Community

The award-winning documentayr A House Made of Splinters will be screened at John F. Kennedy Middle School on March 20.
Thursday March 16

Free Health Screenings

Visit Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station for free blood pressure, BMI, cholesterol, and glucose screenings provided by a registered nurse from Catholic Health from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Open to all ages 18 and older. No registration required. Questions? Call 631-928-1212.

Stony Brook Walking Tour

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Ward Melville Heritage Organization in Stony Brook will host a walking tour titled “Against the Grain” at 10:30 a.m. and again at  2:30 p.m. While participants stroll, their guide will share stories recognizing the women who helped shape Stony Brook Village into what it is today. Tours will leave from the Stony Brook Grist Mill, 100 Harbor Road, Stony Brook. Rain date is March 17. Fee is $12 per person. Advance reservations required by calling 751-2244.

Vanderbilt lecture

Suffolk County Vanderbilt Planetarium, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport presents a special lecture titled The Rescue Effect: The Key to Saving Life on Earth on global warming and nature’s inherent resilience with guest speaker Michael Mehta Webster reveals the science behind nature’s resilience at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10, free for members. Register at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

An evening of jazz

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook welcomes Rich Iacona’s Bad Little Big Band, featuring vocalist Madeline Kole in concert at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students and $15 children at www.thejazzloft.org.

Friday March 17

Third Friday at the Reboli

The Reboli Center for Art & History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook continues its Third Friday series at 6:30 p.m. with a screening of the short documentary Betsy’s World which shines a new light on Andrew Wyeth’s greatest works. Shot in the rooms, fields, and private islands that have served as subject, muse, and home to the Wyeths, and featuring rare interviews with both Wyeth sons, Jamie and Nicky. A Q&A will follow. Free. Questions? Call 751-7707.

Wintertide concert

The Port Jefferson Village Center, 101A E. Broadway, Port Jefferson continues  its  Wintertide concert series from 7 to 8 p.m with a Celtic Evening with Gerry Mckeveny and the Serpent & The Fiddle (Instrumentals steeped in Gaelic traditions) in the Sail Loft Room on the third floor. $5 donation at the door. Questions? Call 473-4778.

Saturday March 18

Birdwatch-Architecture Tours

Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport will offer an early morning Birdwatch and Architecture Tour with the Vanderbilt’s director of curatorial affairs at 8 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. Sturdy hiking footwear is strongly suggested. Participants are asked to bring their own binoculars. Tickets are $12 at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Shoreham Garden Club Meeting

Wading River Congregational Church, 2057 North Country Road, Wading River will host a meeting by the Shoreham-Wading River Garden Club at 10 a.m. The meeting will feature a special program  titled The Native Wildflower Garden at Hallock State Park Preserve: A one hour power point presentation/talk by Mary Laura Lamont. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Quilting Day at Hallockville

Join the Hallockville Museum Farm’s Sound Avenue Stitchers, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead in celebrating National Quilting Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring along your current needlework, learn to make a hand-foundation pieced log cabin block, or browse the museum’s new quilting/crafting library. Participants will also be exploring one of the collection quilts for a Spring/Summer re-creation project. Bring your lunch, tea and sweets provided. No registration required.

Fly-Casting Clinic

Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, 581 W. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown offers a Trout Unlimited Fly-Casting clinic from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn the art of fly-casting as well as fly-tying, safety techniques and conservation. The clinic also offers participants, who must be 16 years and older, tips on equipment and tackle needs. Reservations are required to participate. Call 265-1054 for more info.

Art League Open House

Join the Art League of Long Island, 107 Deer Park Road, Dix Hills for an Open House from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn about their year-round classes and summer programs with live art demos, hands-on activities, and free art kits to the first 100 visitors. Free. Visit www.artleagueli.org.

Irish Luck on the Farm

Rescheduled from March 11. The Smithtown Historical Society will hold its annual Irish Luck on the Farm event at the Roseneath Cottage, 239 Middle Country Road, Smithtown from noon to 4 p.m. Experience fun for all ages with a walk-through petting zoo, traditional Irish step dancing performances, and other celebrations of Irish heritage. Entry fee is $5 per person. Questions? Call 265-6768.

