Arts & Entertainment

Join Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson for one of its last two performances of “Puss-In-Boots,” a hilarious musical re-telling of a boy and his ingenious feline on July 29 and July 30 at 11 a.m. When Christopher inherits his father’s clever cat, he sets out on an adventure that takes him to the palace of King Vexmus and beyond and learns that faith comes from within. $10 per person. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

Photo from Stony Brook Medicine
Ranked Top 10 in the State

Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) has been recognized as a Best Hospital for 2022-23 by U.S. News & World Report, ranking in the top 50 nationally for Urology, Diabetes and Endocrinology. SBUH also climbed to a No. 9 ranking overall in New York State out of more than 155 hospitals statewide, up from No. 10 in the state last year.

SBUH ranked No. 41 nationally out of 1491 peer hospitals in Urology, which is in the top 3 percent. In Diabetes and Endocrinology, SBUH ranked No. 50 nationally out of 764 peer hospitals, which is in the top 7 percent.

“I’m delighted that Stony Brook Medicine continues to garner national recognition,” said Hal Paz, MD, Executive Vice President of Health Sciences and Chief Executive Officer, Stony Brook University Medicine. “U.S. News & World Report Best Hospital rankings is a national benchmark of quality and a metric that consumers rely on when seeking care. This ranking is the latest illustration of our never-ending commitment to delivering a quality patient experience and demonstrates the range of top-caliber expertise in our healthcare system.”

A total of 4,515 hospitals across 15 specialties and 20 procedures and conditions were evaluated by U.S. News. Of these hospitals, 1,895 met volume criteria in at least one specialty, and only 164 hospitals in the United States performed well enough to be nationally ranked in at least one specialty. The state ranking reflects the highest performing hospitals in the state across multiple areas of care.

“Achieving these Best Hospital national and state rankings speaks volumes about the quality of care our patients receive at Stony Brook University Hospital,” said Carol Gomes, MS, FACHE, CPHQ, Chief Executive Officer at Stony Brook University Hospital. “Whether it is for routine or complex care, the commitment of our faculty and staff is evident at all levels, at all times.”

U.S. News evaluated each hospital’s performance using a variety of measures such as survival rates, complication rates, patient experience and level of nursing care. The Best Hospitals methodology factors in data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, American Hospital Association, professional organizations and medical specialists.

In addition to national rankings in Urology, Diabetes and Endocrinology, SBUH earned a “high performing” rating in the specialty of Neurology and Neurosurgery and in 12 procedures and conditions. These include: colon cancer surgery, lung cancer surgery, uterine cancer surgery, ovarian cancer surgery, prostate cancer surgery, heart attack, heart bypass surgery, heart failure, diabetes, kidney failure, stroke, maternity care (uncomplicated pregnancy), hip replacement, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia.

These accolades follow on the heels of SBUH being named one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals™ for the past four years by Healthgrades – the only hospital on Long Island to receive the distinction for four consecutive years. Only four hospitals in New York State were named among America’s 100 Best Hospitals™ this year. For 2022, Stony Brook was also named by Healthgrades as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery™; and one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention™ (seven consecutive years), Cardiac Care (eight consecutive years), and Stroke Care (seven consecutive years).

“Recognition at this level from both U.S. News and Healthgrades does not come easy,” said Gomes. “Such an achievement requires years of hard work, dedication, collaboration and a steadfast commitment to continuously improving quality of care.”

For more information about Stony Brook Urology, click here.

For more information about Stony Brook Diabetes and Endocrinology, click here.

For more information about Stony Brook Heart Institute, click here.

For more information about Stony Brook Neurosciences Institute, click here.

About Stony Brook University Hospital:

Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) is Long Island’s premier academic health center. With 624 beds, SBUH serves as the region’s only tertiary care center and Regional Trauma Center, and is home to the Stony Brook University Heart Institute, Stony Brook University Cancer Center, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital and Stony Brook University Neurosciences Institute. SBUH also encompasses Suffolk County’s only Level 4 Regional Perinatal Center, state-designated AIDS Center, state-designated Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program, state-designated Burn Center, the Christopher Pendergast ALS Center of Excellence, and Kidney Transplant Center. It is home of the nation’s first Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center. To learn more, visitwww.stonybrookmedicine.edu/sbuh.

From left, Daniel Kaluuya, Brandon Perea and Keke Palmer in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

If something tries to be too many things, does it risk becoming about nothing?

Such is the case with writer-director-producer Jordan Peele’s Nope, a science fiction-horror-Western-comedy-domestic family drama that comments on everything from race to commerce to capitalism. The brilliant Peele’s previous work included Get Out and Us, highly original and disturbing films that combine his unique visuals with compelling storytelling.

On the surface, Nope is a traditional summer blockbuster, a high-end It Came From Outer Space, or a darker, violent Close Encounters of the Third Kind. 

With nods to matinee features of the past, the setup trades on well-known tropes with an intentionally old-fashioned feel: Something not right is going on out in the dessert … power ceases, winds blow, horses whinny … could it be that strange object glimpsed in the sky? 

Nope centers on the Haywood family, owner of Haywood’s Hollywood Horses. After the sudden and mysterious death of Otis, Sr., his son, Otis, Jr., takes over the business. (A fascinating Daniel Kaluuya is first-rate: His deadpan, comedic timing is flawless, and his dramatic stillness shows brooding depth.) Otis, Jr.—called O.J. (the first of many odd and unrelated commentaries)—struggles to keep the business going. 

