Arts & Entertainment

Catch a screening of 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' at the Cinema Arts Centre on June 11.
PROGRAMS

Bicycle Rodeo

Town of Brookhaven hosts a Bicycle Rodeo at Safety Town, 249 Buckley Road, Holtsville on June 10 from 8 a.m. to noon. Children will learn how to safely ride their bikes in a mock-roadway, kid-sized setting. Safety Town features roads with turning lane arrows; a railroad crossing; and two one-way tunnels to teach children the dangers of one-way streets; and timed traffic lights. Participants of all ages will be evaluated and given feedback on their own bicycle-handling abilities, after proper bicycle safety skills are demonstrated. Free. Call 631-451-5335 to reserve your spot.

Pizza & Painting

Celebrate St. James hosts an afternoon of Pizza & Painting at the St. James Calderone Theatre, 176 Second St., St. James on June 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Enjoy a pizza lunch and create a painting to take home. $20 first child and adult, $10 additional child/adult. To register, visit www.celebratestjames.org. Call 631-984-0201 for more information.

Crafternoon at the Library

Children ages 3 to 12 are invited to drop by Emma Clark Library, 120 Main St., Setauket  on June 10 between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. to choose from a potluck of crafts to make and take home. Free and open to all. No registration required. 631-941-4080.

Flag Retirement Ceremony

The Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Road, Setauket will lead a family-friendly, interactive United States Flag Retirement Ceremony at 5 p.m. Girl Scout Troops, BSA Troops, Cub Scout Packs and the community are invited to participate along with members from the Daughters of the Revolution and Veterans of Foreign Wars to learn the steps involved to properly retire the U.S. Flag by fire. 631-751-3730

THEATER

‘Chicago: Teen Edition’

Productions Over the Rainbow presents Chicago: Teen Edition at the Stony Brook School’s Carson Auditorium, 1 Chapman Parkway, Stony Brook on June 9 at 7 p.m. and June 10 at 2 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. Rated PG-13. Tickets are $23 at www.potr.org. For more information, call 631-696-6817.

‘Cinderella’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson closes its children’s theatre season with its original retelling of the poor waif Cinderella from May 27 to June 17. The classic love story finds its power in a pumpkin, a palace, a prince and a young girl whose belief in herself can overcome any obstacle. When her Fairy Godmother adds a dash of excitement, the magical possibilities are endless. Don’t miss this musical enchantment for the entire family. All seats are $10. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. 

‘Flat Stanley’

John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley from May 28 to July 2 with a sensory friendly performance on June 10 at 11 a.m. Stanley Lambchop is an ordinary ten-year-old who longs to travel the world and do something amazing! Careful what you wish for, Stanley! One morning, Stanley wakes up really, REALLY flat! In a whirlwind musical travelogue, Stanley scours the globe for a solution to his unusual problem. He’s stamped, posted and mailed from Hollywood to Honolulu and beyond hoping to once again become three dimensional. All seats are $20. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

FILM

‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’

Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington continues its Cinema for Kids! series with a screening of Fantastic Mr. Fox on June 11 at noon. After 12 years of bucolic bliss, Mr. Fox breaks a promise to his wife and raids the farms of their human neighbors, Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Giving in to his animal instincts endangers not only his marriage but also the lives of his family and their animal friends. When the farmers force Mr. Fox and company deep underground, he has to resort to his natural craftiness to rise above the opposition. Rated PG. Tickets are $12, $5 children 12 and under. Visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.

June is strawberry season on Long Island. File photo by Greg Catalano/TBR News Media

Lenny Bruno Farms, 740 Wading River Road, Manorville will hold their second annual Strawberry Festival this Saturday and Sunday, June 10 and 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Festival-goers will enjoy food trucks, live music, artisan vendors, face painting, children and teen activity vendors, toddler play area, petting zoo, jumbo garden games, and more. Visitors can also purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, pies, ice cream, and other delicious fares at the farm. Admission to the festival area is $10 per person. Children 2 and under are free. 

The strawberry u-pick area admission is an additional $10 entry fee and comes with 1 pint of strawberries in combination with a hayride to the u-pick area and unique photo opportunities for families and friends.

“We are thrilled to host our second annual strawberry festival and welcome visitors to our farm,” said Dominick Bruno. “We are proud to showcase the beauty and bounty of our farm and look forward to sharing our love of farming with the community.” 

The farm will host a series of events through the Fall including a Sunflower Festival on July 15 and 16. For a full line-up, visit www.LennyBrunoFarms.com/events.

More festivals ….

