washed, pitted and chopped DIRECTIONS:

170647

If you haven’t wanted to go into crowded stores because of COVID-19, you’ve gotten so frustrated with the internet or items being out of stock that you’re ready to throw your computer out the window or you’re at your wits’ end trying to think of gifts that will say you’re thinking of those you can’t be with, take heart. It’s not too late to tie on your apron and make some gifts in your kitchen. Here are a few ideas and recipes for cooking some favorites, putting them in sealed, sterilized jars and processing them in a boiling water bath. Make your own labels or have the spouse or the kids help you, wrap the jars in cellophane and tie with a pretty bow. Go ahead, do it and delight friends, neighbors or family.

In a large pot combine the sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, salt and pepper. Heat to a rolling boil; stir constantly. Add onions, green pepper and peaches; heat to rolling boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and boil gently, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 1 1/4 hours until very thick. Meanwhile sterilize jars and lids. Ladle chutney into hot jars to within 1/2 inch of tops. With a damp paper towel wipe rims and threads of jars, then put lids and screw bands on. Tighten bands but not hard. Process in boiling water bath 5 to 10 minutes; remove and wait for lids to pop and jars to cool as in recipe above for green pepper relish. Suggested serving: with roasted meat or poultry.

Apple-Pear Jam YIELD: Makes 4 half-pint jars INGREDIENTS: • 3 1/2 cups pared, cored mashed apples and pears • 6 to 6 1/2 cups sugar • 1/4 cup lemon juice • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger • 1/2 packet Certo liquid pectin DIRECTIONS:

Sterilize jars and lids. In a very large pot combine all the ingredients except pectin. Over high heat, bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard one minute; immediately remove from heat and stir in pectin. Stir and skim for 5 minutes. Ladle into hot jars within 1/8 inch from the top. With damp paper towel, wipe tops and threads of jars. Put lids and screw bands on jars and tighten but not hard. Process in boiling water bath for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove, wait for lids to pop and jars to cool as in recipe for pepper relish above, then affix labels. Suggested serving: with toast, croissants, English muffins or scones.

169397

PAGE B18 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 17, 2020

Ongoing

Festival of Trees

The Port Jefferson Village Center, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson kicks off the holiday season with its annual Festival of Trees featuring 20 professionally decorated 6 ft. trees on display on the second ﬂoor now through Dec. 30. Enjoy a magniﬁcent display of themed holiday trees. Viewing hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Social distancing protocols will be followed and masks are required. Free. For more information, call 802-2160.

Times ... and dates

Dec. 17 to Dec. 24, 2020 GUARDIAN ANGEL

Smith Point Light Show

The Port Jefferson Village Center hosts the annual Festival of Trees through Dec. 30. This tree, courtesy of BNB Bank, pays tribute to essential workers.

The Girl Scouts of Suffolk County and County Executive Steve Bellone invite the community to the 17th annual Smith Point Light Show at Smith Point County Park, 1 William Floyd Parkway, Shirley. Drive along the 1.5 mile trail at Smith Point County Park Campgrounds ﬁlled with dazzling holiday light displays. Enjoy new surprises and some of your old favorites! Proceeds support programs for girls and families across Suffolk County. The event runs through Dec. 30 (closed Dec. 24 and 25). Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. $25 per car, $22 online at www.SmithPointLightShow.com.

Photo by Julianne Mosher

Garden of Lights See Dec. 17 listing.

Bright Lights at the Vanderbilt

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport continues Bright Lights, a month-long holiday celebration tonight, Dec. 19 and 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. The holiday winter walk features holiday lights, themed light-up displays, festive foods, music and Santa Claus and friends. Admission is $25 adults, $20 members; $15 children under 12, $10 members; children under age 2 are free. Masks are mandatory. To purchase tickets, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Saturday 19

Bright Lights at the Vanderbilt See Dec. 18 listing.

Winter Walk at Caleb Smith

Join the staff at Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, 581 W. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown for a winter walk through the park’s trails from 9 to 11 a.m. as you discover who is out and about. Bring water and dress for the weather. Masks are mandatory. $4 cash per person. Advance registration required by calling 265-1054.

Dec. 17

Virtual Lunch and Learn

In lieu of its beloved annual Holiday Historic House Tour, the Huntington Historical Society will present a virtual Lunch & Learn program, Historic Holiday House Tours of Years Past, at noon. Enjoy highlights from the tour’s 15 year history. Enjoy your own lunch while exploring some of Huntington’s beautiful private homes all decked out for the holidays from the tour’s 15 year history. The event is free, but donations are greatly appreciated. Register at www. huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

Huntington Farmers Market

The Huntington Winter Farmers Market runs every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through March 27, 2021 at the John J. Flanagan Center, 423 Park Ave., Huntington (behind the Cinema Arts Centre). Shop for local gourmet foods and beverages, sweet and healthy treats, organic bath and body products, in an “all under one roof” Farmer’s Market setup. Live music. Masks are mandatory. Call 944-2661 for more info.

Garden of Lights

The Whaling Museum of Cold Spring Harbor hosts a virtual Trivia Night at 7 p.m. Adults and kids are welcome to test

Friday 18

Northport Arts Coalition presents a virtual Poets in Port event at 7:30 p.m. Featured poet will be Carol Willette Bachofner. Followed by an open reading. Email libearyn@gmail.com for Zoom link and put “Poets in Port” in the subject line. Visit www.northportarts.org for more info.

The Riverhead Holiday Light Show, 149 Edwards Ave., Calverton continues tonight from 5 to 9 p.m., on Dec. 18 and 19 from 5 to 11 p.m., Dec. 20 to 22 from 5 to 9 p.m. and Dec. 23 and 24 from 5 to 10 p.m. The largest drivethrough light show in Suffolk County features dozens of dazzling displays to delight the entire family! Runs through Dec. 30. Tickets can be purchased online at www.riverheadlightshow. com or at the gate for $25.

Virtual Trivia Night

Join All Souls Church, 61 Main St., Stony Brook for a Gregorian Chant/Music of Taize program from 8 to 9 p.m. This is a unique opportunity for quiet meditation to clear the mind and rest the soul. Masks are required and social distancing will apply. Call 516607-9111 for further details.

Poets In Port

Riverhead Holiday Light Show

The spirit of the season has returned to Sachem Public Library, 150 Holbrook Road, Holbrook with its 3rd annual Garden of Lights, a community-build walk through light show today, Dec. 18 and 21 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Masks and social distancing required. Free. Register by calling 585-5024.

