Since 1987, the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport has placed a very large tree in the Mansion Courtyard, decorated it for the holidays, and held a tree-lighting event to inaugurate the holiday season.
For many years, the Museum was able to harvest large pines and spruces from the wooded areas of the 43-acre Vanderbilt Estate. But the Museum has run out of the right size trees.
This fall, the Vanderbilt is looking for a local family that can donate one of its own trees for this year’s celebration. It must be local, from family property, and from 20 to 25 feet tall. The donor will be acknowledged on a sign next to the tree, and the donation will be publicized to the media, along with other Museum holiday events and programs.
This year, the tree lighting will be part of the opening night of Bright Lights, the Vanderbilt’s outdoor holiday event, which runs for a few weeks in December.
Anyone who is interested to donate a tree may contact Jim Munson, the Vanderbilt Museum’s operations supervisor: [email protected]. For more information, call 631-854-5579.
When hosting friends and family at home, it’s understandable that hosts direct so much of their focus to the foods they plan to serve. The main course is often the focal point and most memorable aspect of a dinner party, and that’s true whether the get-together is a backyard barbecue, a holiday meal with the family or a formal affair with colleagues.
Food might be a focal point, but guests also will need something to drink. Traditional spirits like wine and cocktails are the standard, but hosts who want to get a little creative should not hesitate to do so. When choosing a special beverage, timing is everything. Guests will want to cool down on warm summer evenings, so something cold and refreshing can make for the perfect signature cocktail. When hosting on nights when the mercury has dropped, a warm beverage can heat up guests in a matter of minutes. On such nights, hosts can serve this version of “Hot Mulled (Sherried) Apple Cider” courtesy of Laurey Masterton’s “The Fresh Honey Cookbook” (Storey). One added benefit to Masterton’s recipe is it can produce a welcoming winter aroma, helping hosts establish a warm ambiance for the festivities.
Hot Mulled Apple Cider
YIELD: Serves 16
INGREDIENTS:
1 gallon apple cider
1 orange, unpeeled, cut into slices
1⁄4 cup whole cloves
4 sticks cinnamon
1⁄4 cup honey
1 cup sherry (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the cider, orange slices, cloves, cinnamon, and honey in a large pot over medium heat. If you are picky about things floating in your cider, make a little bundle out of cheesecloth and place the cinnamon and cloves inside before adding to the cider. I like to chew on cloves, so I just toss everything in. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer over low heat for an hour or so to spread these lovely winter aromas around your home. If you’re serving it to adults, add the sherry. It might make everyone want to go sledding!
With the ending of daylight saving time around the corner and the fall season officially here, it’s beginning to get dark earlier.
While cool autumn nights are a nice break from the hot and wet summer we’ve just had, what comes with the pleasant weather is also nighttime appearing closer to 6 p.m.
The worst part about the darkness creeping up is that many people still act as though the sun is still out during the late evening. It’s not, and we all need to be careful.
When the sun is shining, drivers are able to see pedestrians walking, biking, skating — but not so much anymore with the season change. Dog walkers are normally good about bringing a flashlight, and cyclists almost always have reflectors on their bikes — but a few do not, and they can get seriously hurt if both parties are not paying attention.
But it isn’t just the people outside getting their exercise and enjoying the fresh air who are at fault. Drivers need to slow down.
The combination of darkness plus speeding can cause a catastrophe. Both parties would be at fault.
And then there are the deer and the other woodland critters that live in our backyards. Unfortunately, they don’t own a flashlight, so it’s our responsibility as good humans to keep an eye out for the animals who dart into the street.
If we are driving slowly and cautiously, there’s a good chance we can avoid them and let them be on their merry way. If we don’t, not only could we kill the poor animal, but they can cause serious damage to the car and to us.
While we appreciate the lights we have on our local streets, it’s not enough. Please, don’t wear all-dark colors while out during an evening stroll. Do bring a flashlight or indicator that you are there. Be aware of your surroundings — if you want to listen to music on your earphones, keep it down so you can hear if a car is heading your way. Remember to walk against the traffic. If you’re a cyclist, go in the same direction as the vehicles.
And drivers, as we said, be mindful of our neighbors taking advantage of our beautiful North Shore. Slow down and enjoy the ride, too.
