Happy Spring! Thanks to all the children who entered this year’s TBR News Media Spring Coloring Contest! We had wonderful submissions, making for some stiff competition.
Congratulations to Julia S. of Setauket for being this year’s winner! The 6-year-old won four tickets to Theatre Three’s The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, just in time for Spring Break.
Special thanks to Theatre Three for sponsoring our contest! See all the other entries online at www.tbrnewsmedia.com.
MEET SUNNY GIRL!
This week’s featured shelter pet is Sunny Girl, a 9 to 10-year- old spayed domestic short hair waiting at the Smithtown Animal Shelter for her furever home.
Sunny Girl has a disposition that matches her name. She is a loving senior cat that will curl up on your lap and reciprocate all of the love that you show her. Sunny came from a home with lots of other cats and loves most of them too. She does have an overactive thyroid and will need a home that can administer twice daily medications and take her to the vet twice a year to check her thyroid levels.
If you would like to meet Sunny Girl, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with her in a domestic setting.
The Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Visitor hours are currently 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.smithtownanimalshelter.com
Recycled Crafts
Drop by The Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor on April 20 to 21, and 23 to 24 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to create some fun, ocean-friendly crafts using recycled materials and your imagination! Free with admission of $6 adults, $5 kids/seniors. Call 367-3418.
Bird Buffet
Join the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor for a Bird Buffet program on April 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A bird’s beak is unique! Learn about the different types of bird beaks and what they’re designed to eat, and then make your own bird feeder to take home and feed the feathered friends in your yard. Free with admission fee of $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 ages 3 to 12. For more information, call 516-692-6768.
Planting Seeds of Grass & Flowers
Walt Whitman Birthplace Association, 246 Old Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station will hold a children’s gardening program for Spring Break, Planting Seeds of Grass & Flowers, on April 22 from 10 a.m. to noon. Join them to plant some flowers at the Gathering House and enjoy some poetry. $5 per child. Walk-ins welcome. For more information, call 427-5240.
Earth Day at the Hatchery
Celebrate Earth Day at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor on April 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. by learning about plants. Become a nature detective by identifying seeds, learn what plants need to grow, and what we get from plants. Make your very own “seed bombs” to take home and plant your own little patch of nature. Free with admission fee of $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 ages 3 to 12. For more information, call 516-692-6768.
Family Drop-In Celebration
Earth meets art as the Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook hosts a Family Drop-In Celebration for Earth Day on April 22 from 1 to 3 p.m. Families are invited to visit the current exhibitions for inspiration and engage in Earth Day inspired activities, including an art project, on the Museum grounds. All ages are welcome with 2-for-1 admission sponsored by Jefferson’s Ferry. For more information, call 751-0066 or visit www.longislandmuseum.org.
Recycled Ocean Jewelry
The Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor hosts a Recycled Ocean Jewelry workshop for children ages 8 and up on April 22 from 1 to 3 p.m. Did you know you can turn old newspapers into gorgeous, sustainable jewelry? Make your own recycled-paper beads and use them to decorate a necklace featuring a genuine sea glass charm during this drop in program. Fee is admission + $10 participant. For more information, call 367-3418.
Bunny Blast
Benner’s Farm, 56 Gnarled Hollow Road, East Setauket will present a kids workshop, Bunny Blast, on April 23 and 24 at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Children ages 3 to 12 will meet some of the farm’s new baby bunnies, learn about the care and feeding of rabbits, make a bunny craft, tour the farm, and more during this two hour class. $40 per child. To register, call 689-8172 or visit www.bennersfarm.com.
Earth Day Every Day
Join Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown for a family program, Earth Day, Every Day on April 24 from 1 to 3 p.m. Celebrate the wonders of the natural world and living things that share the planet with us. Children will meet resident animals, enjoy the natural world through their senses, and go on a scavenger hunt to find out some of the things they can do to help the natural world. Come away with a craft to help reduce your impact on the Earth. $10 per child, $5 adults. To register, visit www.sweetbriarnc.org. For more info, call 979-6344.
