Suffolk County’s One-Stop Employment Center will host a job fair in Selden on Tuesday, Jan. 25.
The event, running from 10 a.m. to noon, will be at the Middle Country Public Library, 575 Middle Country Rd. Advanced registration is required.
Employers scheduled to attend the fair include the Long Island State Veterans Home, Stony Brook University, Europastry, East/West Industries, Northwell Health, Mary Haven Center of Hope, and Long Island Cares, among others. Bring your resume and dress for success!
If you’re a certain age, you’ll need to withdraw money from some of your retirement accounts each year. But in 2022, the amount you must take out may be changing more than in other years — and that could affect your retirement income strategy.
Here’s some background: Once you turn 72, you generally must start taking withdrawals, called required minimum distributions, or RMDs, from some of your retirement accounts, such as your traditional IRA and your 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored plan. Each year, your RMDs are determined by your age and account balances. This year, the life expectancy tables used by the IRS are being updated to reflect longer lifespans. This may result in lower annual RMDs than you’d have to take if this adjustment hadn’t been made.
If you’ve started taking RMDs, what does this change mean to you? It can be a positive development for a few reasons:
Potentially lower taxes: Your RMDs are generally taxable at your personal income tax rate, so the lower your RMDs, the lower your tax bill might be.
Possibly longer “lifespan” for retirement accounts: Because your RMDs will be lower, the accounts from which they’re issued — including your traditional IRA and 401(k) — may be able to last longer without becoming depleted. The longer these accounts can stay intact and remain an asset, the better for you.
More flexibility in planning for retirement income: The word “required” in the phrase “required minimum distributions” means exactly what it sounds like — you must take at least that amount. If you withdraw less than your RMD, the amount not withdrawn will be taxed at 50%. So, in one sense, your RMDs take away some of your freedom in managing your retirement income. But now, with the lower RMDs in place, you may regain some of this flexibility. (And keep in mind that you’re always free to withdraw more than the RMDs.)
Of course, if you don’t really need all the money from RMDs, even the lower amount may be an issue for you — as mentioned above, RMDs are generally taxable. However, if you’re 70½ or older, you can transfer up to $100,000 per year from a traditional IRA directly to a qualified charitable organization, and some, or perhaps all, of this money may come from your RMDs. By making this move, you can exclude the RMDs from your taxable income. Before taking this action, though, you’ll want to consult with your tax advisor.
Here are a couple of final points to keep in mind. First, not all your retirement accounts are subject to RMDs — you can generally keep your Roth IRA intact for as long as you want. However, your Roth 401(k) is generally subject to RMDs. If you’re still working past 72, though, you may be able to avoid taking RMDs from your current employer’s 401(k) or similar plan, though you’ll still have to take them from your traditional IRA.
Changes to the RMD rules don’t happen too often. By being aware of how these new, lower RMDs can benefit you, and becoming familiar with all aspects of RMDs, you may be able to strengthen your overall retirement income situation.
Michael Christodoulou, ChFC®, AAMS®, CRPC®, CRPS® is a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones in Stony Brook. Member SIPC.
The federal government has begun taking orders for free at-home COVID-19 test kits. Residents can order 4 free at-home tests per household. Orders will usually ship in 7 to 12 days.
2. Enter your contact details and shipping information.
3. Click Check Out Now.
4. Verify your information is correct and select Place My Order. People who can’t access the website or who have trouble ordering online can call a hotline — 1-800-232-0233 — to order their free tests.
The tests available for order:
Are rapid antigen at-home tests, not PCR
Can be taken anywhere
Give results within 30 minutes (no lab drop-off required)
Work whether or not you have COVID-19 symptoms
Work whether or not you are up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines
Are also referred to as self-tests or over-the-counter (OTC) tests
Take an at-home test:
If you begin having COVID-19 symptoms like fever, sore throat, runny nose, or loss of taste or smell, or
At least 5 days after you come into close contact with someone with COVID-19, or
When you’re going to gather with a group of people, especially those who are at risk of severe disease or may not be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines.
What if you test Positive?
A positive at-home test result means that the test found the virus, and you very likely have COVID-19.
