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Yearly Archives: 2016

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In a celebration on the July Fourth weekend, a Black Lives Matter banner is dedicated. Pictured are, Racial Concerns committee co-chairs Kay Aparo and Barbara Coley, Janet Hanson, John Lutterbee and Sara Lutterbee. Photo by Barbara Coley

It certainly has not been a quiet two weeks in America. A shooting in Dallas, Texas, resulted in the death of five police officers, and the killings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La., and Philando Castile in St. Paul, Minn., have sparked a national conversation, with many people on social media finding themselves in between #BlackLivesMatter, #BlueLivesMatter and #AllLivesMatter.

Supporting #BlackLivesMatter doesn’t make someone anti-police, and responding to #BlackLivesMatter with #AllLivesMatter does nothing to address the reasons the movement started in the first place. The same goes for killing police officers.

Yet every time a new video surfaces showing a young black male being detained, and in some cases killed by police, or another story of an attack on a uniformed officer comes to light, finger-pointing and politically motivated, unproductive talk ensues for as long as the given news cycle will allow.

There is one important question that needs to be answered and given substantial thought by every person in the United States, so that we can decide what kind of a country we want to be. It is also important to note that asking questions of your government or law enforcement does not mean you are against them.

But why do we see interactions between African-Americans and police officers frequently start at a place of such heightened tension? How is it that we continue to see citizens of our country killed by the people entrusted with protecting them, and how do we fix it?

Just like any relationship, this one is a two-way street that needs reflection and cooperation from both sides to provide any hope of one day fixing it. We believe it would serve America well to look past the conversation of #AllLivesMatter. This phrase would not have started without #BlackLivesMatter, which came to the forefront because of violent incidents in this country. We need to look at why these events took place, if we want to try to fix what many citizens now think is a national problem.

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Queen Elizabeth I and subsequently Catherine the Great have captured the attention and the imaginations of people over the centuries, but there was another such extraordinary woman whom I had never heard of until last Saturday night. She was Queen Christina of Sweden, born in 1626, and she was the monarch technically from the time she was 6 until she abdicated her throne in 1654.

Her father was King Gustav II Adolph, and he died on the battlefield at the Battle of Lützen during the Thirty Years’ War. Close to his daughter, his only legitimate child, as she was to him, he decreed that in the event of his death, she was to be educated as a prince — to receive a boy’s tutoring and instruction. Except for a brief, three-year period when she was raised by her father’s half-sister, Catherine, who then died, Christina was always in the company of men and was effectively overseen by the governing regency council and the chancellor. She took to her books eagerly, and throughout her early years she energetically studied 10 hours a day. Her education ranged from religion, mathematics, Greek and Latin, philosophy and alchemy, and she eventually learned at least eight languages: German, Dutch, Danish, French, Italian, Arabic, Hebrew and her own Swedish. She was also deeply interested in the arts and filled her palace and her kingdom with books, manuscripts, sculptures and statues, while encouraging theater and ballet.

When her chancellor, Axel Oxenstierna, wanted to continue the war, she sued for peace. Christina was interested in bringing scholars and artists from throughout Europe and surrounded herself and her court with learned men.

In 1648, Christina commissioned 35 pieces of art. By 1649, 760 artworks, 170 marble and 100 bronze statues, 33,000 coins and medallions, 600 pieces of crystal, 300 scientific instruments, manuscripts and books were forthcoming. Christina was widely viewed throughout Europe as one of the most educated women of the 1600s, nicknamed “Minerva of the North.” She was also regarded as eccentric since she often dressed in the most comfortable clothing, including pants and men’s shoes.

Christina stunned the royals throughout Europe by announcing she would never marry, although constantly pressed to do so by her regency council to produce an heir, and that she would abdicate her throne in favor of her first cousin Charles, with whom she had been secretly betrothed when she was 16. Impressed by a biography she had read of Elizabeth I, known as “The Virgin Queen,” and taken with the idea of Roman Catholicism celibacy — although Christina was rumored not to have been celibate, rather the contrary — she sailed from Sweden for Rome.

