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Yearly Archives: 2016

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Steve Cottonaro with some of the cast members in a scene from ‘Music Man.’ Photo by Lisa Schindlar

By Charles J. Morgan

The Noel S. Ruiz Theater at the CM Performing Arts Center in Oakdale kicked off its 38th season with the opening of Meredith Willson’s famous hit “Music Man” on March 12. Matthew W. Surico directs a large talented cast to produce a wonderful evening of theater.

The story follows Harold Hill, a trigger-tongued, traveling salesman and con man who attempts to bilk the town of River City, Iowa, out of hundreds of dollars with his phony plan to raise and train a band even though he couldn’t tell a drum beat from a sugar beet. His pitch is that he uses a unique “Think System” — one does not have to know music; one has merely to “think” it.

The mayor and town council are on to him, but he dazzles them with rapid-fire sales talk. However, he is thwarted by his  falling in love with the town librarian, Marian Paroo. Here is where sides are taken: the pro-Hill and anti-Hill factions. The hilarious finale has Hill about to direct a brightly uniformed segment of the “band” that pounded out a cacophony that would make any listener cringe, to “Think! Men!” His skullduggery exposed the … well someone once wrote, “America is a happy-ending nation.”

Hill is played by Steve Cottonaro, an accomplished singer who matches his tenor with impressive dancing skills. With straw hat on a rakish angle he dominated the boards. His love is the fetchingly beautiful Shannon Cunningham, possessed of one of the most powerful soprano voices heard in a long time. Her singing had a plaintive dimension combined with strength that complemented Cottonaro’s tenor in the duets, especially in “There Was Love” in Act II.

Steve Cottonaro dances with some of the young cast members in a scene from ‘Music Man.’ Photo by Lisa Schindlar
Steve Cottonaro dances with some of the young cast members in a scene from ‘Music Man.’ Photo by Lisa Schindlar

Mayor Shinn was handled artfully by Jeff Pangburn. His malaprops were amazing, with his “… and I want not a poop out of you!” countered by his wife Eulalie’s “He means peep,” played in a nonstop comedic  role by Jodi Saladino.

Marian’s mother, the widow Paroo, was played by Rosemary Kurtz who, with a hint of Irish accent, embarked on this dramatic role with a sound-off rendition of “Piano Lesson. “

Then there was the School Board (Barber Shop Quartet) consisting of Ralph D’Ambrose, Carl Tese, Joseph Bebry and John DiGiorgio. Their close harmony was flawless and, as a group, they added a  flavor that was a gustatory delight. A group number in Acts I and II called “Pickalittle (Talk-a-Little)” had the gossipy ladies of the town sounding like a gaggle of poultry, musically, that is, and was neatly executed. What has become the signature number of the show, “Seventy-Six Trombones” with Hill and the boys and girls, was the highlight of the show.

Although the entire cast did a phenomenal job, special mention should be made of child virtuoso Jack Dowdell as Winthrop Paroo. Here is a lad of great theatrical promise.

The costumes, designed by Ronald R. Green III, were spot on and set designer Patrick Grossman produced a highly mobile series of well-constructed sets, including the inside of a moving passenger train as the Act I opener. Choreography was handled neatly by M.E. Junge.

Logically the music itself must receive a critique, all of it praiseworthy. CM/PAC’s music director Jeremy Kaplan has gathered an ensemble of no less than 15 first-rate musicians to form what had to be the equivalent of a Broadway pit band suffused with a totality of professionalism.

The Noel S. Ruiz Theater at the CM Performing Arts Center, 931 Montauk Highway, Oakdale, will present “The Music Man” through April 10. Tickets range from $18 to $29. For more information, call 631-218-2810 or visit www.cmpac.com.

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The insults, the barbs,
the teasing galore.

The candidates fight
every night, but what is it for?

These men and this woman want our trust.

At this point, many warrant disgust.

Who are they who want a job like no other?

Do they listen, or do they make us shudder?

Are they good, are they smart, do they have what it takes?

Can they bring us to glory
and not become fakes?

What do we need in this
election year?

Are they really the ones
to calm our fear?

Hillary and Bernie duke it out,

they argue, fight
and sometimes they pout.

On the right, Cruz, Kasich and formerly Rubio chase
the man with the hair.

Trump is his name,
and they want their share.

He’s a bully, a braggart
and he’s way ahead.

The others sound desperate
and they seem to see red.