St. James Strawberry Festival

St. James Episcopal Church, 490 North Country Road, St. James will host their annual Strawberry Festival on Saturday, June 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Featuring strawberry treats, homemade jams, homemade baked goods, vendors, garden table, silent auction, raffle baskets, Grandpa’s Garage, Books and Things, Last Chance Animal Rescue, bounce house and children’s activities, lunch, tours of the church and, of course, Long Island strawberries. Rain date is June 11. Call 631-584-5560 for more information.

Mattituck Strawberry Festival

The 68th annual Mattituck Lions Club Strawberry Festival, 1105 North Road, Mattituck will be held on June 14 and 15 from 5 to 10 p.m., June 16 from 5 to 11 p.m., June 17 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and June 18 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Highlights include strawberry shortcake, strawberries dipped in chocolate, live music, over 100 arts and craft vendors, carnival rides, food and fireworks on June 15, 16 and 17 (weather permitting). To top it off, all proceeds benefit nonprofits on the North Fork. Admission varies based on festival days. Visit www.mattituckstrawberryfestival.com for more info.

Rocky Point Strawberry Festival 

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 716 Route 25A, Rocky Point presents their annual Strawberry Festival and Church Tag Sale on Saturday, June 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with delicious food and desserts, bake sale, HUGE Tag Sale, gift basket raffles, crafts, local vendors, bounce house and children’s activities. Call 631-744-9355 for further details.   

Pick Your Own Strawberries..

The following farms on the North Shore offer u-pick strawberries in June. Always call before you go to check availability: 

• Lewins Farms, 812 Sound Ave., Calverton, 631-929-4327

• Rottkamp’s Fox Hollow Farm, 2287 Sound Ave., Baiting Hollow, 631-727-1786

• Windy Acres, 3810 Middle Country Road Calverton, 631-727-4554

  Patty’s Berries and Bunches, 410 Sound Ave., Mattituck, 631-655-7996

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A CINDERELLA STORY Catch a special screening of ‘Harry & Snowman’ at the St. James Calderone Theatre on June 9.
Thursday June 8

Centennial Flower Show

Deepwells Mansion, 2 Taylor Lane, St. James hosts a Centenial Flower show, “Sands of Time,” by the North Suffolk Garden Club today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local members as well as members from sister GCA Garden Clubs will be displaying their talents in horticulture, flower arrangement and photography in this juried show. Free admission. www.northsuffolkgardenclub.org. 

Summer Swap Concert – canceled because of poor air quality

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook presents a free concert on the front lawn of the museum from 6 to 8 p.m. Titled Summer Swap, the concert will feature The Phoenix Big Band. Grab a lawn chair and come on down! Next Summer Swap will be on June 22. 631-751-1895

Whaling Museum lecture

Join the Whaling Museum of Cold Spring Harbor for a virtual lecture titled Gender at Sea at 7 p.m. Explore the intricacies of gender among the crews of whaling and sailing ships. Discover hidden stories and historical photos of women secretly dressed as male mariners, as well as surprising tales of sailors who posed as gals for lighthearted entertainment for their crewmembers. Suggested donation $10. Register at www.cshwhalingmuseum.org.              

Friday June 9

Senior Information Fair

Northport Public Library, 151 Laurel Ave., Northport hosts a Senior Information Fair from 10 a.m. to noon. Representatives from Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center, Andrew Heiskell Braille & Talking Books Library, Family Service League-SeniorNet, Northport VAMC, PSEG, Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), Suffolk County Office of the Aging, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, Town of Huntington Adult Day Care & HART Bus System Offices, VISIONS: Services for the Blind, Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk County and more will be at the event. No registration required. 631-261-6930

Spring Tea Fundraiser

Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead hosts a Spring Tea from 1 to 3 p.m. Enjoy the timeless tradition of afternoon tea in the historic Naugles Barn. This annual fundraiser will feature an assortment of delicious savory and sweet finger foods, assorted teas, raffles, and the award-winning author and historian Kerriann Flanagan Brosky. Tickets are $45 per person at www.hallockville.org. 631-298-5292

Varela Band Reunion Concert

First United Methodist Church, 603 Main Street, Port Jefferson hosts a Varela Band Reunion Concert at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) After 43 years, the long-anticipated reunion concert will feature the beloved and popular ensemble that performed to great acclaim during the 70s and 80s. The British record label BBE just released the Varela Band song “Come And Take Me By The Hand” on their album collection “Once Again We Are The Children Of The Sun…” just in time for the concert. Tickets are $25 in advance at www.gpjac.org/special-concerts, $30 at the door (cash only).