The pope, who pronounced her a “queen without a realm, a Christian without faith and a woman without shame,” welcomed her elaborately. As the eventual guest of five consecutive popes, Christina is thought to have been a symbol of the Counter-Reformation since she converted from Lutheranism and became a Roman Catholic. For the most part, she lived in high style throughout the rest of her life, mainly in her beloved Rome, and she certainly influenced continental Europe profoundly with her taste and protectionism of the arts. She militantly advocated on behalf of personal freedom, of charities and, interestingly, of Jews in Rome who were sometimes taunted on the streets.

So how did I come to learn of her remarkable life? I am a fan of Saturday night classic movies hosted by Columbia University arts professor Richard Peña on Channel 13 at 9 p.m., and caught the showing of “Queen Christina” (1933) starring Greta Garbo. From what I have subsequent read, the story is surprisingly faithful to the broader outlines of Christina’s life. She died in 1689 and is buried in a Vatican grotto.

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My brothers are getting ready to celebrate their birthdays, which are two days apart. OK, so, several years and two days apart, so, no, they aren’t twins who kept my mother in labor for more than 48 hours.

At times I thought perhaps I, the middle child, should have been born on the day in between them. That way, my parents would have gotten all the birthday parties for the year done in one week.

Then again, it would have been hard for any of us to own more than 24 hours if we were all making plans for something special in the same narrow window of time.

As a longtime baseball devotee and recreational player, I always imagined the best thing I could do on my birthday would be to attend a Yankees game.

Over time, the focus on my birthday has changed. Yes, I enjoy my wife’s chocolate chip cookies, which she bakes as often as I like and, yes, I enjoy the calls and the cards. However, I don’t anticipate the day the same way I did when I was my children’s age, as they count down the days, hours and minutes until their annual celebration.

My son, who also loves baseball — hmm, I wonder how that happened? — has often talked about going to a game on his birthday, which is, conveniently, during the summer. The biggest challenge to making that happen is that he plays baseball so often that his games often conflict with Yankee games. In fact, during some weeks in the summer, he plays more games than Alex Rodriguez. OK, well, maybe that’s a bad example because poor A-Rod, who is a shell of his former self, hasn’t gotten much playing time these days.

Back to birthdays, though, if I could choose between a summer and winter birthday, I’m not sure which way I’d go. Let’s lay out the advantages of a winter birthday: For starters, I might get one of those natural gifts, when a snow day would eliminate all the hustle and bustle as the world stops and is covered with a white blanket. Nice as that sounds, that never happened.

My school friends were around on my birthday. During the summer, some of my son’s friends go to camp, where they might send him a snapchat or a text message around his birthday, but they can’t hang out, eat cake and swim in a pool.

I could also go skiing on my birthday. I love racing fast enough down a mountain that my eyes water from speeding down a trail. And, after an incredible day at Killington or Mount Snow, both in Vermont, I could relax in a lodge, in front of a fireplace, with my tired feet and exhausted knees propped up on the hearth.

I also enjoyed going to the beaches during the winter, when the crowds were gone and I felt as if I owned the windswept landscape, from one end of West Meadow Beach to the other.

OK, how about the disadvantages? Tests were at the top of that list. When I was in school, a test on my birthday wasn’t as much of a wet blanket as a test the day after my birthday, when studying superseded any birthday celebration.

The movies around the middle of the winter never seemed as much fun to attend as the ones during the summer, perhaps because of the pressure to prepare for school.

Still, while the grass may be greener, literally, for summer birthdays and the baseball season may be in full swing, the winter birthdays give those of us looking for festivities during the colder, darker months something to celebrate.

Ideally, we can enjoy these festivities all-year round, as we celebrate with our friends and family, particularly during frenetic birthday weeks. 

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A 20-year-old man was walking across Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station on Wednesday night when he was hit by a car. He was transported to Huntington Hospital with serious head injuries.

The victim was walking north across Jericho Turnpike at the intersection of Oakwood Road when he was struck by a 2007 Lexus that was driving east on Jericho Turnpike last night at approximately 9 p.m.

The 20-year-old was transported to the hospital by Huntington Community First Aid Squad and was later transferred to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset. The name of the pedestrian is being withheld pending notification of the family.

The driver of the Lexus, Gerard Marrone, 42, of Huntington Station, was transported to Huntington Hospital with minor injuries.