Mitt Romney has come
to throw sand in Trump’s face.

Mitt’s presence is odd, some say it’s a disgrace.

He lost but didn’t go gently
into that good night,

he’s worried about Trump
and wants a fierce fight.

We like to believe we are part
of a whole,

but we have huge differences down to our souls.

Some believe Muslims
should all stay away,

others suggest we should all have our say.

Protesters appear to cause
commotion,

the sounds and sights are fraught with emotion.

The wife of the president long ago,

Hillary is under fire for
making dough.

A university fight
nips at his heels,

Trump says, “It’s OK,
the school is real.”

The debates offer jabs
and tough one-liners,

some of these leaders could
be sporting shiners.

Tough choices now, the voters have to take sides.

With each new vote,
there’s nowhere to hide.

The country is vast,
it’s hard not to offend.

We’re different in New York from those in South Bend.

Bernie Sanders shares plans
that people adore.

He wants the working class
to have so much more,

but can he do half of what
he desires?

Or would he wind up putting out vast fires?

The people crave change,
it’s clear as a bell.

The same old approach
has no chance to sell.

We’re sick and tired of being tired and sick.

We the People don’t want
something so slick.

The rhetoric has grown
increasingly coarse,

it’s ugly, messy and the leaders sound hoarse.

Who will you choose
on Election Day?

Do you really want
anyone to stay?

Will the candidates discuss
issues that matter?

Or will they just make their own pocketbooks fatter?

On what do we agree,
from sea to sea?

What is there that’s common
to you and to me?

Can you picture these people when they were kids?

Do you think they were proud of all that they did?

Were they good to friends,
to teachers and foes?

Or did they know better
than average Joes?

When one of them wins and wants to lead us together,

will he or she make us stronger and help us get better?

They fight with their rivals
and say others are wrong,

how can any of them help people get along?

You have to vote, like it or not,

it’s our duty, we’re in a big spot.

Tune out the bluster
and the attacks,

and ask yourself if they
have our backs.

Who are they who want a job like no other?

Do they listen,
or do they make us shudder?

Are they good, are they smart, do they have what it takes?

Can they bring us to glory
and not become fakes?

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Here is a terrific idea for those of a certain age. Have a pajama party with close friends at a distant and beautiful location of at least three nights duration. Why three nights? Because it takes that long for normally reserved people to open up and speak freely about life as they have known it. Why pajamas? For the same reason. After a day filled with enjoyable activities, like sightseeing, shopping and dining, climbing into pajamas and meeting in the living room to chat goes a long way toward facilitating informality and frank exchange.

And why have such an experience? Because after a lot of years of living, seniors are expected to have amassed some wisdom with the answers to questions that habitually occur to us. One thing is sure: Probably no two people will have the same answers to all the questions, and hearing the different perspectives is thought-provoking and sometimes even comforting.

Now let me be clear. I am not suggesting orgies in the basement. I am saying that much has changed over the period of our lives, and those of us who have seen those changes can understand each other and even commiserate. It’s nice to be understood. It’s valuable to hear how others have dealt with the same opportunities and challenges.

What are some of the subjects that might be discussed?

Death is certainly one. We all face an end to our lives. How do we regard the inevitable? Are we afraid? Probably not so much. With age comes acceptance to a large degree. Is there an afterlife? A purgatory? Will we again be with our loved ones? In fact, do we believe there is a God? And what is the purpose of life? There are no bounds to the scope of discussions. The subjects just flow from each other.

Then there are the endless conversations about children and maybe grandchildren. How have they fared? How much should we help them? What is in store for them? What problems do they have? Have their marriages held together?

There are the huge and sometimes incomprehensible changes in sexual mores and in family values. There are still some who reserve sex for marriage but not many. The word “dating” can have a different connotation than it did when we were much younger. Living together and having children without the benefit of marriage is no longer the object of shame. Yet it may be just difficult for older people to accept, especially if members of the family are involved in such arrangements.

The relationship between men and women and hence between husbands and wives has undergone revolutionary change. And the issue of rape has become public, especially rape on campus. There was no such mention by past generations.

Health issues are a perennial topic for conversation. Trading remedies, physician and physical therapist names, healthy tips for diets and dieting, exercise and stress reduction are common themes. Discussions of the outcomes from hip and knee surgeries and even dental implants fill the airwaves and can truly offer needed information and help.

