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The Three Village Community Trust, the Three Village Civic Association, the North Suffolk Garden Club, the Three Village Chamber of Commerce and students and faculty at the Stony Brook School have engaged in a Beautification Project at the Stony Brook Train Station over the past year.

Significant progress has been made removing debris, weeds, and invasive plants from the landscaped beds. And a wide variety of Long Island native plants have been added to the landscaped beds.

As part of their efforts, the Stony Brook Train Station Beautification Committee invites the community to
the opening reception of a very special art installation created by local artist Michael Rosengard at the Station titled ‘All Aboard – Home For The Holidays’ on Monday, Dec. 4 from noon to 1 p.m. Meet the artist, take photos and enjoy bagels, coffee and cookies.

This outdoor work of art, located outside the front entrance of the historic Stony Brook Station House, creates a sense of wonder and whimsy to those walking or driving past the Station, highlights the history and importance of the Long Island Rail Road, celebrates the accomplishments of the Beautification Project, and helps kick off the Holiday Season.

For more information, call 631-942-4558.

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Holiday Spectacular. Photo from TOB

Town of Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Daniel P. Losquadro has announced the return of the annual Brookhaven Town Holiday Spectacular, an indoor, walk-through holiday light show, at the Holtsville Ecology Site, 249 Buckley Road, Holtsville.

Over the years, thousands of families have walked through the winter wonderland of lighted, festive displays, before stopping to take their photos with Santa in his workshop.  All proceeds benefit the Holtsville Ecology Site and go directly to the feed and care of the more than 100 animals residing there.

“This is a fun-filled, affordable entertainment option for families who want to come and enjoy the spirit of the holidays,” Superintendent Losquadro said. “I want to thank my staff at the Ecology Site for working so diligently to transform the greenhouses and make this event so memorable. Over the years, walking through the Holiday Spectacular has become a wonderful holiday tradition for many families.”

The show will run Dec. 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16 & 17; hours on Fridays and Saturdays are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sundays, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission to this event is $10 per adult; $8 for seniors, veterans and children under 12; children 3 and under are free. Photos available with Santa for an additional fee; credit cards only, no cash accepted. Tickets must be purchased in advance at BrookhavenNY.gov/Holiday .

For more information, call 631-451-5330.

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The Town of Smithtown Recreation & Senior Citizens Departments will host the annual Tender Years Treasury, holiday shopping experience for children on Saturday, December 2 at the Eugene Cannataro Senior Citizens Center, 420 Middle Country Road, Smithtown from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The popular event allows kids to independently shop for family gifts, all handmade by local seniors, modestly priced at $5 and under.

“This is such a special event, where our older, very talented generations present homemade gift items to our youngest residents. The kids love the thrill of shopping independently, while surprising family and school friends with a special gift they hand picked with allowance money. All of the items are handmade with care, by local, incredibly talented senior citizens, reasonably priced at $5 or less. The team at Smithtown Recreation & the Senior Citizens Department love putting this annual event together and it shows on the faces of everyone participating. I love taking my grandkids to this event every year. If you haven’t experienced it yet… I highly recommend you save the date,” said Smithtown Town Supervisor Ed Wehrheim.

The festivities include an upscale boutique, cookie decorating, holiday crafts, a homemade quilt raffle, balloon sculptures, and free gift wrapping. Adults can relax in a waiting area while kids independently choose their holiday gifts for family and friends. Additionally, children can bring a letter to Santa Claus, with return address information to receive a letter from the North Pole in return.

Children, grades K-5, are chaperoned by Smithtown Senior Center & Recreation Department staff as they make their own decisions on purchasing handcrafted gifts made by local senior citizens. The gift items are all priced at five dollars and under. Parents and/or older siblings will have the option of walking extra little shoppers around after 12:45 p.m. For further details, call Smithtown Recreation at 631-360-7644.

 

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A scene from the Centerport United Methodist Church's annual Santaport Christmas Fair on Saturday, Nov. 18. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the Centerport United Methodist Church's annual Santaport Christmas Fair on Saturday, Nov. 18. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the Centerport United Methodist Church's annual Santaport Christmas Fair on Saturday, Nov. 18. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the Centerport United Methodist Church's annual Santaport Christmas Fair on Saturday, Nov. 18. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the Centerport United Methodist Church's annual Santaport Christmas Fair on Saturday, Nov. 18. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the Centerport United Methodist Church's annual Santaport Christmas Fair on Saturday, Nov. 18. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the Centerport United Methodist Church's annual Santaport Christmas Fair on Saturday, Nov. 18. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the Centerport United Methodist Church's annual Santaport Christmas Fair on Saturday, Nov. 18. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the Centerport United Methodist Church's annual Santaport Christmas Fair on Saturday, Nov. 18. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the Centerport United Methodist Church's annual Santaport Christmas Fair on Saturday, Nov. 18. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the Centerport United Methodist Church's annual Santaport Christmas Fair on Saturday, Nov. 18. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin

By Michael Scro

Centerport United Methodist Church held its annual Santaport Christmas Fair on Saturday, Nov. 18.