Tom Caruso of Smithtown snapped this awe-inspiring image on Aug. 30. He writes, ‘I went to Short Beach in Nissequogue to photograph shorebirds and the sunset. The sun fell toward the horizon and a flock of seagulls and terns took flight and flew right into the fiery colors of this sunset. I was lucky to capture this at just the right moment.
Author Jocko Willink signs copy of his bestselling book. Photo from Andrew Harris
By Andrew Harris
It was 4:15 in the morning. As a 62-year-old teacher, I found myself begrudgingly running through the streets of New York on our way to Bryant Park. I ran alongside a student from our Comsewogue High School — an aspiring Navy SEAL, and several hundred other people all huffing and puffing our way past the bewildered eyes of cab drivers, truck deliverymen and the very early morning commuters.
Everybody was astonished to see us as they sipped their coffee. My student was helping me keep pace to make it without collapsing. “What great teamwork,” I thought.
Navy SEAL JP Dinnell doing some Jiu Jitsu with Andrew Harris. Photo from Andrew Harris
Teamwork and leadership are some of the most important traits that a Navy SEAL could have and this concept would come up often over the next two days of intense training. Perhaps my student fit the mold to one day become a Navy SEAL. Their name is derived from the U.S. Navy Sea, Air and Land Teams.
It was all part of Extreme Muster, an event held by Echelon Front — a group of Navy SEALs and other elite performance professionals who were about to educate us on the leadership tactics used in combat. There were a wide variety of people such as former military operators, athletes, businesspeople and even a few other teachers.
We were all hoping to use the skills we were about to learn and apply them in our everyday lives. It was the most powerful event I have ever attended.
The person we met first was Jamie Lynn Cochran, chief operating officer of Echelon Front — a company started by retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink. Although Cochran was not a SEAL, she was obviously well versed in many of the leadership tactics we were about to learn over the next two days.
“Cover and move” was one of the most important principles we would come to learn. Cochran was obviously Willink’s cover and move person, handling any problems with kindness and humility — another important principle we would soon learn — along with her gentle friendliness and charm.
Of course, this threw me off being from New York, and smack in the middle of a normally fast-paced and often rude city atmosphere. She put us at ease and fixed any logistical challenges we had to smooth out that day. I soon realized that I was the one who had made the mistake, yet immediately she took all responsibility for it. It was another principle called “extreme ownership,” and important enough for Willink to write a book about it. She even gave us some valuable gifts.
Photo from Andrew Harris
My student was elated to get a signed copy of Willink’s book, “Leadership Strategy and Tactics: Field Manual.” I admired how the author gave him the personal one-on-one attention he needed to find out about becoming a peak performer and hopeful Navy SEAL.
A big part of the teaching is “to put your ego aside,” and here one of the top heroes of our country was not in any way talking about himself, but intently listening to this young student.
This was far different than any other of the popular leadership conferences I had ever attended. I noticed that Willink and the other team members would welcome any conversations and were generous with their time during breaks.
At the events I have attended in the past, the leaders would often disappear into a back room and didn’t have conversations with the attendees.
A few months later, I was even more impressed when I heard that none of the leaders had a chance to sleep the night before because they had to solve problems to make the whole event run smooth. I’m sure that they have pushed themselves beyond what any typical human being does on a daily basis — after all, they had seen life and death situations in real combat. Willink’s response to this type of adversity was “Good! No factor — get some,” meaning that he welcomes problems and challenges because they force you to learn, get stronger and be better.
The two days of training went fast. Surprisingly we had a lot of energy despite the ungodly hour and all the exercise we did that particular morning. Our minds were open, and we learned much valuable information.
This year, I told some of our mostly female club members at the high school about the experiences at the muster. They started asking me if they could attend in the future. When I told them that it was 90% men and they were some really rugged ex-military dudes, it seemed to make them want to prove that this was something they not only wanted to do but something they could be highly successful at.
I said it was nearly impossible since the next muster would be in Dallas March 2022 and we had no money in our club account. We were not able to fundraise for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This seemed to make their drive increase even more. First, they asked the principal, Michael Mosca, if they could start their fundraisers again. Then they started suggesting that perhaps they could work off the tuition for the event by helping out at the Dallas muster.
