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Heckscher Museum of Art

The Museum will offer free admission courtesy of Bank of America into 2025

Continuing the legacy of founders August and Anna Heckscher, The Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington has provided the community with free access to its exhibitions, with suggested donations, since reopening its doors after the peak of the pandemic. A grant from Bank of America will allow The Heckscher Museum of Art to offer free admission into 2025, and welcome more visitors and families to enjoy art and community.

“We are grateful to Bank of America for its generosity and partnership,” said Heather Arnet Executive Director & CEO. “Founders Anna and August Heckscher envisioned a thriving ‘museum for all’. This grant will allow the Museum to continue that important mission and ensure that cost will not be a barrier for any individual or family to view the Museum’s fine art collection and exhibitions.”  

The Heckscher Museum was founded in 1920 as a space for the people of Huntington, especially the children, to enjoy free access to world-class art. Throughout the last century, The Heckscher Museum has worked to maintain that legacy through key partnerships and fundraising efforts. These efforts have helped sustain the museum’s quality arts education and outreach programs, caretaking of the permanent collection, and the organization and presentation of renowned art exhibitions.

A supporter of Long Island’s vibrant arts scene and cultural institutions, Bank of America is dedicated to fostering greater cultural understanding through the arts. Providing and expanding access to museums and the arts is critical for enriching local communities and driving social progress. The $25,000 grant will ensure that more visitors will be able to experience The Heckscher Museum’s exhibitions free of charge.

“Making Long Island’s flourishing arts community and cultural institutions accessible to locals and visitors alike has the power to create long-lasting, positive change in our communities,” said Marc Perez, president, Bank of America Long Island. “In partnership with The Heckscher Museum of Art, we look forward to ensuring that access to the museum’s dynamic exhibitions and permanent collection is free to the public.”

August and Anna Heckscher donated the Museum building and original collection of 185 works of art in 1920 to benefit the citizens of Huntington. In his dedication speech, Mr. Heckscher stated that Huntington was to be “one of the few places in the United States outside of the large cities [that] possess galleries of such extent and importance.” He intended this gift to be “especially for the children.” 

About The Heckscher Museum  

The Heckscher Museum of Art is in its second century as a source of art and inspiration on Long Island. Founded by philanthropists Anna and August Heckscher in 1920, the Museum’s collection comprises more than 2,300 works from the 16th to the 21st century, including European and American painting, sculpture, works on paper, and photography. Located in scenic Heckscher Park in Huntington, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visit Heckscher.org for more information. Heckscher.org

About Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 69 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,800 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 57 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BAC). For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

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'Food, Inc. 2'. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

In 2008, Robert Kenner co-wrote and directed the documentary Food, Inc., a searing indictment of the food industry that exposed many of the darkest elements of corporate America’s stranglehold. The film laid bare the unhealthy practices and abuse of animals and industry employees. Additionally, it exposed the handful of companies that ruthlessly controlled the entire market. The film mixed interviews with graphic imagery and segue animations. The brutal but eye-opening film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature. 

Bren Smith, a fisherman turned kelp farmer, is featured in the documentary.
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Now Kenner and producer Melissa Robledo have co-directed the sequel: Food, Inc. 2. The film opens with the impact of the pandemic: The consolidated food system revealed itself as too brittle to weather unpredictability. Further, a lack of protocols failed to protect workers from COVID-19 and the spread of contamination. This transitions into an exploration of immigrant workers manipulated by the system and treated as disposable.

Just as in Food, Inc., the film targets the largest companies. In particular, the Tyson Waterloo meatpacking plant in Iowa comes under fire for refusal to contact trace, leading to 1,300 out of 2,500 employees contracting COVID. The illness seeped into the community, causing exponential deaths. Tyson used fear tactics to pressure Washington to enact the Defense Production Act to keep their slaughterhouses open. And perhaps it is this ongoing corruption that is the heart of the sequel—the blood money that keeps monopolies in power. The four largest meat companies control 85% of the market. 

The film is a portrait of David and Goliath, with small farmers and small businesses crushed by the mega-conglomerates. In addition to dominating the markets, these companies drain water sources, destroy land, and raise animals in tortuous conditions. It is a story of nature vs. capitalism and profits vs. sustainability. Commodity crops—notably corn and soybean—are subsidized by the government. These two items are the pillars of the industrialized food system. 

Food, Inc. 2 focuses a great deal on “ultra-processed food” that relies on chemical flavoring and novelty to create synthetic, ingestible products that lead to addiction, obesity, and other systemic health strains. This destructive food environment offers larger portions, obsession with constant eating, and the cry of “Eat more! Eat more! Eat more!” 