An Evening of Opera

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 109 Browns Road Huntington hosts an opera concert with Opera Night Long Island at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served. $10 donation, students free. 631-261-8808

Grounds and Sounds Concert

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 380 Nicolls Road, E. Setauket hosts a Grounds and Sounds Cafe concert featuring Christine Sweeney and the Dirty Stayouts with sign up for open mic at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15 per person in advance at www.groundsandsounds.org or at the door. Light refreshments for sale. 631-751-0297.

Saturday June 10

Spring Plant and Baked Goods Sale

The Shoreham-Wading River Garden Club will hold its annual Spring Plant and Baked Goods Sale at 35 Sound Road, Wading River from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with member-grown perennials and annuals along with delicious home-baked goods. Proceeds will go towards the Club’s annual high school scholarships. 631-987-3733

St. James Strawberry Festival

St. James Episcopal Church, 490 North Country Road, St. James will host their annual Strawberry Festival from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Featuring strawberry treats, homemade jams, homemade baked goods, vendors, garden table, silent auction, raffle baskets, Grandpa’s Garage, Books and Things, Last Chance Animal Rescue, bounce house and children’s activities, lunch, tours of the church and, of course, Long Island strawberries. Rain date is June 11. 631-584-5560

Caumsett Hike

Join the staff at Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, 25 Lloyd Harbor Road, Huntington for a History of Caumsett Hike from 9:45 to 11:45 a.m. On this hilly, moderately long walk (approx. 2 miles), you will study the park’s social economic, architectural, and political history.  Adults only. $4 per person. Reservations required. 631-423-1770.

Butterfly and Bird Festival

Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown holds its annual Butterfly and Bird Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day will be filled with wildlife presentations, visits to the Butterfly Vivarium, craft vendors, food trucks and performances by Native American dancers and singers from the Shinnecock Nation. $25 per carload. To register, visit www.sweetbriarnc.org.

Manorville Strawberry Festival

Lenny Bruno Farms, 740 Wading River Road, Manorville will hold their second annual Strawberry Festival today and June 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Festival-goers will enjoy food trucks, live music, artisan vendors, face painting, children and teen activity vendors, toddler play area, petting zoo, jumbo garden games, and more. Visitors can also purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, pies, ice cream, and other delicious fares at the farm. Admission to the festival area is $10 per person. Children 2 and under are free. The strawberry u-pick area admission is an additional $10 entry fee and comes with 1 pint of strawberries in combination with a hayride to the u-pick area and unique photo opportunities for families and friends. www.LennyBrunoFarms.com/events.

Second Saturdays Poetry

All Souls Church in Stony Brook continues its Second Saturdays Poetry Series via Zoom from 11 a.m. to noon. Hosted by Suffolk County Poet Laureate Richard Bronson, the featured poet will be Linda Trott Dickman. An open-reading will follow; all are welcome to read one of their own poems. Participants can access the program through the All Souls website https://www.allsouls-stonybrook.org/ 631-655-7798.  

Community Picnic on the Green

Caroline Episcopal Church, 1 Dyke Road, Setauket invites the community to a Picnic on the Setauket Village Green from noon to 4 p.m. Bring your family and friends and enjoy live music by Quarter Horse, Miles to Dayton, The North Folk, and Acoustic Downtime; food trucks Fat Boy BBQ, NahMaStay, and Roxy’s Ice Cream; and outdoor games! Free admission. 631-941-4245

Pride on the Farm

Suffolk County Farm, 350 Yaphank Ave., Yaphank celebrates Pride Month with Pride on the Farm from 4 to 7 p.m. Celebrate Pride with year with your friends and family with wagon rides around the fields, fun crafts, music and dancing, trivia, rainbow treats, unicorn story time, farm animals to visit with and more. Stony Brook Medicine will be on hand to provide educational resources for both youth and adults. This event is free. 631-852-4600

Pride Concert

The Long Island Gay Men’s Chorus celebrates its 15th anniversary season with a concert at the Unitarian Fellowship, 380 Nicolls Road, East Setauket tonight at 8 p.m. and at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 12 Prospect St., Huntington on June 11 at 7 p.m. Titled “Why We Sing,” the performance is a wide-spanning musical celebration of the LGBTQ+ community featuring some of the members’ favorites selections from the last 15 years of concerts. Tickets are $25 available online at ligmc.org/concerts and at the door.

Sunday June 11

Pride Concert

See June 10 listing.