Owl Prowl
Visit Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown on April 28 from 7 to 9 p.m. for an Owl Prowl! Meet and learn about some of the Center’s resident owls and then embark on a walk into the darkness to enjoy the night. Dress warmly, wear bug spray, and bring a flashlight just in case. Open to families with children ages 5 and up. $15 per person. For tickets, visit www.sweetbriarnc.org.
Scrimshaw Detectives
Calling private investigators! For the month of April, the Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor presents Scrimshaw Detectives! Spy around the museum and look for clues to uncover secret meanings hidden in scrimshaw art. When you complete your tasks, design and etch your own scrimshaw box to take home. For ages 5 and up. Admission plus $10 per participant. Call 367-3418 for further details.
‘Madagascar’
The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Dreamworks’ Madagascar: A Musical Adventure from April 2 to May 8. Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and, of course, those hilarious, plotting penguins as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar. Filled with outlandish characters, adventure galore and an upbeat score, Madagascar will leave audiences with no choice but to “Move It, Move It!” All seats are $20. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.
Disney’s ‘High School Musical Jr.’
We’re all in this together! Disney Channel’s smash hit musical comes to life at the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown in Disney’s High School Musical Jr. from April 15 to May 15. Troy, Gabriella and the students of East High must deal with issues of love, friends and family while balancing their classes and extra curricular activities. The show’s infectious, danceable songs will have you dancing in your seats! All seats are $25. To order, call 724-3700 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.
‘The Adventures of Peter Rabbit’
The Adventures of Peter Rabbit hops over to Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson from April 16 to May 7 (sensory sensitive performance on April 24). Peter, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-Tail, Benjamin Bunny, the McGregors and all their friends come to life in this delightful musical adaption suggested by the characters created by Beatrix Potter. Fun for the entire family and a Theatre Three tradition for spring break! $10 per person. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.
A Royal Princess Party
Come one, come all to a Royal Princess Party at the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown from April 18 to 22 at 11 a.m. Everyone’s favorite princesses return to the Royal Kingdom of Smithtown to get together and celebrate their stories. Join Royal Historians as they guide you through meeting each of the princesses, teaching the morals behind each of their stories and singing along to their favorite songs in this immersive play. Princesses, princes, and royal families of all ages are welcome to attend but must be with an adult at all times. The special surprises and magical touches make this show a royal treat! All seats are $16. To order, call 724-3700 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.
Stony Brook Walking Tour
Join the Ward Melville Heritage Organization for a Secrets of Stony Brook Village walking tour at 11:50 a.m. and again at 3:50 p.m. Hear some newly uncovered stories while strolling through the historic village. $10 per person. Reservations required by call 751-2244.
Vanderbilt lecture
Rescheduled from April 7 — Best-selling author and historian Betsy Prioleau will speak about her latest book, Diamonds and Deadlines: A Tale of Greed, Deceit, and a Female Tycoon in the Gilded Age, the first major biography of the glamorous and scandalous Miriam Leslie – a titan of publishing and an unsung hero of women’s suffrage, at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum’s Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport at 6 p.m. The event will be followed by a book signing. Tickets are $20, members free. To order, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.
Atelier lecture/demo
Join the Atelier at Flowerfield in St. James for a free online webinar via Zoom titled Bouguereau Baby from 7 to 9 p.m. Artist William Graf will give a demonstration painting about the master artist William Bouguereau, a French academic artist. To register, visit www.theatelieratflowerfield.org.
Carol Wincenc in concert
Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook will welcome Carol Wincenc in concert in the Recital Hall at 7 p.m. Hailed “Queen of the Flute” at the outset of her 50-year career, flutist Carol Wincenc delights audiences with her signature charismatic, high virtuosity and deeply heartfelt musicality and has performed with Jessye Norman, Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma. Tickets range from $44 to 48. To order, call 632-2787 or visit www.stallercenter.com.
An evening of jazz
The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook welcomes the Big Little Bad Band in concert from 7 to 9:30 p.m. featuring vocalist Madeline Kole and original compositions and arrangements by bandleader and pianist Rich Iacona. Tickets are $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students, $15 children, under age 5 free. Visit www.thejazzloft.org to order.
