Comsewogue senior Josh Carroll punts the ball away in a home game against Sayville Sept 17. Credit: Bill Landon
After a scoreless first half visiting Sayville kicked a field goal at the 7:22 mark of the 3rd quarter to break the ice against Comsewogue in a D III matchup Sept 17.
Comsewogue senior Josh Carroll’s foot made it a new game with 4:45 left in the 3rd splitting the uprights on a 29 yarder to even the score.
Sayville quarterback Jack Smalley connected with Mack Murtha on a 68-yard pass play in the closing seconds of the quarter to take a 6-point lead followed by a 2-point conversion attempt that failed, for your 9-3 final.
The loss drops the Warriors 1-2 in their division while the win lifts Sayville to 2-0. The Warriors retake the field with a road game against East Islip Oct 1 at 6 p.m.
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Senior quarterback Brady Shannon throws over the middle for the Warriors at home against Sayville Sept 17. Bill Landon photo
Comsewogue senior Josh Carroll punts the ball away in a home game against Sayville Sept 17. Credit: Bill Landon
Runningback Gio Fragapagne powers up the middle for the Warriors in a division III matchup against Sayville Sept 17. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue senior Gio Fragapagne cuts back inside in a division III matchup against visiting Sayville Sept 17. Bill Landon photo
Comsewogue cheerleaders during the singing of our national anthem. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue Warriors
Comsewogue sophomore offensive lineman Matt Nowlan in a home game against Sayville. Credit: Bill Landon
Comsewogue junior Daimler Valerio in a division III matchup against visiting Sayville Sept 17. Bill Landon photo
Comsewogue wide-receiver James Kreig catches a pass from Brady Shannon in a home game against Sayville Sept 17. Bill Landon
Senior quarterback Brady Shannon gets rid of the ball just in time for the Warriors at home against Sayville Sept 17. Bill Landon photo
Comsewogue offensive lineman Jhendali Nunéz sets in a home game against Sayville Sept 17. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue defensive-back James Kreig breaks up a pass play in a home game against Sayville Sept 17. Bill Landon
Comsewogue senior Blaise Cappola in a home game against Sayville Sept 17. Bill Landon photo
Comsewogue cheerleaders during the singing of our national anthem. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue wide-receiver James Kreig stretches out on a pass play in a home game against Sayville Sept 17. Bill Landon
Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station will host a Shed the Meds event on Thursday, Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Drop by with any unused prescriptions and they will be safely discarded by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s office. Open to all. No registration required. For more information, call 631-928-1212, option 3.
!Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson will hold young people’s auditions(ages 12 to 17) for its 37th annual production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol on Tuesday, September 21 at 7 p.m.
They will be double-casting nine roles (for a total of eighteen young people). Readings are provided [download them here]. A Christmas carol (“Christmas Is Coming”) will be taught. Rehearsals begin late September and are weeknights (beginning at 7 p.m.); Saturdays (mornings or afternoons); and Sundays (mornings, afternoons, or evenings). Performances will be held from November 10 to December 26, on the Mainstage. Young people must appear in half of the performances, including the student matinees.
Please note: Due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases and our ever-changing public health safety environment, Theatre Three is only casting fully vaccinated young people.
For more information, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.
Holly Signoretti picks out a book at the Book Revue in Huntington village. Photo by Kimberly Brown
People are continuously told that change is inevitable but sometimes those changes can hit a human right in the heart, especially if it involves a goodbye.
Many residents along the North Shore of Suffolk County and surrounding areas were saddened to hear of the closing of Book Revue in Huntington Sept. 10. After more than 40 years of being the go-to place for book lovers, like many other businesses, the owner struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The store had to shut down for three months during the pandemic, and once the owner reopened the doors, the Book Revue struggled to get back on its feet.
Despite talking with the building landlord to come to a compromise, in the end the back rent was impossible to pay back, and it was initially announced last month that the store would close Sept. 30.
With inventory starting to thin out, the store was closed Sept. 9 for employees to organize the shelves, and on Sept. 10 people were invited to come in and take books for free. By the afternoon, the store was cleaned out and Book Revue doors were closed for business permanently.
Its owner Richard Klein posted on Facebook that while the store was now closed to the public, he would be in touch soon. Customers hope so.
Not only was Book Revue the place to go to pick up some literature, but it was also a social center. Many residents remember going to the store as a child or a parent to enjoy Toddler Time with stories, live music and dancing. There were groups to discuss favorite reads, and celebrity book signings with authors such as Alan Alda, Hillary Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg, Clinton Kelly and more.