The vehicle was impounded for safety checks and Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are investigating the crash. Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact the Second Squad at 631-854-8252.

 

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By William Grayson

The “Culper Spy Adventure,” a special presentation by TBR News Media, is an immersive digital attraction that will allow locals and tourists alike to be recruited into the ranks of General Washington’s secret Setauket spy ring. Accessed by scanning a special QR code on a panel of the Three Village map due out later this summer, you will begin an interactive 45-minute journey that puts you into the starring role of your very own secret spy adventure!

Become a time traveler as you arrive in the year 1780, crossing paths with legends and heroes: Abraham Woodhull, Anna Smith Strong, Caleb Brewster, George Washington himself! Enjoy interactive games between each episode that are filled to the brim with intrigue, action and fun! Created with the whole family in mind, the “Culper Spy Adventure” is great for all ages. We are also offering a special American Sign Language version as well as a handicap-accessible edition! Join the revolution later this summer!

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Karen Overin who plays Anna Smith Strong in this interactive journey.

Tell us about Anna Smith Strong.

Anna Smith Strong grew up in Setauket; she was a little bit older than most of the characters involved in the Culper Spy Ring. She was almost like a mentor in a lot of respects. She was very passionate about her home. Her residence was taken over by the British and she lived for a time in her servant’s quarters. AMC’s “TURN” portrays her as a barmaid when in reality she was much closer to an aristocrat. She was married to Selah Strong who had been imprisoned by the British for a time. She had grown children and did everything she could to make sure that they’d grow up in a free country.

Do you see similarities between you and Anna Smith Strong?

She wanted to protect her family at any costs, even if it meant betraying the crown. I’m also very passionate about my family and my children. She was a strong woman, and she knew what she wanted and would go after it no matter what. So yes, I do feel Anna and I have a bit in common.

What efforts did you take to make the film historically accurate?

We were striving for authenticity to the best of our ability. I’ve got a background in costuming since 1995. I like sewing, I like creating costumes, I like creating visuals. In a production like this you have to work so hard to achieve believability and accuracy. Nobody can be wearing a ring made after 1780, every hairstyle has to match something that would make sense for the time. We were blessed that we had a lot of men who weren’t folically challenged. We were able to have genuine pony tails and hairstyles that reflected life in 18th century America. We really made an effort to do it right.

Did you know anything about the Culper Spy Ring before filming?

When we were researching the characters and the history, we never realized just how much happened right here. I love that we’re able to bring the history to life and share it with the community. It’s amazing how history had forgotten this incredible chapter. It’s truly an honor bringing it back to life.

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Peter Gustafson, the longest-serving member of the Stony Brook Fire Department (64 years), enjoys the rededication of Stony Brook Village with Fire Commissioner and guest speaker Walter Hazlitt, who attended the original dedication on July 3, 1941. Photo by Donna Newman

On July 10, the Ward Melville Heritage Organization celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Stony Brook Village Center with a day of festivities, music, antique cars, and special remembrances.

A gathering on the village green brought together the trustees of the WMHO, community members, and representatives of government from the state, the county, and the town.

Curious passersby also stopped to listen as each of the speakers gave his or her own perspective on the little New England village that Ward Melville first dedicated in the summer of 1941.

The longest serving member of the Stony Brook Fire Department, Peter Gustafson, sits in the department’s antique truck dating from 1939. Photo by Donna Newman
The longest serving member of the Stony Brook Fire Department, Peter Gustafson, sits in the department’s antique truck dating from 1939. Photo by Donna Newman

The first to address the assemblage was Walter Hazlitt, a longtime resident of Stony Brook who was present at the first dedication ceremony. He was a teenager then and remembers all the hoopla and watching the parade.

The WMHO has film from that dedication. It is on view as part of a special summer exhibit, “It takes a team to build a village,” at the Educational & Cultural Center.

“The project that was started by Ward Melville was the [impetus] that made Stony Brook what it is today,” said Hazlitt. “The story [of this new center] was in several New York newspapers,” he added, remembering the tourists who began to come here. He opined that Melville started something grand, and Governor Nelson Rockefeller continued Stony Brook’s growth by establishing — with Melville’s help — a state university that is “unparalleled.”