Port Jefferson Chili Crawl

Join the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce for a Chili Crawl with over 10 participating restaurants from 1 to 4 p.m. with horse & carriage rides, custom classic cars throughout the Village, live music and more. Rain date is March 25. Tickets are $25. To order, visit www.portjeffchamber.com.

St. Patrick’s Dinner Celebration

Celebrate St. James hosts a St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Celebration at the St. James Community Cultural Arts Center, 176 Second St., St. James from 6 to 9 p.m. Enjoy a traditional Irish dinner buffet, musical performance by Paul Henry, a special appearance by Niall O’Leary Music & Dance and raffle baskets. Ticket are $45 per person. To register, visit www.celebratestjames.org or call 984-0201.

Pub Nite in Northport

Join the Northport Historical Society, 215 Main St., Northport for their annual Pub Nite from 6 to 10 p.m. featuring live Irish music by O’McSkis Regulars, dinner provided by The Shipwreck Diner, and trivia hosted by Curator & Trivia Master Terry Reid. Ages 21+ only. Tickets are $70, $60 members at www.northporthistorical.org.

Storm Large in concert

Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook presents Storm Large in concert at 8 p.m. in the Recital Hall. A force to be reckoned with, the singer returns for her third outing at the Staller Center, poised to blow the audience away with her “ intoxicating and unmissable cocktail of power and vulnerability.” Tickets range from $42 to $58. To order, call 632-2787 or visit www.stallercenter.com.

Irish Comedy Night

The Smithtown Performing Arts Center, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown hosts an evening of Irish Comedy in partnership with Governors Comedy Clubs at 8 p.m. with Richie Byrne, Tim Gage, Debbie D’Amore and Pat O’Rourke. Tickets are $45 per person and includes open bar of wine and beer. Visit www.smithtownpac.org to reserve your seat.

Sunday March 19

Needle Felting Workshop

Join the Reboli Center for Art & History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook this Sunday, March 19 for a spring-themed Needle Felting Workshop from 10:30 a.m. to noon. For a registration fee of $50, you will have the opportunity to needle felt your very own springtime critter under the guidance of Shamma Murphy, the Center’s January 2023 featured Artisan of the Month. Students will work with a selection of pre-prepared, fine and sustainably sourced wool. All needed materials will be provided in the cost of registration. All experience levels are welcome. Suitable for ages 12 and up. Registration is limited to 15 participants, so be sure to register soon to reserve your space by calling 631-751-7707 or visit www.rebolicenter.org.

History of Caumsett Hike

Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, 25 Lloyd Harbor Road, Huntington will host a History of Caumsett Hike from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. On this hilly, moderately long walk (approx. 2 miles) you will study the park’s social, economic, architectural, and political history. Adults only. $4 per person. Advance registration required by calling 423-1770.

Lucky 10 Vendor Market

Huntington Moose Lodge, 631 Pulaski Road in Greenlawn will host a Lucky 10 Vendor Market from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shop from over 25 unique local vendors with lots of handmade items — Candles, jewelry, pet items, clothing, picture frames, crystals, beauty/bath products and so much more. Great gifts for Easter, Passover, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, teachers, etc. Free admission. 

Art reception in St. James

Celebrate St. James Gallery at the St. James Community Cultural Arts Center, 176 Second St., St. James invites the community to an opening reception of a new juried art exhibit, Celebrating Women & Women’s History, from 1 to 3 p.m. with live music by Lou Mazzaferro and light refreshments. The exhibit runs through April 9. For more info, call 984-0201.

Hungrytown in concert

Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station invites the community to enjoy the vocal harmonies of folk duo Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson as they perform their original songs evoking old school Appalachia at 1:30 p.m. Open to all. Call 928-1212 to reserve your seat. 

Field Journaling program

Sunken Meadow State Park, Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park presents a Field Journaling program from 1:30 to 3 p.m.  Explore the park with pencil in hand as you sketch and describe the fascinating natural world that you observe. Practice writing and drawing skills while enjoying science and nature. All levels of experience are welcome, and all materials are provided – but feel free to bring your own. For ages 12 and up. To register, please visit www.EventBrite.com.