Birdwatching at the Vanderbilt
Join the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport for an early morning birdwatch and architecture tour with the Vanderbilt’s director of curatorial affairs from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Participants will enjoy the unique opportunity to view the Vanderbilt estate in the early dawn hours, when the grounds are still closed but the birds are active. Due to the popularity of the event, a second opportunity to join us will be offered again at 6 p.m., as many bird species are also active at dusk. Tickets are free for members, $12 for non-members. Sturdy hiking footwear is strongly suggested. Participants are asked to bring their own binoculars. To register, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.
Earthstock Festival
In honor of Earth Day, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook hosts an Earthstock Festival at the Academic Mall from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with environmental and educational displays and exhibitors, farmers market, live music and dance performances on two stages at 11:30 p.m., opening remarks/Green Pledge ceremony at 12:15 p.m., rubber duck races at 2:30 p.m. and much more. Free. For more information, visit www.stonybrook.edu/earthstock.
Friday Night Coffee House
St James Community Cultural Arts Center, 176 2nd Street, St James continues its Friday Night Coffee House series with comedian Joe Moffa from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 seniors. To RSVP, visit www.celebratestjames.org.
Wintertide concert
The Port Jefferson Village Center, 101-A E. Broadway, Part Jefferson concludes its Wintertide concert series with a concert by Miles to Dayton founder Jonathan Preddice from 7:30 to 9 p.m. $5 donation at the door. Questions? Call 802-2160.
David Sedaris at Staller Center
In his only Long Island appearance this year, humor writer David Sedaris brings his wit and unique observations of human nature to audiences at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook on the Main Stage at 8 p.m. Sedaris will offer all-new readings from his latest volume, Carnival of Snackery: Diaries. The reading will be followed by a book signing in the lobby. Tickets range from $56 to $72. To order, call 632-2787 or visit www.stallercenter.com.
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 ages16 and up, due to adult content. Tickets are $15 at the door only. Call 928-9100 for more information.
Port Jeff Health & Wellness Fest
The Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce hosts the 13th annual Port Jeff Health & Wellness Fest at the Meadow Club, 1147 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Get important information you require to plan and meet your health and wellness needs. Over 60 health and wellness professionals will be participating including our three major local hospitals and sponsors, St. Charles, Mather Hospital – Northwell Health, and Stony Brook Medicine with lots of free giveaways. Free admission. Call 473-1414 or visit www.portjeffhealth.com.
Greenway Trail Clean Up
The Three Village Community Trust will host a cleanup of the Setauket and Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail at 9 a.m. Meet up with Friends of the Greenway volunteers at trailhead at Hallock Ave. and Main St. in Port Jefferson Station. For more information, please email [email protected].
Earth and Arbor Day Celebration
The Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Chamber of Commerce invites the community to an Earth Day & Arbor Day Celebration at the Chamber Train Car, corner of Route 112 and Nesconset Highway, Port Jefferson Station from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join in the fun with an in-person Fun Run/Bike Daffodil Dash along with a shredding event hosted by Coach Realtors, free tree saplings for Arbor Day compliments of Sunburst Tree Experts, and free bike inspections from Trek. Call 821-1313 for more info.
Earth Day at the Explorium
Long Island Explorium, 101 East Broadway, Port Jefferson will celebrate Earth Day from 9 to 11 a.m. with a special presentation on Long Island’s waters and learn about the latest in clean water technology by representatives from Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and Center for Clean Water Technology. Guests will enjoy hands-on exhibits and learn about their exciting research and new clean water technologies that are underway. Free. Advance registration required by calling 331-3277.
Antiques in April
The Huntington Historical Society presents a multi-vendor antiques & collectibles sale today and April 24 on the grounds of the Daniel Kissam House, 434 Park Ave., Huntington from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit the historic Kissam property and browse beautiful antiques from dealers all across Long Island along with a barn sale. The Antiques and Collectibles Shop on the property will also be open and is full of fabulous finds. Free admission. For more info, call 427-7045.