Gregorian chant

their knowledge in winter-themed topics! Questions range across all levels. Winner receives museum passes. Free to play. $5 suggested donation appreciated. Register at www.cshwhalingmuseum.org.

‘Together We Can’ virtual screening

Mather Hospital caregivers provide powerful testimony of the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic in Together We Can, a short

documentary film that will premiere at 7 p.m. The film chronicles how 2020 events tried the resiliency and strength of hospital staff and how they came together — along with the community that supported Mather throughout the pandemic — in remarkable ways. To preview the film and learn more about this special project, go to www.matherhospital.org/togetherwecan. * All numbers are in (631) area code unless otherwise noted.

CALENDAR DEADLINE is Wednesday at noon, one week before publication. Items may be mailed to: Times Beacon Record News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733. Email your information about community events to leisure@ tbrnewspapers.com. Calendar listings are for not-for-profit organizations (nonsectarian, nonpartisan events) only, on a space-available basis. Please include a phone number that may be published.

DECEMBER 17, 2020 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B19

Operation Spirit: Holiday Style

In keeping the holiday spirit alive and well, The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook presents Operation Spirit: Holiday Style,’a series of live outdoor concerts by the Equity Brass Band on the venue’s front lawn today from 1 to 4 p.m. The band, featuring Ray Anderson on sousaphone; Tom Manuel on cornet; Eric Kay on clarinet; Rod Borrie on trombone; Darrell Smith on drums; and Vinny Raniolo on banjo, will play an array of holiday classics, New Orleans Jazz style. Call 7511895 or visit www.thejazzloft.org.

Photo opp with Santa

Come visit Santa in his winter sled at the corner of Main Street and Chandler Square in the Village of Port Jefferson today from 1 to 4 p.m. (No direct contact with Santa) $5 suggested donation per photo session. Bring your own camera. Questions? Call 473-1414.

From Jazz to Soul for the Holidays

Comsewogue Public Library in Port Jefferson Station presents a virtual concert, From Jazz to Soul for the Holidays, at 2 p.m. Enjoy jazz and soul arrangements of seasonal and holiday favorites from the 1920s through the 70s performed by the incomparable Rhonda Denet. Open to all. Free. Visit www.cplib. org/a-online-programming/ for information on how to participate in this online program. Questions? Call 928-1212.

Sunday 20

Bright Lights

See Dec. 18 listing.

Winter Walk at Sunken Meadow

Join the staff at Sunken Meadow State Park, Route 25A and Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park for the last walk of the year from 9 to 11 a.m. as you explore the woods, marsh, and beach. Bring water and dress for

the weather. Masks are mandatory. $4 cash per person. Advance registration required by calling 581-1072.

Tuesday 22

Port Jefferson Farmers Market

Join Burner Law Group for a live webinar, ’Tis the Season: Estate Planning and Gifting, at 2 p.m. Join them for an in-depth discussion on the most tax-efficient ways to pass down wealth during your lifetime and how new and proposal changes in the law affect how you should be gifting. Free. Register at www. burnerlaw.com.

The Port Jefferson Farmers Market heads indoors to the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through April 25, 2021. Social distancing required. Call 802-2160.

‘Babe’ returns to the big screen

Fathom Events and TCM Big Screen Classics present a special screening of Babe (1995) at AMC Loews Stony Brook 17, 2196 Nesconset Highway, Stony Brook at 3 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. Academy Award® winner and Best Picture nominee, Babe is the inspirational story of a shy Yorkshire piglet who doesn’t quite know his place in the world. Rated G. To order tickets in advance, visit www.fathomevents.com.

Songs for Wintertide

WUSB and The Long Island Museum’s Sunday Street series goes virtual as the winter solstice and holiday season are celebrated in Songs for Wintertide, a special webcast on the LIM’s Facebook page at 7 p.m. The evening will feature music by Gathering Sloan Wainright Time, Gene Casey, Caroline Doctorow, Bob Westcott, Tom Russell, The Kennedys, Ellis Paul, Sloan Wainright and more. For more information, call 632-1093.

Monday 21 Garden of Lights See Dec. 17 listing.

Estate Planning webinar

Virtual Travel Tuesday

Comsewogue Public Library in Port Jefferson Station presents a virtual Travel Tuesday program at 2 p.m. ‘Travel’ to Europe and enjoy the holiday markets virtually from home! Enjoy a 30-minute video from the Savvy Sightseer featuring beautiful pictures, hidden gems, and interesting cultural tidbits. Open to all. Free. Visit www.cplib.org/aonline-programming/ for information on how to participate in this online program. Questions? Call 928-1212.

Native American Drumming

All Souls Church Rectory, 5 Mill Pond Road, Stony Brook hosts a Native American Drumming program from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Led by elder drummer Ric Statler, drumming meditation seeks to integrate the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual parts of the human self, creating a state of well-being. Masks and social distancing will apply. Call 655-7798 for more information.

Wednesday 23 No events listed for this day.

Thursday 24 Christmas Eve

Photo from Town of Huntington From left, Town Clerk Andrew P. Raia; Councilman Ed Smyth; Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci; Lona Graepel; Receiver of Taxes Jillian Guthman; and Councilman Eugene Cook.

Huntington Town officials kick off Huntington Winter Farmers Market with ribbon cutting

Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci and Town officials Councilman Eugene Cook, Councilman Ed Smyth, Town Clerk Andrew P. Raia and Receiver of Taxes Jillian Guthman joined Lona Graepel from Long Island Farmers Markets for a ribbon cutting at the opening of the Huntington Winter Farmers Market in the Town’s John J. Flanagan Center in Huntington on Dec. 5. “Who doesn’t love a farmer’s market?! Thanks to Lona Graepel from Long Island Farmers Markets for keeping the ‘shop local’ tradition going through the cold weather months!” said Sup. Lupinacci. The market returns on Dec. 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. See calendar for more information.