At right, (back row) Councilwoman Valerie Cartright, Suffolk Legislator Kara Hahn, trustee Jim Murdocco, trustee Mary Van Tuyl, WMHO Chairman Richard Rugen, trustee Charles Napoli, NYS Assemblyman Steve Englebright, NYS Senator John Flanagan and trustee Charles Pieroth; (front row) WMHO President Gloria Rocchio, trustee Kathleen Mich, and trustee Laura Huang Ernst. Photo by Donna Newman
At right, (back row) Councilwoman Valerie Cartright, Suffolk Legislator Kara Hahn, trustee Jim Murdocco, trustee Mary Van Tuyl, WMHO Chairman Richard Rugen, trustee Charles Napoli, NYS Assemblyman Steve Englebright, NYS Senator John Flanagan and trustee Charles Pieroth; (front row) WMHO President Gloria Rocchio, trustee Kathleen Mich, and trustee Laura Huang Ernst. Photo by Donna Newman

Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) spoke of her idyllic childhood in Stony Brook.

“Small things have changed; so much has stayed the same,” she said. “It is the same extraordinarily beautiful view. You turn around and you look out over Hercules, you look around at the green space we have in our community — where we come together at special moments — this is the most magical, special place.”

State Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) also gave his take on the village.

“Historically — and I love the fact that we have these antique vehicles here — this is the first mall in America,” he said. “That’s quite remarkable. Ward Melville and his designer Richard Haviland Smythe envisioned a coming of age of the automobile, and they designed accordingly. This is the first shopping mall designed for the automobile specifically, and for that reason, if for no other, this is a part of our national heritage.”

Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station) and Supervisor Edward Romaine (R) represented Brookhaven Town. Cartright spoke of reading that the Melville family came across the site by accident.

“Being a woman of God,” she said, “I don’t believe in accidents … I truly believe they were divinely guided here.”

Romaine spoke of Ward Melville’s boldness, calling him “a visionary.”

“He convinced store owners that this wasn’t going to drive them out of business, that this was the way to go,” he said. “And the results endure to this day, 75 years after [the village] was dedicated. Its lesson is what good planning — what having a decent vision for the future of a community — is all about.”

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Above, from left, Leah Schmalz, Chris Cryder; Assemblyman Steve Englebright, Sue Orifici of the Port Jefferson Village Center and photographer Robert Lorenz enjoy the art reception last Thursday night. Photo by Heidi Sutton

By Heidi Sutton

The Port Jefferson Village Center hosted an artist reception for its latest exhibit, The Natural Beauty of Plum Island, last Thursday evening. The show, which runs through Aug. 30, features photographs by Robert Lorenz and paintings by John H. Sargent, who were granted access to the island over the course of two years.

The paintings and photographs on the second floor of the center quickly draw you in with scenes of beautiful rocky beaches and flower meadows, sunsets with unobstructed views — visions of an island pristine and untouched. One quickly realizes that Plum Island is a local treasure. It is also in peril.

The island has been put up for auction to the highest bidder by the federal government. Operated by the Department of Homeland Security, it is the site of the former U.S. military installation Fort Terry (c. 1897) and the historic Plum Island Lighthouse (c. 1869), which went dark in 1978. It is most known, however, for housing the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1954. The center is relocating to Manhattan, Kansas, and the sale of the island (estimated at $60 million) will help defray the cost of the new facility.

Above, Chris Cryder gives a virtual tour of Plum Island. Photo by Heidi Sutton
Above, Chris Cryder gives a virtual tour of Plum Island. Photo by Heidi Sutton

Activists from all over the country have joined forces to try to protect the natural and cultural resources of Plum Island from development by coming up with conservation options and have been holding public forums to keep the community in the loop. So it was only natural to hold one of those forums Thursday, in conjunction with the art exhibit.

The evening started off with a visual presentation titled Preserving Plum Island for Future Generations by Save the Sound’s Special Projects Coordinator Chris Cryder. Save the Sound is a bi-state program with the Connecticut Fund for the Environment and has been locked in a legal battle with the government to save the island since 2009. Cryder is also the outreach coordinator for the Preserve Plum Island Coalition.