St Matthew’s Craft Fair

St. Matthew’s R.C. Church, 35 North Service Road, Dix Hills invites the community to an outdoor craft fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Featuring over 45 vendors selling home decor, Father’s Day gifts, local honey, jewelry, children’s books and more with food trucks, and over 60 raffle baskets. Free admission. 631-499-8520

Hamlet Community Fair

The Hamlet, 100 Southern Blvd., Nesconset invites the community to a Community Fair from noon to 4 p.m. with food trucks, bounce house, petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, carnival games, DJ, photo booth, classic cars and more, Suggested donation $20 per family. Proceeds benefit Judy’s Run for Stroke Awareness. 631-361-8800

Farmingville Street Fair

Farmingville Hills Chamber of Commerce hosts the 11th annual Farmingville Street Fair along Portion Rd, between Leeds Blvd and Warren Ave. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Come out for an afternoon of fun featuring live music and entertainment, a classic car show, activities for kids and bounce houses, plenty of delicious food, beer garden, and hundreds of vendors specializing in crafts, toys, jewelry, clothing, accessories, and more. 631-317-1738, www.farmingvillestreetfair.com

Psychic and Holistic Wellness Expo

Holiday Inn, 1730 North Ocean Ave., Holtsville hosts a Psychic and Holistic Wellness Expo from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Readings available from a selection of mediums, angel card and tarot card readers along with health and wellness vendors. Free admission. 516-639-6903

Duck Pond Day

The annual Duck Pond Day returns to the downtown Historical district of Wading River at the Wading River Duck Ponds,  2034 North Country Road, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Come join this fun-filled street fair that celebrates the community. Featuring over 80 vendors, live music and food trucks. Free admission. 631-886-2559

Midsummer Long Island event

Sons of Norway Loyal Lodge and Swedish Vasa Lodge Lindbergh host a Midsummer Long Island event at Norway Hall 201 7th St., St, James from noon to 4 p.m. Come celebrate the summer solstice the Scandinavian way with a dance around the midsummer pole, authentic Scandinavian food, magic show, face painting, games and live music by Smorgasbandet. $10 adults, children 16 and under free. First 75 people receive a free midsummer wreath. 631-338-8994

Long Island Pride Celebration

The Village of Huntington will host the 2023 Long Island Pride Celebration with a parade with Grand Marshal Ross Matthews along Gerard Street to Main Street to Heckscher Park at 2 Prime Ave., Huntington starting at noon followed by a music festival featuring Crystal Waters at the park through 5 p.m. www.lipride.org

Hip-Hop Concert at the LIMHOF

Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame, 97 Main St., Stony Brook will celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with a special concert and panel discussion event at 2 p.m. The event will feature legendary stars Son of Bazerk, Kool Rock-Ski (of The Fat Boys), A.J. Rock (of J.V.C. F.O.R.C.E.), DJ Jazzy Jay, DJ Johnny Juice (of Public Enemy), Dinco D and Milo in de Dance (both of Leaders of the New School), and special guest Ralph McDaniels (of Video Music Box), as well as other surprise hip-hop guest artists. Admission fee is $19.50 adults, $17 seniors, $15 students at www.limusichalloffame.org. 631-689-5888 See story on page B17.

Sound Symphony Concert

Comsewogue High School, 565 Bicycle Path, Port Jefferson Station hosts an afternoon concert by the Sound Symphony Orchestra at 2 p.m. Directed by Maestro Dorothy Savitch, the program will include  works by Rachmaninoff, Walker and Verdi with a piano solo by Linden Puccini Runnels. $20 general admission, $15 seniors, $10 students, children under 12 free at the door. www.soundsymphony.org

Monday June 12

Sound Beach Civic Meeting

The Sound Beach Civic Association will hold a meeting at the Sound Beach firehouse, 152 Sound Beac Blvd., Sound Beach at 7:30 p.m. On the agenda is a presentation of the Town of Brookhaven recycling program. All are welcome. 631-744-6952.

Movie Trivia Night at the CAC

Join the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington for a Movie Trivia Night at 8 p.m. Try to answer 50 questions based all around film, actors and actresses, awards, and everything else associated with the world of film. Challenge like-minded film fans in a battle of wits for cash and other prizes. You can form teams, so bring some friends and work together. Feel free to come alone and play solo as well! Hosted by Dan French. Tickets are $10 per person, $7 members at www.cinemaartscentre.org. 631-423-7610.

