Calling all pet lovers on the North Shore! Do you want to show off your pet? Now’s your chance! Send a high resolution image of your pet to [email protected] to be featured in the Arts & Lifestyles section in all six of our weekly papers in the issue of February 8. Please include your name, your pet’s name and town you live in. Deadline for submissions is Feb. 1. Questions? Call 631-751-7744, ext. 109.
MEET RILEY! Currently available for adoption at Kent Animal Shelter is Riley! What a story this dog could tell if only he could talk. This supersweet 2-year-old Shepherd/Lab mix was rescued in Texas where things weren’t so good. Now he’s ready to leave the past behind him and start over in New York.
Once he knows you, he just loves you and won’t leave your side. Due to his hard life in Texas, he does have an old injury to one of his hind legs that is not able to be fixed. However, he still LOVES to go for short little walks. All Riley wants is a home where he will be loved and cared for — is that too much to ask?
Kent Animal Shelter, located at 2259 River Road in Calverton, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week. For more information on Riley and other adoptable pets at Kent, visit www.kentanimalshelter.com or call 631-727-5731. Photo courtesy of Kent Animal Shelter
By Heidi Sutton
The Brothers Grimm have left behind a tremendous legacy with their wonderful fairy tales including “Snow White,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Cinderella” and “Rapunzel,” just to name a few. The latter is the subject of Theatre Three’s latest children’s musical, albeit with a clever twist. Written by Jeffrey Sanzel and Kevin F. Story, “Rapunzel: The Untold Story!” turns the original fairy tale of a damsel trapped in a tower on its head and provides for a hilarious and magical afternoon.
The show is narrated by The Barker, enthusiastically played by Dylan Robert Poulos, who guides the story from the corner of the stage. “How will you be spending the hour? By watching a girl in a tower,” he quips.
When a husband (Steven Uihlein) is asked by his pregnant wife (Melanie Acampora) to steal some vegetables from the witch’s garden next door, he reluctantly agrees. (Happy wife, happy life, right?) After being caught red-handed for the third time, he asks the witch (Meg Bush) if she will turn him into a frog? Take his first-born child? “No,” she replies, “Just … don’t do it again.” Turns out she is a good, sweet and kind witch and therein lies the twist. When the couple’s child is born, the witch decides to send over a vegetable basket to congratulate them and sprinkles it with a slow-releasing happiness potion.
As Rapunzel (Jessica Contino) enters her teenage years, she becomes increasingly ill-tempered, something many parents can relate to, and makes everyone’s life miserable. She refuses to cut her hair and is always in a rotten mood. The situation is so bad that her parents beg the witch to take her off their hands and lock her away in a tower. It is then that the witch realizes that she accidently mixed up the happy potion with a rotten potion — “I made a goof and the girl is proof” — and sets out to find a handsome prince (Andrew Lenahan) to break the spell. Will this version of “Rapunzel” have a happy ending?
Directed by Sanzel, the six adult cast members take the cleverly written script and run with it. They know their target audience well and do an excellent job conveying the story. A nice touch is the constant interaction with the audience. Whenever a problem arises, The Barker gestures for the lights to go up and asks the audience for encouragement, revealing the moral of the story — that the real magic in the world is friendship.
Accompanied on piano by Steve McCoy, the original song and dance numbers, with choreography by Sari Feldman, are fun and engaging and the costumes by Teresa Matteson are spot on. Utilizing the gorgeous set from the current Mainstage production of “I Hate Hamlet,” with its Gothic castle interior and a balcony resembling a tower, is just the icing on the cake.
Snacks and beverages are available for purchase during intermission, booster seats are available and costumes are encouraged. Also, make sure to stop by and say hello to the cast in the lobby after the show. The actors welcome questions (“Is that your real hair?”) and readily pose for photos.
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson will present “Rapunzel: The Untold Story!” through Feb. 24. Children’s theater continues with “The Adventures of Peter Rabbit” from March 10 to April 14, “Stand Up! Stand Out! The Bullying Project” from April 21 to May 5 and “Goldilocks — Is That You?” from May 26 to June 9. All seats are $10. For more information, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.
What’s in a name? Apparently a lot. Parenting website BabyCenter recently announced its Top 100 Names of 2017. Sophia reigned supreme as the top girls’ name for the eighth year running and Jackson led the boys for the fifth year in a row.