Located off the tip of the North Fork of Long Island in the town boundaries of Southold, where the Long Island Sound and Peconic Bay meet, Plum Island is part of an archipelago of peninsulas and islands that includes Great Gull Island, Little Gull Island, Fisher’s Island and Rhode Island. The land was “formed 22,000 years ago when the last glacier was here … and deposited its boulders and glacier materials,” explained Cryder, noting that the area contains a very rich marine life.

The 843-acre coastal island, which is about three miles long, has not had much human disturbance since World War II, according to Cryder. “At one time, this island was completely denuded, but 80 percent of the island — over 600 acres — has been allowed to return to its natural state and … has become home to some of our most imperiled species,” he said. “It’s a really special place. You feel like you’re in a whole other world.”

According to Cryder, there are over 16 rare plants on the island, six of which are endangered, including Spring Ladies’ Tresses. The island, which features nine miles of beach, forests, marshes, dunes, flower meadows and over 100 acres of interior wetlands, is also home to over 220 bird species, including the endangered piping plover and the rare roseate tern. Large colonies of grey seals and harbor seals, the northern right whale and leatherback sea turtles congregate in the area. “We feel it is a one-of-a-kind island, probably the most important coastal habitat on the whole eastern seaboard right now,” added Cryder.

From left, Assemblyman Steve Englebright and naturalist John Turner discuss the fate of Plum Island with the audience. Photo by Heidi Sutton
From left, Assemblyman Steve Englebright and naturalist John Turner discuss the fate of Plum Island with the audience. Photo by Heidi Sutton

A panel discussion, which included naturalist John Turner, spokesperson for the Preserve Plum Island Coalition, and Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) followed the presentation. Moderated by Leah Schmalz, program manager for Save the Sound, both panelists spoke on the importance of saving this jewel from development and discussed the current status of legislation pending in Congress.

“I’ve been fascinated with Plum Island, mostly from a distance, for years,” said Englebright, who visited the island for the first time this spring, with Senator Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) and the Supervisor of Southhold. “I was very impressed; I felt like I was in a movie,” he said, describing seeing basking seals and the many bird species. “From my perspective, I would love to see Plum Island become a part of Orient State Park. It would be a spectacularly popular site for naturalists and families and groups of all kinds to visit.”

“We ultimately have no doubt that we will prevail in stopping the sale of Plum Island,” said Turner, “because the island sells itself … in terms of historical significance, the cultural significance, ecological and environmental significance. There are very few places like Plum Island anywhere and it’s in the public domain and it should stay in the public domain.”

“…most people go by on the [Cross Sound] Ferry and see the island and have no idea what’s happening and every time we talk to a group like this we find people saying ‘how is it that the federal government is really thinking about selling this?’” said Schmalz. “One of the ways to get involved is to sign a petition [by visiting www.savethesound.org]. It’s a very easy way to put your name on record saying you want this island to be preserved.”

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Though political fighting and manipulation of the media to wage a war may seem like a 21st-century concept, Clinton and Trump will not be breaking any ground this summer and fall when the mud inevitably continues to fly.

By Rich Acritelli

With the presidential election of 2016 upon this nation, it has been a hard fight between former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and businessman Donald Trump. Today, Americans are watching these opponents utilize “mudslinging” and “deceitful” techniques to gain votes, but these tactics have been used almost from the start of this republic.

When President George Washington decided to retire after his second term, his vice president, John Adams, and the former secretary of state, Thomas Jefferson, ran for presidency in 1796. Both of these men liked each other personally, but detested each other politically. This was during the establishment of political parties between the Federalists (Adams) and Democratic-Republicans (Jefferson).

Alexander Hamilton was a dominant leader within the Federalist Party who believed Adams was not psychologically capable of being president. Hamilton urged Federalist politicians from South Carolina to withhold any votes that would help Adams win the election; Hamilton wanted Thomas Pinckney, a Federalist from that state, to become the next president. If Pinckney won, Hamilton estimated it was possible for Adams to gain enough support to be a runner-up as a vice president. Hamilton was unable to achieve this political scenario, and Adams won the election. Jefferson became his vice president from the rival Democratic-Republican Party.

