Introducing this week’s shelter pets, Moxy and Principessa. This endearing brother/sister duo arrived at the Smithtown Animal Shelter after their Dad fell upon hard times and could no longer care for them. They loved their Dad so very much and are having a difficult time adjusting to shelter life. Their ability to love deeply is truly heartwarming, and our greatest wish is to find them a loving home where they can enjoy their golden years.
Moxy is a stunning nine-year-old domestic short-hair orange tabby. He exudes warmth and affection. Moxy would love nothing more than a chance to bring joy to a lucky family’s heart and home. A little patience and kindness will be rewarded with endless loyalty and companionship. He would do well in a quiet home with other cats and possibly calm dogs, but not children.
Principessa is a gorgeous nine-year-old domestic short-hair torti female. Her affectionate nature makes her the perfect companion, ready to share her love and warmth with a caring family. Expect a double dose of purring, lap naps, and snuggles while in the company of this sweet pair. Principessa would thrive in most home environments, including those with older kids, other cats, and possibly calm dogs.
These two lovely siblings bring double the love and companionship—if you’re looking to add warmth and joy to your home, consider opening your heart to Moxy and Principessa. They’re ready to shower their new family with endless love!
If you are interested in meeting Moxy and Principessa please fill out an application to schedule time to properly interact with them in a domestic setting.
All of the felines at the Shelter are current on vaccines and have received a full workup (blood work, Feline HIV & Leukemia tested, physical exam etc) by a board certified Veterinarian.
The Town of Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter, 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown is open 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.
The Hassles, from left, Billy Joel, Richard McKenna, Jon Small, John Dizek and Howie Arthur Blauvelt. Photo courtesy of The Hassles/Jon Small
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF), 97 Main St., Stony Brook has announced it will be inducting Long Island’s own 1960s era seminal rock-soul group, The Hassles — best known as Billy Joel’s first major record label band — including acclaimed drummer-turned-video-director Jon Small.
Additionally, there will be a special celebration event co-produced by Stephen Marcuccio on Saturday, June 28, at 8 p.m. The event is open to the public with a special event ticket purchase of $50 (online purchase includes $3.50 fee) and includes access to the LIMEHOF’s current exhibit, Billy Joel My Life: A Piano Man’s Journey which features a section about the Hassles.
“The Hassles were a dynamic and influential part of Long Island’s musical fabric in the 1960s, known for their powerful performances and infectious sound,” said Tom Needham, LIMEHOF Vice Chairman. “Their recordings and live shows left a lasting impression on the region, and their role in launching Billy Joel’s career only adds to their enduring legacy.”
The Hassles were formed in 1964 and performed until 1969. They played in a wide range of Long Island venues and produced two full-length albums. Original members included Richard McKenna (guitar), Jon Small (drums), John Dizek (vocals, harmonica, tambourine), Harry Weber (bass, organ) Billy Joel (keyboards, vocals), and Howie Arthur Blauvelt (bass). Jon Small, a resident of Northport, and Richard McKenna, surviving members of the group, are expected to be in attendance to accept the induction. Billy Joel is not expected to appear, but this induction makes him a two-time LIMEHOF inductee.
LIMEHOF inductee Liberty DeVitto (Billy Joel’s Band) is expected to officially induct the group. The event will feature live performances from current LIMEHOF inductees, including the hit-making duo The Alessi Brothers, and two-time LIMEHOF inductee drummer Mike Ricciardella of Barnaby Bye and The Illusion. Joining them on guitar will be legendary guitarist Jimmy Rip.
These musicians will honor the legacy of The Hassles by performing some of the group’s most popular songs, including “Every Step I Take,” “You Got Me Hummin’,” and “I Can Tell.” Also, LIMEHOF inductee Albert Bouchard (founding and former member of Blue Öyster Cult) is expected to speak as well.