Horoscopes of the week SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21 It can be challenging for you to be as productive as you want to be, Sagittarius. For some reason your focus keeps being drawn elsewhere. Hunker down and concentrate. CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20 Capricorn, a reason to throw an intimate party will present itself in the days ahead. Keep it small and write up a guest list of those closest to you. AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 This week you learn a new skill or something relating to electronics commands your attention, Aquarius. This can put you in good spirits as you figure out ways to apply what you learn. PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 Pisces, you may find that you are mixing business with pleasure. Just be careful to follow the rules if you’re thinking of a workplace romance. ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20 It is time to make some new connections, Aries. Invite someone you trust to take the lead for a change instead of you running the show. You may enjoy the break. TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, you may find yourself taking more risks and acting more boldly. Don’t be afraid to give other things a try. Try public speaking or ask to helm a new project. GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 Reality will not be nearly as exciting as you hope it to be this week, Gemini. You may have to offset things a bit by watching movies or reading books for a great escape. CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, messages from friends or family members could reach you this week. Expect some exciting news about a reunion of sorts. It’s a good time for communication. LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 You might be tempted to break up with someone or put a friendship on ice, Leo. Maybe your feelings were hurt or there was a misunderstanding. Think before acting. VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, when one door closes another opens, and you will find this to be true this week. A cycle comes to a close and something entirely new will come your way. LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Libra, your empathy for others is ramped up this week as you make a concerted effort to help the less fortunate. Consider all ways you can provide assistance. SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 Remember the people who have helped you along the way, Scorpio. Give thanks to everyone who has supported you in any and all endeavors.

PAGE B20 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 17, 2020

SBU SPORTSWEEK DEC. 17 TO DEC. 23, 2020

TOMORROW IS FRIDAY – WEAR RED ON CAMPUS!

STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY

Men’s basketball falls to Bryant Bulldogs Dec. 12

Stony Brook men’s basketball coach Geno Ford understood it would be a work in progress during nonconference play with eight new players this season. That has proven the case as the Seawolves prepare for their America East opener at Binghamton next weekend. Host Bryant University defeated Stony Brook, 81-72, on Saturday, Dec. 12. The Seawolves had rallied to build an eight-point advantage early in the second half, but Bryant answered to take a 60-54 lead as Stony Brook was held without a field goal for 4 minutes, 13 seconds. The Bulldogs’ advantage soon thereafter swelled to double-digits. On a positive note: Mouhamadou Gueye had five blocks, giving him 79 during his two-year Stony Brook career. That moved Gueye into eighth on the program’s all-time list, passing Eric McAlister (75 from 2010-11 through ‘13-14).

#13 Omar Habwe, in action on Saturday, formerly played in the NEC with Mount St. Mary’s. Photo by Dave Silverman/ Bryant Athletics

Stony Brook (1-4) had five players score in double-figures: Jaden Sayles, Gueye, Tykei Greene, Juan Felix Rodriguez and Omar Habwe. “We were in position to win the game in the middle of the second half,” said Ford, who lamented

his team’s perimeter defense. Opponents are shooting .400 from three-point range against the Seawolves this season. Facing the latest in a string of pressing teams, the Seawolves trailed by as many as 10 points during the first half. Yet Stony Brook rallied.

Held scoreless at Hofstra on Wednesday, Rodriguez drained a three-pointer with 1:50 remaining in the first half to give the Seawolves their first lead, 36-34. His steal and Habwe’s ensuing dunk in the seconds before intermission then opened a four-point lead at halftime. Rodriguez finished with a teamhigh 19 points. Habwe, a transfer from Mount St. Mary’s in the Northeast Conference, was no stranger to fellow league member Bryant (4-2). While with the Mount on Jan. 10, 2019, Habwe tallied 11 points and 17 rebounds against the Bulldogs for his lone career double-double. Stony Brook returned to action against NAIA member Point Park on Tuesday. Results were not available at press time. “We’ve got work to do,” Ford said. “It’s very obvious.”

Women’s hoops heads into AE play on high note with Battle of Long Island win Bring on America East competition! The Stony Brook women’s basketball team topped Hofstra, 6352, in the Battle of Long Island on Monday at Island Federal Arena to enter conference play off back-to-back wins. The Seawolves went 2-2 during the abbreviated nonconference portion of their schedule, with wins against MAAC-favorite Manhattan and the Pride heading into consecutive home games against Binghamton this upcoming weekend. Stony Brook has now won the past four meetings with Hofstra — posting margins of victory of 24, 28, 43 and now 11 during that stretch. “Tonight it was a total team effort,” said head coach Caroline McCombs. “Our growth is so important and we continue to grow stronger each game. Hofstra is a tough and physical team. We battled throughout the game and stuck together through adversity in the second half.”

The Seawolves used an 8-0 run, capped by McKenzie Bushee’s layup, to open a 21-10 lead late in the first quarter. The lead swelled to 21 points during the second quarter and the Seawolves led the rest of the way. The Pride (2-3) did close to within four points twice during the fourth quarter, but both times Jonae Cox answered — first with a driving layup, then finding Nairimar Vargas-Reyes for a jumper — and the advantage ultimately returned to double-digits. Earlette Scott and Bushee led four Seawolves in double-figures with 14 points apiece. Bushee matched her career high, originally set at Syracuse on Dec. 3, 2017. She also contributed a career-high four steals. Vargas-Reyes and Anastasia Warren had 10 points apiece. Warren also had a career-high seven assists. The Seawolves will host Binghamton at Island Federal Arena on Dec. 19 and 20 at 2 p.m.

Tom Dugan

Men’s lacrosse names five captains for 2021 season CJ Trenkle, Connor Grippe, Chris Pickel Jr., Tom Haun and Tom Dugan will be back with the Stony Brook men’s lacrosse team this upcoming spring after having their original final year cut short. And all five have been selected by their teammates to serve as captains for the Seawolves for the 2021 season. Head coach Anthony Gilardi informed the quintet earlier this month. “We could not be more excited to announce our five captains for the 2021 season,” Gilardi said. “This group embodies our culture of championship effort, toughness and family — both on and off the field.” Trenkle, Grippe and Pickel also served as captains last season, when Gilardi guided the Seawolves to a 5-2 record in his first year at the helm before the season was halted due to COVID-19. The Seawolves are scheduled to open their 2021 conference schedule on March 20 at UMass Lowell.

Seawolves Home Games

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Dec. 27 vs. UMass Lowell Dec. 28 vs. UMass Lowell Jan. 2 vs. UMBC Jan. 3 vs. UMBC Jan. 16 vs. New Hampshire Jan. 17 vs. New Hampshire

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Dec. 19 vs. Binghamton Dec. 20 vs. Binghamton Jan. 9 vs. UAlbany Jan. 10 vs. UAlbany #2 Earlette Scott fires from the perimeter en route to a doubledigit scoring output against the Pride on Monday.

2 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m.

*Please note this schedule can change at any time. Visit www.stonybrookathletics.com for any last minute cancellations.