Hamilton again threw his influence into the presidential election of 1800. Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied, and Congress decided the contest. Hamilton supported his chief opponent in Jefferson, due to his notions that Burr was a political tyrant, and motivated congressional leaders to vote for Jefferson to become the third president of the United States. This was also the last election that sought “a winner take all” process for the presidency and vice presidency. The government established the system of running mates elected together to represent either party in the White House after that.

In 1860, the country watched a junior politician in Abraham Lincoln seek the highest position in the land. He was a self-educated leader, a respected lawyer and a one-term representative in Congress. While he did not have the political clout of the other candidates, he served within the Illinois General Assembly. Although it is believed slavery was the cornerstone of his values, he pushed for revisions within the tariff, free labor, the Transcontinental Railroad and the Homestead Act of 1862. He ran against many strong Republicans, and while he defeated William Seward from New York, he later made his rival into a trusted member of his cabinet as secretary of state.

During his failed attempt to win a seat in the U.S. Senate against Stephen Douglas, Lincoln debated he would never support the expansion of slavery in the new states and territories. It was these property rights concerns that the southerner never forgot when Lincoln decided to run for the presidency. When he proved to be a serious candidate, Democratic newspapers that opposed the end of slavery, wrote that Lincoln was “semiliterate, ignorant, an uncultured buffoon, homely and awkward,” according to historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. Although Lincoln was perhaps our greatest leader, both Republicans and Democrats were highly unsure about his motives and abilities to lead the nation at the cusp of the Civil War.

Though political fighting and manipulation of the media to wage a war may seem like a 21st-century concept, Clinton and Trump will not be breaking any ground this summer and fall when the mud inevitably continues to fly.

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From left, Andrew Gasparini, Frank Gilleece and Steven Uihlein in a scene from ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ Photo by Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions Inc.

By Heidi Sutton

“The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen is as relevant today as it was when it was first published in 1837 and has been translated into over 100 languages. Through Aug. 11, Theatre Three in Port Jefferson presents an original musical retelling of the classic fairy tale that is both witty and funny and a perfect way to spend a summer afternoon.

The Grand Festival of the Autumn Moon is just around the corner and the Emperor would like a new suit to wear. Not happy with the court tailor’s latest creations, a call is sent out across the land and two con men posing as weavers, Joseph and Jeremiah, answer. They set about creating a new suit of clothes for the Emperor that is so exquisite and delicate that “it cannot be seen by fools.” In the meantime, they tell the emperor of the latest fashions in other kingdoms, which he simply must copy, setting off a series of hilarious costume changes.

Directed by Jeffrey Sanzel, the eight adult actors never miss a beat in this fast-paced comedy. Frank Gilleece is ideally cast as the vain Emperor and Zoe Dunmire as the Empress and Melanie Acampora as the Princess complement him perfectly. Children’s theater veterans Andrew Gasparini (Jeremiah) and Steven Uihlein (Joseph) are very convincing as the two con men who try to pull off “the tailor scam.” As court tailor, Amanda Geraci effectively displays a variety of emotions from insulted to insecure to jealous as she is replaced by the new “weavers.”

Newcomer Emily Gates gives an outstanding performance in the toothy role of Court Dentist, examining everyone’s mouth and passing out sugar-free gum. Even the audience is under scrutiny. “A dentist’s work is never done!” she exclaims. Gates takes this flossy character and runs with it.

Aria Saltini plays Ann, the girl who befriends Jeremiah and Joseph and becomes an accomplice in their scam. Will she have a change of heart and expose them? Or will the emperor be exposed?

The original score, with choreography by Bobby Montaniz, is the heart of the show with great duets like “Song of Agreement” with Acampora and Saltini and “I Can Work with You” with Geraci and Gates as well as “It’s Time” sung by the whole company. Teresa Matteson’s elaborate costumes, especially the many outfits for the Emperor, are wonderfully on point and live musical accompaniment by Tim Peierls on piano, David B. Goldberg on electric bass and Tessa Peierls on flute and piccolo is a nice touch.

There are always lessons to be learned at Theatre Three’s children’s shows and “The Emperor’s New Clothes” is no exception. Here the morals of the story are that it’s not what’s on the outside but the inside that truly matters, to always tell the truth and to floss after every meal! Young children will love this story along with the singing and dancing, and adults will have a terrific time as well, seeing a fresh take on a story they know from their own childhoods.