The store also offered a diverse selection of books with extensive arts and music sections as well as a section dedicated to local subjects written by Long Island authors.
More than a place to shop or socialize, the Book Revue also drew people to Huntington village. When people come to shop at an iconic store, they usually will stay a while in the area and stop by other shops or get a bite to eat. The closing of such a business could lead to a domino effect in the village.
Our communities need more independent book stores like this former Huntington staple, ones that flourish and elevate the quality of life in a village. It’s a shame that the landlord and Klein couldn’t come to an agreement. However, the community will be forever grateful to Richard and his brother Bob, who retired from the business earlier last year, for their service to the community and providing years of happiness to Long Islanders.
Here’s hoping that another vibrant business that hosts events will come into the building to keep one of our bustling villages alive with the excitement Book Revue once did.
Meet Big Bill Tory at the Sherwood Jayne House during Culper Spy Day. Photo from Preservation Long Island
UPDATED! This article was updated on 9/17/21 to reflect a change to the schedule of events (in bold).
By Heidi Sutton
On Saturday, Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Three Village Historical Society, Tri-Spy Tours and the Long Island Museum will host a day of spy-related tours and activities for the 7th annual Culper Spy Day, named for the Culper Spy Ring founded by Benjamin Tallmadge, George Washington’s chief intelligence officer during the Revolutionary War.
The annual event is the brainchild of Margo Arceri, who first heard about George Washington’s Setauket spies (including her favorite spy Anna Smith Strong) from her Strong’s Neck neighbor and local historian, Kate W. Strong, in the early 1970s.
Diane Schwindt of Stirring Up History, pictured with Margo Arceri, will offer colonial cooking demonstrations during Culper Spy Day. Photo from Mari Irizarry
“Kate W. Strong, Anna Smith Strong’s great-great-granddaughter, originally told me about the Culper Spy Ring when I used to visit her with my neighbor and Strong descendant Raymond Brewster Strong III. One of her stories was about Nancy (Anna Smith Strong’s nickname) and her magic clothesline. My love of history grew from there,” she said in an interview in 2015.
Seven years ago Arceri approached the Three Village Historical Society’s President Steve Hintze and the board about conducting walking, biking and kayaking tours while sharing her knowledge of George Washington’s Long Island intelligence during the American Revolution.
Today, Arceri runs the popular Tri-Spy Tours in the Three Village area, which follows in the actual footsteps of the Culper Spy Ring. “I have to thank AMC’s miniseries Turn because 80 percent of the people who sign up for the tour do so because of that show. And now that Turn has come to Netflix it has taken this community to an entirely other level,” she said.
It was during one of those tours that Arceri came up with the idea of having a Culper Spy Day, a day to honor the members of Long Island’s brave Patriot spy ring who helped change the course of history and helped Washington win the Revolutionary War. After a successful five-year run, last year’s event was sideswiped by COVID-19 and was presented virtually on Facebook Live.
Meet costumed docents from Oyster Bay’s Raynham Hall on the grounds of the Three Village Historical Society. Photo by TVHS
This year the family-friendly event returns but on a smaller, more intimate scale as participants will have the opportunity to visit eight locations in Setauket, Stony Brook and Port Jefferson to learn about the patriots who risked their lives through tours, spy stories, colonial cooking demonstrations, historic letters, musical performances, and many children activities.
Escorted by Arceri, Mrs. Q of Karen Q. Patriot Tours of NYC will be on location live on social media and in costume visiting many of the locations. With the exception of the Sherwood Jayne House, all events are free.
While the Three Village Historical Society has remained closed since last January, it will reopen for the one-day event. Mari Irizarry, Outreach and Communications Manager at the Society, is ready to welcome visitors. “We miss our community. There is so much rich history, heritage and culture that is part of the Three Villages and beyond and we are excited to share it on Culper Spy Day,” she said.
Arceri’s favorite part of the day is “seeing all these organizations coming together as a whole. It really is our Revolutionary story,” she said. “Everywhere you turn in the Three Villages you are looking at an artifact, and as the historical society believes, the community is our museum and I would really love to put that on the forefront of people’s minds.”
Schedule of Events:
View Revolutionary War artifacts from the collection of Art Billadello at Emma S. Clark Memorial Library on Culper Spy Day.
