Brookhaven Town Historian Barbara Russell and Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine with a copy of a topographical map from 1778 showing Setauket Harbor, encampment of British troops and General William Tryon's headquarters.. Photo courtesy of TOB, Map courtesy of Port Jefferson Arts Conservancy
Brookaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine recently announced that Brookhaven Town Historian Barbara Russell is the first appointee named to the New York State 250th Commemoration Commission.
Mrs. Russell’s appointment by New York State Senator Robert Ortt II was at the request of State Senator Alexis Weik.
In January 2022, the New York State Legislature passed the New York State 250th Commemoration Act (S7700 and A8689) and Governor Hochul signed the legislation into law on February 24, 2022. The legislation establishes a 21-member commission to support and facilitate local efforts by heritage organizations, municipalities, and others in commemoration planning and programs.
The commission is co-chaired by the Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Commissioner of the Department of Education, or their designees, and includes the New York State Historian.
In her role as Brookhaven Town Historian since 2005, Mrs. Russell, researches, interprets, and advocates local history for the Town. For more information about the New York State 250th Commemoration Commission, visit www.NYSenate.gov.
'Eel Spearing in Setauket' by William Sidney Mount
Jennie Melville. Photo from WMHODorothy Melville. Photo from WMHO
In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) in Stony Brook will host a walking tour titled “Against the Grain” on Thursday, March 16 at 10:30 a.m. session and again at 2:30 p.m.
While participants stroll, their guide will share stories recognizing the women who helped shape Stony Brook Village into what it is today: the hidden roles of the Melville women; Alida Emmet and the Center for Twilight Sleep; Rachel Brewster and the women of color in famed artist William Sidney Mount’s paintings; the scandalous will of the Smiths and Edward Kane; and the role of Stony Brook’s women in forming the environmental conservation movement.
Tours will leave from the Stony Brook Grist Mill, 100 Harbor Road, Stony Brook. Rain date is Friday, March 17 at the same time. $12 per person and includes a complimentary dessert with the purchase of an entrée at Mirabelle Restaurant & Tavern at the Three Village Inn and the Country House Restaurant. Advance reservations required by calling 631-751-2244.
A letter to Jack Teagarden from Louis Armstrong is just one of the pieces in the collection recently acquired by the Jazz Loft. Photo from The Jazz Loft
No distance is too far for Jazz Loft Founder and President Tom Manuel to travel to acquire new Jazz archival collections and memorabilia for the Jazz Loft’s museum. The latest acquisition for the Loft comes from Phoenix, Arizona, where Manuel recently returned with a complete collection from the famed trombonist and singer Jack Teagarden. Teagarden pioneered early Jazz along with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins and Earl “Fatha” Hines.
Jack Teagarden’s trombone is just one of the pieces in the collection recently acquired by the Jazz Loft. Photo from The Jazz Loft
For more than 35 years the archives had been in the possession of Jimmy Nicholas, who was entrusted with the collection by Teagarden’s widow Addie Teagarden. The collection includes manuscripts, music from Teagarden’s big band of the 1940’s and small groups with Armstrong from the 1950’s, photos, contracts, personal letters from important figures in the entertainment world, such as Paul Whitman, Bunk Johnson, W.C. Handy, Johnny Mercer, Hugh Hefner, Joe Glasser and countless others.
Some highlights of the collection include Teagarden’s 1940’s Buescher trombone which he received from Jerry Colonna and a very personal letter from Louis Armstrong.
“Due to their close friendship and collaboration over many years, the amount of Armstrong memorabilia is really impressive,” said Manuel. “I am in awe and amazed that the Jazz Loft can present these historic memorabilia. It really is the pinnacle and dream of any museum archive and an absolute honor to be guardians of such an important collection. I am so appreciative to Jimmy Nicholas and his wife Debbie for entrusting us with this incredibly important piece of Jazz history. There are four people who truly were at the birth of it all and paved the way for what is considered Jazz: Louis Armstrong on trumpet, Coleman Hawkins on tenor saxophone, Earl Hines on piano and Jack Teagarden on trombone.”
Teagarden frequented the Jazz scene in New York extensively over the years both performing in the clubs on and around 52nd Street, as well as the major recording and television studios and theaters.
“It’s nice to have Jack back in New York after all these years,” said Manuel.
The archives have been boxed and interns from Stony Brook University will start digitalizing the items to make them available to the public within the next few months.