A negative at-home test result means that the test did not find the virus, and you may have a lower risk of spreading COVID-19 to others. Check your test kit’s instructions for specific next steps. If you test negative, you should test again within a few days with at least 24 hours between tests.
Testing is only one step you can take to protect yourself, friends, family, and others. Everyone is encouraged to get up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. Visit vaccines.gov to find a vaccine or booster near you. Wear a well-fitted mask when gathering indoors and maintain 6 feet of distance between people.
Tom Caruso captured this fleeting moment on a recent trip to Caleb Smith State Park Preserve in his hometown of Smithtown. He writes, ‘It was a beautiful day. I wandered around the park and saw several deer grazing in an open field. I circled around the field to get a better look when a herd of deer came crashing out of the woods to my right and bounded across the field. I caught this deer in full flight and it was quite a sight.’
A scene from 'Homecoming: The Story of African American Farmers.' Photo courtesy of CAC
The Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington will present a free special online screening of Homecoming: The Story of African American Farmers on Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.
The final program of its LI AgriCULTURE series, the event will include a discussion with the film’s director, Charlene Gilbert.
In 1920 there were hundreds of thousands of black farmers in America; in 1999 there were fewer than 18,000. Filmmaker Charlene Gilbert travelled to Georgia, the place she calls home, where her cousin still farms the family’s land. Gilbert recounts her family history while she investigates the social and political implications of the decline of black farming, and explores the bittersweet legacy of the land, a symbol of both struggle and survival.
Homecoming paints a picture of the courageous journey of black farmers who started as freed slaves after the Civil War. By 1910, there were 200,000 African American farmers who had bought land, a staggering number considering the poverty and discrimination they faced. However, the Supreme Court’s 1954 decision on Brown v. Board of Education polarized the whole country. Its impact in the South went far beyond the classroom; many farmers who needed credit found they suddenly couldn’t get it, a process known as “red-lining.”
Gilbert unearths footage of U.S. government farm bureaucrats paying lip service to black farmers. A 1964 study of the Department of Agriculture under the Johnson administration found that there had been discrimination against African Americans in every level of the agency. Homecoming explores the spiritual and symbolic meaning of land for black farmers in America.
A link to view the film and an invitation to join the discussion and Q&A will be provided in your email order confirmation after you RSVP at www.cinemaartscentre.org.
As we enter a new year, it’s important that there is an understanding of the updated estate and gift taxes on both the federal and state level.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) increased the federal estate tax exclusion amount for decedents dying in years 2018 to 2025. The exclusion amount is for 2022 is $12.06 million. This means that an individual can leave $12.06 million, and a married couple can leave $24.12 million dollars to their heirs or beneficiaries without paying any federal estate tax. This also means that an individual or married couple can gift this same amount during their lifetime and not incur a federal gift tax. The rate for the federal estate and gift tax remains at 40 percent.
There are no 2022 changes to the rules regarding step-up basis at death. That means that when you die, your heirs’ cost basis in the assets you leave them are reset to the value at your date of death.
The Portability Election, which allows a surviving spouse to use his or her deceased spouse’s unused federal estate and gift tax exemption, is unchanged for 2022. This means a married couple can use the full $24.12 million exemption before any federal estate tax would be owed. To make a portability election, a federal estate tax return must be timely filed by the executor of the deceased spouse’s estate.
For 2022 the annual gift tax exclusion has increased to $16,000. This means that an individual can give away $16,000 to any person in a calendar year ($32,000 for a married couple) without having to file a federal gift tax return.
Despite the large Federal Estate Tax exclusion amount, New York State’s estate tax exemption for 2021 is $5.93 million. As of the date of this article, the exact exclusion amount for 2022 has not been released. It is anticipated to be a little over $6 million in 2022. New York State still does not recognize portability.
New York has a three-year lookback on gifts as of January 16, 2019. However, a gift is not includable if it was made by a resident or nonresident and the gift consists of real or tangible property located outside of New York State; while the decedent was a nonresident; before April 1, 2014; between January 1, 2019, and January 15, 2019.