Tuesday June 13

NSJC Social Club event

North Shore Jewish Center Social Club, 385 Old Town Road, Port Jefferson Station invites the community to an introduction to Israeli dancing by Jill Cohen in the Social Hall at 11 a.m. Bagels, cream cheese and coffee among other refreshments will be served. $5 per person, $4 members. Call 631-928-3737 for more information.

Nautical Walking Tour

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization will host a walking tour, “Anchors Away!,” today at 4 p.m. and June 14 at 10 a.m. Explore the nautical side of Stony Brook Village’s history with brand new stories during this hour long tour. Investigate the  suspicious death of Commander Charles C. Hall, learn about the Polaris Expedition disaster, hear the tales of the Hercules figurehead’s world-wide journeys, get the full scoop on the Smiths of Stony Brook and more. Tours leave from the Stony Brook Grist Mill, 100 Harbor Road, Stony Brook. Rain date is June 20. $15 per person. To reserve your spot, call 631-751-2244.  

Author Talk and Book Signing

The Bates House, 1 Bates Road Setauket welcomes New York Times Best Selling Author Carl Safina  for an Author Talk at 7 p.m. Safina will be reading from his many bestselling and award-winning books and talk about the work of his not-for-profit organization, The Safina Center, based in Setauket. A book signing will follow. $10 per person. To register, visit www.thebateshouse.org. 631-689-7054

Carole’s Kings in concert

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents a concert by Carole’s Kings, the world’s first all-male Carole King tribute, at 8 p.m. Featuring chart-topping sensations such as “The Locomotion,” “I Feel the Earth Move,” “You’ve Got A Friend,” and many more. An expanded set also includes songs by King’s friends and collaborators, including “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” and other hits by epic songwriting duo Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. Tickets are $45. 631-261-2900, www.engemantheater.com

Wednesday June 14

Nautical Walking Tour

See June 13 listing.

TVHS Flag Retirement Ceremony – this event has been postponed due to the weather. New date TBA

The Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Road, Setauket will lead a family-friendly, interactive United States Flag Retirement Ceremony at 5 p.m. Girl Scout Troops, BSA Troops, Cub Scout Packs and the community are invited to participate along with members from the Daughters of the Revolution and Veterans of Foreign Wars to learn the steps involved to properly retire the U.S. Flag by fire. Call 631-751-3730 for more information.

Thursday June 15

 St. Philip St. James Family Festival 

Saints Philip & James Roman Catholic Church, 1 Carow Place, St. James will host their 2023 Family Festival today from 6 to 10 p.m., June 16 and 17 from 6 to 10:30 p.m. and June 18 from 5 to 9 p.m. This family friendly annual festival features exciting carnival rides for all ages by Newton Shows, delicious festival eats and carnival treats, games and  prizes, and fun for the entire family. Free admission, pay-one-price rides or individual rides. 631-584-5454

Film

‘Harry & Snowman’

Join Celebrate St. James at the Calderone Theatre, 176 Second St., St. James for a screening of Harry & Snowman, a heartfelt documentary about St. James’s own Harry deLeyer and a plow horse that made history by winning the National Horse Show in 1958, on June 9 at 7 p.m. With special guest Anna Marie deLeyer, Harry deLeyer’s youngest daughter. Tickets are $25 per person, $20 members at www.celebratestjames.org. 631-984-0201

Theater

‘The Sound of Music’

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport is The Sound of Music from May 18 to July 2. The final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein was destined to become the world’s most beloved musical. Featuring a trove of cherished songs, including “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “My Favorite Things,” “Do Re Mi,” and “Sixteen Going on Seventeen.” Tickets range from $80 to $85. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. 

‘Something Rotten!’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson continues its Mainstage productions with Something Rotten! from May 20 to June 24.  Living in the shadow of Renaissance rock star The Bard, two brothers set out to write the world’s first musical in this hilarious mash-up of sixteenth-century Shakespeare and twenty-first-century Broadway. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being to thine own self be true.Contains adult humor and situations. Tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 children ages 5 and up. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. 

‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona’

The Carriage House Players continue their 34th annual Summer Shakespeare Festival in the mansion courtyard of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport with The Two Gentlemen of Verona from June 4 to 30. Young Valentine travels to Milan to find his fortune, but instead falls for the fair Silvia, daughter of the Duke. His world is turned upside down when his best friend, Proteus, abandons his love, Julia, in Verona to woo Silvia for himself. With a pair of bumbling servants and a dog, it’s a lively Shakespearean comedy about the complexities of love, lust, and friendship. Tickets are $20, $15 children under 12. To order, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

‘(Mostly) True Things’

The Performing Arts Studio, 224 E. Main St., Port Jefferson presents (Mostly) True Things, a game wrapped in a storytelling show that features true stories with a twist on the theme Out Loud in honor of Pride month, on June 10 at 7 p.m. This show features 4 true stories but 3 of them include subtle little lies. In the second act, the audience questions the storytellers, then votes for the person they think told it straight. Winners get a tote bag, and the whole truth about each story is shared before the end of the evening. Storytellers will include Jude Treder-Wolff, Calvin Cato, Jamie Brickhouse, Rosemary Flanagan and Rev. Yunus Coldman. Tickets are $20 online at Eventbrite or $25 at the door (cash only). Visit www.mostlytruethings.com for more info.

‘Princess Ida’

Smithtown Performing Arts Center, 2 E. Main St. Smithtown hosts a performance of Princess Ida, the classic comic opera by Gilbert & Sullivan, on June 17 at 8 p.m. Presented in an all-new production by the Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island, the opera follows Princess Ida who has fled an arranged marriage to the son of King Hildebrand and instead sets up a college for women, where she teaches the then-unthinkable principles of women’s rights and equality for all, regardless of rank, gender, wealth or nationality. Featuring a 23-piece orchestra.  June 17 at 8 p.m.  $30, seniors and students $25. To order tickets, visit  www.gaslocoli.org. 516-619-7415

Class Reunions

Hauppauge High School Class of 1978 will hold its 45th reunion on July 22, 2023 with a reunion party on July 21 and a reunion picnic on July 23. For details, email [email protected].

Ward Melville High School Class of 1973 will hold its 50th reunion at the Setauket Neighborhood House, 95 Main St., Setauket on Sept. 9, 2023 from 6 to 11 p.m. For ticket information, contact Tibo Dioguardi at [email protected].

Save the date! 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, 2024. For more information, email Mike Whelen at [email protected].

Pictured at the Youth Award Ceremony in Hauppauge are Frank and Deanne Bandiero, Ashley Bandiero and Leg. Rob Trotta. Photo from Leg. Trotta's office

Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta has selected Ashley Bandiero, a senior at Kings Park High School, as this year’s Youth Award Recipient for the 13th Legislative District. She was nominated by her guidance counselor, Michelle Manzelli. 

Ashley is a member of the National Honor Society, co-president of the Art Honor Society, and vice president and treasurer of the Italian Honor Society. Throughout high school, she has been a member of the Leadership Club. Ashley is also a volunteer at the Summer Reading Program at the Kings Park Library. This June she earned the rank of Eagle Scout. She will be attending Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia and will major in Fashion and Graphic Design with a minor in Sustainability. 

“Ashley is deserving of being my district’s recipient of the 2023 Youth Award as she has demonstrated personal achievement, developed leadership skills, and other qualities of humanity so desirable in young people. I wish her much success as she starts her freshman year in college,” said Leg. Trotta.

 

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) will host a walking tour, “Anchors Away!,” on Tuesday June 13 at 4 p.m. and on Wednesday,  June 14 at 10 a.m.

Explore the nautical side of Stony Brook Village’s history with brand new stories during this hour long tour. Investigate the  suspicious death of Commander Charles C. Hall, learn about the Polaris Expedition disaster, hear the tales of the Hercules figurehead’s world-wide journeys, get the full scoop on the Smiths of Stony Brook and more.

Tours leave from the Stony Brook Grist Mill, 100 Harbor Road, Stony Brook. Rain date is June 20. $15 per person. To reserve your spot, call 631-751-2244.  

This Ford pickup truck is just one of 120 vehicles that will be auctioned off on June 10. Photo from Suffolk County Police Department Facebook

The Suffolk County Police Department Impound Section will hold an auction on Saturday, June 10 at the Suffolk County Police Department Impound Facility, located at 100 Old Country Road in Westhampton. The auction will begin at 9 a.m. and will be held rain or shine. There will be a preview of the vehicles on Thursday, June 8 and Friday, June 9 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the impound yard. Vehicles will also be available for preview one hour prior to the start of the auction.

Approximately 120 lots will be auctioned off including sedans, SUVs, a dump truck, trailers and motorcycles. All vehicles will start with a minimum bid of $500 and are sold as-is. For a full list of vehicles, registration information and terms and conditions for the auction, visit www.suffolkpd.org under Precinct and Specialized Units click Impound Section and followed by Upcoming Auctions and Events.

It was a very Happy Birthday for Roger Earl of the band Foghat on May 21. In a surprise birthday party and induction ceremony, Earl became the latest inductee to the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) at the LIMEHOF’s museum in Stony Brook.