Manuel is hopeful that the remaining items that are in the collection and still held by Mr. Nicholas, will find their way to the Jazz Loft within the next few years, including master acetates of Teagarden recordings, some of which many historians believe are the earliest photos of Teagarden, as well as a very important piece of art which was given to the Teagarden family by the King and Queen of Thailand.
The Jazz Loft is located at 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook. The museum is open Thursdays through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. and is FREE. For more information, call 631-751-1895 or visit www.thejazzloft.org.
From left, Claudia Fortunato-Napolitano, Executive Director; Deanne Rathke, Director Emeritus; and Alexandra Leverton, President of the Board of Trustees. Photo courtesy of the Greenlawn-Centerport Historcial Association
The Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association, a nonprofit organization with a mission to preserve the history of the communities of Greenlawn and Centerport, has announced the selection of Claudia Fortunato-Napolitano as its new Executive Director.
Ms. Fortunato-Napolitano officially assumed the role on February 6. Deanne Rathke is retiring after having held the position for 20 years.
“We are very pleased to announce Claudia as the new Director,” reported Deanne. “Its time to pass the job along to the next generation.Claudia’s skill set will help bring about new members and programs to the organization.In addition she has a lifelong passion for local history having been born and raised in the Huntington area”
Claudia holds a BA in History, and a MA in Liberal Studies with a concentration in American History, both awarded by Manhattanville College. Previous positions include Executive Director of the Huntington Historical Society and Assistant Historian at the Town Of Huntington.
“I am honored to serve as the Executive Director and thrilled to serve the members of the community,’ remarked Ms. Fortunato-Napolitano. “Deanne is a wonderful role model, and as Director Emeritus she will be a valuable asset for furthering our research, expanding our public programs, educational workshops, and exhibits.”
The mission of the Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association is to research, collect, record and preserve artifacts, photographs, fine arts, and ephemera of Greenlawn & Centerport. In addition, they promote the preservation of historic structures and maintain a historic Suydam homestead and John Gardiner Farm to provide the public with an opportunity to learn about early life on Long Island.
Peter Fedoryk conducts a tour of “Looking for Lange Exhibition” at Preservation Long Island’s Exhibition Gallery. (Courtesy of Preservation Long Island)
This award celebrates museum professionals with five years or less experience who think creatively, inspire change, spark innovation, and exemplify leadership.
Cold Spring Harbor: Preservation Long Island Curatorial Fellow, Peter Fedoryk, is a recipient of the 2023 Rising Star Award, one of the fourteen awards made by the Museum Association of New York (MANY) that celebrate unique leadership, dedicated community service, transformational visitor experiences, community engagement, and innovative programs that use collections to tell stories of everyone who calls New York home.
Peter Fedoryk with Preservation Long Island collections. Fedoryk was named a recipient of the 2023 Rising Star Award, presented by the Museum Association of New York. (Courtesy of Preservation Long Island)
Peter Fedoryk will be honored at the Museum Association of New York 2023 annual conference “Finding Center: Access, Inclusion, Participation, and Engagement” in Syracuse, New York on Monday, April 17 from 12:30 p.m. at the Syracuse Marriott Downtown.
“New York’s museums and museum professionals are reimagining and reinventing their roles within their communities, how they interpret their stories and collections, and the visitor experience,” said Natalie Stetson, Executive Director of the Erie Canal Museum and MANY Program Committee Co-Chair. “This year’s award winners are outstanding examples for the museum field.”
“We were incredibly impressed with the quality and quantity of award nominations this year, which made the review process highly competitive,” said Clifford Laube, Public Programs Specialist at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum and MANY Program Committee Co-Chair. “Museums and museum staff across the state are demonstrating creative thinking and are inspiring institutional change.”
“During the time Peter has been with Preservation Long Island, he has positively impacted the organization in many ways, contributing his diligence and thoughtful creativity to everything from collections management to grant writing and community engagement,” said Alexandra Wolfe, Preservation Long Island Executive Director. “We are delighted that Peter is among our New York State museum colleagues being recognized as an outstanding example to the museum field.”
Since July of 2021, Peter has led Preservation Long Island’s Art of Edward Lange Project, a collaborative effort to reexamine the life and Long Island landscapes of the late 19th-century German immigrant artist. In his role, Peter launched an interactive website featuring nearly 150 artworks accompanied by in-depth catalogue information and interpretive content, curated an in-focus gallery exhibition, published and presented on new scholarship, and spearheaded numerous public programs. He is currently co-authoring and co-editing a new publication on Edward Lange that is slated to be published next year.