Up next is the premiere of “The Misadventures of Robin Hood” from Aug. 5 to 13, “Pumpkin Patch Magic!” from Oct. 1 to 29 and a holiday favorite, “Barnaby Saves Christmas” from Nov. 25 to Dec. 30. Tickets are $10 each. To order, call the box office at 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

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Setauket artist Jim Molloy paints the Gamecock Cottage plein air at a previous Wet Paint Festival Photo by Jeff Foster

By Melissa Arnold

For many, spending time outdoors is a great way to de-stress and recharge. And for the artistically inclined, it’s easy to feel inspired when you’re face-to-face with a profoundly beautiful scene.

These ideas are at the heart of the annual Gallery North/Joe Reboli Wet Paint Festival, which kicks off its 12th year this weekend in Stony Brook. The festival, hosted by Gallery North in Setauket, was launched to honor the memory of beloved Long Island painter Joseph Reboli. Since then, artists from across the island have gathered to paint outdoors in a variety of Three Village locations.

Stony Brook artist Barbara Siegel has painted at the festival for almost a decade now, and she said there’s nothing quite like “plein air,” or outdoor, painting. “Plein air painting gives you a beautiful opportunity to truly capture a moment — you see with your own eyes the lighting, shadows and detail of a place, in real time — you just don’t get that being inside,” she explained.

This year, the artists are headed to the historic Gamecock Cottage on West Meadow Beach in Stony Brook. According to Brookhaven town historian Barbara Russell, the cottage was purchased in 1876 by William Shipman for hunting and fishing. It earned the name Gamecock from either its bird-shaped weather vane or Shipman’s love of raising wild birds. “It’s really an interesting place,” Russell said. “And it defies understanding how it still exists, considering it’s been hit by every major storm and hurricane in our area since (the 1800s).”

Participating artists:

Rose Barry

Renee Blank

Sheila Breck

Yow-Ning Chang

Robin Clonts

Anthony Davis

Denise Douglas-Faraci

Greg Furjanic

Jim Kelson

Kathee Shaff Kelson Junee Kim

Elizabeth Kolligs

Arntian Kotsa

Lee Ann Lindgren

Esther Marie

Linda Davison Mathues

Eileen A. McGann

Muriel Musarra

Paula Pelletier

Linda Prentiss

Joan Rockwell

Stephen Rosa

Joseph Rotella

Oscar Santiago

Barbara Jeanne Siegel

Angela Stratton

Rita Swanteson

Natsuko Takami

Susan Trawick

Rae Zysman

Artist Muriel Musarra of Stony Brook has been a part of the festival from the beginning, and the Gamecock Cottage is a familiar subject for her artwork. “I’ve painted the Gamecock Cottage several times before from different angles — everyone loves it,” she said. “I’m looking forward to painting it again because something about the scene is always different. You never see the same thing twice.” The cottage was built out of solid wood in a Carpenter Gothic style and includes ample ornate trim, Russell said. Restoration has been underway for some time now, and historians at the festival will give visitors a rare look at the interior.

Gallery North Director Judith Levy said the festival will feature nearly 30 artists painting throughout the weekend, beginning Friday morning, July 15. On Saturday at 10:30 a.m., Russell and Bev Tyler of the Three Village Historical Society will lead a historical walking tour beginning at the West Meadow Beach Pavilion. The tour will move down Trustees Road and end at the cottage. Along the way, the group will learn how the beach and surrounding area was used by a variety of civilizations, from the Native Americans to the Colonials and beyond. A selection of artifacts from various time periods will be on display inside the cottage.

Following a weekend of painting, the finished artwork will be available to view and purchase at Gallery North from July 19 through July 24. An exhibition reception will be held on Thursday, July 21 from 5 to 7 p.m. “It’s a lot of fun,” Levy said of the festival. “There’s a lot of camaraderie among the artists and they all enjoy getting together to paint.”

The 12th annual Gallery North/Joseph Reboli Wet Paint Festival will be held at the Gamecock Cottage, Trustees Road and West Meadow Beach, Stony Brook. Painters will be on-site from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, July 15, and Saturday, July 16, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 17. Gallery North is located at 90 North Country Rd., Setauket. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 631-751-2676.

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