Farmingville Hills Park renaming
Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa will host a special unveiling ceremony for the renaming of Farmingville Hills County Park, 501 Horseblock Road, Farmingville, to the Thomas Muratore park at Farmingville Hills at 10 a.m. All are welcome. For more information, call 854-9292.
Tri-Spy Walking Tour
The Three Village Historical Society & Tri-Spy Tours host a walking tour today from 10 a.m. to noon. The remarkable true story of General George Washington’s Setauket Spy Ring has come to life in books, exhibits, and even a television series. Led by Margo Arceri, participants will follow in the actual footsteps of the Culper Spy Ring in Setauket with historical places of interest pointed out and discussed. The three mile tour, for ages 14 and older, starts at the entrance of Frank Melville Park, 1 Old Field Road, Setauket. $25 tickets must be purchased in advance at www.tvhs.org. For more info, call 751-3730.
Grist Mill tours
The Stony Brook Grist Mill, Harbor Road, Stony Brook will be open today and April 24 from 1 to 4 p.m. Learn about the inner workings of the mill as it crushes grain into flour and hear about its 323 year history on a guided tour will a miller during guided tours and a visit the Country Store. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for children. Cash only. For more information on the Stony Brook Grist Mill and for programs and large group tours, call The Ward Melville Heritage Organization at 751-2244.
Spring Appreciation Day
Spring Appreciation Day returns to the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main St., Stony Brook from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. with live music with Burke and Brenda, a petting zoo, scavenger hunts with prizes, and a vintage car show hosted by the local chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. This event is free to the public. Rain date is April 24. For more information, call 751-2244 or visit www.wmho.org.
This Place is For the Birds!
Four Harbors Audubon Society hosts a free presentation of This Place is For the Birds! at the Smithtown Library – Kings Park Building, 1 Church St, Kings Park from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Learn how to become a good environmental steward by planting sustainable, eco-friendly and attractive environmentally functional landscapes. To register, call 766-3075.
Sivan Arbel Quartet in concert
The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook welcomes critically acclaimed Israeli jazz vocalist, composer, arranger and world wide performer Sivan Arbel and her quartet in concert at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students, $15 children ages 5 and up. To order, call 751-1895 or visit www.thejazzloft.org.
Antiques in April
See April 23 listing.
Port Jeff Winter Farmers Market
Last day! The Port Jefferson Winter Farmers Market will be open today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101-A E. Broadway, Port Jefferson. This year’s vendors include Brownies N’ Stuff, Joann’s Desserts, Farm Fresh Potions, Mello Munch Awesome Granola, O Honey Bee Farm, Sweet Melissa Dip, Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery, Spilt Milk Macarons and many more. For more information, call 802-2160.
Spring Awakening fundraiser
The Bates House, 1 Bates Road, Setauket hosts a Spring Awakening Fundraiser benefitting the Community Growth Center from noon to 4 p.m. and honoring Hope House Ministries. Enjoy lunch, live music, wellness sessions and raffles. Tickets are $65 per person. To purchase, call 292-0162.
Sunset Stroll: Spring Edition
Sunken Meadow State Park, Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park hosts a Sunset Stroll: Spring Edition adult program from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Without a doubt, the beach is one of the best places to observe a beautiful sunset! Be sure to bring your camera and join the park staff for an early evening stroll across the creek, through the marsh, and along the beach of the Long Island Sound, as you try to capture the best sunset photos Sunken Meadow has to offer! $4 per person. To register, visit Eventbrite.com and search #NatureEdventure.
No events listed for this day.
Long Island Dirt lecture
The Smithtown Library, 1 North Country Road, Smithtown presents a program titled Long Island Dirt — Recovering Our Buried Past from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Archaeologist Dr. Allison McGovern will discuss how archaeological sites on Long Island can reveal what life was like for past generations and how they help to better understand Long Island’s complex development through time. Registration required by calling 360-2480, ext. 131.