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

DECEMBER 17, 2020 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B21

Religious D irectory

Byzantine Catholic

RESURRECTION BYZANTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH

38 Mayﬂower Avenue, Smithtown NY 11787 631–759–6083 resurrectionsmithtown@gmail.com www.resurrectionsmithtown.org FATHER VLADYSLAV BUDASH, ADMINISTRATOR DEACON ROBERT KNAPP JOSEPH S. DURKO, CANTOR Divine Liturgy: Saturdays 4:45 pm Sunday Liturgy: 10 am For Weekday and Holy Day Schedule: See website or phone for information Sunday School Sundays at 9:15 am Christmas schedule: 12/24 Thursday - Vigil of Christmas 8.40 pm - Compline, 9.00 pm - Liturgy (Mess) 12/25 Friday - Day of Christmas 10.00 am - Liturgy (Mess) 12/26 Saturday - Second Day of Christmas ( Synaxis of the Theotokos - The memory about Holly Mother of God) 4.45 pm - Liturgy (Mess) 12/27 Sunday - Third Day of Christmas ( St. Stephen - Protomartyr) 10.30 am - Liturgy (Mess) and mirovania A Catholic Church of the Eastern Rite under the Eparchy of Passaic.

Catholic ST. GERARD MAJELLA ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

300 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station 631–473–2900 • www.stgmajella.org REV. GREGORY RANNAZZISI, PASTOR Schedule for the Holy Days of December The exemption for Catholics to attend Mass because of the pandemic remains in effect. However, due to the solemn nature of these days, we are scheduling Masses as usual. They will also be live-streamed and available to view on our website. Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ ~ Christmas Thursday, December 24th – 2:00pm, 4:00pm, 6:00pm Friday, December 25th – 8:00am, 10:00am, 12:00pm Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God Thursday, December 31st - 5:00pm Friday, January 1st - 9:00am, 12:00pm, 5:00pm Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) Come & prepare your heart for the coming of Christ! Each Saturday 3:45pm – 4:45pm Monday, December 21st 3:00pm – 9:00pm Mass: Saturday 5 pm only mass Sunday 8 am, 10 am & 12 pm Weekday Mass: 9 am Confessions: Saturday 3:45-4:45 pm Ofﬁce Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 am - 4:30 pm Thrift Shop: Monday-Thursday 10 am - 4 pm Baptism and Wedding arrangements can be made by calling the Parish Ofﬁce

INFANT JESUS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

110 Myrtle Ave., Port Jefferson, NY 11777 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, ©169431

Please call the Rectory Confessions: Saturdays 12:30-1:15 pm in the Lower Church Religious Ed.: 631– 928-0447 Parish Outreach: 631–331-6145 Weekly Masses: 6:50 and 9 am in the Church, 12 pm in the Chapel* Weekend Masses: Saturday at 5 pm in the Church, 5:15 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. JAMES ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

429 Rt. 25A, Setauket, NY 11733 Phone: 631–941–4141 • Fax: 631–751–6607 Parish Ofﬁce email: parish@stjamessetauket.org www.stjamessetauket.org REV. JAMES-PATRICK MANNION, PASTOR REV. ROBERT SCHECKENBACK, ASSOCIATE PASTOR REV. JOHN FITZGERALD, IN RESIDENCE REV. MIKE S. EZEATU, SBU HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN, IN RESIDENCE Christmas Schedule 2020 RECONCILIATION Saturday, December 19 3-4:45 pm Monday, December 21 after the 8 am Mass 12 noon to 1:30 pm Tuesday, December 22 after 8 am Mass Wednesday, December 23 after 8 am Mass; 7 - 8 pm MASSES Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24 4 pm in the Church; 4:15 pm in the Parish Center 7 pm in the Church; 10:30 pm Carols in the Church 11 pm ‘Midnight Mass’ Christmas Day, Friday December 25 8 am in the Church; 9:30 am in the Church 10:30 am in the Parish Center 11:30 am in the Church New Year’s Eve, Thursday, December 31 5 pm in the Church Gentle Eve Mass 7 pm in the Church New Year’s Day, Friday, January 1, 2021 8 am in the Church; 9:30 am in the Church 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 the Jesus’ invitation: to be faithful and fruitful disciples; to be Good Samaritan to (our) neighbor and enemy; stewards of and for God’s creation and living witnesses 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, N.Y. 11789 Parish Ofﬁce: 631-744-8566; FAX 631-744-8611 Parish Website: www.stlouisdm.org 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. 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, PARISH ASSISTANT 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: Sat.: 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 Our Lady of Wisdom Regional School: Contact 631-473-1211.

Catholic Traditional Latin Mass ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

Society of Saint Pius X 900 Horseblock Road, Farmingville, NY 11738 631–736–6515 • sspxlongisland.com Sunday Masses at 7 am and 9 am Christmas Mass at 9:00am Confessions are heard prior to each Mass Jan. 1 Masses at 9:00am and 7:00pm Please consult sspxlongisland.com for updates and current mass times

Congregational MT. SINAI CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

233 North Country Road, Mt. Sinai • 631–473–1582 www.msucc.org • REV. DR. PHILIP HOBSON Take care of yourselves, wash your hands, wear your mask, check on your neighbors. Grace and Peace, Rev. Phil Online Worship each Sunday at 10 am on our YouTube channel, and accessible anytime thereafter. A Drive-Thru Christmas Pageant on Sunday, December 20th from 1 to 2 at the Church. We are telling the Christmas Story in scenes and scripture. Enter from the western/lower parking lot entrance and drive around the church. Christmas Eve, we will have a special video worship service with familiar numbers sung by our choir (safely socially distanced) and the telling of the Christmas story. The Sunday after Christmas will feature a worship service put together by the United Church of Christ, available on our YouTube channel. Our Island Heart Food Pantry continues to help those in need. Our Red Barn sales happen on Saturdays through December 19th

Episcopal ALL SOULS EPISCOPAL CHURCH

“Our little historic church on the hill” across from the Stony Brook Duck Pond Visit our website www.allsouls–stonybrook.org or call 631-655-7798 allsoulsepiscopalchurch@verizon.net Sunday Services: 8am Virtual Service 9:30am Service at the Church-Organ Music 8am Tuesday-Morning Prayer Service at the Church

Christmas Services: Saturday December 24th 4pm Service at the Church-Music 11pm Service at the Church-Organ Music Sunday December 25th- 9:30am Service at the Church-Organ Music Happy Holidays and Safe to You and your Family 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

THE REV. CN. DR. RICHARD D. VISCONTI, RECTOR 1 Dyke Road on the Village Green, Setauket Web site: www.carolinechurch.net email: ofﬁce@carolinechurch.net • 631–941–4245 Our worship services for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are as follows: Christmas Eve, Thursday, Dec 24: 4,5:30,7,8:30 and 10pm Christmas Day, Friday, Dec 25: 10am Reservations are required for all Christmas Eve services. Please visit our website, and click on the reservation link in order to guarantee your seat(s) Church School Classes now forming; please call the ofﬁce to register Let God walk with you as part of our familyfriendly community

CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

127 Barnum Ave., Port Jefferson • 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 5:00pm Christmas Eve Eucharist and 10am Christmas Day Eucharist. Those attending in person for either 5:00 or 10:00 Eucharist are asked to please make a reservation by calling the church office. Please wear masks. A Blessed Christmas to all. 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.