1. THREE VILLAGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 93 North Country Road, Setauket. Located in the circa 1800 Bayles-Swezey House. Here you can take part in oudoor events including an invisible ink demonstration; Spy Stories on the TVHS Porch from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.; view a patriotic quilt display and demonstration and take part in colonial crafts with the Daughters of the American Revolution Anna Smith Strong Chapter; Author’s Row: come meet authors Beverly C. Tyler, Selene Castrovilla and, Claire Bellerjeau, available for book signings; view Revolutionary War letters from Stony Brook University’s Special Collections; take part in spy games and meet costumed docents who will talk about Raynham Hall, Culper Jr. and their Culper Spy connections; and enjoy a live colonial cooking demonstration and samples with Diane Schwindt of Stirring Up History. 631-751-3730.
2. THE STUDIO AT GALLERY NORTH, 84 North Country Road, Setauket. Visit The Studio to enjoy free Revolutionary War era arts and crafts for children throughout the day. Guests will have an opportunity to create a Tin Punch ornament or a chance to create a decoder & color a quilt square. Activities will occur on the patio, just outside the Studio. 631-751-2676.
3. EMMA S. CLARK MEMORIAL LIBRARY, 120 Main St., Setauket. The library (circa 1892) will present a concert featuring 18th century songs the trio Rose Tree from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. on the Library lawn. View Revolutionary military paraphernalia from the collection of Art Billadello in the Library’s lobby. Kids can enjoy a craft from noon to 3 p.m. 631-941-4080. Please note the previously scheduled bubble and comedy show on the lawn from 11 a.m. to noon has been canceled.
4. CAROLINE CHURCH AND CEMETERY, 1 Dyke Road, Setauket. Built in 1729, this timber frame building has maintained its Colonial appearance. Now an Episcopal church, during the Revolutionary War the Caroline Church was Anglican and a Colonial extension of the Church of England. The graveyard contains the remains of six Patriot soldiers as well as soldiers from World War I and II. View the inside of the church from the vestibule and tour the cemetery with docents from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Just added! Setauket Presbyterian church next door will be offering tours of their cemetery from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. 631-941-4245.
5. PATRIOTS ROCK HISTORIC SITE, Main Street, Setauket (across from the Setauket Post Office). This glacial erratic boulder is said to be the location of the Battle of Setauket on Aug. 22, 1777. Stop here between 10 a.m. and noon to meet representatives from the Three Village Community Trust who will discuss the importance of Patriots Rock and its local and environmental history. 631-689-0225.
6. THE LONG ISLAND MUSEUM, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook. The museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate with permanent and changing exhibitions on American history and art, along with the finest collection of horse-drawn carriages in the country, some of which belonged to Revolutionary War heroes. Visit the History Museum between noon and 5 p.m. to view the newly uncovered Culper Spy Ring letter and see LIMarts Collaborative Art Group doing a plein air painting / sketching on the grounds that day. 631-751-0066.
7. SHERWOOD-JAYNE HOUSE, 55 Old Post Road, East Setauket. Originally built around 1730 as a lean-to saltbox dwelling, the house and farm were maintained as an operational farmstead for over 150 years by members of the Jayne family. Visit with Big Bill the Tory aka William Jayne III, who will explain the noble intentions and virtuosities of King George III and tells you the TRUTH about Washington’s pesky band of renegade spies! Program runs continuously from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Masks must be worn inside. $5 per person, children under 5 free. Pre-registration is recommended at www.preservationlongisland.org.
8. DROWNED MEADOW COTTAGE MUSEUM, corner of West Broadway and Barnum Avenue, Port Jefferson. The Revolutionary War-era Roe House was originally constructed circa 1755 and Phillips Roe, a member of the Culper Spy Ring along with his brother Nathaniel and cousin Austin, was known to have lived there. Visit the cottage between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and attend an unveiling with Mayor Margot Garant at 11 a.m.
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Participating organizations for the 7th annual Culper Spy Day include Tri-Spy Tours, Three Village Historical Society, Stony Brook University Special Collections, Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, The Long Island Museum, Raynham Hall, Drowned Meadow Cottage, Preservation Long Island, Gallery North, Karen Q’s Patriot Tours NYC, Anna Smith Strong Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Stirring Up History, Three Village Community Trust, and Caroline Church of Brookhaven
For more information, call 631-751-3730 or visit www.tvhs.org
Those are the creatures that have been living throughout some of Port Jefferson village’s pollinator gardens and helping out the local environment.
Earlier this summer, the village began receiving some complaints that certain gardens were overgrown — the most common one was a small garden outside of the Port Jefferson Village Center that is home to a pollinator and butterfly garden, with a large anchor front and center.
Village gardener, Caran Markson, said she was injured and unfortunately was put on a medical leave. That’s when the village parks department decided to step in and help clean up the garden that some residents were saying was “getting out of hand.”