Lauren Brincat, Preservation Long Island Curator added, “I am continually impressed by Peter’s initiative, creativity, and leadership. As Curatorial Fellow, he has pushed us in exciting directions and exceeded all expectations. Peter’s future in the field is bright, and it’s been a real pleasure watching him grow as a museum professional.”
Actor John Higgins in the role of Jesse Platt in a scene from 'I Now Take Up My Pen.' Photo courtesy of Darren St. George
By Julianne Mosher
Long Island — and especially the North Shore — is rich with history. Chapters can be written about what has happened in these neighborhoods ranging from the early days of the Native Americans and the struggle they encountered when settlers came to shore to the boat-building community that thrived in the early 19th century in Port Jefferson.
And while history lovers in Huntington, Smithtown, Setauket and Port Jeff thrive on the Revolutionary War stories and how several families helped General George Washington with the Culper Spy Ring, the local community has even more history that was never really spoken about — for instance, the Platt Brothers and their role in the Civil War.
On Friday, March 3, the Port Jefferson Historical Society is planning to host their annual dinner at The WaterView at The Port Jefferson Country Club. Joan Townley, vice president of the society, said that while the dinner is held every year to include the usual election of officers and reports as well as projects for the future, 2023 is bringing something special to the table — the premiere screening of a locally-produced film.
Titled I Now Take Up My Pen, the 38-minute film written and produced by St. George Living History Productions — a local group that creates films and webinars for nonprofits and other historical societies — tells the heart-wrenching tale of William and Jesse Platt, who separately volunteered their service to the 5th Regiment of the Zouaves from Long Island.
Townley said that for over a year the historical society was working on getting a $10,000 grant from New York State that would help fund a film they had been wanting to do for a long time.
It all started in 1970 when the society was contacted by a woman in North Carolina claiming to be the granddaughter of one of the Platt Brothers. “She had these letters that were written to each brother and their father during the Civil War,” Townley said. “She sent the Mather House Museum copies of the letters and they sat around for quite a while, but the dream was to one day have them transcribed and turn it into a film.”
Well, that dream finally came true nearly a decade after the letters were read through, pieced together and put together in a book.
Without giving too much away, the film follows the Platt family as 15-year-old William enlists in the war, much to the dismay of his father. Upset and angry, the father (played by the historical society’s president, Nick Acampora) sends his second son, Jesse, on a mission to bring his younger brother home. The film follows the letters that Jesse and William wrote to each other and their family describing in detail everything they saw.
Sal St. George, who read each and every letter, wrote the screenplay.
In December of 2021, Townley said that Assemblyman Steve Englebright secured the grant for the historical society to use. Using local actors and members of the historical society, with costumes created by the late Nan Guzzetta, filming began in the summer of 2022 in various locations in Setauket and Port Jefferson including the Sherwood-Jayne House and Farm, Cedar Hill Cemetery, the Mather House Museum and the Port Jefferson Village Center. Post production was finalized in December.
When the board began discussing plans for this year’s dinner, they realized it would be the perfect time to premiere a film showcasing a piece of Port Jefferson history.
“Someone gave us these letters as a gift and we wanted to share them with as many people as possible,” Townley said.
Darren St. George, creative director to the film and also the actor who played William, said that being able to show viewers this piece of history was very rewarding.
“The historical society has letters of correspondence and we brought that story to light. Through their writings you can see the brothers on the battlefield. It’s always challenging when you’re portraying someone’s real life in a film, but you recognize as you read more about William’s life in the letters that there are emotions I had to portray and there’s the truth that he lived in them. You see the tragedy that befalls him for enlisting in the war, but also for his family … you see that with his father, it affects everyone,” he said.
“Two normal young men chose to serve their country,” Townley said. “With this film, they come to life and their story is being [finally] shared.”
In the future the historical society is looking to distribute the film to local schools.
“This is our history,” said Darren St. George. “It’s not a Hollywood depiction of what happened, and it’s a great way to understand history if you can connect it to your local community.”
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The Port Jefferson Historical Society invites the community to its annual dinner at the Waterview at the Port Jefferson Country Club, 44 Fairway Drive, Port Jefferson on Friday, March 3 from 6 to 10 p.m. Enjoy dinner (choice of chicken francaise, beef sirloin or salmon), dessert, raffles and the premiere screening of I Now Take Up My Pen. Tickets are $49 per person. To order (by Feb. 28 please), email [email protected].