The event featured rooms filled with gifts, crafts and items for sale, a café with homemade food prepared by church members and a meet-and-greet with Santa Claus.

Held in the upstairs portion of the church, attendees freely wandered the rooms such as white elephant treasures with houseware and glassware, new and vintage jewelry, children’s crafts and toys, men’s world, which had tools, sporting goods, electronics, and a playroom for kids. There was also a gift basket silent auction.

Santa Claus set up in the main church area with Fenway, a therapy dog who quickly became a favorite among the families and children. The day also featured a book signing of “Raising Betty” by local author Sarah Zagaja.

David Clemens, a church member and organizer of Santaport, and his wife Joan, the church historian, said the church predates the American Revolution. The fair can be traced back to 1959 under its original name, Centerport Sea Fair.

“It’s a wonderful event for the church and our local community,” Clemens said. “All of our food is provided by church members, and all the items are donated.”

Clemens estimated that 60 volunteers were on-site throughout the day and mentioned that the church was a school when it was first built so that they could fill multiple rooms with items and purposes. Centuries later, that design aspiration is still achieved today.

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Melville-based H2M architects + engineers collects over 750 turkeys during its 6th annual Turkey Drive. Photos courtesy H2M architects + engineers

Melville-based H2M architects + engineers collected over 750 turkeys for its 6th annual Turkey Drive on Thursday, Nov. 16, and Friday, Nov. 17.

The drive was hosted in partnership with Island Harvest, Long Island’s leading hunger relief organization, in support of its 2023 Turkeys & Trimmings Collection Campaign.

Melville-based H2M architects + engineers collects over 750 turkeys during its 6th annual Turkey Drive. Photos courtesy H2M architects + engineers

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, approximately 38 million Americans, including 12 million children, qualify as “food insecure,” defined as a lack of consistent, dependable access to healthy food.

Since its founding in 1992, Island Harvest has helped feed millions of Long Islanders through comprehensive nutrition programs, including programs geared toward children, families, seniors and veterans.

H2M staff collected the frozen turkeys in the east parking lot of H2M’s headquarters. As the drive concluded, H2M had surpassed its collection goal of 600 turkeys and over 300 meals, each of which was donated to Island Harvest to support a family in need. H2M also raised over $6,000 in monetary donations from a combination of individual and corporate donors as of Nov. 20.

“It’s truly an honor to partner with Island Harvest every year and play a part in their mission to end hunger on Long Island,” said H2M president and CEO Rich Humann. “I’m grateful to lead a company that places so much value on giving back to the community,” adding, “My thanks go out to the entire H2M team for their hard work and all of our donors for their generosity and good will.”

H2M is collecting monetary donations via DonorPerfect through Nov. 30. Additionally, Island Harvest will continue collecting turkeys and other Thanksgiving food items through Dec. 30.

For more information on how to support Island Harvest’s Turkey & Trimmings Collection Campaign, visit www.islandharvest.org/2023-turkey-trimmings-collection-campaign.

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Torte Jeff Pie Co. Photo by Heidi Sutton

Thanksgiving is a time to connect with loved ones, enjoy a meal and express thanks for our many blessings. And for many, it marks the Last Supper before weeks of bustling traffic and relentless shopping.

We remind our readers, as they prepare their shopping lists, of the monumental importance of patronizing local businesses.

Mom-and-pop stores are the backbone of our local economy. Without them, our community would be diminished.

Vacant storefronts are all too familiar along the North Shore. These blights are not only eyesores but a reflection of recent disruption and struggle for our commercial sectors.

E-commerce continues to precipitously harm local downtowns, siphoning away customers and setting unsustainable market rates for smaller vendors who lack the bulk purchasing power to compete.

COVID-19 lockdowns further accelerated the decline of small businesses. In many cases, Amazon and a few other prominent web retailers were the only options available for consumers.

Local mom and pops are struggling to stay afloat today. But crucially, they depend upon our patronage. And we depend upon their survival.