When Markson found out, she was devastated.
“I take it very personal,” she said. “We should be educating anyone who lives in the village or who visits the village about what the gardens can do.”
A pollinator garden is a garden that is planted predominately with flowers that provide nectar or pollen for a range of pollinating insects. A pollinator garden can be any size and the village is home to many different ones.
These gardens are full of plants that naturally attract, feed and provide habitat for different wildlife, and help the local ecosystem — and ultimately the environment.
“I had it on a national list through the Pollinator Partnership,” Markson said. “I leave signs about what they do.”
Pollinator Partnership’s is a national nonprofit with the mission to promote the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education and research.
While Markson was gone, many of the plants were torn out.
“I’m blown away,” she added. “I’m so upset.”
When trustee Rebecca Kassay heard that the garden was cleaned up, she decided to create a task force of volunteers to take care of the pollinator gardens while Markson was away.
An environmentalist herself, Kassay knows the importance of the flowers that line the roads of Port Jefferson.
On Friday, Sept. 10, she and several other volunteers gathered behind the anchor garden at Harborfront Park to clean up the weeds but keep the specific flowers that are home to monarch butterflies and bees.
Photo by Julianne Mosher
“That’s part of the reason why it’s here, but it’s also here because it’s beautiful,” she said. “With our village gardener out on medical leave, she specializes in the maintenance of these types of gardens on our park staff. So, as someone who worked with these types of gardens for a decade in my career, I’m very happy to step up and lead local enthusiasts.”
Part of the volunteer program is to not only clean things up, but to also educate people who are interested in learning about the benefits of these plants.
“This is a great opportunity for them to come down and learn about pollinator gardens, while making their village more beautiful at the same time,” Kassay said.
The trustee added that the next several volunteer meetups will continue to “edit” other gardens.
“The plants sort of grow as they want to, and our goal and responsibility as gardeners of a pollinator garden is to edit and make sure it’s aesthetically pleasing for folks who may or may not know the ecological value of the garden,” she said.
While Markson appreciates the help while she’s absent, she’s still upset that the anchor garden at the center of the roundabout has been changed.
“It was a wonderful garden,” she said. “It’s a little too late.”
Trustee Kathianne Snaden, who spearheads the village’s beautification efforts, said there will be other initiatives to spruce up the village.
“Our end goal is to clean up and plant more colorful flowers, especially uptown,” she said.
Snaden added that Upper Port has been neglected “for too long,” and “a lot can be done in the short term.”
As development begins with the new apartments there, she decided to add stone or cement planters to overfill with flowers. During the holidays, they will add more Christmas decorations as well.
“There’s no better way to help businesses and have developers come in than to make it look more beautiful now with color,” she said.
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Snaden added another initiative is to create a children’s garden soon, filled with flowers that were purchased this week from the elementary school PTA’s flower bulb sale. Both the children’s garden and uptown planters are expected to start up soon.
Interested pollinator gardeners can email Kassay at [email protected] to RSVP for the next cleanup opportunities on Sunday, Sept. 26, at Harborfront Park from 2-5 p.m., and on Oct. 17 at the triangle garden at High Street and Spring Street.
The Thompson House sustained flooding in East Setauket. Photo from WMHO
With Hurricane Ida taking lives and causing destruction from Louisiana to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, some scientists see longer term patterns reflected in the power and destruction of this storm.
Kevin Reed, associate professor at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, said a group of experts on the topic are working on research related to the climate impacts on Ida. No specific timeline is set for such an analysis, which would be similar to what the World Weather Attribution initiative is doing.
“It’s more and more clear that there’s some connection” between a warmer climate and more severe storms,” Reed said. The sooner scientists can make that link, the “more impactful and useful” any such statements or determinations could be.
While Reed hasn’t done any formal research yet on Ida, he has considered some of the specific aspects of this storm.
Rainfall rates of over 3 inches per hour, which set a record in Central Park, are “what you would expect in terms of climate impact.”
Previous modeling work indicates that increasing global temperatures raise the likelihood of extreme rainfall.
Reed hopes researchers can build methodologies and refine their approaches to apply what they know about climate to severe weather events like Ida, which command attention as they approach, once they make landfall and, in their aftermath, as cities and states rebuild.
What’s clear from some of the work he’s done is that “climate change is not a long-off problem, it’s already changing storms” in terms of the amount and intensity of rainfall.
The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report emphasized that climate change is increasing the rainfall from storms.
Reed suggested it would help in terms of prevention and planning to develop ways to refine the understanding of the link between climate change and storms.
