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Fathom Events and Universal Pictures celebrate the 70th anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock’s landmark 1954 thriller Rear Window by bringing it back to select theaters nationwide on Sunday, Aug. 25 and Wednesday, Aug. 28.

The film tells the gripping story of a recuperating photographer (James Stewart) who suspects his neighbor may be a murderer. As the mystery develops, he enlists his girlfriend (Grace Kelly) to help him investigate and piece together the clues as they race to bring the full picture into focus.

Rear Window was nominated for four Academy Awards®, including Best Director and Best Screenplay, and boasts a talented ensemble that also includes Raymond Burr, Thelma Ritter, and Wendell Corey.

Each screening features an exclusive introduction by film legend Leonard Maltin, giving viewers an in-depth look at the iconic film that was famously heralded as “The Essential Hitchcock.”

Locally the film will be screened at AMC Loews Stony Brook 17, Island 16: Cinema de Lux in Holtsville, Showcase Cinema de Lux in Farmingdale and Regal UA in Farmingdale. 

Up next is Blazing Saddles (50th anniversary) on Sept. 15 and 18, The Matrix (25th anniversary), Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story on Sept. 21 and 25, and Mean Girls (20th anniversary) on Oct. 3 and 6. 

For times and to purchase tickets in advance, visit www.fathomevents.com.

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Miller Place Homemakers is currently welcoming new members. Come join the fun and community service experience. First business meeting of the year is at the Rose Caracappa Senior Center, 739 Route 25A, Mt Sinai on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m. You do not have to live in Miller Place to join. The group gathers on Wednesday evenings to share their skills in painting, knitting and crocheting, sewing, cooking, games etc. They support local charities and food pantries and give scholarships to local students. After this first meeting, should you choose to join them, dues are $20 a year. For more information, call Margo 631-732-5423.

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Gordon Heights and Patchogue Seventh Day Adventists Churches will host a Community Health Fair at Granny Road Park, 615 Granny Road, Medford on Sunday, Aug. 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will feature free health screenings, free counseling, free massages, Stony Brook Hospital mammogram information and sign up, along with information on cancer prevention, cardiovascular disease prevention, stroke education & prevention, nutritional counseling, behavioral and mental health counseling, real estate education, and much more. For more information, call 631-384-9060 or 631-698-0912.

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Pixabay photo

Suffolk County Legislator Steven Englebright (D-Setauket) invites residents to join him in helping to ensure local elementary school students have the essential supplies they need for the upcoming academic year. Donations for a back-to-school drive will be accepted at the legislator’s office, 306 Main Street, Port Jefferson, until Sept. 15. Supplies will be donated to United Way of Long Island.

Items needed for students in first to fifth grade include backpacks, lunch boxes, notebooks, pencils, crayons, Post-its, index cards and more. Donated items must be new and can be dropped off at the legislator’s office from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, email [email protected] or call 631-854-1650.

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Mediterranean Lentil Salad

By Heidi Sutton

When the weather heats up, it’s time to turn to lighter, fresher ingredients and the following salads do not disappoint. This farro salad combines creamy goat cheese, tangy dried cranberries and fresh baby spinach with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette for a delicious dish that’s ready in just 25 minutes while this lentil salad is packed with of lots of veggies, feta cheese and an easy homemade lemon vinaigrette.

Farro Salad

Recipe courtesy of Grace Vilches/healthyfamilyproject.com

Farro Salad

YIELD: Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

1 cup pearled farro

3 Tbsp. light olive oil

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic minced

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 cups chopped baby spinach

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3 oz. crumbled goat cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Cook farro according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, add oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper to small mason jar. Place lid on top and shake to combine well. Set aside to let flavors marinate. Once farro has cooled slightly, mix with spinach, cranberries and goat cheese. Pour dressing over top and toss to combine.

Notes: Use a light-tasting olive oil for the dressing. Regular olive oil can have a stronger flavor and effect the flavor of the dish a bit. This recipe can be made ahead of time and keeps in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.

