Community

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Kings Park Knights of Columbus, 44 Church St., Kings Park will hold its annual clothing drive to benefit local families on Saturday, Nov. 13 and Sunday, Nov. 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donations of clean, useable adult and children’s clothing including shoes, boots and sneakers appreciated. For additional information, call 631-724-1410.

Steven Uihlein and Jeffrey Sanzel in a scene from 'A Christmas Carol'

Join Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson for the 37th annual production of A Christmas Carol from Nov. 13 to Dec. 26. Celebrate the season with Long Island’s own holiday tradition and broadwayworld.com winner for Best Play. Follow the miser Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey that teaches him the true meaning of Christmas — past, present and future. A complimentary sensory sensitive abridged performance will be held on Nov. 28 at 11 a.m. $20 tickets in November; December tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 children ages 5 to 12. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

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Senator Mario R. Mattera (2nd Senate District), Assemblyman Doug Smith (5th Assembly District) and Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa (4th Legislative District) are joining together to host a special Long Island Job Fair to help bring job seekers and employers who have openings together.

The event will be held at Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) on Friday, November 19th, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Babylon Center located at 533 College Road in Selden.

The three elected officials put this event together to help all in the community who have lost their jobs either due to the COVID pandemic or due to government mandates or who are simply looking to find a better opportunity to improve their life.

“Our economy will only recover if those in our communities are able to get the jobs they need.  I am proud to join with Assemblyman Smith and Legislator Caracappa to help our residents, who have suffered throughout the COVID crisis, get back to work.  These men and women lost their employment through no fault of their own and it is imperative that we do all we can to help them get back on their feet so they can put food on their tables and pay their bills,” stated Senator Mattera.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and the NYS mandates have altered the lives of many this year. The key to helping those who have suffered from these changes, is to offer solutions and get them back to work. As Legislator of the 4th district, I am proud to partner with Senator Mario Mattera and Assemblyman Doug Smith on this job fair to connect the businesses in our community with prospective employees,” said Legislator Caracappa.

“Our community has been through so much; first, the COVID-19 pandemic and now the NYS mandates – which have left so many without jobs right before the holidays. My colleagues and I are determined to come up with solutions and that is why I am proud to collaborate with Senator Mattera and Legislator Caracappa along with Suffolk Community College to present this job fair. Our goal is to connect Long Islanders with real job opportunities and keep our community working and thriving” Assemblyman Smith added.

This event is completely free to both employers and prospective employees.  At the event, prospective employees can meet with multiple potential employers in a convenient manner so job seekers are encouraged to bring multiple copies of their resume.

Due to SCCC regulations, all participants must wear a mask while attending this event.  Please visit mattera.nysenate.gov for more information including directions.

Anyone with questions or who is interested in participating as an employer is asked to either send an email to [email protected] or call 631-361-2154.

 

Celebrating the Future of Nursing

The Stony Brook University School of Nursing held its first “Oath Ceremony” for students entering its undergraduate programs. The purpose of the ceremony – devised similarly to Medicine’s white coat ceremony – is to welcome students into the profession and highlight the impact that nursing brings to society and patients worldwide. A total of 132 students participated in the ceremony that carried the theme “Keep Healthcare Human.”

Held on October 29 at Stony Brook Medicine, the event was made possible with a grant from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation to support the Gold-AACN White Coat/Oath Ceremony for Nursing.

The American Nursing Association predicts more registered nurse jobs will be available through 2022 than any other profession in the United States. Additionally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that 11 million additional nurses are needed in the next few years to avoid a further nursing shortage – an issue that has surfaced even more during the 2020-21 Covid-19 pandemic. The Bureau also projects with the aging population and specialized medicine nursing positions will grow at a faster rate (approximately 15 percent) than all other occupations from 2016 to 2026.

“This ceremony marks a milestone in the career path of our students who choose to become professional nurses in the face of a pandemic,” says Annette Wysocki, PhD, Dean of the School of Nursing. “All nurses are called to care for individuals, families and communities using the most advanced scientific knowledge with an ethical human-centered approach, in combination with knowledge of the social sciences to address the biopsychosocial needs of people entrusted to their care.”

Dean Wysocki also points out that the need for nurses will only grow, as the pandemic has driven many older nurses to retire, leaving a gap in the workforce in New York State and nationwide.