Artist Hulbert Waldroup with his painting, The Life and Legend of Pyrrhus Concer, at the Whaling Museum of Cold Spring Harbor
By Tara Mae
Serving in one of the 19th century’s most profitable and perilous industries, Black mariners risked their lives, livelihoods, and liberty in the pursuit of a meager but available wage. The Whaling Museum of Cold Spring Harbor’s new two year special exhibition, From Sea to Shining Sea: Whalers of the African Diaspora, examines the too-frequently ignored Black heritage and contributions to the whaling industry.
Guest curated by Dr. Georgette Grier-Key, Executive Director of Eastville Community Historical Society in Southampton, the exhibit opened on Feb. 15 and will run through 2024.
“This exhibit is focused on expanding and expounding on stories of Black mariners in maritime history and sharing the untold/under-told stories of whalers of African descent and whalers of color in our whaling history,” said Gina Van Bell, Assistant Director of the Whaling Museum.
From Sea to Shining Sea exhibit at the Whaling Museum
The exhibit casts the African American whalers for what they were: main characters in their own lives, who took up whaling as a means of survival and, in many cases, transformed it into a stepping stone for other successes.
“We want people to understand the vastness of their lives, which is sometimes missed,” Dr. Grier-Key said. “We really wanted to focus on that, just going a little bit deeper and not stopping at the surface of BIPOC whalers and their lives, probing what they were able to do and what it meant in the context of the times. We want to offer more of a world view, a holistic look at whalers and their lives.”
Like a ship’s crew comprised of many individual roles, this exhibit consists of items from the museum’s own archives as well as items on loan from 10 different historical organizations. It honors the artistic pull the sea has had on creators throughout the centuries by incorporating art inspired by the water and maritime culture.
Awash with primary source documents, artifacts, and artwork, the interactive display explores what life was like at sea and ashore for non-white mariners while contextualizing the greater experience of people of color who in lived in coastal areas during the 1800s.
The story of one such Black man, Pyrrhus Concer, inspired local artist and Southampton gallery owner Hulbert Waldroup, whose oil on canvas painting The Life and Legend of Pyrrhus Concer (2022), is included in the show. This circular painting, reminiscent of the shape of a porthole, depicts in vibrant colors the nautical scope of Concer’s life, framed in repurposed boat wood rescued from a salvage yard.
A formerly enslaved Southampton man of African descent, Concer became a sailor after he was freed in 1832 (slavery in New York formerly ended in 1827.) He sailed aboard the whaling ship Manhattan, the first American ship to visit Tokyo, Japan, where he was greeted with wonder, being the first Black man many of the Japanese had ever seen.
“It was painted purely out of love and respect for Concer,” Waldroup said. Drawn to the stories of Black cowboys and whalers, who have traditionally been erased from popular lore, Waldroup was intrigued by Concer, whose career as a whaler enabled him to establish himself as a businessman and philanthropist on the shore.
Whaling and other maritime endeavors were often precursors for the precarious promise of more stable lives away from the water, but such pursuits were fraught.
Part of the Sea to Shining Sea: Whalers of the African Diaspora exhibit at the Museum.
“The first Black Americans who were treated as ‘citizens,’ in a way, were sailors. During the nineteenth century, working as a merchant seaman or whaler was one of the few occupations which offered free Black people a relative level of independence and self-sufficiency, along with the opportunity to travel the world with a Seaman’s Protection Certificate,” said Executive Director of the Whaling Museum Nomi Dayan.
From circa 1796-1940, American mariners carried this document as proof as citizenship. It was particularly vital to Black sailors, as they were not defined as citizens under the law until the ratification of the 14th Amendment in 1868.
African Americans took very big risks for mitigated reward when they sailed with whaling ships. When docking in harbors of the South, for example, they were subject to being jailed or captured and sold into slavery.
From Sea to Shining Sea features receipts for the imprisonment and release of Alfred Gall, an African American crew member on the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Company’s Tuscarora, whose captain had to bail him out of jail. His crime? Being a free Black man in a Southern port.
Yet despite the marine and manmade dangers, whaling was considered to be a viable, even comparably steady trade. The sea offered a sort of freedom to men who might not find it on land as long as the voyage did not kill them.
“Whaling employed the most diversified workforce among all other occupations at the time. Many whalers of color who endured hard work, poor pay, awful living conditions, and serious danger, chose to work at sea because work options on land were limited,” Dayan said. “African American whalers who faced work discrimination on land were more likely than other racial groups to continue whaling.”
Whaling records indicate that rank prevailed over the color of one’s skin. Recruiters did not record race, just complexion, which was a subjective categorization. Herman Melville, the white author of Moby Dick was even listed as “dark.”