His sister, Emerald (a force of nature in the hands of Keke Palmer), interferes, goads, and offers her opinions, hopes, and visions. She is both a support and a thorn, often simultaneously. In the hands of these gifted actors, the sibling relationship deserves an unencumbered film of its own. 

Quickly, the dessert residents become aware of a UAP—Unexplained Aerial Phenomena (what used to be called a UFO). Former child star Ricky “Jupe” Park (Steven Yeun) runs a third-rate western attraction, Jupiter’s Claim, and introduces the Star Lasso Experience, whereby his audience can see the UAP. With shades of King Kong and the like, this does not go well. 

Meanwhile, O.J. and Emerald enlist a Fry’s Electronics employee, Angel Torres (wryly understated Brandon Perea), to help them film the entity. Eventually, they recruit cinematographer Antlers Holst (a delightfully mannered and just over the edge of bizarre Michael Wincott) to help them capture the phenomenon on film. Earlier, Holst had fired O.J. from a commercial shoot when one of the Haywood horses kicked a crew person. (The importance of why surfaces later.)

All this is standard horror movie fare. Peele adds flashbacks of Park’s childhood incident on a sitcom, Gordy’s Home!, where the titular chimp went on a rampage, mauling and possibly murdering cast members. The link to the present is tenuous. Perhaps it is about predators. Maybe it is about exploitation. Or capitalism. Maybe. O.J. says of the extra-terrestrial: “It’s alive, it’s territorial, and it wants to eat us.” Are we meant to draw a connection?

Or is it that Park was on television? So much of Nope focuses on media and capturing the worst events with the goal of fame and profit? Emerald and O.J.’s reflexive discussion of the “money shot”—the “Oprah shot”—drives them forward. How much relates to the Haywood patriarch’s claim that the unnamed man in the first moving picture, The Horse in Motion, was his great-great-grandfather? Is this a commentary on both racial and historical cinematic issues?

And then those inflatable men? Are they meant as symbols? Or, to bastardize a Freudian quote: “Sometimes an inflatable man is just an inflatable man.” (Oh, and the TMZ reporter …)

Peele poses more questions than he chooses to answer. This can make for a fascinating movie or just a frustrating one. The drive in the first part of the film works on many levels. The latter parts tend to bog down, with the occasional scare and a handful of gross-out moments (fortunately few). The tension becomes looser rather than tauter as it moves to the conclusion. With the seemingly myriad layers of “meaning,” nothing fully reaches closure. 

As for the monster itself, the revelation is interesting, but viewers will divide on its actual effectiveness. In short, it needs to be seen to be judged. Some will find it creatively horrifying, but others will see it no different than the hokier creatures of the 1950s.

Peele will always be a good filmmaker and often a great one. With Nope, the film lives somewhere between “hmmm!” and “huh?” He has assembled a strong cast, first-rate imagery, and a unique take on an established genre. Some will delight in its obscurer moments, and others will sigh and wonder. However, we can bet whatever he dreams up next will be something worth experiencing. 

Rated R, the film is now playing in local theaters.

A whippoorwill. Pixabay photo

By John L. Turner

In the early evening of a mid-June day, eleven intrepid participants hiked through the globally rare Dwarf Pine Plains, a unique forest of pygmy pines found in the Long Island Pine Barrens. Their mission? To hear the night-time calls of the “moonbirds” — Whip-poor-wills and Chuck-will’s-widows (or “whips” and “chucks” in birding vernacular), ringing out over the dwarf pines. For these nocturnal birds, the central Pine Barrens is their Long Island stronghold.

We know for the Whip-poor-will, and suspect for the Chuck-will’s-widow, their reproductive cycle is tied to the phases of the moon. “Whips” typically mate shortly after the full moon in May and the young hatch about 10 days before the next full moon in June. As the moon moves through its waxing phase and its reflected light gains in strength, whip-poor-wills can see better at night enabling them to hunt more efficiently for the moths and large beetles they eat and feed to their young. During this active time both species vocalize, their onomatopoeiac calls repeated often — one student reported a whip-poor-will calling 1,088 times consecutively! No wonder their common names were derived from the calls they make!

While their calls were very much appreciated by the night’s participants, it hasn’t always been the case their calls were welcome sounds. Superstition and meaning abound. A popular belief claimed that whoever hears a whip-poor-will will soon die; a variation portends a death of someone the listener knows. Or a whip-poor-will calling outside a house meant the death of an inhabitant, and perhaps, allowing the bird to grab their soul as it departs their body, which if they did would lead to further calling by the bird. If the bird failed in capturing the soul it would fall silent. Other legends imparted only bad luck but not death to the hearer of a call.

Another legend has it that a person with back ailments who does somersaults in cadence with the whip-poor-will’s call will see their back problems soon cured (makes you wonder, though, if a person could do somersaults every two to three seconds then maybe their back wasn’t in such bad shape to begin with?). 

Another “first of the year call” legend meant good luck — if you made a wish upon hearing your first call then that wish would come true. In Louisiana gardeners would use the date of the first call of the whip-poor-will as a guide to planting garden peas.

According to folklore legend, whip-poor-wills had importance to single women. If an unhitched woman heard her first whip-poor-will call of the year but the bird then went immediately silent, she would stay single all year long; but if she was quick enough to wish to be married upon hearing the call she would soon be so. Still another legend notes that if a single woman hears a whip-poor-will call before morning light and another whip-poor-will responds, her “future man” will think of her that day.

Native Americans were also intrigued by whip-poor-wills. The Iroquois, for example, believed that moccasin flowers (pink lady’s slippers) were the shoes of whip-poor-wills while Utes believed whip-poor-wills were gods of the night.

