Robert Cushman Murphy Jr. High School (team one), from left, coach Jillian Visser, Jayden Chandool, Michael Melikyan, Michaelangelo Scialabba, Rithik Sogal, Kevin Shi and coach Emily Chernakof
Commack Middle School (team one), from left, coach Mary Petrano, Mehek Sawhney, Jonathan Zhang, Ishaan Singh, Sean Levy and Saharsh Peddireddy
Comsewogue High School team, from left, Meena Singh and BU Ramanand of TFCU, Jennifer Gunn of TFCU, coach Elizabeth Casey, Yashodhan Diwan, Anthony Foraci, Alexander Smargiassi, Srikar Ananthoju, Dianna Nielsen, Marissa Familette and Stephen Dilieto of TFCU
On Thursday, Jan. 30 and Friday, Jan. 31, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory held two back-to-back installments of the Long Island Science Bowl, a regional branch of DOE’s 30th annual National Science Bowl®. In this fast-paced question-and-answer showdown, teams of students from across Long Island were tested on a range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, Earth science, physics, energy and math.
On Thursday, Team One of Great Neck South Middle School garnered first place in the middle school competition, earning their school three years of consecutive wins. Team Three of Great Neck Middle School captured second place; Robert Cushman Murphy Jr. High School (team one) of Stony Brook won third place; and Commack Middle School (team one) placed fourth.
On Friday, top honors went to Great Neck South High School, who competed against 19 other teams in the high school competition. High school runners-up included Wheatley School in Old Westbury (second place); Ward Melville High School in E. Setauket (third place); and Comsewogue High School in Port Jefferson Station (fourth place).
As first place winners, Great Neck South Middle School (team one) and Great Neck South High School have won all-expenses-paid trips to the National Finals near Washington, D.C., which will begin on April 30. They’ll be joined by the winners of all 112 regional competitions held across the country.
“The National Science Bowl® continues to be one of the premier academic competitions across the country, preparing America’s next-generation for future success in the ever-expanding fields of science, technology, and engineering,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette. “The Department of Energy is committed to fostering opportunities for our nation’s students, and we congratulate Great Neck South in advancing to the National Finals, where they will continue to showcase their talents as the top minds in math and science.”
All participating students received a Science Bowl T-shirt and winning teams also received trophies and medals, and the top four high school teams received cash awards. Prizes were courtesy of Teachers Federal Credit Union and Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA), the event’s sponsors. BSA is the company that manages and operates Brookhaven Lab for DOE.
For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.
4-year-old Gianna C. with BODYTRAFFIC dancers Haley Heckethorn
4-year-old Gianna C. with BODYTRAFFIC dancers Haley Heckethorn
Haley Heckethorn and Tiare Keeno dance for Gianna and her mom
BODYTRAFFIC dancers, from left, Haley Heckethorn, Jamal White, Guzmán Rosado, Tiare Keeno, Rachel Secrest and Ethan Colangelo
The dancers have fun in the lighthouse in the children's hospital's waiting room
By McKenzi Murphy
Sitting cross-legged on the floor of a vibrantly lit playroom, a little boy gleefully fiddled with a box of Mr. Potato Head toys. Flanking him on both sides, delighted at his antics, members from the Los Angeles-based contemporary dance company BODYTRAFFIC, Haley Heckethorn and Tiare Keeno, joined the little boy in his creations.
On the morning of their performance at Staller Center for the Arts on Feb. 8, Heckethorn and Keeno, along with the rest of the company, headed over to the new Stony Brook Children’s Hospital to spend time with a few of its patients. It was there, within newly painted and decorated walls lined with oceanic-themed paintings and paper mache art, that they met with and performed for about a dozen of the 40 patients.
“It’s always very rewarding to be able to give back to the community and spread the joy of dance with everyone, but especially with those who are really in need of a pick-me-up,” Jamal White, a dancer and BODYTRAFFIC’s social media manager, said. The last little girl he visited became his favorite because of her delightful laughter. While two of his colleagues went through some of their steps, she sat giggling and clapping along. “It was the cherry on top,” he said.
While the younger children seemed more interested in playing with the dancers and showing off their toys, some of the older children had an opportunity to ask the dancers questions about their work and the company, familiar territory for many of the performers. Throughout their tours, BODYTRAFFIC often goes on outreach missions. Usually, they visit schools and teach students a few of their modern moves, or go into retirement homes and work with elderly residents. However, for some of them, going into a children’s hospital proved to be a new experience.
