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TBR Staff

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TBR News Media covers everything happening on the North Shore of Suffolk County from Cold Spring Harbor to Wading River.

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Lt. Thomas Verbeeck is a pilot serving with Wing 11 of the U.S. Navy. Photo from the U.S. Navy

A 2007 Shoreham-Wading River graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, the largest base in the Southeast Region and third largest in the nation.

Lt. Thomas Verbeeck is a pilot serving with Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11. As a pilot, Verbeeck is responsible for the safe flight of aircraft, navigation and organizing flight plans and missions.

“What I enjoy most about my job is working with proficient and motivated sailors,” Verbeeck said.

Beginning in the 1960s, the P-3C Orion, a land-based, long-range anti-submarine warfare patrol aircraft, replaced the P-2V Neptune fleet. After 50 years of faithful service, the P-3C Orion is being phased out, according to Navy officials.

The P-8A is a modified Boeing airframe featuring a fully connected, state-of-the-art open architecture mission system designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

According to Navy officials, Wing 11’s history and reputation remain unparalleled since being commissioned on August 15, 1942. Throughout the decades, Wing 11 has continued to fly combat missions in direct support of the troops on the ground and delivered traditional maritime capabilities, real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

“The U.S. Navy sometimes asks the impossible of our people. It is sailors that make the impossible possible,” said Capt. Anthony Corapi, CPRW-11. “Lt. Verbeeck is one example of a selfless servant of our nation. These heroes ask for very little recognition and perform their daily job with pride and professionalism, defending freedom and our way of life around the world.”

Verbeeck is part of a crew that is preparing for deployment in the future.

“This command has a tight-knit family atmosphere,” Verbeeck said. “I enjoy the camaraderie I have among my fellow crew. Serving in the Navy, I’ve learned that patience is a virtue and it’s important to trust those below you as well as above you. Given time, people will surprise you with the results of their hard work.”

— Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs

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Bank of Suffolk County, built 1911, photo 1915. Photo from Beverly Tyler

By Beverly C. Tyler

When Ward Melville began his plan to construct, in Stony Brook, a compact Federal-style shopping center, there were stores and shops spread out along Main Street, Shore Road, now Dock Road, and Christian Avenue. Main Street in Stony Brook during the 19th and early part of the 20th century was an active commercial area with a variety of shops. South of Grist Mill Road and the mill pond there were a number of small homesteads and farms, a harness maker’s shop and a blacksmith shop, and a schoolhouse. The business area really began at the Grist Mill and pond, and except for Jacinsky’s Saloon and a bakery opposite Grist Mill Road, all the stores were on the west side of the road between the pond and the harbor. Shops included an ice cream parlor, drug store, hardware store, tea room, secondhand clothing store, Chinese laundry, a tailor shop and harness maker’s shop that became a butcher shop and grocery store about 1900, a barber shop, livery stable, shoemaker’s shop, post office and at least two general stores.

The butcher in Stony Brook at the turn of the century was Orlando G. Smith. His brother, Charles E. Smith, ran a butcher shop and general store in East Setauket. Orlando took over the butcher business from Bennie Wells who died in 1875. In 1898, Orlando built a new shop on the site of an earlier butcher shop run by George Hawkins. According to Percy Smith, in his booklet A Century of Progress, “In the mid-90s — 1890s — farmers around Stony Brook began decreasing the sales of their livestock, and Orlando Smith was forced to find another source of supply. The closest place was Bridgeport, about 15 miles across sound, but Smith encountered many difficulties obtaining meat from even so short a distance. His order had to go to Bridgeport by mail. The meat was then hauled to the Bridgeport docks and shipped by boat to Port Jefferson. There it was loaded into a wagon and brought to Stony Brook. During this time, Orlando bought what meat he could, but this had dwindled mostly to calves, lambs and pigs.