The event will be co-produced by music visionary Stephen Marcuccio, whose long-standing presence in the Long Island music scene includes his work as co-founder of The Downtown (Long Island’s iconic live venue), and his decades-long collaboration with The Alessi Brothers.
“This night is about honoring the legacy of Long Island music,” Marcuccio said. “The Hassles were a critical part of that history. Recognizing Jon Small and his incredible impact on both music and visual storytelling is long overdue.”
To purchase tickets, visit www.limusichalloffame.org. For more information, call 631-689-5888.
We should all be concerned about osteoporosis risk. According to the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation, 50 percent of women and 25 percent of men will break at least one bone due to osteoporosis (1). Hip fractures are especially concerning, because they increase mortality risk dramatically. More than 50 percent of hip fracture survivors are no longer able to live independently (2).
Do we need to consume more dairy?
Studies suggest that milk and other dairy products may not be as beneficial as we have been raised to believe.
Studies have shown milk may not be beneficial for preventing osteoporotic fractures. Specifically, in a meta-analysis that used data from the Nurses’ Health Study for women and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study for men, neither men nor women saw any benefit from milk consumption in preventing hip fractures (3).
In a 2020 meta-analysis of several past studies, researchers concluded that increased consumption of milk and other dairy products did not lower osteoporosis and hip fracture risks (4).
Generally, studies suggest that dairy may cause additional health problems. The results of a large, 20-year, observational study involving men and women in Sweden showed that milk may be harmful (5). When comparing those who consumed three or more cups of milk daily to those who consumed less than one, there was a 93 percent increased risk of mortality in women between the ages of 39 and 74.
Dosage also mattered. For every one glass of milk consumed, there was a 15 percent increased risk of death for women. There was a much smaller, but significant, three percent per glass increased risk of death in men. For both women and men, researchers found biomarkers in the urine that indicated higher levels of oxidative stress and inflammation.
Remember: these are only associations, not decisive conclusions. The researchers surmise that milk has high levels of D-galactose, a simple sugar that may increase inflammation.
Interestingly, the USDA recommends that, from the age of 9 through adulthood, we consume about three cups of dairy per day (6).
Should we take calcium supplements?
We know calcium is a required element for strong bones, but do supplements really prevent osteoporosis and subsequent fractures? While the data are mixed, it suggests supplements may not be the answer for those who are not calcium deficient.
In a meta-analysis involving a group of observational studies, there was no statistically significant improvement in hip fracture risk in those men or women ingesting at least 300 mg of calcium from supplements and/or food daily (7).
The researchers did not differentiate among the types of foods containing calcium. In a group of randomized controlled trials analyzed in the same study, those taking 800 to 1,600 mg of calcium supplements per day also saw no increased benefit in reducing nonvertebral fractures. In four clinical trials, the researchers saw an increase in hip fractures among those who took calcium supplements. A weakness of this large study is that vitamin D baseline levels, exercise and phosphate levels were not considered in the analysis.
Does vitamin D supplementation reduce risk?
Finally, though the data are not always consistent for vitamin D, it appears it may be valuable when it comes to fracture prevention. In a meta-analysis involving 11 randomized controlled trials, vitamin D supplementation resulted in fewer fractures (8). When patients were given a median dose of 800 IUs (ranging from 792 to 2,000 IUs) of vitamin D daily, those who were aged 65 and over experienced a 14 percent reduction in nonvertebral fractures and an even greater 30 percent reduction in hip fractures. However, vitamin D in lower levels did not significantly reduce fracture risk.
Where does that leave us?
Our knowledge of dietary approaches is continually evolving. Dairy’s role may be an example of this. No definitive statement can be made about calcium, although even in randomized controlled trials with supplements, there was no significant benefit. However, the patients in these trials were not necessarily deficient in calcium nor vitamin D.
To prevent fracture, older patients may need at least 800 IUs of vitamin D supplementation per day.
Remember that treatment and prevention approaches should be individualized, and deficiencies in vitamin D or calcium should usually be treated, of course. Please, talk to your doctor before adding or changing any supplements.