“It’s one of my favorite experiences so far,” Heckethorn, who has been with the company for two and a half seasons, said. “It was really lovely and especially doing that on a show day, it really inspires and brings a lot of energy. We travel so often and it is really taxing, so [events] like going to a children’s hospital reminds us of why we dance and why we love it so much.”
Splitting off into smaller groups, the dancers were able to visit a few patients in their rooms where they showed off a modified version of a dance they would later perform in front of hundreds at the sold-out show at the Staller Center. A few children even joined them in learning some steps after some encouragement.
“We visited this one five-year-old,” Rachel Secrest, a dancer new to BODYTRAFFIC’s season, said. “His name was Chris and he recently had surgery and was connected to a machine which was helping him. At first, we came in and he just laughed at us as we danced. We showed him some moves, and he was giggling and nervous, but his mom was with him and got him up and out of the bed. He still has it inside of him to want to dance.”
An emotional but so very rewarding experience, getting to spend time with the children became a bright spot in an otherwise high-stress day.
“It’s tough seeing these kids who are quite sick and hooked up to different machines,” Secrest continued. “But as much as I could I was trying to really look at their faces and do what I could to make them forget their troubles for a minute. I was seeing a kid I wanted to connect with and share a dance with.”
General operating support was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project with funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The Outreach program was coordinated by the Staller Center for the Arts, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital and BODYTRAFFIC.
Paul Newland, Outreach director at the Staller Center for the Arts said, “It was a wonderful collaboration, and we look forward to working with the Children’s Hospital again soon.”
Gerard Romano of Port Jefferson Station captured this action shot at Setauket Harbor on Jan. 31. He writes, ‘I observed a ruckus among a flock of Canadian geese, wings flapping, and loud honking. Since it’s the beginning of mating season I think it was two males fighting over a female.’
The George Washington portrait. Image from Vanderbilt Museum
CENTERPORT: The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum is displaying two artifacts in honor of Presidents Day, Feb. 17 – an oil portrait of George Washington and a letter to the mayor of New York City from Abraham Lincoln. The pieces are on view in the main hallway of the Vanderbilt Museum Nursery Wing through the end of February.
President Lincoln wrote the letter to Fernando Wood, then mayor of New York City, just after the start of the Civil War on May 4, 1861. Wood (1812-1881), who built a successful shipping enterprise in New York City, served several terms in Congress and was mayor of New York for two terms, 1854-58 and 1860-62.
The letter was in response to a letter Wood wrote to Lincoln shortly after the Fort Sumter attack, offering him whatever military services he, as mayor, could provide. Lincoln’s reply to Wood was in gratitude for his offer of assistance.
The Vanderbilt Museum Curatorial Department has no record of how this letter came to be in William Vanderbilt II’s possession. Originally, it may have been the property of his great-grandfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was an acquaintance of Wood, and could have been passed down through the Vanderbilt family.
The Vanderbilt’s framed oil portrait of George Washington, though unsigned and undated, was believed to have been painted by Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828), widely considered one of America’s foremost portrait artists.
Stuart produced portraits of more than 1,000 people, including the first six presidents of the United States. He painted a number of Washington portraits. The most celebrated is known as the “Lansdowne” portrait (1796), and one large-scale version of it hangs in the East Room of the White House.
Stuart’s best-known work is an unfinished portrait of Washington begun in 1796 and sometimes called “The Athenaeum.” This image of Washington’s head and shoulders is a familiar one to Americans — it has appeared for more than a century on the U.S. one-dollar bill.
The Vanderbilt’s Washington portrait, found in the basement of the Suffolk County Welfare Department Home in Yaphank, was restored and presented to the Vanderbilt Museum in 1951. While the artist did not sign the work, a specialist reported that year that the painting was an authentic Gilbert Stuart.
In 1981, however, two curators from the Metropolitan Museum of Art studied the portrait and advised the board of trustees that the work was not created by Stuart. As a result, the portrait, oil on panel and measuring 21.25 by 33.5 inches, is described in the archival records as “After Gilbert Stuart.” The curators’ closest estimate was that the painting was made sometime in the 1800s.
The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum is located at 180 Little Neck Road in Centerport. Winter hours for the museum, mansion and grounds are Saturdays and Sundays from 11:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Tuesdays from noon to 4 p.m. with special winter recess hours from Feb. 17 to 21 from 11:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 631-854-5579 or visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.