Jazz Loft Trio in concert
The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook presents a concert by the Jazz Loft Trio from 7 to 9:30 p.m. $10 at the door at 7 p.m., $5 after 8 p.m. To order, visit www.thejazzloft.org. Thursday 28 Native American Drumming All Souls Parish House, 10 Mill Pond Road, Stony Brook will host a Native American Drumming Meditation from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Led by elder drummer Ric Statler, the free workshop seeks to integrate the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual parts of the human self, creating a state of well-being. Call 655-7798.
‘Steel Magnolias’
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents Steel Magnolias from April 9 to May 7. Come on down to Truvy’s Louisiana beauty shop where six strong women share their hopes and dreams. Beginning on the day of debutante Shelby’s wedding, the play traces this eccentric and lovable cast of characters as they support each other through life’s many challenges. Stop by for some great laughs and unforgettable friendship. Tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 children ages 5 and older. To order, call 928-9100 or visit theatrethree.com.
‘A Bronx Tale’
The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents A Bronx Tale from March 24 to May 8. Based on Chazz Palminteri’s classic movie, this streetwise musical will take you to the stoops of the Bronx in the 1960s—where a young man is caught between the father he loves and the mob boss he’d love to be. Featuring a doo-wop score, A Bronx Tale is a story about respect, loyalty, love, and above all else: family. Tickets range from $75 to $80 with free valet parking. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.
Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V’
Suffolk County Community College’s Ammerman Campus, 533 College Road, Selden presents Henry V by Shakespeare at the Shea Theatre, Islip Arts Building on April 21, 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and April 24 at 2 p.m. Mature content. General admission is $14, students 16 years of age or younger $9.75, veterans and Suffolk students with current ID receive one free ticket. To order, call 451-4163.
‘Kinky Boots’
Up next at the John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport is Kinky Boots from May 19 to July 3. With songs by Cyndi Lauper and book by Harvey Fierstein, this dazzling, sassy and uplifting musical celebrates a joyous story, inspired by true life events, taking you from the factory floor of a men’s shoe factory to the glamorous catwalks of Milan! Tickets range from $75 to $80 with free valet parking. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.
‘Mamma Mia!’
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson closes its 2021-2022 with Mamma Mia! from May 21 to June 25. ABBA’s timeless hits tell the enchanting story! On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the Greek island paradise they last visited twenty years ago. Featuring such chart toppers as “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” “Take a Chance on Me,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” and “Dancing Queen,” this is a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget. Contains adult themes and situations. Tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 children ages 5 and older. To order, call 928-9100 or visit theatrethree.com.
‘The Pawn Broker’
Join Celebrate St. James for a screening of The Pawn Broker at the St James Community Cultural Arts Center, 176 2nd Street, St James on April 24 from 1 to 3 p.m. with commentary by Jack Ader. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 seniors. To RSVP, visit www.celebratestjames.org.
Italian Film Series
The Center for Italian Studies at Stony Brook University, Room E-4340, Melville Library, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook will host a series of film screenings of Alice Rorwacher movies introduced and discussed by Graduate Fellow Antonio Fideleo including Lazzaro Felice (2018) on April 25 and Omelia Contadina (2020) on May 2. Films are in Italian with English subtitles. All screenings begin at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 632-7444.
* All numbers are in (631) area code unless otherwise noted.
The Port Jefferson Documentary Series continues its Spring season with a screening of ‘A-HA: THE MOVIE’ at Theatre Three, 412 Main Street, Port Jefferson on April 18 at 7 p.m.
The music of Queen and the Velvet Underground instilled a sense of destiny in three teenagers living in a small town in 1970s Norway. That dream led to A-ha: the synth-pop trio featuring keyboardist Magne Furuholmen, vocalist Morten Harket, and guitarist Pål Waktaar-Savoy who burst onto the international scene with 1985’s “Take on Me,” buoyed by an iconic sketch-animation video by Irish-British director Steve Barron.
The band became global sensations and heartthrobs overnight, but it remained to be seen how they would adapt to their newfound fame. How would they follow their original dream: to make music? Featuring new interviews with the band and previously unreleased behind-the-scenes footage, A-HA, THE MOVIE delves into this very question. By following the band’s ups and downs—sojourns to post-punk-era England, their James Bond theme song for The Living Daylights thriller, and slow-simmering interpersonal rifts—Robsahm captures a band that constantly strove to challenge itself, never content to simply repeat earlier successes. The result is a moving story of creative intuition and invention.