Researchers should “produce this type of information, almost at the same frequency as weather forecasts.”
Larger storms have become a topic on people’s minds in part because disruptive weather events like hurricanes Ida (2021), Laura (2020), Dorian (2019), Florence (2018), Harvey (2017) and Matthew (2016) seem to happen so much more frequently.
Scientists are continuing to try to “quantify the impact” of how the characteristics of an event might have changed because of a warmer climate, Reed said.
Research has been evolving to address society’s most pressing and urgent questions.
Indeed, climate change can and likely has contributed to heavier snowfall events, despite the broader trend towards warmer temperatures.
Some scientists have linked the melting of Arctic ice to the weakening of the polar vortex, enabling colder air to come south toward the continental United States and, in particular, the Eastern Seaboard.
The impacts from climate change are “going to get larger and more significant,” Reed said. “We have an opportunity to mitigate that. If we reduce our emissions the world will warm by half a degree to a degree. That still is offsetting potentially disastrous impacts of going beyond that.”
Recognizing the impact of climate change is a necessary step in reducing the likelihood of future extreme and variable weather events.
The kind of changes necessary for a sustainable future “takes leadership at the national and international level,” Reed said.
'Mission Joy — Finding Happiness in Troubled Times'
'In Balanchine's Classroom'
'Dear Mr. Brody'
'Claydream'
By Tara Mae
A Holocaust survivor’s complicated connection to the SS officer who nursed her through typhoid. An heir to a margarine fortune determined to give away his $25 million inheritance. A whistleblower whose patriotism leads to prison. These are just some of the stories explored when the award-winning Port Jefferson Documentary Series (PJDS) kicks off its Fall 2021 season on Sept. 20.
Since 2005, the film series has been providing audiences access to films, artists, and stories that may otherwise not be as available to the general public.
‘In Balanchine’s Classroom’ will be screened at Theatre Three on Oct. 25.
Sponsored by the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council, the Suffolk County Office of Film and Cultural Affairs, Maia Salon Spa and Wellness, and Covati and Janhsen, CPAs, the PJDS will present seven intriguing documentaries at Theatre Three, located at 412 Main Street in Port Jefferson.
The documentaries were handpicked by a six-member film board that includes co-directors Lyn Boland, Barbara Sverd and Wendy Feinberg along with Honey Katz, Lorie Rothstein and Lynn Rein. Although the final selections are made by the board, the screening committee also includes four longtime volunteers Denise Livrieri, Yvonne Lieffrig, Debbie Bolvadin, and Mitch Riggio.
“We run the documentary series as a real democracy. Every film has a showrunner; you pick a film that you are particularly excited about, and everyone votes it in,” explained Lyn Boland.
The films include Love It Was Not, Claydream, Dear Mr. Brody, United States vs. Reality Winner, Not Going Quietly, In Balanchine’s Classroom, and Mission Joy — Finding Happiness in Troubled Times. Screenings will take place 7 p.m. on Mondays, September 20 and 27; October 4, 11, 18, 25; and November 15. (See sidebar).
With the exception of Claydream, the films will be also offered virtually the following day. In addition, an eighth film, Torn, will be only offered virtually on Nov. 8.
Each screening will be followed by a Q&A with the documentary’s director or producer, who will join the event via personal appearance, Skype call, or, in one case, a pre-recorded Zoom interview. Tom Needham, host of The Sounds of Film on WUSB, will act as emcee.
“Tom is the consummate interviewer. We are so lucky to have him. He chooses his own very interesting questions which really gets to the heart of each film and the filmmaker’s reasons for making the film,” said Wendy Feinberg.
‘Love It Was Not’ will be screened at Theatre Three on Sept. 20.
Boland believes that this series may be the most diverse series yet. “This season is the most varied season I can remember us presenting. It covers a huge range of topics,” she said. Love It Was Not, a film by Maya Sarfaty, was Boland’s recommendation to the panel.
“It’s a Holocaust story about a prisoner who had an SS officer fall in love with her; a remarkable story,” Boland said. “He secretly nurses her through typhoid, decades later his wife calls her to testify at his Nuremberg trial. Of course this is a dilemma for her…”
Boland is excited to see all the films, especially Dear Mr. Brody, directed by Marc Evans and United States vs. Reality Winner directed by Sonia Kennebeck.
“Dear Mr. Brody is such a nostalgia piece from the 70’s, a period I loved, and it was a story I had never heard. I thought it was very unique and it was sparked by finding the trove of letters sent to him from that period.”
