In honor of its 40th anniversary, On Golden Pond returns to select theaters nationwide for a special limited engagement on Sunday, Dec. 12 and Wednesday, Dec. 15, courtesy of Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Universal Pictures.
Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Fathom Events
Cantankerous retiree Norman Thayer (Henry Fonda in his final film) and his conciliatory wife, Ethel (Katharine Hepburn), spend summers at their New England vacation home on the shores of idyllic Golden Pond. This year, their adult daughter, Chelsea (Jane Fonda), visits with her new fiancée (Dabney Coleman) and his teenage son, Billy (Doug McKeon) on their way to Europe. After leaving Billy behind to bond with Norman, Chelsea returns, attempting to repair the long-strained relationship with her aging father before it’s too late.
Directed by Mark Rydell, On Golden Pond (1981) was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including best picture. Both Hepburn and Henry Fonda won Oscars for their performances, as did playwright/screenwriter Ernest Thompson. Dave Grusin’s beautiful score also received a well-deserved nomination.
The special screening includes exclusive insights from TCM host Ben Mankiewicz. Running time is 2 hours.
Locally, the film will be screened at AMC Stony Brook 17, 2196 Nesconset Highway, Stony Brook on Dec. 12 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; at Island 16 Cinema de Lux, 185 Morris Ave., Holtsville on Dec. 12 at 3 p.m. and Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.; and Farmingdale Multiplex Cinemas, 1001 Broadhollow Road, Farmingdale on Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. To order tickets in advance, visit www.fathomevents.com.
Kick off the holiday season at the Town of Brookhaven’s annual tree lighting at the Holtsville Ecology Site, 249 Buckley Road, Holtsville on Friday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. The event will feature costumed characters, complimentary candy canes, musical entertainment and a special appearance by Santa Claus who will arrive by helicopter and then assist with the countdown to light the tree. Event sponsors include Texas Roadhouse, Eastern Helicopters, WALK 97.5, WBLI, WBAB and My Country 96.1. Please bring a new, unwrapped toy for a child in need. For more information, call 631-451-6100 or visit www.brookhavenny.gov
During the event, Senator Mattera and his staff, along with volunteers, will be accepting new and unwrapped toys and gift cards for children aged 2 through 16. They request that donors avoid any toy guns or knives.
Senator Mattera and his staff will be on hand at this special event to say thank you to all who take the time to donate.
Senator Mattera’s office will deliver all donated gift cards and toys to the youngsters receiving care at Stony Brook University Children’s Hospital and for children who utilize the Salvation Army.
“The holidays are so special to our families and our community and it is so important that everyone gets to feel the warmth of this special season. This year, as we reconnect with our families, I invite all of our residents to join me to make the holidays a little more enjoyable for all,” stated Senator Mattera. “We hope that everyone who is able will bring a toy or gift card to enjoy the gift of giving.”
There will be cookies and hot chocolate for the children who participate and each child who donates is invited to send a personalized letter to Santa!
Any resident who would like to donate but is unable to do so on Saturday, December 11th is invited to drop off their donation at Senator Mattera’s district office in Smithtown. The office is located at 180 Middle Country Road, Suite 210.
Please contact Senator Mattera’s office at 631-361-2154 if you have any questions about participating or for more information on this special event.
Held with the support of the Three Village School District, the Three Village Community Trust’s first annual Winter Coat Drive is now underway through Dec. 16. This is a wonderful opportunity for residents to help those in need by dropping off a winter coat at the Trust’s headquarters at the Bruce House, 148 Main Street, Setauket. The Trust encourages community members to simply place their donation of clean winter coats on the front porch. Coats will then be delivered to local families.For more information, call631-428-6851.
Gingerbread cookies and houses are one of the many symbols of the holiday season, alongside Christmas trees and twinkling lights. In fact, few confections symbolize the holidays more so than gingerbread. Many a child (or a child at heart) has spent hours carefully trying to create decorative gingerbread houses.
Although gingerbread recipes span various cultures, gingerbread houses originated in 16th century Germany. The fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel” helped solidify the popularity of gingerbread, which became part of Christmas traditions.
Even though gingerbread houses can be fun to make, there’s no denying it can be exacting work — especially for those who strive for perfection. Prepackaged kits attempt to take some of the guesswork out of the equation, but those who are crafting from scratch can employ these tips as they build their gingerbread houses.
• Go for form and not flavor. Few gingerbread houses ever get eaten, so focus on finding a dough that will bake up rock hard as opposed to one that tastes good.