Music is another area of tremendous change. What one generation danced to, another can find boring. But there is unending admiration by seniors for the younger generation’s mastery of cellphones, laptops and the Internet. Yet there are some older folks who adamantly resist texting.

The truth is that we all need support groups and affirmation. We can also benefit from well-placed critiques that can be more easily accepted from contemporaries. And there is always lots of room for laughter, even belly laughs.

Pajama parties can provide the context for such engagement. Besides why should only kids have all the fun.

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Northport Village trustees Jerry Maline, left, and Damon McMullen pose together. File photo

Northport Trustees Jerry Maline and Damon McMullen will each have a third term at the helm of their village.

Maline and McMullen each secured a seat on the village board of trustees Tuesday night over challenger Joe Sabia, with McMullen receiving 955 votes and Maline receiving 733 votes, according to the clerk’s office. Sabia finished third with 519 votes.

Maline and McMullen, who first won their seats in 2008, will have another four years together.

“It’s a very good working relationship,” Maline said in a phone interview last week. “We don’t always agree on things, but we talk it out and we come to a consensus on what’s best for the village. We support each other in our individual endeavors that help the village. We have a mutual respect for each other.”

One of the polarizing issues during this campaign cycle has been the board’s proposed budget, which would require piercing its 3.27 percent tax levy cap, causing a larger increase in taxes.

During a candidates night on March 8, Maline said piercing the state-mandated cap and increasing taxes above the limit, which the board can do with a 60 percent vote, would accommodate residents’ desires for village services.

“The facts are the facts,” Maline said at the event. “We don’t want to lessen your service. All the input I have from the residents [is] that you want the services to remain the same.”

McMullen said he is proud of the work he has done with the village’s budget.

“It’s been a privilege to be a part of the team that has helped the village get the best bond rating it can get,” McMullen said at the event.

Challenger Joe Sabia discusses taxes and the tax cap. Photo by Giselle Barkley
Challenger Joe Sabia discusses taxes and the tax cap. Photo by Giselle Barkley

Challenger Joe Sabia, who served on the Northport-East Northport school board and also ran for mayor in 2014, was opposed to the idea of piercing the cap.

“When you start to override the tax caps, it becomes a very, very dangerous thing because that means you’re raising your taxes higher than the rate of inflation,” Sabia said at the event.

None of the three candidates responded to requests for comment on Wednesday.

Giselle Barkley contributed to this report.

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A Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, olive oil and nuts may help fight mild cognitive impairment. Stock photo

What is mild cognitive impairment (MCI)? It is a good question, for the parameters are fuzzy. MCI is a hodgepodge of terminology including amnestic and nonamnestic types, with the amnestic type possibly leading to dementia. It is defined as a disorder, but not a disease, that is between normal aging and dementia. As a disorder, it may be more easily reversed. The number of people affected is difficult to pin down, but estimates range from 14  to 22 percent of the U.S. population aged 70 and older (1). Risk factors for MCI include increased age; family history; chronic diseases including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes; drug therapies; and lifestyle (2).

So is being overweight potentially detrimental, or is it being underweight? In short, when you are obese and lose weight, it actually decreases your risk. It is not difficult to understand when you put it into context, which we will do.

Also, are there ways to decrease your risk? Well, I already mentioned one, weight loss for the obese patient. I will delineate how weight loss could be both beneficial and detrimental. Another is a twist on a Mediterranean-type diet.

So without further ado, let’s look at the research. Most of the studies refer to dementia; remember, MCI is a malady not a disease; therefore it is harder to find specific studies relating to increased risk.

Increased weight

Rarely does it seem that being overweight or obese is beneficial. Dementia is no exception. I know I am using the risk of dementia study, but I want to demonstrate that the overweight and obese individuals, who now make up at least two-thirds of the U.S. population, are jeopardizing their cognitive abilities.

In an observational study using the Swedish Twin Registry, results showed that being overweight or obese in midlife significantly increased dementia risk — a 71 percent increase in the overweight patient and an almost fourfold increase in the obese (3). This may be a powerful reason to watch your weight at any age.

Underweight

If being obese or overweight may be harmful, what about being underweight? According to the results of a retrospective (backward-looking) study from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, those who are underweight have a 34 percent increased risk of dementia and are at greater risk than those who are overweight or obese (4). In fact, this study suggests that those who are overweight and obese are at lower risk for dementia than even those who are normal weight.

