Councilwoman Susan A. Berland with Joel Grey at the Cinema Arts Centre. Photo by Alex Wolff, Concierge Photography
Joel Grey with two specialty cakes at a reception after the event. Photo by Alex Wolff, Concierge Photography
Oscar, Tony and Golden Globe winner Joel Grey made a special appearance at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington on Feb. 23 for a rare big-screen presentation of Bob Fosse’s 1973 “Cabaret,” which stars Grey as Emcee and Liza Minelli as Sally Bowles, followed by an audience Q-and-A moderated by Jud Newborn.
Grey also signed copies of his revealing memoir “Master of Ceremonies” which recounts his fascinating and complex behind-the-stage life story, acting career, family and love life. Councilwoman Susan A. Berland (D) presented a Town of Huntington Proclamation to Grey after the sold-out event. “It was an honor to present a proclamation to Joel Grey for his career as one of the most renowned American entertainers,” said the councilwoman.
It’s going to be a bumpy night! “All About Eve” will return to select cinemas nationwide on March 5 and 8, courtesy of TCM Big Screen Classics Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Twentieth Century Fox. The 1950 film, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Bette Davis, Anne Baxter and George Sanders won six Oscars including Best Picture.
From left, Gary Merrill, Anne Baxter and Bette Davis in a scene from ‘All About Eve.’ Photo courtesy of Fathom Events
From the moment she glimpses her idol on Broadway, Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) strives to upstage Margo Channing (Bette Davis). After cunningly stealing Margo’s role, Eve disrupts the lives of anyone close to the actress in this timeless cinematic masterpiece. The two-day event will also include exclusive commentary from Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz, who will give insight into this classic film.
Participating movie theaters in our neck of the woods include AMC Loews Stony Brook 17 (at 2 and 7 p.m. on both days), Farmingdale Multiplex Cinemas (on March 5 at 2 p.m., March 8 at 2 and 7 p.m.) and Island 16 Cinema de Lux in Holtsville (on March 5 at 2 p.m., March 8 at 2 and 7 p.m.). For more information or to purchase your ticket in advance, visit www.fathomevents.com.
Mount Sinai Ocean Sciences Bowl team co-advisers David Chase and Glynis Nau-Ritter with members, Ariele Mule, Ben May, Claire Dana and Jonathan Yu. Photo from Glynis Nau-Ritter
Mount Sinai High School’s Ocean Sciences Bowl team is going national.
The group recently went head-to-head at Stony Brook University against 16 other teams throughout the state, and won first place at the regional Bay Scallop Bowl, an academic competition testing the students’ knowledge of marine sciences, including biology, chemistry, physics and geology. Mount Sinai’s 28-27 win against Great Neck South High School clinched its spot in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, where they’ll join 25 teams from across the country in Corvallis, Oregon from April 20 to 23.
“Going in, we were skeptical, but once we started going through the day, our confidence really built up and everybody got to shine.”
—Ben May
On Feb. 18, the school’s four-student “A” team — senior Ben May, junior Jonathan Yu, sophomore Claire Dana, and freshman Ariele Mule — was one of two left standing after competing in a series of 10 fast-paced, undefeated buzzer, with the next determining the winner. With three seconds left on the clock, Great Neck South ran out of time on a bonus question that would’ve made it the winner, and Mount Sinai came out victorious. The high school has now placed first in 10 of the 16 annual Bay Scallop Bowls.
“It was probably the most exciting competition we’ve had in the Ocean Bowl,” said team co-advisor Glynis Nau-Ritter, a science teacher at the high school. “We work them hard and it pays off.”
Co-advisor David Chase echoed Nau-Ritter’s excitement.
“The students here have not only won the competition, but they’ve expanded their knowledge,” he said. “I’m very proud to be able to contribute to their success, and it’s great to be working with the best of the best.”
May, the team’s captain, said he and his teammates experienced “the ultimate coming-from-behind story” after going through a reconstruction year. May was the only returning member of the “A” team from last year, as the others had all graduated.
“It was thrilling to win and have the experience with so many people who share my love of the ocean.”
—Claire Dana
“Going in, we were skeptical, but once we started going through the day, our confidence really built up and everybody got to shine,” May said. “It was the closest competition I’ve ever been part of. We had no control over it. The other team captain and I were very friendly and it was a bonding experience. The stress of it really pulled us together.”