The film touches on a workforce crushed by horrific working conditions, wage theft, and even forced labor. Kenner and Robledo address climate change and global warming. However, the film shows changes in the laws, citing the Fair Food Agreement. It offers the alternatives explored in the food sciences: meat without animals, milk without cows, honey without bees, kelp farming, etc. It highlights the closed loop of a sustainable system with a more natural approach to land and sea stewardship. 

In all this is the haunting question of whether there has been any real change over the last sixteen years—or only the appearance of change. 

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivores Dilemma) host the second film. Their incisive and eloquent presences area welcome support to the narrative. There are interviews with farmers, fishermen, doctors, and scientists. An interesting thread deals with a scientist hired by PepsiCo to explore the relationship between sweetness and calories. When she reported her findings to the giant corporation, it cut off her funding.

One of the most effective testimonies is a fast-food worker who shares the plight of many Americans struggling to survive. She lived out of her car for several years, trying to feed her two children. She has worked for McDonald’s, Popeye’s, and Taco Bell. She reminds us that the average fast-food worker is not a teenager looking to break into the job market, but a thirty-year-old woman with no health care or sick leave. “I’m tired, and nobody knows how tired I am except for the people who go through it like me.” Her story is one of the most powerful in the entire film. 

Among the talking heads is New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, a member of the Agricultural Committee, who vocalizes his desire to fix the broken food system. Montana Senator Jon Tester, a farmer with a firsthand knowledge of the death of family agriculture and mass exodus off the land, complements him. 

Food, Inc. 2 is an important film but not a great one. While it covers a certain amount of new ground and ends on a more hopeful note, its impact is “less than,” and its effect strangely tacit. The immediacy is not as present, giving the sequel a meandering feel. It is not that it lacks edge, but the blade is the same and slightly duller. Cinematically, it approaches the material in an almost identical fashion. A sense of visual repetition makes the film less surprising and ultimately less engaging. Repetitive footage of farms, labs, and grocery aisles becomes predictable. 

But the final message is significant: Individuals can make a difference. “Use your fork, your vote, your voice.”

Food, Inc. 2 is now streaming on Apple TV, Amazon Prime and Vudu. 

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Above, the Condor telescope in New Mexico which is a model for a similar telescope Lanzetta will be building this year in Chile as a Fulbright Scholar. Photo courtesy of Condor Team

By Daniel Dunaief

Five years later, Kenneth Lanzetta is bringing a telescope to Chile.

Professor Kenneth Lanzetta, PhD
Photo courtesy SBU

In 2019, Lanzetta, who is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Stony Brook University, was planning to install a sophisticated state-of-the-art telescope in Chile that could look deep into the dark night sky for low-surface brightness and point sources. The onset of Covid in early 2020, however, disrupted that plan, as Chile closed its borders, leaving him scrambling to find a new site.

“I looked for an alternative I could drive to,” said Lanzetta, as flying was strongly discouraged.

He settled on the Dark Sky New Mexico observatory near Animas to set up a Condor Array Telescope.

Lanzetta had various manufacturers ship components to the site. At the end of 2020, he, his wife Robin Root, and his daughter Ciara drove across the country.

He had originally intended to spend about two weeks in the state. After many problems and delays, he and his wife stayed for more than four months, until early 2021. Ciara returned to college in London in the middle of January.

Lanzetta and Root moved every two weeks, expecting that they would be able to return to Long Island. Each time, delays in the project extended their stay. They figured they visited almost every airbnb in the area.

“I spent Covid in a very isolated part of New Mexico and I didn’t have to be back in Stony Brook,” Lanzetta said. “I had the ability to teach online.”

A view created by Condor and computer technologies of extremely faint shells of ionized gas surrounding the dwarf nova Z Camelopardalis.
Photo from Kenneth M. Lanzetta

While the New Mexico site worked out better than he could have imagined, producing enough information to leave him “awash in data” as he works to publish his findings, Lanzetta is planning to spend the next academic year in Chile. He will split his time between Concepción, Santiago, San Pedro and Cerro Taco, which is where he will install the new Condor telescope at an altitude of 5,200 meters, or 17,060 feet at Atacama National Park.

Lanzetta will serve as a Fulbright Scholar for the 2024-2025 academic year.

The Fulbright scholarship “recognizes the potential of the ‘Condor Array Telescope’ that is based on a possibly paradigm shifting astronomical telescope technology,” Chang Kee Jung, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, said in a statement. “Deploying Condor in Atacama, a premier site for telescopes, opens up a greater opportunity for discoveries.”

That altitude and the expected clear skies in the South American nation will give Lanzetta and his colleagues an opportunity to study extremely faint images that would otherwise be more challenging or even impossible to see from other locations. The good weather and dark conditions also help.