Orlando Smith’s butcher shop was located south of where the Reboli Center, formerly the Bank of Suffolk County, Extebank and others, is now. In 1913, Percy Smith took over the butcher business after it had been owned for less than a year by Captain Robert F. Wells and then by Percy’s father, W.H. Smith. In 1922, Percy moved to a new location in the old post office building, which was located a few lots north of the present Reboli Center, on the site of Gould’s General Store.

The Bank of Suffolk County began its operation in 1907 in a building at the south corner of the old business triangle, which is now part of the village green. The building, featuring a shingled, mansard roof, was owned by the Odd Fellows and contained a drug store and soda fountain, a library, lodge and dance hall. The bank moved to its present location in 1912 and its original building was torn down as part of the rehabilitation of the Stony Brook Shopping Center in 1941.

When the bank moved, it occupied a location, which was formerly owned by Dan Sherry, who ran a livery stable before the turn of the century. Just north of Sherry’s was the home and general store of J.N. Gould. Gould’s home later became the home of Doctor Squires. North of Gould’s home was the general store and the home of Edward Oaks. Oaks, in 1873, was a “dealer in dry goods, groceries and other supplies.” According to Percy Smith, Oaks’ general store (later Topping’s general store) was the “better” general store in town.

“It had everything,” commented Percy, “bales of hay, kerosene, hardware, patent medicine, food and clothing.”

Beverly Tyler is the Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society.

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The Career Couture Boutique carries shoes, handbags, accessories and clothing for men and women embarking on job interviews. Photo from June Kirby

By Alex Petroski

They say you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have. For those who are unemployed, that can be a difficult proposition. Like anything else, business wear is not getting any less expensive. In Suffolk County, residents have a valuable resource at their disposal if they’re seeking a job but don’t have the means to buy a suit, dress or other professional attire.

Two years ago, led by County Executive Steve Bellone (D) and the Department of Labor, the Career Couture Boutique was born. Located in the One-Stop Employment Center at the William J. Lindsay County Complex in Hauppauge, the boutique is full of donated, lightly worn business attire for both men and women.

A fairy godmother at the helm
June Kirby, a 20-year county employee, was hand picked to run the boutique two years ago. She said it was just an empty room back then, but after building shelves and stocking the donated items, the boutique now resembles an upscale shopping experience.

Clients re-entering the workforce are given a complete makeover at the Career Couture Boutique. Photo from June Kirby
Clients re-entering the workforce are given a complete makeover at the Career Couture Boutique. Photo from June Kirby

Kirby estimated she has fitted somewhere in the neighborhood of 900 people in the boutique’s two-year existence, and though there isn’t an official notification process when customers of the boutique find jobs, she said about 50 percent have gotten back to her with news they’ve been hired.

“It’s very rewarding,” Kirby said in a phone interview last Tuesday. “You see the difference of a person’s self-esteem. They finally are getting the interviews. This is basically the last step before they go on to the interviews.”

From the kindness of others
The boutique gets customers based on referrals from veterans shelters, family service organizations, other nonprofits and walk-ins. Everything is donated to the boutique, and, when job-seekers are fitted, they are given the clothing, free of charge and without the need to return it.

Clients re-entering the workforce are given a complete makeover at the Career Couture Boutique. Photo from June Kirby
Clients re-entering the workforce are given a complete makeover at the Career Couture Boutique. Photo from June Kirby

Sport Clips, Long Island Beauty School and other local salons donate coupons for haircuts and manicures to complete the job interview preparation process. Most of the items come from dry cleaners and private donors.

“I receive a lot of donations,” Kirby said. “It’s in the thousands. Whatever I do not utilize, I donate.”

Nonprofit organization EAC Network, whose mission is to empower, assist and care for people in need, partnered with the boutique to assist in donation collections. Kirby said the organization has been a valuable resource to keep the boutique running smoothly.

The One-Stop Employment Center also offers residents assistance with resumes, job searches, practice questions with mock interviews and more.

“We are proud to be able to add this service to what we offer those residents looking for work or new careers,” Bellone said in a press release when the boutique opened in 2014.