The online parenting and pregnancy destination compiled some 500,000 names of babies born in 2017 and combined those that sound the same but have different spellings (such as Sophia and Sofia) to create a true measure of popularity.
“Sophia is shaping up to be the girls’ name of the decade. It has a lot going for it: It’s feminine, lyrical, popular in many languages, and available in multiple spellings,” said Linda Murray, BabyCenter global editor in chief, in a recent press release. “Jackson is having a great run on the boys’ list. It’s strong, masculine and modern.”
Reflecting the varied interests and values of millennial and Gen Z moms and dads, famous pop-culture figures from rap stars to Disney heroines emerged as name influencers, along with basketball champs and, interestingly, colors.
Chance (as in Chance the Rapper) jumped 21 percent in popularity on the boys’ list. The artist has won accolades for his music and his work to improve public schools and fight gun violence. Kendrick Lamar was labeled “the greatest rapper alive” by Rolling Stone and has spoken out against gun violence; Kendrick climbed 9 percent.
Queen — as in longtime star Queen Latifah, a supporter of LGBT rights, girls’ education and veterans — ascended 41 percent on the girls’ list. Dre (as in Dr. Dre, a force in rap for decades and a major donor for an interdisciplinary arts and technology program) is up 40 percent.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z fueled a color trend when they named their daughter Blue Ivy in 2012, and it’s still going strong. This year the name Blue sailed up the popularity lists by 14 percent for boys and 9 percent for girls, Lavender lifted 27 percent for girls, and Red rose 16 percent for boys.
New parents are thinking beyond the rainbow, too, choosing less common colors such as Hazel (up 88 percent for boys and 25 percent for girls), Ivory (up 71 percent for boys and 42 percent for girls), and Ebony (up 35 percent for girls).
Plenty of moms- and dads-to-be were inspired when big rivals the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors faced off in the NBA Finals for the third time. For boys, the name LeBron (as in James, of the Cavaliers) soared 64 percent this year. Kyrie (Irving, formerly of the Cavs) leaped by 39 percent, and Kevin (Love, of the Cavs, and Durant, of the Warriors) floated up 9 percent. For girls, Zhuri — the name of LeBron James’s young daughter — scored an impressive 81 percent lift in popularity.
It’s no surprise that beloved Disney characters inspire parents’ name picks. This year, girl names ruled. Newcomer and spunky heroine Moana made a splash: The name surged up 64 percent for baby girls. Brainy, independent Belle (from “Beauty and the Beast,” released this year in a live-action version) rose 23 percent. And tenacious dreamer Tiana, Disney’s first African-American princess, ticked up 2 percent. Names from old Disney favorites are doing well, too. Ariel (“The Little Mermaid”) bobbed up 22 percent for girls, Nala (“The Lion King”) jumped 8 percent for girls, and Jasmine (“Aladdin”) crept up 1 percent and is poised to break into the girls’ top 100 list soon.
The Earth and its weather inspired names, too. “Young parents have deep respect and concern for the environment. Storms, climate change, and the sheer beauty found in nature are driving a whole new category of popular baby names,” said Murray.
Earthy names on the rise include River, Forest and Willow. Some parents are picking weather-related monikers such as Storm (up 44 percent for girls), Sky (up 20 percent for girls) and Cloud (up 23 percent for boys). Ember raced up the charts for both boys (up 47 percent) and girls (up 28 percent), while Blaze heated up 19 percent for boys.
The following were the top 20 girl and boy names for 2017:
Girls:
Sophia
Boys:
JacksonFor a complete list, please visit www.babycenter.com.
As Mount Sinai school district outlines the first part of its budget for the 2018-19 school year, administrators hope to roll out a capital project bond to tackle what board of educations members say are immediate repairs needed across its three buildings.
The proposed $59.6 million budget aims to maintain current programs and stay within the 2 percent tax cap, and includes a transfer of $4.2 million from the district’s unallocated fund balance to pay for emergency repair projects. The transfer — $3.6 million needed for fixes that cannot wait, and extras currently being reviewed to bring the total to $4.2 — will need to be approved by the public.
A bond referendum advisory committee made up of board of education and community members was formed in spring 2017 to prioritize the district’s requested projects list and make recommendations to the board of education based on an architect’s evaluation of the elementary, middle and high school buildings, which began more than three years ago.