Mediterranean Lentil Salad 

Recipe courtesy of Julie Harrington, RD/ healthyfamilyproject.com

Mediterranean Lentil Salad

YIELD: Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

1 cup brown lentils cooked according to package directions

1 English cucumber diced

1 small red onion finely chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes quartered

1/2 red bell pepper diced

1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

1/3 cup feta cheese crumbled

3 Tablespoons olive oil

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

DIRECTIONS:

Combine lentils, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, pepper, parsley, and feta cheese in large bowl. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and honey in separate bowl or small mason jar. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Notes: Chop veggies into dime-sized pieces or smaller so you can enjoy all the flavors in every bite. This salad is best when prepped 30 minutes or more ahead of time so that the flavors can marinate. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days.

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Disabled / handicap parking. METRO photo

By Britt Burner, Esq.

Britt Burner Esq.

For disabled individuals, it can be difficult to navigate public benefits, especially when you have assets or income that exceed the allowable limits. Two commonly used vehicles to manage assets are Achieving a Better Life Experience (“ABLE”) accounts and Supplemental Needs Trusts (SNTs).

In September 2017, New York State passed a law authorizing ABLE accounts for disabled individuals in accordance with the federal law. ABLE accounts allow for money to be saved by someone receiving public benefits, such as SSI, without affecting eligibility.

To qualify for an ABLE account, the beneficiary must be diagnosed with a significant disability before age 26. Contributions can be made to the account by the beneficiary, friends, family members, or 529 college savings account rollover, but the total annual contribution cannot exceed a certain limit, which is pegged to the gift tax exemption. This amount is $18,000 in 2024 and is subject to change year by year. Employed beneficiaries may deposit an additional amount up to the Federal Poverty Line for a one-person household, but only if they are not contributing to a retirement savings account in that year. The 2024 Federal Poverty line amount is $14,580 in the continental US. 

However, ABLE account balances are limited. Under the SSI program, the first $100,000 in the account is disregarded as a resource. Any amount above that is counted as a resource. The SSI resource limit is $2,000. If you exceed this, SSI payments will stop until the resources are below the allowable limit. 

A disabled person may spend their ABLE account funds on “qualified disability expenses,” which are expenses and basic costs of living that are intended to maintain and improve their quality of life. These qualified expenses include but are not limited to education; health and wellness; groceries; housing; transportation; legal fees; assistive technology; personal support services; funeral/burial expenses, etc. 

Depending on the amount of money the recipient of benefits has and the anticipation of future funds, either from earnings or inheritance, it may be prudent to consider creating an SNT (supplemental needs trust) in addition to the ABLE account. 

Like the ABLE account, SNTs allow people with disabilities to save money without affecting their eligibility for public benefits such as SSI. There are two main types of SNTs. A first-party trust is self-funded by the beneficiary of the trust. To create a first-party SNT, the beneficiary must be younger than 65 years old. New funds may not be deposited into this SNT after the beneficiary turns 65. A third-party trust is funded by someone else, such as a parent or grandparent. There are no limits to the amount that can be contributed into either of these trusts per year, and there is no limit to the total asset balances in the trust. 

A trustee will be designated to control the assets in the trust and oversee the management and disbursement of its funds. SNTs allow the beneficiary to use the funds for expenses not paid for by public benefits. Such expenses can include clothes, entertainment, educational and recreational expenses, and transportation. SNTs may not be used for everyday expenses such as groceries. 

While SNTs do not have contribution or balance limits as ABLE accounts do, they have more complicated rules for what the funds can be used for. A qualifying individual does not need to choose between the two accounts. An SNT can be established for purchases and expenses not covered by public benefits, and an ABLE account can be set up for basic cost of living expenses and everyday expenses. 

Navigating the placement of funds while qualifying for government benefits can be complicated. However, with proper planning, the use of the funds can be maximized to the individual while also receiving the benefit of public assistance.

Britt Burner, Esq. is a Partner at Burner Prudenti Law, P.C. focusing her practice areas on Estate Planning and Elder Law. Burner Prudenti Law, P.C. serves clients from New York City to the east end of Long Island with offices located in East Setauket, Westhampton Beach, Manhattan and East Hampton.

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The author with his granddaughter at West Meadow Beach.