Here are some fun and educational ways for your kids to enjoy winter break:
Benner’s Farm
Ever wonder what it’s like to be on a real working farm in the winter? Kids ages 7 to 14 can enjoy winter break at Benner’s Farm, 56 Gnarled Hollow Road, E. Setauket on Feb. 17 and 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn how to make maple syrup, help care for the animals and more. Snacks provided. Bring lunch. $60 per day, $100 for both days. To register, call 631-689-8172 or visit www.bennersfarm.com.
Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery
Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor will hold several winter break events from Feb. 17 to 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Make snow that won’t melt, make homemade ice cream and create slippery, sticky slime. Admission is $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 kids ages 3 to 12. Call 516-692-6768.
Huntington Historical Society
Kids in grades 1 to 6 can join the Huntington Historical Society at the Conklin Barn, 2 High St., Huntington for a variety of hands-on history activities, including learning traditional weaving techniques and Presidents Day-themed crafts, games and activities on Feb. 17 and 18 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Campers will go home with a piece of their very own hand-woven fabric. Fee is $35 per day. Call 631-427-7045.
Smithtown Historical Society
Enjoy February break with the Smithtown Historical Society,239 E. Main St., Smithtown from Feb. 18 to 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Enjoy a different theme each day including Kaleidoscope Fun, Mid Week Mardi Gras, Snow Day and National Biscuit Day. Fee is $30 per day. To register, call 631-265-6768.
Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum
From Feb. 17 to 20 from 10 a.m. to noon children in grades K through 3 can take part in several workshops at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum’s Learning Center, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport. Participants will take tours of the museum’s collections and then create a related craft including an owl diorama, animal portrait and a mixed-media deep-sea collage. $20 per child. To register, call 631-843-5539.
Ward Melville Heritage Organization
On Feb. 18 to 20 from 10 to 11:30 a.m., the WMHO’s Educational & Cultural Center, 97P Main St., Stony Brook hosts a Puppet Making workshop for ages 6 to 11 with acclaimed artist Liz Joyce ($100 for all three days) and Music Mornings with Johnny Cuomo for ages 3 to 5 ($85 for all three days, $30 per day). To register, call 631-751-2244.
In perfect timing with winter break, DreamWork’s “Shrek Jr.” along with all its fairy-tale creatures have taken up residence at the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts in Smithtown. The fun musical runs through March 1.
Based on the popular 2001 animated film and picture book by William Steig, the show is an edited version of the Tony award-winning Broadway musical but still features many of the beloved scenes and songs we have come to love.
With book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, it tells the story of how a “little ogre came to live in the swamp with a beautiful princess and his best friend, and a gingerbread man, and a very handsome puppet, and an elf, and a fairy godmother, and a witch, and a crossdressin’ wolf and three pigs!” In short, if you are a fan of classic fairy tales, you’ll love this show.
It’s Shrek’s 7th birthday and, as with all ogres, his parents tell him he must move out and find his own place to live. (“Watch out for men with pitchforks!”) Shrek settles into a swamp far, far away and life is good until all of the fairy-tale creatures in the kingdom of Duloc are exiled to his land by order of Lord Farquaad, the ruthless ruler of Duloc.
In order to get his land back, Shrek strikes a deal with Farquaad to rescue Princess Fiona from a tower guarded by a fire-breathing dragon and bring her back to be Farquaad’s queen. Along with the wisecracking Donkey, the ogre embarks on a journey to save the fair maiden and learns valuable lessons, including what makes us special is what makes us strong.
Directed and choreographed by Tommy Ranieri, the talented young cast of 23 embraces this 2½-hour large-scale production and leaves us wanting more. Lead actors Hunter Pszybylski, Leah Kelly and Luke Ferrari shine in their roles as Shrek, Fiona and Donkey; and Luke Hampson steals the show as the tiny terror Lord Farquaad.
As with all musicals, the songs are the heart of the show, and what wonderful songs they are from the opening group number, “Big Bright Beautiful World”; to Pszybyiski’s beautiful solo “Who I’d Be”; Kelly’s “Morning Person” complete with tap and Irish step dancing; to the finale “This Is Our Story”; and a rousing rendition of Smash Mouth’s “I’m a Believer” to send us on our way.
The multiple costumes of fairy-tale characters, designed by Chakira Doherty, cut no corners and wait until you see the dragon! The elaborate sets by Tim Golebiewski, makeup and special effects tie the entire production together nicely.
