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John W. Engeman Theater announces COVID-19 policy update

by Press Release - August 6, 2021

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unnamed — Photo from John W. Engeman Theater

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport released the following statement on August 3:

Due to the recent increase in Covid-19 cases and our ever changing public health safety environment, all patrons of The John W. Engeman Theater at Northport will need to be fully vaccinated* with an FDA-authorized vaccine to attend a performance. All patrons entering the theater must show proof of vaccination with their valid ID. A Vaccination Card or Excelsior Pass are both acceptable forms of proof.

At this time, we echo the CDC’s recommendation that all patrons wear a mask inside the theater unless actively eating or drinking.

Proof of vaccination will be required of all patrons over the age of 12. Children under the age of 12 may still attend performances with a fully vaccinated adult, but they will be required to wear a mask throughout their time at the theater.

Please understand these measures are in place for the safety and health of our patrons, employees and our community as a whole. We hope to continue providing beautiful memories and productions for as long as possible and these protocols will help us to do so. We thank you in advance for your cooperation and please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

* “Fully vaccinated” means the performance date you are attending must be:

At least 14 days after your second dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or

At least 14 days after your single dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

The John W. Engeman‘s COVID-19 protocols remain subject to change. Any changes will be clearly communicated to ticket holders in advance of their performance.

Stony Brook FD hosts outdoor screening of ‘The Goonies’ Aug. 7

by TBR Staff - August 6, 2021

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MV5BNWFhNzFhNjgtZmIxNi00YTI0LTgwMDEtMTQ1MjJlY2UxZjMzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXBrZWVzZXk@._V1_ — 'The Goonies'

The Stony Brook Fire Department, 1406 Stony Brook Road, Stony Brook (Station #2) hosts its 3rd annual Drive-In Movie Night fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. The movie of the evening will be “The Goonies.” Rain date is Aug. 21.

Plot: When two brothers find out they might lose their house they are desperate to find a way to keep their home. They find a treasure map and bring some friends along to find it. They are all out looking for the “X” and trying to get away from a group of bad guys who also want the treasure.

Rated PG, the 1985 film stars Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Jeff Cohen and Jonathan Ke Quan.

Tickets are $50 per car. Assorted sodas, popcorn, assorted boxes of candy, hamburger, cheeseburgers and hot dogs will be sold at the concession stand.

To order, click here.

Leg. Nick Caracappa tours Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Shellfish Hatchery

by Press Release - August 6, 2021

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Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa (4^th LD, Selden) recently went on a “field trip” to tour the First Legislative District, courtesy of his colleague, Legislator Al Krupski (Riverhead). The purpose of the visit was to see some of the beautiful farmland, beaches, bays and other natural resources the east end has to offer. The tour included a visit to the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s (CCE) Education Center in Riverhead, as well as the Shellfish Hatchery at CCE’s Suffolk County Marine Environmental Learning Center at Cedar Beach in Southold.

Caracappa was provided with in-depth information from CCE on how public funding and private donations are put to use to preserve resources. Part of Cornell University, and established in 1917, CCE is comprised of educators, researchers, specialists and support personnel who are dedicated to making Suffolk County a desirable place to live and work. CCE’s professional team helps preserve our county’s vast heritage, protect our eco-systems, support families and provide our youth opportunities for community service and research-based education in science, technology, engineering and math.

“This week I had the pleasure of touring the First Legislative District, and all it has to offer,” stated Legislator Caracappa. “We began our day at Cornell Cooperative Extension, then visited some of the farms, beaches and older structures, followed by a tour of the CCE’s Shellfish Hatchery at Cedar Beach. They do fantastic work in spawning oysters, scallops and other shellfish to assist the repopulation process in the Long Island Sound. I’d like to thank Legislator Krupski, CCE’s Executive Director Vanessa Pino Lockell, Marine Program Director Chris Pickerell, and all of their wonderful staff members for showing me how taxpayer dollars are being put to great use to preserve Long Island’s precious resources!”

Shelter Pet of the Week: Wabbit

by Heidi Sutton - August 5, 2021

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MEET WABBIT!