Kenneth Lanzetta in the Atacama Desert. Photo by Robin Root.

The park has a road for access and an optical fiber connection, which makes it possible for him to do what they want to do at the site.

The site is at a high enough altitude that Lanzetta will need to breathe bottled oxygen.

The Stony Brook scientist will build as much of the telescope as he can at a lower elevation, ship it to the site and bolt it in place.

The Condor telescope will use refracting optics from several smaller telescopes into the equivalent of one larger telescope that uses newer and faster complementary metal oxide semiconductor sensors.

Most, but not all, of the components of the telescope are off the shelf. The recent development of extremely capable CMOS sensors, which are used in cell phones, back up cameras for cars and in industry, were not available in an inexpensive commercial format as recently as five years ago.

What Lanzetta plans to do in Chile is replicate the successful effort in New Mexico to capture more light signals in space that are beyond the limits of what conventional telescopes can distinguish.

He plans to create a telescope that, when it functions as it should, can operate autonomously, allowing him to control it from anywhere in the world as it transmits data back to his computers at Stony Brook.

New Mexico results

Lanzetta recently returned from an international conference in Aspen, Colorado, where he presented several results.

Condor revealed intergalactic filaments, which might provide glimpses of the cosmic web. He is actively working on this.

Computer simulations of structure formation in the universe has shown how structure came to be from a universe that was initially smooth.

The simulations suggest dark matter is distributed in a hierarchical fashion, with superclusters, clusters and groups of galaxies connected by filamentary structures that resemble a cosmic web.

Lanzetta has been working to see glowing gas of the cosmic web and he and his colleagues believe it is within reach of the current and the new Condor Atacama.

Higher than Chile?

With the increased visibility at the higher altitude site in Chile, researchers recognize that gathering information even further up in the atmosphere increases the likelihood of finding images from faint objects.

At the Aspen conference, scientists discussed the possibility of launching telescopes designed to study the extremely faint universe on balloons, which might be faster and cheaper than attempting to do this from space.

A resident of Smithtown, Lanzetta lives with his wife Root, who is planning to spend the year in Chile with him. Lanzetta’s son Ryan is finishing his PhD in theoretical condensed matter physics at the University of Washington, while his daughter Ciara is finishing her master’s degree in costume design at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

Growing up in Warminster, Pennsylvania, Lanzetta and his father Anthony used to build things together. When he was 13, Lanzetta had an advanced class radio license. His father helped put together a radio transmitter and receiver and they installed various antennas on the roof.

His father had an undergraduate degree in physics and worked as an engineer. With Ryan’s educational experience, the family has three generations of Lanzettas with degrees in physics.

Lanzetta’s father had a telescope that they used to look at the moon and Saturn. In 1969, when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were walking on the moon, he recalls his father telling him the astronauts were too small to see.

“This is what I was going to do from the time I was conscious,” he said. “It was always the way it was going to be.” 

Indeed, Lanzetta realizes how “lucky I’ve been to be able to spend my entire life” doing this work.

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Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook tennis team ended the regular season with a bang on April 20, securing a 6-1 victory over Queens College. The home victory over the Knights marked head coach Thiago Dualiby’s first career win at University Courts.

 The Seawolves took two of three doubles games to record the point, with Mia Palladino and Elena Lobo-Corral teaming up for a win in game one. Cornelia Bruu-Syversen and Darian Perfiliev took game three to win the clinching point.

Stony Brook then took five of the six singles matches, with Palladino, Lobo-Corral, Bruu-Syversen, Sara Medved, and Debby Mastrodima winning their matches.

“We competed well and were able to handle difficult moments with poise today,” said head coach Thiago Dualiby. “It was a positive way to end the regular season. To play at home and show grit with great support after being on the road the whole season was fantastic.”

Up next, the team will travel to North Carolina for the CAA Championship Tournament, which will take place from April 24 to 28. The Seawolves’ opening matchup is yet to be determined and will be announced at a later date.  

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JT Raab struck out seven Tigers hitters and tossed his first career complete game on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

Pitcher JT Raab fanned seven Towson hitters over nine innings of work to help lead the Stony Brook Seawolves over the Tigers 4-3 on April 21 at Joe Nathan Field, securing the weekend sweep over the Tigers. 

In addition to his seven strikeouts, Raab (4-1) tossed nine innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on six hits and walking none for Stony Brook (20-17, 9-6).

On the offensive side, the Seawolves were paced by Johnny Pilla going 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Also, Ryan Micheli, Cam Santerre, and Erik Paulsen all tallied an RBI in the victory. 

