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On Tuesday March 15, the U.S. Senate passed legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent. That doesn’t mean it’s a done deal. The House of Representatives still has to meet and agree to pass the bill before it can go to President Joe Biden to sign. Also, it wouldn’t go into effect until 2023.
Be that as it may, we here at TBR News Media thought it would be interesting to see how people felt about the news, so we headed out to the streets of Port Jefferson on a sunny Friday afternoon to see what local passersby thought of the prospect of never having to move their clocks forward and back each year.
Here’s what they had to say:
Samantha Falese, West Islip
“I love the sunshine. I’m a morning person, so when I get up, it might be a little bit darker, but I like the idea of coming home knowing it’s light out because I work about an hour away.”
Rachel Guglielmo, Port Jefferson
“I’m looking forward to it staying like this. I like getting out of work and being in the sunlight instead of leaving work and it being all dark out and making me feel like my day is all over. I’m more motivated when it’s light out.”
Connie Poulos, Selden
“I’m happy about it. If it’s like, so that it doesn’t get dark at 4 o’clock, that would be nice. I’m looking forward to more sunlight.”
Gwen Coady with grandson Jack, Saint James
“My husband does construction. If he works later in the summer, it stinks. If it’s daylight, he keeps on working. The other way, he keeps more of a schedule. But I do like the daylight savings because I love to be outside.”
Allison Marin, Port Jefferson
“I think I like the changing back and forth because it kind of gives you something to look forward to that day — when you know you’re getting the hour back. I don’t love losing it necessarily, but when you get the hour back, you kind of feel like you won. You know? Like you want to do something big with your hour. You have to make it worth something. I think it’s kind of fun.”
Stephen Malusa, Selden
“I like it. Finally get rid of that nonsense. Changing back and forth is just an annoyance.”
King Kullen recently came to the aid of Long Islanders in need by hosting its annual in-store “Check Out Hunger” campaign, raising $25,000. The money was donated to the Long Island Cares/Harry Chapin Food Bank, which has served the hungry on Long Island since 1980.
“The need for emergency food supplies on Long Island continues to rise for families and people of all ages throughout Nassau and Suffolk. Long Island Cares helps provide food where and when it is needed. Once again, we want to thank our customers for contributing to the ‘Check Out Hunger’ campaign. King Kullen and Wild by Nature have been proud to support Long Island Cares for many years and remain committed to fighting hunger on Long Island,” said King Kullen President and Chief Operating Officer Joseph W. Brown.
In 1997, King Kullen was the first supermarket chain to participate in the annual “Check Out Hunger” campaign, a unique partnership between Long Island Cares and the shopping community in which customers can make a donation with a coupon when checking out at the supermarket register. One hundred percent of all donations go to Long Island Cares.
“King Kullen and Wild by Nature have made a meaningful difference in the fight against hunger,” said Long Island Cares/Harry Chapin Food Bank Chief Executive Officer Paule T. Pachter. “Their customers continue to generously support our mission and we are forever grateful for their support all these years.”
Ørsted/Eversource of East Setauket contributed $10,000 to United Way’s Project Warmth on March 1.
United Way of Long Island’s Project Warmth Fuel Fund Committee, a group of key representatives from the energy sector across Long Island including Ørsted/Eversource, is at the forefront of helping to warm the homes and hearts of neighbors in temporary financial distress.
Due to the collective efforts of individuals and corporations, United Way was able to impact over 3,200 adults and children, including seniors and veterans in need of emergency heating assistance this winter season.
As Long Island’s only island-wide non-governmental emergency heating fund, United Way’s Project Warmth is available as a safety net for individuals and families who are facing energy insecurity. Assistance with an oil delivery or heat-related utility bill means people have room in their budgets to cover essentials like food or medication.
“Many working or ALICE* families make financial trade-offs during the winter months to make ends meet. This can be as simple as paying for groceries for their family instead of a heating bill. Because of dedicated supporters like Ørsted/Eversource, United Way can be sure that Long Islanders’ homes remain heated, and in a safe manner,” said Theresa A. Regnante, President & CEO of United Way of Long Island.