Sound Symphony concert

Comsewogue High School, 5656 Bicycle Path, Port Jefferson Station hosts a Sound Symphony Orchestra concert at 2 p.m. Program will include works by Mozart featuring soloist Alexander Liu on piano, Copland and Farrenc. Admission is $20 adults, $15 seniors, $10 students, children under 12 free, at the door. Visit www.soundsymphony.org.

LITMA Contradance 

Long Island Traditional Music Association will hold a Contradance at the Frank Brush Barn, 211 E. Main St., Smithtown at 2 p.m. with basic instruction at 1:45 p.m. Callers will be Sue Gola & Dylan Simpson with music by Dance All Night featuring Maria Fairchild (banjo), Mary Nagin (fiddle), and Max Rowland (Banjo & Concertina) $15 general admission, $10 LITMA Members, students half price, children under 16 FREE with paid adult. For information, call 369-7854.

Le Petit Salon de Musique concert  – PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Stony Brook, 380 Nicolls Road, East Setauket hosts a Le Petit Salon de Musique concert featuring soprano Rachel Schutz and pianist Andrea Christie at 2 p.m. Program will include works by Rachmaninoff, Welsh composer Morfydd Owen and American composers Margaret Bonds and Thomas Osborne. Tickets are $20 in advance for adults, $15 for students, $10 children 12 and under at https://lepetitsalon.org/tickets/. For further information, call 751-0297.

Mark Newman in concert

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, 97 Main St., Stony Brook will host a concert by Mark Newman from 3 to 4 p.m. Free with admission to the museum. For more information, call 689-5888 or visit www.limusichalloffame.org.

Monday March 20

ReWilding at the Library

Visit Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station to explore sustainable practices such as composting, recycling, use of water and native plants, and changes to your landscape with ReWild Long Island from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Open to all. Call 928-1212 to reserve your seat. 

TVHS lecture

The Three Village Historical Society continues its lecture series at the Setauket Neighborhood House, 95 Main St. Setauket tonight at 7 p.m. Guest speaker Rob von Bernewitz will present Graveyards and Cemeteries of Long Island: The Setauket Edition. Zoom option also available. Free for members, suggested donation for all others. Visit www.tvhs.org or call 751-3730 for more information.

SHS Spring lecture

The Smithtown Historical Society continues its Spring Lecture Series at the Frank Brush Barn, 211 E. Main St., Smithtown at 7 p.m. with a lecture titled Classic Hollywood – Lucille Ball with historian Lawrence Wolff. Refreshments will be served. Admission is free. For more information, call 265-6768.

Avalon Astronomy Event – Just added!

Avalon Nature Preserve in Stony Brook hosts an astronomy event from 8 to 10 p.m. The Observatories at Avalon will be hosting a live observing session (weather permitting) focusing on the planet Mars and various deep sky objects. Parking will be permitted in the barn parking lot on Shep Jones Lane. Pre-registration is not required. For more information, call 689-0619.

Tuesday March 21

Swing Into Spring Jazz Festival

The Jazz Loft & Legislator Karah Hahn presents the annual Swing into Spring! A mini Jazz Festival at the Jazz Loft and throughout Stony Brook Village and East Setaukket from March 21 to 25. There will be exciting music events such as the Collegiate Big Band Brawl, live music at local restaurants & shops, Jazz improv workshop and jam, Carlos Jimenez Mambo Dulcet, Community Jazz Night, Aubrey Johnson Quartet, & more!

NSJC Social Club event

North Shore Jewish Center Social Club, 385 Old Town Road, Port Jefferson Station welcomes Charles Henry, DJ, singer and accomplished pianist in all genres of music in the Social Hall at 11 a.m. Enjoy a wonderful of hour of entertainment! Bagels, cream cheese and coffee among other refreshments will be served. $5 per person, $3 members. Call 928-3737 for more information.