Preceded by a special concert with singer-songwriter Bryan Gallo who will perform a curated set of Rock, Pop and New Wave Classics from the 1980’s at 6 p.m. and followed by a Q&A via Zoom with Director Thomas Robsahm. Tickets are $10 per person. Advance tiickets are available until April 18 at 6 p.m. at: portjeffdocumentaryseries.com/ticketsvenues or at the door cash only.
By Joan Nickeson
Inspired by the beautification of Dutch parks filled with daffodil blooms, Old Town Blooms and the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce are hosting the second annual Daffodil Dash. This hybrid event includes a virtual 5k and 10k, taking place now through the end of April.
The 1k Daffodil Dash fun run/walk/wheel has an in-person option with three trips around the Chamber Train Car Park on Saturday, April 23. Arrive at 9 a.m. for a 9:30 a.m. start. Virtual participants can upload their race times and photos as of April 16. The first 100 registrants receive a t-shirt and a Bloomer Buff. All race participants receive a Daffodil Dash medal. Profits go to community beautification by Old Town Blooms, and the Chamber Flag Fund.
April 23rd was chosen for the 1k Fun Run to commemorate both Earth Day and Arbor Day. Sunburst Tree Experts will be giving away tree saplings to the first 100 attendees this day. There will be also be free bicycle inspections and a shred event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sponsors also include Bass Electric, Buttercup’s Dairy, Christmas Decor, Coach Realty, Emerald Magic Lawn Care, Flushing Bank, Got Poison Ivy, Old Town Blooms, Suffolk Legislator Kara Hahn, Port Jefferson Physical Therapy, Sunburst Tree Experts, Team Perrone Realty, and TREK. The Chamber Train Car Park is located at the intersection of NYS Rte 112/Rte 347/Canal Road. Entrance is on Rose Avenue in Port Jefferson Station. For more information or to register, visit events.elitefeats.com/22daffodil or www.pjstchamber.com. Joan
Joan Nickeson is an active member of the PJS/Terryville community and community liaison to the PJS/T Chamber of Commerce.
Jaspan Schlesinger LLP recently presented a Heart of the Community Award to Long Island Cares. Founded by the late Harry Chapin, Long Island Cares, Inc. brings together all available resources for the benefit of the hungry and food insecure on Long Island and, to the best of our ability, provides for the humanitarian needs of our community. The Agency’s goals are to improve food security for families, sponsor programs that help families achieve self-sufficiency, and educate the general public about the causes and consequences of hunger on Long Island. The Long Island Cares vision is “A Hunger Free Long Island.” Above, David Paseltiner of Jaspan Schlesinger LLP, on left, presents the award to Paul Pachter, CEO, Long Island Cares.
During this year’s Miller Place-Rocky Point St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Stop and Shop in Rocky Point hosted a Parade Day Festival complete with vendors, giveaways, food, drink and raffles. The generous community of Brookhaven’s North Shore helped raise $7,000 for the Friends of St. Patrick’s to ensure the future of the MP-RP St. Patrick’s Day Parade will flourish for the years to come. Above, Stop & Shop store manager Bob Evans (center) presents a check to five members of the Friends of St. Patrick, from left, James McElhone, Vinny Worthington, Bob Evans, Neil Maguire, John O’Sullivan, and Raymond O’Sullivan.
Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel
“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” The famous opening line of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina could also apply to the chaos and vexation that emanates from Everything Everywhere All at Once, the twisty science fiction black comedy from writer-directors Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (known collectively as “Daniels”).
The film opens with Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) struggling to get ready for an IRS audit while the family prepares for a Chinese New Year party. Her kind but mostly ineffectual husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), does all he can to calm her, but his eagerness to please is more of a hindrance. Adding to the familial strife, Waymond has just served Evelyn with divorce papers, which barely registers with his overwhelmed spouse.