Most taxpayers will never pay a federal or New York State estate tax. However, there are many reasons to engage in estate planning. Those reasons include long term care planning, tax basis planning and planning to protect your beneficiaries once they inherit the wealth.
In addition, since New York State has a separate estate tax regime with a significantly lower exclusion than that of the Federal regime it is still critical to do estate tax planning if you and/or your spouse have an estate that is potentially taxable under the New York State law.
Nancy Burner, Esq. practices elder law and estate planning from her East Setauket office. Visit www.burnerlaw.com
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LIVE WEBINAR: Burner Law Group, P.C. presents a free webinar titled 2022: The Year of Trusts on Thursday, Jan. 20 at 2:30 p.m. Attorney Britt Burner will discuss the anatomy of trusts, the types of trusts used in Estate and Medicaid planning and how they can benefit you and your loved ones. To RSVP, call 631-941-3434 or email [email protected].
Shakore Philip visited the Sunshine Prevention Center in Dec. 2021
Professional football player, Shakore Philip, spent some time with the students at the Sunshine Alternative Learning and Prevention Center in Port Jefferson Station over the holidays. He went to the center to share some knowledge and life experiences with the students at one of their small group sessions.
Shakore Philip has lived in New York his whole life, except during his tenure playing collegiate football at Widener University in Pennsylvania. He is actively seeking his next professional football opportunity for the upcoming season. Shakore has a passion for underprivileged youth in his community and felt that sharing some life knowledge with the students at the Sunshine Center was a great opportunity to affect their lives in a positive way.
“In my time at the Sunshine center I was able to meet several young individuals,” said Philip. “I was able to share some of the experiences I’ve had in my life. My favorite part of this experience was being able to hear the input of the students and have a genuine conversation with them as well.”
The Sunshine Alternative Learning and Prevention Center is a leader in the field of substance abuse and violence prevention for the last 25 years. The center works to build drug-free and violence-free communities on Long Island. Sunshine provides a family-centered approach to prevention and is concerned about the social/emotional needs of all children and families. All the programs at Sunshine are designed to build on healthy social skills each with the focus on specific needs. This center uses support groups to normalize students struggles, helping them to see that they are not alone, that others have gone through the same or similar things and others DO understand.
Located at 468 Boyle Rd, Port Jefferson Station, the Sunshine Alternative Learning and Prevention Center offers many different kinds of programs for children and adults throughout the year. Including alternative education and secondary school, adult and parenting programs, summer prevention programs, teen and children’s programs. This opportunity with The Sunshine Alternative Learning and Prevention Center was the best way for Shakore to show how much he loves his community.
For more information about Sunshine Alternative Learning and Prevention Center please visit https://www.sunshinepreventionctr.org/. To learn more about Shakore Philip you can follow his Instagram @the_8th_continent
#15 Anthony Roberts, during last Wednesday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
Stony Brook was not able to overcome its hot-shooting hosts, as Vermont knocked off the Seawolves in a battle of the top two teams in the preseason poll Jan. 12 at Patrick Gymnasium in Burlington.
Tykei Greene and Anthony Roberts each led Stony Brook with 13 points, as Stony Brook was not able to fend off a Vermont attack that drilled 19, 3-pointers en route to the win.
The Seawolves came out hot in the first half, making eight of their own 3-pointers on 13 attempts but went just 1-for-10 in the second 20 minutes of action and were not able to make it up inside the arc. With the loss, Stony Brook fell to 9-6 overall and 1-1 in America East play.
“Vermont played great. They came in shooting 29 percent from three as a team but were able to hit 15 of their first 21, so have to give them a lot of credit. We played very well offensively in the first half, shooting 56 percent from the field and yet we were still down double figures. We have a quick turnaround coming so we can’t sulk over a poor result,” saidhead coach Geno Ford.
The Stony Brook men’s basketball game versus New Hampshire, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 15, was postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the New Hampshire program. The game has been rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. at Island Federal Arena. To exchange your tickets, call 631-632-9753.