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 or consult your personal physician.
Maple Family Centers presented $50,000 to the Long Island State Veterans Home in Stony Brook. Photo courtesy of Maple Family Centers
Maple Family Centers presented $20,000 to Long Beach Waterfront Warriors. Photo courtesy of Maple Family Centers
Maple Family Centers presented $5,000 to Hooks for Heroes. Photo courtesy of Maple Family Centers
Sal Lauretta (center, holding "free lineage" sign) was the grand champion of the Maple Family Centers BVL Tournament of Champions. He won a cash prize and a free year of bowling. Photo courtesy of Maple Family Centers
Maple Family Centers hosted its BVL Tournament of Champions at Maple Lanes RVC in Rockville Centre on June 7. The annual event benefitted Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL), a national charity that supports local recreational therapy programs for America’s veteran and active-duty service men and women. During the tournament’s opening ceremonies, Maple Family Centers presented a total of $75,000 to three Long Island-based veterans’ organizations.
Maple presented $50,000 to Long Island State Veterans Home, a 350-bed skilled nursing facility that also provides adult day healthcare and rehabilitation services for veterans and their families. Maple is a long-time supporter of the organization, who will apply this most recent donation to its Courtyard Project, a major outdoor renovation.
Maple also donated $20,000 to Long Beach Waterfront Warriors, a volunteer-driven charity that brings veterans – including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center residents – and their families to Long Beach for an all-expenses-paid week-long vacation. Finally, Hooks for Heroes, an Island Park-based charity that brings veterans on charter fishing trips, was awarded $5,000.
All adult league bowlers at Maple’s three New York area bowling centers – in Rockville Centre, Coram and Flushing – were invited to compete for the tournament by making a $5 donation to BVL. Many bowlers made weekly donations, incentivized by Maple Family Centers, which gave them a free practice game and entered them into weekly prize drawings for each $5 contribution. In total, there were more than 5,000 individual donations, and the 150 top scorers earned a spot in the three-game tournament (with handicap).
The grand champion was Sal Lauretta, who bowls out of Maple’s Coram Country Lanes. He received a cash prize and a free year of bowling. Overall, the top 10 scorers won cash prizes. There were also additional contests and prizes, including donated bowling equipment and apparel, and raffles, ensuring many bowlers went home with something.
“Congratulations to Sal and all the winners and participants. It was a great day at the lanes, and we were very proud to present $75,000 to support the work of three Long Island organizations whose therapeutic recreation programs improve the lives of our nation’s heroes,” said John LaSpina, President of Maple Family Centers. “These donations would not be possible without the generous support of Maple bowlers, who understand our company’s mission to brighten the lives of veterans every day and who enthusiastically contribute to this cause.”
Over the years, Maple Family Centers has raised more than $850,000 for veterans’ charities through BVL, including more than $250,000 for Long Island State Veterans Home.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to the LaSpina family and Maple Family Centers for their generous donation to the Long Island State Veterans Home,” said Fred S. Sganga, FACHE, Executive Director of the Long Island State Veterans Home. “Their unwavering support significantly enhances both the quality of life and the quality of care for our nation’s veterans. The LaSpina family’s commitment to our veterans is truly commendable, and we are immensely grateful for their dedication to ensuring our heroes receive the respect and care they deserve.”
About Maple Family Centers
Providing fun for friends and families since 1960, Maple Family Centers consists of five family-owned bowling centers including Coram Country Lanes in Coram, N.Y.; Maple Lanes RVC in Rockville Centre, N.Y.; Jib Lanes in Flushing, N.Y.; Maple Lanes Countryside in Clearwater, Fla.; and Maple Lanes Lakeland in Lakeland, Fla. A third-generation family business owned and operated by the LaSpina family, Maple Family Centers is all about entertaining the community and building relationships. The LaSpina family share their joy of bowling with families and sports enthusiasts and lead MFC in supporting the needs of the community by creating fundraising opportunities for nonprofit agencies.
