The Teen Agents of Change Club at Comsewogue Public Library is collecting school supplies to be donated to local students in need. All types of school supplies are welcome. Please drop off donations now through September in the library lobby at 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station. For more information, please contact Librarian Alison Quinn or Librarian Jenny Cammarano at 631-928-1212.
Senator Mario R. Mattera (2nd Senate District) recently announced that he is hosting a “Shed the Meds” event, in conjunction with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday, July 24, from 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Half Hollow Hills Community Library at 600 South Service Road in Dix Hills.
The event will provide residents with an easy, confidential and safe way properly dispose of unused or expired medications. Residents are encouraged to drop off expired and unused medications and sharps at the event site.
Residents who wish to participate can simply drive up, drop off their old or unused medications, and drive away. All collected medication will be safely disposed of by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office to help keep these medications from polluting our environment and help eliminate the risk of these drugs getting into the hands of small children or those who might misuse them.
The event will also help raise awareness of the dangers of flushing medications down the toilet. Improperly disposed medications pose a problem to the community’s water supply and environment.
“I thank the Suffolk County Sheriff’s office for partnering with us on this event to provide a safe way for the community to dispose of unwanted drugs and pharmaceuticals. Participation in this program is a confidential way for everyone to safely get these substances out of their homes to protect their family, safeguard our local waterways and preserve Long Island’s water supply,” stated Senator Mattera. “Thank you to the Library and the Sheriff’s Office for partnering with us and I invite everyone to join our office on July 24.”
Residents should contact Senator Mattera’s office at 631-361-2154 or visit mattera.nysenate.gov for additional information.
Join Comsewogue Public Library in Port Jefferson for a online program, From Plankton to Whales: Protecting Local Waters, on Wednesday, July 14 at 7 p.m. Find out why our local waters are worth protecting by learning about some of the fascinating marine life that inhabits the waters of Long Island with Chris Paparo. Open to all. Free. Hosted by Comsewogue Public Library. Visit www.cplib.org/a-online-programming/ for information on how to participate in this online program. Questions? Call 631-928-1212 and ask for Adult Services.
The Friends of the Port Jefferson Library recognizes the role and contribution of libraries in the lives of young people.
For this reason, they offered an opportunity for graduating high school students, with a Port Jefferson Library card, who have contributed to the library as well as the Port Jefferson community a chance to win a scholarship.
Winners were selected by members of the Friends of the Library after reading scholarship applications and essays. Awards were given to those that exemplified having been part of the library community.
We are excited to announce the winners of the second annual Friends of the Port Jeff Library’s scholarship are Hailey Hearney and Peggy Yin.
Both applicants showed that the library has been an essential part of their lives and how it has guided them in their future pursuits.
Organized in 1998, The Friends of the Port Jeff Library have actively supported the library with special events and programming over the last few years. The Friends of the library is a group of individuals, families and organizations working to improve the library’s facilities, technologies, collections and special programs to benefit the community.
Congratulations Hailey and Peggy!
Photos and caption from the Port Jefferson Free Library
Through the month of June, the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, 120 Main St., Setauket presents an art exhibit titled Mostly Still Life by Paul Jay Edelson.
This exhibit includes paintings from late 2019 through the present. There is a range of subject matter, including landscapes and seascapes, all in an abstract style with strong imagery and intense color.
Recognized at the 2014 Gallery North Outdoor Art Show for his “Outstanding Paintings in Oil,” the top prize in that category, Edelson also won awards presented by the North Shore Art Guild (2016, 2020), the Southold Historical Society (2017, 2018) and the Mills Pond Gallery (2020). In Fall 2017 he was awarded “Best in Show” by the Long Island Museum (LIM) for his painting “Yellowstone Bison.”
The exhibit is on view during library hours. For more information, call 631-941-4080.
Business people know the power of networking; the power of connecting face-to-face with potential clients, partners, and mentors. While the Miller Center at the Middle Country Public Library has been offering virtual networking for the business community since the pandemic began, nothing beats connecting face to face. Which is why they are excited to be hosting Strictly Business: Back to Business outdoors and in person on Tuesday, June 8.
Sal DiVincenzo of the Miller Business Center acknowledges the struggles of the local small business community. “Networking is the lifeblood of small businesses. The opportunity to personally interact with potential customers is something every salesperson knows is fundamental to building business and relationships. The pandemic literally put barriers between customers and businesses.”
The Director of the library, Sophia Serlis-McPhillips continued this sentiment. “The mission of the library’s Miller Business Center has always been to promote economic development on Long Island. This mission has been continuing virtually for more than a year. We are happy to bring business owners and professionals together again at the in-person Strictly Business.”