Renowned New York City based dance company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet returns to Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook on Saturday, Feb. 5 for a spectacular evening on the Main Stage featuring their two newest full length pieces performed on the same program for the very first time, in celebration of Black History Month. The show starts at 8 p.m
Under the artistic direction of dance Icons Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, (both former principal dancers with ALVIN AILEY DANCE and star choreographers), COMPLEXIONS will perform two monumental pieces, “WOKE” and LOVE ROCKS”, born out of the current crisis’ we are facing in the world. Through dance, COMPLEXIONS confronts this moment in time and the question of what it means to exist in today’s society and how we connect in spite of it.
“WOKE” is a physical reaction to the daily news. A bold and dynamic socially conscious one act ballet featuring the full company that examines our humanity in conjunction with today’s political climate.
LOVE ROCKS, which also features the full company, is set to the powerful music of Grammy Award-winner Lenny Kravitz. It is a fun, thrilling and moving dance and a tremendous compliment to “WOKE”.
Dancing these two pieces together in the same program is a challenge for the company. Complexions Dance is working overtime through extreme pandemic conditions to create this unique program for the Staller Center as they present it to the University community and greater Long Island region.
Tickets range from $42 to $58. For more information or to order, visit www.stallercenter.com, call 631-632-ARTS or email [email protected].
Major Sponsors are News 12 – Campolo, Middleton & McCormick – Danfords Hotel & Marina – Friends of the Staller Center – Hilton Garden Inn – Island Federal – Jefferson’s Ferry – Renaissance – Stony Brook Medicine – Suffolk County – WLIW – Paul W. Zuccaire Foundation.
COVID GUIDELINES
The Staller Center prioritizes the safety of its patrons, staff and students, and will enforce strict Covid-19 protocols for the Fall 2021 season. At this time, visitors must show proof of full vaccination or proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event (children ages 12 and under are exempt when accompanied by a parent or guardian who meets the requirements). Additionally, each audience and staff member must wear a mask while inside the venue. All audience members will be advised to not attend if they feel unwell, have symptoms of Covid-19 or have recently been exposed to someone with the disease.
With these guidelines, the Staller Center ticket policy for return or exchange of tickets will be liberalized to accommodate patrons who cannot attend due to the above.
ABOUT THE PERFORMER
Complexions Contemporary Ballet was founded in 1994 by Master Choreographer Dwight Rhoden and the legendary Desmond Richardson with a singular approach to reinventing dance through a groundbreaking mix of methods, styles and cultures. Today, Complexions represents one of the most recognized, diverse, inclusive and respected performing arts brands in the World. Having presented an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement on 5-continents, over 20-countries, to over 20-million television viewers and to well over 300,000 people in live audiences, Complexions is poised to continue its mission to bring unity to the world one dance at a time.
Complexions has received numerous awards including The New York Times Critics’ Choice Award. It has appeared throughout the US, including the The Joyce Theatre and Lincoln Center in NYC, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Paramount Theatre/Seattle, The Music Center/Los Angeles, Winspear Opera House/Dallas, The Cutler Majestic Theater/Boston, The Music Hall/Detroit, and has toured extensively around the world to venues including The Bolshoi Theater, The Kremlin, The Mikhailovsky Theater, and the Melbourne Arts Center.
The company’s foremost innovation is that dance should be about removing boundaries, not reinforcing them. Whether it be the limiting traditions of a single style, period, venue, or culture, Complexions transcends them all, creating an open, continually evolving form of dance that reflects the movement of our world—and all its constituent cultures—as an interrelated whole.
Together, Rhoden and Richardson have created in Complexions an institution that embodies its historical moment, a sanctuary where those passionate about dance can celebrate its past while simultaneously building its future. In the 27 years since its inception, the company has continued to awaken audiences to a new, exciting genre with their singular approach of reinventing dance and contemporary ballet. Their work has borne witness to a world that is becoming more fluid, more changeable, and more culturally interconnected than ever before—in other words, a world that is becoming more and more like Complexions itself.
With stunning gifted dancers and powerful choreography, Complexions has been hailed as a “matchless American dance company” by the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Companies like Complexions are game-changing: they’re forging a path for what ballet can be instead of what it historically has been.”- The Guardian
Learn about tropical rainforest at Sweetbriar Nature Center on Jan. 23. Photo from Sweetbriar Nature Center
Programs
Star Quest!