Evelyn’s father, Gong Gong (James Hong), for whom Evelyn has been a life-long disappointment, has arrived from China to live with them. Her conflicted daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu), tries to get the family to accept her girlfriend, Becky (Tallie Medel). Finally, they are confronted with Deirdre Beaubeirdra (Jamie Lee Curtis), the IRS inspector who embodies the worst elements of bureaucracy.
There is enough here to generate a domestic drama of complexity and interest. However, Everything Everywhere All at Once is an exploration of multi-universe theory. As Evelyn and Waymond ride the elevator to their IRS meeting, Waymond shifts to his Alpha/alternate self, explaining that the Alpha Evelyn is dead and only this version of Evelyn can save the multiverse. The entire structure of parallel existence is threatened by Jobu Tupaki, Alpha Waymond and Alpha Evelyn’s daughter. Jobu Tupaki experiences all universes simultaneously and can verse-jump and manipulate matter.
What fascinates is this Evelyn is the worst of all the Evelyns. Alpha Waymond tells her she has made every wrong choice and bad decision. But ironically, since she is the least gifted, she has the greatest capacity for change. Drawing on her many selves, she begins to own not just the powers of these different incarnations, but she becomes more connected to herself in “the present.”
The film presents a range of universes during the brisk (if slightly long) two hours and fifteen minutes. Evelyn’s many faces included a martial arts film star, an opera singer, a chef, and more. Some are glimpsed; others are revisited multiple times. From each, she gains not just skills but understanding.
Along the way, the filmmakers present well-known sci-fi tropes, dramatic and emotional encounters, and a plethora of action sequences. But added to the mix are outrageous concepts, including a world where the inhabitants have hotdogs for fingers. The mispronunciation of Ratatouille results in a story focused on a cook and raccoon and the most nihilistic and heart-warming encounter between two rocks on a planet with no life. The extreme absurdity somehow plays winningly into the overall chaos.
Jobu Tupaki’s manifestation of oblivion is a black hole that she refers to as the Everything on a Bagel. The idea is that evil is when nothing matters.
The uniformly strong cast adeptly portrays various versions of themselves. And while they play the story straight, their comedic timing appropriately shines. Yeoh anchors the film in her pain and triumph, facing her foes and her inner demons, sliding from one manifestation to another.
Quan’s alternating between the self-actualized Alpha Waymond and the Thurber-esque husband is seamless. Hsu manages to embody the stressed, frustrated daughter and the manipulative destroyer and allows elements of both personalities to inform the other. Hong easily goes from the vaguely unaware grandfather to an almost militant leader. The always wonderful Curtis brings depth to the most extreme characters.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is an artistic triumph, due in no small part to Larkin Seiple’s peripatetic, vivid cinematography. Jason Kisvarday’s production design, along with Shirley Kurata’s costume design, create a range of unique worlds, from the pedestrian reality to the wildly inventive.
The smallest decision creates a new branch in time; a missed chance affects the course of both the individual and the entire world. Deftly harnessing the concept of infinite parallel universes, Everything Everywhere All at Once’s heart suggests every choice is an opportunity. But more than that, as Alpha Waymond states: “We are useless alone.” The final message of connection rises above all else. Don’t miss the chance to take this very meta, often bizarre, but finally uplifting journey.
Rated R, Everything Everywhere All at Once is now playing in local theaters.
By Daniel Dunaief
Do the birds on the Galapagos Islands, with their unique coloration, differently shaped beaks and specific nesting places, have anything to do with the cancer cells that alter the course of human lives?
For Mehdi Damaghi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, the answer is a resounding, “Yes.”
Damaghi uses the same principles of evolutionary biology to understand how cancer, which resides within human genes, works to adapt, as it tries to win the battle to survive.
“What we try to understand is the Darwinian principals of cancer,” said Damaghi. Cancer “adapts and reprograms themselves” to their environment to survive.
Damaghi, who arrived at Stony Brook four months ago from Moffitt Cancer Center, plans to address numerous questions related to cancer. He recently received a $4 million grant from the Physical Science in Oncology program (PSON) through the National Institutes of Health/ National Cancer Institute. Working with cancer biologists, clinicians, and computational scientists, he plans to define and understand cancer’s fitness.