But wait, how can that be? Didn’t the study above suggest that being overweight was bad? First impression says that either the study focusing on overweight/obese patients was wrong or this study has a caveat. Well, the latter is the case. In fact, the researchers did not delineate among potential causes for patients to be underweight or even normal weight. Many times, patients are underweight or normal weight at middle to advanced years due to weight loss-inducing chronic diseases, such as cancer and autoimmune diseases. Underweight was defined as a BMI <20 kg/m2. Other previous studies also contradict the obesity paradox seen in this study.

Unintended weight loss

In one recent study, results demonstrated that unintended weight loss from midlife to later life is a potentially ominous sign for increased risk of mild cognitive impairment (5). There was a statistically significant difference between those who were at higher risk of developing MCI because of greater unintentional weight loss and those who did not experience as much weight loss. The absolute difference was 0.8 kg and the increased risk was 4 percent; however, in a subgroup with a 5-kg weight loss every 10 years, there was an almost 25 percent increased risk of mild cognitive impairment. At the beginning of the study, none of the patients had MCI, and the average age was 70 years. The researchers used retrospective data to compile weight loss from midlife.

Possible solutions to the rescue

What can be done about this? There are lifestyle changes, including dietary changes and weight loss that may help to reduce   the risk or even reverse MCI.

Weight loss, intentional that is!

On the flip side to unintended weight loss, there is intentional weight loss in those who are obese. In a recent randomized controlled trial (RCT), results showed that those who were treated with a calorie-restricted diet saw improvements in language, memory and executive functioning (allows one to complete tasks or reach goals) compared to those in the conventional medicine treatment group without diet counseling (6). The study population had a mean age of 68 and included 80 participants with 40 participants in each arm. It was composed of 80 percent women. Those in both groups were obese, ranging in BMI from obese to morbidly obese, 30-49.5 kg/m2.

The goal was to reach 10 percent weight loss with most of these women, though that was not achieved. This study used a calorie-restricted diet to achieve weight loss. About 40 percent of the participants did lose 5 percent of weight during the study’s one-year duration. The good news: Even with this modest 5 percent weight loss, there was improvement in cognition, especially verbal memory, which involves remembering words and utilizing language skills. The more weight they lost, the better they did cognitively (a dose-response curve). This is encouraging for a follow-up study with more significant weight loss.

Mediterranean diet with extra fat

Recently, we have been furiously debating the importance of fat in the diet. In an RCT, results showed that adding extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or nuts to the Mediterranean-type diet increased participants’ cognitive functioning (7). There were three groups; all were on the Mediterranean diet, but the two treatment groups differed — one had added EVOO and the other had added nuts.

Interestingly, nuts and olive oil had different effects. The group that had nuts, consisting of one ounce per day of a mixture of almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts, saw an improvement in word memory.

Meanwhile, those in the EVOO group saw more gains in thought processing, executive functioning in the frontal cortex. The EVOO group consumed five tablespoons of olive oil a day, or one liter a week. This is a large amount of olive oil. Remember, though, that the brain is made up of 70 percent fat. There were a total of 447 study participants with a mean age of 67 years, and the study duration was pretty long at approximately four years. No participant had mild cognitive impairment at the start of the trial, though they were at high risk for cardiovascular disease.

Although there was significant improvement in cognition in the treatment groups compared to the control, there was no difference in occurrence of MCI.  Overall incidence of MCI was very small across the groups. A good follow-up study might be a group eating a Mediterranean diet with olive oil plus nuts.

A diet high in “good” fats, especially a Mediterranean-type diet with either nuts or olive oil, appears to be beneficial to improve cognition in older adults.

References:

(1) Arch Neurol. 1999;56(3):303; Ann Intern Med. 2008;148(6):427. (2) uptodate.com. (3) Neurology. 2011;76(18):1568-1574. (4) Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2015;3(6):431-436. (5) JAMA Neurol. online Feb. 1, 2016. (6) J Clin Endocrinol Metab. online Dec. 29, 2015. (7) JAMA Intern Med. 2015 Jul;175(7):1094-1103

Dr. Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, go to the website www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.

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East Beach in Port Jefferson is on the Long Island Sound. File photo by Elana Glowatz

By Giselle Barkley

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency got more than it bargained for at a North Shore library earlier this month when concerned residents showed up to oppose a plan that would allow dumping of dredge spoils into the Long Island Sound for the next 30 years.