• Get the right icing texture. Pastry artist Catherine Beddall says royal icing is the preferred “glue” to adhere gingerbread pieces. Beddall says icing should be thick like peanut butter and not runny.
• Mind the dough. Do not roll out the gingerbread dough too thin or it may become brittle after being cooked. Always cut out shapes before the gingerbread is baked. Let the baked pieces sit overnight to cool completely before using them to build.
• Patience is key. Allow the icing to dry for at least a couple of hours after adhering each piece and before moving and handling the house, says Beddall. Work in stages so that individual items can be decorated and allowed to dry. Then the walls can be put together, followed by the roof pieces.
• Kids likely will need help. Children may not have the patience or steadiness to handle complete gingerbread construction. They can decorate the separate pieces of the house while the components are laying flat, which is easier for kids. Adults can do the main assembly later on.
• Utilize a template. Free-handing may not be easy. Cut out templates using cardboard or posterboard for various gingerbread pieces.
One of the most important tips is to have fun. Don’t take gingerbread house making too seriously as a novice. Rather, enjoy the experience and the centuries-old tradition.
Young dancers from local towns will share the stage with New York City Ballet stars Indiana Woodward and Daniel Ulbricht in New York Dance Theatre’s 39th season of “The Nutcracker” at Hofstra University in Hempstead, on Saturday, December 18 and Sunday, December 19 with performances at noon and 5 p.m.
A scene from Ohman Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’
The girls, students at the Ohman School of Ballet in Commack, perform multiple roles in the iconic holiday story ballet including children in the Party Scene, Toy Soldiers and Mice in the Battle Scene, Snowflakes, Angels, and various confections in the Land of Sweets. Galina Hellman, an eighth grader at West Hollow Middle School, and Nina Van Zandt, a seventh grader at Commack Middle School, share the central role of “Clara,” each in two of the four performances at Hofstra University. West Hollow Middle School eighth grader Adrianna Stucchio and sixth grader Aviva Hellman share the pivotal role of Clara’s brother “Fritz,” who breaks Clara’s Nutcracker and sets the plot in motion, each in two of the four performances.
This year’s cast includes young dancers from all over the area as follows: Chloe Cantillo, Anna Clemente, Elysena DeStefano, Claire DeVaney, Brynn Farino, Anna Gross, Isabel Gross, Sofia Gross, Karen Li, Ava Napolitano, Victoria Rodgers, Alyssa Tavares, and Nina Van Zandt of Commack; Elodie Hennessy of Centerport; Roxanne Benoit, Chloe Cheong, Esther Cheong, Mikaela Gluck, Emma Grabelsky, Aviva Hellman, Galina Hellman, Charlotte Neville, Elizabeth Pau, Carina San José, Gita Seto, Adrianna Stucchio, and Anna Tang of Dix Hills; Addison Candelaria of East Northport; Charlotte Stratton of Huntington; Isabella Lenarduzzi and Magdalen Schaefer of Kings Park; Olivia Deng and Emily Yong of Melville; Eileen Huntsman, Erin McKenna, and Delaney Mulholland of Northport; Sophia Ferro of Setauket; Katie Fox of Shoreham; Laila DarConte, Amelia Grace Novellino, Chloe Foster, Sophie Niemann, and Samara Kolodny of Smithtown; Sonya Russo of St. James; and Olivia Wu of Stony Brook.
NYDT’s production is the largest Nutcracker on Long Island and the only one performed in the tradition of New York City Ballet’s Lincoln Center version. Through the years, founder and longtime Centerport resident Frank Ohman created original dances and scenes for the ballet that set his production apart from others on Long Island.As a former student and soloist under George Balanchine Ohman was one of aselect few authorized to use the original pas de deux choreography of his mentor, which continues to distinguish this production.
Special guest artists, New York City Ballet principal dancers Indiana Woodward and Daniel Ulbricht, will perform as the Sugarplum Fairy and her Cavalier.Mr. Ulbricht serves as an artistic advisor for the Ohman School of Ballet, a division of New York Dance Theatre, and has been a recurring master class instructor at the school including on Zoom throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the elegant Christmas Party Scene, the drama of the magical growing Christmas Tree, the Battle of the Toy Soldiers and Giant Mice, the live Snow Storm, and the brilliant dancing in the Land of the Sweets, “The Nutcracker” appeals to all ages.In all, a cast of 80 children, pre-professional and professional dancers will bring this classic story ballet to life on the stage of the John Cranford Adams Playhouse. The children’s roles are performed by students of the Frank Ohman School of Ballet in Commack.