To support Project Warmth for the 2022-23 season, please visit unitedwayli.org/projectwarmth.
The Kings Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade will kick off at noon, once again, from Celtic Crossing Tavern on Pulaski Road Saturday, March 5. This year father and daughter Charles and Diane Gardner Howell, longtime hamlet residents, will be leading the parade after waiting more than a year to do so.
That parade hasn’t been held since 2020 when participants were still able to march, and residents enjoyed the event a few days before mandatory state shutdowns due to COVID-19. The parade was canceled last year to comply with pandemic protocols.
The committee was optimistic for 2021 and named Gardner, former Suffolk County commissioner of consumer affairs, and his daughter, U.S. Naval Cmdr. Gardner Howell, as grand marshals of the 2021 parade based on their contributions both in the community and the United States. When the event was canceled, the father and daughter retained the titles for 2022.
“The parade committee is proud of the Gardner family, longtime residents of Kings Park, for its service to Kings Park and the military,” the committee said in a press release.
Gardner said the family found out about being grand marshals a few months after his daughter returned from her deployment in southern Afghanistan. He said he and his wife were thrilled that their daughter was named grand marshal, and then he found out that he would share the spotlight with her.
“I’m very humbled,” he said. “For us,
it’s just a great honor celebrating my family’s heritage.”
He added he has walked in the parade several times as a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. He said Irish pride is strong in the hamlet, dating back to when the Kings Park Psychiatric Center hospital
was operating.
“I think it’s a great deal for Kings Park, because there are so many Irish families, there’s a strong Irish heritage in Kings Park,” Gardner said. “That goes back to the hospital days. There were very many Irish people who emigrated and then got jobs at the hospital, and more and more of their family members came over. So, there was a large contingent of Irish.”
Gardner knows about the importance of the hospital and its ties to Irish history in Kings Park. His paternal grandmother came from the Buffalo area with her family to work at the hospital around the late 1920s-early ’30s, and she remained working there until her retirement. Gardner met his wife, who is also named Diane, due to the hospital when she studied nursing with his sister at Kings Park State Hospital School of Nursing.
Gardner is among the third generation of his family to live in Kings Park on his mother’s side, who was from the Baker family. The Bakers have been part of the community for decades. His grandfather was a police officer in Smithtown, while his grandmother raised 11 children. He added the Bakers once had a taxi stand on Main Street in Kings Park, a restaurant near Sunken Meadow, and he had many uncles who were school bus drivers and involved in the fire department, including one who was fire chief.
Gardner worked for Suffolk County for 40 years before retiring in 2008 after 12 years as commissioner of consumer affairs and has been a member of the Kings Park board of education and chamber of commerce. He also is a past chamber president.
He said he and his wife are proud of their daughter, who is currently assistant chief nurse anesthetist at Stony Brook University Hospital. Gardner Howell has been in the Navy for more than 20 years and earned a bronze star due to her participation in active combat. She is currently in the Navy Reserve. In addition to being this year’s Kings Park parade joint grand marshal, she was recently nominated as Humanitarian of the Year by Kings Park Chamber of Commerce.
Gardner Howell said when she decided to return to Kings Park to live, she was happy to return home to a hamlet she said embraces family.
“Even with me being away all those years for military service and school service, coming back to Kings Park really did feel like coming back home,” she said. “So for the [parade] committee to honor me along with my dad just shows you what a great family town it is. It’s very sweet of them to do this to recognize me along with my dad.”
Gardner Howell added in the past the committee has recognized more than one person from a family, including her cousins the Nally family in 2019.
“The parade committee has a way of bringing the whole town together,” she said. “They may recognize a family or a person but really we celebrate everybody.”
The 2022 Kings Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade will feature 20 bands, including 14 bagpipe bands, police officers from Suffolk, Nassau and New York City, local fire departments, various civic associations and businesses. The parade will travel down Main Street and ends at St. Joseph’s R.C. Church on Church Street.
By Leah S. Dunaief
Feeling overwhelmed by all the news of the past few days?