By Thomas M. Cassidy

Thomas M. Cassidy

According to a new CNBC poll, Social Security is a top issue for most American voters, so let’s strengthen this vital program rather than water it down. 

Social Security has provided essential economic support for Americans for almost 100 years. The program, which provides workers with inflation-protected retirement, disability and survivorship benefits, is a model for the world: It’s such an effective, efficient and easy-to-understand program that its principal features have been adopted by more than 170 countries.   

Social Security is not a welfare program; it’s paid for by workers. For 2024, workers are taxed 12.4% on their income up to $168,600. If you work for someone, a 6.2% tax is taken out of your paycheck and your employer pays the other 6.2%. If you are self-employed, you pay the full 12.4% when you file your taxes. The more years you work, the more tax you pay and the higher your benefit.

However, the trustees of the Social Security trust fund estimate that Social Security will be able to pay 100% of scheduled benefits only until 2033, and “at that time, the fund’s reserves will become depleted and continuing program income will be sufficient to pay 79 percent of scheduled benefits.” 

One proposed solution has been raising the full retirement age from 67 to 70. But that would hurt millennials and Gen Z workers and gain us only a few more years of solvency. Twenty-five or 30 years from now, monthly Social Security checks might be the only lifeline to keep retired workers from poverty. Keep in mind: People can’t work into their older years if artificial intelligence takes their jobs, and Goldman Sachs estimates that 25% of current work tasks could be automated by AI. 

There is another solution.

Medicare and Medicaid programs have wasted trillions of taxpayer dollars since the beginning of this century, money that could have been used to fully fund the Social Security Trust Fund. For example, the Government Accountability Office estimates the combined Medicare and Medicaid programs paid out more than $100 billion in improper payments in 2023 alone.

As a former senior investigator for the New York State Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, it’s disheartening to see that every year hundreds of billions of dollars are stolen from government health programs, especially knowing that the taxpayer money stolen from these essential, but dysfunctional, programs could keep Social Security on track.

President John F. Kennedy said, “One true measure of a nation is its success in fulfilling the promise of a better life for each of its members.” Fully funding Social Security will help us keep our promise for a better life for millennials, Gen Z and future generations of Americans.

Thomas M. Cassidy, an economist, is the creator of the TV series, Manhattan South, which is in development. (ktpgproductions.com)

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Get up close and personal with turtles at Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery's Turtle Experience.
PROGRAMS

Turtle Experience

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor offers a Turtle Experience Aug. 22 to Aug. 31 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Meet the youngest hatchling turtles and adult turtles too. Discover why turtles play an important role in our environment and how you can help protect their habitat and way of life. Get a picture with your favorite turtle. Each session is 20 minutes. $12 per person. Online registration required at cshfishhatchery.org. 516-692-6768

Tiny Tots in a Tiny World

Sunken Meadow State Park, Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park presents a program for ages 3 to 5, Tiny Tots in a Tiny World, on Aug. 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Enjoy short walks, story time, animal visitors, and crafts. $4 per child. Reservations taken on eventbrite.com.

First Steps in Nature

Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown continues its First Steps in Nature series for ages 2 to 4 on Aug. 23 at 9:30 a.m. with hands-on exciting activities, crafts, stories and much more. Children will gain a greater appreciation of nature and wildlife while having fun. $20 per child. To register, visit sweetbriarnc.org. 631-979-6344

Game Time!

Children ages 3 to 12 with a parent or caregiver are invited to drop by Emma Clark Library, 120 Main St., Setauket for some free play with board games on Aug. 24 from 2 to 4 p.m. No registration required. Questions? Email [email protected]

Story & Craft with Nana Carol

The Next Chapter bookstore, 204 New York Ave., Huntington hosts a Story and Craft event with Nana Carol on Aug. 26 at 10:30 a.m. Free. No registration required. Appropriate for ages 0-4. 631-482-5008

Perler Palooza

Children in grades K-6 with a parent or caregiver are invited to stop by Emma Clark Library, 120 Main St., Setauket to make a Perler bead creation of your choice on Aug. 27 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. No registration required. Questions? Email [email protected]

Growing Up Wild

Town of Brookhaven hosts a children’s program for ages 3 to 6, Growing Up Wild, on Aug. 31 at Cedar Beach Nature Center, Harbor Beach Blvd., Mt. Sinai at 10 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. Parents and grandparents are invited to explore nature with their little ones. Each class will focus on a different nature topic and may include a story time, live animals and an activity. Free but registration is required by emailing [email protected]

Field Journaling Workshop

Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, 581 W. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown presents a Field Journaling Workshop for ages 12 and up on Aug. 31 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.  Explore the Preserve with a pencil in hand as you sketch the natural world. All skill levels are welcome and all materials are provided, but feel free to bring your own. Reservations taken on eventbrite.com.