Tickets for this full production ballet are $42.00 and $32.00 (seniors and children 12 and under) plus $3 fee, available at www.ohmanballet.orgor 631.462.0964. Details about Covid-19 protocols for audience members are outlined on the website and are subject to change according to local government guidelines.
More than 50 percent of people have thyroid nodules detectable by high-resolution ultrasound (1). Fortunately, most are benign. A small percent, 4 to 6.5 percent, are malignant, with the number varying depending on the study (2). Thyroid nodules are diagnosed more often incidentally on radiologic exams, such as CT scans of the chest, MRI scans, PET scans and ultrasounds of the carotid arteries in the neck, rather than as a consequence of symptoms (3).
There is a conundrum of what to do with a thyroid nodule, especially when it is found incidentally. It depends on the size. If it is over one centimeter, usually it is biopsied by fine needle aspiration (FNA) (4). While most are asymptomatic, if there are symptoms, these might include difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, hoarseness, pain in the lower portion of the neck and a goiter (5).
FNA biopsy is becoming more common. In a study evaluating several databases, there was a greater than 100 percent increase in thyroid FNAs performed over a five-year period from 2006 to 2011 (6). This resulted in a 31 percent increase in thyroidectomies, surgeries to remove the thyroid partially or completely.
However, the number of thyroid cancers diagnosed with the surgery did not rise in this same period. Though the number of cancers diagnosed has increased, the mortality rate has remained relatively stable over several decades at about 1,500 patients per year (7). Thyroid nodules in this study were least likely to be cancerous when the initial diagnosis was by incidental radiologic exam.
Evaluating borderline results
As much as 25 percent of FNA biopsies are indeterminate. We are going to look at two techniques to differentiate between benign and malignant thyroid nodules when FNA results are equivocal: a PET scan and a molecular genetics test.
A meta-analysis (a group of six studies) of PET scan results showed that it was least effective in resolving an unclear FNA biopsy. The PET scan was able to rule out patients who did not have malignancies, but did not do a good job of identifying those who did have cancer (8).
On the other hand, a molecular-based test was able to potentially determine whether an indeterminate thyroid nodule by FNA was malignant or benign (9).
Unlike in the PET scan study above, the researchers were able to not only rule out the majority of malignancies but also to rule them in. It was not perfect, but the percent of negative predictive value (ruled out) was 94 percent, and the positive predictive value (ruled in) was 74 percent. The combination test improved the predictive results of previous molecular tests by 65 to 69 percent. This is important to help decide whether or not the patient needs surgery to remove at least part of the thyroid.
Significance of calcificationdetected by ultrasound
Microcalcifications in the nodule can be detected on ultrasound. The significance of this may be that patients with microcalcifications are more likely to have malignant thyroid nodules than those without them, according to a small prospective study involving 170 patients (10). This does not mean necessarily that a patient has malignancy with calcifications, but there is a higher risk.
Good news
As I mentioned above, most thyroid nodules are benign. The results of one study go even further, showing that most asymptomatic benign nodules do not progress in size significantly after five years (11). The factors that did contribute to growth of about 11 percent of the nodules were age (<45 years old had more growth than >60 years old), multiple nodules, greater nodule volume at baseline and being male.
The authors’ suggestion is that, after the follow-up scan, the next ultrasound scan might be five years later instead of three years. However, they did discover thyroid cancer in 0.3 percent after five years.
Thyroid functionmay contribute to risk
In considering risk factors, it is important to note that those who had normal thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were less likely to have a malignant thyroid nodule than those who had high TSH, implying hypothyroidism. There was an almost 30 percent prevalence of cancer in the nodule if the TSH was greater than >5.5 mU/L (12).
Fortunately, most nodules are benign and asymptomatic, but the number of cancerous nodules found is growing. Why the death rate remains the same year over year for decades may have to do with the slow rate at which most thyroid cancers progress, especially two of the most common forms, follicular and papillary.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com.
The Long Island Symphonic Choral Association (LISCA) and Island Chamber Players present a holiday concert of music from the baroque period on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 8 p.m.
A lovely venue, the Three Village Church, 322 Main St., Setauket, will host this exciting program which features works by Bach, Charpentier and well-known selections from Handel’s Messiah. Eric Stewart, director and conductor of both groups, will take the baton.