Raab was dealing early this afternoon as he struck out three of the first four batters that he faced in the four inning. Following the 1-2-3 frame in the second for Raab and stranding a Tiger runner on-base in the third inning, the Tigers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the fourth.

However, Stony Brook responded right back with a run of their own to tie the game at 1-1. Pilla started the rally with a double to the opposite field, and ultimately scored later in the inning from a sac-fly off the bat of Ryan Micheli. 

The game remained tied until the very next inning, when the Seawolves got going again on offense. Stony Brook plated two runs off of Towson pitching, punctuated by a run-scoring double off the bat of E. Paulsen, which brought the score to 3-1 in favor of the home team. 

Towson narrowed Stony Brook’s lead to 3-2 before the Seawolves stretched the advantage to 4-2 in the seventh inning. With two outs in the inning, the Seawolves put together three consecutive walks from B. Paulsen, Micheli and Santerre that brought home E. Paulsen. 

In the eighth inning, the right-hander for Stony Brook sat down all Tigers in-order and surrendered a run in the ninth but held on for the complete-game victory. 

The team returned to the diamond on April 23 as they hosted Manhattan for a non-conference battle. Results were not available as of press time.

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Buster
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Buster

MEET BUSTER!

This week’s featured shelter pet is Buster, a three-year-old chocolate lab up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter. 

Handsome Buster arrived at the shelter last September. Young, energetic and a powerhouse of strength at 90 pounds, he loves all people, taking walks and, most of all, food! This guy is full of love and fun but he needs adjustment time to trust new people in the home. Buster is not your typical lab and needs to be in a home with no children, cats or dogs.

If you are interested in meeting Buster, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with him in a domestic setting.

The Town of Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Visitor hours are Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only). For more information, call 631-360-7575 or visit www.townofsmithtownanimalshelter.com.

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The North Shore Chamber Choir recently announced that its program for Spring 2024 will feature the world premiere of David Voss’s work, The Resurrection Promise: A Cantata for Easter. Voss, who is the Artistic Director for the Chamber choir, has written a modern setting for the Easter story, which also features a bell choir, various instrumentalists, and soloists. Voss graduated from Stony Brook University with a Master of Arts in Composition.

Chamber Choir President Mary Cappasso noted, “We are excited to be able to bring David’s musical vision to life this spring and invited new members to join our choir in this effort. We all love to sing different kinds of music – from Handel’s Messiah each holiday season to something new and challenging to our repertoire. The Resurrection Promise is a beautiful piece of music, and we look forward to preparing it for our audiences.”

In celebration of this beautiful music, please join them at one of the following Sing On! concerts:

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 309 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station on April 27 at 7 p.m. Admission is $20.

St. John the Baptist R.C. Church, 1488 North Country Road in Wading River on April 28 at 5 p.m. Suggested donation $20.

The First Baptist Church, 1018 Northville Turnpike in Riverhead on April 30 at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $20 adults, $15 seniors/students.

For more information on the North Shore Chamber Choir or additional concert information please contact [email protected]

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EARTH DAY FUN Become a Water Warrior at the Whaling Museum in Cold Spring Harbor on April 25. Photo courtesy of Whaling Museum
PROGRAMS

Invisible Ink Workshop

Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Road, Setauket will host a STEM workshop for kids in grades 2 to 5 on April 25 from 10 a.m. to noon. The formula to create invisible ink has been lost! Seeking brave young spies, scientists, and historians to discover a new recipe for writing with invisible ink. Choose from top secret ingredients to find the combination for cracking the coded messages. Each session is $5 per child, adults are free. Children get a full year complimentary museum membership following the program. To register, visit www.tvhs.org. 631-751-3730

Spring Break at the Hatchery

Enjoy spring break at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor with various craft programs, hatchery tours, live animal encounters and more on April 25, 26 and 29. Admission fee is $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 children ages 3 to 12. For a full schedule of events, visit www.cshfishhatchery.org. 516-692-6768

Water Warriors

In honor of Earth Day, join the Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor for Water Warriors on April 25 at noon or 2 p.m. Explore the dangerous side effects of water run-off through a hands-on, educator-led watershed model activity. Then, bring the water cycle to life as you construct your very own terrarium to grow plants at home. Admission free + $10 participant, $5 members. ​No registration needed. 631-367-3418

Spring Festival

Join the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor for a Spring Festival on April 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy kid’s fishing, food, music, games, environmental exhibitors and live animal encounters. Admission fee is $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 children ages 3 to 12. 516-692-6768

Art in the Barn

Walt Whitman Birthplace Association, 246 Old Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station presents Art in the Barn, storytime and hands-on art projects for pre-schoolers on April 27, May 4, 18, 25 and June 1 at 11 a.m. $15 per child, $13 members. To register, visit waltwhitman.org/events.