“If you are willing to do the hard work during the events and do whatever it takes, I’ll go to bat for you,” I said. They agreed, and I reached out to Cochran to see if she could help in any way. The folks at Echelon Front are very kind people and I have seen them help many people in the past. In addition, this summer I met some great people from the Whalen Foundation who fund scholarships and grants for people in the special education field. As a group, we will contact them and ask for help. If there is a will, there is a way.
The students may not desire to be SEALs but are looking forward to becoming better leaders in the future. I am, too.
This week the students had their first fundraiser for their hefty travel expenses and hotel rooms. They had a pizza fundraiser and raised $38 of what they expect to be more than a $2,000 bill. Their response? “That’s OK, we will continue to fight — we have a mission.” Another important principle is to focus on the mission you want to accomplish and everything else falls into place.
Stay tuned to see if the “mission” is accomplished.
Andrew Harris is a special needs teacher at the Comsewogue school district. Triple C stands for Comsewogue Culture Club.
Chants like “My body, my choice” echoed through big cities like Washington, D.C., and Manhattan Saturday as part of the Rally for Abortion Justice, and that same passion made it to what is known as Resistance Corner at the junction of Route 347 and Route 112 in Port Jefferson Station.
The national Rally for Abortion Justice movement, according to the Women’s March Network, comes after comes after the Supreme Court’s rejection of an emergency request to block the Texas Heartbeat Act.
Coming into effect Sept. 1, the bill bans abortion at the point of the “first detectable heartbeat,” which could occur as early as six weeks into pregnancy — a point that many are just finding out they’re pregnant. At least 13 other states failed to attempt enacting similar bans after being blocked by courts.
“I believe in a women’s right to choose,” said protester Bryan Campbell, who was pushing a stroller occupied by his infant. “I think it’s ridiculous what’s going on in Texas and I’m here to support the women in my life: my partner, my friends, my daughter. This is for their future and for everyone’s future.”
Campbell was one of hundreds of men, women and children who gathered on the busy corner, holding signs in protest of such laws. Some even took to dressing up as characters from the “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a best-selling novel and TV series that depicts a totalitarian society that treats women as property.
Donna Reggio was among those dressed in red robes and white bonnet.
“It’s a dystopian fantasy that’s no longer a fantasy,” she said. “We’re going backward with women’s rights and we’re here to show that we don’t want to go there anymore.”
Before Roe v. Wade — a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 that protected a women’s right to have an abortion without excessive government restriction — only more affluent women had access to safe and legal abortions. However, it is estimated that between the 1950s and ’60s, the number of illegal abortions, either self-induced or done through often dangerous or even deadly procedures, ranged from 200,000 to 1.2 million a year.
Rally organizer Shoshana Hershkowitz, of Long Island Social Justice Action Network and Suffolk Progressives, was on Resistance Corner Saturday to make sure her daughter did not grow up with fewer rights than she was able to enjoy throughout her lifetime.
“Our own congressman [Lee Zeldin (R-NY1)] tried to overturn Roe in the past year,” she said. “We can’t just think of this as a somewhere-else situation. It was happening right here.”
That’s why the LISJAN and Suffolk Progressives joined with grassroot organizations like Long Island Progressive Coalition, Long Island Activists, New HOUR for Women & Children – LI, Show Up Long Island, NY02 Indivisible, Planned Parenthood, among others, to prevent impediments in a woman’s reproductive rights from happening anywhere — including here in New York.
“We just put out the word to the different Facebook groups and [other various groups] who are invested in keeping our rights and getting women in office,” said Kat Lahey of Long Island Rising, adding that several speakers including Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) were also in attendance. “You can see that there’s a high demand to keep women’s reproductive rights.”
But not all were in support of the movement. Along with some disapproving remarks made by drivers who were passing by, one woman stood on the other side of the highway holding a sign, with photos of babies, that read “Please love me, I love you.”
The woman would not disclose her name, however she did share that she goes to her local Planned Parenthood every Saturday morning to pray. She said she was especially upset about New York State’s allowance of late-term abortions.
Yet the 2019 law, passed on the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, only allows late-term abortions when the mother’s health is in danger.