Art in the Barn

Walt Whitman Birthplace, 246 Old Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station  continues its Art in the Barn series for children in Pre-K to 3rd Grade and their parent/guardian with a workshop on Ancient Hieroglyphics on Aug. 31 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Taught by Lena Massari Sawyer, come learn to write your name in ancient hieroglyphics and try on a pharaoh’s crown.  $35 per child and guardian, $20 second child. Pre-registration is required by visiting  waltwhitman.org.

THEATER

‘Finding Nemo Jr.’

Extended! Summer fun continues at the John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport with Finding Nemo Jr. from July 20 to Sept. 1. In this musical adaptation of the beloved 2003 Pixar movie, Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as Dory, Crush, and the Tank Gang, Marlin, and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves. All seats are $20. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit engemantheater.com.

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St. Charles Hospital Emergency Department ribbon cutting on 8/19/24. Photo courtesy of St. Charles Hospital

Catholic Health’s St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson hosted a ceremonial ribbon cutting for its Emergency Department (ED) expansion on Aug. 14. The event was attended by Catholic Health executive leadership, hospital staff, as well as local elected officials and community partners. The newly renovated and expanded emergency department officially opened to patients on Aug. 19.

The $10 million project, was partially funded with a $4.2 million grant from the New York State Facility Transformation program, as well as other funds supported by Catholic Health and philanthropic support. The ED expansion includes an additional 4,000 square feet, doubling the size, with 10 more treatment bays and a larger waiting room.

“St. Charles’ ED expansion will provide an opportunity to better manage patient flow and address the disparate needs of patients seeking emergency care, allowing for the overall higher quality of patient care,” said St. Charles Hospital President James O’Connor. “We are very excited for this major facility improvement, allowing us to continue to meet the emergent medical needs of the communities we serve.”

In addition, the renovations include additional space, which will allow for better patient management of those seeking medically supervised chemical dependency withdrawal and stabilization and rehabilitation services.

“Long Island has a drug problem of epic proportions, but Catholic Health does not run from this challenge,” said Catholic Health President and CEO Patrick O’Shaughnessy, DO, MBA. “St. Charles’ expanded ED will include an additional care environment, offering specialized care for dependency patients. This will allow doctors and nurses to focus on the needs of distinct patient populations, safely and effectively.”

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Jennifer M. Cushman, MD

New York Spine & Pain Specialists, a division of New York Health (NY Health), has announced the addition of Jennifer M. Cushman, MD, to its Interventional Pain and Spine team. 

Dr. Cushman is dedicated to providing support and interventions to treat chronic pain and joint-related pathologies, improve ambulation and function, and improve her patients’ independence and quality of life. She also specializes in treating various chronic pain and joint conditions, including low back pain, knee, shoulder, and various joint-related pathologies using both ultrasound and fluoroscopy techniques. 

She speaks English, Spanish, and Polish.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Jennifer Cushman to our team,” said Dr. Chris Ng, MD, Executive Director of NY Health. “Her extensive training, clinical research background, and commitment to patient-centered care align perfectly with our mission to provide the highest-quality pain management services.”

“I am excited to join New York Health, a rapidly growing practice renowned for its wide array of interventional and minimally invasive surgical treatment options for chronic pain,” said Dr. Cushman. “NY Health offers numerous academic opportunities that will allow me to pursue clinical research and advance cancer pain management, ultimately helping patients who are suffering.”

Dr. Cushman will practice at 5316 Nesconset Highway, Port Jefferson Station and 300 Old Country Road, Suite 1, Riverhead. To make an appointment, please call 631-474-0707. 

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