Henry David Thoreau had a different, more basic take on a whip-poor-will’s call: “It could mean many things, according to the wealth of myth surrounding this night flyer. The note of the whippoorwill borne over the fields is the voice with which the woods and moonlight woo me” he said.

“Whips” and “Chucks” belong to a group of birds known as “goatsuckers”, a name derived centuries ago from the mistaken belief they use their large, supple, flesh-lined mouths to suck on the teats of goats. They were even accused of blinding or killing livestock once they latched on! This perception of “goat-sucking” isn’t totally off-base since the goatsucker name developed in Europe where residents often observed European nightjars flying around goat pens. They weren’t there to latch onto goat teats but rather were likely attracted to the insects stirred up by the goats. 

Even the family of birds these species belong to — the Caprimulgidae —underscore this mistaken connection. Capra in Latin means goat and mulgare means “to milk”. Even a very wise person, Aristotle, apparently believed the bird-goat connection noting: “Flying to the udders of she-goats, it sucks them and so it gets its name”.

In addition to Whip-poor-will’s and Chuck-will-widow’s there are six other members belonging to this family in North America — Buff-collared Nightjar, Common Poorwill, Common Pauraque and Common, Lesser, and Antillean Nighthawks — and three occur on Long Island — “whips”, “chucks” and Common Nighthawks. This latter species is a very rare breeder on Long Island, if at all, but passes through in fall migration in the low thousands, as evidenced by the recent annual totals at the Nighthawk Watch conducted at the Stone Bridge in Frank Melville Memorial Park in Setauket by the Four Harbors Audubon Society.

These North American goatsuckers can be grouped into two categories: nightjars and nighthawks. “Whips” and “chucks” are nightjars — they have more rounded wings and plumper bodies than their nighthawk brethren, and also have large rictal bristles lining each side of their mouths, similar to cat whiskers, that assist them in catching larger prey. Nighthawks lack these bristles which are actually highly modified feathers.

While nighthawks like the Common Nighthawk generally feed on small aerial insects as they zip around — gnats, midges, mosquitoes, and the like — nightjars, so called due to the jarring call of some species, feed on larger insects, bigger moths and beetles mostly, flying up from the ground or from a perch. Chuck-will’s-widows are also known to eat birds and lizards. When viewed in a picture the birds appear to possess small mouths because of their small bills. But looks can be deceiving as their mouths are enormous. In fact, the genus Antrostomus means “cavern mouth”.

One of the distinctive features of both “whips” and “chucks” are their cryptic coloration. They blend in remarkably well with the leaf litter on the forest floor, a good thing since they are ground nesting birds and they and their eggs (typically two) and chicks are more vulnerable to predation. 

There is available on the Internet one photograph of a whip-poor-will on the forest floor and it is simply indistinguishable, in another closer photo the bird is partially revealed; it’s not until a second, even closer photo that the bird’s face and elongated body can be clearly seen.

This ground nesting habit is one reason why both species have declined. As Long Island becomes more developed and natural areas get fragmented by development, animals associated with that development — namely dogs, feral and free ranging pet cats, and wild animals such as raccoons attracted to easier food in suburban areas — frequent wild areas adjacent to the homes preying on a variety of vulnerable species including these nightjars. 

A reduction in the abundance of their insect prey appears to be another contributing cause. From 1980-1985 New York conducted its first statewide breeding bird survey; it replicated the effort in 2000-2005. In the first survey whip-poor-wills were detected in 564 quadrangles (one square mile of land); in the latter survey the species was detected in only 241 quadrangles, a reduction of 57%. A similar trend occurred with the Chuck-will’s-widow, with a 62% reduction. A third bird survey began in 2020 and will be completed in 2025; at that time we’ll have an up-to-date picture of the status of these two nightjars. 

Contrast this with John James Audubon’s 1838 account: “Hundreds are often heard at the same time in different parts of the woods, each trying to out-do the others; and when you are told that the notes of this bird may be heard at the distance of several hundred yards, you may form an idea of the pleasure which every lover of nature must feel during the time when this chorus is continued. Description is incapable of conveying to your mind any accurate idea of the notes of this bird, much less of the feelings which they excite”.

As I walked back to the car, ruminating about the experience of the “moonbirds” calling beneath the Strawberry Moon, some close enough to cause excitement, a random thought popped into mind — how human experience can be so enriched when we connect with other forms of life we allow to co-exist. May whip-poor-wills and chuck-will’s-widows call under full moons for many decades to come, serving all the while as harbingers of life, not death. 

A resident of Setauket, John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

ROCK & ROLL! Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could head to Heckscher Park on Aug. 2.
PROGRAMS

Mid-Tide Splash

Sunken Meadow State Park, Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park hosts a Mid-Tide Splash for children ages 6 and up on July 31 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Get ready to get wet! Participants will go down to the marsh to seine, collect, and identify animals that make this unique brackish water environment their home! Make sure you wear water shoes and clothing that’s good for water. $4 per person. To register please visit Eventbrite.com & search #NatureEdventure.

Poetry Workshop

Northport Historical Society, 215 Main St., Northport hosts a Poetry in the Threads writing workshop for children ages 8 to 12 on Aug. 2 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Learn to write short poetry inspired by historical clothing- army uniforms, vintage Scout gear, and more. Write about items in the Society collection or bring a vintage item important to your family. Participants will receive a notebook and Northport Historical Society pencil. $25 per participant. To register, call 757-9859 or visit www.northporthistoricalsociety.org.