The Whaling Museum and Education Center, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor seeks enthusiastic and helpful Museum Program Assistants age 13+ for their family programs and events. If you love helping with crafts and working with kids, the museum would love to hear from you. Have fun, make a difference, and give back to the community!
Volunteers will:
-Assist with preparing crafts and activities
-Work with families and children to complete crafts
-Assist with summer camp at the museum
-Contribute to collections research and care
-Help out with museum maintenance
-Receive community service credit for your time
CURRENT MUSEUM PROGRAM ASSISTANT OPPORTUNITIES:
July & August – Tuesday – Sunday | 10:30AM – 1:30PM & 1:30 – 4:30PM
August Summer Camp – Week of August 18 – 22 | 9:00AM – 2:00PM – work full camp week
August Summer Camp – Week of August 25 – 29 | 9:00AM – 2:00PM – work full camp week
Sea Glass Festival – July 20 from 9:00AM – 5:30PM (full & half day shifts will be available)
Pictured from left, Gail Powell, Lil Nociforo, St Jude Representative Stacy Bakker,
Councilwoman Jane Bonner, Kathy Senatore, Ellen Fisher, and Donna Bram. Photo from Leg. Bonner's office
On June 2, Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner attended a special presentation at Leisure
Village, where the Leisure Village Senior Club proudly donated $11,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital.
In recognition of the club’s outstanding fundraising efforts and generous contribution, Councilwoman Bonner
presented the group with an official Town Certificate of Appreciation. The donation reflects months of
dedication, teamwork, and compassion from the senior residents who were determined to make a meaningful
impact on the lives of children battling cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.
“It’s incredibly heartwarming to see the Leisure Village Senior Club come together for such an important
cause,” said Councilwoman Bonner. “Their selflessness, community spirit, and generosity are truly inspiring,
and I was honored to recognize their efforts on behalf of the Town of Brookhaven.”
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital continues to lead the way in treating and defeating childhood cancer and other serious diseases. Contributions like this help ensure that families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food—because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.
PaJaMa (Paul Cadmus, Jared French, Margaret French)
Jared French, Fire Island
1949
Vintage gelatin silver print
Museum Purchase
For the first time, The Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington is exploring its collection through the lens of LGBTQ+ identities and histories. Spanning more than 150 years, the Museum-wide exhibition All of Me with All of You: LGBTQ+ Art Out of the Collection includes significant paintings, sculptures, and works on paper acquired over decades for the Museum collection. The exhibit opened on June 7 and runs through Sept. 14.
Artists who lived and worked on Long Island will anchor All of Me with All of You. Among the 86 works on view are six photographs taken on Fire Island by the collective PaJaMa (Paul Cadmus, Jared French, and Margaret French) expressing the artistic and personal freedoms that LGBTQ+ communities nurtured on Long Island in the first half of the twentieth century. Photographs by Huntington artist Joanne Mulberg capture the spirit of Fire Island in the 1970s and 1980s.
“The artworks that I selected for this exhibition reveal profound, often overlooked connections between the Museum, its surrounding landscape and the queer communities that shaped it. By recognizing these works as queer—and honoring their historical and cultural significance —the Museum offers pivotal support and inspiration, not only to artists but to LGBTQ+ communities,” said Guest Curator Victoria Munro, Artist, and Executive Director of the Alice Austen House.
“This is an expansive, groundbreaking exhibition developed by guest curator Victoria Munro, with valuable input from an intergenerational advisory group, teen community members, and local non-profit partners,” noted Heather Arnet, Executive Director and CEO.