Noted Kirby, “To me it’s very important that people look their best because when they look their best, they feel their best.”

The Career Couture Boutique, located in the One-Stop Employment Center at 725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge, is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information or to make a donation, call 631-853-6769.

 

Library Job Fair
Port Jefferson Free Library, 100 Thompson St., Port Jefferson, will host a Job Fair on Tuesday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meet representatives from over 35 companies including Comfort Keepers, East West Industries, Express Employment Pros, Home Depot, Little Flower, Pier One Imports, Sears, U.S. Postal Service, Verizon Wireless, Bob’s Discount Furniture and Coldwell Banker. Bring copies of your resume and dress to impress! Free and open to all. Call 631-473-0022 for more information.

Healthcare Job Fair
On Thursday, May 19, the One-Stop Employment Center, 725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge, will host its fourth annual Healthcare Job Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Recruiters from health care companies will be in attendance including The Arbors Assisted Living, Gurwin Homecare, Access Healthcare Staffing, Blessed Healthcare Staffing Agency, Sunrise Laboratories, The Bristal Assisted Living, CVS and US Medical Staffing. No registration required. Questions? Call 631-853-6600.

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A speed table is proposed for East Broadway near the Bleeker Street crosswalk. Photo by Elana Glowatz

Officials have a message for the speed demons: Hold your horses.

Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant announced at a recent board of trustees meeting that the village is going to lay down three speed tables — traffic-calming devices that are “glorified speed bumps, similar to what you see in the high school driveway.”

The speed tables will be similar to those found at the Port Jefferson high school campus. Photo by Elana Glowatz
The speed tables will be similar to those found at the Port Jefferson high school campus. Photo by Elana Glowatz

The road off Barnum Avenue leading up to the shared Port Jefferson Middle School and Earl L. Vandermeulen High School building has a few of the speed tables, which are longer than speed bumps and have flat tops.

According to Garant, the village’s plan is to put one on the curvy, western end of Highlands Boulevard in upper Port and one on Caroline Avenue in lower Port.

A third speed table is slated to go on the eastbound side of East Broadway, near the Bleeker Street crosswalk, but it remains to be seen whether it will be permanent.

That spot was chosen “because people are flying up and down that hill,” Garant said during the May 2 meeting. “Trust me, you’re not gonna want to go over those [speed tables] once or twice at the speed that you would normally have been driving on those roads.”

The mayor said the village is in the process of getting estimates on the road additions, which were chosen instead of stop signs because “stop signs are not a traffic-calming tool. … They’re instituted for safety coming in and out of intersections.”

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Members of the Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team hold up four fingers to signify the four straight America East championships the team has won. Photo from SBU

Freshman Kasey Mitchell scored a free-position goal as time expired to lift the Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team to a 10-9 victory over the University at Albany and its fourth-consecutive America East championship Sunday afternoon at LaValle Stadium. With the win — the 14th-straight for Stony Brook — the Seawolves improve to 16-3, while the Great Danes drop to 11-6.

Courtney Murphy scored four goals on the afternoon to give her 95 on the year, three back of the Division I single-season record set in 1984. Junior Dorrien Van Dyke added four goals and an assist, while sophomore Kylie Ohlmiller chipped in a goal and three assists.
 Murphy was named championship Most Outstanding Player and was joined by Mitchell, Van Dyke and sophomore Samantha DiSalvo on the all-championship team.

Kasey Mitchell attempts a shot at the cage for Stony Brook. Photo from SBU
Kasey Mitchell attempts a shot at the cage for Stony Brook. Photo from SBU

The Seawolves trailed 9-8 with 90 seconds remaining before junior Courtney Murphy tied the game with 1:23 to play. Senior Alyssa Fleming caused an Albany turnover with 39 seconds to go, and following a Stony Brook timeout, Mitchell won it at the buzzer.

Junior Kristin Yevoli tallied five draw controls and freshman Keri McCarthy added four. Freshman Anna Tesoriero made five saves between the pipes.