An initiative of the Middle Country Library Foundation and held in partnership with the Greater Middle Country Chamber of Commerce and the Brookhaven Chambers of Commerce Coalition (BCCC), Strictly Business is a vehicle to promote economic development and encourage chamber of commerce participation in Brookhaven and the surrounding areas.
“More than ten years ago the BCCC wanted to give back more to the small businesses they represented in the Town of Brookhaven. With this initiative, they collaborated with the Miller Business Center to create Strictly Business. Over time this annual event has grown with more vendors and networking opportunities for our business partners,” says Barbara Ransome, BCCC President.
Participants missed having this opportunity last year and response to the announcement of an in-person event has been overwhelmingly positive. Many of the businesses that signed up to exhibit in 2020 were eager to be a part of the event and there is even a waitlist to exhibit.
Lenore Paprocky, president of the Greater Middle Country Chamber of Commerce noted, “I know a lot of business owners are excited about meeting in person.” She continued that they are looking most forward to “re-connecting and networking with other local businesses and the community.”
Attendees to this free event will have the opportunity to meet and network with 50 exhibitors made up of a wide-array of local businesses and entrepreneurs. While primarily a business-to-business networking opportunity, the community is encouraged to attend and shop local as a way to support the small business community. There will be photo ops throughout the day and a chance to win a raffle prize.
“The BCCC is grateful to support the Miller Center, that acts as an essential resource for our most important commodity … small businesses,” said Ransome.
Discover local businesses at the Strictly Business: Back to Business event at the Middle Country Public Library, 101 Eastwood Blvd, Centereach on June 8 (rain date June 15) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For further information, call 631-585-9393
Venture Sponsor
Flushing Bank
Entrepreneur Sponsor
Synergy Wealth Strategies
Mentor Sponsor
Pure Mammography
Partner Sponsors
Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP
Holiday Inn Express – Stony Brook
SafeGuard Print & Promo
Media Sponsor
Times Beacon Record News Media
Anchor Business Group, LLC
Bay Harbour Insurance Agency
BESTech Education
Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Co.
Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce Coalition
Burner Law Group, P.C.
CardHop Inc.
Caring People Home Health Care
CBMS Consulting Services
Central Staff Services
Conference Associates Inc.
Emics Elder Care
Greater Middle Country Chamber of Commerce
Independent Business Women’s Circle
Insight Healing and Wellness
Integrity Expediting
iRUN…
Island Federal
LeTip Port Jefferson
LI Tech Advisors
Lisa Albinowski, Realtor, Coldwell Banker
Manantial Cleaning Services, Inc.
Miller Business Center
Moxxie
My Mom Knows Best, Inc.
North Isle Wellness Center of Hope
OB Davis Funeral Home
Peconic Landing
People’s Alliance Federal Credit Union
Pete Marcano – New York Life
ProSysCon Computers
Rocket Juiced Studio
Ronkonkoma Chamber of Commerce
Soundview Pregnancy Services
Stay Clean Long Island
Suffolk County Women’s Business Enterprise Coalition
Synack Technology Services, Inc.
TAB – The Alternative Board
The Bristal Assisted Living
Three Village Chamber of Commerce
Times Beacon Record News Media
Emma Clark Library board members and staff, the family of the late Helen Stein Shack, elected officials, representatives from the Three Village Central School District, and guests from the community gathered virtually on Monday, April 20, to honor the winners of the 2020 & 2021 Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Award.
The Helen Stein Shack Book Contest called for teens in grades 7 through 12 who live in the Three Village Central School District to create a children’s picture book. Each entry could be the work of a single author/illustrator or a collaborative effort between an author and an illustrator. The contest was divided into two grade categories, grades 7 through 9 and grades 10 through 12, with one First Prize Winner and one Second Prize Winner selected from each group.
Library Director Ted Gutmann, along with the family of Helen Stein Shack, presented a slideshow celebration highlighting each of the winners and their books. The winners were a mix from Ward Melville High School, Gelinas Junior High School, R.C. Murphy Junior High School and a local homeschool student.
2020 Winners:
In the grades 7 to 9 category, first prize went to Celia Gordon (last year an 8th grade homeschooler) for her picture book titled Oliver’s Walk.
First Prize in the grades 10 to 12 category was won by Rebecca Blumenthal (last year an 11th grader at Ward Melville High School) for her book, Your Part.