Visit with a School Marm

Step back in time with a visit with a School Marm at the Long Island Museum’s 19th-century one-room Nassakeag Schoolhouse, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook on April 27 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Learn about this historic building and try some school activities from long ago. Free with Museum admission. www.longislandmuseum.org

Storytime Under the Stars

Suffolk County Vanderbilt Planetarium, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport continues its Storytime Under the Stars series on April  28 at 6 p.m. Your favorite bedtime storybooks come to life in the planetarium theater! Children are invited to wear their most comfy pajamas and bring their favorite stuffed animal. Tickets are $8 per persons, $6 for members at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Story & Craft with Nana Carol

The Next Chapter bookstore, 204 New York Ave., Huntington hosts a Story and Craft event with Nana Carol on April 22 at 10:30 a.m. No registration required. Appropriate for ages 0-4. 631-482-5008

Kids Yoga on the Farm

New! Benner’s Farm,56 Gnarled Hollow Road, E. Setauket now offers Kids Yoga classes for ages 5 to 10. First session will be from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. on April 29, May 6, 13 and 20. Classes will focus on easy yoga poses that improve strength and flexibility, breathing exercises, self-awareness, and kindness. Please bring a yoga mat with you to class. $80 per child for 4-week session. Pre-registration is required by calling 631-689-8172 or visit www.bennersfarm.com.

FILM

‘Song of the Sea’

Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington continues its Cinema for Kids! series with a screening of Song of the Sea on April 28 at noon. The film tells the story of Ben and his little sister Saoirse — the last Seal-child — who embark on a fantastic journey across a fading world of ancient legend and magic in an attempt to return to their home by the sea. Tickets are $13 adults, $5 children 12 and under. www.cinemaartscentre.org.

THEATER

‘Alice in Wonderland’

John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport present’s Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland from March 23 to May 12. Alice takes a tumble down an enchanted rabbit hole to an off-kilter world of mock turtles, dancing flora, punctual rabbits, and mad tea parties. Playing cards hold court, and nothing is as it seems in this land where whimsy and wordplay are the order of the day. Will Alice be able to find her footing in this bizarre place? More importantly, will she ever figure out how to get home?All seats are $20. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

‘The Adventures of Peter Rabbit’

Join Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson for a perennial favorite, The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, from April 13 to 27. “Over the hill and through the garden …” That mischievous rabbit Peter just can’t stay out of the McGregors’ garden! But with help from  his sisters—Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-Tail—and his cousin, Benjamin Bunny, Peter learns the power of sharing and caring. Tickets are $12. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. 

Disney’s ‘Finding Nemo Jr.’

Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown presents Disney’s Finding Nemo daily from April 20 to 28. Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. Tickets are $25 per person. Tickets are $25 per person. To order, visit www.smithtownpac.org.

‘Willy Wonka’

Community Playhouse of Northport presents Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka at The Brosnan Theater, 158 Laurel Ave., Northport on May 3, 4 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. and May 5 and 12 at 3 p.m. Character meet and greets will be from 2:15 to 2:45 p.m. at Sunday performances. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 students and seniors. To order, visit www.communityplayhousenorthport.org. 631-683-8444

‘You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown’

Simple Gifts Productions presents You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown at 7:30 p.m. on May 3 and 4 at First United Methodist Church, 603 Main Street, Port Jefferson. This revised version is a fresh approach to the all-time 1967 classic, based on the beloved comic strip by Charles Schultz. Featuring all your favorite Peanuts characters, this charming revue of vignettes and songs is fun for the whole family (ages 4 and older). Tickets are $15 at the door or at www.simplegiftsproductions.com.

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CELTIC SPIRITS The Tannahill Weavers, from left, Malcolm Busby, Phil Smillie, Roy Gullane, and Iain MacGillivray bring Scottish tunes to the Long Island Museum on April 28. Photo courtesy of Charles Backfish
Thursday April 25

Long Island Guitar Festival

The 32nd annual Long Island Guitar Festival at the Setauket Presbyterian Church, 5 Caroline Ave., Setauket continues today through April 28. The festival will feature guitarists: Ana Vidovic, Eden-Stell Guitar Duo, David Leisner, Huy Thanh Nguyen, Nicoletta Todesco, Harris Becker, Ana Marie Rosado, James Erickson, Laura Lessard and Owen Wang, winner of the 2023 LIGF High School Classical Guitar Competition. Tickets are available online at www.ligfest.net.