Fleming had two caused turnovers, including the crucial one in the final minute, along with a ground ball.

Stony Brook improves to 4-1 all-time in America East Championship finals.
 The Seawolves allowed more than seven goals in a game for just the third time this season.
However, Stony Brook is 2-1 in those games.

Stony Brook improves to 48-5 at LaValle Stadium since 2012. Associate head coach Caitlin Defliese captured her eighth career America East title Sunday. Defliese has won the last four conference championships as part of the Stony Brook staff and won four straight as a player at Boston University from 2007-10. Murphy broke the America East record for goals in a single season with her first tally of the day, passing the mark of 91 set by Defliese’s Boston University teammate, Sarah Dalton.

The women’s team will open the NCAA Championship in Massachusetts, with a game at Boston College on May 13 at a time to be announced.

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Policeman punched
At a home on Cedarhurst Avenue in Selden at about 5:30 p.m. on May 6, a 35-year-old man jumped on top of a police officer and punched him repeatedly in the head, according to police. He was arrested and charged with second-degree harassment. The officer did not require medical attention.

The sock drawer is not a bank
Money was taken from the bedroom of a home on Remington Avenue in Selden at about 1 p.m. on May 7, police said.

Screwed
A 28-year-old man from Port Jefferson Station struck another man in the head with a screw gun at about 3 p.m. on May 7 on Mark Street in Port Jefferson Station, according to police. He was arrested and charged with assault with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon. The victim was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital.

Heroin bust
At about 8 p.m. on May 6, at the corner of Rosemary Lane and Powers Avenue in Centereach, a 38-year-old man from Coram in the passenger seat of a 2003 Hyundai was found to have heroin on him, according to police. He was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Gas fraud
A 36-year-old man from Holtsville driving a 2006 Chevrolet stopped at a Gulf gas station on the South Service Road of the Long Island Expressway in Holbrook at about 5:30 p.m. on May 8, police said. He pumped gas into the car, and then charged the amount to someone else’s account. He was arrested in Selden and charged with petit larceny.

Unlicensed hit-and-run
On May 6, a 35-year-old man from East Northport was driving a 2005 Saturn on Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station when he collided with a 2010 Nissan, police said. The man fled the scene without exchanging information with the driver of the Nissan. He was arrested in Selden, where police also found he was driving with a suspended license. He was charged with leaving the scene of an incident with property damage and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

… and again
A 53-year-old man from Coram driving a 2008 Dodge on Mount Sinai-Coram Road in Coram on April 9 collided with a 1995 Honda and left the scene without exchanging information, police said. He was arrested on May 5 in Selden and charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle for driving with a suspended license.

Jewel thief thwarted
At a home on Locust Avenue in Coram on April 26, a 28-year-old man entered through a basement window and stole jewelry, police said. He was arrested on May 4 in Selden and charged with second-degree burglary.

Do-it-yourselfer unsuccessful
At about 2:30 p.m. on May 8, a woman attempted to steal a faucet from The Home Depot on Independence Place in Selden, according to police.

Purse pinched
A pocketbook was stolen from the concession stand at North Country Road Middle School in Miller Place at about 2 p.m. on May 7, according to police.

Stay home and watch Netflix
A 2008 Toyota in the parking lot of AMC Loews Stony Brook 17 movie theater had the driver’s side window broken at about 7 p.m. on May 7, police said. A purse containing cash and a backpack were stolen from the car.

Pool equipment missing
On Aug. 30, 2015, an unknown person stole pool equipment, including hoses, a pump and a filter, from a shed at a home on Chereb Court in East Setauket, according to police. The report was filed on May 6.

Cookout
Two men entered Lowe’s Home Improvement in Stony Brook at about 3 p.m. on May 4, placed a barbecue on a cart and exited without paying, police said.