The latest numbers for COVID victims, the mask debates, the possibility of another COVID variant emerging, the Russians military massed around the Ukraine, NATO and its cohesion and response, the Islamic State re-emerging in Afghanistan, North Korean test missiles, escalating inflation, climate change’s latest effects, how the USA is severely divided, the inactions of Congress on voting regulations, death in the NYC subways, and even whether Brady will finally retire, those items and more could do that to you.
“A newspaper is a mirror. Each day it reflects some segment of the world’s activities.”
I am quoting Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, former publisher of The New York Times, but the metaphor has been offered by many others. We in the news business capture the events of the moment and provide contemporaneous information, largely without interpretation, for historians to analyze and history voyeurs like me to look back and see who was making news then.
So, in an effort to escape the daily barrage, I checked to see what was happening 100 years ago, at the beginning of 1922. I used as my source front pages from The NYT, compiled by them in a book called, “Page One.” Here is what I found.
“Pope Benedict XV Passes Away Early This Morning; Lingers Hours After World Gets Report of Death; Tributes Paid to the Pontiff by Men of All Religions,” reads the three-tiered, all capitalized headline of the Sunday, Jan. 22, 1922, issue. Other articles on the front page cover different aspects of the main story, including “Men of All Faiths Eulogize the Pope, Protestants Unite with Catholics in Praise of his Great Service to Humanity, and World is Misled by Premature Report of Death; Berlin Started Rumor, Cardinal’s Aide Spread It.” Immediately notable about the headlines from today’s perspective is, of course, the mention only of men. Women had gotten the right to vote with the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution less than two years earlier. I guess they had not registered on the country’s radar yet as part of the general population. Also on the page is a report that Lloyd George, Britain’s prime minister, looked to the coming Genoa Conference as setting the stage for the world’s path to peace and recuperation, but only if the United States attends and actively participates. He was clearly and correctly concerned about our move toward isolation after WWI.
Also mentioned in another article was the storm of protest that ensued in France when General Pétain, a military hero of WWI, was appointed to the cabinet of Premier Poincare as inspector general of the Army. The fear was that his influence on the government’s future direction would be too militaristic. Petain, we know from our vantage point, went on to become the chief of state of infamous Vichy, France, during WWII. Ireland too made the front page in a story of mutual consent by Michael Collins, head of the Irish Provisional Government and Sir James Craig, premier of Ulster, abut boundaries between North and South that predicted ultimate agreement.
In the issue of Feb. 22, 1922, the three-tiered headline featured the fate of the Army dirigible. “Giant Army Dirigible Wrecked; 34 Dead. 11 are Saved; Victims Perish When Roma Bursts into Flames After Fall; Collapse of Rudder Causes Tragedy On Short Trial Flight.” Roma, 410 feet long, was built by Italy for the United States. The subheads go on to explain, “Hits High Tension Wires, Hydrogen Ignites in Norfolk Flight and Flames Sweep Huge Structure. Few Saved by Leaping, One Lieutenant Breaks Neck in Jump—Other Victims Buried in Wreckage, Rescuers Baffled by Intense Heat — Commander Mabry Stuck to Wheel Till Death Came.” This was the greatest disaster that ever befell American military aeronautics, according to the newspaper.
In going back and reading these news articles, we can see how the stage was set for so many future events. Especially interesting to me is to learn of the roles of individual players in what would become world history.
By Barbara Anne Kirshner
Gothic!
Thrilling!
Suspenseful!
Wait a minute — It’s a comedy!!
It’s hilarious Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery now playing at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson.
“Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound!” That exclamation conjures up ominous chords and the audience is immediately immersed in the murder mystery at bleak Baskerville Hall perched on the edge of the desolate fog-laden moors.
In Ken Ludwig’s (Lend Me A Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo, Crazy for You) adaptation of the 1901 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel The Hound of the Baskervilles, he brilliantly takes this gothic classic and infuses it with comedy making for spine-tinglingly funny results.
The searching questions, who killed Sir Charles Baskerville and is there a legendary hound haunting Baskerville Hall, must be answered before another heir is murdered. Enter Sherlock Holmes (Evan Donnellan) and his sidekick, Dr. Watson, I presume, (Kevin Callahan). The brave duo ferret through contradicting clues and a host of suspicious characters in efforts to protect Henry Baskerville, the next heir who has just arrived from Texas.