This week’s shelter pet is Wabbit, a 5-year-old tabby cat currently up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter. Poor Wabbit found himself abandoned in a feral colony and being beat up by more dominant cats. He has a crinkled ear from chronic ear issues and/or an ear injury and may need a home that can clean his ears on occasion.

Wabbit is very timid and needs a quiet home that will give him time and patience. We know that he will reward you with love.

If you are interested in meeting Wabbit, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with him in a domestic setting, which includes a Meet and Greet Room.

The Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Shelter operating hours are currently 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. or visit www.smithtownanimalshelter.com.

Under the Stars Café opens at the Vanderbilt Planetarium

by Press Release - August 5, 2021

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The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport has opened the Under the Stars Café in the lobby of the Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium.

Visitors to the museum are invited to purchase an assortment of sandwiches, salads, snacks, and treats made by the popular Copenhagen Bakery in Northport and then enjoy a picnic on the grounds.

“The Vanderbilt Estate is a very popular picnic destination,” said Elizabeth Wayland-Morgan, executive director of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum. “Come for a stroll, a picnic, salt air, blooming gardens, sea birds, and spectacular views of Northport Bay. It’s a lovely spot to relax on a summer day.”

The Under the Stars Café is open on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours for the museum are Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 631-854-5579.

Artists revisit the past in new exhibit at Mills Pond Gallery

by Heidi Sutton - August 5, 2021

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By Heidi Sutton

It is said that the past is always an important part of the present. It is also said that a picture is worth a thousand words. The Smithtown Township Arts Council’s Mills Pond Gallery in St. James has taken those two adages and melded them into an exciting new summer exhibit, Visualizing the Past. The juried show opens Aug. 7 and runs through Sept. 5.

Juror Carol Strickland, who selected 52 works for the exhibit, was intrigued by Emily Dickinson’s lines — Memory is a strange bell, both jubilee and knell. She asked artists to respond to that in visual terms—both the celebratory memories and sad ones. The call was very open-ended, leaving a lot of room for varying interpretations.

“Selecting artworks to include in the exhibition was very difficult because we received so many entries that were both technically proficient and evocative. I was especially moved in deciding what to accept by those artists who took risks and showed me new perspectives,” said Strickland. “Art conveys what can’t be communicated in words, and my response to so many entries was non-verbal, like an inner vibration that brought a shock of recognition.”

Allison Cruz, Executive Director of the Mills Pond Gallery, is pleased with the beautiful show which incorporates many types of mediums including acrylic, charcoal, colored pencil, collage, fused glass, ink, mixed media, oil, pastel, watercolor and welding.

“The artists have shared memories or recalled stories and events and assembled them in a variety of media to be seen and experienced by others. Their works offer narratives open to a wide range of interpretation and expression. For me, that is the strength in this exhibit. I hope it encourages the viewers to reflect on their own memories and hopefully learn that art is a wonderful tool to explore different points of view, gain understanding and experience the world in different ways,” she said.

Participating artists include Amal, Tina Anthony, Victoria Beckert, Sheri Berman, Jean Marie Bucich, Frank Casucci, Eric Chimon, Donna Corvi, Caryn Coville, Brigham Dimick, Paul Edelson, Elizabeth Fusco, Kathleen Gerlach, Ashley Rose Gillin, Maureen Ginipro, Jan Guarino, Heidi Hogden, Elizabeth Kelly, Julianna Kirk, Sueim Koo, Cara London, Dorothy Lorenze, Margaret Marzullo, Briana McGinley-Downey, Georgia Rittenhouse McKenna, Avrel Susan Menkes, Cliff Miller, Gail Neuman, Lily Newland, Catherine Rezin, Alan Richards, Roberta Rogers, Oscar Santiago, Alaina Scheffer, Stacey Schuman, Alisa Shea, Faith Skelos, Erica Perjatel Stolba, Angela Stratton, Hui Su-Kennedy, Daniel Van Benthuysen, and Taylor West.

The Mills Pond Gallery, 660 Route 25A, St. James will present Visualizing the Past from Aug. 7 to Sept. 5. The public is invited to an opening reception on Aug. 7 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. For more information, call 631-862-6575 or visit www.millspondgallery.org.

