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Save the date! The St. James Fire Department Engine Company #1 will be spearheading a St. James Community Holiday Gift & Toy Drive-Thru at Gyrodyne/Flowerfield on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5 and 6 from 12 to 4 p.m.

Visitors will enter via the Gyrodyne entrance on Route 25A. Admission is free but please bring an unwrapped toy or gift card to donate.

Santa will be there on a Fire Engine (aka sleigh) to allow for parents to snap a photo of “the Big Guy” with their children, socially distanced of course! There will be live holiday music playing throughout the day, courtesy of Celebrate St. James and funded by a grant from the Suffolk County Department of Parks, and a mailbox in which kids can mail their letters to Santa.

All proceeds will be distributed by the Smithtown Township Emergency Food Pantry to families and children in our community so every child will have a happy holiday. (CDC COVID guidelines will be followed.) For more information or questions, email [email protected].

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Photo from The Jazz Loft

By Heidi Sutton

The T. Bayles Minuse Mill Pond Park in Stony Brook suffered extensive wind damage during Tropical Storm Isaias on Aug. 4. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Last Thursday, Nov. 12, the Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) hosted a New Beginnings Virtual Party fundraiser to benefit the restoration and maintenance of a very special place — the T. Bayles Minuse Mill Pond Park aka the Stony Brook Duck Pond. Located along Main Street in Stony Brook Village adjacent to the Grist Mill, the charming park has been enjoyed by countless families over the years.

This past summer Tropical Storm Isaias ripped through the park and uprooted over a dozen trees. There was also major damage to the park’s Braille engraved handrails, the borders maintaining the gardens and the walkways along the pond.

The 90 minute live Zoom event was hosted by Richard Wiese, President of The Explorer’s Club in NYC and host of PBS’s Born to Explore and co-host of Weekends with Yankee.

News 12 reporter Elisa DiStefano

Now living in Connecticut, Wiese grew up in Head of the Harbor and has always had a special connection to the park. “I just have so many fond memories of the Mill Pond. The more I travel around the world, the more I see how special and unique the Stony Brook area is. I can actually say that the Village of Stony Brook may be even prettier than it was in the 1960s when I first became familiar with it,” he said.

The fun evening included an appearance by award-winning reporter and News 12 host of Road Trip Close to Home, Elisa DiStefano; and host of Fox Nation: Celebrate America and five-time New York Times bestselling author, including George Washington’s Secret Six, Brian Kilmeade. The event also featured performances by Tom Manuel and The Jazz Loft’s Equity Brass Band; America’s Got Talent finalist, Sal “the Voice” Valentinetti; and comedian Rich Walker.

Comedian Rich Walker

DiStefano, who grew up in Hauppauge, visited the park right after the storm and covered the story for News 12. “Stony Brook Village I grew up going to as a treat … Because of the extensive damage [from the storm] it looked like a war zone that day but meeting Gloria Rocchio [President of the WMHO] and her team and seeing their positivity, there was no doubt in my mind that they would do everything they could to restore the area to what it was before,” she said.

Kilmeade, who hosted the evening’s interactive history challenge, “A History Mystery,” lauded Rocchio and the WMHO for keeping the past and Ward Melville’s vision alive. “You can go to [Stony Brook Village] and you really think you’ve gone back 200 years … during the holidays it looks like a movie set. I believe that’s what Ward Melville wanted. He wanted everyone to remember what it was like. While we move forward with progress we can still go back in time.”

Sal “The Voice” Valentinetti

The virtual party was the perfect instrument to introduce the WMHO’s New Beginnings online auction to raise money for this wonderful cause. Available through Dec. 16, it features items starting at $50 and covers everything from travel, fashion, art, antiques, food and wine, health and wellness and unique experiences. Generously donated auction items include a private four-person fishing charter, a family portrait session, a military tank ride, dinner for 4 aboard a superyacht, pizza every month for a year, a golf outing for four, an exclusive champagne toast and drinks for six at the Explorer’s Club with Richard Wiese, a trip to Barbados and much, much more.

The New Beginnings Online Auction is as easy as eBay with free registration to bid on the auction items. You will be notified if someone outbids you and you can bid again and again. The successful bidder’s card will not be charged until the last day of the auction — at midnight on Dec. 16, giving guests plenty of time to compete for a good cause.

100% of the funds generated from this event will support the restoration and maintenance of the T. Bayles Minuse Mill Pond Park.

To register for the New Beginnings Online Auction, please visit wmho.org/the-ward-melville-heritage-organization/virtualbenefit/. For more information, please call 631-751-2244.