Calling all brave explorers! The Whaling Museum, 301 Main St.. Cold Spring Harbor presents Star Quest! Thursdays to Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Jan. 31. Hunt for star constellations around the museum with a spyglass to navigate your journey, just like mariners at sea. Solve puzzles to find your reward — a glittery star lantern you can decorate in our workshop to light your way home. For ages 5 and older. Admission fee plus $10 per participant. Call 367-3418.
Owl Prowl
Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown invites the community to an Owl Prowl on Jan. 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. Meet and learn about some of the resident owls at the center and embark on a walk into the darkness to enjoy the night and maybe call in an owl or two.Dress warmly, wear bug spray, and bring a flashlight just in case. Open to families with children ages 5 years old and up. $15 per person. To register, visit www.sweetbriarnc.org.
Open Play at the Explorium
The Long Island Explorium, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson will present a series of hands-on interactive STEM explorations centered on the importance of the Tundra Biome and the interactions between the climate, living things, and the layers that exist beneath them all on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. throughout January. Hands-on activities, crafts, and more! $5 per person. Call 331-3277.
Growing Up Wild
The Town of Brookhaven presents an environmental program for children ages 3 to 6, Growing Up Wild, at Cedar Beach’s Nature Center, Harbor Road, Mount Sinai on Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. Parents and grandparents are invited to explore nature with their little ones. Each class will focus on a different nature topic and will include a story time and a related craft or activity. Free but registration is required by emailing [email protected].
How Animals Prepare for Winter
Sunken Meadow State Park, Route 25A and Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park presents a program for children ages 3 to 5 titled How Animals Prepare for Winter on Jan. 22 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Children and their parents will connect with nature through short walks, animal visitors, and crafts. $4 per child. Advance reservations required by visiting Eventbrite.com and searching for #NatureEdventure.
Family Hour Sunday
Join the Heckscher Museum of Art for a virtual Family Hour Sunday program via Zoom on Jan. 23 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Children ages 5 through 10 are invited for a family-friendly art experience with Museum Educator Tami Wood. $10 per child. To register, visit www.heckscher.org.
Sunday Fun-Day
Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown hosts a Sunday Fun-Day program on Jan. 23 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Learn all about tropical rainforests and meet some amazing animals that live there. Best suited for ages 5 to 7. $10 per child, $5 per adult. To register, visit www.sweetbriarnc.org. For more information, call 979-6344.
Theater
‘Puss In-Boots’
Above, the cast of ‘Puss In Boots’.Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson continues its children’s theatre with Puss In Boots, a hilarious re-telling of the tale of a boy and his ingenious feline. When Christopher inherits his father’s cat, he sets out on an adventure that takes him to the palace of King Vexmus and beyond. Join them as this clever cat teaches us that faith comes from within. Performances will be held on Saturdays, Jan. 22, 29 and Feb. 5 at 11 a.m. and Sunday, Jan. 23 at 3 p.m. All seats are $10. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. See review on page B21.
Disney’s Frozen Jr.
The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Disney’s Frozen Jr. Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. from Feb. 13 to March 13. When faced with danger, princesses Anna and Elsa discover their hidden potential and the powerful bond of sisterhood. This enchanting musical features all of the memorable songs from the hit Disney film and will thaw even the coldest heart! Tickets are $20. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.
In 1920 there were hundreds of thousands of black farmers in America; in 1999 there were fewer than 18,000. Filmmaker Charlene Gilbert travelled to Georgia, the place she calls home, where her cousin still farms the family’s land. Gilbert recounts her family history while she investigates the social and political implications of the decline of black farming, and explores the bittersweet legacy of the land, a symbol of both struggle and survival.
Under the artistic direction of dance Icons Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, (both former principal dancers with ALVIN AILEY DANCE and star choreographers), COMPLEXIONS will perform two monumental pieces, “WOKE” and LOVE ROCKS”, born out of the current crisis’ we are facing in the world. Through dance, COMPLEXIONS confronts this moment in time and the question of what it means to exist in today’s society and how we connect in spite of it.
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