EPA officials had finalized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ proposed open water dredging plan in January, and had set the public hearing at the Port Jefferson Free Library to get input on possible rules and regulations for the 30-year plan, which calls for the Army Corps of Engineers to dump upward of 50 cubic yards of dredge material from Connecticut waterways into the Long Island Sound.

The group has practices this type of dumping for years, but has recently faced opposition from environmental advocates.

About 60 community members attended the EPA’s hearing on the Long Island Sound Dredged Material Management Plan.

“We’re not offering … specifics in the rulemaking because we’re not going to approve a plan that pollutes the Long Island Sound,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director for the Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “We’ve been having public hearings for 10 years and all of the public input has been unanimously ignored.”

The EPA has said it is open to finding alternative ways to dispose of the spoils, and invited communities to partner with that agency and with the Army Corps to line up resources to explore those other methods and do the investigation.

New York State demanded that the Army Corps reevaluate its disposal process in 2005, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has yet to make a public statement regarding the new dredging proposal.

“The Long Island Sound should be protected from adverse activities, rather than have this activity go forward,” Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) said.

Englebright, the head of the state Assembly’s Committee on Environmental Conservation, said spoils could instead be used to replenish eroded beaches: “We’re going to need to defend our coastlines and we’re going to need a lot of sediment to do that.”

Esposito had similar ideas at a press conference in February. She suggested the spoils could be used for wetlands and beach restoration and for capping landfills.

County officials like Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) were disappointed in the EPA’s support of the plan. “We’ve invested so much [money] in improving the health of the Sound,” she said. “To have them make a decision that flies in the face of all that investment … is very discouraging.”

In a previous interview, Stephen Perkins, a member of the EPA’s dredging team, said the agency tests the material before dumping it into the Sound. Highly toxic spoils are not dumped.

But Hoffman said spoils jeopardize the water’s health.

“It’s an estuary of significance, it’s an estuary that’s endangered,” Hahn said.

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Dana Urbinati and her team of students took a break from rehearsals Monday night to pose for a photo. Photo by Heidi Sutton

For the past 29 years, students  at Comsewogue High School have showcased their eclectic talents with the community at “A Night for Jason,” a student-run variety show produced in honor of Jason Mariano, a child in the school district who succumbed to leukemia in 1987. This year’s event will take place on Friday, March 18, at 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium.

The money raised from the event benefits Friends of Karen, a tristate children’s charity with an office in Port Jefferson, that offers emotional, financial and advocacy support for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families in order to keep them stable, functioning and able to cope.

“This is always such a great way to keep our students involved in caring for our community,” said Dana Urbinati, a teacher at the high school and coordinator of the event. “Along with the talents and energy of everyone involved, we want people to know that the funds raised are going to help some very special families in our communities.”

A diverse  mix of talents have graced the stage in the past and this year is no exception. Emceed by Jason Kellar, Eli Smith, Aleyna Kaya, Nicholas Keller and Ethan Wright, the evening will feature 22 acts including musical performances by the high school’s Jazz Band and female choir, Tapestry, along with singing, dancing, comedy and student bands. “This is an extremely talented, hardworking group and I’m just so grateful that we are able to help such an amazing charity,” said Urbinati.

Comsewogue High School is located at 565 N. Bicycle Path, Port Jefferson Station. Tickets for this one-night event are priced at $12 in advance by calling 631-474-8179 or $15 at the door. For more information about Friends of Karen, call 631-473-1768.

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Gary Graybosch, above, places The Viking’s Ratatouille dish on a tray at the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
DJ Anthony from WEHM tastes a dish at the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
The Spice Girls middle school team prepared their dish, Sunrise Breakfast Napoleon for the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
Above, Rotini Salad with avocado dressing made by Team Fire at the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
The T-Birds from Connectquot High School made black bean veggie burgers for the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
Above, Ratatouille was prepared by The Vikings at the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
A student chef spoons food onto a plate at the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
Student chefs sautés zucchini at the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
Above, super strength pancakes prepared by The Four Toasters at the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
Above, greek yogurt and berry-stuffed wheat crepes made by the Flaming Arrows of Seneca Middle School at the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
Nick Zariello, left, cooks along side his Kings of the Kitchen member during the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
A member of The Four Toasters from Sagamore Middle School cooks canned peaches at the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
Middle school students in The Savory Blazers cook at the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
The Tiger Lilies prepare their food at the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
Chef Victor McNulty tastes a dish at the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley

Local students took Whole Foods in Lake Grove by storm as they chopped, sauteed and cooked their morning away for a chance at the top spot at last Saturday’s fourth annual Junior Iron Chef competition.