SBU Presidential lecture

Celebrated public health reporter,  journalist, editor and Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Linda Villarosa, will join Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis for the second Presidential Lecture entitled “A Conversation with Linda Villarosa: Answering the Call: A Special Series on Climate Change” in the Charles B. Wang Center Theatre, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook at 5 p.m. In addition to the lecture,  the event will include a Q&A,  book signing, and reception to follow. RSVP at stonybrook.edu/presidentiallecture.

Native American Drumming

All Souls Parish House, 10 Mill Pond Road, Stony Brook, will host an evening of Native American Drumming Meditation from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Led by elder drummer, Ric Statler, drumming meditation seeks to integrate the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual parts of the human self, creating a state of well-being. 631-655-7798

Friday April 26

Long Island Guitar Festival

See April 25 listing.

Friday Food Truck Fest

Three Village Historical Society, 93 North County Road, Setauket hosts a Friday Food Truck Fest tonight from 4 to 7 p.m. Grab a delicious dinner, pull up a picnic table, and hang out with friends and neighbors. The historic house will be open for free tours during the event. 631-751-3730

Spring Football Showcase

The Stony Brook University football team will host the Frank Conti ’11 Memorial Spring Showcase at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium with kickoff at 6:10 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature fast-paced football and a Fan Fest, an interactive on-field experience for fans along with a postgame BBQ ($10 per person). For more information, call 631-632-7705.

Coffee House Concert

Celebrate St. James continues its Coffee House series at the St. James Community Cultural Arts Center, 176 Second St., St. James with a concert by John Zollo featuring the songs of Neil Diamond at 7 p.m. with special coffee beverages and tea along with dessert. Tickets are $25 per person, $20 members. For more info, visit www.celebratestjames.org.

Friday Night Face Off

Friday Night Face Off, Long Island’s longest running Improv Comedy Show, returns to Theatre Three’s Second Stage, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson tonight at 10:30 p.m. Using audience suggestions, FNFO pits two teams of improvisers against each other in an all-out championship! Recommended for ages 16 and up, due to adult content. Tickets are $15 at the door – cash only. 631-928-9100

Saturday April 27

Long Island Guitar Festival

See April 24 listing.

Earth Day Celebration

Suffolk County Farm, 350 Yaphank Road, Yaphank hosts an Earth Day Celebration event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a Master Gardener Plant Sale (8 a.m. to 3 p.m.), family fun, eco-friendly demonstrations, pollinator treasure hunt, face painting, rain barrel demonstration and wagon rides (fee). Free admission to the event. 631-852-4600

Antiques and Garden Weekend

Port Jefferson Village Center, 101A East Broadway, Port Jefferson hosts the annual Antiques and Garden Weekend today and April 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Featuring over 20 quality antique dealers featuring estate and antique jewelry, vintage trains, folk art, furniture, vintage linens, artwork, depression glass, memorabilia, antiques, retro items, collectibles, vintage garden items and Suwassett Garden Club Plant Boutique. Admission is $6. Sponsored by the Port Jefferson Historical Society and the Village of Port Jefferson. www.portjeff-antiques-garden.com

Arbor Day Walk

Town of Brookhaven hosts an Arbor Day Walk at West Meadow Beach, 100 Trustees Road, Stony Brook at 10 a.m. and Cedar Beach Nature Center, 244 Harbor Road, Mt. Sinai at 2 p.m. Come take a closer look at the trees that shape the landscape and support the ecosystem on these beautiful north shore peninsulas. Free but registration is required by emailing [email protected].

Spring Village Craft Fair

Time to shop! Smithtown Historical Society, 239 Main St., Smithtown hosts a Spring Village Craft Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The outdoor event will feature over 100 vendors with live music and food trucks. Free admission. Held rain or shine. For further details, call 631-846-1459.

Dairy Tour at Caumsett

Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, 25 Lloyd Harbor Road, Huntington hosts a Historic Dairy Tour of Caumsett at 10 a.m. Come walk with author John Barone as he circles the Dairy Barn Complex as he talks about the history of the site. Get a chance to go inside and look at the amazing hay barn, milking barn and dry stock barn. $8 per person. To sign up, visit www.caumsettfoundation.org/programs.

Community and Music Festival

Greater Middle County Chamber of Commerce hosts the 3rd annual Community and Music Festival at the Elks Lodge, 41 Horseblock Road, Centereach from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Featuring live music, food trucks, vendor booths, beer garden, kids activities and much more. Free admission. 

Eid-al-Fitr Celebration

Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico invites the community to the annual Eid-al-Fitr Celebration at Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville at 3 p.m. with guest speakers, presentations and food. Free. No registration needed. For more information, call 631-451-8696.