Travel Presentation Club

Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, 120 Main St., Setauket hosts a meeting by the Travel Presentation Club at 7 p.m. Guest speakers Carl Safina and Patricia Paladines will speak about their recent trip to “The Enchanted Islands: Galapagos.” All are welcome. 

SBU Faculty Concert

Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook will host a faculty recital in the Recital Hall at 7 p.m. Drawing inspiration from his own grandfather’s survival of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Arnaud Sussmann and Michael Stephen Brown will perform works by Jewish composers whose lives were directly impacted by the war. Free and open to all. Call 632-2787 for more info.

Wednesday March 22

Swing Into Spring Jazz Festival

See March 21 listing.

Thursday March 23

Swing Into Spring Jazz Festival

See March 21 listing.

Native American Drumming 

Alls Souls Parish House, 10 Mill Pond Road, Stony Brook will host a Native American Drumming Meditation workshop from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Led by elder drummer, Ric Statler, drumming meditation seeks to integrate the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual parts of the human self, creating a state of well-being. Call 655-7798 for more information

Theater

‘Side By Side By Sondheim’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson continues its Mainstage season with Side By Side By Sondheim through March 18 showcasing the early works of Broadway’s greatest composer, Stephen Sondheim. Featuring songs from Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, West Side Story, Gypsy, and many others. Unforgettable songs from this dazzling creator and his collaborators include “Send in the Clowns,” “I’m Still Here,” “Another Hundred People,” “Maria,” “Tonight,” “Anyone Can Whistle,” and “Broadway Baby.” Tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 children ages 5 to 12. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. 

‘Tape’

The Theatre at Suffolk County Community College, Ammerman campus, 533 College Road, Selden presents a production of Tape by Stephen Belber in Theatre 119 in the Islip Arts Building on March 16, 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. and March 19 at 2 p.m. After 10 years apart, three disparate people come together to play out the unresolved drama of their final days in high school. Suspense builds as each character is provoked into revealing his or her true nature and motivation as they choose which cards to play and which cards to hold. Mature content. General admission is $14. For tickets, call 451-4163. See review on page B33.

Festival of One-Act Plays

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents the 24th annual Festival of One-Act Plays through March 25 at The Ronald F. Peierls Theatre, on the Second Stage. Selected from over 750 submissions world-wide, these seven cutting-edge premieres are guaranteed to entertain and engage. Directed by Jeffrey Sanzel, the plays will feature Steve Ayle, Tamralynn Dorsa, Antoine Jones, Brittany Lacey, Phyllis March, Evan Teich, Steven Uihlein, Sean Amato, Ava Andrejko, Angelo DiBiase, Samantha Fierro, Jason Furnari, Melissa Norman, Danielle Pafundi, and Tristan Prin. Adult content and language. Tickets are $20. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

‘California Suite’

Star Playhouse at SYJCC, 74 Hauppauge Road, Commack presents Neil Simon’s California Suite on March 18 at 8 p.m. and March 19 at 2 p.m. It is the eve of the Oscars and four different couples are having some type of bad situation all at the same time. Tickets are $32, $25 members, seniors, students. To order, call 462-9800or visit [email protected].

‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’

The swashbuckling musical adventure The Scarlet Pimpernel heads to the John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport from March 16 to April 30. Percy Blakeney, a proper Englishman, takes on a sword fighting and dashing double identity as The Scarlet Pimpernel to save French citizens from the blood-hungry guillotine. His exploits soon become the talk of Paris, however, the fanatical Agent Chauvelin will stop at nothing to catch the Pimpernel and send him to the guillotine. With a rousing and passionate score by Frank Wildhorn,  The Scarlet Pimpernel is a thrilling musical! For ticket info, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

‘Seussical’

Mount Sinai High School, 110 North Country Road, Mt. Sinai presents the musical Seussical on March 23 and 24 at 7 p.m. and March 25 at 2 p.m. This special Theater for Young Audiences version of the Broadway hit has been rewritten and streamlined to engage audience members from age 4 to 94. Tickets are $15, $12 seniors and students at www.Ludus.com/MountSinaiPerformingArts. Questions? call 870-2882.