Suffolk County Cornell Cooperative Extension hosted the one-day event where middle and high school students showed off their cooking skills in groups of three to five. Twenty-four teams from schools and other organizations had one hour to cook a vegetarian or vegan-based dish that they could incorporate in their school cafeteria menu.

The teams had a few weeks to plan and prepare a dish using five main ingredients, two of which had to be United States Department of Agriculture commodity foods. (Various beans, grains, fruits and vegetables are USDA commodity foods, which make up part of school cafeteria menus.) The recipes could not be desserts or include meat, fish or nuts.

The middle school team’s challenge this year was to create a breakfast dish while the high school teams were required to include a mystery ingredient in their dishes that was revealed on the day of the competition. DJ Anthony from WEHM emceed the event.

Twelve judges, including 12-year-old Kayla Mitchell of Center Moriches who was a former contestant on MasterChef Junior Season 3, walked from one station to the next, speaking with the teams before deciding their fate in the competition.

While the event gives kids the opportunity to enhance their cooking skills, it also helps educate the students and those around them about healthy eating.

“We want to help them make connections to healthy eating and how to help with their schools better so there’s a  little community service in there,” said Cornell Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Director Victoria Fleming.

Fleming discovered the idea six years ago. The competition started in Vermont and has been an annual event for around 10 years. According to Gary Graybosch, who runs the kitchen at Whole Foods, the competition extends beyond Long Island as a variety of schools and organizations are invited. Whole Foods got on board to hold the competition at its Lake Grove location after Graybosch and several of his employees toured the Suffolk County farm in Yaphank.

The judges didn’t simply critique the dishes based on taste, creativity and presentation. They also examined the groups’ use of local foods and USDA food, the dish’s health value and readiness for a school cafeteria.

The Spice Girls middle school team prepared their dish, Sunrise Breakfast Napoleon for the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
The Spice Girls middle school team prepared their dish, Sunrise Breakfast Napoleon for the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley

Seneca Middle School’s team Super Fresh from Holbrook won the title for the middle schools with its Super Fresh Healthy Egg and Potato. Students John Durkin, Andrew Battelli and Hunter Ziems and team coach Mary Faller made up the team.

The Chef Masters from Oakdale Bohemia Middle School in Oakdale took second place. Students Charles Ryder, Vanessa Villatoro and Abby Frances, guided by coach Judy Jones, won the judges over as runners up with their South West Breakfast Quesadilla.

Seneca Middle School also grabbed third place with the  Kings of the Kitchen’s Kings Breakfast Burrito. Coached by Mary Faller, Dom Strebel, Nick Strebel, Tobi Green, Steven Salica and Nick Zariello received praise for their sauteed potatoes, which were mixed with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, eggs and cheese.

“We had a few other ideas [but] we looked more into it and saw … that [the breakfast burrito] was the best one to do,” Nick Zariello said about his team’s dish of choice. “It was just a lot of fun.” Nick added that the team practiced daily during lunch periods and after school to prepare for the competition.

The Tiger Lilies of Little Flower in Wading River took first place of the high school teams. Coached by Jennifer Quinlan, teammates Alex Moa, Russel Denner, Charleen Thompson and Briana Ivory stole the competition with their Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Bowl. The dish featured whole wheat spaghetti, various vegetables and a coconut curry sauce with a kick.

High school team La Banda from Greenport Schools was thrown a curve ball during the competition with the secret ingredient, but still secured second place. Richard Torres Galicia, Walfred Gatica, Antonio Coria, Antonio Anderson and Leo Torres made Wrapped Italian Black Bean Burgers with Garlic Parmesan Sauce. The group, coached by Marianne Ladalia, worked their secret ingredient, mango, into their dish as a side.

“It was an intense atmosphere at first. We didn’t know what to do at the beginning but after time we got used to it,” Torres Galicia said. “We communicated as one team and then we came out with a good dish.”