Children’s concert

The Huntington Summer Arts Festival at Heckscher Park, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington welcomes Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could to the Chapin Rainbow Stage for a free kids rock concert on Aug. 2 at 7 p.m. . Bring seating. Visit www.huntingtonarts.org.

Dance Party with Didi Maxx

It’s time to party! The Village of Port Jefferson continues its Children Shows series at the Jill Nees Russell Performance Stage at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson with a Dance Party with Didi Maxx on Aug. 4 at 6:30 p.m. Free. Bring seating. Visit www.portjeff.com.

Summer Drop-In Workshop

Join the Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington for a Summer Drop-In Workshop every Thursday through Aug. 18 including Aug. 4 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Create fun works of art in a variety of materials inspired by artwork in the Museum’s Collection and exhibitions. Each week’s project will be exciting and different. Programs will be held both in the Museum and in Heckscher Park. Fee is $10 per child, adults free, payable at the door and includes all art supplies and general admission to the museum. Call 380-3230.

THEATER

‘Elephant & Piggie’s ‘We’re in a Play!’

The Smithtown Center for the Performing Art presents Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie’s ‘We’re in Play! outdoors on the grounds of the Smithtown Historical Society. 239 E. Main St., Smithtown from July 9 to July 29. An elephant named Gerald and a pig named Piggie are “bestus” friends, but Gerald worries that something could go wrong that would end their friendship. Piggie is not worried at all. She’s even happier and more excited than usual. That’s because she and Gerald are invited to a party hosted by the Squirrelles, three singing squirrels who love to have a good time. And so begins a day when anything is possible. Tickets are $18 per person. To order, visit www.smithtownpac.org. 

‘Puss-In-Boots’

Last week! Join Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson for a hilarious musical re-telling of Puss-In-Boots, the tale of a boy and his ingenious feline, from July 8 to July 30. When Christopher inherits his father’s clever cat, he sets out on an adventure that takes him to the palace of King Vexmus and beyond and learns that faith comes from within. $10 per person. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

‘Junie B. Jones The Musical’

Children’s theater continues at the John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport with Junie B. Jones The Musical from July 23 to Aug. 28. Sneak a peek into the “Top-Secret Personal Beeswax Journal” of the outspoken and lovable Junie B. Jones! Based on the top selling children’s book series, this upbeat musical follows the spunky Junie as she navigates through the ups and downs of her first day of 1st grade. All seats are $20. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. See review on page B23.

‘Knuffle Bunny’

From Aug. 5 to Sept. 3, the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 East Main St., Smihtown will present Mo Willems’ Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale from Aug. 5 to Sept. 3 with one special performance on the grounds of the Smithtown Historical Society, 239 E. Main St., Smithtown on Aug. 3 at 2 p.m. Trixie, her father, and her favorite stuffed bunny set off on a trip to the laundromat. The trip brings wonder, excitement and joy to the lively toddler until she realizes that she has lost Knuffle Bunny. Trixie does everything in her power to make her father understand the emergency, but her father fails to see the issue at hand. Filled with adventure, song and dancing laundry, it’s the perfect show for a family-friendly outing! Tickets are $18. To order, visit www.smithtownpac.org.

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

Photo from WMHO
Ongoing

Huntington Summer Arts Festival

The 57th annual Huntington Summer Arts Festival continues at the Chapin Rainbow Stage at Heckscher Park, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington this week with Miko Marks & The Abrams on July 28, Rieko Tsuchida & Maximillian Morel on July 29, ‘“Tick, Tick…Boom!” by Plaza Theatrical Productions on July 30, Swingtime Big Band on July 31, Twin Shores and Island Hills Chorus on Aug. 3 and L.I. Dance Consortium on Aug. 4.  All shows start at 8 p.m. Bring seating. Free. See children’s shows on page B23. For more information, visit www.huntingtonarts.org.

Thursday July 28

Summer Thursdays at the LIM

Enjoy a night of science and suds at the Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. View the current exhibition, Atoms to Cosmos: The Story of the Brookhaven National Laboratory and take part in a science-themed trivia while sipping on local beer or wine. Bring seating. Free admission. No registration required. Visit www.longislandmuseum.org.

Cooking with the Stars

The Smithtown Historical Society, 239 E. Main St., Smithtown continues its Cooking with the Strars, a series featuring local culinary pros sharing tips, techniques, and a taste to bring the community together, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Smithtown Town Supervisor Ed Wehrheim will show off his skills in the kitchen during this outdoor even., Tickets are $25 per person in advance, $35 at the door (cash or check). Call 265-6768 or visit www.smithtownhistorical.org.

Smithtown Library concert

The Dennis Cannataro Family Summer Concert Series returns to the Smithtown Main Library, 1 North Country Road, Smithtown tonight at 7:30 p.m. with Endless Summer (Beach Boys tribute). Bring a chair or blanket for seating. For more information, call 360-2480 ext.150 after 3 p.m.

Community Band concert

The Northport Community Band concludes  its summer concert series at the Robert W. Krueger Bandstand in Northport Village Park tonight with a concert titled Family Finale at 8:30 p.m. with the traditional 1812 Overture with cannons fired. Opening act will be the Northport Schools SMARTSummer students performance. Bring seating. Rain location is Northport High School. Call 261-6972 or visit www.ncb59.org.

Friday July 29

Happenings on Main Street 

The Northport Arts Coalition presents a free concert by The Twangtown Paramours at the Northport Village Park Gazebo at the harbor at 7 p.m. as part of its Happenings on Main Street Series. Bring seating. Call 827-6827 or visit www.northportarts.org.