Chamber Choir Spring Concert

North Shore Chamber Choir invites the community to a spring concert at St Paul’s Lutheran Church, 309 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station tonight at 7 p.m. ($20 admission); at St. John the Baptist R.C. Church, 1488 North Country Road in Wading River on April 28 at 5 p.m. ($20 suggested donation); and at The First Baptist Church, 1018 Northville Turnpike in Riverhead on April 30 at 7:30 p.m. ($20 adults, $15 seniors/students). Featuring the world premiere of David Voss’s work, The Resurrection Promise: A Cantata for Easter. For more info, email [email protected].

Baroque Concert

St. James Episcopal Church, 490 North Country Road, St. James hosts a spring concert by the Long Island Baroque Ensemble, The Magic of Bach, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35 adults, $30 seniors, $15 students, children free online at www.libaroque.org or at the door. 

Sunday April 28

Long Island Guitar Festival

See April 25 listing.

Antiques and Garden Weekend

See April 27 listing.

Chamber Choir Spring Concert

See April 27 listing.

Caumsett Hike

Join the staff at Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, 25 Lloyd Harbor Road, Huntington for a Nature on the Move hike from 9:45 a.m. to noon. The 4 mile hike will include observations of the fields and woods on the west side of Caumsett. Adults only. $4 per person. Advance registration required by calling 631-423-1770.

Spring Craft & Vendor Fair

The Polish American Independent Club, 35 Jayne Blvd., Port Jefferson Station will host their annual Spring Craft & Vendor Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The indoor/outdoor event will feature a variety of unique vendors and will be held rain or shine. Free admission. 516-383-3456

Spring Wellness Expo

Celebrate Business Community presents a Spring Wellness Expo at the St. James Community Cultural Arts Center, 176 2nd St., St. James from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Meet local businesses and services to keep you healthy and well with workshops scheduled throughout the day. Free admission. To RSVP, visit www.celebratestjames.org. 631-984-0201

The Band Easy Street in Concert

Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station welcomes The Band Easy Street in concert from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Enjoy an eclectic mix of popular music from the Beatles to Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffet to Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Cash to Elvis, and more. Open to all. Call 631-928-1212 or visit www.cplib.org to reserve your seat.

Silver Chords Concert

The Bates House, 1 Bates Road, Setauket hosts a spring concert by the Silver Chords Chorus at 2 p.m. Titled “Old, New, Borrowed, and Blues,” the afternoon will feature the classics and music from the archives, original compositions, multicultural works and jazz numbers plus gift basket raffles. Admission is free. 631-235-3593

Mountain Maidens in concert

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, 97 Main St., Stony Brook  presents a concert by Mountain Maidens from 3 to 4 p.m. The event is free with general admission ticket purchase. 631-689-5888, www.limusichalloffame.org. 

Tannahill Weavers head to LIM

WUSB’s Sunday Street Series continues at the Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook with a concert by the Tannahill Weavers in the Carriage Museum’s Gillespie Room at 5 p.m. The “Tannies” have been trailblazers for Scottish music, and their tight harmonies and powerful, inventive arrangements have won them fans from beyond the folk and Celtic music scenes.  From reflective ballads to foot stomping reels and jigs, the variety and range of the material they perform is matched only by their enthusiasm and lively Celtic spirits. Tickets are $25 in advance at www.sundaystreet.org through April 26, $30 cash at the door. 

Monday April 29

Food as Medicine

Mt. Sinai Congregational Church, 233 North Country Road, Mt. Sinai will host a lecture and cooking series on Food as Medicine, presented by dietitian Ian Marghoob MS, RD tonight from 7 to 8 p.m. $20 per person. To register, call  631-473-1582 or email [email protected].

Tuesday April 30

Chamber Choir Spring Concert

See April 27 listing.

University Orchestra at SBU

Stony Brook University’s Staller Center, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook hosts a concert by the University Orchestra, a 70-member ensemble of undergraduate students, on the Main Stage at 7:30 p.m. Conducted by Susan Deaver, the University Orchestra will perform Lili Boulanger’s “D’un matin de printemps” and Shostakovich Symphony No. 5. Featured violinist Sophie Bowden will perform the first movement of Erick Wolfgang Krongold’s Violin Concerto in D Major. Tickets are $15 adults, $10 seniors, $5 students at the box office or by calling 631-632-2787.

Wednesday May 1

No events listed for this day.