A member of The Four Toasters from Sagamore Middle School cooks canned peaches at the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley
A member of The Four Toasters from Sagamore Middle School cooks canned peaches at the fourth annual Junior Iron Chef Competition. Photo by Giselle Barkley

While some young cooks look up to prominent chefs, the middle school team The Savory Blazers — Sophia Chinea, Lexington Carerra and Adrianna Cantu, coached by Michell Chinea  — who are members of Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Trailblazers 4-H program, draw their inspiration from role models who are closer to home. Group member Sophia said she admires her aunt’s cooking and baking and added that she “always wanted to be like her when [she grew] up.”

Fellow teammate Adrianna said it can be difficult to decide on a role model. “There’s so  many people that are good at making food . . . You might find a new person every single day.”

Although Fleming organizes the competition with Whole Foods every year, these young chefs never fail to surprise her. “I’m so amazed to be working with all these amazing kids that … have learned these skills and are able to demonstrate them in front of a large group like this,” Fleming said. “So it’s very inspiring to me to do this every year.”

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Challenger Joe Sabia discusses taxes and the tax cap. Photo by Giselle Barkley

With the polls open, residents have little time left to decide how to cast their votes. Last week’s candidate forum could help.

Former school board member Joe Sabia and incumbents Jerry Maline and Damon McMullen, who are all vying for two seats on the Northport Village Board of Trustees, discussed taxes, stormwater and more during a debate on March 8 at the Northport American Legion Post 694 Hall.

Maline and McMullen are each running for a third term.

Although Maline’s opening statement touched upon drivers speeding in the area and geese in village parks, residents were more concerned about why the village continues to pierce its tax levy cap in the annual budget.

Although the state mandates a fluctuating cap on how much municipalities can increase tax levies, a local board can override the cap and approve a budget above the limit with a supermajority of votes, or 60 percent. This year, the Northport board has proposed to pierce their 3.27 percent cap, for a new budget total of $20.4 million.

Incumbent Damon McMullen addressing rain garden inquiries. Photo by Giselle Barkley
Incumbent Damon McMullen addressing rain garden inquiries. Photo by Giselle Barkley

Maline said piercing the cap, and increasing taxes above the limit, would accommodate residents’ desires for village services.

“The facts are the facts,” Maline said at the event. “We don’t want to lessen your service. All the input I have from the residents [is] that you want the services to remain the same.”

The incumbent added that a lack of community participation makes it harder to come up with different ideas of addressing residents’ needs without increasing the budget.

“It’s a conglomerate of ideas, it’s not just ideas of people on the board,” Maline said.

For his part, McMullen said using reserve funding instead to offset a tax increase would negatively affect the village’s finances in the future.

Sabia felt the opposite. He proposed using reserve money to help keep taxes at bay and prevent the village from piercing the cap.

“My point would be to go through every single budget line item and every category in there and see what we can absolutely … reduce or make sure we’re not paying for duplicate services,” Sabia said.

While some residents continued pressing the candidates about taxes, other asked about the village’s rain garden plans.

Incumbent Jerry Maline speaks to residents. Photo by Giselle Barkley
Incumbent Jerry Maline speaks to residents. Photo by Giselle Barkley

In light of flooding in the area, the village has sought to establish a rain garden along Main Street. The garden would help catch the first inch to inch and a half of rainfall and filter out harmful chemicals in the process. According to McMullen, the village is currently waiting on a $500,000 grant to fund the garden, and is looking at ways to add catch basins for even more stormwater absorption.

“This is a method that’s been used around the country and it has been very successful,” he said of the rain garden.

Maline said he would continue to attend and participate in board meetings even if he is ousted from his seat. McMullen thanked residents for attending and said he hopes to upgrade the bathroom sinks in the village’s park, among other projects.

Sabia has his own agenda if elected, which includes maintaining handicap access to the parks, securing grants from the state to get more LED lights and maintaining the village’s sidewalks and roads. But his main focus remained on securing lower taxes for the village.

“You have to remember, we have a National Grid lawsuit against us. We have school districts that want more money from us,” Sabia said. “When you start to override the tax caps, it becomes a very, very dangerous thing because that means you’re raising your taxes higher than the rate of inflation.”

Voting is open until 9 p.m. at Northport Village Hall.

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From left, Charles Jacker, Samantha Carroll, TracyLynn Conner, Michael Newman, James D. Schultz, Lauren Gobes and Jeremy Hudson star in ‘First Date’ at the SCPA. Photo by Jordan Hue

By Rita J. Egan

Skip the night of drinks with friends. The musical “First Date,” now playing at the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, will provide more laughs than all of your besties’ dating stories combined.