Second Prize in the grades 7 to 9 category was awarded to Ricky Herling and Ashton Hopkins (last year both 8th graders at Gelinas Junior High School) for The Knight and the Monster.
Second Prize in the grades 10 to 12 category went to Riley Meckley (last year a 10th grader at Ward Melville High School) for How Tom Talks.
2021 Winners:
In the grades 7 to 9 category, Julia Garcia-Diaz and Lea A. Nekrasov (8th graders at Gelinas Junior High) captured first prize for their picture book titled Alice Helps.
First Prize in the grades 10 to 12 category went to Rebecca Blumenthal (12th grader at Ward Melville High School) for her book titled A New Normal.
Second Prize in the grades 7 to 9 category was won by Matthew Blumenthal, an 8th grader at Murphy Junior High, for Frankie Gets Stuck.
Second Prize for the grades 10 to 12 category was awarded to Matthew Marchese (10th grader at Ward Melville High School) for Peanut’s Passion.
The library had all of the winning entries bound and made into hardcover books. The winners received copies of the books, along with monetary awards from an endowment created by the Shack family ($400 for first prize and $100 for second prize; in a case of two students collaborating on the book together, prizes are split). The winning books will be on display in the Library’s lobby for the month of May, and then they will be added to the Library’s Local Focus Collection.
The community is grateful to the children of the late Mrs. Shack, who have established a substantial endowment with Emma Clark to cover the cost of the awards as a tribute to their mother and her commitment to passing along the importance and joy of reading for generations to come.
Mrs. Shack’s daughter, Sherry Cleary mentioned, “Our mother knew that a love of reading nurtured children’s souls as well as their brains.”
New York State Senator Mario Mattera was there to congratulate the winners, “I commend everyone for their hard work.”
Senator Mattera, Assemblyman Steve Englebright, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine, and Councilman Jonathan Kornreich spoke at the event, as well as sent certificates from the state and town to all of the winners. Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn also sent certificates and personalized letters to all of the winners (Legislative Aide Alyssa Turano was in attendance at the ceremony).
“The ability to write and express your ideas is going to be such a valuable skill, and I have every confidence that you here who are recipients of this award are destined for great success,” said Councilman Kornreich.
Library Board President Deborah Blair and Vice President Christopher Fletcher were on the Zoom event to virtually applaud the winners. Three Village Central School District Trustee Deanna BavInka, Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich, Gelinas Junior High School Principal Corinne Keane, R.C. Murphy Junior High School Principal Brian Biscari, Gelinas Junior High School English Chair Michelle Hanczor, R.C. Murphy Junior High School English Chair Cathy Duffy, and Ward Melville High School Librarian April Hatcher were all in attendance.
Ms. Cleary, Helen Shack’s daughter, an expert in child development and education as the University Dean in Early Childhood Initiatives at the City University of New York, summed the honor up nicely:
“Every year my siblings and I are overwhelmed at the talent that emerges — it is almost impossible to select winners. We recognize the generosity, wisdom, artistry, and sensitivity each author displays in their book. And this year is no different, except that this year the external forces were very different. Between a global pandemic and some of the most disturbing hate crimes and violence of your young lives, you have shown us there is a reason to hope and to look to the future with optimism. We know that our mother would be so moved by your talent, drive and tenacity — and so are we!”
The Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, located at 120 Main Street in Setauket and on the web at www.emmaclark.org, provides public library service to all residents of the Three Village Central School District.
Amongst the Middle Country Public Library’s many historical artifacts are a few that explain just how far the area has come from its pastoral roots. The picture and story below a courtesy of a collaborative effort among the librarian staff.
Baseball is considered America’s pastime, and no more so than in our own backyards.
A search of local newspapers shows that baseball was played throughout Long Island at least as early as the 1930s.
Most town fire departments, the Police Athletic League and many local businesses formed teams for fun and friendly competition. The news from the time was filled with the results of these games.
A June 1, 1934 article in the Suffolk County News noted that the team representing Centereach Fire Department played a home game against Sayville on Decoration Day (now known as Memorial Day), losing a double-header.
Major support for these games was frequently provided by fundraisers like the dance held on the evening of April 21, 1951 by Centereach’s Tordik-Diederich-Duffield VFW Post 4927. Over 200 people attended to support the backstop fund.
Beyond organized games, popup games would arise. A chance encounter between the team from Centereach and a group of U.S. soldiers who were stationed here for the day was held on the grounds behind Carl’s Tavern.
The July 26, 1939 edition of The Mid-Island Mail reported that the soldiers defeated Centereach, 6-2.