United States vs. Reality Winner stood out to the co-director for how it explores the difficult decisions individuals in fraught situations may be forced to make. “It is important that the missed stories be told, the stories that really define their times,” she said. “I thought what Reality did was so brave, so right and what she went through for it shows how twisted up motivation and rules can be.”
‘Dear Mr. Brody’ will be screened at Theatre Three on Oct. 4.
It’s that sort of authenticity that Boland believes makes documentaries so arresting and engaging. “I think what makes documentaries special is the extra dimension of knowing that they are true…there is no forgetting about the camera, like you do in a feature film. You are really aware that someone had to be there, in that situation, with a camera, and even if it is not dangerous or daring, it is still access, and with access you can make the film. Documentarians don’t always know how a story is going to unfold, but finding the story arc, that makes it a really riveting documentary,” she said.
Everyone associated with the series is first and foremost a fan of the genre, according to Boland. And while many of the works are discovered by board members at festivals such as the Tribeca Film Festival, they are also being contacted by film distributors.
“Distributors are reaching out to us more often. We’re not a festival, so we don’t solicit entries the way festivals do. We really feel that we are picking from an already selective group of films when we see them at a film festival. We used to absolutely require that a film had to have won an award or gotten rave critical review; we now trust our own judgement more,” she said.
A labor of love for all those involved, holding the live screenings and Q&As at Theatre Three is an ongoing partnership.
“We’re providing an opportunity for an arts organization in our community. It is very valuable to screen films that people wouldn’t necessarily get to see in movie theaters; many of them noncommercial. The series offers a truly wonderful service,” said Theatre Three’s Artistic Director Jeffrey Sanzel.
Film Schedule:
■The season begins with a screening of Love It Was Not on Sept. 20. Flamboyant and full of life, Jewish prisoner Helena Citron found herself the subject of an unlikely affection at Auschwitz: Franz Wunsch, a high-ranking SS officer who fell in love with her magnetic singing voice. Their forbidden relationship lasted until her miraculous liberation. Thirty years later, a letter arrived from Wunsch’s wife begging Helena to testify on Wunsch’s behalf in an Austrian court. She was faced with an impossible decision: should she help the man who brutalized so many lives, but saved hers, along with some of the people closest to her? Follow her journey in Love It Was Not. Guest speaker, recorded via Zoom, is Director Maya Sarfaty. This film is sponsored by Temple Isaiah and North Shore Jewish Center.
■ Up next on Sept. 27 is Claydream which follows the story of Will Vinton, a modern day Walt Disney who picked up a ball of clay and saw a world of potential. Known as the “ Father of Claymation,” leading a team of artists and writers, Vinton revolutionized the animation business during the 80’s and 90’s. But after thirty years of being the unheralded king of clay, Will Vinton’s carefully sculpted American dream came tumbling down. The film takes us on an exciting journey, rich with nostalgia and anchored by a trove of clips from Vinton’s life work, including his iconic, classic California Raisins. Guest Speaker is Director Marq Evans via Skype. *Please note, this film is not available virtually.
■ Next up on Oct. 4 is Dear Mr. Brody. In 1970, hippie-millionaire Michael Brody Jr., the 21-year-old heir to a margarine fortune, announced to the world that he would personally usher in a new era of peace and love by giving away his twenty-five million dollar inheritance to anyone in need. Instant celebrities, Brody and his young wife Renee were mobbed by the public, scrutinized by the press, and overwhelmed by the crush of personal letters responding to this extraordinary offer. Fifty years later, an enormous cache of these letters are discovered – unopened.
In this riveting follow-up to his acclaimed film, TOWER, presented by the PJDS in 2016, award-winning director Keith Maitland reveals the incredible story of the countless struggling Americans who sought Brody’s help. Guest Speaker is Melissa Robyn Glassman, Producer and subject in the film.
■United States vs. Reality Winner will be screened on Oct. 11. A state of secrets and a ruthless hunt for whistleblowers, the documentary tells the story of 25-year-old NSA contractor Reality Winner who leaked a top secret document to the media about Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. Guest speaker will be Director Sonia Kennebeck.
■ The season continues with Not Going Quietly on Oct. 18. When 32-year-old activist and father Ady Barkan is diagnosed with ALS and given four years to live, he finds himself in a deep depression, struggling to connect with his young son, whose presence reminds him of the future he will miss. But, after a chance confrontation on an airplane with Senator Jeff Flake goes viral, Ady decides to embark on a tour of America, using his final breaths to fight for healthcare justice, and ultimately discovering that collective action and speaking truth to power can not only inspire movements, they can offer personal and emotional transformation as well. Guest speaker will be Director Nicholas Bruckman.