Singers love to sing. The hiatus from that beloved activity imposed upon themembers of the chorus has been a hardship for the performers as well as the audience. LISCA is back this holiday season, but reconfigured to chamber size for continued safety consideration.
This March, 2022LISCA is planning and hopingto return to its’ fullcomplement of singers for aseasonal concert.
On Dec. 11 the singers will be joined by the newly formed Island Chamber Players comprised of superb instrumentalists, including some from the graduate music program at Stony Brook University that have accompanied the chorus in past performances.
Proof of vaccination and mask-wearing by all quests and performers will be required as recommended by the CDC and American Choral Directors Association.
Tickets costs will be $20 for general admission and $15 for seniors, available at the door or at www.lisca.org. Students are free. Live streaming of the concert will be available at no fee at www.3vc.org/lisca2021. For further information, please call 631-751-2743.
Despite unseasonably warm fall days, there’s been a real chill in the air and some gusty winds lately. The leaves have finished their autumn pageant, the days are shorter and it’s time for some serious comfort food like pot pies. In fact, I can’t think of anything that would hit the spot more on a dark December evening. With the convenience of a pie crust from the refrigerator or frozen food section of the supermarket, you can concentrate on that savory concoction that goes under the crust, pop the whole thing in the oven and sip a glass of wine while you catch up on your emails.
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie
YIELD: Makes 6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
Nonstick cooking spray
4 refrigerated pie crusts
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, poached and shredded
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup milk
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray 6 ramekins with nonstick cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, cut six 5” circles from two rolled out pie crusts, then roll each circle into an 8-inch round. Line bottoms and sides of 6 ramekins with 8” crusts; crimp around top edges and prick bottoms and sides of dough with a fork. Place ramekins on rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, until dough is lightly browned.
Meanwhile in a large skillet melt butter over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, potato, onion, carrot, and parsley and stir occasionally until onions turn a light golden color, about 6 to 8 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and half a cup of the broth; add to skillet, stir, then add remaining two cups of broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, stir occasionally and simmer another 5 minutes; stir in chicken, peas and cream, let sit 10 minutes.
Distribute filling mixture evenly among the six ramekins; cut and roll second two pie crusts as first ones, crimp edges, make slits in top crusts, brush tops with milk and bake on rimmed baking sheet, until crusts are golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with a crisp green salad.
Seafood Pot Pie
YIELD: Makes 4 to 6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery with leaves
1/2 cup flour
3 cups clam juice
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound bay scallops
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 pound lobster meat, cut into bite-size pieces
One 10-ounce package frozen peas and carrots
One 10-ounce package frozen pearl onions
1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
One 9” uncooked pie crust, rolled out
3 tablespoons milk
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 F. In large skillet melt butter over medium heat; add onion and celery and cook until onion is opaque, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add flour, stir and cook another minute. In large saucepan bring clam juice to a simmer over medium-high heat; add shrimp and scallops and cook just until shrimp are pink and scallops are tender, about 2 minutes. With slotted spoon transfer shrimp and scallops to bowl, but reserve cooking liquid.
Go back to the skillet and, stirring constantly, add cooking liquid, salt and pepper, a little at a time, to onion and celery and cook 3 minutes. Add the cream and stir. Add lobster meat along with shrimp, scallops and onion mixture, then stir in frozen peas, carrots, pearl onions and parsley; transfer to deep pie dish, cover with rolled out pie crust and crimp edges; brush with milk and make a few slits in crust. Place pie on rimmed cookie sheet and bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbly, about 1 1/4 hours. Serve with an arugula and endive salad.
The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) presents a new seasonal walking tour titled “Winter Walks Through Time” that will feature stories passed down through the ages and new interpretations of Stony Brook Village from indigenous people to modern day marketing.
Participants in the walking tour will enjoy new stories about Stony Brook Village and its former residents. This includes the history of winter whaling on Long Island, how Dorothy Melville saved Christmas, the design of Stony Brook Village by Ward Melville and Richard Haviland Smyth, and the history and magic of holiday window displays.
Tours will leave from the Stony Brook Post Office at 129 Main Street on Friday, Dec. 10 at 10:50 a.m. and 2:50 p.m. Tickets for this event are $15 per person, and includes hot chocolate from Stony Brook Chocolate. Reservations are required by calling the Ward Melville Heritage Organization at 631-751-2244.
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