Musical Moments in Kings Park

The Kings Park Civic Association continues its 2022 Musical Moments series tonight at Russ Savatt Park, 14 Main St., Kings Park at 7:30 p.m. with the Eagle River Band (Eagles tribute). Bring seating. Call 516-319-0672.

Smithtown Summer Comedy

Beat the summer heat with a night of laughs at the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown at 8 p.m. In  partnership with Governor’s Comedy Clubs, the evening of comedy will feature stand-ups Tom McGuire, Eric Haft and Carie Karavas. Tickets are $45/ $40 members and includes open bar of beer and wine. To order, visit www.smithtownpac.org.

Bobby Brooks Wilson in concert

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson continues its 2022 Summer Concert Series with Bobby Brooks Wilson at 8 p.m. The son of legendary R&B/Soul Singer, Jackie Wilson. Bobby has the same amazing traits and talents of his father, that many say Jackie Wilson’s legacy lives on through him. His adoring fans have dubbed him as ‘Mr. Entertainment’ from his natural ability to entertain and bring crowds to life. With a special performance by The Chiclettes. Tickets are $59. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

Friday Night Face-Off

Friday Night Face Off, Long Island’s longest running Improv Comedy Show, returns to Theatre Three’s Second Stage, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson tonight at 10:30 p.m. Using audience suggestions, FNFO pits two teams of improvisers against each other in an all-out championship! Recommended for ages16 and up, due to adult content. Tickets are $15 at the door only. Call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com for more information.

Saturday July 30 

Honey Bee Festival

Garden of Eve, 4558 Sound Ave., Riverhead will hold a Honey Bee Festival today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Watch how real beekeepers tend for hives, extract honey and more! Honey and beeswax product vendors. Honey Hayrides at 10, 11, 12, 1 and 2 take you to fields of fresh sunflowers. Great photo ops. Rain date is July 31. Tickets are $15 online at www.gardenofevefarm.com. For more information, call 722-8777.

Civil War Encampment 

Join the 67th New York for a Civil War Encampment at Middle Country Public Library, 101 Eatwood Blvd., Centereach from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Walk around camp and learn about soldier uniforms, weapons, and camp life. Open to all and no registration necessary.

For more information, call 585-9393.

Port Palooza

The Village of Port Jefferson and The Port Jefferson Harbor Education and Arts Conservancy present the 2nd annual “Port Palooza” mini music festival on the Jill Nees Russell Stage at Harborfront Park, 101-A E. Broadway, Port Jefferson from noon to dusk. Featured artists include Cole Fortier and Band, Grand Folk Railroad, The PJ All Stars, MJT, Gene Casey and the Lone Sharks and the Keenan Zach Trio. Free. Visit www.portpalooza.com.

WMHO’s Pop Up Saturday

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization continues its Pop-Up Saturdays at the Stony Brook Village Center with Characatures by Marty Macaluso from 2 to 4 p.m. and Silent Mind Tai Chi in the Inner Court from 3 to 4 p.m. Rain date is the following day. Free. Call 751-2244 or visit www.wmho.org .

Barn Dance Fundraiser 

Hop into your boots and head over to Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead for their annual Barn Dance fundraiser from 6 to 9:30 p.m. There, you’ll dig into a BBQ dinner by The Catered Fork and locally crafted drinks by Doublespeak Craft Cocktails, local beer by Jamesport Farm Brewery, and wine from Peconic Bay Vineyards before dancing the night away to live music. Famed caller Chart Guthrie will lead the group through traditional country dancing in the historic Naugles Barn. $75 to $150 per person. Call 298-5292 or visit www.hallockville.org.

George Washington Living History

Celebrate St. James, 176 2nd. St/. St. James presents Living History with George Washington from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The Living Historian Michael Grillo will bring the past to life through his historical re-enactment of George Washington as he returns to the home of The Washington Spy Trail right here on 25A in St. James, and much more! Tickets are $25, $20 seniors. To register, visit www.celebratestjames.org or call 984-0201.

Selena and Gloria Estefan tribute

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson continues its 2022 Summer Concert Series with a tribute to Selena and Gloria Estefan at 8 p.m.  Tickets are $49. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

Sunday July 31

Community food drive

Theatre Three hosts a community food drive for the food pantry at Infant Jesus Church in Port Jefferson from 9 a.m. to noon. See more on page B15.

Wind Down Sundays

The popular summer concert series continues at Hap’s historic Red Barn at Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Road, Setauket tonight with the Wayne Hart Band at 5:30 p.m. Bring seating. Call 689-6146 or visit www.frankmelvillepark.org.

Summer Concerts on the Green

Summer concerts are back in front of the Stony Brook Post Office at the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main Street, Stony Brook from 7 to 9 p.m. every Sunday through Aug. 21, courtesy of the Ward Melville Heritage Organization. Tonight’s performance will be by Linda Ipanema performing traditional jazz songs. Free. Bring seating.  Call 751-2244 or visit wmho.org.

Monday Aug. 1

No events listed for this day.

Tuesday Aug. 2

Watercolor Painting

As part of its summer program series, Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Road, Setauket will present a watercolor painting workshop at the Red Barn at 11 a.m. Bring the kids and friends down to enjoy a fun and educational morning. Free. No registration necessary. For more information, call 689-6146 or visit www.frankmelvillepark.org.