Each of the students at the ceremony, upon having their name called,  received a pouch with a nursing pin, nursing code of ethics bookmark and a card about keeping humanism in nursing.

Long-time Stony Brook nurse practitioner and educator Barbara Mills, DNP, was the keynote speaker. Mills received her doctorate in Nursing at Stony Brook in 2009 and has been a key member transforming the hospital’s Rapid Response Team. Her message emphasized keeping healthcare human and treating every patient with dignity, respect, and with cultural sensitivity.

Many of the new students have volunteered during the pandemic for the vaccine rollout and related work at Stony Brook Medicine. Because Stony Brook is an upper division nursing school, students enter the undergraduate program after their sophomore year in college. These students, encompassing two academic years, and those students entering the accelerated 12-month nursing program participated in the ceremony.

 

By Cayla Rosenhagen

Cayla Rosenhagen

In the words of Patty Yantz, the Setauket Artists “are a group of people who see the beauty in the Long Island area and celebrate it through their artwork.” At their 41st annual art exhibition at the Neighborhood House in Setauket, they encourage the public to come celebrate with them.

I visited the show on Oct. 24, the grand opening of the exhibit. From the moment I walked through the door, I was captivated by the beauty of the artwork that filled every room. Members of the Setauket Artists gathered around to take in each other’s masterpieces and mingle with their fellow painters. The art that adorned the house ranged from landscapes to still lifes to portraits and each one displayed the artists’ mastery of color, form, and line.

I was instantly immersed in the joyful, artsy energy that emanated from both paintings and painters. It was inspirational to witness the sheer artistic talent of our community, and to meet some of the local artists themselves.

To kick off the grand opening of the show, the guests were ushered into the Neighborhood House’s ballroom where administrators of the organization made a speech in gratitude to long-time benefactor Fred Bryant of Bryant Funeral Homes, and their president and curator, Irene Ruddock. They also praised Patty Yantz, the honored artist of the show.

A high school art teacher for 34 years, Patty Yantz has belonged to the Setauket Artists group for about 16 years. She was selected as the honored artist for the exhibit because of her “brave contribution (of artwork) to the show.” Some of her works in the exhibit include “Sundown Serenity” and “Mystical Meadow,” both landscape paintings which utilize vibrant colors and leading lines that draw the observer right into the picturesque settings.

Later that day, I spoke with Robert Roehrig, vice president of the Setauket Artists, whose work is also featured at the exhibit. His life-like oil paintings on display depict the historic charm and natural splendor of the nearby Frank Melville Memorial Park in winter. He started painting with oils 15 years ago and his paintings are inspired by “the beauty of nature, interesting buildings, and light and shadow.”

The Setauket Artists was founded by Flo Kemp four decades ago as a community for artists in the Setauket area. Since then, it has grown to include members from all over Suffolk County. The group hosts annual spring and autumn art shows.

Their autumn exhibition will be open to the public until Nov. 14 and is welcoming guests from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. As it is a fundraising event, the artwork displayed is available for purchase and a percentage of the proceeds will go toward the Setauket Neighborhood House. If you plan to visit, please be respectful of COVID-19 guidelines and wear a mask inside the house.

Cayla Rosenhagen is a local high school student who enjoys capturing the unique charm of the community through photography and journalism. She serves on the board of directors for the Four Harbors Audubon Society and Brookhaven’s Youth Board, and is the founder and coordinator of Beach Bucket Brigade, a community outreach program dedicated to environmental awareness, engagement, and education. She is also an avid birder, hiker, and artist who is concurrently enrolled in college, pursuing a degree in teaching.

Setauket Fire Department Assistant Chief Charles Regulinski, middle, and Chief Scott Gressin, right, present badge 729 to the Three Village Historical Society President Steve Healy. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Members of the Setauket Fire Department stopped by the Three Village Historical Society’s History Center on North Country Road Nov. 6 for a special presentation.

Setauket Fire Department Assistant Chief Charles Regulinski, second from left, and Chief Scott Gressin, third from right, present badge 729 to the Three Village Historical Society as the society’s president Steve Healy, left, Councilman Jonathan Kornreich, second from left, and state Assemblyman Steve Englebright look on. Photo by Rita J. Egan

The department dedicated badge number 729. The number is associated with the Culper Spy Ring, and the badge is now mounted on a plaque and displayed in the center. The number was assigned by Benjamin Tallmadge, the organizer and leader of the local Revolutionary War spies, to signify Setauket in coded messages.