SPAC has presented a wonderful opportunity for young adults to hone their craft. This is their story — let them share it with you. Meet Shrek, Fiona and Donkey in the lobby after the show for photos and autographs.
Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown presents “Shrek The Musical Jr.” through March 1. Performances are held on Saturdays and Sundays at various times and Feb. 17 to 21 at 1 p.m. for Presidents Week break. Children’s theater continues with “Moana Jr.” from April 10 to 19. All seats are $18. For further information or to order tickets, call 631-724-3700 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.
For more photos from the show, visit www.tbrnewsmedia.com.
Huntington Hospital has achieved a prestigious four-star rating from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in its annual 2020 hospital rankings, its comprehensive quality measurement report released on Jan. 30.
CMS hospital rankings of more than 4,000 Medicare-certified facilities nationwide take into account over 50 performance measures that analyze health care outcomes such as readmission rates, patient experience, safety and quality of care. CMS’ hospital rankings are considered among the best hospital report cards to help inform where to receive medical care.
Huntington Hospital’s CMS rating follows its recognition as New York State’s highest-ranked community hospital by U.S. News & World Report in its 2019-20 Best Hospital list.
“From redesigning our Center for Mothers & Babies to include all private rooms for a better patient experience to consistently setting and meeting high benchmarks for health care quality, we at Huntington Hospital take our patients’ needs to heart as we thoughtfully provide them with world-class care,” said Dr. Nick Fitterman, executive director of Huntington Hospital.
“We are always looking at ways to not only provide the necessary health care that our Suffolk County residents require, but to go above and beyond to give them the best medical care available,” he added.
Huntington Hospital nurses have received the highest nursing honor – Magnet designation – a Long Island record four times in a row.The hospital’s orthopedics program has also been consistently been ranked by the Joint Commission with the gold seal of approval for its hip and knee replacements and was among the top 1 percent nationally in orthopedics, according to U.S. News.
Huntington Hospital has also been designated as a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology and a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery by the Surgical Review Corporation.
For more information about Huntington Hospital, go to www.huntington.northwell.edu or call 631-351-2000.
Carol A. Gomes has been appointed chief executive officer of Stony Brook University Hospital. The announcement was made on Feb. 4. Gomes has been serving as chief operating officer for SBUH for the past six years and recently took on additional responsibilities as interim chief executive officer.
A recognized authority in the health care industry, with more than 35 years of experience, Gomes has served a majority of that time at Stony Brook University Hospital.
“In every position Carol has held at Stony Brook University Hospital, she has led with passion for transformative health care and championed delivering the highest quality of care to our patients,” said SBU Interim President Michael Bernstein.
“This is an exciting time for Stony Brook Medicine as our upward trajectory continues into the future in terms of health system growth, reputation, quality outcomes and embracing a talented team of professionals delivering extraordinary and cutting-edge care,” said Gomes. “It is an honor and privilege to be part of this dynamic team.”
New York Cancer & Blood Specialists opened its newest cancer care center at 750 Old Country Road, Riverhead on Jan. 20.
The new center offers cutting-edge medical technology and equipment including advanced PET/CT scans and state-of-the-art radiation therapy, clinical trials and an on-site pharmacy where patients can pick up their medication after visiting their doctor and process laboratory tests.
“Through 40 years of treating and actually listening to our patients, we understand their needs and what they want -— top-quality treatment, and compassionate services 24 hours a day,” said Dr. Jeffrey Vacirca, CEO of NYCBS. “As a comprehensive oncology center, we want our patients to have what they need when they need it, and closer to home — now we can do it, all under one roof in Riverhead.”
The center also offers a wellness program staffed by nurse educators, psychologists and other experts ready to provide nutritional, emotional, financial and psychological guidance for any NYCBS patient.
“This is a proud moment for those dedicated to comprehensive cancer care,” Vacirca added. “We offer appointments to patients within 24 hours of their diagnosis. We’ve grown, and so has our ability to treat those in need. Tomorrow brings hope … and together … we’re conquering cancer together.”
For more information, call 631-751-3000, or visit www.nycancer.com.
From left, Giuliana and Ella Capobianco and Moira and Grace Bartsch are the founders of MUVE Long Island. Photo by Rita J. Egan
With a love for helping others, two sets of sisters are hoping to inspire others to do the same — while still in elementary school.