When asked about the counterprotester, Hershkowitz said that she was more than welcome to cross the road and speak with herself and other organizers. “But I’m not changing my mind,” she said.
It was not the first time that groups like New HOUR and LISJAN gathered on the corner, as they also showed up for issues ranging from gun safety to the Trump-era ban on refugees from majority-Muslim countries.
“Our community has come quite accustomed to gathering in this space and standing up for what we believe in,” Hershkowitz said. “So really, it’s like we almost have muscle memory because of having to gather here for so many years.”
Amongst the Middle Country Public Library’s many historical artifacts are a few that explain just how far the area has come from its pastoral roots. The picture and story below comes courtesy of a collaborative effort among the librarian staff.
On Dec. 18, 1959, the Suffolk County Board of Supervisors approved the establishment of the county’s first community college on the former Suffolk Sanatorium site in Selden. The 1918 building above, which originally served as the Sanatorium’s infirmary, housed faculty office space when the 130-acre site on which it stood was designated as the future home of Suffolk County Community College.
Although SCCC held its initial year of classes in October of 1960 at Sachem Junior-Senior High School in Ronkonkoma and Riverhead High School, the college took permanent residence of the old Sanatorium site beginning in September of 1961. Initial enrollment included 171 full-time and 355 part-time students.
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The Ammerman Campus of the Suffolk County Community College in Selden, shown here in an aerial view, opened in August 1961. Named after the College’s founding president, Dr. Albert M. Ammerman, Suffolk Community College held its first commencement exercises in June of 1962 with 42 graduates receiving associate degrees. Two satellite campuses were built in Brentwood (1974) and Riverhead (1977), and today Suffolk County Community College is the largest Community College in the State University of New York system. The original full-time faculty of less than a dozen has grown to more than 460 to date. Today, the College enrolls approximately 25,000 students and offers over 100 degree and certificate programs. By May of 2020, the College had seen more than 130,000 students advance to graduation. Photo from Ray Welch
The college’s original full-time faculty members. From left to right; Louis F. Van Wart, J. Rankin, Frank E. Martin, Dr. Harold R. Hartman, Dale B. Lake, Laura L. Hackett, Eugene J. Sullivan and Dr. A. Michael De Luca. Photo from Ray Welch
Photo from Ray Welch
Babylon Town supervisor Gilbert C. Hanse (left) and president of Suffolk County Community College, Albert Ammerman (right) at the ground breaking for the Babylon Student Center around 1966. This was the third new building on the campus and the first one constructed on the Academic Quad, which is now called Veterans Plaza. Photo from Ray Welch
This week a Stony Brook Village Center icon closed its doors for the last time after 27 years in business, and residents wonder how it will ever be replaced.
At the end of July, the owner of Pentimento Restaurant, Dennis Young, began informing customers that his lease wasn’t being renewed. Frequent visitors to his establishment started a Facebook page and petition on Change.org to save the restaurant and show their support. Many even protested in front of the business and throughout the shopping center. They also rallied in front of Gloria Rocchio’s house, the president of Eagle Realty Holdings and The Ward Melville Heritage Organization.
Unfortunately, the owner and the board of Eagle Realty, the landlord, couldn’t come to an agreement after Young forgot to give notice about his intent to renew last year, 365 days before his lease expired as specified in the agreement.
The Village Times Herald and the TBR News Media website featured five articles within the past two months on the closing and protests, and some of the stories also appeared in The Times of Smithtown. Talking to all parties involved, hearing the different sides of the issue, it was apparent there was more to the impasse than forgetting to renew a lease. A couple of matters couldn’t even be discussed because lease negotiations between private businesses are private matters.
We are saddened that something couldn’t be worked out. Especially since Young was hoping to retire in the near future and extending the lease and being able to sell the business to someone else would have meant he could have walked away with something more in his pockets.
A couple of weeks ago we wrote about the closing of Book Revue in Huntington village. Just like the iconic bookstore drew people to Huntington with its eclectic selection of books and celebrity author signings, the restaurant has done the same in the Three Village community by serving up its delicious meals and more.
As one reader wrote in a letter to the editor last week, in the last 27 years the restaurant served as the place “where we have celebrated birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and religious milestones. It’s where we have had our first dates and our first jobs.”