Evangelical THREE VILLAGE CHURCH

To Know Christ and To Make Him Known 322 Main Street, East Setauket www.3vc.org • 631-941–3670 LEAD PASTOR JOSH MOODY Please get connected by visiting www.3VC.org for more information and service times – Your 3VC church family Join Us As We Celebrate 60 Years Of Proclaiming The Good News Of Jesus Christ!

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

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

Continued on next page • Continued on next page •

PAGE B22 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 17, 2020

Religious D irectory

Greek Orthodox

CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION

430 Sheep Pasture Rd., Port Jefferson 11777 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 VILLAGE CHABAD

Center for Jewish Life & Learning “Judaism With A Smile” 360 Nicolls Road, East Setauket Next To Fire Dept. 631-585–0521 • www.MyVillageChabad.com RABBI CHAIM & RIVKIE GROSSBAUM RABBI MOTTI & CHAYA GROSSBAUM RABBI SHOLOM B. & CHANIE COHEN Membership Free Weekday, Shabbat & Holiday Services Highly Acclaimed Torah Tots Preschool Afternoon Hebrew School Camp Gan Israel • Judaica Publishing Department Lectures And Seminars Living Legacy Holiday Programs Jewish Learning Institute Friendship Circle For Special Needs Children The Cteen Network N’shei Chabad Women’s Club • Cyberspace Library Chabad At Stony Brook University – Rabbi Adam & Esther Stein

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

TEMPLE ISAIAH (REFORM)

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 EMILY HOOLIHAN ©169432

EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR RABBI MICHAEL S. CHURGEL, RJE RABBI EMERITUS STEPHEN A. KAROL RABBI EMERITUS ADAM D. FISHER CANTOR EMERITUS MICHAEL F. TRACHTENBERG Sabbath Services Friday 7:30 pm And Saturday 10 am Religious School • Monthly Family Service Monthly Tot • Shabbat Youth Groups • Senior Club Adult Education Sisterhood Brotherhood • Book Club-More

communion broadcast over FM radio. Please stay in your car. We will also be broadcasting our indoor service at 7:30pm on Facebook. No members or visitors will be allowed to enter the church.

Lutheran–ELCA

MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH

HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH AND ANCHOR NURSERY SCHOOL

46 Dare Road, Selden 631-732-2511 Emergency Number 516-848-5386 REV. DR. RICHARD O. HILL, PASTOR ERIC FARET, VICAR Email: ofﬁce@hopelutheran.com Website: www.hopeluth.com We have worship services for a limited size congregation on Saturdays at 5 p.m. Call the church to reserve a place. We also offer two Parking Lot services on Sundays at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and we are livecasting these worship services as well. The service can be accessed in the three ways on the Homepage of our website: www.hopeluth.com. A link is also posted there. Links are also posted on our Facebook “Friends who like Hope Lutheran Church” group. The YouTube channel we use is “Rev Dr Richard O. Hill,” where the service and other items are available. We have a live Zoom Bible Study on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:00 and a Hymn Sing event on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. All are welcome. We have a “Hope’s Kids” Facebook group for children to use. 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 REV. PAUL A. DOWNING PASTOR E-mail: Pastorpauldowning@yahoo.com Pastor’s cell: 347–423–3623 (voice or text) www.StPaulsLCPJS.org facebook.com/stpaulselca Out of concern for our members and the community at large and at the encouragement of our synod bishop, St. Paul’s will be discontinuing live indoor worship effective immediately. The Sunday morning service will still be broadcast on Facebook live at Facebook.com/ stpaulselca or on our website at www.StPaulsLCPJS.org. We will also be offering a drive-in church in our parking lot at 12:30pm each Sunday. Please stay in your car and we will be broadcasting over FM radio. Stay in your car and still participate in the service. Communion will be available–wafer only. We will follow CDC Guidelines on social distancing and mask wearing. Singing is allowed in your car with the windows closed. Christmas Eve–we will have a drive-in service at 5:00pm in the parking lot with candle lighting and

New Years Eve Service will be broadcast on Facebook at 5:00pm. We continue to serve the Port Jefferson Community Now in our 102nd year

Lutheran–LCMS Messiah Preschool & Day Care 465 Pond Path, East Setauket 631-751–1775 • www.messiahny.com PASTOR NILS NIEMEIER ASSOCIATE PASTOR STEVE UNGER Christmas Eve Worship 5:30 and 8pm Christmas Day Worship 10am To attend, register on our website. Check our website often for any changes. We are thrilled to announce we are open for worship in the church. Two services at 9 am & 10:30 am. Space is limited so please go to our website (www.messiahny. com) to register or call the church ofﬁce (631-7511775). See our website for the procedures we will have in place. For those who are not comfortable with going to church, you can still watch the service online. Go to our website to ﬁnd links to our church YouTube page and live streams of the service. We, as a church, 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 BETHEL AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

33 Christian Ave/ PO 2117, E. Setauket NY 11733 REV. GREGORY L. LEONARD–PASTOR • 631-941–3581 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

ST. JAMES UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

532 Moriches Road, St. James 11780-1316 REV. PRINCE DONKOR, PASTOR 631-584-5340 • All are Welcome We have opened our doors once again. 10 am. We ask that all who enter, please wear a mask. Thank you all and God Bless you.

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 Streamed temporarily online @www.setauketumc.org or visit us 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 1 pm 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. THE REV. DR. RICHARD GRAUGH Email: office@pjpres.org Website: www.pjpres.org 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.