No pain (pill prescription), no gain
On the corner of Huron Street and Roe Avenue in Port Jefferson Station at about 2:30 p.m. on May 4, a 24-year-old man from Port Jefferson driving a 1995 Toyota was found to have Suboxone pain medication without a prescription, police said. He was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Vehicle ransacked
An unknown person entered a 2014 Ford parked at a home on Shelbourne Lane in Stony Brook on May 4 and stole a GPS, binoculars, a camera and change, according to police.

Someone’s being a pill
A 24-year-old woman from Ronkonkoma was arrested on May 8 just before midnight after police said she was in possession of prescription pills without a prescription while on Autumn Drive in Smithtown. She was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Receipt deception
A 22-year-old man from Kings Park was arrested on May 7 after police said he took cash in exchange for receipts that were not his from a Rite Aid Pharmacy on Indian Head Road in Kings Park, between April 17 and May 7. He was charged with petit larceny.

Razor sharp
Police said a 38-year-old man from Holtsville stole razor cartridges, a black T-shirt and Neutrogena gel from Walmart in Islandia on May 7. He was arrested and charged with petit larceny.

Morning cup
A 49-year-old man from West Sayville was arrested on May 6 on Route 25 after police said he was in possession of marijuana at 9:15 a.m. He was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Expensive taste
A 59-year-old man from Coram was arrested on May 6 after police said he stole more than $1,000 worth of merchandise from T.J.Maxx on Veterans Memorial Highway in Islandia and more than $300 worth of items from Macy’s in Smithaven Mall in Lake Grove. He was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny.

Can’t pretend it didn’t happen
On May 6 a 16-year-old from Smithtown was arrested for crashing a 2011 Dodge Avenger into a 2001 Lexus parked on East Main Street in Smithtown on April 30. He was charged with leaving the scene with property damage.

No script for that
Police said a 44-year-old man from Mastic Beach was in possession of prescription pills without a prescription on May 5 at a residence on Johnson Avenue in Bohemia. He was arrested and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Our house
A 23-year-old woman from Brentwood was arrested on May 5 at the 4th Precinct after police said she entered a residence on Wysocki Court in Nesconset without permission on April 11 just after noon. She was charged with second-degree criminal trespassing.

Phone home
On May 4 a 60-year-old man from Lake Ronkonkoma was arrested after police said he stole a black iPhone 6 Plus from inside a Rite Aid in Lake Ronkonkoma. He was charged with petit larceny.

Case of missing identity
A 38-year-old female from Brentwood was arrested on May 4 after police said she stole clothing from Kohl’s on Crooked Hill Road in Commack and then gave someone else’s identification while being processed at the 4th Precinct. She was charged with petit larceny and false impersonation.

Snowberry fields forever
On May 6 a 33-year-old woman from Islandia was arrested after police said she had cocaine in her possession while on Snowberry Lane in Islandia. She was charged with third-degree intent to sell narcotics or drugs.
Police said a 34-year-old man from Islandia was driving a 2012 Infiniti on Old Nichols Road in Islandia on May 6 when he hit a parked 2008 Chevy and then left the scene. He was later arrested on Snowberry Lane and charged with third-degree intent to sell narcotics or drugs and first-degree leaving an accident involving injury.

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People at an anti-drug forum stay afterward to learn how to use the anti-overdose medication Narcan. Above, someone practices spraying into a dummy’s nostrils. Photo by Elana Glowatz

We’ve been hit with some staggering figures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 28,000 overdose deaths in 2014 as a result of heroin or opioid abuse, the highest number on record. Last year alone Suffolk County suffered 103 fatal heroin overdoses. Suffolk tallied more heroin-related overdose deaths than any county in New York from 2009 to 2013, according to the New York State Opioid Poisoning, Overdose and Prevention 2015 Report.

Although local and national initiatives have come from all different angles to try to combat the rise in heroin and opioid abuse, we think lawmakers lack focus.