“By amplifying the stories of artists such as Marsden Hartley, Emma Stebbins, and Emilio Sanchez, long represented in the collection, and placing their art in dialogue with more recent acquisitions by the PaJaMa collective, Amy Adler, Laylah Ali, vanessa german, and Mickalene Thomas, the exhibition highlights the depth of the permanent collection and the rich history of LGBTQ+ art history on Long Island. We hope visitors will be excited to engage with one another in dialogues inspired by the works, fostering a broader understanding of our past and deepening connections to the present,” said Arnet.
All of Me with All of You —along with all the exhibitions and programs planned in 2025—”contribute to presenting a fuller, more accurate story of American Art,” said Chief Curator, Karli Wurzelbacher, Ph.D.
The exhibition title All of Me With All of You reflects a spirit of collective strength and acknowledges the networks and spaces where queer artists create, uplift, and sustain one another, said Munro. In addition to her leadership at The Alice Austin House, she is Board President of the Museums Council of New York City. She consults and speaks on LGBTQ+ curriculum development, and LGBTQ+ interpretation in public and private institutions.
Exhibition Highlights:
The delicate yet profound imagery found in the private trove of photographs by the PaJaMa collective captures an era of queer artistic collaboration and self-exploration These images offer a rare glimpse into the private lives and intimate bonds of figures who shaped 20th-century art and culture, serving as a visual archive of a community that often thrived in the margins.
At the other end of the spectrum, Emma Stebbins’ neoclassical marble sculpture of her partner Charlotte Cushman embodies a different yet equally powerful artistic statement. As a celebrated 19th-century actress known for her gender-fluid performances and her defiant embrace of a life outside traditional norms, Cushman’s presence in the collection serves as a testament to both personal and artistic courage. Stebbins’s sculptural tribute to her reinforces the museum’s recognition of important historic figures who challenged societal conventions and left an indelible mark on art history.
Betty Parsons, widely recognized as a pioneering art dealer and champion of Abstract Expressionism, appears in the collection not just as a tastemaker but as an artist in her own right. Her handcrafted wooden tugboat, reminiscent of a child’s toy, exudes a charming, playful innocence, contrasting with the depth and expansiveness suggested by her abstract oil painting Gulf of Mexico.
Mickalene Thomas draws inspiration from the interiors of her childhood and the women who played formative roles in her life. Through her signature use of texture, pattern, and bold cold, she creates rich, layered spaces that evoke warmth, nostalgia, and strength. Her work is both a personal homage and a broader celebration of Black womanhood, family, and the idea of home as a space of identity and empowerment.
The Heckscher Museum of Art is located at 2 Prime Avenue in Huntington. For more information, call 631-380-3230 or visit www.heckscher.org.
This project is made possible with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. With this generous support, the Museum will engage youth and intergenerational community members in a robust year of exhibitions and public programming highlighting and celebrating works, histories, and legacies of LGBTQ+ artists in their permanent collection.
Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) has been named one of the Top 25 Hospitals in the country for its work pursuing environmental excellence. Based on a rigorous scoring system, this award honors success and performance in a range of sustainability programs including leadership, waste, chemicals, greening the operating room, food, sustainable procurement, energy, water, climate, transportation, and green building. As Practice Greenhealth’s highest honor for the Partner for Change application, this award recognizes the best of the best in health care environmental sustainability.
Additionally, SBUH’s multi-disciplinary efforts on reducing its environmental footprint in various impact areas have resulted in earning the recognition of Circles of Excellence in Chemicals, Sustainable Procurement, Energy, and Green Building. The Circles of Excellence Awards honor the 10 highest-performing hospitals in each area of sustainability impact.
“Our sustainability successes come from many passionate employees working to make our hospital a leader in providing world class healthcare, while ensuring our resources are used efficiently to minimize our impact on the environment,” said Carol Gomes, MS, FACHE, CPHQ, Chief Executive Officer, Stony Brook University Hospital. “I’m incredibly proud of the Stony Brook Medicine faculty and staff for their continued dedication and hard work in advancing environmental excellence within healthcare.”