This contemporary romantic comedy, written by Austin Winsberg with music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner, doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to today’s dating game. With a huge dose of humor, “First Date” deals with a number of issues that arise in dating — from what to talk about during your first encounter to should you Google your date before meeting to who pays the check at the end of the night. And, while the musical is chock full of amusing moments, it also subtlety touches on the deeper issue of people building walls around their hearts.

Directed by Jordan Hue, “First Date,” through witty dialogue and song, tells the story of serial dater Casey and blind date newbie Aaron meeting for drinks at a New York City restaurant. A helpful waiter, as well as restaurant patrons who double as people in their lives, surround the twosome. During the 90-minute play, the lead characters experience an array of emotions from nervousness and cynicism to attraction and hope.

TracyLynn Conner as Casey perfectly embodies the energy of today’s sophisticated single female. She is strong, edgy and sexy as well as guarded and jaded from years of dating disappointments. Her sister has even called her a relationship assassin due to her experiences. However, as the date unfolds, Conner effortlessly portrays the softening of Casey who starts to realize that maybe she hasn’t always made the best decisions when it comes to the men in her life.

TracyLynn Conner and James D. Schultz star in ‘First Date’ at the SCPA. Photo by Jordan Hue
TracyLynn Conner and James D. Schultz star in ‘First Date’ at the SCPA. Photo by Jordan Hue

While Conner possesses strong vocals on all her numbers, it’s during the song “Safer” where she truly shines. The actress delivers the song with such great emotion that many women will find themselves connecting with the lyrics and reaching for the tissues.

James D. Schultz as the awkward and nervous Aaron is endearing and lovable. The audience can’t help but root for him as the date progresses. He easily handles the subtle transformation his character experiences as Casey helps him say goodbye to his hope of ever reuniting with his ex-fiancée. During the number “In Love with You,” Schultz gets to show off his singing abilities. What seems at first to be a touching ballad transforms into an edgy upbeat song where the actor really gets to let loose to the delight of the audience.

Michael Newman as the waiter serves up plenty of laughs throughout the musical, and with his song and dance number, “I’d Order Love,” he lightens up the mood after the emotionally charged “Safer” as well as lights up the stage with his charm.

Rounding out the cast are Charles Jacker, Samantha Carroll, Jeremy Hudson and Lauren Gobes who all alternate between restaurant patrons and people in Casey’s and Aaron’s lives, with whom the couple at times has imaginary conversations.

Jacker is hilarious as Casey’s best friend Reggie who keeps calling her to provide her a way out of the date. During the number “Bailout Song,” as well as its reprises, Jacker delivers comedic lines that had everyone in the audience hysterically laughing.

Hudson, as Aaron’s friend Gabe, receives a great deal of laughs, too. As Aaron imagines how his buddy would advise him, Hudson convincingly plays a typical young man giving his friend bad advice all for the sake of getting a one-night stand.

Carroll, who plays Casey’s sister Lauren, is believable as the average suburban wife and mother when Casey pictures what her sibling would say at various moments during the date. However, it’s while playing Aaron’s mother (as he remembers a letter she left him) that Carroll takes center stage as the audience hears her strong soprano during a touching duet with Schultz, “The Things I Never Said.”

Lauren Gobes delivers the emasculating and moody character of Aaron’s ex-fiancée Allison perfectly. During Aaron’s imaginary conversations with her and the number “Allison’s Theme #1,” the actress easily conveys the essence of this woman and why her ex is the way he is when it comes to females.

Another standout number featuring the whole ensemble is “The Girl for You” as Aaron imagines the reaction of his deceased grandmother, played by Carroll, to the fact that Casey isn’t Jewish. Just when the audience thinks the number can’t get any funnier, Jacker, as Aaron’s imaginary future and confused son, joined by Hudson, breaks into a well-delivered rap number.    

Hue has skillfully directed cast members who handle multiple roles seamlessly and deliver comedic lines effortlessly. Whether in a relationship or currently single, theatergoers will leave “First Date” feeling a bit more optimistic about their dating life and maybe even able to laugh about their own romantic failures. Before buying tickets though, parents should be aware that the musical includes adult language, so secure a babysitter for the kids and enjoy a grown-up night out of the house.

The Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 East Main Street, Smithtown, will present “First Date” through March 26. Tickets are $35 each. For more information, call 631-724-3700 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.

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