Unlike the conglomerates, small business owners create jobs and pay taxes within our community. When we support them, the dollars we spend stay here, recirculating back into our local economy instead of shipping off to some distant corporate headquarters.

And aren’t we all tired of seeing these massive megastores and online retailers cornering the market, consolidating more power and desecrating our downtowns?

On Long Island and across America, the predatory and monopolistic practices of Big Business are forcing smaller retailers to shutter. And rather than resisting this stranglehold on our local markets, we willingly participate in the game, prostrating ourselves at the altar of sweet deals and unbeatable prices.

In the Faustian bargains of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we trade away the soul of our community for a 20% discount. In failing to patronize local businesses, we complicitly enable the decline of our commercial districts and are accountable for the potential loss of our community as we know it.

Through our dollars, we can speak truth to entrenched power and wealth. We can shop locally despite the hot deals elsewhere. We can choose to invigorate our small businesses, knowing that if we don’t, no one else will.

This Saturday, Nov. 25, marks the 13th annual National Small Business Saturday. We ask our readers to come out in force, prioritizing the local storefronts in our community. And then, we must continue supporting them for the remainder of the season and throughout the year.

Our actions will determine the face of our area, so let’s all do our part — because when we shop small, we are all enriched.

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The cast of 'Barnaby Saves Christmas.' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'Barnaby Saves Christmas.' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'Barnaby Saves Christmas.' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
Ryan Worrell and Cassidy Rose O'Brien in a scene from 'Barnaby Saves Christmas.' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
Ryan Worrell and Cassidy Rose O'Brien in a scene from 'Barnaby Saves Christmas.' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
Ryan Worrell and Cassidy Rose O'Brien in a scene from 'Barnaby Saves Christmas.' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
The cast of 'Barnaby Saves Christmas.' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
Steven Uihlein and Jason Furnari in a scene from 'Barnaby Saves Christmas.' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
Steven Uihlein and Jason Furnari in a scene from 'Barnaby Saves Christmas.' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
The cast of 'Barnaby Saves Christmas.' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'Barnaby Saves Christmas.' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'Barnaby Saves Christmas.' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.

By Heidi Sutton

While three spirits haunt Ebenezer Scrooge on Theatre Three’s Mainstage, the spirit of the season carries over to the children’s theater production of Barnaby Saves Christmas. The holiday favorite, written in 2003 by Douglas J. Quattrock and Jeffrey Sanzel with music and lyrics by Quattrock, has become a beloved tradition in Port Jefferson and one that is looked forward to each year. The show opened last Saturday and runs through the end of the year.

It’s Christmas Eve at the North Pole and Santa’s elves Sam (Josie McSwane), Crystal (Kaitlyn Jehle) and Blizzard (Julia Albino) are busy putting the finishing touches on the presents and loading the sleigh. Barnaby (Ryan Worrell), the newest and littlest elf trainee, tries his best to help but only succeeds in making a mess.

When Santa (Sean Amato) and the elves leave to deliver the gifts to children across the world, Barnaby realizes that they left behind a special toy, a “little stuffed bear with dark blue pants, buckles on his shoes and a bright yellow vest,” he enlists the help of Blizzard’s fawn Franklynne (Cassidy Rose O’Brien) to find Santa and “save Christmas.” Along their adventures they discover that an evil villain named S. B. Dombulbury (Steven Uihlein) who, with his partner in crime Irving (Jason Furnari), is trying to ruin Christmas for everyone, and meet a Jewish couple (played by Gina Lardi and Sean Amato) and learn all Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. There’s even a great chase scene through the theater!

Directed by Jeffrey Sanzel, the nine adult cast members do a wonderful job telling this adorable tale. Reprising his role as Barnaby, Ryan Worrell’s solo “Still With a Ribbon on Top” is beautifully executed and wait until you see him dance! And yes, Barnaby will save the day but just wait until you see how! 

Costumes by Jason Allyn are exquisite and the choreography by Sari Feldman is superb. Utilizing the set of A Christmas Carol, the special effects are terrific, elevated by the futuristic lighting and, spoiler alert, it even snows in the theater!

With the ultimate message that “every day is a golden opportunity to be better than you used to be,” Barnaby Saves Christmas is a must see this holiday season. Your kids will love it! Souvenir elf and reindeer dolls will be available for purchase during intermission and the entire cast will be in the lobby after the show for photos. 