Regular visitors to Stony Brook Village Center would find that on the nights the restaurant was closed, the parking lot in the section of the shopping center it is located on was practically empty. When it was open, it could be difficult to find a spot.
When people come to eat in a restaurant, especially if they have to wait for a table, they’ll visit nearby stores. And, Pentimento has been a big attraction for both locals and residents from surrounding towns. As we mentioned in our editorial about Book Revue, sometimes the closing of a popular establishment can have a domino effect. We hope this won’t be the case with the village center.
We’re not quite sure what will replace Pentimento, but it will take a long time for residents to create new memories in whatever business goes into the empty space.
We thank Young, restaurant manager Lisa Cusumano and the staff for their service to the community, and we wish them all the happiness in the world.
A book walk — also known as a story walk — is an innovative and delightful way for people to walk outdoors and enjoy a bit of reading.
You’ll find a half dozen handcrafted wood podiums for a new book walk, installed in the park at the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce Train Car.
Photo from PJSTCC
This is the eagle scout leadership project of Enrique Rivera of Boy Scout Troop 354, Port Jefferson Station. These substantial kiosks display information compiled by Jeff Kito, from his archives. He is a former president of the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce and currently serves as Facilities Director of the Train Car, and you can stroll the park book walk at the intersection of Route 347, Route 112, Rose Avenue and Canal Road.
The story of the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce-early 1900s Train Car comes to life as you walk from page to page. It includes fascinating photos of when it was transported through our streets to its present location.
The current set of book stands will be supplemented by six more kiosks, to be built and installed by scout Jake Lopez for his future eagle scout project. At that time laminated pages from a children’s book, supplied by the Comsewogue Library, will be inserted on top of the train history pages. This is all protected by plexiglass topper.
“It is important to note that in light of the constraints due to the pandemic, the boys have had to shoulder the costs of their community projects,” said scoutmaster Bob Pearsall. “Mr. Kito made a substantial contribution to Enrique’s project.”
The Scoutmaster who has been with the troop for 20 years did so, as well. The individual financial support in addition to paint and supplies from Aboff’s, Lowes and other Long Island businesses were critical to pulling this project together.
Photo from PJSTCC
And what a treat for us. Anytime one can combine reading while walking under the trees of the park is time well spent. It benefits all residents of Brookhaven. Thanks to the many hands involved in this. For more information on the project contact Bob Pearsall at (631) 678-5689
or the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce at (631) 821-1313.
Joan Nickeson is an active member of the PJS/Terryville community and community liaison to the PJS/T Chamber of Commerce.
Carving jack-o’-lanterns is a Halloween tradition that both adults and children enjoy. It’s hard to resist an opportunity to carve a funny or scary face into a pumpkin that will soon make its way to the front porch, but there’s another irresistible element to carving pumpkins as well.
Roasted pumpkin seeds make for a tasty, tempting treat. Seeds must be removed before carving pumpkins, so turning them into a savory snack is a great way to make use of them and cook up some fuel for family carving sessions. Roasting pumpkin seeds is a straightforward process, though some people may have their own techniques to make seeds more flavorful.
The following recipe for Roasted Pumpkin Seeds from the Food Network reflects various ways to prepare this beloved snack, ensuring that people with varying tastes can no doubt find a way to incorporate their favorite flavors into this Halloween staple.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
1. Seed the pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Using a spoon, scrape the pulp and seeds out of your pumpkin into a bowl.
2. Clean the seeds: Separate the seeds from the stringy pulp, rinse the seeds in a colander under cold water, then shake dry. Don’t blot with paper towels; the seeds will stick.
3. Dry them: Spread the seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet and roast 30 minutes to dry them out.
4. Add spices: Toss the seeds with olive oil, salt and your choice of spices (see below). Return to the oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 20 more minutes.
5. Sweet Toss with cinnamon and sugar (do not use salt in step 4).
6. Indian Toss with garam masala; mix with currants after roasting.
7. Spanish Toss with smoked paprika; mix with slivered almonds after roasting.
8. Italian Toss with grated parmesan and dried oregano.
9. Barbecue Toss with brown sugar, chipotle chile powder and ground cumin.
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