Carl’s Tavern was located on Middle Country Road in Centereach. In 1939 it was purchased and renamed the Mid Island Tavern, known to locals as the MIT well into the 1908s. It was owned and operated by the Boyle family for over four decades.
In 1940, the Centereach team got off to a great start by defeating Coram 13-1.
The team consisted of catcher, Lou Corey; first baseman, Bernard Williams; second baseman, Walt Presner; third baseman, Tony Bush; shortstop, Lou Coucinello; leftfielder, Larry Martin; centerfielder, Lou Stohr; rightfielder, Andy Schmidt and Arthur Dhuy.
The team’s manager was Centereach resident, Arthur Murray, who served as Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent and the purchasing agent for WPA construction materials.
The date of this picture and the team name are unknown, but it most likely depicts the Centereach Fire Department Team.
Do you recognize any of the team members?
If you can identify any of these players, please reach out to the local history team at Middle Country Public Library at [email protected].
We would love to be able to fill in the blanks!
This article was updated on April 7 to correct misinformation
By Melissa Arnold
The vast majority of artists will say they are influenced by the work of someone else. Whether it’s a contemporary from their own time or someone from long ago, artists blossom from appreciating and studying others.
This sentiment is held dear by members of the Smithtown Artists Group (SAG), a small network of local artists who gather for creativity and camaraderie alike.
Their friendship began at the main branch of the Smithtown Library, where artists of all backgrounds and skill levels have gathered on Tuesday afternoons to paint, some of them for decades.
“When my kids were in school I ran a lot of arts and crafts programs, and then in their later teens I took a watercolor class,” said Judy Contrino of Stony Brook, who began painting at the library 20 years ago. “Joining the library group was a wonderful experience because there were so many different mediums being used by the people there, and some of them were quite accomplished. I was a self-taught artist. And it’s wonderful to have newcomers improve and show them how they’ve grown. No one is asking you to be Rembrandt — it’s just a place to come, relax and learn from those around you.”
A few years ago, some of the library artists expressed a desire to broaden their horizons and pursue exhibitions. Roughly a dozen people came together to form what is now the Smithtown Artists Group.
With the help of a new website to showcase some of their work online, the group was able to hold exhibits in libraries around Long Island, including Harborfields, Sachem, Kings Park and East Northport. After a long hiatus during the pandemic, they are thrilled to share their work again. Their newest exhibit, A Potpourri of Art, will be on display this spring at the Port Jefferson Village Center.
Featuring more than 80 pieces from 8 artists, the exhibit will feature works done in watercolor, acrylic, oil, colored pencil and more. Each artist has a unique flair and favorite subjects, making it a great fit for art enthusiasts of all kinds.
Carol Kelly of Kings Park spent many years simply appreciating the work of others before trying her own hand at painting. “It wasn’t until I was around 45 that I started learning to paint. I would go to art exhibits and often say, ‘Wouldn’t it be marvelous to be able to create beautiful works of art for other people to enjoy?” she recalled.
“I started taking watercolor classes, and then some time later saw a listing in my library’s newsletter about the group meeting in Smithtown. I’ve been there for 13 years and enjoy the process of critiquing and learning from one another.”
Kelly enjoys painting landscapes and scenes from her garden, but occasionally branches out into other subjects, as with a painting of a bird she titled “Looking for Lunch.”
Lucia Alberti of Smithtown has spent the past 10 years painting at the library and was excited to participate in exhibitions with longtime friends in the group. Alberti said that the majority of her work is done in acrylics with a focus on imaginative realism.
“We have a lot of variety in our experiences and what we enjoy doing as artists. Some people teach art and have exhibited before, while others simply enjoy art and being creative,” she said. “We are friends, and we admire one another, which adds another layer of joy to our painting. Getting to do this exhibit together is a very special opportunity.”
The exhibit is a welcome source of joy for the community, too.
“We’re happy to be doing shows again — this is our second exhibit since the pandemic,” said Sue Orifici, head of graphic, archival and special projects at the Port Jefferson Village Center. “There’s a nice mix of art to enjoy in this show and we hope people will stop by and visit.”
Participating artists include Lucia Alberti, Cheryl Cass-Zampiva, Carol Ceraso, Judy Contrino, Ruth Johnson, Carol Kelly, Anita Simmons and Joanie Whalen.
A Potpourri of Art will be on display on the second floor of the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson from March 1 to April 30. Viewing hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. For more information about the exhibit, call the Village Center at 631-802-2160. To learn more about the Smithtown Artists Group, visit http://sagartists.wixsite.com/sagartists.
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