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The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum’s Reichert Planetarium, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport presents One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure on Nov. 21 and 22 at 11 a.m. Elmo and Big Bird live in the United States and Hu Hu Zhu lives far away in China, but they discovered that they see the same stars at night. For ages 2 to 8. Tickets, which include admission to the museum and access to the grounds, are $13 for children, $16 adults, $15 seniors. To order, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

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A visitor to Sweetbriar Nature Center meets a screech owl.

By Tara Mae

Something wild is coming to Smithtown. Sweetbriar Nature Center now offers A Wildlife Experience, a unique program offering one hour private guided tours that grant unprecedented access to its buildings, operations, and animals. Located at 62 Eckernkamp Drive, the nonprofit organization provides natural science education and native wildlife rehabilitation services for the community.

The personal tours will allow participants to see the center’s recently renovated wildlife rehabilitation area, now called the Steven Goldman clinic, which is usually off limits to visitors.

“It’s an experience that you’re not going to get anywhere else,” said Veronica Sayers, Sweetbriar’s program coordinator. “It’s not very often that you can see how a wildlife rehab works. You don’t normally get this experience unless you’re in the field.”

Attendees will also be able to explore parts of the main building, which houses some of Sweetbriar’s permanent residents and is generally open for self-guided excursions.

Guests will be able to observe the animals and meet a few of Sweetbriar’s regular ambassadors like Cali, an imprinted Baltimore oriole; Marguerite, an imprinted blue jay; Nugget, a screech owl; and Tulip, an opossum.

The tours give insight into more than the lives of the animals; they delve into the backgrounds of Sweetbriar and the Blydenburgh family, on whose estate the center and preserve now exist. Guides are able to supply greater historical context as well as details about the architecture of the structures and grounds, according to Janine Bendicksen, Sweetbriar’s curator and wildlife rehabilitation director, who came up with the initial idea.

One of four staff members, Ms. Bendicksen noted that she, her coworkers, and the dedicated team of volunteers are constantly brainstorming for ways to keep Sweetbriar operational in the time of COVID-19. The private tours are a way to raise money and benefit the community Sweetbriar serves. “Instead of just asking for money and donations, we are giving back,” she explained.

During the pandemic, Sweetbriar, like many organizations, has had to completely reimagine how it functions. At the peak of the lockdown, the employees were looking after approximately 100 animals by themselves, without the assistance of volunteers, according to Ms. Sayers. In this time of emotional turmoil and economic uncertainty, Sweetbriar has sought to create new ways of connecting with the public and supporting the animals in its care.

As sources of revenue shrunk, animals in need of help were being brought to the center at a higher rate than in years past. “Many rehab centers are experiencing this,” said Ms. Bendicksen. Since the beginning of 2020, the center has treated more than 2,000 animals.

Sweetbriar Nature Center administers comprehensive rehabilitation to wildlife and generates much of its funding from community engagement and outreach programs. Located on 54 acres of diverse woodland, garden, wetland, and field habitats, the center’s grounds are open year-round to the public, free of charge. Since the onset of the pandemic it has been unable to host the events and activities it normally offers, on which Sweetbriar largely relies to support its animals and endeavors.

A Wildlife Experience is available to parties of up to six people by appointment only for $104. People may register and pay the fee online at www.sweetbriarnc.org/animal-encounters. After you purchase your ticket, Sweetbriar will email you to set up a date or they can send you a gift card to book at a later time. Please give them at least 3 days to respond after you’ve purchased your ticket. The tours are mask-mandated and photos are encouraged.

For more information, please call 631-979-6344.

All photos courtesy of Sweetbriar Nature Center.

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Gregorian Chant at All Souls 

All Souls Church, 61 Main Street, Stony Brook hosts a Gregorian Chant/Music of Taizé on Thursday, Nov. 19 from 8 to 9 p.m., providing a time for quiet meditation to clear the mind and rest the soul. The historic chapel will be lit with candles and alive with the mystical sounds of Gregorian chant and Songs of Taizé. This is a unique opportunity for reflection and/or silent prayer for people of all faiths (or no faith) searching for a spiritual connection in their lives. Masks required and social distancing will apply. For more information, please call 516-607-9111.

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Take a chance! You could win this "Cool as a Cucumber Melon" beauty box & canvas print and much more. Photo from FRA

In lieu of its annual Holiday Gift Fair, The Farmingville Residents Association has launched an online Holiday Gift Raffle at RallyUp. Take a chance to win some wonderful gifts for the holiday season at https://farmingvilleresidentsassociation.rallyup.com/fraholidaygifts2020 through Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. Drawing will be held on Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Proceeds will help to support the FRA and the work that they continue to do in the community. For additional information, email [email protected] or call 631-260-7411.