Light-skinned African American sailors had more opportunity for advancement. And while Black whalers did encounter barriers to advancing their ranks and were relegated to service-based positions, they usually earned the same rate of pay as other men of the same rank.
“On these voyages, your life and your counterpart’s life depended on how well you did you job. So in that way, you were equal in the sense of doing the work … tough, backbreaking work that was dangerous — you could lose your life but could achieve financial success,” Dr. Grier-Key said.
This made whaling unique to other industries. Whaling could provide a sort of networking opportunity for the African Americans and other people of color. Ancillary jobs associated with the sea were also available to them, such as being caulkers and coopers. Wives of BIPOC whalers might be seamstresses for the captains’ wives.
Such a utilization of community building is a trait understood by the team behind this exhibit, for whom From Sea to Shining Sea is a labor of love and longevity, part of the Whaling Museum’s ongoing efforts to share the whaling tales generally omitted from the history books.
Dr. Grier-Key and Dayan served together on the board for the Museum Association of New York, and Dr. Grier-Key knew of Waldroup through her work in the Southampton community. Together with Van Bell, they coordinated an exhibit that the stories of BIPOC whalers are no longer submerged in the murky annals of time.
RELATED PROGRAMS:
Black History: Whaleboat Chat
Join the special edition of a Whaleboat Chat highlighting the Whalers of the African Diaspora exhibition on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at noon. Gather around the star of the museum’s collection, the whaleboat, and listen as a staff member shares the tale of the dangerous Nantucket Sleighride and the brave whalers. Free with admission. No reservations necessary.
Black History: Build-A-Boat Workshop
Drop by the Museum any time on Feb. 21 and Feb. 24 from 1 to 3 p.m. to learn about African American whalers who designed, built and worked on whaling ships in the 19th century and then imagine, design and create unique wooden vessel models out of a variety of materials in this open-ended workshop. Entry: Admission + $10 participant.
Beyond the Book
Join the Whaling Museum’s new book club! Read Whaling Captains of Color by Skip Finley at home andgo on new adventures through history. Then meet at the museum on Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. to dive deeper into the story through connections with the Museum’s collection. Adults only. $15 per participant. Registration required.
The Whaling Museum, 301 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor is open Thursday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the winter months, and Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the summer. Admission is $8 for adults; $6 for seniors; $6 for children ages 4-17; free for children three years old and younger; and free for members. For more information, visit www.cshwhalingmuseum.org or call 631-367-3418.
From L to R: Front Row – Mari Irizarry, Director, Dotty Miller, Recording Secretary, Holly Brainard, Judi Wallace,
Treasurer, Brian Bennett, David Prestia, Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn. Back Row – Vinny Menten, Patty Cain,
Shamma Murphy, Corresponding Secretary, Ron LaVita, Jeff Schnee, President, David Tracy, Greg Philipps, Vice
President. Not pictured: Ed Miller, Vice President, Christina Tortora, Orlando Maione and Michael O’Dwyer.
Photo by: Rob Pellegrino
The Three Village Historical Society (TVHS) membership recently elected five new members: Judi Wallace, Shamma Murphy, Brian Bennett, Christina Tortora and David Tracy. The group joined current board of trustee members Holly Brainard, David Prestia, Vinny Menten, Patty Cain, Ron LaVita, Orlando Maione and Michael O’Dwyer for a swearing in by Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn at the annual meeting of the membership and lecture on Jan. 23 at The Setauket Neighborhood House.
“These new trustees bring a wealth of experience, leadership, and perspective that will greatly enhance the ability of our board to meet the significant challenges and opportunities facing the Three Village Historical Society,” says Mari Irizarry, Director. “We look forward to working with each of them to continue the board’s focused stewardship of TVHS’ financial and community affairs to strengthen the Society’s reputation for excellence in education and community based programming.”
New Trustees
Judi Wallace, CPA, Treasurer, has owned a local accounting firm in the Three Village area for the past 19 years. Her practice includes accounting and bookkeeping services for small businesses, tax preparation and planning for individuals, corporations and non-profit organizations and she is admitted to practice before the Internal Revenue Service.
Judi has been a resident of the Three Village area since 2003 and is involved in a variety of local organizations including Treasurer of Stony Brook Rotary, Treasurer of Small Business Networking Alliance, Trustee of Three Village Community Trust, Treasurer of Three Village Historical Society, and Treasurer of SparkleFaith Inc. She is also very involved in St James RC Church in Setauket serving on the Finance Committee, Parish Council, and various other ministries.