Historical society board members as well as state Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) and Town of Brookhaven Councilman Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) were also on hand.

Englebright said the awareness of the spy ring, which he called “part of our American fabric,” is growing thanks to the historical society, and he thanked the fire department for helping to spread the word about the Setauket spies for future generations.

Kornreich said the history “is very much alive in our everyday lives,” given examples of local residents who can trace their roots back to Revolutionary times, including the Strongs who can trace their family history back to Anna Strong, a member of the ring.

“That history still lives within the blood of our community,” Kornreich said. “I think that what we’re all here today to recognize is something deeper and much less obvious, which is a spirit and a tradition that exists in Setauket of people who when the time came and the call came stepped up to answer and face danger.”

He added just as the spies faced danger, so do the firefighters who “rush into the flames to make sure we get out.”

Fire Chief Scott Gressin thanked Assistant Chief Charles Regulinski for helping to see the project through. Regulinski read part of the message on the plaque for those in attendance. A replica of the plaque will also hang within the fire department. After a minimum of a year of probation and service, members receive a badge.

Gressin said when he joined the department in 2002, he became aware of the connection between the “729” symbol, which appears on a few of the Setauket Fire Department trucks based out of the department’s headquarters and the spy ring.

“As we moved forward and realized we were going to approach badge 729, we recognized the symbolic connection,” he said. “That number sat on our trucks, and one of our past chiefs had the forethought to set aside that number and not issue it to a member but to reserve it for a ceremony such as this.”

The event kicked off the historical society’s reopening for its museum after being closed to the public due to COVID-19. The Three Village Historical Society will be open for exhibits:
Mondays from 12 to 2 p.m.
Tuesdays from 2 to 4 p.m.
Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m.
Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport continues its MainStage season  with White Christmas from Nov. 11 to Jan. 2, 2022.

Based on the beloved film, this heartwarming adaptation follows vaudeville stars and veterans Bob Wallace and Phil Davis as they head to Vermont to pursue romance with a duo of beautiful singing sisters. This family classic features beloved songs by Irving Berlin including “Blue Skies,” “I Love A Piano,” “How Deep Is The Ocean” and the perennial favorite, White Christmas.The cast of WHITE CHRISTMAS

Directed by Matt Kunkel with choreography by Drew Humphrey,  the cast features DARIEN CRAGO as Judy Haynes, MEADOW NGUY as Betty Haynes, DANIEL PLIMPTON as Phil Davis and AARON YOUNG as Bob Wallace.

The cast includes ANNABELLE DEANER as Susan Waverly, KEITH LEE GRANT as General Henry
Waverly, and SUZANNE MASON as Martha.

The ensemble includes NICK ABBOTT, EMILY APPLEBAUM, JUSTIN CAMPBELL, SYDNEY
CHOW, JOSHUA KEEN, ELIZABETH MCGUIRE, NICK MONALDO, TERRY PALASZ, RYAN
RODINO, EVAN SHEETS, JULIA SPRINGER, STEPHEN VALENTI, MAYA IMANI, and AUSTIN
IOVANNIA.

Tickets are $80 for matinees and on Saturday evenings, $75 all other performances. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

Superintendent Losquadro (right) and Councilman LaValle on Linden Lane in Farmingville.

Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Daniel P. Losquadro and Councilman Kevin LaValle have announced the completion of a nine-road paving project in Farmingville.

Prior to paving, crews cleaned drains and made concrete improvements, including replacing damaged concrete curbing and aprons. In addition, two new drains were installed on Linden Lane to alleviate flooding concerns. The total cost for this project was approximately $427,600.

Roads paved during this paving project include: Basswood Lane, Clematis Path, Dorchester Court, Evans Lane, Firwood Drive, Linden Lane, Sambi Court, Simon Court, and Spruce Circle.

“The roads in this residential neighborhood had greatly deteriorated. I am happy we were able to include their resurfacing in our 2021 paving season. Motorists, pedestrians and residents can now enjoy a safer and smoother ride,” said Superintendent Losquadro.

“I thank Superintendent Losquadro and the Highway Department for repaving Linden Lane and the surrounding roads, making it safer for all who use them. The Town is committed to improving our infrastructure and we will be completing more projects like this in the future,” added Councilman LaValle.