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Stock photo

Let’s Give Thanks & Help Ones In Need.  Bryant Funeral Home is hosting their Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive.  Please bring non-perishable food to the funeral home located at 411 Old Town Road, E. Setauket,  from now till November 21st from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Every 5 items you bring will earn you a chance to win one of three raffle prizes.  All food collected will be donated to the local food pantries located at St. James RC Church in Setauket, Infant Jesus RC Church in Port Jefferson and St. Gerard Majella Church in Port Jefferson Station.  Please call 631-473-0082 for further information.

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Memorials honoring those who fought in recent conflicts were unveiled at the annual Setauket Veterans Day Ceremon on Nov. 11, 2020. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Post Commander of VFW Post 3054 Jay Veronko stands by one of the new memorials. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Photo by Rita J. Egan
Veterans lay wreaths at the memorial during the annual Setauket Veterans Day Ceremony Nov. 11. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Attendees salute during the annual Setauket Veterans Day Ceremony Nov. 11. Photo by Rita J. Egan

Every year on Nov. 11, veterans are remembered at a ceremony at the Setauket Veterans Memorial Park on the corner of Route 25A and Shore Road. This year, two new memorials were unveiled to recognize those who served in the Cold War, Granada/Lebanon and Panama, the Gulf War and the Global War on Terror. The new memorials are the result of the combined efforts of Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), commanders of local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts located in Setauket, Stony Brook and Port Jefferson Station and the Long Island Veterans Home at Stony Brook University.

The War Memorial Fund Committee updated several memorials last year on Setauket’s Village Green, in Stony Brook Village and along the Port Jefferson Harbor.
The project was funded by local businesses and community members.

Jack Gozdziewski, a member of American Legion Post 432 and VFW Post 3054, who initially approached Hahn with the idea to update the monuments, said it was important to honor all soldiers whether they had boots on the ground or served during the Cold War. Gozdziewski pointed out how one side of the Gulf War and Global War on Terror stone is left blank in case of another conflict, and the hope is that it will stay blank.

“Please pray for that and thank all the veterans that have protected us so this wall will never be used again,” he said. 

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It’s the season of giving. Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson hosts a Thanksgiving Food Drive for the food pantry at Infant Jesus Church on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Please help those who are less fortunate enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with their loved ones. While the pantry is unable to accept donations of turkeys due to space limitations, they will gratefully accept donations of grocery store gift cards to be distributed to the families.

Also, if you earn a free turkey using grocery points, most stores will issue a certificate that can be used later. Those are also welcomed.

The pantry is in need of cereal, oatmeal, baby wipes, shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, deodorant, baby shampoo, healthy snacks, oil, flour, sugar, pancake mix, pancake syrup, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, coffee and tea. Thanksgiving items include stuffing, gravy, yams, cranberry sauce and frozen pies.

Donations will be collected in the back of the theater on the south side of the building. Rain date is Sunday, Nov. 15.

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Volunteers at a previous Dickens Festival in Port Jefferson line up for the Giant Puppet Parade. Photo by Heidi Sutton

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! This is an official Bah Humbug notice that the 25th annual Village of Port Jefferson Charles Dickens Festival is canceled this year. As the festival attracts over 25,000 people on the first weekend after Thanksgiving weekend in December, the COVID-19 pandemic makes safety first the rule for this family favorite event.

“The Village is so disappointed to postpone the 25th Silver Anniversary of our beloved festival founded by former Mayor Jeanne Garant,” said Mayor Margot Garant.

“But we honor and respect the need to protect our public, our cherished volunteer base and the establishments and houses of worship that traditionally open their doors to host the festivities. It is our primary objective to protect the health and wellness of our community and maintain the ability to keep our businesses open and operating safely under the current NY State guidelines.”

“The 25th Anniversary Dickens Festival was in the works right after the close of 2019’s presentation,” said Allan Varela, Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council Chair and Executive Producer of the Festival since 2005.

“While we were planning bigger, better, happier and more magical, Covid-19 hit the international stage forcing our hand to cancel this year. Too many people descend on the Village to enjoy the festivities making social distancing impossible. As sad as this is, we simply cannot risk anyone catching COVID. So, the Bah Humbug award will be taken away from Mr. Scrooge and given to Mr. Virus!” he said.

Stay tuned for Dickens plans in the future.

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