Calling nationals “a nerd’s dream,” May expressed pride for each of his teammates and said to prepare for the nationals, they met to study over winter break and will be meeting several days a week leading up to the nationwide competition.
“It was thrilling to win and have the experience with so many people who share my love of the ocean,” Dana said. “It was a great surprise, and I thought we all found pride in each other. We were all super ecstatic.”
In addition to competing in the nationals and receiving an all-expenses paid trip to Oregon, each of the four Mount Sinai students received a check for $400 for their victory.
The highest the Mount Sinai team has placed is fourth at nationals. If the students place in the top three or four teams, there are other monetary awards, as well as a trophy and possible student accessories like a netbook. The team could also potentially win a field trip to various research stations, like the Caribbean or West Coast.
Join the Mulvhill-Lynch Irish Dancers for an evening of fun. File photo by Heidi Sutton
Save the date! The Smithtown Historical Society will host an Irish Night at the Frank Brush Barn, 211 E. Main St., Smithtown on Monday, March 13 at 7 p.m. Enjoy a delicious meal of corned beef and cabbage, potatoes and carrots, courtesy of Faraday’s of Smithtown.
Enjoy traditional Irish music by John Corr, a performance by the Mulvihill-Lynch Studio of Irish Dance, raffles, a limerick contest and merriment for all ages. Admission is $30, $25 members. For further info, call 631-265-6768.
The Brick Studio and Gallery at Rocky Point invites the community for a free screening of Charlie Chaplin’s masterpiece, “Modern Times,” at the VFW Hall, 109 King Road, Rocky Point on Monday, March 6 at 7 p.m. Stay after the movie, enjoy light refreshments and learn about special events and art exhibitions that will happen when the Brick Studio and Gallery opens its doors. For info, call 631-335-2293 or visit www.thebrickstudio.org.
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson is seeking singer-actor-dancers (ages 16 and up; must appear 19 or older) for various roles in its upcoming Mainstage production of “Saturday Night Fever: The Musical.” Open auditions will be held on Saturday, March 4 at 3 p.m.
Prepare 16 bars from the song of your choice; bring sheet music in the proper key; accompanist provided. You may sing from the score. Be prepared to dance. Readings will be from the script. Please bring picture/resume. Rehearsals to begin in April. Performances will take place from May 20 to June 24.
For full details, call 631-928-9202 or visit www.theatrethree.com/auditions.html.
Protestors at the Not My President Rally in East Setauket Monday, Feb. 20. Photo by Kevin Redding
North Shore residents on both sides of the political spectrum made their voices heard during a local iteration of the nationwide “Not My Presidents’ Day” protest Monday, Feb. 20.
Those driving down Route 25A in East Setauket between 3 and 5 p.m. on Presidents’ Day found themselves caught in between the country’s most heated debate.
On one side of the road, a large crowd of diverse protesters rallied against President Donald Trump (R) and his policies, holding up signs that read “Trump is toxic to humans” and “Not my President,” and on the other side, a smaller but just as passionate group gathered to support the commander-in-chief, holding signs that read “Liberal Lunacy,” with an arrow pointed toward the group on the other side, and “Pres. Trump Will Make America Great Again.”
“Not My Presidents’ Day” rallies took place across the country including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Philadelphia, with thousands of Americans taking to the streets to denounce the president, just one month into his term.
Protestors at the Not My President Rally in East Setauket Monday, Feb. 20. Photo by Kevin Redding
The main group involved in East Setauket’s rally was the Long Island Activists for Democracy, an offshoot of MoveOn, which, according to its website, is the largest independent, progressive, digitally-connected organizing group in the United States.
Activists for Democracy founder Ruth Ann Cohen, from Lake Grove held a sign that asked “Why Is Not My President Adolf Trump in love with Putin?” She said she started the meetup in an effort to “uphold democracy” and stand up to the president, who she called a traitor.
“He refuses to show his taxes, he’s been monetizing the presidency left and right, he’s denigrated our country, he’s a coward, and a misogynist,” Cohen said.
Referring to those on the other side of the road, she said, “Those people don’t believe in anything, their minds are full of hatred…build a wall? We’re for a free shake for everybody. Everyone here is the child or grandchild of a refugee and they want to pull up the drawbridge and keep everybody out.”
Those on the anti-Trump side voiced their concerns of several issues regarding the 45th president, including his now overturned executive order to ban those from Muslim-majority countries, controversial cabinet nominations and what some called “a rise of fascism in this country.”