Donnellan takes the stage in grandiose style. His Holmes is sly, elegant and capable. When he says he knows the print of every paper in the country, we believe him. Kevin Callahan’s Doctor Watson is so much fun. He tries to keep up with Holmes though often bungles, adding to the laughs, but his genuine investigative spirit makes him the perfect sidekick to Holmes. Together they are an invincible pair despite the labyrinth of deceit and intrigue they must face in attempting to solve this crime.
The original Conan Doyle mystery is chock full of characters all necessary in creating red herrings that keep the reader guessing until the final page. Ludwig realized he would need numerous characters to tell the story, so he inventively reduced his adaptation down to five actors — Holmes, Watson and the other three playing more than forty roles.
This challenge calls for extraordinary performers who must instantly change costumes while also changing accents, physicality and intentions, all the while making the audience believe each of their characters.
Director Christine Boehm has accomplished just that by assembling an outstanding supporting cast — Jonathan Sawyer Coffin, Elena Faverio and Ana McCasland — who change costumes as easily as they transform into different personas. This high energy threesome bounce snappy lines into the air wrapped in an array of accents.
Faverio’s German accent as Mrs. Barrymore is hysterically reminiscent of Cloris Leachman’s Frau Blücher in Young Frankenstein. Coffin’s booming southern drawl is a comical contradiction for the next in line of the Baskerville fortune. McCasland takes on the proper English of Dr. Mortimer as easily as she emotes the Castilian of the hotel proprietor. These outrageously high camp performances are met with rapturous laughter and applause from the audience that builds to an enthusiastic crescendo at curtain call.
Randall Parsons’ scenic design gives the necessary gothic feel with a gray backdrop detailed in swirls of black suggesting impending fog blanketing the moor. A giant screen, center, ingeniously projects settings and events. Lighting design by Robert Henderson, Jr. sets the eerie mood, then stirs things up with flashes of bright lights.
Chakira Doherty’s costume and wig designs are masterfully crafted. Actors, portraying numerous characters, must change in an instant and Doherty’s well-thought-out garments and coiffures make this task possible.
Tim Haggerty’s sound design is essential in instilling chills. Whether it be the cacophonous howling hound to the staccato of the chugging train to a deafening explosion, these sound effects build in both suspense and humor.
Since simplicity is key to this production, properties play a major part and Heather Rose Kuhn creatively plants scenes with the use of sparse props. A train is depicted with only a well-placed bench that morphs easily into a bed at Baskerville Hall for the next scene. A counter glides in and out representing Northumberland Hotel and giant wheels appear when Holmes refers to a cab.
All the twists and turns are captivating and hysterical as we follow Holmes and Watson to a startling conclusion that even gives way to an unexpected epilogue. So, take out your spyglass and join the intrepid pair on this thrilling and uproarious caper!
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery through Feb. 5. Tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 children ages 5 and up. For more information, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.
See a sneak peek of the show here!
New Year’s Laughin’ Eve
Laugh in the New Year with New Year’s Laughin’ Eve at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson at 6 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. Now in its 13th year, the lineup will include Eric Haft, Joe DeVito and a surprise guest comedian. Hosted by Paul Anthony. Tickets for the early bird show are $50, tickets to the prime time show are $65. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.
By Barbara Anne Kirshner
Phenomenal music, dance, comedy with romance sprinkled on top all wrapped up in a giant red velvet bow, that’s White Christmas, Engeman Theater’s gift to ring in this joyous season.
Last year, the holidays were dismal with theatres shut across our great nation due to COVID, but not even a sweeping pandemic could extinguish its spirit for long. Theater fought back, reigniting marques with brilliant neon lights announcing that the show would most certainly go on.
The Engeman proudly swung open its grand glass doors welcoming all who enter to enjoy the magic of live theatre once more and to celebrate the holidays it is treating audiences to an irresistible White Christmas. With music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and book by David Ives and Paul Blake, this musical is based on the much loved 1954 movie starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen. The first stage adaptation did not happen until 2004 when it premiered in San Francisco before playing a limited engagement on Broadway from Nov. 14, 2008, until Jan. 4, 2009.