Shamma Murphy, Corresponding Secretary has been a resident of Stony Brook for the past 10 years. She has two sons in the Three Village Central School District where she has volunteered regularly over the past seven years. Currently Shamma is the President of the Gelinas PTSA and the Treasurer of the Ward Melville High School PTSA, both in the second year of each two-year term.
For the past four years she has been recruiting volunteers to help in the Gelinas School store, keeping the store stocked and manned, being the largest fundraiser for this PTSA. Prior, she ran the Scholastic Book Fairs at Setauket Elementary School for four years, implementing a process to fill each teacher’s classrooms with at least $250 worth of new books per fair, as well as a “buy one get one free” funded 100% by the Setauket PTA to keep students reading through the summer. For the past five years Shamma has been the President’s Volunteer Service Award’s Chairperson for Gelinas Jr. High School. She enjoys volunteering at the Three Village Historical Society very much, introduced to her by her son, Owen Murphy, a regular volunteer.
Shamma works with farmers, community gardeners and homeowners as the education and marketing director for SOS for your Soil, a local compost company, for the past ten years, prior to that, she was a civil engineer on Long Island and in Charlotte, NC for 12 years.
Brian Bennett, Trustee is a life long resident of Long Island. He received his BA in Economics from SUNY Albany and 2 MA’s from SUNY Stony Brook, in Liberal Studies and History. Having grown up in Ronkonkoma, he had a History of Lake Ronkonkoma published in the old Long Island Forum.
Brian taught, mostly in the Sayville school district for over 30 years. He and his wife Donna have lived in Setauket for 30 years, and their 2 sons attended Three Village schools. Since retirement, he has continued to teach as an adjunct professor at both Suffolk Community College and St. Joseph’s University. He is a coordinator of Our Daily Bread, a soup kitchen at St. James RC church and enjoys being outdoors, and doing crossword puzzles with his wife.
Christina Tortora, Trustee is a Professor of Linguistics at The City University of New York, where she is currently Deputy Executive Officer in the Linguistics Program at The Graduate Center in Manhattan. She has over 25 years of experience in higher education and management of federally funded projects from agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Chrstina is the author and editor of several academic books, journal articles, and book chapters, and has a life-long passion for teaching advanced scientific findings to students in diverse professions and academic disciplines. She grew up in Setauket and currently lives in Stony Brook, is an alumna of the Three Village School District (Nassakeag; Murphy; Ward Melville), and an alumna of Stony Brook University, where she maintains strong professional and personal ties. She has an interest in vernacular culture and oral histories and wishes to bring her academic expertise in project management and oral history to the Three Village Historical Society.
David Tracy, Trustee has been a resident of the Three Village area since 2012. He has served and continues to serve as a Law Enforcement Officer with the Department of Homeland Security since 2010. Prior to beginning his Law Enforcement career, David served in the United States Marine Corps for 4 years, completing two tours to Iraq. After serving in the military, David attended John Jay of Criminal Justice graduating with honors with a Bachelors in Criminal Justice. David has been married to his wife Becky since 2007 and has a son, Sean, who was born in 2008.
In his spare time, David is the Founder and Chairman of a local charity called the Three Village Dads Foundation. His charity is responsible for donating over $200,000 to local causes such as the Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, High School Scholarships, Veteran causes, Historical restoration projects and many other deserving recipients. David has also served as a Trustee on the Board of the Three Village Community Trust since 2020.
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ABOUT TVHS — The Three Village Historical Society (TVHS), a non-profit 501(c)(3) founded in 1964 by community members, exists to educate the public about our rich cultural heritage as well as foster and preserve local history. TVHS offers museum exhibits, events, programs, archives, and other outreach initiatives to inform and enrich the public’s interest in and understanding of the vibrant past of the Three Village area along the north shore in Suffolk County, Long Island.
To mark Black History Month, the Jazz Loft in Stony Brook Village will be highlighting wines specifically from Black winemakers and winery owners, for its Acoustic in the Main Room series. The series showcases small duos/trios in the Loft’s main performance room which will be set up to resemble an intimate living room, with spaced out seating. The concerts are conversational, engaging and intimate and a very special window into the heart and mind of the artists and each concert is paired with a special wine to celebrate Black History Month.
“This theme was chosen in an effort to elevate awareness and support the growth of African Americans in the wine industry,” said Director of Education Laura Landor, who selected the wine pairings. “Of the more than 11,000 wineries in the United States, less than 1 percent of them are Black owned or have a Black winemaker. We are excited to introduce these wines to our Jazz Loft patrons during Black History Month and hope to add a selection of them to our regular list of wines that are available by the glass or bottle.”