“I think there’s a general belief the man [Trump] is not competent to be president and that’s what’s brought all these people out,” Stony Brook resident Craig Evinger said.
Bill McNulty, a Setauket resident and Army veteran who served between 1957 and 1964, said he’s been rallying on behalf of anti-war and anti-violence for decades but with “the coming of Trump, it’s much more than that now.”
“We have to stand in opposition in every way, shape or form,” McNulty said. “With my military background, if I were serving today, I would not obey this commander-in-chief. I would say ‘no.’”
Across the road, American flags waved in the wind and patriotic songs played through a speaker, as members of the North Country Patriots — a military support group formed after the Sept. 11 attacks that meets at the corner every weekend in support of soldiers young and old — stood their ground with signs that read “God Bless American Jobs” and “Trump: Build The Wall.”
The group’s founder, Howard Ross of East Setauket, said he and the group “believe in our country, believe in serving our country and doing the right things for our country.”
Protestors at the Not My President Rally in East Setauket Monday, Feb. 20. Photo by Kevin Redding
Ross said those on the other side of the road remind him of the people who spit on him when he returned home from serving in Europe during the Vietnam War.
“I’m never giving my corner up,” he said. “I love to see that flag fly and those people don’t like that. I’ve never heard Obama in eight years get beat up like the press beats up Trump.”
A Tea Party member in the gathering, who asked not to be named, said he was there to support the current president, adding “the resistance to him is unprecedented everybody’s against him…this is an existential threat to our democracy to not let the man perform his duties.”
Jan Williams from Nesconset, wore a red “Make America Great Again” hat and held up a sign that read “We Support The President, The Constitution, The Rule of Law.”
“We’re here because it’s Presidents’ Day and the election’s over and this is not the way to get anything done, to get the points across,” Williams said. “You’ve got to support the president, the Constitution and rule of law. We’re here to show support, that’s all.”
The anti-Trump side chanted “this is what democracy looks like” and sang “This Land is Your Land,” while the Trump side chanted “Build the wall” and “God bless America.”
Throughout the rally, drivers passing the groups honked their horns and hollered out their window to show support for the side they agreed with.
Kiddie Academy hosts second annual Hop-A-Thon to raise money for the Lukemia and Lymphona Society
On Feb. 17, kids between the ages 5 and 12 turned the music up and busted a move for good reason: they helped to raise $575 for those with leukemia and those working to find a cure.
For the second year in a row, Kiddie Academy Educational Child Care in Wading River sponsored a fun-filled and awareness-driven Hop-a-thon for the Long Island chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding research, finding cures and providing treatment access for blood cancer patients.
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Campaign Specialist Alexa Landro speaks to kids at Kiddie Academy of Wading River. Photo by Kevin Redding
As part of the organization’s Student Series, which aims to involve young people in the fight against cancer through service learning and character education programs, the event is a dance celebration for kids who, along with their parents, contributed money to the important cause. As leukemia affects more children than any other cancer, the program lets kids help kids while having fun.
But before the academy’s school age kids took to the lobby to hop and bop to songs like Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” they sat down for a brief presentation about what they donated money towards, engaging in true-or-false questionnaires about blood cancers and learning about the “honored heroes” on Long Island — students from local school districts who have beaten cancer.
“Thanks to each and every one of you helping to raise money, kids like these are 100 percent better today and happy and healthy,” Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Campaign Specialist Alexa Landro told the energetic kids. “You’re dancing for them and I can’t thank you enough.”
Kiddie Academy of Wading River students danced during its second annual Hop-A-Thon Feb. 17 to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Socoety. Photo by Kevin Redding
Samantha Wooley, a Kiddie Academy staff member, said the Hop-A-Thon is a reflection of the values of compassion and community contribution the students work on every month.
“In dancing, and just having fun, they’re working as a team and doing this all together,” Wooley said. “It’s broken up into different ages and levels, some of them are more shy while others are outgoing, and we’re just mixing them all together to have one big dance off.”
Kiddie Academy of Wading River reached out to the society last year to participate in the program to support one of its students who had been diagnosed with leukemia, and is currently in remission.
Christina St. Nicholas, the director of Kiddie Academy of Wading River, said in a press statement that the Hop-A-Thon was “exactly in line with our curriculum” and the child care’s “strong emphasis on character education.”