Legislator Anker thanks essential grocery store employees

by Press Release - August 5, 2021

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Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker attended three local Stop & Shop’s Employee Appreciation Day celebrations located in her legislative district, to thank the employees and present them each with certificates of appreciation for being frontline workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grocery stores across Long Island remained open to the public following the Center for Disease Control’s COVID-19 guidance and recommendations. In an effort to keep customers safe during the pandemic, Stop & Shop made alterations to their store locations such as requiring masks, creating one-way shopping lanes and adding additional self-checkout stations. Stop & Shop also established accommodations for customers at higher risk of infection, such as seniors, through daily early morning shopping hours and curb side pick-up.

“Thank you to the 464 employees and managers of the Stop & Shops in Miller Place, Coram and Rocky Point for ensuring that your store was clean, safe and open for the community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Legislator Anker. “We know it was a difficult job, but you continued to show dedication to our community and provide essential services that were so much needed during the pandemic.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic presented a host of challenges that Stop & Shop has never before faced, but the Coram, Rocky Point and Miller Place stores remained committed to serving their communities,” said James McGinn, the District Director for Stop & Shop. “ I am so proud of these stores and their teams – Coram, led by store manager Katherine Pastore; Rocky Point, led by store manager Bob Evans; and Miller Place, led by store manager Mike Donegan, and grateful for the recognition for all they have done throughout the pandemic.”

Spy Stories on the Porch in Setauket rescheduled to Aug. 26

by Heidi Sutton - August 4, 2021

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Culper Spy Day 2019 — Three Village Historical Society’s Director of Education Donna Smith and historian Beverly C. Tyler. Photo from TVHS

Join the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Road, Setauket for a special event – Spy Stories on the Porch – with TVHS Historian Bev Tyler and TVHS Education Director Donna Smith on Thursday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. (rescheduled from Aug. 4 due to weather). Stories include Benjamin Tallmadge and Nathan Hale at Yale at 6 p.m.; Selah Strong and Caleb Brewster on Strong’s Neck cliff at 6:30 p.m.; Benjamin Floyd, Loyalist and friend of Abraham Woodhull at 7 p.m.; and Austin Roe Rides to meet President George Washington at 7:30 p.m. Free. Bring seating. This event will be live streamed on the TVHS Facebook page as well. For more information, call 631-751-3730 or visit www.tvhs.org.

*This post was updated Aug. 4.

Stony Brook restaurant Pentimento unable to renew lease

by Rita J. Egan - August 3, 2021

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Stony-Brook-Village_pandemic_032420_regan — Pentimento in Stony Brook Village Center File photo by Rita J. Egan

A 27-year-old staple in Stony Brook Village Center will not be around once the autumn weather arrives.

On July 29, the owners of Pentimento Restaurant posted to their Facebook page that they are unable to extend the term of their lease. The business, which added a small market to its restaurant during the pandemic, is set to close its doors Sept. 30.

“We thank our loyal patrons and our wonderful staff for all the support they have given us over the past 27 years,” the Facebook post stated.

Owner Dennis Young and restaurant manager Lisa Cusumano said in a phone interview they were saddened by the decision made by Eagle Realty Holdings and said despite suggestions to relocate and even considering it at first in their Facebook post, overall, it doesn’t make sense.

“A lot of people have called us and said you could move here, or we could have this spot or that spot but Pentimento belongs in the village,” Cusumano said, adding that Young invested a good amount of money into the business nine years ago when he renovated the place.

Young echoed the sentiment.

“We thought about relocating and looked at some places, but I think Pentimento belongs where it is,” the owner said. “It’s not going to be Pentimento otherwise.”

Young said he was supposed to request an extension of the lease, which expires at the end of September, last year. He said while trying to keep the restaurant afloat during the pandemic, renewing slipped his mind. Both Young and Cusumano said they didn’t receive any reminder from the landlord to notify them about their intent to extend the lease.

“We weren’t thinking about [the lease] because we were just trying to survive, to stay safe and out of the hospital and to help the community,” Cusumano said. “We didn’t even know there would be a restaurant. Restaurants were closing left and right.”

According to Gloria Rocchio, president of Eagle Realty Holdings, tenants “must notify the landlord in writing of their intention to exercise the option to extend the lease term 365 days before the expiration of the existing lease.”