Most recently, U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) endorsed a large legislation package that would review and update guidelines for prescribing opioids and pain medication and require a report to Congress on the availability of substance abuse treatment in the country, among many other provisions. While we applaud any earnest effort to combat the widespread problem, there needs to be more focus from one specific angle: prevention.

With treatment and recovery options across the North Shore and with the rate at which the county is now taking down drug dealers, enforcement and rehabilitation are not our biggest problems. Instead, more needs to be done to deter kids from ever considering to try drugs in the first place. While some schools have begun to work on this, working with police to hold Narcan training sessions and informational forums, students should be seeing more than just numbers and figures, police officers or counselors.

Tracey Budd, of Rocky Point, helped Suffolk County create a public service announcement, “Not My Child,” that has been shown in schools. Budd lost her son to a heroin overdose and her message is powerful. Kids need to see the struggles that addicts and their families go through to help hammer home how dangerous drugs are.

We also urge parents to be more aware and involved. You know your child — look, listen and ask questions. There are signs in mood, behavior, habit and appearance that could warn you that there’s a serious problem. And don’t be afraid to set boundaries or to talk both about drugs and other topics that may seem difficult or awkward. Many people are drawn to drugs because of an underlying emotional issue, but letting a teenager know that nonjudgmental ears are listening could be a solution.

Frederick Douglass once famously said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Building those stronger children is how we should tackle our country’s growing drug problem.

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Alexandra Juliano, far right, in a scene from ‘The Little Mermaid Jr.’ at the SCPA. Photo by Samantha Cuomo

By Rita J. Egan

Before she flies off to the University of Delaware in a few months, Alexandra Juliano is taking on one of her dream roles — Peter Pan. The Commack High School senior and other young actors, who are all 18 years old or younger, will be hitting the stage at the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts in “Disney’s Peter Pan Jr.,” which opens on May 14.

The Commack native is no stranger to the stage. She has performed in various productions at the Dream Makers Performing Arts School in East Northport as well as her high school, most recently playing Mrs. Lovett in “Sweeney Todd.” Over the last few years, she has appeared at the Smithtown Theater in the junior versions of “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Les Miserables,” as well as the Mainstage production of “The Little Mermaid” as Aquata, one of Ariel’s sisters.

Recently, Juliano took time out from rehearsals to talk about her portrayal of the iconic character of Peter Pan and about growing up.

How did you feel when you heard you got the part?
I was ecstatic; I was over the moon! I love doing shows here, especially the junior shows. I’ve done a Mainstage show and it was amazing, but the junior shows are really nice because I love working with the little kids and all my friends and everything. Peter Pan actually has always been my favorite Disney movie, ever, and Peter Pan himself has always been one of my dream roles. I love “Peter Pan” and everything that it’s about. So, not only did I know it was going to be a great experience because of that, but it’s a part I always wanted to play. I was so proud, so happy, so humbled to get the chance to play it.

What’s it like working with the cast and crew?
Amazing. I’ve done so many shows here and I’ve never had a bad experience from the adults to the directors to the kids. You just get so close to everyone. It’s such a warm environment.

Do you have a favorite song in the play?
I guess I have to say my favorite song is the first time the Darlings fly with me. The “You Can Fly” sequence, where the famous line is, “Neverland is second star to the right, straight on till morning.” I’ve always loved that line. I can’t wait for that magic with the audience, the little kids thinking that we’re flying.

What is the energy like with a children’s audience?
The energy in the audience is always so high. We do autographs after, and obviously performing onstage is amazing, but that’s one of my favorite parts, is the autographs after. For “The Little Mermaid Jr.” I was Sebastian, and the kids, just the things that they would say to you, they really believe that you’re the character. They thought I was this little red crab. I think that’s the best part. These kids come, and they’re so young some of them, and even the ones who are older, and they know that it’s not real, they still get sucked into it. They still have that Disney Magic. Like I said, even though I love performing, obviously, I love the autographs, and the energy that the kids show, the enthusiasm they show.