■ Up next on Oct. 25 is In Balanchine’s Classroom which takes us back to the glory years of Balanchine’s New York City Ballet through the remembrances of his former dancers and their quest to fulfill the vision of a genius. Opening the door to his studio, Balanchine’s private laboratory, they reveal new facets of the groundbreaking choreographer: taskmaster, mad scientist, and spiritual teacher. Today, as his former dancers teach a new generation, questions arise: what was the secret of his teaching? Can it be replicated? This film will thrill anyone interested in the intensity of the master-disciple relationship and all who love dance, music, and the creative process. Guest speaker is Director Connie Hochman.
■ Directed by Max Lowe,Torn will be screened virtually only on Nov. 8. On Oct. 5, 1999, legendary climber Alex Lowe was tragically lost alongside cameraman and fellow climber David Bridges in a deadly avalanche on the slopes of the Tibetan mountain, Shishapangma. Miraculously surviving the avalanche was Alex’s best friend and climbing partner, renowned mountaineer Conrad Anker. After the tragedy, Anker and Alex’s widow, Jennifer, fell in love and married, and Anker stepped in to help raise Alex’s three sons. The film will follow Max Lowe in his quest to understand his iconic late father as he explores family’s complex relationships in the wake of his father’s death.
■ Mission Joy — Finding Happiness in Troubled Times, a profound and jubilant exploration of the remarkable friendship between Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, closes out the PJDS Fall season on Nov. 15. Inspired by the international bestseller, The Book of Joy, the documentary welcomes viewers into intimate conversations between two men whose resistance against adversity has marked our modern history. Co-Directed by Louis Psihoyos and Peggy Callahan, the documentary reflects upon their personal hardships as well as the burden both men carry as world leaders dedicated to bringing justice to and fighting authoritarianism in their communities. Guest speaker is Co-Director Peggy Callahan via Skype.
The Fall 2021 Port Jefferson Documentary Series will be presented at 7 p.m. on select Monday nights from Sept. 20 to Nov. 15 at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson and virtually the following day.
Please note COVID-19 protocols will be fully enforced at Theatre Three. All ticket holders must show proof of vaccination status at the door, where it will be checked by two physician volunteers. Minor children too young to be vaccinated must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult, and all audience members must wear masks.
Live screenings are capped at 100 people while virtual screenings are capped at 50 people. Tickets are $10 per person online or at the door. A film pass to see all the documentaries is $56. To purchase tickets, please visit www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com. For more information, call 631-473-5220.
Joe, the gentleman at the supermarket register, asked me the routine questions.
“Did you find everything okay?”
“Do you have a rewards number?”
I nodded and typed in my cell phone number.
At the end of the order, I carefully watched the total, waiting for the moment he asked me whether I wanted to donate a dollar or round up my total.
Instead, it looked like the cost declined, even after applying all the discounts. In order to be sure, I had to remove my glasses, which allow me to see at a distance, but not to read.
Yes, the total decreased by 5%. Just as I was about to thank him, I went slack jawed behind my mask. Staring closely at the total in the register, I realized he had given me the senior discount.
I pondered what to do. I could tell him I’m not a senior. Then again, maybe anyone over 35 was a senior. Okay, fine, 40. Alright, 50.
Anyway, I thanked him for ringing me up, told him to stay safe and headed to the car, where I promptly checked the age for a senior discount at my supermarket. Yup, just as I suspected. He gave me the discount well before I was eligible.
As I loaded the groceries in the car, I wondered whether this was a freakout mid-life crisis moment. Maybe this was the universe’s way, through Joe, of reminding me that I’m not a kid anymore.
Then again, I thought, steadying myself behind the wheel, maybe Joe had just typed that senior discount button by mistake. Maybe he felt generous or, perhaps, he was giving everyone a senior discount, just to stick it to his bosses.
I have an image of myself that doesn’t align with what other people see, or even what I notice in the mirror. Somewhere along the lines, my brain imagined that the younger, fresher, more energetic version of me continued to type on my computer, yell at the TV when the Yankees lost, and maneuver through my life.
My body, and the unwelcome hair that seems to wave from my ears, has offered reminders about the passage of time. Recently, my son, who is still waiting for his freshman year to start in earnest after New Orleans recovers from Hurricane Ida, asked me if I wanted to have a catch.
Excited for some father-son bonding that doesn’t involve electronics, I readily agreed. Besides, it’s been a few years since he asked. I am no longer his coach and he has numerous athletic friends and former teammates who can launch balls across a field.