“[It’s] an exciting program that will engage our preschoolers and school-age children to help others in a fun, educational way,” St. Nicholas said. “Joining in this program to fight leukemia is one of the many ways we strive to model the values of community, compassion and cooperation each and every day.”
Kiddie Academy of Wading River staff member Michele Boccia, on left, and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Campaign Specialist Alexa Landro, on right, talk to students about the lives they’re helping save. Photo by Kevin Redding
Nearly all 35 students in the school-age department of Kiddie Academy participated, with each classroom collecting bags of loose change. The childcare center also reached out to parents, who had the option to pay through a website or submit a check. Donations ranged from $25 to $75.
Kristin Lievre, a mother of two Kiddie Academy students from Wading River, said it’s important that the kids learn at an early age to give back to the community.
“I think it’s good to see there are ways we can help people through things like this,” she said. “This makes them feel good about what they can do for others.”
Sophia, 10, one of the star dancers of the day, echoed Lievre.
“It feels good because we can raise money for the people who are sick so they can get better,” she said, “and don’t have to deal with the sickness anymore.”
A Narcan Training Class will be held at the Farmingville Fire Department, 780 Horseblock Road, Farmingville on Tuesday, Feb. 28 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The training, which meets New York State Department of Health requirements, will enable participants to recognize an opioid overdose, administer intranasal Narcan and take additional steps until EMS arrives. Participants will receive a certificate of completion and an emergency resuscitation kit that includes nasal Narcan. RSVP required before Feb. 20 by calling 631-732-6611, ext. 717.
Brian Walling and Cari Endres enjoy their wedding ceremony. Photo by Victoria Espinoza.
For 22 years Cupid has visited Huntington Town Hall for Valentine’s Day and spread his love throughout the building — with the help of Town Clerk and Marriage Officer Jo-Ann Raia.
Raia has been serving as marriage officer for the town since 1989, and in 1995 she started a tradition of a “marriage marathon.”
Alexander Acosta Herrera and Esmeria Martinson tie the knot. Photo by Victoria Espinoza.
“I normally perform marriage ceremonies year round,” she said. “However in 1995 I thought it would be romantic to begin a Valentine’s Day marriage ceremony marathon. The couples I united over these past years received this idea enthusiastically. It is a privilege and a pleasure for me to unite these couples and to share in their happiness as they embark on their new lives together.”
The free event consists of couples partaking in a small marriage ceremony with Raia presiding, and then the new bride and groom cut a cake and enjoy drinks and snacks with their guests, donated by local vendors, as well as gifts for the couple and the maid of honor and best man. This year 11 couples were wed in town hall.
Local merchants have donated flowers, baked goods, decorations and other gifts throughout the years, and this year Raia said 34 businesses have donated to the event, including Copenhagen Bakery, The Flower Petaler, Rise Above Bakery, Fashion in Flowers and more.
Huntington residents Brian Walling, 42, and Cari Endres, 40, took advantage of this romantic event after finding out about it while paying off a parking ticket.
“It was the last day before I got another $100 charge and I saw the flyers when I was at town hall,” the bride said. “I asked him if he was working Valentine’s Day, and he said no, so I told him ‘we’re getting married on Valentine’s Day.’”
The couple met at a bar while skiing in Vermont two years ago.
“We were basically both watching TV rooting against the Patriots, because we’re both Giants fans and then I don’t think we’ve ever been apart since that night,” Endres said.
Brian Walling and Cari Endres enjoy their wedding ceremony. Photo by Victoria Espinoza.
Walling said the hug the first night ensured him that Endres was the one for him.
“The conversation was fun and we definitely had a lot in common and we were just having a good time, but what sealed the deal was the hug,” he said. “It was the best hug ever.”
Walling proposed last July while the pair were spending July 4th weekend with family at Endres’ family lake house.
“My father passed away three years ago and he knew how special the lake house was to me,” Endres said. “We were up there with family after a lobster dinner sitting under tiki torches in bathing suits still and that was it.”
Save the date! The Smithtown Historical Society will host an Irish Night at the Frank Brush Barn, 211 E. Main St., Smithtown on Monday, March 13 at 7 p.m. Enjoy a delicious meal of corned beef and cabbage, potatoes and carrots, courtesy of Faraday’s of Smithtown.
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson is seeking singer-actor-dancers (ages 16 and up; must appear 19 or older) for various roles in its upcoming Mainstage production of “Saturday Night Fever: The Musical.” Open auditions will be held on Saturday, March 4 at 3 p.m.
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