Do you think some of the kids in the autograph line will realize you’re a girl?
I’ve actually thought about that. I don’t know exactly what response I’m going to give yet if anyone says that to me. I’m thinking I’m going to have a short enough wig and if they say anything to me, I’ll just have to stay in character and say, “No, I’m Peter.” And I hope, even if they do realize I’m a girl, I hope that when I’m onstage, they’ll forget the fact that it’s a girl playing a boy, and just enjoy it for what it is.

Peter Pan and his friends are resistant to growing up. How do you feel about growing up?
It’s scary. I just paid my deposit for college actually this past weekend, and it’s really scary. My brother, my whole life I’ve grown up with me and him being very, very close … my older brother … When I was younger I was always like, “No, I want to be an adult. I want to wear the high heels and the lipstick,” but he was always like, “I just want to stay young forever.” And now that I’m actually wearing the high heels and the lipstick, I love looking back at the memories of being a kid. There are perks of being an adult but then there’s definitely reasons why I see that Peter didn’t want to grow up. It’s definitely a lot more fun being a kid.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I would love to be an actress. Hopefully, knock on wood, but I’m actually majoring in dietetics, so nutritional sciences and stuff like that.

Do you plan on acting at college?
Yes, I plan on minoring in theater. Which is good, since I’m doing the minor, I’ll be able to audition for their shows and everything. And, I know already Ken [Washington] said next year for the summer show I’ll be able to audition for it when I get home from college. So, it’s good. Even though I’m not majoring in it, it will always be a part of my life.

Do you see yourself acting professionally?
I would love to be able to pursue it professionally. It’s such a risky and tough business. My parents have told me you’re more than allowed to audition, and they’ve even told me if you get a part while in school, you’re allowed to take time off to pursue a part on Broadway or off Broadway if you get that opportunity, because they know how important it is to me. I have my backup plan, I have the backup job, but I definitely would love to audition and put myself out there for it.

What advice would you give young actors?
Just keep trying out. You’re not always going to get the part you want. You’re not always going to get the lead role your first try or your second try. But, it’s all about making the best of the role you get, in theater so many people don’t see that, but there’s no bad role. Even ensemble in shows, they’re so much more than ensemble. I’m one of those people I’ll watch a show, and during the big dance numbers, I love seeing the facial expressions of the ensemble, and I love seeing the energy. And, the ensemble really makes or breaks a show. So ensemble is sometimes the best role. Just keep trying. Just keep going. Don’t get down on yourself. Because eventually you’ll get there, you’ll get the role you want.

So far, the experience with “Disney’s Peter Pan Jr.” has left the soon-to-be 18-year-old with  wonderful memories. She said not only does she enjoy working with the whole cast but the musical gives her a chance to perform with one of her best friends Cass Fawcett, who plays Tinker Bell. Juliano also said the young actors playing the Darlings — Moira Swinford (Wendy), Cole Napolitano (John) and Erika Hinson (Michael) — with whom she appears in many scenes, are exceptionally talented.

Catch Juliano and her fellow young actors at the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts until June 19. The theater is located at 2 E. Main St., Smithtown, and tickets are $15 per person. For more information, call 631-724-3700 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.

This version corrects the last name of Erika, who plays Michael Darling.

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Setauket Neighborhood House. File photo

By Irene Ruddock

The Setauket Neighborhood House will host its annual Taste of the Neighborhood fundraising event on Friday, May 13, from 7 to 10 p.m.

Local restaurants, including Fratelli’s, O Sole Mio, Country House, Three Village Inn, Curry Club, Chick-fil-A, Fifth Season, Bliss, Setauket Gourmet Deli, Mario’s, Old Field Club, Setauket Pastaria, Luigi’s, Villa Sorrento and Elegant Eating, will provide their signature dishes accompanied by beer or wine compliments of the SNH.

Live music by members of the Ward Melville High School Jazz Ensemble will enliven the atmosphere, providing a joyful backdrop for all in the local community to re-connect after a long winter while supporting this fundraiser.