SETAUKET PRESBYTERIAN 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 Advent Sunday Morning Services December 13 & 20 at 9:30 am-streamed from our website Longest Night Service: Monday, December 21 at 7:30 pm Christmas Eve, December 24 10:30 am-Informal interactive service with story & song for children via Zoom 3-4 pm-in person Blessing of the Animals-in SPC parking lot *7:30 pm-Traditional Candlelight Christmas Eve Worship Service 11 pm-Traditional Candlelight Christmas Eve Worship Service-in person outside in front of the church *Sunday, December 27 9:30 am-Lessons & Carols Service *Most services streamed online from website, Facebook and SPC App. For all program information visit our website Setauketpresbyterian.org for Zoom links • email the church ofﬁce: Setauketpresbyterian@verizon.net • Follow us on FB

Would You Like to Join Our Religious Directory? For More Information Please Call 631-331-1154

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

DECEMBER 17, 2020 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B23

ART EXHIBIT

Setauket Artists Holiday Show on view at The Atelier at Flowerfield

LOCAL SCENES: From left, Winter's Peace by Irene Ruddock and Locked for the Winter by Robert Roehrig This is truly “Art for a Lifetime.” McManus, Fred Mendelsohn, Muriel Hall, The Atelier at Flowerfield, Bldg #2 Participating artists include Joan Bloom, Musarra, Paula Pelletier, Joan Rockwell, (in the Gyrodyne complex), St. James Renee Caine, Al Candia, Anthony Davis, Julie Robert Roehrig, Irene Ruddock, Oscar through Jan. 15. Visiting hours are Doczi, William Dodge, Margaret Governale, Santiago, Barbara Jeanne Siegel, Angela Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. William Graf, Melissa Imossi, Anne Katz, Stratton, Marie Lourdes Velez, Marlene to 5 p.m. For more information, please Flo Kemp, Karen Kemp, Celeste Mauro, Weinstein and Patricia Yantz. call 631-250-9009 or visit The Atelier's Judith Mausner, Jane McGraw-Teubner, Terry The exhibit will be on view at Atelier website at www.atelierflowerfield.org.

Religious D irectory Quakers

RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS

4 Friends Way, St. James 631–928-2768 • www.cbquakers.org We gather in silent worship seeking God • the Inner Light • Spirit. We are guided by the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship. Weekly coffee and fellowship, monthly discussions, Religious Education for children. During this time when we are asked not to gather together physically, we are gathering online for worship. Please see our website (www.consciencebayquakers.org) for information about joining in. All are welcome.

Unitarian Universalist UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP AT STONY BROOK

380 Nicolls Road, East Setauket, NY 11733 631–751–0297 www.uufsb.org • ofﬁce@uufsb.org REV. MARGARET H. ALLEN (minister@uufsb.org) Sunday Service by Zoom: 10:30 a.m. (go to uufsb.org for Zoom links) We welcome people of all faiths to holiday services that celebrate the traditions of Christmas and other winter liturgies, and honor their messages of hope and joy.

Holiday Schedule (uufsb.org for Zoom links): 12/20 - Intergenerational Winter Solstice Service: 10:30 a.m. 12/24 - Candlelight Christmas Eve Service: 7:00 p.m. 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, such as our Humanist Discussion Group and meditative and wellness arts classes

Please call 631–751–7663 To be listed in the

Religious Directory

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

SUDOKU PUZZLE

he holiday season has long been called “the most wonderful time of the year,” and in many ways, that’s true. But it can also be a stressful time for many. This year, start the season by giving yourself a gift and visit the Setauket Artists Holiday Show, currently on view at The Atelier at Flowerfield in St. James. The Setauket Artists is an association of Long Island artists that has just celebrated it’s 40th year here on the Island. Founded by the well-known local artist Flo Kemp, the group has been led these past 15 years by Irene Ruddock, president, talented artist and local columnist. Irene has acted as curator of the group and has mentored, encouraged and brought in many outstanding artists to the group. The show, which opened on Dec. 4, features a selection of beautiful and affordable paintings by this popular association of artists at reasonable prices. There is also a selection of small paintings that will make wonderful gifts for the holidays.

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:

PAGE B24 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 17, 2020

2020 WINNING SELECTIONS Best in Show

‘Happy Family’ by Jan Golden/ Stony Brook

Best in Show Runner-up ‘Three Amigos’ by Barbara McCahill/Stony Brook

Action/Sports Category Grand Prize

‘Barrel Racer’ by Frank DiBenedetto/Coram

Honorable Mention

‘Fighter Planes Chasing Eagles’ by Jane Solomon/Old Bethpage

Altered/Enhanced Category Grand Prize

‘American Eagle’ by Mike DiRenzo/ East Yaphank

Clockwise from top, ‘Happy Family’ by Jan Golden; ‘Barrel Racer’ by Frank DiBenedetto; ‘Blue and His Fish’ by Carol Goldstein; and ‘Three Amigos’ by Barbara McCahill

Honorable Mention

‘Boat Ride Around’ by Ellen Gallagher/Melville

Children’s Category Grand Prize

‘Sibling Love’ by Debbie Monastero/Bohemia

Honorable Mention ‘Here I Come’ by Sarah Holmstrom/Smithtown

Landscapes Category Grand Prize

‘Richardson Highway’ by Carol Goldstein/Setauket

Honorable Mention

‘Napali Coastline’ by Deidre Elzer-Lento/Northport

Long Island/ NY Category Grand Prize

‘The Hot Dog Stand’ by Robert Guido/Huntington

Honorable Mention

‘East End Americana’ by Dianne Booth/Bohemia

Nature Category Grand Prize

‘Blue and His Fish’ by Carol Goldstein/Setauket

Honorable Mention

‘Solo Bloom’ by Jan Golden/ Stony Brook

Gurwin announces winners of 2020 photo contest

The Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Commack recently announced the winners of their 27th annual Gurwin Photo Contest. Thirty winning photos were chosen from among more than 450 entries for permanent display in the 460-bed nursing and rehabilitation facility. Taking top prize of Best in Show this year was Jan Golden for her photo “Happy Family.” Best in Show runner up was Barbara McCahill for “Three Amigos.” Both photographers are from Stony Brook. In light of the times and in the interest of safety, the awards ceremony was held virtually via Zoom, and included video

commentary by winning contestants. Zoom participants enjoyed a slideshow presentation of the year’s winning selections, as well as winners from past contests. The virtual format made it possible to have winners send in prerecorded videos of themselves, offering an inside look at the story behind their photos, their love for photography and their thoughts on what it means for their photos to be selected as winners in the Gurwin Photo Contest. Gurwin’s renowned photo contest is much anticipated each year. The striking photos hung in the Center’s Tiffen Gallery — named for perennial contest sponsor The

Tiffen Company after founder Nat Tiffen — are a signature element of the warm and welcoming environment at Gurwin. Each year, winning portraits are added to the gallery, with older photos moved to resident units for year-round enjoyment. More than 1000 photos now adorn the walls of the nursing and rehabilitation center and are admired daily by residents, staff and visitors alike. Tony Lopez (Tony Lopez Photography) and Chris Appoldt (Chris Appoldt Photography) served as judges for the contest. Residents and staff members also participated in the selection process,