Some of the Hospital’s successes over the last year include:
Significant reductions in our use of the anesthetic desflurane
Significant reductions in regulated medical waste generation
Expansion of our reprocessing and sustainable purchasing programs
Reduction in total waste per patient day
Expansion of the impact of our Food Farmacy program and our Stony Brook Heights micro-farm that distributes food to food-insecure community members
Elimination of the central nitrous oxide system at Ambulatory Surgery Center
Several physical plant and capital projects that reduce our energy use, including the very visible Curtain Wall project and less visible infrastructure projects.
Practice Greenhealth is the leading sustainable health care organization, delivering environmental solutions to more than 1,700 hospitals and health systems in the United States and Canada.
With the Medical Aid in Dying Act having passed both houses of the New York State Legislature, Cona Elder Law will host a free webinar titled “End-of-Life Conversations: Tools for Dignity, Clarity, and Comfort” on Wednesday, June 18 at 9 a.m.
The webinar will be hosted by Jennifer B. Cona, founder and managing partner of Cona Elder Law and Melissa Negrin-Wiener, Esq., Senior Partner, Cona Elder Law.
The Medical Aid in Dying Act (S.138/A.136) would allow mentally competent, terminally ill adults with six months or less to live to request life-ending medication. The bill passed the New York State Assembly and Senate and now awaits signature by Governor Hochul. If signed, New York would become the 12th state to legalize medical aid in dying.
While the legislation has generated both support and criticism, it has also sparked a vital conversation about how individuals and families approach end-of-life decisions.
“This is a critical topic for our clients and their loved ones,” said Jennifer B. Cona, founder and managing partner of Cona Elder Law. “We have daily conversations regarding living with dignity, safeguarding choice of care and living arrangements, end-of-life care, and ensuring wishes are followed, both as to healthcare as well as asset distribution. This law is another tool in the toolbox for ensuring dignity, control, and a life worth living defined by one’s own terms.”
The webinar will provide:
Guidance on initiating end-of-life care conversations
Legal tools such as health care proxies and living wills
Strategies for aligning personal values with medical decisions
What the community needs to know about the new law
A forum for questions about the current legal landscape
The event is free and open to the public. Registration is available here.
About Cona Elder Law
Cona Elder Law concentrates in the areas of elder law, estate planning, estate administration and litigation, and health care law. Cona Elder Law takes a holistic approach to elder law, providing support and resources for older adults and caregivers, and maintains long-term, partnering relationships with clients to provide the best solutions for multiple generations.
Recently released Netflix docuseries, Gone Girls, is a three-part series which chronicles the desperate attempts by Shannan Gilbert’s mother to locate her missing daughter, last seen on Gilgo Beach. Through Mrs. Gilbert’s unrelenting efforts to find Shannan, law officials uncovered the Gilgo Beach serial murders. Under a corrupt Suffolk District Attorney and Police Chief, the Suffolk County Police Department apparently failed to fully investigate her case possibly because she was allegedly listed as a sex worker and not considered a priority.
Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta was interviewed in episode two of the series based on his expertise and knowledge of the corruption scandal within the Suffolk County Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Legislator Trotta stressed that then County Executive Steve Bellone was warned many times not to promote James Burke as Chief of Police as he had been featured on the cover of Newsday for having sex with a known prostitute, while on duty and in his county issued police vehicle, and losing his service revolver to her. According to Trotta, “had the right person been chief of police, these murders probably would have been solved earlier, and the families had some peace of mind sooner.”
“I am pleased that Suffolk County is moving in the right direction, and I sincerely hope that justice will soon prevail in the Gilgo Beach murders and that all members of law enforcement will realize that all deaths matter regardless of one’s occupation,” said Legislator Rob Trotta.
The Whaling Museum and Education Center, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor seeks enthusiastic and helpful Museum Program Assistants age 13+ for their family programs and events. If you love helping with crafts and working with kids, the museum would love to hear from you. Have fun, make a difference, and give back to the community!
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