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents Barnaby Saves Christmas through Dec. 30. Children’s theater continues with Jack and the Beanstalk from Jan. 20 to Feb. 3, Dorothy’s Adventures in Oz from Feb. 21 to March 16, and The Adventures of Peter Rabbit from April 13 to April 27. All seats are $12. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

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A scene from the St. James Model Train Club's Open House on Nov. 19, 2023. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the St. James Model Train Club's Open House on Nov. 19, 2023. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the St. James Model Train Club's Open House on Nov. 19, 2023. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the St. James Model Train Club's Open House on Nov. 19, 2023. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the St. James Model Train Club's Open House on Nov. 19, 2023. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the St. James Model Train Club's Open House on Nov. 19, 2023. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the St. James Model Train Club's Open House on Nov. 19, 2023. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the St. James Model Train Club's Open House on Nov. 19, 2023. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the St. James Model Train Club's Open House on Nov. 19, 2023. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the St. James Model Train Club's Open House on Nov. 19, 2023. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the St. James Model Train Club's Open House on Nov. 19, 2023. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the St. James Model Train Club's Open House on Nov. 19, 2023. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin
A scene from the St. James Model Train Club's Open House on Nov. 19, 2023. Photo by Michael Scro/Media Origin

By Michael Scro

St. James Model Railroad Club held its annual Holiday Open House Train Show at the historic Mills Pond House last weekend, Nov. 17-19, where the basement area houses an elaborately designed display of model trains running around the entire room in a 38-by-48-foot Lionel train layout for families and children to enjoy.

Featuring realistic models of entire towns, mountains, hills, roadways, stores and buildings, and showcasing various figures and decorations, it has 11 trains running simultaneously, with up to 16 trains running per session.

Families brought their little ones to gaze upon the trains speeding by — with some even blowing smoke — behind a plexiglass divider to protect the display models.

Patrick Knetter, the club’s president, said the organization is celebrating its 40th anniversary. 

“Our club was put together by model railroaders for the sake of our members, and our display is open to the public so they can see what model railroading is all about,” he said. “Every year, we add and improve items, and we try to always make it a little bit better.”

All trains and the display’s entire layout are owned by club members. The railroad club was founded in 1983 and has had its permanent installation at the Mills Pond House since 1984.

The historic house dates back to the 19th century.

— Photos by Michael Scro/Media Origin

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Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Suffolk police commissioner Rodney Harrison. File photo

The Suffolk County Police Department is reminding residents to be vigilant of scammers looking to profit during the holiday season.

Criminals are constantly looking for new opportunities to prey on people for financial gain, and the holidays are traditionally a time when people are preoccupied and could fall victim to a scam.

Scammers are also increasingly turning to artificial intelligence “spoofing” tools to clone the voices of individuals who post on social media. Scammers use those cloned voices to create a script to call a family member of the person whose voice was cloned in hopes of convincing an unsuspecting victim to send money.

An 85-year-old Hauppauge man received a call from an individual utilizing artificial intelligence voice change who claimed to be his granddaughter and stated she was arrested and needed $19,000 in bail money. Her grandfather met an individual two separate times on November 9 and turned over the requested cash.

During another recent scam, a 70-year-old Smithtown woman spoke to an individual purporting to be an Amazon representative, claiming someone was attempting to use her bank account to buy electronics. The woman was told since her bank account was compromised, she should turn over her cash to keep it safe. The victim made three separate withdrawals totaling more than $100,000, and the cash was then picked up by the same man on three different dates. 

Following the withdrawals, the victim was advised to purchase gold coins at a pawn shop with a personal check of $94,000. After doing so, she sent a photo of the receipt to the suspect, who would then pick up the coins when ready.

While these cases both remain under investigation, it is a reminder of how convincing scammers can be. Financial Crime Unit detectives are providing free scam prevention presentations to community groups and senior centers in an effort to educate the public. Additionally, the department has created safety tip flyers in multiple languages to ensure the message is being received by all residents.

As a reminder, people should be wary of individuals claiming:

• To be part of a legitimate organization that you are familiar with.

• There is a problem or a prize.

• A family member is injured or in jail.

• You need to act immediately or threaten your safety.

• Payment must be made in a specific form, i.e. cash, Venmo etc.

“Residents need to be aware of individuals that are looking to take advantage of the generosity of others during this time of year,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “We strongly encourage the public to educate themselves and be cognizant of such operations that are prevalent during the holiday season so that they are protected from scammers.”

“We are reminding residents to resist the urge to act immediately,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison said. “Before sending money, speak to a trusted family member or call police. No legitimate company makes threats or demands cash.”

If you are interested in a prevention seminar or obtaining safety tips, contact the department’s Financial Crimes Unit at 631-852-6821.

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