“We are trying to study the core evolution of cancer cells and the normal stroma around them,” said Damaghi. “We are looking at the evolution of the tumor and some of the host cells.”
Cancer biologists are trying to build mathematical and theoretical models to explore the playbook cancer uses when confronted with threats, either in the form of a body’s natural defenses against it or from therapies against which it can, and often does, develop resistance.
Treating cancer could involve using adaptive therapy, which could enable people to control and live with cancer longer, Damaghi suggested.
In studying cancer’s phenotype, or the way the disease is expressed and survives, he hopes to understand factors in the microenvironment. Many cancers, he reasons, become more problematic as people age. Indeed, centuries ago, cancer wasn’t as prevalent as it is today in part because life expectancy was shorter.
Damaghi also has an evolutionary model to explore metastasis, in which cancer spreads from one organ or system to other parts of the body. He is looking at the earliest stages of breast cancer, to see what factors some of these cancers need or take from the environment that enables them not only to develop into breast cancer, but also to spread to other systems.
Through the microenvironment, he is looking for biomarkers that might signal a potential tumor development and metastasis long before a person shows signs of an aggressive form of the disease.
“We look at the tumor as a part of a whole ecosystem that can have different niches and habitats,” he said. “Some can be hypoxic and oxidative, and others can be like a desert on Earth, where not much grows and then cancer evolves.”
Damaghi challenges cells in a culture or organoids, which are miniature, three-dimensional live models of human cells, with different microenvironmental conditions to see how they respond. He exposes them to hormones, immune cells, and hypoxic conditions.
“We try to understand what is the adaptation mechanism of cancer to this new microenvironment and how can we push them back to the normal phenotype,” he said.
Like other scientists, Damaghi has demonstrated that many of these cancer cells use sugar. Removing sugar caused some of the cancer to die.
Increasing the survival for patients could involve knowing what kinds of micro-environments cancer uses and in what order. Deprived of sugars, some cancers might turn to amino acids, dairy or other sources of food and energy.
Damaghi thinks researchers and, eventually, doctors, will have to approach cancer as a system, which might have a patient-specific fingerprint that can indicate the resources the disease is using and the progression through its various diseased stages.
Choosing Stony Brook
Damaghi appreciates the depth of talent in cancer sciences at Stony Brook University. He cited the work of Laufer Center Director Ken Dill and Cancer Center Director Yusuf Hannun. He also suggested that the Pathology Department, headed by Ken Shroyer, was “very strong.”
For their part, leaders at Stony Brook were pleased to welcome, and collaborate with, Damaghi. Hannun suggested Stony Brook recruited Damaghi because his research “bridges what we do in breast cancer and informatics.”
Shroyer, meanwhile, has already started collaborating with Damaghi and wrote that his new colleague’s focus on breast cancer “overlaps with my focus on pancreatic cancer.”
To conduct his research, Damaghi plans to look at cells in combination by using digital pathology, which can help reveal tumor ecosystems and niches.
He also appreciated the work of Joel Saltz, the Founding Chair in the Department of Biomedical Informatics. “In the fight against cancer, we all need to unite against this nasty disease,” Damaghi said. “From looking at it at different angles, we can understand it first and then design a plan to defeat it.”
Originally from Tehran, Iran, Damaghi is the oldest of five brothers. He said his parents encouraged them to explore their curiosity.
Damaghi, whose wife Narges and two daughters Elissa and Emilia are still in Tampa and hope to join him before long, has hit the ground running at Stony Brook, where he has hired three postdoctoral researchers, a lab manager, four PhD students, two master’s candidates, and three undergraduates.
Damaghi is inspired to conduct cancer research in part because of losses in his family. Two grandparents died from cancer, his aunt has breast cancer, and his cousin, who had cancer when he was 16, fought through the disease and is a survivor for 20 years.
Damaghi bicycles and plays sports including soccer. He also enjoys cooking and said his guests appreciate his Persian kebobs.
As for his arrival in Stony Brook, he said it was “the best option for me. It’s a great package and has everything I need.”
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