National Night Out in Ridge

Join the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office for a National Night Out at Fireman’s Memorial Park, 725 Middle Country Road, Ridge from 5 to 8 p.m. Enjoy vehicle displays, bingo games, Safety Town, softball games, tug of war, ice cream, bbq and more. Fun for the whole family. Free.  Visit www.suffolksheriff.com.

National Night Out in Centereach

Councilman Kevin J. LaValle, the SCPD 6th Precinct and the Middle Country Public Library presents a National Night Out event at the Centereach Pool Complex, 286 Hawkins Road, Centereach from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. with music, swimming, vendors and more. Free. For more information, call 451-6647.

Rocky Point Concert series

The North Shore Youth Council and Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker kick off a Summer Concert Series at St. Anthony of Padua Parish, 614 Route 25A, Rocky Point on with the Swingtime Big Band at 7 p.m. The Swing era comes to life  with nostalgic favorites from the Great American Songbook thanks to this powerful 20-piece band! Bring seating. Questions? Call 403-4846.

Concerts at The Gazebo 

Enjoy Tuesday night concerts at The Gazebo, 127 Smithtown Blvd., Nesconset through Aug. 30 at 7 p.m., courtesy of the Nesconset Chamber of Commerce. Tonight’s performance will by Bon Journey (tribute to Bon Jovi and Journey). Rain dates are the next day. Bring seating. Questions? Call 672-5197 or visit www.nesconsetchamber.org

Wednesday Aug. 3

Cruise Night at The Shoppes

Cruise Nights are back at The Shoppes at East Wind, 5768 Route 25A, Wading River from 5 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday through Oct. 26. Visit the Shoppes, enjoy a bite to eat and then check out the fine array of classic and coveted automobiles from car enthusiasts from across Long Island in The Shoppes parking lot. Questions? Call 929-3500 or visit www.eastwindlongisland.com

Summer Concert Wednesdays

The Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce continues its Summer Concert Wednesdays at the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber Train Car Park, Nesconset Highway and Route 112, Port Jefferson Station with a performance of “The Taming of the Shrew” (Shakespeare in the Park) by the Northeast Stage at 7 p.m. Bring seating. Call 821-1313 or visit www.pjstchamber.com. 

Summerfest Concerts

The Northport Chamber of Commerce kicks off its August Summerfest Concerts at the Northport Village Park Bandshell, Northport with a performance by the Liverpool Shuffle from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Bring seating. For more info, call 754-3905.

Port Jefferson Sunset Concert

Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council presents Sunset Concerts at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. through Aug. 31. Tonight’s performance will be by Roots Foundation. Bring seating. Call 473-5220 or visit www.gpjac.org.

Thursday Aug. 4

Historic Harbor Tour

Join the Northport Historical Society for a relaxing evening on the water. Your tour guide will share the rich history of Northport Harbor as you cruise along the waterfront for a new perspective on the Village. Then stay on at the dock for drinks and a little bite after your cruise. Boats will leave from Seymour’s Boatyard at 5:30 and 6:30 pm. Tickets are $60. To register, call 757-9859 or visit www.northporthistorical.org.

Smithtown Library concert

The Dennis Cannataro Family Summer Concert Series returns to the Smithtown Main Library, 1 North Country Road, Smithtown tonight at 7:30 p.m. with Captain Jack (Billy Joel tribute). Bring a chair or blanket for seating. For more information, call 360-2480 ext.150 after 3 p.m.

Film

‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’

The Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington will present a special screening of  Fast Times at Ridgemont High on July 28 at 7:30 p.m. in honor of its 40th anniversary. This hilarious portrayal of Southern California high school students and their favorite subjects — sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll — features a classic soundtrack that includes hits from The Go-Go’s, Oingo Boingo, and The Cars. Four decades later, Universal Pictures’ Fast Times at Ridgemont High remains as bold, daring and funny as it was a generation ago. Rated R. Tickets are $12, $10 seniors and students. Visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.

‘Bull Durham’

Join award-winning film director / author Ron Shelton for an event celebrating the publication of his new book, The Church of Baseball:  The Making of Bull Durham: Home Runs, Bad Calls, Crazy Fights, Big Swings, and a Hit at the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington o July 29 at 7 p.m. The event will include a screening of Bull Durham starring Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, a discussion and Q&A with director Ron Shelton, a book signing and reception. Tickets for book & film is $38, film only $20.Visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.

‘Minari’

The Village of Port Jefferson continues its Movies on the Harbor series at Harborfront Park, 101-A E. Broadway, Port Jefferson with a screening of .Minari on Aug. 2 at dusk. Rain date is the next evening. Bring seating. Free. Call 473-4724 or visit www.portjeff.com.

Stony Brook Film Festival

Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook will present the 2022 Stony Brook Film Festival from July 21 to 30 featuring independent features, documentaries and shorts, question and answer sessions with filmmakers and receptions. Fee is $20 evening pass, $125 festival pass. To order, call 632-2787. For the film schedule, visit, www.stonybrookfilmfestival.com. 

Theater

‘Every Brilliant Thing’

Theatre Three, 412 Main Street, Port Jefferson, in association with Response Crisis Center, presents the Long Island premiere of Every Brilliant Thing, a one-man show starring Jeffrey Sanzel, on the Second Stage Sundays at 3 p.m. from July 10 to Aug. 28.  You’re seven years old. Your mother is in the hospital. Your father said she’s “done something stupid.” So, you begin a list of everything that is truly wonderful about the world—everything worth living for. With audience members recruited to take on supporting roles, Every Brilliant Thing is a heart-wrenching, hilarious story of depression and the lengths we will go for those we love. All seats are $20. Fifty percent of the gross proceeds of this production will benefit Response Crisis Center. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. 

