As the rains finally subsided May 31 after a wet weekend, the American Legion Post 694 held a march, stepping off at the corner of Church and Main in Northport.
Participants stopped at 12 monuments along the way to Northport Village Park. The American Legion members were joined by hundreds of fellow marchers that included Northport Pipe and Drum and Boy Scouts.
Hundreds of spectators took in the parade and joined the post members at the end with a ceremony to remember the fallen at the park.
The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport will reopen its Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium on Friday, June 4, with limited seating capacity. Only 27 tickets will be sold for each show., with limited seating capacity. Safety protocols – masks and six-foot social distancing – will be observed. Seats and restrooms will be cleaned between shows.
Dave Bush, director of the Planetarium, said, “We are very excited to reopen and will offer a wonderful schedule of programming that appeals to a wide range of audiences. In addition, we are bringing back our ever-popular, one-hour live lectures about the nighttime sky on Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 pm.
“Our planetarium technology has never been better. We are ready to amaze and astound our audiences with the breathtaking wonders of the nighttime sky, our solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, and beyond.”
In June 2020, Bush added two new advanced systems that greatly improve the visual experience for visitors – laser-beam projectors to enhanced laser light entertainment shows and laser phosphorus full-dome video projectors that generate sharper imagery. The state-of-the-art equipment adds dimension and excitement, he said.
For more information, call 631-854-5579 or visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.
Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport offers virtual museum workshops for children in kindergarten through Grade 3 in July and August. Workshops will be held via Zoom and will include a virtual tour of the collections, interactive sessions with a museum educator, creative projects, and a complimentary admission to the Museum for a future visit.
Creative projects will be featured on social media. Workshops include Animal Adventure & Dreamy Collage on July 6 and 8 (Children will need a photo of themselves to include in the collage); Trivia & a Craft: Oceans & Recycled Plastic Art on July 13 and 15; Big Cats & Mini Animal Diorama on Aug. 3 and 5; and Trivia & a Craft: African Savanna & Warthog Mask on Aug. 10 and 12.
Project materials (not including glue) can be picked up the week before the workshop date. $15 per child/members are free. Advance registration is required to participate. Please call 631-854-5539 to reserve a space.
Village Craft Fair
The Smithtown Historical Society, 239 E. Main St., Smithtown hosts a Village Craft Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with over 100 artists and artisans featuring one of a kind creations and designs. Rain date is May 30. Social distancing and masks required. Free admission. For more information, call 631-846-1459.
A few days before Memorial Day, Smithtown East High School officially unveiled its salute to alumni who served in the armed forces.
A dedication ceremony was held at the high school May 26 to honor past students who attended East as well as the former Central and Smithtown Branch high schools in the district. East Principal Kevin Simmons announced that the project was also beginning to receive submissions from those who attended High School West.
East’s Wall of Heroes situated in the hallway outside of the school’s Little Theater features the name, military portrait, high school graduation year and branch of military service of each graduate whose information was submitted.
Simmons said the project was a “multiyear labor of pride” that started with the school’s leadership committee students who wanted to honor alumni who served in the armed forces.
“As the central framework began to take root, we encountered several delays due to buildingwide construction issues and, of course, an unexpected pandemic,” he said.
The principal added, “Despite the obstacles and challenges that lay before them, our leadership students persevered and continued to march forward following the lead of Mr. Bill Coderre, a proud veteran himself. Whether working virtually, hybrid or live in person, our leadership students stayed the course until this worthy and overdue mission was complete.”
Simmons said above the Wall of Heroes are the symbols of each branch of the U.S. military. Underneath the main visual are seven monitors that feature each alumni’s name, photo and military information.
“This beautiful monument will proudly be displayed here in High School East for many years to come, reminding us all of the selfless acts and heroism of our alumni, and what they’ve accomplished in order to protect our lives, our liberty and our freedoms,” the principal said.
On hand for the ceremony and to help cut the grand opening ribbon were members of Smithtown’s American Legion James Ely Miller Post 833. The members helped the school’s leadership club with the project and featured visuals of the wall on the post’s website.
To help fund the wall, the leadership group started the high school’s field of honor. Community residents were asked to donate $20 for a flag that was placed on the school’s football field along Woodlawn Avenue. Donors were able to fill out a card to dedicate the flag to a veteran, active service member, law enforcement, etc.
For those interested in viewing the wall or being included, visit the Smithtown High School East website page which features a Wall of Heroes link.