Foghat is a hard rock band that was formed in 1971 and had several hit songs including “I Just Want to Make Love to You” and “Slow Ride”. The band has a rich history of performing on Long Island and even opened a recording studio in Port Jefferson in 1979 where they recorded the album Boogie Motel.

“I’m totally overwhelmed and really surprised that my manager lied to me,” said Earl, 77, of East Setauket. “I was absolutely blown away. I had no idea and to see so many people here… I didn’t know I had that many friends… It was terrific, very moving, overwhelming and I’m just humbled by it.” The surprise party was an idea from his wife and manager, Linda Earl, who went to great lengths to set up and keep the event a surprise, even convincing Roger that he was going to be the one inducting someone else.

“It was really intense,” said Linda Earl. “We had so many moveable parts. We played in New Jersey last night. Roger thought the band and the crew all went to the airport when in fact they came out to stay at a hotel in Stony Brook. He thought he was inducting Jim Faith (LIMEHOF Co-founder). He’s been practicing his speech all week… I totally had him hoodwinked from the beginning.”

After a the surprise party greeting, LIMEHOF Co-Founder Norm Prusslin took the stage to announce the surprise induction and it was musician and Roger’s friend Bobby Rondinelli (who played with several bands including Blue Oyster Cult, Rainbow, Quiet Riot, Black Sabbath and others) who had the honor of inducting Earl.

“Roger is a guy I met before I played with any big bands and he treated me as an equal. He was always kind and supportive, just the coolest guy in the business,” said Rondinelli. “It is a good thing this isn’t a roast because I really couldn’t say anything bad about him. It’s long over-due. Roger’s been a Long Islander for close to 50 years and Foghat was a huge band and it’s just the right thing to have him in.”

After the induction ceremony the band members of Foghat including Earl took the stage and played a few songs.

“We are pleased to honor and welcome Roger Earl as a 2023 Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame inductee,” said Prusslin. “A 50-year resident of Long Island, Roger is recognized as one of the top drummers in rock, first with Savoy Brown and then powering the band Foghat throughout a legendary catalog of million selling albums and a career of sold-out concerts around the world. When not on the road or in the studio, Roger has a long history of giving his time and talents to a variety of benefit and fundraising events on Long Island and in 2019 he was awarded an Arts Festival Partner Award for his support of students at Stony Brook University as a mentor, guest speaker and panelist.”

About LIMEHOF:
Founded in 2004, the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall Of Fame (LIMEHOF) is a 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to the idea that Long Island’s musical and entertainment heritage is an important resource to be celebrated and preserved for future generations. The organization, which encompasses New York State’s Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and Kings (Brooklyn) Counties, was created as a place of community that inspires and explores Long Island music and entertainment in all its forms. In 2022, LIMEHOF opened its first Hall of Fame building location in Stony Brook Village. To date, the organization has inducted more than 120 musicians and music industry executives, and also offers education programs and scholarships, and awards to Long Island students and educators.

 

Breaking news from the Richard Leakey Memorial Conference

By Daniel Dunaief

A species of archaic humans is defying conventional wisdom about what it means to be human.

Lee Berger, National Geographic Explorer in Residence and paleoanthropologist.

Homo naledi, which were discovered in a cave about 25 miles away from Johannesburg, South Africa, had brains that were about a third the size of ours. That, previous research suggested, likely limited their ability to engage in a range of activities, like burying their dead or creating symbols.

Wrong and wrong.

In an expedition through narrow caves that required him to lose 55 pounds just to get to the site, Lee Berger, National Geographic Explorer in Residence and Lead of the Rising Star program, along with a team of other scientists, studied the remains of these humans that lived over 236,000 years ago. The bones they studied and, in some cases excavated, were buried deep in the Rising Star Cave.

Along the wall of a cave, the researchers also found symbols, including crossed lines and swirls.

“Big brains don’t explain what we thought they explain,” Agustín Fuentes, Professor of Anthropology at Princeton University and National Geographic Explorer and On-Site Biocultural Specialist, said during a press briefing announcing the discoveries. This research “takes humans off the pedestal.”

The research, which was shared at the Richard Leakey Memorial Conference at Stony Brook University on June 5, is published in the journal eLife.

Berger wanted to share his latest findings with the conference, particularly given the important role Leakey played in his career.

Berger had known Leakey for 34 years. When they met, Leakey, who was his “idol,” directed Berger to follow his dream of searching for fossils in South Africa. Leakey and Berger remained close throughout the decades.