DECEMBER 17, 2020 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B25

2020 WINNING SELECTIONS People Category Grand Prize

‘Torah Scribe’ by Herb Knopp/ East Northport

Honorable Mention

‘Calling It a Day’ by Tom Caruso/ Smithtown

Pets Category Grand Prize

‘Best Friends’ by Sarah Holmstrom/ Smithtown

Honorable Mention

Clockwise from top, ‘Best Friends’ by Sarah Holmstrom; ‘Dinner Time’ by Debbie Monastero; ‘Queenstown’ by Meghan Scherer; ‘Torah Scribe’ by Herb Knopp and ‘Workbench’ by Robert Oliva

‘I Got Caught!’ by Deidre Elzer-Lento/ Northport

Still Life Category Grand Prize

‘Workbench’ by Robert Oliva/ Smithtown

Honorable Mention

‘Just Hanging’ by Deborah Jahier/ Huntington Station

Travel Category Grand Prize

‘Queenstown’ by Meghan Scherer/ East Northport

Honorable Mention

‘Three Brothers’ by Carol Milazzo-DiRenzo/East Yaphank

Wildlife Category Grand Prize

‘Dinner Time’ by Debbie Monastero/ Bohemia

Honorable Mention

in a socially distanced ceremony

choosing winners in the “Resident/Staff Selections” category. Photos not selected for display are utilized by Gurwin’s Therapeutic Recreation team as inspiration for art therapy projects, as well as for reminiscence programs for those with memory impairment, deeming every submission a “winner.” “The community support we have received since the Contest’s inception nearly three decades ago is remarkable and serves to enhance the beauty of our Center,” said Stuart B. Almer, President and CEO of the Gurwin Healthcare System,

of which the Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center is a part. “The installation of the new artwork throughout our Center is something we all look forward to, and we are particularly touched by the continued support of the community during such a challenging year,” he added. The Gurwin Photo Contest opens each year for submissions on February 15. Information on the contest can be found at www.gurwin.org/about/photo-contest/. For a gallery of the 2020 winning photos, visit www.tbrnewsmedia.com. All photos courtesy of Gurwin Jewish

‘Puffin Interaction’ by Bobbie Turner/ Bohemia

Student Category Grand Prize

‘Alone in the Unknown’ by Anne Koszalka/East Williston

Honorable Mention

‘Aspen After Dark’ by Joshua Sukoff/ Huntington

Resident/ Staff Selections

‘Can I Help You’ by Alan Sloyer, M.D. ‘New Mother’ by Bobbie Turner ‘Baby Kit Fox Leaving Its Den’ by Chuck Goodman ‘Facetime Surprise’ by Michael Oross

PAGE B26 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 17, 2020

KIDS KORNER Programs Virtual Family Trivia Night

The Whaling Museum of Cold Spring Harbor hosts a virtual Trivia Night on Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. Families are welcome to test their knowledge in winter-themed topics! Questions range across all levels. Winner receives museum passes. Free to play. $5 suggested donation appreciated. Register at www.cshwhalingmuseum.org.

Promenade of Trees returns to Stony Brook Village

Toys, Toys, Toys

Ring in the holiday season with a stroll through the Ward Melville Heritage Organization's annual Promenade of Trees! Over 60 decorated trees currently line the walkways of the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main Street, Stony Brook for the WMHO's annual Holiday Tree Competition. Voting for the competition is now open to the public through Dec.

21. Ballots can be found in the shops and restaurants within the Center. The “favorite” tree designer will receive a $150 gift certificate to the Stony Brook Village Center and will be announced on the Stony Brook Village Center Facebook page on Dec. 22. The festive trees will be on view through Jan. 4. See more photos online at www.tbrnewsmedia.com

SHELTER PET OF THE WEEK

MEET CALI!

This week's shelter pet is Cali, a very affectionate 12 to 14-year-old female Cattle Dog mix. Cali and her siblings lost their home when their dad passed away. Cali would prefer to spend her golden years showered with love and affection. She needs a home with no children and she does not mind calm dogs. As she is losing her hearing due to chronic ear infections and has severe arthritis, this angel needs a home that can help her navigate these challenges. She comes spayed, microchipped and is up to date on her vaccines. If you are interested in meeting Cali, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with her. The Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Shelter operating hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the weekend. For more

The Whaling Museum in Cold Spring Harbor continues its virtual Fun Friday workshops with Toys, Toys, Toys! On Dec. 18 at 4:30 p.m. Thinking about toys this season? Find out what kids like you were playing with in the 1800s. Make a couple of whaling-era toys of your own at home! You’ll need a paper cup, string, aluminum foil, paper, and a paperclip. Free. Register at www. cshwhalingmuseum.org.

Winter Craft Weekends

Every weekend in December, the Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor invite children enjoy winter-inspired selfserve crafts in the museum workshop. Free with admission! Call 367-3418 for more info.

Gingerbread Houses Galore

Children are invited to join Benner's Farm, 56 Gnarled Hollow Road, E. Setauket for a Gingerbread Houses Galore class on Dec. 19 from 10 a.m. to noon or 1 to 3 p.m. Mix in some gingerbread, some candy, some yummy icing, and some creativity, and this workshop is a hit! Enjoy several gingerbread activities that incorporate the spirit of the farm during the holidays. Each child will go home with a gingerbread home and many crafts made on the farm. $40 per child. To register, call 6898172 or visit www.bennersfarm.com.

Santa is coming to town!

Bring your cameras and take a selfie with Santa and his elves at the Smithtown Historical Society's Roseneath Cottage, 239 E. Main St., Smithtown on Dec. 19 and 20 from noon to 3 p.m. $10 per family (5 person maximum). Purchase tickets at www. smithtownpac.org.

Vanderbilt Planetarium Show

Photo from Smithtown Animal Shelter

information, please call 631-360-7575 or visit www.smithtownanimalshelter.com.

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum's Reichert Planetarium presents The Little Star That Could, a story about a yellow star in search for planets of his own to protect and warm., on Dec. 19 and 20 at 12:15 p.m. For ages 4 to 8. Tickets, which include admission to the museum and access to the grounds, are $13 for children, $16 adults, $15 seniors at the door. To order, in advance, visit www. vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Make a gingerbread house at Benner's Farm on Dec. 19. Two time slots to choose from!