More than 30 Smithtown Central School District students gathered to stuff goody bags with MUVE Long Island Feb. 1. The goody bags were donated to the nonprofit Birthday Wishes to be used for brithday parties for homeless children. Photo from MUVE Long Island
On the first day of February, Giuliana and Ella Capobianco, along with Grace and Moira Bartsch, led more than 30 of their friends in assembling goody bags for the nonprofit Birthday Wishes, which works to make parties for homeless children a little brighter. The event was a project of MUVE Long Island, a group created by the four elementary students.
During an interview at the Capobiancos’ St. James home Feb. 8, the girls had 300 bags in boxes ready to be picked up and delivered. Some bags contained crayons for young ones while others had toiletries for teens.
“MUVE helps get more of our friends or anybody involved,” Giuliana said.
Giuliana and Grace, both 10 years old, are fifth graders at Dogwood Elementary School and had decided to start MUVE Long Island a few months ago. Their sisters Moira, 9, who also goes to Dogwood, and Ella, 7, who attends Mills Pond Elementary School, said they were happy to get involved too.
“We always loved volunteering and wanted to do it more frequently,” Grace said.
The girls said the acronym MUVE stands for medically challenged, underprivileged, veterans and elderly for the first groups they helped.
“Those are some of the people we help but we help anyone,” Giuliana said.
The girls said philanthropy has been a part of their lives even before MUVE. Giuliana said her sister Ella has Prader-Willi syndrome, and the family has been involved in fundraisers to find a cure for PWS. The spectrum disorder has symptoms that vary in severity and occurrence among individuals. Giuliana and Ella said they also have a great-grandmother in a nursing home whom they visit often.
Grace said she has an uncle with autism and epilepsy and a great-uncle that she visits in a vets home. Moved by those in the vets and nursing homes, last holiday season the girls led their friends in caroling at both facilities.
The girls said they enjoyed visiting the residents with their friends.
“It’s really good to see their reaction when they get whatever we’re giving,” Giuliana said.
A few months earlier, the girls traveled to a soup kitchen in Brentwood with their school’s Peanut Butter Gang to hand out Halloween costumes where they only wished they had more to bring.
The girls hold goody bags that they are their friends filled at an event Feb. 1. The bags were donated to he nonprofit Birthday Wishes, which works to make parties for homeless children a little brighter. Photo by Rita J. Egan
“They were so excited that they couldn’t even choose,” Grace said. “It was kind of sad too because some people wanted different costumes, but they weren’t their size, or we didn’t have them.”
Some of the next things on their lists, the girls said, is to make dog and cat toys for local shelters and to plan an event to help those who are vision impaired and another for those with epilepsy.
The MUVE founders said their friends and the Smithtown Central School District have been helpful in their mission, and members of their cheer group at Gravity Cheer in Holtsville have also shown interest in participating in future events. A few teachers at Dogwood have even shared a video the girls have created about MUVE with several of the classes.
Dogwood Elementary School Principal Renee Carpenter said in an email she is proud of the students.
“At Dogwood, we spend a lot of our efforts on teaching students to be leaders,” she said. “Many of our clubs such as Leadership Club and Peanut Butter Gang all have students engaged in community service projects. These particular girls were inspired to do more. To make an even bigger difference in the lives of others and they took action.”
The principal said MUVE is inspiring more students to help others.
“Because of their initiative to take action, more and more students are jumping on board to help MUVE with their efforts. Students are realizing that they can make a difference.”
Carpenter said while working on something like MUVE young people learn life skills such as problem solving, collaboration, planning and organizational skills. She said it also helps to increase self-esteem and create a connection with the community.
“MUVE is making a positive, lasting impact on those in our community and all of us at Dogwood are proud of this,” she said.
When it comes to organizing something as big as a philanthropy group and its events, the girls said they spread the word by telling all their friends about their next activity using social media. Grace said they will have business cards to hand out soon too.
Dana Capobianco, Giuliana and Ella’s mother, said while she and Grace and Moira’s mom Bernadette Bartsch help to facilitate some things, for example, getting in touch with the veterans hospital, the girls quickly take over.
The MUVE initiative hasn’t surprised either of them.
Bartsch said whenever the families were involved in philanthropy, they would bring the girls and their friends along.
“They would be so involved, and we saw how happy they were in these situations,” the mom said. “So, we kept going.”
Capobianco agreed.
“The coolest part to me is seeing how confident the girls are,” she said. “I don’t think they can necessarily articulate how it makes them feel.”
The girls said people looking for more information about MUVE Long Island can find them on Facebook and Instagram (muvelongisland).
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