“I owe him my entry into this field,” said Berger.

Indeed, Berger feels that Leakey was, “in some ways, responsible for the discovery” about the burials and cave drawings of Homo naledi. “I’m very personally indebted” to Leakey.

Extraordinary effort

While scientists don’t know what the lines in the dolomitic limestone walls signified, they believe Homo naledi, whose name in Sotho language means “star,” made those marks. 

Natural processes over the course of over 200,000 years wouldn’t have left such a distinctive pattern. In addition, the depth of the markings, which would have taken considerable effort and a tool to create, indicate a concerted and sustained physical effort.

The dolomite is about half as hard as a diamond, which would have taken an “extreme amount” of work, Berger said. Several of the lines suggest multiple efforts to make carvings. “These are engravings that are not done in one sitting,” he said.

During the press briefing, Berger indicated that other species of early humans didn’t leave any evidence of entering the same cave. “There’s no evidence of humans” other than the scientists who published the paper “that entered the cave,” he said.

At this point, researchers, who are trying to minimize any disturbance in the cave, haven’t pinpointed an exact date for the symbols.

“In time, we’ll likely be able to date” the symbols, said Berger. The researchers arrived at the approximate date and linked the symbols to Homo naledi through association and context, he explained.

Homo naledi are the only humans who left any evidence of their presence in the cave.

Moments after discovery, Lee Berger holds a photographic scale next to a hashtag, or crosshatched engraving in the passage between the Hill Antechamber burial chamber and the Dinaledi Burial Chamber known as Panel A. Photo by Mathabela Tsikoane, Courtesy Lee Berger and the National Geographic Society.

Researchers described the arduous process of descending through narrow passageways to arrive at the burial site, which Berger discovered in 2013.

The site is extraordinarily difficult for modern humans to navigate. In addition to losing weight to get through small openings, Berger tore his rotator cuff climbing out of the site last July. He is still recovering, but said losing weight and even sustaining an injury was worth the effort.

While modern scientists use headlamps and battery-powered lights to record their discoveries, earlier humans would have had to carry some form of portable fire with them to bring their dead to their burial sites and to make carvings in the walls.

“How they’re making that fire and the exact mechanism of transport, I think, will be established over the next several years as we study all the occurrences of it,” Berger said.

“For us to say something clearly, definitely, strongly, again as [Berger] has said, we need to go back and excavate some more and check out more areas that we might have missed because clearly we walked straight past this,” said Keneiloe Molopyane, National Geographic Explorer and Lead Excavator of Dragon’s Back Expedition.

New perspectives

As far as a DNA analysis, the team hasn’t yet found anything they can test in the fossils. They are planning to test the sediment.

The researchers have left large amounts of evidence in place, which includes multiple other burials that haven’t been excavated. Berger suggested that the images and information from this site “provide as robust evidence for burial and graves as for practically any grave ever published for humans or otherwise.” Researchers examining this information will realize that “more works needs to be done.” As for what that entails, one of the plans is to bring additional technology and specialists into the area.

Homo naledi “intensely altered this space across kilometers of underground cave systems, and I think that deserves not just the involvement of our team, but the involvement of every scientist around the world who can participate, and perhaps technologists and other people who have ideas about how/ what we do,” Berger added.

As for the implications of this research, the scientists suggested that the discovery and the analysis will continue to alter the perspectives of researchers and students of human history.

“All of us who write textbooks or major articles about this probably have to go back and shift what we said about big brains, meaning, complex meaning-making behavior, or the kind of complex experiences of grief, social community, that’s associated with mortuary and funerary practices,” Fuentes said. “It makes us think about human evolution really in a new way, and puts us back closer to a starting point, and showing again that we know a lot less than we thought we did.”

 

METRO photo

Healthcare Job Fair

Middle Country Public Library, 575 Middle Country Road, Selden hosts a Healthcare Job Fair on Wednesday, June 7 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Join them to learn about hundreds of job opportunities within the healthcare industry from Suffolk County companies looking for local talent!

Representatives from Concern Housing, Elder Home Care, Long Island Community Hospital, Maryhaven, Northwell Health, NYU Langone Health, Options for Community Living, Our Lady of Consolation, Outreach Development Corporation, Samaritan Daytop Village, SightMD, Stony Brook Medicine, Stony Brook University Associates-SB Clinical Practice Management Plan, Inc., The Bristal Assisted Living, The Hamptons Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, WellLife Network, Whisper Woods of Smithtown and more will be in attendance.

Call 631-585-9393 for more info.