Contributing to the festivity of the evening by setting up and serving will be members of the High School Key Club. Raffle baskets, complied by SNH board members with numerous gift certificates from local businesses, will tempt all to purchase tickets. Drawings will be conducted that evening, but you don’t have to be present to win.

Artists Joan Bloom, Anne Katz and Paula Pelletier, all members of the Setauket Artists, will be exhibiting their work as well as each donating an original painting for the raffle. Paintings will be for sale for several weeks after the event, which will give people time to view the exhibit. (Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but call 631-751-6208 for details and gallery hours.) All proceeds from the raffle baskets and sale of paintings will go directly to the Setauket Neighborhood House.

The Setauket Neighborhood House originally was built in the early 1700s. In 1820, it was moved from its Conscience Bay site in Setauket to its present location by Dr. John Elderkin. When passed on to his son John in 1836, the rooms, now known as the Victorian Parlors and the Board Room, were added. The house then became known as Ye Old Elderkin Inn. Besides being an inn, the house also had a general store, post office, bank and library in the building. John Ederkin’s wife, Renelcha, was a woman of great refinement and energy. She oversaw the inn, which was noted for its hospitality and fine food with many famous people stopping there. During the 1860s, the inn serviced a stagecoach line from Setauket and the Lakeland Railroad Deport near Ronkonkoma.

When Dr. Elderkin died in 1885, the house was passed on to his niece, Julia, and then on to Julia’s niece Augusta Elderkin and her husband, Captain Beverly S. Tyler. The Tylers named their inn The Lakeside House and it operated until 1917.

The Old Field industrialist, Eversley Childs and his wife Minnie, purchased the property in May of 1917 and together with an endowment presented it to the community. The Childs also provided funds for the addition of the present-day Ballroom. The Setauket Neighborhood Association was formed to maintain and preserve the house, and it has since served as a community meeting place.

Tickets for this event may be purchased for $30 online at www.setauketnh.org or at the door for $35. Checks may be sent to P.O. Box 2192, Setauket, NY 11733. Please join them at this wonderful community event to raise money for the maintenance and preservation of one of our most beloved community treasures — The Setauket Neighborhood House!

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By Elof Axel Carlson

I learned from my daughter-in-law, Dawn Allen Carlson, that my son John died as he was recovering at home from pneumonia treated with antibiotics. John (1962-2016) could not be revived by the EMT or after being taken to the hospital in Swampscott, Massachusetts, where he lived.

John was a happy child and had many friends at Ward Melville High School. He went to Yale for his bachelor’s degree and loved volleyball, serving as captain of his team. He switched from engineering to mathematics and got his master’s in applied mathematics at Stony Brook University.

John loved history and read widely. He treasured the Civil War narrative histories that he inherited from my brother Roland. I had seen John last at the memorial service for my daughter Claudia. After I finished my presentation on the stage of the Hotel Roger Smith in Manhattan, my son John scooped me off the high platform and gently brought me down to the floor.

John used his skills as an actuary and as a designer of computer software for corporate health and retirement programs. When he was a child, I marveled at his gift for playing Monopoly, where instead of counting out each spot for landing a marker, he just lifted it from the board and placed it where it should be. He was invariably the banker for the game. John was gentle in his personality. During Claudia’s last month of life, he helped move in a hospital bed and rearrange her furniture so she could see people who came by.

I have learned that the hardest psychological impact of aging is being alive to see family members, students and friends younger than me die. It is so unfair that Claudia will not experience holding a grandchild and John will not experience the weddings for his two adult children. But this is characteristic of life. It does not abide by our wishes or logic.

While I know this from my immersion in the life sciences, the injustice of it is hard to rationalize by science or faith. I can hear John’s resonant baritone voice in my head and savor the rational, sympathetic way he handled crises. I shall miss his telephone calls and the delight of discussing history and current events with him filled with wit and insight.

Elof Axel Carlson is a distinguished teaching professor emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Stony Brook University.

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