The Jazz Loft will offer tastings of a red and white selection during each performance with full glasses available for purchase.
“Our Acoustic in the Main Room series is a unique opportunity to hear some of the most talented singers and musicians that perform regularly at the Loft in a relaxed setting, reminiscent of the New York City Loft scene of the 1950’s which inspired the Jazz Loft’s name,” said Jazz Loft founder Tom Manuel. “If you don’t know any Jazz performers personally to invite into your own living room, then this is the next best thing.”
The Acoustic in the Main Room series calendar:
February 9-Featuring Mala Waldron on piano and vocals; with Mike Hall on bass; and Tom Manuel on cornet.
McBride Sisters Sparkling Brut Rose, Hawk’s Bay NZ
McBride Sisters 2020 Chardonnay Central Coast, CA
McBride Sisters 2019 Red Blend Central Coast, CA
February 10-Houston Person on tenor saxophone; Steve Salerno on guitar and Tom Manuel on cornet.
Brown Estate “Chaos Theory” 2021 Proprietary Red Wine (California)
Brown Estate House of Brown 2021 Chardonnay (California)
February 24- Buddy Merriam on mandolin; Steve Salerno on guitar and Tom Manuel on cornet
Longevity 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (California)
Longevity 2019 Chardonnay (California)
February 25- Grammy-nominated singer Nicole Zuraitis, with Steve Salerno on guitar and Tom Manuel on cornet
LVE Signature Series 2021 Chardonnay (North Coast, California)
LVE 2019 Cabernet (North Coast, California)
All performances are hosted by Tom Manuel and Laura Landor.
Tickets will be limited to just 85 people and start at 7 p.m., and feature two sets with a brief intermission.
Tickets for all performances are $40 and start at 7 p.m. and can be purchased at https://www.thejazzloft.org.
The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook, is located just 90 minutes from New York City and is the only music venue on Long Island that features exclusively jazz music. For more information, call 631-751-1895.
The Vietnam memorial in Bill Richards Park in Hauppauge. Photo from Town of Smithtown
By Daniel Dunaief
The first day Kevin O’Hare arrived in Vietnam, a bullet flew over his head during reverie. Vietcong fighters regularly targeted the assembled morning crowd of soldiers who stood in formation to honor the flag.
Kevin O’HareWayne Johnson
“That was a shock,” recalled O’Hare, a resident of Kings Park who is a retired sales director for RJR Nabisco and who served in the army from 1966 to 1968. “I jumped in the bunker as fast as I could.”
O’Hare, who shared memories of his time in the military, wants to ensure that others have an opportunity to reflect and appreciate the soldiers who served during the war amid a time of civil discontent in the United States.
In 1966, the hamlet of Hauppauge created what O’Hare and others believe is one of the first tributes to those serving in Vietnam. The “Vietnam Era Hauppauge Honor Roll” memorial sits in Bill Richards Park near Suffolk County’s H. Lee Dennison Building off Veterans Memorial Highway and will soon add plaques with the names of O’Hare and navy veteran Wayne “Mickey” Johnson.
Officials have considered the possibility of moving the memorial, O’Hare said, although he would prefer that it remain in the park.
Close calls
O’Hare’s near miss during reverie was one of several other times he could have been severely injured or worse, including two incidents when mortar landed without exploding outside his tent. “They were duds,” he said. “If they had gone off,” said the 78-year old father of two and the grandfather of four, “I wouldn’t be here.”
In April of 1967, O’Hare was in a bunker with five other men. A mortar round came in and killed three of his fellow soldiers.
At another point, a man approached O’Hare with a bag. As he got closer, the man tried to strap the satchel around O’Hare. Two infantry men assigned to protect O’Hare saw the exchange and shot the man before he could plant explosives that would have killed O’Hare.
So, what made this American soldier worth an attempted assassination?
Boosting morale
Bob Hope with Joey Heatherton
Initially a mortar man, O’Hare’s experience with the Soupy Sales comedy show in New York prior to his tour of duty attracted the attention of army brass. Officials asked O’Hare to help run the shows for the United Service Organization, or USO.
Started in 1941, these shows entertained troops stationed overseas and gave them a taste of home half a world away. The entertainment “took them away from the war,” said O’Hare, “even for two hours. They looked forward to it.”