‘On Your Feet!’

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan from July 14 to Aug. 28. From their humble beginnings in Cuba, Emilio and Gloria Estefan came to America and broke through all barriers to become a crossover sensation at the very top of the pop music world. But just when they thought they had it all, they almost lost everything. On Your Feet! takes you behind the music and inside the real story of this record-making, and groundbreaking couple who, in the face of adversity, found a way to end up on their feet. Get ready to get on your feet, and dance to the smash hits “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” “1-2-3,” “Live For Loving You,” “Conga,” and many more. Tickets range from $75 to $80 with free valet parking. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. 

‘The Comedy of Errors’

The Carriage House Players continues its annual Shakespeare Festival at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport with The Comedy of Errors from July 29 to Aug. 24 on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m. Performances take place outdoors on stage in the courtyard, where the Spanish-Mediterranean architecture adds a touch of timeless charm and magic. Bring a picnic dinner to enjoy before the show and bring your own lawn chair. Inclement weather cancels. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 seniors and children ages 12 and under. To order, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

‘Spring Awakening’

Up next for Star Playhouse at Suffolk Y-JCC’s Stage 74, 74 Hauppauge Road, Commack is Spring Awakening, the Tony Award-winning rock musical adaptation of the seminal play about the trials and tribulations of growing up, on July 30 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and on July 31 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets are $20, $15 seniors and students. To order, call 462-9800 x-136 or visit www.starplayhouse.com.

‘I Love You, You’re Perfect …’

The Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown presents the hit musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change from Aug. 4 to Aug. 14. This hilarious revue pays tribute to those who have loved and lost, to those who have fallen on their face at the portal of romance, to those who have dared to ask, ‘Say, what are you doing Saturday night?’ Tickets are $45 adults, $40 seniors. To order, visit www.smithtownpac.org.

Stock photo

Theatre Three will host a food and personal care items drive on Sunday, July 31 from 9 a.m. to noon. Please help those in need during these difficult times. Items will be collected at the Infant Jesus Church food pantry, 110 Hawkins St. (off Myrtle Ave.) in Port Jefferson Village.

At this time, the pantry has an extreme need of the following items: juice, white rice (1 lb and 2 lb bags), coffee, pancake mix (complete), mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, sugar, Maseca corn flour, cooking oil, cereal, oatmeal, canned fruit, black beans and healthy snacks as well as shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, baby wipes and diapers (size 5 & 6). Grocery store gift cards and cash also accepted. 

For more information, please call 631-938-6464.

The Joseph Lloyd Manor in Lloyd Harbor. Photo from Preservation Long Island

Join Curator, Lauren Brincat, and Education & Engagement Director, Andrew Tharler of Preservation Long Island for a special guided tour of the Joseph Lloyd Manor (circa 1767), 1 Lloyd Lane, Lloyd Harbor on Saturday, July 30 or Saturday, Aug. 6 from 11 a.m. to noon.

Attendees will view a new panel exhibition and audiovisual installation centered on Jupiter Hammon’s (1711–before 1806) life and poetry and step into spaces previously closed to the public. 

Joseph Lloyd Manor was once the center a 3,000-acre provisioning plantation established in the late 17th century. Hammon was one of the many people of African descent enslaved at the site. Considered the first published African American poet, Hammon authored his most significant writings about the moral conflicts of slavery and freedom at Joseph Lloyd Manor.

*Please note that this tour includes stairs. Only the first floor of the Manor is wheelchair accessible.

Cost is $10, $5 members. Registration is required by calling 631- 692-4664 or by visiting www.preservationlongisland.org.

 

The temperatures at the poles are heating up more rapidly than those at the equator. Pixabay photo

By Daniel Dunaief

On any given day, heat waves can bring record-breaking temperatures, while winter storms can include below average cold temperatures or snow.

Edmund Chang. Photo from SBU

Weather and climate experts don’t generally make too much of a single day or even a few days amid an otherwise normal trend. But, then, enough of these exceptional days over the course of years can skew models of the climate, which refers to average temperature and atmospheric conditions for a region.

If the climate is steady, “we should see approximately the same number of hot and cold records being broken,” said Edmund Chang, Professor at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University. “Over the past few decades, we have seen many more hot records being broken than cold records, indicating the climate is getting hotter.”

Recent heat

Indeed, just last week, before a heatwave hit the northeastern United States, the United Kingdom reported the hottest day on record, with the temperature at Heathrow Airport reaching above 104 degrees.

Erinna Bowman, who grew up in Stony Brook and has lived in London since 2009, said the temperature felt “like a desert,” with hot, dry heat radiating up in the urban setting. Most homes in London don’t have air conditioning, although public spaces like supermarkets and retail stores do.

“I’m accustomed to the summer getting quite hot, so I was able to cope,” said Bowman. Indeed, London is usually considerably cooler during the summer, with average temperatures around 73 degrees.

Michael Jensen. Photo from BNL

News coverage of the two extraordinarily hot days in London “was very much framed in the context of a changing climate,” Bowman said. The discussion of a hotter temperature doesn’t typically use the words “climate change,” but, instead, describes the phenomenon as “global heating.”

For climate researchers in the area, the weather this summer has also presented unusual challenges.

Brookhaven National Laboratory meteorologist Michael Jensen spent four years planning for an extensive study of convective clouds in Houston, in a study called Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions, or Tracer.