Film

‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

Join Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station for a viewing of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, starring Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, and Danai Gurira on March 16 at 2 p.m. Call 928-1212 to reserve your seat. 

‘Sunset Boulevard’

Catch a screening of the film noir classic Sunset Boulevard at thee Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington on March 16 at 8 p.m. with a post-film in-theatre Zoom discussion with co-star & author Nancy Olson Livingston, hosted by Professor Foster Hirsch. Tickets are $17, $12 members at www.cinemaartscentre.org.

‘A House Made of Splinters’

Port Jefferson Documentary Series continues its spring season with a viewing of A House Made of Splinters at John F. Kennedy Middle School, 200 Jayne Blvd., Port Jefferson Station on March 20 at 7 p.m. As the war in Eastern Ukraine takes a heavy toll on poor families living near the frontlines, a small group of strong-willed social workers works tirelessly in a special kind of orphanage to create an almost magical safe space for kids to live in while the state decides the fate of the child and family. Guest speaker is Director Simon Lereng Wilmont via pre-recorded Zoom. Tickets are $10 at www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com or at the door.

* All numbers are in (631) area code unless otherwise noted

On Thursday, March 16, the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport will host Michael Mehta Webster, Professor of Practice in Environmental Studies at New York University (NYU), for an evening lecture on global warming and nature’s inherent resilience. The event will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Museum’s Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium.

Webster’s lecture will draw heavily from his 2022 book The Rescue Effect: The Key to Saving Life on Earth (Timber Press). In The Rescue Effect, Webster offers cause for optimism in the often-disheartening discourse around anthropogenic climate change. Through a series of compelling animal stories—from tigers in the jungles of India to cichlid fish in the great lakes of Africa and coral reefs in the Caribbean—Webster will highlight how certain species have adapted to a rapidly changing world.

Webster also will explore how other species, like the mountain pygmy possum, are at risk of extinction without substantive but practicable efforts on the part of conservationists, activists, and concerned citizens of our planet.

Webster argues that we have good reason to expect a bright future because almost everywhere we look, we can see evidence of nature rescuing many species from extinction. The Rescue Effect provides a much-needed roadmap to discovering what we can do to make a healthier Earth for future generations of humans and wildlife.

Tickets are $10 per person, free for members at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

PURCHASE TICKETS

All photos by Media Origin

Hundreds filled the streets of Huntington to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a few days early on Sunday, March 12.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 4, hosted its 89th annual parade with member Greg Kennedy as grand marshal.

School bands, volunteers, Scouts, Hibernians and more kicked off the parade at Route 110 and Church Street and made their way down to St. Patrick’s R.C. Church on Main Street.

By Greg Catalano

The Friends of St. Patrick held the 71st annual Miller Place-Rocky Point St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday, March 12.

In a grand spectacle, marchers walked along the parade route of Route 25A from Miller Place to Rocky Point. The event featured countless community organizations, business groups and performers.

— Photos by Greg Catalano



The Lady Royals of Port Jefferson, the Suffolk Class C Long Island Championship title holders, advanced to the New York State semifinal round, where they matched up against Section IX champion Millbrook at Farmingdale State College.

Port Jeff faced a stout defense as Millbrook dominated the boards, converting missed shots into points while containing the potent Royal offensive senior corp of Lola Idir, Amy Whitman and Alexa Ayotte to just 27 points between them. 

Millbrook stretched their legs and outpaced the Royals, cruising to a 61-30 victory in the Saturday, March 11 contest.

Atop the leaderboard in Suffolk County’s scoring, Idir finished her varsity career in 4th place countywide, according to Newsday, with 70 field goals, 84 free throws and 83 triples while averaging 21­­.5 points per game. 

Port Jefferson concludes its 2022-23 campaign undefeated in their division at 12-0, with an impressive 16-3 overall record.

— Photos by Bill Landon

In a historic first visit to the Long Island Class A Championship, the Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats girls basketball team led by a single point with two seconds left in regulation.

However, Manhasset’s Caitlin Barrett went to the foul line, shooting two. Barrett missed the first but hit the second to tie the game at 45-all, forcing overtime.