Major proposed projects include a partial repair to the high school’s roof, multiple renovations to the building’s auditorium and replacement of its turf. The field hasn’t been improved upon in 15 years, well beyond the average lifespan of turf fields, and the bleachers are currently not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
School board and bond committee member Edward Law said while the district has several dozen projects to tackle — “over $50 million worth of requests” — the group will whittle the priorities down to what it think the community can support at this time.
“The committee is about the district’s facility needs and not just a wish list of everything we might want,” Law said, stressing the repairs in the proposed bond will not go forward without the public’s approval during a referendum vote in May. “At the end of the day, it’s not up to the advisory committee or the board of education. It’s up to the community because it’s theirs and our collective tax dollars we’re talking about.”
Superintendent Gordon Brosdal said using the unallocated fund balance for the repairs will help satisfy directives made by the state’s comptroller during an audit to bring down the balance’s amounts to 4 percent of the annual operating budget. The current fund balance is estimated to $9.9 million, or 16.7 percent of the annual budget.
“Since we have the money, let’s do it and make it happen,” Brosdal said.
District officials said updates on the bond referendum will be presented to the public over the coming months. The next board of education meeting will be held Feb. 28 in the middle school auditorium at 8 p.m.
Suffolk County police arrested a Bohemia man Jan. 21 for allegedly robbing TD Bank in Smithtown.
John Scrofani Jr. entered TD Bank at 714 Route 347 at 10:57 a.m. Sunday and presented a note to a teller demanding cash. The teller complied and Scrofani Jr. fled. Fourth Precinct officers responded and located him in a vehicle on Route 347 at Brooksite Drive in Smithtown a short time later.
Major Case Unit detectives charged Scrofani Jr., 31, with third-degree robbery. He was held overnight at the 4th Precinct and arraigned on Jan. 22 at First District Court in Central Islip.
By Jim Ferchland
After Corey Connolly’s match-clinching win, he jumped in the arms of assistant coach Anthony Volpe. In that moment, the entire Rocky Point team surrounded them knowing what they just achieved.
“It was amazing,” Connolly said of helping the Eagles to their third consecutive Suffolk County dual meet title Jan. 20 He pinned Brentwood’s Hugo Vasquez in 1 minute, 35 seconds to give his team a commanding 37-3 advantage. “I’m so happy. I’ve waited my whole life to be county champ, and now it’s here. Training with these guys all season — hard work, it actually pays off.”
Rocky Point’s wrestling team beat Brentwood at Bay Shore High School, 37-33 even after chosing to forfeit the final five matches.
“I’m going to wrestle until we clinch,” Rocky Point head coach Darren Goldstein said was his mentality, chosing to protect his final grapplers by not competing if they didn’t need to. “Then when we clinch, we are going to walk off the mat. We are going healthy upstate.”
Senior Jake Pohl (27-10 record) got Rocky Point heading in the right direction when he earned a 5-0 decision over Jean Jasmine at 285 pounds. The Eagles cruised from there.
“It felt really good just knowing I went out there and got the job done,” Pohl said. “Once one person gets going on our team, everyone else gets going. It’s a train you can’t stop.”
Nick LaMorte, a seventh-grader and youngest on Rocky Point’s roster, won in a dazzling 12-9 decision over Fernando Romero in the 99-pound weight class to keep the train rolling.He scored a reversal and two back points in the final 13 seconds for the comeback win.
“It gave us momentum,” Goldstein said. “That can help you build.”
Rocky Point fought in 10 matches and won nine of them, dropping the 106-pound weight class.
After the loss, sophomore Logan Sciotto answered right back for Rocky Point earning a 5-2 decision over Brentwood’s Wenchard Pierre-Louis at 113 pounds. Sophomore Evan Mathias squeezed by Richard Diaz with a 5-3 decision at 120. Senior captain Ryan Callahan won his 138-pound match and classmate Donald Hammarth took his at 145.
Goldstein said he’s excited to be one of the first to represent Suffolk County in the state dual meet championship. Rocky Point will wrestle Jan. 27 at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse. Section XI wrestling chairman Matt DeVincenzo, athletic director at Comsewogue, said 12 teams will be competing in four pools of three teams each, with the winner of each pool heading to the semifinals. The winners of those matchups will face off in the final. The Eagles, in the Division I pool, are grouped with Spencerport (No. 3 seed) and Jamesville-DeWitt, competing on mat three.