Cookieland heads to Port Jeff

The Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce hosts a special Cookieland event, an afternoon of cookie decorating, at the Port Jefferson Village Center’s Harbor Cove Room, 3rd floor, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson on Dec. 19 from 1 to 4 p.m. The cookie kit includes 2 large sugar cookies with all the trimmings, icing and decorations. Masks will be required. Participants will be socially spaced with additional clear barriers at tables. $15 per person. Preregister by visiting www. portjeffchamber.com.

Polar Express Workshop

All Aboard! Benner's Farm, 56 Gnarled Hollow Road, E. Setauket hosts The Benner's Farm Polar Express Workshop for young children on Dec. 20 from 10 a.m. to noon. Come spend a day on the farm and BELIEVE. Join the farm staff in visiting all the farm animals and spreading some holiday cheer. Tour the farm's 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 per child. To register, call 689-8172 or visit www.bennersfarm.com.

Theater

‘’Twas the Night Before Xmas’

The Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts presents an outdoor performance of Ken Ludwig’s ’Twas the Night Before Christmas at the Smithtown Historical Society’s Roseneath Cottage, 239 E. Main St., Smithtown on Dec. 19, 20 and 24 at 11 a.m. Join a mouse, an elf, and a spunky little girl on a quest to find out why Santa missed their house last year. A joyful tribute to the holiday season! Tickets are $18 per person. Masks are mandatory. Stay after for photo opportunities with Santa at his workshop for $7 per family (5 person maximum). For schedule and to order, visit www.smithtownpac.org.

All numbers are in (631) area code unless noted.

DECEMBER 17, 2020 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • PAGE B27

BOOK REVIEW

Different Like Me teaches acceptance and self-esteem through the eyes of a dog

BY MELISSA ARNOLD

isa DeFini Lohmann never imagined that she would become a published author. But then her lovable dog, Wilson, changed her mind. Wilson wasn’t the best looking dog in the world, but that didn’t stop him from winning hearts with his sweet, lovable personality. Lohmann was inspired to share Wilson’s joy with others who may be struggling with self-esteem or personal trials. Her debut chapter book for children, Different Like Me, follows Wilson as he awaits his forever home, makes new friends, and goes on some incredible adventures. Along the way, he learns what it means to love yourself unconditionally, regardless of what others think. Did you grow up wanting to be a writer? I was born in the Bronx and moved to Long Island when I was 5 years old. I am a creative person, but my focus has always been on textiles, sewing and crafting. I’m an avid reader, though prior to this I had never written anything before. My paying job is in property management and development — I specialize in communities for people who are 55 and older. So how did you decide to write a book? About seven years ago, the real estate market took a hit and I was unemployed for a while. My boys are grown now, and I ended up spending a lot of that time with my dog, Wilson. He grew up to be the most precious of animals, so dear to my heart! We think he was a Shih Tzu mixed with either Brussels Griffon or Affenpinscher. He was 27 pounds but acted like a lion. He wasn’t the cutest of puppies, but he had the most wonderful personality. He was 9 months old when we brought him home. When you’re not working, you have a lot of time to think about things in ways you may not have before. A friend of mine has a son with a pretty severe learning disability, and hearing of their day-to-day struggles gave me some perspective on what it’s like to be different. I truly believe that God put it on my heart to tell a story about the things that make us unique and different from my dog’s point of view to help kids who may be feeling self-conscious about themselves. Why did you choose to turn the idea into a chapter book? I didn’t necessarily set out to write a chapter book, but I knew I wanted the book to be a little deeper than an early children’s book with very few words. There was a certain depth and maturity I was looking for that made more sense as a longer book.

Author Lisa DeFini Lohmann with a photo of Wilson who was the inspiration for her book.

Tell us a bit about the plot. Different Like Me is about a dog who lives in a pet store and doesn’t like himself because he consistently isn’t chosen to go home with a family. Through a series of events, he learns that he’s perfect just the way he is, and helps others to see that along the way. What was the writing and publishing process like for you as a first-time author? I truly believe that when you do something for good in this life, God helps you get it done. And that’s how it was for me. Writing was the easiest part. I didn’t know anybody else who had ever written a book, and so the Internet was a great resource. I did a lot of research online. Ultimately, I chose to work with a company called Outskirts Press. They do what’s called “semi-self-publishing,” which means they select your manuscript for publication and then offer you a number of different options to choose from, like editing. Each option is a la carte and paid for by the author. I’m not an illustrator or an editor, so that was where they came in handy for me. Who is the illustrator, Richa Kinra? How did you decide to work with her? The illustrator was connected to Outskirts Press. There were sample images from a number of artists I got to look through, and then I could choose who I wanted to work with. While I never got to meet her, she really captured the essence of the characters and what I was trying to convey with the

book. The illustrators don’t have the time or resources to read each project they’re working on, so I needed to provide copious details about each character and image. I’m very happy [with the final product] — the illustrations are very charming.

Even thinking about my own childhood, I was sometimes perceived as stuck-up, when truthfully I was very insecure and shy. We all have an emotional battle that we’re fighting, no matter how old we are. That’s why I believe everyone can relate to this book.

Do you want to continue writing? This is not an endeavor for my own financial gain at all. I have what I think are two more books in my head — there’s so much to expand on with these topics of selfacceptance, coping skills, and celebrating diversity. Ideally, I’d love to get picked up by a publisher who will support me financially so that I can focus on the writing.

Who would you say is the target audience for this book? It’s hard to pin down, because I’ve heard that people of all ages are enjoying it — parents are reading it with their 5-year-olds, elementary kids are reading it, and there are even teenagers and college kids who have told me they liked it. So the book is for people of all ages.

What do you hope people will take away from reading this book? Whether people are struggling with COVID, some kind of disability, not fitting in or anything else -- I want them to see that the way they were put together, tall or short, fat or thin, is just fine. We were all made differently and have a unique purpose.

Different Like Me is available at your favorite online retailer as well as several Long Island businesses including Book Revue in Huntington and the Reboli Center for Art and History in Stony Brook. Keep up with Lisa DeFini Lohmann on Instagram @wilsonhighstep and on Facebook by searching for Wilson Highstep.

PAGE B28 â&#x20AC;˘ ARTS & LIFESTYLES â&#x20AC;˘ DECEMBER 17, 2020

Wishing You Peace, Health and a Safe Holiday Season Thank you placing your trust in Stony Brook Medicine for your health and health care during this challenging year. Like never before, you have entrusted us to provide essential care for you and your loved ones during the pandemic. We are honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve you, and we look forward to brighter days ahead in the new year.

For more ideas, visit stonybrookmedicine.edu 161577

Stony Brook University/SUNY is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educator and employer. 20110693H