The Wildcats trailed by three points in the opening minute of the four-minute overtime period. Manhasset was able to contain the Wildcats’ potent offensive pressure, edging ahead to win the game 58-51 at Farmingdale State College on Saturday, March 11.

Senior Sophie Costello led her team in scoring with 18 points. Seniors GraceAnn Leonard and Colleen Ohrtman scored 11 points, and senior Annie Sheehan netted six.

The Wildcats conclude their 2022-23 campaign as Suffolk County Class A champions with an impressive 24-2 record.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Allison McComiskey, chair of the Environmental & Climate Sciences Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory

Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine has announced the recipients of the 2023 Women’s Recognition Awards who will be honored at the 37th annual Women’s Recognition Night.

The event, which will be held on Thursday, March 23 at Brookhaven Town Hall, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville at 6 p.m., is sponsored by the Town’s Office of Women’s Services.

Nominated by members of the community, the winners either live or work in the Town of Brookhaven and have demonstrated excellence in a variety of areas. Nominations were considered by members of Brookhaven Women’s Advisory Board and selected based on resumes and letters of recommendation. The 2023 Women’s Recognition Award winners are:

Business: Indu Kaur, resident of Port Jefferson Station

Communications/ Media: Edna J. White, resident of Coram

Community Service Professional: Tijuana Fulford, resident of Mastic Beach

Community Service Volunteer: Joyce A. Bourne, resident of Middle Island

Community Service Volunteer: Erin Dueñas, resident of Sound Beach

Education: Dr. Stephanie Engelmann, resident of Port Jefferson

Health Care Provider: Christina Kocis CNM, DNP, FACNM, Stony Brook Medicine

Law Enforcement: Candice Berezny, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office

Legal Profession: Melissa Negrin-Wiener, resident of Port Jefferson

Medicine: Ramona Rajapaske, MD, resident of Port Jefferson

Religion: Kara Bocchino, resident of Centereach

Science: Dr. Allison McComiskey, resident of Port Jefferson

This year, the Supervisor, and the members of the Town Board each nominated a woman who resides in the Town to receive a Special Commendation for Outstanding Service. They are:

Supervisor Edward P. Romaine & Deputy Supervisor Daniel J. Panico: Miriam Gillies, resident of Center Moriches
Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich: Dr. Mei Lin “Ete” Chan, Stony Brook University
Councilman Michael A. Loguercio: Lorraine Kuehn, resident of Bellport
Councilwoman Jane Bonner: Jennifer Carlson, resident of Rocky Point
Councilman Neil Foley: Carol A. Seitz-Cusack, resident of Patchogue
Town Clerk Kevin J. LaValle: Patricia Oakes-Poggi, resident of Centereach

The Town of Brookhaven’s Office of Women’s Services, a Division of the Department of General Services, provides a variety of services for women and their families. For more information about the 37th Annual Women’s Recognition Awards Ceremony, please call 631-451-6146 or visit www.brookhavenny.gov.

Photo courtesy Stan Loucks
By Stan Loucks

Let’s return to a small high school in Cherry Valley, near Cooperstown, where I was an all-county athlete in three different sports. The school was small, and the village was also small, to the extent that I could not fulfill my goals to work with and help people and different organizations. 

After high school graduation, I went to SUNY Cortland, where I majored in physical education and health education. This was perfect. I knew this would lead me to a career that would also allow me to work with children and adults. As a senior, I was fortunate to meet Peggy Ulmer, who eventually became my wife. 

Graduation came quickly, and I landed on Long Island, where schools were expanding and springing up all over Nassau and Suffolk counties. I took a position in the Plainview-Old Bethpage school district as a physical education teacher. Wow, 13 schools and over 10,000 students. Indeed, it wasn’t Cherry Valley. 

Over the next 34 years in Plainview, I moved from teacher to athletic director of the junior high to athletic director of the high school and eventually to districtwide director of athletics. Every day of every year, I was doing what I loved, working with youngsters and adults in classrooms and various athletic facilities.