In some ways, the shows were the antidote to people like Hanoi Hannah, a radio broadcaster from North Korea who chided American troops, suggesting that their girlfriends back home were cheating on them or that they were fighting an unjust and unwelcome war.
The USO shows featured Hollywood stars, who were determined to bring their talents to members of the military who might otherwise feel disconnected from American life or who might be physically or emotionally wounded. Seats in the first 10 rows for these often crowded shows were reserved for the wounded.
O’Hare worked with celebrities including Bob Hope, an entertainer who hosted the Academy Awards 19 times.
Hope, who later became an honorary veteran for visiting the troops starting in World War II and ending with the Persian Gulf War, was eager to visit the wounded in the hospital after his show, O’Hare recalled.
Crazy hair and a helicopter ride
Comedienne Phyllis Diller, who was famous for her wild hair and self-deprecating stand up routines, also traveled to Vietnam. During Diller’s visit, O’Hare recalled, the army arranged to transport her in a Huey, a helicopter with a single blade. Nervous about flying in a small helicopter, Diller asked O’Hare if he could help her fly in the larger Chinook, which has two blades.
After receiving the approval of senior officers, O’Hare strapped a chair next to a pole in the Chinook. Sandwiched between the cue cars on one side of the helicopter and her clothing on the other, Diller rode in her preferred helicopter.
Before she returned to the United States, Diller drew a self-portrait, with spiky hair and a smile on her face and signed her name for O’Hare.“That’s the craziest autograph I ever had,” O’Hare recalled. It wasn’t, however, the last.
Legendary actor and future head of the National Rifle Association, Charlton Heston, who played Moses in the 1956 film The Ten Commandments, also made the long trip to Vietnam to entertain the troops. On his last day before returning the states, Heston chatted with O’Hare. Heston, who autographed a program for O’Hare, asked him when he would return to the States. O’Hare recalled being nervous speaking with the intense and direct Heston.
Kevin O’Hare meets actor Charlton Heston during the actor’s visit to Vietnam in 1967.
“When you get back,” Heston urged, “you’re going to see my new movie.” When he returned to the States, O’Hare saw the film Heston mentioned: Planet of the Apes.
In addition to working with celebrities including five winners of the Miss America contest, O’Hare coordinated shows in between these high-profile visits. He kept a list of the people who could play instruments. When he found out about a drummer, a guitarist and others who could play instruments, he formed a band that provided live performances.
O’Hare also helped bring a show to the Black Virgin Mountain near Cambodia. For his work bringing that show to the troops, O’Hare won the Bronze Star.
Respect for others
While the Kings Park resident appreciates the recognition, he knows, despite escaping serious injury and death in Vietnam, that he had a considerably easier experience than many of other members of the military.
He recalled the terrible job of “tunnel rat” that the smallest and lightest men had to perform. Once the Americans found some of the tunnels built under their bases and scattered throughout the country, the tunnel rat had to try to flush out the enemy. The Vietcong left scorpions, tarantulas and snakes for the Americans. Seeing the disadvantage of fitting the profile for this job, some servicemen tried to gain weight quickly so they wouldn’t fit in small tunnels that often became death traps.
Since he left the army, O’Hare has continued to try to serve some of his fellow vets. He sits with vets and talks at a bagel store. He has also helped restore monuments like the one at Bill Richards Park, so people don’t forget the service and sacrifice of other Long Islanders. O’Hare is also the president of the Citizen’s Police Academy.
For his consistent and enduring contributions to the community, O’Hare has won several admirers. “Nothing is too much work for him,” said Legislator Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset). “He does more than 20 or 30-year-olds. He’s a rocket.”
Proud of his service
Wayne Johnson on the amphibious ship USS Hermitage in 1970.
A navy veteran who served from 1968 to 1972 and a 1967 graduate of Hauppauge High School, Wayne “Mickey” Johnson is excited about the prospect of seeing his name alongside those of other members of the community who served during Vietnam.
Johnson would like his grown sons to see his name on the memorial along with those of some of his high school friends.
“I’m proud of my service,” said Johnson, who spent two years stationed in Puerto Rico and two years stationed on the amphibious ship USS Hermitage, which included a six month stint in the Mediterranean.
Johnson, who is a resident of Patchogue, said his father, Vandorn Johnson, served in the navy during World War II and the Korean conflict.
Johnson, whose brother shares a name with his father and is preparing the additional plaques, said he knows his father would be pleased with his service.
Johnson said he doesn’t mind if the memorial moves. “Wherever it is, I’ll find it,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier to be on it.”
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