While Young is thinking about retiring in the near future, he said friends were interested in buying the business and keeping Pentimento as it is. They also planned to keep Young and Cusumano employed with them. However, their offer was denied by the landlord, according to Young.

Rocchio said that nothing is final yet due to a holding process and all other interested candidates needing to be interviewed to find the best tenant.

“The whole thing of other people buying it would be to keep the legacy and to keep Pentimento for the community, because we love the community and we know that the community depends on us,” Cusumano said.

Rocchio said in a statement on behalf of the realty company’s board of trustees that in addition to not receiving notice about Young’s intention to renew the lease, the tenant failed “to comply with the requirement to maintain the septic system” which is described in the lease.

Young said he couldn’t comment much on the septic system.

“There is a problem,” he said. “We have had extremely high costs to maintain the cesspool system, and it’s been a problem that’s not been resolved.”

Cusumano said they have maintained the property properly the whole time they have occupied the building.

“Over two years ago the tenant advised the landlord of their intention to sell the business and retire,” Rocchio said in the statement. “Recently the tenant informed the landlord they had a potential buyer and wanted an extension of the lease. The tenant asked for a much longer lease extension than is indicated in the present option to renew. The septic system issue must be resolved before a lease extension can even be discussed. The existing tenant to our knowledge has no intention to stay. So, we told the existing tenant we would interview their buyer and other candidates. That’s what was done. This is the present status.”

In response to Pentimento’s announcement that the restaurant is closing, restaurant patrons took to social media to express their dismay and showed support for the business.

Young and Cusumano said they have been overwhelmed by the response. While critics have posted on the restaurant’s Facebook accounts criticism of the landlord, the owners have only used their social media postings to inform the community of the closing and encourage customers to use gift cards previously purchased.

“Dennis and I are completely overwhelmed by the community support,” Cusumano said. “We had no idea that that many people would reach out and try to save this restaurant. It’s just unbelievable.”

Reboli Center welcomes design expert and author Kyle Marshall Aug. 8

by Press Release - August 3, 2021

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kyle_marshall-1 — Kyle Marshall. Photo by Matt Smoak

Pack a picnic, bring a blanket or chair and settle in on the grounds of the Reboli Center for Art & History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook to welcome Kyle Marshall, a Long Island native, and author of the recently published book, Americana: Farmhouses and Manors of Long Island, on Sunday Aug. 8 from 4 to 6 p.m. Kyle Marshall is creative director at Bunny Williams Home, known for distinctive furniture, lighting and decorative accessories. Previously he was a furniture designer at Ralph Lauren Home.

Marshall will talk about the homes featured in his book and explore some of these architectural treasures during his presentation. Mr. Marshall’s book features 15 historic private and public homes on Long Island, including Lloyd Manor in Lloyd Harbor; Thatch Meadow Farm in Head of the Harbor; Point Place in Miller Place; Sagtikos Manor in Islip; Sylvester Manor in Shelter Island and more.

One home of particular interest is The Homestead in Nissequogue. The house was originally owned by Ebenezer Smith, the grandson of Richard “Bull” Smith, the founder of Smithtown. It was built along Long Island Sound. The house has been in the family for centuries, and various family members have added rooms, extensions and a wraparound porch. In the early 1900s it was sold to someone outside of the family. Owned once again by the Smith family, the home is currently being sold.

In an interview with Architectural Digest, Mr. Marshall explained that his research process entailed visits by foot, bike and car or, in one case, subway, to the houses to photograph and meet with the owners or caretakers. Collections at libraries, historical societies and universities aided his research. According to Mr. Marshall, “I selected properties that illuminate the range of the subject, so it’s a banquet of examples, not an exhaustive survey. So everything was shot with daylight, so readers could have a sense of what it feels like to walk, or sit and drink and eat and gossip, in the rooms.”

“We are excited to have Kyle Marshall at The Reboli Center, and for him to share his experience visiting these homes with a designer’s perspective. The book and his photographs are just exquisite,” said Lois Reboli, the co-founder of The Reboli Center and wife of the late artist Joseph Reboli. Admission is free and guests may purchase the book at The Center for him to sign.

For more information, call 631-751-7707 or visit www.rebolicenter.org.

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