In 1980, we bought land and built our home in Port Jefferson. This was one of the best decisions we ever made. I immediately joined the Port Jefferson Country Club to play tennis and golf. I volunteered to serve on the tennis board and eventually became its chair. I also ran for a position on the board of governors, was elected and became the chair of that board. I was forever expanding what I loved doing, giving my time to make things better.

Then in 1995, retirement came along. Now what? A major part of my time became open and empty. I turned to the country club, where I volunteered to work as chair of the greens committee. That committee work eventually led to my appointment to the country club’s management advisory committee. I was elected chair of that committee in 2005 and served until Mayor Margot Garant finally twisted my arm enough to run for village trustee. I am at a point now where I am asking to continue working for the betterment of our community. 

I often hear the comment, “I want to finish what we have started.” Well, I know that there is no finish. A challenge is always waiting to be solved, fixed, improved or implemented. I welcome each one and will work tirelessly toward success. Do we always reach what we want? No, but I guarantee 100% effort.

My vision going forward involves maintaining our infrastructure, providing a safe community through solid code enforcement, providing an all-encompassing recreation program, upgrading our beautiful parks and beaches, finding new sources of revenue and working to keep our budget under control. These items are the responsibility of the entire board of trustees.

More specifically, each trustee is the liaison to a different facet of our village government. Currently, I am the liaison to the parks department, which includes all of our parks and beaches, and liaison to the country club. I know that many of you have never had the opportunity to see the entire club, and I would love to show it to you. Call me at 631-275-3730 or email me at [email protected], and I will give you a tour of your club. 

The country club serves over 500 members, runs on a $2.9 million budget, increases all of our property values and costs the nonmember resident zero dollars. Yes, your country club is totally independent while still being a wonderful village asset. 

We are working on expanding the social aspect, which should be present at the club. We have constructed a beautiful patio with a barbecue station and a separate patio that contains a firepit. 

The club employs two full-time certified PGA professionals who offer group and private lessons and clinics, and camps for all ages. These camps, clinics and lessons are available to everyone.

We are excited that we will have access to East Beach this summer. To that end, the parks department is renovating both bathrooms at the beach and also bringing those kayak racks back into our system. To learn more about your club and parks, visit portjeff.com or portjeffcc.com.

So, we not only found out how I became a trustee, but we discovered what I have done, what I am doing and what I can do moving forward.

It was the 21st edition of the coveted “Battle of the Educators,” where the Mount Sinai School District faculty squared off in an annual basketball game pitting the high school teachers against their middle and elementary school colleagues on Friday, March 3, at the Mount Sinai High School. 

Funds raised from gate admission, food and snacks and apparel sales supported the Mount Sinai Booster Club, with the proceeds going towards athletic scholarships awarded in June. 

The game took place in front of a near-capacity crowd, with attendance approaching pre-pandemic levels.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Photo from SBU

Stony Brook Medicine’s Cardio-Oncology program is the first on Long Island to be recognized as an IC-OS Center of Excellence and awarded an IC-OS Gold Medal by the International Cardio-Oncology Society (IC-OS).

An IC-OS Center of Excellence is a program within a healthcare institution that is assembled to supply an exceptionally high concentration of expertise and related resources centered on a particular area of medicine, delivering associated care in a comprehensive, interdisciplinary fashion to afford the best patient outcomes possible.

The gold medal designation recognizes a commitment to multidisciplinary patient care, research and publications relevant to cardio-oncology, educational program, quality improvement, program building and cardio-oncology committee involvement.

According to the IC-OS, cancer and cardiovascular disease are the two most common causes of death and disease worldwide. The incidence of both cancer and cardiovascular disease increases with age. Stony Brook’s Cardio-Oncology Program is co-directed by Michelle Bloom, MD, (cardiology) and Lea Baer, MD, (breast oncology), with state-of-the-art cardiac imaging directed by Smadar Kort, MD, and just added cardio-oncologist Kristine Yang, MD. 

Stony Brook is the only program in the region to have a team of IC-OS-certified cardio-oncologists who closely observe and care for patients with cancer who have an existing cardiovascular (CV) condition or who may be at risk for developing a CV-related problem during or after the start of cancer treatment.