The first few throws felt comfortable, as my fingers reached for the familiar seams and tossed the ball back at his chest.
“Okay, move back,” he instructed.
A few throws later, he asked me to move back again.
“Wait, what?” my arm begged, to a brain that tried to hit the mute button on muscles, tendons, bones and rotator cuffs begging me to stop engaging in such unaccustomed activity.
Pretty soon, he was throwing lasers from the next county and I was trying to figure out if I could strap the ball to a nearby bird to return it to him.
Instead, I ran 20 steps, rotated my hips and snapped my shoulders in an effort to minimize the strain on my arm.
“Good idea,” he yelled. “You should soft toss it back to me.”
Soft toss? That was one of my hardest throws!
Two days later, we repeated the same routine. The second time, my arm instantly hurt. I might imagine that I’m 25 or even 35, just as I might imagine I can fly.
I can enjoy some consolation: the senior discount saved me enough money to buy an ice pack for my throbbing shoulder.
Here are some ways to spice up our lives. I’ve done this all my adult cooking life, and I recommend the concept. I have added store-bought sauces to otherwise bland foods, like eggs, chicken and some fish. Please read on as I explain.
How did I happen upon this technique, you might wonder? It was a solution born of desperation over 50 years ago. I was to be married in two weeks, and my roommate at the time asked me what I was going to cook for my new husband the first night. Cook? I only knew how to boil water. It hadn’t occurred to me, although tradition at the time had it, that I was to be the cook in this pairing.
When I panicked, she calmed me down by asking what my fiancé’s favorite meal was. “Breaded veal cutlet,” I remembered, and for the next 10 days, at dinner, she tutored me on the fine art of making that, along with a salad of greens with store-bought dressing, and spaghetti with some bottled red sauce. I then sailed into marriage prepared and duly impressed my groom with my culinary skills.
Soon enough, we came to the menu for the second night. Again panic. I had to sit down and figure this one out. I was working and didn’t have time to digest the thick book, “Joy of Cooking,” that some kind soul had given us as a wedding present — at least not yet. Prepared foods for takeout were not invented. There were Swanson frozen dinners, but that suggested I was really inadequate.
What to do?
I thought about how I had made that first meal. I used bottled dressing to flavor the salad and also bottled sauce for the spaghetti. I wondered what other sauces might be available on the supermarket shelves. That’s when I found duck sauce. Reading the label, I saw their suggested uses; one was with chicken. Inspired, I rushed to buy a whole chicken that I brought back to our new apartment, poured all the duck sauce over it, and popped it into the oven at 375 degrees as instructed by the amused man behind the supermarket meat counter. I kept checking it, and when it looked like it was done, I served it, along with more salad.
“Wow!” my new husband exclaimed. “I didn’t know you could cook!” I was launched.
I will confess to having learned a few more things about cooking since then, including how to read a recipe, but my affection for bottled sauces continues to this day. To further my repertoire, I have gleaned the following information from a consumer publication called, “Bottom Line,” that has proven its value sufficiently to earn my ongoing subscription dollars. The article, written by Jay Weinstein, a member of the Institute of Culinary Education, is headlined, “Make Mundane Meals Instantly Exotic, with these international bottled sauces,” offers nine suggestions, and pretty much all of them appeal to me.
First, there are some Asian possibilities: banana sauce, “the ketchup of the Philippines, … usually sweet, with subtle tropical flavors,” good on any foods from omelets to whatever comes off the grill. Anther is gochujang, a dark red paste made of red chili peppers, rice powder and fermented soy beans — tangy, spicy, salty & slightly fruity — good added to eggs, noodles, dumplings or ham. Then there is kecap manis, “an excellent marinade or glaze for meat, seafood or vegetables.” Oyster sauce will add “an unmistakable Asian flavor” and will transform hamburger. Ponzu is tangy and bright and offers “a lively citrus note” to dishes. Thai peanut sauce is a particular favorite of mine. It is a good marinade, and I happen to like it on noodles.
Then there are what the author classifies as European Sauces: aioli, “a Mediterranean mayonnaise with garlic … drizzled over vegetables or seafood”; ajvar (pronounced “aye-var”) of “roasted sweet red peppers, eggplant and … tomato.” Use atop baked potato, meatloaf and pasta or for potato salad; and Maggi seasoning, for noodles or roast chicken “or mix a little into soup.”
There are lots more, but I think I should stop. While I probably have incurred the wrath of gourmet cooks, who make everything from scratch, perhaps I have helped some new brides … or grooms.
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