“We are going to try our best,” Goldstein said. “We know that we can compete with the best kids in the state — that’s really what we’ve been doing all year long. We got these kids focused, in the right mindset.”
When it comes to saving the oldest existing house in Miller Place, the community has it covered.
In its 298th year, the William Miller House on North Country Road stands stronger than ever thanks to a brand new, $18,300 roof made possible by donations from residents, local businesses and community groups. The roof’s installation, by Patchogue-based Ultimate Exteriors, began Dec. 26, 2017, and was completed the following week.
Replacing the historic structure’s dilapidated roof has been a top priority for the Miller Place-Mount Sinai Historical Society members since 2015, when a campaign was launched to complete all needed repairs in time for the house’s 300th anniversary in 2020.
“The roof was open partially — you could see the sky when you were in the attic,” said Antoinette Donato, vice president of the historical society. “It’s so nice to know that the community supports us and understands the importance of this house, because it’s not just Mount Sinai and Miller Place history, it’s American history.”
Built in 1720, the house is the ancestral residence of the family the town was named after, and is on the National Register of Historic Places, significant for its lack of interior changes over the centuries.
Historical society members said they saw a spike in community donations in May 2017 after their goal was reported by local news outlets. On the day the story got out, a resident who wished to remain anonymous approached the society and promised to donate a dollar for every two dollars it raised. Local residents pitched in, as well as large contributors,including the Suffolk Federal Credit Union and PSEG Long Island.
“It’s so nice to know that the community supports us and understands the importance of this house, because it’s not just Mount Sinai and Miller Place history, it’s American history.”
—Antoinette Donato
According to members, the most memorable donor was 12-year-old Jack Soldano, who rushed to the society’s rescue by selling 1,000 comic books over the summer at Heritage Park in Mount Sinai. In the end, he raised more than $1,220 for the project, which, at the time he presented the check, brought the repair fund to $7,500. He said he did so because of his strong connection to the town landmark, as he and his family were regulars at its annual Postman Pete and Spooky Lantern Tour events.
“I remember when I was younger and having so much fun” he said. “I want the younger kids to be able to experience that too.”
Gerard Mannarino, treasurer of the historical society, announced the historical society reached its $18,300 goal in December, and shingles were delivered right before Christmas.
Society board member Edna Davis Giffen said she couldn’t believe her eyes as construction crews began the repair.
“We’d been talking about this for years — wanting to get this roof done — and never had the money to do it,” Giffen said. “Now, all of a sudden, here it was. And now it’s all done. It’s just so wonderful.”
The historical society hopes to tackle its second priority, restoring the house’s 16 windows, as soon as possible.
A beautiful heart wreath in your décor is something special, but a beautiful heart wreath made by you is even better! Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Reboli Center for Art and History in Stony Brook Village will host a Heart Wreath Workshop on Saturday, Feb. 3 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
With the guidance of Diana Conklin from Everlastings by Diana, you’ll get to make a Pinterest-worthy wreath using hand-colored dried herbs (lavender, Artemesia annua and more), hydrangea and other dried botanicals that symbolize love to display in your home. You’ll be encouraged to explore your own style within the demonstrated framework. All materials are provided and, of course, you’ll take your creation home with you! Workshop fee is $45. To register, call 631-751-7707 or visit the Reboli Center, 64 Main St., Stony Brook.
Suffolk County Police arrested a Port Jefferson woman for allegedly driving while intoxicated after a motor vehicle crash that injured a police officer and the female driver in Mount Sinai Jan. 19.
Elvia Turcios was driving a 2003 Nissan Altima westbound on Route 25A near Mount Sinai Ave. at approximately 11:30 p.m., when her vehicle struck an occupied Suffolk County Police Department patrol car parked on the shoulder of the road with its emergency lights on during a traffic stop. The Altima then struck a 2004 Jeep Cherokee traveling eastbound, and the Altima overturned. The vehicle originally pulled over in the traffic stop was not involved in the crash.
The 6th Precinct officer in the vehicle and Turcios were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
Turcios, 30, was charged with driving while intoxicated and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, and was issued additional summonses. She was held at the 6th Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Jan. 20.
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