Thursday May 2

Crafts & Cocktails

​Have you ever wondered how exactly a ship gets into a bottle? Join the Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor to uncork the secret behind this enduring folkcraft at its Crafts & Cocktails event from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Explore examples from the museum’s Kappel Ship in a Bottle Collection up close. Then, sip a Dark & Stormy cocktail as you create your very own ship model in a jar. For adults 21+. Fee is $30 per person, $20 members. To register, visit www.cshwhalingmuseum.org. 631-367-3418

Vanderbilt Lecture

Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport continues its lecture series at the Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium Theater with Save the Sound: A lecture on ecology and advocacy at 7 p.m. Conservationists Bill Lucey and Louise Harrison will give a presentation on protecting and improving the land, air, and water of the Long Island Sound region. Tickets are $10 per person at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Film

‘The Bird Men’

Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station will present  a viewing of The Bird Men starring Tom Cavanagh, Fred Willard, and Graham Greene at 2 p.m. Open to all. Call 631-928-1212 to reserve your seat. 

Theater 

‘Jersey Boys’

Extended! John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St. Northport presents Jersey Boys, the story of Franki Valli & The Four Seasons, from March 14 to June 16. They were just 4 guys from Jersey until they sang their very first note–a sound the radio just couldn’t get enough of. But while their harmonies were perfect on stage, off stage was a different story–a story that has made them a sensation all over again. Winner of the 2006 Tony© Award for “Best Musical,” Jersey Boys features the top ten hits “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like A Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” and “December, 1963 (Oh What A Night).” To order tickets, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. 

‘Murder on the Orient Express’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson continues its Mainstage season with Murder on the Orient Express, a thrilling mystery about the most infamous case of one of fiction’s most famous detectives, from April 6 to May 4. Murder and mayhem await renowned investigator Hercule Poirot as he boards a train filled with treachery and intrigue. Featuring a shadowy American, a train full of suspects, a notebook’s worth of alibis, and a singular Belgian sleuth whose mustache twitches at murder, all aboard the Orient Express! Tickets are $40 adults, $32 seniors and students, $25 children ages 5 to 12. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. 

 ‘(mostly) TRUE THINGS’

The Performing Arts Studio, 224 E. Main St, Port Jefferson hosts a performance of (mostly) TRUE THINGS, a game wrapped in a storytelling show that features stories related to the themes in Star Wars on May 4 at 7 p.m. The star-studded case includes Lydia Franco-Hodges, Mindy Pfeiffer and Adam Grundfest. Tickets are $20 online at www.eventbrite.com or $25 at the door (cash only). 

Farmers Markets

Port Jefferson Farmers Market

The Port Jefferson Winter Farmers Market returns to the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through April 28. 631-802-2160

Lake Grove Farmers Market

Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove hosts a Winter Farmers Market in the southwestern quadrant of the parking lot (adjacent to Bahama Breeze) on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 516-444-1280

Class Reunions

•Centereach High School Class of 1974 will hold its 50th reunion at the Meadow Club, 1147 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station on April 26 from 6 to 10 p.m. For more information, email Jean Ann Renzulli at [email protected].

•Port Jefferson High School Class of 1964 will hold its 60th reunion at the Meadow Club, 1147 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station on Oct. 17. For more information, email Mike Whelen at [email protected].

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Smithtown Masonic Lodge
Smithtown Masonic Lodge
Smithtown Masonic Lodge
Smithtown Masonic Lodge
Smithtown Masonic Lodge

Submitted by William Mountzouros

On April 20,  the Smithtown Masonic Lodge marked a significant milestone as it celebrated the 75th anniversary and re-dedication of its building located at 34 River road in Smithtown. Since its inception in 1948, the lodge has been an integral part of the Smithtown community, serving as a beacon of fellowship, charity, and service.

The anniversary celebration was attended by numerous members of the Smithtown community, including business leaders and residents who have long benefited from the lodge’s events and philanthropic endeavors. Among the distinguished guests were representatives from the Grand Lodge of the State of New York, Grand Chapter of the State of New York, and delegates from other lodges across the state.

A highlight of the event was also a solemn re-dedication ceremony of a concordant body of Royal Arch Masonry, Asharokan Chapter No. 288 that celebrated its 125th year.

These Masonic organizations continue to be committed to the principles of brotherhood and community service. As part of the ceremony, a time capsule was also sealed, containing artifacts and memorabilia from the lodge’s history, to be opened during its 100th and 150th anniversary in 2048, providing future generations with a glimpse into the rich heritage of Freemasonry in Smithtown.

Freemasonry, a fraternal organization, is dedicated to fostering brotherhood and aiding those in need, has a long and storied history dating back centuries. Its members, known as Freemasons, are united by shared values and a commitment to helping others, both within their organization and in the broader community. With a presence in various forms around the world, Freemasonry continues to uphold its tradition of service and fellowship, exemplified by institutions like these.

As the Smithtown Masonic Lodge and Asharokan Chapter commemorate these milestone anniversaries they remain dedicated to the service of the Smithtown community. Its members look forward to continuing their mission of promoting goodwill, charity, and brotherhood for many years to come.

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