The story revolves around two former WWII army buddies Bob Wallace and Phil Davis who, after the war, become successful entertainers, then big time producers. They get a letter presumably from an army buddy asking them to check out his sisters’ act at a local club. Sparks fly when they meet these sisters who are leaving that night for a Vermont Inn to fulfill a booking engagement. In pursuit of romance, Bob and Phil follow the ladies and discover that their former general who now owns this inn has fallen on hard times. The plot proceeds with mad cap comedy and extraordinary musical numbers.
With producing artistic director, Richard Dolce and managing director Kevin J. O’Neill at the helm, the Engeman is dedicated to creating Broadway caliber experiences for their audiences and White Christmas is professionalism at its very best.
This multi-talented ensemble is captivating. From the rollicking open numbers of Happy Holidays and White Christmas, Aaron Young as Bob Wallace and Daniel Plimpton as Phil Davis grasp us and never let go. Young’s voice richly floats through his every song while his stage presence is beguiling. Davis is a true song and dance man. The I Love a Piano duet featuring Darien Crago as Judy Hayes, is a tour de force tap number. Crago’s skill and energy mesmerizes in all her dance routines, making them appear effortless. Meadow Nguy as Betty Haynes soaring soprano sends chills especially in Love, You Didn’t Do Right by Me.
Rounding out this ensemble is an impressive supporting cast. Keith Lee Grant is riveting as the stern General Henry Waverly shouting out commands until he reaches a moment of reflection that allows the caring man within to materialize. Suzanne Mason as Martha Watson sporting red curls reminiscent of Lucille Ball and impeccable comedic timing takes center stage belting out Let Me Sing and I’m Happy and nearly stops the show. The general’s granddaughter, Susan Waverly, played by AnnaBelle Deaner, mimics Martha with a rousing reprise of the same song.
Director Matt Kunkel has created sheer perfection taking us on a memorable musical journey of sight and sound. Music Director Camille Johnson maintains energetic fluidity from start to finish with a band that is beautifully synchronized to the performers in every number.
Choreography is central to this show and Drew Humphrey’s lively routines from the tap numbers to a chorus line done with the precision of the Rockettes is outstanding. Sound design is essential in a musical and Laura Shubert has the levels just right.
This is a period piece musical therefore costumes must allow for ease of movement while reflecting the 1950’s era and Dustin Cross has created breathtaking silhouettes most notably the dreamy coats decorated with clouds in Blue Skies, the dazzling black and white ensembles in I Love a Piano with Judy’s belt that unwinds into piano keys and all those stunning red confections in the White Christmas and I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm finale. Hair design is another essential element in a period piece and Conor Donnelly’s 1950’s hairstyles look authentic.
Kyle Dixon’s scenic design sets the tone and is functional as it morphs easily from one scene into the next giving the continuous feel of the magical holiday season by emphasizing reds, greens and whites. Dixon’s giant frames of white bark against green matting outlines the set and emphasizes a rural feel for the Vermont Inn. Aaron Bowersox’s lighting design adds brilliance to the big numbers and subtle touches for gentler moments.
White Christmas is a must-see festive treat for the entire family so ring in the holidays with this spectacular musical now through January 2, 2022. And be sure to return for the rest of their 2021-2022 season of exciting shows.
The John W. Engeman Theater is located at 250 Main Street in Northport. Tickets to the show range from $75 to $80 with free valet parking. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.
MEET JULIE!
This week’s shelter pet is Julie, currently up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter.
This gorgeous medium haired lady is estimated to be around 2 years old. Julie’s dad passed away and her mom left her behind when she moved on. This beauty can be as sassy as she is sweet. She does prefer to be the only cat in your life, but has lived with a small dog. Will you be her hero?
If you would like to meet this sweetheart, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with her in a domestic setting, which includes a Meet and Greet Room.
The Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Shelter operating hours are currently Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only). For more information, call 631-360-7575 or visit www.smithtownanimalshelter.com.
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