Still facing the challenges of bringing live music and other cultural events to people during a pandemic, the Jazz Loft in Stony Brook, in partnership with Suffolk County Presiding Officer Kara Hahn, Michael Ardolino of Realty Connect and other community businesses have come up with a unique and imaginative way to do just that. Called “Summer Stages With A Purpose ( Summer SWAP), it will offer visitors a walking experience through the Stony Brook Village area, with four stages presenting music, art, history, educational lectures, activities and other cultural happenings.
“Summer SWAP will be the ultimate collaborative celebration of music, art, history theater and activities right here in our Stony Brook Village,” said Jazz Loft founder Tom Manuel. “People can wander from stage to stage and take in a new experience at each one. It’s outdoors, it’s spacious and it’s a little back to normal for all of us.”
The SWAP is made possible through funding from Suffolk County Presiding Officer Hahn’s office and a Department of Economic Development and Planning grant.
“I am excited to join with Tom Manuel and the Jazz Loft in helping Stony Brook village businesses and visitors to SWAP the memory of this past year with one of a summer that is closer to normal.” said Suffolk County Legislator Hahn. “Stony Brook has a proud cultural history, and through this innovative program, we encourage tourists and residents alike to rediscover all of the art, music and creativity this region has to offer and help reinvigorate the local businesses that suffered mightily during their absence.”
“The SWAP concept speaks to everything that we need in terms of diversity, inclusiveness, and bringing our community together,” said Ardolino, one of the generous sponsors of the event. “When I heard about the idea I said ‘Let’s do it!’”
Summer SWAP nights are scheduled for Thursday evenings, May 27, June 3, 10,17 , 24 and July 1, all from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The four stages will be set up throughout the Stony Brook Village area. Entry is FREE.
Stage areas will include: Front lawn of the Jazz Loft where musicians will perform atop the Jazz Loft’s own mobile Jazz stage dubbed the “Jazz Dispatch”; Sand Street Beach, Stony Brook Village Inner Court, and the Brookhaven Town Lot by the kayak launch.
Patrons can also take advantage of the numerous local restaurants in the area, with menus accessible online. Order your food, pick it up to go and head to the stages of your choice.
Tiered sponsorship opportunities are available, ranging from $100 to $1500 with all proceeds going to support the Jazz Loft which has been closed for over a year due to the pandemic. For more information contact the Jazz Loft at: 631-751-1895.
The Port Jefferson Documentary Series wraps up its Spring season with a screening of ‘Red Heaven’ at Harborfront Park, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson on Monday, May 24 at sundown. Gates open at 7:30 p.m. A crew of six non-astronauts from all over the world, chosen for their ability to survive isolation, embark on a one year mission in the mars simulation station in a 1000 square foot dome on the red, rocky slope of a Hawaiian volcano in order to provide much-needed research for the future of space exploration. Bring a chair or blanket. Rain date is May 25. Tickets are $10 per person in advance by visiting www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com. Call 631-473-5220 for more information.
Community members came out for the 2021 Great Brookhaven Clean Up on May 15. Co-sponsored by the Town of Brookhaven’s Department of Recycling and Sustainable Materials Management and Keep America Beautiful, Inc., the event is part of a national effort that draws over 5 million volunteers in more than 20,000 communities across America who come together to pick up litter and clean miles of roadway, rivers, lakes, and more.
Save the date! Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport hosts a Sunset Yoga Flow event on Friday, May 28 from 7 to 8 p.m. Kick off your weekend with a beautiful view on the Great Lawn overlooking Northport Harbor. All props and mats will be provided upon request. Check in begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 adults, $15 children. To register, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.
On May 14 the Three Village Historical Society hosted the grand opening of the Three Village Artisan Farmers Market.
Linda Johnson, who leads the market and owns Chocology Unlimited, said on a scale of 1-10, the opening was an 11.
“It couldn’t have been any better,” she said. “And after spending much of 2020 stuck inside, it was so nice to see folks relaxing at our picnic tables, enjoying seeing each other, shopping the local vendors, all on the beautiful Three Village Historical Society property.”
At the May 14 opening, Three Village historian Beverly C. Tyler, above right, was on hand to sign copies of his book “Setauket and Brookhaven History — Through the Murals of Vance Locke.”
The farmers market is open every Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and features local, grass-fed meats, farm fresh eggs, fish, fresh baked bread and pastries, pickles, honey, handmade products, home goods and more.
The farmers market runs through Oct. 1.
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