“Our expectation is that we would be overwhelmed” with data from storms produced in the city, he said. “That’s not what we’re experiencing.”

The weather, which has been “extremely hot and extremely dry,” has been more typical of late August or early September. “This makes us wonder what August is going to look like,” he said.

Jensen, however, is optimistic that his extensive preparation and numerous pieces of equipment to gather meteorological data will enable him to collect considerable information.

Warming at the poles

Broadly speaking, heat waves have extended for longer periods of time in part because the temperatures at the poles are heating up more rapidly than those at the equator. The temperature difference between the tropics and the poles causes a background flow from west to east that pushes storms along, Chang explained.

The North Pole, however, has been warming faster than the tropics. A paper by his research group showed that the lower temperature gradient led to a weakening of the storm track.

When summer Atlantic storms pass by, they provide relief from the heat and can induce more clouds that can lead to cooler temperatures. Weakening these storms can lead to fewer clouds and less cooler air to relieve the heat, Chang added.

Rising sea levels

Malcolm Bowman. Photo from SBU

Malcolm Bowman, who is Erinna Bowman’s father and is Distinguished Service Professor at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, believes the recent ice melting in Greenland, which has been about 10 degrees above normal, could lead to a rise in sea levels of about one inch this summer. “It will slowly return to near normal as the fresh water melt spreads slowly over all the world’s oceans,” he added.

Bowman, who has studied sea level rises and is working on mitigation plans for the New York area in the event of a future major storm, is concerned about the rest of the hurricane season after the level of warming in the oceans this summer. 

“Those hurricanes which follow a path over the ocean, especially following the Gulf Stream, will remain strong and may gather additional strength from the heat of the underlying water,” he explained in an email.

Bowman is the principal investigator on a project titled “Long Island South Shore Sea Gates Study.”

He is studying the potential benefit of six possible sea gates that would be located across inlets along Nassau and Suffolk County. He also suggests that south shore sand dunes would need to be built up to a height of 14 feet above normal high tide.

Meanwhile, the Army Corps of Engineers has come up with a tentatively selected plan for New York Harbor that it will release some time in the fall. Bowman anticipates the study will be controversial as the struggle between green and grey infrastructure — using natural processes to manage the water as opposed to sending it somewhere else — heats up.

As for the current heat waves, Bowman believes they are a consistent and validating extension of climate change.

Model simulations

In his lab, Chang has been looking at model simulations and is trying to understand what physical processes are involved. He is comparing these simulations with observations to determine the effectiveness of these projections.

To be sure, one of the many challenges of understanding the weather and climate is that numerous factors can influence specific conditions.

“Chaos in the atmosphere could give rise to large variations in weather” and to occasional extremes, Chang said. 

Before coming to any conclusions about longer term patterns or changes in climate, Chang said he and other climate modelers examine collections of models of the atmosphere to assess how likely specific conditions may occur due to chaos even without climate change.

“We have to rule out” climate variability to understand and appreciate the mechanisms involved in any short term changes in the weather, he added.

Still, Chang said he and other researchers are certain that high levels of summer heat will be a part of future climate patterns. 

“We are confident that the increase in temperature will result in more episodes of heat waves,” he said.

By Heidi Sutton

Wowie wow wow! Look who has taken up residence at the Engeman Theater in Northport! It’s Junie B. Jones, the outspoken and lovable six-year-old from the pages of Barbara Park’s best-selling children’s books starring in  Junie B. Jones The Musical. The delightful show, which opened last Saturday, runs through Aug. 28. 

Created by Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, the play is an adaptation of four of Park’s books where Junie B. Jones navigates the ups and downs of first grade at Clarence Elementary School. When her mother gives her a Top-Secret Personal Beeswax Journal on her first day of school, Junie B. decides to record the school year and before long is filling the pages with her many adventures. 

While Junie B. is under the impression that things will be no different than last year, they are very different. In her first week, she finds that her best friend from kindergarten Lucille has found two new best friends – Camille and Chenille – because their names rhyme; the girl who she used to sit with in on the bus in kindergarten prefers to sit with someone else; she makes friends with Herb, the new kid at school; and she finds that she has trouble reading the blackboard — and she may need glasses. Grrrr. 

Add in the friendly cafeteria lady Mrs. Gutzman, a new lunchbox, Show & Tell, and an intense kickball tournament and you have the makings of a lovely morning of live theater.

Directed by Danny Meglio with musical direction by Luca Iallondardi and choreography by Jillian Sharpe, the six-member adult cast embrace the adorable script and transport back in time to elementary school and all the anxieties and life lessons that go with it.

Katie Dolce is perfectly cast as Junie B. Jones. From the minute she appears on stage, all eyes are on her and she quickly becomes an audience favorite with her sassy personality.

The incredible and versatile supporting cast — Daniel Bishop, Miranda Jo DeMott, Olivia Giorgio, Thomas Higgins and Alyssa Infranco — play multiple roles throughout the show including Junie B’s parents, her teacher Mr. Scary, her friends and classmates and seem to be having the time of their lives.

The fun-filled songs are the heart of the show, from the opening number “Top Secret Personal Beeswax” to the group finale, “Writing Down the Songs of My Life,” and are perfectly executed with special mention to the kickline number, “Gladys Gutzman.” 

Funny, entertaining and entirely relatable, Junie B. Jones The Musical  is a summer treat for young children and parents alike. 

Sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union, the John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Junie B. Jones The Musical on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Running time is 1 1/2 hours with one intermission. Tickets are $20. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.